so that in future discussions upon the technical points to be observed in the construction and operation of air brakes

in which these terms will necessarily be used many times their meaning will be readily understood.

CONDUCTOR Timothy Grogan wants

to get a passenger run-"where they ain't expected to know anything about air brakes or other mechanical subjects." Times have changed within a few years, and it's the freight men, now, that are the air brake experts.

That trip, when I rode with Grogan, laid him clear out; after going over two divisions he was sent on through to Southport, and I left him at Smithville. White Line George, who was breaking ahead for him, but is now on passenger for awhile, told me what happened after leaving Smithville.

I dead-headed upon No. 8, the other day, and George sat down by me after awhile, and let out the following:

"Say, them yard geese are an unresponsible community. We drives into Smithville that evening plum weary and are held up by the caller afore getting into clear, and are ordered through.

"We have a block of eight keers at the head end, as stays together in the yard shuffle, and the last three of 'em is the same what has had their brakes cut out 'long of their bein' shy of their inside fixin's. After the round-up, the gent what has shook the box, finds a straight piped keer-a 'scab,' about two or three keers further back, and him bein' mindful of the order that cut-out or non-quickaction brakes is to be dealt in pairs, what does he do instead of leavin' the piped keer alone and splittin' up the three cutouts, but get the four 'scabs' together and then split 'em into pairs by throwin' another keer atween 'em.

"I'm along there and couple our engine on and turn in the air, when up comes old Grogan, movin' feeble like, and lookin' sorta remorseful. Now, I'm clean suspicious of this here deal; the consist of the train is one big engine and five loads next; then, two non-air brakes and a air-braked keer, and two more non-air brakes and the rest all rapid-fire triples, the loads bein' house freight and steel, some indiscriminate, like.

"Grogan rubs noses with the eagle-eye, and sorta suggests tryin' the air, when I comes in for a few-you see, this keer intervenin' atween the no-goods, were a U. P.-a old light-weight, and my convictions are as she won't work quickaction-the same bein' disastrous on certain occasions.

"The Lord A'mighty sure wastes his lessons of experience on a stubbornt mule like Grogan; he lays out as how he's living up to the letter of his instructions'but not to the spirit of it,' thinks I, 'and the matter of judgment are not men tioned.'

"Well, Old Man - Afraid of his - AirBrakes shuts the angle cock behind the tenth keer and asks Si to give her an emergency shot. Si laps his brake-valve and sends his fireman to open the train pipe cock at the pilot, so's not to blow dust in Si's lunch basket as is in fron of his seat box. 'Bang!-she goes, and me and Grogan takes a snap at the piston rod comin' out of that U. P.'s cylinder; she sure shoots out quick, and Grogan is some sarcastic, but I sees something as he wouldn't notice with an X-Ray machine.

"Now, they's a stock train-extra. north- makes Reels Creek for us-and that's all they does do. The head man opens the switch and stays with their engine, and the hind man-him bein' so sleepy that he has to prop his eyelids up with two little pieces of a match-he drops off the front end of the caboose and throws the switch afore the hind trucks gets by, which the same proceeds up the main track, and the hind screw, a heep skeered, he tries to throw the switch back again, thereby aggervatin' the trouble, and the fireboy, not seein' the left-hand marker turning in, they keeps draggin' that old bug-coop along, till she wiggles some and lays over on her side.

"Now, they's a whole nest of stock men sleepin' in the coop, and when she goes over to port, theyse, not known' what t'ell, stampedes wild like, and some

gent kicks the red lamp clean out the hind door. The oil puts out the markers, and it looks like theys in to clear-the switch being on the other side-and they stop.

"Purty soon, up the track, like two hell roarin' mavericks, a yellin' and a bellerin', comes the hind man and the con. Here, yer cussahell,' roars the con (the fireman were a tellin' of this to me), 'take yer red lamp and chase; we're all over the right of way.'

curve

"There's the bridge just past the north switch, and they, thinkin' they hear us a-comin' dassent try to cross-a just north of the bridge, around the bluff a hidin' the subsequent perspective-and when we flash into sight of Reels Creek bridge I am right quick disconcerted. Their headlight a-shinin', and a red light and two white ones and a torch making paralyzin' gyrations-me and the fireboy sets up a howl, and Si goes after quickaction and gets it on the first five keers. And then-Lordy! Punchety-punch.

