EMERGENCY BRAKE.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 22 October 1926, Page 4

EMERGENCY BRAKE.

—— —4 ’ FOB RAILWAY CARRIAGE, A SAFETL DEVICE FOB • PASSENGERS'’ Usj.o,', • BELATED" IMPROVEMENT IN : " ' RAILWAL" SERVICE. ‘ A start is to be made shortly with a long overdue improvement in our railway service, lay installing a system pC emergency brakes in all passenger carriages. It consists -of a simple device by means of which passengers Will be enabled to stop trains by an application of the Westinghouse brake -in case of an emergency. Though it is hoped that the occasion will be very rare when the brake has to be used, their presence will nevertheless give added comfort to the Travelling public. From time to time there have been agitations in New* Zealand for the introduction of communication cords on the railway train's,** similar to those supplied on Repress services in Great Britain; but the difference in the construction and make-up between the New Zealand and British types of passenger rolling stock presented a serious obstacle to the use of u safety measure of this nature. Some months ago, however, the Chief Mechanical Engineer of the Railway Department (Mr G.S. Lynde) decided upon the introduction of a simple and effective method of enabling passengers to stop a train in the event of emergency.

A start is to be made, immediately with the fitting of these devices which are known as emergency brake cocks, in each passenger car compartment. Attention will be first devoted to the express and Limited cars, and gradually the suburban and branch line cars will be fitted, until the brake cock is installed in every car on the lino. The brake cock is enclosed in a box with a thin glass front, which may be easily be biqken by a pessenger, and the turning of the cock applies the brake just as effectively as an application by the engine driver could do". The cocks are* connected to the train brake pipes, which exteiid from the engine to the vehicle on the train. When the emergency cock lever is pulled down the compressed air in the train brake pipes escapes, and this causes the Westinghouse brake to apply, instantaneously and with its whole force, to the whole train.

It Is intended also, to introduce a form of communication bord' into sleeping cars of the transverse compartment type. The brake is to be used only In cases of extreme emergency, as a conspicuous notice near the brake cock box Indicates. This notice reads; 'EMERGENCY SIGN'AIi. ' To stop train In extreme emergency break: glass and tqn* leyer down. Penalty for improper use £lO. It is anticipated that the occasions on which there will be any necessity for applying the emergency brake will be extremely rare, buts its Installation provides a complete safeguard to meet just such as those for which it is being introduced.