DERAILMENTS

Hokitika Guardian, 28 August 1928, Page 1

DERAILMENTS

ENGINEER. PATENTS SAFETV DEVICE. AUCKLAND, August 26. The menace of derailment, illustrated by the recent bad smash of cattle trucks at Pacrata, lias been urging railway engineers to devise some preventive device. Now an Auckland engineer, N, J. Hamlin has invented and patented a device which he claims will make impossible the disastrous and expensive accidents so prevalent of late. It is possible that a waggon may leave the rails .and be dragged for a great distance without the driver or the guard of the train being aware of it. The derailed waggon will sometimes cut through sleepers, making the permanent way unsafe for following traffic. Should a pasenger train spread tlie rails through damage to sleepers, n serious acedent might easily result. There is also the risk that the sleepers of a bridge might lie broken. Moreover. most of tlie derailments occur at night. Mr Hamlin’s invention automatically applies the "Westinghouse brakes through the- whole of the train immediately a waggon leave'" the rails, or if the axle breaks, all the wheels are blocked and the train brought to a standstill in a short distance. The device could lie fitted t<’ every vehicle on a train at comparatively small cost. If it justifies the claim of tlie inventor the device should practically eliminate loss of life, and merchandise, and damage to rolling stock and permanent way.