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The New Zealand Railways Magazine, Volume 8, Issue 5 (September 1, 1933)

Modern Marshalling Yard Equipment

Modern Marshalling Yard Equipment.

Freight marshalling yard mechanisation is much to the fore these days. In Britain, the installation some four years ago of Froelich hydraulic brakes at the March “Up” yard of the L. and N.E. Railway created something of a sensation. Now there is to be recorded another interesting development, in the introduction at the “Down” section of the same yard of two Eddy Current rail brakes. The “Down” sidings of the March hump yard accommodate 6,000 wagons, and the operation of the electro-magnetic rail brakes is controlled from a central tower page 19 or cabin. The overall length of the retarder is 70 feet. Two brake beams extend for its full length, and these are capable of limited movement towards, or away from, the running rails, hinged bolts being employed for their fastening. Springs constrain the movement and return the beams to normal position when the brake is not energised. Each double rail retarder is fitted with twenty magnets, ten per rail, these being mounted horizontally immediately beneath the rail.

The retarders are very simply operated from the control tower, the retarder control handles and the hump signal control, together with indication lamps, being mounted on a sloping panel, placed at such a height that the operator may sit before it with an unobstructed view. Fortynine quick-acting electric point machines operate all the points. Green indication lamps on the panel shew the position of the points, a red indication shewing when the track over the points is occupied. Thumb switches for the control of signals and route indicators are also mounted on the control panel. To minimise the work of the signalman controlling the points, the first seven sets of points leading into the sorting sidings are automatically set by the wagons as they pass over them.

Interior of Control Tower, March “Down” Yard, L. and N.E. Railway.

Interior of Control Tower, March “Down” Yard, L. and N.E. Railway.