Public works of Great Britain; consisting of railways, chairs, blocks, cuttings, embankments, tunnels, oblique arches, viaducts, bridges, stations, locomotive engines, &c.

Front matter

PUBLIC WORKS

© F

GREAT BRITAIN

Preface

The great and important changes which this Country has experienced, and its proud elevation over its contemporaries in the scale of nations, may chiefly be attributed to the important character of its Public Works. These having been raised by the wealth of its inhabitants, called forth the powers and resources of the Country, enlarged both its Foreign Commerce and Internal Trade, and has converted the sterile plain into a highly cultivated, or populous manufacturing district, with every¬ where the appearance of wealth and comfort. The unshrinking enterprise of the Nation has called, as it were, into existence these important and lasting monuments of its greatness.

The advantage to be derived by every student, in having a reference to the most approved works of his profession, to examine and acquaint himself with the principles of their construction, their various details, and the mode of execution, is too obvious to need more than a passing observation. Amongst the multifarious employments of the Civil Engineer, none have made larger calls in modern times upon his ingenuity than the construction of Railways, which, from their magnitude and novel character, may be considered as a newly-contrived means of internal communication. The formation of such works require constructions of various kinds and degrees of magnitude, and many that have been executed have presented some new features in Engineering. To bring, therefore, before the attention of the student and practitioner generally, some of the best examples of works of this kind, in combination with examples of such other character of works as fall within the province of Civil Engineering, cannot fail of being useful to the practitioner for reference, and to the student, by maturing his judgment. It is the professed object of the present Volume to supply, in part, this important desideratum ; and, should it ultimately be found to answer this end, it is proposed by the Proprietor to renew the subject from time to time, by publishing the details and particulars of the most important works of which this country may be so justly proud.

The following work originated in the purchase of the Plates and Copyright of Strickland’s ‘ Reports on Canals, Railways, Roads, and other Subjects, made to the

b 2

PREFACE.

viii

Pennsylvania Society for the Promotion of Internal Improvement,’ the proposed re-publication of which, after having had an extensive sale, both in this country and America, suggested the utility of extending its sphere of usefulness by making it the nucleus about which to collect the most important works of the kind treated of by Strickland, and thus form a volume which, for the importance and accuracy of its contents, woidd be of real utility. In carrying this plan into execution, a careful revision of the original work was gone into, as far as we were able to obtain the necessary information ; very little of the original matter has been retained, and such plates as were found to be incorrect representations of their subjects were cancelled, and correct ones substituted — as, for instance, the Thames and Medway Canal and Tunnel, and the Harecastle Tunnel; for the correct Drawings and particulars of the former, we are indebted to William Tierney Clark, Esq., the Engineer, who designed and executed the Tunnel ; and for the latter, to Mr. James Potter, who furnished us with the original working Drawings, from which he constructed that Tunnel, under the superintendence of the late Thomas Telford, Esq. The new matter has been for the most part communicated by the eminent Engineers who designed the various works described, and may therefore be relied upon for its accuracy; and throughout the preparation of the whole work, the utmost vigilance has been used to prevent the admission of error, which it is hoped (although in a work of this magnitude scarcely to be expected) will nowhere be found, either in the letter-press or the illustrations.

In conclusion, we have to acknowledge the kindness of those numerous professional Gentlemen, who have both given their valuable time and information to assist in making the w'ork complete and correct.

Greenwich, January 20 th, 1838.

F. W. SIMMS.

CONTENT S.

DIVISION I.

RAILWAYS.

London ar.d Birmingham Railway Historical Notice

Camden and F.uston Stations (London Terminus) .

Roof of Passengers’ Arrival and Departure Shed

Extension Contract- Specification ....... .

Bridges in Extension Contract .

Wriothesley Street Bridge.

Bridge No. 1, on the Duke of Bedford’s Estate.

Bridge No. 2, on the Duke of Bedford’s Estate.

Bridge under the Hampstead Road.

Bridge under Stanhope Place.

Bridge for Crescent Place.

Bridge under Park Street.

Bridge over the Regent’s Canal.

Ballasting and Laying the Permanent Way . .

Specification of Contract from the Camden Station to the

River Brent . . . .

Excavations and Embankments .

Fencing and Ditching

Temporary Fencing .

Permanent Fencing .

Primrose Hill Tunnel, London Entrance — Description of Fron¬ tispiece . «... . . .

Specification . . . . .

Bridge over the Railway at the Crossing of Private Road from

Paddington to Hampstead . . . .

Extra or Contingent Works . . .

