gnals would be necessary?
How many lamps? How many points? How many trolleys? What amount of coal
should be ordered? How much water would be wanted? How should it be
carried? To what extent would its carriage affect the hauling power and
influence all previous calculations? How much railway plant was needed?
How many miles of rail? How many thousand sleepers? Where could they be
procured at such short notice? How many fishplates were necessary?
What tools would be required? What appliances? What machinery? How much
skilled labour was wanted? How much of the class of labour available?
How were the workmen to be fed and watered? How much food would they
want? How many trains a day must be run to feed them and their escort?
How many must be run to carry plant? How did these requirements affect
the estimate for rolling stock? The answers to all these questions, and
to many others with which I will not inflict the reader, were set forth
by Lieutenant Girouard in a ponderous volume several inches thick; and
such was the comprehensive accuracy of the estimate that the working
parties were never delayed by the want even of a piece of brass wire.

In any circumstances the task would have been enormous. It was, however,
complicated by five important considerations: It had to be executed with
military precautions. There was apparently no water along the line. The
feeding of 2,000 platelayers in a barren desert was a problem in itself.
The work had to be completed before the winter. And, finally, the money
voted was not to be outrun. The Sirdar attended to the last condition.

Girouard was sent to England to buy the plant and rolling stock. Fifteen
new engines and two hundred trucks were ordered. The necessary new
workshops were commenced at Halfa. Experienced mechanics were procured
to direct them. Fifteen hundred additional men were enlisted in the
Railway Battalion and trained. Then the water question was dealt
with. The reconnoitring surveys had reported that though the line
was certainly 'good and easy' for 110 miles--and, according to Arab
accounts, for the remaining 120 miles--no drop of water was to be found,
and only two likely spots for wells were noted. Camel transport was, of
course, out of the question. Each engine must first of all haul enough
water to carry it to Railhead and back, besides a reserve against
accidents. It was evident that the quantity of water required by any
locomotive would continually increase as t