Interior Of Sleeping Compartment on the “Simplon Orient” Express.

Interior of sleeping compartment on the “Simplon Orient” Express.

London'S Passenger Stations

Signalling Improvements.

The remodelling of city passenger stations, and the electrification of the tracks in and out, affords an opportunity for introducing signalling betterments of the greatest value. The Southern electrification works were accompanied by elaborate resignalling schemes, involving new signal boxes at Waterloo (309 levers), London Bridge (311 levers), Charing Cross (107 levers), and Cannon Street (143 levers). On the L. & N.E. system, two interesting resignalling schemes just completed are those between Shenfield and Chelmsford, on the former Great Eastern section; and between Shenfield and Southend—the nearest seaside resort to the capital. In both cases modern colour-light signals have been installed, with three and four-aspect signals of the searchlight type, controlled by d.c. track circuits. The same company has also recently completed new power signalling at the east end of Waverley Station, Edinburgh. The former mechanical signal-box at this point comprised 260 levers. This, and a second signal-cabin some 1,056 yards distant, have been replaced by a new box with 207 miniature levers.

“Somersault” signals outside King's Cross Station, London.

Multi-unit type, colour-light signals have been installed, with track-circuiting throughout. On the L.M. & S. line, we have an important new signalling scheme in hand at Wigan, in Lancashire. Two big stations are involved, one on the main-line between London and Scotland, consisting of five through platform roads and five terminal bays, handling over page 23

North-going “Coronation Scot” passing over water troughs at Bushey, near London.

400 trains daily; and the other, situated on the Manchester-Southport tracks, handling about 300 trains daily. Three new signal boxes are replacing the twelve existing cabins.

Model Railway Exhibit.

One of the outstanding attractions of the Railway Pavilion at the Empire Exhibition at Glasgow last year was a model railway over which operated miniatures of our more famous expresses. A few weeks ago the happy thought occurred to bring this alluring show to London, and so for the Christmas and New Year holidays this fine railway exhibit was open to public inspection free of charge at Charing Cross Underground Station. The main exhibit consisted of scale models of the “Cornish Riviera,” “Coronation Scot,” “Coronation,” “Southern Belle” and other renowned trains, threading their way through a picturesque panorama representing attractive types of coastal and inland scenery. The trains were operated from a single control panel, and the display, among other features, showed automatic colour-light signalling. Also included in the exhibition were some of the newest pictorial railway posters and enlarged photographs of railway activities. Rumour has it that this outstanding exhibit is to go for display at the New York World's Fair, where the L.M. & S. Railway will feature a complete “Coronation Scot” train for the edification of our American friends.

A typical L. and N.E.R. sleeping car.

Camping Coaches Popular.

Preparations for the summer holiday season are being steadily made by the Home railways. A feature of the holiday programme will be the placing at public disposal of a greatly increased number of camping coaches, this facility introduced in 1933, having grown in popularity by leaps and bounds. Some 385 camping coaches will this summer be available in different holiday districts, the weekly rent of a coach for a party of six varying from £2/10/- to £5/-/-, this including all equipment, bed linen, lights, etc. For the 1938 season, more than 3,800 weekly tenancies were booked in England, 875 in Scotland, and 200 in Northern Ireland, and already the whole of the available stock of camping coaches has been booked up for next August Bank Holiday week. The coaches are placed in particularly picturesque seaside and inland centres, enabling holiday-makers to choose a district where their particular desires or hobbies can be well satisfied. The areas covered include many places where opportunities abound for such pursuits as riding, golfing, fishing, swimming, and mountaineering. Holiday-makers renting the coaches must travel to and from their vacation point by rail, and the scheme has been the means of attracting much valuable business.

The Modern Sleeping Car.

Home railway sleeping cars are the envy of the world. These luxurious coaches are really comfortable bedrooms on wheels, assuring the traveller of a splendid night's rest, and all sorts of little luxuries from a hot and cold shower to a “nice cup of tea” on awakening. Third-class sleepers, introduced a few years ago, have proved an unqualified success, and by thus popularising night travel relief has been obtained on some of the more crowded day expresses. In Italy, an interesting experiment is being conducted by the State Railways, taking the form of the provision of patent hammock berths in certain of the night trains operating between Rome and the northern winter-sports resorts. Each compartment is equipped with four hammocks, providing, with the ordinary seats, sleeping quarters for six passengers. On the mainland of Europe, the majority of the sleeping cars are operated by those two well-known organisations, the International Sleeping Car Company, and the German Mitropa Company. Wherever one journeys in Europe to-day, one has striking evidence of the growing popularity of night travel. This is all to the good, alike from the viewpoint of the railways and the public.

Attracting Business to the Rail.

Unfair road competition, which is hitting the Home railways so hard, has also seriously affected railway revenues in many continental lands. Because of changed conditions, railway managements are reorganising their operating sides, and in Holland and Belgium this move has been most striking. Electrification is one way in which the Dutch authorities are seeking to keep passenger traffic to rails. Another advance is the introduction of diesel railcars in place of the conventional heavy steam trains, while further economies are being secured by the closing down of many roadside stations.