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Show 'Go Mating of Railroad Curves. Hy XX, t. Cttnnlff. JjOOOCtN KOIS013 l'l'LI.MAN once said, when nsked tho secret of e.iy o riding, Hint the secrets nru so many that no onu can keep thoin. w sP, o 'litis N mu but the riislus of curves Is ono of them. 2 CrMt'I? h Curve, no matter how li','lit, litnc nhviiys been laid ns nrcs gE-j f of true circles, Tho outer mil ls i.ilx-d according to the sharpness fV Jj oC ''n curve niul tbe estimated piC(l of IimIuh Hint nro lo round ilOOBiiy It. A mllr-n-mlmite train on tt ono Jegreu curve nectN nil outer rail llvo IiioIiOh higher ttinu tho Inner rail; a slower train a lower elevation. It Is clear frcin this ozp!ai!ut!ou that n train going fnsier than the maximum for which the track Is prepared would shoot off the rails. Conversely, n slower trntn than the one provided for would grind the Unlives nit Its wheels. Any road must strlko it borvlccnble nver.ige for twins of varying speed, nnd engtuecrs must nunc Ihelr locomotives around the curves as close lo It as possible. Thnt puis nn Iniivltnble check on I1I3I1 speeds. The Kinplre Slntt' Kxpicss onee mndo 11 burst for two miles at the rate of 10.! miles an hour 011 11 straightway section of track. A heavy curve would h:to shot the engine at that top speed u quarter of n mllu 'cross country. On most oads, however, sixty tulles nn hour Is quite safe, though very costly. To permit such speed the engineers of the last few years, In relaying tracks, Instead of starting a true clrclu curve with the eudden lift of the outer rati that causes tho Jolt and lurch thnt travelers know, linvo laid n f-llht parabolic curve from a point n hundred yards back on the straight track, and h.ivo elevated ele-vated thu outer rail Imperceptibly nlong that curve to the mnxltmuu. The ic-&ult ic-&ult of tho dovlce In practice .quite new has been tho niinlhllntlon of curves ns regards a passenger's senses. With eyes shut ho cannot tc'.l whether the truck Is straight or curved. World's Work. |