MOTOR RAILWAYS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 2546, 22 February 1923, Page 2

MOTOR RAILWAYS.

All over the country on branch lines and short lines, says a writer in the Philadelphia Public Ledger, they are replacing the time-honour-ed Imt. profitless steam train with the snappy gasoline rail car. Soon it will he the usual thing to howl along through the countryside in gas buses which run on the same rails, but have little else in common with the smoky, dirty twocar steam train so familiar on the lesser '.railroads in these United States. And a mighty pleasant experience too. These are motor bust's transferred from the highway to ilie railway, rail limousines which carry more passengers than the louring automobile —and their trunks, as well —but treat them to similar agreeable sensations on their ride. Their windows are very large. Indeed, the entire sides of the car seem of glass; and these same big windows continue around the front of the car, and the driver is only a very minor obstruction to the clearest of views forward. On every side but the rear one can see all there is to see —there the baggage compartment shuts off the. view. Few would have time to wish to look hack, anyway. Speed? Well, these aren’t racing cars, though at times they make 45 miles an hour. But, that is too fast for the highest enjoyment, even though there is no need to worry about the fellow coming in the opposite direction. At the 30 miles an hour which these gas ears have no difficulty in maintaining, and which is better than the average of the steam trains they replace, one gets from place to place quickly, sitting back the while in leisurely contemplation of the passing scene.