MANCHESTER AND LIVERPOOL MAILS.--FROM COACH TO RAIL--THE WESTERN
RAILROAD.--POST OFFICE ARBITRATION CASE.
When the construction of the Great Western Railway was in contemplation,
the prospect of the Londoner being able to pay a morning visit to
Bristol, in even four or five hours, was hailed with satisfaction, as
will be gathered from the following article from _The Sun_ newspaper of
March 26th, 1832:--
"RAILWAY FROM LONDON TO BRISTOL.--We understand that two civil engineers
of eminence, Henry H. Price and Wm. Brunton, Esqrs., are busily occupied
(under the auspices of some leading interests) in making the necessary
surveys for the above important work. We hail with satisfaction the
prospect of seeing the metropolis, ere long, thus closely approximated
to the Bristol Channel and Western Seas, when four or five hours will
enable us to pay a morning visit to Bristol. Nothing can tend more to
increase and consolidate the power of the empire than to give the
greatest possible facility of intercourse between its distant points.
When the London and Bristol railway shall be completed, it will be very
possible, in connexion with the Irish steam-boats from the latter port,
for cattle and other Irish produce to be conveyed to the London market
within 32 hours from the time of shipment at Cork, Waterford, &c., and
thus, at a cheap rate, will the London market be thrown immediately open
to the Irish agriculturist; at the same time the London consumers will
be benefited in proportion to the greater extent of country thrown open
whence they may derive their supplies. Liverpool, we understand, imports
above 7,000 head of live stock per week; much of which is conveyed to
Manchester by the railway, and we may surely hope for a similar result
to the metropolis, when the direct communication is opened with Ireland
by similar means. In a political point of view, the importance of the
great work in question is too obvious to require a moment's comment.
We need only state, that in case of emergency, four to five hours will
be sufficient to convey any quantity of men or stores from our depôts or
arsenals near London to Bristol, whence they will be ready to embark for
any point where they may be required, and we at once prove that
railways, judiciously constructed across the country, may be made, not
only the means of economy to the Government (smaller establishments
being necessary), but that they tend more than anything else to
concentrate and consolidate the strength of an empire, and are an
additional guarantee against war and foreign aggression."
[Illustration: PRIMITIVE GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY TRAIN BETWEEN BRISTOL AND
BATH, PASSING KELSTON]
In these days of special trains, composed exclusively of Post Office
carriages, such for instance as the night mail on the Great Western
Railway, leaving Paddington at 9.5 p.m., consisting of eight coaches
with engine (usually the "Alexandra" or "Duke of York"), and measuring
400 feet in length, which runs the whole journey from London to Penzance
in the space of 9 hours 40 minutes, stopping at Bristol and a few other
first-class stations _en route_, it may be interesting to recall the
earliest period of the conveyance of mails by railway. Light is thrown
thereon in the following correspondence relating to the then conveyance
of the mails to Manchester and Liverpool, partly by the
recently-constructed railway, and partly by road:--"Liverpool, 4th July,
1837. Dear Sir, We reached this place precisely at half-past
twelve--exactly an hour behind our time--the loss arose out of various
little _contretemps_, which a little practice will set right. This is
the first time in Europe so long a journey was performed in so short a
time, and if, some very few years ago, it had been said a letter could
be answered by return of post from London, the idea would have been
treated as chimerical, and yet at eight last evening was I in London,
and this letter will reach there to-morrow morning, the proceeding of
these operations occupying a period of 34-1/2 hours only, out of which a
rest of three hours is to be taken, thus performing a distance of 412
miles in 31-1/2 hours.
"Our mail coach was before its time full 15 minutes, notwithstanding at
one place we could not find horses, except posters; and at another
when posters were found there was no coachman; luckily there was one on
the mail, looking out for a place, with which we suited him. To-night,
doubtless, all will go right (some dispute among the amiable
contractors, I believe to be the cause). I need hardly observe that I
have adopted proper measures. I have the honour to be, Dear Sir, Yours
very faithfully, (Signed) Geo. Louis. To Lt.-Col. Maberley, &c., &c.,
&c."
[Illustration: BRISTOL AND EXETER RAILWAY TRAIN BRINGING MAILS TO
BRISTOL ON THE DECLINE OF THE MAIL COACH SYSTEM ABOUT 1844. (CLIFTON
BRIDGE ANTICIPATED BY THE ARTIST.)]
"Manchester, 4th July, 1837. Sir, I have much pleasure in stating that
the London Bag arrived here this day by railway at half-past twelve p.m.
The Bag to London was despatched as usual this morning by the mail
coach, but concluding that a _return by the railway_ is intended both
this day and to-morrow (although the arrangements generally do not
commence until the 6th) I make a despatch with such letters as are in
the office at half-past two p.m., and propose doing the same to-morrow.
