1854] 



NEW ALL'S RAILWAY BREAK. 



151 



'file Vunadiaii Journal t'oslupo Free. 



The Members of the Canadian Institute and the Subscribers to the 

 Journal, will be glad to be informed that for the future no charge -will 

 be made for the transmission of the Canadian Journal through the 

 Post to any part of Canada. We believe we are correct in stating that 

 this boon has been obtained through the instrumentality of the Hon. 

 Malcolm Cameron. Such an encouraging instance of the desire of the 

 members of the Government to favour by every legitimate means the 

 claims of Science and Literature, will surely induce increasing exertions 

 on the part of those who wish to witness the progress of Canada in 

 scientific and ]jractical knowledge, keep pace with the increase of its 

 commercial wealth and the extension of its political importance. 



Second Trial of Ne wall's Railway Break. 



The second trial trip on the East Lancashire Railway, for testing 

 the efficiency of this break was more systematically conducted, and 

 its results have been ascertained with greater accuracy. 



A much larger train was used than on the present occasion, consist- 

 ing of 10 carriages, besides the locomotive and tender, eight of which 

 had breaks attached. Length of train, 86 yards ; weight, 88 tons, ex- 

 clusive ef the passengers. Order of carriages attached to engine and 

 tender : — 1, Van with break; 2, second-class carriage with break ; 3, 

 composite carriage with break ; 4, composite with break ; 5, second- 

 class carriage with break ; 6 and 7, first and second-class carriages 

 without break ; 8 and 9, two composites, each with breaks ; van with 

 break. Of the nature of the apparatus it is only necessary to repeat 

 that a shafting with connecting rods stretches along over the top of 

 the entire train, from the elbow of the engine driver to the hand of the 

 guard behind (with flexible joints and sockets to accommodate curves, 

 expansions, or contractions of the train), and that it is in the power of 

 either of these, or of any one servant on the train, whichever may have 

 the greatest presence of mind, on the alarm of danger, to apply the 

 whole of the breaks in a moment. The trial ground extended over the 

 30 miles of rail between Manchester and Blackburn ; the experiments 

 being seven with the new breaks, and two with the old breaks, for the 

 sake of comparison. 



First Experiment. — On a slight curve on a down incline of 1 in 532 

 at Within's-lane, between Rateliffe and Bury, the speed attained when 

 the fog signal for putting on breaks exploded, beiug 38 miles per hour 

 — the train was brought to a complete stand in 218 yards. Rails rather 

 slippery, owing to a fog. 



Second Experiment. — On a level at the station at Bury. Speed 40 

 miles per hour. Train brought up in 100 yards : in other words, the 

 train r?,u only 14 yards beyond its own length after the signal was 

 given to put on the breaks. 



Third Experiment. — On a descending gradient of 1 in 38, down the 

 first part of the Accrington-bank, 21 miles north of Manchester. Speed 

 40 miles per hour. Train pulled up in 450 yards. 



Fourth Experiment. — On lower portion of Accrington-bank, with a 

 descending gradient of 1 in 40, speed 48 miles per hour. Train 

 brought np in 371 yards. This experiment was regarded as highly 

 satisfactory. The rails were rather slippery, and the weight of the 

 engine was unfavourable to the experiment, the locomotive being a 

 ponderous one, made for goods trains, and not having breakage power 

 to the tender sufficient to stop itself on such an incline, a fact showing 

 how much the engine had dragged at the train after the patent breaks 

 had exerted force enough to have stopped it, was seen in the draw- 

 bars of most of the foremost carriages being drawn out from 10 to 20 

 inches. It was a matter of surprise to some of the old servants accus- 

 tomed to work trains down this bank that a train at such a speed 

 could be stopped by any possible means. 



Fifth Experiment. — On the straight and level run at the Blackburn 

 station. Speed 48 miles per hour ; rails dry. Train stopped in 172 

 yards. 



To witness the last and following experiments the company had 

 alighted and stood on the station platform. The train was taken a few 

 miles back each time towards Accrington, in order that a very high 

 speed might be attained. A fog signal on the rails at the middle of 

 the station was the notice to apply the breaks. 



Sixth Experiment. — Speed 40 miles per hour. Stopped in 138 

 yards, or about 14 seconds of time. 



