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H^locomoti
locomotive
A Practical Journal of Motive Power, Rolling Stock and Appliances
INDEX FOR VOLUME XXIII. 1910
Air Brmke Art; -If l
•Hr»k
Brokr
•Cik
•Care
\ alTC Ex Port, S0«.
Chans, *2i.
C. B. report). 297.
297.
-:. 339.
Action. 296.
ScTcntccrln .\ir brake Cuiivention, Subjects.
115.
ScTcntctr.rh Air Pralte Convention. 246.
Train " ^ .:nal Equipment (M. M.
Blacksmiths* Convention. 432.
B. of L E. Xew BuiWinir. 2/6.
BotleT Sheets, L'nequalled Expansion of, 239.
Bosk 9»tUm:
\ . f..,v, i^techism, C. B. Confer, 197.
-•r-uctnral Design, W. C. Thomp-
f Men, R. C. Richards. 438.
.... ....L.^c of Railwajr Location, W.
L.iii-1,. 197.
Freight Transportation on Trolley Lines. C.
S. Pea«. 109.
Illus'nted Technical Dictionarjr, A. Boshart,
65.
Inierrial Lubrication of Steam Engines. T. C.
T-- ~; ^--. 153.
I . V. -. t- ■ .. -. ..j„.j, 415
'.. 19.
,.,..; -n-,.:, ^-..rii.c. M.-i.T, .... V. Cajori,
Mark kn.'erbr. Engineer, Robert F. HofT-
man. !i^:.
Mech
I'rac"
T Injector, S. L.
Pockctbo.k. Im-
-r. En«.. 19.
-ok. Tech. Pub.
nilhs* Artn., 65.
'■\ ikers' Assn., 458.
■ f Pu^ix Service Conmisaion.
I'chanical Drawing, F. L. Sjrl
v«. Interstate Commerce
I -ansactions Inft. of Elec.
f Interatau Com
««ioner of Lab.r.
\'sUr s,-!,,. (, ,.)r Thr. lames Kcnnc-lr. 19.
'Rr Rail lo the llimalayas, 3S7.
'Canadian Railway, The First. 471.
Cat*:
'Exhibition Car. Northern Pacific, 496.
•Gas Electric Motor Car for So. Pac. 193.
*Aumane Stock Car, P. R. R., 480.
•McKeen Motor Car, 436.
•Monorail Car, 14.
•Quick Dumping Ore. 304.
•Tait Suburban Csed in .\ustralia. 399.
•Wood and Steel Box Car for C. P. R.. 192.
Cilebrated Steam Engineers:
•xxv. — Seth Boyden, 21.
XXIX. — Geo. S. Griggs, 200.
xxviii. — Zerah Colburn. 133.
XXX. — tVilson Eddy, 243.
XXVI.— John Fitch. 26.
XXVII.— William Hedley. 112.
Chambers Journal on .\ngus Sinclair, 443.
•thambers* Throttle Valve. 328.
Colors of Mother of Pearl, 471.
•Combustion Chamber and Hollow .-Xrch, Cent,
of Ga., 439.
Ccnventioiu:
Blacksmiths'. 432.
B. of L. E.. Detroit. 276.
Master Mechanics." 240.
Master Car Builders.' 240.
Air Brake Subjects. 115.
Seventeenth .Srnual .Xir Brake. 246.
Sixth General Foremen's. 233.
Railwar Fuel .Assn. Proceedings, 422.
Traveling Engineers at Denver. 4.
Traveling Engineers. Address of President.
391.
•Crank Axles made in Parts, 31.
•Crawford Mechanical Stoker, 326.
Editorials:
.Xccidents, Cause
.\gricultural Spe
of Railway. 63.
.\id to the .\mbili<
. 498.
193.
286.
Education. 331.
bit ion, 287.
- 500.
aion and Practice, 28;
n. 106.
.: in Europe, 17.
L'nder Pressure, 457.
i.- - K ^^w,. ;i.e. 457.
(.ailing. I he I h'icc of a, 64.
Care of Lubricators. 332.
Chr.n.cIr.Vfr Wvr-'. (%-■. ?.".
Kriief Dep'Is. 500.
Ice. Water and Sleam, 416.
Increased Wages. 288.
Loads and Empties. Position of. ISO.
Locomotive Boilers. To Interfere with, 16.
Locomotive Engineers of War May Be Pen-
sioned. 63.
Machine Shop Economy, 65.
Master Mechanics' Convention. 240.
One Million Saved in One Year. 16.
Overheating the Main Rod, 195.
Parting of the Ways. The. 372.
Proiiress in Steam Economy, 414.
Protection L'nder False Pretences, 108.
Railroad Trespasses. 288.
RaiUav Concress at Bern. The. 372.
Real Observing Habits. 499.
Reach Rod. .\djusting the. 18.
RcmeJy for Defective Sheets and Stays, 239.
School for Firemen. 330.
Science Mysteries, 194.
Setting Up Wedges. 106.
Side Rod Stresses, 65.
Signal .Apprentices, 414.
Signal Emcicncy "Tests, 241.
Small and Large Fireboxes. 415.
Standing Shoulder to Shoulder, 456.
Static and Kinetic Friction, 194.
Staybolts. 332.
Steam Boiler, Energy in a, 108.
Steam Cylinders. .Attempts to KeC5 Hot, 62.
Steam. The Superheating of, 108.
Ilcdiev or Stephenson. 130.
Step Into My Parlor. 152.
Telephone Train Dispatching (Lehigh), 153.
Test of Technical Training, 64.
The (.hancetaker Must Go. 238.
The Law of the Inverse Square, 498.
Tonmile-perhour. The, 415.
Underground Railwavs. 286.
L'tilitv of Hicher Schooling. 196.
Valves. Looking Over the. 152.
Velocity of Steam, the, 501.
Wage tamers' Mite Denied. 19.
Wasting Monev on Waterways. 152.
Westinphousc Controlled Turbine. The. 18.
Westinphouse Invention Dispenses with
Springs. 500.
We Want to Know, Write Us, 330.
Wheel Failures. 239.
Wheels. The Roundness of, 373.'
Editorial l'orresnon.1ence by .Angus Sinclair, 349.
•Edward \II. In Canada, 282.
•.Air Compressor Governor, 426.
•From Coal Pile to Third Rail. 28.
•Inspection and Repair of M.'tor Cars, 161.
Intcrborongh Repair Shops. JOS.
Lubricator, the Emery, 426.
.Mitor Trains on Long Island. 467. 511.
I.— New York Subway Control, 73.
II. -Xew York Subway Control 116.
•i.- Running a N. V., N. II. & II. Electric.
249.
11.— Running a N. Y., N. II. & II. Electric.
298.
•iii.-Running a N. V.. N. II. & H. Electric.
3-12.
•iv.— Running a N. V., N. II. & II. Electric,
384.
Rleclrificaliun of Railway*, 314.
IlliiiarJ. My. br Anvu» Sinclair, SO.
r Track Open Cut, Erie Road, 271.
t Knd Fixture*. Permanent, 418.
H
■ll.dlry'. Smooth Wheel and Rail. 164.
Ilrr.>, A Mudnt, by Angus Siiulair, 85.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEEkING
//••..•ill*:
of Personal Interest. 33. 79. 123. 164. 203.
255. 300, 334. 388. 431. 472. 515.
Lcccm,jttvet:
•.\ni. Loco. Co.. Simple 4-6-2 for M. C. R. R..
30.
•.■\m. Loco. Co.. 4-6-2 and 2-8-0 for Chicago &
Northwestern. 76.
*.\m. Loco. Co.. Cent. So. African Mallet, 104.
•Am. Loco. Co.. Mallet for B. & A., 146.
•Am. Loc«. Co.. Narrow Gauge. Cent. So. Af-
rican, 207.
♦Am. Loco. Co., Mallet for the D. & H.. 227.
*Am. Loco. Co., Mallet for Chicago & -Alton,
274.
•Am. Loco. Co.. Mallet for Norfolk & VVtstern,
334.
•.\m. Loco. Co.. 4-6-2, Chicago, Milwaukee &
St. Paul. 390.
•.■\m. Loco. Co.. 4-6-0 for The Vandalia. 430.
•.■\m. Loto. Co.. Mallet for Chesapeake & Ohio,
•Am. Loco. Co.. .Mallet for Frisco. 484.
460.
•.\1 llrussels Exhibition, by A. R. Bell, 493.
•.\ustrian Compound Express, 315.
•Baldwin Mallet for So. Pac, 13.
•Baldwin 4 4-2 for Idaho & Wash. Northern,
52.
•Baldwin 4-6 0- and 2-8-0 for Chicago Great-
western, 120.
•Baldwin Mallet for Galveston, Harrisburg &
San Antonio. 138.
•Baldwin 46-0 for Seabord .Mr Line. 183.
•Baldwin 4-6-2 for the C. B. & Q., 251.
•Baldwin Mallet for Norfolk & VC'estern. 291.
-..aUiwin 4-6 0 for Lehigh Valley. 319.
•Baldwin Mallet and 4-6-2 for Carolina.
Clinchfield & Ohio. 360.
•Baldwin 2-8-2 for Oregon R. R. & Nav. Co.,
417.
•r.aldwin 4-6-0 and 2-8-0 for St. Louis South-
western, 444.
•Baldwin 28-0 for West'n Maryland, 513.
•Caledonian. 0-6-0. 163.
*C. P. R.. Mallet, .\rliculated Compound. 242.
•Electric for N. Y., N. H. & H.. 148.
•Electric for Pennsylvania Tunnels. 20.
•Electric Switching for Hobokcn Rd.. \\*are-
house & Steamship Co.. 333.
•Electric Turbine for Caledonian. 402.
•Hinklcy and Brurv's "Lion." 78.
•Mallet for Erie. 483.
•New Electric for N. Y.. X. H. & H., 285.
•Old-Time Illinois Central (Drawn by For-
ney). 140.
Loco, and Shop Costs, 290.
Loco. Engineers. Why Young Men Want to
Become. 110.
Locomotive Running Repairs:
vii.— Grinding Valves and Cocks. 420.
III. — Impurities in Water. 336.
I.— Introductory. 292.
VIII. — Injector and Lubricator Troubles. 420.
IX. — Leakv Steam Pipe loints, 462.
v.— Poundinp. 378.
II. — Readjusting the Valve Gear. 293.
X. — Setting and Repairing Flues. 504.
VI.— Setting Ua the Wedges, 378.
IV.— Washing Boilers. 336.
Locomotive Terminals. W. Forsyth. 316.
M
Main Rod. Angularity of. 398.
Master Car Builders* Reports:
Car Framing Roofs and Doors. 307.
I ar Wheels. 305.
Classification of Cars. 310.
Coupler and Draft Equipment. 306.
Drippings from Refrigerator Cars. 309.
Lumber Specifications. 312.
Rules for Loading Material. 311.
Splicing. L'nderframing. 307.
Standard and Recommen.led Practice. 310.
Steam Heat Connections. 302.
Tank Cars. 311.
Train Lighting. 312.
Master Mechanics' Reports:
Boilers Inspection of. 302.
Education ard Fuel Economy. 310.
Enpine Performance and Superheat. 311.
I.ocomc live Frame Corstruction. 311.
I-nmher Specifications. 212.
.Mechanical Stokers, 309.
Safetv-X'alve. Capacity of, 305.
Steel'Tircs. 312.
Superheaters. 303.
M. M. & M. C. B. Consolidation. Report. 306.
Widening Gauge of Track at Curves, 306.
.Muter. The T.>r(|ue of a, 37.
Obituaries:
Isarc Bond. J.W.
Iienrv S. Bryan, 473.
William Buchanan, 81.
•lohn Caldwell. 35.
John H. Converse, 259.
Chas. B. Dudley, 81.
I. J. Ellis. 36.
L. C. Engler. 432.
Wm. C. Ennis. 516.
James W. Friend. 81.
Geo. F. Hall. 516.
lames Hedley. 259.
Albert W. Jack, 389.
C. D. Tameson. 473.
John F'. Kinsey. 259.
Geo. Milbournc. 432.
James R. Paterson, 301.
Peter H. Peck. 36.
C. T. Porter. 432.
Robert Potts. 473.
Chas. E. Randall. 473.
E. M. Roberts. 432.
F. M. Robinson. 209.
Archibald C. Robson, 473.
W. W. Snow. 259.
S. A. Teal. 165.
R. M. \'an Arsdale, 36.
T. L Vilblis. 432.
•Oroya Railway. Notes on, 484.
•Oxy-Acetvlene Blow-pipe, by J. F. Springer
404.'
•Pennsylvania Station in New York, 223.
•Pickling \'at. Convenient, 138.
•Pilliod Bros.' Valve Gear, 283.
Portraits:
H. T. Bentlev. 255.
.M. K. Barnum. 257.
L. H. Bryan. 210.
.\. T. Cassatt (Statue). 388.
F. H. Clark. 256.
iford. 255.
T. H. Ci
56. 301.
Fuller. 255. 300.
Charles .M. Havs. 33.
John Kirbv. 256.
lohn H. Mac.Mpine. 236.
Rear Admiral Melville. 236.
Chas. A. -Moore. 164.
T. H. Ogden. 210.
Le Grande Parrish. 256.
Aneus Sinclair. 255.
C. t. Steinbrenner, 165.
.\. Stewart. 256.
Toseph W. Taylor, 256.
Lucius Tuttle. 79.
Geo. Westinehouse, 236.
G. W. Wildin. 255.
Potential Energy, by G. S. Hodgii
Questions Answered. 23, 68. 112. 156. 200. 244.
294. 338, 380. 421. 463. 505.
Railroad Shops:
•C. & O. Shops at Huntington, W. Va.. W.
W. Householder. 433.
•D.. L. & W. Shops at Scranton. 47.
•Grand Trunk Shops at Battle Creek, Mich.,
91.
Tnterborough Repair Shops at New Y'ork. 205.
Lighting of Railroad Erecting Shops, S. H.
Knapp. 318.
•N. Y. C. Shops at Corning, N. Y., 428.
•Pennsylvania Shops at Trenton, N. J., 376.
•Shops at Empalme. 496.
•Victorian Ry. at NewDOrt, Australia, bv T.
H. Boyd. 234.
•Railroads in the Tyrol, 179.
Railway Business Association, 523. 525.
Railway Fuel Assn. Convention. 422.
•Railw'av Sicnals. The World System. 60.
Relativitv of Things. 327.
•Repair Work. Ingenious. 96.
Shop Appliances and Tools;
•.Mternating Current Portable Drill. 87.
•.\utomatic Cutting off Saw (Fay & Egan).
130.
•.\utomatic Switch Lock. 438.
•Bowen's IJevice for Clamping Triple \'alves.
348.
*JM Cable Conduit. 263.
•Car Shop Molder (Tay & Egan). i62.
'Chtckboard at the Dunmore Shops. Erie, 140.
'Cvlinder and Piston Valve-Chamber Borer.
477.
1 evice for Flatwise Drills. 478.
"l.cvice for Upsetting Collars on Axles, 180.
■Double Cylinder Planer and Matcbet, 171.
•lurant's Car Door Fastener, B. & M., 105.
'Garland's Car Ventilator. 145.
•General Electric Buffing Equipment, 173.
•t'cneral Electric Grinding Equipment, 173.
•Gold Steam Coupling. 167.
•Hand Planer and Joiner (Fay & Egan), 435.
•Harris' Method of Frame Welding. 408.
•Ilarrifon's Wheel Hub Expander. 237.
•High Speed Friction Saw (J. T. Ryerson),
264.
•Indicator with Exposed Spring. 67.
•Kennicott Water Weigher, 171.
•Low Water Alarm. 363.
•Main Rod and Brass (C. & N. W.). 450.
•Markel's .Mr Jacks for Wheeling Engine, 368.
•Markel's .-\pparatus for Reseating Safety
Valve. 448.
•Markel's Paint Sho5 Scaffolding. 387.
•Markel's Shops and Blast .Machine, 407.
•Markel's Slab Spliced Locomotive Frame. 323.
•.Maxfield's Device for Setting Return Crank,
419.
•Meistcr's Tank Valve Handle. 395.
jy (Fay & Egan),
compressor, 439.
•New Arbor for Shell Tools. 85.
•Odell's Proposed Arrangement for Locomo-
tive Signals. 449.
•Pilliod Brothers' Valve Gear. 284.
•Portable Shop Crane. 377.
•Pattern Shop (Fay & Egan) Band Saw.
521.
•Setting Return Cranks, -Apvaratus for. 419.
•Self-Closing Oil Cup for Guides, 59.
•Self Feed Rip Saw (Fay & Egan). 352.
•Shale's Cabinet for Ilolding Names of
Crews, 371.
•Shockless Jariing Molding Machine (Tabor),
474.
•Side Rod Welded by Thermit. 335.
•Starrett Small Tools. 210.
•Stevens .\uxiliary Brake \"alve. 265.
•Storm Guard for Cab Window. 53.
'Straight Port Steam Coupling with Lock. 128.
•Tear's Plan for Signaling Derails, 450.
•The Charles Balance Valve. 163.
•Twentieth Centurv Outfit. 84.
•Vertical Cirinding Planer. 519
•Voges' Crosshead-pin Grease Cup. 348.
•Ward Steam Coupling for Coaches, 75.
•\\'ard Steam Reducing \'alve. 75.
•Walters' Locomotive Lubricating Device, 447.
•Wire's Ash Pan. 409.
•Sicnals. The World System. 60.
•Southern Railway Improvements, 135.
•Squaring the Circle. G. S. Hodgins, 470.
•St. Gothard RaUway. The. 441.
Stories and Narratives:
Billv's Half Holidav. 168.
How Not to Do It. bv A. O. Brookside. 358.
MacFalane as a Napoleon of Finance. 82.
•Old Time Railroaders. N. W. Fav. 198.
Old Time Railroad Reminiscences. 22A.
Shandv Yarns on Land and Sea. 180.
Shaw .Mtends a Convention. 260.
Shaw Becomes a Valve Setter. 212.
Shaw Has a Vacation. 126.
The Shon Picnic. 308.
'Superheater, The Jacobs-Schupert, 94.
Test of Jaccb-Schupert's Firebox with Low
We
502
•Ties. Concrete for Railroads. J. F. Springer,
118.
Ton-mile ptr-hcur. The. G. S. Hodgins, 136.
Train Dispatching by "Telephone. 405.
Trave'ing Engineers' Convention at Denver, 4.
Traveling Engineers' Convention. Address of
President. 391.
Traveling Engineers' Subjects for 1911, 392.
•Tunnel. The St. Clair, 1.
•Vulcan Iron Works of Wilkes-Barre. 12.
w
Westinphouse Invention Supercedes Sprigs
514.
Wheel Mounting Pressures, 290.
Whitewashine Coal. 252.
*\Vood and Sieel Box Cars for C. P. R.. 192.
\Vo;ds to Ourselves. A Few. 362.
RiliSiXiveEiKineerin)
A Practical Journal of Motive Power, Rolling Stock and Appliances
Vol. XXIII.
114 Uberty Street, New York, Janaary, 1910.
No. I
The St Clair Tunnel. under-river road. Another illustration traffic in 1890 by the St. Clair Tunnel
Some months ago the Grand Trunk shows the interior of the tunnel with its Company, organized as a subsidiary corn-
Railway tunnel connecting Port Huron on string of incandescent lamps along the pany to the Grank Trunk Railway Sys-
the .\merican side with Sarnia on the sides, the overhead trolley wires and the tcm. The tunnel, under the St. Clair
Canadian side, and which passes under the ribbed rings of the tube itself. Still River is the connecting link between the
St. Clair River, was equipped for electric another view give? the outlook from in- terminal of the western division at Port
|•UKi.SLO^ si. (.L.MK iL.V.Nhl. I.\ \\;Ml.k. i.U.\.Sli IKL.NK K.MI.VV.W 6YSTfc..M.
^r - .'i'n. Previou* to thi», trains pasting
the tunnel had been hauled by
designed steam Incomotives.
Our frontispiece this month gives a view
at close range of the Port Huron portal,
photographed when the icy breath of
winter had whitened this gateway to the
tirior of the great cave, showing the
Port Huron grade. Mr. F. A. Sager,
assistant engineer of the work of elec-
trification, has prepared a technical de-
scription, from which our fact* are de-
rived.
Huron, Mich., and the ternunal uf the
eastern division at Sarnia, Ont. I'be
length of the tunnel from portal to portal
is 6,032 ft. The tunnel appro.nches are
both open, that on the Port Huron
side being slightly over 2,500 ft. in
The St. Clair tunnel was opened for length while that on the Sarnia side
273551
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
January, 1910.
is nearly 3,300 ft. in length, the total phase motors with a nominal rating of
distance between the American and the 250 h.p. each, the nominal horse power of
Canadian summits being 12,000 ft., or the complete locomotive unit being 1,500.
about 2% miles. The grade on the tunnel Tlie lialf-uiiits are duplicates in every
INTERIOR OF THE ST. CLAIR TUNNEL SHOWING LIGHTING SYSTEM.
approaches and the inclined sections of
the tunnel is 2 per cent., while the flat
middle section of the tunnel, about 1,700
ft. in length, has a grade of o.i per cent,
downward toward the east, just enough
to provide for the proper drainage of any
seepage water. A single track extends
through the tunnel, while a double track
is laid in both of the tunnel approaches.
The necessary tracks for handling the
freight and passenger traffic are provided
in the yards at Port Huron and Sarnia.
The tunnel shell consists of cast iron
rings built up in sections, the inside
diameter being about 19 ft. The disposal
of rain-fall on the tunnel approaches was
a very important consideration. The area
of the Port Huron approach is about 11
acres and that of the Sarnia approach is
about 13. Provision had, therefore, to be
made for the complete drainage of 24
acres. This is accomplished in several
ways. Retaining levees have been built
and so arranged as to impound a large
portion of the water falling on the ap-
proaches, and the water precipated during
a rainstorm is discharged into waste
ditches situated on the bank above, by
the operation of pumps of large capacity.
By this means the pumps handle only the
v/ater falling on the central portion of the
approaches during a storm, and the water
impounded by the retaining levees
is pumped out later.
Three locomotives have been provided,
each consisting of two half-units, each
half-unit mounted on three pairs of axles
driven through gears by three single
respect, and as the multiple unit system
of control is used, they can be operated
when coupled together with the same
facility that a single phase half-unit can
be operated.
As previously stated, the locomotives
are designed to develop a drawbar pull
of 50,000 lbs. at the comparatively low
speed of ten miles an hour. The locomo-
tives are powerful enough to start a
1,000-ton train on a 2 per cent, grade in
case this should be necessary. At a test
made on a half-unit, using a dynometer
car, it was found that a single half-unit
developed 43,000 lbs. drawbar pull be-
fore slipping the wheels. This was done
on a comparatively dry rail, with a liberal
use of sand. The maximum speed of
these locomotives is 35 miles an hour, but,
it is not the intention of the company to
operate the locomotives at a speed in ex-
cess of 30 miles an hour. Speed indi-
cators are provided, which show on a
large dial in the cab near the motorman's
seat the speed at which the locomotive
is running, and at the same time records
the speed throughout the length of the
run.
The work of electricification of the
tunnel, the design and construction of
the locomotives, power house, etc., was
done by the Westinghouse Electric and
Manufacturing Company of Pittsburgh.
manufacturing establishments seen all
along the wayside from Jersey City to
Chicago a stretch of about one thousand
miles. Mr. Louis Jackson, industrial
commissioner of the Erie Railroad has
completed a statement concerning the
manufacturing plants on the Erie Rail-
road, which makes interesting reading.
"During the fiscal year ending June jo,
1909, 114 industrial establishments located
on the Erie Railroad. Of these, 75 have
direct side track connection. Of the 114
establishments, 64 are manufacturing
plants, and 50 are grain elevators, ice
bouses, storage warehouses, etc. Side
tracks were constructed to 11 establish-
ments not heretofore reached, and side
tracks of greater capacity were furnished
during the year at 22 industries,
previously served with sidings, to care
lor increasing business.
These many industries have been fit
traded to the territory on account of its
merits, or established by local parties.
1 he company endeavors to create con-
ditions favorable to the securing of fac-
tories and further development. By effec-
tive methods it makes the resources and
advantages of its territory thoroughly
known in general, while the business or-
ganizations and others along the line
make it known in particular. Together,
the organization, co-operation and re-
sultant information are so complete that
results are obtained.
The Erie is a railroad on which to
locate industries. The company's own
rails connect the two largest cities of
America. It is one of the greatest of
trunk lines. It traverses the States of
New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania,
Industries on the Erie.
In commenting on wh.Tt was seen dur-
ing journeys over the Erie Railroad, we
have frequently referred to the numerous
FRONT VIEW OF P. R. R. ELECTRIC.
Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, all comprising
a territory rich in resources and enter-
prise. Fuel, the paramount factor in
manufacturing, is at hand or within easy
reach throughout its territory. A plant
January-, 1910.
RAILWAY AXD LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
located on the Erie has direct rail from
its own door to Chicago, West, and to
New York, East, besides reaching the
most important cities between these two
points. To be located on a line of such
great reach means to be located on an
important highway of the commercial
ST. CL.MR TUNNEL LOCOMOTIVE.
world, quickly commanding all markets —
United States and export.
It is important, in this age of modern
facilities, for manufacturers to locate
where they can obtain side tracks so as
to receive from and ship directly into
cars at the factory. Information can be
promptly furnished in this connection
about every point on the system between
New York and Chicago.
The cities on the Erie Railroad are
highly enterprising, thoroughly organized,
and prepared to treat with manufacturers.
New manufacturing plants are constantly
locating on the system, and the develop-
ment of local resources is rapidly going
on.
Two-thirds of the United States is
undeveloped. South America, Africa,
Australia and Asia are to be covered with
railroads, and whether business be slack
or rushing, demand will go on forever.
Erie territory has commanding advan-
tages relative to supplying the world in
the matter of progressive manufactured
products.
Every section of the line has its par-
ticular merits. Profitable locations exist.
Prompt attention is given to inquiries
from manufacturers contemplating new
establishments. The information fur-
nished covers matters in relation to re-
sources, traffic, side tracks and the
general data required by them. The con-
stant handling of matters pertaining 10
the location of various industries and the
development of resources gives the com-
pany's officials experience. Parties con-
templating the establishing of an industry
can secure information either by apply-
ing to the company's agents, who will
take tip the matter. M.inufactiinrs'
inquiries as to locations are treated in
strict confidence."
a law forbidding railway companies to
supply drinking glasses or cups to
thirsty travelers. When a thirsty person,
with habits formed in regions west of the
Missouri River goes to the water tap in
a car and tinds no drinking vessel he
curses the trainmen, then the railroad
company. He never thinks of his friends
who made the laws to preserve his health.
An organization of trainmen has been
formed to enlighten Nebraska voters on
the source of their discontent at the water
tap in the railway car.
The Legislature of Nebraska are not
unique in warning people against the
dangers of the water drinking' cup. That
high moral organ, the Ladies' Hoi'te
Journal, gives the cup this blast :
"Let there be no mistake about this
fact : that while it is becoming the fashion
to alarm the public about almost every-
thing that it eats, drinks or wears, and
while there is no doubt that certain
faddists are carrying their warnings too
far, there can be no two sides to the
danger that lies in the public drinking
cup. The danger here is not fancied, but
real. The mouth is one of the most
sensitive of all our organs for the com-
munication of disease. And any woman
with the least common sense can figure
(lit for lior^elf w1i:\t it mcaiT; for ii'; ti
ir. but the positive danger of the practice
impress itself upon even the most
thoughtless mind. Whatever other pre-
caution we may disregard, we cannot
lightly consider the public drinking cup
used by all. It is a menace, real iiid
grave. The trouble is that we do not
clearly realize how grave it really is, and
at this season, when thousands thought-
lessly drink out of public drinking cups,
nc public warning against the practice cnn
be made too strong or be too carefully
heeded."
The Mounted Flagman.
In the old prints of early railway operat-
ing there appears a horse and rider trotting
along the track in front of the engine,
warning people to clear the way for the
puffing horse not made of bones, flesh
and skin. It strikes most beholders as
a ridiculous means of preventing acci-
dents. Yet, in this tenth year of the
twentieth century, a similar spectacle
may be seen any hour on West street.
New York City, "where freight car trains
are hauled by a dummy locomotive led
by a mounted horseman. The street cars
on the same line run twice as fast as the
freight trains, but the law requires the
latter to have the horse attacliniciit. It
!'- tlic same •ipcciov n'; the riiici<-'it lilne
LOOKING OUT OK THE TUNNEL UP THE TRACK TO TOUT IIUKON.
Carry Your Own Drinking Cup.
With r.iilways as an easy object on
which to point a moral and adorn a ta'e,
the Legislature of Nebraska has passed
touch our lips to the same spot wh>rc
another pair of lips has just been. It is
one of the most direct of all human con'-
munications. The leading bacteriologists
agree that the rinsing of a cup docs not
remove from it the danger of rontagiin.
Spend half an hour at any public driniC-
mg fountain and watch the people who
drink out of the one or two glasses or
cups, and not only will the filthincss of
laws that are incongruous when applied to
modern conditions of life, but stupid laws
resemble those of the Medes and Persians
that changed not, or like the mind of a
city alderman having neither variablenrvs
nor shadow 6i turning. In our April, IQ08.
issue of Railway and Loiomotive F'.n-
riNFMiiNr., we printed an illiislr.iteil
article descriptive of the mrimiied ifai-'in.iH
of New Vork.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
January, igio.
Traveling Engineers* Convention at Denver
FUEL tCONOMV.
{Discussion continued from page 514
of December, 1909, issue.)
The President said ; "We have with
us today the chief fuel inspector of the
Santa Fe, Mr. C. F. Ludington, whom we
shall be glad to listen to."
FUEL H.\NDLING ON THE SANT.\ FE.
Mr. C. F. Ludington of the A. T. & S
F.' said: I have had charge of the fuel
on the Santa Fe system for the past two
years, and of course am deeply interested
in the fuel proposition. Had I known that
I was to be called upon for remarks at this
ineeting I would have come prepared to
furnish you data and figures as to what
we have done in the past two years. As
it is, I can only tell you hurriedly the man-
ner in which we are handling the fuel
proposition, and, in a general way, the re-
sults that we have obtained.
I listened to the remarks yesterday and
the able paper on fuel that was read, and
1 want to say that it is a step in the right
direction. The proposition of economy in
fuel is one that all tiie railroads are com-
ing to, and very rapidly. The fuel, as you
all know, is the largest single item of ex-
pense in the cost of operation. Therefore
the managements are bound sooner or
later to go into the proposition thoroughly.
DEAL WITH EXISTING CONDITIONS.
While there are a great many fuel sav-
ing devices, as were mentioned yesterday,
such as superheater engines, hollow brick
arches, and so forth, I believe that the
sense of this meeting goes a little further
than that, as expressed yesterday, and that
is that you must take the conditions that
you have on each of your own railroads
and try to improve with those conditions.
I venture to say that every gentleman
present, most of you, of course, being
traveling engineers, can without any trou-
ble at all get on an engine and instruct
the fireman and engineer how to run the
engine economically. The question then
arises, have you the time to instruct all
cf your men? Do you know which of tlie
men are economical and which are extrav-
agant? You are wasting your time to a
certain extent if you do not know those
conditions. Again, if you wait for thirty
or sixty days before you know — or before
your performance sheet is out — to know
just which are the extravagant men, the
conditions have changed in the meantime :
the man is running a different engine ; he
is running probably in a different kind of
service, and he has made his loss in fuel
and you cannot bring about an improve-
ment.
A DAILY FUEL RECORD SYSTEM.
The system that we have is what we
call a daily fuel system. I maintain that
the accounting feature of fuel is the first
tiling and the first step that the railroad
company should take in bringing about
better results. Put in the hands of your
mechanical department, your master me-
chanic and your traveling engineers, data
which is absolutely correct, or as nearly
correct us it can be made, and put it in
their hands as soon as you can. If it is
thirty days old it is of no value. In or-
ganizing a fuel department on the Santa
Fe system, the first thing that I attempted
to do was to get correct accounting. Engi-
neers complained that they were over-
charged at the fuel stations. There was
no way of accurately measuring the coal
ill the different kinds of coal chutes that
we had, and therefore any results that we
would get would be of no use as a mat-
ter of comparison. We took over not only
the accounting of the fuel, but every man
that is employed in handling the fuel was
taken over and carried on my payroll.
What is known as the fuel department
was taken out of the hands of the me-
chanical and transportation departments
entirely. We then had traveling fuel in-
bpectors appointed, the same as you trav-
eJmg engineers are appointed, for certain
districts. They in turn found men em-
ployed at coal docks that were absolutely
incompetent to accurately measure coal
and to account for it. The first thing,
then, they had to do was to get comp':tent
men, men that had a fairly good education.
It is a hard thing, of course, to get a
scholar and a good coal shoveler. How-
ever, we did it. In some cases it was
iiecessary to pay a little more money than
we had been paying, but we got fairly in-
telligent men.
IMPROVING THE CHUTES.
We then had the old style, or what we
called gravity chutes. We had the pock-
ets calibrated according to the cubic con-
tents of a ton of coal, and got as nearly
correct measurements as we could for that
kind of chute. The management at the
same time issued instructions that all coal
chutes which should be built in the future
would be of the mechanical type — that is,
chutes that would weigh the coal as it
was issued to the engine. We are build-
ing nothing else on the Santa Fe at the
present time. We have some twenty-five
or forty mechanical chutes. Of course,
with that class of chutes you can abso-
lutely and accurately weigh the coal to
the engine.
GIVING THE ENGINEMEN A FAIR DEAL.
The first thing that you have got to do
is to convince the enginemen that you are
giving them a square deal, convince them
that it is to your interest and to their
interest that they are charged with only
such coal as they consume. I told them
this : that I was employed by the Santa Fe
to reduce the consumption of fuel ; I could
not do it by overcharging them; I could
not give them five tons of coal and charge
them six and reduce the consumption.
That appealed to them very strongly, and
with the co-operation of the mechanical
department and the road foremen of en-
gines we went to work along those lines.
TALLY SHEETS PROMPTLY ISSUED.
The next step was to be able to know
promptly what the different engines and
engineers were doing. To find out who
were the extravagant men, so that we
could get after them first, we got up what
is known as a train tally sheet and daily
fuel consumption, combined. On all rail-
roads the transportation department gets
out what is known as a tally sheet. We
enlarged on that sheet and included the
fuel features. In other words, the ton-
nage handled between stations (taking
from six to eight tonnage changes at the
principal points between terminals), the
hours on the road, the number of stops,
and so forth ; all these enter into fuel
consumption. Those tally sheets, in ad-
dition to the copies that have always gone
to the car accountant and the ticket audi-
tor, and so forth, for statistical purposes,
were sent to my office in triplicate. We
then fibred the ton miles and entered the
coal that was consumed or paid for by the
e-igineer on that particular trip, figuring
it out in pounds of coal per 100 ton miles
for each trip on the whole system every
day. Those reports reach my office from
the farthest points on the Atchison proper
y.ithin three days. They are figured
promptly. They are got out the same day
that we get them. The ton mile figures
and all the other information are shown
on each of the three copies. They are
then placed on my desk and I in turn
pick out from those tally sheets the ex-
travagant men and make it a point to find
one or two men on each tally sheet who
have, according to the information shown
on the tally sheet, been extravagant on
fuel. One copy of that tally sheet goes to
the master mechanic and the other copy to
the superintendent, the third copy being
retained in my office for getting out the
monthly performance sheets. With the
copy that I send to the master mechanic
and the superintendent, I write a letter
calling the master mechanic's attention to
Engineer So-and-so, who has consumed
so many pounds of fuel per 100 ton-mile
in excess of other men in the same service
under like conditions. The master me-
chanic immediately puts that in the hands
of his road foreman of engines, who rides
with that man and finds out what the
trouble is. If the trouble lies in the en-
gine, the engine is repaired ; if it lies with
the man, he instructs him. The ne.xt day
it is some other man, and so on.
January, 1910.
RAILWAY AXD LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
MONTHLY rERfORMANCE SHEETS.
At the end of the month we get out a
licri'orniance sheet, which for the month
of August is now out I left Topeka the
day before yesterday, and I knew what
the August performance was f~r the en-
tire line. I knew that we had made a
decrease. In fact, I knew every day of the
month what the performance was, whether
we are better or whether we were worse,
whether we were going up or going down,
and with that information I kept hammer-
ing the master mechanics and they in turn
kept hammering the road foremen of en-
gines to get after this fellow and to get
after that fellow. So that we are in touch
with the situation at all times, and it is not
thirty to si.xty days old, as it is on most
of the railroads.
FUEL TICKETS.
We took the making of the fuel ticket
out of the hands of the engineer. We got
up a tank ticket form which we call a
service ticket. That ticket is carried in
the cab of the engine, and the engineer
has to fill it out as to the service that he
has given, the kind of service, the points
and direction he is going in, his name and
the name of his fireman, and the esti-
mated amount of coal that he requires to
fill his tank. He draws up to the coal
dock and he hands the ticket to the coal
chute f(irc:i..iii, who puts that amount of
coal on the tank. Understand, now, our
pockets are calibrated. We do not open
up the cut-offs and allow coal to run
through the pocket and fill up the tank,
and then say, "Well, I guess you got seven
tons or six ton«." We fill the pockets the
four tons. We give the man four tons of
coaL If he requires more to fill his tank
we make him move on to another track.
m-here we have got a two-ton pocket, and
we can come to within a few hundred
pounds of the correct weight every time,
even with our old style chutes. The coal
chute foreman gets this ticket, and he
gives the engineer the amount of coal
that he asks for, and if in the engineer's
judgment or hostler's judgment they need
more coal he puts the additional amount
on, having the hostler change the service
ticket to read the increased amount of
coal. From that ticket the coal chute
foreman makes up the regular fuel ticket,
which is made in triplicate, the original
going to the engineer for his information,
the duplicate coming to me with the daily
fuel report and the triplicate copy re-
tained, the stub in the book as authority
tor the issue, which can be checked up at
any time.
PREVENTS CHEATING THE ENGINEER.
In this way the engineer knows how
iruch coal he was given and how much
I'l: was charged with, and if he is inter-
eftcd in his fuel c(in«umption he knows
l-retly nearly whether he ha^ made an ex-
tra vag.nnl or an economical perfnrm.incc.
They have got now to the point where, if
conditions are such that they are bound to
consume more fuel than they should, such
as long hours on the road or other things
that enter into the question of fuel con-
sumption, they immediately make a note
of it so that when the traveling engineer
gets on the engine they can explain why
tlrey burned more coal than they ought to.
If it is due to poor train dispatching, or if
it is the fault of the transportation depart-
ment, he explains and tells the master me-
chanic that that is the trouble. The mas-
ter mechanic then in turn puis it up to the
transportation department. If the blame
is on their shoulders we make them take
it This daily system is entered in our
office in individual books, according to
the different engineers, firemen and en-
gmes. Between ten and fifteen days after
the close of the month we have the per-
formance sheet out showing the perform-
ance of engineers, anotlicr performance
sheet showing the performance of firemen
and a third performance sheet showing
the performance of engines, segregated as
to class of service and eacli engine ranked
with the same train tliat the other man
has. We do not compare our local passen-
ger train men with our fast and heavy
passenger train men. We show them,
compared class with class. We compare
two slow men and two fast men, so that
we have a fair comparison, and a man can
not say that he is not given a square deal.
year's decrease of fuel $1,284,000.
In the two years we have decreased the
consumption of fuel in freight service
lif per cent. Those figures are ab-
solutely correct and any of you can verify
them by writing the management of our
road. I cannot tell you how much we
have reduced the passenger performance,
for the reason thot in the old records prior
to the time of the organization of the fuel
department we have no record of pas-
senger service. Nobody knew what we
were doing. Nobody seemed to care. But
they did keep a performance of freight
locomotives ; therefore we can say abso-
lutely that we have decreased the per-
formance 18 per cent, from that of
two years ago. Our fuel bill for the year
ending June .10, igoo, decreased $1,284,000.
Now I do not say that that is all decreased
crnsuniption. but you can be certain that
50 per cent, of it is. We are paying
more money for our fuel in certain locali-
ties, especially where we are burning oil
.Ts a fuel, than we were a year ago. We
handled within six-fenths of one per cent.
of the same amount of business one year
than we did the other, and yet we de-
ri eased the fuel. That is, decreased it in
money; not in tons but in money. So
it can be seen very readily that we are
on the right track, we are moving in the
right direction, and wc have only just
started. If we cannot decrease it 18
per cent, more in the next two years,
T will be willing to throw up my joh. We
are iust getting the men interested. We
are able to point out to the mechanical
department promptly two or three days
after and tell them that this or that en-
gine needs a little fixing up, the packing
is not right or something of that kind, it
is burning too much fuel ; and that in-
formation is very valuable to the mechan-
ical department.
CHECK ON THE CHUTES.
We find, further, that by this system we
can accurately check the chutes. I will
cite a little instance that 1 found in tak-
ing over the fuel. I made a personal in-
spection over the entire line, visited every
fuel station, before taking over the ac-
counting. The accounts were handled by
the agent in most cases, tlie superinten-
dent having charge of ihe fuel station.
I went into one station one day, I re-
member it was on the 27th of the month,
and I introduced myself to the agent and
told him who I was, that I wanted to
look over his fuel accounts. He was
very kind and took me into his private
office and had the clerk bring in his daily
li-.el report. I found by that report that
he was carrying over 1,000,000 pounds of"
fuel on hand; that is, the difference be-
tween his receipts which he had charged
up to himself and the issues which he
had charged out. I made a mental note
of the 1,000,000 pounds of fuel that he
was carrying on hand, knowing that he
could not hold it in the chute, and then
invited him to go out with me to the coal
chute, .\fter looking over the chute, I
said, "Where is your 500 tons of coal
that you are carrying on hand?" "Oh," he
said, "I am short." "Well," I said, " it
is very apparent that you arc short, but
how do you account for this shortage?"
"Well," he said, "the engine men take
coal and don't leave the tickets." I asked,
"Is this a regular thing, does it happen
every month?" "Yes, sir, it does." "Well,
aren't you criticized by some one for
having this large shortage every month?"
"Oh," he said, "I make up that shortage.
I have got a coal book up there and I
look over my daily fuel reports ,ind I make
out enough tickets to cover the 500 Ion
shortage. I was criticized once and they
will never catch me again."
DIVIDINC; ROUND THE SHOKTACE.
Now you sec that the honest cnginman
that draws up to the coal chute and pays
for his coal by ticket was charged with
what he had paid for, and at the end of
the month he was charged again with a lot
that the other fellow did not pay for.
His name would appear on the daily fuel
report oftcncr than anybody else's would
because he pai<l for his coal every lime he
took it, and in consequence the agent
when he made out these tickets at Ihe
end of the month when making up this
shortage would charge him with a little
more. That man may have been the best
engineer on the division but his fuel per-
formance would show up the poorest, for
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
January, igio.
the reason that he was not being given a
square deal. With our daily system of
accounting for fuel this cannot happen,
for the reason that if our coal chute fore-
man through carelessness does overlook
charging out an issue of coal to a certain
engine or engineer we know it immediate-
ly in my office. On the talley sheet we
trace the engineer into the terminal. The
tally sheet the next day shows him on an-
other train. There is no coal charged up
to him. We immediately go after that
coal chute foreman to know whether he
issued coal to that engine, and after we
have called the turn on him a few times
and made him produce tickets to cover
certain issues that through carelessness
he had overlooked, he becomes more
careful and gets all the tickets. It is
very seldom now that we have to write
for tickets. Further, we have charged the
enginemen with only such coal as they
actual!}- consume in road service.
COAL USED IN FIRING UP AT TERMINALS.
The engines, on getting out of the
roundhouse go to the coal chute and
take one or two tons of coal, as may be
necessary to fill their tanks. Understand,
they were filled going in and we fill them
going out. That coal is charged to
roundhouse; that is, the ticket is made
out "Roundhouse." It is not charged to
any individual engineer, although, of
course, it goes to the engine. Now from
an accounting standpoint the coal is not
charged against that engineer's individual
performance, for the reason that the
amount taken the second time was con-
sumed for firing up the engine or for
keeping her undet fire for an extra long
time. That fuel was consumed by the
roundhouse force. The engineer has
nothing to do with it. He can not help it
if they burn one ton or five tons, and
we found points where they were burning
three and four tons to fire up an engine.
We got after the mechanical department
and had them go after their fire builders;
got after the transportation department
and had them stop firing their engines so
early, but to give the mechanical depart-
ment an hour and a half or two hours
notice only instead of four and five hours
and require them to keep these engines
fired up that length of time burning fuel.
We found engines that were being put
in the roundhouse and never killed, fired
up all night and burned an excessive
amount of coal. We found all kinds of
conditions and we found them from the
fact that we were charging this extra
amount of coal to the roundhouse. Now,
do not misunderstand me that this round-
house coal goes against the shop expense
and enters into the expense of handling
your roundhouse or your mechanical de-
partment. It does not. The classification
of accounts will not allow us to charge
coal consumed for firing-up purposes
against shop expense. It goes into road
service in the final accounting, but it does
not appear on the engineer's individual
performance sheet. Therefore when we
criticize an engineer for his consumption
be can not say "My engine was fired up
six or seven hours before I got it and
burned three or four tons of coal. That
;■; the reason for my poor performance."
We eliminate that feature, and we elimi-
nate that excuse. We find that the en-
gineers always have an excuse for their
poor performance. They will get around
it some way by saying "poor coal," or
something of that kind. But after we
have taught them to tell the truth and
teach them that by telling that truth
they are not letting any secrets out that
should not be known, in other words, that
they are not bringing criticism on the
niechanical department, then they com-
m.ence to tell the truth ; they commence to
speak of little defects in the engine that
the master mechanic knew nothing of,
which have been there for months. That,
of course, brings about better engine con-
ditions, and in turn a reduced fuel con-
sumption.
REDUCING GAPS BETWEEN GOOD AND
INFERIOR MEN,
I might say, further, that the perform-
ance sheet at the end of the month shows
the engineer's name, miles run, the ton-
miles handled, total, of course, pounds of
fuel consumed, the average pounds of
fuel per loo ton miles, the average weight
of all trains handled and the loss or gain
due to economical or extravagant per-
formance. That is figured in dollars and
cents ; money figures. Of course, those
figures are based on the division average
and you will always have men that lose,
you will always lose as much as you gain,
but we aim to reduce the gaps between
the best men and the poorest men. Get
your poor men up where they make a bet-
ter performance and then compliment
your good men on what they have done,
send them a nice little letter at the end of
the month, just the same as you do the
men that you criticize. Pat them on the
back, tell them they are doing well and
you appreciate what they are doing, and
they like it. They show that letter around
among the rest of the men and they try
to do better. They say, "Here, we are
getting a square deal. The management
appreciates that we are economical on
fuel. We will just try to save a little
more."
HAS IMPROVED CONDITIONS.
It has brought about a much better
condition. It not only has improved the
fuel consumption but it has brought about
better conditions on the road as to trans-
portation. We get our trains over the
rr.ad in better time. We have fewer
failures due to engine defects. We have
fewer failures due to poor coal, simply
from the fact that we watch the matter
closely. We do not charge coal to road
service that is not consumed in that ser-
vice. We found there were a good many
cars of coal that were being used by the
mechanical department at the pump house
along the line. They would run out of
their own coal and they would take a car
of ours. Now at the end of the month
we had no record of the car. We would
trace it, find out if the mechanical depart-
ment used it or if some other department
had used it, and we would charge it up
to them. In our system of accounting we
trace every car from the time it leaves the
mines until it is finally used up and
charged up to its proper account.
A desultory discussion ensued concern-
ing the cost of the system described by
Mr. Ludington, the expense of starting
fires, the advisability of banking instead
cf drawing fires and other minor matters.
Messrs. Eubank, Hayes, Emerson, Sum-
mers and Meadows took part in these
discussions. A very decided inclination
was manifested to prolong the discussion
but the claims of time for other papers
prevailed and the discussion closed.
Specialists.
Illustrating the distinctions that natural
ability makes between workmen, Andrew
Carnegie tells about two street sweepers
in Pittsburgh discussing the skill of a
third sweeper, who is declared good
enough for ordinary plain sweeping but
no good for corners. The Silent Partner
depreciates skill as an elevating influence
and remarks : "There was a time wnen
the boy who swept out the corners with-
out being told, became president ; but
not now. This is an age of specialists.
If you become an expert sweeper they
will keep you at it. Efficiency is the
watchword. The way to rise is to get
caught bossing another boy that you have
hired to do the sweeping. Then they 11
put you on the road and you can get
rich padding your expense account."
This is not good morals and it is not
always true either.
Learning How to Learn.
One of the most important things that
a young man can learn is how to learn.
To be groping in the dark all uncertain
cf what there may be one step in advance,
or one step to the right or to the left,
and with no means of finding out until
some obstruction is stumbled over, or
some pit fallen into, is the miserable con-
dition of many hard working men, only
because they have never learned to find
out the things which they need to know.
One day, wanting an errand done, I
said to the youngest boy in the shop :
"Henry, do you know where Mr. Mcin-
tosh is at work?" "No sir, but I can
find out," was the quick response. I knew
at once that I had found the kind of
boy who would make a good messenger.
January, igio.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
General Correspondence
Powerful and Economical Boiler.
Editor:
On a road where fuel is cheap and
good the boiler should be designed with
reference to power, and no especial at-
tention should be paid to efficiency, unless
the efficiency is so low that the boiler
has to be forced to the extent that the
firebox sheets are damaged and the re-
pairs too much increased. Let us con-
sider what constitutes the most powerful
boilers.
In the first place, the grate must be as
large as possible, because more fuel can
be burned in a large firebox than in a
small one. It is self evident that the
more coal that can be burned effectively
in a given time, the greater evaporation
we should expect. In the second place,
the crown sheet must not be too far from
the fire, and lastly, the tubes should be
short and large in area of opening, so as
to oflfer a free passage to the gas. A 2^
or 3-in. tube will give more power than
a 2-in. tube, but good practice limits the
diameter of tubes to 2% ins. The maxi-
mum power is obtained when the blast is
as strong as possible to get it without
tearing the fire in starting, and without
causing excessive back pressure in the
cylinders. When power is the only
requisite, the above combination will
give it.
The most powerful boilers applied to
locomotives are those of the modified
Wootten type, with 75 to 100 sq. ft. of
grate area and tubes .ibout 15 ft. long and
2 ins. in diameter. Many engines of this
class are in service on the Lehigh Valley
and the D., L. & W. In passenger ser-
vice, most of these engines are fired with
anthracite coal, but in freight service
bituminous coal is used. The large 10-
wheel passenger engines on the D., L. &
W. are capable of developing 2,000 horse
power. They have, perhaps, the most
powerful boiler yet applied to any loco-
motive. The firebox has a heating sur-
face of 228^4 sq. ft. and a grate area of
103.8 sq. ft. There arc 398 tubes, 15 ft 3
ins. long, which provide a heating surface
of 3.'58.S sq. ft. The most remarkable
feature of these engines is the grate area,
103.8 sq. ft. The ability to produce great
horse power per square foot of heating
surface is obtained by the enormous grate
surface available for the almost perfect
combustion of the fuel.
With a large grate area a less violent
exhaust will supply the air necessary for
combustion, and therefore the Wootten
boiler of equivalent heating surface will
always develop greater horse power th.-in
the narrow firebox. The violence of the
exhaust is, in a measure, regulated by the
area of the grate. Here it might be said
that a variable exhaust would make it
possible to increase the power of a boiler,
for with it the violence of the exhaust in
starting could be reduced, and thus holes
would not be torn in the fire.
We have considered what constitutes
the most powerful boiler, and now it is
in order to decide as to the most eco-
nomical boiler. The most economical boiler
must have just as large heating sur-
face as possible, especially in the firebox,
and the combustion must be slower — that
is, combustion must be nearly perfect, and
with the present method of getting air to
the fire perfect combustion can only be
fore, the smaller the boiler in proportion
to work it must do, the less will be its
economy. The rapid combustion in a
small boiler is produced by a contracted
nozzle, with the result that the back
pressure on the piston is very much in-
creased ; the violent blast also causes con-
siderable unconsumed coal to pass
through the flues, and, due to the greater
velocity of the gases, they are in contact
with the heating surface a shorter length
of time. This has its influence in re-
ducing economy. No locomotive boiler is
too large for economy if the above is
true. Hence, passenger locomotives for
hauling heavy trains at high speeds
sliould have boilers as large as the weight
of the locomotive will permit.
TK.M.N U.N Tilt: SOL'TIIERN I'.VCII'IC II.MLI.H UY HAI.DWIN MAl.I.KT.
obtained with slow combustion. When
the rate of combustion is high, the mere
passage of the air through the fuel docs
not give an adequate mixing, when high
efficiency is wanted. This is the reason,
above all others, why forcing a boiler
reduces its efficiency, and is the reason
why an engine with a small grate area,
when forced, docs not give the efficiency
of a larger grate in which the coal is
burned slower and the air has more time
to mix with the fuel. It is evident that
in a small boiler, that is, one in which a
large amount of steam has to be gen-
erated in proportion to the heating sur-
face, the fire muif be urged ; and thcre-
The Atlantic and Pacific type engines
generally have the most economical boil-
ers. It is not uncommon for an engine
of the Pacific type to have 2-in. flues 20
ft. long, with 50 sq. ft. of grate area. On
through runs, where the trains arc heavy,
there is no loss from the large grate
area.
From what has been said above, we see
that both the most powerful and the most
economical boilers must have all the fire-
box heating surface possible, and as much
tube heating surface as can be obtained
without interfering with the draft.
Therefore, the size of the tubes, and the
fire part of the grates, arc the only clif-
RAILWAY AXD LOCOMOTIVE EiNGINEERING.
January, 1910.
ferences which enter in actual con-
struction.
One fundamental design will answer
for both by getting as large a firebox and
as large a shell as the total weight will
permit, and then perhaps brick off the
grate in the most economical boiler and
use the whole of it in the most powerful
boiler. As an example, the class E 3 a,
Atlantic type engines on the Pennsylvania
have what might be considered a power-
ful boiler. They have 315 tubes, 2 ins. in
diameter, and 55^ sq. ft. of grate area.
On the Atlantic City division the runs
are short, and an economical boiler is able
to handle the high speed trains. For that
reason a part of the grate near the flue
sheet is bricked off, leaving an effective
area of about 40 sq. ft. On the New
York division, however, the service is
more exacting, and the same type engines
are run with the entire grate area ef-
fective, that is, 55 K' sq. ft. In both
cases the firebox heating surface is re-
tained. W. Smith,
Asst. R. H. Foreman. B. & O.
Benzvood, JV. J 'a.
Erroneous Instruction.
Editor :
I have in my collection a catechism on
locomotive breakdowns. This book has
for its author a mechanical engineer of
wide reputation. This criticism is not
made for the purpose of reflection upon
iiig axle bo.Nes to carry the frame. Also
remove the springs and broken part and
block the intermediate equalizer down as
shown in the figure."
In this figure a is the point where the
intermediate equalizer takes Ihe weight of
th.e front end of the engine, and the
weight is sustained at the points of sus-
prnsion (b) and (c). The point (&) is
where the intermediate equalizer fits into
the skitted end of the hanger suspended
from the middle of the cross equalizer,
and the cross equalizer is of course sus-
pended to the forward end of the forward
driving box springs. The point (c) of
the intermediate equalizer is suspended to
the "Alex" bolt. Xow being suspended at
c.'ch end. and the weight coming on the
equalizer at the middle, it does not re-
quire an exceptionally analytical mind to
note that if the suspending device at
either end gives way, that end of the
equalizer will naturally drop doivn, in-
siead of having to be blocked down as ad-
vised. The blocking over the front driv-
ing axle bo.x, and over the intermediate
equalizer is indicated respectively by (e)
and.(rf) as advised.
