SAFE RAILWAY TRAVELLING.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 767, 12 November 1886, Page 20

SAFE RAILWAY TRAVELLING.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE NEW ZEALAND MAIL

Sir, —The Manawatu Railway. Company ran several successful excursions to Porirua, Plimmerton, Paikakarika, &c., on the Prince of Wales’ birthday, and notwithstanding the large number of passengers, which taxed the capacity of the rolling stock to the utmost, everything passed off without a hitch, and the trains kept time admirably. There is, however, one matter which has attracted jny attention on this as well as on similar occasions, viz., the insufficient brake power provided, considering the nature of the line. It is true that each of the carriages has one of the old fashioned screw brakes, but there is nobody to look after them, and they are never used. Supposing that part of a .heavy train going up that steep incline just out of the Wellington station were to break away and roll backward, which appears by no means impossible, considering the strain on the couplings, as shown by the jerk passing through the train at every stroke of the piston 1 There ■would be no means of checking the momentum of the runaway carriages unless some of the passengers had sufficient presence of mind to apply the brakes on the platform. Last evening, coming into town by the 6.20 p.m. train, which consisted of fourteen long American carriages and two timber trucks crowded to the utmost extent, it struck me that even the three engines, and one or two brake vans could not give those in charge sufficient control of the train in case anything went wrong. Sir, in my humble opinion, as a mere passenger, who has, however, travelled by rail in different part 3of the world, the use of continuous brakes should be made compulsory on this and other lines of a similar nature throughout New Zealand. By means of a continuous brake, worked by compressed air from the locomotive, such as the Westinghouse, used on most European and American lines, the driver can bring the fastest express to a complete standstill in •a, marvellously short time by merely opening a valve ; while in cases of breakage of couplings the brakes act automatically and instantaneously, thus minimising all risk. The Board of Trade regulations in England are, I believe, very stringent in this matter, and as railway enterprise extends in this Colony, -and higher speeds are run on our single lines, similar rules should bo adopted here. The first cost of these brakes may be considerable, but the Manawatu Company, which has already shown the Government the way in other matters, should not stop short of providing by all possible means for the safety of its passengers.—lam, &c., Excursionist. Wellington, November 10th.