Imijelo YaseBritani—Isawuchukumisa Umxhelo Nanamhla Oku
NGUMBHALI KAVUKANI! EBRITANI
Ebutsheni benkulungwane ye-19, kwakhiwa imijelo emalunga neekhilomitha ezingama-6000 eyaxaxanaza kulo lonke elaseNgilani, eScotland nasewales. Kwakutheni ukuze kwakhiwe le mijelo, yaye isetyenziswa ngobani kule nkulungwane yama-21?
NGENKULUNGWANE ye-18 ngexesha lokuqalisa kwemizi-mveliso kwafuneka izinto zokuhambisa izinto ekwakusetyenzwa ngazo nezo zazivelisa kule mizi-mveliso. Ngaphambi kwalo maxesha, kwakusetyenziswa iinqwelo zamahashe. Ngexesha lasebusika kwakusiba nzima ukuhamba kwezo ndlela zomhlaba kuba zazisiba nodaka. Kwelinye icala ihashe elinye lalinokukwazi ukurhuqa isikhephe esinokuthwala umthwalo olingana neetoni ezingama-30.
Ngowe-1761, iNgotya yaseBridgewater yakha umjelo wokuthumela amalahle awayesembiwa kumgodi wayo kubaxumi bayo ababeseManchester, eyayimalunga nekhilomitha ezili-16 ukusuka apho. Lo mjelo wewuyenzela imali eninzi ingotya lo ngeniso yabangela ukuba lithotywe ngesiqingatha ixabiso lamalahle. Ngowe-1790 kwakhiwa umjelo ontsonkothileyo, owanxibelelanisa imilambo emine ebalulekileyo waza wadibanisa imizi-mveliso yaseEngilani nezibuko leenqanawa. Kwaqala ngeli xesha ukusetyenziswa kwemijelo e-Engilani.
Ukwakhiwa Kwemijelo Nokusetyenziswa Kwayo
Amagcisa okwakha, esingabalula phakathi kwawo uJames into Brindley, indoda eyazifundelayo ukwakha, wonke umsebenzi wakhe wawenza ngaphandle kokuzibhala phantsi izinto ezifuna ukubalwa nokuzotywa, wakha imijelo entsonkothileyo eyayigubungela iikhilomitha ezininzi. Ngaloo ndlela kwenziwa imijelo, amatonela, amasango okungenisa izikhephe neebhulorho ezakhiwa ngamagcisa aphum’ izandla, zonke ezi zinto zisajongwa njengomsebenzi wobugcisa obuphambili.
“Izikhephe ezincinane” ezenziwe ngamaplanga ezivulekileyo, ezimalunga neemitha ezingama-20 ubude nemitha ezimbini ububanzi, zazenzelwe ukuthwala imithwalo enzima, njengamalahle, ikalika, ilitye lekalika, ikaolin, isinyithi, izitena nomgubo. Ezi zikhephe, zazirhuqwa ngamahashe ngasemanxwemeni ale mijelo. “Izikhephe ezihamba ngesantya esiphezulu” zazisetyenziselwa ukuhambisa izinto ezingxamisekileyo okanye ezinokukhawuleza zonakale zazibheqwa ubusuku nemini.
Kweminye imijelo, izipani zamahashe, zazimana ukutshintshana, zirhuqa izikhephe ezinokuthabatha abantu abamalunga ne-120 iikhilomitha ezili-15 ngeyure. Njengezazikhephe zinesantya esiphezulu zazinelungelo lokuhamba kuqala kule mijelo kunezinye izikhephe, zazinencakuba enkulu elapha ngaphambili eyayenzelwe ukusika intambo yesikhephe esirhuqwayo. Kusakufika imijelo, abantu abangathath’ intweni bafumana inyhweba yokuhamba imigama emide kamnandi ngexabiso eliphantsi.
Ukusebenza Ezikhepheni
Ukusebenza ezikhepheni, njengokuba babebizwa njalo abantu abasebenza kuzo kwakuqoba. Umsebenzi wabo wawunzima uyingozi. Babesoloko besendleleni, babengenalo ithuba lokufunda kwaye bengaqhelananga nabantu.
