As a result of four years’ work there has recently been completed the vast new passenger station of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway in Manchester, the great Lancashire commercial centre. This station is unique in that it has been formed from two existing depots, and possesses the longest passenger platform in the world—a new platform of no less a length than 2,196 feet. Previously the longest railway platforms at Home were the 1,692ft. platform at York, and that of 1,680ft. at Edinburgh. With the possible exception of India, the Manchester platform now ranks as the longest in the world.

To form this new Manchester terminal, there have been joined together the former Victoria Station and the Lancashire and Yorkshire line, and the Exchange Station of the old London and North-Western Railway. Both these lines have been swallowed up in the London, Midland and Scottish consolidation. A feature of the unification is the elaborate power-operated light signalling system which has been introduced. The majority of the new signals are of the four-aspect type, and the change-over has enabled six mechanically-operated signal boxes to be replaced by two electrically-worked boxes, having 91 and 85 levers respectively. Route levers are installed in the cabins with the corresponding route indicators at signal locations, five signals with route indication displaying four routes in one instance being operated by a single lever. Track circuiting is employed throughout, but block working is retained in a modified form. The railwayman from New Zealand, interested in signalling problems and visiting England, could hardly find a more attractive location for his enquiries than this new station at Manchester. (says our London Correspondent.)

“Asleep On The Sleepers.”

The driver of a goods train (in Canada) which was running up a steep gradient saw a motor-car on the line a few hundred yards ahead. He applied the brakes, but the train did not stop until the car had been given a gentle push. The train crew, on investigating, found a man at the wheel of the car fast asleep. Even the impact of the train on the car had failed to waken him. The crew awakened him; he gave one startled glance at the men around him and the engine towering above his car, stepped on the self-starter, and went off without even saying “Thank you.”—“British United Press,” Montreal.—Courtesy “Railway Gazette,” London.