The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-11-14

fitted up car to be used as a school
for the complete education of it's brake
men regarding the complicated system
in vogue for stopping and signaling
trains. After going through a course
of instruction the brakeman who grad
yates from thus novel travelling school
will not only be able to use the appli-
ances for the quick stopping of trains
with skill, but will know the precise
way in which the machinery works,
and in an emergency will be able 10
remedy a defect in the apparatus.
The interior of the school car is
fitted up in the most elaborate style.
1t is 81 feet long inside, is finished in
ash and walnut and divided into two
compartments. One of these is a re-
ception room and office, containing
desk, chairs, wardrobe, toilet and car
pet. In the other compartment is 10
Gated the lecture room. Here are the
air brake and signaling appliances,
constituting the total equipment of two
trains; also one passenger and six
freight car equipments Each equip
ment is seuarated by windows, so that
a class can be called on any particular
subject without interfering with the
other classes. Directly over each ap-
pliance is a large photograph indi-
eating the design of vehicle the appli-
ance is for.
The pump from which the air is OBJ
tanned to work the brakes is at the
opposite end of the car. All the valves
are cut in sections, mounted on Dedes-
tails, and SO arranged that the pupils
can obtain the most minute under
standing of the manner in which they
work. There are also working models
of all the latest improved devices, so
/ that having carefully studied the ap-
! pliances in sections, the would-be
/ brakeman can turn 10 the models and
! see the brake in operation.
In a large case are six blackboards,
! each containing working diagrams OF
ali the air valves ana pump valves
which are used in the elementary les
sors
The car is equipped with Pintsch gas
fixtures having four flame lamps in the
! body of the car, and two side bracket
lamps. There is a water tank, gas re-
ceivers, and al! the varied machinery
of a properly equipped car. so that
every detail of a brakeman's duty can
be thoroughly explained and practi
cally demonstrated.
| The plan of operating the car is to
have it go from one division to another
so that after the hands of one section
of the road have been thoroughly edu
Gated and the novices broken in. those
in another section can have the advan
tage of the instruction. Every employee
| of the road is requested to attend the
lectures as often as possible. as it IS
! assumed that at some time or another
the obstruction given him will be
handy and useful in the working of the
road.
In the design of the car the aim has
been not only to have the apparatus of
instruction completely and conveniently
Portable for those giving and those re-
ceiving instruction. Attention has
therefore been paid to light, ventilation
and seating capacity, and those in at
tendance are not obliged to stand
crowded together during the lecture,
and to endure the heat of the
boiler as well as the inconvenience
of standing.
The advantage to be gained from the
institution of the brake-school car is
inestimable A brakeman graduating
from the classes given in the car will
be able to do a deal more than the
merely mechanical work of using the
brake He will understand the man
agement of train from the locomotive
to the running gear, and will be capable
of taking any post on the train should
some unforeseen accident compel him to
assume q position of responsibility.
Every man who passes the examination
that viii be held in cOnnectiC-l with the
classes viii go to his work with the
confidence of knowledge, inasmuch as
he will understand the exact meaning
of every mechanical part of train
and, whea operating the brake in the
regular lae of duty, he viii know 40
an ounce how much pressure is needed,
and what the effect will be. With a
crew of such men as these, the passeng-
ers on a modern flyer of the rails will
feel IS safe as any travellers in these
swift times can.
But London, is going America one
better in the way of doing away en-
tirely with even the necessity Of an
air brake In the new underground
road which is now being built it viii
be possible to stop any train by elec-
tricity at a moments warning. The
current Will be sent through the tun-
neis by a copper cable conductor, Which
will be insulated clear of the rails. This
. cable passes through ali the sigma
boxes, so that the current can be cu1
off Instantly should emergency arise
The motor in front of each train viii
pick up the current by means OF
brushes which slide over the cable
Thus the necessary electricity will be
collected as the trains go along, ant
there will be no need for accumulators