"THE IRON ROAD"

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 52, 29 August 1925, Page 16

"THE IRON ROAD"

SOME EARLY SIDELIGHTS.

Jumping forward some dozen years from 1825, one can get' a very good idea of what railway travel was like in-the earliest days of a regular system from "The Iron Boad Book and Railway Companion," compiled by Francis Coghlari and published in 1838, says a correspondent of the "Manchester Guardian." It gives the main items of interest on the routes from London to Birmingham, Manchester, and Liverpool; but its chief significance to-day lies in the general observations on travel by the new method. Of its "advantages" we read :—"The dangers of. travelling upon ordinary* roads are considerably greater than' by failways. This wili be obvious when we reflect th-.it upon the inside of the wheels of railway carriages there is a flange, or guide, which effectually prevents them, by any means, getting off the rail. On a common road, on the contrary, the carriage has no hold whatever of the ground beyond that which gravity gives it, and is linblo to be deranged from many causes."

However, though in Mr. Coghlan's optimistic view there is no earthly possibility of a railway coach ever coming off the rails, lie is enndid enough to admit that there are other drawbacks. In discussing the point whether there is any necessity for isquabbles about the particular place which a passenger shall occupy in a railway carriage he thinks there is no cause for anxiety "in tho mails and first-class carnages." But "in the second-class carriages, or, rather, wagons, there is certainly a prcferenco to be observed. In the first place, get as 'far from the engine, as possible—for throe reasons: First, should on explosion take place you may happily get off with the loss of an arm or a leg, whereas if you should happen to be placed near tho said piece of hot machinery, and a,n unfortunate- "■■accident really , occur, you would very probably be smashed to smithereens."

His second reason for petting as fay a way a-s possible from "the said piece of hot machinery" is because thereby "tho vibration is very much diminished." His third is that the traveller "will save himself from being nearly blinded by the small cinders which escape through the funnel." On this risk of the iron road he observes thoughtfully:—"A screen of fine gauze wire, fastened at the top 1 of the funnel, would' prevent this, and in no way interfere with the smoke."