BRENNAN MONO-RAIL.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2114, 24 June 1907, Page 4

BRENNAN MONO-RAIL.

ADOPTION IN NEW ZEALAND URGED. Press Association. AUCKLAND, Saturday. Mr. Andrew 8011, ivho moved tho second resolution at the Auckland Rnilwny League’s meeting, advocated the Brennan mono-rail system,- ami also moved that the ( overnnieilt bo asked to take the system into consideration. The discussion of this last motion wns‘hold .oyer for n ( future mooting.

AN AUSTRALIAN’S INVENTION

DESCRIBED BY A .VISITOR

A cablo mossago published a little while ago announced that Mr. Louis Bronnan, formerly of Victoria, the inventor of the,torpedo which, boars his namo, has successfully exhibited his mono-rail invention at a convorsaziono of tlie Royal Society. GYROSCOPIC STABILITY.

While in England recently (xvriteß tho Argus) Mr. Alexander McKinley visited Mr. Brennan at Brompton, and learned tho principle of tho invention, tho dotails of xvhich tho inventor has been engaged in working out during the past ten years. Tho essential 1 difference betxveon Mr. llWnnan’s scheme and othor systems is that the single rail is on tho ground, instead of being overhead. The balance of the carriages is maintained by an application of the gyroscope, which contains txvo revolving discs, spinning at tho extraordinary Bpoed of 7900 revolutions a minute. This invention is practically an adaptation of the principle of the Japanese top, with spinning rings set at right angles to each othor. A gyroscope is placed in each carriage, and when spinning, koops the carriage upright and perfectly rigid. The value of tlie gyroscope has already been demonstrated in preventing ships from rolling in a heavy son.. ’ The xvorking of the mono-rail was demonstrated by Mr. Brennan by means of a model erected in his own grounds. Mr McKinley gives the following description of tho experiment :

EXPOSITION ON THE LAWN. “Mr. Brennan’s mono-rail is certainly a wonderful invention. Arjiund his lawns he has a rail half an inch thick, resting on pieces of wood 6in long by 1 inch wide, xvith a groove in centre, and about Bin a portion of the lawn is a terrace, sloped 1 in 6; at the far end two hills are raised, xvhich. indicates a ravine 30 feet across, 4 feet to 5 feet high. Over the ravine is a wire rope of same thickness as the rail. The model is about 5 feet long, engine and truck combined. In the centre of one of the lawns is mado a complete circle of wire rope, about 10 feet in diameter. Another wire ropo is placed in all kinds of shapes and curves. The model is driven by electricity, and runs at 61 miles an lijour. Standing at a distance of 40 or 50 yards, it looked very pretty running round the track, xvhich was fairly straight at both sides, but curved at tho ends. At tho end, xvliore the mounds are, is a gradual incline. As tlie little model ascended this none of us spoke, for we wore all intent on hoxv it would take tho wire rope and go across. It sloxved down a little to half-speed, and crept up the hill and across the wire and then down the other side. The train was mads to run the opposite way, to go up tho grade of 1 in s—it can go up a grade of 1 in 3. TWO HUNDRED MILES AN HOUR. “The third experiment was put'tHrfg a young lad in the truck, to show first how it could take a load up the 1 in 5 gradient. I may say that in the model one-tliird of a pound is equal to a man —the boy being equa lto a load of 15 tons. To show how perfectly the invention works tho boy next turned slowly (found while sitting in tlie model, and xvhile he leaned to one side the truck went the opposite way. Tho next demonstration consisted in sending the train round tlie circlo at full Bpeed, 6} miles an hour. Then it proceeded round the sharp curves and turns at almost halfspeed. Then the hoy started across the ‘ravine’ in the car. When halfway lio stepped to illustrate tho safety of tlie system, and after a few moments completed the distance. Tho whole demonstration was certainly most successful and interesting.

“The speed Mr. Brennan reckons at xx-liich a train could travel is 200 miles an hour. Remember, this is one rail only, lvithout any supports xvhatever. The train can be stopped going up or doxx-n hill, and is under perfect control. When at a station loading, and’it is desired to stop the machinery, rests are- pushed down on each side at both ends of the carriage or truck. When a train pulls up at a station these supports are not necessary.” CHEAP CONSTRUCTION.

The idea of the one-rail lino occurred to the inventor before he loft Australia. He realised the importance of devising some scheme to reduce the cost of ’railway construction and maintenance, and, though he attempted to banish his mono-rail idea from his mind as impracticable, it continually recurred, until it took its present shape. Tlie invention lias aroused the interest of several War , Office experts, and the Indian Government thought so much of it as to promise £SOOO for a practical demonstration if the British Government xvould give another £SOOO. Mr. Brennan claims that the great advantage of the invention is that : .t can he used for rough country. .Twenty miles of rail can bo laid in a day, and the cost of construction is about one-tliird that of the ordinary two-rail track.