Many modern features have been introduced. Streamlining has enhanced the appearance of the new locomotives. The ample boiler capacity provided is quite remarkable for an engine of this power. The firebox is of unusual proportions to allow low grade fuel to be burnt efficiently. Particular attention has been given to the cab to provide the maximum comfort for the engine crew. Dunlopillo seats and carefully arranged controls make for easy operation. Such modern applications as the Hadfield power reverse gear remove the need for the exertion of physical effort by the driver.
Accessibility and maintenance have been borne in mind and 8KF roller bearing axleboxes are provided on the carrying wheels and the tender. Every- thing has been done to eliminate work and to give maximum availability. The ashpan is of the self emptying hopper type and the smokebox is self cleaning.
>Electric light equipment is provided for the headlight and the cab. Attention is also drawn to the extended cab floor by cantilever arrangement.
These locomotives, a product of British design and construction, will rank amongst the most modern type in Australia today and will undoubtedly give a good account of themselves hauling trains over this 3ft. 6in. gauge railway. The Company is to be congratulated in obtaining a modern and economical form of motive power well built to withstand heavy work with the minimum of attention.

Locomotive Design

England is not the only country where lives are lost and property destroyed by the infatuation of a small minority of railway directors who persist in using a complicated and unreliable form of brake apparatus. Although, thanks to the independence and superior practical insight of the chief railway engineers in this country, all our principal railways are supplied with vacuum brakes, there are still a few roads where the air pressure brake is used, and, consequently, we are subjected to such disasters as those at Lowmoor Tunnel, Blackburn, and Manor Park.
The Sydney papers record a terrible accident at Zigzag, thus commented upon by the Sydney Morning Herald.
“We have, fortunately, been so free from railway accidents in this colony, that the news of such an occurrence creates a feeling of surprise akin to that with which we might hear of a shipwreck. Accidents, however, it has been wisely remarked, will happen on the best-regulated railways ; and, if for that reason only, those who are directly responsible for the safe management of the trains in motion, should be always on their guard against them. The disposition to trust to, luck which so often manifests itself among men engaged in dangerous occupations, is probably a more frequent cause of disaster than is generally supposed. The fact, however, that our list of railway accidents is a singularly small one, goes to show that the men in charge of the New South Wales trains are fully aware of their responsibilities. The accident which took place yesterday on the Zigzag will, of course, form the subject of official inquiry, and among the questions which will then occupy attention, the conduct of the engine driver and the guard will necessarily have to be considered. The action of the Westinghouse brake has been a subject of discussion among railway experts for many years past, and opinions have been much divided as to its merits. Whether yesterday's accident was attributable to defect in the brakes, or to the slippery state of the rails owing to the recent rains, or to any want of caution on the part of the driver in proceeding on the journey after notice that something was wrong, remains to be determined. At the present moment it would seem, judging from the evidence before us, that the unfortunate result was brought about by a combination of these circumstances, although in what proportion it would be difficult even to conjecture. The line of route is known to be dangerous, in the sense that danger may always be anticipated there, and that great care is essential to the safe management of the traffic. When it was found, at an early period of the journey, that the brakes were not acting, and consequently that the driver had little or no command over his train, that officer would certainly have been justified in declining to take the risk of proceeding any further. With slippery rails and useless brakes, a train running down the steep inclines of the Zigzag might be expected to become unmanageable ; and in that state every mile of the running would be full of danger, which neither skill nor experience could avoid."
The particulars are given by several witnesses. We select the following accounts:—"The No. 32 up train, otherwise known as the tourists' train, which leaves Bathurst at about 4 o'clock in the morning, ran into the buffer-stops at the upper points on the Zigzag, on this side of the Blue Mountains, near Lucasville. The train was damaged, and two ladies and a boy were hurt. A special engine, van, and carriages, and a medical man, were at once obtained from Penrith, and the line was cleared for one train to proceed. It was not found necessary to send a medical man from Sydney, as the injuries were not supposed to be of a very serious nature, but a member of the Medical Board was in attendance at the railway station at Redfern when the train arrived. The train in question was timed to reach Sydney at 11.35 a.m., and, therefore, the accident must have occurred about 10 o'clock.
"A later account says :—The train which met with the accident left Glenbrook at 10 o'clock yesterday morning, being 10 minutes late. When it arrived at the top of the point of the Lapstone Zigzag the rails were found to be very * greasy,' owing to a heavy mist prevailing at the time. The train, composed of nine carriages, became unmanageable, although the driver and guard applied both air and hand brakes, and finally ran into what is known as the ‘top buffer' of the Zigzag. The shock wrecked the engine and severely damaged two carriages, besides injuring many of the passengers. As there was a telephone at Lucasville, near the scene of the accident, a message was sent from that place to Glenbrook; thence the occurrence was telegraphed to Penrith, and at 10 minutes past 11 o'clock a relief train was sent out with Dr. Swayne, of Penrith, on board, and the passengers transferred into it and brought to Sydney, arriving at Redfern at a quarter to 2 o'clock yesterday afternoon. Dr. Woodward met the train at the station, and attended to the wants of the passengers. The gradient at the point of the road where the accident occurred is i in 33. The Westinghouse air-brake was used.
"A gentleman who was in the train states that the brakes worked badly, owing to the slippery state of the metals. On approaching the ' top buffer' the necessary brake pressure could not be brought to bear on the train, which ran into the buffer with considerable force. Many of the passengers were stunned for a while in consequence of the violence of the collision, and much excitement and confusion prevailed. It is also said that the train overshot the mark at one or two stopping-places on the way down from Wentworth. It is believed that the driver did all he could to avoid the accident, but he was powerless to arrest the progress of the train, as the slippery condition of the rails prevented the brake power from being properly applied."
DECORATED CARS It is interesting to note in connection with street railway parks and pleasure resorts, that railway companies are beginning to institute novel parades, consisting of specially decorated cars.
In Fig. 1 are shown five very handsomely decorated trams which were used on the San Diego Electric Railway in the McKinley parade in San Diego, Cal., during the recent political campaign. The cars were designed by Joseph A. Flint, general manager of the railway company, and the decorations were the work of a Grand Army post of San Diego. The train consisted of one motor car and four trail cars, all of which were gracefully draped with yellow, with rosettes of red, white and blue, and bunting of the same colors. A number of yellow, and red, white and blue incandescent lights were also used in the decorations. On the front platform of the motor car was hung a large portrait of Mr. McKinley, framed with yellow incandescent lights and draped with smilax, which was also draped around the trolley pole and around the words, *McKinley and Hobart," which were placed on the top of the car. The cars were filled with ladies, attired in white dresses, with yellow trimmings, and young ladies also acted as motormen and conductors.
On the top of the motor car was placed a mimic throne, covered by a canopy which was tastefully decorated with electric lights and bunting. On the throne was seated a Goddess of Liberty. and behind her stood a young man representing Uncle Sam. On either side of the goddess stood sentinels, one uniformed as a soldier and another as a sailor, representing the army and navy defending liberty.
In Fig. 2 is shown another car which also created a great deal of excitement when it appeared on the streets. This car was called "Santa Claus" and was designed by Warren Y. Soper, of the firm of Ahearn & Soper. The car was used on the street railway tracks at Ottawa, Ont., and made its first appearance on the afternoon before Christmas. For some days before Christmas, the company caused letters to appear in the newspapers dated at various points between the North Pole and Ottawa. These letters stated that Santa Claus with his reindeer would appear in Ottawa on the afternoon before Christmas and were signed by Santa Claus himself. The result was that an immense crowd gathered along the street railway tracks at the stated time and the car met with an enthusiastic reception. The car was covered with imitation snow and ice and on the top was placed a representation of Santa Claus with his reindeer and sleigh filled with toys of every description. The car was filled with various kinds of toys. The motorman and conductor were dressed as Icelanders and an Eskimo stood beside the motorman and played on a cornet throughout the trip. As the car proceeded oranges were thrown to the children along the way.

