CHAMBERS'S INFORMATION FOR THE PEOPLE. 



carriages constructed at their own works. Many 

 efforts have been made to devise some simple 

 and efficient contrivance by which passengers 

 might, in cases of emergency, summon the guard, 

 but no plan has as yet been adopted to any extent. 

 The ' continuous brake ' is an improvement and 

 novelty which has already been successfully tried, 

 and is likely to be soon generally applied. By its 

 use trains can be stopped in a much shorter time 

 and distance than under the present system, and 

 thus the risk of accident is reduced ; brakes are 

 fitted to each carriage, and all are simultaneously 

 applied to the wheels. 



Wagons and Luggage Vans. To accommodate 

 its traffic, every railway must be provided with a 

 large stock of trucks or wagons for carrying 

 goods, minerals, cattle, timber, and other articles. 

 Wagons are now very generally fitted with elastic 

 buffers. 



Traffic. The traffic on railways is of two dis- 

 tinct kinds passengers and goods ; with the 

 goods we include minerals, also timber and other 

 bulky articles. The passenger and goods traffic 

 are placed under separate managements. Usually, 

 there are passenger-trains and goods-trains, but 

 mixed trains are very common on branch lines. 

 In most parts of the United Kingdom, railway 

 passengers are of three classes first, second, and 

 third. Though, from the fares charged, first-class 

 carriages possess an air of exclusiveness, they are 

 universally recognised as an advantage, for the 

 reason that by the comparatively high fares ex- 

 acted for them, the companies are enabled to 

 lower the charges for second and third class 

 passengers. 



On April i, 1872, three English companies 

 began to run third-class carriages with every train, 

 the Midland Railway Company taking the lead ; 

 and their example has been followed by most of 

 the principal companies. The gross receipts from 

 third-class passengers in 1871 were equal to about 

 eight-ninths of the gross receipts from first and 

 second class passengers together. Within the 

 last few years there has been an astonishing 

 increase in third-class traffic. The excess of third- 

 class passenger journeys in 1871 compared with 

 1870, reached the enormous figure of 34,544,421, 

 or an increase of nearly 15^ per cent, on the 

 traffic of 1870. The subsequent rapid increase in 

 third-class traffic will be noticed further on, in 

 connection with the returns of 1876. 



On some lines, first-class compartments are set 

 aside for ladies if they please to use them. Smok- 

 ing is limited to certain compartments. 



Tickets are sold at a wicket not earlier than a 

 quarter of an hour before the starting of the train. 

 The tickets, marked in consecutive numbers, are 

 stamped with the date on delivery, and excepting 

 ' return tickets/ will not answer for any other day. 

 Return and season tickets are issued at lower 

 rates. 



The number of trains run daily depends on the 

 pleasure of the directors. There are ordinary, 

 mail, and express trains ; of this last kind, two 

 usually go each way daily, the fares generally 

 higher than by the others. Some of these trains 

 are run at very high speed, and with wonderful 

 punctuality. On June I, 1872, London was brought 

 for the first time within 9^ hours of the Scotch 

 metropolis by a train, started on the East Coast 

 route, which, deducting stoppages, runs at an 



416 



average speed of nearly 47 miles per hour. Ordi- 

 nary fares are about zd. per mile first class, i\d. 

 second class, and id. to i^d. third class ; but on 

 some lines the fares are considerably lower, and 

 higher on a few others. According to one of the 

 provisions of a general act, all companies must 

 run one train daily each way, stopping at all 

 stations, and at a rate of speed not less than 12 

 miles per hour, at a fare of a penny a mile. 

 Workmen's trains are run on some lines at 

 extremely low fares, at early morning hours. 



All trains are accompanied by a ' guard/ who 

 is responsible for their management while running. 

 Considering the vast number of servants on some 

 lines the number on one line and its affiliated 

 branches being 20,000, and the total on all lines 

 probably 200,000 the general good conduct shewn 

 is highly creditable. 



According to English practice, passengers are 

 allowed to find their way promiscuously to the 

 proper carriages, the only check being a call by 

 the guard to ' shew tickets ' previous to starting. 

 All passengers are expected to see their luggage 

 labelled for the place of destination, and to point 

 out what belongs to them on arrival. This is a 

 loose practice, often remonstrated against, but 

 it suits the temperament and self-relying habits of 

 the people better than the restraints and for- 

 malities of the continental system. In some rail- 

 way systems the carriages are so constructed that 

 the guard can perambulate the train while in 

 motion. In British railways, this is not the case. 

 This privacy and seclusion, however, are thought 

 to be attended with a disadvantage namely, that 

 passengers are unable to call for assistance of the 

 guard in cases of threatened outrage by one of 

 their number. To all the numerous devices 

 suggested for summoning the guard, and, if need 

 be, stopping the train, there is, unfortunately, the 

 grave objection, that if passengers were enabled 

 to call the guard at pleasure, they would frequently 

 do so for no sufficient reason. 



To enable companies to reckon easily with each 

 other as regards intercommunication of traffic in 

 passengers, goods, use of carriages, &c. an insti- 

 tution called the Clearing House has been estab- 

 lished in London, to which tickets are trans- 

 mitted for cross-reckoning and settlement. There 

 is a similar establishment in Dublin. 



The cost of working railways, including general 

 expenditure, in the United Kingdom exceeds one- 

 half of the returns from traffic, and this compares 

 favourably with other countries. The remainder 

 forms the divisible profit to pay ist, the interest 

 on debentures, stock, and loans ; and 2d, the divi- 

 dend to shareholders. 



Lowness of fares can only be secured by a large 

 and well-sustained traffic ; and the main reason 

 why fares are much higher than they seemingly 

 might be, is the frequent insufficiency of the 

 number of passengers compared with the accom- 

 modation provided for them. A striking exempli- 

 fication of the possibility of conveying large 

 numbers at very low fares is afforded in the case 

 of ' excursion trains/ in which sometimes 1000 

 individuals are taken 50 or more miles and brought 

 back the same day for two shillings or half-a- 

 crown each. 



Captain Tyler's Report, presented to the Board 

 of Trade annually gives very copious officic 1 



