British Railways - steam hauled freight train fitted with continuous brakes - from Transport Age, 1957
As part of the British Railways Modernisation Plan of the late 1950s, one of the major changes to freight carriage was the introduction of continuous braking to freight wagons so as to improve speed and reliability. Previously individually braked wagons had to run at slower speeds, impeding traffic flows. One of the sadder aspects of the Modernisation Plan was that BR was unable to foresee the rapid decline in railway freight traffic that led to a massive over provision of freight infrastructure - both wagons, locomotives and freight yards. This image, taken from a Transport Age article, has no details nor location but - someone in Flickrland will know I'm sure!
British Railways - steam hauled freight train fitted with continuous brakes - from Transport Age, 1957
As part of the British Railways Modernisation Plan of the late 1950s, one of the major changes to freight carriage was the introduction of continuous braking to freight wagons so as to improve speed and reliability. Previously individually braked wagons had to run at slower speeds, impeding traffic flows. One of the sadder aspects of the Modernisation Plan was that BR was unable to foresee the rapid decline in railway freight traffic that led to a massive over provision of freight infrastructure - both wagons, locomotives and freight yards. This image, taken from a Transport Age article, has no details nor location but - someone in Flickrland will know I'm sure!