The length of time which a train remains at a station is from thirty to forty seconds, or from three to four times the length of time employed at the New York elevated railroad stations.  The reason for this is that a large proportion of the doors are opened by passengers getting in or out, and all these have to be shut by the station porter or guard of the train before the train can start.  If the train is crowded one has to run up and down to find a compartment with a vacant seat, and also hunt for his class, and as each class is divided into smoking and non-smoking compartments, making practically six classes, it will be observed that all this takes time, especially when you add the lost time at the ticket office and gate.

The ventilation of the tunnels and even the stations is oftentimes simply abominable, and although the roads are heavily patronized there is a great amount of grumbling and disfavor on this account.  The platforms of the stations are flush with those of the cars, so that the delay of getting in or out is very small, but the doors are so low that a person above the average height has to stoop to get in, and cannot much more than stand upright with a tall hat on when he is once in the car.  The monitor roof is unknown.

The trains move with fair speed and the stations are plainly and liberally marked, so that the passenger has little difficulty in knowing when to get out.  There are two signs in general use on English railroads which are very simple and right to the point, namely, “Way Out” and “Way In,” so that when a passenger arrives at a station he has no question how to get out of it.  The ticket is given up as the passenger leaves the station.  There is nothing to prevent a passenger with a third class ticket getting into a first class compartment excepting the ominous warning of 40 shillings fine if he does so, and the liability of having his sweet dreams interrupted by an occasional inspector who asks to see the denomination of his ticket.  All compartments intended for the use of smokers are plainly marked and are to be found in each class.  Almost the entire part of the railroads within the thickly settled portions of the city run in closed tunnels.  Outside of this they frequently run in open cuttings, and still further out they run on to elevated tracks.

With regard to the equipment of the suburban or surface lines not belonging to the underground system the description is about the same.  The cars are generally four compartments long and sometimes not exceeding three.  They are coupled together with a pair of links and fastened to the draw bar on one car and the other thrown over a hook opposite and brought into tension by a right and left hand screw between the links.  This is obviously very inconvenient for shunting purposes, especially as the cars are not provided with hand brakes and no chance to get at them if there were any.  Consequently it appears that when a train is made up it stays so for an indefinite