57 
of points and signals do not appear to be adapted to meet 
safely the requirements of the traffic of to-day, as is too 
clearly demonstrated by the many recent accidents. An 
arrangement of points might be adopted, that would con- 
siderably reduce the number of accidents now occurring, and 
that by placing the points on the main lines, so that in all 
cases without any exception (saving at terminals having no 
through traffic and main junctions) they shall open in a 
direction opposite to that in which the trains run. 
It must be apparent that under such an arrangement, 
accidents could not take place by a train being inadvertently 
turned into a siding, such as occurred at Tamworth, on the 
London and North Western Railway, not many weeks since; 
and all accidents of this class might, under such an arrange- 
ment of points just named when generally applied, be con- 
sidered as impossible of occurrence. No doubt in many 
cases such an arrangement of the points is adopted, perhaps 
for the sake of convenience only, but the full benefit can 
only be derived by its universal practice. 
More than 25 years since, the writer represented to 
several railway officials the security arising from the carry- 
ing out of such a system of points into general practice; but 
it was then considered as carrying precautionary ideas too 
far, and convenience had the rule, and appears to have had 
up to the present day. Of course the increase of traffic has 
materially increased the contingencies leading to accidents, 
and the question may be fairly raised — whether railway 
companies should be allowed to take any amount of traffic 
they may choose to do, without being compelled, by parlia- 
mentary enactment if necessary, to provide in every possible 
way against accident to the lives of the passengers commit- 
ted to their charge. The usual objections of expense and 
inconvenience will no doubt be made against carrying out 
universally the arrangement of points now named; but what- 
ever these objections might amount to, the writer is of 
