The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1902-12-20
rom the baltimore American.

/ IN tation officials are disposed to
! ~ dispute the claim that the Twen-
tieth Century limited on the Lake Shore
railroad established a new long-distanee
record for fast time on Tuesday last.
when it covered l01 miles in 100 minutes.
The train consisted of an engine and six
heavy Pullman cars filled to their ca
paeity. The run included slow-downs for
water and for passage through Misha-
wala. South Bend and Laporte. where
gloy-running ordinances exist. During
several portions Of the trip a speed of
nearly 20 miles an hour was attained and
kept for considerable distance
In discussing this remarkably fast time
Baltimore and Ohio men recall some
eauaAly fast travelling over their rails. On
November %, 1897. a train travelled from
Annapolis Junction to Alexandria juno
ton, a distance of Isl miles, in Il min
utes. or at the rate of $40 miles an hour.
The longest runs over the Baltimore and
Ohio are G6 and G66 miles an hour. the
greater speed having been made by a spe-
cial on March ?. 1891 between Baltimore,
Mount Royal and Washington, the dis
lance of 42.2 miles having been covered
in IS minutes. without stops.
On May 30, 1898, the distance from
Cumberland to Hancock, S. miles, was
made in so minutes, or at the rate of &C
miles an hour. On August %. 1900, train
No. 1853 ran from Camden station to Wash
ington, 10 miles, in 40 minutes, and de-
Quoting two minutes for one stop, makes
the rate eff 63 miles an hour. On May %.
the same year. the Adams sheathed train
ran from Camden station to Washington
in 37.S minutes. or at the rate of Ga. "a
miles an hour. and on the same day train
No. made the same run in IS minutes,
or 6S.12 miles an hour.
A number of other records of GO miles
an hour and better have been made by
the Baltimore and Ohio trains. and except
the Adams train and No. 16s, mentioned
in the foregoing, all the trains had heavy
Pullman equipment. No. 1853. which is a
regular train, scheduled to run in d5 min
utes with one stop, at Laurel 1t is stated,
has made the run to Washington in 371a
minutes. Much has been written con-
.NtAAAAAo
runs, but the records made are frequently
of no value Consistency in speed is
what counts; the making of fast time day
in and day out, and in all sorts of wealth
er. A level track, an engine in good
working order, a light train, and pleasant
weather, with nothing in the way, all
contribute to sensational bursts of speed,
that may reach So miles an hour Re
verse the conditions and perhaps 60 miles
an hour is a better record.
On other roads there are. records of re-
markable bursts of speed.
On the Great Western of England 1925
miles were made in AZ minutes or at the
rate of 6s miles an hour. The New York
Central sustained continuous speed of
6SS miles per hour for two hours and
10 minutes in making las miles The Lake
Shore did better even than this for long
distance running. One of its trains ran
SOL miles in 40 minutes and 20 seconds,
or at the rate of 65.O7 miles per hour. This
train ran one mile at the rate of 92.S miles
per hour, consecutive miles at S5.44 miles
per hour, 80 consecutive miles at the rate
of SOC miles per hour, and Sc consecutive
miles at the rate of 729l miles per hour
The Lake Shore train was heavier
and longer one than either that of the
New York Central or that Of the Great
Western road The Caledonian Express
of England ran 400 miles in hours and
So minutes, or at the rate of 52.4 miles
ner hour. but this falls far short of the
Lake Shore record, which is about as
fast long-distance train running as the
world has ever known. Railroad men are,
of course most interested in continued
high speed. That to them is the supreme
test of roadbed equipment and human