Waterbury evening Democrat., 1895-06-08
SPEED ON RAILWAYS.
THE PLIERS ON AMERICAN. GERMAN
 AND ENGLISH LINES.

Curves and Grade Crossings tho Great Drawbacks In This Country-Limited 1 Trains Do Not fay Expenses, but They Benefit the Service In Other Ways.
 The writer broached the subject of fast trains recently to one of the shrewd- est civil engineers employed on one of tho roads entering Washington. This employee has made railroading life study, has inspected the railroads of Europe and speaks by the card. He said:
 "If our railroads could spare the money to elevate their tracks in cities and at crossings, to say nothing of com | pleting the work of straightening out curves, now going on, I, for one, will predict that we can make all average of | 50 miles an hour between New York and Chicago I say this with the Ale ghany mountains almost staring me ill tho face. We might lose time going up that range, but engineers, as rule, like to coast, and wouldn't they slide down the other side with a roadhed minus curves and grade crossings! In the mat ter of cost in making Improvements, | few people are aware of the expetise at- tached thereto. In round numbers our road blew in fully $5. 900, 900 in the latter part of 1899 and the beginning of 1893. That was before the financial de- pression set in. We are now resting on our oars. We cut one curve over a mile | long, and the work cost us fully $500,- 900. Other roads have been doing like wise, and with the return of prosper ous period we will surprise the world, and especially the English, with tho av- craze speed our trains will attain. Many people will be surprised to learn that Germany and not this coun- try or England furnishes the fastest train in the world The United States comes second and England third. The German train runs from Berlin to Hamburg, a distance of IFS miles, ill 204 minutes, an average outside speed-that is, not counting stops, of over 52 miles an hour. The Empire State express on the New York Central road runs from New York to Buffalo, n distance of 440 miles, in 520 minutes, and its outside speed aver age is nearly 5l miles an hour. The fastest English train, that comes third on the list, is called the west coast flier . and runs from London to Edinburgh, a distance of 400 miles, at an average out side speed of 50 miles an hour.
 ''The farther we go west the slower the train service becomes. q thing not looked for on account of the miles and miles of track traversing prairie land The Burlington roads best train aver ages about 3G miles an hour. That on the Milwaukee road, the limited, can only reach an average of 34 miles all hour. Tho Denver limited on the North western road, has to hustle to score an average gait of 20 miles an hour.
 Very few of the fast limited trains in this country pay for the expense of running them, and it is an open secret that the limited between this city and New York. the limited between New York and Chicago and the Empire State Cxpr, sS between New York and Buffalo and tho Chicago limited on tho New York Central road cost their respective roads good deal more than they bring in, but they are great advertisers for their respective roads.
 "The advantages of fast train service on well built and well equipped railroads arc not confined to the carrying of pas sengers swiftly from one point to anoth- CT They arc felt all through the Operat- ing department of a road and exercise an important disciplinary influence. The running of such extraordinary fast trains as the Congressional limited and the Empire State express has had wonder ful effect in increasing the vigilance and efficiency of all the trainhands. The schedules on which such trains are run require the most arbitrary enforcement, and they consequently keep the men all along the line travCrsed constantly on the alert. Each man is made to feel his full share of tho burden of responsibility, and the never ceasing admonition to watch for the tiier' reduces to mini mum personal inclinations to be slack or neGlcctful The telegraph operators have a suspension of 30 days staring them in the face for the slightest delay to tho limi; and similar penalties are imposed on other employees.
 Besides this stimulus to duty the fast trains servo as an incentive to the men to strive fer promotion. Conduct ors, engineers, firemen and other hands on the limited get more pay than do the men employed on the trains of subordi- nato grade That the 'flier, in its ge- neric sense, is actually an improving in fluenco in railroading is evidenced by the remarkable careers of the Congress sional, tho Royal Bluo and the Empire State express. These are tho fastest trains in this country and have been , running several years back, and, with | ODo uuiTuD,rtant pScpDtiOu haVC met with no mishap. These trains pas through year after year without a sin gle mishap and believe it is all from the discipline put upon the employ ee: by the fast service. The men take { pride in the fast trains. '-Washingtor | Star.