Statistical data concerning railways is not usually of especial appeal to the rank and file worker. A few enthusiastic statisticians there are on every line who know no greater joy than to spend long hours playfully juggling with average train and wagon loads, ton-miles, and all the other ingenious tools of their craft, but most railwaymen are wisely content to leave the close study of statistics to the expert. In such hands statistics can be of the utmost value in furthering railway progress: in the hands of the inexperienced, conjuring with elaborate statistical data is frequently productive of distorted views, quite foreign to the true state of affairs. Simple figures relating to railway operation, however, are worthy of the attention of one and all engaged in the transportation industry, and in this connection there have recently been put out interesting statistics on general lines concerning the four big railway systems that serve the Homeland.

British Railway Records.

Railways have now been serving the British public for more than one hundred years. Railway working at Home involves over £1,200,000,000 of capital, and the steel tracks seam the whole of Britain from end to end. The track, stations and rolling-stock of the British railways cost more than £1,000,000,000, and some £40,000,000 is spent annually on maintenance and renewals. The railway tracks of the British Isles would stretch twice round the world, and the number of passengers conveyed by the four big group lines each year is equivalent to twenty-seven journeys for every man, woman and child in the country. Each year passenger and freight trains run more than 400,000,000 miles, or approximately equivalent to two journeys from the earth to the sun and back. Three-quarters of the coal produced in Britain passes from pit to consumer by rail, while every year there are handled 65,000,000 tons of stone, iron and other minerals, and 60,000,000 tons of general merchandise. Immense quantities of fish, meat and fruit, are dealt with in train loads, and, annually, some 300,000,000 gallons of milk are conveyed over the Home railways.

“Side-lines” of the Iron Way.

Time was when a railway was regarded solely as a carrier of mankind and mankind's belongings. By degrees, the activities of the railways have expanded in a hundred-and-one directions, and to-day a progressive railway engages in many important activities far removed from the simple act of transportation. Many of these subsidiary activities rank among the most profitable branches of modern railway operation. Thus we find the big railways of to-day performing valuable public service and reaping considerable profit out of the ownership of page 20 docks and steamers, hotels and refreshment rooms, and innumerable “side-lines” undreamt of in the infancy of the “Iron Way.” It would, for example, be almost impossible to over-estimate the value to the Home railways of the hotels which are operated up and down the line for the benefit of the traveller. Big developments are now being recorded in the railway hotel world, and here, at Home, the London, Midland and Scottish and Great Western Railways are leaders of a new movement in the railway guest-house field.

Until a few years ago most of the railway hotels in Britain were located in London and

In The Heart Of Industrial England.
Discharging New Zealand Produce at Manchester Docks.

the big provincial centres. Some time ago the London, Midland and Scottish Railway launched out on new lines, and opened a sumptuous guest-house at Gleneagles, in the heart of the Scottish Highlands, far removed from any important centre of population. This hotel now draws thousands of sportsmen and tourists annually. It has its own golf course, swimming bath, tennis courts, concert house, and other amenities, and the establishment brings much business to L.M. and S. rails as well as making a profit in itself. Following the lead of the L.M. and S. line, the Great Western Railway has now acquired, and is converting into a sumptuous hotel, a large country house in the heart of Dartmoor, in beautiful Devonshire. The place, surrounded with 200 acres of picturesque parkland, was once a Ducal residence. The building is in Jacobean style, containing much old oak, a lofty banqueting hall, furnished with an old-world minstrels’ gallery, and other interesting features. Private angling rights are at the disposal of the visitor, and there are splendid facilities for the golfer, motorist and pedestrian. Altogether, the Great Western Railway seems likely to reap a great deal of benefit from this enterprise, which will be watched with the closest interest by railways the world over.

In the Road Transport Field.

Typical of the energy with which the Home railways develop any subsidiary service of promise is the whole-hearted manner in which the big lines are entering the road transport field. All the systems are making fullest use of the Government powers secured last August, and are operating large numbers of road services for the conveyance of passengers and merchandise. In many instances road services are actually being run between points already served by rail. The main idea in cases of this character is to reduce transit times and effect cuts in handling. Merchandise to and from specified areas is centralised upon conveniently situated page 21 tranship depots, and, instead of transhipping the traffic into railway wagons, it is sent out or brought in by road motors. Collections and deliveries are made at the door, and everywhere there is being introduced the judicious combination of road and rail facilities. With a view to tapping fresh sources of revenue, road services are being introduced in rural areas removed from the railhead, and special road-rail travel tickets are, in several cases, issued at attractive fares. In the rural districts, postmasters and shopkeepers act as agents for the

A Typical British Goods Station.
Somer's Town Freight Terminal, London.

railways, and through the efforts of these outside agents, working on commission, much business is brought to the rail and road services of the respective undertakings.

