NEW TYPE OF TRAIN

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21245, 17 August 1934, Page 10

NEW TYPE OF TRAIN

BRITISH EXPERIMENT ] STREAM-LINED AND MOTOR, j DRIVEN j CARDIFF, July 12. A new era in railway travel was begun on the Great Western Railway to-day, when the first stream-lined express car travelled from London to Birmingham and thence to Cardiff. The cor, which is driven by oil engines, lc.lt Paddington at 9.10 a.m., and after a slay of five minutes at Birmingham, which was reached at 11.8, proceeded by way of Gloucester and Newport to Cardiff, where it arrived at 1.38 p.m., two minutes before the scheduled time. An average speed of 54.8 miles an hour was maintained throughout the journey, but at one point the speed touched 73.2 miles an hour. Even at this speed there was remarkably little vibration or noise and conversation was carried on with ease. On board the train were a number of provincial mayors, press representatives, high officers of the railway company, and representatives of the Associated Equipment Company, Ltd., of Southall, the designers and builders of the car, all of whom spoke in high pra'J-e of its performance. The Great Western Railway Company has been experimenting - since February with litis typo of car between Slough and Didcot, and so successful has it proved that it was decided to extend the experiment bybuilding cars of greater speed for express services on long distance routes where the traffic docs not justify the running of a through train. It was for this season that the important eentves of Birmingham, Gloucester. Newport, and Cardiff were chosen as the first places to be linked by ex- I press stream-lined rail cars, and the | forviee will begin nc:-'t Monday wi.',:i I i.wo jourii"ys a day hi each direction. I Improved Construction | The exterior appearance oi the car. j which is of one class only, is similar to that of the first experimental vehicle, but the interior shows a notable advance in construction. High back-to-back seats in pairs on either side of a central gangway afford seating accommodation for 40 passengers, and the upholstering is carried out in a pleasing shade of green material. A compact cafeteria and bar with chromium fittings will enable passengers to get light refreshments during the }ourney. The luggage racks are also of chromium-plated steel, and constant hot water in the lavatories and special ventilators are other details designed to promote increased comfort in travel. The cars are driven by twin engines each of 130 horse-power, bur-

ning on heavy oil, and capable of driving it at a maximum speed of 70 to 80 miles an hour. The controls are similar lo those on an omnibus, .except that no steering wheel is required. The lever for preselecting the gear is right in front of the diiver, with a clutch pedal on his left and the accelerator pedal on his right, where also are situated the handbrake lever and the reverse lever. Beneath the driver's seat is the automatic main control apparatus. Two tanks, each of 45 gallons capacity, carry approximately sufficient fuel for a run of 450 to 500 mile 3 without refilling. Passengers will bo charged a supplementary fee of 2s 6d over the third-class fare each way. Fcoiipmy on Running Mr K. W. C. Grand, commercial assistant to the superintendent of the line, who presided at a luncheon at the Cardiff General Railway Station at the end of the run, said that the present train services between two such important centres as Birmingham and Cardiff were neither satisfactory nor adequate; on. the other hand, the traffic between the two cities was not heavy, arid in the present economic circumstances an addition to the steam services could not be justified. For that reason the new rail car had been evolved, and this wouid be economical in many ways. Only one man would be necessary en the footplate instead of two. All the engines were underneath the chassis, and also the driving gear, so that tho fullest use could be made of space for travelling purposes. People might ask why they were running this car from Cardiff, which was the centre of the Welsh coalfield, but it should be remembered that if the service proved successful it would mean an additional steam mileage, and would therefore lead to an increase in the consumption of coal. The Great. Western lCulway realised full well how very dependent they were on lhat commodity. The Lord Mayers of. Birmingham and Cardiff paid tribute to the enterprise of the Great Western Railway Company in starting this service between the two cities a year after inaugurating their air-rail services; f.nd Mr Norman A. Hardie, general manager of the sales department of the I Associated Equipment Company, en behalf of the manufacturers of the cav. referred to its construction as an in- ' foresting example of co-operation be- \ fv.-ecn a railway eompany and motcrj chassis manufacturers. I