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. 1871 edition. Excerpt: ...makes no allowance for the more economical working of the narrow gauge, which is one of the main features of the system. If such a result be possible it implies for public lines not a little encouragement to carry the railway system into every nook and corner of the kingdom where a moderate traffic may be obtained; and for Government lines the reduction of tariff to the lowest point. "There seemed to be a unanimity of opinion also as to the success of Mr. Fairlie's engine adapted to the narrow gauge, and also on the broad gauge; but it remains to be seen, from the reports which will be furnished to the various Governments, how far this unanimity extends. That the engine did some extraordinary work is clear, as we shall have to show in a future article; but whether it is or is not to be recommended for adoption as a means of making the narrow gauge available to the utmost is a point on which we have no information." F No. II. "The object of the experiments on the Welsh railways was to ascertain whether or not the 'Fairlie' engine increased the carrying capacity of a railway or diminished the cost of working it. With this view two engines were put on their trial--one, the 'Little Wonder, ' on the Festiniog Railway, of 2 ft. gauge, in North Wales; the other, the 'Progress, ' on the ordinary gauge of 4-8, in South Wales. "The ' Little Wonder' is an eight-wheeled double bogie engine of four cylinders 8f in. in diameter, with a stroke of 13 in. The diameter of its wheels is 2 ft. 4 in.; its average steam pressure is 150 lbs.; its weight is 19 tons; its total length is 27 ft.; its total wheel base is 19 ft., and the wheel base of each bogie, which practically has alone to be considered, is 5 ft. This engine was...