▁Ins pect or ate ▁of ▁the ▁Board ▁of ▁Trade ▁had ▁been ▁advoc ating ▁three ▁vital ▁safety ▁measures ▁( am ong ▁others ) ▁to ▁often ▁rel uct ant ▁railway ▁man ag ements : ▁ ▁" lock " ▁Inter lock ing ▁of ▁points ▁and ▁signals , ▁so ▁that ▁conflic ting ▁signal ▁indic ations ▁are ▁prevent ed ; ▁ ▁" block " ▁A ▁space - interval ▁or ▁absolute ▁block ▁system ▁of ▁sign alling , ▁where ▁one ▁train ▁is ▁not ▁allowed ▁to ▁enter ▁a ▁physical ▁section ▁until ▁the ▁preceding ▁one ▁had ▁left ▁it ; ▁and ▁ ▁" bra ke " ▁Cont inu ous ▁bra kes , ▁to ▁put ▁at ▁the ▁command ▁of ▁the ▁engine ▁driver ▁ade qu ate ▁bra king ▁power ; ▁this ▁requirement ▁being ▁increased ▁as ▁the ▁technology ▁made ▁it ▁reasonable ▁to ▁' autom atic ' ▁( in ▁modern ▁parl ance ▁' fail - safe ') ▁continuous ▁bra kes ▁which ▁had ▁to ▁be ▁' h eld ▁off ' ▁by ▁vac u um ▁or ▁com pressed ▁air ▁and ▁would ▁be ▁applied ▁automatically ▁if ▁that ▁supply ▁was ▁lost ▁( e . g . ▁if ▁a ▁train ▁were ▁divided ). ▁The ▁Board ▁of ▁Trade ▁had ▁got ▁as ▁far ▁and ▁as ▁fast ▁as ▁it ▁could ▁by ▁persu asion , ▁but ▁an ▁inspect or ▁commented ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 0 ▁after ▁the ▁W en ning ton ▁J unction ▁rail ▁crash ▁It ▁is ▁all ▁very ▁well ▁for ▁the ▁Mid land ▁Railway ▁Company ▁now ▁to ▁ple ad ▁that ▁they ▁are ▁bus ily ▁employed ▁in ▁fitting ▁up ▁their ▁passenger ▁trains ▁with ▁continuous ▁breaks