The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1893-02-18
Fast Railroad Trains.
From the Baltimore Evening New,

FROM the BALTIMORE Evening news.
High speed trains have become necessi-
ties within the last few years, and facts re-
lating to the time of the flyers on the diff
ferent railroads are generally interesting
reading. 1t is not generally known that
in this vicinity the public enjoys some OF
fastest trains in the world. Both the Bal
timore 4 Ohio and the Pennsylvania rail
roads have trains running from this city
which are as fast as those famous English
trains the Liverpool Flyer or the Irish
Mail.
In recent issue of the New York Times
there appeared an article on the speed of
railway trains in which American trains
were written of somewhat slightingly and
in manner which showed that the person
who wrote the article had not studied his
subjec thoroughly. One of his errors occurs
when he says that the Royal Blue trains
cover the distance between Jersey City
and Washington at an outside speed aver
age of A and 2-5th miles per hour. He
refers to the Royal Blue Limited By
outside speed average he means taking the
average according to the schedule and
making no deduction for stops.
The facts are that the Royal Blue Linn
tied makes the distance from New York
to Washington in five hours. 1t is run
of 1892 miles, and the average speed is
therefore $3.50 miles per hour. And this
is taking the distance from New York, be-
tween which and Jersey City there is a
ferriage of II minutes; that is the last
ferryboat for the limited leaves the New
York side at ll.30 a. M, and the train
starts from the Jersey City side at II .42.
The truth is that the speed from Jersey
City to Washington, 228.2 miles in 4
hours and 4S minutes, is at the rate of
47.36 miles per hour, as anyone can dis
cover by little simple arithmetic. This
makes no allowance for anything not even
the ferriage at Locust Point and Canton,
which occupies at least II minutes with a
fve-car train. The time for the limited
between Philadelphia and Baltimore, which
includes a stop at Wilmington and the
ferriage of the train at Canton, is 2 hours
and minutes. Thus, assuming that in
stead of having to cross the ferry the train
had solid ground to run over, 10 minutes
would be chopped off the schedule, bringing
it down to l hour and 81 minutes, and
perhaps this low figure would be reduced.
The Pennsylvania's train opposing the
Royal Blue Limited makes the distance
from New York to Washington, 22S.2
miles (it is mile shorter by the Pennsyl-
vania), in FIVE hours and five minutes.
This is at the rate of 1915 miles per
hour From Jersey City to Washington,
227.2 miles, the time is hours and 53
minutes, or at an average rate of 46.45
miles per hour A very fast run which
the Pennsylvania Limited makes is be-
tween Jersey City and Trenton, where 81
miles are run in one hour and four min
utes. The Times mentions this as if, it
was a new thing, but the writer of this
article called attention to this run several
years ago in an article in the New York
Sun. This run is at the rate of 52.5 miles
per hour.
But the best through run in this coun-
try as that Of the Is minute train of the
Baltimore Il Ohio between Baltimore and
Washington. The distance is 40 miles
and the time exactly 45 minutes. This is
at the rate of 53.33 miles per hour. In
addition to this one of the Baltimore and
Ohio's old Mount Clare engines, No. S24,
has run from Locust Point Ferry to Wash
ington, distance of 42s miles, in 40 min
utes, or at the rate Of 64.30 miles per
hour. This was with train of average
weight.
The above figures are not to be ashamed
of. The Times article, which seems to be
well supplied with data about the English
trains, if 1t is short on facts about Ameri-
can trains, says that the average speed
Of the London and Liverpool Flyer
is now 1858 miles per hour, and
that of the Irish Mail 43.3G miles per
hour. The run Of the Liverpool Flyer is
1913! miles and that of the Irish Mail
1888 miles. Both these speeds are beaten
by either the Royal Blue or the Pennsyl-
vania limited from Jersey City to Wash
ington.
The Times also speaks of the time of
the Scotch Flyer from London to Edin-
burgh, and gives it average speed accord
ing to schedule as 400 miles per hour.
Now, the speed of the Royal Blue limited
from jersey City to Washington is 47.36
miles per hour, as plainly shown by the
figures above. In fact, there are no for
eign figures in The Times article which
are not equalcd or excelled on this side Of
the ocean.
Additional credit is also due American
fast runs because the conditions under
which trains are operated in this country
are vastly different from those prevailing
in England and on the continent of Eu-
rope. In the first place, the railroads over
there are generally of very easy grades
and long curves. The old lines are especi-
ally well built. When railroading was in
its infancy in England the engines could
not pull train over heavy grades, 50 the
lines were made almost dead levels. BY
n IL I .st-..- r.