Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1888-11-16
FAST RAILROAD TIME.
SOME OF THE BEST RUNS EVER
MADE IN THIS COUNTRY.

The Fastest Record an American Road.
Burst OF Speed-A Remarkable Long
Distance Run from New York to San
Francisco.
The liveliest interest was manifested by
railroad men in the recent account of the
race between the ''Flying Scotchman" and
the "West Coast Flyer" from London to
Edinburgh, in which 400 miles were covered
by the winner in seven hours and twenty-five
minutes. This was an average of something
over fifty-three and one half miles an hour.
There was general jogging of memories and
overhauling of the records Of fast railroad
trains on American lines And much conf
fort was found by many in going over those
records
The best run on record in this country
which can be fairly compared with the En-
glish run was made over the West Shore road,
from Buffalo to New York, on July 9, 1885,
when 426 miles were covered in hours and
81 minutes Quite large number of railroad
men, including officials of the Baltimore and
Ohio, Wabash, Grand Trunk and West Shore
roads, happened at Buffalo together en- route
for New York 1t was decided to see how
quickly they could move over the new road.
At the start the railroad men had their
watches out, and soon the mile posts were
flying past every As seconds. That speed was
held so steadily that the greater part of the
run was made at the rate of 45 seconds to the
mile, or from 70 to SO miles an hour. From
East Buffalo to Genesee Junction, 81 miles,
took Sc minutes; from East Buffalo to New
ark, 3d. a miles, 81 minutes; from Albany to
Genesee junction, 1868 miles, 80 minutes.
The 81 minutes to Newark included stops OF
8 minutes, making the actual running time
for the 1874 miles, 50 minutes From Newark
to Frankfort, where the conditions for run
ming were not so good as before, the run OF
1888 miles was made in 1874 minutes, includ-
ing II minutes for stops. From East Buffalo
to Frankfort, POP miles, the time was 24O
minutes of which IS minutes were consumed
in stops.
On Oct. 8, 1885, over the same road, a
burst of speed was tried for II miles, be-
tween Genesee Junction and East Buffalo, to
satisfy Superintendent j. E. Laying, who was
on the train. The run occupied 512 seconds,
an average rate of "a miles an hour. Three
of the miles were made at the rate of so miles
an hour, one at n and one at rs.
On the New York Central road a news
| paper train with two cars, weighing 60 tons,
hauled into Syracuse, Sunday morning, Aug
s, 1886, at 10 o'clock an hour late. The train
was booked to go from New York to Buff
falo in Ga hours Orders came to try to
make up the time on the further run of 1857
miles to Buffalo. John w. Cool, one of the
best engineers on the road mounted his cab,
bound to obey the order He started out at
5415 miles an hour. At the end of the three
miles his speed increased to &C miles an hour,
and then to Az. He stopped at Rochester
for water, and slowed up after passing Crit
tenden. His average speed from Syracuse
to Rochester was 671l miles per hour; from
Rochester to Buffalo, 6372 miles per hour,
and from Syracuse to Buffalo, CSC miles an
hour. The run of 1887 miles was made in
1856 minutes
The most remarkable long distance run on
record was when the ett-Palmer combi-
nation went from New York to San Fran
cisco in half time, or 80 days. Their train
left the Pennsylvania station in Jersey City
at IL :53 on the morning of June 1, 1876. They
were not to make a stop until they reached
Pittsburg. An engine and baggage car, on
the approach of the special to Harrisburg,
| got up speed of about fifty miles and passed
mails to the special by running along an adj
| joining track for several miles, while the
mail bags were thrown from train to train.
| The run to Pittsburg, 43S1s miles, took 10
Oil VI illiico
an hour, notwithstanding the Alleghanies.
From Pittsburg to Chicago, 1888 miles, took
II hours and minutes, an average Of ~.
miles. including 25 stops and changes of
engines. From Chicago to Council Bluffs,
491 miles, took 1115 hours, an average
of 1875 miles, although there was a
record for part of this journey of
62.2 miles. Over the Union Pacific
| the run of 1,032.8 miles from Omaha to
| Ogden was made in "a hours and IA minutes
{ at an average of Al miles and maximum of
| 72 miles an hour. The brakes became worn
at Ogden and hand brakes had to be used
| retarding the onward journey somewhat, as
the men feared they might lose control of the
train. San Francisco was safely reached at
1851 on June 4, quite in time for the dinner
that had been ordered for the company for
that day. The last stage of the journey was
run at an average of 81 miles, During the
entire run 20 engines were used, there were
70 stops, and the running time for $685.
miles was 81 hours II minutes, an average Of
40 miles an hour.-New York Times