I am, Sir, Your most obedient, humble Servant, (Sig.) G.F. Karstadt. To
Lt.-Col. Maberley."
"4th July, 1837. Manchester. G. Karstadt, Esq. For the
Postmaster-General. I enclose a letter from Mr. Louis with this report
from Mr. Karstadt as to the first working of the railroad. I am sorry to
say that it appears from the time bills an hour was lost upon the
railroad coming up. (Signed) J.V.L.M. (Lt.-Col. Maberly). 5th July,
1837. Read, Lichfield (Lord Lichfield)." The coaches running all the way
through at this period were timed to leave London at 8 p.m., and arrive
at Liverpool and Manchester at 2.30 p.m. On the up journey the coaches
left Manchester and Liverpool at 11.30 a.m., and reached London at 6.30
a.m.
The conveyance of the mail partly by road and partly by rail came into
operation on the Western road from 1838 to 1841 as section by section of
the Great Western Railway became completed. Thus, in 1840, mails which
had come by road between Maidenhead and Bath were brought into Bristol
by trains composed of very primitive engines, tenders and coaches, as
depicted in the illustrations taken from engravings of the period.
Mr. J.W. Arrowsmith, the world-wide known Bristol Publisher, recently
reprinted Arrowsmith's Railway Guide of 1854, the year of its first
issue. It is interesting to note from the re-publication that the
shortest time in which Mails and passengers were conveyed between London
and Plymouth was 7 hours, 25 minutes, and between Plymouth and London 7
hours, 35 minutes. What a change a half-century has brought about! The
pace of the trains has been vastly increased, and even goods trains
accomplish the journey from London to Bristol in three hours. There is
no such thing as finality in speed, as the Great Western Railway Company
has been trying a French engine, with a view to beat all previous
records. One of these engines was tried in France with the equivalent of
fifteen loaded coaches behind it. It was brought to a dead stop on a
steep incline, and when started again it gathered speed, so that before
the summit was reached it was travelling at its normal speed--74.6 miles
an hour.
This new engine, "La France," recently accomplished a brilliant feat.
She was started from Exeter with a load of twelve of the largest
corridor-bogies, one being a "diner," the whole weight behind her
tender, including passengers, staff, luggage, and stores, being nearly
330 tons. "La France" ran the 75-1/2 miles to Temple Meads Station,
Bristol, in 72-1/2 minutes, start to stop, thus averaging 62.5 miles an
hour, although she had to face a 20-mile climb at the start, the last 27
miles of this stretch being at 1 in 115. She went on from Bristol to
London, 118-1/2 miles, with the same heavy load, in exactly 118 minutes.
Her time from Bath to Paddington, 107 miles, was 104 minutes; from
Swindon, 77-1/4 miles, 72 minutes; from Reading, 36 miles, 33 minutes.
A good performance in long distance railway running was established by
the Great Western Railway Company in connection with the visit in 1903
of the Prince and Princess of Wales to Cornwall. Their Royal Highnesses
left Paddington in a special division of the Cornishman at 10.40 a.m.,
the train being timed to do the non-stop run to North Road, Plymouth, a
distance of 245 miles, in four hours and a half. This time was, however,
reduced to the extent of 36-1/4 min., the train steaming into North
Road at 33-3/4 minutes past 2 o'clock. The train covered during the
first hour's run 67-3/4 miles, the average speed for the whole journey
to Plymouth being 1.049 miles per minute. The journey was performed in
about half the time occupied in 1854.
[Illustration: [_By permission of "Great Western Railway Magazine."_
"LA FRANCE"--POWERFUL NEW GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY ENGINE.]
The up train, which runs from Bristol to London in exactly two hours,
via Badminton, is matched by a down train in the same time by the easier
but slightly longer main line (_via_ Bath), giving a start-to-stop speed
of 59-1/8 miles an hour, with a dead slow through Bath Station. But to
Bath, where a coach is slipped, the inclusive speed is 60 miles an hour,
as the distance is 107 miles (all but 10 chains), and the time from
Paddington, 1 hr. 47 min. This is by the 10.50 a.m. "Cornishman," and is
said to be the first Great Western train ever booked at a mile a minute,
and the first train on any London Railway even "scheduled" at that
speed.
In connection with the Mail Services between the Metropolis and Bristol,
the "Gate of the West," it may be appropriate here to mention the recent
arbitration case between the Great Western Railway Company and H.M.
Postmaster-General in regard to remuneration for conveyance of Mails.
The Company, dissatisfied with the payment of £115,000 a year under
their contract of 1885, subsequently raised by small additions, from
time to time, to £126,000 a year, brought their case before the Railway
Commissioners, who awarded £135,855 a year from the 1st July, 1902. This
amount covered the provision of a new postal train in each direction
between London and Penzance. It was Sir Frederick Peel who delivered the
judgment of the Court.