The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1908-05-26
DRAPER TALKS
ON AIR BRAKES
NORTHERN PACIFIC INSTRUCTOR.
SPEAKS AZ Y. N. 6. A.
INTERESTING ADDRESS


opportunity 0I TREATING AlSGO4F6e-
Requirements Of Brakes.
Preliminary to the organization O
an air brake and mechanics class il
this city, S. H. Draper, general all
brake inspector of the Northern Pa
cifc, addressed a good sized audience
of young men on the subject at the
Y. M. C. "a. Sunday afternoon. In the
way he handled his subject, Mr.. ORA
per, who is an engineer Of some q
years experience, showed that he wal
thoroughly versed in air brakes and
the working parts of a locomotive, as
we'll as physics and other scientific
subjects along this line. Many rail
road men awaited themselves Of the
opportunity of hearing Mr. Draper.
Mr.. Purcell, assistant on the instruc
tion car in charge of Mr.. Draper, pre-.
coded the latter in an interesting talk
on the history of the air brake.
Mr.. Draper said In part as follows:
Having been requested by Mr.,
Goodell, our general superintendent,
and the management of the associa-
ton to speak on the subject of air
brakes, ! wish first to apologize to you
for assuming to entertain you on a
subject that is, by its very nature,
technical in the extreme. Therefore,
those who are not technical by nature
or education will kindly bear with me
on these lines.
Requirements OF Brakes.
In order to better understand what
is required OF air brakes in modern
train service it will be necessary to
explain. a few facts concerning the
vast increase in size and weight OF
locomotives and cars, and the increase
Of schedule time and It's consequent
increase Of brake work required to as
sure the same degree OF safety In
train operation, as you understand
q train Of $500 to 5000 tons al a far
greater destructive element at very
low speed than the 1000 to 1000 ton
train would have at much higher
speed.
The weight Of locomotives have
been increased in the last 20 years
from 80 tons to 260 tons, the weight
on driving wheels from 20 tons to $50
tons and the drawbar pull from 10000
pounds to approximately 100000
pounds. The steam pressure has
been increased from 1875 pounds to
200 and 225 pounds. The weight Of
freight cars has been increased from
s tons to 20 tons, while their capacity
has been increased from 20 tons to.
so tons, and the number handled in.
one train has been increased from 30
cars up to 100 and even 1875.
Brake Work Required.
AS the brake work required to stop
= moving train varies directly as the
weight and as the square Of the speed:
that is, II we double the weight Of a
train, from any given speed, It will
require twice the brake work to stop
It in the same distance; ana II we
double the speed 1t will require four
times the brake work to stop It in the
same distance.
Since the weight Of locomotives and
Of cars has increased so much, it is
not hard to see that a brake which
was able to cope satisfactorily with
the situation as it existed 20 years
ago cannot longer do SO, ana in CON
sequence of present day conditions, a
brake which was capable Of doing
more and better work in a given time
became necessary, hence the inven-
ton and adoption OF the air brake.
Automatic Brake.
velOped So many weak points 1t was
soon supplied by the modern auto
The straight air brake having de-
matte air brake, which was invented
by MI. Westinghouse in 1873.
The Education Of Railroad Men.
It is pretty generally known that
railroads r built to earn dividends.
Men put money into railroads, like
other enterprises, to get money ont
Of them. IN fact, a railroad corpora
ton Is a machine for earning money
for its stockholders Of course, it is
9 public benefit, yet railroads are not
run on patriotism, sentiment, piety or
anything else but cash aud dividends.
Railroad managers are chosen to
further this end, and If they do not
make dividends they must step down
and out, to give others a chance. or
the company gees to the wall.
Competition Is keen; we must have
fne equipment, improved appliances
and high speed dor instance, our
North Coast Limited), all Of which In
wolves care, pains and a large outlay.
Yet, the management u make
49,, 81 49, Sf-~Al.-. :.