The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1891-04-08
ENGLISH RAILROADS.
Superintendent w. r. WOOdford, Of
the Wheeling & Lake Erie
Tells the Bee All About the Manner in
Which Things are Done on
Az nthox Gida
[From the Toledo Bee

[From the Toledo Beel
Numerous Americans 60 TO Europe
every year and the sights Of the old world
are seen through many different pairs OF
eyes. Although they all travel over the
same general path, still each tourist can
tell widely different story. One person
sees the beauties IN art, painting and
sculpture; another has an eye for archi-
tectura! features alone, and still another
studies the people, or nature as she dis
plays herself in these far away lands.
Everyone, even the most Indifferent
traveller, finds some particular thing that
interests him more than another, and so
II is when railroad man visits foreign
lands he naturally turns to the railroads
and sees in the manner In which they are
operated many things that escape the
ordinary tourist however observing he
may be.
Superintendent W. r Woodford, of the
Wheeling & Lake Erie railroad. has just
returned from European trip, and Of the
railroads of those countries he speaks as
follows:
"The first thing that struck me after
leaving the steamer at Liverpool, and
conveyed to me forcibly that l was in a
strange country, was the sight of the
queerlttle trains that pulled out on the
English railroads from the Lime street
station. They look a good deal like the
toy cars children sometimes play with
and although constructed on larger plan
they are about as crude, and resemble
somewhat long string Of omnibuses.
After learning how to get on and of Of
these strange concerns and mastering
the system, or rather lack of system, OF
handling baggage, one must familiarize
himself with any number Of things vastly
different from what we find at home. We
do not buy ticket Tor London, but we
book ourselves TO London, not at the
ticket Office, but at the booking station.
We travel not in cars or coaches but 10
carriages. Baggage cars are called lug
gage vans, and freight is carried In goods
vans. A freight agent is goods manager; (;
the conductor Is called the guard, and so
on from beginning to end.
The cars, which are about thirty-1ve
feet IN length, only little more than half
the size Of ours, are divided into three or
four compartments and are entered On the
side. Two long steps run the whole
length of the coach, and there is door
for each compartment. There Is no com.
munication from one compartment 10 an.
other, and once In you stay there until
your destination is reached, .as the doors
are In most cases locked when the train
starts. These cars are very cheap and
light In structure, and run on four wheels
only. Due 10 this circumstance and the
fact that they weigh only about one-fourh
as much as the American coach, could
hardly see how they kept them on the
track. Still, am told, derallments are
unusual.
A first-class compartment will hold
eight persons, a second-class 10, and a
third-ciass as many as can get inside.
The accommodations for passengers are
abominable, and Americans wouldn't put
up with them on this side for five min.
utes. There are no closets, no water, poor
light and heat. Tue heating apparatus
consists Of Tin arrangement about two
and halt feet long, filed with hot water
aud plUced under your feet. You can i'm
aVlne how long pan Of hot water will
keep of the chills on 75.mile run,
which Is a common occurrence. In winter
the Engli'h. traveller starting on journey
bundles up as II he was going to take y