TRANSACTIONS OF SECTION G. 769 



FBI I) AY, SEPTEMBER \?>. 

 Tbt> following Report and Papers were read : — 



1. Report on the Resistance of Road Vehicles to Traction. 

 See Reports, p. 402. 



2. Railivay Rolling Stock, Present and Future. 

 By Norman D. Macdonald, Advocate. 



In this paper the discussion is confined to rolling stock as used, and as likely 

 to be used, in Great Britain, only touching upon the progress in other countries 

 so far as it can be used to illustrate or provide hints for our future. Nor does 

 it dwell on the present state of the art except so far as to show the future 

 tendency. An attempt is made to raise points for thought and discussion rather 

 than to give a lecture on the subject or to lay down laws and principles. 



First, locomotives are treated on, and these under the various heads of 

 shunting, mineral, goods, suburban, and express. Suggestions are made as to the 

 best types for each in future, and the class of demands they will have to answer to. 

 The question of compound versus simple is looked at, and also the matters of steam 

 pressures, types of boilers, compensating levers (with special reference to the 

 method in use on the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad for throwing 

 extra weight on the drivers), water tubes, arrangements of fire-boxes, and all the 

 details necessary to produce an efficient and powerful machine on our confined 

 gauge. The various points observed at the Paris Exhibition for gettino- more 

 power are touched upon. Also the modifications of designs necessary to obtainino- 

 ii clear view ahead when a huge boiler is used. Reference is made to the use of 

 auxiliary electric locomotives on grades. The various types, ' four-coupled,' ' ten- 

 wheeled,' and ' Atlantic ' for express locomotives are discussed. But in the whole 

 paper no attempt is made to be technical or to descend to mere details. Loco- 

 motive tenders are brietly touched on with reference to track-tanks and their uses. 



Next, passenger coaches are dealt with, including all questions of couplers, 

 brakes, heating, and ventilation. The various types of trains and coaches — suburban, 

 ordinary local, and express ; sleeping cars (first and third), dining cars, buffet cars, 

 kitchen cars, and a new type for suburban trains, with references to United States 

 Russian, and Continental practice and progress — are fully discussed. The comino- 

 competition of electric trams and motor-cars for suburban traffic compels the con- 

 sideration of new types of rolling stock for competitive purposes. Ilio-h-speed 

 brakes for special stock are touched on. 



Lastly, goods and mineral waggons claim attention, and in regard to these 

 economical transport in larger units, couplers, continuous brakes, and all the 

 various questions of quick handling and quick transport are looked at. A cross 

 between United States and British practice is advocated, and the examples of such 

 from the colonies are adduced in illustration. 



3. The Panama Canal. By P. BuNAu Varilla. 



4. On a Leaf-arrestor, or Apparatus for removing Leaves^ dc.,from a 

 Water Supply. By The Earl of Rosse. 



Having recently erected a turbine of 16 h.p., with 8-foot fall, for working an 

 electric light installation at Birr Castle, I found, as I had anticipated, considerable 

 trouble through leaves, &c., choking the screen in the water supply, so much so 

 that during the fall of the leaf last autumn the output was generally reduced to 

 one half in the course of half or three-quarters of an hour's working unattended, 

 notwithstanding that the area of the screen was nearly a hundred square feet. 



