RAILWAY BRAKES

THE remarkable freedom from serious accident and loss of life which dis tinguishes modern railway working is due not less to the efficiency of the auto matic brakes fitted to rolling-stock than to the perfection of signalling apparatus and organization.

At the present day one or other of two systems is used on practically all automatic ally-braked wagons and coaches. These are known as-—(1) the Vacuum Automatic, using the pressure of the atmosphere on one side of a piston from the other side of which the air has been exhausted mechanically ; and (2) the Westinghouse Automatic, using compressed air. In both cases the mechanical arrangement ensures that the brakes (a) must be kept " off" artificially; (b) shall apply themselves automatically shouid the train part by accident; (c) can be applied with greater or less force as circumstances may require.