Evening star., 1897-01-16
AMERICAN TRAINS,
They Are Now SuccessfuIIy Intro
duced Upon English Railroads.

They Are Now Successfully Intro
duced Upon English Railroads.
From the London Times.
AS stated in the Times of November Q The
Southeastern Railway Company has re-
solved to be the pioneer in introducing In
this country railway cars constructed on
the American open-vestbule principle for
first, second and third-class passengers
The first of these trains, which is to begin
running today. is unquestionably in the
whole of its details and appointments a
singularly fine specimen of English work
manship, as it is also the handsomest train
yet offered to all classes of travellers on an
English railway. 1t is to be attached to the
company's service between London, Hast
lngs and st. Leonards and is shortly to be
followed by similar train, which has been
ordered from the works of the Metropolitan
carnage company at Saltley, near Birm-
lngham, for use in connection with the
southeastern company's continental service
VIA Folkestone and Dover. If 1t be found
that the new cars are appreciated by the
public more of like character will be pro-
places.
The Hastings and ST. Leonards train,
which has cost about fI2,0O0 is slated to
accommodate 1913 passengers, there being
two hrst-class cars for fifty-one passen-
gers, one second-class for twenty-seyen
passengers and three third-class for ll5
passengers, together with two baggage
vans. All the coaches are mounted on
four-wheel bogies, and each car weighs
twenty-four tons so that, with the vans OF
fourteen tons each and the four-wh heel
bogie express of nearly sixty tons, the
total weight of the train is not less than
30 tons. The cars are about fifty feet
long, and access from one to the ether is
obtained by means of flexible vestibue con-
nections. Smoking compartments are pro-
Vided Tor the three classes of passengers,
and each car has its own lighting. heating
and lavatory arrangements. One CT the
hrSt-claSS carriages contains a main saloon
thirty feet long, fitted with both revolving
and fixed chairs, while the Other is divided
into two smaller compartments one of
which will be reserved for the use OF
ladies. The second-class car is in three
divisions ladies' compartment TO seat
four at one end smoking compartment al
the opposite end and the main saloon in
the center. The public will be struck with
the superior accommodation offered in the
train to third-class travellers
The decorations throughout the train are
bright and in good taste, the cars are
lofty. and, while being warmed in winter
have ample ventilation openings. Mr. A
b. GilrS extremely simple arrangement is
adopted for the electric Illumination the
dynamo being suspended below the frame
of the carriage and SO adjusted that the
varying speed of the train does not affect
the current supplied to the lamps. Accu-
mulatorS are fitted to continue the light
when the train is at StandStill and the
installation, having given satisfaction or
thirty-five other railway lines, promises to
be equally successful on the southeastern
system. The new train has been con-
structed under the superintendent of Mr.
H. S. Wainwright at the company's works
at Ashford, where 800 ordinary carriages
are now being built.