Novel Railroad.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2763, 18 April 1900, Page 4

Novel Railroad.

One of the moat novel railroads ever planned is at present being constructed between Barmen and Eiberfeld, in Germany. It is what is known as a suspension railroad, and the inventor of the system according to which it is being built is Herr Eugene Langen. Suspension railroads are not altogether a new thing, but there has never been one which has been brought to such |perfectioh as this one in Germany. One notable feature is that electricity“is to be used as the motive power, and another is that even the sharpest curves can be passed with facility and absolute safety. Several tests which have recently been made show that the carriages are not shaken in the least when passing a curve. Indeed, so easily do they run that passengers are not jolted at all. The final test was made with some large open vessels, which were filled with water and left on the floor of the carriage. After the sharpest curve in the road had been passed it was found that hardly a drop had been spilled. The carriages are suspended freely, and the rails rest on light, yet strong, supports. The wheels run on a single rail. It is estimated that the average speed will be forty kilometres an hour, and it is claimed that this can, if necessary, be easily increased. The cost of the road will be about 500,000 marks for each kilometre.

Barmen and Elberfeld are populous towns, the number of inhabitants being about 300,000. For a long time there has been a steady traffic between them, and this is the main reason why the present railroad is being built.