# BRAKE CYLINDER AUXILIARY RESERVOIR TRAIN LINE Locomotive Firemen's Magazine Educational Charts WESTINGHOUSE AIR BRAKE SERIES PLATE XIII-PLAIN TRIPLE VALVE (Emergency Position) INDIANAPOLIS ENGRAVING AND ELECTROTYPING COMPANY Entered December 4, 1902, at Indianapolis, Ind., as Second-class Matter, under act of Congress of March 3, 1879 VOL. 36 No. 2 INDIANAPOLIS, IND. FEBRUARY 1904 Plate XIII - Plain Triple Valve harder application of the brakes. This (Emergency Position). Plate XIII of the Westinghouse Series of the Locomotive Firemen's Magazine Educational Charts shows a sectional view of the plain triple valve in emergency position. When from any cause, such as the bursting of a hose or a full application of the brakes, which would cause a sudden and heavy reduction of the train-pipe pressure, the pressure in the auxiliary reservoir being greater than that remaining in the train pipe will cause piston 23 to move downward to the end of its stroke, pushing graduating stem 26 downward and compressing the coil spring 27, at the same time carrying with it the slide valve 24 and graduating valve 25, uncovering port f in the bushing and establishing direct connection between auxiliary reservoir and brake cylinder pressures. When piston 23 and slide valve 24 are in the positions shown in Plate XIII, the larger port opening f permits of a much quicker and fuller application of the brakes than is obtained by the service application as shown in Plate XII. However, the brake-cylinder pressure will be about the same as would be obtained with a full-service application, the difference being that instead of a gradual reduction of train-pipe pressure and a corresponding gradual application of the brakes, the train-pipe pressure is suddenly reduced, resulting in a quicker and -2 method of applying the brakes is not intended to be used except in emergencies, and should never be employed in ordinary braking. When the triple valve is in the position shown in Plate XIII, any leakage that may exist in the brake cylinder will not cause the pressure to reduce so rapidly as would be the case in service application, because of the much larger port opening connecting the auxiliary reservoir and brake cylinder pressures, and the greater volume of air to supply the leakage. In order to release the brakes after an emergency application, it is necessary to increase the train-pipe pressure beyond that remaining in the auxiliary reservoir, or reduce the auxiliary reservoir pressure below that in the train pipe. Improved Quick-Acting Brake The accompanying illustrations show an improved brake shoe which has recently been invented and patented by Bro. Bruce Willhide, of Lodge 223, Grafton, W. Va., and presents some new and novel features. Fig. 1 is a vertical central section of the brake shoe, and Fig. 2 is a face view of the same. From the Patent Office specifications we learn that "the brake shoe comprises a body of cast metal having longitudinal chambers C in its face (167) at opposite sides of its middle and openings D, communicating with the said chambers and extending to the back of the body, sections A, of wrought iron, set in the face of the body at the middle and adjacent to the ends thereof, and longitudinal sections B, of wrought iron, set in the face of the body intermediate of the middle and end sections A and at opposite sides of the chamber C. All of the several chambers and sections are by preference quadrangular in form, as illustrated. The wrought-iron sections A B, especially when separated from each other by the metal of the body, serve to reduce the friction and conduce materially to the durability of the shoe. In virtue of the provision of the said chambers and ducts it will be observed ing of the shoe prolong the usefulness thereof." The inventor claims for this brake shoe that it will not heat and cause the wheel to burst, or the temper to be drawn from the face of the wheel, thus preventing what might be a serious accident, and that it will also prevent the tipping of the trucks in making stops at stations. He states that in a test of 1,600 miles over a mountain country, between Wheeling and Cumberland, on the B. & O. R. R., these shoes showed a wear of 3-16 inch, or an average life of 15,000 miles before being worn out, whereas the life of the old style shoe between those points is 1,800 miles or less. In another test on the same road, on the Wheeling Division, in a distance of 2,100 miles these shoes showed a wear of -inch, or an average life of 20,000 miles, being 18,700 miles more than that of the old style shoe between Grafton and Wheeling. The cost of this shoe will be a little more than that of the old style shoe, but the wearing qualities are expected to exceed those of the old style shoe. It is of the standard key type. B Paper Wheels. C D -B that incident to the rotation of the wheel in connection with which the shoe is used sand will be drawn through the shoe and distributed over the face thereof-i. e., directly between the shoe and the perimeter of the wheel-where it will materially increase the braking power of the shoe. It will also be observed that air will be drawn through the shoe to the middle portion of the face thereof, where it will tend to increase the braking power