The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-10-14
c.6o. rRATEILiNG SCHOOL.
ItsPurpess is to Teach Engineers How TO
Use the Air Brake Properly.


LEXINGTON, KY. Oct. IA travel
ling school house Is one Of the curiosities
of modern ralroadng. IT is a queer
schoolhouse and it cost $1,000 TO build.
1t is filed with levers. air chambers
cylinders. whistles. gauges. valves. cords
and pipes. and al one end is an upright
steam boiler and air pump. used In com
pressing the air with which the appara-
tus Is operated.
40 children attend this school. Many
Of the pupils are grizzled. grimy veterans
who have been railroading for years.
Others are younger men, and there Is
small sprinklng Of boys from sixteen
wears old up. They are taught by a
regular professor, q graduate OF a me-
chanical college. His pupils nave no
hooks. They listen while he talks and
watch while he demonstrates the work
ines Of the air brake. His classes are
usually held from till II o'clock In the
morning and from tlll o'clock az
night. so that Ne can have for pupils the
railroad men who have recently come IN
of their runs.
The air brake is tho ono subject taught.
From fifteen 10 twenty-five pupils VIII
crowd into the Small space on the side
of the middle Of the room not occupied
bv apDaratus The professor Is usually
ian his shirt sleeves and hare-headcd. for
the atmosphere I'm the room Is alWays
from % 20 no degrees made 80 by the
steam boiler. The professor has only
one book. and while he Is delivering MS
lectures and talking about the possibli-
tics as well as the troubles Of the air
brake he keeps this book in the mp
uOck.t OF his trousers After his lee
fure is over he takes 10 out. and il -
then found 10 le only small blank
hook. In this he writes the names OF
tho rnonbrrs OF the class before him. lie
will then question the pupils and Jots
down opposite each name the Dercentase
of correct answers given. Any VINO l"ii
below "a certain mark have 10 come back
to school for another lesson. sometimes
IL takes three or four lessons 90 teach
man the principles OF The air brake
sometimes "a man will thoroughly under
stand the intricacies OF the system al one
lesson.
The apnaratus represents a locomotive
and "a train OF seventeen cars. hach
c.r is represented by an air cylinder
The professor shows how easy lt lS 10y
the proper manipulation OF the engineer 5
lever 10 put an the brakes on at "%ii,c on
and to release them an at once. He then
shows how unsklled engineers can ana
often do release one or 1wo brakes at a
time thus affecting the efficiency OF the
eartce He illustrates the emergency
application. I'm which the entire seventeen
cars have their brakes SCI I'm one second
by the watch.
This was what was done by the drunk
en- LEGISLATOR" he said. "at the famous
Tarrytown disaster. Unfortunately the
LEGISLATOR was on The forward section or
the train. and when he pulled the emer-
ecncy. rope it stopped the train, and be-
fore the brakes could be released the
train following 10 crashed into the rear
coach
Tho professor does not charge his pu-
nils tuition. Tie S. paid by the ROAD
to teach the employees the use and abuse
of the air brake. The instructor car as
this travelling schoolhouse IS called. be
longs 10 the Chesapeake and ONO RAN
road and has been IN Lexington for the
past week. and it's schoolmaster, Profes-
eor Huitley. has instructed here fully
ono hundred of the roads employees. lie
travels over the road the year round
stopuine at the ends ~ divisions FOR
week or more. as becomes necessary
New York Sun.