Now Then, Buggyite,
You’re just going to love this item. Well I think you are; well I hope you are at least.
The Mont Cenis/Fell Railway by P.J.G. Ransom.
J.B. Fell was in touch with the London & North Western Railway as early as November 1862 seeking permission to experiment on one of the inclines of the Cromford & High Peak Railway; this had been leased by the LNWR the previous year. Work commenced in August 1863 on relaying on of the tracks of Whaley Incline (at Whaley Bridge) to 1.10 m gauge and installing the central rail.
At this date the stationary engine that had worked the incline was out of use because of subsidence, and the incline was being worked by horses.
The CHP had been connected to the Stockport, Disley & Whaley Bridge Railway since 1857, and the connection being above Whaley incline; at the terminus below the incline it connected with the Peak Forest Canal. Since the SD & WB was a satellite of the London & North Western Railway, and the canal was owned by the rival Manchester Sheffield & Lincolnshire Railway, one may surmise that traffic over the incline was minimal (although the incline was fully reinstated after the Fell trials.)
Perhaps because it seems inherently improbable that the gauge of one track of an operating inclined plane should be altered for trials lasting several months, their actual location on the CHPR has been a matter of controversy and many people have been led astray, including the present author when writing Narrow Gauge Steam.
I am particularly grateful therefore to Keith Pearson for drawing my attention to T.M.A, 1865 paper Desbrière’s studes sur la Locomotion au Moyen du Rail Central in which their location at Whaley Bridge is recorded beyond doubt for Desbrière was present.
This trial line as built comprised, firstly, 180 yards of straight track on a gradient of 1 in 13½ up the incline. Beyond the incline head came a level or near-level section; the trial line diverged from the CHP to reach a hillock where Fell laid a further 150 yards of track in the form of four continuous reverse curves of 2½ chains radius, on an average gradient of 1 in 12, but with the steepest section 1 in 10. The total length of line was 800 yards. The central rail was double-headed rail laid on its side, centrally between the running rails and 7½inches above them.
The locomotive arrived in time for the first trial in September. At this stage it was probably named Alpine; later it became Mont Cenis Railway no. 1.
The trials continued until the following February.
The principal object of the Whaley Bridge trials was, according to Fell, 'to prove the practicability of obtaining effective adhesion by the pressure of horizontal wheels on the centre rails, and of testing the facilities afforded by them for passing round sharp curves'. In pursuit of the latter object, two pairs of horizontal wheels were provided beneath each of the wagons - there were four of them - to minimise the extent to which the flanges of their carrying-wheels would bear against the outer rail on curves.
Early trials were no doubt private experiments, but by January 1864 Fell was evidently ready for public demonstrations: The Times on 9 January reported that trials of the locomotive would be made 'between 2 and 5 pm on the 12th, 13th and 14th inst.' Desbrière attended a trial on 23 January. The locomotive was halted at the foot of Whaley incline, and then mounted it easily hauling the four wagons, each weighing 7 tons, despite greasy rails. At the foot of the 1 in 12 gradient, the wagons were detached and the locomotive set off light, using only the normal drive. It went only a few yards before lack of adhesion brought it to a stand. The wheels gripping the centre rail were then started, and the locomotive climbed the gradient with the greatest ease. This was repeated several times, first light engine, and then with a steadily increased number of wagons until all four were in tow. The train was easily stopped by the brakes in mid-gradient (wagons as well as locomotives were braked) and on the descent wagons leading, their horizontal wheels guided them round curves. It sounds a practised performance, and from these and similar trials the practicability of the centre rail system was considered proved.
