The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1910-02-10
RAPID TRANSIT
OF THE FUTURE
Be2arkabls 0ne-RaIl System Which
Tue German Government Is Now
Considering.


August Scherl. the well-known news
paper proprietor of Berlin. Mr..
Gcheri has embodied all his plans
and ideas In a pamphlet which is
about to be issued for the serious con-
alteration OF railroad engineers in all
large centers OF population where the
transportation problem is growing
more serious day by day.
Scherl divides his treatise into
uhree parts. The first gives a sum-
mary of the crisis in the railway
system OF to-day; the second shows
che way in which difficulties might
De solved by his new system, and the
Third shows the economical and social
prospects in public life to be derived
from radical improvements over the
present system of rapid transit
The progress OF commerce and in
dustry, Scherl point out, has increased
the demands upon railways year by
year. The lucrative part of the rail
way business is without any doubt
the carriage OF goods, while the car
rage of passengers, the only part of
railway traffic that interests the pub
lie at large. is a necessary, hamper
ing evil which costs the railway
money instead OF increasing it's profits
The cause OF this indisputable fact is
that when railways were first built
they accepted the old notion that the
road was the common means of traffic
for men and goods, and did not I'M
derstand that the interests of the two
diverge completely and should on
principle be separated The inevita-
BILE consequence is that the track has
to be given up an unfair proportion
of the time to passenger trains, and
the carriage of goods suffers undue
Interruptions. The author therefore
thinks he is justified in demanding a
complete separation of the traffic of
goods and passengers.
But this is not enough. Considera-
BILE reforms are needed where the
traffic OF passengers are concerned
First Of all, the system of steam en-
sines must be done away with. Elk
perts agree that the railway locCmo-
tive is the most wasteful OF all our
steam engines, since il utilities only 3
per cent. OF the power of coal. An
average speed OF 60 miles an hour is
the limit or the steam engines prac-
teal power. Anything beyond this
must be classified as sport The cleo
trio locomotive has already reach a
high state of perfection in that with
out waste ii can be brought TO
speed of 125 miles an hour
The one hindrance to the use of the
electric engine and it's full speed is
the present system OF railway founda-
ton. The two-rail system at present
generally in use is an insurmounta-
bic obstacle to great speed. II is first
OF all impossible to lay two lines as
perfectly parallel as is necessary for
AIM
to build the curves with a radius so
large that the outer rail does not have
To be raised beyond the limits admis-
sible. These two obstacles are to be
removed by the following innovation:
Swift passenger traffic TO be organized
with electric locomotiOn on the one
rail system.
To prove the technical possibility OF
this suggestion Scherl caused expert
nents to be made in his own work
shops with the inventions of Brennan
and other Englishmen, who have
shown that 1t is possible to change
unstable into stable equilibrium by
providing vessels and other vehicles
with enormous gigs. The results OF
the experiments were more favorable
There can no longer be any doubt
that vessels or carriages can be
given a stable course on a single rail
by gyroscopic apparatuses. This is
a simple and safe means of organ
izing the modern passenger, traffic in
a satisfactory manner. The founda-
ton will no longer be exposed to the
continual shocks insepaTaOle from the
two-rail system, and Will therefore be
much less expensive. The question
of curves is easily solved, since the
construction OF the carriages enables
them to establish their equilibrium
automatically.
The carriage of freight is lett to
the steam railways of to-day, which,
by having been relieved of the car
riage of passengers, will not only
be able to satisfy the demand of COM
merce and industry, but will become
much more profitable.
The detailed organization of the pas
senger tra.-c on the new system takes
up the greater part of the treatise
Inc following IS a condensed account
o. it,
1ue chief centers of traffic are to
be connected with each other by first
class speed lines that run 125 miles
an hour at regular intervals. A net
of Second-ciaSs speed lines surrounds
each center, where trains run from
rs to 100 miles an hour and take pas
ssngers to the head lines AS the
trains follow each other in quick sue
cession, there viii be no waiting at
Junction. For this reason it will be
possible to carry the head lines, which
cannot be on a level with the ground
but must be built high on account
of greater speed, from one large city
to another in straight line, without
considering small cities on the way
Stations should be built only at the
most suitable points for the junction
with the secOnd-class speed lines,
which in their turn are surrounded by
thiTd-class lines, which form connec-
tiOns between the smallest stations
and connect them with the second
class lines. Special care is taken
that the changing from one carriage
to the other is done in safety and
comfort and without lOoc of tipoo