THE INTERCHANGEABLE SYSTEM. 407 



well developed under careful management and a good 

 organisation, had much to recommend it. 



" By uniformity of pattern, machines are worked 

 with economy and with satisfactory results. The 

 Qfreat advantage in such a business and establishment, 

 when the wear and tear of the traffic is continuous and 

 excessive, is the immense facility of repairs. 



" A broken spring is replaced at once by a similar 

 one taken from the stock without delay, the same with 

 axles. Worn wheels can be replaced in an hour by 

 others of uniform size, kept in readiness, 



" At the Paris General Carriage Company the same 

 plan of uniformity is observed, but cannot be carried 

 out to a similar extent as there is a variety in the 

 patterns of the carriages ; these consist of a single 

 brougham, victoria, four-wheel hansom, double vic- 

 toria, four-wheel cab (London pattern), small landau, 

 and a small omnibus. 



" The first three are so made that the wheels, axles, 

 springs, fore-carriages, driving seats, and dashers, are 

 interchangeable. This plan not only facilitates repairs 

 and shortens the time the carriage is kept from work, 

 but is also an advantage to the public as well as to the 

 company. It is a system which London coach-builders 

 would do well to adopt. 



" Another establishment worthy of a visit is the 

 carriage-spring and axle factory of ^L Lemoine, at 

 Ivry, near Paris. With ample steam-power and well- 

 designed machinery, he employs about 350 men. In 

 its present complete state it is only four years old ; all 

 the processes to which machinery can be applied are 

 here carried out with an excellent organisation ; the 

 work, between the various processes, being examined 



