St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-07-24

London Engineer.
In recent impression we gave par
ticulars of certain high speedru made
on United States railways. In coun-
try where competition is so intense
and persistent. it is improbable that
any performance will remain unr-
vailed. The process of 'breaking
the record" is dear to the souls
of our American cousins, and so we
shall not feel surprised if report after
report reaches this country of the at
tainment of exceptionally high speeds.
The latest announcement of the kind is
that new express train has been put
on to run from New York to Buffalo, to
be known as the Empire state express,
and claiming 10 be the fastest train in
the world.
The distance by the New York Cen
trail & Hudson River railroad is 1896
miles, and the schedule on time table
time is eight hours. forty minutes, the
train leaving New York at a. m. and
reaching Buffalo at $40 p. m.
The first stop is made at Albany,
143 miles from New York, reached
at 1l:l5 a. m, or at the rate of
about tifty-two miles an hour. The train
leaves Albany at 1850. and reaches
Utica at l 40 p. m. The distance. is 1918
miles from New York. The run flom
Albany is thus made at very nearly
tifty-two miles an hour. The next stop,
for five minutes. is made at Syracuse at
at 2:45 p. M, 29O miles from New York
and ifty-three from Utica, the running
time being siXty-five minutes.
Syracuse is left at $50 %. M, and
Buffalo is reached in two hours and fif-
ty minutes, the distance from Syracuse
being $40 miles and the speed 52.9 miles
per hour. AS there are only two stops
of five minutes each and two of two
minutes each, the actual running
time is 500 minutes, and the av-
erage speed is consequently nearly
tifty-three miles all hour. The first trip
was made on Oct. 26. and Buffalo was
reached three minutes late, but the
train left New York more than one
minute late, and fourteen minutes were
expended in stops made at Albany,
Utica. Syracuse and Rochester. The
train consisted of one composite bag
gage and buffet Car, two standard pas
Senger car, Wagner passenger car,
and a private car of one of the vice
presidents of the road.
The total weight of these cars was IT'S
American, or very nearly 159 English
tons. The engines used have. for Amer
lean locomotives, unusually large dri-
WIS, DIX lCCt SiA iilIilCS QldltCtCts uCy
are of the usual outside cylinder, four
coupled type. and of great power. The
engine and tender weigh, in
running order, 100 American, OF very
nearly ninety English tons. From
Albany to Schenectady, distance of
seventeen miles, there is an incline
against the train,. and up this it was
helped by bank engine pushing be-
hind.
The fastest bit of travelling was done
near the end of the run, when. the
seventy miles an hour was at
very good performance, but it
will be seen that the running
speed is not exceptionally high, the re-
ductiOn i'll time between New York and
Buffalo being mainly due to continuous
running little or no time being lost in
stopping at stations.
We may now proceed to compare this
with trip made on Oct. 16 on the
Chemin de Fer du Nord. The train con-
sisted of twelve vehicles, for
the most part saloon carriages.
tons. and it was drawn by a
new compound engine recently con-
structed from the designs of Nj. du
BOuSquet, engineer-in-ch!ef of the COM
pany, by the Societe Alsacienne. The
boiler pressure is 200 pounds on the
square inch. The crate surface is %
square feet, and the total heating sur
face is 1910 square feet. There are
four cylinders, two of 1871 inches in
diameter. Tie stroke is 25 inches.
There are four coupled wheels, feet
in diameter. Its total weight is about
43 tons, of which 80 tons is on tine
coupled wheels. The tender weighs
about % tons. The total weight of en-
CINE and tender being about II tons or
nearly 20 tons less than that of
the American engines of which we
have just been speaking. According
to the programme, the train left Paris
at $40 p. H.. and reached Calais, a dis
lance of 1874 miles, at 6:53 p. III. A do
lay was caused by hot axle box, and
the actual running time was hours
% minutes. the actual velocity being
thus over 53.S miles an hour.
Orders were given TO the driver not to
exceed the maximum normal rate of
Sixty-eight miles an hour in running
down incllneS. The gain in time was
all made by running faster than usual
Oh the level and up hill. The speed
appears to have cen got up very
quickly. for at second kilOmeter post
out of Paris the velocity was over 4S
miles an hour. The first II miles, in
Guiding rising grade, IL miles long of l
in 200, was traversed in % minutes II
seconds, or at the rate of about Sis miles
an hour.
The next IA miles down in 200 were
run at the rate of 63 miles an hour.
From Amiens to Calais. OH level sec
ton, the speed was 81 miles an hour.
Up steep bank of l in 1873 about
2i5 miles long the speed was
ST miles an hour, reduced
to Al miles an hour at the sum-
NIT. Another incline little more Sc
we're was approached at a velocity of 66
miles an hour, which fell TO Il miles an
hour at the top. The maximum velocity
OF O. miles an hour was only reached. SO
that the limit laid down was never eX-
ceeded
The whole performance Was admi-
rable, and proves that the engine de-
signed by NJ. Bousquet is of unusual
excellence. The ratio of the weight of
the engine and tender to the train was
about 81 per cent. In the case of the
American train it was $50 per cent.
and at the Steepest incline, as we have
seen. two engines were used. The
facts go to confirm what we have often
said, namely, that American rolling
stock must be harder 10 haul than any
at this side Of the Atlantic. or that the
Internal resistance of American locomo-
tiveS must be abnormally great. The
coal used with the Empire State express
is said TO have heen bad, which is
strange.
1t is but reasonable to suppose that it
would have been carefully selected fer
such 4 trip as that OF which we have !
given particulars. On the Chemin de
Fer du Nord briquettes of good quality
were no doubt used, but this does |
not affect the fact that loco
motives aud tender nearly twenty |
tons heavier than the French Ell
CINE and tender were barely able. even !!
by taking ali possible advantage of |
dow, gra.les, to DO work very little |
heavier than that do'.e by the French !
locomotive with ease and certainty,