New-York tribune., 1897-01-30
MANUFACTURE
APPLIANCES FOR BOTH RAILWAY AND
STREET CARS.

A CONTINUANCE THAT WILL STOP AN EXPRESS
FREIGHT TRAIN or FIFTY CARS WITHIN IT'S
OWN LENGTTI-EcoNoMY OVER THE
METHODS or FORMER YEARS.
To tha less than middle-aged man OF To-Day
who can carry back In memory 10 the cary '".'
Of railroad development. nothing more in'eres'
ing thrusts It's head out from the wih Junhp'e VI
engineering problems than the progress 'fduc J."
braking devices What man OF the present zen"
Grafton has not as a boy. Viewed WIN au'''i'"
ton. not unmixed with awe the stai"ar' pran.
man Of tie old Jerk Water railway Win n's
voice OF thunder and his muscles OF foH' on.
r,orve,,ed Of the music he could make as. with
foot set against the dog" he twisted the p'ane'
whoel. making the iron point rattle and clatter
against the teeth Of the brake-cog? Tnose were
the davs when a cow in pursuit OF an express
was much more dangerous than an opstha.e
stoer IN front and brakes" were whstled naif-
milo from tho station. At the shrek or the en-
cine whistle how the brakemen used 10 hustle
out on the platforms and how they used 70
swing their bodies around the wheel Ihey were
quite grand as an institution Increase Oh speeu
demanded by the fast growing volume Oh "a'e.
the advent OF the flying express trans man
trains and lmiteds paved the way 10 the ih'io-
duct:on of the air brake. Rather. II shouid Do
said the air brake made high speed possible ana
safe and now an express can be stopped IN itS
length The solution Of the problem FOR express
trains has long been definitely settled. but 1t
was not so easy to reach determinate conciu-
sion with reg glrd to the air brake for freight
trains Congress settled that issue at recent
session. and now. within two years every teight
car in these United States must be equipped with
q defensble air brake. The law was
recessitv for the express freight has be-
come an institution all the Dig trunk
lines and these heavy trains cover the grouno
with greater speed thal the average passenger
Take one of the big fruit specials hying North-
ward from the Gulf over the built-up surface or
morass and timbered level. 1t is the most mag
nihcent exposition Of power in control that the
century can boast Of What made IL possiolsT
The air brake. This apparatus has been brought
to such a state OF perfection that the engineer
from his cab, at the head of hfty-car train' can
apply the rower to the wheels Of the caboose In
about four seconds. The stored energy OF the
nying mass can be overcome and the train
brought 10 a dead stand within its length. RAIL
road men have 1een slow in adopting measures
Of compliance with the statute, owing 10 the pre-
yailing hard times; but one Of the evidences or
business revival is to be found in the renewed
activity which is marking this special department.
OF manufacture in which Greater New-York has
vital interest. SO far only about 10000 freight
cars have been equipped out OF the whole num-
Der of old freight cars in the country. the total
being about 80 900. Them In order to meet
| the renewed demand Of trade. the railroad COM
| panieS are annually turning out thousands or
lew cars which must be furnished, and numbers
| Of locomotives will likewise have 10 be supplied
with the improved machine. The cost or the
brakes for the freight ears alone will be about
! S3O0000U0 exclusive Of the expense incidental
| 10 making the connections and attaching the
| brakes to the cars.
in the manufacture alone, thousands OF men
| will be employed, while unnumDered conn
! pany Will find work in making connections.
! Then there Will be continuous employment for
! a large force to keep the apparatus In order, SO
! that the outlook is encouraging. This enor-
NOUS volume of business is TO be practically
| divided between two companies, one Of which
| belongs to Greater New-York. having a capital
| of So,O0O.0O0 and employing very large num-
| of the improvement in the air brake. every
| added appliance tending to simplify its mechan-
| ism which must be as carefully made as e
works OF a fine watch. and yet combine
strength necessary to the performance OF
| gigantic task The advantage Of its utilization
! is great. as the companies have discovered.
I One big trunk line kept d record for two years
and found that the reduction in the number OF
| brakemen had resulted in saving or sJo,oUO
I year For the came period the expense OF re-
| pairs had been $4,000. making total profit
! Of $50 O00 equivalent to q per cent on the cost
| OF equipnent The chances Of accident are
minimized about 30 per cent so that there Is
| gain all round.
There is another side TO this important in
dustry of supplying power brakes. ard that II