A MECHANICAL MIRACLE.

Shannon News, 11 February 1927, Page 3

A MECHANICAL MIRACLE.

ENGINE OBEYS DRIVER’S VOICE. Railway engines that start vjhen told to start, and stop when ordered to do so, were seen at the Model Engineer's Exhibition in London. In true ‘ 1 nothing-up-my-sleeve ” style Major Raymond Phillips, the wireless inventor, demonstrated recently how he could order the trains about as he wished, by using a microphone which he has devised. He showed that in addition to obeying verbal instructions the engines could be driven by a wireless tap key from a "distant part of the room. They raced each other, reversed together, and separated, one reversing and the other advancing. The inventor explained that the microphone can be keyed in such a way that it will obey certain voice pitches. / The invention, although it is still in the pioneer stages, promises to have great commercial value. The scream, of an engineer trapped in the machinery might switch the machine off. The “Help!” of a passenger attacked in the train and unable to reach the communication cord might apply the vacuum brakes and bring the train to a standstill.