The Life of Sir Rowland Hill and the

1843-6] EXCURSION AND EXPRESS TRAINS. 21
who wore one of the large combs common at the
period, and whose scalp was slightly wounded by its
teeth. Of course the compensation was trifling. The
pointsman, being brought before the Board, at once
acknowledged his error, and declared his inability to
account for the momentary misapprehension which
produced it, but pleaded in excuse that though he had
held his present post for several years, and had had on
the average to perform the duty in question nearly a
hundred times per day, this was his first mistake in its
execution. This statement, which, so far as it could
be tested, was found to be literally true, appeared so
satisfactory to the Board, that, in their judgment,
looking at his conduct as a whole, the man deserved
praise rather than blame ; though,
in deference to
public opinion, he was for a time removed to an
inferior post.
Two improvements adopted by the Board, chiefly,
I believe, on my recommendation, are now recognised
as established institutions ; and
by their extension to
other lines, and by increase in the scope of their
operation, have obtained an importance far beyond
any expectation that I could then have formed.
These are excursion-trains and express-trains. Our
first excursion-train ran on Sundays only. After
a time the train was run on Mondays also.
The earliest express-train, intended to accommo-
date residents in Brighton whose occupation was in
London, started from the first at its present hour,
though of necessity it occupied more time in the trip ;
as no engine of the day was able to run fifty miles
without stopping to take in water, while no means had
yet been devised for supplying it to an engine in
motion. The train, however, travelled at the rate of
thirty-four miles per hour, including
a halt at Red-