42

J. J. WALKLATK.

H.—24.

working. The two sets of air brakes in Auckland were put on for experimental purposes, with a view to the equipping of the whole of the cars. We did not proceed with this owing to a conversation with Mr. Holmes. So far as the Auckland conditions are concerned, my experience here with the air brake in conjunction with the track brake has satisfied me that it would be a very efficient —in fact, the most efficient —combination for Auckland. I remember on the former Commission saying something about the pneumatic track brake. At the time of the Commission I contended that the existing brakes were quite satisfactory. We are now prepared to install the air brake. We have considered the advisability of applying a pneumatic slipper brake, in conjunction with the pneumatic wheel brake, and the disadvantages would be that both would • rely on one source of operation. The space underneath the tram-cars is very limited, and there is a difficulty in getting in the ordinary hand-brakes. If you had the wheel brake operated by air, and the slipper brake operated by air, and by any chance it went wrong, you would only have the hand-brake to rely upon. It is a possible failure. The air brake may go wrong at times, as accidents will happen, but it would be very infrequently. 1 certainly think that the airoperating wheel brake and the present track brake would be the best to use here. As far as 1 am able to form an opinion, I consider that the risks of the magnetic brake failing without warning are too great. As has been mentioned by Mr. Brennand, the air brake is always ready, regardless of the working of the car, but the magnetic brake is liable, owing to the dirty contacts between the comutator and the crushers, to go wrong without warning. Ido not condemn that brake. It is largely used in England, but not so largely outside of England. The air brake is coming into more general use in America and on the Continent. We did think of the possibility of installing the Kreund brake, but at present it has been merely experimental on two cars; beyond that Ido not think it lias progressed. The result of our inquiries was to find that the patentee, Mr. Freund, had not completed his design. And I think thai, the brakes were manufactured in England. We were not able to get them. The difficulty about it is that in equipping the whole of the cars we should be having too much of an experiment, and how long it would take 1 could not answer. It would be necessary to re-equip the cars electrically if we had to install the magnetic brake. The cost would be £10,000 or £12,000 for an air brake, and £50,000 for the magnetic brake —that is, including any additions. Supposing we were starting de novo, we should be satisfied with the air brake and track brake. As an electrical engineer, having had experience in tramways, I consider it a perfectly safe combination. Referring to the answers I made to the Chairman at the last Commission as to the difficulty with the wheel air brake skidding, my experience of the air brake equipped on the Auckland cars has altered my views as to the skidding. In the potteries district which I have referred to there were peculiar conditions. They had to take off the brakes there owing to the potteries dealing in clay and coal, and the whole of that material is carted through the streets, and makes a suprising greasy combination of mud, which renders braking extremely difficult in the potteries district, hence the skidding of the wheels there. We have had no such difficulty in Auckland with the air brake. The tests, made with the air brake by the officials were not fair ones—first, because the cars were overloaded by more than 50 per cent. I can safely say we do not carry overloads to that extent, nor approaching it. And, secondly, as T characterized the arrangement, it started on the assumption that we had a madman at the wheel, because no one but a madman would bring a car to the brow of College Hill with no brakes on and with the current full on. They started from rest at the top of the hill under the most exaggerated conditions, and that is not fair. Even if all the brakes failed, a man would not be found with his current on. The track brake was not used at all on that test, and it is supposed to be put down before descending the more important hills. That is rigidly enforced; and if a man is noticed not to have his track brake on sufficiently hard he is reported. I think the time mentioned for applying the track brake is somewhat ridiculous. It would take from, about an eighth to a quarter of a minute; but, of course, that varies on different types of cars somewhat, but it certainly does not require anything like a minute. By the Chairman :I am not a member of any Institution of Engineers. When in the potteries district it was the original intention to run trailer cars, consequently the first twenty cars were fitted with axle-driven compressors, and twenty other cars were trailers, no motors; the idea being to connect up the air brake and work on the trailer cars. But the Board of Trade refused to have trailer cars. The company already had twenty sets of axle-driven compressors, and the motors were made for others. We started the forty cars with wheel brakes and compressors. Great trouble was experienced with the compressors, and when I assumed control we got more cars. Then I " scrapped " all the compressors and the wheel brake, with a view of putting on the Hewitt and Rhodes brake, operating with an auxiliary tank. 'My experience of the working of the slipper brake under those conditions was that it worked very well. We had wheel hand-brakes there. The grades were severe, some short ones 1 in B—canal bridges—and some long ones, three-quarters of a mile, linl2 to 16. As to introducing magnetic brakes here, the report of the Commission was sent Home and the matter discussed. The Public Works officers were interviewed, and it was arranged that two sets of air brakes should be put on the cars. We have correspondence as to that. The Chief Engineer was doubtful, and the suggestion was never made that we should experiment with the magnetic brake. I cannot give details as to the magnetic brake, but I am informed they get to a pretty high temperature after a day's work, and that is one of the reasons why we assumed that the magnetic brake would be the last straw. I am afraid it is not possible, to work the Parnell Rise with special appliances for that road, not required for other parts, without interfering with the general working. We are rather awkwardly situated in Auckland, as all the lines come to Queen Street, and at times there is very heavy traffic to the races or shows, to the Remuera or Epsom districts. We have a large number of cars and a large number of people, and it is necessary to send the cars back and forth by that. route, We aim at standardisation as much as possible, so as to make the cars interchangeable