manufacturers, mineralogists, and merchants in the midland counties, and the metropolis.
This line of country is not very favourable for such a work: the distance on the line from London to Birmingham is 112 miles, and Birmingham is situated about 365 feet above London, and the highest summit on the line is 418 feet, at Tring, 30 miles from London.
The greatest rise is about 16 feet per mile, in several parts of the line. The railroad will be constructed with 10 tunnels. The first tunnel will be 2 miles from London; the second at Harrow Weald, 13½ miles; the third at Watford; the fourth near Tring, 30 miles; the fifth at Leighton Buzzard; the sixth, seventh, and eighth, at Weedon; the ninth at Kilsby; and the tenth at Berkswell,—making together about 8 miles of tunnel on this line;
| Width of railway on embankments | 28 feet | |
| Viz.—Double lines of rails, each line being five feet wide | 10 | |
| Space between the two lines | 6 | |
| Space outside the lines, 6 feet on each side | 12 | |
| 28 | ||
| Width on the cuttings One foot additional being allowed on each side for a drain. |
30 |
This line of railroad may be considered perfectly practicable; but, owing to the general rise and fall of the country, as appears by the section of the projected railroad, with 10 tunnels, must necessarily be expensive in its construction and maintenance in repairs, lighting the tunnels, and attendants; although I believe that Messrs. Stephenson, the engineers, have selected the best line of country between London and Birmingham for the design.
