Mr Anderson on the Baibvays of Belgium. 313 



and Tirlemont ; and then the minor stations upon the different 

 subdivisions of the line. Malines was, from the very first, 

 chosen as the central station through which the greatest num- 

 ber of passengers was expected to flow .; and it was also fixed 

 upon as the workshop for the repairs of the heavy machinery, 

 and of the railways in general throughout the country, the Avork- 

 shops at any of the other stations being only of secondary im- 

 portance. But, notwithstanding its many advantages, Brussels 

 has become the principal station, and draws one-fourth of the 

 receipts of the whole of the diff"erent lines. In consequence of 

 this unexpected result it became necessary to build a more exten- 

 sive station at the north of Brussels. The stations, with the 

 exception of Ostend, Bruges, and Ghent, are placed without the 

 towns, for the purpose of evading the local taxes, which can 

 only be accomplished by placing them beyond the boundaries 

 of the excise. Tickets for the trains are issued from the win- 

 dows of the different offices ; and, to avoid confusion during a 

 crowd, stalls are erected, through which the passengers pass 

 one by one, receive their checks, and return by a passage 

 parallel to the one by which they entered. If the traveller 

 has luggage exceeding 44 lb. weight, he has to proceed to the 

 luggage depot, where it is weighed, and he is charged a trifling 

 sum per lb. Upon paying this sum he receives a ticket with 

 a number marked upon it, corresponding to one which is put 

 upon his luggage. From this time he sees no more of his 

 property until he arrives at his destination, where it is brought 

 from the luggage-waggon, and the number marked upon it 

 called out by one of the officers in attendance, who returns it 

 to its owner on presenting the ticket which he had received. 

 If, however, he wishes it placed entirely under the responsi- 

 bility of the administration during his journey, he must for- 

 ward it to the station at least j of an hour before the starting 

 of the train. Luggage under 44 lb. weight, if deemed neces- 

 sary, can also be confided in the same way by passengers to 

 the administration, at an equal rate of charge per lb. For 

 luggage lost which is entered in this manner, the administra- 

 tion pays the proprietor a compensation for his property at the 

 rate of 2s. 2d. per lb. This is an admirable system of manage- 

 ment for preventing confusion and loss of property, and one 

 which should be adopted on every railwaj-. 