Xow the proper remedy would be to lift
the back end of the intermediate equalizer
and chain it up. This would necessitate
raising the front end of the engine. Then
we could either chain down the front
ends of the forward driving springs, or,
which w-ould be most likely compulsory,
for want of chain, we could remove the
sprmgs
boxes.
Lincoln
block
Neb.
INCORRECT METHOD OF BLOCKIK
the author or the book, but is mainly for
the purpose of calling attention to the ad-
visability of critical study by the student.
This is required if the student is to reap
the greatest benefit from the instruction,
and also to guard against absorbing
erroneous ideas.
In a book of several hundred pages,
especially if it is a first edition, we would
be expecting too much if we look for en-
tire absence of error. In collecting and
collating such a fund of matter as is con-
tained in a large book it would be almost
superhuman to avoid making any errors.
The figure shown herewith is taken
from the work in question, and the ques-
tion it is used to illustrate is: "What
should be done if a cross equalizer on a
Mogul or Consolidation engine is broken?
Answer: Jack up the front end of engine
and put blocking over the forward driv-
over front driving axle
William Westerfield.
Some Observations on Firing.
Editor :
It is very gratifying to read the inter-
esting discussions on fuel economy pub-
lished in the November issue of your
valuable magazine. It is also easy for me
to understand how hard it is for Dr.
Angus Sinclair, the well posted and ob-
servant editor of this paper to remain
quiet on the subject. It is perhaps best
to allow the expression of opinion to
come from those who can express them-
selves at a lesser expense. The discus-
sions all the way through are very inter-
esting. There is nothing like practical
experience, whether it be your own, or
the experience of others, it amounts to
the same so long as the benefit thereof
is conveyed to you. One of the greatest
mistakes that railroad men make is in
turning down what is called "book knowl-
edge." It seems hard for them to under-
stand that the majority of books written
on these subjects are written by practical
men and that the knowledge which en-
ables them to express themselves is
gained through experience. This is some-
thing that progressive railroad men will
not do, and that which others can ill
afford to do, for in so doing they turn
down that which is usually gained
through a lifetime of practice, study and
close observation.
We will admit that our engineers are
usually intelligent men, and it may be up
to the road foreman of engines to appeal
to the pride of all the men and work up
a friendly rivalry. That would be all
right as far as it goes. But the general
reformation of the present system of
firing which is prevalent on different
roads that I know of is too great a task
for the road foreman of engines together
with the many other duties which most
road foremen are called on to perform.
I do not believe, in the first place, that
enough attention is given to the men
hired to become firemen. They make
their student trips, and thereafter, so long
as they keep up the steam pressure, are
considered capable, regardless of how it
is done or the expense in fuel to the
company. I have heard firfemen spoken
of as being good firemen. On getting
these same men out on the road it was
easy to see that their qualifications did
not extend beyond their abilities to clean
out the tank between coal chutes, thereby
reducing their occupation to that of a
common laborer.
To my mind, the qualifications of a
fireman should be of a higher standard
than those of most any other man on the
road, as there is a constant call, almost a
demand, for the continuous exercise of
good judgment, careful management and
close observation in the fulfillment of his
duties. The habit of throwing in six or
seven scoops of coal at time of shutting
off usually means that many scoops
wasted. The habit of running over the
division without moving the grates mtans
obstruction of air through the grates,
which results in the loss of one-third of
the heat to be obtained from the fuel. It
is an indisputable fact that with modern
engines and their large grate area one
should be able to carry a lighter fire and
create sufficient draft wdth lighter ex-
haust, which means larger nozzle. While
recently riding on one of the modern
engines I took note of the number of
scoops the fireman used at a charge,
which was usually about twelve. His sig-
nal for another charge was the closing of
the pop valve. When I asked him wh.it
his system was, he admitted that he had
none, but had the audacity to tell me that
January, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
he knew all there was to know about
firing a locomotive.
I have had new firemen whom I con-
sidered were of the best material, but
when asked to improve on their way of
firing, I was informed that engineer so
and so had told them to throw in a good
fire and let it burn. Examinations and
brief instructions do not seem to give
ACTIVITY IN THE CANAL ZONE.
results. Practical demonstrations are the
only thing that will convince a fireman
that cracking the lumps, keeping the fire
unobstructed by clinker, light charges at
frequent intervals, closing the fire door
between scoops, is not a hardship, but
well directed work that will many times
repay him. The fireman's tendency to
work for the interest of the mine owners
should not be lost sight of. The bridge
epidemic generally overcomes all slight
derangements in front ends. I have
known as engine 22x30-in. cylinder, 54
sq. ft. grate area, to have S'4-in. nozzle
with a J4-'n. bridge. This may be hardly
believable, but is nevertheless a fact.
Student firemen should first be taught
that a white heat is the most intense, that
the maximum temperature obtained in the
fire box is not far above the igniting tem-
perature of the fuel. That his main ob-
ject should be, when using bituminous
coal, to admit sufficient oxygen to the
fire and maintain the igniting tempera-
ture of the volatile matter at all times.
He should also be taught the importince
of an invariable temperature and the
proper use of the blower. His willing-
ness or unwillingness to comply with such
teachings should decide whether he is
qualified to remain in the service.
Motive power departments have been
aware for some time of the unnecessary
expense incurred by improper practices
on locomotivcj, and have also been de-
sirous of overcoming the deplorable con-
ditions. The title of traveling fireman
and fuel expert, while not common, have
not been wholly unknown in the past.
The majority of ihem have been imauc-
cejsful i ling their usr-fiilncss
to the .ind not in all cases
was it t • were deficient either
in firing a locinoiive or in drafting
fame, but principally because too much
wai expected of them at the start. It
might be that he endeavored to fire an
engine according to his ideas which was
drafting according to the other fellow's
ideas. It might have been because he
took the engine in the middle of the di-
vision and attempted to carry a light fire
on a bed of clinkers. Perhaps he lacked
co-operation with the enginemen and
officials, which may all have been due to
his being a little previous or ahead of
time, as Mr. Roach says. A man who
applies for a position of this kind is look-
ing for strenuous exercise, and in order
that he may get results he must have the
co-operation of the officials and the men.
He should also be given a fair trial to
iractically demonstrate what his abilities
ire in that line and not be burdened with
"ther duties, too numerous to mention,
•nd to say nothing about the prejudice
f those in authority above him, whose
ideas may conflict with his. Above all, he
cannot be expected to change a system in
three months' time that has been in prac-
tice for years.
My opinion as to fuel and nozzle is
identical with that of Mr. Summers, inas-
much as we have to be governed by con-
ditions altogether. I once had an amus-
ing experience on an engine which I
caught as a regular engine, one of a
number of the same class working on that
division. At first the fireman would clean
out the tank between coal docks. The
diaphragm was changed, the bridge re-
moved from nozzle, and the engine soon
got the reputation among the firemen as
being a hard steamer. I remember that
several firemen were called, but they
suddenly became ill when they discovered
the number of the engine they were to
go out on. I finally got a fireman who
had fired for me two years previously
when a student, who at that time I con-
sidered an ideal fireman. His reputation
as being a good fireman had clung to him
during this period of time, but on this
occasion I was surprised to note his
downfall. The careless and ' indiflfercnt
way he had gradually fallen into resulted
in a heavy fire and no steam before wc
had proceeded half way up the hill. On
perceiving that he was up against it, his
first inclination was to get a hook and
stir it up, which was objected to. Hcing
well acquainted with him, I felt at libcriy
to give him a good lecturing in a friendly
way. Taking the scoop and through very
hard work, I got the fire in condition, and
thereafter kept the engine hot with two
.'Mid three scoops to a charge, closing the
door between scoops. The fireman's face
brightened up, and he remarked that now
he had the engine he was going to keep
her, which all goes to prove what a little
pr.ictical demonstration will do.
Fearing that I have already taken up
tfio much of your valuable space, and for
fear of being barred from future par-
ticipation in the discusnions of this
important subject, which I believe is be-
coming more important every year, I will
conclude with best wishes for the future
progress along this line.
J. F. Brothers,
Mini. X. D. Engineer.
Suggestion Re Valve Gear.
Editor :
Assuming that with the Stevenson
valve gear, having piston type of valve,
inside steam admission, that the forward
end of the piston valve chamber bush-
ing be bored Vs in, larger in diameter
than the back end. Assuming that the
back end of the piston were 10 ins,, the
front end io',,s ins,, the centre 8 ins,, or
the area of the inner side of the lo-in.
is 28.275 sq. ins., the area of the inner
side of the front disc is 30.251, the area
of the centre is 50.265, giving a difference
in area of 1.97 sq. ins,, and assuming that
the steam pressure within the heads is
200 lbs. per square inch, same would fur-
nish an unbalanced force of 395 lbs.,
which would tend to force the piston
valve ahead at all times when throttle
valve is open.
The foiegcing refers to an indirect
motiiiu; whereas, with a direct type of
construction the large bore of the piston
valve chamber bushing would be at the
back end. In both cases the object is to
pi event chucking of the valve gear, and
to cause the heavy or front half of the
ecciiitric strap to he in contact against
the eccentric at all times, causing the
blades to be under compression. This
would eliminate, to a certain degree, the
fracturing of the eccentric blades and
straps and the loosening of the bolts and
nuts through the valve gear. It is neces-
sary, however, to shorten the length of
the port proportionally at the end of the
cylinder having the greater diameter; or
an easier method would ho to lengthen
CAKTAGENACOLUMIIIA RAIIAVAY.
the port at the end having the' smaller
diameter.
In selling valves having difTcrentiated
heads it is recommended that a spring
of approximately 400 lbs, tension be used,
and anchored ahead of and connected to
the top end of the rocker arm on an in-
ilircct engine, and back of the rocker arm
on a direct engine. The difTercntial men-
tioned will afford n greater unbalancing
effect than is required when running 40
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
Januarj', 1910.
miles per hour, or less, and not sufficient
to bring about the desired effect when the
speed is over 60 miles per hour.
With the Walchaerts valve gear it is
suggested that the back end be bored
larger, which will put the radius rod
under compression and put the eccentric
rod under tension, putting the strain on
the back side of the crank arm, therefore
taking the strain off the liner and key
ahead of the crank arm.
It is also recommended that the front
valve chamber head be removed (in case
of a breakdown requiring the lapping of
the steam ports) and a block of wood in-
serted against .the piston valve head, and
long enough to touch the chamber head,
when reapplied on an indirect engine, and
at the back end of the chamber on a
direct connected engine. It would not be
considered safe to clamp the valve stem
in attempting to maintain the valve in a
central position. J. E. Osmer,
Master Mechanic, Northwestern El. Rd.
Chicago, III.
should be allowed, as it must be decided
by the engineer.
If only a trifle is allowed, the strokes
will be short; and if more is given they
will be longer. Before replacing the
steam chest covers move one of the
valves so that a steam port will be open,
as otherwise the pump will not start.
T. H. G.
Walpole. Mass.
Valve Setting of Duplex Pump.
Editor:
I submit the following as likely to in-
terest your readers : To Set Valves of a
Duplex Pump. — Put the pistons in the
centre of their travel, bringing the rocker
arms into a vertical position. Take off
the steam chest covers and place the
Saving by Feed Water Heater.
Editor :
Referring to the proceedings of the
Traveling Engineers' Convention, in the
November issue of your magazine, page
493, Mr. John McManamy, of the Pere
Marquette, explains under the head of
''Feed Water Heating," that by heating
the feed water an additional 50 degs. as
many B. T. U. would be saved as could
be produced by the complete combustion
of 321 lbs. of pure carbon in one mile in
passenger service or 643 lbs. in freight
service. I do not see how he obtains
these results. I followed his figures
through for the passenger service thus:
We know i gallon of water weighs
8 1/3 lbs. One B. T. U. will raise the
temperature of I lb. of water I deg.
Therefore 8 1/3 B. T. U. will raise i gal-
lon I deg. To raise i gallon 50 degs.
would require 50x8 1/3 B. T. U. or 40^
B. T. \J. Now a passenger tr.iin will
ERECTING SHOP. C. R. I. & P. REPAIR PLANT AT SILVIS. ILL.
valves so that their outside edges will be
line and line with the outside edges of
the steam ports.
The check nuts or the adjustable blocks
en the valve stems must be so adjusted
that the lost motion will be the same in
both directions. No positive rule can be
given for the amount of lost motion that
use about 100 gallons of water per mile,
so we would save per mile 100x416^
B T. U. Now, I lb. of carbon gives off
14,500 B. T. U., and since we save
41,650 B. T. U. per mile, the equivalent
in carbon would be 41,650 -4- 14.500, or
2.87 lbs. That is, we would save the
equivalent of about 3 lbs. of carbon per
mile instead of 321 lbs., as Mr. McMan-
amy figures it.
If I am wrong, will you please show
me where my mistake is and how Mr.
McManamy obtains his result?
E. McBURNEY,
W. Oakland, Cal.
Flange Lubrication.
Editor :
Let me say to the readers of Railway
AND Locomotive Engineering, 1 am a
bona fide subscriber of this highly appre-
ciated paper, and in its columns I have
noticed discussions of several different
and beneficial subjects, but there is one
subject which has been omitted which I
am very much interested in, and I think it
is getting to be one of the great necessities
of the railroad today, both steam and
electric.
Flange lubrication is a hard proposition
to figure the savings from.
First to be considered is flange wear to
engine tires and cars. Second is wear of
rail. Third and best of all, the reducing
of friction in long trains, resulting in the
hauling of more tonnage. Take flange
wear, with the proper lubrication it can be
reduced to very surprising figures, and
rail wear is in proportion. Hoping to hear
from the editor and readers about this
subject, L. J. Maloy.
Copjtcrhill, Teiin.
Injector at Semaphore.
Editor ;
Referring to page 512 of the Decem-
ber number of Railway and Locomotive
Engineering, I will say that I do not
agree with Mr. Harry Bentley in regard
to careful boiler feeding, that is, that you
should not shut off the injector when
you stop, for if you do the engine will
blow off. If you have too much fire that is
a waste of steam and coal, and not only
that but when you put the injector on
again you will have to work it harder to
get the water back that is lost by blowing
off. There is the steam heat and air
pump, and other things that steam is used
for so that you are using extra coal.
I claim that the regular feeding of water
into the boiler is the best, not only for
steam but it is not so hard on the boiler.
.\s Mr. Miller says, follow up the en-
gine and keep all leaks out; then let trav-
eling engineers go out on the engine with
the firemen and show them how to save
coal instead of trying to tell them how in
the roundhouse or office. Have the firemen
watch the injector and steam gauge in-
stead of telegraph poles. Too much can-
not be said in favor of good firing and
saving of coal on railroads, and it
obviates a great expense and waste.
D. B. HiNES,
Loco. Engineer, Union Pac. Ry.
Norfolk, Neb.
January, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
Hints Concerning the Machine Shop.
Editor;
Machine shop economy is summed
up by developing every machine to its
utmost efficiency and obtaining the
maximum output from each consistent
with the requirements of the work,
which can only be accomplished by a
good system in management and tool
work. A portion of the shop should
be devoted to the manufacture and re-
pairing and storing of tools for the
whole shop requirements, discriminat-
ing between poverty and excess and
discountenancing all waste.
An attendant should be appointed
for the purpose of supplying the wants
of the men requiring tools for the
work they are doing. Each employee
is supplied with disk checks made from
sheet brass, with his register number
thereon; he deposits one check with
the attendant for each tool he takes.
The workman, when finished with the
tool, turns it in to the stores and the
attendant returns his check. Should
there be any damage to the tool, a
record is kept in a suitable book, with
workman's name, check number and
date and remarks. Taps, dies, stocks,
gauges, twist drills, mandrels, milling
cutters, ratchets, etc., are all dealt with
in this manner.
What is a shop without system and
organization but simply chaos, where-
as, with system, everything is reduced
to order, every man knows what to
do and when and where to do it. Sys-
tem does not require any more work-
men, but it does reduce the work of
existing workmen and everything is
done well, because each workman is
individually responsible for the par-
ticular work or tool in his care. At
the same time the responsibility is re-
duced to a minimum, for every indi-
vidual knows the system and that it
will be rigidly carried out. In fact,
it is impossible to grapple with large
concerns without it, and even small
ones become utter failures. System
also insures that nothing is interrupted,
not only in one shop but in every por-
tion of the works, by the absence of
the foreman, journeyman or appren-
tice, the work proceeds.
Every machine should be fixed ac-
cording to a plan, so that heavy or
light work can be done expeditiously.
Suitable crane power or lifting hoist
is found exactly where wanted. At
any time, should alterations be re-
quired in machinery or fixtures, draw-
ing* should be made giving full par-
ticulars. This is very important and
of great astistance to all concerned.
I havr known where alterations have
been made in 'shops and no record
kept. This has caused delay* and ex-
pcnsic where there arc a quantity of
tieam and air and water pipes. No one
appears to know when or where the
alteration has been made under ground.
If there had been a proper plan in the
first place, and if when the alterations
were made the changes were noted on
the drawing, it would have prevented
a world of trouble and experimenting,
which is costly. It may happen the
of the first essentials is to "well man"
the machines and then keep the cutters
in order, for success depends en-
tirely upon the facility for production
and regrinding the cutters, it being an
absurdity to use a cutter beyond its
profitable period of service. A 3-inch
cutter will do, probably, on an average
il.n CAMUKN" \ AMI'.OV ".MONSTKR" KERIILT.
foreman has been transferred to.
another shop; he would be aware of
the changes, but the foreman who has
taken his place has no drawings nor
any records for his guidance.
The beneficial effect of accuracy in
tool work is well and easily illustrated
by the twist drill. The circumferential
speed for one half inch to seven-eighths
of an inch is 20 to 30 ft. a minute on
mild steel, and a good feed is about
i-ioo of an inch for each revolution,
that is, half that amount per lip for
each revolution; consequently, if the
drill is ground with uneven lips the
whole cut comes on one edge, there-
fore the drill is soon damaged and the
driller reduces the feed until the one
edge cuts well. This amounts to about
one-half the feed. Therefore, to drill
at the smallest cut absolute accuracy
is required. Throughout each edge
must be of equal length for obvious
reasons, and have the same angle with
the center of the drill. It is clearly
understood that grinding is an im-
portant factor. Two important points
in all tools are the cutting and clear-
ance angles.
It may be staled that in all ordinary
lathe work deep cuts and coarse feeds
are first principles, one roughing and
one finishing, bringing down the speed
to suit the cut rather than suit the cut
to the speed, for the greatest amount
of work will be done in a given time;
that is, let it be a maximum of feed
rather than have the finishing a good
sliding cut.
Too much cannot be said for the
Universal milling machine. No ma-
chine shop is complete without it. One
from eighteen to twenty hours' work
before regrinding, which is only a few
minutes' work. The cost of grinding
in each case would not be more than
8 or 10 cents.
There is one important point which
should not be lost sight of, and that is
that all machines should have good
foundations. Machines cannot be too
rigid. Let any part of a machine be
defective, and it will rebound upon the
work done. H. J. Vari^w.
Fori IVilliain, Out.. Can.
Engine Driver.
Editor :
Referring to Mr. J. Snowden Bell's let-
ter in the December number on "Engine
Driver," I have always understood that a
man who served his time as a machinist
and then served firing, is an engineer, and
that a man that only served his time firing
is a driver. I am an apprentice and my
time is not up until August, .md after
serving my time firing, 1 think 1 will high-
ly appreciate being called engineer. But
a fellow that only served time firing don't
deserve to be called engineer. It hurts a
man's feelings for one to serve twice as
1 ng, and (hen only be classed with the
bhorter service man. I don't mean to say
one man's character is better than an-
other's. Mf.rton Jackson.
Lynbrook, N. i'.
[Our correspondent is under a misap-
prehension about the use of the terms.
They do not indicate length or kind of
.-.pprcnticeship. Engine driver is the cor-
rect and quite honorable term used in
Great Britain and in many parts of the
British Empire. In this country cnginrer
is the word that cu.«om has established.—
I'.IUlOk.]
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE EXGINEERIXG.
Jaiuiary, 1910.
Vulcan Iron WorKs of WilHes-Barre
No better proof of the complete revival
of business activity, especially in the rail-
road world, could be found than in the
Vulcan Iron Works at Wilkes-Barre, Pa,.
where the extensive locomotive and
machine shops arc being run to their
fi.ll capacity with the result that a new
locc motive is being completed every work-
ing day in the year, and the outlook bids
fair to speedily surpass this large output.
There are two separate establishments
01 the works, one being confined almost
entirely to the making of mining and
other machinery, while the other which
is shown in our illustration, is devoted
to locomotive construction. In the latter.
there are between five and six hundred
skilled mechanics at work. The machinery
includes every modern improvement, and
the visitor is struck with the high speed
at which the various machines are run.
The milling machines seem to be worked
at a remarkable velocity while the elegant
finish of the products could not be sur-
passed. Nearly all the tools are elec-
trically driven, many of the motors being
cleverly concealed in the lower framing
of the machine, thus giving a desirable
overhead clearance.
Of the locomotives in course of con-
struction the variety was endless, rang-
ing from the heavier class of contractors'
locomotives for use in excavating and
other operations, to the lighter kind of
plantation locomotives. Some had the
appearance of miniature engines adapted
for the narrow gauge roads, both for
passenger and light freight service. The
finished locomotives of the American
type were particularly elegant in appear-
ance. Orders were being filled for ncarlv
poses. From the reports already at hand
these engine? are admirably meetmg the
requirements of the service for which
they are intended. The cylinders are 15
ins. X 22 ins. Gauge of track, 4 ft. Sy^
ins. This locomotive is used for general
shifting service around their furnaces
fur this reason is unusually large, being
~^ X 78 ins. It is equipped with a separ-
ate combustion chamber 12 ins. deep.
The heating surface of the fire-box is
92 square feet ; the combustion chamber
25 square feet, and that of the tubes 750.34
square feet ; or a total heating surface of
\'IE\V OF THE VULCAN IROX WORKS. \VILKES-E.\RRE, P.\.
and possesses many features of uiterest.
The locomotive is designed for a height
limit of 12 ft. and a width of g ft. The
combined weight of the engine and tender
v'ith two gauges of water in the boiler
and tank two-thirds full, is approximately
120,800 lbs. The total weight on drivers
is approximately 81,000 lbs. ; which gives
an average weight per axle of 27,000
11 s. The tractive force of this engine
every country in the world. The lighter
and smaller classes of engines were
mostly for foreign service, large orders
having been recently received from Japan,
India and Siam.
Of the general kind of switching en-
gines we reproduce an illustration of a
six-wheel type, for industrial railway pur-
_.... KY THE \rLC.\X IRON WORKS,
exerted under a running steam pressure
of 180 lbs. is 18.933 lbs., which gives an
adhesive factor of 4.27.
The boiler is of the radial stay, straight
top type, made in two rings ; the front
rmg being 54 ins. in diameter at the head.
The firebox is arranged for burning the
finest screenings of anthracite coal, and
867.34 square feet ; the grate area being
39.52 square feet. The driving wheels are
40 ins. in diameter, fitted with cast iron
centers and 4^ in. rolled steel tires.
The middle pair of drivers are flangeiess.
'1 he driving axle journals are G'/i x 8 ins.
Frames of open-hearth cast steel, of
double-bar section. The equalizers are
placed in front of drivers and between
the middle rear drivers. Steam chest
valves are of the Rich-
ardson balanced type fit-.
ted with relief valve.
Crossheads, rocker arms,
cab window sashes, doors,,
tool boxes, running boards,
steps, etc., all are made of
steel.
The tender has a slop-
ing back, fitted with a
U-shaped tank of 2.500
gallons capacity, and a
bunker space for 7,600 lbs.
of coal. The weight of
the tender in working or-
der is approximately 46,-
000 lbs. This is a power-
ful locomotive for its-
style and size, equal-
ing in weight and
tractive force many larger standard gauge
railway engines. It is simple in constru-
tion with ample strength in all parts. On
account of the service imposed upon this
locomotive around the furnaces of the
Crane Iron Works it was found necessary
to make all exposed parts of the engine
of steel or iron instead of wood.
Januan-, 1910.
RAILWAY A\D LOCOMOTIVE EMGINEERING.
Baldwin Mallet Articulated for the Southern Pacific
The Baldwin Locomotive Works have
recently completed 21 Consolidation Mal-
let tj-pe locomotives for the Harriman
Lines, or as they are also called, the
Associated Lines. It is part of an
order for 105 engines, placed with these
works by the Associated Lines in the
ipring of 1909. The heavy Mallet en-
ment. however, in no way interferes with
the convenience of the cab fittings.
The main frames are securely braced,
under the cab. by a steel casting, to which
the bumper is bolted. The hitter supports
a stub pilot. Tlie bumper is placed well
forward to protect the occupants of the
cab from buffing and collision shocks.
referred. The latter engine has now been
in service a sufficient length of time to
demonstrate its value; and the fact that
21 additional locomotives of the same tjpe
have been built for the Associated Lines,
proves that the performance of these en-
gines has been fully up to expectations.
.■\ few of the leading dimensions of the
H. J. Sn
HE.WY M.NLLET COMTI
General Superintendent of Motive Power.
>\< sorTur.Kx
•ACUIC COMP.\NV.
Baldwin Loco
gines have been assigned as follows:
Three coal burners for the Union Pacific
Railroad, three for the Oregon Railroad
& Navigation Co., and 15 oil burners for
the Southern Pacific Co. Apart from
modifications necessary because of the
change of fuel, the six coal burners are
practically duplicates of Southern Pa-
cific locomotives Xos. 4000 and 4001.
which were built by the Baldwin Loco-
motive Works early in 1909. These en-
gines were described and illustrated in
Railway a.nd Locomotive E.vcineeri.nc
for June, 1909, on page 260.
Experience gained in operating these
engines through tunnels and snow-sheds
has proved the desirability of placing the
engine crew where a better view of the
::ack can be obtained. Accordingly the
new Southern Pacific locomotives are
'iesigned to run with the firebox end first,
and the tender back of the smoke-box.
With a coal burning locomotive such a
plan would, of course, be impracticable,
but no difficulty is anticipated when using
oil as fuel.
In the new design the cab is entered
•h rough side doorways, reached by suil-
:ible ladders. An unobstructed view of
i.;e track is obtained through the front
.■ indows. TTie cab fittings are con-
veniently arranged within rasy reach of
the enginrman. who occupies the right
hand tide when looking ahead. The
Ragonnet p'jwer gear is employed, and its
cylinder is placed as on the previous lo-
comotive*. This gear was described in
our October, 1909. paper on page 456.
With this gear so placed it has been nec-
ejMry to run a shaft acri»» the boiler
back-head, in order to make connection
with the operating lever. ThU arrange-
The deck plate at the smoke-box end of
the locomotive is of cast steel, and is
provided with a chafing block and a suit-
able pocket for the tender draw bar. The
tender is of the .Associated Lines stand-
Mallet here described are appended for
reference :
Cylinders, 26 ins. and 40 ins. x 30 ins.
X'alves, balanced piston.
Boiler — Type, straight: material, steel; diameter,
84 ins.; thickne«5 nf sheets. 13-16 in. and
VIEW OF U.\I.I>WI.\ .MAI.I.ET ro.MI'OlNI) lUK THE .SOLTllEKN l-.\tiriC CO.
ENGINE KUNS CAB FIRST.
ard design, with rectangular tank, and
equipped for oil burning locomotives.
So far as the boiler, cylinders, ma-
chinery and nmning gear of this locomo-
tive are concerned, the design is practi-
cally a duplicate of Southern Pacific en-
gine No. 4000. to which we have already
rkin
lbs.
fuel,
inft.;
fncMure,
1 crown bars.
I' steel; lensth, 136
mi.; depth, front. 75 'i ins,;
ii<< ; thickne» u( •hrrta. lidet,
. ji..; barW. ^ In.; crown, H in.; tube.
'. in.
Water Space 5 ins. ill round.
Fire Tubra— Material, tteel; Iblcknem, •teel,
o.ias in.; number, 401; diameter, a\i Int.!
Irnflb, ti ft. o In.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
January, igio.
Heating Surface — Firebox, 2j2 sq. ft.; fire-
tubes. 4-941 sq. ft.
Feed-Water Heater Tubes — Number, 401: dia-
meter, 2'/i ins.: length, 5 ft. 3 ins.; tubes,
1,320 sq. ft.; total, 6,393 sq. ft.; grate area,
68.4 sq. ft.
Driving Wheels — Diameter, outside. 57 ins.;
journals, main, 11 ins. x 12 ins.; others,
10 ins. X 12 ins.
Engine Truck Wheels — Diameter, front, 30^^
ins.; journals, 6 ins. x 10 ins.; diameter,
bdck, 30^1 ins.; journals, 6 ins. x 10 ins.
Wheel Base— Driving, 39 ft. 4 ins.; rigid, 15 ft.
o ins.; total engme, 56 ft. 7 ins.; total en-
gine and tender, 83 ft. 3 ins.
Weight — On driving wheels, 394,700 lbs.; on
truck, front, 22,100 lbs.; on truck, back,
20,200 lbs.; total engine. 437,000 lbs.; total
engine and tender, about 610,000 lbs.
Tender — Wheels, diameter, 33 ins.; journals,
6 ins. X II ins.; tank capacity, 9,000 gals,
water: fuel capacity, 3,150 gals, oil; service,
freight.
Engine equipped with Baldwin smoke-box super-
heater.
Superheating surface, 655 sq. ft.
Gyroscopic Monorail Car.
Our illustration shows a monorail
car 40 ft. long, 13 ft. high, 10 ft. wide
and weighing 22 tons. It is carried on
four wheels. A gasoline engine fur-
nishes the motive power, and as all
the wheels are in line, the car would
very quickly fall over if it were not
for the effect of the two gyroscopes,
operated by the gasoline engine.
These gyroscopes weigh together
about three quarters of a ton. The fly-
wheels, for such they practically are,
each measure 42 ins. in diameter and
rather the gyrostat, as the modification
by the late Lord Kelvin is now called.
The gyroscope offers no resistance to
a motion of translation, that is, it does
not affect, nor is it affected by the
motion of the car along the rail. In
this car the gyroscopes have nothing
to do with whether the car is in mo-
tion or standing still. The car goes
forward or stops in obedience to the
power derived from the gasoline mo-
tor, as manipulated by the operator.
The function of the gyroscopes is to
keep the car standing upright or "on
an even keel" as a sailor might say.
If the car tips to one side, it is really
beginning to revolve about an axis
formed by the monorail. To illustrate
this matter of revolution about an
axis : Suppose you stand a walking
stick on the floor, point down and han-
dle up, and remove all support, the
stick will fall down. The handle will
describe an arc of a circle from per-
pendicular to horizontal, with the point
as the center. The whole stick may
thus be said to have made a quarter
of a revolution about the point. In
the same way if the car tips to one
side or the other, it is beginning to
revolve about" the monorail as the
THE I3REN.\.\N GYROSCOPIC -MO-XOKAIL C.\R
(Photo Courtesy of N. Y. Tribune.)
make 3,000 revolutions a minute in a par-
tial vacuum. The gyroscopes are carried
in the cab, shown on the front of the
car, in which the power and brake
mechanism is operated.
When Mr. Louis Brennan, C.B., the
inventor of this type of vehicle,
brought out his model a few years ago
and exhibited it to the British War De-
partment the demonstration was entirely
satisfactory. In the August, 1907, issue of
Railway and Locomotive Engineering.
page 360, a brief description was given
of the action of the gyroscope, or
walking stick did about its point. To
such motion the gyroscopes offer great
resistance. Their a.xis of rotation is
normally at right angles to the line of
the track. A tendency to tip, how-
ever, would cause the gyroscopes to
revolve upon their supports in an effort
to bring their axis of rotation parallel
to the monorail. This kind of move-
ment, is what is called precessional
motion.
A precessional motion is apparent when
an ordinary pegtop is spun on the
ground. There is a knob on the upper
rounded surface to which the string loop
is attached for throwing. This knob may
be observed slowly revolving in a circle,
giving the top a wabbling motion while
it spins rapidly about its axis. The pro-
cessional motion of the top gradually be-
comes less and less and at last it dis-
appears when the spinning top "sleeps."
The precessional motion of the gyros-
copes produced by the slight tipping of
the car cause them to revolve slowly
around as if they desired to place their
spinning axis over the monorail, ^nd
here a curious law of gyroscopic motion
comes in. It is stated thus, "Hurry on
precession and the body rises in opposi-
tion to gravity." In the monorail car
mechanical means are provided for
hastening the precessional motion of
the gyroscopes and the lower side of the
ear rises in obedience to the law, as
gyroscopes are so to speak, part and
parcel of the car. The rising of the de-
pressed side catises a precessional motion
in opposite direction and prevents the
car oscillating or swaying from side to
side on the monorail. The car goes
round a curve with an inward inclination
like a bicycle rider, and whether on a
curve or on straight track every slight
tendency to overturn is instantly and
automatically checked by the gyroscopes,
in a way that is almost uncanny.
The full-sized car shown in our illus-
tration is said to be more successful in
operation than the model was. It was
exhibited in working order on the War
Office grounds at Chatham, England, L.»-
fore professional experts and members
of the Royal Society. A speed of 7
miles an hour was attained on the tri.il,
I ut higher speeds are confidently ex-
pected. Sudden shifting of weights in lio
way endangered the equilibrium of the
Wants Our Postage Increased.
In his message to Congress, Presi-
dent Taft complains about the loss
caused the Government by second class
mail matter being carried at rates so
lovif that a large annual deficit results
The President is shrewd enough to re-
frain from recommending an increase
of rates for newspapers, but he ex-
presses himself strongly in favor of
raising the postal rates on magazines
and such publications. One important
cause of loss to postal revenues is left
unnoticed. That is the carrying of
papers free within every county. News-
paper publishers are privileged to send
their papers through the mails free
within the county where the publica-
tion office is located, but the curtailing
of that concession to rustic news circu-
lation would e.xcite the wrath of rural
members, a thing that no President
with desire for popularity would dare
to risk.
/anuar>-, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENQINEERING.
15
Contributions for Presents to OfEcials.
The time was when nearly every rail-
road on the American Continent was
cursed with the practice of giving gifts
to officials and to others in authority.
Toadies in the singular or plural number
would make it known that Superintendent
Brown or Master Mechanic Johnson was
a good man with the employes interests
at heart, or that he deserved a testimonial
to show the appreciation of the men.
The chief toady would head a subscrip-
tion list with the idea of favors to come,
and most of the other victims would be
afraid to refuse to contribute dollars they
could not afford. By this practice some
of the most contemptible officials who ever
abused a brakeman received testimonials
certifying to worth and popularity they
never possessed.
These practices have almost entirely
disappeared from American railway life.
It seems the evil had appeared in the
railways of the Philippines, but had made
only small progress when arrested by the
highest authority as shown by the sub-
joined general order which one of our
subscribers denominated "one of the best
orders that has been sent out in any
country."
THE PHILIPPINE R.ML\VAV COMPANY
Office of the Vice-President.
GENERAL ORDER NO. 10.
Gifts to Officers, Foremen and Otlien.
Officers and employes of the Philippine
Railway Company are advised that it -s
contrary to the policy of the company.
and is forbidden, that subscriptions o»
tkken up for the purpose of presenting
foremen, officers or others with presents
or tokens or entertainment upon the
occasion of their leaving the service of
the company, or upon any other occasion.
It is considered unfair and improper
that employes should be called upon to
contribute, often unwillingly, from their
wages for purposes of this kind, and they
are requested to refuse to make such con-
tributions. Officers or other employes
connected with the getting up or assist-
ing in such collections will be held ac
countable therefore.
Wm. B. Poland.
Vice-Pres. and Chief Engineer.
To all Officers and Employes and to be
Posted at Registered Stations,
lloilo, P. /., October 23. 1909.
Shelving and Shaft Hangers.
In the tnrij room nf the new shops of
the St. I^uis & San Francisco Railway at
Springfield, Mo., are two or three
features of special interest, some of
which represent standard items of
equipment designed and arranged by
the Arnold Company and used in most
of the shop pl.Tnls for which that com-
pany contracts. The tool room is
about 87 by 39 ft. and is surrounded
by steel shelving with wire partition
above. The wire netting is built in
sections, each on a steel frame, and the
sections are all of uniform size for all
the places in which they are used in
the whole plant. The top is stiffened
and the separate sections fastened to-
gether by a continuous channel sec-
tion band running around the whole
belts are a necessity for the operation
of the small machines. The overhead
hangers for these are supported in a
manner which has been adopted by
the Arnold Company as standard
practice. The connection to the over-
head floor beams is made by pairs of
channel sections bolted to the beams
back to back at uniform distances
SPRINGFIELD. MO., SHOPS OF THE FRISCO. SQU.^RE IN CENTER OF
SHOWS ENLARGED VIEW OF SHAFT HANGERS.
top. The shelving is also made in
sections of the same width as the
sections of the partition and is
mounted upon supports so that the
sections can be put together in much
the same manner as are sectional book
cases. The shelves are so arranged
that they may be fixed in a horizontal
or in a tilted position. Some of the
sections are fitted with doors forming
cabinets for the smaller or more valu-
able tools. In case of removal or re-
arrangement of the size or position of
the room, the sections both of shelv-
ing and wire partition may be dis-
connected, removed and replaced with
but little labor and a^ a small ex-
penditure of time. The tops of the
shelving and cabinets are covered
with steel plates forming a counter.
Another interesting feature shown
in the engraving of the tool room
equipment is the means provided for
hanging sh:iftini; adjustably. In the
shop generally belting is avoided as
much as possible, but In the tool room
, apart and uniformly punched for boll
holes before erection. These chan-
nels are all of the same section and
cut to the same length for the whole
shop plant, some 1,300 pieces being
used in these shops of the Frisco
system.
The fastening may be adjusted to
any size of hanger by the use of filling
pieces or thimbles through which the
hanger bolt passes, or the hanger
bolts may pass on either or both
sides of the channel sections. On ac-
count of the uniform character of the
channel-section supports, the hangers
arc always at the same height, are
perfectly level and the hangers may
be shipped along toward one end or
the other or removed from one set of
supports to another with the assur-
ance that the alignment of the shaft
will be perfect and that no further ad-
justment will be required to make the
shaft run true. In our illusi ration we
have shown this feature in the enlarged
square in the cut.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
January, 1910.
RllSv.Ei«ineeriift
A Practical Journal of Hotive Power, Soiling
Stock and Appliances.
Published Honthlsr by
ANGUS SINCLAIR CO.
114 Liberty Street, New York.
Telerhone. 984 Cortlandt.
Cable Address, "Loceng," N. Y.
Glasgow, "Locoauto.''
Business Department:
ANGUS SINCLAIR, D.E., Prest. and Ireas.
JAKES KENNEDY, Vice-Prest. and Gen. Mgr.
HARRY A. KENNEY, Secretary.
Editorial Department:
ANGUS SINCLAIR, D.E.. Editor.
GEORGE S. HODGINS, Managing Editor.
JAMES KENNEDY. Associate Editor.
Advertising Department:
JAS. a. PATERSON. Manager, Chicago.
Boston Representative:
S. I. CARPENTER, 170 Summer St., Boston,
Mass.
London Representative:
THE LOCOMOTIVE PUBLISHING CO., Ltd.,
8 Amen Corner, Paternoster Row, London, E. C,
SUBSCRIPTION PRICE.
$2.00 per year, $i.oo for six months, postage
paid in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
For other farts of the world, $2.50, or ten
shillings. Single copies, 20 cents. Remit by Ex-
press Money Order, Draft, Post Office Order or
Registered Letter.
Mailing address can be changed as often as
necessary — always give old and new address, and
if you subscribe in a club, state the name of the
agent.
Please give prompt notice wlien your paper
fails to reach you regularly.
Entered at the Post Office, Xew York, as
Second-class Mail Matter.
$1,284,000 Saved in One Year.
In this issue w; have published the con-
clusion o£ the discussion at the Traveling
Engineers' Convention of the paper on
"Fuel Economy'' presented by Mr. S. D.
Wright, Central Railroad of Georgia. We
consider that paper and the discussion that
resulted the most valuable contribution
ever made for promoting the economical
operation of railways. "There is millions
in it" is a facetious expression generally
used to cover some extravagant proposi-
tion, but the expression may be used in all
seriousness towards Mr. Wright's excel-
lent paper and the information it brought
forth.
We have insisted that railway officials
were "barking up the wrong tree" in their
periodical fits of scolding engineers and
firemen for failing to make better use of
the coal supplied to their engines. The
enginemen were not zealous to make eco-
nomical records because the coal was
thrown upon the tenders with such scant
desire for accuracy that the quantity sup-
plied was merely a rough guess, and that
the skillful and careful fireman received
no more credit for economical perform-
ance than the careless slouch whose only
desire was to get over the road with the
least possible personal exertion. The same
with the engineers. The man who had
studied the most economical methods of
operating the engine to make the steam
perform the highest possible duty received
ro more credit than the runner noted lor
keeping the reverse lever near the corner.
The remarks made by Mr. C. F. Luding-
ton, chief fuel inspector of the Santa Fc
during the discussion on Mr. Wrights pa-
per and reported in this paper, vindicate
the position we have held regarding the
importance of accurate methods for sup-
plying fuel to locomotive tenders. By the
introduction of exact means for ascertain-
ing the quantity of coal supplied, the ofii-
cials were justified in keeping the engine-
men to strict account for the coal used.
When they found that they were treated
justly in the coal charged to their use the
enginemen began to display rivalry as to
who could make the best fuel record. The
result was simply astounding. A fuel
saving of 18 per cent, is declared to have
been effected, which aggregated $1,284,000
in one year. The Atchison, Topeka &
Santa Fe Railway has nearly 1,700 loco-
motives, and the sum saved does not reach
very high per engine; but it counts of the
greatest importance in aiding the company
to carry on new enterprises or in helping
to raise the pay of deserving employees.
The saving was effected by the revived
zeal and care of the enginemen, and by
the change in the methods of coal meas-
urement that convinced those using the
coal that waste would be resented and
care put to their credit. The people who
have for years been promoting cheap
methods of handling coal at railway sup-
ply stations and brought into popularity
practices that dumped valuable coal as
recklessly as if it were worthless earth
ought to reflect upon what careful, intel-
ligent handling has done.
Railway officials who are striving with-
out ceasing to reduce operating expenses
without injuring efficiency are respect-
fully urged to read the remarks made by
Mr. C. F. Ludington as reported on page
4 of this paper.
To Interfere with Locomotive Boilers.
The Railway Business Association, al-
though little more than a year old, has
become a powerful factor in defending
railway interests, and the indications are
that it is going to act as an effective
buffer in protecting railways from the
collisions and shocks of malicious legisla-
tion. At a banquet held by the Railway
Business Association on Nov. 10 last,
some of the most influential statesmen
in the country expressed their views in
relation to railroads and the public and
the trend of their opinions was, that rail-
road companies have suffered grievously
from vicious legislation and that alto-
gether too much industry is displayed by
legislators entertaining idiotic anti-rail-
road sentiments.
While the subject is still fresh we wish
to direct the attention of fair people in
general and of the Railway Business As-
sociation in particular, to a bill intro-
duced last year by Mr. Burkett from Ne-
braska for the ostensible purpose of
promoting safety of railroad employees
and travelers upon railroads by compell-
ing railroad companies to equip their loco-
motives with safe and suitable boilers and
appurtenances thereto; which include
steam pressure gauge, safety valve, gauge
cocks or try cocks, a water glass with
certain details specified. The boiler must
withstand a hydraulic test, in the ratio
of one hundred and fifty pounds to the
square inch to one hundred pounds per
square inch of the working steam pres-
sure; boiler and appurtenances must be
well made of good material, that the open-
ings for the water and steam respectively,
and all pipes and tubes exposed to heat
are of proper dimensions and free from
obstructions; that the spaces between and
around the flues are sufficient; that the
boiler flues, safety valves, fusible plugs,
low water indicator, feed water apparatus,
gauge cocks, steam gauge, water and
steam pipes, low water gauges, means of
moving mud and sediment from boiler,
and all other machinery and appurtenances
thereof are of such construction, shape,
condition, arrangement and material that
the same may be safely employed with-
out peril of life and limb.
With a few absurd exceptions, the fore-
going particulars describe 99 per cent, of
the locomotive boilers used today by rail-
road companies and they are decidedly
better cared for than other boilers ; yet the
author of the measure makes it imperative
that the owners of the boilers shall have
them and their appurtenances thoroughly
examined and tested every three months
by experts employed by the Secretary of
Commerce and Labor. That seems to be
the real purpose of the bill besides giving
this new fangled Congressman some
notoriety — to bring into existence an army
of reputed experts to perform work that
has been done thoroughly and satisfac-
torily by mechanics who have acquired un-
questioned skill by many years of experi-
ence in making, repairing and testing
locomotive boilers.
According to reports published in the
Locomotive by the Hartford Steam
Boiler and Inspection Company, there
were in the months of April, May, June,
July and August of last year 159 acci-
dents that were classed as boiler ex-
plosions. Of these 4 were in mines. 8 to
tugs and water craft, 9 to locomotives, 11'
to saw mills, 15 to traction and agricul-
tural boilers, 52 at power plants and 60
at heating and miscellaneous plants. There
are about 60.000 locomotive boilers in the
United States, more than any other form
of boiler. The small number of ex-
plosions to locomotive boilers is con-
vincing testimony in favor of the great
care such boilers receive from the men
responsible for their safety.
In 1868 the American Railway Master
Mechanics' Association was organized for
Januan-, 1910.
R.\IL\VAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
17
the purpose of the '"Advancement of
knowledge concerning the principles, con-
struction, repair and service of the rolling
stock of railroads, by discussions in com-
mon, the exchange . of information, in-
vestigation and reports of the experience
of its members." Almost the first in-
vestigations this association of the best
informed practical mechanics in the coun-
try were connected with were locomotive
boilers ; investigations that included everj-
subject that vast experience and scientific
information could suggest to identify
weak forms of unreliable material and to
recommend for use forms and practices
that had proved themselves thoroughly
reliable. From such searching ordeal the
locomotive boiler cf today has taken its
form; and the practices of testing and ex-
amining that contribute to safety in opera-
tion have arisen out of the fountain of
experience possessed by the Railway
Master Mechanics of the United States.
Yet a bovine member of Congress, whose
greatest engineering experience has never
strayed far from his festive mules, rushes
in like others of his kind to overturn prac-
tices that wisdom has established and that
safety to life and limb have declared satis-
factory.
We commend the case to the careful at-
tention of the Railway Business .\ssocia-
tion and to other sensible citizens having
influence in our halls of law making.
Selecting Firemen.
Many schemes have been proposed for
the selection of firemen, most of them
being based on a desire to give educated
young men the opportunity to become
wielders of the scoop if they so desire.
The genteel young man thus given the
opportunity to become locomotive fire-
man has never met the requirements so
well as the youth whose conspicuous per-
sonality comprises bone and muscle. Most
old locomotive engineers have had experi-
ence with mother's darlings ambitious t"
become locomotive engineers by passing
through the rank of fireman for a very
short period, and the experience has been
of a character to promote profanity.
Selecting firemen, which has been period-
ically discussed by the Master Mechanics
Assf<ciation, came up again at last con-
vention as a topical discussion, and Mr.
D. B. McBain, of the New York Central
Linef . said :
"The question, 'Is previous railroad ex-
perience of advantage to locomotive fire-
men.' is one that we l)elicve worthy of
debate, as there are m.iny angles from
which the matter ought to be viewed.
Ordinarily, there are very few applica-
tions from the ranks of the shopmen, the
trainmen, the switchmen or the clerical
force, for positions as firemen, and it han
been our personal experience that in mo^t
cases where applications are received
from these sources, that the applicants
have not been successful for one reason or
another, and turn to the locomotive ser-
vice as a last resort.
"From the ranks of the sectionmen, the
bridge gangs, the car repair gangs and
the freight-house gangs, there are many
very desirable applicants. These men, as
a whole, are used to rough, heavy work at
low wages, and they appreciate fully the
advantages afforded by the locomotive
iervice in the matter of better working
wnditions and increased remuneration.
"While it has been our experience that
not all of these men make good, as loco-
motive men, the exceptions are, perhaps,
less in proportion to number than of any
other class of men hired, and some of the
very best engineers in the service at the
present time are men who began on the
track, the repair yard, the bridge gang or
the freight-house gang. In such cases,
by reason of the fact that they, in most
instances, do appreciate that the locomo-
tive service is more desirable in all re-
spects than the jobs they left, it would
seem their previous experience was ad-
vantageous to themselves and the com-
pany alike.
"Viewing the matter from a standpoint
of the practical railroad experience of
such men, they, of course, cannot be
classed with applicants who have had
previous experience as trainmen or
switchmen, especially when firemen are
needed to keep the road open.
"To sum up : First — Should it be the
good fortune of a road to get men who
have fired elsewhere and been laid off on
account of reduction in force, the experi-
ence they have had. ought to be of some
value to the employing company, and they
have, as a rule, the advantage of being
young men, which is a desirable feature.
Second — If intelligent young men could be
induced to enter the track, bridge, car-
repair and freight-house gangs, with a
prospect of advancement to the locomo-
tive service, if they can qualify, it would
seem that the scheme ought to work out
advantageously to the railroad companies.
Third — In our opinion, the next best ma-
terial from which to choose firemen, is
from the farm. The farmer's son. after
he is broken in. is usually appreciative of
his position and will develop into a good,
reliable locomotive fireman. Much can
be accomplished fow.^rd improving ef-
ficiency among locomotive firemen by hav-
ing good men as firemen's instructors,
who shall have no other duties to per-
form, and who can apply their whole
mental and physical cnerg>- t !• -.^.i .n.
struction."
Boiler Lagging in Europe.
.\crorHing to a rrrent report of the
Inlrrnalional Railway Congress. locomotive
bfiler lagging is being tried with more or
less satisfaction by various railroads nn
the continent. The idea up to '.omewhrft
recently seems to have been that "'he
best lagging is no lagging." A layer of
air surrounding the boiler has been
relied upon as the protection against loss
of heat. The efficacy of air as a non-
conductor is too well known to require
t.xplanation. The common house refrige-
rator is built on this principle, and the
thermos bottle has only gone one step
further and has replaced air by vacuum.
Many continental locomotives are "cov-
ered" by a layer of air about l}i ins.
thick, confined between the boiler and
thin sheets supported on a light frame.
.\sbestos lagging has been in use on
several railways, notably the Northern of
France, which has applied it to two of its
latest compounds. Cork, slag-wool and
silicate-cotton laggings have been tried,
but none of these appear to have become
popular. It may be said of asbestos lag-
ging that perhaps it has made the most
headway of any, but that is not saying
very much. Asbestos, and indeed, all the
laggings mentioned, are not in them-
selves verj- efficient non-conductors.
Solid asbestos can be made very hot and
a.sbestos-wool is used in many fireplaces
in houses where gas is used. Under the
action of a gas flame fed from what is
practically a Bunsen burner, this fluffy
wool asbestos becomes very hot and may
also become incandescent.
The secret of asbestos when it is used
to cover a locomotive boiler is that it is
made so as to contain an immense num-
ber of minute air spaces. Asbestos itself
is not injuriously acted upon by heat.
The fact that the material in a porous
state can be readily put on a locomotive
boiler, and the fact that it is a tangible
substance and therefore more easily ap-
plied than a layer of air, gives this form
of boiler covering an advantage which is
recognized in this country. After all, it
is to the non-conducting property of the
contained air that makes this form of
covering valuable.
The Southern of France is making trial
of lagging composed of magnesium car-
bonate, and the saving in fuel, through
thus checking surface heat losses is said
to be from 2 to 3 per cent. The Paris-
Lyons & Mediterranean officials are now
experimenting with various kinds of
boiler lagging, but have not yet arrived at
any positive conclusion on the subject.
The Italian State Railway is using several
kinds of asbestos, and the Belgian State
railways, as a rule, use a form of asbestos
matting covered with thin sheet iron.
The back part of the firebox is lagged
with wood which has been coated with
silica paint, the outside being covered
with thin sheet iron.
In this connection it may be mentioned
that many locomotives in the Northern
States of .America and in Canaila have
some lagging left off in the cab
where the whole back head is covered,
for the purpose of supplying heat for the
crew in winter time. The ordinary un-
i8
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
January, 1910.
covered back head, however, is usually
relied upon to radiate sufficient heat to
keep the men warm. On some locomo-
tives the whole portion of the boiler in
the cab is lagged and covered with Russia
iron, and a source of heat is supplied by
a steam coil on the engineer's side and
on the fireman's side. This has the ad-
vantage of keeping the cab comparatively
cool in summer.
The matter of boiler cooling has re-
ceived some attention in Europe in con-
nection with the question of lagging. It
is held by some of the Continental author-
ities that the use of boiler lagging retards
the operation of washing out, especially
where cold water is used. Boilers with
lagging cool more slowly than those with-
out it, and as much as three hours has
been stated as the difference in time be-
tween the two. Washing out has in some
cases been postponed for lack of time to
allow a lagged bt)iler to cool sufficiently
to use cold water, and the use of cold
water to wash out warm boilers has an
injurious effect on flues. It is possible
that on the engines which our Continen-
tal friends regard as "lagged with air"
there may be more or less leaks and a
"circulation" of the air, which, while ad-
vantageous in cooling a boiler for wash-
ing out purposes, might not be a very
effective non-conducting covering in road
service.
Adjusting the Reach-Rod.
More importance should be attached
to the exact adjustment of the reach-rod
than is generally done. The usual prac-
tice is to adjust the reach rod so that
there will be a larger amount of clear-
ance on the top of the link block than
there is on the bottom. This, of course,
applies to the shifting link only, which,
in the course of time, as the amount of
lost motion in the joints increases, is
gradually and slightly lowered in position.
In the first place care should be taken to
observe the effect produced by the heat-
ing and expanding of the boiler when the
locomotive is in service, as compared with
the position of the link block at the ex-
treme ends when the engine is perfectly
cool as is usually the case when the
reach rod and the valve gearing, gener-
ally, is originally adjusted. If the quad-
rant is attached to the boiler a consider-
able variation occurs. The reach rod re-
maining cool under all conditions, the ex-
panding of the boiler has the same effect
as shortening the reach-rod, thereby af-
fecting the position of the link block and
incidentally the opening and closing of the
valves.
As we have repeatedly urged, it is al-
ways advisable to examine the valve
gearing after a short period of service
and while the boiler is in a heated con-
dition. It will be a matter of surprise to
observe the changes that have already
occurred. The most noticeable change
will likely be in the point of cut-off, and
it is good practice to find the cut-off points
with the lever at the extreme ends of the
quadrant. The points where the valve
closes can readily be found by the valve
tram, and, taking one side of the locomo-
tive at a time, it is well to test both the
forward and backward motions. In a
piston stroke of 28 ins. the extreme point
of steam admission may be 25 ins., but it
will generally be found that there is a
considerable variation observable when
the forward and backward points are
compared.
Assuming that the average distance
should be 245^ ins., it is a simple matter
of moving the reverse lever backward or
forward so as to bring the valve to the
closing point when the cross-head is at
that distance, and note the amount which
the reach-rod will have to be lengthened
or shortened to produce the desired effect.
It is also of value to repeat the experi-
ment at the point where the supply of
steam is cut off while the locomotive is
engaged at its usual working capacity.
