Of course, as there is no heavy locomotive, and as the traction does
not depend upon pressure on the rail, the road may be made
comparatively light. The force required to move a wagon along the road
is very small, Mons. Barre stating, as the result of his experiments,
that an effort amounting to less than half a kilogramme is sufficient
to move one ton when suspended on a film of water with his improved
shoes. It is recommended that the stations be placed at the summit of
a double incline, so that on going up one side of the incline the
motion of the train may be arrested, and on starting it may be
assisted. No brakes are required, as the friction of the shoe against
the rail, when the water under pressure is not being forced through, is
found to be quite sufficient to bring the train to a standstill in a
very short distance. The same water is run into troughs by the side of
the line, and can be used over and over again indefinitely, and in the
case of long journeys, the water required for the tender could be taken
up while the train is running. The principal advantages claimed for
the railway are: The absence of vibration and of side rolling motion;
the pleasure of traveling is comparable to that of sleighing over a
surface of ice, there is no noise, and what is important in town
railways, no smoke; no dust is caused by the motion of the train during
the journey. It is not easy for the carriages to be thrown from the
rails, since any body getting on the rail is easily thrown off by the
shoe, and will not be liable to get underneath, as is the case with
wheels; the train can be stopped almost instantly, very smoothly, and
without shock. Very high speed can be attained; with water at a
pressure of 10 kilogrammes, a speed of 140 kilometers per hour can be
attained; great facility in climbing up inclines and turning round the
curves; as fixed engines are employed to obtain the pressure, there is
great economy in the use of coal and construction of boilers, and
there is a total absence of the expense of lubrication. It is,