The daily gazette., 1883-10-25
nluu spE np oN RAILwAYs.
Nsxpliolt Danger Bagnais Only Necessary
for sixty Billes an HouF With Safety

While there can be no doubt that as re-
CARDS cheapness and rapidiLy OF constTue-
tion, general excellence OF bridges, locomo-
tives and cars, the railways OF this country
are ahead of the rest of the world, the sig
mailing arrangements here, with few excep.
tions, are rudimentary and inefficient, and
render fast travelling a matter OF consider
able difficulty, II not danger. 1t is imposs-
BILE TO run really fast express train u the
signals are ambiguous, and II every level
crossing is made a compulsory stopping |
place. The saving in time by fast trains |
can only be fully felt In great country, |
where very long journeys are not only poe
sible, but are frequently undertaken; out
hitherto this fact has been little appreel-
ated, and people have been content 70 traVei
At n slow speed and put up with frequent |
stoppages because the railways were |
new, the rails roughly laid, and many |
bridges unsafe at high speed. But OF
late wears these conditions have been
materially changed. The widespread use Of
steel rails, the greater care bestowed on the
railroad, and the Introduction OF iron
bridges of flrst-claes workmanship, have
rendered high speed perfectly safe and easy
on most parts of good roads IN the Eastern
aud Middle States; but 1t Is rendered unsafe
where switches are so arranged that they
may be left open TO an approaching train
without any signal warning the engineer, or
| the signals are so formed that the difference
| 10 the eye between a clear or albright signal
| and danger or stop signal Is slight In
| snowy weather, or under certain atmos-
pheric conditions which render the difference
between colors imperceptible, though a
difference in form may be perceived.
The real gain OF time to business man
obtained by a difference of few miles an
hour in the speed OF long journey train Is
best illustrated by an actual case. A man
in New Yoik wishes 70 do days work ia
Chicago. He takes one OF the fastest and
best appointed trains he can find
the Chicago limited. 1t leaves New
York at O a. M, and lands him at Chi
cago at IL the next morning, having accom-
plished Oil miles in 20 hours 55 minutes, al
lowing for the difference In time between
the two cities. This makes an average
speed of 1873 miles per hour, including all
stoppages. But assume, what Is not surely
not extravagant, that as high speed can be
obtained on the Pennsylvania Or any other
frst-class American road as on an English
main line, and what shape does the problem
, assume On one English road, the Great
, Northern, the distance between Leeds and
|, London (1S6A miles) Is done in three hour
As minutes, including five stoppages; OF
. another, the Great Western, th4 l292i
: miles between Birmingham and Lon
a don is run In two hours 40 minutes
, including two stoppages; and as neither o
these routes is particularly level or straight
and both pass through numerous functions
D | with a perfect maze of switches and frogs
{ they give faif idea Of what is possible II
= speed on the railroads In this country
These figures give, respectively, speeds o
496 and t7.2 miles per hour Taking as
s fair average as miles an hour, Including
S stoppages, the Journey from Nav York L
/. Chicago should be done in IS hours 80 min
i utes, or say 10 hours-a saving of eevel
hours and SIS minutes on the present time
!, so that, If the train were arranged to leav
at 55 minutes past IN the afternoon ,tnstea
e Of o O'Clock in the forenoon, the whole {
A this time would be saved In the busy part {
the day; effectually adding day to our in
" aginary travellers business and dollar-mah
y ing life.
Ie 1t may be thought that such deductio
n is unfair, as the English style of car is s
as much lighter than the American; but, as
matter Of fact, the average English EXPIRE
al train is considerably heavier than the Ch
xt cago limited, and conveys about three tim
TX the number of passengers; and, as tiucl
iiv and oil-lubrcated axle boxes are not y
4 universal there, the tractive resistance :
~ ton Is probably higher. II certainly, thel
an fore, seems not only possible, but feasib
to to attain these high speeds in this counti
where, owing to the long distances to
pd Travelled, they are more valuable than
"a England; and the great step toward attai
M Ing that end ia the adoption of proper Al
ty efficient signaling arrangements. All t
lie other steps are achieved; the Anne
lc- can passenger locomotive Of the prcse
day Is perfectly competent to drag
heavy train at speed OF over 90 miles
- hour; the cars, as now constructed, c
:, travel safely aud smoothly at that spec
uy and the steel rail, the well haliasted tie, g
ate perfect workmanship OF the modern ir
&C. bridge can we'll support the laundering cc
csl cussion Of an express train at full spet
~ But this speed can only be maintained TO
'ne few miles at tune, II the engineer "
be guides this train be doubtful whether
bt- dimy-se signals imply safety or dang
to or ii the laws OF the State bring him Il
,cy full stand where his road Is crossed by
-, small corporation with highsouading TT
~ which owns one locomotive with split II
ard sheet and two cars down a ditch.
To run fast train, clear, uuiutcfrup
road is absolutely necessary; aud the reas
and is not far to seek. To move body from
an state of rest to a velocity OF 60 miles
= hour hour, or 50 feet per second, an amot
- OF work must be performed equivalent
ion lifting that body l2l feet Now, it is ap
Try rent to the simplest capacity that it requi
will a pretty powerful engine to overcome
ino resistance of a train running at GO mi
,ae per hour without every few miles putt
oef on brakes to destroy this veloci
and then to lift it III feet again
attain speed; the resistance OF the air,
In the friction Of bearings on Journals and
off hanges against rails going on all the til
our 80. as liatssi u Iact, showing "has sel
'till on the Great Western Railway OF Engla
ar which is THE fastest train In the world,
na- been repeated $ carefully timed; aud It
found that, though running over an alm
absolutely level and straight road, 1t take
nta distance OF 90 to 2S miles TO attain It's
pr speed, about 5s15 miles an hour.