PAR IS—French trains streaking from Paris towards the Riviera

PAR IS—French trains streaking from Paris towards the Riviera are now regarded as the world's fastest, hut the United States still holds the ail-time record for the "sprint” on rails. France's passenger streamliners to the Mediterranean seashore are electric From Paris to Dijon 195 miles—they average more than 77 miles per hour. On to Lyon. 124 miles past Dijon, the rverage drops only to 75. while the 679 miles from the French capital to Nice are covered at 60 m.p.h. Highest Speed The highest speed ever attained on rails was the 127.00 miles ail hour leached in 1905 by the Penn sylvania Special, predecessor to the Pennsylvania Railroad's Broad way Limited. The steam-powered Special kept it up for three timed miles in Ohio. The Interstate Com merce Commission allows no such speeds today. It docs, however, authorize the Chicago. .Burlington and Quincy's Twin Cities Zephyrs- powered by diesel-electric locomotives - to aver age 86 miles an hour from East Dubuque, III , to Prairie du Chien. \V:s. While this is the world's fast est rail schedule, it is maintained over a distance of only 54 miles with trains lighter than the French champions. Furthermore, the French ex presses have proved they keep something in reserve. Starting late and delayed still more en route by a hot box. a Paris-Lyon queen of the rails once made up lost time t>3- averaging better than 96 miles an hour for almost 140'continuous miles. Stic wound up at the des tination with an 83-mile-an-hour average, only three minutes be hind the timetable. Factors in Speed When factors such as load, size of motive power, and layout of the line are taken into consideration, the elo i st American parallels to the French record holders are the three 11 ns operated by the Union Pacific beta een Grand Island and North Platte. Neb. These crack trams aver..: * 7.1 i miles per hour over 137 mil< s. A aght three-ear Italian electric ■ . ain e vi red tie 195 8 hale: b< tween Florence and Milan at 102 : ule an hour ti make th< fastest stop-to-:-top rail run evi r record ed. Her top speed on the trip was 126