Railhead Distribution Service.

Hand-in-hand with the development of road services, the Home railways are placing a new facility at the disposal of the trading community. This is what is styled the railhead distribution service. Traffic is despatched in bulk by rail to storage depots on the railway premises, for distribution therefrom in small lots by road motor service to meet retail requirements. The road motors are operated by the railways themselves. Another facility associated with this movement is the reception by the railways of traffic for bulk storage and subsequent delivery as and when required by retailers. In other words, the Home railways now act at these railhead depots as manufacturers’ agents, and perform all the usual services of such agents, at a reasonable fee. Here, without doubt, is an especially worth-while activity in this present era of road transport competition.

Two-storey Goods Stations.

No railwayman needs reminding of the important part played in railway operation by the goods department. Passenger movement is much more in the public eye than the transport of freight, but goods department working represents equally as vital a part of railway operations. A most interesting development in freight working now taking place in Europe is the consideration given by the railways to the employment of two-storey goods stations to serve the larger centres. Germany is to the fore in this experiment, and already several of the older city goods stations on the German railways have been converted to the double-deck principle. In the new two-storey depots one floor is usually employed for the receipt of incoming freight and its unloading and transfer to road motor for delivery to consignees; the other floor is utilised for the receipt of outward freight from road motor, and its loading and despatch by rail. Close connection is maintained between the two storeys through the agency of mechanically operated belts and conveyers.

By the installation of ramps on a gentle gradient provision is made for road motors to reach the upper floor. The lay-out of the depot usually provides for one central bench for accommodating the freight traffic, with a railway track on one side and a road motor track on the other. By the adoption of the two-deck principle, difficulties now experienced in extending goods depots in many large cities promise, in the near future, largely to be overcome.

The Ocean-going Train Ferry.

Modern transportation devices include no more useful piece of equipment than the ocean-going train ferry. We have several interesting examples of the train ferry in Europe, notable among these being that connecting Harwich with Zeebrugge, and the very efficient Baltic train ferries linking Sweden with Germany. Now, new train ferry routes are contemplated, the most important being a train ferry to connect the port of Immingham, in Lincolnshire, with Gothenburg, in Sweden. It is proposed that two ferries be employed for the purpose of making three return journeys across the North Sea every week between the points named. The ferries would be about 445ft. long, and be equipped with turbine machinery of 7,200 h.p., giving a normal speed of 16 1/2 knots. Each would be capable of accommodating about sixty fully loaded goods wagons, or 300 passengers. Through running of freight between England and Sweden would be of the greatest service, and in view of the marked success that has been achieved by the Harwich-Zeebrugge ocean-going train ferry, there would seem to be a distinct future for new links of this type connecting Britain with the Continent.

In “Gallant Little Belgium.”
Grand Place, Brussels.

The Farm Railways of Belgium.

The Harwich-Zeebrugge train ferry is operated jointly by the L. and N.E. Railway, of England, and the Belgian State Railways. It has performed much useful service in through movement of perishable traffic between Britain and the rest of Europe, and, incidentally, has done much to aid in the post-war restoration of the Belgian State Railways. The Belgian Railways suffered greatly during the war, but a wonderful improvement has been effected by the Brussels transportation authorities during the past few years. The State Railways, operated as a commercial concern on similar lines to the New Zealand Government Railways, are now on a paying basis, and great extensions everywhere are being undertaken. At Antwerp new docks and shipping facilities are being provided, main lines are being widened, and many additional miles of light railway are being built to serve the rural areas. These light lines, usually of sixty centimetre (about 2ft.) gauge, are a feature of transport in Belgium. They are controlled by the Sociètè Nationale des Chemins de Fer Vicinaux, and there are in all 2,820 miles of light railway serving farms and rural communities. Both steam and electricity are employed as haulage agents, and almost every farm of any size has its own “back-yard siding” giving connection with the standard gauge railway system. “Gallant little Belgium” leads the world in the employment of light railways for aiding the farmer, and everyone interested in the development of agricultural transport should become acquainted with the wonderful work of the sixty centimetre railway network serving the Belgium farm lands.