English Express Trains
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This section is from "Scientific American Supplement". Also available from Amazon: Scientific American Reference Book.
English Express Trains
The Journal of the Statistical Society for September contains an elaborate paper by Mr. E. Foxwell on "English Express Trains; their Average Speed, etc. with Notes on Gradients, Long Runs, etc." The author takes great pains to explain his definition of the term "express trains," which he finally classifies thus: (a) The general rule; those which run under ordinary conditions, and attain a journey-speed of 40 and upward. These are about 85 per cent. of the whole. (b) Equally good trains, which, running against exceptional difficulties, only attain, perhaps, a journey speed as low as 36 or 37. These are about 5 per cent. of the whole. (c) Trains which should come under (a), but which, through unusually long stoppages or similar causes, only reach a journey speed of 39. These are about 10 per cent.1 of the whole.
He next explains that by "running average" is meant: The average speed per hour while actually in motion from platform to platform, i.e., the average speed obtained by deducting stoppages. Thus the 9-hour (up) Great Northern "Scotchman" stops 49 minutes on its journey from Edinburgh to King's Cross, and occupies 8 hours 11 minutes in actual motion; its "running average" is therefore 48 miles an hour, or, briefly, "r.a.=48." The statement for this train will thus appear: Distance in miles between Edinburgh and King's Cross, 392½; time, 9 h. 0 m.; journey-speed, 43.6; minutes stopped, 49; running average, 48.
Mr. Foxwell then proceeds to describe in detail the performances of the express trains of the leading English and Scottish railways - in Ireland there are no trains which come under his definition of "express" - giving the times of journey, the journey-speeds, minutes stopped on way, and running averages, with the gradients and other circumstances bearing on these performances. He sums up the results for the United Kingdom, omitting fractions, as follows:
| Extent of System in Miles. | Distinct Expresses. | Average Journey-speed. | Running Average. | Express Mileage. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1773 | North-Western | 54 28 | }82 | 40 | 43 | 10,400 |
| 1260 | Midland | 66 | 41 | 45 | 8,860 | |
| 928 | Great Northern | 48 19 | }67 | 43 | 46 | 6,780 |
| 907 | Great Eastern | 34 | 41 | 43 | 3,040 | |
| 2267 | Great Western | 18 | 42 | 46 | 2,600 | |
| 1519 | North-Eastern | 19 | 40 | 43 | 2,110 | |
| 290 | Manch., Sheffield, and Lincoln | 49 | 43 | 44 | 2,318 | |
| 767 | Caledonian | 16 | 40 | 42 | 1,155 | |
| 435 | Brighton | 13 | 41 | 41 | 1,155 | |
| 382 | South-Eastern | 12 | 41 | 41 | 940 | |
| 329 | Glasgow and South-Western | 8 | 41 | 43 | 920 | |
| 796 | London and South-Western | 3 | 41 | 44 | 890 | |
| 984 | North British | 11 | 39 | 41 | 830 | |
| 153 | Chatham and Dover | 9 | 42 | 43 | 690 | |
| 407 | 41 | 44 | 42,683 | |||
A total of 407 express trains, whose average journey-speed is 41.6, and which run 42,680 miles at an average "running average" of 44.3 miles per hour.
If we arrange the companies according to their speed instead of their mileage, the order is:
| Average r.a. | Miles | |
|---|---|---|
| Great Northern. | 46 | 6,780 |
| Great Western. | 46 | 22,600 |
| Midland. | 45 | 8,860 |
| Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincoln | 44 | 2,318 |
| London and South-Western. | 44 | 890 |
| North-Western. | 43 | 10,400 |
| Glasgow and South-Western. | 43 | 920 |
| Great Eastern. | 43 | 3,040 |
| North-Eastern. | 43 | 2,110 |
| Chatham and Dover. | 43 | 690 |
| Caledonian. | 42 | 1,155 |
| South-Eastern. | 41 | 940 |
| Brighton. | 41 | 1,155 |
| North British. | 31 | 825 |
EXPRESS ROUTES ARRANGED IN ORDER OF DIFFICULTY OF GRADIENTS, ETC.
- North British,
- Caledonian,
- Manch., Sheffield & Lincoln,
- Midland,
- Glasgow and South-Western,
- Chatham and Dover,
- South-Eastern,
- Great Northern,
- South-Western,
- Great Eastern,
- Brighton,
- North-Western,
- North-Eastern,
- Great Western.
LONG RUNS IN ENGLAND.
| Number of Trains. | Average Speed. Miles. | Running Averages. Miles. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Midland. | 104 | 53 | 46 | (5,512) |
| North-Western. | 98 | 60 | 45 | (5,880) |
| Great Northern. | 49 | 73 | 50 | (3,616) |
| Great Western. | 24 | 56 | 48 | (1,344) |
| Great Eastern. | 24 | 56 | 42 | (1,362) |
| Brighton. | 23 | 45 | 42 | (1,047) |
| North-Eastern. | 20 | 56 | 44 | (1,120) |
| South-Western. | 13 | 47 | 44 | (615) |
| South-Eastern. | 12 | 66 | 42 | (795) |
| Chatham and Dover. | 8 | 63 | 45 | (504) |
| Caledonian. | 8 | 59 | 45 | (476) |
| Glasgow and South-Western | 8 | 58 | 44 | (468) |
| Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincoln. | 8 | 48 | 43 | (390) |
| North British. | 7 | 60 | 40 | (423) |
| Total. | 406 | 58 | 45 | (23,550) |
From this it will be seen that the three great companies run 61 per cent. of the whole express mileage, and 62 per cent. of the whole number of long runs.
[1]
10 per cent. of the number, but not of the mileage, of the whole; for most of this class run short journeys.
[2]
Not reckoning mileage west of Exeter.
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