This is generally with the reverse lever
at some point towards the center of the
quadrant. As a rule, however, it will be
found that if the cut-off point is nearly
correct at the full end of the stroke it
will be found to retain the same, if not a
greater degree of exactness when the
stroke of the valve is shortened.
While the reach-rod is thus being re-
adjusted, it would take but little time to
observe the valve openings or points of
steam admission. Sometimes it will be
found that a slight change in the length
of the eccentric rods may be necessary to
meet the changes incidental to a variation
in the length of the reach-rod. If the
original adjustment of the valve gearing
has been carefully accomplished the ec-
centrics should not require to be dis-
turbed for many months, but the change
in the reach-rod seems to be inevitable
and that within a very short period.
Every thing that tends to the maintenance
of the perfect adjustment of the valve
gearing of the modern locomotive, tends
to increased efficiency and to economy in
fuel, so that there is more than may at
first appear in the proper and continued
adjustment of the reach-rod.
The Westinghouse Controlled Turbine.
The use of steam turbines as applied
to the propulsion of ships has been ex-
tended very greatly during the last ten
years, but economy in the use of steam
has not characterized that form of
prime mover. Realizing this radical de-
fect in connection with the operation of
steam turbines in marine use, about six
years ago, Hon. George Westinghouse
requested Rear-Admiral George W.
Melville and Mr. John H. Macalpine,
consulting engineer, to thoroughly in-
vestigate the status of the steam tur-
bine for the propulsion of ships and the
probabilities of its becoming the ulti-
mate successor of the highly developed
reciprocating engine.
These accomplished engineers pro-
ceeded to investigate, to experiment
and to invent, with the result that they
have worked out an epoch making in-
vention.
A most serious defect of the steam
turbine engine now used for the propul-
sion of ships is that the speed of the
engine is too great for the propeller.
The invention which Mr. Westinghouse
and other prominent engineers desired
to see effected was something that would
maintain the high speed of the turbine
while driving the propeller at a lovr
speed.
Messrs. Melville and Macalpine, fol-
lowing the suggestion of Mr. Westingf-
house, proceeded to investigate, to ex-
periment and to invent, with the result
of solving the stupendous problem by
means of a peculiar form of reduction
gear, which makes possible any reason-
able speed ratio between the turbine
shaft and the propeller shaft.
Mr. Westinghouse, describing th«
new invention, writes:
The teeth of the gears are helical,
that is to say, they do not run straight
across the face of the wheel parallel to
the axis, as in the case of ordinary spur
gears, but they are cut in the form of
a steel spiral, like an exaggerated screw
thread. This construction allows the
teeth to roll into contact without shock
or jar. If there were only a single gear
on each shaft this helical form of tooth
would cause an objectionable end
thrust. As the gears must be very wide
to transmit the enormous powers re-
quired in marine service, two gears,
each of half the required width, are
placed on each shaft, with the spirals
of the teeth running in opposite direc-
tions. In this way the end thrust due
to the obliquity of the teeth is com-
pletely balanced. With a pair of wide-
faced gears with straight teeth, it is
hardly possible to cut the teeth with
such accuracy and to align the shafts so
perfectly as to get uniform contact
throughout the entire length. Even if
it were possible to secure the requisite
degree of accuracy at the outset, it
could not be permanently maintained
on account of the natural wear of the
bearings. In general, the conditions are
such that a rigidly confined set of gears,
such as are common for moderate
speeds and powers, is altogether inad-
missible.
In the design which has proved its
sufficiency under severe and exhaustive
tests, the smaller gear or pinion is
mounted in what the inventors call a
"floating frame." The frame which
carries the bearings for the pinion is
a heavy steel casting supported only
January, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
19
at a single point midway between the
bearings. This support is flexible, so
that the frame is free to oscillate in a
vertical plane passing through the axis
of the pinion, but is held securely
against motion in any direction. Fur-
thermore, the pinion is free to move
endwise in its bearings. Any tendency
of the teeth to bear harder at one end
of the gear than the other would tend
tc unbalance the respective end thrusts
due to the right and left hand spirals
of the teeth; but as the pinion cannot
present any resistance to unbalanced
end thrust, it constantly adjusts itself
in the direction of its a.xis to the posi-
tion corresponding to equilibrium be-
tween the opposing forces. This means
that the tooth contact pressures are
always automatically equalized.
If there are any minute irregulari-
ties in the spacing of the teeth, which
would tend to make the contact harder
at one point than another in any part
of the revolution, this tendency is de-
feated by the floating frame, the posi-
tion of which about its central support
or fulcrum is controlled solely by the
pressure of the teeth of the pinion against
the teeth of the large gear. Naturally
the floating frame always yields under
the slightest tendency of an unbalanced
contact pressure in such a way as to
transfer the smallest increment of un-
balancing pressure to another section
of the gear that in the absence of the
floating frame would be less inclined
to take its full share of the stress. In
short, the gears are self adjusting to
relieve and equalize all abnormal
strains, and are consequently indepen-
dent of the small inaccuracies that are
impossible to eliminate in the best com-
mercial manufacturing operations.
Wage Earners' Mite Denied.
The measures before CUngrcss that re-
ceive the greatest attention from politi-
cians are seldom those calculated to have
the greatest influence for good or for
evil upon the majority of the people. The
frugal and provident tcn<lency of the
American people, especially of the wage-
earning classes, is seriously impaired by
the widespread suspicion of ordinary
banks being unsafe, a sentiment that has
been nurtured by many cruel failures to
return the savings of depositors.
Those who are familiar with the se-
curity of savings given by postal savings
banks in other cnuntries, are heartily in
favor of similar banks being established
ir the I'nifed Stales. President I aft
ha* urged Congress to eiilablish postal
tavingi banks without delay. The grab-
l^ing, grasping tendency of our ovcr-
ftttcned money |K>wcr!i will opjKne giving
the people postal savings banks until the
concetnion it exarlcd by mrnaring de-
mands for what is a real wage-earner's
mile.
BooK Notices
Labor and the R.^lrgads, by Jame.s O.
Facan. Published by the Houghton,
.\liftlin Company. Boston. 164 pages,
clotli. Price $i.cx}.
The author of "The Confession of a
Railroad Signalman," has succeeded in
producing material for another very read-
able book. It is 10 be regretted however
that a writer possessed of fair ability
should apparently be so limited in point
of personal experience with the subject
he discusses. He evidently arrogates to
himself a position and place as the spokes-
man of the railroad men. He complains
that the railroad worker has never ex-
pressed his opinion on the industrial
situation. This is a gross error. There
is perhaps no class of men, outside of
professional literary men, who have given
better expression of opinions in regard to
matters affecting their own welfare than
railroad men have done and are now do-
ing, 'llie annual conventions, the month-
ly meetings, the numerous publications
all bear testimony to the vast and varied
expression of opinion on every conceiv-
j'ble subject affecting tlie interests of rail-
road men. The result has been beneficial
to the general public and to the railroad
men themselves.
TiiK Mechanic.m. World Electrical
Pocket Book for 1910. Published by
Emmott and Company, Manchester,
England.
This book contains a vast collection of
electrical engineering notes, rules, tables
and data that are indispensable to electric
workers. There is much new and valu-
able matter added this year, especially on
the subjects of motor converters, carry-
ing capacity of cables and electricity me-
ters. The book costs 25 cents in cloth
and 50 cents in leather binding. It con-
tains 200 pages of closely printed mat-
ter besides a diary for every day in the
year. It can be had directly from the
publishers.
Loro.MOTiVE DiCTiONARV. second edition,
compiled by Geo. L. Fowler, for the
A. R. M. M. A. Published by the
Railroad Gametic, 1901). Price, $5.00.
This work, now in its second or 1909
edition, has been compiled by Mr. Geo.
L. Fowler, M.E., for the Atnerican Rail-
way Master Mechanics' Association,
under the supervision of a committee of
this association composed of Mr. J. F.
Deems, general siiprrinltndcnt of motive
power of the New York Central Lines;
Mr. A. W. Gibbs, general superintendent
of motive power of the Pennsylvania
Railroad, .ind Mr. A. F. Mitchell, formerly
superintendent of motive power of the
LehiRli Valley Rnilmnd. The book is of
standard railroad si/r. that i«. the page*
arc of the same dimensions a* our paper.
The book is bound in leather and well
printed. It contains 540 pages and 5,266
illustrations. The dictionary is an illus-
trated vocabulary of terms which desig-
nate American railway locomotives, their
parts, attachments and details of con-
struction, with definitions and also illus-
trations of typical British practice.
Locomotive Breakdowns EMERCENaES
and Their Remedies. By Geo. L. Fow-
ler, M. E. Enlarged and revised up to
date by Wni. W. Wood. Sixth edition,
fully illustrated. Published by the Nor-
man W. Henley Publishing Co., New
York. 300 pages, flexible cloth. Price
$1.00.
This popular and handy textbook on
breakdowns and emergencies that may
occur to a locomotive in ser^'ice has come
to be recognized as among the best books
on the subject, and it is gratifying to ob-
serve that it is being kept up to date in the
essential requisites of furnishing infor-
mation in regard to the best methods that
are in vogue at the present time in the
niatter of dealing speedily and effectually
with emergencies when they arise. Mr.
Fowler's excellent work as an expert in
locomotive construction and repair is too
well known to need any comment. His
work has been ably supplemented by Mr.
Wood, and the added or expanded chap-
ters on the .'\ir Brake, the Walschaerts
Valve Gear and the l'"lcctric Headlight
enhance the value of the work, which is
sure of a cordial reception among railway
men.
TiiK Valve .Skxtkr's Gunir. .\ Treatise
on the Construction and .\djustnient of
the Stephenson, Walschaerts. Bakcr-
Pilliod and Joy Valve Gearings. By
James Kennedy. Published by the
Angus Sinclair Co., New York. Nu-
merous illustratiotis. Cloth. Price, so
cents.
Our readers need hardly be reminded
that Mr. Kennedy has been for a munher
of years an Assistant Editor of Railway
AND Locomotive F.ncinkkrinc, and in this
capacity he has had many opporl unities
of showing his rare ability as a writer, as
well as his thorough knowledge of the
mechanical appliances used on railways.
A series of articles from his pen on the
subject of valve gearings has attracted
wide attention imd met the .ipproval of
many of the leading experts. 'Hicse arti-
cles arc now collected and revised and
presented in such form and at such a
moderate price that the book cannot fail
to meet with a popular reception among
railway men.
The mr>sl valuable result of educa-
tion is the ability to make yourself do
the thing you ought to do, when it
ought to be done, whether you like to
do it or not. — //ii.r/i'y.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
January, 1910.
Electric Locomotive for Pennsylvania Tunnels at New YorK
The first of tiic initial t rdcr i' r
twenty-four electric Iccoiiiotivcs which
are to be used for handling the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad trains into New York, has
now been delivered and is in c peration on
the electrified tracks of the Li i:g Island
Railroad. This locomotive incorporates
many novel features in electric locc mo-
tive design, and is the result of several
years' co-operative development between
the Pennsylvania Railrcad Company and
the Westinghouse Electric and Manufac-
turing Company of Pittsburgh. It is dis-
tinctively a high powered machine, built
for fast speed operation.
In 'w-heel arrangement, weight distribu-
tion, trucks, and the general character of
the running gear, it is the practical equiva-
lent of two American or 4-4-0 type loco-
motives coupled permanently back to
back. The motors are mounted upon the
frame ard side connected through jack
UjiLU the draw-bar is rendered miifurm.
It might appear to a casual observer that
by this arrangement of driving a return
has been made to steam Iccomotive prac-
tice as regards counterbalancing, but upon
examination it will be seen that this is not
the case. There are no unbalanced recip-
rocating weights ; all weights are revolv-
ing ones and arc directly counterbalanced,
so that as far as poimding upon the track
is ccncerned, the effect is probably the
same as though the whole were driven
without pins or rods.
The starting requirements of this loco-
motive are usually severe. It will be
called upon to start a train of 550 tons
trailing load upon the tunnel grades under
the river which are approximately 2 per
cent. .A guaranteed tractive effort of
60,000 lbs. has therefore been provided.
The normal speed with load upon a level
track, is 60 miles an hour, but the loco-
sylvania Railroad at their Juniata shops
in Altoona. The air brake equipment
was made by the W'estinghouse Air Brake
Company, and the electrical equipment
was built and the apparatus assembled by
the Westinghouse Electric and Manufac-
turing Company at their East Pittsburgh
works.
The locomclive frames are of cast steel
of large cross section and massive con-
struction. In their design an unusually
large factor of safety has been employed.
The side frames are of sufficient strength
to allow the engine to be raised by jacks
applied at fixed points. There are five
heavy cross ties from side of frame to side
frame consisting of bumper, articulation
and jacksliaft girders, body bolsters and
drive wheel cross tie. The jackshaft
girder is of inverted U-section and ar-
ranged to give rigid support to the jack-
shaft bearing brasses. It also carries
CLOSE VIEW OF CH.\SSIS OF OXF. UXIT 01
shafts to tl:e uiiving wheels by a system
of cranks and parallel connecting rods,
similar to steam practice. The connect-
ing rods are in reality rotating links be-
tween rotating elements, and are thus
perfectly counterbalanced for all speeds.
The employment of this form of trans-
n-.ission permits the mounting of the
motors upon the frame, and secures their
spring support. Like an ordinary steam
locomotive, the center of gravity is at ap-
proximately the same height above the
rails, as that which has been found de-
sirable in the best high speed steam prac-
tice. The sa'.re freedom cf m.'tion in
the wheels and axles that is characteristic
of the present steam Iccomotive is se-
cured by this type nf electric machine. In
these locomotives the variable pressure of
the piston of the steam locomotive is re-
placed by the constant torque of the
motor and constant rotating effort of the
drive-wheels of the motor, and the pull
motive is capable of speed much in ex-
cess of this. Th total weight of the
locomotive is 332,100 lbs., cf which 208,-
coo lbs. is carried by the drivers. .At
maximum capacity, this locomotive can
develop 4,000 h. p.
The locomotive is an articulated ma-
chine, and each half carries its own motor
and has four driving wheels each 68 ins.
in diameter and one four-wheel swing
bolster swivel truck with 36-in. wheels.
Each section has its own cab made of
sheet steel extending the length of the
frame, communication between the two
cabs being provided through a standard
Pullman vestibule. The rigid wheel base
of each half is 7 ft. 2 ins., and the total
wheel base of each half is 23 ft. i in.,
that of the whole locomotive being 35 ft.
II ins. The total length of the locomo-
tive inside of knuckles is 64 ft. 11 ins.
The running gear and mechanical parts of
this locomotive were built by the Penn-
upon facings the driver brake cylinder.
The brake lever fulcrums are integral with
the girder. The cross tie between driv-
ing wheels is of diagonal design, especi-
ally fitted for stiffening the bottom mem-
bers, and also providing a base for the
front driver brake hanger pin. This tie
fits between the upper and lower mem-
bers of the side frames and assists in
rigidly supporting the heel of the motor
frame. The articulation girder is un-
usually rigid diagonally in the horizontal
plane and is designed to accommodate
the articulation gear details.
The axles, jackshafts and motor shafts
are of special carbon steel, oil-tempered
and annealed. They are of large dia-
meter, finished all over and each has an
axial hole throughout. The motor shaft
cranks are forged with integral counter-
balances, accurately placed in quartering
positions and pressfitted and keyed to the
shaft. The iackshaft cranks are forged
January, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGIXEERIXG.
integrally with the shaft in quartering
position. Their counter-balances are
keyed in position. As with the driving
wheels, the counter-balances of nutor
shafts and jackshafts are offset from di-
rect opposition to the cranks in order to
complete the balance. .All connecting
rods are cf special carbon steel, til-tem-
pered and annealed.
Inasmuch as under the action of the
brake shoes the wear of the axlo and the
take-up of the wedges in the pedestal
tend to decrease the distance between the
a.\lc and tVie jackshaft, the main rod is ad-
justable at each end. <^o fitted that all
take-up shortens the rod and furnishes
compensation. Tlic type of adiustaMe
surface or trestle support without
damage, leaving the motor and running
gear accessible for any desired over-
hauling and permitting attention to be
given at the same time to the machinery
in the cab. The location of the cabs i-.i
assembling is determined by dowels tit-
ting in corresponding holes in the run-
ning gear. They are held in place by a
number of bolts sufficient for security,
but the locomotives would have to go be-
yond their centers of stability before the
cabs would leave their seats. The cabs
are amply lighted by electric lamps.
Bulkheads and doors are so arranged that
the motor and air compressor compart-
HiCnt-. containing ne.irlv all of the
motor will develop 2,000 h. p. on a cur-
rent of 2,900 amperes at 600 volts.
Ihe weight of each motor complete with-
out crank is 42,000 lbs.
The motors of these locomotives have
ten main poles and ten interpoles, with
lieavy strap field windings. The main
field is split in two halves, both being
used together in slow speed operation.
One of these sections is shunted in con-
trol. For relief of the driving mechanism
from e.xccisive strains in the event of
short-circuit in the powerful motors an
adjustable friction clutch of novel design
and tested efficiency in action is provided
between the armature spider and the
motor ihat't. Each half unit is supplied
head is that employed on Pennsylvania
Railroad Cla^s E-3 locomotives. .Ml the
other rods are fitted with solid bushed
ends. 1 he articulation ends are fitted with
permanent couplings of long twin draw
bars and with Wcstinghousc friction draft
geart, so designed that the leading half
tervet as a Ica'iing truck and the >'thcr
half as a trailer in whichever direction
the locomotive may be moving. I he
coupling gear is so designed as to op-
pose any possible "nosing" tendency or
buckling action of the halves.
The cab of each half is an independent
structure, complete in itself, so built
that it may be lifted bodily from the run-
ning gear with f\r<fiT and all auxiliary ap-
paratus and »el upon any convenient Hat
.ucoiionvi, luK iiii: 1'1-..\.nsvi.\.\.\ia ri;
auxiliary apparatus, may remain lighted
at all times with nu intrusion of light in
the controller compartment to affect the
vision of the m .lorman. Provision is to
l-e made for lu-aling the cabs by steam fur-
nished from electric steam boilers within
the cabs.
The motive power of this type of loco-
molitc !> delivered from two interpole
motors on direct current at 600 volts.
The design of these motors are governed
by the necessity of commutaling the
heavy draughts of power required to ac-
celerate the heavy trains on the tunnel
grades. For this purpose the design not
only affords great electrical stability but
renders it possible to use the economical
flexible and efficient field control. Each
with two pairs of third rail .'>hoe$ suit-
ably connected and fused. One pair of
shoes is mounted on a hard wood beam
on each side of the swivel or four
wheeled truck. The control of these
powerful motors is of Westinghouse
shunted field control, and by utilization
of the unit switch system the motors
may be grouped in scries or in multiple.
The bridging system is used for passing
from series to multiple connections. This
prevents the jerk so often noticeable by
passengers when this change is made.
A master controller with latches, handle
and suitable operating points is placed in
<ach end of the locomotive This handle
resembles the throttle handle of a steam
locomotive.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE EXGINEERING.
January, 1910.
Applied Science Department
Setting Stationary Engine Slide Valve.
The valve rod connections being prop-
erly adjusted, place the crank on the
dead center and move the eccentric around
on the axle, in the direction in which the
engine is intended to run, until the valve
begins to open at the same end at which
the piston is then placed, or would be if it
was attached to the crosshead. Then
fasten the eccentric on the axle. It is
usually held by one or two set screws.
Next turn the engine, in the direction in-
tended to be run, until the crank pin is on
the opposite center, and if the opening of
the valve at the other port is the equal to
the opening of the first, it proves that
the valve is correctly set. The lead or
opening, need not exceed one thirty-second
of an inch for engines of less than twenty
horse power, but may be increased in the
case of larger engines.
In determining the proper length of the
valve rod, the eccentric may be left loose
on the axle and after being connected to
the valve rod the eccentric may be readily
moved around on the axle and the extreme
points of the travel of the valve marked
on the steam chest or valve face. If the
points of travel are at equal distances
from the ports the length of the valve
rod is correct. If the distances are un-
equal, the valve rod should be lengthened
or shortened, as the case may require, half
the amount of the variation. The ex-
periment of turning the eccentric around
on the axle should be repeated and care
should be taken that the valve rod is ex-
actly the required length.
A good method of finding the dead
centers of stationary engines is by using
a surface gauge which may be set con-
veniently on the bed-plate of the engine
and the pointer adjusted to the center
of the shaft. The engine can then be
turned until the center of the crank cor-
responds to the height of the pointer. In
the absence of a surface gauge, a bent
rod of iron, pointed, or a thin board or
other convenient device adapted for point-
ing to the center of the shaft, may be
used. Where the bed-plate of the engine
cannot be utilized the dead centers can
readily be found by markings on the
crosshead and rim of the wheel when
near the center and moving the engine
slowly and carefully, catching with a
tram or compass the same mark on the
crosshead after it has passed the center.
The crosshead need not be moved more
than a quarter of an inch backward and
forward. Meanwhile the rim of the wheel
will have moved a considerable distance
and a point exactly between the two mark-
ings on the rim of the wheel will be the
dead center. This operation was more
fully described in our article on the ad-
justment of the Stephenson shifting link
gear.
A direct acting engine, so called be-
cause of the eccentric acting on the valve
rod without the intervention of a rocker,
requires that the eccentric should be set
ahead of the crank, the exaot amount de-
pending upon the lap of the valve and the
amount of lead or opening allowed at the
beginning of the stroke. In the case of an
engine equipped with a rocker, which is
an indirect acting engine, the eccentric
follows the crank pin at a corresponding
distance.
It need hardly be reiterated that the
exact relation of the eccentric to the
crank, as well as the correct adjustment
and careful maintenance of all the parts
of the valve gearing is of the utmost im-
portance in all kinds of steam engines.
The exact location of the valve at the
end of the piston strokes should be occa-
sionally ascertained with a view to make
corrections if necessary. In all changes
it is well to note carefully that the valve
moves evenly and freely on the valve
seat. The tendency to twist the valve
rod in blacksmithjng operations is very
great, and a hasty or careless adjustment
of any part of the valve gearing, and es-
pecially of the valve rod, is almost certain
to be fraught with the most pernicious
consequences.
The tendency among engineers to med-
dle with the valve motion is happily pass-
ing away. A growth in technical educa-
tion has hushed the cry for more lead.
One would think that common sense
would suggest to any intelligent mechanic
the fact that a large quantity of steam ad-
mitted into the end of the cylinder
toward which the piston was moving could
not be other than a hindrance to the pis-
ton, but so rooted was this mistaken
idea in the minds of many enginemen
that the exploded fallacy still lingers in
the minds of some.
It could not be expected in this brief
article to describe the endless variety of
forms in which the valve gearing of sta-
tionary engines appear. As we have pre-
viously stated, a knowledge of the ele-
mentary principles that govern the rela-
tion of the valve and piston of all recip-
rocating engines will naturally lead the
intelligent mechanic or engineer to a
ready understanding of any kind of valve
motion that mav come to his attention.
The introduction of what are known as
inside admission piston valves on many
locomotives as well as on stationary en-
gines does not present any new problem
to those already familiar with the opera-
tions of the older sliding valve. The lo-
cation of the eccentric on the axle may
readily be found by experiment. In the
case of an inside admission valve with a
rocker operating between the valve rod
and eccentric rod, the location of the
eccentric on the axle is identical with
that of a direct acting engine, equipped
with an outside admission valve. In
brief, with the proper adjustment of the
valve rod, as has been already stated,
and with the crank pin in either center,
the mechanism may be moved until th«
valve begins to open at the proper port,
and it will be found that the succeeding
operations that may be necessary are
merely in the direction of making
the adjustment of the gearing as near
an approach to perfection as is pos-
sible in a complex and rapidly moving
engine exerting forces of variable magni-
tude.
The Metric or Decimal System.
The following simple table gives all
that there is in the metric or decimal
system of weights and measures :
MONEY.
10 mills make a cent.
10 cents make a dime.
10 dimes make a dollar.
10 dollars make an eagle.
LENGTH.
10 millimeters make a centimeter.
10 centimeters make a decimeter.
10 decimeters make a meter ^= 39.368 ins.
10 meters make a decameter.
10 decameters make a hectometer.
10 hectometers make a kilometer.
10 kilometers make a myriameter.
WEIGHT.
10 milligrammes make a centigramme.
10 centigrammes make a decigramme.
ID decigrammes make a gramme =:
15433 grains troy.
10 grammes make a decagramme.
10 decagrammes make a hectogramme.
10 hectogrammes make a kilogramme.
10 kilogrammes make a myriagramme.
CAPACITY.
10 millimeters make a centiliter.
10 centiliters make a deciliter.
10 deciliters make a liter = 2.113 pints.
10 liters make a decaliter.
January, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
23
10 decaliters make a hectoliter.
The square and cubic measures are
nothing more than the squares and cube$
of the measures of length. (.Thus, a
square and a cubic millimeter are the
square and the cube, of which one side
ij a millimeter in length.) The are and
stere are other names for the square
decameter and the cubic meter.
Celebrated Steam Engines.
XXV. Seth Boyden.
In the city of Newark, X. J., in the
center of a fine park, there is a colossal
statue of a great mechanic named Seth
Boyden. The statue shows the large head
and broad shoulders of an intellectual
and physical giant. The body and limbs
are draped in a blacksmith's apron. This
pose and garb seems peculiarly fitting -n
a city of workshops, and there is a native
dignity about the figure that surpasses
an>-thing that could be folded in a frock
coat or disguised in the trailing drapery
of a Roman toga. Boyden deserved to
be set up in bronze. He was one of the
most useful men that ever lived in New
Jersey. He came to Newark m 1815,
from Foxborough, Mass. He was then
twenty-seven years of age. He had never
learned any trade being brought up on a
farm, yet he seemed to be able to do
everything to which he set his hand. He
was watchmaker, telescope maker and
manufacturer of electrical apparatus.
He made magazine rifles and air guns.
He was a miniature painter and micro-
scope maker. He was an engraver on
steel. In addition to this he was an
agriculturist and botanist. New Jersey
strawberries are named after him for by
some secret alchemy of nature he doubled
their size in a few years.
In addition to these wonders he was
the first photographer in America He
improved Daguerre's invention and by
refining the chemicals in use he reduced
the time of sittings from five minutes to
less than a minute. He was of much
lervice to Professor Morse in perfecting
the electric telegraph. On July 4, 18^6,
he. discovered the process of making
malleable cast iron which has since grown
to such amazing proportions. This in-
vention was of considerable profit to Mr.
Boyden, as he sold out the biieiness he
had built up to a Boston firm for twenty-
five thousand dollars. This was in i8j8.
Previous to this he had set about ex-
perimenting to discover a process cf
making glazed leather as it was first
called, now known as patent leather. He
originated this great business, and New
ark has still a prominence in the manu-
facture of this article and commands the
markets of the world on arcoiint of its
fine product. Mr. Boyden was also the
firit to utilize the zinc ores of the S(.tI",
and after much experimenting he dis-
covered an economical process of pro-
ducing spelter from the ore. Coincident
with this discovery, he was the first in
America to perfect a process for manu-
facturing Russia sheet iron, and factories
for the production of this article were
quickly established.
Mr. Boyden produced many new tools
among which may be mentioned a
machine for making wrought iron nails,
a machine for making files, a tack making
machine, a machine for splitting leather.
The latter was especially valuable as it
furnished the means of doubling the
SETH BOVDEX.
quantity of leather from certain kinds of
hides.
In 1837 he entered upon the manufac-
turing of steam engines. The Morris
and Essex Railroad being near comple-
tion at that time, he proceeded to build
locomotives to operate the road. His
first locomotive named the "Orange"
weighed about seven tons. The cylinders
were 8'A x 26 ins. This locomotive had
a peculiar valve motion actuated like the
VValschaerts valve gear by a simple return
crank, operating in the valve rod through
an elliptical disk which effected reversing
similar to the hooks that engaged the
upper and lower pin of the rocker arm
in the early Baldwin engines. Boyden's
also built a locomotive for the Cardenas
Railroad in Cuba, and went with it to
that island in 1841, and opened the first
railroad there.
In 1845 he invented what was known
a" the cut-off motion, which he described
in his application for a patent, as "con-
necting tlie governors of steam engines
to a cut-off valve, so that the steam is
let into the cylinder at full pressure and
shut off by the aid of a governor at any
point the variation of labor may require,
leaving the steam to finish its own work
by expanding, until the piston reaches its
returning point." He always claimed this
as his most important invention. His
success as a locomotive builder did not
deter him from making other experiments.
He latterly invented some complex
machines used in forming hats and other
articles of wear.
In brief, he never ceased at working
out something — making, inventing, creat-
ing, combining, discovering. He was a
craftsman in the highest sense. With
little or no education it seemed as if the
accumulated wisdom of the ages came to
him, and he began where others left off,
and his cunning hands fashioned whatever
came to his creative mind. He was in-
deed a marvellous man, an American
mechanic of the highest type, almost
without a paralled in history.
SETH BOYDENS "OKANGJ;" lil II 1
adaptation of the hook was peculiarly
his own, and was the forerunner in a
crude shape of the shifting link that came
Into use in the next decade. Next ye.ir
Mr. Boyden built another locomotive
named the "Essex." Both locomotivei
were well adapted to the work in hand
at that time and was looked upon as
powerful engines in these early days. He
Questions Answered
SPEED OF M.\CHINES.
1. R. S., McKees Rocks, Pa., writes:
I observed in some of your descriptions
of machine shops that the velocity of
lathes and other tools was increasing. Is
there any fixed rule in regard to the
speed at which the turning, planing and
milling of steel, wrought iron, cast iron,
and brass should be done? — A. There
have been a number of rules but with the
marked improvement in tool steel, the
leading machine shops are
constantly getting away
from the rules. Under av-
ragc conditions steel,
wrought iron and cast iron
are turned and planed at
not less than twenty feet a
minute and milled at twice
this speed. Brass, which is
- I J much easier to cut, may be
vsXJL/,*' H turned at sixty feet a min-
~^^ ^ ' ' i"c and milled at a velocity
/\y of ninety feet a minute. A
liillc experience soon de-
termines the speed at
which work may be safely and properly
done. The depth of cut, the rate of feed
and the degree of finish are all matters
that affect the speed at which the work
may be moved towards the tool, and
there can be no fixed rule in regard to
these mailers. It is a very noticeable
feature that the speed of machinery
varies in different shops. Modern equip-
24
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
January, igio.
ment, improved tool steel and finely
trained mechanics all contribute to the
degree of rapidity and perfection with
which work is accomplished.
SIZE OF WHEELS.
2. V. p., South Bethlehem, Pa., asks:
How is it that a locomotive with small
drivers can start and pull a heavier train
than one with large drivers? — A. Be-
cause the distance from the center of the
crank pin to the center of the axle is
greater in comparison to the distance
from the center of the axle to the rail in
a small wheel than it is in a large one.
It must be remembered, however, that
what is gained in strength is lost in speed.
Furthermore, the size of the driving
wheel alone does not determine the
strength or pulling capacity of a locomo-
tive. The steam pressure is an important
factor. The adhesive quality of a loco-
motive is also of importance. If the
wheels slip the limit of adhesion has been
reached. There must be sufficient weight
to hold the wheels to the rails. The
diameter of the cylinder and the stroke
of the piston must also be considered.
Everything being equal on two locomo-
tives except the size of the driving
wheels, the one with the smaller will
start and haul the heaviest load, but the
other will have speed.
THE NUMBER OF A FROG.
3. W. H. E., Haswell, Col., writes:
Please give me a rule for measuring a
switch frog to find the number of it.
That is, if you had a frog in a switch that
you thought was a No. 7 frog, but wanted
to be positive, how would you go about
measuring it to ascertain the number? —
A. Take your rule, or for that matter a
lead pencil or a short piece of stick, and
place it between the inner sides of the
divergent rails back of the point; mark
or chalk the place where the rule or
pencil exactly fits and then measure the
number of rule or pencil lengths from the
chalk mark to the point and if you find
your rule or pencil can be laid down seven
times in the distance it is a No. 7 frog.
If the rule or pencil length will only go
five times it is a No. 5 frog. The angle
of divergence is usually laid off as one in
so many, as one in three or one in four,
etc., so you can find the frog number
this way.
APPLYING BRASS TO OLD PISTON.
4. L. C. B., Covington, Ky., writes :
To save solid piston heads after they are
worn so as not to fill the cylinders, I de-
sire to pour a brass ring around the head
in order to hold it up, similar to the low-
pressure piston head on compound en-
gines. Can you inform me how to accom-
plish it?— A. You had better turn off
some of the outside of the head so as to
leave the shallow bottom of the packing
ring grooves and from them turn out a
dovetail groove between them. Pour
your metal full on top and sides so as
to have enough to finish properly. You
would require a good man to do the
melting and pouring so as to ensure a
good job. The best way and probably
the cheapest in the long run would be to
get new pistons. You could perhaps more
easily shrink on a wrought iron ring.
To do this turn off as before, leaving the
shallow bottoms of the packing ring
grooves and turn off the metal between
the grooves. Make your ring to suit this
one shallow groove and shrink the ring
in place, the two shoulders at the sides
of the groove would help to hold the ring
in place. The ring should have metal
enough to allow for proper finishing for
packing grooves and on sides.
ELEVATION OF RAIL ON CURVES.
5. W. H. E., Haswell, Col., writes :
Please give me a rule for finding the
number of inches elevation to give the
outer rail on a curve of a given degree,
taking into consideration the speed of
trains. For instance, you have a curve
of 8 degs. with trains running over it at
speeds varying from 15 to 60 miles an
hour. What rule would you follow to
ascertain the number of inches elevation
to give the outer rail? — A. Different rail-
ways may have different rules. Traut-
wine's formula states that the elevation in
inches is equal to the velocity of the train
in feet per second multiplied by the gauge
of the road in inches, and this product
divided by the radius of the curve in feet
multiplied by 32.2. The elevation should
be calculated for the maximum speed.
In this connection see article on "Ele-
vation on Railroad Curves," in the June,
1906, issue of Railway and Locomotive
Engineering, page 250.
DIFFERENT SIZED WHEELS.
6. Young Boswell, Oakdale, Tenn.,
writes : On the same axle are fastened
three wheels. The end wheels are 5 ft. in
diameter, while the small one is only i ft.
in diameter. The middle wheel is on an
elevated track, and the three have an
equal pressure downward. Explain why
the smaller wheel goes the same distance
in one revolution of the axle as the
larger wheels go. — A. The 5-^- wheels
have a circumference of about 15.708 ft.
and the i-ft. wheel has a circumference
of about 3.1416 ft. When the set of
wheels is rolled along the track the axle
is carried forward 15.708 ft. and the small
wheel is carried forward that much ; it
does not roll that distance. One of its
revolutions only amounts to 3.1416 ft.
The small wheel therefore slips a distance
equivalent to 12.5664 ft. Each wheel makes
one revolution, it is true, but wheels of
unequal diameter have unequal circum-
ferences, and a rolling wheel cannot
progress in one revolution a greater dis-
tance than its own circumference unless
it slips. All a rolling wheel can do is to
measure its own circumference out on
the track each revolution.
WHEELS, counterbalance, AND VALVES.
7. C. R. Sunnyvale, Cal., asks: (l)
What is the largest diameter of driving
wheels of Atlantic and Pacific type en-
gines?— A. Passenger driving wheels for
these engines usually have diameters
varying from 72, 79, or 80 ins. and even
84 ins. diameter.
(2) How are the weights for counter-
balancing determined? If the wheel was
lifted from the rail when in position
would the counterbalance go to the bot-
tom?— A. The counterbalance is lighter
than the sum of the crosshead main rod,
side rods, etc. See Railway and Loco-
motive for May, 1902, page 222, and you
will learn how the counterbalancing is
done.
(3) Looking at some engines starting
with passenger trains, I noticed the valve
stem moved with a jerk, as if a powerful
spring operated the valve. How was it?
— A. There is, of course, no spring used
to move the valve. The jerking you
speak of may have been caused by want
of lubrication or valve not well balanced
Y'ou would get a good idea of the general
construction and how a locomotive works
by getting hold of a book like "Locomo-
tive Engine Running and Management,"
by Angus Sinclair.
ETCHING ON STEEL.
8. E. R., Sorel, Quebec, Canada,
writes : Will you please publish in your
magazine a composition for etching on
hard steel. I have tried six different ones
that were taken from a contemporary of
yours, and put up by different druggists
and have always failed. — A. You should
coat the steel with a thin film of wax and
scribe on the wax, cutting through the
film what you want to etch, such as a date
(i) a weak solution of nitric acid, or (2)
four parts iodine re-sublimed; ten parts
potash, and 80 parts of water, or (3) four
ounces of acetic acid, one ounce alcohol,
one ounce nitric acid.
The engineering publications of Man-
chester, England, are boasting about a
new brand of high speed steel made in
that city by a peculiar process. The steel
can be made either water-hardened or by
air-blast hardened, although the former
process is now used. It is stated that a
recent test of a tool made of the steel
showed that it could be hardened seven-
teen times in succession, in cold water,
without indicating signs of cracking.
He who at the end of the day has gained
nothing but his income has lost a day. —
Herald.
January, 1910.
R-MLWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
25
Air Brake Department
Conducted by G. W. Kiehm
Care of H6 Equipment.
The recommended practice of the Air
Brake Association deals with care of
equipment, and there is no doubt but that
those recommendations will eventually be
adopted by all railroads whose officials are
interested in air brake maintenance. As
stated before, those recommendations
are not particularly fitted to any local
conditions alone, nor are they the opinions
of one man. They should be studied by
ever)' repairman who wishes to do his
work in an economical and satisfactory
manner.
tenance of air brakes of the H6 type are
based upon practical experience and on
observation of general conditions, and it
is hoped that they will call forth some
criticism or additional information con-
cerning the care of the H6 equipment.
In the first place, the air pump, espe-
cially the large capacity pump, will usually
last as long as the engine, that is, when
the pump is overhauled and put in first
class condition at the time the engine is in
the back shop, the pump will run and give
good service until the engine is again
stopped, assuming that the pump is given
of the equipment one means air gauges
and brake cylinders as well as the pump,
governor, brake valves, feed valve, re-
ducing valve, check valve, distributing
valve, and signal valve and whistle.
After the engine leaves the back shop,
the various valves should be given a peri-
odical cleaning and test and the first test
should occur three months after the en-
gine is in service, the date on which the
brake has received attention should be
stamped on a tag or marked on a card
and be kept in a suitable place in the cab,
and the date the engine left the shop and
KR
ens.
NO. 6 DISTRinUTING VALVE.
Theories and individual opinions are a reasonable amount of care and attention
very often correct, and statements are in the meantime.
often assumed as self evident, but for Those in charge of the daily trip inspec-
reliable and accurate information it is best tion should see that the pump is not al-
' to be guided by the results of demonstra- lowed to pound, groan or run hot, and in
fions or tests. The matter of equipping case any serious defect develops, another
a locomotive with air brakes is of some pump should be substituted, as the engine
importance, and so is the question of de- house is a very poor place in which to
H6 BR.\KE VALVE, OIT PIPE BRACKKT.
ciding the kind of equipment to be used,
and when one of two locomotives of the
•ame class, having the same equipment,
the same cost of repairs, permits the same
train of cars to run several hundred feet
attempt heavy repairs to air pumps.
At the time the engine is in the back
shop, all parts of the brake equipment
shoulfl be thoroughly overhauled and
tested, in fact, they should be put in as
farther in making a stop than the other good condition as when they were new,
engine does, it is an evidence of very and it will save much annoyance and ad-
poor maintenance and may cost the com- ditional expense in engine house repairs,
pany a good deal of money. The follow- to say nothing of time lost in del.nys to
ing suggestions concerning the main- engines. When one speaks of all parts
the following periods of cleaning can then
lie noted without the inconvenience of re-
ferring to records.
After being in service three months and
at a time when the boiler is being washed
or when the engine is receiving ordinary
engine house repair.s, the governor tops,
Siamese fitting, feed valve, reducing valve,
check valve and safety valve should be
removed and replaced by parts that are
clean and in good condition and that have
been tested, and both brake valves and the
cquali/.ing valve of the distributing valve
should be cleaned.
Three months later, or six months after
the engine has left the shop, both brake
valves and the distributing valve should
be removed, the air gauges should be re-
26
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
January, 1910.
moved and tested, the driver brake cylin-
ders should be given a small quantity of
oil, and if in a horizontal position the pis-
ton should be given half a turn in the
cylinder. If in a vertical position with
one side near the firebox or cylinder sad-
dles, the piston should be given half a
turn. The tender brake piston should be
drawn and it and the cylinder cleaned and
the leather lubricated, and, as before, the
governor tops, Siamese fitting, feed valve,
reducing valve and check valve should be
removed, and at this time the distributing
valve and signal valve should also be re-
moved. Three months later, or nine
months after the engine is in service, the
first named method of cleaning is again
in order, and when the engine is again in
the shop the pump, brake cylinders, and
all valves will again receive an over-
hauling.
In giving the reasons for suggesting the
foregoing methods, it has already been
stated that the pump should not require
any repairs until the engine is shopped
and the steam body of the governor will
not require any attention, and under ordi-
nary conditions removing the regulating
portions every three months is not too
often. The object in removing the brake
valves and distributing valve every six
months is to allow their parts to be
cleaned with lye or some other suitable
liquid, and it is assumed that the governor
tops, feed valves and reducing valves are
subjected to a lye bath every time they are
removed and before any repairs are made.
In fact, the object in removing and re-
placing any valves is so that sufficient
time will be had in which to properly
clean and test them, or in which to make
repairs if it is found necessary.
can be relied upon to be accurate if all
hands show the same pressure.
The reason for suggesting that the ten-
der brake cylinder be cleaned every six
months is because there is likely to be
cold weather during one of those inter-
vals, and if the freight car cylinder re-
quires attention every twelve months the
nothing of the saving in material for
repairs.
For the same reason the equalizing
valve of the distributing valve should be
lubricated at the end of three months'
service, and it would take but a few
moments additional time to remove the
application cylinder cover and lubricate
NO. 6 DISTRIBUTING
tender brake piston surely makes more
than double the number of strokes that
the freight car piston does in the same
length of time, and is likely to collect
much more dirt.
In suggesting a small quantity of oil
for the driver brake cylinders it is recog-
nized that the average grade of engine
oil, after being in the cylinder a consider-
able length of time, has a tendency to rot
the packing leather, but owing to the loca-
tion of most driver brake cylinders, the
heat will usually burn the packing leather
if it becomes dry, so that oiling the leath-
ers is at least choosing the lesser of two
evils. Removing the reducing valve and
rhr-ck valve every three months may ap-
136 FEED VAL\'E, REMOVED FROM BR.\CKET.
The reason for mentioning the air
-gauges but once in six months is because
of the fact that during the daily trip in-
spection there are three hands on three
separate gauges indicating the brake pipe
pressure carried, and in release position
the red hand must equal this, and it is
practically testing the test gauge, and they
pear to be rather frequent, but it will be
found that at the end of this time the
lubrication will be pretty well worn off,
and lubrication will prevent excessive
wear of the piston, supply valve and sup-
ply valve seat, and there is no doubt
removing it every three months will save
considerable time in the long run, to say
VALVE, OFF RESERVOIR,
the bushing and packing leather; to re-
move the entire valve at the end of six
months will give an opportunity to prop-
erly clean and test the valve. While we
know that distributing valves have been
in service from eighteen months to two
years without any attention or without
giving any trouble, it is no indication that
it would occur on any locomotive or in
any class of service, as the amount of oil
and dirt that enters the air cylinder of
the pump very often determines the inter-
val of time that should elapse between
removals for cleaning and testing.
Removing the safety valve every three
months is suggested as a matter of pre-
caution, even if nothing is ever found
wrong with it; if a very bad leak exists
at the piston valve seat, proper brake
cylinder pressure can not be obtained
during automatic service application, and
the leak will not show when the equaliz-
ing valve is in service lap position, and
furthermore, after cleaning or examina-
tion the safety valve can be adjusted in a
much more convenient and accurate way
on a sliop test rack.
If the signal valve is located in the cab,
it will require attention every three
months, possibly oftener; but if properly
located, under the roof just outside of the
cab, with the whistle pipe running
through and the whistle itself on the in-
side, it will not require attention within
six months, possibly not even then, but
this cleaning and inspection, if done regu-
larly, will surely reduce to the minimum,
if not entirely avoid, the detentions and
annoyance caused by defects developing
while the engine is out on the road.
If an ounce of prevention is ever worth
a pound of cure, it is in the care of the
modern air brake equipment, and the fore-
going may appear to some repairmen to
be unnecessary, too frequent, or that if
followed out there would be no time left
January, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
21
for any other work, but if the repairman
is doing this there will be verj- little of
anything else to do, and it would no doubt
be more satisfactory to the master me-
chanic and the road foreman of engines
if his time was spent in this manner in-
stead of tearing apparatus apart to ascer-
tain the cause of some disorder that has
given trouble during the previous trip;
and if all the equipment is always in good
condition when the engine leaves the
engine house, it is difficult to imagine
an>'thing that would be liable to happen
while out on the road, or what work the
engineer could report at the end of the
trip outside of an occasional air pump
packing or tightening a pipe joint. When
the brake equipment on a locomotive is
neglected until it begins to cause trouble,
the work reports usually show it, and
following up those reports faithfully and
intelligently requires time. For instance,
if the engineer should report that the
brake worked in the emergency at some
point along the road when the service
application was attempted.
Some repairmen could chmb up in the
cab, try the brake several times, see noth-
remove it from the engine to find out
whether or not it contained water. The
pipe connections to the reservoir should
be broken and the gaskets examined, and
also the restricted opening through the
Tee, and if nothing is found up to this
time it would indicate the source of the
trouble. The feed valve must be re-
moved, cleaned and tested, or rather re-
placed by one that is known to be in good
condition. Before the feed valve is bolted
to the reversing cock, the ports through
the cock should be blown out with pres-
sure by moving the valve handle to
release and to running positions, and
finally, after the broken pipe joints are '
connected and tested, the brake must be
tested, and the work may then be consid-
ered as finished.
This was done by the writer and is, of
course, a ca.se where the brake was re-
ported as having worked in quick action
once or twice. If the brake could be
found working in quick action or could be
induced, by any manipulation of the
brake lever handle, to go into quick ac-
tion while the handle had not passed the
service position, the defective part was
S< INDEPENDENT BRAKE VALVE, OFF PIPE BRACKET.
ing wrong, and tell the foreman that the
brake is all right on the engine and that
nothing was found wrong, and it may be
all right on the next trip or on the next
two trips, but the writer has never been
able to satisfy himself upon this point
without making an examination of the
brake after a report of this kind.
If the engine is equipped with the high-
speed brake and is in passenger service
and such a report is written, the follow-
ing examination should be made in every
cate: The quick-action triple valve on the
tender should be removed and tested and
particular attention paid to frictional re-
sistance of the piston and the action of
the graduating spring. If nothing is
found wrong, the brake valve is next
taken apart, the cuqalizing piston exam-
ined and known to be working freely, the
preliminary exhaust port gauged, and if
nothing as yet has been found wrong, the
equalizing reservoir must be known to be
free of water even if it is necessary to
gone to directly and no particular atten-
tion was given to the rest of the equip-
ment.
If the engine is equipped with the H6
quick action distributing valve it would
have to be given the same attention as the
quick action triple valve, after a report of
this kind, and the brake valve, equalizing
reservoir and feed valve the same atten-
tion as the older equipment would receive.
While the same thing should be done in
case the disorder is reported on a freight
engine, it must be admitted that the entire
examination is not always gone through
with as faithfully as it would be on
passenger engines.
Another report that will take up some
of the repairman's time is "brakes stick-
ing." Many repairmen have had so much
experience with the brake (hat they can
pump up the pressure, apply the brake a
few times and release it a few times with
the valve handle in running position and
then conclude that the sticking brakes
were not due to any disorder on the en-
gine. We beg to differ with these repair-
men on this point and think it is a very
good practice, after such a report has been
made, to test the triple piston packing
rings for leakage. If a distributing valve
gives trouble, make an examination of the
equalizing valve and main piston, and no
matter what kind of an equipment is used,
before deciding that the locomotive brake
does not cause any "sticking" and that it
is due to brake pipe leakage on the train,
the main reservoir should be drained, the
ail gauge tested, and the flow of air from
the angle cock on the rear of the tender
noted when the handle is in release and
when in running position and, after the
feed valve shows that it will raise brake
pipe pressure promptly and maintain it, it
is safer to conclude that leakage on the
train is entirely responsible for the
"brakes sticking."
This is mentioned for the purpose of
showing that it requires time to follow up
engine house reports carefully, and a great
deal of this wasted time can be saved by
periodical cleaning and testing, and while
not wishing to make any criticism, it is
just to the engineer to admit that too
often his complaint is met with the reply,
"The air man says the brake is all right,
and he ought to know."
Air Brake Tests.
Airbrake tests have recently been in
progress on the Lake Shore & Michigan
Southern, under the direction of Mr.
R. B. Kendig, the mechanical engineer of
the road. These tests are to be made on
the Pennsylvania. They have been made
under the observation of experts of the
Westinghouse Air Brake Co. and repre-
sentatives of other railroads.
The results obtained are to be set forth
in a report to the Master Car Builders'
Association by the committee on airbrake
and train signal equipment. The report
will become public at the June conven-
tion.
The purpose of the tests is to deter-
mine the efficiency of passenger airbrake
equipment, used on heavy cars run at
high speed, and with a high percentage of
braking power. The Lake Shore has a
special test track 15 miles long, and on
this it is possible to do experimental
work without interfering with regular
traffic. The Pennsylvania have a similar
track at Toledo.
In making the tests a train of 10 heavy
passenger coaches is used, the platforms
being loaded with pig iron to secure
added weight equivalent to that of hiiffet
and dining cars. I'"ach car is equipped
with nn indicator connected with the
brake cylinder, n "ar rcrord being thns
nblainrd of the pressure on the cylinder
nt e.irh stop. Rrnkr .-ippliralinn is made
automatically when the speed of the train
has attained approximately 80 miles an
hour.
28
RAILWAY A.VD LOCOMOTIVE EXGINEERING.
January, 1910.
Electrical Department
From Coal Pile to Third Rail— L
By VVm. B. Kouvvenhoven.
The Central Station.
This is the first of a series of articles
describing the power equipment of a large
railway system using electricity as the
motive power for moving its passengers
and freight. The intention is to follow
the energy that exists in the coal, before
it is burned under the boilers, through its
various stages and transformations until
it is finally delivered to the electric loco-
motive on the road.
On a railroad drawing its trains by
steam locomotives, the motive power, or
the steam, is generated at the point where
it is to be used. The steam locomotive
consists of two main parts, a boiler in
pipe on the steam locomotive which joins
the boiler to the cylinders.
By concentrating the boilers in one
central plant economy in coal consumption
is the result, but the reduction in cost of
operating e.xpenses is not sufficient to pay
a fair return on the large investment re-
quired for the electrification of a road.
It is therefore necessary to look for other
reasons for making the change. A com-
parison of performance of an electric
locomotive with that of a steam loco-
motive is interesting and the reader is
referred to pages 255 and 256 of the 1908
volume of R.\il\v.\v .\nd Locomotive En-
gineering for a comparison of a motor
car with a small steam engine such as is
used on elevated structures. The elec-
tric locomotive, because of its higher rate
6,50.
which the steam is generated, and a steam
engine in which it is used.
An electric locomotive supplied with
power from a central station may be con-
sidered as a steam locomotive from which
the boiler has been removed and placed at
some convenient central point along the
road. The generators in the central sta-
tion, the wires for carrying the power, the
substations, and the third rail, form
simply a link which connects the loco-
motive, out on the road, with its steam
boiler in the central station many miles
away. This link may be compared to the
RRENT GENERATOR ON TOP.
of acceleration and the greater speed ob-
tainable, is ahead of its steam rival in the
handling of high speed passenger service,
and to even a greater degree in the
handling of freight. Thus it is clear that
the use of electricity as a motive power
for handling the traffic, increases the
carrying capacity of a road.
THE CENTR.VL POWER STATION.
The location of the central power
station is usually chosen with reference to
its nearness to the center of distribution
of the road and its proximity to a
navigable body of water or a railroad.
.\s a rule the best location for the station
is near a navigable stream or bay, as coal
may then be delivered very cheaply in
barges, and there is also plenty of water
available for condensing purposes. The
■;uilding is made of fireproof material, and
with a view to future extension as the de-
mands of the traffic increase. It is much
more difficult to add to the equipment of
an already overcrowded power house than
it is to purchase an additional steam loco-
motive.
L.WOUT OF THE Bi;iIJ)INGS.
The building is divided into two main
parts, a boiler room and an engine room,
which are separated from each other. The
best arrangement is to place the boiler
room alongside of the engine room, but
when this is not possible it is made a
continuation of the latter.
The boilers are mounted in pairs and
each pair is spoken of as a battery.
Space is allowed between the batteries
for workmen to pass in order that in-
spection and repairs may be carried on
without crowding. The batteries of
boilers are arranged in rows facing each
other with the firing floor between. At
the rear of the batteries a main flue leads
to the stack. Each battery is connected
to this flue. The boiler feed pumps, a
fire pump, and pumps for general service
are located either at one end of the boiler
room or in a separate room.
In almost all stations chimneys are
used to provide the draft for the furnaces,
and in case the chimney should not be
capable of accomplishing this, some form
of mechanical draft is installed. A few
plants depend wholly upon mechanical
means to provide a draft for their fur-
naces.
On the main floor of the engine room
the engines with their generators are lo-
cated. The engines and generators are
always direct connected. Ample space is
allowed between the units and a powerful
crane is provided for raising and moving
the heavy parts of the machine when re-
pairs are necessary. The condensers,
with their necessary equipment of auxil-
iaries, are generally located in a room be-
neath the engine room. The switch board,
offices and other station apparatus are
often placed on galleries running around
the engine room.
COAL SUPPLY.
The coal burned is not lump coal ^v.cU
as is commonly used on steam locomo-
tives, but is usually of the pea or buck-
wheat size. It is brought to the station.
January, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
29
<ither by barges or in cars. From these
it is carried by a conveyor to a second
conveyor which distributes it to several
large bins which are situated above the
boiler room. The storage capacitj- of
these bins should be at least enough to
store the coal necessary to run the station
for one week, and if possible a larger
capacity is desirable. From the bins the
coal is fed down by coal chutes to the
boiler room floor. In some central
stations mechanical stokers are employed
for firing the furnaces thus doing away
with all but a few firemen. In most of
the best stations efforts are made to have
the men fire properly and to maintain the
correct depth of coal on the grates.
Every good locomotive fireman knows the
importance of properly taking care of his
fire and of maintaining the proper depth of
coal, in order that the maximum amount
of steam per pound of coal burned, may
be obtained. The ashes are dumped into
the basement under the boiler room, wet
down and carted away.
BOILERS AND STE.\M PIPIN'C.
Locomotive boilers are of the fire tube
type while those of the central station are
of the water tube type. The chief ad-
vantage possessed by the water tub'
boiler is the fact that there is less dangc
of an explosion, and that in case of :tu
explosion one tube is usually all that
bursts and then there is less danger ■ i
serious damage because of the sni.ill
amount of water which the boiler con-
tains. The steam pressure usually em-
ployed in modern plants varies from ijn
to 175 lbs. per square inch.
