The life of George Stephenson, railway engineer - Lighthouse ...

844 LIFE OF GEORGE STEPHENSON. [chap, xxvin.
" In consequence of the line I propose to you running so near
the coast, it is entirely free froni those great disadvantages. It
passes through a low country ; it possesses levels of a most
favourable nature ; and in the neighbourhood of the sea-coast
the snow remains a very short time upon the ground. The line
itself runs so near the coast, that it may be found of great ad-
vantage in conveying troops from station to station, and, in case
of war, in conveying dispatches from the seat of government to
any part of the North, and also for keeping up a communication
with the sea. If it should be found necessary, the whole line
from Newcastle to Edinburgh might be formed into one continu-
ous battery, by erecting a mound in exposed places to protect the
engines from any attack from the sea. The whole troops of the
country might also by its means be concentrated in one spot on
the shortest notice.
" The line of railway which I am proposing will constitute the
last link in the great chain of railway communication from Lon-
don to Edinburgh and Glasgow : in the whole of this chain there
will not be between London and Edinburgh one inclination exceeding
20 feet a mile (except at the London and Birmingham
station,) and the characteristic inclination will be 16 feet a mile-
The same description of engine will be enabled to work the
whole of the lines included in this chain, so that, if it should be
necessary, either from necessity or dispatch being requisite, or
in case of accident, an engine may be transferred from one line
to another capable of performing the work. But, as I stated
before, it appears to me that, both in a national and commercial
point of view, the most important consideration in procuring
easy inclinations is, that it insures a certain, speedy, and punc-
tual performance of the duties required from the engines.
" In looking at the subject in a local point of view, I may
state that it has always been my practice to lay out main lines
of railway through the lowest country, unless some important
consideration, such as a large and populous town, induced me to
diverge into a higher country. I consider that by adopting the
low country I have many advantages which are lost by taking
a high one. Considering the subject locally, I aflFord great facil-
ities in procuring cheap branches from the main line into the