Railroading.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7847, 8 July 1911, Page 19

Railroading.

By " The Spike.” j

A Column of Notes and News. I

Many thousands travel on our railways every 'tiny, ana a large proportion of New outside the circle ol experts and practical railwayman take a keen interest in Lae appauiocs wh.ca, in tuia nigh..we ve loped state of civilisation do £0 much to promote the comfort of the people and tho r fit of the merchant. This column will endeavour to describe, in popular, non-tech.nl-cal language, the cleveiopmama m railway matters, not only on the mechanical side—a fascinating branch—hut :hc many other phase* of the complex business of railway transport. If readers nave questions to ask. tit© answer to which will bo of gen- ’ e othey are vto scud them to “Tho Spike," oar© of “New Zealand Times."

Track Premiums. The Pennsylvania railroad distributes annually over iiIOOD in premiums to those whoso divisions have been kept in the most perfect condition during tho year. A committee of maintenance l of way officers goes over the line every few weeks during tho year in a car attached to one of the regular high speed trains. Two glasses full of water are placed on tho sills of two rear window's of the car, and every spill is counted against the man on whoso section the spill occurs. An instrument is also used which has been designed to register every vibration of the car, cither vertically or horizontally. Tho smaller tho amount of vibration, the bettor tho track.

One for the Inspector. The ticket-inspectors at a certain Scottish railway station, considering themselves very sharp, were cordially disliked by the travelling public. In revenge for some previous incivility, a traveller on the familiar cdll of “Tickets, please I" beamingly asked one of them if ho would "take"a uip." After scanning the platform to see if tho coast were clear, tho victim cordially assented, whereupon tho traveller, handing him tho 1 familiar picco of pasteboard, remarked : “Take it oot o* that, then 1"

Railway Managers’ Salaries. Mr Fitzpatrick, who has been appointed to tho position of Chief Commissioner of the Victorian Railways, will receive '• a salary of ,£2750 per annum.- During o the seven years Mr Tait held the office 0 he was paid an annual salary of .£3500. , The difference has evidently been do- ., cided upon by the Government on account of certain pension rights which Mr Fitzpatrick is entitled to, and which s were not applicable to Mr Tait, who has f just retired. - Tho general manager of j New Zealand railways gets .£1250 per annum, which hardly seems adequate by comparison with the Victorian posi- £ tion. The higher paid officer controls a “ business handling four and a half million tons of merchandise, etc., and carrying 85 million passengers annually, while e New Zealand’s average yearly business works out at about tho same in goods * traffic, but scarcely a seventh of the Vic--1 torian. passenger total. r Locomotive Names, 0 “English Railwayman,” referring to tho paragraph regarding locomotive , names writes: "On the Great Central there is an engine, one of the compound Atlantios, r bearing the inscription Viscount Cross, G.C.8., G.C.S.I. Needless to say, if tho 3 "-me is used at all.: the attached let■'r ters are omitted, and tho engine becomes simply Viscount Cross.:“ An ; American . railway has introduced a new method. t In order to indicate appreciation of pertain old drivers several engines have . been named after them,thus forming 5 what may be described as a locomotive - “order of merit.” : 3 VW A Model Railway Village. The Glasgow and South-Western Com- ' pany_ has set an excellent example in' . providing for its workmen a model vil- , [ago which has few, if any, equals in L the United Kingdom. Some interesting ” particulars respecting this industrial set- . tlement of Corkerhill, near Glasgow, are - given in the “Railway Magazine" for ■ April. The village is tenated bv 700 1 peqplo,_ who jiosscss an organisation I which is quite unique in character. Over ; .£70,000 has been spent by tho company in buying tho land and erecting dwellings thereon. Each tenant has a plot ■ of ground for tho cultivation of flowers ■ and- vegetables, and his skill in ,gardeni ing is stimulated by an annual, show, i Tho affairs of the village are directed . Iy a committee of 31 elected by the general body of residents. Tills committee holds regular meetings, and in some respects corresponds to an ordinary Town Council. Tho "town clerk” gives his services free; tho local fire brig-de is maintained by the railway company, and, therefore, does not impose any charge upon the inhabitants, and there is only an occasional formal visit by a policeman! A man can rent a comfortable house, with three rooms and a kitchen—all large apartments—for ,£33 a year, plus rates, which do not exceed 17s. For the nominal sum of 5s per year each tenant receives a-, season ticket, which takes him, his wife, son, (daughter, or any member of his household, to Glasgow and hack as often os any one of them may wish to travel. The centre of tho social life of Corkerhill is tho Institute—a fine building, constructed and partially maintained by tho company, containing church, assembly hall, reading room, library, baths, and recreation room. There is also an ambulance' association, whose members havo gained honours in many competitions. Thrift is encouraged in tho case of the young by n savings bank, and among their elders by a rent club and a doctor’s club. *** Travel In Japan. The comraonsense system of reserving the railway platform for people directly concerned -with the arriving or departing -train is generally adopted in Japan. No person is allowed on the platform-at any station without a ticket, and for these a small charge of one halfpenny is made, productive doubtless in the aggregate oi no mean addition to the revenue. It is a custom of the country to give a good eend-otf at the station to tiny friend or official who may be leaving the town. As this begins in tho house to conclude at the station, great is the ‘'honourable hindrance" (as they themselves politely and naively remark with smiles and bows) to the unfortunate wight in the last throes of packing for a long journey. One of the eights of a Japanese railway station is 50 or 100 people standing massed round the carriage, bowing almost down to their knees as one man in farewell salute to some friend, just as the whistle gives the signal to start. Another custom which obtains is to bring fruit, tinned preparations, or eggs as a parting present and as sustenance for the journey. Bowing enters into evervthing in Japan. You may frequently see the stationmaster, or perhaps a porter deff his hat (not merely raise it) and bow low to some friends, or to the bestower of a tip. On long distance journeys restaurant-cars axe attached, and in these it is possible to obtaiu a very fair "foreign'’ (i.e.. Western) meal served a la carte for about 2s. For those who prefer Japanese food, small luncheon "boxes (bento) are -sold at the larger stations, and drinks of all sorts, even including hot milk (duly vouched for by a fatherly Government).