Abantu ababehlala esikhepheni babesenza izinto zokuhombisa ezintle, ngemibala eqaqambileyo, imizobo yeentyatyambo ababeyikrola ngaphandle esikhepheni. Ezi zikhephe ekwakuhlalwa kuzo zazilingana neemitha ezi-3 ubude neemitha ezimbini ububanzi, zazihlala umnini waso, umfazi wakhe nabantwana. Abantu ababehlala kwezi zikhephe babesenza amacebo alusizi ukuqinisekisa ukuba babekwazi ukungenisa izinto ezininzi kwezo zikhephe zabo. Ekubeni izikhephe zazizincinane abantu babesenzisa iibhedi nezitulo ezisongwayo. Izinto zokuhombisa ezenziwe eTshayina zazibekwa ecaleni kwesitovu sokupheka zazisenza kuhlale kukhanya. Ezi zinto zazisenza sibe tofotofo isikhephe size sifudumale. Umfazi womnini sikhephe wayesebenza nzima, nangona wayenemisebenzi emininzi nezinto ezimdaka ezazisoloko zikuso, wayekwazi ukugcina intsapho nesikhephe sicocekile. Kwanephini lokubheqa inqanawa lalihlala licocekile.
Ukwehla Kokusetyenziswa Kwemijelo—Nokusetyenziswa Kwayo Namhlanje
Ngowe-1825, njengokuba yayisele iza kugqitywa imijelo, uGeorge Stephenson wenza uloliwe wokuqala owayehamba ngomphunga eStockton naseDarlington. Kwisithuba nje seminyaka engama-20 oololiwe bangena endaweni yemijelo, yaqala ngelo xesha ke ukungasetyenziswa kangako. Eminye yathengwa ziinkampani zololiwe ukuze zithintile ukhuphiswano. Emva kweMfazwe Yehlabathi 1, njengokuba zaqhubeka zingasetyenziswa kuba kwakusakhiwa imizila emitsha nebhetele. Abantu babecinga ukuba imijelo iza kufadalala.
Kuthiwa maz’ enethole kubantu ngabanye nakumaqela abantu kule minyaka ingama-50 edluleyo, kuba ayikhange ifadalale le mijelo. Nangona zisekho izikhephe ezihambisa imithwalo, ezinye zaguqulwa zenziwa amakhaya okanye iindawo zokuchitha ikhefu. Ngoku ungakwazi ukuhamba iikhilomitha ezingama-3000 zale mijelo, ehamba kwezinye zezona ndawo zintle zaseBritani. Abantu abathanda izikhephe baye bazivuselela ezi zithethe zamandulo, la matheko enza ezi zithethe zaziwe ngabantu abangakumbi. Ngenxa yokuthandwa kwezi zikhephe zihonjisiweyo ngemibala eqaqambileyo, kukho amaphenyane amancinane amaninzi kunokuba kwakunjalo ukuqala kwale mijelo. Ngoku imijelo yakhiwa ngendlela efanayo naleyo yayisakhiwa ngayo kwiminyaka engama-200 eyadlulayo.
Nakuba, kunjalo bambalwa gqitha abantu abatyelela kule mijelo abakwaziyo ukubheqa amaphenyane. Kutheni? Ukuhlaziywa kwale mijelo kuye kwadala “iipaki ezintle.” Olu khenketho luvula ithuba lokuba abantu babone idolophu ezingaziwa kangako namaphandle, abantu abahamba ngebhayisekile nabalobi abahamba ngendlela ezisecaleni kwale mijelo. Oovimba bamanzi abakhelwe ukugcina amanzi kule mijelo ziindawo ezibalulekileyo ezihlala izilwanyana zasendle, nemijelo inezilwanyana, iintaka nentlobo-ngentlobo zezilwanyana.
Ukwakhiwa kwemijelo yaseBritani kwavula ithuba elitsha lotshintsho olwalungalindelekanga. Ngoku abantu balichithela kule mijelo ikhefu labo xa befuna ukubethwa ngumoya.
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UKUBHEQA IZIKHEPHE EMATONELENI
Ambalwa gqitha amatonela onokurhuqa into kuwo. Ngaphambi kokuba kubekho izikhephe ezihamba ngepetroli, kwakuyingozi gqitha ukubheqa isikhephee kule mijelo. Kwakubekwa amaplanga macala omabini esikhephe. Ababheqi babengqiyama ngomqolo kula maplanga, zize inyawo zibe sedongeni letonela baze batshove. Ebusuku, kwakukhanyiswa ngekhandlela, kwakulula ngombheqi ukuwela emanzini, aze acinezeleke phakathi kwesikhephe neendonga zetonela. Ngaxa lithile imijelo yaseBritani yayinamatonela angangekhilomitha ezingama-68, nabantu abaqeqeshelwe ukubheqa amaphenyane amade. Elona tonela lide liphinde lavulwa kwakhona kwidolophu yaseStandedge, eYorkshire, lingangekhilomitha ezi-5.
