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OF THE

FRANKLIN INSTITUTE

OF THE

State of Pennsylvania;

DEVOTED TO THE

MECHANIC ARTS, MANUFACTURES, GENERAL SCIENCE,

AND THE RECORDING OF

AMERICAN AND OTHER PATENTED INVENTIONS.

EDITED

BY THOMAS P. JONES, M. D.

MEMBER OF THE AMERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY, OF THE ACADEMY OF NA-
TURAL SCIENCES, PHILADELPHIA, THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF ARTS

AND SCIENCES, MASSACHUSETTS, AND CORRESPONDING MEM-

BER OF THE POLYTECHNIC SOCIETY OF PARIS.

VOL. XV.

NEW SERIES.

PHILADELPHIA:

PUBLISHED BY THE FRANKLIN INSTITUTE, AT THEIR HALL;
P. THOMPSON, WASHINGTON CITY; G. & C. CARVILL & CO., NEW YORK, AND
MONROE & FRANCIS, BOSTON.

J. HARDING, PRINTER.

1835

Engin. Library

T

. F834j

JOURNAL

OF THE

FRANKLIN INSTITUTE

OF THE

State of Pennsylvania,

DEVOTED TO THE

MECHANIC ARTS, MANUFACTURES, GENERAL SCIENCE,

AND THE RECORDING OF

AMERICAN AND OTHER PATENTED INVENTIONS.

JANUARY, 1835.

Report to the Board of Directors of the London and Birmingham Railway, on the Formation of a Railway by Undulatory Planes. By ROBERT STEPHENSON, Esq., Engineer. Dated 5th May,

1834.*

Since the receipt of the memorial to the directors, respecting the formation of railways by undulatory planes, I need scarcely say that I have been so closely occupied, that I found it impossible to reconsider, carefully, the opinions I had formed on the subject several months ago, founded upon some experiments in "The Gallery of Practical Science," with a model prepared by Mr. Badnall. These experiments were considered by several persons conclusive in favour of an undulatory surface for a line of railway.

I drew a different conclusion from them, and made some remarks and calculations at the time, which I considered fully confirmed it. Since that time, I have read the greater part of the controversy, which has been carried on in the "Mechanics Magazine," and paid especial attention to the experiments made upon the Rainhill plane,

• We have received from Mr. Stephenson, in addition to the manuscript now printed, one containing remarks and calculations on the best form for railway bars, &c., the publication of which we propose to commence in the next number.

VOL. XV.-No. 1.-JANUARY, 1835.

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