A "Scrap the Railways " Bible
Page 55
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A LTHOUGH the idea of converting -rt the railways into roads is at least 20 years old, its adherents have not until now been able to swear by a book containing a statement of principles based on closely reasoned facts elucidated by a keen mind. The deficiency has been made good by the publication of "Twilight of the Railways—What Roads They'll Make," by Brig. T. I. Lloyd.
This book may be guaranteed to shock railway addicts and prove a shot in the arm, if it were needed, for those convinced of the superiority of the motor vehicle over the rail locomotive whether it be steam, Diesel or electric powered.
But whereas the fiery enthusiasm with which the work is written makes for enjoyable reading (assuming a sympathetic predisposition), it might unfortunately create the impressionthat Brig. Lloyd is blindly prejudiced in presenting his case, and that his contribution towards the solution of the national transport problem is of dubious value.
Here is an example of his knockabout comedy: "Some long-distance travellers utterly reject the ideaof giving up the comforts of a train journey. For them it will be perfectly feasible to provide a special type of bus reproducing faithfully the interior of a railway coach_ "It can have loudspeakers pouring out the old roar and rattle; a fault can be introduced in the drive to simulate rail joints and another to make the vehicle lurch periodically like a train on ill-kept track or at a points crossing: the air
conditioning can be arranged to emit icy blasts and sometimes soot."
It is perhaps a pity that the author did not restrain himself from such flights in putting forward his scheme for the conversion of railway tracks into roads. He envisages the use of special large vehicles on these roads, whilst normal vehicles could he admitted on payment of toils.
Passenger fares could be 4:1. a mile. corresponding to the 1955 railway average rate of 1.88d, Wide buses with a 7-ft. track would provide great comfort. and 60-seaters leaving each of Waterloo's 21 platforms at 11--minute intervals could shift 50,000 seated passengers an hour.
Brig. Lloyd calculates that to replace railway capacity it would be necessary to provide 6,450 60-seat buses, 5.000 20-ton mineral transporters and 20,000 other lorries. • "People become too accustomed to things. It needs to be seen as little less than scandalous that British industry is deprived, by a bad transport system, of the advantages of being located entirely within an unmountainous area no more than 400 miles long and 200 miles wide. Current timings of most of the freight and parcels movement would shame a country 10 times as large."
With-, such an explosion, Brig. Lloyd has launched a Sputnik out of the sphere of much transport thinking, and his arguments will be hard to refute. The book is published by Forster Groom and Co., Ltd., 23 Craven Street, London. W.C.2, at is.