The Sun.
London, England, 1846-12-16 00:00:00

axles of each coach fixed and parallel ; this result is ar-
rived at by means of a simple bolt passing throegh two
holes, corresponding with each other, pierced in the two
crowns of each axle, one serving the transom plate, the
other the bed plate. As regards the whole train, that
can be backed equally well ; for this purpose M. Arnoux
applies the means which the commission of the academy
pointed out to him ; he places at the tail of the train a
coach, the hind wheels of which are furnished with
guide wheels, and on the fore bed of each a little crown,
the same as on the hind bed ; each crown carries some
chain ends, and to connect them it is necessary to take
the rods of the other chains. . . .

As to the mode of connecting the coaches, it is effected
very easily; the two halves of each timon (inflexible iron
rod) being pierced lengthways with a screw groove, are
brought together by a screw bolt, this screw bolt being
turned by a screw key fitted to a nut which passes upon
the bolt. The directing chains are then fastened by
hooking the rods to the chain ends fixed to the beam
crown of the carriage which precedes, and to the fore
axle crown of the carriage which follows; these chains
are tightened by the screws which attach them to the
crowns, which terminates the operation.
M. Arnoux, as we have said, has introduced important
improvements in his system; the first consists in giving
freedom to the axles to turn.of themselves, independently
of the wheels. For this purpose instead of fixing the
main bolt through the centre of the axle, he fixes it to a
collar which encircles the centre of the axle. At
its extremity the axle is similarly encircled by two
collars, which press it sufficiently to prevent its
turning except where the wheel grips the spindle.
In the experiments which are daily made on
the Sceaux line, it has happened many times, arising as
much from the friction, which a new material always
experiences, as from other causes, that the axles have
turned in the collars, which proves that if this freedom
were not left to them, the wheel would have heated, or
at least that the friction from rolling would have been
changed into friction from sliding.
The second improvement introduced by M. Arnoux
in his system, and which seems to us to be altogether
inherent in the mode of inflexible and inextensible car-
riage beds which constitutes it, consists in a break of a
particular kind by the means of which all the wheels
can be instantaneously stopped ; this break is worked
by the stoker, the handle is upon the tender, below the
coaches are some rods which are hooked to the central
collar of the axle, and which go the whole length of the
train ; the moment the handle acts, the first rod has its
effect upon the breaks disposed nearly the same as in
the diligences on the common roads, the movement com-
municates itself from one rod through the whole length
of the train. We find but one objection to this break,
and that is that it cannot be worked except on the ten-
der and on the last carriage, thus the conductors of the
intermediate coaches cannot work it independently of
the movement which proceeds either from the tender or
the hind carriage.
A train on the Sceaux railway has at its head a loco-
motive engine, of which two axles only, the fore and
hind, are directed by the guide- wheels, but each axle
carries its guide plates ; the locomotive, therefore, is al-
together independent of the rest of the train, it directs
itself, and does not give direction. Afterwards come
the tender and the other coaches, which are fastened to-
gether. The necessity for having a uniform material, of
which all the beams are of the same length, has induced
M. Arnoux to give to his tender a different form to that
of the ordinary ones ; it resembles one of the coaches of
the train ; in front is the place for the coals, behind and
at the bottom of the coach is the water cistern, and above
this cistern a sort of cupboard
.for tools ; the tender is
terminated in the hind part by a watch-box with win-
dows, and furnished with two seats ; from this box a
conductor has a view of the fore and hind part of the
train.

The coaches consist of saloons, and first, second, and
third class divisions, and are very carefully fitted up.
The fares from Paris to Scoaux are, saloon 10d., first
class 7d., the second 5d., and the third 3d.