The Babcock and Wilcox boilers arc
those most generally found in ccntr.il
stations. The tubes in these boilers arc
inclined at a slight angle from the hori-
zontal, and a drum is placed at the top
in which the dry steam collects. In
some stations vertical boilers are used, the
Sterling being perhaps the most common
type. Duplicate feed pumps are used to
feed the boilers with water. The injec-
tor which is universally used on loco-
motives for this purpose is rarely met
with in central stations. The water is
not fed cold to the boilers, but is passed
through a feed water heater before reach-
ing them.
There are two systems of steam piping
employed in central stations, one, called
the ring system, where the boiler room is
a i-MPtinuation of the engine room, and
the other, using a straight steam range or
header, where the boiler room is built
along'ide of the engine room. Duplicate
sy«femi of <team piping are rarely in-
stalled, dependence bring placed entirely
on one set of heavy ste.im piping r.irefully
in«t.-illed Valves afc arranged in the
pipe line v> that any section of piping or
boiler may he rut out for repair* if neces-
sary The piping is covered with a «tib-
»tart!.il l.-iRging in order that the conden-
sation of steam may be reduced to a
minimum. In some stations the steam
from the boilers is passed through a set
of coils, located in the flue, called an
economizer, before going to the engines.
This gives the steam a certain degree of
superheat. In some plants separately
fired superheaters are employed for this
purpose.
EiVCIXES AND COXDEXSERS.
The engines employed are either recip-
rocating or turbine engines. The re-
ciprocating engines are usually of the
compound condensing type, and they may
be horizontal or vertical or a combina-
tion of the two. The turbine occupies
much less floor space than any of the re-
ciprocating types of engines of equal
sizes and has been used exclusively in all
the large plants that have been erected
within the last few years. This is due to
their great economy of steam consump-
tion and to the higher overload capacity
that they are capable of developing. The
Parsons turbiuo .uid the Curtis turliine are
i.300 11. V, COMrolM) \KkTICI.K ENGINE
GE.NKK.ATOR UKlWliEN HIGH .-VND
LOW.PKF.SSLRK CYLINDER.
the two types generally found. The
Farsons is a horizontal turbine and the
Curtis a vertical one.
Condensers most often met with in
power stations are of the surface type.
The exhaust steam from the engines and
turbines flows into the condenser which
consists of a large number of small brass
tubes around which cold water is kept cir-
culating. The steam is condensed to
water .ind is pumped out of the con-
denser by vacuum pumps. The vacuum
created in the condenser makes it pos-
sible to run the steam down to a pressure
below that of the atmosphere and results
in 3 great saving of steam. From the
condenser the steam is returned by
pumps to the hot well, from which it is
returned to the boilers. Thus the same
water is used over and over again, and
rnly enough fresh water is added to
<iipply the amount that U lost
THE WATER SUPn.Y AND Ori.INO SYSTEM.
,\i slated above the same water is
i;«ed over and over again, and the only
fresh water added is that which is re-
quired to make up the losses and this is
usually taken from the city mains or
from wells on the premises. The cooling
water from circulating through the con-
densers is taken from the nearest body
of water, it sometimes becomes necessary
to create an artifical pond for this pur-
pose. The oiling system is usually worked
by gravity. The oil is stored in tanks
placed in one of the upper galleries in
the engine room. From these tanks it
flows to the different machines and when
it has passed through the bearings of the
machines it drains into a receptacle,
where it is carefully filtered and returned
to tlic storage tanks by the pumps.
GEXERATORS.
The electric current is generated by al-
ternating current generators which are
directly connected to the engines driving
them. ."Mmost all of the large alternators
are built with the armature stationary and
the field coils are revolved inside of the
armature. This simplifies the construc-
tion of the machine. The frequency at
wliidi the current is generated is 25
c>cles in almost all plants. Small direct
cnirent generators are also placed on the
engine floor, to supply direct current to
the fields of the alternators. These small
generators are called cxcitors and they
are usually engine driven although in
some stations they are driven by motors.
Now let us follow the energy that
exists in the coal from when it enters
the furnace until it comes out of the
uiiierator terminals in the form of elec-
tricity. When coal is burned on the
grate its carbon combines with the
oxygen of the air and the energy that
this combination producer passes off
frcMU the fire in the form of heat con-
t.iincd in hot gases. The heat from these
gases which are made to pass up and
around the boiler tubes is transmitted
through the iron tubes to the water
within, changing it into steam. Less than
25 per cent, of this heat from the coal is
given to the steam, the remaining portion
goes up the stack. The steam passes
through the economizer in the flues and
absorbs still more heat from the hot
gases. The heat energy of the steam
is changed to mechanical energy wliich
is the energy of motion, by allowing the
steam to expand in the cylinders of the
engines or among the vanes of the tur-
bine. This mechanical energy is changed,
by the motion of the bundles of wires on
the arniatiire of the generator as they are
cut by the magnetism from the rotating
field. This particular motion under these
circumstances changes the mechanical
motion into electrical energy, in the form
of an alternating current which comes
out at the terminals of the generator, as a
series of pulsations or waves which rise
to the maximum and fall to the minimum
VI times n second.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
January, 1910.
Simple 4-6-2 for the Michigan Central Railroad
The Montreal works of the American
Locomotive Company have recently com-
pleted six heavy Pacific type locomotives
for the Canada Southern division of the
Michigan Central Railroad. These are
practically duplicates in design of a
previous order of the same number built
in 1907 at the Schenectady works of
these builders, and represent the latest
development of the Pacific type loco-
motive on the Michigan Central. This
development has been along the lines of
increased boiler capacity for sustained
high speed rather than greater starting
power, so that while the tractive power
of these latest engines is the same as that
of the first engines of this type built for
this road in 1904, they have the largest
amount of heating surface of any Pa-
cific type locomotive so far constructed
by the American Locomotive Company.
special cross-tie placed between the first
and second pair of driving wheels. The
reverse shaft is carried in bearings bolted
to this cross-tie and the forward-extend-
ing arm of the reverse shaft is directly
connected to the radius bar by means of a
slip block.
The frames consist of a main frame of
cast steel 5 ins. wide with single integral
forward section and a slab section 2j^
ins. wide spHced to the rear of the main
frame, for the trailing truck.
The rear frame fits into a recess ma-
chined in the main frame, and keys are
provided at the top and bottom, thus re-
ducing the shear on the bolts connecting
the two and making a very strong and
rigid splice. Outside the rear frame is a
supplementary frame iJ4 ins. wide which
is connected to the former by means of
cast steel spacing castings. A thorough
liberally used in the rire-bo.x throughout
the breakage zones, there being 337 in
all. In some of the engines of this order
the side rods and driving axles are made
of vanadium steel.
The tender is equipped with a water
bottom tank having a capacity of 7,000
gallons and space for 12 tons of coal. The
tender frame is built of steel, the center
and side sills being constructed of l3-in.
channels, weighing 37 lbs. per foot. The
tender trucks are of the arch bar type
with simplex bolsters. Some of the
principle dimensions are given below.
Wheel Base — Driving, 13 ft.; total engine, 33 ft.
"J^ ins.; total engine and tender, 65 ft. 854
Boiler — Type, straight top.
Firebox — Tvpe, wide; length, loS'A ins.; width,
75 '/4 ins.
Tubes — Number, 394; diameter, 2 ins.; length,
21 ft.
Heating Surface — Tubes, 4.313; firebox. 208; arch
tubes, 26; total, 4.549; grate area, 56.5 sq.
r, Supe
SIMPLE 4-6-2 LOCOMOTIVE FOR THE MICHIGAN CENTRAL RAILROAD,
nttndent of Motive Power. .American Locomotive Company, Builder
In working order they have a total
weight of 240,000 lbs., of which 149,500
lbs. is carried on the driving wheels. The
theoretical maximum tractive power is
28,500 lbs. This gives an ample factor of
adhesion of 5.24, which would indicate
that the full tractive power of the en-
gine would be available in starting with-
out danger of slipping the driving wheels.
The cylinders are 22 ins. in diameter by
26 ins. stroke, and are fitted with ^-in.
bushings. They are equipped with 12-in.
piston valves, having inside admission
and operated by the Walschaerts valve
gear. The driving wheels are 75 ins. in
diameter.
The arrangement of the valve gear is
similar to that employed in other in-
stances by this company, in the applica-
tion of this style of gearing to locomotives
of the Pacific type. In this arrangement
the link is supported between the sides
of a cast steel longitudinal beam which is
supported between the guide yoke and a
and substantial system of frame bracing
has been employed throughout.
The boiler is of the straight top type
and the barrel measures 72 1/16 ins. in
diameter outside, at the first ring. It
contains 394 tubes 2 ins. in diameter, and
21 ft. long. The total heating surface of
the boiler is 4,548 sq. ft., of which the
tubes contribute 4,314 sq. ft., and the fire-
box and arch tubes make up the re-
mainder. With this amount of heating
surface, the B. D. factor (the tractive
power multiplied by the diameter of the
driving wheels divided by the total heat-
ing surface), is 470, which is the lowest
figure for any engine of this type made
by the American Locomotive Co., and
would indicate that these engines will
have suflncient steam making capacity to
meet the requirements of the severest
service.
The fire-box is ^08% ins. long and 75^4
ins. wide and provides a grate area of
56.2 sq. ft. Tate flexible stay bolts are
ft.; steam pressure. 200 lbs.; fuel, bitumi-
Weight in Working Order — Leading, 45.000 lbs.;
driving, 149,500 lbs.; trailing, 45,500 lbs.;
total engine, 240,000 lbs.
Axles — Driving journals, 10 x 12 ins.; engine
truck journals, 6 x 12 ins.; trailing truck
journals, 8 x 14 ins.; tender truck journals,
S'/: X 10 ins.
Boiler — Thickness ring, 1st, 23/32 in.; ad, H
in.; 3d, H in.; throat, ^ in.; dome, 54 in.;
front tube, 9/16 in.; roof, J^ in.; side, J4
in.; back head, J^ in.
Firebox — depth, front, 83 ;< ins.; back, 68 K ins.;
thickness, crown, ^ in.; tube, J4 in.; side,
^ in.; back, ^^ in.; water space, front,
4J-2 ins.; side, 4^3 ins.; back, 454 ins.
Seams — Horizontal, butt, sextuple riveted; cir-
cumferential lap, double riveted.
Tube, Detroit seamless steel
Crank Pin — size main, 7 x 6J4 ins.; main side,
7 'A ^ AVi ins. front, 5 x 4H ins.; back, 5
X 454 ins.
Engine Truck — Type, four-wheel, with swing
bolster.
Trailing Truck — Type, radial, with outside jour-
nals.
Fire Brick — .Supported on arch tubes.
Injectors — Hancock, type G; size, 6.000.
Piston — Horizontal, thickness. 6^ ins.
Smoke stack. Diameter at choke, 20 ins.; top,
above rail, 14 ft. S 9/16 ins.
\'alves — Type, piston; admission, inside; travel,
5 5^ ins.; steam lap, 1% ins.; exhaust clear-
ance. ]A. in.; lead in full gear, % in. con-
stant.
Tender — Weicht emptv. 67,720 lbs.; wheel base,
21 ft.
January, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGIXEF.RIXG.
31
Crank-Axles Made in Parts.
A new form of crank-axle has recently
been patented by W'm. H. A. Ivatt, chief
mechanical engineer of the Great North-
ern Railway of England. The a.xle is
made in two pieces, each one a solid forg-
ing, and they are bolted together through
projecting crank ends. These pieces are
practically tonged and grooved so as to
secure greater rigidity and this method
also provides a counter-balance for the
cranks. The crank-axle being in two
pieces facilitates the making, and secures
IV.^TTS CR.\XK .\XLE.
a certain amount of flexibility as far at
end thrusts are concerned, which cannot
be had to the same extent where a shaft
joins the inside arms of the cranks. The
cranks are set at an angle of 90 degs.,
while the bolted portion occupies the mid-
dle position. Several of these cranks
have been put in service on some of the
Great Northern goods engines and are
said to have proved themselves very sat-
isfactory. The Joy valve motion has
been used on these axles.
Another built-up, balanced crank axle
has been designed and patented by Mr.
Ivatt. The shaft is really in three
pieces, and each crank is a separate
piece, thus making five parts in the
crank axle. Each crank has projecting
ends which are fitted to similar exten-
sions at the ends of the parts forming
the shaft. These extensions of shaft
/m
m
m.
BUILT LP CR.VXK.
and crank serve as counter weights for
the crank. All the bolting is done
through the extensions, and a tongue and
groove joint is used as well .is the bolts.
Odd Announcement.
The English practice of aspirating
words beginning with vowels sometimes
produces funny effects. A railroad sup-
ply man, of English birth, noted for ad-
herence to his childhood pronunciation,
was presiding at an entertainment. The
first song to be sung by 1 professional
was "The Owl." On rising to announce
it, the chairman was informed that the
singer had not arrived, a fact that he
duly notified to the audience.
A little later the missing baritone made
his appearance and was observed by the
worthy chairman, who rose with evident
pleasure, and innocently announced with
marked confidence :
a'ways sufficient to keep the smokebox as
clean as is required. »
The netting is outside the diaphragm,
so that gases and cinders which have
passed through and under the perforated
"Mr. 'Ampton will now favor us with diaphragm have still to pass the netting,
the longed-for "Howr* This arrangement enables a larger quan-
tity of netting to be used. In fact, the
Pretending to Understand. netting is shaped very much like a hop-
One time when the writer was en- per, with the exhaust nozzle placed at the
gaged taking indicator diagrams from a lowest point. The perforated diaphragm
locomotive, he handed one of them to a and the amount of netting used gives the
master mechanic for inspection. Hold- smokebox gases the freest possible exit
ing the card upside down, the man while most successfully restricting the
looked earnestly at the diagram and danger of spark throwing. The free exit
exclaimed: "That's a blank fine card, provided for the smokebox gases permits
You do not find many engines to make of the use of a larger nozzle than if the
a card like that." That was a case of exhaust was compelled to pull the gases
pretending to give judg-
ment on a thing that he
did not understand. On
this subject, here is good
advice given by Mr. W. E.
Symons, in an address at
Purdue University. He
said:
"Frequent problems or
instructions are presented
to the practical man for
execution, in language or
by formula which he does
not understand, although
he may know thoroughly
well how the operation
should be performed ; a
sense of wounded pride or
humiliation prevents him
asking for information,
and sometimes a feeling
of superiority prevents the
theoretic man from either
placing the problem in
easier terms to be under-
stood or gomg in person
and making such explana-
tions as would be helpful
to both. This together
with many other similar
circumstances, all tend to
prevent that bond of union
or good fellowship be-
tween the practical and
..... , . . FRONT END USED ON CENTR.XL OF GEORGIA,
theoretic man which
should exist, and which is essential to a round the lower end of the diaphragm
high standard of ability or efficiency in and force them out of the stack. The
men of either class." success of the plan is attested by the fact
that some consolidation engines with
cylinders 22 x 30 ins. are run with $%
.ind 6 in. nnzzlrs.
The Central of Georgia smokebox is
made in two pieces with a riveted ring
liitween them. This has been done as the
front part of the smokebox usually wears
away more rapidly than the regular type.
The wornniif pnrtinn can lie quickly and
easily rencttc<l. Tlii< cxtentinn piece is,
rnuRlily ipeaking. about a third of the
depth of the smnkclmx. The stack is
aSVi ins. alwvc the top nf the smokebox,
lint cxtcMils ilown to within 10 ins, of the
center line of the Ikix
Smokebox Arrangement.
The Ccntr.il ( f (JorKia Railroad is
using a front end arrangement somewhat
different from that recommended by the
M. M. Association. It was designed by
Mr. F. F. Gaines, superintendent of mo-
tive power of the road.
The draft plate is placed back of the
exhaust pipe and the diaphragm is per-
forated all over by a series of round holes
So that the smoke and hot gases pass
through as well as under the draft plate.
The principal draft is of course under the
diaphragm in the usual way, and this is
32
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
January, 1910.
The Ton-Mile-Per-Hour.
By Geo. S. Hoocixs.
The ton-mile-per-hour came up in the
report of the automatic stoker committee
of the Master Mechanics' Association last
June, and it was referred to in the dis-
cussion relative to coal economy in the
Traveling Engineers' Association which
met last year in Denver, so that it is safe
to say that the ton-mile-per-hour is com-
ing to the front as the unit by which a
rational comparison of the performance
of various engines may be fairly and
accurately made.
The advantage of using the ton-mile-per-
hour becomes apparent if 've briefly con-
sider the parallel performance of two
engines which haul the same train daily
over a division. This is perhaps the sim-
lest case that can be taken, but it serves
to illustrate the principle involved. The
train, we will suppose, is passenger, and
■weighs 500 tons and the distance run is
120 miles. This trip is made normally
in 3 hours. That is at the rate of 40
miles an hour. We will suppose for
sake of even figures that 4 tons of coal
is burned to do this work.
At the end of the trip engine A has
made 60.000 ton-miles, occupied 3 hours
and used 4 tons of coal. Engine B, next
day hauls the same train of 500 tons the
same distance, but the locomotive engineer
in charge is called upon to make up 20
minutes, and he burns more coal in
doing it. He has to his credit at the end
of the run, 60,000 ton-miles made on 4^
tons of coal and he appears to have done
the same work. He looks like the more
expensive man, and he is the more ex-
pensive man as far as the actual quantity
of coal burned is concerned. The only
difference is that engineer B. acting on
the expressed wish of his company made
up 20 minutes, and while they approved
of his action, they set him down on the
performance sheet as the more expensive
man on coal, and they said nothing about
the time made up.
An anal)-sis of the performance of A
and B on the ton-mile-per-hour basis
reveals a very important fact. It is that
although B burned more coal than A, he
is not a more expensive man but is just
as economical as A.
An example may help to make this
clear. Horse power is made up of
three factors, weight in pounds, dis-
tance in feet and time in minutes. It
is 33,000 foot-pounds per minute. In
order to find how much coal has been
used per li. p. it is only necessary
to divide the total coal by the num-
ber of h. p. Thus, if 5 h. p. be
derived from the burning of 15 lbs.;
I h. p. will be obtained from 3 lbs. of
coal. Six h. p. would at the same rate
use up 18 lbs. of coal and yet be no
more costly as far as coal is concerned
per h. p. than the 5 h. p., but it is
more costly as far as coal is concerned,
for one has to buy 15 lbs. in one case
and 18 lbs. in the other.
The ton-mile-per-hour is made up of
three similar factors, viz.: weight in
tons, miles of distance and time in
hours. In this case A made 60,000 ton-
miles and burned coal at the rate of .13
lbs. per ton-mile. B did the same thing
at the rate of .15 lbs. of coal. That is
the same ton-mileage at a higher rate
and a higher total consumption, for one
used up 4 tons and the other 4^/2 tons.
The latter cost more money because it
was the greater amount, but the point
to consider is how was it used.
When the ton-miles-per-hour are
taken, A making 20,000, and B 22,500, and
each divided into the total coal used,
we get the cost in coal, so to speak, of
the ton-mile-per-hour, or the rate at
which ton-mile-per-hour eats up the
coal. In each case it is exactly the
same, viz.: 4 lbs. The matter is an-
alogous to the parable of the talents
\\ here he that had received 10 talents
and by trading judiciously had secured
other 10 talents is commended, but is
rot praised above the man who having
received 5 talents had likewise gained
5 more. Condemnation was for the
man who havng received one talent did
nothing with it.
If the total ton-miles of each engine
which is : 60,000 be divided into the
total coal consumed which is 4 tons
and 4'/o tons, respectively, A is found
to have burned his supply at the rate
of .13 lbs. per ton-mile and B at the
rate of .15 lbs. per ton mile. B appears
to be the more expensive man. Just
here a curious point comes in, and that
is that the ton-miles-per-hour, divided
into the amount burned in one hour,
gives the same rate of consumption.
viz.: .13 lbs. and .15 lbs., respectively.
But that is practically the same as
dividing the total ton-miles into the
total coal. It is equivalent to taking a
proportional fraction of each and what
is true of the whole is true of the parts.
The whole value of the ton-mile-per-
hour lies in the fact that from it we
can get the rate at which the ton-mile-
per-hour eats up coal. In A's case he
made 20,000 ton-miles-per-hour and he
burned a total of 4 tons, or 8,000 lbs.
The rate at which he burned the 8.000
lbs. was .4 lbs. for each ton-mile-per-
hour which he made. That was the
rate at which the ton-miles-per-hour
which he made consumed coal. In B's
case he made 22.500 ton-miles-per-hour
and he burned 9.000 lbs., and the rate
at which his ton-mile-per-hour con-
sumed coal was .4 lbs. Therefore the
rate of coal consumption for each ton-
mile-per-hour for each man was ex-
actly equal. This is as if one man had
made 5 h. p. on 15 lbs. of coal and the
other had made 6 h. p. on 18 lbs., both
would be equal on the rate of coal con-
sumption, although the man who had
done the more work would naturally
have consumed the greater quantity of
coal.
.\ preformance sheet got out on
this basis would give B something to
show for his extra coal consumption, and
would be an indirect acknowledgment
by the company that he had done more
v.ork in making up the time they required
him to make up.
An engine hauling a heavy freight train,
and another hauling a light one bum
different amounts of coal, and the larger
ton-mileage of the heavier train apparent-
ly offsets the greater amount of coal
burned, and roughly speaking, it balances
the lighter fuel consumption of the lighter
train, but it is not strictly accurate and this
becomes clear when trains of equal weights
are hauled at different speeds. To correctly
get at the ton-miles-per-hour of freight
tiains, the total time standing in all sid-
ings ought to be deducted from the time
the train is actually in motion, and if an
arbitrary coal consumption is allowed for
each hour of standing time, the problem
as solved by the ton-mile-per-hour system
has some important advantages.
The writer when engaged in railway
work, was the first to propose the
ton-mile-per-hour system of coal account-
ing. In an article which appeared
in the June, 1897, issue of this paper,
page 439, he discussed this question
under the head of "Fuel Economy and
Wind." He there used the car-mile-per-
hour in passenger train service as that
was the prevailing unit at that time.
Later, in an article entitled "The Ton-
Mile-Per-Hour," which appeared in our
May, 1899. issue, page 207, he took up the
ton-mile-per-hour pure and simple.
The ton-mile-per-hour is a rational and
logical method of fuel accounting for the
reason that is provides an equation between
work done and coal consumed. Pulling
a given train of 40 miles an hour requires
less power than pulling the same
train at 45 miles an hour. With a ton-
mile-per-hour system, the coal burned
varies with the work done. A perform-
ance sheet made out on this basis would
be fair and equitable, for it could be made
to show in a column by itself the number
of hours per month that any engine was
standing in the siding or waiting for
train. Side track coal consumption would
be an item by itself and the regular ap-
pearance of such a total would have a
beneficial effect on the efforts of the
operating department to get trains quickly
over the road, and the actual work haul-
ing the train would show for itself at so
much coal per ton-mile-per-hour. A fire
deteriorates when engine is kept standing
in the siding. This and the amount
of coal burned in lighting up an engine
should not be charged against engine
performance.
January, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
Items of Personal Interest
Mr. G. W. Daves has been appointed
signal engineer of the Eastern Division
of the Chicago & Alton at Chicago, IlL
Mr. E. H. Diehl has been appointed
traveling engineer of the middle division
of the Pennsylvania Railroad.
Mr. M. H. Haig has been appointed
engineer of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa
Fe, with oflSce at Topeka, Kan.
Mr. T. H. Yorke has been appointed
master mechanic of the Chicago Great
Western, with office at Des Moines, la.
Mr. H. M. Levinson has been appointed
a roadraaster of the International &
Great Northern, with offices at San An-
tcnio, Texas.
Mr. H. A. Keswick has been appointed
locomotive foreman of the Canadian Pa-
cific at Field, B. C, vice Mr. F. D. War-
ner, transferred.
Mr. F. Stamelen has been appointed
acting locomotive foreman of the Cana-
dian Pacific at Winnipeg, vice Mr. F.
Webster, on leave.
Mr. George S. McKee, formerly super-
intendent of motive power and car equip-
ment of the Mobile & Ohio, with office at
Mobile, Ala., has resigned.
Mr. H. G. Locke has been appointed
travelling passenger agent of the Chicago
Great Western, with office at No. 208
Old South Building. Boston, Mass.
Mr. Michael Hassett has been ap-
pointed master mechanic of the New York
Central at East Buffalo, vice Mr. F. M.
Steel, transferred to Rochester.
Mr. N. M. Maine, general master me-
chanic of the Chicago, Milwaukee &
Puget Sound at Deer Lodge, Mont., has
been transferred to Tacoma, Wash.
Mr. W. J. Bennett, formerly assistant
luperintendent of motive power of the
Chicago, Indianapolis & Louisville, with
office at Lafayette, Ind., has resigned.
Mr. W. O. Birnett has been appointed
road foreman of engines on St. Law-
rence Division of New York Central,
with headquarters at Watertown, N. Y.
Mr. Byron E. Woodcock has been ap-
pointed chief engineer of the East Broad
Top Railroad & Coal Co., with office at
Orbiionia, Pa., succeeding Mr. A. E.
Bachert.
Mr. Geo. H. Gray bat been appointed
trainmaster and travelmg engineer of the
It does not require a great memory for
railway veterans and other people of ob-
serving habits to remember a bright,
ruddy-faced youth who was chief clerk
for the general manager of the Missouri
Pacific Railway and a favorite with all
callers because he had a kind word anJ
cheerful smile for every visitor. That
vas Charles Melville Hays, who last
month was elected president of the Grand
Trunk Railway. The British capitalists
who rule the fortunes of the Grand Trunk
are a most discriminating lot of people,
with keen vision for their own interests,
which goes to prove that Mr. Hays must
have developed extraordinar>' ability as a
manager to be advanced to the position of
president. Because he was the most effi-
CH.VKLES .M. HAYS.
cicnt youth in sight, the passenger depart-
ment clerk became the general manager's
assistant. It was not a case of courting a
neighbor's wife, but of courting a neigh-
bor's assistant, that moved the general
manager of the Wabash to act so that
Mr. Hays was allured to that road as
assistant general manager. That was
merely one of the steps in the ladder
which led him by others to the position of
vice-president and general manager. His
services then became decidedly in demand,
so he went with tentative steps to various
roads, the Grand Trunk having held him
for five years as general manager. The
Southern Pacific took him away from
Canada for about one year, then he re-
turned, and there he has received the high-
est honors the nwneri of a great railway
can bestow ^^■'• I'-'v.- no inf.irm.Tlion of
the race from which Mr. Hays sprung;
but his face shows almost a family like-
ness to judges, literati and other eminent
persons whose intellectual eminence in
days gone by gave to Edinburgh the name
of the Modern Athens.
South Park division of the Colorado &
Southern Railway, with headquarters at
Como, Colo.
Mr. E. J. McMahn, general foreman of
the Illinois division of the Iron Mountain
at Dupo. has resigned to become master
mechanic on the Raton Mountain division
of the Santa Fe.
Mr. C. M. Stansbury, formerly master
mechanic of the Boca & Loyalton at
Loyalton. Cal., has been appointed mas-
ter mechanic of the Western Pacific, with
office at Elko, Neb.
Mr. Michael W. Hassett has been ap-
pointed master mechanic of the New
York Central & Hudson River Railroad,
with office at East Buffalo, N. Y., vice
F. M. Steele, transferred.
Mr. T. Mahar has been appointed mas-
ter mechanic, Harlem and Putnam di-
visions of the New York Central Lines,
vice Mr. H. B. Whipple, master mechanic
Harlem Division, resigned.
Mr. George G. Mason has been ap-
pointed road foreman of engines on the
Salt Lake Division of the San Pedro, Los
Angeles & Salt Lake Railway, with head-
quarters at Milford, Utah.
Mr. G. E. Johnson, master mechanic of
the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy at
Wymote, Neb., has been appointed gen-
eral master mechanic on the same road,
with office at Lincoln, Neb.
Mr. J. J. Thomas, Jr., has been ap-
pointed superintendent of motive power
and car equipment of the Mobile & Ohio
Railway, with office at Mobile, Ala., vice
Mr. G. S. McKee, resigned.
Mr. G. W. Vanderslice has been ap-
pointed superintendent of the Western
Division of the Chicago Great Western,
with headquarters at Clarion, Iowa, vice
Mr, A. E, Harvey, transferred.
Mr. F. H. Probert, heretofore locomo-
tive engineer, has been appointed round-
house foreman of the Intercolonial Rail-
way at St. John. N. B., vice Mr. D. A.
Sinclair, retired from the service.
Mr. C J. Shaughnessy has been ap-
34
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
January, igio.
pointed traveling engineer on the South-
ern division of the Colorado & Southern
Railway, with headquarters at Trinidad,
vice Mr. A. E. Roesch transferred.
Mr. Thomas L. Carrew has been ap-
pointed road foreman of engines for the
Saginaw, Mackinaw and Grand Rapids
divisions of the Michigan Central Rail-
road, with headquarters at Bay City, Mich.
Mr. W. R. .\rmstrong has been ap-
pointed superintendent of the Montana
Division of the Oregon Short Line Rail-
road, with headquarters at Pocatello,
Idaho, vice ilr. G. H. Olmstead, deceased.
Mr. A. H. Barnes, acting supervisor of
signals of the Northern Pacific, in charge
of maintenance of signal apparatus on
lines west of Paradise, Mont., at Tacoma,
Wash., has been appointed superintendent
of signals.
Mr. J. H. Race has been appointed mas-
ter mechanic of the Oregon Short Line,
with office at Pocatello, Idaho. He will
have charge of the Pocatello shops, in-
cluding the roundhouse and car depart-
ment forces.
Mr. F. S. Anthony, master mechanic
of the International & Great Northern at
Palestine, Tex., has been appointed super-
intendent of machinery of the same road,
with office at Palestine, succeeding Mr.
J. F. Enright.
Mr. D. F. Clark has been appointed
roundhouse foreman in charge of the
mechanical department on the Salt Lake
& Ogden Railroad at Salt Lake City.
The position of master mechanic has
been abolished.
Mr. Benjamin Johnson, formerly super-
intendent of motive power of the Mexi-
can Central, has been appointed superin-
tendent of motive power of the United
Railways of Havana, with office at
Havana, Cuba.
Mr. Frank L. Matthews has been ap-
pointed district passenger agent of the
Chicago Great Western Railroad, with
headquarters at 7 West Ninth street,
Kansas City, Mo., vice Mr. George W.
Lincoln, resigned.
Mr. A. E. Roesch has been appointed
traveling engineer on Northern and
Wyoming divisions of the Colorado &
Southern Railway, with headquarters at
Denver, Col., vice ^Ir. G. H. Gray as-
signed to other duties.
Mr. J. C. Reed, heretofore acting loco-
motive foreman at Kamloops, B. C, on
the Canadian Pacific, during the absence
of Mr. A. E. Bennets on leave, has been
appointed shop foreman at that point, Mr.
Bennets having returned.
Mr. R. F. Kilpatrick, assistant super-
intendent of motive power and car de-
partment of the Denver & Rio Grande at
Denver, Col., has been appointed master
mechanic of the Western Pacific, with
office at Stockton, Cal.
Mr. J. F. Enright, superintendent of
machinery of the International & Great
Northern at Palestine, Tex., has been ap-
pointed superintendent of motive power
and car department of the Denver & Rio
Grande, with office at Denver, Colo.
Mr. W. R. Hastings, superintendent of
signal construction on the Chicago, Rock
Island & Pacific, has been appointed gen-
eral signal inspector, and the office of
interlocking engineer has been abolished.
His headquarters are in Chicago, 111.
At the recent meeting of the direc-
tors of the Big Four Railroad, the
pension system drawn up for New
York Central lines was adopted. Mr.
R. X. Harry was appointed local treas-
urer of the company in Cincinnati.
Mr. C. M. Bailey, road foreman of the
McCook Division of the Chicago, Bur-
lington & Quincy at McCook, Neb., has
been appointed master mechanic of the
Wymore Division, with office at \\'ymore.
Neb., succeeding Mr. G. E. Johnson.
Mr. Francis B. Freeman, engineer of
construction of the New York Central
& Hudson River Railroad at New Y'ork,
has been appointed chief engineer of the
Boston & Albany, with office at Boston,
Mass., vice Mr. Everett E. Stone, re-
signed.
Mr. Welling G. Sickel, having dis-
posed of his interest in the L'nited &
Globe Rubber Mfg. Companies, has be-
come associated with the Hewitt Rub-
ber Company of New Y'ork. He will
hereafter represent this company's va-
rious interests.
A division superintendent of the Chi-
cago & North- Western Railway has had
flanged wheels applied to an automobile
and uses it as an inspection car. Presi-
dent Hughett of the same road has sev-
eral automobiles but he does not have
them run upon the track.
At the annual meeting of the Angus
Sinclair Co. Mr. Harry A. Kenney was
elected secretary, in place of Mr. James
R. Paterson. resigned. Mr. Kenney en-
tered the employ of the company six years
ago and has risen through the force of
efficiency to his present position.
Mr. Richard H. Lanham, who, for the
past five years has been traveling en-
gineer of the Iron Mountain & Southern
Railway, has been promoted to the posi-
tion of master mechanic, with headquar-
ters at Helena, .^rk. His jurisdiction e.x-
tends over three hundred miles of terri-
tory and he has fifty engines under his
care.
Mr. J. W. Small, superintendent of mo-
tive power of the Southern Pacific of
Mexico and of the Sonora Railway at
Empalme, Sonora, Mex., having resigned,
that office is now abolished. Reports
previously sent to the superintendent of
motive power now go to Mr. R. H. In-
gram, assistant general manager, at
Empalme.
Mr. James W. Stuart, formerly as-
sistant general storekeeper for the
Burlington system, has been appointed
general storekeeper of the entire C, B.
& Q. system, succeeding Mr. T. A. Fay.
Mr. Stuart has been connected with the
stores department of the Burlington
for twenty years. His headquarters
are at Aurora, III.
Prof. H. H. Stock, in charge of the
mining engineering department at the
Universitj' of Illinois, has been appointed
by Governor Deneen a member of the
State Mining Commission, which has
been constituted to collect data, prepare
matter which may become the subject
of desirable legislation with reference to
the mining industry, and to make recom-
mendations along these lines to the Gov-
ernor before the next regular session of
the State Legislature.
Mr. W. C. Webster, manager of the
Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing
Company's New York office, has resigned
his position with the company. Mr.
Webster's experience with the Westing-
house interests has been quite varied and
extensive for the past twelve years. His
first position was in the sales department
at East Pittsburgh. He later became as-
sistant vice-president with headquarters in
New York, and for the last few years
has been the New York manager. Mr.
Webster has made no plans for the future
as yet.
Mr. Charles Robbins. who has for
many years been connected with the
Westinghouse Electric & Mfg. Com-
pany in the industrial and power sales
department in connection with the sale
of industrial motors, has recently been
appointed manager of this department.
Mr. Robbins has been with the com-
pani' since 1809 in the manufacturing
department, the New York district
office sales department and for the past
three years in the industrial and power
sales department at East Pittsburgh.
His headquarters will continue to be
at East Pittsburgh.
Mr. Samuel A. Chase, who for the
past few years has been with the West-
inghouse Electric & Mfg. Company in
their New York sales office as a spe-
cial detail and supply salesman, has
recently resigned in order to accept a
position with the White Investing
Compan)-. Previous to Mr. Chase's
employment with the Westinghouse
Electric & Mfg. Company, he was a
salesman for the Western Electric
Company, where he was highly suc-
cessful. He is now in charge of the
January, ipio.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
35
Chicago office of the White Investing
Company.
At the recent Christmas entertain-
ment of the New York Railroad Club,
Mr. J. F. Deems, general superintendent
of motive power of the New York Cen-
tral Lines, who has been president of
the club for the past year, was pre-
sented with a beautifully formed silver
pitcher a.* a token of the esteem in
which he is held by the members of
the club and as an evidence of the ap-
preciation of his work for the club as
president. The presentation was made
on behalf of the club by Mr. H. S. Hay-
ward, first vice-president, and Mr.
Deems expressed his thanks in a few
well chosen words.
Dr. Ernst J. Berg, of Schenectady,
N. Y.. has been appointed professor
of electrical engineering in charge of
the department, at the University of
Illinois, an appointment which secures
leadership of the highest quality for
one of the more important departments
of the college of engineering. Dr.
Berg was born in Sweden in January,
1871. He graduated from the Royal
Polrtechnical Institute, Stockholm, in
mechanical engineering in 1S92, and
he came to the United States in 1893.
For the past 17 years he has been as-
sociate with the General Electric Com-
pany, which company he now leaves
for the work of the university.
Mr. G. Brewer Griffin has recently
been appointed manager and is now
actively directing the sales policy of
the detail and supply sales department
of the Westinghouse Electric & Mfg.
Co., by which department transform-
ers, meters, fans, heating appliances,
switchcji. switchboards, railway line
material, etc., arc sold. Mr. Griffin has
been assistant manager of this sales
department for the past six years, hav-
ing previously been connected with the
sale of detail apparatus in the Boston
office. He has altogether been in the
employ of this concern for seven years.
Previous to his connection with the
W'estinghouse company, Mr. Griffin
was connected with the Manhattan
General Construction Company.
Mr. S. L. Nicholson has recently
been appninfcd general sales manager
of the W'estinghouse Electric & Mfg.
Co., and has direct charge over the
sales policies of the entire company.
Mr. Nicholson has been with thr com-
pany for eleven years in different capaci-
ties, such as salesman, district department
manager, and for the past five years
he has been industrial and power sales
manager. Before coming to the Wcst-
inghouse company he was with the
C. & C Electric Company. He is per-
haps best known to motor manufac-
turers as the organizer and president
of the .\merican Association of Motor
Manufacturers, an organization which
has done much in the two years of its
existence to improve the art of manu-
facturing motors.
From track laborer to president of one
of the leading railroads on this continent
represents the progress made by Daniel
Willard in thirty years. Mr. Willard is
now vice-president of the Burlington sys-
tem, and by the time this paper reaches
our readers he will be president of the
Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. His upward
career has been steady as the growth of
the locomotive engine with %vhich his life
work has been much associated. Like
Mr. Brown, president of the New York
Central System, and several other rail-
road presidents, Mr. Willard began his
tailroad career by working on the track.
That was in Vermont, his native State,
which has nurtured many eminent rail-
road men. The steps by which he reachcil
the top were by that of fireman, engineer,
brakeman, conductor, roundhouse forc-
man, trainmaster, assistant superinten-
dent, assistant general manager, gener.il
manager, vice-president. That involved
service on six or seven different rail-
roads, where he always proved himselt
an efficient and popular official. He has
the faculty of inspiring in a high degree
the personal regard and confidence of
those under his charge. A firm and just
official, he possesses the mysterious at-
tributes that create popularity. When the
writer first called on Mr. Willard on his
entering the position of general manager
of the Erie system, he grasped the editor
cordially by the hand, saying: "I owe
much of my success to your writings. 1
carried your book in my pocket for years.
and it inspired me to work my way
upwards."
He was then elected treasurer, a posi-
tion he held for the rest of his life. He
was beloved of his associates, many of
v.hoin like himself had given the greater
(art of their lives to this great industry,
and were members of the Air Brake
\'eteran"s Association. In financial circles
his judgment and advice was frequently
sought. He was a factor in banking cir-
cles for many years. He was with the
old Merchant and Manufacturers' Bank
which was absorbed with the Iron City
Bank by the Bank of Pittsburgh, N. A.,
ot which he was made a director and vice-
president. The latter position he held at
the time of his Heath. When the W'est-
iiighouse Electric & Manufacturing Com-
pany, was organized Mr. Caldwell was
n'ade its treasurer. He retained the posi-
tion until the organization was put on
Obituary.
John Caldwell, treasurer of the West-
ipghouse .\ir Brake Company, was last
month stricken «ith heart disease and
died in his office before a physician could
reach him. Mr. Caldwell was one of the
trusted lieutenants of George Westing-
house with whom he had been associated
since the inception of the Westinghouse
Air Brake Company. Mr. Caldwell was
well known in financial circles and was
a connoisseur in art, being also one of
the trustees of the Carnegie Institute
from its foundation. He was born in the
north of Ireland about 70 years ago, his
lather being a Presbyterian minister, Mr.
Caldwell early developerl the sturdy char-
acter that later brought him to the fore
as one of the builders of the greatest
manufacturing city in the world. He
came to Pittsburgh as a tad of 12, and his
first employmetit was at a clerk in a gro-
cery store. For several years he followed
mercantile purMiiis. ami u|Hin the organ-
ization of the .Mr Brake Company in 1869
he became its bookkeeper, a posllion he
retained for 10 years.
JOHN C.\I.I>WEI.I.
a smooth running basis, when he re-
signed in 189^ to give his entire time to
the Air Brake Company. At the out-
break of the civil war he was enlisted
as a private in Company E, of the Sixty-
first Pennsylvania Volunteers, and was
mustered out as a second lieutenant at the
close of the war. He was wounded at
the battle of Spoltsylvania.
Outside of his business affiliations, Mr.
Caldwell had a wide reputation as an art
cnnnoisseur and collector of rare books.
His collection at his Edgewood home
is said to be among the most valuable in
existence. He was particularly fond of
etchings, and his collection of Whistler's
\r said l<> be uncqualcd. His Ixioks have
been gathered from all parts of the world
and are reputed to be priceless. At hii
death .Mr. Caldwell was chairman of the
hnc arts committee of the Carnegie In-
stitute trustees and also of the finance
ronimittee.
36
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
January, 1910.
J. J. Ellis, who was for many years
master mechanic of the Chicago, St. Paul,
Minneapolis & Omaha, died in England on
Dec. 14. He had gone to visit the scenes
of his childhood after long absence and
reached there in time to fill his last rest-
ing-place.
Robert Morris Van Arsdale, proprietor
of the American Engineer and Railroad
Journal, died suddenly on Nov. 23 last.
Only a brief notice of it was possible in
our December issue. He was born in
Titusville, Mercer County, N. J., on
July I, 184S. Mr. Van Arsdale was con-
nected with trade journalism from his
twenty-fifth year. In 1875 he joined the
staff of the Railroad Gazette as an ad-
vertising solicitor. He remained in this
position for about six years and on Jan.
I, 1880, purchased the National Car
Builder, which was then being published
in New York by Vose, Dinsmore & Co.
and James Gillet was retained as the
editor. In January, 1896, Mr. Van Ars-
dale purchased the American Engineer
am! Railroad Journal from the late M. N.
Forney, who remained as the editor for
one year. Mr. Van Arsdale merged his
two papers. His success in his chosen
field was largely due to his extensive ac-
quaintance and numerous friendsTiips.
Peter H. Peck, for many years master
mechanic of the Chicago & Western In-
diana Railroad, died on Nov. 29, as the re-
sult of an accident. The day before was
his 6sth birthday and he was crossing the
tracks of th,e Rock Island in Chicago, he
stepped out of the way of a passenger
train only to be struck by a freight train
which he had not noticed,
;•' Mr. Pecfc' I^ft railroad service last year
Tfend lately became interested with the
Belt Line Coal Co., in Chicago. He had
been treasurer of the Western Railway
Club for eighteen years, and was presi-
dent of the American Railway Master
Mechanics' Association in 1904 and 1905.
Mr. Peck entered railway service in 1865,
since which time he has been, consecu-
tively, locomotive fireman Des Moines
Valley Railway, locomotive engineer on
several roads, division master mechanic
Hannibal & St. Joseph, master mechanic
Chicago & Western Indiana and Belt
Railwav.
The Lehigh Valley Railroad officials
have recently granted a concession to the"
trainmen on that road which will be much
appreciated. Heretofore, the trainman's
regular day consisted of twelve hours,
before any overtime was computed. The
working day for trainmen has now been
reduced to ten hours. This new arrange-
ment will probably w^ork well in two di-
rections. It will please the train rfien and '
dispatchers will no doubt endeavor not
to have much overtime. Ten hours on the
road is a day's work.
Progressive Safety.
The National Association of Railroad
Commissioners held their annual conven-
tion at Washington, D. C, in November
last. An interesting part of the proceed-
ings was the reading of a paper on "Pro-
gressive Safety in Railroad Operating,"
by Mr. A. H. Smith, vice-president of the
New York Central Railroad.
Mr. Smith briefly outlined the origin
and growth of railways, showing the in-
crease of mileage from 1830 onward, then
he described in detail the methods that
resulted in progressive safety. The first
movement in this line was the Westing-
house air brake which appeared in 1869,
to be followed four years later by the
Westinghouse automatic brake.
For years there had been agitation in
favor of uniform car couplers to aid in
preventing the numerous accidents that
happened in coupling cars. The first im-
provement that resulted from this move-
ment was a rule adopted by the Master
Car Builders' Association establishing a
uniform height of drawbar which had an
excellent effect. Various tests had been
made of automatic car couplers which
were unsatisfactory at first. Then atten-
tion was directed to the dead block which
brought about some increase in safety.
In 1880 the Massachusetts Legislature in-
structed the Railroad Commissioners to
investigate and report on means for pre-
venting accidents in car coupling. This
stirred up the Master Car Builders' As-
sociation to renewed action. After sev-
eral seasons of discussion, tests and in-
vestigation the executive committee in
1887 reported in favor of the Janney type
of coupler, and the report was adopted
the following year.
Agitating and legislating against defec-
tive railway appliances were now recog-
nized as duties of public spirited American
bodies and individuals. The questions
that soon came up for settlement were im-
proved means of signalling, interlocking,
train dispatching, locomotive and car con-
struction and many others of which Mr.
Smith gives particulars.
We regret that the space at our dis-
posal prevents us from publishing his en-
tire paper. Those interested should apply
for a copy to Mr. A. H. Smith, Grand
Central Station, New York.
to you to visit them at their works or city
office any time you are in their city. The
address is 45 and Centre Avenue, Chicago.
The Chicago Metal Bearing Company,
of Chicago, are the makers of locomotive
and car journal bearings, manganese
bronze castings and many other kinds
suitable for automobiles, electric work,
mill work, hydraulic bronzes, anti-acid
bronzes and solders. This company
makes graphose bronze bearings specially
for locomotive work. The bearings are
suitable for heavy loads and high speeds.
The company will send you a folder with
full information if you signify your desire
for one. They also extend an invitation
All Steel Official Car.
What is probably the first all-steel car
ever built for use on an American railroad.
has been completed at the Altoona car
shops of the Pennsylvania for the ex-
clusive use of the executive officers. Not
one piece of wood was used in the car,
which embodies the very latest practice
in steel car construction. It is to be
equipped with all conveniences, such as
typewriters, telephone, desks, maps and
statistics, for carrying on the business of
the company, the object being to enable
those by whom it will be used to conduct
their work while traveling from place to
place. In this way much time that other-
wise would be lost is utilized.
Nearly seven years ago, the late A. J.
Cassatt, foreseeing the inevitable substitu-
tion of steel for wood in the construction
of passenger cars, directed that the de-
sign of steel cars be undertaken. The
first of these was built at Altoona for the
Interborough Rapid Transit Co. of New
York. This was followed by the con-
struction of the first all-metal car for the
Pennsylvania which was turned out of the
Altoona car shops in June, 1906. This-
design was followed by those of the pres-
ent steel coaches, combination passenger
and baggage, baggage, postal and dining
cars, it having been decided that all new
passenger equipment for the Pennsyl-
vania should be of steel construction.
Conflict of Opinion.
An election of members of Parliament
will be held in Great Britain soon. There
is often violent differen'-e of opinion
manifested at these elections.
During the last election a man walking
along a quiet street was startled to see
a house-door suddenly opened and a man
fall bumping down to the sidewalk.
Picking him up, the pedestrian asked
what was the matter. "That's my club in
there," said the human projectile. "It's
a political club; there are nine Jones men
and I'm for Smith. TTiey ;hrew me out.
But don't worry. I'm going in and clean
'em all out. You stand here and count
'em." In he went and sure enough, in a
minute the door burst open, and a figure
cleared the steps without touching.
"One !" said the spectator, holding up a
finger. "Hold on!" cried the prostrate
one. "Don't begin to count yet. This is
only me again !"
Getting results from advertising is
like harvesting. The crop is in propor-
tion to the machinery and ability to
reap when the harvest is ripest. Many a
man condemns advertising when the real
fault was with his lack of proper organ-
ization to reap the benefit of advertising.
— The Houghton Line.
January, igio.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
37
Old-Timer
Talks No. 6
Maybe you've had trouble
off and on with your air
pump. There's a pretty
severe strain on 'em with
the heavy trains and high
speeds nowadays. Pumps
are apt to squeal or groan,
overheat or labor; and
packing rings wear and leak
when tney shouldn't.
Here's where Dixon's
Special Graphite No. 635
cures every time. Just take
about a teaspoonful of the
graphite and mix it with a
pint of the regular oil. Use
a little of this mixture at
different times through the
pump oil cup. As the boys
say, you can't beat it.
There's no secret about
Dixon's Flake Graphite ;
lots of the boys use it now.
Nothing like it when it
comes to fi iction troubles of
any kind. Why don't you
write for sample No. 69-P.''
It's free for the asking.
Joseph Dixon Crucible Co.
Jersey City, N. J.
The Torque of a Motor.
We have sometimes referred to the
tractive povper of a locomotive as
equivalent to the weight the engine
could haul up out of a well if a rope
from the tender coupler extended back
to a frictionless pulley and down the
well with the weight at the end of the
rope, and in our October issue we
dealt with tractive eflEort and horse-
power of locomotives. When dealing
with electric motors one of the ele-
ments which determines its ability to
do work is called its Torque. This
word comes from the Latin, and means
"to twist."
The measurement of the torque of a
motor is, in one sense, an arbitrary or
(i.xed standard, and may be illustrated
in this way: Suppose a drum exactly
two feet in diameter to be keyed on the
armiture shaft of a motor, and on this
drum a cable or rope is wound, and
that its free end hangs down a well, the
torque of the motor is the weight it
can pull up. The essential point about
this view of the torque is that it is
always calculated for a drum 2 ft. diam-
eter or I ft. radius. That size is ar-
bitrary and fixed, very much as the 85
per cent, boiler pressure is the arbit-
rary ratio selected by the Master Me-
chanics' Association for finding the
mean eflfective pressure in the cylin-
ders of a locomotive.
If torque is always calculated as the
pull on a rope wound on a 2-ft. pulley,
it is obvious that if instead of a pulley
of this size we had a wheel 4 ft. diam-
eter the torque of the motor would
exert less force at the circumference
of such a wheel than it did on the 2-ft.
drum. If the torque of the motor was
500 lbs., the force between wheel and
rail with 4-ft. wheel, would only be
250 lbs. The larger the wheel the less
the force produced by any given torque.
Tliis is practically the same with a
locomotive, the larger the driving
wheel the less the tractive effort, where
tlie other factors remain the sanir.
The ability to do work introduces
the clement of time, and if our motor
with 2-ft. drum has a torque of 500 lbs.
and is revolved at the rate of a little
over los revolutions a minute, the
weight will be pulled up out of the well
at the rate of (Vio ft. a minute. Thus
the weight of 500 lbs. will be raised
660 ft. a minute and 330,000 foot-pounds
. f work will be clone, that is 10 horse-
power. With the 4-ft. wheel triatcd
as a pulley and supposed to haul up
the weight, the same number of revolu-
tions a minute will pull a weight of
250 lbs. up close to 1,320 ft. in one min-
ute, and that will give the same num-
ber of foot-pounds of work and the
■iamc horsc-jiower.
If. however, the motor with soo-lbs.
torque mounted on 4-ft. wheels is run
twice as fast, that is, just over 210
revolutions a minute, we find that the
lighter weight of 250 lbs. comes up at
the rate of 2,640 ft. a minute, and that
gives 660,000 foot-pounds of work or 20
horse-power. When we come to con-
sider power, which is the rate at which
work is done, we find that with a given
torque, power is proportional to speed,
and conversely with given speed, power
is proportional to torque. Torque is
the strain on a rope wound on a drum
2 ft. diameter. Work is the product of
this strain, in pounds, by the distance
tlirough which it acts, and power is
the number of foot-pounds multiplied
by the time it is in operation. Time
so used is usually expressed in min-
utes. One horse-power is an arbitrary
unit in which 33,000 lbs. are moved
through one foot of space in oiie min-
ute of time. Any exact equivalent of this
is also a horse power, such as 275 lbs.,
raised i ft. in half a minute.
Gaskets and Glass Cutters.
Catalogue Number Nine has a very
attractive cover, but that is not all by any
means. The reason the cover is attrac-
tive is that on the outside there is, vvc
were going to say, a very lifelike reproduc-
tion, but realistic is the better word, to
express the representation in color of the
new Chapman case-hardened corrugated
copper flange gasket which bears the
trade mark "Springtite." This gasket is
intended for superheated steam, high
pressure and low pressure steam joints.
In the catalogue you will find an interest-
ing bit of reading about the case-harden-
ing of copper and all about the gasket.
It's worth reading anyway and the
Franklin Manufacturing Company, of
Franklin, Pa., are ready to send you a
copy of the pamphlet if you drop them a
card to say you want one. All sorts of
gaskets are listed and prices given. On
page 19 you come to locomotive gaskets
and composition tnetallic gaskets, and the
prices are given.
If you are interested in circular glass
cutters for headlight glasses, or other pur-
poses, the Chapman double, and the Chap-
man single glass cutter is worth knowing
about. The device is simplicity ilscH and
was invented by a practical railroad me-
chanical engineer who had to inspect
steam gauges as well as do other things.
Steam gauge glasses are as easily cut as
headlight glasses. The base or pivot
pillar stands secured on a sheet of ulass
by vacmun and a graduated radi.il arm
carries the diamond holder. This hcildcr
can be moved out or in on the radical
arm, T<i cut a gauge gla.-is a smaller
railial arm with a second diamnud in
applied to the long radical arm and turned
bv a knurled thumb nut, Ask the I'ranklin
people to send you catalogue No. 0 and
v'ni can read about some good things.
38
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
January, 1910.
The Days of Long Ago.
Our illustration of at least one wood-
burning engine brings back years that
some of our readers arc not old enough
to have known. The trim looking 4-4-0
called the "Wm. Crooks" was used on
tile first (livisiim i.f the St. Paul and
ethers. This kind of desultory Indian
warfare was of frequent occurrence in
pioneer railroad days in the VVset.
The Pennsylvania lines West of Pitts-
burgh announce the following as the
luimbcr vi locomotives being built on the
THE FAJrOUS "WM.
Pacific. It was built by the New Jersey
Locomotive and Machine Works at
Paterson, N. J., in 1861. Tlie weight on
the drivers is 55,400 lbs. The driving
wheels are 61 ins. in diameter. Cylinders
12 X 22 ins. The engine is now owned
by the Great Northern.
Our other illustration is made from a
photograph of the engine " G. F. Ward."
built by Mason, in 1880, at Providence,
for the New York. Providence & Boston.
This engine is, of course, modern enough
to burn coal but has the dome and sand-
1910 programme, as Naval experts would
say : 30 passenger engines and 13 shifting
engines at their Juniata Shops at Al-
toona, Pa. ; 50 freight engines at the
Baldwin Locomotive Works ; 5 freight
and 27 shifting engines by the American
Locomotive Company. This makes a
total of 125 locomotive,.
The demand for asbestos has grov.-n
so steadily that it is becoming scarce .ind
deposits of the mineral are considered
as valuable as gold mines. Canada leads
.M.\SON ENGINE, "G. F. WARD." (i\ THE .\. V.. P.
box moldings and the brass trimmed
straight smoke stack of former days.
