All About Inventions and Discoveries
The Romance of modern scientific and mechanical Achievements

124 All About Inventions vehicle, with a branch pipe leading to each cylinder mounted beneath each car. In designing the lay-out of the equipment it was necessary to devote attention to the facilities for cutting off, or extending, the length of the main pipe-line, according to the detachment or attachment of vehicles. This necessitated a flexible coupling between the vehicles and capable of instant sever- ance or connection. Moreover, each flexible connec- tion required a valve. When two cars were coupled up this valve automatically opened, but when the connection was broken the valve automatically closed, with the result that the air-pipe was always kept closed, thereby preventing the escape of the com- pressed air when once it had been introduced into the brake-pipe. The news of the unexpected and completely con- vincing trial upon the Panhandle system rapidly spread through the American railway world. The eyes of all the various managers and superintendents became focused upon the new idea, which was some- thing never seen before, and which, it was universally agreed, exceeded all previous attempts in this field. The Pennsylvania Railway approached the inventor and requested him to fit the brake to a train of six coaches, which they placed at his disposal for the purpose. This company had been attracted to a chain brake, but it had not proved completely satis- factory for the very reasons which Westinghouse had determined many months before. This experimental train was hauled to the heavy section of the system which runs through the Allegheny mountains. Here it was submitted to the most