The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1871-08-31
English Railroad Cars.

The editor of the Addison advertiser thus
describes the railroad cars in England. He
says:
We took our seat, entering the side of the
car, and then we began to inspect the vehicle
in which we had been placed. 1t consisted Of
box, this is all we can call it) about five feet
wide and seven feet long, in which were crow
ded six persons. AS we sat there we could not
help but compare such accommodations with
the magnificent and commodious accommoda-
tions for railroad travel furnished by the much
abused managers of the Erie Railway, and
then longing came over us for the land OF our
adoption-America-a the scenes we had
left behind. This railway passes through some
senger may well imagine himself as being waf-
ted through a garden the entire distance
about 205 miles. This train made but three
stops, landing us in London little after 2
O'Clock, running portion of the distance at
the rate of 20 miles an hour. We have made
up our minds that English know nothing about
comforts in railway travelling, while the Amer
leans know nothing about rapidity upon the
rail, for no frstclass train goes at less rate OF
speed than go miles per hour. The cars here
are about 16 feet long, and z feet wide, with
three apartments, each apartment seating 6 or
8 persons Every railway official 'or person in
in any way connected with the railway, is
dressed up in liveried suit At each station
you have to show your ticket before taking a
seat in the car, and when you leave it, before
you can get out of the enclosure, you deliver
your ticket to man at the gate, and then you
are allowed to pass out. The system OF tele-
graphing the departure of train from one
station for the next, is very simple The rail
way signal wire is on little stakes by the
side of the railway, which are about two
feet above the ground; the many wires On high
poles, as in America, belong to the Government
and are not used by the railway company. All
each station is erected building about IL fee1
square, called signal station, and 1t IS to TINS
that notice is given that the train has left the
next station and is on its way to that AS soor
az the sicnal-man receives such information he
opens door to his cage and rings bell, to
give the passengers notice that the train !:
| coming. At points where the road has branches
| leading in other directions the same signal
houses are erected with the addition of switch
levers so that if train is on the main tracE
running at full speed, it can be switched off II
an entirely different direction without stacking
| the speed particle. 1t seems singular to b
riding along in railway car at the rate of 81
miles an hour up above the chimneys of th'
tallest houses. At Clapham Junction there art
eight hundred trains leave daily. At Londor
Bridge and Charing Cross there are about ftt!
different railway tracks, and it puzzles even tn
| "oldest inhabitant" to know whether he is O.
he is not right. There are no such persons a
conductors; but each train is accompanied b.
| two guards, one on each end of the car. Tn.
habits and customs of the people are much diff
| ferent from that of America. Here every per
son either riding or walking takes the left, 81
also with the railway trains.