The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1885-06-17
ENGLISH AND AMERICAN RAILWAYS.
The Number and Speed of tho Passenger
Trains Upon Them.


The Number and Speed of tho Passenger
Trains Upon Them.
Replying to an article that had previous
iy appeared in the Pail Mall Gazette, cor
respondent of that paper recently wrote as
follows:
Your correspondent says :" the run from
New York to Albany is 149 miles in three
and one-half hours Remarking that the
distance is only i42 miles, we find that only
one train daily performs the journey in
three and one-half hours, and this is the
Chicago special of which more anon. From
New York to Albany there are ten trains
daily Il only give them one way in each
case), all called express, with an average
time of four hours and forty and one
half minutes, and journey speed of twen-
ty-nine and two-thirds miles per hour. The
track follows the course of the Hudson near
ly the whole way, and is almost dead
level. Compare this with the "Great
Northern London to Sheffield, an infinite
ly harder course. Nine trains in three hours
1872 miles and an average journey speed Of
forty-four and one-third miles per hour
the fastest does the journey in three hours
and twenty-three minutes, and last sum-
mer did it in three hours and twelve min
utes, journey speed of over fifty miles an
hour.
Next New York to Boston may fairly be
compared with the accommodation between
London and Manchester. Mr.. Foxwell
gives twenty expresses from London to
Manchester, all trains with third-class car
riages, with an average journey speed OF
nearly forty-one miles. The fastest last
year, the Great Northern express, 203 miles
in four hours fifteen minutes, or journey
speed of 47S miles. The two lines running
directly between New York and Boston give
only eight trains daily, marked express,
distance 1888 miles, and very much easier
course than the Great Northern, average
time seven hours fifteen minutes, giving n
journey speed of only thirty-two two-third
miles. The fastest, train limited to Pull
man cars, would not be called an express at
all in England, its speed being thirty EIGHT,
three-quarter miles. New York to Pittsburgh
may be compared with London to Glasgow.
The former route have FIVE trains daily
marked express Zone Of them the Chicago
limited), distance 444 miles, average time
fourteen hours forty-nine minutes, speed
just under thirty miles an hour. Fastest
twelve hours, journey speed thirty-seven
miles. London to Glasgow thirteen express
assistance 401 to 440, average speed of all
thirty-eight and three quarter miles, and
all but one have third-class. Fastest,
which may be called limited train, east
coast express, 440 miles in ten hours and
twenty minutes, journey speed of 42.5
miles.
A word as to the two Chicago specials
run rs limited trains, and for which large
extra fare is charged. asked q railroad
agent in the States what their speed was,
and he replied: Fifty miles nm hour right
through" Mr.. Bigelow says they run from
New York to Chicago in twenty-four hours,
both of them really taking twenty-six ind
one-half hours. One is run by the Penn
sylvania company, and has distance of 912
miles to travel the other by the New York
Central, and about OFT, giving speeds OF
34.4 and 1868 miles per hour. These trains
are only for those who can afford to pay
high fare, and for accommodation to the
general public compare badly with the
third-clsss trains to Glasgow; the Ameri-
can with daily distance of nearly 1900
miles at speed of 35.5 miles, the English
trains running upward of 5000 miles at an
average speed of nearly thirty-nine miles.
As might be expected, the fastest travel
ing in America is between the two largest
towns, New York and Philadelphia taking
all the trains both ways that make the Jour.
ney at over forty miles an hour. find there
are fourteen by the Pennsylvania, with on
average speed of forty-two nine tenth miles,
and six by the Bound Brook route, with an
average Of forty-two and one-half miles.
Between Liverpool and Manchester, much
smaller towns, there are fifty-two trains
daily at greater speed; thirty two by the
Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincoln compa-
ny, four averaging ffty-one one third miles,
and twenty-eight, forty-fvs two-thirds
miles, and twenty by the London and
Northwestern at speed Of forty-Hvs miles.
For the above comparisons every tram in
America that has speed of over forty miles
an hour for any part of its course has been
used, but although the result is SO very
much in favor of the speed of English
trains, not one-half of the latter have been
brought into requisition. The fact is, the
Americans do not know how slow theiI
trains are. Compared with the best
trains in America, the English ones ex.
coed them in speed quite twenty-five pei
cent. and If one goes for instances to any.
where more than 500 miles from New York.
she comparison becomes absurd.