Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-09-29
RAILROAD UP
IN THE SKY
(By Charles Edyard Shull, Special Cor
~respondent.)

(By Charles Edyard Shull, Special Cor
r~espondent.)
There is just being completed in Ger
many one of the grandest pieces of
mechanism ever constructed by the hand
of man. 1t is the overhead railway run
ming between Elberfield and Barunen, and
in many ways can claim the distinction
of being the most remarkable railway in
the world.
1t is practically the first overhead rail-
way opened to the public, and undoubt-
eddy the only suspended railway in eX-
istence that fOlloys the windings Of a
river, passes down the streets of busy
towns, and along country highways, the
passengers carried along in mid-air, as
At the time of writing the railway is
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. overhead track.
This interesting railway is known as the
named after it's inventor, Eugene Lam
gen.
NEARING COMPLETION.
it were, in long cars. suspended on a
not entirely completed. though part of
has been for some ponths. rs already
stated, the railway connects the two
towns of Barmen and Elberfield, situated
the Rhine.
The distance between these two towns
is a little less than nine miles. They
= W w \ otdIC GIL
way, but for some years past it has
been patent to the authorities that a
more rapid means of covering the dis
tance between the two towns would have
to be devised.
The municipalities were not prepared
to spend an excessive sum on the con-
struction of a new line-such as would
be entailed in building an ordinary tract
on the ground-through the expense of
obtaining property rights. while the cost
OF an underground railway was altogether
out Of the question. After much negOtia-
ton, 1T was decided that an overhead
or suspended electric railway, to follow
the course of the river for six miles,
would be the only way of successfully
solving the difficulty.
A UNIQUE SYSTEM.
The railway throughout it's entire
length is a double track. The speed OBJ
tanned is about twenty-five miles an
could easily be maintained. At first the
speed does not sound anything out of the
way, but 1t must be remembered that the
railway was not built for very high
speeds, but more to keep up a continual
run Of trains getween the two towns at
a fair rate. Indeed, it is the intention
Of the authorities to run trains every two
or three minutes. ,
Including the eighteen stoppages-for
there are as many intermediate stations
on this comparatively short line, most OF
them ingeniously built over the river
the whole journey will be accomplished
at a speed of about twenty miles an
hour.
The system of signalling is unique
There are no signals along h line, apart
from the signals at the stations, so thai
the driver has not to look out for any.
thing but the approaching stopping place
He stops when his station signal shows
the line to be clear. His own train ther
blocks hat signal, while it gives 'lint
clear to the preceding block.
The carriages, or cars, are long, ant
when filled with passengers will weigh
agout fourteen tons Each car will hole
fifty passengers, and is divided into frs
and second class and smoking compart
ments. Two compartments are to max
one train. The passengers enter an
leave the cars by two side doors, open
ing inward. The cars are s designe,
that the open into one another, so tina
passengers may step from one car int
another. Each car is suspended fron