40 and 8 cars

[nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org]

I stand corrected. My nit has been picked by  a man of letters. I would add
this
tid-bit however.  During World War One my father served in France as a First
Sargent with the 81st  Wildcat Division, 316th Machine Gun Company, and
rode in some of those cars.  His story was that they held 40 men and 8 mules,
and not horses. But, that's just a play on words.  If I may try and win
another one
for the British, the standard  four feet eight and one-half inch track
guage which
WAS used universally in Europe and most everywhere else originated in
England. And please spare me the tedium about Roman chariots fitting in ruts
that were four feet eight and one-half inches wide, or the width of a horses
rear end. I am talking about railroad guage only. Finland used a different
guage railroad to prevent the Russians from using their railroads for military
purposes.  Europe played right into the hands of Adolf Hitler by using
standard guage tracks, which made it convenient for  Germany to move
troops by rail all  over Europe.   Also, James Watt, who started the whole
thing , was born in Grenock, Scotland in 1734, which  gives Britain credit
for being the birthplace of steam railroads period.  Whether you call them
goods wagons or box cars, they all had the same stupid look.  Four wheels on
the entire car with link and pin coupling and those idiot round buffers on
each
corner of the car.  And not even so much as a handbrake, let alone air brakes.
Before some wag makes an exception to the no air brakes statement, I am
fully aware that there were  a few cases where air was an item on some of the
heavier equipment.  Sleep well!   Bill Sellers