TRAMWAY BRAKES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 808, 4 May 1910, Page 9

TRAMWAY BRAKES.

m THE COMMISSION. I WELLINGTON SITTINGS BEGUN. j| THE LOCAL TRAMWAY * SYSTEM. Tlie Rov:il Commission appointed tc make inquiries relating to the brakes jg/ Ufcd on tho Auckland tramways began its-Wellington sittings in tho Supreme Court buildings .yesterday morning. The Hf Commissioners are: Pnfesor R. J.Scott j||f and Mr. A. L. Beattu*. Tho chief object gfljk of the Wellington sittings is to get evidcnco on the use of tho magnetic brake j;|| on steep gradients This particular ay brako is used in Wellington and Duniim odin. A ratchet, brako is used in AuckS/ land, and an air brako in Christchureh. In view of tho .possibility of legislation on the subject being again introduced, the inquiry is of- interest to all tramway authorities. Mr. M. Myers nppeared for the Auckland Blectrw Tramway Company, Mr. Arthur Rosser for the Auckland Tramway Employees' Union, Mr. J. o\Shea for the Wellington City Corporation Tramway Department, and Mr. E. J. Fitzgibf boir ana' Mr. W. C. Jones for th« Wellington Tramway limployees' Union. Mr. O'Shua suggested that, the assistant tramways engineer (Sir. Cable) should 1)0 called instead of the head engineer (Mr. Richardson) as tho latter had personal reason for wishing not to give evidence. He waa a member of the last .comraissiou in Auckland. Tho commission derided that Mr. Richardson must bo called. In reply to a question, Mr. Fitzgibbon stated that, tho Wellington Tramway Employees' Union intended to take up a pas->ivo attitude at the inquiry. Professor Scott observed that that was a proper nttitude. Mr, O'Shea, in an address to the copimission, went into £he merits of- the, magnetic brake, which hc» submitted was | unquestionably the most suitable for Wellington. Assistant Engineer's Evidence. Matthow Cablft, assistant tramways engineer, Wellington, gave details of his eighteen and a .half years' tramway experience in England and New Zealand, fie said the two largest English tramway systems—London County Council and Manchester—had adopted the ' magnetic brake. For Wellington, it was the most lusetul typo of brake obtainable, especially having regard to tho sharp turns and narrow streets. Tt was the most powerful wrfk? he knew. There were -81 cars in Wellington. So far as he was aware, there had only been four failures of the brake* in thruu year.s, and these were duo to other causes. Tho Brooklyn accident of three years ago, for instance, was directly due to the fact that the motorman on one car over-ran 'th* points on a loop, found another car on the line, reversed the controller* allowed tho other car.to pass, then ran down by grarity, aud found, when he applied tho brake, that it would not work, owing to his failure to return the controller to its proper. position. Ibis was shown f it the subsequent inquiry. The magnetic brake was sufficient to meet all the requirements of coasting down the Brooklyn line.' / Brakes Regularly Tested. ' . The witness- stated that all the brakes weru fitriotly and regularly tested, Tho controller." were examined every - other night, and .if a motorman made any complaint about his brake, it was immeJ a YV y ,® xami »ed. With the exception of the .Brooklyn ' accidont, which was caused , as already explained, there had . been no serious accident in Wellington caused by the .failure of-the brake. ( v uestioned as to the use of the airbrake, witness said that in America, where it was employed a good deal, trailers wore largely used. "Trailers" were a so used in Christchurch with the )Vi m S; Wellington system, a trailers wero not used. Tho accident ' )j iaco iocaliy was very low. | v Can tho Brake Fail? ; ' Cross-examined bv Mr.' Hosser, witness ; said ho had heard a statement that a ■ magnetic brako onco failed to act after ■ the car had been'standing somo i tho Newtown shed, and did not act nntil ( the ear reached the Basin Jteservo. This ■ was alleged to have occurred somo years j ago, and it was now too late to make iu--1 quiries. He had only recently heard ! motormen complain of the physical cffects ■ using the hand-brakes. Ho had never i heard of men leaving the service for. such | a reason. Very few.left the «ervico for any reason. , What brake would you ujo going at 20 ! miles an hour down an incline?—l should ■■ | not do so. ; [ .I » m e' a< l to hear you say so. We travel nearly.3o miles an hour sometimes on the Onchunga line, wheri making up. tinie. What brake ivould vou uso if you were doing so?— 1 should''use tho magnetic brake. . Cross-examined by Mr.' Myers, witness said the steepest grade on, the Wellington tramways was 1 in 10; that was a short piece in Mulgrave Street. Therfr were grades of 1 in 12 on tho Brooklyn line, but with those exceptions the steep- | est grades were 1 in 14. It was possible that a magnetic brake might fail to act at one moment through somo defect, and might appear to bo quite efficient the next moment, but if ono then examined it ono would find that something was wrong with it. • Tho Men and the Brakes. When an accident occurs, and the cause is inquired into, tho men complain of tho brakes, do they not?— Yes. And you put it down to the men ?—Generally. And you come to the conclusion that 1 the accident is due to the men, because jj there is no visible defect .in the brake?— Yes.. Is it the practice to use tho magnetic brako for service stops?— Yes Is it encouraged?— No. Is it discouraged?— No,' not bc-yond the issue of a letter asking tho men to uso it with discretion. Would not the officers prefer that the magnetic brake, should not be used gener- • ally for service stops?—lf tho men would use it properly we should not object. But seeing that they cannot , be depended upon to use it properly, do you i Dot discourage the use ot it?—i'rom that ! point of view I do. ... j Witness also said that the nse of the § magnetic brake was only discouraged in f the interest of the motors. Sflnie of the ® men did not use it at all, except in emer- R geucies. Some of thein came down the Brooklyn hill ori the hand-brake only. On I ■ / certain cars the n'lotors might .become j over-heated from a perfectly legitimate j ; uso of the magnetic brake. J The commission adjourned at 12.45 p.m. During the afternoon the Commission- j] ers witnessed a demonstration of the use 5 of the brakes on one of the tramcars; S The inquiry will bo resumed at 10 a.m. s to-day, and evidence will be given by Mr. | . Stuart Richardson, city tramways cngi- * neer and manager. ■■ . =