And finally there remained but two gauges: the
broad gauge (principally in the system allied with the Great Western
Railway); and the narrow gauge (through the rest of England). These
came in contact at Gloucester, and were likely to come in contact at
many other points--to the enormous inconvenience of the public. The
Government determined to interfere, beginning with a Commission. On
July 3rd Mr Laing (then on the Board of Trade) rode to Greenwich,
bearing a letter of introduction from Sir John Lefevre and a request
from Lord Dalhousie (President of the Board of Trade) that I would act
as second of a Royal Commission (Col. Sir Frederick Smith, Airy, Prof.
Barlow). I assented to this: and very soon began a vigorous course of
business. On July 23rd and 24th I went with Prof. Barlow and our
Secretary to Bristol, Gloucester, and Birmingham: on Dec. 17th I went
on railway experiments to Didcot: and on Dec. 29th to Jan. 2nd I went
to York, with Prof. Barlow and George Arthur Biddell, for railway
experiments. On Nov. 21st I finished a draft Report of the Railway
Gauge Commission, which served in great measure as a basis for that
adopted next year.
"Of private history: I wrote to Lord Lyndhurst on Feb.
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