Brake Tests

298 4 .—-That clasp brake be adopted as standard for those passenger equipment cars which have a wheel load exceeding 14,000 pounds, and that experiments be made to ascertain if there is sufficient advantage in the clasp brake to warrant its adoption on cars, the wheel load of which is as low as 10,000 pounds. 5 .—It has been arranged, with the application of clasp brakes to our four-wheel truck cars, weighing more than 115,000 pounds, to apply a braking power of 125 per cent. We would recommend that this practice be continued until a sufficient number of steam service cars are in operation to adopt the electric feature of the UC equipment, at which time, we would recommend, under favorable weather conditions, an increase in the brak- ing power to 150 per cent. This will be accomplished by re- moving the temporarily applied intercepting valve. 6 .—That during unfavorable weather periods, the braking power be reduced to 125 per cent, by reducing the brake pipe pressure on passenger trains to 92 pounds. This recommendation carries with it the thought that instructions will be issued changing the brake pipe pressure from 110 to 92 pounds, depending upon the season of the year. 7 .—That all cast-iron brake shoes purchased by us for our equipment be of the slotted type in preference to the solid type. (Par. 545c, Con. 23s.) 8 .—That flanged brake shoes of the slotted type be adopted as standard for tenders, the wheel load of which exceeds 14,000 pounds. 9 .—That an extensive trial be made of flanged shoes of the slotted type on our P-70 cars to ascertain if it is desirable to adopt this type of shoe in preference to the plain shoe, even though when the brake shoe load has been reduced to 12,000 pounds per shoe by the application of clasp brakes. 10 .—That new tenders, the loaded weight of which exceeds 150,000 pounds, be equipped with 14-inch cylinders in preference to the present 12-inch cylinders, and that this change be made on all passenger tenders of this weight at the time of adopting UC equipment. C. D. YOUNG, Engineer of Tests, Approved: J. T. WALLIS, General Supt. Motive Power. Test Department. ALTOONA, Penna., November, 1913.