Evening journal., 1897-11-22
TRAVELLING RAILROAD SCHOOL


Its PnrFosc Is 10 Teach Ensineers 4
Properly Use the Air HraISc.
A travelling schoolhouse is one of I'll
curosiiies OF modern railroading. 1t
n queer schoolhouse. and it cost Stood
10 build. II is filed with levers. al
chambers, cylinders, whistles, gauge'
valves, cords and pipes. and at one en-
Is an upright steam boiler and al
pump. used in COMPRISING the air wild
which the apparatus is operated.
No children attend this school. Man.
Of the pupils are grizzied, grimy vete|
ans. who have been railroading I'd
years. Others are younger men, arI
there is a sprinkling of boys from
years old up. They are taught by a re
ular professor, a graduate of a nj
chanical college. His pupils have d.
books. They listen while he talks al
watch while he demonstrates the wor
ings of the air brake. His classes q
usually held from nine till eleven o'oloC|
in the morning and from seven till nil
o'clock at night, so that he can have II
pupils the railroad men who have Il
Gently come in Off their runs.
The air brake is the one subieI
taught. From IS to 25 pupils wi
crowd into the small space on the 81
of the middle of the room not occupi
by apparatus. The professor is usual
in his shirt sleeves and bareheaded. II
the atmosphere In the room is alwa
from 90 to 40 degrees, made so by I /
steam boiler. The professor has on
one book, and while he is delivering
lectures and talking about the possb
ties as well as the troubles of the
brake he keeps this book in the i.
pocket of his trousers. Afterth his ID
ture is over he takes 1t out, and it is th
found to be only q small blank boo
In this be writes the names of the me
bers of the class before him. He "
then question the pupils, and jots doV
opposite each name the percentage
correct answers given. Any who
below n certain mark have to col
back to school for another lesson. Son
times 1t takes three or four lesso
TO teach q man the principles Of
air brake; sometimes a man will tn I
oughly understand the intricacies
the system at one lesson.
The apparatus represents a LOGON
tive and a train of II cars. Each
Is represented by an air cylinder. 7
professor shows how easy it is by d
proper manipulation of the enginee
lever to put all the brakes on at OF
and TO release them all at once.
then shows how unslIilled engine
can and often do release one or {
brakes at a time, thus affecting the .
ficiency of the service. He illustra
the emergency application. in which u
entire II cars have their brakes set
one second by the watch.
"This was what was done by
drunken legislator" he said, "at
famous Tarrytown disaster. INF
tunately the legislator was on the
ward section of the train. and when
pulled the emergency rope it stopt
the train, and before the brakes CO
be released the train following
crashed into the rear coach"
The professor does not charge +
pupils tuition. He is paid by the
to teach the employees the use and alb
of the air brake. The instruction
as this travelling schoolhouse is cal
belongs to the Chesapeake & Ohio r
road and has been in Lexington for
past week. and its schoolmaster p
Huntley, has instructed here full
Of the roads employees. lie travels o
the road the year round. stopping
the ends Of divisions for a week or mo
as becomes necessary Y. Sun.