Illuminated Tunnels for Pleasure Railways.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 14th May, 1897
Complete Specification Left, 12th Oct., 1897-Accepted, 29th Jan., 1898
Illuminated Tunnels for Pleasure Railways.
I, ALFRED BARNES PICKARD, of 5, Madeira Road, Streatham, London, Civil
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
.
This invention relates to an arrangement of mirrors and scenery and certain
methods of automatically lighting up the scenery and caverns formed by the
same & which are intended to be used on pleasure railways similar to the well
known switchback railways.
I construct on a portion or portions of such railways tunnels the sides of which
may be lined with painted scenery representing any desired effect. In addition
I fix amongst the scenery, mirrors so fixed as to apparently increase the length
and size of such tunnels.
To light the tunnel or tunnels and only have them lighted when a car or cars
are in the tunnel, I employ electric light from any convenient supply. I further
connect the wires carrying the current to the lamps to a switch, which engaging
with a tappet piece fixed on the moving car turns on the electric current as the
car enters the tunnel. A lever is fixed and connected to the switch by wires or
rods and the tappet piece on the car engaging with this lever turns the lights out.
A switch with a number of ways and corresponding levers might also be
arranged to change the colour or intensity of the light as the car moves in the
tunnel.
Illuminated Tunnels for Pleasure Railways.
I, ALFRED BARNES PICKARD, of 5, Madeira Road, Streatham, London, S.W.,
Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:―
The object of this invention is to provide a varied scenic effect by means of a
tunnel or tunnels fixed over a portion or portions of the lines of the well known
switchback railways.
On reference to the drawings Fig. 1 is a sectional plan of a portion of a tunnel
in a plane parallel with the rails. Fig. 2 is a vertical section along the

page_text: line X X. A A, are the railway lines, B B the walls or inside lining of the tunnel
which may be made in scenery varied with recesses or caverns or other desired
effects, and B, B₁ are the mirrors which form part of the lining of the tunnel
and are so fixed as to reflect the lining of the tunnel thus enhancing the effect
and making the apparent length of the tunnel much greater than the actual.
The drawings shew the rails straight but it is evident they may be made zig-
zag, or circular, the tunnel being lined with scenery and mirrors.
For automatically lighting the tunnel I arrange the electric lamps to produce
the best scenic effect as to colour and intensity of light and connect them to any
convenient supply of electricity controlled however by the arrangement herein-
after described. The moving car carries a bracket or projection, which engages
with switches placed at the commencement and end of the tunnel, so as to
automatically light the lamps on entering and extinguish them on leaving the
tunnel.
The method of accomplishing this will be more readily seen on reference to the
drawings on Sheet 2. Fig. 3 is a plan of one switch together with a portion of
the front of a car carrying the bracket or projection. Fig. 4, is a vertical section
shewing the working parts of the switch; Fig. 5, is a horizontal section shewing
the switch ways and connector; and Fig. 6 is a plan of the connections to the
two switches necessary to accomplish the above objects.
In the above figures C. C. is the framework of the car travelling. C₁ one of
the wheels and C, is the bracket or projection; D is the case or cover of the
switch, D, D, the arms which are rigidly fixed to the axis D. The axis carries
a hexagonal piece E on which two springs E, E, press, also a connector piece E
which is insulated from the axis to which however it is rigidly fixed. This con-
nector presses and makes electrical contact on two contiguous ways of the six-way
switch the springs hold the same true on the said ways.
In Fig. 6 G are the electric supply mains, G, the lamps, which may be arranged
in any convenient places in the tunnel. The connections between G the supply
mains and the lamps G₁ are made through the two switches, which in this
diagram are marked L and R.
The action of the bracket C₂ on the travelling car and its control of the switches
is as follows: It will be readily seen from Fig. 3 that the bracket C₂ impinges
on one of the arms D, on the switch & travelling along past the switch will turn
the switch through one third of a circle. The connector piece E, Fig. 4, will thus
move through one third of a circle, or from the two contiguous ways Ez Fig. 5,
on to the next two ways thus connecting them together.
On reference to Fig. 6. If the switch L is placed at the commencement of the
tunnel and the switch R at the end of same, the connections as shewn in the
diagram will accomplish my object.
As the diagram shews the lamps connected to the supply mains through the
switches, the car will be travelling in the tunnel between L and R; on its arrival
at R as explained above the switch R will be turned through one third of a circle
to position shewn by dotted lines and on following the connections from the
main the circuit will be found broken at R and the lamps therefore extinguished.
On the car again arriving at L, that switch is turned through one third of a circle
to position shewn by dotted lines. On tracing the connections through each
switch the circuit will be again found complete & the lamps G, lighted until
the car arrives at R where that switch is again turned and the lamps extinguished.
This process is repeated continuously the lamps being alight only when the car is
between L and R.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:-
1) For use on pleasure railways a tunnel or tunnels the walls of which are lined
with mirrors and scenery substantially as described

page_text: 2.) For lighting the said tunnel the combination of a travelling car carrying
a bracket or projection engaging with arms on switches substantially as
described.
"