Reprinted from Street Railway Journal, February, 1897

NEW CENTRAL PASSENGER STATION, VICTORIA At the last meeting of the Railways Standing Committee it was decided that that body should first inquire into the question of erecting a central passenger station at Flinders-street, and then deal with the proposal to construct a second reservoir at Upper Malmsbury to supplement the Coliban water supply. The Chairman (Mr. Cameron, M.L.A.) referred to some criticism which had appeared in the press respecting the action of the committee in rejecting the plans prepared by the Railway Department in 1896 for the erection of a new railway station at Flinders-street. He pointed out that that plan was estimated to cost £88,400, while under the scheme now proposed the department intended expending upwards of £200,000 on that railway station and yard. The former plans made no provision whatever for the accommodation of the traffic from the northern suburbs which would be brought in by the direct railway from Collingwood. Now that that line had been authorised, it would have been necessary, had the committee permitted the new station to be erected on the plans of 1896, to re-open Prince's-bridge station, and thus the saving which the department contemplated would have been largely diminished. He added that the committee had also been adversely criticised for not sanctioning the covering in of all the station by a wide roof, but had that been permitted the supports of the roof would now have been in the way of the re-arrangement of the platforms, which was essential if the northern suburbs traffic was to be provided for. The action of the committee in delaying the erection of the new station had been fully justified by the alterations in the design proposed by the department.

