The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1902-12-20
SOME RECORD BREAKING
RUNS OF RAILROAD TRAINS

engineering ability. But the public finds
keen satisfaction in the short bursts of
speed that trains are compelled to in
dulge in every day in order to make their
time. and which. after all. are tests Of
rolling-stocl capacity.
On the night Of January 2, 1899. the
fast mail of the Northwestern road be-
tween Siding X and Arion. Iowa, ran
fourteen miles in seven minutes or at
the rate of 120 miles an hour. On a 100
pound rail this speed would have been
sustained for a longer distance. The
Colorado special of the same road, hy-
ing between Chicago and Denver, has a
scheduled time of 37A miles per hour be-
tween Chicago and Omaha. Deducting
one hour for necessary stops, and the
running time becomes 40 miles per hour,
but there are a number of points on the
run of 1872 miles where it is necessary for
the engineer to maintain a speed Of 60
and G5 miles an hour in order to keep his
running card. This kind Of a test of him
self and his engine is a matter Of daily
occurrence on every first-class road The
new class ID" locomotive of the North
western is one of the modern monsters
which can make q mile in 90 seconds.
The best record of the Colorado special
for short distance run is rate Of
speed of LIS miles per hour, sustained
for two miles, Two Of the same road
made the daily run to Chicago in two
hours, distance 50 miles; rate, dedueting
stops, IS miles an hour; necessary speed
between Milwaukee and Waukegan to
sustain this rate, 60 miles an hour. The
daylight speed of the Illinois Central
road, leaving st. Louis for Chicago each
day, regularly attains a speed between
st. Louis and Clinton of G5 and 20 miles
an hour for stretches of 10 and IS miles.
This train has made fiat mile in SO
seconds. It is next to impossible on the
modern train to realize such speed unless
one has watch in hand and a speed re-
corder or "Dutchman" before him. Even
then the recorder is not accurate. As a
rule it fails to show all the speed being
made.
A long-distance record by the New
York Central and Lake Shore is the IA
nous run from Chicago to New York
1854 miles-in 10 hours and 81 minutes, or
sustained average of 1920 miles per
hour. At one point of this run the speed
recorder showed that the train was NOV
ing at the rate of 80 miles an hour. 1t was
just before the approach to bridge and
river. One of the vice presidents Of
the road, on board of the train, said:
This bridge we are coming to is a draw
bridge If we hit it at 80 miles an hour.
and the draw is open, We'll go into the
river and through to the center of the
earth. I wonder why the engineer does not
slack up. The approach itself is on curve
and if that draw is open he can never
stop after he sees it"
But the engineer did not siaeken. The
indicator on the recorder kept on creep
ing up-92 miles an hour, SO, a. 95. Then
he whirled over the bridge. The draw was
safely closed. At the next stop the vice
president went forward and said to the
engineer:
John, you were running 95 miles an
hour when we struck that bridge. Sup
pose the draw had been open?'
at couldn't be-" said John with grin.
II had the bridgetender bribed to hold
it shut one hour whether came or not,
and my brother was on the curve signal
ing me with a flag that all was right. l
Just made up little time on the bridge
Some other good American time, for
which few better English figures are
given, is that of the Lackawanna, 1877
miles, in hours and minutes, rate of
so GA miles per hour; the Lehigh Valley.
49, Sc miles in SO minutes. or 50 miles an
hour; the Burlington, 74.3 miles in Go
minutes or 6S.5S miles per hour; the San
ia Fe, 2044 miles in hours and A min
utes, or 56.7 miles per hour; the Union
Pacific POI miles in 4 hours and 80 min
utes, or GO. 40 miles an hour.