of the shoe and by preventing undue heat In reply to several inquiries about Allen paper wheels, which showed considerable misapprehension as to what is a paper wheel, Railway and Locomotive Engineering publishes the following interesting description of its invention and manufacture: "The paper car wheel was the invention of Richard N. Allen, a locomotive engineer, afterward for a time master mechanic of the Cleveland and Toledo Railroad. He spent the savings of many years in having the first set of paper wheel centers made, and the work was done in Brandon, Vt., in 1869. His invention was the subject of numerous small witticisms, and it was after much persistent effort that he received permission to try them under a wood supply car on the Central Vermont Railroad, where they were tested for six months. "Allen was an enthusiast about his wheel, and he convinced George M. Pullman that it was a valuable invention, with the result that in 1871 the Pullman Car Company gave an order for 100 wheels. These gave so much satisfaction that a strong company was formed for their manufacture, and large works were established for the purpose at Pullman, Ill., and at Hudson, N. Y. One of the first set of paper wheels applied to a Pullman sleeping car made 300,000 miles before the tires, 2% inches thick, were worn out. The life of the wheel center has not yet been ascertained. "The material of the paper wheel is a calendared rye straw board or thick paper made specially for the purpose at the company's paper mills. This is sent to the works in various sizes suitable for the dimensions of the wheel center to be made. The signals even do more than that. They indicate just where the train is on the block and in what direction it is moving. If the train should stop and commence to back up, all the signals within the block would immediately indicate that fact by turning the semaphore in the opposite direction. "For the purpose of explaining just how the new signals are operated, we will suppose that a double track railroad twenty miles long has been equipped with the new signal towers. These towers are placed one mile apart from end to end of the line. The first operation is for two men standing beside a pile of the boards to brush over each sheet a coating of flour paste, until a dozen are pasted into a layer. A third man transfers this layer to a hydraulic press, where a pressure of 500 tons or more is applied. After solidifying under this pressure for two hours, the 12-sheet layers are kept in a drying room heated to a temperature of 120 degrees Fahr. Several of these layers are in turn pasted together, pressed and given another drying. This is kept up until a circular block is formed containing from 120 to 160 sheets, varying from 4 there is a train on the track a short disto 5% inches in thickness, and as compact as seasoned hickory. "The blocks are then turned in a lathe slightly larger than the tire, and the hole is bored for the cast iron center. In turning the paper blocks make a shaving that resembles strips of leather. The center and the tire are forced on under a powerful hydraulic press. "The average life of the tire of a paper wheel is about 300,000 miles. That represents about 14-in. wear. The centers do not seem to be affected by service, and they are always good for renewal of tires unless some accident happens to them." The Block Signal. The Kansas City (Mo.) Journal says: "Experts of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad are at present conducting a series of extremely interesting tests of a new system of railroad signaling, which promises to revolutionize the present method of regulating traffic and to make railroad collisions almost an impossibility. "Every train is to be its own automatic signal tower, raising and lowering the signal boards on each semaphore as it moves along just as far ahead and behind as may be desired. "As long as one train is in the block the signal remains automatically set at 'danger' to keep all other trains out. "A train starts out from one end of the line and instantly the semaphores on the towers stationed one mile and two miles ahead along the railroad record that fact by lowering the signal arm to right angles as a signal to everything else movable to keep off the track. Simultaneously the tower at the railroad terminus which the train is leaving sets a signal which, being interpolated, means that tance ahead and no other train must start after it until the line is clear. "In this way the train is protected by signals two miles in front and two miles in the rear throughout its journey from one end of the line to the other. The instant a train has traveled two miles beyond a signal tower the semaphore is released and points skyward again, opening that road for the next train. "Of course, if perfected, the signal towers can be placed much closer together. That is a very simple matter to arrange. The trains can travel one mile apart or even less if desired. "By the use of this system an engineer can always locate the train ahead of him and determine the direction in which it is moving by the way in which the semaphore arm is pointing. At the same time his train is protected by two railroad or signal blocks ahead and the same distance