Seventh Experiment. — Speed 56 miles per hour. Stopped in 310 

 yards. (The actual distance run by this train was 328 yards ; but, as 

 the last 128 yards were on a decline of 1 in 110, the 18 yards were 

 deducted for the sake of a comparison with the previous experiments, 

 to allow for extra gravitation.) 



Eight Experiment — For this experiment two of the patent break 

 wheel carriages were taken off, and two other carriages were substi- 

 tuted with the old or ordinary breaks. The train then came into the 

 station at a speed of 42 miles per hour. There were two guards, and 

 each applying a break, and the driver applying the break to the ten- 

 der, the stoppage of the train was entrusted to these three- The train 

 went a distance of 663 yards before a stoppage could be effected. Al- 

 lowing 43 yards for the disadvantage of the slight incline, over the last 

 463 yards, the distance was agreed to be taken at 620. By a calcula- 

 tion made on the spot, it was held that, comparing the speed of this 

 train with the previous one, it ought to have been stopped in 180 

 yards instead of 683. In other words, the balance in tafrour of the 

 new break train, as compared with a train having ordinary breaks, 

 was the difference between 180 and 620. 



Ninth Experiment. — This was the last trial made, and it was agreed 

 to try the train with one ordinary break in addition to the engine 

 driver's break. Speed 40 miles per hour. Stopped in 861 yards ; or, 

 allowing 61 yards for extra gravitation after reaching the incline, the 

 distauce was taken at 800 yards. 



Taking the last experiment in comparison with the sixth, we have 

 two trains at equal speed (40 miles), and the one is brought to a stand 

 by a single person with the new apparatus in 133 yards, while the 

 other runs 800 yards before it is stopped by the exertions of two per- 

 sons, the guard and driver. The scientific and practical men present, 

 without exception, expressed themselves highly gratified with the re- 

 sults. Mr. Fairbairn said, without pledging himself after an inspec- 

 tion such as had now been afforded to an approval of every detail of 

 the invention, he would say that, so far as he could see, it was a very 

 successful one, and he thought it was likely to lead to a change that 

 was not important to this company alone, but to the locomotion of the 

 whole kingdom. It had one important feature — that it conld throw 

 the whole weight of compression by the breaks on every carnage and 

 every wheel of the train at once. 



It was stated that a train with the new apparatus had been on this 

 Hue from the 15th September, travelling a total of 5,874 miles, and 

 making 2,856 stoppages, without the machinery once getting deranged 

 or requiring repair, and that the wheels of the carriages in the time 

 were little worn, while those with the ordinary breaks would have 

 beeu worn flat in places to an extent requiring 3-8ths of an inch turn- 

 ing off by the lathe, in diameier, to bring them round, or into shape 

 again. The power of the breaks has been known on a level line to. 

 bring a train to a stand, in spite of the tractile power of the engine 

 with full steam on. Another advantage observed was, that the new 

 apparatus gives perfect communication between guard and driver, as 

 the break need only be applied in a modified degree to attract the no- 

 tice of either ; or, if this was not enough, a bell attached would render 

 the communication more complete. It has been suggested that, as 

 there are periodical meetings of all the great railw ay authorities in 

 London, their attention should be culled to the new agent, and that 

 the train might be sent up the London and North-Western line to ena- 

 ble them to test it. 



Obituary. 



LMed, at his residence on Ann Street, December 7, Hugh Scobib, Esq. 



The loss which Canada has sustained by the untimely death of this 

 enterprising man, will be better understood if we enumerate a few of 

 his works: He was Editor and Proprietor of the Daily Cohnist; the 

 Briiisli Colonist; the News of the Week; the Canadian Almanac (an 

 edition of 40,000 copies); Publisher of the Canadian Journal; the 

 Municipal Manual for Upper Canada; of numerous Charts of the Great 

 Lakes; Plans of Cities and Towns; Maps of the Districts of Canada; 

 Maps of the Western and Eastern Divisions of Upper Canada; and a 

 large number of Educational Works. He was the third son of Captain 

 James Scobie, ol the 83rd Highlanders, and, at the time of his death, 

 was only in his 43rd year. The citizens of Toronto manifested the 

 well-merited esteem they entertained for the deceased when living, 

 and their painful regret at his death, by closing their places of business 

 during the progress of a very numerous procession, which attended 

 his remains to the grave. 