The third illustration may not inap-
propriately be called the "Winning of the
West." It shows a scene in the early
days of the Union Pacific where an at-
tack of Indians has brought the traveling
contingent of U. S. soldiers into action
along with the trainmen, track lavers and
Ih.e world in asbestos output, the produc-
tion in thirty years having been valued
at $30,000,000. A new source of asbestos
si:pply has recently been found in Raj-
putana .A.fganistan, and a company 1:.ts
been formed to exploit the mineral. The
Johns-Manville Company are among the
largest importers of asbestos in this
country.
GOLD
Car
Heating
Lighting
Company
MtDuUclurert of
ELECTRIC.
STEAM AND
HOT WATER
APPARATUS
FOR RAILWAY CARS
IMPROVED
SYSTEM OF
ACETYLENE
CAR LIGHT-
ING
Largot ManuUctureri in the World o{
Car Heating Apparatus
Send for circular of our combina-
tion PRESSURE AND VAPOR
SYSTEM OF CAR HEATING,
which system automatically main-
tains about the same temperature in
the car regardless of the outside
weather conditions.
Main Office, Whitehall Building
17 BATTERY PLACE
NEW YORK
January. loto.
RAILWAY AN'D LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
39
RECOGNIZED
STANDARD
FLEXIBLE
STAYBOLTS
Holds firebox sheets securely
together, and accommodates it-
self to the unequal expansion
of the plates.
USED ON OVER 125 RAILROADS
"Stay-bolt Trouble
a Thing of tbe Past "
So say many of our customers
who have used the Tate Bolt
in large numbers, covering a
period of time sufficient to base
comparisons and eliminate all
chances of doubt.
THE TATE BOLT HAS
PROVED ITSELF INDISPENS-
ABLE TO LOCOMOTIVES IN
HIGH PRESSURE SERVICE
BY RENDERING A LOWER
COST OF FIRE BOX REPAIRS
TO A GREATER MILEAGE IN
SERVICE, THEREBY IN-
CREASING THE EARNING
VALUE.
FLANNERY BOLT COMPANY
PITTSBURGH, PA.
Rult. Ill rrtck Bolldlac
■ E. D. STArrORD 0«fi. M»a(«T
J. XOOERS rLAWMZHT * coicrArT.
■•IIIBI Afanti
Trick BilMlnc. PItUbartk. tm.
TOM *. DAVia. MMbaalMl Ziyni
H. A. rrxz. TAttmn TMTlUrT
W. M. W7I.80W WMl.ni rtrriUtry
OOintOWWTAI.TH iUrPLT OOirPAJrT.
ll'ntki«»«1«rB T»rTlt*T7
Advice to Shop Foremen.
A remarkably iiueresting address was
delivered by Mr. Robert Quayle, super-
intendent of Motion Power of the
Chicago & North-Western, at the opening
of the General Foremen's Convention.
Among the good things said was: "If I
were a shop foreman I would like to
belong to your association. I would Ukc
n- be in big company. If I were a nia.;ter
mechanic, I would like to belong to the
Railway Master Mechanics' Association,
where I would meet the superintendents
of motive power, the general master
riechanics and others of that class. The
shop foremen hold the same relation to
the general foremen that the master
mechanic hold to the superintendents of
njotive power and so on. But, if I were
a foreman I should belong to this as-
sociation. I would want to know what
you know for that would help me in my
business.
in yniir cfTorts tn succeed get with the
the amount of energy the other fellow is
going to put in. If the superintendent of
motive power goes through the shop with
his hands in his pockets every other man
catches the same spirit."
Everlasting.
The Everlasting Valve is made by
McLaughlin & Mains, of Jackson, Mich.
It is specially designed for blow-off ser-
vice. The valve is composed of a top and
bottom bonnet, a disc and a lever and
post. The orifice through the valve is
opened and closed by the movement of
what may be called a partition between
the bonnets. In a certain sense it resem-
bles a gate valve in which the gate is
rapidly moved by a lever applied to what
is called the operating post. The two
bonnets are set together upon an ap-
proved high pressure gasket with machine
bolts, giving quick access to the inside,
should it ever become necessary to renew
the disc or refaco tin- scat. When repairs
\\iN\i\i; I in; \\i>i r i'. in m k ] \\\
biggest men in your line of business.
Don't be going around making associates
ot fellows who know less than you kni:w.
Get with the men who know more than
you do and try to measure up to where
they arc and go beyond them if you can.
Do not feel that you have only to be
shop foremen or shop men. Work to rise
higher through commanding ability, in-
creased skill and superior knowledge."
"Wherever ymi arc engaged, your in-
dividual units, or the units of work that
vcu arc going to perform, will be ex-
pressed in the confidence that you can
iicate in the men who arc working for
)ou; in the amount of work that the
'■I her fellow is going to do for you and
with you, .Tnd the amount of enthusiasm
that the man .it the head of the depart-
ment RCtn into hi* life, and the amount
of energy he get* in, i< going to measure
i;- \\i' siu.DiF.KS Krri:i.i.iN(. i.ndians.
do become necessary, a monkey wrench
and a file are the only tools needed. This
feature is made possible by the simplicity
of the whole apparatus.
'I1ie operating post is set tight upon a
ground joint and held there by a stiff
bronze spring, thus doing away with a
stuffing-box entirely, and making it per-
fectly tiKht as long as the valve lasts. It
need never be touched, as it constantly
tends to grind itself to a true scat at each
operation. The inlet orifice is tapered
just above the scat. This increases the
velocity of ihc blast at this point and in-
sures its delivery into Ihc discharge pipe
without detriment to the seal as would be
be the case were this precaution not
taken. It also has the effect of syphoning
the valve clean at each operation The
clearance spaces within the valve have
been made ample to avoid the possibility
40
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
January, ipio.
of clogging, and its makers assure us that
numerous tests prove that the valve will
work as well discharging mud or putty as
it will with pure water. Write to the
manufacturers for illustrated circular if
you are interested, and they will be
pleased to send you a copy.
Pintsch Gas for Transport.
Recent experimental research made by
the Pintsch Compressing Co. has brought
out the fact that dry Pintsch gas, such as
is obtained by the regular Pintsch process,
is suitable for transportation under a
pressure of loo atmospheres or over. For
this purpose Pintsch gas, from which all
liquid hydrocarbons have been removed
while under the pressure of 14 atmos-
pheres is used, and the dry gas is com-
pressed directly into steel flasks at high
pressure. Under this high pressure a
partial condensation of the gas takes
place, which, however, disappears as soon
as the pressure is reduced, the gas pre-
senting again its original dryness, and
other characteristics with but an inap-
preciable loss in candle power. A steel
flask of 3.75 cu. ft. capacity and weighing
about 330 lbs., will, when charged to a
pressure of 100 atmospheres, yield about
SCO cu. ft. of gas at atmospheric pressure.
From this it is seen that the gas under
these high pressures deviates consider-
ably from Boyle's Law, in accordance
with which the flask would be expected
to yield but 375 cu. ft of gas at atmos-
pheric pressure. The deviation from
Boyle's Law at a pressure of 100 atmos-
pheres amounts to about 33 per cent, the
flask containing a correspondingly larger
quantity of gas. This departure com-
bined with the fact that small seamless
flasks can be constructed of extremely
high tensile strength steel, renders it pos-
sible to reduce the weight of the trans-
port holder, for a given quantity of gas
carried by over 50 per cent, of that of
the former weight of transport holders
used. The space or volume occupied by
the high pressure holders, is, at the same
time, nearly ten times less than that of the
holders used in transporting gas at a
pressure of 14 atmospheres.
The true value of the high pressure
transportation becomes most apparent in
cases where no compressing facilities are
available at the point of distribution, to
transfer the gas from the transport holder
to railroad cars; where in other words,
filling can only be accomplished by
equalizing the pressure. In such cases,
only about 30 per cent of the gas carried
in transport holders at a pressure of 14
atmospheres is available for filling, and
the remainder of the gas returns to the
supply station unused.
In the case of high pressure transpor-
tation, however, fully 90 per cent of the
gas transported becomes available for
filling, and under these circumstances the
reduction in weight of the transport
holders for a given quantity of gas sup-
plied to cars, is about six times less, and
the volume about 30 times less than that
of the transport holders used by the for-
mer method. There exists a distinct dif-
ference between high pressure Pintsch
gas and the so-called Blau gas. The
former is a dry gas, possessing all the
well-known characteristics of regular
Pintsch gas, great care being taken in
the process of manufacture to remove
from the gas all liquid hydrocarbons
The same liquid hydrocarbons are re-
tained in the Blau gas, and others added,
to exert a solving influence upon the re-
maining dry constituents of the gas, and
thus effect a reduction in volume. The
presence of these hydrocarbon liquids are
the cause of difficulties experienced in
connection with Blau gas, due to accumu-
lation of liquid in the regulating devices
at the point of consumption, and due to
freezing up in cold weather. Inquiries
concerning this interesting subject may
be addressed to the Safety Car Heating
and Lighting Co. of New York. This
high pressure Pintsch gas is available
for use in the buoys used in harbor
lighting.
Hudson Bay Railway.
As previousl)' reported in our columns
the prospects of a rapid construction of
the Hudson Bay Railway seems assured.
It will form part of the Canadian North-
ern Railway. The only point remaining
to be settled is the exact location of the
terminus on Hudson Bay. Churchill
seems to be the best natural harbor on the
west coast of Hudson Bay, but Port
Nelson is capable of affording much
larger accommodation for shipping, and
at that point the water never freezes
over. The entrance to the latter harbor
would require considerable dredging.
The proposed railway has brought the
Nelson River into prominence as one of
the great rivers of the world. It is not
improbable that coincident with the open-
ing of the proposed railway, a ship way
will also be opened between Winnipeg
and Liverpool by way of the Nelson
River. The advantages to the Western
States, as well as to the Canadian Prov-
inces, would be incalculable.
Tube Expander and Driving Block.
Some very useful articles have recently
been catalogued by W. H. Nichol & Co.,
of Wilkes-Barre, Pa., among them is
Nicholson's patent tube expander. It
can be operated by power or by hand and
it is self-feeding and requires no driving.
It is also self-releasing. This is done by
simply reversing the rotation of the
arbor. It has six rollers, thus giving it a
large bearing in the tubes. It is made
from the best tool steel throughout and
hardened. The makers claim that one
man can expand a 4 in. tube by hand.
Another verj' useful little shop ap-
Are You Prepared for
Every Breakdown ?
Better Secure the 1910 Edlllon,
Jost Published, off
Locomotive Breakdowns
and Their Remedies
By Fowler- Wood. 1910 Pocket Edi-
tion. This book tells you Just what to do
Iq case of any accident or breakdown.
Walscaert Locomotlre Valve Gear Troublea,
The Electric Headlight and Questions and
Answers on the Air Brake are ail incladed.
Fully Illustrated. Price $1.00.
Westinghouse E-T Air Brake
Instruction Pocket Book
By Wm. W. Wood. Here is a book for
the railroad man, and the man who alma to
be one. It Is the only complete work pub-
lished on the Westin^houae E-T LocomotiT«
Brake Equipment. Written by an Air Brake
Instructor who know*
just what Is needed.
It covers the subject
thoroughly. Every-
thlng about the New
Westinghouse Engine
and Tender Brake
Equipment. Including
the Standard No. 5
and the Perfected No.
6 Style of brake, is
treated In detail.
Written In plain Eng-
lish and profusely Il-
lustrated with Colored
Platea, which enable
one to trace the flow
of pressures through-
out the entire equip-
ment. The best book
ever published on the
Air Brake. Equally
■ and the advanced en-
my one through any
examination. It Informs and enlightens you
on every point. Indispensable to every en-
gineman and trainman. Filled with colored
illustrations. Price $2.00.
WESTINGHO"^^
SfJOOO
Walschaert LocomotiYe Gear
By Wm. W. Wood. If you would thor-
oughly understand the Walscaert Locomotive
Valve Gear you should possess a copy of this
book. It covers the subject In every detail.
Examination questions with their answers are
given. Fully tUustrated and contains slid-
ing card board models. Price 51.50.
Locomotive Catechism
By Grimshaw. 27th Edition. It Is a
New Book from Cover to Cover. Includes
the greatest amount of practical Informatl<Mi
ever published on the construction and man-
agement of modern locomotives. Contains
Specially Prepared Chapters on the Walsch-
aert Locomotive Valve Gear, the Air Brake
Equipment and the Electric Head Light. S25
pages. 437 illustrations and 3 Folding Plates.
Over 4.000 Examination Questions and their
Answers are included. Price $2.50.
Link Motions and Valve Setting
By Colvin. A handy book for the engineer
or machinist that clears up the mysteries of
valve setting. Shows the different valve
years in use. how they work and why. Pis-
ton and slide valves of different types are
illustrated and explained. A book that ev^y
railroad man in the motive power department
ou^'ht t-^ have. Price 50 cents.
Air Brake Catechism
By Blackall. A complete treatise on the
Westingnouse Air Brake. Including the No.
5 and No. 6 ET Locomotive Brake Equip-
ment: the K (Quick-Service) Triple Valve
for Freight Service; and the Cross- Com pound
Pump. 3S0 pages, fully illustrated with
folding plates and diagrams. Price $2.00.
A ^PFPIAI '^^ ^^^ "^^ these books sent
A orc^-iAi- pjj request. Anv of these
CIRCULAR t>ooks sent prepaid on re-
cent of price.
Agents Wanted at Every Termlnai,
Wrfte for our Special Terntm
The Norman W.Henley Pub. Co.
132 Nassau Street, NXW TOiK, V. S. A.
January. 1910.
R.A.IL\VAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
41
The 'Thermit Man."
What is he? Just ask any rail-
road shop man and he'll tell you
?traight. Probably he'll tell it to
you something like this:
"The "Thermit man"? Why, he's
the fellow who came through here
some time ago. We were just get-
tmg ready to tear down an en-
gine frame in order to weld it in
the forge, but he allowed as how
he could weld it on the engine —
no dismantling, no nuthin'. Well,
he did it, too; just as easy as roll-
ing off a log: engine went back to
service in less than twelve hours
:ind she's running yet."
That's the general story of the
"Thermit man." Vou will find him
all over the country, demonstrat-
mg the superiority of modern
methods over the old-fashioned
«ay of tearing things to pieces in
order to repair them. The "Ther-
mit man" can do for you what he
has done for any number of rail-
road men, and if you have a broken
locomotive frame, driving wheel
spoke, mud ring, connecting rod Or
any other wrought iron or steel
section which needs repairing, he
will show you how to weld it in the
easiest, quickest and most econom-
ical manner.
A line to the Goldschmidt Ther-
mit Company, No. 90 West Street,
New York, will bring him around
the ne.xt time he is in your vicin-
ity. It will also bring a copy of
Reactions, the Thermit Quarterly,
brimful of useful ideas for making
quick and economical repairs. The
current i'Sue is of particular inter-
est as it prints the discussion on
frame welding which took place at
the last meeting of the Interna-
tional Railway Master Black-
smiths' -Association. The experi-
ences of these men not only make
interesting reading but carry use-
ful ideas which will prove of very
pliance is the Nicholson driving block.
This consists of a sort of triangular pillar,
if one may so call it, when one side of the
triangle is not there. The plan of the
driving block is practically the letter V,
2nd it stands up a convenient height for
hammering and has a broad foot at the
bottom and a wide coping on top. The
inside of the V is cut into a series of
grooves so that an iron shelf covered with
lather can be placed in the V at any re-
quired height. The block is used for
driving a mandrel out of a piece of work
and is a great deal more handy than an
old gear wheel or a casting with a hole
in it. Write to the Nicholson people and
ask for an illustrated circular. The illus-
trations alone tell the story of how these
things are used.
SINCLAIR'S LOCOMOTIVE ENGINE
RUNNING AND MANAGEMENT
It itill popul.r. We hav- >i. Price S2.00
ANGUS SINCLAIR CO.. 114 Llb«rlT Si.. N. Y.
West Disinfecting Co.
.r« >,r lH«lur<>rIaoI«
>ocr« la tb* world.
- .1« a .trtrl (iiaran-
'b« B#«a Bmmawll IJqnld
■ r tmw mm»A ttj all Ib^ Irail
ln« raUna'l ,\n— In th» i-»m>i.'-'.
GEORGE L. LORD
Mtnmt't. Rallrnad * Mt^araablp [ii^l.,
B Eait 39lh Mrtet New York Clly
A Philosophic Barber.
President Taft tells this experience
with a barber during a visit to England
years ago: "The barber who was cut-
ting my hair said to me: 'You 'ave a
large 'ead, sir; it is a good thing to
'ave a large 'ead, for a large 'ead means
a large brain, and a large brain is the
most useful thing a man can 'ave, as it
nourishes the roots of the 'air.' "
Railway officials who are interested
in securing castings for rolling stock
that do not break under the most se-
vere stresses, ought to be well in-
formed concerning vanadium steel.
We have published much information
about this steel, but the full story of
its strength and toughness will stand
rereading. Those interested should
send to the American Vanadium Com-
pany, Frick Building, Pittsburgh, Pa.,
tor the company's catalogue concern-
ing vanadium. Tell them we advised
you to send for the catalogue and you
are sure to receive one. If you turn to
r.agc 273 of the June, 1909, issue of
Railway and Locomotive Engineeri.\c;
you will find something of interest con-
cerning the properties of vanadium steel.
.\ catalogue dealing with railroad shop
and yard cranes has recently been issued
by the Whiting Foundry Equipment Co.,
of Harvey, 111., a copy of which may be
had on direct application. This publica-
tion gives a general outline of the pur-
pose for which cranes are used in rail-
road yards and shops. The illustration!
are reproduced from photographs of
actual installations, and cover the entire
railroad field. From the handling of
complete locomotives and parts thereof
to the transfer of freight, very heavy
loads are encountered and this company
h.ivc originated many special designs, in-
cluding gantry cranes for wheeling loco-
motives, traveling cranes running on cir-
cular track in roundhouses and service
rranen, which include portable self-sup-
porting jib cranes for auxiliary service.
ihe company also manufactures transfer
tables and railroad turntables of all capac-
ities. The equipment of complete foun-
dry plants for production of car wheels,
gray iron castings, steel and malleable
castings to meet railroad requirements is
a specialty of this company. The latter
equipment is described in a booklet en-
titled, "A Modern Foundry," which will
be sent to any one by the Whiting Co.
upon request.
Dudley's Process for Rail Makers.
Dr. P. H. Dudley has been designated
as consulting engineer for all the New
York Central Lines with respect to
everything that relates to the use of iron
and steel. He is recognized as one of
the leading experts of the country on the
question of steel rails. Dr. Dudley will
soon be provided with a completely
equipped chemical and physical laboratory.
Owing to the pressure upon the rail
mills of the country to keep pace with the
demand for rails, railroads will have to
wait a long time for deliveries of steel
rails which they could use at this time,
if they had them. The same is true of
structural material.
It is believed that many tons of rails
will soon be produced by a process per-
fected by Dr. Dudley in which he has no
pecuniary interest. The process is free
to all the mills without discrimination.
Rails so made, it is thought, will mini-
mize and may eliminate breakages.
Safety valve capacity is a subject as
interesting as it is important, and the
whole matter has been very concisely pre-
sented in the form of a treatise which is
printed in the first few pages of the Con-
solidated Safety Valve Company's cata-
logue. A series of safety valve tests were
conducted not long ago by this company
for the purpose of finding the actual re-
lieving capacities of safety valves in
pounds of steam per hour. The results of
these tests were embodied in an illustrated
paper read before the American Society
of Mechanical Engineers, by Mr. Philip
G. Darling. This paper now forms a
part of the catalogue, and it is well worth
careful perusal. The catalogue illustrates
all the many and various forms of loco-
motive and stationary boiler pop valves
made by this concern. Water relief
valves are also listed, house-heating
valves are also included and prices are
given. The book which will be given
away for the asking is worth having, not
only by those who require to use the
catalogue part, but by any intelligent man
who is sufficiently interested as to wish
to know something about safety valves.
The hook is called Con5olidatc<l Pop
Safety Valves, the address of the com-
pany is 8s Liberty street. New York.
N. v., and a postcard request secures you
a copy.
42
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING
Januar\, 1910.
Some Ideas of James J. Hill.
A good authority on the efficiency of
railroad men says that James J. Hill has
the best force of employees on his Great
Northern Railroad that is to be found
in the country. Other roads exert every
effort to draw employees from Hill's
lines to theirs, because they know that
Hill's men are real railroaders and know
their business. Mr. Hill is reputed to be
some versed in railroading himself, hav-
ing learned the business from the ground
up to the top.
Being the most successful railroader in
the world does not appear to have ex-
hausted the energies of Mr. Hill, for he
OLD B. & O. EN'GINE. 1891.
has been devoting much effort to throw-
ing light upon various questions of
National importance, more especially
those relating to ignorant farming. The
following are extracts from a speech Mr.
Hill made at Omaha:
"The whole subject of our food supply
and its relation to population, industry,
growth, institutions and everything that
concerns our future is appropriate for
this occasion. The true statement of the
broad general fact which it is most de-
sirable that everyone should understand,
is that this country cannot feed the popu-
lation which it must necessarily have
within comparatively few years if it does
not change its agricultural methods. The
emphasis is all on that conditional clause.
"We cannot support our coming popula-
tion upon the crop yield per acre that now
satisfies us. We have to transform a
growing decline in value and productivity
of our soil under continued cultivation
into a rapid increase in both. If the crisis
can be seen moving upon us now, and if
it took Great Britain half a century to
raise her wheat yield from about fifteen
bushels to thirty-two bushels per acre,
we have no time to lose.
"Our public lands are mainly exhausted.
A few more years will see the last of
them. And lest they should not be squan-
dered quickly enough, we not only offer
them to everybody under conditions that
invite and reward fraud, but when the
government finds itself burdened with a
particularly choice and valuable tract of
farm land it holds a lottery and dis-
tributes it among Tom, Dick and Harry,
no matter whether farmers or speculators,
after they have been collected from dis-
tant parts of the country by appealing to
the passion for gambling.
"The country, unless there shall be a
change, is approaching a time when it
must import wheat to meet home needs.
Other food products also lag behind the
constant new demand. There is but one
course before the nation. That is to in-
crease the productiveness of the farm so
that the earth's gifts may year by year
equal or exceed the people's requirements.
It is the more necessary because the
great bulk of our foreign trade is made
up of these commodities."
The New Era metallic packing may be
briefly described by saying it is a collec-
tion of many irregular particles like small
pieces of some whitish metal. It is in
fact a "pliable compound mass of metallic
lubricants." This lot of particles may be
put into any kind of stuffing box and the
gland screwed up so as to press the par-
ticles together on the rod. The particles
are not elastic, so that there is no pres-
sure on the rod. The metallic particles
are irregular in shape and are soft and
plastic so that no scratching of the rod
can take place. The packing particles
squeeze together and so insures a steam
tight fit. It is suitable for any kind of
work where packing is required and is
efficient in water, oil, gas or steam. Re-
newal can be made without taking out the
old packing. All that is necessary is to
slack back the gland, pour in the new lot
of particles, close up the gland and
old and new coalesce under pressure.
There is thus no waste to this form of
packing. The New Era Manufacturing
Company, of Kalamazoo, Mich., are not
only willing but anxious to send a sample
free to anyone who wishes to make a trial
of their product. When the packing is in
place it does not need to be oiled as it is
self-lubricating and takes care of itself
and the rod it is in contact with. Write
for sample and circular if you are in-
terested.
A rather interesting though unin-
tentional test of the tungsten filament
used in incandescent lamps in train
lighting took place not long ago. A
collision between a passenger train and
a light engine resulted in compara-
tively few injuries to the passengers,
due to the fact that the strong frames
of the passenger cars resisted crush-
ing. One coach was derailed and the
steel side plate dented in about 18
inches. In the lighting equipment of
this car were nine General Electric
tungsten lamps. After the wreck all
the lamps were taken out and tested.
The tungsten lamps were found to be
in good condition. This indirectly
shows the strength and durability of
the tungsten filament when specially
adapted for train lighting service.
CARS, CABS, SHOPS
AND
ROUND HOUSES
require a roofing that
is unaffected by ex-
tremes of temperature
RUBEROID
ROOFING
U. 5. P«f.
OSo
■Will not melt, rot, crack or
corrode. Contains no tar.
OuttaaU Mtlal
SPARK PROOF, CINDER PROOF,
QAS PROOF, WEATHER PROOF
Write for •impln. prlcn tnd booklet No. M.
THE STANDARD PAINT CO.
1 00 William Str«*t New York
Chlcftfo, PhllBdelpbla, Boiton, Kansas City.
Memptala. Atlanta.
"HOMESTEAD"
VALVES
Are constructed upon mechanically cor-
rect principles — they are leak proof under
steam, air or hydraulic pressures. They
are practically indestructible because the
scats are protected from wear. The plug
is balanced and held in place by pressure
when open, and when closed it is locked
on the seat by our patent wedging cam.
"Homestead" Valves are the quickest acting,
simplest, most easily operated and Unrest
lived of any ma<ie.
Homestead Valves are opened wide and
closed tight by a quarter turn.
LOCOMOTIVE BLoW-OFF
Write for catalogue of Homestead Gooda.
HOMESTEAD VALVE M'F'G CO.
Brais Foundera Works at Homsataad. Pa
P. O. Box 1754, PITTSBURG, PA.
DUNER
CAR CLOSETS
DUNER CO.
January, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
43
TOOL
Die Blocks
Steel Forgings
First Prize awarded at the Loui-
siana Purchase Exposition, at St.
Louis, for our TOOL STEEL
when placed in competition with
the best makes in England and
Germany.
Writs lor lolomatlon and Prices.
Spaclly Mclanes Toot Sleel wbea
orderlog.
McINNES
STEEL CO.
CORRY, PA.
Axeou
8CHB0CK k SQtnBES.
«S1 Pe«Tl St.. Sf* Terk.
BOY MACHTNEST CO..
MinnupolU. MIba.
STANDARD MECHANICAL BOOKS
FOR ROAD AND SHOP MEN
BY CHAS. McSHANE.
The Locomotive Up to Date
Price, $2.50
New York and
Westinghouse Air Brakes
Price, $1.30
One Thousand Pointers for
Machinists and Engineers
Price, SI. SO
All booka baaad In Una clolb
AOKMTS WA.NTKD ntrTwbM*: vrlta far
Umt aod dfarrlptiv* drraUra. Will ht
aaat prapald to %dj aitdrtM apoa raralpi
a< yrtaa.
GRirrilN SWIfNTERS
171 L» Salle Street. CHICAGO
Ties for New Line.
A recent press dispatch from the
Pacific Coast says; The San Diego &
.\rizona Railroad will soon be very
much a reality between San Diego and
Tia Junction and operations will be ex-
tended eight miles over the border line
into Mexico. Altogether 160,000 ties
have so far been ordered. Of this num-
ber 53,690 already have been received
and 19,000 will arrive shortly from
.Mendocino County. These ties are of
redwood and the best quality produced.
Korty-six cars have been ordered. One
engine and ten cars, previously ordered,
will soon be completed.
Catalogue H, issued by the National
Tube Company of Pittsburgh, Pa., may
properly be styled the high water mark
of catalogues. There are 470 pages of
e.xtra thick superfine paper, gilt edged,
bound in flexible morocco, and almost
every page illuminated with the finest half-
tone illustrations. The frontispiece is a
tinted chromo photograph of the Ke-
wanee Works of the company at Pitts-
burgh, Pa. The works are a miniature
Pittsburgh in themselves. The buildings
cover many acres. All who are in-
terested in wrought iron pipe for steam,
gas, water and air, cast malleable iron
and brass fittings, brass and iron body
valves and cocks, radiators and coils,
drive well points, and well supplies,
should have a copy of this superb publica-
tion, .^pply at the general offices of the
company. Frick Building, Pittsburgh, Pa.
In renewing his subscription to R.mi.-
WAY LocoxiOTiVE EncineerinGj 3 West-
ern reader writes: "I think you're a good
■ ■ne and one that every engineer should
subscribe to. It was the means of getting
us a five per cent increase on a certain
class of engine that is used now and of
collecting a year's back time."
The .American Specialty Company of
(Jiicago have recently been appointed
siilc export agents for the line of
portable electric drilling machines
manufactured by the Van Dorn Elec-
tric & Mfg. Co. of Cleveland. Ohio.
The American Specially Company also
I'.ave the agency for these tools in the
Chicago and Central Western districts.
Various methods have been devised fur
protecting the occupants of the cab from
the effects of flying glass, steam and
scalding water when a gauge glass breaks.
One of the most recent is what has been
called the "Irnnclad" water glass protec-
tor. It is, however, a circular shield of
wired glass open at the back so that it
may be easily put nn or taken off. One
ran see the water level through the pro-
trrtor and in the event of the gauge glass
breaking the wired glass protector, even
if shattered, hangs together and gives the
fireman or engineer a chance to shut off
the gauge. The protector is made of
good quality of tempered plate glass in
which is cast woven soft steel wire. The
protector has the effect of preventing
draughts of cold air from reaching the
gauge glass, and in the event of some-
thing striking the gauge the protector gets
it first. Write to the Sargent-Hollings-
head Company, 1616 Fisher Building,
Chicago, for their illustrated folder.
The Delaware, Lackawanna & West-
ern Railway Company are organizing
schools for the education of their work-
shop apprentices on lines similar to the
schools at various shops of the Erie
Railroad. President Truesdale is en-
couraging the enterprise and has di-
rected Mr. T. S. Lloyd, superintendent
of motive power, to work out the
details.
Tlie Mumford Molding Machine Com-
pany has been organized, and will sell the
foundry molding machines heretofore sold
by The E. H. Mumford Company, of Phil-
adelphia. These well-known molding ma-
chines will be manufactured by The
Q. M. S. Co. for the new company,
at Plainfield, N. J., and the Mumford
Molding Maclune Company will have their
sales office at 30 Church street. New
York, with funds ample for the proper
handling of their business. Mr. W. D.
Sargent is president, and Mr. E. H. Mum-
ford vice-president and general manager
of the new company.
The construction of the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad tunnels from Bergen
Hill, N. J., to Long Island City was
practically completed early in Decem-
ber, when the final section of concrete
was placed in the fourth and last of the
tunnels under the East River to Sunny-
side Yard in Long Island City. The
only construction work remaining to be
KII.I.AK.K STATIO.N, AUSTRAI.I.V
done has tn do with some minor fea-
tures in the Long Island City shafts.
These will be completed in a very
short time. With all of the construc-
tion work on the tunnels finished, it
will be possible to go aheail rapidly
with the electrification, signal installa-
tion, lighting riiwl ir.uk l.iying.
44
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
January, 1910.
Schools Run by Railroads.
A novel system of special education
ior the children of Cape Colony is in
operation, and the success of the
schools is marked, says the Educational
Review.
Whenever railway employees in iso-
Jated places can guarantee an average
attendance of ten children or more not
otherwise provided for by the railway
schools the railway department and
the education department, acting con-
jointly and each furnishing half the ex-
pense, provide suitable premises and a
certified teacher at a salary of $390 to
.$487 a year and quarters.
Children of railway employees are
carried to and from these schools free
of charge and are charged slightly
lower fees than in the regular govern-
ment public schools; they must also
provide their own books and station-
ery. No objection is raised to the at-
tendance of the children of farmers
who also may be living beyond the
convenience of any government public
school.
An officer of the railway known as
the education officer acts as manager
■of all the railway schools, and where
there are a sufficient number of parents
the)' form local committees to assist
bim in managing the affairs of the
school. He is always ' more or less
guided by the opinions of the station
masters or head officers of the railway.
The schools are inspected regularly by
the inspector of the education de-
partment.
Statistics of these railway schools
■for 1908 show that there are forty-one
schools on the railways, with a total
-enrollment of 2,135 pupils. Many of
these children would have no educa-
tional advantages if it were not for the
railway schools established especially
for them. The expense to the Cape
-Government railways for these schools
was $28,367 for the year 1907.
Air brake repairers. Don't it make
you hot to put in a new air brake
leather, and after testing it find out it
has crimped, then have to throw the
leather away and begin the job all over
again? Well, there is no crimping with
a Vim leather air-brake cup packing,
proclaims E. F. Houghton & Co., Phil-
adelphia., They make the Vim, and
ought to know.
The sub-committee of the American
Railway Engineering and Maintenance
of Way Association appointed to
■gather statistics on the life of metal
and composite railroad ties have re-
cently reported that the steel tie
(Buhrer patent) is very satisfactory.
Approximately 1,200,000 ties of this
-type are in use and so far they have
withstood the most severe service when
properly installed.
It is stated that the steel tie gives a
more solid track than the wooden tia
gives, due to the rigid fastening of th«
rail to the tie. The committee believes
that no wholly concrete tie has yet
been produced which is able to with-
stand heavy high-speed traffic without
crumbling, cracking or breaking. Very
satisfactory service has been obtained
with concrete-steel ties in a number of
instances, mostly in cases where the
traffic was of moderate speed and not
too fast.
The L. S. Starrett Company, of Athol,
Mass., publishes an elegant 32-page sup-
plement to Catalogue No. 18, recently
issued. There are a number of new tools
described and illustrated in the supple-
ment, particularly several new bevel pro-
tractors which will be received with much
favor by the best mechanics. A fine fea-
ture of these protractors is the fact that
the turret is graduated to read both ways
from o to 180 degs. The readings in-
clude, at a glance, not only the angle re-
quired but the supplement of the angle.
A number of planer and shaper gauges,
and taper and thickness gauges, and other
small tools, all showing improvements, are
added. Write to the company for copy
of their catalogue and supplement. You
will likely find something there which will
interest vou.
The new double track of the Cana-
dian Pacific Railway between Winni-
peg and Fort William has been com-
pleted. The president recently stated
that the company is continuing the
work of extension in the West and
East alike. In the past three years,
1,500 miles of new track have- been
built, and in the past six years more
than $40,000,000 have been spent on
equipment. The new double track cost
25 per cent, more than had been antici-
pated, but it is as good a road as can
be built.
The Stevens Engineering Society,
which is affiliated with the American So-
ciety of Mechanical Engineers, has a very
interesting series of lectures for the re-
maining months of the college term at
the Stevens Institute of Technology.
The first of the series for the 1910 is on
"Engineering Efficiency," with H. G. Stott
as the lecturer. Mr. Stott is superintend-
ent of motive power of the Interborough
in New York. The lectures are delivered
in the Stevens Institute every Tuseday,
beginning at 4:30 p. m. The last lecture
will be on Tuesday, May 10, 1910. The
programme of lectures may be had by ad-
dressing the secretary, Mr. Ralph S. Up-
son, at the Stevens Institute of Tech-
nologj', Hoboken, N. J.
Swift and True
ARROW
High-Speed
TOOL
STEEL
For
Railroad Repair
Shop Work
American Selling Agents
JOHNA.CROWLEY&CO.
120-122 Liberty Street
NEW YORK
ESTABLISHED 1884
Sipe's
Japan Oil
Is superior to Linseed Oil
and Dryers for
ALL KINDS or PAINTING
In Daily Use by
All the leading Railroads
In the United States
Manufactured solely by
JANES B. SIPE & (0.
North Side, PITTSBURGH
January, igio.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
One Year and
Eleven Months'
SERVICE
WtTHOUT REPACKING, ON
High*Pressure Locomotives
style 300 TV.
A throttle failure is an absolute |
impossibility where Cran-
dall's Throttle Valve pack-
ing is used.
IT WILL NOT BLOW OUT
Crandall Packing Co.
FACTORY AND GENERAL OFFICB
PALMYRA. NEW YORK
BRANCnEfl
Ifrv Tork ClfTrlind
IM Ub*rt7 St. * So. Wiur Bt.
CklrifO
S> WMt Wtihlnrloo Bt.
MICA
Caboose Lamp Chimneys
Save SO per cenl.
STORRS MICA CO.,
■• R. Oapl. OWCGO, IN. T.
Patents.
QKO. P. WMITTLHSIiY
McOllX BUIIJ>INO WASHINQTON, I). C.
Many Uses for Electricity.
By way of educating the people in
regard to electricity in its numerous ap-
plications to domestic and general power
purposes, a municipal electric plant man-
ager tells of the following things wh'Ji
one kilowatt-hour of electricity will do:
Saw 300 ft. of timber i.deal).
Clean 5,000 knives.
Keep your feet warm for 5 hours.
Clean 75 pairs of boots.
Clip 5 horses.
Run an electric clock for 10 years.
Iron 30 silk hats.
Light 3,000 cigars.
Knead 8 sacks of flour into dough.
Fill and cork 250 dozen pint bottles.
Run an electric piano for 10 hours.
Lift 3Vj tons -5V2 ft in 4 minutes.
Cook 15 chops in 15 minutes.
Give you 3 light Turkish baths.
Keep you warm in bed for 32 hours.
Keep your breakfast warm for 5 hours.
Run your sewing machine for 21 hours.
Keep four domestic irons in use for an
hour.
Boil 9 kettles, each holding 2 pints of
water.
Run a small ventilating fan for 21
hours.
Run a large ventilating fan for six
hours.
Carry your dinner upstairs every day
for a week.
Warm your shaving water ever}' morn-
ing for a month.
Run a plate-polishing machine for 2i
hours.
Supply all the air required by an or-
dinary church organ for one service.
Pump 100 gallons of water or other
liquid to a height of 25 ft.
Warm all the beds in the house, by a
warming- pan, for a fortnight.
Give you a fire in your bedroom for an
hour while you are dressing or
undressing.
Carry you 30 times from the bottom of
the house to the top, 80 feet each journey.
To our readers who have not studied
the elements of electricity we explain
that a Watt is I 746 of a horse power.
A Kilowatt is 1,000 Watts and is therefore
1.34 horse power. Those who desire to
persue this interesting subject, are re-
ferred to an article on the subject pub-
lished in Railway and Locomotive En-
ciNFERiNC for April. 1007, page 171 and
riititlcd "What is a Watt?"
in use for some time. The Foster super-
heater has many advantages, particularly
in its ready adaptation to any kind of
boiler. Send for a copy of the ipio-
catalogue to the company's offices, lii
Broadway, New York City.
I lie fifth edition of a finely illustrated
descriptive catalogue on the subject of the
Foster patent superheater has been issued
by the Power Specialty Company of New
York. The advantages of superheating
have been recognized for many years, but
it is only recently th:it a reliable appa-
ratus has been perfected that may be
fitted to stationary boilers not designed
for high pressure or which may have been
Facts Concerning Platinum.
The principal supply of the metal
platinum comes from Russia, but that
precious metal has been found in lim-
ited quantities in different parts of
America. Its extraordinarily refractory
properties have brought platinum
largely into use for electric purposes, but
cheaper substitutes have been lessening
the demand for platinum.
This has brought depression in the
platinum mining industry in Russia,
the platinum miners having applied to
the government asking that the indus-
try be upheld until it is definitely de-
cided whether the mining of platinum
is to be made a monopoly of the Rus-
sian government. The platinum miners
have petitioned the government for
temporary assistance; that is, to permit
the Russian Imperial Bank to grant
loans on platinum ore containing 83
per cent, of pure platinum, at the valu-
ation of 16,000 rubles per pood ($8,240
per 36 pounds), with interest at the
rate of 5 per cent, per annum.
The Chicago Pneumatic Tool Company
have just issued an illustrated circular
descriptive of the Franklin High Speed
Air Compressor, type G H. The pro-
duct of this company is of the best and
their latest type of air compressor pos-
sesses several new features that are being
fully appreciated. Improvements are
also to be observed in their Little Giant
drills which are already in use in 15,000
machine shops. Their riveting and
chipping hammers keep pace in point of
popularity with their drills. Send for
descriptive circular to their offices at
Chicago or New York.
The Regular Alarm.
"Have ynu any alarm clocks''" inquired
the customer of a State street jeweler
recently. "Yes, ma'am," said the man
behind the counter. "About what price
do you wish to pay for one?" "The
price is no object if I can get the kind
I am after. What I want is one that will
rouse the girl without waking the whole
family." 'I don't know of any such
alarm clock as that, ma'am." said the
man. "We keep just the ordinary kind—
the kind th.it will wake the whole family
without disturbing the girl."
Wc arc Informed that the Hicks Loco-
motive .ind Car Works of Chicago, III.,
have recently received an order from the
Gilmorc & Pittsburgh Railroad for one
hundred 80,000 lbs. capacity new box cars.
4(J
KAILVVAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
The general dimensions of these cars are :
length over end sills, 40 ft. 10% ins.;
width over side sills, 9 ft. I'/i in.; height
top of rail to top of running board, car
light, 14 ft. o',4 in. ; width over eaves, 9
ft. sH ins.; bolster centers, 31 ft.; truck
wheel base, 5 ft. 4 ins. ; total wheel base,
36 ft. 4 ins. ; height top of rail to center
line of coupler, car light, 2 ft. 10^ ins.
Run, Repair or Transfer.
What is wanted is a rule embodied in
the M. C. B. Code requiring roads to take
a loaded car, and "run, repair or trans-
fer." This is the gist of the remarks
made by \Vm. W. Baird, shop engineer
of the C., B. & Q. at Plattsmouth, Neb.,
at a recent meeting of the Western Rail-
way Club. Mr. Baird says it is no un-
common thing to see important trains
held for hours to get through cars from
connections, only to find that one-half of
the cars were refused by the car inspector,
and why.' Because a roof board was
broken, or a corner knocked off a piece
of sheathing, or a wheel had a flat spot
that was just the limit.
Mr. Baird considered that a good deal
of the unnecessary rejection of cars is
caused by one inspector endeavoring to
"get even" with a car inspector of another
SIGN.XLLED TR.\CK ON THE B. & O.
road who had on a previous occasion de-
layed the movement of paying freight on
a technicality, and bad incidentally in-
convenienced the first inspector. Who is
responsible for this state of affairs?
he asks, and answers by saying: Simply
the M. C. B. rules in saying if such and
such a defect exists on a car it "may" be
rejected.
As we read the M. C. B. code. Rule 2
says, "Cars offered in interchange must be
accepted if in safe and serviceable condi-
tion, the receiving road to be the judge in
cases not provided for in rules 3 to 56, in-
clusive." While some uncertainty may
exist about what is safe and serviceable,
as the receiving road is the judge, this
difficulty entirely disappears wherever
there is a competent and conscientious
joint car inspector.
The delivery of a car implies a switch-
ing movement from the delivering to the
receiving road, and the act of rejection
implies a return of the car by a second
switching movement, and the redelivery
of the car implies a third switching move-
ment. The joint car inspector obviates
two of these switching movements, as he
gives a defect card, where necessary, to
the receiving road and that road does the
repairs then and there.
The wholesome spirit contained in the
words "run, repair or transfer" is, we
think, also contained in the words of rule
2 which was modified from the old origi-
nal form "may be rejected." The
M. C. B. code was revised last June and
the word "should" in the preface is now
changed to "must," so that the paragraph
reads that railroads "are responsible for
damage to cars by unfair usage, derail-
ment or accident, and for improper re-
pairs made by them, and they must make
proper repairs at their own expense or
issue defect card covering all such damage
or improper repairs."
The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad have re-
cently placed orders for 3,400 steel hopper
coal cars ; 1,000 steel underf rame box cars
have also been ordered. These orders
call for the expenditure of four and a
half million dollars. The cars complete
the relatively recent addition of 10,000
new cars of the largest capacity to the
coal and general freight equipment of
the B. & O. Delivery on former orders
began early in November, with these
orders following as rapidly as possible.
Every effort is being made to meet the
increasing coal shipment and require-
ments.
There has been a tendency in thts
country to give graduates of technical
schools privileges on railways and in in-
dustrial establishments that no apprentice
enjoys. In Germany, which is by many
regarded as the original nursery of the
technically educated operative, the' school
graduate is given no pay for the firrt
year that he works in a factory or
workshop.
A Scotch lady invited an elder in the
P'ree Church to dinner and a remarkably
tough piece of veal was placed on the
table. After some frantic endeavors to
cut it, in which the elder's plate landed on
his knees, the lady said : "Ye aye said
there wis something to be thankfu' for
in everything. I jalouse ye wad be at a
loss to fin' something to be thankfu' for
in that veal ?" "Not at a'," he responded,
cheerfully, stopping to breathe ; "I wis
just thinking hoo grafefu' we should be
that we met it when it was young."
The Q. M. S. Co. (Quincy, Manches-
ter. Sargent) have moved their West-
ern office from 1775 Old Colony Build-
ing to 738 First National Bank
Building, Chicago. Their interests in
the West will hereafter be taken care
of by Mr. John C. Hoof.
"LANG'S"
January, 1910.
New Tool
Holder
URGESI CUTTER BIGGEST CUTS
G.R.LANG8C0., Meadville.Pa.
Model Locomotives and Castings
■ial M<xk-Is Built to Order
Send 4 cents in stamps for catalogue.
A. S. CAMPBELL
557 Hendrix St. Brooklyn. N. Y,
TURNTABLES
Philadelphia Turntable Co.
PHILADELPHIA, PA.
CHICAGO: ST. LOUIS:
Marquette BIdg. Commonwealth Truit Bldg
Machinists wanted on ma-
chine tools and erecting floor.
No labor troubles.
LIMA LOCOMOTIVE & MACHINE COMPANY
LIMA, OHIO
AldonCarReplacers
I set a psur of " Sure Shot " Aldon Frogs,
and the first pull the car was rerailed.
Extract from Wrecking Master's Report.
THE ALDON CO.
915 Monadnock CHICAGO, ILL.
OIM
POP VALVES AND GAGES
The Quality Goods that Last
The Aihton Valve Co.
271 Franklin Street. Boston. Mati.
174 Lake Street. . Chicago, III.
201II Century Locomotives
NOW $2.00
Angus Sinclair Co. "IS.U'';.?^'
R!!!S!2!X.veEii$ineerin)
A Practical Journal of Motive Power, Rolling Stock and Appliances
Vol XXIII.
114 Liberty Street, New York, February, 1910.
No. 2
D., L. & W. Shops at Scranton. been passing that much further outlay ready installed, and before iiiaiiy months
Those who have had opportunities of would have been made in the way of the shops will be in full running
marking the improvements in the still larger improvements. But no order. It is very gratifying to learn
motive power and rolling stock of the sooner were the extensive repair shops that so perfect have been the plans
Delaware, Lackawanna and Western of the company completed at Kings- of Mr. G. J. Ray, the chief engi-
Railroad during the last twenty or land, X. J., than the accomplished staff necr of construction, and Mr. S. S.
^i^^^^,JvKj-.-.-,,vVi, , .-.
CKNKK.M. VIKW, BEFUKt ( OMPI.KTKJN. OK TIIK 1)., I,. & W. .SIKII-.S \V slK.\Mii\. I'.\.
thirty years cannot fail to be struck of constructinK enRinecrs were cngaKcd RicKi'l, the chief mechanical engineer,
with the high degree of efficiency to on the plans of still greater works at that not a single hitch has as yet oc-
which the mechanical appliances have Scranton, I'a. The work of building ciirred in the vast and multiplex details
arrived. It was hardly to be expected Ibcse «hop» ha» lieen rushed with a of the great undertaking ?.iuch crrcit
that during the period of business de- degree of rapidity that is iiurprising. is also due l» the line .staff of assistiiiU
prcssion through which the country ha< Much of the heavier machinery is al- rnginocrs. All seem to have a thorougli
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
February, igio.
grasp of the work, and all are earnest
anil enthusiastic in the success of the
enterprise.
Mr. T. J. McDerniott, of the engineer-
ing staf?, was deputized to conduct us
through the vast wilderness of steel,
granite, concrete and brick, lie seemed
to know every stone and girder of the
mighty fabric. The works are situated
east of the old shops that wore great in
their day, but now dwindled into com-
parative insignificance. The new works
occupy the site of the rolling mills and
blast furnaces of last century and
stretch the entire length of what was
the limits of the city not many years
ago. A thousand workmen were busy
on the towering walls and far-stretch-
ing roofs, and the rattle of a hundred
hammers told the story of riveting to-
will be fitted with light machinery
adapted for the construction of steel or
wooden cabs of locomotives. The
lighter cranes of the central bay
traverse this department.
On the main floor of the machine
shop there are 35 pits finished in con-
crete and equipped with compressed
air, electric and steam attachments.
Between the pits there are auxiliary
pits into which the material stripped
from the locomotives will be deposited
and suitable coverings for these pits
may be readily opened and closed, leav-
ing the floor entirely clear for the
workmen. The rails extend under the
heavy cranes so that trucks and wheels
and other large material can be speed-
ily brought within reach of all of the
cranes. The transfer table traverses
\'II-:\V AI.ONC THE ROOF MEMBERS. D., L. & W. SHOPS AT SCR.\NTON, PA.
gether a structure that will likely stand
for centuries.
THE MACHINE SHOP.
The erecting and machine shop is the
largest of the several buildings. It is
600 ft. in length and 350 ft. in width,
and is divided into five bays. On the
two outer bays nearest the side walls
there are two travelling cranes travers-
ing the entire length of the building,
one crane capable of carrying 120 tons
and the other 20 tons. In the two ad-
joining bays there are lighter cranes
each of 15 tons capacity, while the cen-
tral bay is served by four lighter
traveling cranes suitable for loads of i
ton and under. The outer and inter-
mediate bays are 62 ft. in width, leav-
ing the central bay a clear width of 100
ft. The height of the building is over
60 ft. There is one gallery running
along the north end of the building, the
floor of which is 25 ft. above ground.
It extends over 60 ft. from the outer
wall and is itself an extensive shop and
the entire east side of the building. It
is electrically driven and will accom-
modate any locomotive and tender
whose wheel base is not over 70 ft.
An admirable feature in the classi-
fication of tools in the machine shop
will be an arrangement whereby the
machines necessary for certain pieces
of work all adjoin each other so that
with a series of compressed air hoists
and running tackle the various parts of
the locomotive are completed and ready
for assembling, each series of opera-
tions being accomplished within a
limited space unobstructed by any
other kind of work. The completed ar-
rangements provide ample accommoda-
tions for the general repair of 30
locomotives and the construction or re-
building of s new, or nearly new, loco-
motives. Nearly all the machines will
be driven by separate electric motors,
the exception being in the case of some
of the groups of smaller machines
where light shaftings will transmit suf-
ficient power from one motor to drive
several machines.
THE BLACKS.MITH SHOP.
The blacksmith shop is situated east
of the machine shop, from which it is
separated by the transfer table. Its
construction is similar to the machine
shop, although much smaller, being
only 300 ft. in length by 125 ft. in
width. The same general plan of
special grouping of tools that is used
in the machine shop is also in evidence
in this department. The section de-
voted to frame work is necessarily the
most commodious. Here are two of
the largest steam hammers, one 80 ton
and the other 60 ton capacity. The
four open fires adjacent to these ham-
mers are equipped with jib cranes, two
cranes being available for use at each
fire. A row of furnaces runs along the
entire length of the shop, and these will
all be gas burners, the gas being fur-
nished from an adjacent building on the
company's property. The spring and
tool furnaces occupy an extensive area
and the bolt department, when in full
operation, is expected to forge 40,000
bolts a day.
THE FOUNDRY.
An extensive system of material
sheds stretching over 1,200 ft. in length
by 40 ft. in width separate the machine
shop and blacksmith shop from the
foundry. This building, which embraces
the foundry and pattern shop and cast-
ing platforms, is 750 ft. in length by
120 ft. in width. The foundry is fur-
nished with two cupolas, one of which
is 7 ft. in diameter and the other 5 ft.
When working full capacity the output
will approach SO tons per day. The
casting platform has the appearance of
a very large machine shop. It is
equipped with a series of jib cranes and
traversed by numerous tracks inter-
sected by turning tables. In the foun-
dry the same thorough classification of
appliances adopted in the machine shop
is in evidence. On one side of the
building are being arranged the mold-
ing machines for smaller castings, the
section for brake shoes alone covering
an area larger than many complete
foundries.
THE BOILER SHOP.
Retracing our steps through the ex-
tensive material bins, we observe the
boiler steel rack, a building 90 ft. by
30 ft. This building, of course, is ad-
jacent to the boiler shop, which runs
the entire width of the machine shop,
being 350 ft. by 120 ft. The boiler
shop is, properly speaking, part of the
machine shop, and is equipped with a
30-ton traveling crane. Quite a num-
ber of the larger boiler shop tools are
already in place. A boiler shell riveter
is being set in position, and with the
traveling crane traversing the entire
February, 1910.
RAILWAY AXD LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
49
length of the shop a boiler can readily
be removed from any part of the shop
and suspended in the well-hke opening
which has a width of 15 ft. and a depth
of over 20 ft.
BL"1U)IXG M.MERIAL.
As will be observed from the accom-
panying illustrations, the buildings are
of structural steel upon which rein-
forced concrete is set in solid blocks.
The view of the roof of the locomotive
shop gives a good idea of the vastness
as well as the substantial character of
the structure. As will be noted the
roof is considerably raised along the
sides of the shop. This is where the
hea\-ier traveling cranes are located,
and as there is only one main entrance
it will be necessary to lift the locomo-
tives from place to place over those al-
ready undergoing repair or in course of
construction. This operation is already
in vogue in quite a number of the larger
shops in America, and is a marked im-
provement over the older method of
slowly moving the ponderous locomo-
tives from place to place. The ap-
proaches to the main entrances as well
as much of the substructure and retain-
ing walls are of rough hewn granite.
THE SUBW.^VS.
A novel feature in the construction
of works is the connection of the
various shops by a series of subways.
The uneven nature of the ground, and
the fact that the locality is partly
traversed by public avenues renders
such a scheme necessary. At first sight
it might appear that it would have been
an easier operation to construct a sys-
tem of bridges but it is quickly ob-
served that the underground plan of
communication has many advantages.
From the storage building and casting
platform and far-stretching bins the
various materials are lowered in ele-
vators to the subways and transferred
rapidly to their separate destinations.
There will literally be no surface traffic
throughout the works. Locomotives
passing through the upper air while the
parts arc being assembled from a sys-
tem of underground tunnels beneath
leave the skilled mechanics and their
machines in undisputed possession of
tlie field. Some of the subways are
'■ cd by wide collars, floored and
■ <\ with concrete, and larger than
'irdinary shops themselves. These may
»erve as auxiliary storerooms. These
v-,.t receptacles would be a good place
scrap to accumulate in. but there
scrap bins nearly 400 ft. in length
by 40 ft. in width where the scrap will
be sifted and classified and labeled and
"I and stacked and sent off to seek
'•ritine in the fiery furnaces of the
■ :re.
A» we leave the wide wilderneM of
woven iiteel and jrrcy granite, the glit-
tering lamps of Lackawanna avenue are
bursting into myriad blossoms of elec-
tric fire. The illumination is wonder-
ful. Scranton is lighting up. When
the new shops are opened we will go
back to look at them, and Scranton will
have good reason to extend her illumi-
nation and feel proud of the mighty
hive of industry that is springing into
being and becoming part of the ex-
panding city.
Shandy Maguire Moralizes Among the
Tombs.
In his letter to tlie Locomolite Engi-
neers' Journal concerning his visit to Eu-
rope last summer, among other things,
he says :
Next morning. May 25, we were out at
the sight-seeing again, with what eyes
we had left. We saw Hyde Park and
the Albert monument, which is a colos-
sal work of art and a noble tribute from
"The most womanly queen and the most
queenly woman" who ever honored a
human throne, to her departed husband.
We were taken through Rotten Row,
Kensington Museum and the Royal
.Academy, and the next stop was at
Westminster Abbey, which my pen balks
at, as I cannot convey the slightest in-
terest in the wonderful place. I walked
over and under dead kings, queens.
