The Daily News MONDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 1902. UNLOADING PASSENGERS FROM MOVING TRAINS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIV, Issue 34, 10 February 1902, Page 2

The Daily News MONDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 1902. UNLOADING PASSENGERS FROM MOVING TRAINS.

Looking at the splendidly equipped railway trains and station now to be found in many parts of the world i' Might be thought that there is nothing left to be done to add to the comfort o> convenience of travellers by rail. An American has, however, recently obtained a patent for an interesting system, by which passengers can enter )r leave a train without the necessity )f its stopping at stations. The Scientih Ammncan of January 4th, to hand >y the last mail, gives full details, iccompanied by illustrations, showing low the system works, and though at irat the idea comes as a shock, there leems nothing very difficult or imposible. The characteristic feature of the nvention resides, says our contem>orary, in the employment of " saddle iars " which are successively t»ken up md dropped from tbe moving train md through the medium of which pasengers may enter or leave a train vithout interrupting its movement. Che railway cara employed ate of the isual construction. Each car is proided on its roof with two rails and tbe ars run on the standard rails comnonly employed. The roof rails serve he purpose of receiving tbe saddle csr. Alongside the rails on which the meseoger car runs are arranged two ails which receive the lower flanged vheels on the saddle car. These .uxilisry rails do not extend coninuously throughout the length of the ailroad track, but are lopated only a 1 tations at which it is desired to load :nd unload passengers. The auxiliary rack rails »re each provided with aised portions and the ends are apered. The saddle car [itself consists if .a skeleton-like structure, which is lesigoed to stradnle the passenger cars tbp' the t—'- tk

io that >.. Jrain may pass v. under. The saddle-car also includes i compartment by which ptesengere ma; pass to and from the train, The saddl* car at its top is provided with broad faced wheel*, which are arranged t run on the rails on 4 the roof of th cars. When these broad-faead wheel are engaged with the roof-rails th saddle-cr will be lifted off the auzil iary track rails, but the raited parts o these auxiliary rails are sufficient!; high to lift the entire saddlo-car fron the passenger-car, where the lowe wheels of the saddle-car engage tin higherjparts of the auxiliary rails, ant in so raising the saddle-oar, to lift th( broad-faced wheels ef the roof rails The roof rails are tapared downwards so as th«y more readily engage undei the broad faced wheels. In practice, one of jibe saddle-cars will be placed at each station, on the bw portion oi the auxiliary rails. As the train enters the ■ station the tapered enrts of the rcof rails will run un'd*r the broad-faced upper wheels and lift the saddle-car entirely oil the auxiliary trsck rails, and bn carried away by the traits. The saddle car will ride en the top of the trainfe and by the time it hr s reached the last passengsr car, w?" have assumed the momentum ™ the train. The saddle car and tr&P will then be locked together, a'F passengers will be able to pass from of 8 to the other. As the train approach^ the next station, the lower wheels the saddle car will engage the raigj" portion of the auxiliary track raS» and the saddle car will b9 lift' 1 entirely off the train, thus permittu! the train to pass on and If aye #> saddle car at the station. When tl* saddle car is thus dropped, the tr! ln immediately runs under a second siJ9j B car placed at the other end offf" station on the auxiliary track •* s > and tgkes this car with its paswir 6 ™- This •operaij.on"' j? repeated at 8ao " station, one saddle car~beiss» fe<rP e > and one taken up. By this a$ ? 8 ' ment the train may move witt"* a stop through the entire length ' * e railroad. The saddle cars, of cßp? e > etre provided with brakes to i\ e f their movements at the df-sirrd' 01 "*: The inventor claims various ;^a» iH - f°F bis sys'eoo, of which we may iP 9r ' mitted to mention a few. The ir?^ er jf cars to be used for a ro*d umf 1 v le?sens the number of trains by* ason >f the increased speed. Thattt™ n ' oing time of the train will be mi<( 'J shortened is r vidmt, moreoy" °P" :rain will be able to make manf r 'P s in a day. The system is to h us not so much for inter-urban as { 8U " )tirban traffic, for the purpose 1 fn " ibling residents without the cT *° ■each their destination as quicf a ® )os«ble. Tho-effefitf oil the >va e of eal estate is aleo not to be ur 1 " sti mated." . k