Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-05-15
NEW AUTOMATIC AIR-BRAKE.

Recently newly. patented Westenhouse air-
brake was attached to a number OF freight
cars of the Central Pacific Railroad, and last
Thursday train consisting Of twentysix
freight cars, one caboose and two engines,
equipped with thenew brake, left this cityf a
trip lover the hill" to test the invention. This
brake works directly opposite to the Weston
house air.brakes now in use, snd instead of
applying the air when it is wished to stop
the train, it is applied at all times, when the
brake is free, and the moment the pressure is
released the brake is applied with sufficient
force to stop car instantly. It works as
easily and is under as complete control OF the
engineer as the brake now in use, and has the
advantage of stopping car train that
gets beyond the control Of the engineer, be-
sides it is so arranged that by turning cock
at any car the train will be stopped az once,
thus enabling the conductor or brakeman to
stop the train If necessary. All that is
claimed for the new brake was substantiated
by the experiment last week.
The train above mentioned was accompa-
MED by Assistant Superintendent Muir,
Master Car Builder Welcb, Assistant Mas
ter Car Builder Turner, 7. ]. Flanagan. and
Mr.. Frazer, representative OF the West
enhouse Air Brake Company. The two en-
gines drawing the cars had been fitted up
with the new air pumps, which are much
larger than those now in use. On the road
Just above Newcastle, where the grade is log
feet to the mile, the train was climbing the
mountains at speed of about seven miles
per hour, when eight Of the rear cars were
cut off. These cars scarcely moved after they
were detached, while the remainder of the
train came to a stand-still In about eight feet
and without the engineer touching his en-
gine Several other tests were made on the
trip across the mountains. Friday, at Bocs,
the &c cars were loaded with wood, and Sat
urday morning the party with the train left
Truckee on the return. On the way to the
Summit the air tube was opened at the rear
of the train, and the engineers soon found
that they had more than they could move
On this side of the mountains several tests
were made. At point near Shady
Run, the sharpest descent on the
road GIG feet to the mile)
an attempt was made to cut the train into
three portions. 1t was running at the rate of
about twenty-five miles per hour. The brake
man stationed between the sixth and seventh
cars from the rear pulled the coupling. pin,
but the one nearer the front of the train
could not break the connection on account of
the sudden application of the brakes. The
six cars and caboose that were detached ran
sixty yards, stopping in ten seconds. The
front portion of the traIp, consisting of
twenty loaded cars and two engines, not
withstand the great momentum which it
must have had owing to the speed. and the
grade, came to a dead stop in 800 yards.
The next test was about half mile this side
of Penryn. where the train was running at
rate of little more than thirty miles per
hour, and down grade of los feet to the
mile. Here the train was cut directly in the
middle. From the time the coupling pin
was pulled until the rear portion of the train
stopped was thirty-fve seconds. it having run
7SS feet The front portion-thirteen cars
and two engines-ran l, lis feet, and stopped
in fifty-fye seconds.
The entire trip and every test was pro-
nounced satisfactory. 1t is understood to be
the intention Of the railroad company to at
tach these brakes to all their cars, about
1000 in number, as soon as practicable.