The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1918-12-03
Regard Them as Toys Until They
Take Ride.
MEMBER EXCELLENT SERVICE
Coaches and Freight Cars Are Small
and Light, but They Get Speed Out
Of Them-Women "Brakemen" Are
Found 70 BE Very Effcient-French
Roadbeds Are Always Kept In Good
Order.

French trains look funny to Ameri-
can soldiers. Using these as models,
the toy makers made their strings of
play cars for them when they were
youngsters. And the Americans are
prone to look upon them still as toys
until they get aboard and travel across
the country with the speed of an Amer
lean express train, or, arriving at the
front, note with what thoroughness and
dispatch these "toy" trains running
right to the edge Of "No Mans Land"
keep them supplied with their bacon
and canned Willie"
Take the French passenger coach.
for instance. Mounted on its four
wheels. which are not solid like
American car wheels, but have spokes
IN them, 1t does not look very COM
modious, but when you come to count
the number Of persons 1t hauls and
the service 1t gives your apprecia-
ton is likely to increase materially.
The ordinary French coach Is divided
into six compartments, each compart-
ment seating ten persons. That's 60
persons to q car. The average Ameri-
can car seats 60 persons. But 1t takes
two French coaches to occupy the
space Of an American car. In that
way the carrying capacity is doubled.
The fact that the cars are much light
er and that there are few heavy grades
on the French lines permits much long
sr trains.
Freight Cars Are Similar.
It IL true that the French local
trains do not have the accommoda-
lions OF the American lines. When
ron get into an apartment you have
to stay there until, at least. the next
station. But most OF the journeys are
short. Few persons travel far.
The French freight cars are built
on the same general principles. The
average load Is ten tons. Being light
they are easily shifted around in the
yards. Virtually all the switching is
done by hitching a horse to the car
and "spotting'' 1t where 1t Is wanted.
All yards have a small turntable
where the cars may be turned and
shunted to other tracks. All the
larger yards are equipped with an
electric carrier. The car is pushed on
the carriage and then carried by
means Of an underground trolley
right across the yards and deposited
on any track.
Both freight and passenger cars
are constructed with the idea OF
serving the maximum of people with
the minimum Of cost In rates. The
ten-t0n shipper can compete with the
rival who ships thousands Of tons
Passenger rates are In the same ratio
A soldier. for instance, can travel 6C
kilomettrs (37h miles) for 1.6O francs
(82 cents):
Roadbeds Are Well Kept.
French roadbeds are kept in good
condition, and the through trains make
rood time. The French, not being
In such Z hurry as the Americans. d.
not believe in a grade II a cut or
al an overcome 1t. They will bore
1 tunnel through q Hill rather thar
make q curve around 1t. The sides Of
he cuts are frequently paved Will
stones to prevent slides. The straight
tracks. together with the fact tina
there are no grade crossings In France
permit speed. French engineers never
blow their whistles except In the sta
lions. and the machines" as they cal
their locomotives. are not equipped
with warning bells.
One Of the things that have inter
egtod Americans not a little In con
nection with operation Of French rail
ways are the women brakemen. French
freight trains don't use air brakes, ant
they don't have cab0oses on the tai
end Of the train. The train crew gen
orally consists of a man conductor ant
two women brakemen. The womel
wear black uniforms with the initials
Of the railroad embroidered In thu
collar Of the coat while cumbersome
skirts have been superseded by balloon
otyle knee trousers. They ride In tn
scrummies," as the dog houses" OF
yfench freight cars are called. Oh
con6uctors say the women make SUI
pgislngly good sbrakemen."
$50