Letter from Timothy Hackworth Sr., London Bridge Station to John Wesley Hackworth, Soho Works, Shildon

London Bridge Station March 15 1848
½ past 12

My Dear Son John
Yesternight I wrote a hurried note to Dear Mother – I am in attendance again, I have done all that I can do, & must wait till I get the cheque, no one here can tell me when that will be, as it depends entirely upon the time that two of the Directors come to this office - Mr Wilson of Leeds was here all yesterday & toward night he made himself known unto me, I think him a frank straightforward man; he gave me a description of his new Engine heating surface upwards of 1300feet- 4 wheels inside Cylinders 16 inches Diam. & 22 inches stroke ossilateing action outside no crank shaft wheels 7ft Diam. weight without water 29 ½ Tons, I told him it was like Rimingtons. with this advantage no ossilateing cylinders – They have run at the rate of 75 miles per hour consumption of fewel 17lbs per mile with a light load, this is a most desirable thing, which will tell its own tale – They have taken the Engine back to Leeds to alter & put a pair of small wheels between the other two, & to remove if they can about 5 tons by taking away the inside fraim – Mr W. says they get steam well, & expect to run 80 miles per hour with about 6 coaches. he tells me it has already cost them £5000 they have taken out a patent – he took a piece of paper to shew me the application which is as follows
wheel[diagram]connecting rod ,stud,[diagram] shaft connecting rod[diagram] wheel
there is an inside spanner upon the stud shaft lineable with each cylinder Mr W. says the conection is very simple. I told him I thought the high wheels dangerous, he thinks not, on what he calls a moderate curve; he seems to have high expectations. & expects to obtain leave to run along a narrow gauge line – side by side with Brunells broad gauge for 7 miles, I think he fully expects to run faster than Brunell- I think you will be ready to say why trouble yourself very true, but as I am waiting on; I lose no time in doing this, & I thought it would give you to see what was going on elsewhere – I believe myself that something more will be done, the Locomotive Engine is capable of vast improvement; one thing I think is quite certain, the crankshaft must be done away with, it is to expensive & cumbersome who ever the man is that can invent a plain straightforward Engine without a crankshaft will suceed with the publick, & that of saving fewel must & will merit attention, my own opinion is that something different from anything yet invented will be brought [to] bear, in a much simpler manner than anything yet in use – simplicity & economy must be the order of the day – Dear John I am really desirous to be at home; I need not tell you that I have had enough of it this time over – I am reminded of Burns who while writeing to another says, “the caring, disparing, shall be my bitter doom – my woes here, shall close here, as with the closeing tomb” give my kindes love to all my dear family & Dear Mother accept the same yourself from your ever loving father
pray for me amen Timothy Hackworth



¼ to two & no nearer
it is tiresome TH