Something were doing back amongst that steel; it's death to jump; we all stays and rip right in atween the hack and a stock keer. We are all right, but Grogan not appearin', we go back to view the remains, and find him and Dooley Dunn washin' blood offen themselves and cussin' each other. Grogan learns the particulars, and after getting his wind starts chewin' the rag. Now, I'm goin' to quit him when I get back, and I says: 'You are one of these here individuals as the Chinese Exclusion Act don't keep from comin' here and gettin' jobs a conductorin' trains, and you gets an order, and yer interpreter bein' absent, you spells out that you have to put yer cut-out brakes, plain automatics and piped keers in pairs, and if more than one pair, your separate them. Any sensible gent would know that if it is sure necessary to separate them paired keers, they oughter be apart a-plenty. It would be as easy to throw two or three good quick-action brakes in atween them no-goods; but no, you are like lots of other folks on the Air Line-you don't care if you don't fill out the whole intention of an order, just so you get into clear against the wording of it. Lemme tell you something, Timothy-that U. P. is an old keer as were equipped with the plain automatic brake afore the quickaction were born; she's been away from home and got into trouble, which they removed her old triple valve, or the re

mainin' parts thereof, the same bein' busted or otherwise.

"The people not havin' anything like it. they puts on a up-to-date quick-action triple valve, Grogan gets interested. I have to tell him that they couldn't put the new triple on the ancient auxiliary without chiseling away that rim on the end of the reservoir, what runs around the edge of the triple-valve gasket, and I'm knowing that it's cut off; and I see's that the train pipe is one-inch, instead of bigger, as it oughter be; so I figure that the brake works of that keer were calkilated from a cylinder pressure of fifty pounds-the same bein' all she gets with the old style triple, and the gent what puts on the quick-action triple-him bein' next to his job-takes out the emergency piston so she don't vent any train pipe air into the brake cylinder, and don't slide wheels any.

"Grogan wants to know why she sets at quick-action at test, and say-Mister Man-I gets out my air brake book, and I'm a goat, if I can make him see how the auxiliary air gets in the brake cylinder so quick through the quick-action port and make the piston rod shoot outen the cylinder so quick, and yet not give the quick-action result; but we take down the triple, and I'm right.

"You're on, all right, that a gent havin' charge of a air-brake train these days, has got to be informed; and me not willin' to risk life, limb or other impediments, with a man what don't understand the power for better or worse that he couples together with these rubberized cotton hoses-I fly the coop, but the superintendent ropes me for a spell,. on this yere rapid-transit."

The moral of George's story can be applied widely in everyday railroad prac

tice. The officials can not foresee every circumstance that may arise, and it requires good judgment and knowledge to put into effect the intent of any general

order.

At Corning I met freight conductor Ted Goodman, stepping out of the "Club." "Hello, Ted, how's business up here? Anything doing?"

"No, but there's something brewing," answered Ted, wiping the "white suds" off his mustache, 'have one? No? Well, let's go and feed."

At the table in the Union Station dining room, Ted seemed to be a "fixed sig

nal" for Millinery Mary, and he had no trouble in getting quail on toast for both of us. "That's the nice little girl that couldn't say no; and say, Billy, them 'bats' are fine. While we're waiting I want to tell you-you're up on air-say, that instructor is all right-to a limited extent. He gave us a talk on foundation brakes, and told us the three great points in maintaining good brakes, are to take up the slack, stop the leaks and test your air-and that's all right. And he told us why, if a loaded car has the piston travel pretty close-as I think it ought to be, considering that the brake power is only taken on the light weight of a carthat when the car was unloaded the brake beams will rise and pull the shoes so close to the wheels that the piston might not pass the leakage groove, or, if it did, the travel would be so short that the high pressure might stick' the brake at release, or slide wheels. All that' all right, but he confined his talk to the foundation brakes of our own cars which have but one hand-brake, while we're handling dozens of cars every day that have the Pennsylvania style of air and handbrakes. He didn't say anything about them-whereas I had some trouble. Ought to have known from experience, and all that, but-coming down last trip, I had four Pennsy cars next to the caboose. We had to stop at Ray, cut off the engine and do some switching Now, I don't approve of leaving a train hanging onto the side of a hill by her air brakes, so just before he shut off, my hind man had the caboose brake set, and was out winding up a few more hand-brakesyes, I know the risk in monkeying with them when their air brakes are charged,

but I don't like to set them after the air is set-it's too tight, and when the air is released it's just the chain holding it. which is liable to break It's all tommyrot about the air knocking the 'dog' out of the ratchet wheel of the hand-brake when it's set before the air is.

