The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1895-10-05
SPEED OF RAILWAY TRAINS,
America Holds Championship on
Land as Well as Sea.
Empire state Express Travels 4SG IL
MILES in 4O7 BIInute--Briti-h
Record Knocked out.

halfway recently say > TIC NC" AOASN
Tribune. at nearly every station Of
the railroad there was a crowd Of peO-
ole waiting to see the flyer go past.
The best locomotives of the railroad
were being used in the race against
time, and it attracted unusual in
terest.
The train beat previous records for
sustained speed on railways, both in
this country and in Europe, making
the run OF 1851 miles between New
York and East Buffalo in less than
seven hours. This achievement puts
into the shade the recent performances
on the English and Scotch railways,
and keeps the championship for speed
on land in the United States. The
train on the New York Central and
Hudson River Railroad made an av-
erage speed of sixty-fOur and one
third miles an hour, after deducting
the time in stops at stations, while
the English record is sixty-three and
One-fourth miles an hour.
The train was composed of four
heavy cars, a combination of smoking
and baggage car weighing SO, 40
pounds, two coaches which weighed
respectively 81, 40 pounds and $500
pounds, and a private car, the Mara
quita, weighing 100000 pounds. The
combined weight Of the four cars was
35S,3IO pounds. The train was like
that of the Empire State express, ex-
cent that instead of the drawing room
car used in the regular service there
was private car Of the same weight.
In August, 1855, the Scotch Express
on the London and Northwestern
al nf "a nf
races between that line and the Great
Northern Railway, was run from
London to Edinburgh, 400 miles, in
A33 minutes, being an average of 55.4
miles per hour, with train weighing
ninety tons, exclusive Of the locomo-
tive.
After the series of races referred to,
both lines agreed to make a regular
schedule OF eight and half hours, or
900 miles in $40 minutes.
On September II, 1891, the New
York Central and Hudson River Rail-
road startled the world by running q
passenger train from New York to
East Buffalo, 1861 miles, in 1851 min
utes, actual running time, exclusive
Of stops. Including five stops, the
time was 1891 minutes.
This train consisted of three cars,
with q total weight OF $50 tons, exclu-
sive OF the locomotive.
This experimental run, eclipsiDg
any previous performance, was of
such a character as to receive the
commentator of the press on both
sides OF the Atlantic, the English
papers being especially gracious In
their acknowledgements to the Amer
lean railroad. In commenting on the
event, however, a number of English
papers stated that this was simply q
single run, made as an experiment,
but that no American line could run
a regular train at any such high rate
of speed, intimating that the physical
condition of American railways was
such as to- preclude the running regu-
larity of very fast trains.
Within six weeks from the day the
trial run was made, the public was
informed October %, 1891, of the start
ing of the Empire State Express. 1t
is acknowledged to be the fastest reg
Ular lOng-distance train in the world,
having been IN continuous service for
nearly four years, and possessing the
remarkable record of being eX 4ctly on
time for thirty consecutive days re-
peatedly, and during one period for
niuety-twO consecutive days.
On May %, 1898, the New York
Central, in connection with the Lake
Shore and Michigan Southern Rail-
way, placed in service the Exposition
Chicago, making the run of $50 miles !
daily In twenty hours, including eight |
stops, an average for the entire dis |
lance of forty niue miles an hour, the |
average OH the New York Central be- |
ing tifty-three and three-quarter |
miles an hour, the average on the |
Lake Shore and Michigan Southern |
being forty eight and One-quarter |
miles an hour. This train consisted |
II from four 10 five heavy cars, and |
ran every day for the 175 days OF the |
Worlds Fair, making the time with |
remarkable regularity.
On August %, 1895, the London and |
Northwestern made the run from |
London to Aberdeen, $40 miles, in 5I2 !
minutes, an average of sixty-three !
and one quarter miles an hour. This /
was the record for a trial run up to /
and including August %, 1895, but did /
not interfere with the New York Cen
trails title to the fastest regular long
distance train in the world, "a it has /
been agreed between the two English
railways interested that regular trains /
shall not be run at this speed, and \
during the trials of speed above refer
red to the English trains were not adj J
vertised to the public and were not 1
considered by the lines strictly reg \
ular trains.
The following telegram, dated SYRIA
cuSe, was received at the Grand Cen
trai Station: ave made the run from
New York to East Buffalo, 1861 miles,
IN i07 minutes. This is sixty tour and /
one-third miles an hour. We thus
regain the worlds record for long dis
lance running, and have accomplish
ed this magnificent result with "A train
337 feet i'm length and having = capac-
IJy fOT 2lS passengers. Our tram was
more than twice as long and nearly
twice as heavy as the English
racing train. We put our private ear
on the Empire State Express at Buff
faIO, and are now on our way back To
New York, where, if on time, we will
arrive at I0:l5. This round trip run is
equivalent to- a straight run from New
York TO Chicago in seventeen hours
and One-half, If il IS done 10y q regular