St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1884-09-27
Operation Of German Railroads,

The passenger traffic on German rail-
ways is divided among three classes of
trains--railway, express and "courier. "
The former run ut a speed of fifteen to
twenty miles an hour. including stops,
the'express makes from twenty to twen-
ty-five miles, and the courier trains
from twenty-five to thirtv-tive miles.
The latter speed is not attained on long
/ stretches where there are important
stops, but is found between large cities
| where the intermediate stops are rare
and unimportant. With these speeds
it is naturally easy to run on time. and
no serious irregularity in this respect
has ever occurred during my travelling
in Germany. l think it NAV be said
that there is no practical difference in
the running time of ordinary and ex-
press trains as rule, the difference in
actual time being due to fewer stops.
Extra rates of fare are generally charged
on express and courier trains. The lat
ter. as a rule. the former sometimes,
have only first and second class accom-
mediation. SO that persons who would
if possible travel third-c!ass s-including
the vast majority of middle-claSs trav-
elers-are obliged to pay nearly double
when they travel over seventeen miles
per hour.
The third-class accommodation in
Germany is not so good as that in En-
gland, whereas the secondclaSs is at
least as good or better. The second
class is 50 nearly eIual tn first that a
still smaller number travel ''iirst" than
in England. In the latter country, in
fact, the effort has been to do awav
with the seeond-class travel. while in
Germany that branch is apparently
particularly favored by the manage
ment. In Germany there is fourth
class. used almost exclusively by peas
ants and the poorer laboring class gec-
orally, and inferior in accommodation
to our emigrant cars. The rates in
North Germany are as follows, in cents,
per mile: =.
First-class. Sec'd-class. Third.
Province Exp. ordy. ESp. ordy. class:
PsHss's!i: FaHons "a. sss s si5 sis "a go i.ss is
Bavaria $50 3.33 s.sS -. La
Having regard to the fact that the
vast majority of fast travel must be
made second-class. it will he seen that
three cents per mile is the average rate
comparable with the ordinary accom-
mediation afforded by American rail-
roads. Return tickets. good for week,
are generally to be had at considerably
reduced rates. Water closets are now
often found on first and second d-class
carriages, and dining cars are run on
courier trains on various lines.
In the matter of locomotives, the or
dinary type at present for passenger
service is four-coupled engine with
single pair of leading wheels, inside &C.
centric gear and cylinders overhanging,
entirely in front of the front axle.
There are very few inside cylinders
used on North German railways. Out
side valve gear of various kinds seems
to be gaining ground. Six-coupled en-
gines without leading wheels are the
favorite freight engines. and on mour-
tain sections eight coupled machines.
| noticed on the Saal Railroad, west of
Saxony. peculiar type of machine. of
which the leading features are carriage
of engine entirely on four-coupled
drivers; outside valve gear, and the
tank carried down between the tender
wheels. The tender and engine are
united, in addition to the regular coup
ling. by tolerably close-iitting shoot
bolts, one on each side, with the in,en-
tion, presumably of using the tender to
prevent rocking of the engine on its
wheels. The addition to
the tank between the wheels struck me
as a possibly practical novelty in our
practice; the center of gravity being
carried thereby very low and consider
able water. space gained. Driving wheel
tires are generally secured with set
screws in addition to being shrunk on,
but the spring-ring fastening is also
used, particularly in Saxony.-'2r.
Railroad Gazette.