EXPERIMENTS ON THE OLDHAM INCLINE. 
No. 1 BREAK. 
No. 2 BREAK. 
N nmber of 
Expirriment 
Velocity of 
train in feet 
per second. 
Time of 
stopping 
in seconds. 
Distance of 
stopping 
in yards. 
V elocity of 
train in feet 
per second. 
Time of 
stopping 
in seconds. 
Distance of 
stopping 
in yards. 
1 
25.71 
14 
28.1 
25.71 
13 
153 
2 
30.00 
16 
336 
30.00 
13 
250 
3 
37.50 
17 
459 
37.50 
14 
360 
4 
42.85 
25 
608 
41.37 
15 
499 
5 
42.85 
14 
371 
40.66 
12 
326 
6 
48.38 
19 
663 
48.38 
25 
739 
7 
52.94 
17 
545 
50.00 
17 
575 
Reducing the results here tabulated to a common standard, 
they are found to agree more nearly than at first sight might 
seem likely. The mean retarding force exerted by the breaks 
was 125 lbs. per ton weight of the carriages. In these 
experiments the line was wet and greasy from a thick fog. 
The next experiments were made at Southport, on a level 
line, and upon a dry and frosty day. The mean retardation 
of the breaks was 298 lbs. per ton weight of the carriages. 
The experiments on flap breaks in fine and dry weather 
gave a retardation of 424 lbs. per ton. 
The experiments on slide breaks gave a mean retardation 
of 425 lbs. per ton. 
Hence we may take the mean retardation of these breaks, 
in dry weather, at 382 lbs. per ton weight of the carriages to 
which they are applied. This indicates a higher efficiency 
than that of breaks ordinarily in use, which do not give a 
greater retardation in similar circumstances than about 300 to 
320 lbs. per ton. 
Where the rails are wet, however, the retardation is reduced 
by one-half nearly, and if the weather is foggy and the rails 
in consequence greasy, the retardation may not amount to 
more than one-fourth of wliat it would have been in dry 
weather. 
Now, taking a case in which there would be nearly a 
