Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-03-25
RAILROAD FILTERS.
LITTLE PROGRESS IN DEVELOPING
SPEED OF LATE YEARS.

Fast Time Is Made on American hoaos'
While There May Be Changes In MOTIVE
Power, Curves Are the Worst Trouble.
The mile minute railroad record, on
an average, has not yet been reached, anu
perhaps the present generation OF readers
80 years hence may not be witnesses to It's
country at the present time, running be-
tween New York and Chicago, attains an
average speed of 10 miles an hour, ana
from the present outlook it will be many
years before this average is increased. In
1866 an average speed of rs miles an hour
was recorded between the same cities. lt
is astonishing, all things considered, how
little progress the railroads have made IN
speed. The progress is so small compare
lively that one familiar with thefaets cam
not fail to be puzzled or to have suggested
to his mind the question whether the sys-
tenn itself is not inherently at fault
whether it was not begun and developed
on the wrong lines.
The man who stands in the open coun-
try and sees the limited express Hit by like
an angry, painting ghost IS filled with
wonder at the speed and thinks it fast
enough. The traveller who sits in his lux
urious parlor car and looks out at the sta
lions as they slide past his window In
long blurred streak of black and gray fnds
his exhilaration hcighten in proportion as
the train accoleratcs its onward motion.
No speed is too great for him, provided the
road is straight and the motion smooth.
The switches click like clock ticks In his
ear, and he looks with the eye OF fasclna-
ton on the landscape, distorting Itself IN
all directions rs though made OF 1ndla
rubber. People like to travel fast. They
enjoy tho feeling Of superiority which
comes with rapid speed. They want to go
quick, whether they are in hurry or not.
1t Is an open question whether the rail-
road has reached the limit Of speed consist
ent with safety. Eminent engineers and
practical railroad men are divided in their
opinions, some arguing that the limit has
been reached, others insisting that, If the
curves are modified or cut out almost en-
tirely, trains can be run from one-third to
one-half faster than at present. VIII it DO
necessary to modify the shape of the wheels
and track? Will the present type of en-
CINE or motor have to be changed to one
where there will be no power lost in the
back stroke of the piston? Will steam
give way to electricity or some other force:
These are the principal points which are
in doubt, and about which engineers draw
very different conclusions from their eX-
perience. There is now very little, If there
is any, doubt as to whether steam VIII
give way to electricity or some other force
which produces better relative result,
with less noise and less wear and tear on
machinery and is less susceptible to the
weather. 1t is no uncommon thing for
fast express engine to slow down speed in
very cold weather, owing to what they
call freezing out the steam"
There is no theoretical doubt that the
rails and wheels can be so modified as to
make the engine and train stick to the
track better and reduce theSfIargin Of dan
ger. There is also no doubt, in theory,
that an engine could travel much faster if
some plan of mechanism could be devised
which would do away with or reduce to
the absolute minimum ehe effects Of the
back stroke of the piston and connecting
rods. The shrewd railroad managers of
the country have about come to the con-
clusion that the motive power has almost
reached perfection, and that their road
beds are now the real obstacles to great
average speed. With curves and the dead
ly grade crossings eliminated, who can tell
what may be done? Cities and towns, no
matter how small the latter may be, have
rights which must be respected, and while
they are the speed of trains must suffer.
In England everything is plain sailing
When the roads were originally construct
ed, they found thickly populated districts
ON all sides. In America we built rail
roads first and imported the people after
ward to patronize them. Over on the "lit-
tie island'' everything is fenced in, and
grade crossings arc unknown. The cngi-
neer pulls open the throttle, the train
starts, and he knows he will have to look
out for nothing but tower signals and
other trains. American engineers are look
ing forward to the establishment of sim
liar state of things in this country.
OF course the real danger in increasing
the speed of express trains driven by steam
does not lie in incidental risks. 1t is not
denied that modern locomotive might
be built which could run up to 80 or pos
sibly 100 miles an hour, if the lines were
straight. It is tho curves of the existing
lines which render any such speed inpos-
sible unless the weight of the locomotive
and train were also increased far beyond
what the bridges and permanent way
would bear. AT the first sharp curve the
100 milo express would fly off the rails.
The necessary relation of these curves to
speed is accurately known, and it is that,
and not the want of power or novel dan
gers from wind pressure or boiler cxplo-
sions, which sets the limit to modern train
speed.
As the force tending to throw off the
line train running at the speed of $50
miles an hour would be about 81 times
greater than that which steam express
train resists curve when running at 60
miles an hour, 1t is plain that the present
lines could not be used for tho lightning
express, even though the electromotor
were substituted for the steam engine
The lines must not only be stronger but
straighter than would be possible by any
modification of their present form. Wash
ington Star.
This One Isn't Tough.
City Man Ito hunter)-Lije, you've