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.
In August, 1897, arrangements were courteously made at my request by the Hon. Cecil Parker and by Mr. W. A. Forster, to enable me to test the weight of minerals that could be transported in a full day’s work, over the three miles of line from Balderton to Eaton. Care was taken to obviate any delays in loading and unloading, but every truck had to be weighed separately on leaving Balderton, a process occupying about ten minutes with each train. Six trips were run during the day, and 69 tons of coal and road-metal were transported. There were four loaders at Balderton, and two unloaders at Eaton. The trains consisted of 12 wagons and van. The average gross weight, exclusive of engine, was about 17 tons, and the weight of minerals, or paying load, 12 tons. The speed was just under 10 miles per hour for the loaded trains, and 11.5 miles per hour for the empties. The engine left the shed at 8.15 a.m., and returned at 5.45 p.m., with a delay of 55 minutes for dinner. The weather was as bad as possible, slight showers all through the day making the rails so greasy as to necessitate the constant use of sand up the inclines. Time was also wasted in an extra journey for empty wagons, and in other unavoidable delays. About 1 hour 10 minutes was the average time taken over a trip out and back, reckoning to the time of next start. It is thus apparent that, with a little more arrangement, eight trips could have been run in the day. In the earlier trips, the gross loads hauled were only about sixteen tons, increasing later in the day to eighteen and nineteen tons. These larger loads might just as well have been also hauled on the earlier trips and it was apparent that, under less adverse conditions, 100 tons of paying load could have been transported in the day. Only 3 cwt. of coal was burned, including lighting up. The total distance run was 41 miles, and the average consumption of coal per mile, including that burned while standing, was 83 lbs. For Eaton Railway Regulations see Appendix C.