Seibert the Saxon, the first king crowned
therein, and after a silent salutation to
his Majesty and a thank God for surviv-
ing him I went to the tomb of Edward
the Confessor, not that 1 had any ac-
quaintance with him, dead or alive, but
I wanted to see the coronation chair
which all kings were crowned in from
Seibert the Sa.xon to the present reign-
ing monarch, Edward VII. I found it!
It is about IS ft. from the tomb of Ed-
ward the Confessor. As I was disap-
pointeil in not getting a chance to drop
into it for a while, it being protected
from all such mcanderers as I am by a
railing, I looked intently at it. contem-
plating everything connected with it and
satisfied that as a work of art it would
not attract much notice for, if I had a
saw and a few pieces of pine boards. 1
could scallop out as grand a looking one
in short order ; but oh ! its mighty his-
tory I Beneath it and attached to it is
"The Stone of Destiny," stolen from
Scone by Edward I. in I2g6. It is a
member of the old families you can see.
for in the sixth century if was in Scone,
Scotland, where Scottish monarchs were
crowned as they sat on it. I don't know
what virtue it is noted for, but had 1
gotten a chance I'd have chipped off a
sliver of it to carry in my pocket as a
talisman, to sec if it would ward oflF some
princesses, dukes, lords and carls, in my
plebeian way, and not one of the haughty
sleepers was disturbed liy my presence.
I "did" the Poets' Corner and paid my
regards to I>inKfellnw, who was there
on a bust; lonking down at the Brown-
ings, Tennyson, Irving, Sheridan, Camp-
bell. Chaucer, Dickens and scores of
others. I remained amongst them a short
lime, paying Iritmtc to the immortals,
and then I saunlcrrd roimd till I came to
of the ills that my flesh is heir to. I
got out of the Abbey, having entertained
myself to the limit of my endurance in
the mn<;t wrmderful place man ran fiu'l
on earth •f its kiml. As I was leaving, I
would liave sent up a prayer to the
Throne of Grace for the Lord to grant
the sleeper peace and rest, but that the
place was silent and none of them seemed
to move, and tny prayer would have been
superfluous.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
February, 1910.
My First Blizzard in the Wild Western Winter
A person lost in the pathless forest or
cast without landmarks in a far reaching
dusert draws my sympathies more than
any victim of misfortune except, perhaps,
that of people in a boat on the ocean with-
out compass or other means of guidance.
I have always felt that a man sent out
to run a locomotive over a strange road
was in a condition similar to the cases
mentioned, and I hoped that it might
never be my lot to go through the ex-
perience. It was though.
I had enjoyed considerable experience
on double track lines with all sorts of en-
gines and had figured as engineer of the
plug for two years, hut I did not feel by
any means at home on a strange single
track road, when the "plug" was pur-
By Angus Sinclair
are increased a hundred-fold when the
journey has to be made over a strange
riad whose train rules and orders an en-
gineer liappcns to be entirely unacquainted
witli.
FtELlNG .MV W.-\Y OVEK .\ STRANGE KOAD.
However, I determined to do my best,
so 1 looked the engine over carefully —
it was a Baldwin in fair order— oiled
every cup, bearing and box, and while
waiting for the order to start studied over
the meeting points. After getting the
train going, I kept plenty of water in the
boiler, and held the train rumiing at as
nearly uniform speed as the case would
admit. The road was undulating. When
I got running down a hill where steam
MODERN POWER IN THE WEST, READY FOR THE START.
chased by a large company and I was or-
dered to report at the mechanical head-
quarters.
AN EMBARRASSING SITUATION.
The road was rushing business and was
short of engineers when I hired. The
master mechanic gave me a note to the
roundhouse foreman, saying he might
send me out. I supposed this meant that
I would be sent round for a week to learn
the road ; but the foreman handed me a
time card and mileage-book, and said they
would soon teach me the road. At ten
o'clock that night I was called to take a
train of twenty loaded stock cars over
the Southeastern division. To start out
with a heavy train at night, with a strange
engine on a single-track road, is a trying
position, 'but the difficulties of the case
was not needed I watched for the creek
bridge that generally indicated the bottom
of the grade, and was the signal to give
her the steam. By the help of the fire-
man and head brakeman I found the
water tanks and the trip was made with-
out any mishap.
SXOW WAS FALLING.
I had been running on this road about
two months, when on getting out of bed
one morning, I found a heavy coating of
snow on the ground. Snow had been
falling the greater part of the night.
There had been no snow of any conse-
quence where my previous railroadiiig
had been done, and I felt very much like
laying off now, for the boys often spoke
about the rough times they had snow-
bucking. However, on reflection, I con-
cluded to go out, for I guessed I could do
what any other man had done.
1 was boarded to go out in the morning
with a freight train over a Southwestern
division, that had a bad character for
snow. When I went to my engine the
fireman advised me to get a heavy over-
coat and arctic overshoes. These articles
seemed to mc superfluous in the com-
fortable cab of a locotnotive, so I started
without them. I had never been in a
northwestern blizzard.
Although considerable snow had fallen,
the weather was mild and pleasant when
we started out and there was no difficulty
in taking a full train along, for frequent
trains had kept the track clear. The
division I was bound over followed the
main line for twenty miles, then struck
to the southwest through a country that
was thinly settled. We had met with
several delays on the main line, and it
was about mid-day when we reached the
junction. We were glad to get away from
the main line, for we knew that on the
branch we would be free from the delays
incident to meeting numerous trains on a
single track.
THE SNOW IN MOTION.
About the time we got rightly going on
the branch, the wind began gradually to
rise and the temperature to fall — not
slowly by any- means, but surely enough.
At first the light breath of wind seemed
to toy with the soft feathery particles on
the surface of the snow. The downy
Hakes clinging to exposed tufts of prairie
grass and reposing on the leaves of scrub
oak, would rise on the breeze and be
wafted quietly to more sheltered resting
places. As the speed of the wind in-
creased, the clumps of light timber passed
began to look like fallen dust clouds;
then the surface of the prairie snow got in
motion. There was nothing tumultuous
or fear-inspirng about it. It merely
looked as if the whole surface of the
earth was a stream of snow dust flowing
southward.
COLD STIFFENS OIL BOXES.
There was still no obstruction of a
serious nature on the track, but at the
first water station, where there was some
delay with a meeting train, I found that
the cold had frozen the axle bo.xes of my
train so badly that I had difficulty in get-
ting away with half of the train. The
knowing ones about said a blizzard was
coming, and that the sooner we got to the
end of the division the better. The train
despatcher gave us orders to push through
with whatever train we could safely take.
By the time darkness began to close down
upon us we had got within thirty miles
of the terminus, and was pushing on for
all the engine was worth.
February, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
A REAL BUZZARD.
But the character of the storm had
changed. The wind had continued to
rise, and the river of snow dust gradually
ascended till the surface was away be-
yond sight, and the whole world seemed
to be a cloud of driving snow above,
below, in every direction nothing was to
be seen but blinding snow dust.
I had nothing with which to clear off
the snowdrifts except a slated pilot and
brushes in front of the engine truck. The
snow was now becoming troublesome, and
the drifts in the cuttings were getting
ominously near the rails. As I pushed my
head out of the window to get a glimpse
ahead, while passing through one cutting,
the snowbank had crept so close that it
rubbed off my cap, and would have taken
off my head, too. had the snow been
hard enough.
STRUGCLI.NG AGAINST STALLING.
It was all I could do to get the train
through that cutting, and I stuck outright
two miles further on. The place where
I stalled was about an eighth of a mile up
an ascent, that succeeded a down grade
over a mile long. It was a frightfully
bad place to lay up, for a train was sup-
posed to be following us and it was im-
possible for a flagman to remain out, and
it was equally difiicult for a man to walk
back to the past station through such a
storm as was raging.
Fortunately I was able to back out of
the snowbank, and by making a tremend-
ous run down the grade forced my way
through the snow that would have stalled
the engine running at a lower velocity.
By the time I got through this obstruc-
tion, another cause of disquietude began to
haunt me. The toilsome journey from
the last water tank had drawn heavily on
the water in my tender, and it was getting
low. Stoppage in another drifted cutting
would make us face the necessity of
dumping the fire. This emergency did not
overtake us, but wc were subjected to
tribulations equally severe.
SHORT OF WATER.
A few miles ahead was a water station,
and here wc had resolved to ask for
orders to remain until morning. Visions
of lying comfortably in the side track,
with the warm way-car as a shelter,
began to be veo' attractive, for I was be-
ginning to suffer horribly with the cold.
The piercing wind was blowing <>n my
* tide, and it whistled in thmiigh crevices
at the sides of the cab and running board,
tid eddied through the back hoards in
illing glints. My thin shoos were no
: otcrtion to my suffering fret, and my
■ in. nice-fitting overcoat, that I ha<l so
nftrn worn with pride, seemed now to
I mock my suffering, and permit my life's
blood to freeze in my vein».
When we got Jo the water station, we
f'.imd the supply spout <t the water lank
frozen solid, and not a drop of water
would run out. We toiled for long with
bars and hot pokers to make an opening
through the ice; we burned all the waste
and kerosene we could luid, impinging
the flame on the pipe, but it was labor
lost.
DUMPED THE FIRE.
Meanwhile our tender was empty.
Seeing that water could not be obtained,
the proposal was made to replenish the
tender with melted snow. Melted snow
can be used to lill a tender, but not the
light, unpacked snow that we had to deal
with on this night. We tried it, however,
but merely succeeded in adding to our
discomfort and fatigue. Next operation
was to dump the tire of the engine, and
to make provision against any pipe, tube
or valve getting destroyed by water
freezing within it. As the steam began to
go down, I opened the cylinder cocks and
blew steam through the cylinders. The
feeding pipes belonging to the pump and
injector were kept warm as long as any
steam remained in the boiler. When the
gauge index got back to zero, I opened
the blow off cock and permitted the water
to run out of the boiler.
HUMAN SUFFERING.
All this work was not done without
considerable suffering, but a harder job
remained to be done which I regarded as
my bounden duty to perform. The feed
pipes had to be uncoupled and the pump-
joints loosened. While the fireman at-
tended to the couplings, I crept under the
engine with wrenches to loosen the nuts
that bound the pump chamber joints. The
wrenches would not fit the nuts, so I had
to get haminer and chisel to wrestle over
the job. Then was the time I properly
appreciated what a blizzard meant as the
searching winds penetrated my vitals. I
remembered trying to steady the lantern
on the feed-pipe so that I could sec the
nut I was trying to loosen, and it seemed
that the nut and the lantern got mixed
up in some curious way, and got chasing
each other round the driving wheel. I
became amused with the fun and sat
watching it oblivious of the howling wind
and my frozen couch. Next that I re-
member I was lying in the way car, and
the trainmen were rul»bing my limbs with
r.igs and pieces of waste.
RECOVF.REn.
One of the brakcmen known as Long
John, who had been in the army, forced
off my shoes and began beating the soles
of my feet with a flag staff which soon
sent me dancing. Then he touched up
my arms and legs till I got fighting mad
and began to return his heroic treatment
In a few moments the exercise of the fight
and the warm way-car had me in a boil
ing sweat which banishcil the last traces
of the chilling I had received. No evil
effect resiilipd from my trying experience
Natural Gas.
The records of early investigators
and missionaries show that natural gas
has been known to exist in natural
springs in western New York, western
Pennsylvania, central West Virginia,
northeastern Kentucky and southeast-
ern Oliio for at least 250 year.^^. In
1775 General Washington visited a
burning natural gas spring on the north-
east l);ink of the Great Kanawaha
River in West Virginia, a few miles
cast 01' the present city of Charleston.
He was so impressed by the phenome-
non that he pre-empted an acre of land
surrounding the spring and dedicated it
to the public forever.
The earliest economic use of natural
gas in this country was probably made
in lighting the village of Fredonia,
Chautauqua County, New York, in 1821.
The existence and utilization of this
gas at Fredonia became widely known,
both in this country and abroad, and
excited the liveliest interest among
scientific men. So little suspected,
however, was the presence of the
enormous volume of gas since de-
veloped that, when it was further ex-
plored, it was pronounced "unpar-
alleled on the face of the globe," and
Humbolt is quoted as declaring it the
eighth wonder of the world.
Its introduction into commercial use
was slow, but after its value was fully
demonstrated there was a rush of
capital, and a large amount of money
was invested in gas territory, gas
wells, and pipe lines. Then followed
a period of reckless consumption and
appalling waste. Many of the original
fields were rapidly depleted of their
high pressure. Not until it was fully
realized that a large proportion of the
natural supply had been consumed and
dissipated by the extravagant methods
in use were improved means adopted
for holding back the gas in the original
rock reservoirs. This was done by
shutting off the wells, by cutting off all
blow-olT '.tandpipcs and escapes, by im-
pr.iving the joints of the pipe lines, and
by the more economical consumption of
the gas.
This economy came rather late, but
enough of the original supply remains
stored principally in the deep and pro-
lific sands of northern and southwestern
Pennsylvania and western West Vir-
ginia, to furnish this ideal household
fuel for many years to come. What
may be done bv deeper drilling and im-
proved methods to prolong its use in-
definitely is yet unknown.
The Hicks Locomotive and Car
Works have recently closed a contract
with the Clinchfield & Ohio Railway
for twelve 70-ft. coaches. These vehicles
are l'> have Meel undcrfraiii'^ -nul mx
wheel truck*.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
February, 1910.
Baldwin 4-4-2 for the Idaho ® Washington Northern
The Baldwin Locomotive Works have
recently completed (or the Idaho & Wash-
ington Northern Railroad an Atlantic
type locomotive which uses moderately
superheated steam at a comparatively low
pressure. This engine is in passenger ser-
vice on a line having i6-deg. curves and
I grades of i per cent. The safety valves
are set at i6o lbs., and with 22.\28-in.
cylinders and 73-in. drivers, the tractive
force exerted is 25,250 lbs.
The boiler is of the extended wagon-
top type, with three rings in the barrel.
The second ring is tapered. The longi-
tudinal seams on the lirst two rings have
double welt strips and four rows of
rivets, while the seam on the third or
dome ring is placed on the top centre line,
and is welded throughout its length on
either side of the dome opening. A liner
is placed inside the barrel, under the
dome base. The firebox is wide, with a
and lias a single nozzle. The stack is
straight, and is 16 ins. in diameter.
The cylinder castings are double bolted
to the smokebox and to each other, and
are built with heavy walls. The steam
distribution is controlled by balanced slide
valves, driven by Walschaerts gear. The
links are placed outside the leading driv-
ers, and are supported on longitudinal
hearers. These are bolted in front to the
guide yoke, and at the back to a crosstie,
which latter also supports the reverse
shaft bearings. An interesting detail is
the connection between the combining
lever and valve stem. The upper end of
the combining lever is pinned to a long
crosshead, sliding in suitable brackets.
The front bracket is bolted to the top
guide bar, while the rear bracket is cast
in one piece with the steel guide bearer.
The valve rod is attached to a lug cast on
the crosshead. The valves have an out-
channels, and carries a water-bottom tank
of 7,000 gallons capacity. The trucks are
of the arch-bar type, with steel bolsters
and rolled steel wheels. These wheels, as
well as those of the engine trucks, were
supplied by the Standard Steel Works
Co., of Philadelphia. This locomotive has
ample boiler capacity, and should prove
successful in express passenger service.
The design presents a neat and symmetri-
cal appearance. Some of the principal
dimensions are as follows :
Boiler — Type, wagon top: material, slcel; diam.
eter, 68 ins.; thickness of sheets, 11/ 16 ins.
and ii ins.; working pressure, l6o lbs.;
fuel, soft coal; staying, radial.
Firebox — Material, steel; length, io8J^ ins.;
width, 66}i ins.; depth, front, 73^^ ins.;
back, 67 ins.: thickness of sheets, sides,
5/16 ins.; back, 5/16 ins.; crown, j$ ins.;
tube, !< ins.
Water Space — Front, 4^ ins.; sides, 4 ins.;
hack, 4 ins.
Tubes — Material, iron; wire gauge. No. 12;
number, 35S; diameter, 2 ins.; length, 16 ft.
Heating Surface — Firebox. 180 sq. ft.; tubes,
2.983 sq. ft.; total. 3,163 sq. ft. Flngine
equipped with Baldwin Smokebox Super-
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ii.Ml'Lli 4-4-2 lOR THE lU.MlO i;
v. T. O'Neill. General !<
WASIU.XOTU.N NORTHERN KAlLKO.\U.
Baldw
Locomotive Works, Builders.
sloping throat and back head and vertical
side water legs. The mud ring is sup-
ported on a buckle plate at each end.
1 he crown staying is radial, and one T-
bar, hung on expansion links, is placed
at the front end, to better provide for ex-
pansion and contraction.
The superheater is of the smokebox
type as developed by the builders. The
deflecting plate is cylindrical in form, with
a conical extension at the rear. It is
centrally placed in a horizontal position,
between the right and left hand sections
of the superheater. The space enclosed
by the deflecting plate can be entered at
the front end only and is in direct com-
munication with the stack by means of a
downward extension of the latter. The
hot gases are thus compelled to traverse
the entire length of the smokebox. during
which time they circulate among the
superheater tubes. The e.xhaust pipe is
extended upward to the deflecting plate
side lap of i in. and an inside clearance
of Yi in. They are set with a travel of
6J4 ins. and a constant lead of ;4 '"•
The frames are of cast steel. 4% ins.
wide, with double front rails of forged
iron. Each main frame is cast in one
piece with its rear section. The trailing
wheels have outside journals, and are
held in a radial truck frame, which, how-
ever, is clamped to the engine frames, so
that no radial motion is allowed. Both
the front and back engine truck wheels
are steel-tired, with cast iron spoke cen-
ters. The cast steel details, in addition
to those previously mentioned, include
driving wheel centers and boxes, cross-
head bodies, spring saddles, steam chests
and caps, foot plate, and equalizing beams.
All the w'heels under the engine and ten-
der are braked, and the Le Chatelier
water brake is also applied for use on
heavy grades.
The tender frame is built of 12-in. steel
heater — superheater surface, 367 sq. ft.;
erate area, 49. S sq. ft.
Driving Wheels — Diameter, outside, 73 ins.;
journals, main, gji x 12 ins.; others, 9 x u
ins.
Engine Truck Wheels — Diameter, front, 36 ins.;
journals, 6x10 ins.; diameter, back, 48 ins.
journals, 8x14 ins.
Wheel Base — Driving, 7ft.; rigid, 15 ft. 6 ins.;
total engine, 27 ft.; total engine and tender,
57 ft. 7}i ins.
Weight — On driving wheels, 101,609 lbs.; on
truck, front, 50.300 lbs.; on truck, back,
45,000 lbs.; total engine, 196,900 lbs.; total
engine and tender, about 335,000 lbs.;
Tender — Wheels, diameter, 36 ins.; journals, 5^
x loins. : tank capacity, 7,000 gals.; fuel
capacity, 12 tons; service, passenger.
Give Workmen Safe Banks.
There is no measure of legislation
which wage earners are so much in-
terested in as the establishing of postal
savings banks in which a saving person
of low degree may feel that the sav-
ings are absolutely safe. Thrifty
workmen send millions of money
abroad annually for deposit in banks
that enjoy government security.
February, IQlO-
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGlfJEERING.
General Correspondence
Storm Guard For Engine Cab.
Editor ;
I send you, for publication if you see fit,
a sketch and description of storm guard,
or protector, which I have invented and
patented in the United States and Canada.
It is intended for use on locomotive cabs
and cupolas of conductors' cars on rear
of freight trains, and also for other pur-
poses.
The exacting conditions under which
Iccomotive engineers of the present day
ptrform their duties requires that they
have a clear view ahead at all times, if
schedule time is to be maintained, and all
danger and other signals are to be cor-
rectly determined. At times it is impos-
sible for human eyes to see ahead on
account of weather and other conditions
that prevent a clear view. With front
windows of locomotive cabs equipped vith
the stDrm guard, or protector, it provides
,.CTlON or QUICKS STORM PROTKCTOR
protection for the eyes from wind, rain,
snow, hail, sleet, insects or other objects
ill the air which would cause injury to the
eyes or obscure the view ahead. It also
events the reflection of light inside of
f.f cupola interfering with view aliead.
rul grime, darkening the windows
ri'/tives or motors that run through
and tunnels is absent when such
i.es or motors are equipped with
M or protector.
' . ( ...-;..-. .,i.,--,,i ■uUt
I f moisture cannot take place on inside of
guard or protector, as in all cases the man
is not looking through glass. The danger
of looking out of side windows of locomo-
tive cabs, trying to get a partial view
ahead, has been demonstrated repeatedly
by the death or injury of the engineer.
The illustratioii shows a locomotive en-
gineer sitting in the engine cab, with win-
dows closed, protected from wind and
storm, looking directly ahead, with a clear
view against the storm, ready to meet
any emergency that may arise, and being
in a position to make schedule time just
iS safely in the storm as in clear weather,
without taking chances of any kind.
Referring to the drawing, A represents
a section of locomotive cab. B is the front
window sash of cab, with top portion of
glass out away. C is a small window at-
tached by hinges to top of sash B. D
is the guard, or protector, removably at-
tached to cab A or sash B. E is a wind-
break, preferably made of glass or some
t.ansparent pane. F is a deflector set at
a suitable angle.
The guard, or protectur, D is removably
attached to sash B when sash B opens out-
wardly, and swings open or shut with
sish B. When B opens inwardly, the
guard, or protector, is hinged to cab A,
and, with suitable fastenings, swings in-
dependently of sash B. Sash C is opened
and closed with suitable attachments.
When in the closed position, it overlaps
top of glass in sash B, which allows ex-
ternal air to rush upwardly across the
ii.ner surface of glass in sash C. By this
means condensation on the inner side of
glass in sash C is avoided and prevented
from interfering with clear view through
this glass when guard, or protector, is
removed. In service, wind, rain, snow,
h.-.il, dirt or objects of any kind in the air
strike the deflector and are thrown down-
ward between windbreak and bottom por-
tion of glass in .snsh li and out of the bot-
t. m of guard, or protector, which is open.
The guard, or protector, has closed sides
snd top; the bottom is open. There is no
draft into cab after suitable speed is at-
tained. Instead of this, there is a light
draft out of the c.ili. through open-
ing in top of sa^h R. While standing, or
while attaining suilal.Ie speed, or when
(Tf,ing throiiRh snnwdrifti, sash C should
|.e closed. When suitable speed is at-
tiined, or when not in snowdrifts, sash C
should h« open.
I used this storm guard, or protector,
on the engine I ran during the last two
winter*, and never knew what real com-
fort in .1 storm meant until 1 began il»
use. Should you see merit enough in my
invention to have this appear in the col-
umns of R.MLVVAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGI-
NEERING, I shall be pleased. 1 will be
FRONT \IK WOI- STORM PROTIXTOR.
happy to give further particulars to any
who write to me. T. J. Quirk.
Dunkirk. N. )'. Loco. Engineer.
Old Timers.
Editor :
One of the most interesting features
of your excellent publication is the
reproduction of cuts of old time lo-
comotives, the locomotives of those
days being picturesque, if not effective,
in strong contrast to the vast and
ugly ni.i. !-.ines of the present day.
But sometimes it grieves me to say you
fall into slight error, as in the case of
your picreding number, in regard to the
"Old CiOimy" and "Narragansctl" built
f,,r III.- I). C. R. R.
And in your January number, page 38,
you have an rxcillcnt illustration of the
"G. F. Ward," which was not built by
William Mason, and was never nearer
Taunton than Ihc turn-out switch of the
Prfvidtncc sialinn. It was built by the
Rhode Island Locomotive Works, fr.im
the designs of the late Augustus Durgin,
and ran the Shore Line Express between
Providence and New London for a long
lime. 1 myself constructed the whistle
fnr her, at Ihc request of Charlie Vars,
54
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
February, 1910.
who was the engineer, and who wanted
something which would sound as a loco-
motive whistle should sound, and as it
did sound. I have not heard of Charlie for
several years. I hope he is still running.
Hut if not, he must be where all good and
faithful engineers finally bring up, a bet-
ter place, no doubt, for the men who run
the engines than that for the men who
run the engineers — a climate for the for-
mer not as high as that for the latter
Geo. M. Li.oyd.
Boston, Mass.
[Our correspondents who sent us the
information concerning the "Old Colony"
and the "G. F. Ward" will, no doubt, be
glad to know the facts as stated by Mr.
Lloyd. It is only by those who ha\e
personal knowledge of these old-time en-
gines, coming forward with their infor-
mation that a correct history can be built
up. — Editor].
gines for their time, were hard coal
burners, good steamers and very easy
riding.
Some time in the early part of 18S0, one
of these engines, Xo. 10. made a record
run with her train from Philadelphia to
Jersey City, making a mile, near Mctu-
chen, N. J., at the rate of 72 miles per
hour, which I believe was claimed to be
the fastest mile ever made hv a railwav
of them. Kindly return them when they
have answered your purpose as I value
them highly. C. R. M.\ckev.
St. Augustine, Fla.
A Fireman's Views.
Editor :
The proceedings of the Traveling En
gineers' Association as given in your
most valuable paper interest me greatly
Early Days on the P. R. R.
Editor :
I was much interested in an article
signed by Hugh G. Boutell which ap-
peared in the December number of your
publication, entitled "Old Engines on the
P. R. R." I spent a portion of my boy-
hood and young manhood on the main
line of the P. R. R. between New York
and Philadelphia and, like Mr. Boutell, I
have always taken a lively interest in
the locomotives of that system. It is the
old engines which now appeal to me espe-
cially, as in later years, the P. R. R. en-
gines have lost many of the earmarks
which were distinctive, I send you here-
with, a photograph taken in 1883 of a
Pennsylvania "Class K" in front of the
old Jersey City train shed, ready for her
A^^«^^_
■
; JM
riir"
m^
•r ■«-■*'''/•>_
'■^■•^
L. .... :—--.-
'N^-a^V \£s^"
__.
~-f'^ -—
-i;::^^
IX nil-: NKw
train up to that time. John A. Covert,
who later was engine foreman at Jersey
City, was the engineer. I have not the
statistics of this run, relying wholly on
memory for the facts, so if any of your
readers can furnish further information,
I would be pleased to hear from them
through the columns of R.mlw.w .\nd
Locomotive Engineering. I also send
you a photograph of engine No. 32 of the
New York Central, taken about 1885 in
the yards cf the Grand Central Station,
New York. She is one of the "old
timers" r.nd probably some of your New
ULD XI.MliK O.N r. K. K. S.\M) UU.XES I.N THIi WUbEL CO\ l:.Ks.
run to Philadelphia, which shows the
"Pennsy" stack, wheel covers, which con-
tain the sand-boxes, and short front.
Later, however, these engines were all
equipped with extension smoke-bo.xes.
They were very fast and powerful en-
York Central readers may be interested to
see a picture cf an old friend, as. at one
time, the New York Central owned a
large number cf these locomotives. These
pictures are old and faded but 1 sin-
cerelv trust vou mav be able to make use
as much is said regarding fuel economy
and other of our duties. It may be that
the opinion of one who has ate the dust,
dodged the call boy and made whole
continents of black smoke may prove in-
teresting to some of those whose papers
interested me.
From the stories of our old engineers,
those who have seen the locomotive grow
from a little single driver pigmy to the
giant Mallet compound, the cars from
lo-ton "wagons" to 50-ton "battleships"
and rails from 30-lb. ribbons to loo-lb.
bands — these men say, the lot of the
present-day fireman is a paradise to that
which they went through. To my mind
the difference may be compared much as
these locomotives, cars and rails are.
Polishing brass is of course one of the
lost arts, but the coal space in the tanks
has trebled.
Indeed, a whole engine of the by-gone
da)S would find very comfortable winter-
quarters in the tender of a modern
"hog." So while we are not compelled
to bury ourselves in the snow jacking
up the drivers in order to w-ork the
pumps, we do have to keep every muscle
and every organ in perfect condition to
meet the requirement of passing 10 or
12 tons of coal over a deck vibrating at
(X) miles per hour in the short space of
from 3 to 6 hours on passenger, or 30
tons in from 10 to 16 hours on freight.
The amount of work, of course, varies
with the man and his method. The
"bank" fireman methodically blackens his
fire until he uses about one-half the
grate surface designed for the engine
The "hook-and-puddle" fireman, other-
wise known as the "Wabasher," throws
in about 30 scoops to a fire' and then
levels it with the hook. Of course, this
February, igio.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
55
mode is very beneficial — to the glove
factories. The one who fires light and
often, while he can't count quite so many
telegraph poles between his fires, some-
how or other, gets in fresher and with
coal further up on the coal boards than
the others. However, the laurels should
go to the fellow who uses his brains, who
suits his firing to the engine, to the grade
and to the train, who grabs the precious
lumps as the few poor lonely things try
to escape by rattling off the gangway.
This man does not have that prevailing
style of tanks, cab-lights, headlights, etc.,
which always run over when they are full.
There are more things to be considered
though than the saving of coal and
supplies. The poor fellow who spoils a
hook and new pair of "Hansen's" every
trip may see around more of the curves
on his side than the other fellows ever
knew were there, and the one who spills
oil from the headlight to the back draw-
bar may know more about the location
of fixed signals than the engineer. Thus
it is hard to distinguish the value of
different firemen, although it can be
estimated to some extent by observation
and from records. Nearly four years
behind the scoop, however, has convinced
me that 90 per cent, of the boys make an
honest effort to succeed, and with a little
more encouragement and friendly in-
struction, they would.
Whole books might be written about
our faults, but the volume could as easily
be filled by the faults of our superiors.
It is a well known fact that pay day is
the most unhealthy time of the month,
as the sick list is invariably long and
thick, but don't that help to square up for
that awful cold we got last winter when
the road foreman made us work on an
engine with a cab so full of steam from
leaky gauge cocks, etc., that the fire-
door had to be opened to find the way
inside? Yes, it's so; we couldn't be
found that last stormy night ; but remem-
ber the night the engine-dispatcher ran
that guy with the good cigars around us
to give him a light section? As will
be seen there is a good bit of give and
take connected with the fireman's life
which, of course, looks bad, but may be
a little more consideration of his annoy-
ances would at least make the seamy side
appear smoother.
Some estimate of a man's value may be
obtained from the way in which he
spends his leisure. Gpod reading and
I'-tiortablc companions are very com-
ir.rndable signv "Tied to his wife's
apron string" is an ci)ithet which not
always dooms a man to oblivion. Be-
cause a man goc* to church, it is not a
^iKn that he i» trying to atone for past
and present railroad sins.
Of course, that brilliant "smoky," who
has worn a (pecial nitch in tin- hotel
bar. is a wise head. Cinders fairly roll
from him and wilh the a<lvrnt "f each
drink information drops from him as the
shell from a newly born chick ; the only
discrepancy in his exceedingly bright
career being the dislike borne for him
by the engineers in general, and their
efforts to keep him from firing for them.
But "there is so much bad in the best
of us and so much good in the worst of
us that it behooves none of us to talk
about the rest of us."
Where courtesy and good fellowship
between an officer and his employees
exist, there you will find a model set of
workmen. A cheery 'Good morning,"
maybe, a short chat as the official passe.s
his men has the same effect as a beauti-
ful sunrise. Requests instead of demands
work like a charrn. .At investigations and
even when giving discipline this same
courtesy stimulates in the hearts of all.
An innate admiration and respect for their
chief which can be created by no other
method. This is a policy which ought to
be a rule. By it the friction caused by
so-called "superiority" would be greatly
reduced and in the end it would become
as much a dividend payer as the super-
heater, Walschaerts or the Baker-Pilliod
valve gears and other like improvements.
I was much surprised to learn of the
efficienc)' cards on the Lake Shore so
nicely explained by our road foreman,
Mr. C. E. Rush. I rather like this idea,
although in many cases it is unfair both
to the men and to the company. The
card may show correctly the number of
ton-miles-pcr-hour, but while Bill Jones
goes over the road in seven hours with
the lever on the center and the valves
working square. Jack Drophcrdown makes
it in eight hours with the lever on the
quarter and the exhaust sounding like a
three legged jackass on cobble stones.
Again there is a larger difference in
engines, and the quality of coal ranges
from first class real estate to flinty lumps
which repel all attacks. Of course, when
firemen arc pooled, as we are, it would
icem that the bitter and the sweet fill
about equally, and it does to some ex-
tent, but not enough to give each man a
fair show.
Taking all into consideration, thtnigh.
these cards are a gond thing, they should
be posted every month instead of every
year. Who wants to be the worst fire-
man on the road ? The very thought of
comparison urges < nc to greater effort.
The weak ones are uncovered and it Iw-
comcs definitely kmiwti who needs the
most in'.triicliiiM This is a very neces-
sary cog in the lilg wheel. On these
cards some of the good actions ought to
appear, as well as the bad. If a man goes
without a meal to keep a train on time,
tell of it, if he docs unusually well on a
trip, make that show ; if he keeps a leaky
engine hot all trip long, tell of th.1l. In
other Wfirds make hi« good actions count
with his bad ones. Give him a good,
fair chance.
riic greatest help to a present day fire-
man is the Railroad Club houses. The
description of those on the Southern
Paciiic in your last magazine almost in-
fluences me to go there after a job. The
excellency of this club house plan is well
known. Good billiard and pool tables,
good books especially and maybe a model
room, and the good fellowship which
hovers over any such club, creates
enough diversion and employment in the
leisure hours to keep the boys away from
the saloon and its influences. Content-
ment basks in the warm rays of good
treatment and a clean wholesome bed in
the nucleus of health and energy. The
Railroad Club under proper management
cannot help but produce a class of rail-
road boys better morally, physically and
financially than their predecessors.
It will be thus apparent that, as stated
in the article in your December number,
the only profit accruing from these clubs
is the increased efficiency of the men.
.■\s a last argument I wish to bring out
the importance of making such arrange-
ments that, if possible, the men may be
home as much as possible when off duty.
Keep a man away from his home and
family unnecessarily and he is likely to
become a poor and discontented work-
man. Cause him to change his location
with every phase of the moon and the
effect is the same.
I am hopeful, and let me say in con-
clusion, I see in the near future the
realization of my dreams. The world is
growing better, the minds of its citizens
broader and we railroaders are no excep-
tion. Both officers and men are looking
more to each other's comforts and needs
than ever before. Fairer treatment is in
store for us and hand in hand with it
goes the better effort which it necessarily
brings. Improvement on both sides is
still much in evidence, but the gaps are
closing up and the time is not f.ir distant
when the railroad man will have a good
job. L.vKE Shore Fireman.
American Tourists on the G. I. P.
Editor :
A large party of tourists, with repre-
sentatives from nearly every State in the
Union, intent on seeing the sights of the
world left New York on the S. S. Clne-
liiiid on Oct. 14 last, and after calling at
several ports, including Fgjpt and ar-
rived in Bombay harbor on Nov. 14.
I liey numbered nearly 700 and of these
a considerable number were naturally
anxious to inspect the wonders of India
and feast their eyes on the beautiful Taj
Mahal at .Agra.
To afford facilities the management of
the Great Indian Peninsula Railway ar-
ranged a grand "day" trip from Bombay
to Agra and l)ack (nearly 1,700 miles),
running two complete hotel trains at ex-
press speed. These trains were composed
50
KAILVVAV AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
February, 1910.
exclusively of vestibuled sleeping car*
and restaurant. The natives of India are
largely vegetarians and have little sym-
pathy with the creature wants of Euro-
peans or Americans, it is therefore neces-
sary to carry practically all the provisions
required by Western travelers on the
trains, hence nearly 20 tons of meat,
vegetables, bread, mineral water and ice
accompanied each train on this excursion.
There were S cooks, 22 waiters and 10
attendants besides the train crew and con-
ductor on each special train. The run-
ning time allowed in each direction was
about 32 hours, giving the tourists two
complete nights rest in the train and on
the down and up journey, and 12 hours of
daylight at Agra.
On return of these trains to Bombay
another special excursion was arranged
for an "Across India" tour, the cars
being laid up at all the big cities called
at to afford boarding accommodation for
the visitors. The cars left Bombay on
the eighteenth of November and pro-
ceeded via Agra, Delhi, Thanas and
through Benares to Calcutta which city
was reached on the twent>'-fifth.
As the great bulk of the Indian pas-
senger traffic is third class (some 300
millions per annum) it was necessary to
make some temporary arrangements for
the transport of so many additional first
class passengers ; further the want of ac-
commodation for meals necessitated the
use of vestibuled trains. One train was
composed of compartment "sleepers" taken
or withdrawn from ordinary services, but
the other was composed of cars usually
running as locals but built to form hos-
standard connections 3 ft. wide and a tele-
phone service was installed to the restau-
rant. This last mentioned car was cap-
able of seating 40, and to assist in the
cooking and service an additional kitchen
Tin: G. I. r. -teddy be.ar."
car was attached to bring up the rear of
the train.
For the "Across India" train where the
number of passengers exceeded 120 (3
sittings) an additional restaurant was put
on. As a compliment to the visitors two
of the locomotives used on the Bombay
division were renamed "President Taft"
Railway Signals.
Editor:
The many good articles on the rail-
way signal to be found in the columns
of your valued publication lack in
criticism. Honest criticism does not in-
jure that which has merit; on the con-
trary it tends to improve.
With the object of improving, I shall,
in this communication unsparingly
criticise that, which, in my opinion, is
wrong and unnecessary and advocate
changes that I think would tend to
better the signal system, trusting there-
by to promote interest and discussion
and eventually, improved conditions.
As bad weather conditions determine
the value of all signals, it seems to me
to be a waste of time and money to en-
deavor to design and place signals that
can be seen a mile or more. A dense
fog, heavy rain or snow storms will re-
duce the distance this signal can be
seen to a few feet. On the other hand,
a signal so designed and located that
it can be easily seen and correctly read
in bad weather conditions, will, without
doubt, answer in clear weather.
Among the most important considera-
tions is, of course, location. On roads
three or more tracks wide, overhead
bridges have become necessary, with
the result that signals are too high.
This compels the engine crew to give
too much of their attention to the ob-
servance of overhead signals and to
neglect other important duties. This
is particularly the case when on high
speed trains on a stretch of track pro-
tected by automatic signals less than
.-^I'lXT.^L HOTEL TR.MX 0.\ Till: G. I. R, RLW" FOR .\MERIC.\X TOURIST.-
pital ( I\cd Cross) cars to meet the mili-
tary requirements of the Government of
India. These are large open cars 62 ft.
long by 10 ft. wide and those selected
were temporarily transformed into
"sleepers" after the Pulman style with a
center aisle. Each car had 24 berths and
two toilet rooms with electric light and
fans. All were vestibuled together with
and "Roosevelt." and as a mascot a
"Teddy Bear" sat complacently on the
bumper of each engine used to haul the
trains over the long stretches of India
soil. Great satisfaction was expressed
voluntarily by the tourists at the con-
siderate arrangements of the Great In-
dian Peninsula Railway authorities.
W. J. Bell.
a mile apart, when running on the in-
side tracks; or in open country, when
familiar landmarks cannot be seen or
dependable marks made. Under above-
named conditions there is nothing left to
do but look upwards almost continually,
and in doing this, the gauges and track
do not receive the attention they
should. The air pump may stop or the
February, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
57
injector break, and not be noticed as
soon as it should be. It might be de-
sirable to cut the engine back or drop
a notch according to grade, consult the
watch, etc. It is hardly sate to do
«ither. A flagman on the track would
be likely to be overlooked unless he
made an unusual noise. Why? Simply
companies they work for. Any change
for the better that can be made at the
present time, means a saving in the
future, and added safety and more satis-
factory service.
To remedy the above shortcomings I
would suggest the lowering of all sig-
nals, a reduction in the number of
M s.MuKi, l;u.\.
because no man can look intently up-
wards and, at the same time, .see what
is on the track. In addition to this, a
signal can, at times, be passed without
being seen, when running in a dense
fog. It can also easily be misinter-
preted. At best, a glimpse is all that
can be had, and all those who have had
experience running an engine know that
a light looks very small in the fog, if it
signals and a design of the cab of the
engine that would enable the crew to
see all that is necessary through the
cab door while running forward, and
protect the engineer as much as pos-
sible against rain and storm and place
him in a position of case.
Design, color and meaning come
next to location. E.xperience has
demonstrated the superiority of the
automatic bridges are the same, it tends
to confusion and the best are at times
liable to err. To place a small charac-
ter or an extra signal on bridges to guard
against mistakes, is only a hall way
measure, increasing the number of in-
dications to be observed, which are al-
ready too numerous, withont giving
lull protection. Better by far change
the form, making one entirely different
from the others.
The meaning of signals should be
limited and all signals of the same type
should in all cases mean exactly the
same. This will increase in importance
as the use of the signal increases. It
i< not far off when all important lines
.\ill be signalled from terminal to ter-
minal and the permissive block will be
abolished. A home signal should mean
cither stop or proceed, according to indi-
cation. As few in number as possible
should be placed on a mast. A home
signal fixed in stop position to denote
any peculiar condition is unnecessary
and should be removed. A distant
signal should mean either proceed at
full speed, at reduced speed, or stop at
home signal. Two blades of the two
position type would sufticc at most in-
terlocking plants. The top arm when
in clear position to indicate full speed,
whether for one or more routes. The
lower arm to govern routes where it is
desired to pass through the interlocking
plant at reduced speed and still pro-
ceed, it being immaterial whether for
cannot be seen until just at the mo- semaphore arm. Usually the home 'sig- one or more routes. I3oth arms to be
ment when passing under it. This
leaves a very narrow margin of safety;
so much so. that it has often occurred
to my mind that if the higher officials,
the Interstate Commerce Commission,
or even the traveling public knew the
exact conditions, traffic would be
stopped until a change could be made.
This statement, I will admit, is radical
and refers to the worst condition only,
but it is true and can be proved by
practical demonstrations. What is
worse than all, is that conditions under
which engineers must perform their
duties are becoming more difficult
daily, owing to the rapid increase in the
. ..,- 1 ,,p jjf signals and the increase in
• of the locomotives. The latter
: -re bearing on this subject than
It apparent at first sight and can be
tirst explained by stating that the de-
:-' ''I the cab is such that the man
• ■ • i' the engine cannot sec all he
1 and too little attention is paid
to comfort and convenience.
It occurs to me that every man run-
ning an engine and every experienced
'ircnian looking forward to promotion
' ' ! avail himself <>f the opportunity
■,-rt<it their views throiii^h the
!n of your paper. The subject
i» not only of paramount inl<r<-it to
them, hot i« also of vital inlrrrst to the
nal is of the square end pattern, and the
distant signal is the fish tail type. On
some roads these signals are painted to
correspond with the color
shown by the lamp when in
stop (or caution) position,
respectively. This is by far
the best way, as it gives a
color as well as form mean-
ing, and tends to simplicity.
To paint seniapliore arms
with a light color so that
they may be seen from a
greater distance, is sheer
nonsense. It does not help
in bad weather and is not
needed in clear weather.
The above design answers
the purpose very nicely as
long as the home signals art-
all of the absolute fnnii
not III be passed unless pr
cccd indication has be
displayed or an order '
clearance card lia.s been i"-
sued. But where interlock
ing plants arc located on
stretches of track protected
by automatic signals, »here
the limne signal rei|uircs a stop and
then permits a train to proceed care-
fully to the next home signal and the
home signals of both interlocking and
in caution position when desired to stop
the train at the home signal or permit
it to pass through the interlocking plant
MII.riAKV IIOSl'llAI. ( VK TI.MI'(>I<.\UII.Y CONVKHTKD
INTi; A MOIIKKN SI.KKl'KK.
al a very low rate of speed. The two
former indications iihould be all that is
necessary to display for the conditions
to be governed and if the electric, pneu-
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
February, 1910.
niatic, or semi-automatic signal is in
use, is perfectly safe and reliable. The
latter condition would require an ad-
ditional home signal indication. The
two first named conditions would not
need an additional home signal indica-
tion, and home signals could be ob-
scured unless desired to stop a train
that had passed a clear distant signal,
when a very prominent or extraordinary
signal to stop should be displayed, or
given by sound, or if, under ordinary
conditions a train is stopped and a
home signal indication becomes neces-
sary. But when everything is clear
and a train has the right to proceed a
distant signal indicating the speed is
all that is necessary and all that
should be used. This signal alone is
depended upon to stop the train be-
fore passing the home signal ; why, then,
should it require from one to two more
indications to proceed? In my opinion
not enough use is made of the facilities
a properl}' placed and designed distant
signal affords.
First, it should be placed a sufficient
distance from the home signal to in-
sure a safe stopping of trains. It
should be semi-automatic in order to
cause it to go to caution position, as
soon as the train has passed a given
point close to it, and remain in this
position until train has passed the
home signal and signal man has again
moved lever to clear it after having
first given all routes and signals con-
trolling this signal.
This would make it safe and reliable.
It certainly would relieve the engine
crew of considerable strain and un-
necessary work and worry if this sys-
tem was adipted. Another device that
I . 1 i:M.M..\ RAILRp.\D.
is greatly needed is some form of
signal that will give warning when
close to a signal when vision is re-
stricted. This would be a time saving
device, as too much time is lost at the
present time hunting signals after
caution signal has been passed. It
would also decrease the liability of
passing any signal unobserved.
Bad combinations also exist that
could and should be changed. At ter-
minals where one signal gives the right
to move to the next, regardless of
direction and switches and signals are
numerous, some mdication should be
given of route to be taken. This would
enable the engineer to make the proper
calculations and move his train more
promptly and with greater safety.
Another bad combination is to give a
clear distant signal indication for a
caution block indication. , Either have
the distant signal correspond with the
home or stop the train. Most roads
place a low speed restriction upon run-
ning on caution blocks. A train may
be running on a clear block where a
speed of from 30 to 60 miles an hour is
permitted and receive a clear distant
signal indication and a caution home
signal indication. If home block indi-
cation cannot be seen until close to it
an engineman may find himself run-
ning 40 or more miles an hour on track
when a speed of lo miles an hour or
less is permissible. Most roads, how-
ever, do not permit passenger trains to
accept a caution home signal indica-
tion without an order from the superin-
tendent. Freight trains usually do not
have this protection.
Some of the rules governing the use
of signals could also be amended. If
a strict observance of the rules is really
desired, they should be plain and based
on common sense. For instance, a
rule, requiring a train to run on a
caution block under perfect control so
that it can be stopped within range of
vision is wrong. Xo man can conform
to this rule when his vision does not
extend beyond the classification lamps
(often the case), and haul a train of
3,000,000 or more pounds.
To do this successfully would mean
to either stop and wait until fog cleared
or flag ahead. Another rule requires,
when running on an automatic signal
block, looking for broken rails. A
broken rail 99 times out of a 100 could
not be seen from the cab. Rules of
this kind are foolish and cause con-
tempt for rules which thej' deserve.
The engineer should not be placed in
a position where he must assume re-
sponsibility for all accidents, whether
within his power to prevent or not.
Conditions on a modern railway
system have brought about a change
unobserved by many. It has lessened
the work and responsibility of some
and increased that of others. Take a
road, that runs on the signal system,
such as the Pennsylvania, where a
train of inferior class has a right to
proceed on a signnl displayed for a
track assigned to traffic in the direc-
tion in which they are n-oving regard-
less of overdue superior class trains.
What does it mean? Just this. The
work and responsibility f-^rmerly as-
sumed by the conductor is now as-
sumed by the train dispatcher and
signalman or operator. Con«;equently
the latter is of far more importance
than formerly. He also does a great
deal of the flagman's work by protect-
ing following trains by means of prop-
erly displaj'ing signals and routing
trains. This man has grave respon-
sibilities to assume. He should be a
cool, well-schooled railroad man with
good paj' and good working conditions.
Where traffic is dense and the track
is protected by signals, flagging is a
farce. Consequently, absolute blocks
are ni-oo^sarv.
BRIDGES XE.\R AUG.\ C.\LIENTE,
GUATEM.\LA RAILROAD.
.\s to color for night indications:
I believe white, green and red to be
the best. Yellow it seems to me in
the fog would be nothing but a dirty
white, a hard light to see and more or
less unreliable. But why not dispense
with colored lights entirely. The
World Signal Company, of Phillips-
burg, Pa., have on the market today an
illuminated background signal. This
enables the position of the blade to be
plainly seen at night as well as in day-
time and is certainly superior to the
present different colored night indica-
tions. This signal can be placed much
low-er on the overhead bridges than the
present form of signal permits. It is a-
larger object to catch the eye. The
light shines on the background and
does not reflect its rays in the cab-
windows. It would do aw^ay with a
large number of lights, and permit"
the engine crew- to more readily ob-
serve the signals other than fixed
signals, that might be given, a difficult
task under present conditions on ac-
count of greater brilliancy of the fixed
signal lamps. It would also dispense-
with signal failures on account of lamps
not burning. It also promotes safety,
as position of arm is the safest indica-
tion and the least liable to failure. Itr
being much larger than a lamp it re-
duces the liability of passing it un-
observed. Div. 323.
J]'i!kiiisburg.
Good Work by Apprentices.
Editor :
Enclosed yru will find a picture of
Pennsylvania engine Xo. 5166. that has
just had a general overhauling at the
P. B. & W. shops at Wilmington. Del.
When this engine was taken into the shop
she was what we call E.2..\. with the
February, igio.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
59
slide valve motion, and thty changed her
to what we call E.3.D. with the
Walschaerts valve motion.
The work was done by eight apprentice
boys with the assistance of iheir worthy
a piece of brass and turn one end down
and screw -js in.; bore a 3/16 in. hole
through for oil to feed. Bore out the
top (44 in. diani.)
small holes round
I in. deep;
the bottom
put 6
so oil
foreman, Mr. L. P. B. Faust and his as-
sistant, Mr. J. F. Feeney. The boys
names are, reading from the left, H. E.
Kalambacker, F. J. Thompson, (Fore-
man) L. P. B. Faust, (Assistant) J. F.
Feeney, F. \V. Lewis, C. \'. Marshall, R.
Pyle, T. Lajman, W. W. Rice and W.
Appleton. This engine is a great credit
to these boys, for after she had a trial.
she was put into through service, and
has not lost a trip. I hope you can tind
a place in the February issue for this
picture and contents.
F. W. Lewis,
Locomotive Inspector,
P. B. & W. Shops.
ll'itminglon, Del.
Self-Closing Oil Cup for Guides.
Editor:
It is a well known fact that the con-
sumption of oil on a railway is a se-
rious item. It is necessary that it
should be closely watched in order to
avoid waste as much as possible. 1
have noticed engines arrive at the
roundhouse with oil drop[>ing on the
guide bars, owing to the needle not
bring closed down. The oil that re-
mains in the cup drops on the guide
and then to the floor and is wasted. I
do not say the closing of the needle is
omitted wilfully, but it docs take place.
The engineer may possibly have his
attention directed to some important
work or have to make out his report,
and he thus omits to close the needle
ir the cup.
It will be seen by the enclosed
sketch how the cup may lie made to
close itself. It is not necessary to
make a new cup. Remove the needle
in your old cup, bore a hole '/i in. deep
in the bottom for H in. screw. Take
SKi.iti.iisiXG OIL tur.
the guide. Hy using this device the
waste of riil on guide bars is reduced
to a minimum. A. J. Varlow.
l-,>rl H,lliam. Onl.
Old Timer with Straight Stack.
Editor:
We hear striiighl stacks spoken of as
a "recent invention." It is not such.
In the late 50's and early 6o's stacks as
shown in accompanying picture were
used on the Old Colony. The "dicky"
on the top was larger than the stack
and open at the bottom, the theory
being that air passing between the
stack and "dicky" would have a ten-
dency to give the smoke an upward
motion to the relief of passengers. In
connection with these stacks the Bul-
lock spark catching device was used,
the sparks falling into a sheet iron box
midway between the frames and just in
rear of the truck wheels. These stacks
gave way to the "diamond stack," in
1865. The stack was painted black.
The "dicky" and bands around the
stack were a bright red and were kept
<i>ri' 111- Ari'RiNTU I -
can flow on the center. Place '/i in.
ball inside, bore the bottom with a
slight curve, and you will find that the
ball will seat over the center of the
3/16 in. hole and prevent any leak of
oil when the engine is at rest. As soon
as the engine moves, the vibration of
the machine causes the ball to move
or roll about and oil drops through ti>
'II |> I \s;i InXKl) >lk.\l(;llT ST.\CK.
scrupulously clean and shiny with an
ample supply and use of waste, tallow
and elbow grease. .At the present time
but little of either of these articles is
used on stacks to say nothing of on
other parts of the engine.
Observer.
rull Riier, Mass.
Predictions.
It is amusing to read the discussions
in technical meetings long gone and
the predictions concerning lines of
progress. At the master mechanics'
convention in 1883 a paper on Loco-
motives was read by Mr. !•'. W. Dean,
a rising mechanical engineer.
Mr. Dean showed himself deeply
iiiamorcd of the Furopean style of
liK'oinotivc, advocating the use of slab
frames, plain, straight, domcless boilers,
solid pistons and other novelties, lie
predicted that Joy's valve motion was
destined to suiierscde the link niutloii.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
i-'cbriiary, 1910.
The World System of Railway Signals.
In viewing a work of art such as a
painting by sonic great master, the or-
dinary spectator, as a rule, is principally
interested in wliat is shown in the fore-
ground. In the brief description which
WORLD SIGN.\L, FRONT VIEW.
follows, of what may be called a work
of art in railway signaling, it is the back-
ground upon which the interest of the
reader must be concentrated. We have
had so many letters from locomotive
engineers, traveling engineers and others,
in commendation of the system brought
out by the World Signal Company of
Philipsburg that we have pleasure this
month in presenting to our readers an
illustrated description of the very in-
genious method of illuminating the back-
ground of this signal.
In the first place the World Signal sys-
tem dispenses with colored lights, and as
it depends upon the observation of the
position of the signal arm either day or
night, it is quite effective for men who
are color weak or even color blind. In
fact this system entirely does away with
the necessity for the spectacle and the
semaphore lens, but the heavy spectacle
can be replaced, if desired, by a weight
sufficient to bring the arm to the horiz-
ontal position in case of track circuit de-
rangement or other form of failure. It
also lends itself readily to the upper
quadrant system.
As will be seen from our illustrations
the background is placed several feet
back of the semaphore arm. This allows
room enough for a man to stand on the
signal platform between the signal and
the background, and in this way he is
able to adjust the one or clean the other
as occasion may require. The back-
ground is made of a series of horizontally
placed metallic strips, usualy galvanized
iron, painted white and coated with a
flexible enamel paint. The background
is therefore white ; and the adhearance
of snow and ice to its surface would
in no way interfere with the usefulness
of the background.
It is, as we have said, made up of
metallic strips horizontally arranged and
carried on a suitably braced frame, and
on closer examination it will be found
to have several interesting and useful
features. In the first place the back-
ground which looks solid when viewed
from a locomotive cab, has each of its
parallel metallic strips inclined at an
angle to the vertical. The angle at which
the strips are set in such that light re-
flected from each strip would fall gen-
erally toward the track, and roughly
speaking the whole background would
appear brightest when viewed from be-
low by an engineer on an approaching
train. The angle at which the strips are
placed has a tendency to cause any dirt
or grime to settle on the back of the
strips and thus always preserve the il-
luminated surfaces clean and bright. The
open or Venetian blind effect produced
by this arrangement of metallic slats is
such as to greatly reduce the wind pres-
sure upon the whole surface, with con-
sequent economy in weight and in the
supporting members.
Not only is the make up of the back-
ground itself very ingenious, but the
method of its illumination has been
worked out with an eye to practical
details which has rendered the result
produced most effective. The back-
ground is illuminated by means of a light
which is more than half enclosed in a
reflector. The direct light from the lamp,
of course, falls upon the background and
renders it bright, but the reflected light
is handled in such a way that a some-
what brighter area of illumination is
WORLD SIGNAL, SIDE VIEW.
secured on that part of the background
over which the moving end of the signal
arm sweeps out its arc.
