The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-06-04
THE FAST TRAIN SERVICE
NO PROBABILITY THAT TIME SCHED-
ULEs WILL BE SHORTENED.
Suggestions to which 1t Might BE
Well for Indianapolis Merchants
to Give Attention.

When the New York Centrars Empire
State express was first placed in service
one of the chief daily newspapers in Lon
don published an article on that event in
which it was stated that the train might
run for a few days possibly, but it would
be preposterous to suppose that it could
be made permanent, as there was mo road
bed in America on which train could be
run at the speed of the Empire State ex-
press for any length Of time without shak-
ing the cars all to pieces" After five years
of daily evidence that such train is en-
tirely practicable, Englishmen are now
fully convinced of this and the press of
London speaks in the most complimentary
terms of the fast train service of this coun-
try. While the New York Central was the
first to establish such fast service for so
long a distance, it's competitors have with
each year been increasing the speed of
their trains until it seems that the limit
has about been reached. In speaking of
fast service a general passenger agent said
yesterday: 1.-The fast trains on our line
have been remunerative and the putting on
of additional fast trains has not materially
cut into the through business of what are
called slower trains. When the Knicker-
booker was put on over the Big -Four be-
tween st. Louis and New York it was
feared it might not be a profitable train
to run, but it has proved to be the best
train on the road as 70 revenue. When the
fast White special was put on between
Cincinnati and Chicago a belief prevailed
that it would be Improbable and cut into
the business of other trains, but it at once
became a profitable train, and when the
Cincinnati Hamilton & Dayton and the
Monon put on an additional fast train be-
tween Cincinnati and Chicago the same
doubts were expressed, but it has proved
great card for the road, Train No. 2, over
the Vandalia and the Pennsylvania lines
Louis and New York run over these lines
and which was put at the suggestion
of George w. Boyd assistant general pas
senger agent of the Pennsylvania, as an
one of the most popular and best-paying
trains, especially between Indianapolis and
Pittsburg, run by the Pennsylvania Com
pany. 1t hauls a solid Vestibule train in
GLIDING sleeping car, between ST. Louis
and New York, and a dining car; at In
dianapols another sleeping car, which
comes up from Louisville, is attached, and
nightly these sleeping cars are well occu-
pied and the two day coaches hauled on
the train are we'll filed. The day coaches
An idea of the speed of this train may be
formed from the fact that nightly it covers
the siXty-eight miles from Indianapolis to
Richmond in SeVenty-fiVe minutes, stop
ping at the crossings of three railways be-
tween the points named, which makes it
almost a mile a minute train from Indian
apolis to Richmond. Fast trains have come
to stay and they have become the most
profitable trains to run. So great is the
abuse of mileage now that the business
than are now realized on local business,
take 1t a rule,