Excavations and Embankments of Sloped Occupation Roads

Laying and Ballasting Permanent Sidings .

Colne Viaduct, and Bridge over Excavation south of Watford

Tunnel . . . . . .

Watford Tunnel — Specification .

North Church Tunnel — Specification . . .

Oblique Bridge — Box Moor . .

Blisworth Excavations and Embankments, Retaining Walls, ib.

ib.

ib.

8tc. — Specification .

Kilsby Tunnel . . .

The Chairs and Rails on the London and Birmingham Railway

Description of Mr. Buck's Railway Chairs .

Rails, Chairs, Wedging-bolts, and Pins— Specification of .

Siding or Passing Place .

Turn Rails — Specification of . . .

First Class Carriag. — Specification of Great Weston; Railway The Whamcliffe Viaduct Maidenhead Bridge

London and Southampton Railway 56

Southampton Railway Bar 57

Cast-iron Chair — Specification of . ih.

Malleable Iron Kails Specification of . 58

London and Greenwich Railway . 59

Birmingham and Bristol Thames Junction Railway 66

Glasgow and Gamkirk Railway 67

Locomotive Engines 68

The Comet.

Mr. Stephenson’s Patent Locomotive Engine.

Specification of ditto.

Railway Waggons . . . 72

DIVISION II.

CANALS, BRIDGES, RIVER WALLS, AND THE DOCKS

AND PORT OF LIVERPOOL.

Thames and Medway Canal and Tunnel . . . . . 1

Grand Trunk Canal — Harecastle New Tunnel, Staffordshire .... 4

Montgomery Canal — Description of Locks . 5

Gloucester and Berkley Canal — Specification . . 10

River Wall, Fishmongers’ Hall — Embankment . 20

Deptford Pier— Cast-iron Piling for Wharfs . ib.

Ca.-4-iron Bridge, Staffordshire . . >b.

Canal Bridges and Locks, Gates, Kc. 28

Docks and Port of Liverpool . 29

DIVISION III.

TURNPIKE ROADS, IRON, STEEL, AND GAS WORKS.

Slope or Transverse Section.

Drainage.

Fences.

Road Materials.

Foundation and Disposition of Materials.

Geesebrid^e Valley Improvement — Specification of . 4

River Hill Improvement — Specification of . 8

Method of Cokeing Coal . . . . . . 1 1

Iron Works 13

Steel Works .18

Mines at Abersychum, Monmouthshire . 21

(i-,. Works ^

Contents

DIVISION IV.

SURVEY OF THE PORT OF LONDON.

CHAPTER I. ON THE HISTORY, P1VILEGES, FUNCTIONS, AND GOVERNMENT OF Section Page

1. Importance of the Port of London to the whole Empire,

and its Rank in the Scale of Commercial Ports . 1

2. Ancient Charters and Authorities . . ib.

3. Boundaries of its Water Jurisdiction . . . ib.

4. Powers, Functions, and Privileges of the Corporation, as

applying to the Port of London and to the Conser¬ vancy of the Thames, and their Title thereto . . 2

5. Ancient and Present Style of the Corporation of London,

and Ancient and Modern Charters . 4

3. Seizure of the Charters by Charles II., and subsequent

Parliamentary Restoration of the same . 6

7. Causes which led to the Appointment of the Corporation

of London as Superintendents of the Port, and the Authorities by which they govern the said Port . ib.

8. Abstract of the By-laws by which the Port is regulated.... 10

9. Constitution of the Port of London Improvement Com¬

mittee . 12

10. The Officers of the Harbour Service, their Functions and

Duties . 13

Chapter II. On The Extent, Divisions And Commercial Regulations Of

1. Its Geographical Extent . . . . . . . . 16

2. Its Divisions . . . . . 17

3. Its Soundings, Widths, and Distances . 18

4. Its Shoals, Banks, and other Impediments to Navigation 20

5. By whom and at whose Expense these Shoals, Banks,

&c. are and ought to bo removed, and the Reasons assigned by the Trinity House for not removing them 22

6. Sketch of the Rise and Progress of its Commerce,

and of the Commercial Bodies connected with the Port . . . . . . . 26

7. The several Dock Companies in the Port . . . . 34

8. Account of the Number of Vessels that can be accom¬

modated in the Port of London, according to the Present By-laws . . 40

9. Dues, Charges, &c. in the Port of London . . . 41

10. Summary of the Rights, Privileges, Functions, Powers

and Jurisdictions of the Corporation of London over its own Harbour and River . . ib.