Book Description

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1846 edition. Excerpt: ... sinking, moreover, bearing a greater proportion to the 4 feet 8 inches than to 7 feet, will cause a far greater and more dangerous oscillation. We find it afterwards, on the head of accommodation, admitted that "Until lately the broad gauge carriages were altogether more commodious than those of the narrow gauge, but recently carriages have been introduced on several of the narrow gauge lines nearly as lofty as those on the broad gauge, and equally commodious." If this be accurate, it seems difficult to avoid the conclusion that the superior comfort of the broad gauge carriages has been so highly appreciated that it has been thoughtworth while to imitate it, even at a certain increase of risk. As to the comparative comfort, even now, every one must judge for himself. We have known fanatics who professed to prefer the inside of a coach to a railway carriage; and we can therefore believe in the existence of sectarians with minds inadequate to the broad, and with characteristic predilections for the narrow: still, we have never met with any one who had travelled by both, who did not prefer the luxuriousness and roominess of the Great Western to any other; and it is worth observing that in America, where a gauge of about 5 feet is in use, the superior commodiousness of the broad gauge is acknowledged, at the obvious sacrifice of safety, by building the carriages so as to overlay the wheels to a considerable extent. In England we are less careless of life; but the easy roominess of the Great Western carriages is, it would seem, sufficient to tempt us into some degree of rashness. The broad gauge however is, at any rate, "safer at high velocities" Now as to the unimportance of safety at high speeds, --an unimportance appreciated by the...