Wagon Retarders in Hump Yards.

The design and operation of freight marshalling yards offers a most fruitful avenue of study. At the International Railway Congress, to be held in Madrid, Spain, in May, 1930, this topic is to be very fully considered. In this connection an advance copy of a report covering page 20 marshalling yard practice in Britain, America, China and Japan, prepared for the Conference by Mr. C. R. Byrom, Chief General Superintendent of the L.M. and S. Railway, provides illuminating reading.

In the main, Mr. Byrom's report deals with the question of wagon retarders for use in the larger hump yards. This invention comes from two Americans—Messrs. Hannaeur and Wilcox—and the first large-scale utilisation of wagon retarders is the Markham Yard installation, in Chicago. As yet, their employment in Britain and elsewhere outside America has not become general. The reason for this is stated to be the initial high cost of such equipment, and the doubt which exists in the minds of the railway officers outside the United States as to whether this heavy cost could be justified by subsequent savings. At present, the L. and N.E. Railway is experimenting with a wagon retarder system at its new Whitemoor Yard, near Cambridge. The installation is of the German “Froelich” type. The L.M. and S. system is also contemplating conducting retarder experiments at an early date.

Subject to confirmation of the favourable impression gained from the comparatively little knowledge and experience yet available, Mr. Byrom remarks that there seems to be no doubt that modern wagon-retarding methods, combined with electrically controlled switch manipulation, are much to be preferred to the older methods of hand-braking and manual switch operation at hump or gravitational yards by reason of the larger margin of safety they provide in respect to both men and material, apart from any economies rendered possible. By railways all over the world the subject of wagon retarders is being closely watched, and data concerning the very exhaustive experiments being conducted by the L. and N.E. Railway will doubtless, in due course be circulated, and received with interest by all.