The rolling stock, which is all capable of traversing a minimum curve of 25 ft. radius, is fitted throughout with self-acting coupler-buffers, and all similar parts are interchangeable. It comprises the following:—
One four-coupled locomotive weighing 3 tons in working order, and carrying enough water and fuel for an hour’s running.
Thirty wagons 6 ft. long, 3 ft. wide, 1 ft. 3 in. deep, weighing each 7½ cwts., and holding 16 to 17 cwts. of coal, or 20 to 22 cwts. of bricks and road metal. The sides are of box form and removable, so that the floors can be used as flat wagons for the conveyance of large stones, castings, &c. Fittings are attachable to any wagon for carrying long timber. Also one bogie passenger car 20 ft. long and 3 ft. 6 in. wide, weighing 23 cwts. and seating 16 persons, and one parcel van, to carry 2 tons, of approximately similar construction.
Various other vehicles; among which are a brake van, 6 wagons capable of carrying 1½ tons each, and 2 for 2 tons each. Full particulars of the construction of the rolling-stock, now increased, will be found in Sections V. and VI.
The gross load which the engine, exclusive of its own weight, will haul in regular work is 40 tons on the level, and 20 tons up the ruling gradient of 1 in 70; the speed being about 10 miles per hour. In an experimental trip, however, a speed of 20 miles per hour was attained without undue oscillation. This weight of train is by no means the limit which can be hauled on the line, for, on the Duffield Bank railway, the eight-wheel-coupled engine draws far more than this load, and on one occasion took eight bogie passenger cars carrying 124 persons up a gradient of 1 in 47 on which is a half-circle curve of only 40 ft. radius.
The entire cost of construction has been £1,095 per mile, exclusive of sheds. This figure would have been materially less but for the considerable expense attending the extra levelling and turfing required to avoid undue prominence. The cost of rolling stock has been £214 per mile, thus bringing the total outlay to £1,309 per mile.
The annual expenses were computedthus:— | £ | s. | d. | ||||
| Interest at 4 per cent, on grossexpenditure | 285 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Renewal of permanent way, 4 per cent on£2,000 (25 years life) | 80 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Renewal of rolling stock, 8 per cent, on£900 (12½ years life) | 72 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Working expenses | £ | s. | d. |
| ||
| Driver | 91 | 0 | 0 |
| ||
| Brakesman (boy) | 26 | 0 | 0 |
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| Two Platelayers | 99 | 0 | 0 |
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| Fuel and oil | 39 | 0 | 0 |
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| 255 | 0 | 0 | ||||
Total annualcost | 642 | 0 | 0 | ||||
The cost of loading being the same for railway wagons as for carts is not considered. With a minimum traffic of 5,000 tons per annum over an average distance of 2½ miles—equal to 12,500 ton-miles—the cost of transport is almost precisely 1s. per ton per mile; which is materially less than the cost of the cart haulage. The same rolling-stock and staff could readily deal with 40 tons per working day of eight hours—equal, at five days per week, to upwards of 10,000 tons a year. If the traffic were to reach this amount, the cost per ton of transport would be greatly reduced With a more powerful engine and additional rolling stock, such a line is capable of conveying an annual traffic of 40,000 tons.
There are probably many localities in which a diminutive railway like that at Eaton, ample in its capacity for estate requirements and extremely flexible in threading existing buildings, would well repay construction. The unobtrusiveness of so small a line and rolling stock, the relief to the roads, and the convenience of constant connection with the nearest railway, are points which are deserving of consideration where the conditions make such an installation possible.
The laying of the line was begun in August, 1895. The earthwork was already well advanced. On account of the large amount of game in the neighbourhood of the line, it was considered wiser to employ no contractor, nor were any men obtainable with a knowledge of such diminutive platelaying. For the first fortnight I worked away myself with beater, rammer, and crowbar, till I had taught a proportion of my staff of 16 the use of these tools, and how to put the permanent way together. My assistant engineer, new to railway work, soon picked up the right ideas of what was required, and in a month, when I had to leave, everything was going nicely. A bonus was paid on every rail-length beyond a quarter-of-a-mile per week completed. This, compared with the fine work done by the Royal Engineers in the Soudan, appears a poor performance, but it must be remembered that we had to bring not only rails and sleepers from our base, but also all the ballast, and that we left our work thoroughly packed, the banks soiled and turfed, the road crossings laid in concrete and asphalte with double rails and special sleepers, the field-crossings for carts made good, the girder bridges and fence bridges (cattle stops) erected, and all points and crossings permanently finished off. About Christmas we reached Eaton Hall, and in the following May (1896) had pretty well finished all the branches.