“Confidence Abounds in Britain.”

On the occasion of the celebration of a century of colonisation in New Zealand, Home railway folk send greetings and congratulations to their colleagues in the Little Britain across the seas. Stirring times are these, and by no means unexpected is the wonderful spirit of comradeship displayed throughout the Empire today, demonstrating the absolute determination of the whole of our peace-loving peoples to resist to the uttermost the use of brute force to destroy national and individual independence.

For the Home railways, the past weeks have proved particularly strenuous. Coolly and efficiently, however, the four group lines are meeting the many demands made upon their equipment and staffs, illustrating clearly the extreme reliability of railway transport under the most exacting conditions. Government calls on transport have naturally been considerable; holidaymakers in their thousands have been quickly conveyed by rail back to their homes; armaments traffic has claimed attention on the freight side; and out of London and the other big cities the railways have speedily and smoothly carried elderly people, women and children to safer spots in the country. Despite the difficulties of the situation, there was nowhere anything approaching panic. To-day, confidence abounds in Britain.

Improved Operating Efficiency.

Through scientific research the group railways have greatly improved their equipment and working methods in recent years. Prominent among research activities have been studies as to the comparative value of steam locomotives, turbine engines, diesel and electric locomotives, while much has also been accomplished with a view to improving train signalling systems. With our natural wealth of coal fuel of fine quality, it is not surprising that the steam locomotive should hold its own. The locomotive fleet of the four group lines, it is true, has been cut from 20,369 to 19,577 within the past five years, but the total number of miles run by passenger and goods trains has increased from 553,426,000 to 583,007,000.

Among modern inventions adopted by the railways, electrical signalling is to the fore. Electrical power, in addition to being employed to send messages by telegraph and telephone, is being adapted to save time and labour by setting points at considerable distances. Following on careful study, hard-wearing metal filament gas-filled lamps are making possible even more reliable colourlight signals. Combinations of lights, known as “multiple aspect signals,” are being increasingly employed on busy sections of track to advise drivers of the state of the road for several blocks ahead. The longest stretch of electric colour-light signals is on the London & North Eastern Railway, extending for 42 ½ miles from York to Darlington. Track circuiting, too, is being found particularly helpful. On the Great Western system there is approaching completion the extension of automatic train control throughout the whole of the main-lines. When finished, 2,853 miles of track and 3,250 locomotives will be equipped.

Britain is “Smiling Through.” Confident faces at King's Cross Booking Office, London.

Staff Education.

The months from November to March are always marked by an intensive staff educational campaign in the Home railway world. This year, although special difficulties are being faced, the railways are continuing to conduct educational programmes for the benefit of their staffs of all grades, skilled lecturers being engaged at the principal centres on the four groups and the London Passenger Transport system. Correspondence instruction is also at the disposal of men at outstations. Examinations, held at the close of the session, enable individual progress to be judged; to successful students certificates are awarded, and in some cases money and book prizes. Appropriate entries are made in the staff records, and when promotions are on the way these records are always considered. Railway institutes also play their part in staff education. These institutes run lecture and debating societies with great success, and also place libraries of technical works at the disposal of members, in addition to reading rooms stocked with current transportation publications. The institutes also provide instruction in such page 18 page 19

(Photo. courtesy French Railways.)
Paris-Aulnoye Express of French National Railways passing Survilliers Station at 65 miles an hour.

subjects as home carpentry, gardening, swimming, photography and metalwork. We have great admiration for the work of institute officials—many of whom labour without any thought of financial reward—for through their efforts they bring together in happy surroundings employees of all grades, thereby greatly encouraging teamwork and the friendly co-operative spirit.

New Cars for the Royal Train.

New passenger stock of various kinds continues to be constructed in the Home railway shops, one job completed recently being the building of two new cars for the Royal Train. The stock hitherto employed in this train was constructed as long ago as 1900, in the Wolverton Shops of the former London & North Western Railway, the carriages carrying on their exterior the colours of the long since defunct London & North Western system. The two new carriages will be for the personal use of Their Majesties King George and Queen Elizabeth, and replace the two Royal saloons previously used. They are being decorated and equipped in accordance with modern taste, and particular attention has been paid to their smooth-running qualities. In times of stress, the Royal Train is in constant demand, serving as a travelling headquarters for His Majesty. Other new passenger stock recently built includes interesting buffet-restaurant cars introduced on the London & North Eastern line. These have two saloons in each vehicle. One is arranged for dining, and accommodates twelve passengers at seats and tables of the conventional restaurant car type. The other saloon is a buffet, seating 18 passengers, and with further standing room at a small bar. For service to both saloons, a large combined kitchen and pantry is installed, all cooking being by electricity. The cooking-stove would delight the heart of any housewife. It comprises a roasting oven, three boiling plates and two grills. A separate fish fryer is provided, together with an automatic boiler for hot water, and a large electric refrigerator. The new cars run in the Aberdeen-Penzance through service, operated jointly by the L. & N.E. and Great Western Railways.

Training School for the Staff of the London Passenger Transport Board.

The Modern Sleeping Car.

Just eighty years ago, there was introduced on the Chicago-Alton Railroad, U.S.A., the world's first sleeping car. A few years later, the Pullman Palace Car Company was formed, with headquarters in Chicago, and sleepingcar travel became general throughout North America. In Europe, the first sleeping-car train commenced to operate in May, 1873, between Paris and Vienna, via Strasburg. Britain's pioneer sleeping car appeared in October of the same year, on what is now the West Coast Anglo-Scottish main-line of the L.M. & S. Railway, out of Euston Station, London. Our first sleeping cars operated between Euston and Glasgow, and were built by a Manchester firm. In each compartment three beds were provided by the simple expedient of pulling down the seat backs. Nowadays, both first and third-class travellers enjoy the comforts of sleeping-car movement, modern sleepers being equipped with air-conditioning, electrically-heated corridors, shower-baths and other amenities.

Railway Improvements in France.

Our good French friends are reaping today the benefit of vast railway improvements introduced during the past few years. No European country possesses a more efficient transportation machine than that controlled from Paris, and, as usual, the French lines are working in the closest association with the English railways. Much convenient re-routing of traffic has become possible under the new conditions, and in peace and war alike the French railways and their employees are a big factor making for France's safety and prosperity.