Morning journal and courier., 1889-03-16
THE woRLD,s FAST TRAINS.

The Three Limits of Railroad Speed
 Fastest Trains In England and the
 United States-The West Shores Best
 KeeOrd-Englund and America Com
 pared-FasTesE Regular Trains-Eu-
 rope,s Slow Expresses.
 Prof. Hadley discussed "Fast Trains" be- fore an audience which filled the smphithe- last evening" His remarks were intensely interesting and laden with knowledge of rail- roads.
 There are three distinct limits to railroad speed-the physical limit of eighty miles an hour, beyond which there is no safety; the operating limit with maximum of sixty-6ve miles an hour; the commercial maximum of fifty miles an hour, beyond which speed is unpro6tabie, said he. The three limits are gradually nearing each other.
 The operating limit cannot be increased, | for with greater speed is greater strain, more pressure and danger to derailment. In fact, 1 eternal vigilance is about the only way to | avoid these things. It depends upon the musical ear of the man at each station who passes from car to car to secure our safety. l Accidents may be classified in two ways | trains getting of the track and too many 1 trains getting on the track.
 At twenty miles an hour the cost of fuel 1 and pay are at easy balance; above this speed l waste of fuel is more than any other expense ! and above fifty miles it becomes enormous. l Speed above forty miles an hour is a luxury. | On the actual comparison of. train and mail l service America and England stand together, while France, Germany and European States \ generally are somewhat behind. The best railroad run made in the United States was on July g, 1885, on the Western
 division of the West Shore railroad. The I distance from Buffalo to Frankfort, 20e miles, was made in 205 minutes. The best English record was made August 31, 1888, on the London and Edinburg railroad ex- express. There were three roads between the places and they maintained an active rivalry. They could cut rates no lower and they were competing in rate of speed. The average
 total rate of speed on this particular run was over ffty-seven miles sn hour. Of
 regular trains in England, the fastest, of which there are many, { run at ffty-three miles an hour. There is \ only one road in the United States that runs trains at this rate and this is the Baltimore SI l Ohio. They are in competition with the magnificent Pennsylvania road and by the new arrangement run train between Balti- | more and Washington at ffty-six miles an ] hour This is one of the most remarkable
 things in the world. Next to the Baltimore & Ohio the New Jersey Central runs the fastest regular trains, but only for short dis l tences. At one time @ train was run near Elizabeth at 8 mile 8 minute. Easily the l third in rate of speed, and wonderful for the great regularity with which it's trains run,
 is the Pennsylvania road. This runs several
 trains at fifty miles an hour. The New York Central comes fourth in rank and cer- 1 tain sections of the New York and New
 Haven probably rank fifth in matter ot speed.
 We see from this that the fastest trains are in the United States and England where
 railroads are controlled by individuals, while competition, and states where they are TUT
 by the government. they make but pool | time.