412 



SCIENCE. 



[Vol. XIII. No. 330 



Both brake and release circuits are normally open ; but magnets The engine plant is light and portable, and can at any time be 



Q and g'are in closed circuits with one or two cells, and so located 

 that if the circuit T B should be broken by the train accidentally 

 separating, the armatures P" and P"' instantly fall, and automati- 

 cally close the circuits on the conductors C and B, thus applying 

 the brake to both sections of the train automatically. 



transferred from one . locomotive to another by two men in a 

 few minutes' time. 



On May 21 a trial of this brake took place on the Lehigh Valley 

 Railway. The train consisted of fourteen empty box-cars equipped 

 with the brake, engine, tender, caboose, and one passenger-car 



C O ^< I ^ B^ -^ 



It will be seen that a very small amount of electrical energy is 

 required, by the introduction of the compound levers and friction 

 gear, multiplied several hundred times before it reaches the brake- 

 beams. 



The inventors claim that this brake will perform all the functions 

 of the air-brakes, and has the very important advantages that the 

 train-men never lose control of it, as is the case with the air-brake, 

 when a train is accidentally separated, and also that it will stop the 

 longest train with no shock whatever. 



without the brake. A run was made from Mauch Chunk to Slat- 

 ington, a distance of eleven miles, and return. On the down trip 

 twelve stops were made on grades varying from seven feet to forty 

 feet per mile. The results of a number of tests were as follows : 

 the first test, service stop for orders, smooth even stop ; second, 

 service stop at Mr. Lentz's office, smooth even stop ; third, break- 

 away, brakes applied automatically (speed, 25 miles), stopped in 17 

 seconds ; fourth, brakes applied from the top of the car (speed 25 

 miles), stopped in 20 seconds ; fifth, emergency stop (speed 35 

 miles), in 17 seconds ; sixth, emergency stop, 6 cars in front only, 

 braked (speed, 20 miles), in 25 seconds ; seventh, long-service stop 

 (speed, 30 miles), in 11 seconds; eighth, slow-up to 5 miles an 

 hour, and go ahead ; ninth, short-service stop (speed, 25 miles), in 

 38 seconds ; tenth, emergency stop (speed, 30 miles), in 20 seconds ; 

 eleventh, fly cars into siding ; twelfth, emergency stop (speed, 35 

 miles), in 22 seconds. 



The eighth, " slow-up," was a good even partial stop, with quick 

 release of brakes, when ordered to go ahead. The eleventh, " fly 

 car on to siding," was particularly well done, and the control of 

 the brake-power from the caboose was very favorably commented 

 on. The return trip was made during a shower. Several emer- 



