1851 Great Exhibition: Official Catalogue: Class VII.: B. Smith
96. SMITH, B., Bron Sciont, Carnarvon, Wales — Inventor.
Models of a double line of railway (of four-rail mixed gauge).
Models of two tunnels in wood, and one in glass. Models of five railway carriages.
The accompanying two diagrams are in illustration of a new system of working railways, intended to dispense with all break of gauge.
The plan suggested is to convert the narrow-gauge railways into broad-gauge lines, by laying down rails of the seven feet width on the outer sides of the present narrow-gauge railways, so as to form them into four-rail mixed-gauge lines, until the traffic be entirely transferred from the narrow-gauge to the broad-gauge rails, when the inner or narrow-gauge rails would be permanently removed. The new form of carriage here proposed, as shown in the diagrams, has three pairs of large wheels placed on the outer sides of the body.
The arch represents one of the tunnels on the London and North Western Railway; in height 22 feet above the rails, and in width 24 feet.
The horizontal line across the arch and above the carriages represents the height above the rails of the lowest bridge between London and Holyhead, being 14 ft. 3 in.
A. End section of the new wide-gauge second-class carriage, intended to form part of this plan and to hold 48 passengers.
B. End section of one of the narrow-gauge second-class carriages in use on the London and North Western lines, which holds 24 passengers.
c. End sections of the (seven feet) wide-gauge rails, to be laid down on the outer sides of the narrow-gauge lines.
d. End sections of the (4 ft. 8 in.) rails, forming the present narrow-gauge lines.
The four lines of rails taken together represent the four-rail mixed gauges, to be temporarily laid.
E. Side section of the new wide-gauge second-class carriage, intended to form part of this plan, and to hold 48 passengers; and be the steadiest at high velocities, owing to the wheels being placed nearer to the ends.
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