Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1913-09-11
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ment or other special reason for haste,
they will make fast runs between certain
points on their own lines and have ali
other trains laid out for the time being.
1t is practically an unhcard-of thing,
however, for any of these high exccu-
tivcs of the railroads to attempt to beat
the time of their own crack limited
trains that maintain an average speed
OF more than fifty miles an hour. If
they arc running special, they will either
try to directly precede or follow these
fast trains. If they try to beat their
time the attempt is usually kept quiet
and the result is not announced to the
general public.
The railroad men who are the most
frequent users of special trains at high
speeds are the great lawyers whom the
railways employ as counsel in difficult
cases. Many OF these lawyers live in or
near New York Frequently late at night
message will reach them by telephone
or telegraph requiring their presence as
quickly as possible in Boston or Chi
cage or some more distant city. If a
regular train will not land them at their
destination promptly enough they order
special with as little concern as they
would telephone for a taxicab If they
live out OF town the special is sent to the
nearest station to meet them.
| The heads of the big Western rail
roads rarely bring their private cars tC
New York and even less frequently ride
to the metropolis in a special train. The
principal reason for this is the limited
trackage space and, consequently, crowd
ing of the New York terminals Cen
orally men ike James J. Hill will leave
their private cars at Chicago and either
borrow one from an Eastern line OF
make the trip to New York on a linn
tied train the same as an ordinary pas.
senger.
1t is a common saying among railroad
presidents and officials generally that the
shorter and less prosperous a road is The
more ornate and magnificent its prcsi
dents private car. One presidential cal
on a Western road less than 800 mile.
long is considered the most beautiful
official car in the country. The cut glas!
of its dining service alone is said tC
have cost $4,000.
Most of the railroad presidents have
very simple cars. There is no plush, NJ
hangings to catch the dust, and no espe
cial decorations in the way of brass OF
silver plate or rich woods. The prin
cipal things that these men consider es
sential are a typewritng machine in gooc
order, a comfortable bed, and a gooC
cook. With these and his secretary ant
stenographer the average high eXecutiv,
travels quite contcntedly.
AS general thing big railroad vii
have one private car for its presiden
and one car for each OF its vice-presi
dents who is travelling about actively
Sometimes the general manager vii
, have car of his own. Otherwise h
will take whatever car is not in us
when he wants to go out over the lin,
The Pennsylvania has only four privat
! cars for its officials. The use of privat
cars for inspection purposes has bee
done away with to a certain extent b
what is called an inspection engine. Thi
looks more like a motor coach than
IOCOlllOllNc, DCOduSt llt SOliI,dl llllCi
where the passengers sit is built dit
ectly over the boiler, but does not pre-
ject out far enough to interfere wit
the engineers view of the track. TIL
car on top of the boiler will hold ten q
twelve people, and its advantage is tn;
II gives them view ahead over tn
rails. which is more desirable on il
spcction tours than watching the trac
from the rear platform.
Where frequent stops have to be mad
for some particular purpose a ralroa
will generally run its train as an eXtr
under special time For instance, la:
spring there was a prevalence of foe
and mouth disease among cattle in I'll
Middle West Canada and Easter
points had either guaranteed again
them or would admit them only undo
the most rigid conditions. The Micl
igan Central and other lines sent OF
special trains to stop at every static
where there were cattle cars to see TIL
they were thoroughly disinfected an
cleaned so that the spread of the d
ease might be checked.