Per an 1899 Western RR Club Proceedings I have (WRC was made up of reps from
all the major RR's operating from Chicago west plus many suppliers) a survey
of 'high speed' passenger/mail trains revealed the following:
UP Transfer to Creston 4-4-0 with 4 cars (200 ton) running speed average of
53.8; with stops an average of 41.5 (stops @ Pac Jct, Red Oak & Villisca)
Jan 2 - As UP was 1'2" late to Transfer, Q was making special run to make up
time = fastest regular train between the 2 points
Creston to Burlington 2-6-0 with 4 cars (200 ton) running speed average of
52.0; with stop an average of 47.4 (stops @ Osceola, Chariton,
Albia, Ottumwa & Fairfield) Continuation of the special run making up time
on Jan. 2 = fastest regular train between these 2 points.
Burlington to Union Depot 2-4-2 with 4 cars (200 ton) running speed average
of 61.8; with stops an average of 53.1 (stops @ Galesburg,
Mendota, Aurora, Western Avenue)
Obviously engines were changed @ Creston but no mention made despite fact
that another change @ Burlington is listed per se (which took only 4
minutes).. In any case, the speed of such locos was less than later years
but gives us an idea of the era. Overall was 499 miles in 10 hrs & 49 "
with 14 stops counting Creston & Burlington - stops ranged from 1 to 7
minutes with a 4" one being a hotbox in addition to mail @ Chariton & 7" @
Creston (Mail & engine change) & Mendota for mail. Interesting too as to
types of locos used in various terrain segments.
In a group discussion of compound vs. simple engines (led by Edwin Herr of
the NP which was a proponent of coal savings with compunds), J.F. Deems of
the Q comments the Q's experience was insufficient to draw any major
conclusions but inasmuch as no type of new simple engine was a success from
the start it was unfair to expect new compounds to be immediate successes
either.
Gerald
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