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Courtesy of British Waterways
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AMASANGO EMIJELO
Ekubeni amanzi engakwazi ukunyuka, kwenziwa njani xa umjelo unendawo enyukayo? Usenokulandela udini lwamanzi ukuze uqhubeke ihamba kumphakamo ofanayo, leyo isenokuba yindlela ende okanye ihambe ngetonela. Indlela yesithathu kukwandisa umthambo wamanzi usebenzisa amasango okuvula nokuvalela amanzi. Kule mijelo kukho iingcango zokuvulela nokuvalela amanzi macala omabini ukuze kunyuke umthambo wamanzi. Emva koko le mijelo iba namanzi amaninzi onyusa isikhephe okanye avulelwe ukuze isikhephe sehle kuxhomekeka kuloo nto kufuneka yenziwe.
Kuthekani ukuba amasango awasebenzi kakuhle? Le yingxaki eyakhe yakho eScotland, apho kukho kudityaniswa imijelo ephakathi kweGlasgow ne-Edinburgh. Ayengenakwakhiwa kwakhona amasango ali-11 eFalkirk awayesakufudula edibanisa iUnion Canal nowona Mjelo mdala ehlabathini. Le ntsumantsumane yaconjululwa ngevili elibizwa ngokuba yiFalkirk elingazange libonwe ngaphambili, isikhephe esijikelezayo esingangeemitha ezingama-35 ububanzi. Eli vili linokuhambisa izikhephe ezisibhozo, izikhephe ezine ngexesha, ukusuka komnye umgangatho ukuya komnye, umthwalo ngamnye unokuthabatha imizuzu eli-15.
IThe Times of London yalichaza eli vili ‘njengomsebenzi wobugcisa ohamba wodwa,’ eli vili likwiqula elikhulu, elinokungenisa izikhephe ezingama-20.
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Ekunene ngasentla: Courtesy of British Waterways
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ISIZATHU SOKUBA SIKUNANDIPHE UKUHAMBA NGOMJELO
Kwiminyaka yakutshanje mna nomfazi wam, siye sanandipha ikhefu elizolileyo sihamba ngamaphenyane kule mijelo. Kutheni izolile nje? Okokuqala, siba kude kwisiphithiphithi seemoto ezihamba ngesantya esiphezulu. Xa uhamba ngesikhephe esincinane uyakwazi ukuhamba kancinane iikhilomitha ezintlanu ngeyure. Kutheni ihamba ngesantya esiphantsi kangaka nje? Ukuze ithintele umsinga onokonakalisa umjelo. Ngenxa yoko, umntu ohamba ngenyawo angasishiya.
Xa sihamba kancinane uba nexesha lokutyebisa amehlo nelokubulisa abantu abadlulayo. Ezi ndawo zintle kakhulu. Uhambo lwethu lwesikhephe sidla ngokuluqala eSouth Wales eMonmouthshire naseBrecon Canal. Uhamba iikhilomitha ezingama-50 ukusuka kumda waseWales ukuya kuma ngeentaba zaseBrecon eziphakame ngeemitha ezingama-886. Njengoko sihamba sisoloko sichwayitile xa sifika emasangweni kuba isikhephe kufuneka sinyusiwe okanye sithoywe.—Funda ibhokisi ekwiphepha 15.
Ezi zikhephe zinayo yonke into efunekayo yaye zitofotofo. Zimbi zazo zinamagumbi okulala amabini, ngalinye kuwo linendawo yalo yokuhlamba nendlu yangasese. Kwakhona anezinto zokufudumeza marhatya xa kukho inkwankca. Sidla ngokuziphekela, kodwa xa singafuni, sithenga ukutya kwiresityurenti ezisecaleni kwale mijelo.
Kuzolile kwezi ndawo zinale mijelo ngokukodwa ekuseni xa umjelo ungathi sisipili, kubonakala imithi neenduli. Kuthe cwaka kamnandi kangangokuba uyakwazi ukwahlula neentaka ezintyilozayo. Ngeloo xesha oosikwalimanzi bathe chu ecaleni konxweme njengoko silandela emva kwabo.—Kunikelwe ngalo eli nqaku.
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Courtesy of British Waterways
Ekunene ngasentla: By kind permission of Chris & Stelle on Belle (www.railwaybraking.com/belle)
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Courtesy of British Waterways