The Washington union., 1857-08-19
MepoNAlp.s RAILROAD BRAKE.

peared in late number Of the I,elligencer in rela-
ton to Mr. Mcdonald railroad brake-an admirable
and long Improvement by which all the brakes
Of train are placed completely under the control
of the engineer who requires no help assist
ancc in its management. It's vast superiority over
the brake now in may be inferred from the fact
that while pressure of pounds be applied
by the Mcdonald brake in second of time, thirty
seconds of time consumed in applying pressure
Of only 400 pounds by the former. The important
advantages of quadrupling the retarding power and
applying it almost instantaneously are striking and
appreciable.
This brake has been put upon one of the express
trains of the Richmond, Fredericksburg, and Poto-
mac railroad. After using it for than five
months, examining it thoroughly, and testing its
value in every way, the president of this road pro-
nounces it not only the most perfect of all brakes
but destined to be put in universal use. The presi-
dent also states that the engineers have SO much
confidence in the increased safety of life which it
cures to them that he believes that they be en-
ployed for a considerably lessened compensation.
The brake win shortly be placed upon all the trains
upon this road
A convention to represent the railroad companies
in the United States has been called for the first
Tuesday in,September next, for the purpose of de-
visng means Of decreasing the present enormous ex-
penses of keeping their roads in repair, and of run
ming their trains. We understand that Mr. Mcdonald
has sent invitations to the presidents of these
panes to assemble at Ashland, slash cottage) near
Richmond, Virginia, on Saturday week, previous
! to their convention in New York, TO witness the
working Of his brake. They also invited TO
bring with them experienced engineers, it is the
desire of Mr.. Mcdonald that his invention should be
subjected to the closest scrutiny and the most
tests as he is satisfied from the of those
who have used it that it will not be found wanting
| in any essential particular:
RAILROAD BRAKES.
MEssRs EpIroRs: propose to exhibit somewhat in de-
tail the defects rather the vices of the brake system
now in universal use on all railroads In doing aim
at the useful purpose of supesc6ng murderous system
and substituting therefor the Mcdonald brake recent
invention which affords power of retardaton proper
| toned to the momentum of the train
That the design of this invention may be understood,
ii is necessary first clearly to comprehend the defects of
the ptcseHt system which the new brake is intended to
supply All will agree that he who remedies these de-
fects and gives increased safety to railroads will
plsh an end of infinite usefulness.
The first defect of the present system is that the eng
neer who stands the look out for danger has primary
power in his hands to check the train His is now
secondary power only He sounds the alarm whistle for
brakesmen to do the work.
This most deadly defect of the present brake sys
tenn The power to ward of coming blow should be as
instant perception of the danger The who
sees the peril should therefore, exert this power with
his own hand 1t is obviously bad philosophy which
gives the perception of danger to and imposes
the duty of wareng it off on other and remoter agencies
To this clumsy feature Of the present system may be
traced the great majority of railroad disasters There is
an unavoidable delay in this indirect action and the
time wasted i this manual application of the brake pow
has for thirty years been raught with terrible loss of
human life Long experience has proved this system to
be unequal occasions of collisions of trains of sud-
den obstruction the track and this inefciency,
shall demonstrate results from this tarness of action
in great degree, and also from positive lack of ply
scal retarng power the train under the present sys-
tenn
The admitted untrusness of the present system on
such occasions should condemn it to total abandonment
as soon as brake based approved philosophical prin-
cples and avoiding the papable of the present
brake be offered for adoption This dcsideratum long
and earnestly pursued by railroad men, has been at last
achieved. Angus W. Mcdonald, Of Winchester, yir-
ginia, has invented mode Of operating car brakes
which gives to the engineer primary and perfect power
over all the brakes of the train
BY this invention the engineer is made to be his
brakesman. He gives signals to remote and second
ary agency do his work of imminent necessity. With
his hand and almost instant perception itself he
is enabled clasp every wheel of the entire train with
the truck wheels to gentle pressure of hundred
pounds II places the retardng power directly where il
should be placed The man who the danger is en-
abled to strike it down with his own hand
1t would be out of place in the present article to at
tempt detailed description of the mechanical structure
of this invention The general reader would receive but
vague impressions thererom whilst it would avail but
little to railroad men, in the absence of the drawings and
model Of practical facts however all can Judge
This brake is not crude theory, existing only in model
form and in drawings. In that its chrysas state, it
subjected to the criticism of the most scientific eng
well the most practical machnss of the land
For its simplicity its reliability and its adapteness to its
intended it received the sanction of their approval
It has progressed through all these stages and after
labor of than two years in perectng its mechanical
Details 1t has at length been brought into practical app
cation train of cars
One of the express trains the Richmond FTeericks
burg and Potomac railroad has been equipped with this
Mcdonald brake 1t has been trial for five months,
and has the entire confidence of all the officers OF
that road. 1t is found to transfer the brake power direct
y, and with matpo! force into the hands OF the engi
He controls the Of the train without the
aid of brakesmen, and with pronptitude unknown tc
the present system
! have right, therefore, to speak of the Mcdonald
brake matured system ready for service and, in
point of economy convenience and safety, possessing
great advantages the brake system in
The first step to amendment in such matters must be
travels should be made to understand the inadequate
means provided for his safety All comprehend
the dangers attendant upon the high speed of trains but
not in a thousand is that escape from OBJ
structons and collisions under the existing SYSTEM al
together matter of chance and proydence