▁bra kes ▁were ▁applied . ▁The ▁train ▁did ▁have ▁continuous ▁bra kes , ▁( i . e ., ▁all ▁carri ages ▁had ▁bra kes ▁which ▁could ▁be ▁operated ▁by ▁the ▁driver ), ▁but ▁they ▁were ▁of ▁the ▁non - autom atic ▁vac u um ▁type . ▁They ▁were ▁applied ▁by ▁creation ▁of ▁vac u um ▁in ▁the ▁bra ke ▁pip es ▁and ▁released ▁by ▁adm itting ▁air ▁to ▁the ▁pipe . ▁ ▁This ▁was ▁the ▁opposite ▁of ▁the ▁arrangement ▁preferred ▁by ▁the ▁Board ▁of ▁Trade ▁(' autom atic ▁continuous ▁bra kes ') ▁in ▁which ▁bra kes ▁were ▁held ▁off ▁by ▁vac u um ▁( or ▁com pressed ▁air ) ▁generated ▁by ▁the ▁engine , ▁so ▁that ▁on ▁loss ▁of ▁vac u um ▁( e . g . ▁from ▁a ▁leak y ▁connection ▁or ▁a ▁connection ▁part ing ) ▁the ▁bra kes ▁came ▁on ▁automatically . ▁The ▁two ▁bra ke ▁v ans , ▁however , ▁( one ▁immediately ▁behind ▁the ▁engine ▁tender , ▁the ▁other ▁at ▁the ▁rear ▁of ▁the ▁train ) ▁also ▁had ▁hand - oper ated ▁bra kes , ▁each ▁under ▁the ▁control ▁of ▁a ▁guard . ▁These ▁were ▁applied . ▁ ▁The ▁chief ▁cl erk ▁directed ▁the ▁train ▁crew ▁to ▁divide ▁the ▁train ▁and ▁proceed ▁with ▁the ▁front ▁portion ▁to ▁Hamilton ' s ▁Ba wn ▁station , ▁about ▁ ▁away , ▁and ▁leave ▁that ▁portion ▁there , ▁and ▁return ▁for ▁the ▁second ▁portion . ▁O wing ▁to ▁limited ▁s iding ▁capacity ▁at ▁Hamilton ' s ▁Ba wn , ▁only ▁the ▁front