FOOLPROOF TRAINS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18446, 6 January 1922, Page 3

FOOLPROOF TRAINS

ENGINE'S ELECTRIC BRAIN. SMASHES IMPOSSIBLE. An engine with a brain of its own, a foolproof railway, an end to collisions and other accidents, along with a great saving of expense and a quickening of traffic/—the possibility of such a revolution in transport was ; demonstrated on the Dyke branch of the' London, Brighton, and South Coast railway near Brighton, by Mr Angus, the Australian, inventor. A special correspondent at Brighton of the Dai’y Mail says: I stood beside the driver of one engine charging at good speed another engine advancing on it in a narrow chalk cutting. At the moment things became exciting the whistle blew an alarm, but without intervention .by the drivers the two engines slowed down and’ stopped automatically. This is to be the final demonstration or preparatory tost of a notable invention that has taken 10 years to perfect. The system has already been installed in Sweden, and is to come into active use in this country almost immediately. It is about to be installed by the inventor on the Metropolitan railway between Moorgato and Finsbury Perk Stations, where the traffic is dense, with a view to general adoption. The invention is simple, but marvellous in its results. It enables any engine to be continuously in telegraphic or telephonic communication with signal or earth boxes. It slope the engine if a line is broken or displaced in front. It forces the driver (by means of a speed indicator) to slow down as much as ho should at a curve. Any following or end-on or sideways collision is quite impossible. It tells driver and signaller exactly where the train is. going, however dense the fog or heavy the snow. As the terminus is approached the number of the platform is automatically announced to the driver. These are some of the marvels demonstrated on various bite of line in England and other countries during the last 10 years, but it is only in the last few months that the final triumph lias been achieved. We shall soon see the invention further tested under difficult practical conditions. What is this invention?- First, Mr Angusi has found out a philosopher’s slope or secret power, sought for 50 years by railway engineers. He can run, electricity at amazingly low power along the railway line and enable the engine to pick it up without contact, or “ramps” or "shoos.” A few simple coils on the engine 2in above the rail do 1 the trick. All you see on the tracks is a wire joining the rails at their junction. A small box or electrical fittings is outside the boiler, and a compact magnet under the hand of the driver. The whole of those lengths of signalling wire we see beside the lines would vanish, as well as a certain number of Signal boxes. Electrical sympathy between engine and rail prevents the brakes from going on and steam being shut off. Directly that sympathy is broken the brakes go on automatically, and steam is automatically shut off. And this sympathy must bo broken if another engine is on the same section of line or if the line is broken in any way. The liability to human error is not dono away with, but error is rendered .harmless; for any or every mistake simply stops engines, and has only a negative effect. If a driver fainted or a signalman died tho only effect would bo a temporary cessation of traffic on one section.-