All About Inventions and Discoveries
The Romance of modern scientific and mechanical Achievements

CHAPTER V The Dawn of the Electric Traction Era The wonderful development of the railway, once its advantages had become realised, emphasised the urgent necessity to speed-up and to improve all exist- ing systems of land transportation which were then in operation. By the invention of George Stephenson distances became shrunk to a remarkable degree, and the saving in time did not fail to impress a public which from times immemorial had been accustomed only to the comparatively slow movement incidental to animal travel. In fact, horse-drawn vehicles, even of the speediest type, such as the mail-coach, were ignored, and in a short time became little more than curiosities except in out-of-the-way parts of the country. The railway appeared at a critical moment. Efforts were being made to accelerate movement, especially in towns and cities, by means of railways laid down in the streets. Naturally, ambition did not soar beyond the limits of employing horses for the haulage of these vehicles, but even then higher speeds were possible by drawing a vehicle along a pair of rails than by time-honoured methods, because there was less friction. Street railways were just com- mencing to catch the public eye when the steam loco- motive made its début. The new force, although demanding its own particular right of way or thorough- 85