The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1871-09-05


making four bumpers to each car, or two
at each end, projecting some six or eight
inches beyond their sockets in the end of
the timbers, and presenting a disc in the
form of bolt-head toward the next car
in the train some eight inches in diane
ter, with wood face sunk in circular
case of iron. AS the train sackens speed
these discs come in contact and force back
the bolts bearing them into their sockets,
sompressing the spiral springs surround
ing the bolts within their sockets and so
relieving, to considerable extent, the
force of the conclusion. The lightness Of
the cars produces much less force In the
concussion, even when the train slackens
from high rate of speed, than do the
heavy cars on our roads.
The trains have a single screw-brake,
operated by one brakeman inside COM
partment Of one of the ears fitted for the
purpose. Tho brake is controlled by an
effective power of screw and leverage
combination that answers quickly and ef-
fectively the movements of the machine.
In this way two brakemen to train, or
one if the route to be run is short, do the
work of from three to half a dozen, on
our express trains Tho conductor or
guard, as he is called, has his seat in the
rear car, with compartment sometimes
elevated foot or so above the top Of the
train, so that he can see the entire length
of the train and direct the engineer in
any exigency. This is done not by a
rope and bell, as with us, but the guard
has shrill metal whistle, whose various
are well understood between himself and
the engineer. Ism ~ ~
The English railways are constructed
at far greater expense per mile, than
those in America. The road beds are
prepared for their superstrnctures, as we
have said, rails are laid with more uni
form and even supports, and the joints Of
the rails, while sufficient allowance is
made for construction and expansion by
heat and cold, are so coupled as to present
a uniform surface to the wheels of the
cars, So that littlo motion or jolting of
the cars is felt by the passengers, and
Cling - Co.. Loco f..;c";ns than on
our roads. On most of the lines the ex-
pense of construction is greatly increased
by tunnelling and excavations to avoid
curves, or ascents or descents in the
structure. or course, the tunnels have
to be protected by heavy masonry, and
the excavations are sloped down from the
surface of the ground at an angle of some
45 degrees, the slope being neatly sodded
or cultivated with grass, flowers or grain,
by the station men along the road, Then,
the stations are stone structures, erected
a: great expense; in many instances far
beyond the necessities Of the business of
roads Every crossing of tho track by
highways Is either tunneled under the
road or bridged over it, as We stated, and
at all the stations are foot bridges over
the road which passengers and others,
having occasion to cross the track, must
take. as it is a misdemcanor to cross the
track otherwise, except by the employees
Of the road.
Having noted these facts We are pre-.
pared to appreciate the safety of fast
trains on English roads The fastest
trains on the London and Northwestern
road pass from Liverpool to London in
about four and one-half hours, POI miles,
or at the rate Of about As miles an hour,
including three or four stops on the route.
The ordinary trains make their time over
this road between the same points in
about FIVE aud one-half hours, at a speed
thirty to thirty.fvc miles an hour. The
speed on English railroads varies from
twenty to fifty miles an hour, according
to the condition of different roads and
the exigcncies affecting their business in.
terests, On the whole their speed is
about one-third greater than that of trains
on our own roads.
l have stated, that the rolling stock is
much lighter than ours; and ordinary
freight cars are limited tn five tons bur.
then by law, or by legal inspection re-
quirei by statute. They are mostly fats,
relying upon tarpaulin coverings to pro-
tect the goods transported from the wet
weather. ...4 ..
The fares on these railways are nearly
double the fares on our own. From Lon
don to Liverpool, POI miles, the fares
are, first class, ,35 shillings, equal to
about S8.75 second class, 26 shillings
or $3.50; third class, lG shillings and
pence, or s4,lo in gold, counting 4 shil'
lipgs dollar. "'he first class fare on
the Hudson River and N. Y. Central
Railroads being about two cents mile il
currency, is really about 80 per cent lesi
than the third class fare in England, oil
about the same in currency as theirs il
in gold while their first class fare n
double in gold what ours is in currency
The cost of transportation is considerably
increased by the English system of casts
or classes of passengers. They must g
prepared to carry first, second, and thirs
class passengers. While, however over
crowded the cars Of some of these classes
may be, no one must set foot in the cal
of fanother class, though half dozen carr
of such class, may be running vacant oveI
the road. Hence, the transportation o
vacant cars is wasting expense to almos
every train run. This division of classes
in passengers renders much larger mum
ber of trains each day necessary to do til,
business of the road. No less than fy,
trains stopped at Stafford on their way tt
Rugby aud London. All were to pas
over the same road within an hour o
time from the earliest to the latest of thu
iye.i. If there had been no classes will
the passengers, three of these trains woult
have accommodated all the passengers
and the expense of running two of them
would have been saved. --- .
l also copy the following from tn
same paper. II will add few observa
tions on narrow and wide gauges as t,
their adaptation to the running of ias
trains. My impression is that on slnootl
and substantial roads. the equipment
if of material Of sufficient strength tn
higher the rate Of speed at which train
L. fal