146 Recent Advances in Mechanical Science. 



tons, between Rugby and Euston, was nearly 45 miles an hour, 

 and a maximum speed of over 55 miles an hour was obtained, 

 and this with a consumption of only 1,500 lbs. of coal per hour; 

 a result not before achieved, I believe, anywhere. This engine 

 with its tender weighs no less than 77 tons. I may refer also 

 to the changes and improvements in rolling stock, the palace 

 and drawing room cars, and all the other ingenious and con- 

 venient appliances which have been added to the railway system 

 in our recollection ; nor should I omit to mention the develop- 

 ment of the great and wonderful system of signalling which 

 makes the running of such trains safe — this in itself is a study • 

 or the brake system, with all its failures and successes, which 

 has been so much developed, and which enables a train to be 

 brought to a standstill in so short a distance as to avoid many 

 otherwise inevitable accidents. 



I cannot pass on without a few remarks on cable tramways, 

 which have been brought to such perfection in America. There 

 is a great future before this system of passenger transport, and 

 much ingenuity has been expended and many lessons learnt in 

 the development of these at San Francisco, Chicago, and else- 

 where ; while the returns on capital invested in these cable 

 tramways are most encouraging ; so that we may expect to see 

 before long in place of our tram cars, drawn at 4 or 5 miles an 

 hour by miserable horses overstrained every time they start the 

 heavily-laden, cumbrous machines, a vehicle drawn without 

 horses, which can average 10 miles an hour, and can be stopped 

 and started with ease. At the present moment there are no 

 less than 75 such cable roads in existence, working 700 miles of 

 track, with 3,500 trains of cars worked at a speed of from 6 to 

 14 miles an hour, and driven by engines of 50,000 H.P. I can- 

 not do better than quote from the report of the committee on 

 the progress of cable motive power just issued : — 



" Financially, the cable road shows a low operating cost, less 

 depreciation, and a higher earning capacity than horse traffic. 



" Practically, it ranks foremost in trustworthiness and inde- 

 pendence of climatic conditions, moving its load through heat, 

 gold, snow, frost, or flood with regularity and certainty. 



