The train consisted of six Great Northern coaches, and ran
the 188 miles to York in 217 minutes, including a stop of ten minutes at
Grantham, or at the average rate of 541/2 miles an hour. The speed from
Grantham to York, 821/2 miles, with three slowing downs at Retford,
Doncaster, and Selby, averaged 57 miles an hour, and the 59 miles from
Claypole, near Newark, to Selby, were run in 601/2 minutes, and for 221/2
consecutive miles the speed was 64 miles an hour. In ordinary working
these engines convey trains of sixteen to twenty-six coaches from
King's-Cross with ease, and often twenty-eight are taken and time kept.
Considering that the Great Northern main line rises almost continuously to
Potter's Bar, 13 miles, with gradients varying from 1 in 105 to 1 in 200,
this is a very high duty, while, with regard to speed, they have run with
sixteen coaches for 15 miles at the rate of 75 miles an hour. Their
consumption of coal with trains averaging sixteen ten ton carriages is 27
lb. per mile, or 8 lb. per mile less than the standard coupled engine of
the North-Western with similar loads. Mr. Stirling's view, that the larger
the wheel the better the adhesion, seems borne out of these facts; thus to
take twenty-eight coaches, or a gross load of 345 tons, up 1 in 200 at a
speed of 35 miles an hour, would require an adhesive force of 8,970 lb.
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