The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-05-02
FAST TRAIN SERVICE.
American Trains Shown To Be Slow in Com
parison with English.

as "AsAA
Pail Mall Gazette.
A well-informed correspondent sends us the
following to correct what he calls the misleading
statements of Mr.. Bigelow on the speed of Eng
lish and American railways published in the Pail
Mali Gazette a short time ago:
Your correspondent says the run from New
York to Albany is 149 miles in 81 hours Re-
marking that the distance is only 142 miles, We
find that only one train daily performs the jour
ney in 81 hours, and this is the Chicago special,
of which more anon. From New York to Al
bany there are 10 trains daily only give them
one way in each case-all called express, with an
average time of 4 hours, 471 minutes, and a
journey speed of % 23 miles per hour. The
track follows the course of the Hudson
nearly the whole way, and is almost a
dead level. Compare this with the
Great Northern London to Sheffield,
All infinitely harder course; 9 trains in 3 hours
39a minutes-162 miles, and an average journey
speed OF a. 13 miles per hour-the fastest does
the journey III 3 hours 90 minutes, and last sum-
mer did it in 3 hours II minutes, a journey speed
of over sc miles an hour. Next, New York to
Boston may fairly be compared with the &C
commodation between London and Manchester.
Mr.. Foxwell gives 20 expresses from London to
Manchester, all trains with third class carriages,
with an average journey speed of nearly Al
miles. The fastest last year, the Great North
ern expresses, 203 miles in 4 hours 15 minutes,
or a journey speed of 47a miles. The two lines
running directly between New York and Boston
give only 8 trains daily, marked express, ibis
lance 233 miles, and a very much easier course
than the Great Northern, average time Z hours
l6 minutes, giving a journey speed Of only 81 23
miles. The fastest, a train limited to Pullman
cars, would not be called An expresses at ali in
England, its speed being 3Sa miles. New York
to Pittsburg may be compared with London to
Glasgow. The former route has 8 trains
daily, marked express lone of them the Chicago
limited distance 444 miles. average time IA
hours 40 minutes. speed just under 80 miles an
hour. Fastest IL hours, journey speed 81 miles.
London to Glasgow Ii expresses-distance 40l to
$40 miles, average speed OF all, 384 miles, and all
but one have third class carriages. Fastest,
which may be called a limited train, east coast
express, 40 miles in 10 hours 20 minutes, a
journey speed of AZ 5 miles. A word as to the
two Chicago specials run as limited trains, and
by which a large extra fare is charged. | asked
a railroad agent in the States what their speed
was, and he replied, 80 miles an hour right
through Mr.. Bigelow says they run from New
York to Chicago in "a hours, both Of them really
taking 26a hours. One is run by the pennsyl-
vania Company, and has a distance of 912 miles
to travel: the other by the New York Central,
and about DIT miles, giving speeds of "a 4
and &c. miles per hour. These trains are only
for those who can afford to pay a high fare,
and for accommodation to the general public
compare badly with the third class trains to
Glasgow; the American. with a daily dis
lance of nearly 1000 miles, at a speed of
30. 5 miles; the English trains running upward of
1000 miles, at an average speed of nearly 80
hAASS as hAlSub NC CApCStOQs tuO
travelling in America is between the two largest
towns, New York and Philadelphia; taking all
trains both ways that make the journey at or
over 40 miles an hour. | find that there are Ia Dy
the Pennsylvania, with an average speed of Az
miles, and 6 by the Bound Brook route, with an
average of 42k miles. Between Liverpool and
Manchester, much smaller towns, there are SO
trains daily at a greater speed, 80 by the Man
chester, Sheffield, and Lincoln company, 4 aver
aging 81 13 miles, and Is 40 % miles. and 20 by
the London and Northwestern at a speed of %
miles. For3he above comparisons every train
in America that has a speed of over 40 miles an
hour for any part of its course has been used;
but although the result is so very much in favor
of 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 their trains are, and it is quite time the idea
that their lightning expresses and 'thunderbolt
trains eclipse everything else in the world was
exploded. Compared with the best trains in
America. the English ones exceed them in speed
quite % per cent, and if one goes for instance
to any where more than 500 miles from New
York, the comparison becomes absurd"