| Tons. | cwt. | qrs. |
Coal | 10 | 10 | 3 |
Thirteen wagons | 4 | 18 | 1 |
Van | 0 | 14 | 0 |
— | |||
Gross load | 16 | 3 | 0 |
Engine | 3 | 5 | 0 |
— | |||
Total weight of train | 19 | 8 | 0 |
Time from start to stop, 17 mins.; speed. 10 miles per hour. In all cases trains have to stop dead on a rising gradient of 1 in 100 before crossing the high road one mile from Balderton.
Trip 2.—Eaton to Balderton. To test capacity of engine for fast running. The same train as above, empty. Time from start to stop, 12 mins.; speed, 15 miles per hour.
Trip 3.—Balderton to Eaton. To determine maximum speed at which average weight of train could be run. Gross load, exclusive of engine, 14 tons; time from start to stop, 15 mins.; speed, 12 miles per hour.
Trip 4.—Eaton to Balderton. To test power of engine to haul a long train round the curve of 60 ft. radius on a gradient of 1 in 60, with which the line starts from Eaton. Gross load, exclusive of engine, 14 tons, consisting of 33 vehicles. The gradient was surmounted without difficulty. No time taken.
Trip 5. Balderton to Eaton. To test maximum capacity of engine.
Coal train of 20 wagons and van:— | Tons. | cwt. | qrs. |
Coal | 14 | 6 | 2 |
Twenty wagons | 7 | 13 | 0 |
Van | 0 | 14 | 0 |
— | |||
Gross load | 22 | 13 | 2 |
Engine | 3 | 5 | 0 |
— | |||
Total weight of train | 25 | 18 | 2 |
Time from start to stop, 21½ mins.; speed, 8½ miles per hour. The first mile, fairly level, was run at 6¼ miles per hour only. The long gradient up to Eaton was run at just under 10 miles per hour, the steam blowing off freely with injector full on and damper three-quarters closed nearly all the last mile-and-a-half.
Trip 6:—From 1¼ to 2¼ mile posts, chiefly up gradient of 1 in 80. To test maximum running speed with light trains. Load: bogie passenger-car and van only. The maximum speed was attained on passing the 1½ mile post, but fell off slightly after passing the 1¾ post. Time by stop watch, from 1½ to 2 mile post, 1½ mins. exactly. Average speed, 20 miles per hour.
It is to be noted, since the 15 in. gauge is almost precisely one-quarter that of the standard railway gauge, and since possible speed is in direct proportion to gauge, that 10, 15, and 20 miles on the one equal 40, 60, and 80 on the other. Thus the average speed of 10 to 12 miles per hour usually maintained, including the road-crossing stop, by the mineral trains on the Eaton line is considerably in excess of the proportionate speed of similar trains on the standard railways.