The Columbus journal. (Columbus, Neb.) 1874-1911, 1909-09-01

uVSCsop&ASuS u tIS1u service Is
often not fully realized until cur at.
tsntion Is called to the number OF
trains running between our chief
towns. Taking the summer time
table Of 1908. for example. there were
% down and - up trains between
London and Glasgow; between Lon.
don and Edinburgh there We're 80
down and IS up: while between the
metropolis and Leeds there were 46
down and 80 up. and between London
and Manchester no :sss than s. down
and % up. that is. on all average, a
26-minute service II must be borne
lii mind. however that different routes
are taken by many OF these trains and
consequently different towns are con-
rected up By trains running between
the same POINTS.
Although comfort and frequency OF
service are two important features in
railway improvements. the increase
in speed ard in the number of long
nonstop runs daily being performed
on many of cur main lines emphasizes
perhaps more than anything else the
nigh degree of efficiency our railways
have attained. During the past sum
mer the time tables of our chief lines
showed 4 total of over 155 runs of
more than 100 miles without a stop.
OF these the fastest running is dore
by two expresses on the Great West
ern railway. which cover the 11S2;
miles between Paddington and Bristol
IN two hours. giving a start to stop
average speed OF j9.S miles per hour.
Next to these comes n run on the
Great Northern railway from Grant
ham to Kings Cross. 1854 miles. at
an average speed of 51.7 miles per
hour
To maintain such high speeds for
SO many miles demonstrates what vast
improvements have taken place in the
steam locomotive. for in 1870 the quick
est average speed in this country was
only AZ miles per hour. 1t is only by
the aid OF water-troughs that these
long nonstop runs can be made; the
trOughs. which are about 500 yards in
length, are placed between the rails
and are automatically kept full. Water
can thus be picked up while running
by a SCOOP under the tender. which is
lowered into the trough by the engine
Inen. the speed of the train forcing
the water up the scoop into the ten
der tank.
In the development OF train work.
ic Mo
tant part than the locomotive. for, as
the traffic and the demand for rapid
transit have increased. so has the To-
connective been brought up to the nee
essary state of efficiency. not only as
regards speed, but in economical
working, without which it would have
been an impOssibility 10 give the pub
lie what they desired. The modern !
is an evolutionary product. !
and although the main princi pies re- !
main much the same as in the early |
engine. il would be hard Tor the lay /.
man to recognize any of the Old in !
the new The invention OF the loco /
motive is nowadays absolutely indis- |;
pensab,e 10 our daily existence. In !
its earliest days II has been li!;ered !
in appearance to a medieval engine OF !
war and vas originally used only on /
co!iiery lines because il could pull a
few more trucks than could horse. :
The idea of speed never seeEled TO
enter into the minds OF its promoters.
and at the opening Of the Stockton
and Darlington railway in 1926. when
the locomotive made its first appear
ance in the interests OF the public.
surprise was caused by
tho speed il attained of some Il miles
Der hour. 1t is recorded that the
borseman who preceded il with a flag
had promptly TO clear out of the way.
TO the wonder of the assembled crowd.
At first il met with considerable
amount of opposition and many
strange objections were taken TO 1t;
but as soon as it began TO be recOg-
njzed what commercial prosperity was