THE SPEED OF ENGLISH EXPRESS TRAINS.

Evening Star, Issue 3516, 1 June 1874, Page 3

THE SPEED OF ENGLISH EXPRESS TRAINS.

A trial of a special express with Pullman’s sleeping-car attached, made on the Midland railway on March 17, demonstrated the astounding fact that trains can be run with safety at the rate of seventy-five miles an hour. The train was timed very fast to see if the sleeping cars shook about; and tbe trial was from Derby to London, -St, Pancras, The engine had the steam brake, and the cars and tender had the new air brake, which is now fitted to all midland trains. The carorake will stop a heavy express of twentyfive carriages running seventy-five miles an hour, in 290 yards. The distance from Derby to London is 129 miles. It is all on the block system, and all trains were shunted for this special express. The exact distance of 129 miles was run in 142 minutes, but this does show the actual speed, as three stops and three starts took six minutes, and speed was reduced to twenty-five miles an hour over thirteen junctions, which each took a good minute leaving the time as 123 minutes for 129 miles, winch averages over a mile a minute ad the way. In one case on a level piece of line seventeen miles was run in 13min 18sec, which averages about seVenty-five miles an hour, and twenty miles was run in 19min. Thecars ranas ateadyaa tables at seventy-five miles an hour. The driving wheels of the engine were 6ft 84in.