Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1858-10-13


In company with small party ot gentle
men actively eDg.ged 10 railway OPERATIONS
We went out on the Boston and " orcester
Railway, on Tuesday last, 70, the purpose OF
witnessing the operation Of an improvement
for operating car brakes, invented by L. VI.
Smith, esq, OF Alexandra, Va. This ar
raogemept has been in daily snd success!u oil
use on the Ssxonvile train tor several weeks.
After proceeding DOT few miles, during tie
passage OF which the train had been stopped
several times by the steam operator, N.
Parker, esq, the well known Ci7i! Engineer,
and for many years Superintendent OF the
Worcester Road, and the Baltimore ard
Ohio Road, gave the party present shoE'
and plain account of the operation and ap-
p!ics,on of the brake. MIR. Phrker's de-
scription of the machine was substantially
as follows:
"underneath the foot board Of the engine
is placed a steam cyiioder, the piston roll 81
which projects backward. Steam being al
mitted int the cylinder, the piston Is propel'
led and rs motion communicated throuSo
sbe whole length OF the tram 20 what are
called pushers, one Of which Is hung direct
" beneath the draw bar at each end oi every
car, and Ia connected with It's fellow on the
other end Of the same car By chains passing
over pulles and an intermediate continuous
rod of irou--wltb these chains are connected
by other chains OF rods, the usual brake is-
| yets which press up the brakes.
"rhe particular claim 1t the patensee IS inc
contrivance, very simple aud co1piete, by
which the ends OF the pushers are always
made to shit forward and back with the
buffer ends Of the draw-tars as the tram
elougates or sbortens, and thus kept 10 con
tact under all circumstances with the push
ers OF the next car so as to transmit lrOni
car to car ins;antaacously the force gwen 10
the piston in the admission OF steam Dy the
Engioeer
The particular advantage claimed tyr the
invention is tho application Of tbs power OF
steam directly TO the brakes, the SIZE OF the
cylinder being the only limit 10 it power
thin that at which tue wheels slide. The
cylinder DOW in use Is eleven inches IN
diameter. fifteen !uches stroke, and IL
thought large enough for the present puF-
pose. Besides the above advantage. the
operation is complete for each Cur. When
the cars are united it is ready to be opera
ted; and when they are separated, 1t Is dis
connected at the same time"
1t will be seen that the apparatus ls ex-
treme!y simple, anu from what We saw OF II,
We have 10 hesitation in saying pracuca!.--
Ii works the common brakes ut all the stop
piugs, BY the steam Of the locomotive, aud
the amount Of power applied can be gradGa,
ted as the wants OF the train demand. IL
use enables the company to dispense with
the expense of brakemen entirely. 10 hand
power being required. the train was re-
peatedly stopped with great pr0mptness
when going at different degrees OF speed,
and we believe the general feeling Of those
present was that the experiment WAS quite
successful. There Is 10 reason why steam
power should not be used to contro! the
movements OF tie train az ali stopPinss, AMI
ia emergencies it is Of the greatest conse-
queuce. Here you have all the requisite
power, and the immediate application Of that
power equally distributed throughout tie
trains. There is no whistiing up the drowsy
brakeman, when second Of time lost or "a
yed il OF such vital consequence as IN the
case Of s0ne obstruction Oh the track or Z
bridge draw open. When the emergency Is
seen By the englne-man the brakes can be
applied immediately. This Invention or
SOM thing like 1t. ought TO succeed. Tie
same power which il used TO hurl the tram
forward with such velocity should be applied
to control the momentum of the train WHEN
eve: it is required. The expense Of the
Steam Ger Brake Oprrat0r. We UNDERSTAND d.,
is quite moderate -imericdn RaiACad Times.