The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1885-08-19
rSaSlsa CARS AND LOCOMOTIVES
me Impression They Naks Upon an
American Obseysh
Harper Masa,is,t

The Impreaslou They Make Upon an
American Obseryes
Harper MasaaIasI
The hrst impression which an Ameri.
can who Is experienced IN railroad
travelling in his own country derives
from the exterior aspect Of an English
train Is unfayorable. The cars, Is be
must necessarily call them, seem 10 Be
small; they lack, apparently, the weight
and solidity Of the American pasSen.
ger COACH the compartments are
narrow, the ceilings low tie
ventilation apparently doubtful They
stand upon two, three or nute
pairs OF gaunt high wheels, to
the axles Of which their springs are di.
rectly geared. He misses the little in.
dependent ehicle, the truck. or DO de
with its four or six small, compact
solid.lOoking, wide. fAuged wheels
which sustain each end 1f the car-that
rolling gear which looks so strong, 50
adapted 10 inc uality OF rail or curve
SO resonrceful against disaster, anil 50
complete in It's equipment.
The cars arc smaller there d no
doubt Of 1t They are narrower and
they are shorter, and to the American
eye they look even shorter than they
really are, because they have no
pro. Getting platforms at the ends,
no orerhanging roof or hood.
but are buGEled up close to
each other and their contact con.
trolled BY small metal buffers tho
springs OF which allow a play Of from
eighteen inches 10 two fee. and a half
between car and car. The Miller plat.
form, the Janney coupler, the link and
ptn-of all the familiar devices OF the
United States there Is not one to 10
seen. The brakes None visible. Nor,
for the matter Of that, q brakesman.
This influential and numerous person
has no existence in England. there Is
not even rudimentary type Of him.
That You do not find him is the first
stern intimation you receive that in
English railroading there arc no auto.
Gratis. The wheels are fitted With
brakes, however, and the trained eve
notes rubber hose connection between
the carriages, quite different in It's an.
plication to that known at home, but
which nevertheless betOGens the air.
brake.
He takes account of the distinctions
OF class, and reflects upon bis country's
yelled progress in that regard in the
matter Of parlor cars and limited ex
press trains. Then he finds that there
are no baggage masters to watt the VIOLA.
tilo Saratoga to its doom, as his own
newspapers would express it. There Is,
perhaps, a luggage van or two, or there
are in the carriages themselves luggage
compartments according to the way in
which the tran is made up the length
OF Quincy it is to take, or tho custom
OF the particular line under observa.
ton. His final contemplation is perhaps
devoted to the engine, and, il he has
ever given any of bis attention to the
Ameri an locomotive, 1t fills him with
a deep concern. lie recalls tho impos
ing Splendor Of the latter, It's comforta-
bic aud Lofty cab of oiled and polished
wood its gay brass bell, tho soul.stir.
ring whistle, the noble headlight and
tho COW destroying pilot, the great Gin.
der'consuming slnoke.stack unless it
be a hard'coal burner in which case
that feature shrinks to moderate pro.
portions, the powerful drivers and
compact CYLINDERS, the eccentric con.
Meeting rolls, all its parts radiant with
tho glitter of polished steel or bur.
nished brass, or deckCd with appropri.
ate Yermilion or emerald green.
In all Of these matters the English 10.
connective compares with II much as
lawn.mower does with o New York fire.
engine. 1t is a humble, awkward, green
or monochromatiC machine. 1t has
neither polish nor decoration about It
There is no cab. The engineer and his
tiroman-that is to SAY. the engine
diver and his stokor, as they arc styled
III England-perfOrm their duties with
hnIy such shelter as is Afforded by a
toard screen in front Of them, pierced
by two round apcrturts Allied with stout
glass, technically knOE n as speCtacles."
The smoke stack is short and thick,
there is an unsightly green hump on the
back OF the boiler; tho cylinders are
under tho front Of tho latter, instead Of
on each side before the drivers; the
wheels are all large, and tho body Of the
engine Is perched high up above them,
and looks top'heavy and dangerous.
The whole thing is rigid and stiif.
looking, and to the observer who las
had to do with the external aspects Of
locomotives 1t is unprepOsseSsing and
nnIovoly. The practical American en-.
glneer whistles thoughtfully as no sur
veys 1t, and wonders 10 himself how
long itwOuld 10 before he would ditch bis
train il he had to run on new western
railroad with such an engine. Where
would he DO on a sharp curve, or how
would such running.gear adapt itself to
an unevenly balanced trackl The low
center Of gravity of the American loco.
motive, tho weight distributed well
down between the wheels, tue play Of |
the small, broad llanges under tho pilot
truck, and the external gearing Of tho
driying'wheels, all give the American
engine an appearance OF stability which |