The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1893-11-16
THE RAILROAD OF THE FUTURE.
Lartisue's Single Rail scheme May Eventu-
ally Superscde the Present system.

Lartigue's Single Rail Scheme May Eventu-
ally supersede the Present system.
We recently pointed out that express
trains in England seldom maintain over
long distances an average speed exceeding
90 miles an hour, and that the same thing
might be said of the United States. No
doubt engineers have demonstrated on the
English Great Northern railway and on our
New York Central that IA short section OF
straight track can be traversed much more
rapidly, but it has come to be accepted as
All axiom that under existing mechanical
cOnditions the rate mentioned isthe highest
speed consistent with safety.
What are the conditions which have i'm
posed this conclusiony 1t is the curves of
the existing lines which render long CON
tinued movement at speed of 90 or 100
miles an hourimpossible. unless the weight
Of engines and trains should be increased
far beyond what the bridges and roadbed
would bear. Ia the absence " such an in
crease of weight and strength, which is eco
nomically impractioable, a 100 mile express
would fly Off the rails at the first sharp
curve. The fact is familiar TO every COM
petent engineer. He knows the mathemat-
ical relation Of curves TO speed He knows,
for instance, that the force tending at a
given curve to throw off the rails train
moving at the rate of $50 miles an hour
would be about Ol5 times greater than that
which train resists when running at GO
miles an hour. 1t follows that the existing
lines must be both Strengthened and
strengthened If the present average speed
of express trains is to be materially height
ened.
Such strengthening and strengthening is
practically ont of the question, owing to
the tremendous outlay that would lie in
volved. Is there, then, any way of obtain
ing new rates of speed on the old routesY
1t appears from the London Spectator that
this question is answered in the affirmative
by Mr.. Behr in a pamphlet advocating tue
application to existing routes of the Lar
tigue single rail system. In this system,
which, as we shall see, is no visionary
scheme, but is actually in operation the
cars sit astride a single rail raised to a
height of four feet from the ground on
steel trestles, ON either side of which, but
21l feet lower, is small guide rail
The wheels ON which the cars run move
on the central rail, while the guide rails on
each side are gripped by smaller wheels.
To speak accurately, this is not a single
rail but treble rail line, although the
hard work is done on the raised central rail.
But whatever name should be given to the
system it is said that the stability aud
curity of the cars, mounted on the central
rail saddle with the guide rails serving AS
stiuups, are such that is almost impossible
for train TO be thrown of thttrack. When
curves are encountered, the rail Is canted
trausyersely To Il degree Calcula ed TO neu-
tralize the centrifugal force and If the can't
! ing does not suffice the surplus Of centrifu-
gal tendency is soouuteracted by the joint ac-
tion of the central rail and inner guide rail
AS we have said, the Lartigue system is
no untried proposal. 1t is now working
for a short distance, 9lS miles, from Listo-
wei to Ballybunion in Ireland, and an APP
plication of the principle on a much larger
scale has been made in the department of
| the Loire in France The calculations re-
lating to the stability and safety of cars
run on this Ian go to show that, even for
a speed of 100 miles an hour, The demand
made upon the Lartigue lines would not
exceed, in the case of the most unfavorable
! curve, the normal limit of strain at present
| allowed
| II these claims can be sustained, il seems
| clear that the Lartigue system may render
unprecedented rates OF speed not only me
chanically but financially possible for the
single rail can be laid side by side with the
| present lines on the existing routes The
financial difficulty which would be present
/ ed, were new routes required, being ellmi-
mated, the provision of an adequate motor
power need not stop the way Mr.. Behr es-
Inmates that the cost of constructing on
either side of the existing main line from
London to Brighton Lartigue line to be
worked by electricity at a speed of from 100
to150 miles an hour, including rolling stock,
generating plant and all appliances for
working trains, would not exceed s., 900, 600.
1t is contended that by this means Brighton.
which is 80 miles away could be reached in
20 or % minutes ride from the British me-
/ tropolis. York Sun.