Travel Notes.

In travelling from Seattle to San Francisco, Los Angeles and New Orleans over the Southern Pacific Railway, one passes through country very like our own, and the entire route, I think, is equipped with two way electrical automatic signalling. This railroad passes through one of the greatest oil fields in the world and the wonderful facility thereby presented has been taken advantage of by the railroads, all locomotives being equipped for oil burning. The “wig-wag” level crossing alarm is also very noticeable, but the barrier type is common on crossings of more than one track. This is a very obvious additional safety device and—where within reach of a signal box—simple to operate.

Most of the railroad companies are running limited de luxe services for which an additional fare is usually levied, the main attraction being a saving in time. Such services are well patronised, the experience generally being that the public is willing to pay for improved service.

The American railways are entitled to praise for the manner in which they operate their goods and passenger traffic, particularly the former. One is not struck with the speed of their expresses so much as with the service provided.