The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-01-23
COMPRESSED AIR.
An Atmospheric Railway Was Tried
in England Years Ago.


The increased interest IN compressed air
as a means of transmitting power calls to
mind the atmospheric railway" tried in
England nearly fifty years ago. The first
road was on an extension of the Dublin and
kngstoWn Railway and was one and three
quarter miles long. The curves were very
numerous and sharp, while the grades
ranged from / foot rise in length OF lis
feet to in 81. A pipe 10 inches in diameter
was laid between the rails, within which
was piston. shaped very much like one of
the modern cOnical proiectiles used with
high power guns. This piston was attached
TO the car and when the air was
exhausted In front of It the car was
propelled by the atmospheric pressure
behind, whence the name, atmospheric
railway" long roo projected behind the
piston and WAS furnished with four upright
wheels, one behind the other, of somewhat
larger diameter than the tube. The tops of
the first two wheels projecting through the
continuous slit lifted the leather covering
Just IN front OF the arm connecting the piston
and leading car in the train. The other two
wheels held this covering up sufficiently to
iEsuTe plentiful supply OF air behind the
piston. The covering was a long strip of
leather attached to one side of tho slit and
fitting over 1t in channel formed by two
ribs cast on the upper side OF the
tube. Behind this apparatus came
a small roller for lightly pressing
down the valve into place ard also
a long narrow copper vessel containing
burning charcoal. This passed along the
top of the valve, and was intended to seal
the covering alright by means OF comD0-
slti0n OF wax and taliow. A verticle engine
with cylinder thirty-four and half inches
in diameter and sIxty-six inches stroke
working under pressure OF forty pounds,
We set up at the higher terminus of the
lima
the road was undoubtedly successful at
first. three small coaches full of passengers
being sucked" up the hill at the rate of
forty miles an hour. The down trains
were run by gravity
The cost Of motive power was stated to be
trfie over IA cents per car mile, or iDelud-
ing maintenance Of way IS cents. The
interest on the outlay was quite large, how
ever, as was subsequently determined
Encouraged by the success of the line. a
double track from London to CROYDON was
built on this principle a few years later.
The road was ten and half miles long and
was operated from four pumping stations.
In working the road the second pump
in advance Of the train was started
as well as the one Immediately ahead.
in order that the tube mghtbe exhausted in
readiness. Directly the train passed n
pump it was stopped. The line worked
we'll for while. but the sealing arrange
ments for rendering the pipe alright
proved deficient and the best engineers of
the time could not suggest any successful
remedies. After some time the train would
go like a sky-rocbet on one part OF the line
and have to be hauled along with ropes or a
locomotive in another.
Once when the road broke down. Sir
Francis Head WAS among the passengers
forced to leave the train and walk to Croy-
don, which lead him to declare that
1.-THE railway had tainted away" This
phrase became popular, and the announce
ment of the decease of the system i'm The
Mechanics Magazine for May Is. 1917.
reads as follows: Scientific Obituary. De-
parted this life at Croydon OF the 10th inst.
Miss Yacuana Airy, the celebrated fainfing
lady She had never been perfectly we'll
and latterly was reduced to a most pitiful
state OF weakness. Her lips, which we're
ever open. gasping for air, are now alas,
sealed forever"