THE ROYAL ARTILLERY INSTITUTION. 
25 
a short time, the ammunition and provisions; so that advancing to a 
battle the number of trains may be reduced to 64. The time is made up of 
that which one train requires to run the whole distance, added to the intervals 
necessary between each train and its successor. 
A military train laden as above, consists of from 60 to 80 carriages, and 
therefore can travel only at the rate of a heavy goods train, besides having 
to make pauses at the different stations; the greatest speed, therefore, which 
may be safely reckoned upon is between 80 and 36 German miles (140 to 
170 miles English) in the 24 hours. The time between the trains depends 
of course upon the line being single or double, unless there are enough 
trains at the starting point for the whole transport, so that none need be 
returned. This, however, can only occur when the transport is very small, 
so may be quite left out of the question. On double lines, the return of 
the empty trains need cause no delay. With only a single line, the trains 
must pass each other at the stations. As the trains are of great length, this 
cannot be done at all stations; one train must wait for the other, and even 
with the best order there must be much longer intervals between the trains. 
At stations which have been determined upon before, the men Must be 
fed and horses watered. Even with the best preparations this cannot take 
less than an hour, not including the getting in and out. 
All these causes make, even on a double line, an interval of two hours 
necessary from train to train, which on a single line must be increased to three 
hours. Only when the distance to be traversed by the railroad is so short 
that it can be done without refreshment for the troops—that is to say, in 
12 hours—can the trains follow each other every half-hour. If one really 
wishes to go safely and avoid all stoppages, an entire pause of four hours 
during the day should be made, for the removal of any obstacles or the 
repair of any breakage, which only allows daily for the advance of troops— 
Trains. 
Upon single lines... 6-7 
Upon double lines . 10 
If the line of rail is in parts single and in parts double, it is safest to 
regard the whole as a single line. 
According to the above rules, 36,000 men in fighting order require for 
a journey of from 30 to 36 miles—first, for the time when they are actually 
moving, 1 day; then, according to the rate at which trains can run on a 
double line, 8^ days, on a single line about 13 days; so that in the 
first case 9 t 3 q, in the second 14 days, are required before the troops are 
all at their destination. At any rate, on the second day a certain number 
arrives, which is repeated every other day, and is ready for use; but if 
these are not enough, and the wdiole force is wanted, there must be an 
additional time of, on a double line 7, on a single line 11 days. If, on 
the other hand, the troops are marched, whenever they arrive they are all 
ready to fight. They can in 7 days march 18 miles (84 miles English), in 
11 days 27 miles (126 miles English), without making forced marches. 
From this it follows that when the distance is 18 miles or less, a body of 
36,000 men will reach their destination sooner by marching than if sent by 
a double line of railroad, and up to a distance of 27 miles, marching will be 
preferable in point of time to a single line of rails. 
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