The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1895-03-06
SPEED ON RAILWAYS.
THE FLlERS ON AMERICAN, GERMAN
AND ENGLISH LINES.
Curves and Grade Crossings the Great
Drawbacks IN This country-Limitcd
Trains DO Not Pay Expenses. but They
Benefit the Service In other Ways.

Trains DO Not Pay Expenses, but They
Benefit the Service In other Ways.
The writer btUached tho subject "
fast trains recently to one of the shrewd-
est civil engineers employed on one of
the roads entering Washington. This
employee has made railroading life
study, has inspected tho 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 tho work OF strengthening ont
curves, now going on, l, for one, will
predict that we can make an average Of
30 miles an hour between New York
and Chicago. ! say this with the ALE.
ghany mountains almost staring me in
the face. We might lose time going mp
that range, but engineers, rs rule, like
TO coast, and wouldn't they slide down
the other side with roadbed minus
curves and grade crossingsi In the mat
ter of cost in making improvements,
few people are aware Of the expense at
tached thereto. In round numbers our
road blew in fully s5, 900, 900 in the
latter part Of 1892 and the beginning Of
1893 That was before the financial de-
preston set In. We are now resting on
our oars. We cut one curve over mile
long, and the work cost us fully $780,.
900. Other roads have been doing like
wise, and with the return of prosper
ous period wo will surprise tho world
and especially the English, with the av-
erage 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 tho world. The United States comes
second and England third. Tho German
train runs from Berlin to Hamburg, a
distance Of l7S miles, in s0i minutes,
an average outside spced-that is, not
counting stops, of over 80 miles an hour
The Empire State express on the New
York Central road runs from New York
to Buffalo, distance of 440 miles, in
SEQ minutes, and its outside speed aver
age is nearly 81 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, q
distance Of 400 miles, at an average out
side speed Of 80 miles an hour.
1.-THE farther we 90 west the slower
the train service becomes, q thing not
looked for on account of tho miles and
miles of track traversing prairie land.
The Burlington roads best train aver
ages about 30 miles an hour. That on
the Milwaukee road, the limited, can
only reach an average of "a miles an
hour Tho Danver limited, on the North
western road, has TO hustle to score an
average gait of 30 miles an hour.
Ivory fow 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 tho Empire State
express between New York and Buffalo
and the 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 we'll built and well equipped railroads
are not confined to the carrying of pas
sengers swiftly from one point to anoth-
er They are 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 awonder-
full 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 tho men all
along tho line traversed constantly on
the alert. Each man is made to feel his
full share of the burden Of responsibility,
and the never ceasing admonition to
watch for the flier' reduces to a mini
mum personal inclinations to be slack
or neglectful The telegraph operators
have suspension Of 80 days staring
them in tho face for the slightest delay
to the limited, and similar penalties are
imposed on other employees.
Besides this stimulus to duty the
fast trains serve as an incentive to the
men to strive for promotion. Conduct
ors engineers, flremen and other hands
on the limited get more pay than do the
men employed on the trains Of subordi-
nate grade. That the 'fiier In its &C.
nerio sense. is actually an improving in.
fluence in railroading is eyiieEoed by
the remarkable careers Of t., Congress
sional, the Royal Blue ard tho Empire
State express These are the fastest
trains in this country and have boon
running several years back. and, with
one unimportant exception, have mot
with no mishap These trains pass
through year after year without Gin
gle mishap and believe IL is al from
the discipline put upon the employees
by the fast service The men take a
pride in tho fast trains Washington