The Possibilities of Destruction in the Great Speed of a Locomotive--The Energy of Four Hundred Tons Moving at Seventy-five Miles an Hour--A Look ahead from a Locomotive at Night--Passengers Killed and Injured in One Year--Good Discipline the Great Source of Safety--The Part Played by Mechanical Appliances--Hand-brakes on Old Cars--How the Air-brake Works--The Electric Brake--Improvements yet to be Made--Engine Driver Brakes--Two Classes of Signals: those which Protect Points of Danger, and those which Keep an Interval between Trains on the Same Track--The Semaphore--Interlocking Signals and Switches--Electric Annunciators to Indicate the Movements--The Block Signal System--Protection for Crossings--Gates and Gongs--How Derailment is Guarded Against--Safety Bolts--Automatic Couplers--The Vestibule as a Safety Appliance--Car Heating and Lighting.
BY GEN. HORACE PORTER, _Vice-President Pullman Palace-Car Company_.
The Earliest Railway Passenger Advertisement--The First Time-table Published in America--The Mohawk & Hudson Train--Survival of Stage-coach Terms in English Railway Nomenclature--Simon Cameron's Rash Prediction--Discomforts of Early Cars--Introduction of Air-brakes, Patent Buffers and Couplers, the Bell-cord, and Interlocking Switches--The First Sleeping-cars--Mr. Pullman's Experiments--The "Pioneer"--Introduction of Parlor and Drawing-room Cars--The Demand for Dining-cars--Ingenious Devices for Heating Cars--Origin of Vestibule-cars--An Important Safety Appliance--The Luxuries of a Limited Express--Fast Time in America and England--Sleeping-cars for Immigrants--The Village of Pullman--The Largest Car-works in the World--Baggage-checks and Coupon Tickets--Conveniences in a Modern Depot--Statistics in Regard to Accidents--Proportion of Passengers in Various Classes--Comparison of Rates in the Leading Countries of the World.
BY THEODORE VOORHEES, _Assistant-General Superintendent, New York Central Railroad_.
Sixteen Months' Journey of a Car--Detentions by the Way--Difficulties of the Car Accountant's Office--Necessities of Through Freight--How a Company's Cars are Scattered--The Question of Mileage--Reduction of the Balance in Favor of Other Roads--Relation of the Car Accountant's Work to the Transportation Department--Computation of Mileage--The Record Branch--How Reports are Gathered and Compiled--Exchange of "Junction Cards"--The Use of "Tracers"--Distribution of Empty Cars--Control of the Movement of Freight--How Trains are Made Up--Duties of the Yardmaster--The Handling of Through Trains--Organization of Fast Lines--Transfer Freight Houses--Special Cars for Specific Service--Disasters to Freight Trains--How the Companies Suffer--Inequalities in Payment for Car Service--The Per Diem Plan--A Uniform Charge for Car Rental--What Reforms might be Accomplished.