The reflector consists of a series of
facets, one might almost liken them to
the flat surfaces on a cut glass tumbler.
February, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING
61
but they are not necessarily of equal
area and each facet stands at such an
angle to the adjacent facets as has been
found necessar>- to distribute the beams
of reflected light where they will do most
good. A glance at our engraving. Fig. I,
will show the parts of the background
tcni of signaling possesses may be men-
tioned the fact that color is not depended
on in any way, the day and night in-
dications are identical. The system may
be used on automatic or interlocking in-
stallations with equal facility, the whiten-
ing effect of snow and the cleaning action
' i ' .
y/^^
^/y'
^^
/ ^'^ //J^
/
y^
\j^^ //
wW
t^^^^^ —
(T
FIG.
PLAN OF REFLECTOR, SHOWING IHRKCTK.X LIGHT R.\YS.
which receive light from each of the
facets of the reflector. We have here
the entire surface of the background il-
luminated by the direct rays 01 the lamp,
and this light falling on it is augmented
by that from the numerous facets of the
reflector, and, furthermore, the arrange-
ment and angle of certain of the facets is
such as to reinforce the light on that part
of the background where the maximum
motion, or consequently where the
greatest evidence of position by the
semaphore arm is shown.
The background with its white surface
effectively marks out and conspicuously
reveals the semaphore arm during the
day. No natural or artificial surround-
ings can, by blur of color or similarity of
form, detract from the stark staring in-
dividuality and meaning of the signal as
it stands out in plain view. At night the
very darkness surrounding, enh.nnces the
effectiveness of the carefully illuminated
backgroimd, and like a shield charged
with the heraldic cnsignia of .in ancient
warrior, it attracts the eye singly and
alone, without ambiguity of meaning,
direct, definite and clear.
Among the advantages which this sys
of rain tend to increase its effectiveness.
There arc no corrugated spectacle glasses
to collect darkening snow or obscuring
grime. During the two-fold round of the
clock which makes the 24-hour railroad
(lay, the signal with the white background
has but one definite message to give un-
changed as to furm, and always in evi-
dence, clear and beyond peradventurc
Engineer's Professional Services.
A minister of the gospel is the only
professional man whose advice can be
safely asked without the danger of re-
ceiving a stiff bill for "professional ser-
vices." The mechanical engineer has
just as good right to claim pay for ad-
vice rendered as has a lawyer or medi-
cal doctor, but nearly all persons inter-
ested in any mechanical question or
device fed perfectly at liberty to con-
sult a niechanic.-il engineer without ex-
pecting to pay anything. This is par-
ticularly the case in respect to railway
matters. We are compelled frequently
(o decline to answer questions sent in
concerning Inventions, because we con-
sider that investigating the merits of
inventions belongs to mechanical engi-
neers who are trying to make a living
in the business.
.\ good story was told of W. A.
Sweet, a well known engineer of Syra-
cuse, N. Y. Casually meeting a promi-
nent lawyer one day, a long conversa-
tion followed, during the course of
which Mr. Sweet happened to ask the
Judge what he thought of some ques-
tions people were interested in, without
meaning to ask for legal advice. Soon
afterward Mr. Swxet received a bill
from the Judge "for legal advice one
thousand dollars," which was promptly
paid without protc-.t.
Time passed, and one day the Judge,
v.ho was heavily interested in salt man-
ufacture, needed professional advice
about some machinery which was not
operating properly, so he asked Mr.
Sweet to examine the machines and
tell him what was wrong. Mr. Sweet
looked them over for two or three
hours and indicated what in his opin-
ion was the cause of the trouble. When
he went home he promptly sent to the
Judge a bill, "for mechanical advice,
fifteen hundred dollars." That charge
was promptly paid, and the astute law-
yer confessed that the law was some-
times beaten by mechanics.
The Popuar Locomotive.
.■\ll classes of railway men. from the
president to the newest brakeman, are
interested in the locomotive, and all of
them like to talk knowingly about its
design, construction and operation.
Con>;idering the difficulty of mastering
the intricacies of this engine, its pecu-
liarities are discussed very intelligently
by men whose training has been of the
most elementary character. The loco-
motive stands out a prominent figure
PLAN OF SIGNAL, U\MP AND BACK
GROUND.
in railway operations, and the intelli-
gence of high and low may be gauged
by what they know about it. Operating
officials can nearly always be induced
to talk with a visitor when the subject
of locomotives is introduced.
62
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
Kebr
uary, 1 910.
Rllls:sx.v.Eii9neerin$
A Practical Journal of Motive Power, Rolling
Stock and Appliances.
Published Monthly by
ANGUS SINCLAIR CO.
114 Liberty Street, New York.
Telephone. 984 Corllandt.
Cable Address, "Loceng," N, Y.
Glasgow, "Locoauto."
Department;
ANGUS SINCLAIR, D.E., Prest. and Treas.
JAMES KENNEDy, Vice-Prest. and Gen. Mgr.
HABBY A. KENNEY. Secretary.
Editorial Department:
ANGUS SINCLAIR, D.E.. Editor.
GEORGE S. HODGINS, Managing Editor.
JAMES KENNEDY. Associate Editor.
Boston Representative:
S. I. CARPENTER, 170 Summer St., Boston,
Mass.
London Representative:
THE LOCOMOTIVE PUBLISHING CO.. Ltd.,
3 Amen Corner, Paternoster Row, London, £. C.
Street, Glasgow.
SUBSCRIPTION PRICE.
$2.00 per year, $i.oo for six months, postage
paid in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
For other parts of the world, S2.50, or ten
shillings. Single copies, 20 cents. Remit by Ex-
press Money Order, Draft, Post Ofhce Order or
Registered Letter.
Mailing address can be changed as often as
necessary — always give old and new address, and
if you subscribe in a club, state the name of the
agent.
Please give prompt notice when your paper
fails to reach you regularly.
Attempts to Keep Steam Cylinders Hot.
Very early in the world's experience
with the Steam engine observing peo-
ple saw that serious heat losses re-
sulted from condensation of steam
before it performed the work of actu-
ating the piston or while it was per-
forming that operation. The owners
of mines, that had been rendered worth-
less through being flooded by water
that animal power failed to pump out,
did not grudge the expense of coal
used to keep pumping engines at work,
that being the first paj-ing operations to
which the primitive steam engines were
applied. But when the steam engine
came into service for driving mills and
for other purposes, demand for econ-
omy soon arose and one of the first
attempts in the line of economy was
to keep the steam in vapor form until
its work was done.
James Watt's famous invention of a
separate condenser for the steam en-
gine was devised for the purpose of pre-
venting cylinder condensation, but it
proved only partially effective. Another
move of the same inventor for the pre-
vention of loss by the steam turning
prematurely into water was applying
steam jackets to the cylinders. That
invention had its advocates and its de-
tractors, but it continues to be used on
some engines today.
The high speed high pressure en-
gines peculiarly American did not
suffer so grievously from cylinder con-
densation as the ponderous slow mov-
ing engines so often found driving ma-
chinery in Europe, but the losses were
heavy enough to enlist many inventors
into the army of ingenious engineers
striving to devise remedies. The loco-
motive, which is the most popular rep-
resentative of high pressure, high
speed engines suffered badly from
cylinder condensation owing to the ex-
posed position of steam chest and
cylinders. It is no exaggeration to say
that twenty-five per cent, of the steam
generated in the boiler returns to
water in the cool steam chests and
cj'linders without doing work. Many
attempts to keep the cylinders hot were
tried before the modern superheater ap-
peared and some of the work done de-
serves commendation.
About 1876 George Richardson, in-
ventor of the pop safety valve, and
Frank F. Hemenway, for years after-
wards editor of the American Machinist,
carried on a series of experiments
with heated jackets for locomotive
cylinders. They ran a current of hot
gases from the smoke box around the
cylinders, obtaining a high degree of
heat ranging from 400 to 600 degs. Fahr.
That was considerably better than a
steam jacket, and it ought not only to
have arrested the steam condensation
within the cylinders, but should have
provided heat for slightly superheating
the working steam. But a curious fea-
ture about the experiment was that the
experimenters could determine no sav-
ing of steam or of heat. They could
not make the engine do its work with
less coal when the heater was in action
than it used under ordinary conditions,
so the attempt to save steam by heat-
ing the cylinders was abandoned. The
writer has always felt that some un-
seen defect existed that neutralized the
experiments.
M. Anatole Mallet, of France, whose
name has become so familiar to Ameri-
cans through his double ended loco-
motive made a great many experiments
with the steam jacketing of compound
locomotives and maintained as did other
European locomotive engineers that
the steam jackets promoted the ef-
ficiency of compound engines. The em-
ployment of superheaters has now, how-
ever, eliminated the troublesome steam
jacket which very often, when defec-
tively drained, became a condenser in-
stead of a heater. While accepting the
superheater as an effective preventor
of condensation we should like very
much to witness another attempt to
keep the cylinders hot by means of
gases passed from the smoke box.
Coal by Volume and Weight.
Coal purchased by railway companies
is very often bought by weight, but it is
usually measured out to engines by
volume. There is supposed to be a
definite relation existing between coal
by weight and volume. That is, a cubic
foot of coal is said to weigh a definite
amount. As a matter of fact in actual
daily life on a railway one finds that the
relation varies. It may be much or it
may be little, but there is always a certain
discrepancy. Railway companies general-
ly purchase what is called "run of mine"
and they frequently use two or more
kinds of coal at a locomotive station, so
that the difference between weight and
volume exists in a certain degree.
Coal may be bought by very carefully
determined weights at the point of de-
livery. That is, the tare weight of the
car may be determined each time a car is
unloaded, and the tare weight which is
painted on the car may be ignored in the
interest of greater accuracy. This method,
good as it undoubtedly is, does not elim-
inate two sources of error. One is that
coal may have mixed with it a certain
amount of snow in winter time and some
coal may be lost between the point of
delivery to the railway and the point
where the car is unloaded. These sources
of loss come ultimately on the mechani-
cal department, for the weight purchased
and paid for, is the weight assumed to be
delivered to the locomotives. The varia-
tion between coal by weight and coal by
volume may not be very great for any
one engine. It is the cumulative effects
which make up a discrepancy like the
agent's fifty-ton error to which Mr. C. F.
Luddington referred, in our January is-
sue. These are the days when the matter
of accurate coal accounting is being
looked into. There are weighing hoppers
on the market, the use of which would
entirely eliminate this source of error.
We would like to hear from locomotive
engineers on this subject of coal account-
ing. Many of them have suffered by rea-
son of inaccurate methods and they may
have suggestions to offer which would bf
not only interesting but valuable.
Elementary Industrial Education.
The discussion of mechanical and in-
dustrial education generally is receiv-
ing more than its natural share of at-
tention from people assuming to them-
selves the duty of guiding public opin-
ion. We have always advocated the
promotion of education among those
who need it most, the classes who gain
their living by manual labor; but of late
the advantages to this class of acquir-
ing knowledge that has no relation to
their business has been so much dilated
upon that those most interested are be-
coming tired of being bored bj- would-
be friends. They make believe that
February, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
63
knowledge relating to the laws of fric-
tion is necessary to enable a youth to
acquire the art of pushing a tile straight
and that the laws of hydrostatic? would
help a boiler maker to drive rivets
properly.
In one of his books on tiring, Angus
Sinclair gives a good illustration of the
relation between skill and knowledge.
He says: "It is not essential that a man
should know something about the
science of combustion to become a first
class fireman; but a knowledge of the
science will often enable him to over-
come difficulties and take a direct road
to secure the best results in firing."
Firing requires a combination of skill
and knowledge; filing and riveting in-
volve manipulative skill alone.
There is a growing demand lor ele-
mentary industrial education in the pub-
lic schools. In a speculative way, at
least, the popular idea of an industrial
education is that of one to be obtained
at schools which aim to properly regu-
late the education of both mind and
muscle. Undoubtedly the ideal indus-
trial education, the one most likely to
benefit its possessor, combines with
practice a good deal of the knowledge
of the practice and researches of others.
It is probably equally true that to be
the most effective, the practice and
what is usually called the theory should
be blended rather than be come at sep-
arately by a sort of cramming process,
first with one and then with the other.
By the latter process the full advantage
of neither are obtained, because one of
the most important considerations is
that that knowledge gained in one di-
rection shall, in passing, show the needs
of the other.
The technical or industrial school can
without difficulty attend to the theoreti-
il part by furnishing so far as known
irrect instruction, but there is no less
need — rather there is much greater
need — that the practical part shall be
correct, and just here is where any sys-
tem of industrial education in schools is
quite likely to be wrong.
In other words, the practical part of
the education of such schools may not
unreasonably be supposed to be de-
fective in one of its most important ele-
ments, viz : lack of purpose, or the set-
ting up of incomplete purposes. .
In the trades to which such an educa-
tion leads up materials arc worked to
a purpose and those who work them,
whether in the capacity of proprietors
or workmen, do to in direct competi-
tion with others similarly engaged;
hence the practical part of an industrial
education should embrace workinf^ to
a definite end, which is materially more
than complrling a tank. Physicians tell
uf that needed exercise faiU in it< pur-
pose when aimlessly pursued. .So to a
great extent will any sytleni that aimi
to impart practical instruction through
doing something for the mere sake of
doing it.
There is not much room for the man
who does even well, in a week, what
another does in a day, and industrial
education to be of substantial value
must at the same time it teaches how to
do a thing teach /low to do it so as to
pay. Unless it does this it is established
on a wrong basis and creates impres-
sions and forms habits never likely to
be got rid of. While this may not be
impossible in industrial schools, it
is undoubtedly the most difficult
problem connected with their success-
ful working.
One of the advantages, so far, that
those have who contrive to educate — in
the commonly accepted sense of the
term — themselves while pursuing their
regular work, is that the practical part
of their education has the element of
completeness, and is blended in the most
satisfactory way with the theoretical.
Education, under these circumstances,
may not be so easy of accomplishment,
but it never need lack in the way of
comparative utility.
An intelligent mechanic related re-
cently an experience which seems so
exactly to the point of working with a
definite purpose as to be worth preserv-
ing. Being desirous of learning me-
chanical drawing with special reference
to his business — that of a foundry fore-
man— he applied to a professional
teacher, from whom he received in-
struction for about two years. At the
end of that time he knew, as he ex-
pressed it, just as much about making
any practical u>e of his knowledge of
drawing lines as he did in the begin-
ning. Despairing of accomplishing any-
thing, he discontinued his lessons, but
fortunately happened to mention his
lack of success to an acquaintance, who
volunteered to assist him. His instruc-
tions were to make any sort of a rough
sketch of some mould being made in
the foundry — soine thing he had some
distinct reason for making a drawing of
— which should be sufficient by the aid
of his memory to fix the dimensions.
This he did. and by repeating it was. in
a few weeks, and with a very slight
assistance from his friend, he was able to
do all he had ever expected, and what
two years' hard study had left him as
much in the dark about as ever.
these stories we received the impres-
sion that an engineer engaged in train
moving in the theater of war operations
passed through greater dangers than
the men operating rifles. We are now
glad to learn that there is some pros-
pect of the nation treating the war lo-
comotive engineers with some con-
sideration.
A bill has been introduced in Con-
gress enacting that all persons cm-
ployed by the Quartermaster-General of
the .-\rniy as locomotive engineers, un-
der contract or otherwise, during the
late war of the rebellion, or who were
employed as locomotive engineers du-
ring such period by authority which is
recognized by the War Department,
and who rendered actual service as lo-
comotive engineers for a period of
ninety days or more and who were
honorably relieved from such service,
shall be held and considered to have
been in the military service of. and to
have formed a part of the military es-
tablishment of, the United States during
the period each person so served, and
that the Secretary of War be, and he is
hereby, authorized and directed to enter
upon the proper records of the War De-
partment the names of all persons who
are shown by the records of the office
of the Quartermaster-General of the
.•Krmy to have served as locomotive en-
gineers for the period hereinbefore spe-
cified and to have been honorably re-
lieved of such service. The purpose of
that enactment is to make war locomo-
tive engineers eligible to be placed upon
the Government pension roll.
Old War Locomotive Engineer* May
Receive Pensions.
.\bout twefity years ago. when l-OCO-
MOTivp. Kni.inkfkisii was young and
there were many Civil War veterans
alwut, whose hair was free from the
while tro<it of time, we frequently pub-
lished reminiscences of war-time expe-
riences from locomotive engineers who
had taken active part in the fray. From
Cause of Railway Accidents.
The real, fundamental cause of railway
accidents is to be found in the human ele-
ment. This is the view of Mr. F. P.
Roesch. master mechanic of the El Paso
& Southwestern, as expressed at the an-
nual meeting of the Railway Surgeons.
Mr. Roesch said that in former years it
was not uncommon to hear the state-
ment thai in proportion to tlie number of
men engaged there were more fatalities
on .American railways than in any one
battle in the Civil War. .At the present
time railroads afford greater safety to the
passengers carried liy them, than by any
other means of transportation.
In supimrt of this, Mr. Roesch pointed
out that the Pennsylvania, the Burlington,
the Santa f"e and the Chicago & Norlh-
Weslern ran their passenger trains for
the >ear ending June ,^o, 1909, without a
single fatality to passengers. In 190K the
New York City street cars killed 444 per-
sons and injured 36,060. With regard to
steam railroads very few accidents can
be set down to defective ec|uipmcnt.
Railroads arc still striving to further im
prove conditions by constantly adopting, at
enormous outlay and expense, any new
equipment or appliances which have
64
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
February, 1910.
Stood the test and are proved to be
efficient safety devices.
When one conies down to the only
phase of railroad operation that so far
has been beyond absolute control, the ele-
ment of human fallibility stands out as the
primary cause of accidents in ninety-nine
cases out of every hundred. The whole
matter, therefore, in Mr. Roesch's opinion,
resolves itself into a campaign of educa-
tion. Everyone connected with railroad
work must be taught that he is a valuable
cog in the railway machine, and that any
failure on his part may jeopardize the
lives of hundreds.
Mr. Roesch is emphatic in what he
says of how to deal with the man who
is habitually careless. Railway and Lo-
comotive Engineering has always held
that on a railroad the only rational sys-
tem of operation is where everyone plays
the game according to the rules, and in
that game the chancetaker has no legiti-
mate place. On this subject Mr. Roesch
says : "The chancetaker, regardless of
position, must be weeded out, and if he
cannot be brought to a realization of his
responsibility in any other manner, then
statutory laws should be enacted and en-
forced, treating the proven chancetaker
through whose carelessness, indifference
or neglect others have been subject to
injury, as a convicted criminal, as much
so as one who commits a felonious
assault.
"When men can be taught to realize
that indifference to the safety of others
may in the course of events some time
place his own life or that of a member of
his family in danger, a longer step will
have been taken toward increased safety
than all the mechanical appliances that
can possibly be adopted."
The Choice of a Calling.
We are constantly in receipt of letters
from young men asking advice on the
subject of what, in our opinion, is the
most likely department in railroad opera-
tion offering opportunities of advance-
ment to earnest workers. We wish that
we were able to point out the clear path
to each individual seeker after light, but
the task is an impossible one. It largely
depends on the individual. Those whose
youth has been spent vi^ithout some expe-
rience in manual labor would find firing a
locomotive to be a laborious occupation
requiring more than ordinary physical
strength and activity. Those who have
reached manhood without any experience
in machiile shops would also find much
difficulty in getting an opportunity of en-
tering on an apprenticeship in any of the
mechanical branches, and still more diffi-
culty in securing sufficient compensation
to meet living e.xpenses while learning the
particular trade they had chosen.
A large number of the youths of all
countries spend some yenr-^ in ineffectual
beginnings at occupations. The knowl-
edge they gain in this way is not alto-
gether wasted, but it is better if the mind
of the young lad can be directed toward
some particular branch or department of
human endeavor. Nature never errs.
Her followers are wise. Lightly built
lads w ho may be good at penmanship and
clever at mathematics should not waste
their time in sighing for the opportunity
to move thr-'^ttle levers. They should
learn stenography, and to that add the
correct use of words, and they will find a
wide and growing field in several depart-
ments of railroad work.
For several years railroading, like
many other occupations, has been over-
crowded, but the future is full of prom-
ise. This is especially true of the ex-
panding opportunities of the West and
Southwest. New roads are being pro-
jected and will be shortly opened there
with a degree of rapidity unparalleled in
the history of the world. There is now
and will continue to be a call for young
men in these golden fields of opportunity.
The strong, the accomplished, the self-
reliant will be welcomed. The feeble, the
unskilled and the unwilling will better
stay at home.
In this connection we would urge with
all the unction that we possess, that coin-
cident with the physical equipment indis-
pensable to the making of a successful
railroad man, a careful study of the best
books, a regular perusal of the best peri-
odicals are absolutely essential to that
fullness of information in regard to the
complex mechanism and methods encoun-
tered in railroad operation, which the
railroad man must acquire if he ever
hopes to be other than an humble drudge.
If we had space to recount the thou-
sands of testimonials that have come to us
unasked proclaiming the belief that our
publications have conduced to more pro-
motions in the railroad service than all
other similar causes put together, it would
seem as first sight incredible ; and we
might be accused of egotism. As it is, we
prefer to state modestly that what we
have already done falls short of what we
would wish to do. We cannot do better
than to urge the young railroad man to
follow in the footsteps of those who are
older and perhaps wiser, to peruse our
pages and study our books, and verily he
will have his reward.
Test of Technical Training.
"I would have a first-class manual
training school attached to every high
school, college and university, and I
would make attendance compulsory," so
spoke Mr. W. C. Brown, president of the
New York Central, to the students of
Cornell on Founder's Day. Mr. Brown
does not take a very rosy view of the
future and fears that unless the important
subject of technical education is ade-
quately dealt with, this country will suf-
fer severely from inability to cope with
more progressive nations.
We pointed out in our December issue
page 526, that the German method of
technical education is the most advanced
of any today. In Germany technical
training is the goal toward which all
lower forms of instruction are urged to
strive. The lower grades in the various
schools of that country face toward the
ultimate technical instructii u which the
pupil must receive before he graduates.
Mr. Brown, speaking of the German sys-
tem, says :
"If we could accept Germany's system
of technical training, her research and
thoroughness and combine them with our
inventions the combination would domi-
nate the world. Without these funda-
mental qualities it is only a question of
time when this country must surrender
its place as a leader among the great
manufacturing nations of the w-orld. The
failure to increase the production of
nation's farms by increasing the number
of bushels an acre is steadily and rapidly
increasing the cost of living, and manu-
facturers, merchants and employers of
labor of every class are scanning the fu-
ture with an anxious eye, for the end does
not seem in sight.
"The only possible solution, the only
possible salvation for the country, is the
immediate and most thorough awakening
of our people to an appreciation for the
overshadowing importance of the condi-
tion, followed by a systematic campaign
of education."
Mr. Brown shares the opinions of Mr.
James J. Hill, chairman of the Great
Northern, as to one of the reasons why
the cost of living has gone up in this
country. The yield in bushels per culti-
vated acre is below what the land can be
made to produce. In other words, these
two railroad magnates regard the agri-
cultural output of the United States as
practically on half time.
The New York Central president was
not content with merely pointing out
what he considered the fault of our sys-
tem ; he outlined the remedy, but he went
a step further and proposed to practically
apply his method, confident as to results.
He said the New York Central intended
to buy two or three abandoned farms in
New York State and get practically
tj-ained Cornell men to manage them. As
soon as these farms have been brought up
to what they should be, the company will
sell them and buy others. This, he ex-
plained, was not philanthrophy and not
simply a money making scheme. It was
just plain common sense and would prac-
tically be a demonstration, in terms of
material output, the value of technical
training. Mr. Brown has the courage of
his convictions. There has not often been
made as clear and definite a proposal to
test the value of trained men and the
result will be watched with interest.
February, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
65
Machine Shop Economy.
An observable feature in railway
machine shops is the close atteiuion that
is being given to economical details. This
is especially noticeable in the lubrication
01 high speed machinery which requires
a large supply of oil. It is of importance
that the oil should not be allowed to run
to waste after it has performed its work
of lubrication, as it has lost comparatively
little of its lubricating qualities and only
requires to be carefully cleared of im-
purities to be used over and over again.
In some of the larger shops what is
known as a centrifugal separator is com-
ing rapidly into use. This machine con-
sists of a drum mounted on a vertical
spindle, and may be rotated at a high
speed. The oil that has served as a
lubricant for shafting, or screw-cutting or
other work may be readily conveyed to
this machine, and the drum when set in
motion has the effect of separating the
oil from the grosser metallic or other
particles with which it may be mixed,
the oil flying outwards owing to the cen-
trifigal force of the revolving drum, and
the drum being surrounded by a casing,
the oil strikes this casing and falls into
a receptacle beneath, while the heavier,
solid substances remain in the hollow
shaped disk enclosed in the drum.
It seemed to us that this perfecting of
the details of machine shop economy is
carried to a finer degree of excellence in
some of the Eastern shops than it is in
America generally, lliis may partly arise
from the fact that many of these shops
have been longer in existence and have
advanced in what may be called the lesser
details. \Vc noticed recently on the Bos-
ton and Maine railroad a systematic
method of collecting oily waste in iron
buckets of substantial construction, the
buckets being furnished with legs and
close fitting lids. The danger from fire
is certainly lessened by not leaving loose
and oily waste lying promiscuously
around the shop. In the iron buckets if
by any means the waste should ignite the
combustion would necessarily be slow and
readily detected. The accumulated waste
mixed with s.iw dust and crude oil is
very serviceable in lighting locomotive
fires. These little economics may seem
as trifling details, but in the negrcgate
they amount to a great deal when prac-
tised year after year.
Side-Rod StresBcs.
Railway men arc well aware tli.it there
IS lem breakage in the parallel rods of
locomotive engines than formerly. This
ii gratifying to observe in spite of the
cumulative stresses induced by increaied
tractive effort and higher steam pressure.
The improved form of the parallel rod
has much to do with this. A straight
parallel liar, with a channel cut in each
side of it, so that it is in cross ic, lion a
douklr-flangrd girrlrr in mini.ilurc ha*
the element of rigidity in a marked
degree and far surpasses in every es-
sential requisite the old rectangular rod
of last century.
The stresses which a side rod has to
endure are greater than arc generally
imagined. In a four-coupled engine, the
adhesion being the same on all wheels,
and the distance from the center of the
coupling rod pins from the wheel center
being the same as that of the main crank
pin center from the center of the axle,
the stress on the coupling rod will be
equal to one half the pressure of the
steam on the piston, the other half being
met by the driving wheel in front. The
pressure on a 20-in. piston at iSo lbs.
per square inch amounts to 28 tons. A
bar in tension with a sectional area of
five inches would be sufficient to meet
this pressure, but in the constant and
ever-varying pressures exerted on a side
rod embracing direct push and pull and
all the various angles at which struts and
braces may be set, the rod must be stiff
enough to resist the tendency to bend.
In addition to this the centrifugal stress
is the most serious of all. At high
velocities the circle described by the
coupling rods being usually over two ft.
in diameter, a velocity of 30 ft. per
second is often exceeded in the motion
of the rod. If we calculate the weight
of the rod as approaching 300 lbs. the
tendency to fly away from the crank pins
would exceed four tons, and twice in
each revolution of the rod will be in the
same condition as a girder eight ft. in
length, carrying a distributed load of
four tons. This transverse stress has a
constantly repeated tendency to break the
rod.
It must also be borne in miiul that
there is an added stress in the compelling
of all of the coupled wheels to revolve
at the same speed, which they would not
do if left uncoupled. This arises from
several causes. They wear unequally.
They slip irregularly. They are rarely
equally loaded. In curving the conical
formation of the rims induce varying
velocities. The rods deprive the wheels
of their individuality, and if we add lo
these cumulative causes of bending and
fracture the fact that the crystallization
of all nulals is hasleiicd by vibratory ef-
fects ff rapid motion and variatinn in
stress, some idea will be gained of the
exacting nature of side-rod stre«se>.
Book Notices
The .\ir Brake Magazine, published at
.\leadvillc, Pa., appears in fine form an<l
already extends to 80 pages. The piib-
lilhcrt arc peculiarly fortunate in brgiti-
ning the publiralion with an excellent
»^ff 'of edilorinl writers, all of them
experts on the subject 10 which llie
magazine is devoted. The well known
air brake authority Mr. F. E. Dukcimilh
is F.dilor in Chief. The subjects are dis
r iis»ci| with Mi.irkrd abililv
By
VI.
Illistr.\ted Technical Dictionary.
August Boshart, Vol. V and Vol.
Published by the McGraw-Hill Book
Company, New York.
Two additional volumes of this im-
portant work are just issued and amply
meet the expectation of the enginering
world in regard to this modern cyclo-
pedia of engineering. Each of these
volumes contain nearly 900 pages and are
illumined with about 2,000 ilhistralions.
The hook has already an international
reputation, and is the first work of its
kind giving the meanings and explanatory
notes in six different languages. These
are English, German, French, Russian,
Italian and Spanish. Vol. V treats of
Railway Construction and Operation and
may be sold separately at $4.00. Vol. VI
treats of Railway Rolling Stock and is
sold at $3.00. It need hardly be stated
that Mr. Boshart, the able compiler, has
been assisted by a large number of the
leading engineers of America and Europe.
The method of classification and illustra-
tion is that adopted by the celebrated
engineering writer, Mr. Alfred Schlo-
mann, and these books arc altogether an
important and invaluable addition to the
engineering literature of the twentieth
centurv.
Practical Enginf.er's' Pocket Book and
Diary for 1910. Published by the
Technical Publishing Co., London, Eng-
land. Price, 50 cents.
The popularity of this diary is such
that an ever increasing demand is mani-
fested year by year for copies all over
the world. It would be ditTicult indeed
to think of an engineering subject which
is not fully treated in its pages. Much
new matter is added to the present
volume, especially in the growing de-
partment of electricity. It is handsomely
bound and, finished with strong india
rubber clasp, is admirably suited for the
pocket of the working engineer.
Rki-oht of tiik Procekdincs of the Seven-
tiiiilh Annual Convention of the Inter-
nal inn.ij Railroad niacksniilhs" .Associa-
tion. ICdiled by A. L Wood worth,
Lima, Ohio.
The annual conventi'>ns of this Associa
lion are increasing in importance each
year, and it is very gratifying to observe
the wide range of subjects discussed, and
the excellent degree of clearness with
which the subjects arc treated. The book
is illuslrnted with a large niunbcr of
folding pl.itej and other drawiuKS, and
should meet with much popular fiivor
among railroad blacksmiths generally,
and among those having charge of black-
smithing operations particularly. C"opics
Mi.u !„■ 1,.,,I (i,.>„ tl.. IM,f,,r I'r.. . <.i n.
66
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
February, igio.
Steam Motors for Street Service.
Electricity has pretty nearly monopo-
lized the street railway field, bnt not en
tirely if we may judge from two ex-
amples of steam motors recently turned
out by the H. K. Porter Company of
Pittsburg, Pa. One of these is a small
motor, "Empresa de Carros Urbanos."
The gauge of this road is the standard
S6J4 ins., and the weight of the ma-
chine is 6,200 lbs. The cylinders arc
4J4 X 8 ins.; driving wheels, with chilled
Iread, i8 ins. diameter; boiler pressure.
l6o lbs.; tractive force, 1,220 lbs.; boiler,
18 ins. diameter; number of tubes, 22:
diameter of tubes 1J/2 in.; length of
tubes, 2 ft. 9 ins.; length of firebo.x, 16
ins.; width of firebox at top, 135^ ins.;
width of firebox at bottom, 20 ins.;
heating surface of tubes, 23 sq. ft.; heat-
ing surface of firebox, 8.88 s(|. ft.; total
heating surface, 31.88 sq. ft. The water
tank is placed at the rear, and holds 60
gallons. Coke fuel, capacity 100 lbs
Six of this class of motor were recently
exported to Guayaquil.
The other example is of a larger
street railway motor, built for the
Uvalde Street Railway Company of
Texas. The gauge of the track is
standard. The cylinders are 8 x 14
ins.; diameter of driving wheels, 30 ins.;
weight of running order, 28,500 lbs.;
weight on drivers, 20,000 lbs.; boiler
pressure, 165 lbs.; tractive force, 4,174
lbs. ; straight tyjie liniler, diameter ^2
firebox at top and bottom, 26^ ins.;
heating surface of lubes, 143.2 sq. ft.;
heating surface of firebox. 32.5 sq. ft.;
.-ountries is gaining favor among .Xmeri-
■ans, may be inferred from the number
f technical and social organizations that
rili.^M MOTOR FOR STRI£KT SERVICE, WITH I'II,OT .\NL) HEADL.VMl'.
li. K. PORTER CO.
total heating surface, 175.5 sq. ft.: water
capacity, 300 gallons; coal capacity, 300
lbs.
Railway or Railroad?
The structure consisting of rails on
which cars are run is to most Americans
a "railroad," but the practice nf calling it
1
1
ETm
1
EMPUESAdeCumOS URBANOS
1
">> _ _: z:±k<
1
L §^§ n
J-
have railway in their names. For many
years "railway" publications have been
much more common than those bearing
the railroad device, and now we notic"
that our ancient friend the Railroad Age
ija::cttc has changed railroad for railway.
The preference for railroad or railway
is a matter of taste, but our own bias
favors "railway." It is the shortest word,
the most enphonious, the most easily ar-
ticulated and at the same tmie quite as
C-xpressive as its rival. We could, how-
ever, content ourselves with either if
some power would banish one of the
names from use so that uniformity might
pre\ail. We lose too much time in our
writing moments turning up railroad
directories to find out whether the au
tliorized name of a company is railroad
or railway.
11. K. I'llKrKR CO. STi;.\M .MOTOR l-'OR STREET R.MI.WWY SICKN ICi;.
ins.; number of tubes, 67; diameter of a "railway" is growing, though slowly.
tubes, iJ4 in.; length of tubes, 4 ft. 9 That the word railway used almost uni-
ins.; length of firebox, 37 ins.; width of versally in foreign English speaking
The Valve-Setter's Guide.
The unexpected rush of orders for
copies ,of James Kennedy's new book,
"The Valve-Setter's Guide,'' is such that
we have not been able to fill all of the-
orders as promptly as we would have
wished. We are now in a position to
ireet the demand quickly, as the binders
.re supplying us with finished copies at
a speed calculated to meet an\- emergency.
1 he book is generally conceded to contain
more matter in less bulk than any other
work ever published on valve gearings
It is altogether the best and most sub-
stantially bound book that we have ever
published at the price. Fifty cents per
c' 'py.
It is a good and safe rule to sojourn
in every place as if you meant to spend
your life there, never omitting an oppor-
tunity of doing a kindness, or speaking a
true word, or making a friend. — Ruskin.
February, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
Applied Science Department
The Steam Indicator.
Am^iig the many inventions ot James
Watt was the steam indicator, an instru-
ment by which the action of the steam in
the cylinder is accurately recorded on a
piece of paper, the record being called an
indicator diagram. It will be readily un-
derstood that it is of the utmost impor-
tance in the use of steam in the steam en-
>;ine to know exactly the amount nf pres-
sure exerted on the face of the piston dur-
ing the entire length of the stroke. With-
out the use of the indicator this cannot be
correctly done.
As is shown in the accompanying illus-
tration the indicator consists of a small
cylinder upon which a spiral spring of
known strength is coiled. A finely fitted
piston is located in the bottom of the
cylinder. Connections are made with the
cylinder of the engine to be tested. This
is usually done by having holes tapped
into the engine cylinder near the extreme
ends so that the movement of the piston
in the engine cylinder cannot stop or in-
terfere with the supply of steam to the
indicator. The small pipes lea<ling from
the cylinder are attached to the indicator
by a three-way cock. When steam is ad-
mitted into the cylinder of the indicator,
the piston rises in the cylinder, the coils
of the spring being closed in proportion
to the amount of pressure on the piston.
The piston rod passes up through the top
of the indicator cylinder, and its extrem-
ity is connected with a swivel-jointed
connecting rod which engages a lever
having mechanism for operating a pencil
at its extreme end. It will thus be readily
understood that as the steam pressure
varies in the engine cylinder, ili • nressure
being highest at the lime that the valve
is fully opened, the piston then rising to
its fulle t height in the indicator cylinder,
.in 1 rrmsequently when the supply of
steam is shut off from the rrv<ine cylinder
there will bo a corresponding lowering of
the piston in the indicator cylinrlcr. The
variations of «icam prcs^nrc in the engine
' vlinder will thus be indicated by the ris-
ing an<l falling of the piston in the indi
rntor cylinder, with a corresponding
movement <i the lever with pencil attach-
ment already alluded to. It will be noted
in the illustration that the distance be-
tween the piston rod connection where it
is attached to the lever and the point of
the lever to which the pencil is attached
is at)out six times the distance that the
piston connection is from the fulcrum. The
movement of the pencil will therefore he
six times that of the indicator piston.
It should he noted at lhi« time that the
indicator piston and rod and connections
are usually n-.ade as light as possible, the
piston rods in some of the best indicators
being of hollow steel. The lightness of
material has the effect of avoiding the
accumulating force of momentum which
is common to all heavy masses when in
motion, the real value of the steam indi-
cator being in its ready resiliency, corre-
sponding to the ever-varying pressure.
The movement of the spring must be a
constant and unerring ratio to the force
applied within the engine cylinder, other-
wise it would be niisKading in the record
of its movements.
Coming to the point where the lever
ends with pencil attachment it will
be noted that there is another
cylindrical altachmeni also fur-
nished with a coiled spring. This
cylinder or drum is adapted to
admit of a piece of paper being
rolled around -its outer surface,
and the coiled spring which the
drum encloses is so arranged thai
the drum may be turned when
sufficient force is ai)i>lie<l to its
periphery and the action of the
coiled spring is such that the drum
is pulled back to its original posi-
tion when the moving force ceases.
When the indicator Is in opera-
tion the drum receives a circular
motion from a ci rd, which is op-
erated by the crnsshead of the
engine, and the attachments arc
so arranged that the drum will
begin to move round just as the
piston of the engine begins its
stroke. The circular motion of
the drum continues till the pisl. n
reaches the end of its stroke, when
the cord ceasing to pull further the
( oiled spring impels the drum back lo its
original pofilion.
'I he coincidi nt motion of the piston in
the indicator cylinder with that of the
drum upon which the paper is attached
ard on which the pencil is printing is
^uch that the pencil will describe a
diagram which represents the amount of
pressure iu'lilr the cylinder of the engine
at every point (if its stroke. The moti(m
for the paper drum is cfimmonly and con
veniently taken from the crosshcad. There
is no plan imiversally applicable, a com-
mon method Iciiir in use being to attach
a reducing lever lo the crosfthend which is
pivoted I" a temporarily arranged plank
or block of wood secured to the running
iToanl of the loioniotive or in the case of
.1 slalionary engine, the lever may be
pivoted lo a scantling braced from the
top <i| the engine bed to the ceiling — any
kind of arrangement that will present a
suitalile surface at the proper height. The
careful adjustment of the cord that con-
veys the motion from the reducing lever
to the drum is necessary, but the location
of the point is not difficult, as it will be
easily calculated by comparing the length
of the stroke of the engine piston in
inches with the li«gth of diagram that is
possible to be described.
Recent improvements have added great-
ly to the facility with which the indicator
diagrams may be taken. The best form of
indicator is now equipped with a reducing
wlieel which dispenses with the iiiter-
iNiiu xioK Willi KXi'i)Si;i) .si'RiNr,.
inedi.iry attachmenis on the crosshead,
leading <lireclly from the reducing
wheel _to the crosshead. the reduction of
speed lielwcen the reducing wheel and
drinn being occasioned by the use of a
spiral moving in gearing allached lo the
drum. Oiher improvements ad<l to the
accuracy fif the inslrumenl, a feature be-
ing the arrangement of the coiled spring
in an open casing, thereby avoiding the
heating effecl caused by enclosing the
spring in the cylinder lo which the steam
is adinilled.
llur illustration shows a Tabor indi-
catfir m.ide by the Asbcroft Manuf.aclur-
ing Co., page io<; of their catalogue.
A beaulifid form is belter than a beau
t'fnl face; a beautiful behavior is bclK-
Ihan a beautiful form; it gives a higher
pleasure Ihan slalites or pictures; it is
the finest of the fine arls.— /I'mcrjoii.
OS
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
rcl>riiari, 1910.
Celebrated Steam Engineers.
X.Wl. JoH.N Fncii.
The application of the sleani engine
to navigation lias occupied the atten-"
lion of many eminent engineers. We
have alreadj- presented brief biographi-
cal sketches of some of these gifted
men. More are yet to come. The
question of priority has created much
unnecessary discussion. After the per-
fecting of the steam engine by James
Watt had been accomplished, it was
only natural to e.\pect that with the
expansion of industries, and the call
of necessity for more commodious and
rapid transportation, the new and
mighty machine would be applied to
other purposes some of which were un-
thought of in Watt's time. Hence the
locomotive, the steam hammer, the rock
drill, the injector, the steam crane, and
other devices.
In justice to John Fitch, one of the
earliest and ablest American engineers,
it must be admitted that his e.xperi-
ments in steam navigation antedate
Watt's engine. He was born at
Windsor, Conn., in 1743. He was
totally ignorant of the fact that certain
successful attempts at moving engines
by the pressure of the atmosphere,
superinduced by a vacuum created bj-
the condensation of steam, had been
already accomplished. In 1785 he pro-
duced his first engine. It was applied
to a steamboat with paddle wheels.
The entire mechanism was of brass
with the exception of the paddle wheels
which were of wood. So convincing
was the success of his experiments that
early in 1786, the State of New Jersey
passed a law, giving Fitch, for fourteen
years, the sole and exclusive right of
navigating all kinds of boats which
might be moved bj' the force of fire
and steam in all the waters of the
State. In the same year he made ex-
periments on a skiff with a steam en-
gine of three-inch cylinder, which
moved a spirally arranged set of pad-
dles, the endless chain, and several
other modes, none of which were quite
satisfactory.
New York and Pennsylvania both
followed the example of New Jersey.
:nul later. Virginia and Delaware, and
in 1787 Fitch produced a larger boat,
the engine of which was equipped with
a twelve-inch cylinder. This craft was
launched on the Delaware at Philadel-
phia, on .\ugust 22, 1787. and the in-
ventor received the congratulations of
the members of the National Conven-
tion then in session. Mr. Fitch con-
tinued his improvements on the steam-
boat, and in 1790 his steamboat made
repeated trips between Philadelphia and
Burlington, making the distance of
twenty miles in three hours. During
the summer of 1790 the steamboat tra-
versed over 3,000 miles on the Dela-
ware carrymg passengers as tar as
Trenton, making three trips each week.
It is to be regretted that Fitch's re-
peated ventures were not as financially
successful as might have been wished,
and he carried his inventions to France
and latterly to England. He came back
to America, working his way as a
common sailor. Among his last ex-
periments was a steamboat he con-
structed out of a ship's yawl. This he
launched on a pond in New York City,
on the ground near where the Tombs
prison now stands. The boat was
driven by a screw propeller, and was
acknowledged bj' the best engineering
authorities to be a marked success in
every way, and Fitch's failure to main-
tain and expand the real value of his
remarkable inventions was the lack of
capital, which, as may readily be
imagined was an insurmountable dif-
ficulty at a time when the country had
hardly begun to be opened up, and
\ ery few men had acquired any surplus
v.ealth. It was by selling his own lands
in Kentucky, which he had acquired as
a surveying engineer, that he was
enabled to demonstrate to the world
the practicability of steam navigation.
Fitch died in 1798. A rough stone
without an inscription marks his grave
at Bardstown. On the east wall at the
north entrance to the capitol building at
Hartford there is a bronze tablet com-
memorative of this fine engineer and
inventor. The merits of his invention
are undisputed, but it seems that he
came ahead of his time, and he only
succeeded in paving the way where
others followed to fame and fortune.
Imperfections of Puddled Iron.
Defining the broad distinctive char-
acter of wrought or bar iron and cast
homogeneous iron or steel in his auto-
biography, the late Sir Henry Besse-
mer remarks that a merchant bar
produced by a number of puddle bars
being welded and rolled into one ap-
pears to the eye, and is supposed, to
have all its separate parts united so
as to form an indivisible mass. But
he points out that this is not so. "I
have never seen," he says, "a bar of
wrought iron produced by puddling
that, in two or three minutes, by a
very simple treatment, I could not
separate more or less perfectly into its
component bars, which are in reality
never thoroughly united, although they
adhere more or less soundly." Re-
ferring to the far-famed Lowmoor and
other Yorkshire irons, Bessemer re-
tnarks that it may be supposed that
these are exempt from this defect, the
simple fact, on the contrary, being that
"best-best" iron has been piled more
times than common iron, and the re-
sult of working it at a temperature that
will not continue the welding process
only divides it into more numerous
filaments than a bar of common iron.
He recounts how the head of a great
Yorkshire firm, famed among bar iron
makers, who called at his works,
scouted the idea of disintegration of
any bar-iron made by his firm by
simply working it at a temperature
below welding heat, but on one of his
bars being hammered he was utterly
astonished at it dividing for about a
foot of its length into a mass of fibres
"forming a veritable birch-broom."
Sir Henry Bessemer also mentions that
a bar of Bessemer mild steel, similar
to the two bars of 1 in. square iron re-
ferred to above, were heated at the
same temperature under the same
hammer; but it simply became extended
into a flat undivided surface, without a
crack or rift in the material. He com-
ments that these examples of forging
below a welding heat serve to show the
imperfection inevitable to all puddled
or welded iron; while the steel ex-
ample also shows the continuity of
parts resulting from the Bessemer steel
or homogeneous iron being formed into
an ingot while the metal is in a fluid
state, hence producing an undivided
and indivisible mass, however much it
may be hammered, hot or cold.
Questions Answered
FORGIXG FIXE SWORDS.
Q. A. B. Y., Morristown, N. J.,
writes: As j'ou discuss all questions of
an engineering character, I make free
to ask if such swords as Damascus
blades have ever been forged bj" mod-
ern blacksmiths? — A. Modern black-
smiths can do as good forging and tem-
pering as ever was done, and modern
metallurgists have produced steel of a
fineness that the ancients never
equalled.
BURNING TOO MUCH COAL.
10. R. H. F., Chicago, writes : I wish
to obtain your advice or that of your prac-
tical readers about an engine that is burn-
ing too much coal. The engine, a Rogers,
with cylinders 18 x 24 ins., had a broken
frame which was replaced by a frame
from another engine, but now she burns
95 lbs. of coal to the mile on a certain
grade which used to be got up on 49 lbs.
to the mile. She now burns holes in the
fire, whereas formerly the fire was burned
evenly. A bush was formerly used in the
nozzle making it 5 ins. diameter, but that
was removed and now the nozzle is 5)4
ins. diameter, yet she devours the coal.
What would you advise? — A. This is a
very puzzling case. We should first ad-
vise that you experiment with the draft
appliances in the front end until the fire
burns level. We have known a few rare
February, 1910.
R.\IL\VAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
69
cases where nozzles were made 50 large
tnat they decreased compression, thereby
wasting steam. In the line of experiment
liie reduced size o£ nozzle might be tried.
We wish to have our readers express
their views on this question.
you have to do is to clean the glass and
put on a new coating of the glycerine.
II. A. J. B., Batesville, .\rk., writes:
Please give me the temperature oi steam
for diflferent pressures. I have seen a
ubie somewhere but have lost it. — ^A.
The table you require is generally to be
found in some engineer's pocketbook, such
as Kent's. The table is called the "Prop-
erties of Saturated Steam." The tem-
perature of steam at atmospheric pres-
sure is 212 degs. F., at 80 lbs. pressure it
is 323.9 degs., at 100 lbs. it is 337.S degs.
F., at 150 lbs. it is 365 degs. F., and at
aoo lbs. 387.7 degs. F. All the other pres-
sures and temperatures may be found in
the Uble. What we have quoted here are
the pressures as shown on a steam gauge.
The absolute pressure is 147 lbs. below,
each as 14.7 lbs. is the pressure of the
atmosphere at the sea level.
TENDENCY OF CITRVEB TUBES TO STRAIGHTEN.
14. Novice, Wilmington, Del., writes :
I have noticed that the tubes used in
gauges to indicate pressure by their
tendency to straighten out are of ellip-
tical section. Would a round tube not
act as well? If it would do as well it
would be stronger than in the elliptical
or rectangular form. — A. A round tube
would have no tendency to straighten
out. It has been tested repeatedly.
H.'KUL.'VCE CAPACITV.
12. C. L., Yonkers, N. Y., writes:
One of the trainmen on the Ulster &
Delaware informed me that while three
of their engines coupled together could
haul a train of thirteen passenger cars
up the grade, yet not one of these three
could singly pull four of the same cars
up. What is the explanation of this?—
A. We do not think you were correctly
informed on this matter. There is noth-
ing to make an engine become more
powerful simply by being used in con-
junction with others. There is, of
course in nearly all cases of grade climb-
ing, a margin of power, that is, an engine
is not usually taxed to the very last
ince. It can pull the train up, and per-
aps a trifle more— not another car per-
ips, but a trifle more. It misht so hap-
•n that the margin of power in the case
! these three engines amounted to the
lulage of one car. In any case it it
it likely that each of these engines ex-
tly equalled the others in haulage
ipacity, and weather conditions may
ive been different on the occasion when
e engine and the three were used, and
• :igineers handle their engines differently.
TO BF.MfDY CLOUDED CLASS
13. Fireman, Washington, D. C
writes: There is some leakatje of steam
from the »tuflrin(f boxes and other parts
of the engine that earns my livelihood,
and the windows are often badly ob-
scured. Can you tell me of a remedy?
—A Put a thin coaling of glycerine
upon both sides of the window glass.
That will prevent the mi*ty moisture
from adhering to the glass. When dust
collects on the glycerine coating, all
PRESSURE OF STEAM IN PIPES.
15. J. M. K., McKeesport, Pa., asks:
Does the pressure of steam remain the
same at the extreme end of a long pipe,
say 40 ft., as it does near the boiler?
— A. If the pipe is placed horizontally
the pressure will be the same at all points.
If the pipe is placed vertically the pres-
sure will be slightly greatest at the
bottom owing to the weight of the
column of steam in the pipe.
MUD RING CORNERS AND GRATES.
16. M. M., Chicago, writes : Why could
not the mud ring be made with a long
radius at the corners of the firebox, say
12 ins., and have a drop grate at back
end of firebox the same as the front?— .^.
The round comers of the size alluded to
would take away considerable heating
surface and decrease the grate area with-
out any apparent gain. An extra drop
grate would save a little work, but would
require extra shafting and connections
and would not be much used. There are
already as many attachments on the shak-
ing grates as can well be taken care of
The term "coefficient of friction" is an
expression which indicates the proportion
which resistance to sliding bears to the
force which presses the surfaces together.
There is little friction when this amounts
to only one-twentieth ; it is moderate when
it is one-tenth, and it is very high when it
is a quarter or twenty-five per cent, of the
force which presses the surfaces together.
Last year's balance, together with that
of former years, leaves to the credit of
the office in the United States Treas-
ury, $6,890,726. - Special attention is
now being given to the classification
of the 915,000 United States' patents,
to the 2,000,000 foreign patents, and to
the 85,000 volumes in the library.
When this work is accomplished it is
expected that the expense of examin-
ing applications will be reduced by one-
third, and that the character of the
work will be improved.
The present method of operating the
Patent Office imposes an unnecessary
tax upon inventors for which there is
no excuse. With all the surplus in-
come derived from patentees the office
is entirely inadequate for the business
and its inconvenience has been the sub-
ject of complaint for years but Con-
gress has always turned a deaf ear to
complaints.
In the course of its progress through
the office, up to the issue and mailing of
a patent, an application passes through
the hands of fifty-two persons. An
applicant pays $15 to have his claim
examined, and in case he is granted a
patent an additional fee of $20 is re-
quired. Attorneys charge from $25 up,
according to the work demanded by the
cases, and as the applications number
about 40,000 yearly it will be seen that
there is a good deal of money to be
divided among the patent lawyers
whose signs cover the faces of the
buildings in the vicinity of the Patent
Office. An inventor is not required to
employ an attorney, but probably
ninety-nine out of a hundred do. In
simple cases, where there is no inter-
ference with prior claims, an inventor
can almost as well deal direct with the
government, but in most cases the
knowledge of the lawyer is valuable.
He can study other inventions in the
same line, and knows how to make the
claim of his client broad enough to
cover all that is new and valu;ible, and
not so brn.id as to be rejected.
Following are the number of long tons
of different weight steel rails, required to
lay one mile of track : 30 pound, 47 tons ;
40 pound, 63 tons; 50 pound, 79 tons; 60
pound, 94 tons; 65 pound, 102 tons; 70
pound, no tons; 75 pound, 118 tons; 80
pound, 126 tons; 90 pound, 141 tons; 100,
175 tons.
Patents and Their Cost.
Last year the United States Patent
Office issued 33S'4 patents, reissued
168 patents, and registered 6,029 trade-
marks, labels, and prints. During that
time 22,328 patents expired. The ex-
penses of the office for the year were
$1,712,303 and the receipt* $1,896,848.
Change of Tune.
When Frank S. Gannon was on the
Southern Railroad he had a particularly
efficient car porter named Enoch Strong.
Enoch was something of a dude but coal
black and chronically merry.
Enoch Rot married one day and after a
time Mr. Gannon noticed that his porter
had lost much of his vivacity.
"What's the matter with you Enoch,
doesn't married life agree with you?"
"Ycr ^cc Mas Cannon," replied Enoch,
"Yer sec befo' we was married, when I
wen' to see Chloe, who is a yaller girl.
:he would shout 'Come right in honey and
plant mc ilown on de lounge.' "
"Now when she hear me open de gate,
she shout, 'clean oflF dem shoes befo' you
open de dore, you black nigger.'"
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
February. IQIO.
Air Brake Department
Conducted by G. W. Kiehtn
K Triple Valve Tests.
In the September, 1909. issue attention
was called to the fact that a reliable rec-
ord of the performance of type K triple
valves was obtained during a series of
demonstrations on the Southern Pacific
Railway.
The actual value of this type of triple
valve must be determined by a compari-
son with the older type H valve, and the
quick service, uniform release and uni-
form rechange type of triple valve is
now so well known that a review of the
train brake operating conditions which
necessitated the use of this type of triple
valve can now be omitted, hut we have
placed a few of the principal results of
those tests in a tabulated form from which
the advantage of the use of those triple
valves can be readily noted.
The train which was used in conduct-
ing the tests was composed of 80 oil cars
having over 3,700 ft. of brake pipe and
hose connections, cars fitted with lo-in.
brake cylinders and with both K and H
triple valves in a manner that either type
could be used by simply cutting the other
out, thus a test of one type could be im-
mediately followed by a test of the
ether, thereby obtaining the same condi-
tions of rail, weather, etc., during a com-
parative demonstration, or. both types
could be mixed or used at the same time,
that is, type K triples could be operated
among H triples to show the beneficial
effect of K valves when used among H
valves.
The advantage of the quick-service
feature becomes apparent in the following
table which shows the time required for
different brake pipe reductions to travel
through the brake pipe of the 80-car
train.
The Tst. 25th, 50th and 8oth cars had
Triple valve, ist car.
H 8.0 seconds.
K and H. . . 6.0
K 3.8
H
K and H.
K
\\
K and H .
K
. . 8.7 seconds
■■ 4-5
. 3.6 ••
. . 9.0 seconds.
