Fig. 5 is a cross section of our edge-railway through the middle of one of the chairs a, and across the ends of the two adjoining rails which are connected by a transverse pin ; c is the stone support or sleeper.
Fig. 6 is a cross section of the rail a, at the centre, and shows the carriage c behind.
Fig. 7 is a plan of the railway described at Fig. 1, showing the half-lap join hags of the rails e e placed in their carriages d d.
Fig. 8, in the subjoined cut, is a view of the cast-iron wheel with the malle able iron tire. This wheel is made with curved spokes, as shown at a a a, and with a slit or aperture in the rim, shown at b, into: which a key is inserted. The reason of this is, that on the application of the hot tire, the cast metal expands unequally, and the rim is liable to be cracked, and the rims drawn off; unless the first is previously slit or opened, and the latter curved, which allow them to accommodate themselves to the increased diameter of the wheel ; by this formation of the wheel, the tire may be placed on when cold, and keyed up afterwards.
Fig. 9 is a cross section of Fig. 8, through the centre. a a show the tire ; bb the metal rim. This cast metal rim is dovetailed; so that when the tire, which is dovetailed to suit it, is put on hot, it contracts, and applies itself to the rim with a degree of adhesion which prevents its coming off from the motion of the wheel on the railway. This wheel is of the form to suit an edge-railway; and to make it answer for a plate-rail, it only requires the rim to be flat.
Fig. 10 is an end view of Frg. 8 without the malleable iron tire.
We now proceed to the description of .the rolley or tram wheels, designed to move upon a plain railway, as illustrated in the subjoined wood cuts.
Fig. 11 represents a view of a rolley or tram wheel; a a a are the malleable iron arms, fastened to the projections b b b on the inside of the rim c c, by the bolts d d.
Fig. 12 is a cross section of Fig. 11, through the centre of the wheel; as show the arms, c c the rim, d d the bolts.
Fig. 13 represents a view of a rolley or tram-wheel, with a plate of malleable iron a a a, to form the junction between the nave b b, and the cast metal rim c c.
Fig. 14 is a cross section of Fig. 17. a a show the plate upon which the nave b b is cast ; cc show the cut-iron rim which is cast upon the plate, the edges of which plate are previously covered with a thin coating of loam and charcoal dust, or other fit substance, to prevent the too intimate adhesion between the iron plate and metal rim, so that if the rim should break, it can easily be taken off, and replaced by casting another on the plate.
Fig. 15 represents Messrs. Leah and Stephenson's plate-railway. At the end of each plate are projections a a a, to fit into the dovetailed carriage b b, and at each end of each plate are projections or tenons cc, which fall into the mortice hole (in Figs. 16 and 17) in the carriage b b, and secure the rail from an end motion ; and when the pin or key is driven into its place, it secures the plates from rising ; and they are thus immovably fixed in their carriages.
Fig. 16 is a front view of IV. 15.
Fog. 17 is a plan of the carriage, in which a a show the holes through which the nails are driven to secure it to the sleeper. When the rails are laid in this carriage, and secured by the pin or key, they keep these nails from starting up, by resting upon them.
Fig. 18 is a cross section of the carriage, and the end of one of the plate rails.
Figs. 23 and 24 are a plan and front view of a rail of the plate-railway (which was at the date of this patent in common use in the North of England;) our readers will notice the difference between this and those we previously described.
Fig. 25 represents a front view of the edge-railway in common use at New castle, prior to 1816; and the portion 17g. 26 shows a piece inclining out of the horizontal position, as they very often do from the yielding of the pedestals causing of course a serious shock to the waggons in passing the joinings on to the next rail." Messrs. Le* and Stephenson state that their method of joining the parts of their railway together, enables them to sustain a much greater pressure than those which arejoined in the usual way • and they avoid the liability to which the ordinary rails are subject—that of the extremity of one rail becoming depressed out of the plane of the adjoining one, and hence of receiving severe blows and shocks, which'usually terminate in breakage ; and as action and reaction are mutual and contrary, it follows, that if the communication of those shocks to their rails be prevented, the wheels, carriages, and engines, which move over them, are, from the same cause, preserved from derangement and destruction. As the centre of gravity in a loaded coal waggon is, from its shape, much elevated, the shaking to which the vehicle is subjected by small obstacles, especially such as usually occur at the junction of the rails, causes a considerable portion of the coal to be thrown out ; which loss, it is presumed. would be pre vented by a more uniform motion of the carriages over a more perfect and stable railway.