The railways of the world

Front matter

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*

THE UNIVERSITY

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X

THE RAILWAYS

OF

THE WORLD

BY

ERNEST PROTHEROE

AUTHOR OF THE ILLUSTRATED NATURAL HISTORY OF THE WORLD' "every boy's BOOK OF RAILWAYS AND STEAMSHIPS" "in empire's CAUSE," ETC. ETC.

WITH 16 COLOURED PLATES AND 419 ILLUSTRATIONS FROM PHOTOGRAPHS IN THE TEXT

LONDON GEORGE ROUTLEDGE & SONS, LTD.

NEW YORK: E. P. BUTTON & CO.

TORONTO: THE MUSSON BOOK CO. LIMITED coy. 2.

Preface

The history of railways is one long record of courage, determination, and energy untiringly expended in vanquishing difficulties. The locomotive engine in appearance and purpose is more obvious than,

rfor example, a steamship's propelling machinery. It is at once the visible embodiment of strength and speed ; it strikingly represents a great force that has rendered enormous service in the civilisation of the world, vitalising human affairs, and bringing untold benefits and joys to mankind.

Even those who have no knowledge of the technicalities of locomotive design are interested in the railway engine ; it seizes upon j-~ the fanciful mind of a child, and its appeal grows rather than — lessens with the passing years, because the adult mind better grasps *=\ the far-reaching utility of a contrivance that has contributed more 'S' to happiness than any other invention. Nor has the advent of ^ electric traction robbed the steam locomotive of any of its fascination. An electric train, with its comparative silence and smoothness, somehow appeals less to the imagination than one headed by a

■ throbbing, panting monster, which seems alive in hauling its load J against time.

* It is sometimes urged against a book of this character, that

t,o necessarily it must get speedily out of date, but the same objection

b- holds good in practically every department of human activity.

Railway progress never ceases ; the old ever gives place to the

• new. Even while this work has been in preparation important

J projects have been completed and others commenced. There have been notable changes in the personnel of various large railway ^ systems : honours have come to some officials, while others have •■ been signalled to their rest — but the railways, being an integral T part of the national life, go on without a pause. cy Of the statistics quoted, generally none are older than the end

■ of the decade 1910 ; but in any case the figures are chiefly for i

316876 vi PREFACE

comparative purposes, and have been selected to illuminate particular points. Readers in search of the latest statistics always can consult the various annuals, of which The Railway Year Book is an excellent example.

Naturally the author has gleaned information from a variety of authentic sources ; in the case of British railways the facts and figures, as set forth, have been revised by the various railway authorities concerned ; and thanks are tendered to many officials, too numerous to mention, who have given useful aid with the subject-matter and illustrations. The coloured plates are by Mr. F. Moore, whose name is a sufficient guarantee of their accurac3^ The illustrations in the text, as far as possible, cover every phase of normal railway working. They have been supphed largely by the railway companies themselves ; those on pages 9, 13, 24, and 32 are taken from the Catalogue of the Mechanical Engineering Collection at South Kensington by permission of the Controller of His Majesty's Stationery Office ; and most of the remaining photographs have been supplied by the Locomotive Publishing Company, and in this direction thanks are due particularly to Mr. A. R. Bell ; while Mr. Walter J. Bell has rendered immense assistance in bringing expert knowledge to bear upon the proof sheets. Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, but it is too much to expect that no error has crept in among so many pages packed with details.

It is hoped that the volume will stimulate not only the interest of boys in a subject that adds as much to general as specific knowledge, but that adults will find , in its pages much useful information for consideration and reflection.

Section I. — British Railways Preface CHAPTER

I. Introduction ....

II. The Evolution of the Iron Horse

III. Locomotives Past and Present

IV. The Locomotive of To-day .

V. The Cradles of the Rolling Stock

VI. The Construction of the Line

VII. Running the Trains

VIII. Passenger Traffic

IX. Goods Traffic ....

X. Railway Men ....

XL London & North Western Railway

XII. Great Western Railway

XIII. Midland Railway ....

XIV. North Eastern Railway XV. Great Northern Railway

XVI. Great Eastern Railway

XVII. Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway

XVIII. Great Central Railway

XIX. London & South Western Railway

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79 112

335 354 373 387 400

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CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

XX. London, Brighton & South Coast Railway . 416

XXI. South Eastern & Chatham Railway . . 434

XXII. Miscellaneous English & Welsh Railways . 448

XXIII. Scottish Railways . . . . . 471

XXIV. Irish Railways . . . . . . 495

XXV. Railway Ships and Docks . . . . 514

Section II. — Foreign and Colonial Railways

XXVI. Railways of Europe ..... 529

XXVII. Railways of Asia ...... 591

XXVIII. Railways of Africa ..... 628

XXIX. Railways of North America. . ^ . 653

XXX. Railways of South America . . . 705

XXXI. Railways of Australia & New Zealand . 717

XXXII. Electric Railways — Conclusion . . . 728

• 735

COLOURED PLATES