RAILWAY CENTENARY

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 106, 7 May 1934, Page 16

RAILWAY CENTENARY

r It is one hundred years since Ludwig lof Bavaria gave his assent to the construction of the first stoam railway in Germany. The certificate i conferring this privilege was the first of its kind in Germany, and it has been called the ','birth certificate" of the whole of the vast German State railways system. The certificate 'gave', a limited company power to build a railway between Nuremberg and 'Birth, provided it was built-within five years after February 19, 1834. The company had to undertake to. build connections with any other railway; systems which might bo built in Bavaria. The concession was' to last for five years. Tho fourmile stretch of line between Nuremberg and Furth was opened on December 7, 1835, when the first German railway train made its initial run pulled by a 15-horse power locomotive of British manufacture. This historic engine, named "Dor Adlcr" (The Eagle), came from Newcastle, as did its engineer, Wilson, who was paid nearly twice.as much money as the chief director of the lino. The locomotive was in service for twonty years. The railway was an immediate success. In the first I operating year 450,000 passengers were carried, and tho receipts were 102,000 marks,'which amounted to almost half the capital stock.