CONTINUO US RAIL WA Y BRAKES. 35 



ENGINEERING. 



CONTINUOUS RAILAA/AY BRAKES. 



We find in Engineering, of January 5tli, a series of diagrams and tables 

 illustrating the competitive trials of the Westinghouse Automatic, and 

 Smith's Yacuum Brakes, upon the North Britisli Eailway, under the direc- 

 tion of Mr. Drummond, general manager. 



While it is impossible to reproduce the diagrams here, we will give some 

 of the more important results, as shown by the tables, premising that the 

 prominent essentials of an efficient continuous railway brake are prompt- 

 ness of action, the power to bring a train to a state of rest in the shortest 

 time, and the ability to be self-acting in case of separation of a train, and 

 that in these trials "the trains were about of equal weight, the engines ex- 

 actly alike, the brake blocks applied to the wheels in the same manner, the 

 percentage of weights not retarded by the direct application of the brake 

 blocks nearly the same in each case, and the trains run on the same day, 

 under uniform conditions of weather, while the results were taken in pre- 

 cisely the same way on each train, in a way which met with the acqui- 

 escence and approval of the representatives of both systems alike." 



TEST NUMBER 1, 



Smith's Vacuum Brake: 



Boiler pressure on applying ejector 138 pounds 



" " on shutting off ejector 138 " 



Vacuum 17 inches 



Westinghouse Automatic Brake : 



Pressure in air reservoir 85 pounds 



'HEST NUMBER 2. 



Smith's Vacuum Brake: 



Boiler pressure on applying ejector 144 pounds 



" " on shutting off ejector 144 " 



Vacuum 18 inches 



Westinghotise Automatic Brake : 



Pressure in air reservoir , 90 pounds 



TEST NUMBER 3. 

 Smith's Vacuum Brake: 



Boiler pressure on applying ejector 140 pounds 



" " on shutting off ejector 137 " 



Vacuum 17 inches 



Westinghotise Automatic Brake : 



Pressure in air reservoir '. 90 pounds 



TEST KUMBER 4. 

 Smith's V'cuum Brake: 



Boiler pressure on applying ejector 144 pounds 



" " ■ on shutting off ejector 142 " 



Vacuum 18 inches 



Westinghouse Automatic Brake : 



Pressure in air reservoir. Q?! pounds 



