The New York herald., 1864-09-19
uAruLEoM I'M THE sHG.Dn
CITY Railway Trains Moved
by Air.
The Problem Of Underground Csn-
EuliCa.ion Solved In iendau.
Action Al .h, Pneumatic Plan, the Railway,
and the Grand "Whesl Of Eoluss
Our London Correspondence.


Our London Correspondence.
LONDON Sept. 8, 1864
~ O. Works ~ he Aoe-Eer Underground Rail,ody,
scGa nc Mon,c Po,oer-A Grand and Successful
Application Of Science TO Locomotives PTposes-Fhc
Preumotic Principle Active Use in Lond01- Des,lp
hon and History OF The Railssay, dc
This week has been made memorable by the most i'm
pornt experiment in ocomotion since the FIRST opening
u railway. This has been the successful commence
nsut OF . railway-one to be worked without
horses locomotives stationary engines water power
And what power thenf you may ask Why bhe pneu
nsaaic, TO be sure--the atmospheric air as motor.
Iwi not 90 far TO predict that the days Of loco
anosives over 70 be among the things that
Wsrs thing certain and that is that for
short lines, where large traffic is required, lines in
stses and lines under rivers and up and down steep
asren the pneumatic propulsion must take the place Of
both locomotives and horses- AZ power under such
circumstances, h FAR more economical, efficient
more comfortable, and will give travellers almost
sntire immunity from accidents and Casualties
The pneumatic prncple-using air az q MOTORS not
NV but this method Of applying to railways is quite
sew-the patented invention OF Thomas W. Rammell,
-, Of Bridge street, Westminster, civil engineer of
high standing.
EOrmer pneumatic, or "atmospherc," railways. they
we're termed were worked by means Of a cylinder and
eoutinnous piston twenty inches diameter
Der the carriages, between the rails The power
scnnec,ed TO The train by valve and slot but it was
Impossible 70 prevent great loss Of power by leakage and
Aflsr two trials 1t was absnoened In Mr.. Ram.
nss pDeuu attic railway the ''cylinder" Ia the railway
tunnel, and the piston is the train itself One carriage
(or carr known "the piston carriage" has proec-
sion disc OF metal the outer edge OF it being soft sub
stance ike brush OF bstles. and this comes tn
t-.,- 1tNo~
ias,de of the railway tunnel touching all around sides
Top and bottom, and thus excluding the air. II is
sualy alright, like piston rod in piston, but prsct
eally the leakage makes no material loss OF power.
Then the pneumatic machine, grand wheel OF Eous
thai "rases the wind s stationed end OF the
railway tunnel, aDd is moved by small stationary
SDe, any other power The fret pneumatic railway
experiment on this principle, yeu aware, a
small line, about three feet IN diameter for carrying
mails and parcels, and that has been operation
~ Easton london and Northwestern) Railway terminus
- the Northwest District Post Office the wet
carrying the mails twenty or thirty times day for
year and o half.
Next, . line for goods and mails, sbou. svs fee. in
~ smaller one, to carry the mails 70 and
ssen the general Post once St Martins 10 Grand, and
Shas soon 10 be opened. It will also connect the Lon
1os and Northwestern Railway with Chaplin & HoYne's
CHE great railway oarriers) premises I Gresham street
ne London mails between the Post ONCE and the rail
way WI transport enc thousand tons OF goods day be-
sos Icsmdenso.nl, and al through single cast IRON
sSbe, and with one stationary engine
ihe passenger line opened this week 10 about SIX
hundred yardS-sAy Q third OF . mile-in the Crystal
Palace Park, and bet~eea ten and eleven feet In d.
A0serDo nine feet oy ten, - sroneousiy stated by
broad gauge tram, and transport frum end 10 the
ssAer. The line has been purposey constructed With
ssitber straight Dor Level, but Win very sharp curve,
I'D up sleeper incline tone foot IN 6fteen) than is
blown through 10 dir Scton and then sucked back on
their return, the power work ng equally well III each
direction great deal Of nonsense is talked and written
Asout the pneumatic railways Ike The trains being
t'shot through," or working by vacuum. Now be /,
known once for sil that vacuum" IN working pueu
saate railway both useless and impossible Take the
tran when 1t - sucked through, and what r the pro
coss Why, precisely the sane as that OF boy
nc psn sands the SS' .rS.G end h'Ss tss ,anpe anse
sf tube quarter Of mile from the pneumatic
nsehine Then the air is sucked BY This powerful
apparatus out OF the tunnel On course, the
.n gradually drawn out-,he other end OF the tube
beng cloeed BY the trsin--the atmosphere becomes
SAshed stsnuated and this process goes on second
two I'll the air 10 the tunnel is made thipuerrari
Adby about one per cent, and the pressure Of the
" nch) then presses drives the
Ne tunnel and the sucking going on s the time
DE It's third Of mile 10 come forty eight
My seoonds-eigbteen twenty miles hour 90
81 any length ftty miles an hour viii be attained with
Tbe carriage h lighted by lamrs that give q brilliant
ngbt; sDd, having OF the gases smoke or the
heavy lng that attends the passage OF locomotive in
tsnDc the passengers glide along With the most luxu
yioUs imaginable
The ventilation Of course 10 perfect, the whole train
being swcp, By gale Of pure atmospheric air every
hsDe train psssce.
This solves the problem OF underground railways fully
farsment 70 be applied this winter for power
e build several lines under London-one to g. under Ok
FORD street 80 the Bank from the West End.
The invention siyes you the wsy 10 solve the great
problem Of city uahe 10 New York. pneu matte rail.
way Brosdway enpe ely feasible, and can " made
~ the cheapest, mos; comfortable and most RAPID
mode o. transit from end OF New York ssud 70 the
saAer. viii give more Of the mechanical detsBs in
aDssheT letter.