One of the most interesting models perhaps ever made, in a popular way, has been prepared by an English clergyman, the Rev. H. L. Warneford, of Windsor, England. Dr. Warneford has a small yard in the rear of his house, surrounded by an ordinary brick wall, which may be seen in each of the illustrations accompanying this article. Along the rear end of the garden he has built a railroad from wall to wall, in that distance overcoming the inconveniences of the ground which usually require the mechanical ability of railroad builders. The road runs from a little station called Chicago at one end to a small station at the other end known as Jericho. It is complete in every detail, and as thoroughly so as if it were one of the great lines that run across England. The two stations even have advertisements pasted over them, as any ordinary station does; and the terminal facilities, though they are small and rather simple, are in their way as complete as in any full-size railroad.
THE AMERICAN TRESTLE BRIDGE AND TUNNEL ENTRANCE.
The track is over 80 feet in length, with a gauge of 2-5/8 inches; and in order that he might get in in these 80 feet all the different forms of railway construction Dr. Warneford has made the track so that it runs over some of the uneven spots in his yard, and in this way, in the places where bridges are required, he has constructed that form of bridge which would naturally be best suited to the particular form of ravine or cavity over which the road is to run. One of the prettiest of these bridges is a thoroughly constructed cantalever bridge, on the form of the great Forth Bridge between Scotland and England, which passes over a little excavation immediately after the train has come out of a long, thoroughly constructed tunnel, the entrance to which appears in two of the illustrations. Another bridge is a perfectly constructed skew arch, which the train crosses a few feet after leaving Chicago. Then comes the model of an American trestle, and after passing over this the road runs through the tunnel, over the cantalever bridge, through a cutting, and finally over a steel tubular bridge into Jericho.
THE STEEL TUBULAR BRIDGE.
Besides all these constructions, the proportions of which can be easily seen by comparing them with the ordinary size bricks of the stone wall, the road is fully equipped with complete sets of signals, which can be and are worked with telegraph wires and posts. There are not only signals for connections and ordinary use, but Dr. Warneford has even constructed a fog-signal apparatus, which is worked by a spring when the engine passes over it, causing a hammer to fall on a small blank cartridge; and this, exploding, is the signal for the train to come to a stop at a time when, either on account of fog or similar impenetrable mist, the ordinary signals would be of no use.
JERICHO.
As to the train itself, that consists of a locomotive, which is a complete model of an ordinary English engine. The steam is generated by spirits, and the engine draws a couple of trucks and a passenger-car. When the steam is up, and the train is started, the reverend gentleman has to run his level best to get to the next station before the train, otherwise it would be "missing." When it does arrive at its destination, the fact is made known by an electric bell ringing automatically; and on close inspection of the photograph of the Jericho station the electric button may be seen at the end of the tracks inside the depot. On the line between the stations there is a signal-box, with levers to work the signals, as complete in its way as any signal-tower in existence; and, as some one said who visited the line a short time ago, the only thing that is lacking on the line is the stentorian call of the conductor, "All tickets ready."