1872.] Engineering. 265 
Railway Brakes.—Numerous railway accidents might have been easily pre- 
vented had there existed sufficient brake power on the train to enable it to be 
pulled up more quickly than can be done with brakes on the ordinary system. 
Naylor’s continuous brakes, which have been designed to enable brake power 
to be applied to each carriage throughout the train, were tried not long since 
on the Sevenoaks branch of the London, Chatham, and Dover Railway. For 
a long time it has been feared, in many quarters, that if a set of brakes were 
applied nearly simultaneously, on a train travelling at a high speed, it might 
create an unpleasant sensation to the passengers. The above-named trials 
showed, however, that if the application of the brakes is duly regulated no 
such effect is produced. Thus, with the experimental train travelling at 
57 miles an hour, down an incline of 1 in ror, the driver on the engine applied 
the set of continuous brakes, shut off his steam, but did not reverse his 
engine, while his fireman applied the tender brake, yet, even with this suddenly 
applied retarding force, no unpleasant sensation was experienced by any one 
in any part of the train. The following are some of the results obtained at 
the experiments above referred to :— 
Speed in Distance travelled after Time 
No. Gradients. Miles applying Brakes and required 
per hour. Shutting off Steam. to pull up. 
I I in ror down. 53 Distances not measured. 55 seconds. 
Do. 43 460 yards. 38° 5; 
I in IOI, up not quite 
3 {athe partlydown; 35 PUP cp 20) 5) 
an incline. 
4 I in 101 down. 57 750) 33 Go); 
5 Level. 50 7oo ,, 
Mr. Naylor has four different methods of letting his brakes on and of taking 
them off again. In every case the brakes are let on by slackening out the con- 
tinuous chain, and the variations in the plans consist in the different methods 
adopted for tightening this chain, and thus taking the brakes off. Mr. Naylor, 
in describing the application of his brakes, remarks :—‘ Everything connected 
with my brakes is fixed below the under frame of the carriage, and is attached 
by longitudinal angle irons; between these angle bars two plates are suspended, 
that carry two pulleys in a fixed position; between these two pulleys there is 
a third one, which is moved up and down, in connexion with the brake lever, 
by the continuous chain that runs from carriage to carriage. The force upon 
the brake lever is obtained by angular links, one attached to the frame, and 
the other to the end of the brake lever. To the knee joints of these links is 
applied the tension of the spring. It is obvious that the force pressing upon 
the brake lever depends upon the strength of the spring, and therefore anything 
that is required can be accomplished, even to the extent of skidding all the 
wheels ; consequently this brake, when once applied, must be as powerful as 
any other.” 
An arrangement for retarding locomotives, by the admission of steam 
against the pistons, is being introduced by Mr. William Bouch, at the North- 
Eastern Railway Works at Darlington. A pipe leads from the steam space of 
the boiler to a longitudinal pipe, which conveys the steam to branch pipes, 
through which it is admitted into each end of the cylinders at the same time, 
this steam being admitted after the main supply of steam has been shut off 
from the ordinary valve boxes of the cylinders, and when it is necessary to 
retard the progress of the engine or to stop it entirely. The supplementary 
portion of steam fills both ends of the cylinders, and presses against each of 
the pistons alternately, so as to act as a cushion in the to-and-fro movement. 
This mode of retarding the progress of the engine may be used in conjunction 
with the brakes already fitted to act against the wheels, or it may be used 
alone, in which case the entire stoppage of the engine would be under the 
control of the steam cushion. 
The Sand Blast.—Tilghman’s sand blast has, during the past year, created 
considerable sensation in the United States. Its objec is to drill, cut, or 
VOL. Il. (N.S.) 2M 
