56 
“Some observations upon Railway Accidents, and sug- 
gestions for preventing their frequent occurrence,” by W. 
B. Johnson, C.E. 
The early history of our Railways does, I believe, show 
that the accidents in the first few years were mainly due to 
the breakage and derangement of some portions of the 
rolling machinery, and this to a much greater proportion 
than prevails at the present time. We rarely hear now of 
any fatal accidents arising from the breakage of the loco- 
motive engine, yet 25 years ago they were far from being 
uncommon, especially if we include accidents arising from 
boiler explosions, and engines running off the lines. 
This observation is made, because it is necessary in look- 
ing at a question such as is now under consideration, to 
ascertain if possible how this change has been brought about. 
In the first place it must be remarked that the traffic upon 
our railways, both goods and passenger, has increased to an 
almost incredible extent within the period just named; but 
the writer is inclined to believe that the change has not 
arisen from this altered condition (as regards traffic), but is 
to be accounted for in some degree by the very marked im- 
provements that have been made in the locomotive engine 
itself: for instance, the accurate balancing of the working 
and fixed parts of the engine, that obtains at the present 
day, has done much to reduce the number of accidents 
ai’ising from broken axles and running off the line. The 
enquiry may very reasonably be made as to whether cor- 
responding improvements have been made in the other de- 
partments of railway construction and management. The 
answer is somewhat doubtful, for while the locomotive 
engine has steadily improved under the united and untiring 
labours of many able scientific engineers, the system of 
railway points or switches and signals remains the same in 
principle, if not in practice, to that in use on some of our 
earliest railways. The present arrangement and construction 
