Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1910-11-13
STOPPING A train
Many Things Combine to Make It
an Uncertain Operation.
THE NUMBER OF CARS COUNT

Likewise the Momentum and tho Brak-
ing Power and the Temperature of
the Rails--Frcieht Trains More Un-
certain Than Passenger Trains.
''ln what distance can train be
brought to Il stop? Well. that de-
pcnds." said the griZZleu engineer.
with Il hand like ham and an eye
that could see red, white and green a
mile away down II Silvcry track. THAT
depends, son, and the more l think Of
it the more realize how it depends
on circumstances.
I'm the first place, it depends Oh the
number Of cars you have on your
train. The fewer cars you have the
quicker you can stop, ch? Well. that's
where you're dead wrong" The engi-
neer rested his gnarled fist across his
knee as If it were Il fifteen pound
monkey wrench. Yes, sir" he re-
peated. "if you've got that idea you're
wrong, Just like folks are likely to be
on railroad matters which they don't
know anything about. Now, The fact
Is that certain type Of engine can be
stopped quicker if it has Il half dozen
freight cars hooked on to it, That's
so because there are brakes on each Of
the cars, and they all grind into the
wheels whenl you sling " no emer-
gency. Why Wouldn't 1t stop quiv1hq'
hn, r pc Am iIStnNI Hf
six? Vol, sonnN for the simple rca-
son that the weight 9s tho train, or.
RI ttler. the momentum. ovcrcomfs the
braking strength of your air, and so
you're carried along. If you had. less
than six cars it would BE- just the
other way-you wouldn't have enough
braking power to overcome what
weight you have got. Yes. sir. with
| every freight train and with every
| passenger train there is Il certain
number Of cars necessary to make the
| train most effective when it comes to
stopping quickly. This is a very prac-
teal question too. An engineer will
say to himself. We'll. I've got more
cars on today: I'll have to put on
brakes sooner in order to stop just
right III the station
! IL once heard an engineer say that
! an engine with Il baggage car and two
passenger coaches travelling ut the rate
| Of thirty-tive miles an hour would re-
uuirc about Geo feet to stop and tray
cling at twenty-five miles an hour
! would require 400 feet to halt. Now.
| he was lust guessing, or else he had Il
particular train and particular condi-
tons in mind. and most likely partir,
ular times in mind The fact is You
J can't tell within what distance Il train
can be stopped.
! "Why. take the same type Of engine
! and the same type of coaches and run
| them over the same track and apply
the brakes in precisely the same man
ncr and the two trains will not stop
| in the same distance Of track. Indeed.
| take the same train over the very
same track at different times, run her
at exactly the same speed and apply
the brakes in the very same manner
and YOU can: stop in the same dis
lance Engineers would like to stop at
each station ut precisely the same spot
that they did the day before DO they
ever do it! No. SON. they don't. be.
cause it can't he done
"Thc stopping Of Il train depends on
conditions. just as | said before. En-
| ginecrS who have Travelled over par,
ticlar road for years can't do 1t. Some
times the conditions vary to such an
extent that the train is run past the
station. Everybody has seen that done.
And then the engineer says things UNI
der his breath and backs up his train
to let the passengers on and t" take
on baggage. Sonny. engineers never
| know within yards where their trains
| will stop.
"Freight trains are more uncertain
than passengers This is SO because it
doesn't matter as much An applica-
ton of ten pounds of air may produce
no braking at all. due to the wear or
the system. and. on the other hand. 1f
teen pounds might put on more brake
than the engineer wanted. He may
throw on Il small quantity of air. and
without expecting it the emergency
| brakes get into action as result.
| When the brakes are already on the
engineer may release them little and
by so doing release them entirely. so
that the train leaps forward. SO. you
| see, you can't always tell what the
| brakes are going to DO.
"You wouldn't suppose that the tenn
! perature of the rails would make any
! difference about brakes. would you?
It's fact. A rule Of thumb is that
| train will brake twice as quickly in
the winter as in the summer. The
wheels stick to the rails more when
| they are cold. The scientific folk tell
you that the cohesion is greater. And.
another thing. the oil on the rail when
1t is warm is more slippery. All the
steel rods. pipes. ETC.. on warm day
are expanded. and so they have to
move through greater distances to be.
come effective When they are con.
! x,o,%o<1 1,,. Tho ooJd tho hro los grin the