In 1884 the Association selected Mr. M. N. Forney to conduct tests of automatic couplers and report. Attention was called at that time to less than a dozen varieties that were worthy of consideration. With this action of the Association as a guide, the Massachusetts Commissioners undertook to solve the problem, and announced that they would not prescribe any coupler that had not been tested in actual traffic, but notified the railroad companies in the State that all new cars, and cars requiring new couplers, should be provided with one of five kinds specified. It happened that the kinds specified would not couple with each other. In 1885 public tests were held at Buffalo by Mr. Forney. Forty-two couplers were tested, twelve of which were recommended for further tests. In the following year the trials made of power brakes on freight trains made it very evident that the link and pin type of coupling would not suffice, and it was eliminated from further consideration. In 1887 the Executive Committee reported in favor of the Janney type of coupler and all other forms that would automatically couple with it under all conditions of service. This report was adopted in 1888 by a vote of 474 for and 194 against. The Executive Committee then undertook to establish contour lines, drawings and templates as standard, but found that the Janney patents covered the contour of vertical plane couplers. This was remedied in 1888, when the Janney Coupler Company waived all claims for patents on contour lines of coupling surfaces of car couplers used on railroads members of the Master Car Builders' Association, which enabled the Association to formally adopt in all respects this type of coupler as standard. At the convention of 1889 such action was taken, on motion of Mr. Voorhees, General Superintendent of the New York Central Railroad, and since that time this type of coupler has been the standard, and called the "Master Car Builders' Coupler." In 1893 Congress enacted a law requiring all railroads engaged in interstate commerce to provide on all cars and locomotives a continuous power brake capable of being controlled by the engineman in the locomotive cab, and also automatic couplers which would operate by impact. January 1, 1898, was the date set by which these changes must be made--subsequently extended two years. We now have uniformity in height and contour to insure perfect contact between all classes of equipment, and a positively locked knuckle. The design and attachments to car body are prescribed of a strength in excess of the power of locomotives, and in modern friction draft gear the strength reaches 250,000 pounds. SIGNALING.