17'2 



CONTINUOUS RAILWAY BRAKKS. 



to tho safety of travolUnfi in a groat measure ; and the 

 Board of Trade deserve the credit of having from the hrst 

 taken up a strong and unassailable position upon this most 

 important question. 



Tho following are the "Board of Trade Eequirementa 

 relating to Kailway Continuous Brakes," as sot forth m 

 the circular to the railway companies, dated August 30th, 

 1877 :— 



BOARD OP TRADE REQUIREMENTS. 



(a) Tho brakes to be ofiicient in stopping trains, instan- 

 taneous in their action, and capable of being applied without 

 difRculty by engine-drivers or guards. 



(h) In case of accident, to be instantaneously self-acting. 

 • („) Tho brakes to be put on and taken off with facility 

 on the engine and every vehicle of a train. 



{d) The brakes to bo regularly used in daily working. 



(e) The materials employed to be of a durable character, 

 so as to be easily maintainod and kept in order. 



The iirst three of these "requirements" are those which 

 bear directly upon tho action of the brake mechanism ; on 

 this account the author proposes describing a number of the 

 brake systems which are in extensive use, and othors which 

 though now discarded, have until recently been in general 

 use He proposes further to consider in what respect those 

 which hold the field comply with tho above requirements, 

 and how far they may be considered as successful solutions 

 of tho brake problem, and in what respect tho systems dis- 

 carded have failed to moot the requirements of the Board of 



Trade. 



PART II. 



The author has now arrived at tho second portion of his 

 paper ; viz., the consideration of tho brakes themselves, and 



