British Railway Engineering Feat

Chronicle (Levin), 5 April 1948, Page 8

British Railway Engineering Feat

British engineers have just finished one of the most difficult pieces of railway reconstruction ever performed. It was relaying track through^ the second largest tunnel in Southern Britain. The work entailed the removal and replacement of more than 4500 tons of ballast. Over 1000 steel rails, chairs and sleepers were then laid. The new 60-foot lengths of prefabricated track were unloaded from a train on an adjacent line, and laid at the rate of one length every three minutes. The entire job was completed in only three weeks.

This latest achievement by Britain's railway engi'neers has earned great praise from experts. The technical description of their feat is being sent to all parts of the world. Another move in the campaign for post-war improvement dnd reconstruction on Britain's State railways has just been announced by the railway executive. Locomotives are to be standardised. In order to gather necessary technicdl information, the exchange of passenger and freight engines is being arranged between six regions into which Britain was divided imder the Railway Nationalisation Act. Next month locomotives will begin tests running normal services

over selected routes for a period of about four months. Special dynameter cars will be -attached to trains to register speeds and other data. All^engines will use the same grade of coal when carrying out similar tests in order that an exactcomparison can be made. They will be manned by enginemen who normally work them in their home district. As a result of these tests it is hoped to make a big reduction in the number of different types of locomotives to be built in ' the future. Engine builders conSider that standardisation will mean an easier fiow of materials and con,ciderable saving. They estimate this at as much a2 £1000 on each ■ locomotive.