I conclude this account of the Eaton railway by giving particulars of the trial trips of the small four-wheeled locomotive and of its hauling powers, and also of a test day’s work on time line.
The trials of No. 4 locomotive at Eaton were carried out in Sept., 1896, and the particulars were as follows (all weights being accurately taken on the weighbridge):—
Weight of engine in working order, with two men on the footplate, 3 tons 5 cwt.; weight of brake-van, with two men and a boy, 14 cwt.; pressure of steam throughout trials, 155 to 165 lbs. per sq. in.; ruling gradient between Balderton (G.W.R.) and Eaton, 1 in 70 rise from Balderton to Eaton, 51 ft.; rise from lowest to highest point, 63 ft.
Trip 1.—Balderton to Eaton, distance 3 miles exactly. To show that engine could haul its guaranteed load of 15 tons gross, exclusive of own weight. Coal train of thirteen wagons and van:—
Tons. cwt. qrs. Coal 10 10 3 Thirteen wagons 4 18 1 Van 0 14 0 — Gross load 16 3 0 Engine 3 5 0 — Total weight of train 19 8 0
Time from start to stop, 17 mins.; speed. 10 miles per hour. In all cases trains have to stop dead on a rising gradient of 1 in 100 before crossing the high road one mile from Balderton.
Trip 2.—Eaton to Balderton. To test capacity of engine for fast running. The same train as above, empty. Time from start to stop, 12 mins.; speed, 15 miles per hour.
Trip 3.—Balderton to Eaton. To determine maximum speed at which average weight of train could be run. Gross load, exclusive of engine, 14 tons; time from start to stop, 15 mins.; speed, 12 miles per hour.
Trip 4.—Eaton to Balderton. To test power of engine to haul a long train round the curve of 60 ft. radius on a gradient of 1 in 60, with which the line starts from Eaton. Gross load, exclusive of engine, 14 tons, consisting of 33 vehicles. The gradient was surmounted without difficulty. No time taken.
Trip 5. Balderton to Eaton. To test maximum capacity of engine.
Coal train of 20 wagons and van:— Tons. cwt. qrs. Coal 14 6 2 Twenty wagons 7 13 0 Van 0 14 0 — Gross load 22 13 2 Engine 3 5 0 — Total weight of train 25 18 2
Time from start to stop, 21½ mins.; speed, 8½ miles per hour. The first mile, fairly level, was run at 6¼ miles per hour only. The long gradient up to Eaton was run at just under 10 miles per hour, the steam blowing off freely with injector full on and damper three-quarters closed nearly all the last mile-and-a-half.