Accidents.

William Brunton devised a four wheel locomotive whose drive was transmitted by levers to two walking feet.
On July 31st, 1815, the boiler exploded, causing several fatalities, and this is regarded as the first railway accident.

The first fatality on an operating railway (as opposed to during the construction period) was on September 15, 1830 during the opening of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, when William Huskisson MP was struck by a train.

The first murder on a railway was in 1864 on a train between Hackney Wick and Bow.

There are / were 42 different
patterns of ticket punch in use on British railways.

WEAR ON RAILS.
On level lines with easy curves, 1/32nd" wear per 10 to 20 million tons traffic, per annum.
On gradients of 1 in 120, 1/32nd" wear per 6-7 million tons.
On gradients of 1 in 60, 1/32nd" wear per 4 million tons.

Almost half of all British locomotives were 0-6-0.

WATER TROUGHS.
Ramsbottom, the inventor of the eponymous safety valve, also invented the water trough. ( Known as track pans in the USA). By enabling the locomotive to pick up water whilst
moving, they eliminated, or reduced, the need to stop for water and thus improved journey times.
Of necessity, they would have to be situated on a level piece of track, and this should, preferably, be in a location where the line rose at each end, so that the scoop would move down into and rise out of the trough in accordance with the gradient profile.
The length could be of the order of ¾ to 1 mile, and typically, during 50 seconds at 50 mph, a locomotive would pick up 2,000 gallons of water.

PAINTING CARRIAGES.

At L.N.W.R carriage works, carriages were painted as
follows:
3 coats primer, stop all holes,
4 coats filler,
1 coat stain and rub down,
1 coat lead colour, stop and face with pumice stone,
2 coats lead colour,
2 coats lake,
4 coats varnish.
1 coat per day max, and 2 days between varnish coats.

Widening track gauge on curves.


With curves of



W= 1/2 e4R²    - L2