The St. Johns herald., 1893-05-18
ENGLISH ENGINEERS.
Men Who Hold the Throttles ir
 Great Britain.
Some Interesting Information Concerning Englsnd's Fast Trains and the Duties of the Men Who
 Run Them.

Before man can become driver he has, it seems, to spend some years iu the locomotive works of the company, where he learns all the parts and fit- tings of an engine; he is then eligible for the post of fireman, and if he is made driver within three or four years he is fortunate. It will therefore be seen, says writer in Chambers Journal, that the engine-driver is al- ways competent man.
 A man on being appointed driver will try his hand at first with a slow goods train, and having shown himself competent and careful, he will then have charge of an express goods or slow pas senger train, and the height of his am- bition is generally attained when he is called upon to drive such trains as the Flying Scotchman, the Wild Irishman, or the Flying Dutchman. The general public has no idea what driving engines of these express trains means. It is nc exaggeration to say that while the train is running the drivers whole life is in his work, and that he has no time to think of anything else but his en zine and the signals ahead. An express train often travels at the rate of sixty miles an hour, and then signals will be passed about every four minutes, and it can readily be understood that an en- zine travelling at that high rate of speed will require constant attention. The strain on mans mind working an engine long distance without stop ping is very great, and could not be en- dured for many hours together; be- sides, it would not be safe for an engine to travel more than one hundred and eighty miles without being examined, and that distance is about the maxi mum any engine runs on one journey. Two such journeys is a good days work for both man and engine. The average time on duty for the men is nine hours a day, beyond which they are paid over time. When they are not running their time is devoted to examining the en- zine. ...''s.sees'ss.
 Engines are very much like race horses--they have little tricks and pe- culiarities of their own, and require hu- moring; for this reason every driver keeps to his own engine as much as possible. The express engines of most lines cost between three and four thou sand pounds. Their working career de- pends very much upon the road they have to travel. Steep gradients play sad havoc with them, and will shorten their lives by two or three years. The speed of engines is regulated by time tables; but there is such thing as making up lost time. This depends on the driver. If he is of cautious and steady turn of mind he will act up to the time table, and be late rather than travel beyond the authorized speed. There are many men, however, who de- light in the speed of their engines, and who glory when they have the chance of a little fast running. This can only be indulged in when trains are late and long distance has to be run without stopping.
 As the question is often asked: ''Which is the fastest train in the world?" it would be well to give it here, with the particulars. The honor belongs to the Great Northern Railway Company. Their train, which leaves OIduJudiA dI 7s1O p. hA.B dhO AOho through to London (King's Cross) with out stopping, arriving there at 6:15 p. m., is the fastest train in the world, covering distance of one hundred and forty-five and one-quarter miles in one hour and fifty-seven minutes-averag ing fifty-four miles an hour for the en- tire distance. The speed of this train at certain places will exceed the rate of sixty miles an hour, but the passenger is unconscious of this unusual celerity, as the train oscillates very little.
 Behind the black and greasy faces of these men there are brave hearts, and seldom do they forget their duty to the public in times of accident. Nine times out of ten they could leap from their engines without much injury in cases of collision; but nine times out of ten they don't, but stick to their post till they know they can do no good. The record ed cases of their bravery, and the mar row escapes from accident owing to it, give very poor idea of the actual num- Der of such cases.