The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-12-29

The old Car-storping Devices are Now
I-.nln.s.


Useless.
The ir.portance OF substituting power
brakes for hand brakes on street cars is
now recognized by all the authorities on
the subject. in no other way could so
many lives which are now SACRIFICED 10y
the delay in bringing trolley cars 10
standstil be- saved.
Two forms of power brakes are no" d"
tentative use in this country. one Is
modined air brake Of the Westinghouse
pattern, supplied with air pressure Joy
small pump attached 10 one of the aNles
~ the car This pump is automatic DO IT'S
action. and Ills the air reservoir as ol''h
AS No. essary, being thrown )ut OF gear rs
.-oon as the desired pressure ls fe-calap-
lished.
one Of these brakes is now hxed upon "a
Tenth Avenue cable car. and gives great
satisfaction 20 the gripman, VINO saves
strength and is not diverted from he'plh-
"a sharp lookout hy the continual htcts-
eitv of pulling and hauling az his hama
brake. These air brakes OF ano'her pat-
term. are also 20 bee found on the cars OF
me Rrooklyn Bridge. where they give the
eripman ample time to express their IN
dlrercnce TO the comfort OF nerves OF
me old-fashioned horse car weighed
between 400 and 5000 pounds. the latest
trolley or cable car may weigh az mucl
as 1869 pounds. and usually weighs l-'.''
mounds In addition 10 the weight OF III,
car itself. the weight OF the PASSENGER
must bee taken into consideration. mus
"a loaded horse car weighs about l''Vr
pounds and loaded trolley or cable car
5000 pounds. A.,
The speed of trolley and cable cars Is
greater than that OF horse cars. Inc
usual speed of horse car is six miles an
hour. OF a cable car. under faNofapie
circumstances. eight or nine miles an
hour: OF trolley car-where there Is no
check on the m0t0rman-tweiVe or tlli-
teen miles an hour.
Some interesting calculations are made
IN a recent issue Of the Street Railway
Journal. showing the amount OF brake
force which has TO be exerted in order
10 stop a street car Of each kind.
THUS, a horse car Weighing, with It's
passengers. 10000 pounds, and travelling
at a speed Of SIX miles an hour. requires
work to stop IL equal 30 the raising Oh
six tons one foot high.
An electric car travelling at q rate OF
twenty miles an hour and weighing z'v'
pounds. with lis passengers. requires a
force 10 be exerted equal TO the raising OF
10 tons one foot high. In other woroS'
while the weight OF the cars has been
doubled. the brake power necessary 10
stop them has had 10 be Increased much
more than double.
with the old-fashioned hand brake on
a horse car going al average speed about
one second elapsed before the brake shoe
touched the wheel. During the time re-
quird for taking up the slack of the
brake. the car would have gone ten feet.
With a new brake shoe. or when the slack
happens 10 be very small. the time oc-
cupied in bringing the brake shoe In con-
tact with the wheel may be a little less
than a second.
With cars dra WI by mechanical power
the amount Of work thrust on the grip
man or mOtorman n using the mana
brake is equivalent TO braking ten horse
ears. This is neither fair TO the e.ipmah
nor 10 the public.
With the great distance run by the car
In second II Is evident that the applica-
ton OF the brakes. IN an emergency stop
at least, should DO as nearly instantaneous