"But Bud didn't know that them roof brakes on the Pennsy's worked against the air, like passenger car hand-brakes. he set three, and just as he had the slack pretty well drawn up on the fourth, the air went on, and only the 'dog' catching, it would have broken his left arm.

"The engineer is O. K. on air, and left his driver-brake retainer turned up when he released, so the train bunched back easy and settled and the hand-brakes held them. When we went to leave Ray, Bud let off the three hand-brakes, but the one that had given him a twist, he didn't bother the train was moving and her brake wasn't on; but, mind you, the slack of the rigging was taken up close against the piston travel, and going down TwelveMile we nearly caught 91 before they got in, and the air was put on pretty hard. When we released, that fourth Pennsy from the caboose stuck, and when we found it out there was two pairs of flat wheels. We found out what caused it, and when we got in there was nothing irregular about that car but the flat spots. Now, it's laying between the engineer and the car department. The inspector put his 'stethoscope' onto the triple and couldn't condemn it; said the packing ring had a little too much opening but not more than most others that have run for awhile, but he received orders to send the triple to Smithville, to be passed upon by His Official Capacity-Rats."

A

CORRESPONDENT of the FIREMEN'S MAGAZINE writes, asking why it is that the New York quick-action freight triples will not remain set more than one or two minutes, after brakes are applied in a train, then whistle off with out being released from the engine, and adds, that he finds this trouble with triples that have had general overhauling, and that some new triples are not much better they all appear to have the same

complaint, and wishes an explanation for this peculiar action.

It is sometimes rather difficult to explain the peculiar action of air brake apparatus at long range, owing to the lack of sufficient data being submitted, upon which to base a reasoning that would locate the trouble; however, in the case just submitted the statement that the triples whistle off is evidence that from some cause the train pipe pressure

is made stronger than the auxiliary reservoir pressure, and that therefore, the triple valve is moved back to the release position.

There are two ways, and only two ways, in which the train pipe pressure, while the brake is applied, may be made stronger than the auxiliary reservoir pressure; one is by the leakage of pressure, either from the main reservoir, or from some of the auxiliary reservoirs in the train, which may have a higher pressure than that which remains in the train pipe after the brake is applied, or the auxiliary reservoir pressure itself may leak down by escaping to the atmosphere, SO as to make its pressure fall below that which is in the train pipe. In crease of pressure in the train pipe would have the same effect upon all triple valves throughout the train, that is, if the main reservoir pressure was leaking into the train pipe, it would increase the train pipe pressure, and release the brakes, releasing those brakes first which had the longer piston travel, and the weaker auxiliary reservoir pressure. The auxiliary reservoir pressure might reduce through the release valve, through the emergency valve, the graduating valve or the exhaust valve, and a leak through these places might cause the triple to release, but these leaks would have the effect of releasing only the particular brake and triple valve that was affected, and after release had taken place, if the other brakes upon the train were not yet fully applied, they would be applied with increased pressure on account of the feeding up of the auxiliary reservoir pressure from the train pipe after the defective triple had gone to the release position, reducing the pressure remaining in the train pipe.

In connection with this matter it may not be out of place to speak of the tests that ought to be applied whenever the triple valve whistles off while the brakes are applied, and while they should remain applied, having it pretty thoroughly understood at the start that in some way the train pipe pressure is made stronger than the auxiliary reservoir pressure, and it would be well to try the triple valve for leaks. This is not a difficult thing to do with the New York quick-action triple, for if any valve in it is leaking, this leak will manifest itself at some one of the ports in the body of the valve, and the port at which the leak is coming from will indicate very closely the valve in the

triple that is at fault; for instance, if we hear a blow coming from the round port just under the emergency piston cap at the side of the triple body, it would be a pretty certain indication that the vent valve was leaking; now if we should hear or feel air coming from this port we may be sure that that triple will not release of its own accord, for this leak being a leak from train pipe pressure would have the opposite tendency, that is, the tendency to apply the brake harder instead of releasing it. Just forward of the round port under the emergency piston 127 are two square ports. If we find air leaking at these two square ports we may feel certain that the emergency valve is leaking, and that the air that is escaping is auxiliary reservoir pressure. So, if the brake was applied with this valve leaking slightly, and we should allow it to remain applied for any length of time, the triple, very likely, in the course of a minute or so, would whistle off, because the auxiliary reservoir pressure would be constantly decreasing on count of the leak at the emergency valve, and would therefore leave the train pipe pressure in time enough stronger to force the triple to the release position.