in the rear against other trains on the same line. "In case a train should break in two and the broken part remain standing on the track the signals will protect it two blocks before and behind. Should the broken part run back it will immediately operate signals two blocks ahead and two blocks in the rear. The engineer of the next train toward which the broken part is running will be made aware of the fact by the way the signals are set. He will take provision accordingly to avoid the impending collision. "One of the most valuable and ingenious features of the system deals with obstructions on the track. If a rail or a bridge should break, the signals will immediately point to danger two miles or blocks in either direction from the place where the accident occurred. "Each block is electrically connected by a device in the train dispatcher's office by means of which he can locate every train on his system at any time, watch its progress from block to block and ascertain the exact time it is making. "At night time signals display brilliant lights-white for safety, red for danger and green for normal danger." As Some of the important trunk lines of the country have already adopted the block signal on all or a portion of their systems, and its use is destined to greatly increase within the next few years. showing the interest being manifested in this important adjunct to safe railroading, the following is reproduced from the Railway World: "In referring to the accident record on the railways the past year the synopsis of the Commission's report says that when 130, or 118, or any large number of passengers are killed in the United States in the course of a year in a single class of accidents it indicates a condition which should not pass without serious attention. "These fatalities,' it says, 'are due to causes which have never been adequately considered by any department of government, either of the United States or of any of the States, and there is a crying need for such consideration. Railroad accidents, their causes and their results, have been considered in judicial decisions, and in the deliberations and verdicts of coroners and coroners' juries, and to a very limited extent by State Railroad Commissions, but none of these have dealt comprehensively with the subject, and apparently no improvements in railroad service nor reformatory measures of any kind have resulted from such action.' That many railroads have equipped some of their lines with block signals, a measure which greatly reduces the chances of collisions, is a gratifying fact. Some important railroads do not use the block system. Most companies adopt it on parts of their lines but not on other parts. Some use it part of the time or for some of the trains. Some adopt the principle, but have insufficient regulations. "So far as we can see,' the report says, 'the best thing to do is to introduce, the block system. That is what England has done, and the immunity from collisions on English railroads is so nearly complete, and the casualty records so low, as to be a powerful argument for its adoption. The Commission therefore recommends the consideration of a law like that in force in Great Britain and Ireland, requiring the adoption and use of the block system in the United States, unless some better device can be secured.' This proposed bill has been drafted on the theory that the expense necessary for the construction of new signals, or for electrical wires or apparatus necessitated by the use of the block system, as well as the increase in the expense for wages of signalmen, should be distributed over a term of years; and it is proposed, therefore, that each railroad company be required to adopt a block system on onefourth of its passenger lines by January 1, 1906; on another fourth by January 1, 1907; another fourth one year later, and on the whole by January 1, 1909. The Commission says that many of the principal lines would be required to make no important additions to their expense accounts for the first two years, and some would feel no burden for the first three years. For the purpose of dealing with separate parts of an extensive system of railroads a section has been included, enabling the Commission to deal with one part of a company's lines independent of the other parts." The New East River Bridge. The opening of the new East River bridge last Saturday, says the Scientific American of December 19, 1903, marked the practical completion of what must ever be regarded as one of the most monumental engineering works of this or any age; for there is a certain sense in which this new highway, wider than many a city boulevard, that has been flung with so bold a hand from shore to shore of the East River, must be regarded as the greatest feat of bridge construction in the world. It is, of course, impossible in comparing great engineering works to say broadly that this or that one is the greatest or the most notable. One structure, like the colossal cantilevers that span the Firth of Forth above the ancient city of Edinburgh, may claim the distinction of being the greatest of all bridges, on the ground that its individual spans are the longest ever built; and it is a fact that this structure contains two main spans, |