46 RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION. 



course, it is quite possible and, indeed, in many places it is 

 customary to pin down some of the side-lever brakes before 

 commencing the descent, but once pinned down the brakes can- 

 not be eased or taken off until the entire train is brought to a 

 stand. 



Every goods waggon should be fitted with a brake, and it 

 would be of immense value if that brake could in all cases be 

 applied and controlled when the train is in motion. 



The American type of long goods waggon, with a four-wheel 

 bogie-truck at each end, is fitted with a brake very similar to 

 those adopted on the ordinary horse tram-cars. On the top of 

 the waggon a horizontal iron hand- wheel, about 18 inches in 

 diameter, is fixed on to a strong vertical iron rod, which works 

 in brackets, and extends down below the underside of waggon 

 framing. One end of a short length of chain is secured to the 

 foot of the vertical rod, and the other end is connected by light 

 iron rods to the series of levers which pull on the brake-blocks. 

 By rotating the horizontal hand-wheel the chain is coiled round 

 the lower end of the vertical rod, the brake-levers are pulled 

 over, and brake-pressure applied to the wheels of the waggon. 

 The brakesman is supplied with a convenient seat and footboard, 

 and on the floor-level of the latter there is a pawl and ratchet 

 attached to the vertical rod, which permits the brakes to be 

 applied to the extent required. The pawl retains the brakes in 

 position until the brakesman with his foot pushes the pawl out 

 of the notch of the rachet and releases the brake gearing, which 

 is at once pulled off quite clear by strong bow-strings attached 

 to the framework of the bogies. 



This type of hand-brake is, perhaps, the simplest that can be 

 made. The brakesman has merely to put it on, the pawl and 

 ratchet keep it on, and the bow springs take it off when no 

 longer required. Each one of these long, loaded goods waggons 

 becomes a very serviceable brake-van, and for ascending and 

 descending steep inclines all that is necessary is to take on a 

 few additional brakesmen to manage the brakes of as many 

 suitable waggons. These incline brakesmen, after going down, 

 can return to the summit by the next ascending train, their 

 small weight being a mere nothing as compared with that of 

 special or extra brake-vans. 



On some European lines it is the custom to sprag some of 

 the goods waggon wheels when going down exceptionally steep 



