I could really do with some help with this one please:
Using the 1871 census records, I was able to determine the number of railway labourers, navvies, and excavators involved in digging out the first of three large cuttings on (you guessed it) the North Lancs loop line. Until now I didn't know how many were initially on site, only that there was a scarcity of railway labourers at the time - 1870.
Now, I'm trying to get through the first cutting ready to start on the second cutting by say June 1872.
Here are the actual known facts:
1. The cutting needs 180,000 cubic yards of material excavating, mainly sand.
2. The actual start date was 5 April 1870.
3. There were only 47 labourers, navvies, and excavators involved.
4. The contractor has an engine plus ten wagons, making 10 trips per day (100 wagon loads per day).
5. The contractor also has horses available.
6. Everything excavated is used to form embankments in the opposite direction to the cutting.
7. These 47 workers must be split, some digging, some forming the embankment opposite.
8. Timescale - April 1870 - May / June 1872 where a large number of trees are cut down and auctioned 5 August 1872. This is the location of the second cutting which involved going through part of this private wooded plantation.
What we don't know:
1. The capacity of the railway wagons, 2 cubic yards? 4?
2. How many days were lost due to bad weather.
From what I've been told, these 47 workers (call them what you want) could dig / shift around 14 cubic yards each per day.
The question is this - Can we come up with an average per day (excavated and tipped) that will take us from April 1870 to May / June 1872 and reach the second cutting? This date range may seem slow but any faster then the known dates don't work for its construction.
Help please - I know there's a lot to digest here!
Using the 1871 census records, I was able to determine the number of railway labourers, navvies, and excavators involved in digging out the first of three large cuttings on (you guessed it) the North Lancs loop line. Until now I didn't know how many were initially on site, only that there was a scarcity of railway labourers at the time - 1870.
Now, I'm trying to get through the first cutting ready to start on the second cutting by say June 1872.
Here are the actual known facts:
1. The cutting needs 180,000 cubic yards of material excavating, mainly sand.
2. The actual start date was 5 April 1870.
3. There were only 47 labourers, navvies, and excavators involved.
4. The contractor has an engine plus ten wagons, making 10 trips per day (100 wagon loads per day).
5. The contractor also has horses available.
6. Everything excavated is used to form embankments in the opposite direction to the cutting.
7. These 47 workers must be split, some digging, some forming the embankment opposite.
8. Timescale - April 1870 - May / June 1872 where a large number of trees are cut down and auctioned 5 August 1872. This is the location of the second cutting which involved going through part of this private wooded plantation.
What we don't know:
1. The capacity of the railway wagons, 2 cubic yards? 4?
2. How many days were lost due to bad weather.
From what I've been told, these 47 workers (call them what you want) could dig / shift around 14 cubic yards each per day.
The question is this - Can we come up with an average per day (excavated and tipped) that will take us from April 1870 to May / June 1872 and reach the second cutting? This date range may seem slow but any faster then the known dates don't work for its construction.
Help please - I know there's a lot to digest here!