The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1906-07-04
FAST RAILROAD TRAVEL.

The fastest trains in the world ut
present are the famous Atlantic City
Flyers running between Camden and
Atlantic City, a fashionable watering
place lying sixty miles southeast of
Philadelphia. The keen competition
between the Philadelphia and Reading
and the Pennsylvania has given rise
to contests in speed which began dur.
ing the year 1899. So far, the victor
is the Philadelphia and Reading,
whose trains do the trip of 55.5 miles
at an average speed of 81 so miles an
hour. The Pennsylvania's best train
travels its So miles at an average
speed OF &C., 90 miles an hour. These
speeds are all the more rem arka BILE in
that at their two ends the lines run
for an average distance of a mile on
the public roads, where their nominal
speed is reduced to fifteen miles an
hour, and in that both trains meet out.
side Camden on o gradient with a
system OF signals based on the prin-
ciple, first come, first served.
The worlds fastest train for q dis.
lance exceeding 300 miles is the New
York Central and Hudson Rivers
Empire State Express, New York to
Buffalo. 439. 80 miles, in eight hours
and fifteen minutes, the average speed,
$50 miles an hour. A train in Eng.
land runs from London, Kings Cross,
to Edinburgh, 1893 miles, al average
speed OF SOL miles. From London,
Euston, to Glasgow, 40l miles, the
time OF eight hours gives an average
speed OF 50. l miles. The Sud Express,
from Paris to Bayonne, 4S6.16 miles,
covers the distance in nine hours and
forty-three minutes; average speed,
fifty miles. The Paris and Lyons
Company announces for next winter q
train to run 675 miles between Paris
and Nice in thirteen hours thirty
minutes. The Cote d'Azur Rapide,
from Paris to Nice, in thirteen hours
fifty minutes, has been running since
the winter Of l9O4.O5. The Grea,
Northern Company Of England ha:
four trains that III at a speed Of ovel
, %tifty-eight miles AMI hour.
Not more than twenty-five years age
there was a standing order on at leas'
one Chicago railroad that freigh'
trains must not run under any cir
, ~cumstances, at a higher speed thar
f,rl1 10 v,iIAl an hnpN In n onsn.
, the speed was below this, and Their,
were many cases in which cars die
not reach their destination for sixt!
or ninety days. Delays OF this kline
were SO frequent that the average mile
age of freight trains was given in thu
s reports at seventeen to twenty-five
miles per day.
The organization Of the fast freigh
companies showed what could be don
in the way Of speed. Cars gained il
size and strength, the freight servic
N was reorganized to meet urgent de
It mand from shippers of fruit, an
d freight trains are now run at q spec
a Of about thirty miles an hour. wit
1t greatly increased profits to the rail
roads and greater convenience to tn
e public.
There has been, in fact, as noticea
le BILE improvement in the organiz alto
Of freight trains, in the cars used, an
1t in the character of the whole freigh
service as there has been in the pas
senger service. This remark apple
1t to the transportation of live stock, t
lie the handling OF perishable fruits,
1t the shipment Of fresh meats and othe
E. products requiring refrigerator cars
st as we'll as to the more general bus;
e ness in which all shippers are inter
v. ested. A change from twelve miles a
d hour to thirty and often forty mile:
4, with corresponding improvement i
e. cars and system. has worked revolu
De ton in the freigh. service of America