Identifier: oldnewlondonnarr05thor (find matches)
Title: Old and new London : a narrative of its history, its people, and its places
Year: 1873 (1870s)
Authors: Thornbury, Walter, 1828-1876
Subjects:
Publisher: London : Cassell, Petter, & Galpin
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Internet Archive

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s, where it joins the Brighton line. Throughout the whole length of the various 228 OLD AND NEW LONDON. (Underground London. systems of Underground Railways, it may besafely asserted that the works are signal instancesof modern engineering skill and ingenuity. Therails on the )\Ietropolitan Line were originally laidon the mixed-gauge principle, the rails themselveshaving steeled surfaces given to them ; but thesebeing found to be not of a very durable character,were gradually replaced with others of solid steel,which, although much more costly to lay down, whilst the second and third classes carry as manyas eighty persons respectively, and very frequentlymore. The mode of lighting the carriages is bygas, which is carried in long india-rubber bags,within wooden boxes, arranged on the tops of thecarriages, and extending from one end to the otherof each set of vehicles composing the train. Thesegas bags, says the writer of the work above re-ferred to, are weighted on the top, and, as the
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TRIAL TRIP ON THE UNDERGROUND RAILWAY, 1863. have been found to be more lasting, and conse-(juently cheaper in the end. Within the last fewyears, the broad-gauge rails have been taken up,and only the narrow-gauge is now used. So far as the engines and carriages are con-cerned, but little need be said here. The formerare fine, powerful machines, specially designed byMr. Fowler, the engineer-in-chief; and they arearranged either to exhaust the steam through thechimney in the ordinary way, or else to condenseit in tanks which are placed on cither side of theengine, and contain i,ooo gallons of water—asupply suftkient for the double journey. Thecarriages are extremely large and roomy vehicles,the united bodies being no less than forty feet long.The first-class carriages are luxuriously fitted up,and are constructed to carry sixty passengers; weights descend, an indicator, at the side of eachbox, points either to E or F, to show how nearthe india-rubber reservoirs are to being either evi

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