ac

If, while the brake is released, a blow is heard coming from the regular exhaust port of the triple valve, it is certain that the emergency valve is leaking very badly, or the graduating valve, or the exhaust valve is leaking, but more likely it is either the graduating valve, or the exhaust valve. In either case it would be leakage from the auxiliary reservoir pressure, and unless the brakes were fully applied with a reduction in train pipe pressure somewhat heavier than is required to apply the brakes in full service, it is very likely that this triple, having these leaks, would soon move to the release position, and allow the brake to whistle off. Sometimes the brake cylinder check valve 117 leaks and a blow is heard at the square ports under the emergency piston at the side of the valve body, but it is rather doubtful whether a leak from this valve could ever cause the brake to whistle off; if would, however, gradually allow the brake to leak off. If trouble is had with a considerable number of the triples releasing, it is very likely that the fault is due to an increase in train pipe pressure, as stated above, either from the main reservoir, or from other auxiliary reservoirs in the train, which may have leaky valves, and short piston travel,

Dialogue No. 5.* Student.-Good afternoon, Mr.

structor.

Instructor. Good afternoon, Mr. Sta

dent.

Student. One thing that was very interesting to me when I first came up here was the very attractive appearance of your plant, due to the variety of bright colors in which it is painted.

Instructor. The object of painting the plant in colors was not to make it attractive, but to assist the men in learning the operation of the brake.

Student. It certainly gives it an attractive appearance, which, in itself, makes it commendable, and if it is a help to learn the operation of the brake, it will be a benefit to me as well as being an attractive object to the eye.

Student. With such a chart it cer tainly will not be a difficult matter to learn their location. I see by the "Color Key to Pressures" that Red is the color used to show what parts may contain "Main Reservoir Pressure."

Instructor. You are right; Red stands for "Main Reservoir Pressure," as the red hand on the duplex gauge signifies. Can you trace out this color and name the parts containing this pressure?

Student. I think so. At any rate I would like to try.

Instructor. All right; begin at the pump, for this is where "Main Reservoir Pressure" begins.

Instructor. There are six different air pressures used to operate the air brake and train air signal, and, to have a thorough understanding of their operation, the location of these different air

known.

Student. Do you mean that there are different kinds of compressed air used in operating the brake.

Instructor.-No, not at all. All the air used is the air we breathe put under pressure by the pump, therefore, it is all of the same composition, but, as it is located in different parts of the apparatus it is given different names to show its location, and to enable us to talk about it intelligently.

Student. Then the colors which the different parts are painted indicate the air pressure that may be contained in them.

Instructor.-Yes, that is right and the name of these different pressures are derived from the principal part in which the pressure is contained. This chart showing sectional cuts of the valves and colored to show the location of the air pressures, of which I will give you a fac

*This Dialogue is to be read and at the same time references made to the "Locomotive Firemen's Magazine Air Brake Chart" which is issued as a supplement to this number. The arrangement of colors in this chart is intended to represent pressures that MAY exist under the varying conditions when manipulating the Air Brake,

Student.-Why; the pipe connecting them, and the other reservoir would also contain main reservoir pressure.

Instructor. That is right; now go on. Student. The return pipe from maia reservoir to brake valve, in the upper part of the brake valve above the rotary valve.

Instructor.-How about the feed valve attachment, which is not shown on this chart?

Student. I do not know about this, but understand that there are two styles of feed-valve-attachments.

Instructor. That is right. With the older form the chamber above the supply valve, that is the top part, may contain main reservoir pressure. With the improved form, known as the slide-valvefeed-valve, the chamber which contains the slide valve and piston, and the chamber above the regulating valve may contain main reservoir pressure.

Student. I also find this pressure may be contained in the pipe connection from the brake valve to the gauge, which shows in consequent the main reservoir pressure by means of the red pointer.