The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-01-04

In the last nuiHDtI VI ''N
wanna Bell. p. J. Langan, OF TINS CITY,
the travelling air-brake inspector Oh the
Delaware, Lackawanna and western
railroad, contributed the following ar
ticle on "a Few Points on Hanoir~
Air-Brake Trains;
This "a a subject which should interest an
classes Of railroad men, especially on 'hc r"""s
having heavy grades. A. vc depend on the "'t
brake for safety and fast time, IL is wen 'h'.
we should give II the necessary attention. o'u
sacrifice a little time for inspection 10 insure
safety. To the engineer would say upon your
rood Judgment aud knowledge OF the brake 'ne
greatest responsibility rests in getting your tram
safely over the road; therefore YOU should read
all circulars issued by your company PERTAINING
10 air brakes carefully aud live to them, as thcy
AFFORD You means Of protection ana insure you
from being cut out from any part oi your U"lh'
Before leaving any terminal point satisfy your
scif that the air apparatus on your engine u III
GOOD working order aud do not wait until you 'te
out on the road and break down. ! will admit
that man may leave . terminal point with
everything in good working order and break down
q few miles out Thesr things viii happen; they
,itnot he prey,nlcd Rut there l. NJ excuse Tor a
man going ont with air aprsiataa thlI Is nov
,lpablc of doing its work. aud on arrival VI
destination failing to report any detective l"n''.
The air pump /, the manufacturer, ana wIIhout
n good pump it is impossible to do good WORK.
therefore il should receive good attention Do
rot abuse it.. Soc that your luhrioatur Is working
,,ronrr,, Oon't dos. lhc air cylinder with oil.
and obn,c All don't run the pump too fast. /
won't attrInpt 10 tell YOU how fast il should he
run; your own judgment rhould govern YOU on
iis noint Wien YOU couple Ia q lriin oi forty
,r Gitv cars he sure that you have your excess
pressure. Let Your pump nm al moderate rae
f sneoJ mot cy,c,,iinp 100 str.kn, per minute,
,,riIc tb, insprctor coc, over the tlaiu to take
M the leaks in the train pipe and house
cour,iro. I'pon signal nom INSPECTOR to apply
b,e br,kcs mako 4 scryicc anplication OF fifteen
rounds and AT the s.lnc time nUtIcr the length Of
train line exhaust
The idc, Of a h1tccu ronnd reduction is that,
duc 20 leaks in the train liro the pressure can
bc retained longer in train pipe than ii q twenty
mound reduction was madc, thereby giving the
inspcctor chance to locate the same il he missed
it on previous inspection Also. iinccn.pound
reduction with five or six inch Standing piston
travel is equal TO a full service application and
will be sufficient for the inspector to make his
adjustment of the brake, Do not infer from
this that IL would bc full service while running
q, your piston travel varies from one TO two
inches more while running. due to the wear OF
the journal bearings and the lost motion in the
podcstals
brake valve IN full release position at least ten
seconds, and do not open the throttle Immediately
or Won will break in two You have already noted
hv the length OF train line exhaust that il takes
five or six seconds TO apply the brake on forty
cars. 1t also takes that time for the pressure to
get 10 the rear end OF the train and it takes as
many more seconds for the brake TO release.
In starting down a h. ayv grade h, sure that
,our auxiliaries arc charged to seventy pounds
Al,
seven pounds and keep an eve on the air guage
Don't loan your head ont of IN. cab window in
making the reduction as ,pu may make your re.
duction TO heavy and slow the train too suddenly
Nou will then have 10 release immediately and
before Won can rccharge TO seventy pounds in the
auyiliares IL will be necessary 10 aprlv tine brake
You arc then brakinc with lesser mower and in.
steod of six or seven mounds rbtuct ion TO steady
the train, it will REQUIRE ten or twelve pounds.
In This manner Won drain your auxiliarics in
which the brake nowcr ia stored for zach particu
lar ear
Don't wait until yonr train rcts a start on Won
of from, twrr,v.6yo f., thirty miles per hour ne
| contend that n scyar or eight mound reduction
running at tho rate of eighteen or twenty miles
pcr hour is equal 10 fen or twelve mounds rctluc.
tion running thirty. miles nor bonr And as II re
uuircs only ouc.hal, thc lime 10 r,cbarrc six OF
seven pounds instead of twelve or fifteen il is the
salest policv 70 take the train in time
After aprlvinc from Twelve 10 fifteen Mound
on service aprlication, if Won find that Won arc
no, reducing your spccd make n further rrdpct ior
OF seven or eight pounds morn and call for hand
br,kcs and unlcr no corditio ions nrSt you rele,s.
the brake. As Won having ,o.hinr to on,in hv 20
doing, having full baking mower I, start with
and the pressure Won alrcodv boyr ar a snceJ nj
twenty miles por hour is cdlai 10 an cp,erocpc,
application Al a specd of thirtv miles nor hour
Bralcmcn must mot he nlraii IN onDlv hand
brakes 10 air brake car, in a case ot his Kind
A, it certainly shows that the br5k, power il moi
great enough 10 control the t,ain. for if nisto,
trlvcl was in good shane IL would no, he nece;
sary 10 call for hand.brlkc,. II YOU can contro
a train with from, ron ,o twelve mounds ssryi,,
upplicatlon dom think that Won can roloas. an,
rocharco. running at n specd OF eighteen miles MOI
hour, and get YOUR train down TO ot lc,st ton o
Twelve miles per hour hcfor, releasing. taking od
vantage OF the curves so that Won viii have finn
TO yet the auxiliarics rechargcL before maintain
ing maximum speed.
In taking a switch descending 4 ar,,Ie a l. -,
Wavs good Judgment 10 take the train in ri,no h,
making a service anulica,ion ~ snve, ar oi,,l,
hounds. Figure As closely as nosSiblo in matin,
Tho ston for thc switch Win nat moro tran a.,
or twelve mounds reduction Whan vou ,ntcr tb
switch don't allow ,ha train IN ost n stort n. ;
will he impossiblc "a rcch,rgr yonr ,,yiIiarias 4,
seventy hounds, and Won will he brcakiny with
Iosse, nross,,rc I ,rnrld o5.;s, ,,i,,', 80 "'.'' M
when you make your first reduction and confirm