RAILWAY AND INDUSTRIAL HISTORY OF THE SOUTH WEST BLACK COUNTRY
 
 

 

 

  

Part letter

 from:
to :
date:		 Frederick Smith (Lord Ward's Mineral Agent)
W. O. Foster (Proprietor of John Bradley & Co.)
4th. April 1864.		    

Ashwood Railway. The difficulty of working this line is increasing every day and unless repaired will become altogether impassable. I therefore beg to offer for your consideration the following suggestions, which if adopted will not only place it in good working order but materially economise the cost and trouble of working it.

That you may better understand how far you are interested in the matter I have collected a statement of all traffic passed over the line during the six months ending Christmas 1863 and herewith enclose it for your assistance:

    
Your own through traffic between Ashwood Basin and the foot of your incline by your Locomotive shed, up and down, for which your stationary as well as your Locomotive engine is employed (tons)
10,258
  
Your own intermediate traffic for which only your locomotive is employed
1,922
  
Sand
933
  
 
13,243
sic

The Earl's Lesses' traffic, worked or that would be worked by

your loco if it were on the line
Intermediate traffic, loco only
17,153-10-0
1,676- 03-0
 
 

 

18,829-13-0
13,243-00-0

32,072-13-0

for which the sum of 2d. per ton for haulage is charged or assumed to be charged by you for either use of loco engine or stationary engine or both. This would give you and annual revenue of £534-5s.-5d. to cover cost of maintaining both a locomotive and a stationary engine.


I would first, that the present incline at Ashwood, which has a gradient of 1 in 30 should be altered at your expense to 1 in 64 which would cost from £300-£400 so that a good locomotive would work easily both up and down with loaded waggons and thus get rid of your stationary engine altogether. Secondly that you should furnish a new locomotive engine and the Earl will then relay the whole length of the line with new 60lb. to the yard rail.