Reprinted from Railway Budget, February, 1899

WHEN THE CZAR TRAVELS
A RAILWAY MAN'S STORY There is one noteworthy change in the young Czar's mode of traversing his dominions, as compared with the extraordinary secrecy which used to mark the railway progresses of their late Majesties Alexander III., and his predecessor, the Czar-Liberator. When the court now goes to the Crimea, two Imperial trains are employed, one for the Czar and Czaritsa and their personal attendants, and the other for the suite. Occasionally, as in the recent case of the Emperor's journey to Copenhagen, only a single train is used. In this connection, a retired railway superintendent, who used formerly to take charge of one of the Imperial trains coming and returning from the Crimea over the Taurida section, related to me the other day some particulars of the old style. He was speaking of the time of Alexander II. There were, he said, always three double-engined trains employed, and these were despatched in fairly close succession from the terminus. One carried the Imperial family, another the suite, and the third the baggage. Returning from the Crimea to the capital, these Imperial trains always left Sebastopol after nightfall, and except among the immediate entourage of his Majesty, no one was permitted to know which of the three trains, all identical in appearance, carried the Czar.
On the last occasion of the Second Alexander's leaving the Crimea, my informant was in charge of the second train. "Merely as a matter of personal curiosity," continued the ex-superintendent, "my engineer colleague in control of the first train and myself quietly took such close observations as to assure ourselves that his Majesty was in the train first despatched. We had a fearful night of it owing to a sudden snow-storm and blizzard which overtook us just beyond Simferopol. After infinite trouble with the snow-blocked track we reached the sectional terminus about 5 a.m., several hours late. Immediately before us the snowdrifts had become impassable, but I was happy in behoving that the Emperor's train ahead of us had got through safely. A few minutes later, while shouting some directions to the driver and machinists amid the driving and roaring of the blizzard, we heard one of the coach-doors blow open and the sound of smashing crockery. Suddenly the Minister of the Court was by our side, and apostrophising us in all kinds of grossly reproachful epithets for the stoppage and delay. Did we not know that we were carrying his Imperial Majesty the Gossudar? &c. I was certainly greatly astonished at this intelligence.
"The Minister was still storming and fuming when the tall figure of Alexander II., loosely wrapped in a long fur pelisse, appeared in our midst. He took in the situation at a glance. The driver, machinists and myself looked like so many forlorn Esquimaux. We were partly encased ia ice and frozen snow. Laying a restraining hand on the Minister's shoulder, his Majesty said, "Not another word! Do you not see how helpless we all are in God's hands? Whilst you and I and the rest of us have been comfortably sleeping in our berths, these poor fellows have been battling with elements through this terrible night for our convenience and safety. You should rather thank them for their noble and persevering efforts, and not reproach them for what is really God's visitation." The Emperor then addressed to us some touching words of thanks and sympathy, and returned to the Imperial coupe. With the assistance of a couple of snow ploughs we subsequently got the train through to Moscow, with about 18 hours' delay. As a memento of that memorable night the engineer-Superintendent pointed to a decoration he was wearing, and took from his pocket a gold chronometer, bearing the monogram of the Imperial donor; his companions were similary rewarded."
Among other things, my informant said that during the last two reigns the drivers of the Imperial trains were never allowed to use the whistle. Between one engine and another the drivers signalled by hand motions, and in the night by lamp signals. Under the block system the track is always kept clear for the Imperial trains. No such secrecy is now observed with regard to the particular train in which the Emperor Nicholas II travels, and it is devoutly to be hoped that the beneficently reforming policy of the young Monarch will obviate all necessity for resorting to such secret and clandestine methods in the future.

Reprinted from Railway Budget, February, 1899

IMPORTANT CONTRACTS The Central London Underground Railway Company has just contracted with the British Thomson-Houston Company for the equipment of its lines with the American built dynamos and motors of the General Electric Company. This is the most important contract yet closed across the water and the selection of American apparatus at a price said to be nearly or quite $100,000 above the bids of European manufacturers, is a tribute to the perfection which has been reached in this country in electric railway apparatus. The total contract price is about $450,000.
The General Electric Company has also closed a contract through its Australian representative, Arthur W. Jones, for the equipment of the Government tramway system of Sidney [sic] New South Wales. This contract calls for twenty-eight car equipments and four 850 k.w. generators and the contract price is about $200,000.

Reprinted from Street Railway Journal, June, 1897

LETTER TO THE EDITOR OF THE "BUDGET." Sir,—I was greatly surprised to see the railway picnic at Dubbo recently degenerated into a political demonstration. Members of Parliament are reported to have been invited there, and to have made all sorts of allusions to politics and federation, one member expressing very advanced opinions. Now, why should we introduce elements of discord at our friendly social picnics; we are supposed to keep free publicly from politics? The Commissioners, I assume, give us a holiday with pay to enjoy the day, and free passes and special trains for our wives and little ones, in the belief that the privilege will not be abused by making the picnics demonstrations to enable politicians to talk claptrap. The whole affair is a mistake, as in the first place it will create discord, owing to the political differences that are bound to crop up, and in the second place, if it is going to be allowed, do you not think, Mr. Editor, that it is likely to lead to the withdrawal of the picnic privileges? In my opinion the Dubbo committee, or whoever is responsible, has been most unwise and as one who values the privileges we enjoy, I protest against the false position in which such an action is likely to place railway men. —Yours, &c.,

PICNIC

Reprinted from Railway Budget, March, 1899

A BRIDAL ELECTRIC CAR The Straten Island Midland Electric Company will shortly put into operation a bridal car for the use of wedding parties. The car will be elegantly furnished, with reclining sofa and chairs, and will have a dining apartment. The car has already been engaged for several parties.