■ . 5-4
H
K and H.
K
9.0 seconds
6.8
2.7
TABLE 2.
5-LB. REDUCTION.
25th car.
.... seconds.
36.0
16.0
lO-LB. REDICTIOX.
30.0 seconds.
20.0
12.7
I5-LB. REDUCTION.
27.5 seconds.
16.0
12.8
25-LB. REDUCTION
27.5 seconds.
14.2
12.3
50th car.
.... seconds.
47.0
28.0
34.0 seconds
24.0
.0 seconds.
pressure recorders attached to their brake
cylinders during this test and they were
electrically connected to the brake valve
on the locomotive, thus this time in move-
ment is accurately recorded.
The letter H means type H triple
valves, K and H means one-half H and
one-half K triples. K means type K
triple valves alone.
Tlie time in seconds for the reduction
to travel to the different numbered cars
i? measured from the movement of the
brake valve handle.
While the table represents the time re-
quired to move the brake pistons, the
time required for the brake to do work,
that is. to get the pistons out 6 ins.
( 10 or T2 lbs. cylinder pressure) is some-
what longer, but the K triple valves
maintamcd about the same ratio, doing
the work in one-half the time required
by H triple valves.
The principal object of the quick serv-
ice is a desire to apply the brakes on the
rear end of a long train and get them
to do work before the slack can run in
or before the brakes are applied heavily
r.n the front end.
TABLE I.
S-LB. REDUCTION.
Type of Triple. 25th Car. 50th Car.
H 8.5 seconds. .... seconds.
K and H 6.0 " 13. 3
80th Car.
. . . seconds.
K
H ....
K and
K
3-3 »■/
lO-I.B. REDUCTION.
4.6 seconds t6._i seconds
5.9 " 12.8 •*
9.2
H ....
K and
K
3-4
5-6
4.0
3-3
T5-LB REDUCTION
seconds.
25-l.B. REDUCTION.
H 5. 5 seconds
K and H 4.7
K 3-0 "
17.0 seconds.
11. 7
8.8
18.8 seconds.
11.5
5-3
277
15.5
13.0
30.2
17.0
12.8
29.0
iS.o
8.0
seconds.
seconds.
seconds.
35.0 seconds.
24.4
16.0
80th car.
.... seconds.
51.0
29.8 "
49.0 seconds
27.0
45.0 seconds.
30.0
44.5 seconds
25 -5
19.0
The second table shows time in seconds
from the movement of the valve handle
until the brake is doing work.
The running demonstrations will .show
the value of each type of triple valve in
actual service, some of the stops with
the So-car train are as follows : Brake
pipe pressure 80 lbs., average piston
travel 6.78 ins. track level.
In the Table No. 3, ft. is distance in
feet of the stop and M. P. H. is speed in
miles per hour.
In the table it will be noticed that
when K triple valves were used a 5-lb.
reduction stopped the train from a speed
of 30 miles per hour in 1,700 ft., while
with H triple valves a stop from 30
miles per hour was made in 1,725 ft. by
a 20-lb. reduction, to replace the volume
of air required by each type of triple
valve in stopping the train the number
of strokes of the cross-compound pump
were counted.
It required 474 single strokes of the
compressor to restore the air pressure
used by H triples in stopping the train
and 122 single strokes to replace the air
used by K triple valves in stopping the
train.
The chief consideration here is not the
money value cf compresed air or the sav-
ing in wear and tear on the compressor,
but rather the matter of controlling trains
on grades with the least possible reduc-
tion from the stored volume.
The chief object in printing Tables I
and 2 i? to show the time required for
the brake pipe reductions to travel
through or to accomplish anything in
long trains, rather than to dwell upon
the superiority cf this type of triple
valve which at this time is very well
known and appreciated.
These tables form a very useful record
of what might be called the speed of ap-
plication.
February, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
7*
Air Brake Study.
Air brake instructit n i< not always given
the consideration it deserves, some rail-
road officials seem to think that their en-
gineers and trainmen know enough about
the air brake to get along, and that an air
brake instructor is an unnecessary ex-
pense. In other cases officials are not
satisfied with such conditions and insist
upon instruction and examination, and
even in such cases instruction is of very
little consequence if there are no stu-
dents, but if the engineers or trainmen
on any division of a railroad are inter-
ested in air brake matters and desire to
keep in touch with new features of the
equipment, the air brake instructor is
invaluable.
The most valuable instructor is not al-
ways the man with the most fluent speech,
and the most profitable instruction is not
always delivered in the instruction car,
for when the student meets the instructor
along the line of the road or privately he
feels free to ask questions concerning
matters he is not entirely familiar with
and in this manner the student often re-
ceives information that he will retain.
while the volume of information given in
the course of a number of lectures is
often quickly forgotten.
To be able to impart to others the
knowledge that comes from a study of the
air brake requires patience, perseverance,
tact and a quickness of thought, it is a
faculty natural, rather than acquired.
If a study of the air brake was taken up by
everyone who has to deal with it on a rail-
road and every man Iwcame an expert,
there would still be work fur the air brake
instructor, for if every human being on the
face of the earth were suddenly brought
to a full realization of the object of his
creation and would depart from his
evil ways, there would still be occasion
for teaching, for we forget and arc re-
placed by another generation, and if
every man on the railroad was a •student
there is no assurance that those follow-
ing us would be students.
Instead of ideal conditions existing, it
seldom that an engineer or trainman
i- found who makes a constant study of
the air brake and becomes so familiar
FACE VIEW
GRADUATING VALVE
?v r-
9 Id i°i P'
c:::c:.j
TOP VIEW
^^ , „
6 11" >S
FACE VIEW
SLIDE VALVE
SLIDE VALVE SEAT
SLIDE V.\LVE. SE.\T .XNU GK.\UU.\TING V.\LVE.
with it that he can lie depended upon to
get the best possible results at all times
and under all conditions, regardless of
the equipment used, and when one is
found it is quite likely that he is also
familiar with other parts of the locomo-
tive and knows exactly what to do in
cases of emergency ; thus others hear of
him, go to him for advice, ask for his
opinions, and his superior officers hear of
him and discover the fact that he would
be a more valuable man elsewhere.
Everything written on the subject of
air brakes is not intended as instruction
TABLE 3.
S I.B. BtnUCTIOS.
Triple valve 15 M P. M. 20 M P. H
H I, .son f I 2.27s ft-
K and H 64^ 1170 "
K 57.=; ^75 "
lo-i.i). kf.mtTios.
II . 560 ft. 8go ft.
K and H 500 7.1S "
K 400 -,95 "
20 l.e. RtDL'tTION.
II fit?; ft <)40 ft.
K and H 4O0 7.V> "
K 370 !;flo "
.•5 M P. I
,\,ioo ft.
'..150 "
i,.UO ft.
990 "
82s "
I,.1IO ft.
<»o "
815 "
.10 M. P. II.
4,t.l8 ft.
I.9I.S "
1.700 "
1,890 ft.
1.27.S "
1.090 "
1.72.1
1.260
!,OfiO
or explanaliun ; very iiuich is written in
a manner calculated to develop thought
and stud.v, and is intended for those who
already know the construction and opera-
tion of the brake, and very often the stu-
dent begins in the middle instead of the
beginning — that is, he attempts to learn
the defects the brake is liable to develop
before he learns the operation and con-
struction thoroughly.
In contemplating a study of the air
brake 't should be rcmenilK-red that it
will simplify matters considerably and
shorten the distance to the object to be
attained, if the subject is taken up by
stages, that is, if each part is first sub-
jected to the question "Why is it used?"
then "What it does," and "How it does
it," leaving the defects the part is liable
to develop for a later consideration.
.^pplying those questions to the brake
valve as an illustration, first, why is it
used? In order to answer the question
it would he necessary to go into the his-
tory of the brake to a certain extent and
explain the use of the three-way cock
in connection with the sIraiKht air brake
and the .lulonialic brake, and llic necessity
for accurate and Kr.idualed lerluctions of
brake pipe iir.sMirr uill ',li.,v\ 111.- rr.isoi!^
for its u"-<
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE EXGI.N'EERIXG.
February, 1910.
What it docs, is to control the flow
of air from the main reservoir to the
brake pipe and from the brake pipe to the
atmosphere.
How it does it must be explained by
the flow of air through the brake valves
in its five different positions, and after
llicre is a flow of air from the main
reservoir directly into the brake pipe and
equalizing reservoir, from the main reser-
voir to the excess pressure top of the
pump governor, and from the feed-valve
pipe through the warning port to the
atmosphere. In running position the flow
plication cylinder of the distributing valve
through the release pipe.
On lap position of all ports closed,
main reservoir pressure is separated from
the brake pipe and the brake pipe pres-
sure is separated from the equalizing
reservoir by the movement of the ro-
tary valve, the dividing line between
brake pipe and equalizing reservoir pres-
sure being the equalizing piston packing
ring, the flow of air to the governor is
also cut off.
Service position leaves the relative po-
sition of the ports unchanged and merely
creates an opening for the escape of
equalizing reservoir pressure, the equaliz-
ing feature being identical to that of the
older types of brake valves. In the emer-
gency position air flows from the brake
pipe to the atmosphere, from the feed-
valve pipe to the distributing valve, and
from the equalizing reservoir to the at-
mosphere. If those questions are applied
and the construction and operation of the
brake is first thoroughly understood, the
disorders resulting from wear and neg-
lect will be quickly observed and the
cause and reason thereof will be readily
ascertained.
K. TUU'LE \ALVE QUICK SERVICE POSITION.
this is thoroughly understood there will
be plenty of time to learn the defects of
the brake valve or the disorders occur-
ring from neglect, and their cause and
effect will be more readily understood
than they would be were the instructor's
remarks merely memorized.
Applying the three questions to "brake
pipe pressure" first is its use, which is
to operate the triple valves in the train ;
what it does is to establish a communi-
cation between the triple valves and the
brake valves ; how it does it (operate the
triple valves) is by being reduced below
or increased above the pressure in the
auxiliary reservoir by means of the
brake valve and the main reservoir pres-
sure.
Those questions, if applied to any part
of the apparatus and in the right spirit.
are calculated to develop a line of thought
that cannot fail to be of assistance to the
student, although applying it to the later
apparatus may at first glance appear a
little more defficult. What the H-6 brake
valve does in addition to controlling the
flow of air from the main reservoir to
the brake pipe and from the brake pipe
to the atmosphere is to control a flow
of air from the main reservoir to the
pump governor and to the atmosphere,
and a flow of air to and from the dis-
tributing valve and from the equalizing
reservoir to the atmosphere.
How the brake valve does this work
will be told in describing the flow of air
through the valve in the six different po-
sitions of the rotary valve or of the
brake valve handle. In release position
to the governor is unchanged, the direct
flow from the main reservoir to the brake
pipe is cut off and instead the brake pipe
end equalizing reservoir are fed from the
feed-valve pipe, and if the brake has been
applied previously, and assuming that the
equalizing valve of the distributing valve
is in release position, there is a flow from
To Keep Workmen.
\\Tien business is brisk in machine
shops the question always arises, What
can best be done to retain good work-
men? The ready answer is, pay them
\\ ell, but when all shops are giving
good pay that does not apply to a par-
ticular shop. Good tools and conveni-
ent appliances have excellent influence
in keeping a shop popular. They have
K. TRIPLE \'.\L\"E RELE.\SE POSITION.
the distributing valve to the atmosphere
by the way of both brake valves.
In holding position the flow to the gov-
ernor continues, the supply to the brake
pipe from the feed-valve pipe continues
and the position of the rotary valve pre-
vents the escape of any air from the ap-
also the power of increasing the output
of the shop. When machine shops are
equipped with worn-out tools and in-
ferior iTiachinery generally, poor prod-
uct is the result and the place gets to
have the character of being an unde-
sirable place to be connected with.
February. IQIO.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING
Electrical Department
New York Subway ControL
Bv W. B. KofWENUOVEN.
The theory and operation of the New
York Subway Electrical Equipment was
very briefly described on page 163 of the
igc8 volume of this paper. We will now
consider the duties of the motornian in
operating the equipment and in remedy-
ing troubles that may arise on the road.
The equipment may be considered as con-
sisting of four parts; a motor or main
control and a master control, forming
the two principal parts; a switch panel
and two motors comprising the remain-
ing parts.
The motor or main control carries the
current from the third rail shoe to the
motors. It makes the various connections
for starting and accelerating the train,
producing the step by step application of
power.
The contactors are m a dustpn-uf box
underneath the car. A contactor is simply
a heavy switch operated by an electro-
magnet, which is capable of handling the
heavy motor currents. The rheostats
are also to be found underneath
the car. They consist of 18 cast
iron grids which are mounted in an
iron frame from which they are in-
sulated. Their purpose is to reduce the
third rail current to a proper value dur-
ing the acceleration of the tr.iln. The
revcrser is placed in a dustproof box un-
derneath the car. it is simply a switch
which is operated by two electromagnets
so arranged that only one of them can
be energized at a time. The reverscr
makes the connections for the forward
and backward running of the train.
The main switch is a quick break knife-
itch placed on the switch panel. This
Itch carries all the current that comes
m the third rail and passes through
contactors to the motors. It should be
■ned only in ca<c of emergency or
••iblc. The circuit breaker is en-
>td and is located beneath the
■■r. It is closed by means of a
-Tuit breaker setting switch in the cab.
: e circuit breaker is supposed to open
1 protect the motors in case of .1 short
- :uit or heavy overload. The main fuse
mists of a copper ribbon. It re-
ires a current to blow the fuse, that is
/htly greater than that required to open
circuit breaker. The fuse it intended
blow only whrn the rirruit breaker
is to act. An inclosed fuse is also pro-
Ird at each third rail «h'^x as an ad-
•ional protection. In case of a severe
'<rt circuit in which both the main fuse
and the circuit breaker should fail to act,
theri the motornian must open the main
switch.
The motor control is confined to each
motor car. The master control, on the
other hand, continues throughout the en-
tire length of the train. Its purpose is to
operate the motor controls located on the
motor cars that make up the train. A
cab is provided at cither end of each
motor car and the entire train may be
operated as a unit from any one of these
cabs by means of the master control.
The master control apparatus consists of
two m.'ister controllers, a lO-point cut out
switch, train line, 2 connection boxes,
coupler sockets, jumpers, a control rheo-
stat, fuse and master controller switch.
A master controller is placed in each
cab of the motor car. It consists of a
movable handle which winds up a coil
spring, which in turn rotates a contact
cylinder. The contact cylinder carries
contacts which engage with stationary
fingers, and operates the contactors in
their correct order as it revolves. The
speed with which the cylinder moves
ahead is controlled by what is known as
a control governor. .^ lo-point switch
called a cut out switch is located on the
panel. It has two sets of contacts, 10 of
which are connected to the train and 10
are connected to the operating electro-
magnets of the contactors. In the off
position there is no connection between the
two sets of fingers, but in the on position
metal strips connect them together.
The train line consists of ten insulated
wires, each being covered with a different
colored insulating braid in order that it
may be readily distinguished from its
fellows. At either end of each car the
train line is ended up in what is known as
a controller coupler socket. The train line
is connected to the circuits of the master
controllers at what are known as connec-
tion boxes. The connection boxes con-
tain ten studs nr clamps, insulated from
each other. Here the wires from the
master controllers are connected and
clamped bj means of the studs to the
wires of the train line. Wires having the
same colorr<l hr.iid arc always connected
to each other except at one box or. each
car where the reverse wires are crossed
in order that the direction of travel of the
tram may correspond to the position of
the reverse handle nf either controller.
Cables consisting of ten insulated wires
each and called train line jumpers or
simply jumpers are used to connect the
train line between cars. Each jumper
locket has ten metal pockets into which
the ten plugs of the coupler socket fit.
These jumpers serve to make the train
line continuous throughout the train. In
addition to the train line jumpers there
are provided junipers that are known as
bus jumpers. These consist of seven
wires, one large and si.\ small. The large
wires connect with the third rail shoes
on the train together and serve at all
times to provide current throughout the
train for light, heat, and power, when
crossing switches or gaps in the third
rail. The large wire is protected from
carrying excessive currents by fuses,
called bus fuses. The other six wires are
connected to the circuit breaker setting
switch and to several small contacts in the
master controller. Bus connecting boxes
are also provided which have only seven
studs.
The control circuit rheostat provides a
small current for operating the master
control circuits and for energizing the
train line and the electromagnets of the
contactors. The rheostat consists of
twelve tubes wound with a high resistance
wire, and mounted in an iron frame. A
fuse is used to protect the circuits of the
master control apparatus from damage
due to short circuits or other trouble that
may arise.
A master control switch and a circuit
breaker setting switch are located in
each cab. The master controller
switch has a removable handle, and
turns on or off the current for the
master controller. There should be
only one of these handles on a
train and that one should be in the pos-
session of the motorman. The circuit
breaker on the train cannot he opened un-
less every master controller switch is
open. The circuit breaker setting switch
is only used for closing or setting the
circuit breakers, as it is called.
The switch panel is in the back of the
motorinnn's cab and besides the main
switch and ten point cut out switch
it carries the switches for the air
compressor, for light, and heat and the
platform transfer switches. All of these
switches arc provided with fuses and they
are all of the quick break type. There
are two motors which are mounted upon
one of the trucks of each motor car.
They are geared to the wheels and are
series direct current, 660 volt railway
motors.
It must be remembered that the New
York subway motor cars ,irr equipped
with the button on the cotitroller handle.
This is a safety device and the reader is
referred for a description of this to page
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
Icbruary, lyio.
69 and 70 of the 1908 volume of Railway
AND Locomotive Engineering. 1 his
button must always be held down except
when the reverse handle on the con-
troller is in the mid position. Releasing
the button permits it to rise, opening all
the contactors and opening a pilot valve
in the air brake pipe. This cuts off the
current and applies the emergency brakes.
A sealed cut out valve is placed in each
cab, to cut off the air from the pilot valve.
In case of a leaky pilot valve, the motor-
man should break the seal and close the
cut out valve, and he should make a re-
port of the trouble at the end of his run.
When a subway train has been made up
and all the jumpers placed in position and
the air hose coupled, the niotorman's first
duty is to go through the train and close
all airbrake switches and see that all the
main switch and lo-point cut out switches
were closed. After the reservoirs and the
air line have become charged, he must
test his brakes. If everything works
satisfactorily the motornian inserts the
removable handle into the master con-
troller switch in his cab and closes it.
Then he moves the circuit breaker setting
switch handle to the right and after hold-
ing it there for about two seconds, re-
leases it. This closes all the circuit
breakers on the train.
Now he is ready to start the train. He
grasps the master controller handle,
presses down the button, and throws the
reverser handle to the forward position.
Then he moves the controller handle
around to its full speed position. This
winds up the coiled spring that connects
the handle with the contact cylinder,
causing the cylinder to move until its
contacts make connection with the first
set of fingers. Current now passes
from the third rail shoe up through the
control rheostat through the contacts and
fingers on the master controller in the
cab, through the connection box and into
the train line. From the train line the
current passes through the reversers, set-
ting them in the proper direction. Then
the current flows through certain contac-
tor electromagnets back to the master
controller to the track, or ground as it is
called. The current closes a set of con-
tactors on each car and the action is
simultaneous for the entire train, origina-
ting from the cab in which the motorman
sits at the head of his train. On every
motor car, current now passes from the
third rail through the main switch located
on the panel, through the circuit breaker
and main fuse to the contactors. From
the contactors the current passes through
one-half of the rheostats, through motor
number one back to another set of con-
tactors, through the remaining resistances
to motor number two. to the ground. The
train starts, the motors being in series
with all the rheostats in circuit.
The contact cylinder does not continue
to follow the handle because it is held
locked by the control governor. As the
speed of the train increases the governor
releases the cylinder and permits it to go
to the next point, cutting out a rheostat
and increasing the power supplied to the
train. This continues until the master
controller through its control governor
has automatically cut out all of the rheo-
stats and brought the motors to their full
speed parallel running position. To shut
otf the power the motorman swings the
controller handle to the off position and
after coasting for a short time applies the
air brakes, bringing the train to a gradual
stop at the station.
Now- let us consider what the motor-
man must do in case the train refuses to
start after he has complied with his in-
structions. The train may fail to start
owing to the electric power being cut off
from the third rail. The motorman
should close the light switches located on
the switch panel and should observe
whether trains that are in sight have
power. If the incandescent lamps fail to
light it indicates that there is no cur-
rent in the third rail and the motorman
must wait until the power is turned on
again. If there is current in the third
rail then the trouble must lie in the train
and it may be caused by a failure in either
the master control or the motor control
part of the equipment or both.
The motorman should first investigate
the master control part of the equipment,
and should ascertain whether there is
power in the master controller or not. He
should move the controller handle to the
first point and then open his master con-
trol switch. If he sees the flash of a
spark or arc, as it is called, on opening
the switch it indicates that power reaches
the master controller. If he does not ob-
serve any spark he should insert a new
master controller fuse. If, then, the train
fails to start, one or more of the follow-
ing things may have happened to the mas-
ter control equipment ; the new fuse may be
imperfect, a bad contact in the controller,
the fingers and contacts in the master con-
troller jammed or stuck, a grounded train
line, or a loose train line jumper. The
motorman should first insert a new fuse
and if this fails he knows that the trouble
lies elsewhere. Next he should investi-
gate the master controller itself. He
should remove the cover and see if the
contacts and fingers near the top of the
control cylinder makes good connections.
The satisfactory operation of the control
depends upon these contacts, and if they
are poor he should endeavor to adjust
them, first being sure to open the master
controller switch and cut off the current.
If the fingers are bent in so as to jam
against the contacts on the cylinder then
he should endeavor to bend them back, so
that the cylinder rotates freely. In case
he is unable to repair the master control-
ler, he should operate the one from an-
other cab. If he is unable to find
any trouble either with the fuse or
with the master controller he should
then look for a ground in the train
line. To do this he must pull the jumper
plugs and test each car separately, open-
ing the lo-point cut out switch on the
panel. He should cut out the car affected
and proceed. If the motorman thinks that
a train line jumper is loose tlien he should
immediately go through the train making
sure that they are all inserted properly in
their respective coupler sockets.
If he can find no trouble with the
master control then he must turn his at-
tention to the main or motor control part
of the equipment. Trouble in the motor
control may be due to the opening of the
circuit breakers, blowing of a main or in-
closed fuse, trouble with the air brake
equipment or to the blowing of a bus
fuse.
The motorman should first close the cir-
cuit breaker setting switch, and if they
fail to reset it is probably due to the con-
tactors on one of the cars being stuck up.
He should test each car and open the
cut out switch on the one affected. If
the circuit breakers reset satisfactorily
then he should next investigate the fuses.
If on opening the box containing the in-
closed fuse he should find a gray powder,
it indicates that the fuse has blown. This
fuse only blows when there is a short cir-
cuit on a car and should not be replaced
by the motorman, but the car should be
cut out by opening the lo-point switch
and the trouble reported when he reaches
the end of his run. If the fuses and cir-
cuit breaker are all right perhaps the
trouble is with the air brake equipment,
and a triple valve may be stuck. If the
motorman finds an imperfect triple valve,
he should cut out the valve and open the
auxiliary reservoir cock to release the
brakes, and then proceed with his train.
If he can find no trouble with the brakes,
circuit breaker, or fuse, perhaps the first
car is on a cross-over and none of its
shoes are touching the third rail. In this
case the bus line fuse must have blown,
thereby preventing his car from receiving
power. He should go back to the first
car having power and operate the train
from a cab in that car until the cross-over
is passed, when he should return to his
cab at the head of the train.
In some cases the train will accelerate
very slowly or else too rapidly; or it may
fail to accelerate at all after reaching the
first point on the controller. This is
caused by a failure of the control gover-
nor to act and to remedy this the motor-
man should cut out the automatic feature
of the equipment. To do this he presses
down the button turns it to the right which
holds it there, theii he should open the
case and pull down a catch located inside
near the top. This locks the control cylin-
der and handle together. Now he may
notch up his controller handle step by step,
as an engineer would run his engine..
February, igio.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
An Enemy of Leaks.
.•\ school boy was once asked to name
some of the characteristics of steam, and
he said that steam was always tr>-ing to
escape, but most of the time it only leaked.
The boy was fairly correct, but a> a matter
of fact steam never leaks, though it es-
captes. If you want to be particularly
correct about the matter, it is the joint or
the coupling not the steam that does the
WARli KKDL'CINC. \ Al.\ I..
leaking. One of the objects of the makers
of steam couplers is to prevent leaks.
An ordinary steam coupler between en-
gine and tender, or between tender and
first car where steam of high pressure is
conveyed to a dynamo, has to stand a
great deal of hard usage and is not only
subject to wear, to the gradual compres-
sion and hardening of the gasket, but to
the chance of being uncoupled by the
swing and sway of the vehicles when at
high speed. In order to overcome these
difficulties it has been customary to apply
some form of lock to the steam coupler
IxkIv One of the l>est we have seen is
\v.\un SHAM
now INC, LOCK AND T.MM-.K KEV.
the lock designed by the Ward Equipment
Company, of New York. .•K very marked
feature of this lock is that it takes up
the lost motion due to wear. The lock
as seen in our illustrations is a neat little
malleable iron arm pivoted to the coupler
at one end and stretching out a couple of
fingers to interlock with the finger of the
arm on the other steam coupler. Where
the fingers Interlock, a taper key is driven
through all four and the couplers can al-
ways be drawn up tight together without
reference to wear. The taper key or
cotter, if you like to call it that, is itself
interesting. It is made of spring steel
doubled over and tapered along the sides.
The free points naturally spring open
so that when the key is in place the taper
sides draw the fingers of the lock tight,
but the springiness of the key itself keeps
it in place so that it cannot work or jar
out. A neat little chain secures the key
to one of the lock arms. The whole ar
rangenient of key. arms and fingers may
fairlv be calle<l .1 handy little device, as
one tap of the car inspector's hammer re-
leases the lock.
While we are on the subject of this
kind of engine equipment, we may say
the Ward reducing valve possesses sev-
eral features of interest. Steam enters
through a iV^-in. pipe and leaves by a 2-
in. pipe. .\ diaphragm under spring pres-
sure governs the double disk balance valve,
in the usual way. In order to prevent in-
jury to the (li.iphragni the bottom of the
.STKAM (OflM.I.VG IN NOK.MAI. PO.SIl roK.
SIXTION OF RKOLl IN(. \ AI.VK.
lower disk valve carries a spring-cap or
oscillating washer, marked M in our line
cut, and this acts as a stop in case
the compression spring above the dia-
phragm should be unduly tightened down.
The bearings of the spindle are all ample
and the whole valve is substantially and
well made, its adjustment easy and its
action prompt and efficient. The Ward
Kquipineiit Co. have recently issued a
finely illiiiitrated catalognr, which they
will be happy to send to (Imsr whu apply
for it.
76
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
February, 1910.
Simple 4-6-2 and 2-8-0 for the Chicago ® North- Western
The American Locomotive Company
have recently completed an order of 25
Pacific and 40 Consolidation type loco-
motives for the Chicago & North-Western
Railway. Particular interest attaches to
these engines in that they represent the in-
troduction of a much heavier class of
power for both freight and passenger ser-
vice than has hitherto been used on this
road. Although, in general, each of the
classes of engines here illustrated repre-
sents a simple, straightforward design of
its particular type, both present a number
of features whicli are worthy of special
notice.
PACIFIC TYPE LOCOMOTIVES.
In working order these engines have a
total weight of 245,000 lbs.. 151.000 of
of these forms of construction have been
in use on the Chicago & North-Western
Railway for several years, and have given
very satisfactory results. The fire box is
108^ ins. long and -0% ins. wide and pro-
vides a grate area of 53 sq. ft.
The cylinders are fitted with j4-in.
bushings and are equipped with 14-in.
piston valves having inside admission and
actuated by Walschaerts valve gear. The
arrangement of this valve gear follows the
builder's latest practice in the application
of the Walschaerts gear to 4-6-2 loco-
motives. The reverse shaft is located
ahead of the link and its backward ex-
tending arm is connected to the radius
bar by means of a link. With this ar-
rangement the link block is in the upper
pv.Tt of the link when the gear i> in for-
struction and effecting a considerable re-
duction in weight.
Some of the ratios involved in this de-
sign are as follows :
Weight on drivers -^ tractive power = 4.73.
Weight on drivers -^ total weight (per cent.>
= 61.6.
Tot.il weight ~- traci've rower = 7.68.
Tractive power x diameter driving wheels -^
heating surface = 548.
Heating surface -r- grate area = 82.4.
i'irebox heating surface -;- total heating surface
(per cent.) ^ 4.79.
Volume of cylinders, cu. ft., = 13.28.
Grate area -^ volume cylinders = 3.99.
Some of the principal dimensions are
given below:
Wheel Base. — Driving. 13 ft. 6 ins.; total. 34
ft. 7 ins.; total engine and tender, 56 it.
1054 ins.
Weight of engine and tender 399,100 lbs.; heat-
ing surface tubes, 4,130 sq. ft.; heating sur-
face, firebox, 209 sq. ft.; heating surface,
arch tubes. 27 sq. ft.; heating surface, to-
tal. 4.366 sq. fr.
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Robert Quayle, Superintendent
P.\CIFK
of Motive Powe
which are carried on the driving wheels.
The cylinders are 23 by 28 ins., and boiler
pressure of 190 lbs. is employed, which is
lower than usual practice in engines of
this size using saturated steam. With
driving wheels 75 ins. in diameter, the
theoretical maximum tractive power is
31,900 lbs. This gives a factor of 4.73,
which would indicate that the full tractive
power of the engine will be available in
starting without danger of slipping the
driving wheels.
The design is characterized by a large
boiler capacity and shows an ample steam
making power to meet the requirements
of the severe service for which the en-
gines are intended. The boiler is of the
extended wagon top type and the barrel
measures 70 s/i6 ins. in diameter outside
at the first ring. It contains 396 tubes 2
ins. in diameter and 20 ft. long, so spaced
as to give Y^-'m. bridges. The total heat-
ing surface of the boiler is 4,366 sq. ft., of
which 4,130 sq. ft. is in the tubes and the
remainder is contributed by the fire box
and fire brick arch-tubes. Practically the
only unusual features in boiler construc-
tion lie in the use of the O'Connor fire
door flange and the Cour-Castle corru-
gated side sheets in the fire box. Both
I 111: CHICAGO & Ni .K 1 1:
and Macl-.inery.
ward motion, and the eccentric crank con-
sequently leads the main crank pin in-
stead of following it.
The frames, which are of cast steel,
consist of a main frame ^Yz ins. wide with
a single front rail cast integral with it
and a separate slab section 2}/^ ins. wide
at the rear for the trailing truck. The
slab section is fitted into a recess ma-
chined in the back end of the main frame,
thus rcducins the vertical shear on the
^f^^'^^f^^'^^f^^
■"=r^
-4^
CORRUGATED SIDE SHEETS, C. & X.-W.
bolts connecting the two and making a
very strong and rigid splice. A very
thorough and substantial system of frame
bracing has been employed.
The trailing truck is of the builders'
latest design outside bearing radial truck.
This arrangement eliminates the use of
the outside supplementary frames required
with their older design of this type of
trailing truck, thereby simplifying the con-
Amencan Locomotive Company, Lijilders.
.\xles. — Driving journals, main, loji ^ ,^' ixM-:
others, 9j.^ X 12 ins.; engine truck journals,
diameter, 6 ins.; length, 12 ins.; trailing
truck journals, diameter, 8 ins.; length, i*
ins.; tender truck journals, diameter, sVs
ins.; length, 10 ins.
Boiler. — Type, extended wagon top; O. D. f.rjt
ring, 705/16 ins.; fuel, bituminous coal.
Firebox. — Thickness of crown, }% in.; tube, Vi
in.; sides, Js in-; back, H "!■; water space,
front, ^Yi ins.; sides, 4}^ ins.; back, 4J4
ins.
Crown Staying. — Radial
Brake Driver. — Pump, 9^^ ins., Westinghouse;
2 reservoirs, iS^'z x 102.
Tender. — Frame. 13 ins., steel channels; tank,
style "U" shape, level top; capacity, 7,500
gallons; capacity fuel, 13 tons.
\alves. — Type, piston, travel. 6 ins.; steam lap.
I 1/16 ins.; ex. clearance, 3/16 in.; setting,
'4 in.; lead constant.
Wheels. — Driving, diameter outside tire, 75 ins. ;
engine truck, diameter 37;^ ins.; trail:nj
truck, diameter, 49 ins.; tender truck, diam-
eter, 37 'li ins.
C0XSOLID.\TI0N TYPE LOCOMOTIVES.
In working order, the Consolidation en-
gines have a total weight of 232,000 lbs.,
of which 205,000 lbs., or 88.3 per cent, is
carried on the driving wheels. One of
the most interesting features of the de-
sign lies in the use of an unusually low-
boiler pressure with saturated steam. .\
boiler pressure of 170 lbs. is employed
and the cylinders are 25 by 32 ins., and
are fitted with j4-in. bushings. These are
the largest cylinders so far applied by
the American Locomotive Company to a
single expansion engine. The cylinders
Febriiao', '9'"-
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE EXGIXEERIXG.
77
are ver>' carefully and thoroughly lagged
in order to reduce as far as possible the
cylinder condensation, which would other-
wise be excessive in cylinders of this size
using saturated steam at short cutoffs due
to the cooling effect of the large area of
the cylinder walls.
This feature of the design is a striking
example of the present tendency to resort
to lower boiler pressures in order to
prevent the boiler troubles caused by the
high steam pressures of current practice.
Steam is distributed to the cylinders by
means of 14-in. piston valves, having
inside admission and operated by a simple
design of the Walschaerts valve gear.
The frames are of cast steel 5 ins.. wide
with single integral front rail. Especial
care has been taken to provide a strong
system of frame bracing.
The boiler is of the straight top radial
stayed type and the barrel is built up of
two courses, the outside diameter of the
first course being 81^ ins. The tubes, of
which there arc 443. are 2 ins. in diameter
and i.^ ft. 2 ins. long; and, as in the Pa-
cific type engines, are placed so as to give
Ji-in. bridges. The total heating surface
of the boiler is 3.713 SQ- ft- The fire box
is lo8!-6 ins. long and yo'A ins. wide and
provides a grate area of 52.7 sq. ft. It
is supported at both the front and back
ends by buckle plates. The ratios given
by the builders are here appended for
reference :
Weight on drivers -H tractive power = 4.3.
Weight on drirers H- total weiKht fper cent.)
= 88.3.
Total weight -^ tractive oower — 4-88.
Tractive power x diameter driving wheels -r-
heating surface = r8o.
Heating surfoce -=- grate area — 7o-4-
Firebox healing surface H- total heating ?>irface
(per cent. » = 5-
Volume of cylinders, cu. ft. = 18.16.
nals. diameter. 6 in
tender truck journals
length. 10 ins.
.; length, li ins.:
diameter. sV^ ins.;
I-IRE DOOR ON
Boiler.— Type, straigh. ....
ii'/i ins.; fuel, bituminous coal. ^
Firebox.— I-ength. 108H ins.; width. 7.o'/4 ms.;
thickness of crown, H m.; tube, V, in.; sides.
M in. : back, H in. ; water space, front
^y, ins.; sides, 4'/4 ins.; back. 4'/i 'n»-
crown staying, radial.
Recent Railway Accidents.
The world's press has loved so well to
ixpatiate upon the dangers of railway
travel in America that a reliable account
showing that serious railway accidents
are remarkably rare on this side of the
Atlantic is something to make us feel
proud. The Bureau of Railway N'ews of
Chicago appears to rival the Interstate
Commerce Commission in the accuracy of
its records of railway accidents and it
has recently issued the statement that 340
roads, operating over I53-O00 f"'l*s of
railway, have kept their score clean. Ten
other companies, operating 22,000 miles.
were so unfortunate as to kill each a
single passenger. The clean score of
23,000 miles of British railway seems not
very extraordinary when compared with
the deaths of only ten passengers upon
a mileage exceeding all Europe combined.
The New York Times commenting on
this statement says: "The railways in the
United States which do not kill pas-
sengers are longer than all the railways
of Europe. This is a literal statement of
fact. In the three years 1906-7-8 316
companies, operating 124.050 miles of
road, did not kill a single passenger. The
passenger mileage of these roads sur-
passed by a billion the mileage of the
roads in England which boasted of a like
clean record. In fact, the length of these
railways in the United States exceeded
that of all the railways in England,
France. Germany, Austria, Hungary and
Italy combined. The freight trains over
railways are a contributory cause of ac-
cidents, and the freight ton mileage of the
American railways with a score clean of
all fatality for three years together ex-
ceeds that of the countries of Europe
I
CONSOMIMTION TVl-K KN..,Ni: . n,< T.IK C.MrA.^O . N^'"> >' ^^ '^^^^„ ,^_,.„ Comp.n,. Build
KoUrl y^yle. .Superinlcndf nt of Motive Pbwer and Machinery.
Toul bcatinf surface + volume of cylinder* I'umpr— Two^'^, m«^;
= J04. .....'. '1 '
Grate area + volume of cylindtra = i.t- '
Principal dimentiont arc a» follow! :
tiriving. ir ft. « lr«. total j6 ft.
•j|. engine and lender. 60 II. VaUc*
rewnrolrt, joK x 60
' ■- '-fr bearing.
•■ti; tank.
..il)f. 7.S00
namcil alx>vc, with Japan, Argentina, and
Auslrali.-i thrown in."
?!r.
llj.OO'
lb*.:
•• ■ fir
c box.
ft .
toUl,
Il
^ 1
int.;
IMirk
(our
. IK* : ilttm lap.
k Line: telling.
<Me lire. 61 Int.;
I •<■. ft.: lifebox.
i!4 int.; lender
Your manners will depend very much
upon the quality of what you frequently
think on; for the soul is tinged and col
ored with the complexion of thought.—
Marcus Anreliut
-8
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
February, lijio.
Hinkley & Drury's "Lion."
In these days when railway com-
panies are engaged in rivalry for
ownership of the largest locomotive it
seems a relief to examine the outlines
of the engine illustrated, which was one
of the first built by the famous Hinkley
& Drury Company, of Boston, in the
early 40s.
.\ccording to an article which ap-
peared lately in the Boston Globe, this
engine was built in 1843 and was sent
by water to Macliiasport, Me., to be
used on the W'hitncyville & Machias-
port Railroad, a strap rail line, about
eight miles long, used for the transpor-
t^itinn 111' lunber. The railmad w.is
port, and. unlike anything of tlic kind
ever known in the whole liistory of
railroading in the United States, they
were always free; those who were thus
favored not even deeming the services
of the engineer and lireman worthy of
a "tip." During the tifty years of free
riding, few accidents occurred among
those who availed themselves of the
privilege, though several were killed in
\arious ways while connected in the
service of the road. Dana Bullard was
the tirst machinist employed to work
on the engines, and to make occasional
runs to the "Port." A man by the
name of Butler, however, was the first
ri.,^'ul,-ir engineer, lie w.is followed In-
road, by Thomas Towle, Portland, Me.
Whether these engines will be broken
up or preserved as keepsakes is not
known; but the people here felt that
they were losing old and tried friends,
and before they were taken away pho-
tographs of them were secured by Albee
Bros., of Machias.
The Greatest Traveler.
Among the engineers pensioned by the
Pennsylvania Railroad Company last year
was John Cassell, a locomotive engineer,
who entered the service in i86o and has
had continuous service of 49 years. He
was assigned to passenger service in 1872
and . continued rimninf,' a passenger en-
^ ^
■C ^
^:-
I^HBI^^^""-(*e ^akt:^ S.. - "" i
^Sn^^t"-^^"^^' ^
HINKLEY A.\"D IIRURV ENGINE "I.ION," BUILT IN 1843-
abandoned lately and the rolling stock
disposed of. The following notes of
ancient railroad history are culled from
the article referred to by a veteran en-
gineer still alive, Mr. W. R. Bradford :
From start to finish this road was
free to anybody who chose to ride upon
it and take his own risk, and the accom-
modating engineer would always slow
down, or in case of a lady or an old
man, come to a halt, that they might
take passage or depart in safety at the
"Old Country Road," near Machias.
Special trains have been run to convey
parties to Machiasport to go on sailing
■excursions, and political parties to at-
tend lectures at Machias and Machias-
Colon Dorman, who ran a short time.
Michael Corbett ran several years, and
Samuel Paul, machinist, ran occasion-
ally. Corbett was succeeded by Cor-
nelius Sullivan, the present owner of
the "Agency" property, w-ho ran twenty-
three consecutive years. The others
were Albion Dunning, Edwin K. Smith,
John R. Sullivan, and, finally. Cornelius
Sullivan, Jr., who had a more trying ex-
perience and participated in more rail-
road wrecks than all the others com-
bined.
The "Lion" and "Tiger." which
weigh, with tender, about nine tons
each, were recently purchased, together
with the strap iron and spikes of the
gine up to the date of his retirement. Mr.
Cassell was a very methodical railroad
man and kept a record of all the runs
made during these many years. The runs
made reach a grand total of 1,794,136
miles. If any other engineer has passed
this immense extent of travel we should
like to publish the particulars.
Compound engines were used on
steamers plying the Mississippi and
Missouri about 1850. They were mostly
of the two-cylinder type and used a
heavy By wheel. A steamer called the
Hmvkcyc, of Memphis, was sunk by her
flywheel breaking and by a piece going
through the bottom of the vessel.
February, 19:0.
RAILWAY AND LOCOiMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
79
Items of Personal Interest
Mr. N. McNeil has been appointed
foreman of the car department of the
Intercolonial at Sydney, succeeding Mr.
R. Dunlap.
Mr. C. \V. Kinney has been appointed
superintendent of transportation of the
Lehigh Valley Railroad, vice Mr. R. \V.
Baxter, resigned.
Mr. J. EL Munro has been appointed
assistant air-brake instructor of the
Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific, with
cilice at Chicago.
Mr. W. B. Ross has been appointed
secretary of the pension board of the
Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific, with
oflfice at Chicago.
Mr. H. Frawley has been appointed
locomotive foreman of the Canadian
Pacific at Three Rivers, Quebec, vice Mr.
J. Gregoire, deceased.
Mr. J. H. Wilson has been appointed
locomotive foreman of the Canadian
Pacific at Kenora, Ont., vice Mr. T. E.
Patterson, transferred.
Mr. G. B. Minshull has been appoint-
ed superintendent of car service of the
Lehigh Valley Railroad, with office at
South Bethlehem, Pa.
Mr. W. J. Davis, has been appointed
general foreman on the Detroit, Toledo
& Ironton Railway at Ironton, Ohio, vice
Mr. J. H. Hott, resigned.
Mr. C. J. Shea has been appointed
superintendent of the Auburn division
of the Lehigh \'alley Railroad, vice Mr.
C. W. Kinney, promoted.
Mr. J. A. Hannigan has been appointed
general foreman on the Detroit, Toledo &
Ironton Railway at Jackson, Ohio, vice
Mr. H. F. Martyr, resigned.
Mr. Benjamin Johnson has been ap-
pointed assistant locomotive superinten-
dent of the United Railways of Havana,
with office at Havana, Cuba.
Mr. L. Fisher has been appointed
matter mechanic of the Fourth district,
C«itral division, of the Canadian Pacific,
■'1 oflfice at Winnipeg, Man.
' r R. Anthony has been appointed
.Ttmg locomotive foreman of the Can-
adian Pacific at Moose Jaw, Sask., vice
Mr. J. H. Wilson, transferred.
Mr. Edward Wees has been appointed
general foreman of the Ann Arbor Rail-
road at Frankfort, Mich., vice Mr. W. J.
Davit, assigned to other duties.
Mr. H. McDonald hat been appointed
locomotive foreman of the Canadian
Pacific at Macleod, Alia, vice Mr. H.
Stevenson, atsigned to other duties.
In our December, 1909, issue we had the
pleasure of recording the re-election of
Mr. Lucius Tuttle, to the presidency of the
Boston & Maine Railroad. Mr. Tuttle,
whose picture adorns this page, entered
railway service in 1865 as a ticket clerk
on the old Hartford, Providence & Fish-
kill Railroad. Later he became general
ticket agent for the road, and in time he
was promoted to be assistant general
passenger agent of the New York & New
England Railroad. In 1879 he took the '
position of general passenger and ticket
agent and assistant to general manager of
the Eastern Railway. 1885 saw him gen-
eral passanger and ticket agent of the
Boston & Lowell. From 1887 to 1889 he
was passenger traffic manager on the
Ml irs TrTTI.K.
Canadian Pacific Railway. In 1889 to
1890 he was commissioner of the Trunk
Line Association passenger department.
In May, 1890, he was general manager of
the New York, New Haven & Hartford.
From February, 1892, to September, 189.1,
he held the position of vice-president of
that road, and in October of 1893 he was
elected president of the Boston & Maine
Railroad and has been successively re-
elected to that important office every year
since.
Mr. D. K. Sebastian has been appointcil
acting furl agent of the Chicago, Rock
Island & Pacific, with office at Chicago,
vice Mr. Eugene Mc.\uliflre, resigned.
Mr. G. R. West has been appointed
general foreman on the Detroit, Toledo fit
Ironton Railway at Springfield, Ohio, vice
J. A. Hannigan, a-iHigned to other duties.
Mr. Thos. McFarland has been ap-
pointed traveling engineer on the
Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway,
with headquarters at Ellensburg, Wash.
Mr. C. E. Chambers has been ap-
pointed superintendent of motive
power of the Central Railroad of New
Jersey, with office at Jersey City, N. J.
Mr. W. P. Drumb has been appointed
foreman in the mechanical department of
the Southern Railway at New Albany,
Ind., vice Mr. A. H. Firnhabcr resigned.
Mr. C. M. Hoffman has been appointed
master machanic of the Denver & Rio
Grande, with office at Grand Junction,
Colo., vice Mr. F. B. Mahoney, resigned.
Mr. M. A. Craig has been appointed
general foreman on the Detroit. Toledo
& Ironton Railway at Lima, Ohio, vice
Mr. G. B. Sollars, assigned to other
duties.
Mr. R. S. Miller has been made master
car builder of the New York, Chicago &
St. Louis Railroad, his previous title, gen-
eral foreman of car department, being
abolished.
Mr. J. H. Wilson, heretofore loco-
motive foreman at Moose Jaw, Sask.,
has been appointed locomotive foreman
at Sutherland, Sask., vice Mr. G. Twist,
transferred.
Mr. W. Price, heretofore car inspector
'>f the Canadian Pacific at Macleod. .Mta.,
lias been appointed car foreman at Swift
Current, Sask., vice Mr; J. A. Jcnson,
transferred.
A pension of $54.90 a month lias been
granted by the Santa I^'e Railroad Com-
pany to Mr. Edward Robiiisufi, an old en-
gineer, who had been in the company's
service since 1875.
Mr. G. E. Watts, of Atlanta, Ga., well-
known among traction men throughout
the South, has been appointed Southern
representative of the R. D. Nuttall Com-
pany of Pittsburgh.
Mr. W. Sealy, heretofore machinist
charge hand, Stratford shops of the
Grand Trunk, has been appointed erecting
shop foreman at that point, vice Mr. A.
J. Roberts, resigned.
Mr. E. A. Shipley, formerly locomotive
engineer on the Frisco 8y.stem, has been
appointed fuel supervisor i>u the Chicago,
Ruck Kland & Pacific, with headquarters
at Kansas City, Mo.
Mr. J. N. Ilainet, formerly train-
master, has been appointed assistant
suprrintcndrnt of the Buffalo division
of the Lehigh Valley Uailroad, vice Mr.
C. J. Shei, promoted.
8o
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
February, 1910.
Mr. L. C. Heilman has been appointed
supervisor of signals of the Rock Island
at Cedar Rapids, Iowa, having jurisdic-
tion over the Northern district, vice Mr.
G. W. Trout, transferred.
Mr. H. C. Stevens, assistant to general
storekeeper of the Atchison, Topeka &
Santa Fe at Topeka, Kan., has been ap-
pointed supervisor of stores of the Na-
tional Railways of Me.xico.
Mr. R. E. Knox has been appointed
road foreman of engines on the Los An-
geles division of the San Pedro, Los
Angeles & Salt Lake Railroad, with head-
quarters at Los Angeles, Cal.
Mr. H. L. Roth, has been appointed
road foreman of engines on the Cincin-
nati, New Orleans & Texas Pacific Rail-
way with jurisdiction over the first dis-
trict with office at Danville, Ky.
Mr. G. Twist, heretofore locomotive
foreman of the Canadian Pacific at
Sutherland, Sask., has been appointed
locomotive foreman at Minnedosa, Man.,
vice Mr. W. F. Lowe, transferred.
Mr. B. T. Jellison has been appointed
purchasing agent of the Chesapeake &
Ohio, with office at Richmond, Va., re-
porting to the vice-president and general
manager. He succeeds Mr. La Bonto.
Mr. H. E. Byram, formerly assistant to
the second vice-president of the Chicago,
Burlington & Quincy, has been made chief
assistant in the operating department, to
Mr. Darius Miller, the first vice-presi-
dent.
Mr. C. S. White has been appointed
motive power inspector of the Pennsyl-
vania Lines west of Pittsburgh, South-
west system, with office at Columbus,
Ohio, vice Mr. W. H. Holbrook, trans-
ferred.
By a slight misunderstanding the name
of our agent was mentioned as the person
in charge of the fast work done in C. P. R.
engine No. 712 in the Winnipeg shop
recently and reported in our December
number.
Mr. R. H. Lanham, who has been
traveling engineer on the Iron Mountain
& Southern Railway, has been promoted
to the position of master mechanic on
the same road, with headquarters at
Helena, Ark.
Mr. H. F. Smith, formerly general
foreman of the car shops at West Albany
on the New York Central Lines, has been
appointed master car builder of the
Chicago & Alton, with headquarters at
Bloomington, 111.
Mr. John Hill, master mechanic and
master car builder of the Minneapolis &
St. Louis Railroad, has been appointed
master mechanic of both eastern and
western divisions of that road, with office
at Minneapolis, Minn.
Mr. H. M. Murchmore, master me-
chanic of the Frisco at Paris, Tex., has
been transferred to Birmingham, Ala.,
and is succeeded by G. E. McCauley,
who has been with the Frisco for 30
years at Springfield, Mo.
Mr. Pliram J. Slifer, general manager
of the Chicago Great Western Railroad,
has assumed the duties heretofore per-
formed by the superintendent, Mr. O.
Cornelison who has resigned. The posi-
tion of superintendent has been abolished.
Mr. James McDonough, formerly
roundhouse foreman at Topeka, Kan., on
the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe, has
been transferred from Topeka to Em-
poria, Kan., on the same road, with the
title of division foreman, at the latter
place.
Mr. A. H. Firnhaber, formerly fore-
man in the mechanical department of the
Southern Railway at New Albany, Ind.,
has recently been appointed master me-
chanic of the J. L. Smith Construction
Company, with headquarters at Kansas
City, Mo.
The New Year's greeting sent out by
the B. M. Jones Co., of Boston, agents
for Taylor iron, took the form of a very
handsome penknife. We have found that
form of card very popular among the
ladies, too popular for our own sense of
possession.
Mr. David Van Alstyne, vice-president
of the American Locomotive Company in
charge of manufacturing, has resigned.
Mr. James McNaughton, vice-president in
charge of sales, has been put in charge of
the manufacturing department as well as
that of sales.
Mr. J. W. Bennett has been appointed
master mechanic of the Utah lines of the
Denver & Rio Grande Railroad, with
office at Salt Lake City, vice Mr. A. H.
Powell, resigned. The position of as-
sistant superintendent of motive power
has been abolished on the D. & R. G.
Mr. O. S. Jackson has been appointed
master machanic of the Chicago, Indian-
apolis & Louisville, with office at La-
fayette, Ind., vice Mr. W. J. Bennett,
assistant superintendent of motive power,
resigned. The position formerly held
by Mr. Bennett has been abolished.
Mr. C. H. Ketcham, formerly division
superintendent on the D., L. & W., has
been appointed superintendent of the
Western Pacific Railroad, with headquar-
ters at Sacramento, CaL Mr. Ketcham's
many friends on the Lackawanna and
elsewhere wish him every success in his
new field of labor.
Mr. J. Snowden Bell has recently re-
moved his office from No. 165 Broad-
way to the Singer Building which is
No. 149 Broadway, New York. Mr.
Bell is a patent attorney of long and
varied experience and is a contributor to
the columns of Railway and Locomo-
tive Engineering.
Mr. Eugene McAuliflfe, formerly gen-
eral fuel agent of the Rock Island Frisco
lines at Chicago, has resigned from the
Rock Island and has been appointed gen-
eral fuel agent of the St. Louis & San
Francisco, the Chicago & Eastern Illinois
and the Evansville & Terre Haute, with
office at Chicago, 111.
Mr. C. M. Byrd has been appointed
road foreman of engines of the Atchison,
Topeka & Santa Fe Coast Lines, with
jurisdiction over the Second district of
the Albuquerque division, with office at
Winslow, Ariz. He will perform such
other duties as may be assigned to him
by the master mechanic of the Third
district.
Mr. John W. Daly has been promoted
from general passenger agent of the Lake
Shore to be assistant passenger traffic
manager of the New York Central lines
in Chicago. He is succeeded by Mr. L.
W. Robinson, who will continue also as
general passenger agent of the Pittsburgh
& Lake Erie, with headquarters in Cleve-
land, Ohio.
Mr. John D. Conway, formerly chief
clerk of the motive power department of
the Pittsburgh & Lake Erie, and for 25
years in the company's service, has re-
signed to become secretary of the Rail-
way Supply Manufacturers' Association.
His associates on the P. & L. E. give a
dinner in his honor and presented him
with a gold watch and chain on the oc-
casion of his retirement.
Mr. E. H. Coapman. manager of the
Southern Railway, has been promoted to
the position of general manager of that
company, with headquarters in Washing-
ton, D. C, vice Mr. C. H. Ackert, re-
signed. Mr. Coapman will have general
control and direction of the operating
and maintenance departments, and will
report to the president. The office of
manager has been abolished.
Mr. F. F. Prentiss, recently resigned
from the presidency of the Cleveland
Twist Drill Company on account of ill
health, and Mr. J. D. Cox was elected to
that office. Mr. Cox was the founder of
this business and has always been the
practical man of the concern. He has
wide and varied experience and has al-
ways kept in very close touch with the
manufacturing of twist drills.
Mr. J. E. Osmer has been appointed
assistant superintendent of the Hicks
Locomotive & Car Works, of Chicago
Heights, III., in charge of the locomotive
works. Mr. Osmer has been master
mechanic of the Northwestern Elevated
Railroad of Chicago for about six years
and previously was connected with the
mechanical departments of the Iowa Cen-
tral, C. & A., and the C. & N. W.
Mr. J. W. Coyle, who was connected
with the Best American Calorific Co.
until they retired from business, is now
with the Rockwell Furnace Co. Mr.
Coyle is an experienced railroad man,
having formerly been master blacksmith
on the Lehigh Valley Railroad at Wilkes-
February, 191a
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
81
Barre, and later he was in charge of the
drop hammer and machine department at
the forge shops of the Philadelphia &
Reading, at Reading, Pa.
Mr. William Mcintosh, superintendent
of motive power of the Central Railroad
of New Jersey, has resigned owing to
impaired health, and has gone to Arizona
to recuperate. Mr. Mcintosh is a Cana-
dian by birth, but has done all his rail-
road work in the United States. Al-
though he did not proclaim it from the
housetops, Mr. Mcintosh has been a very
successful inventor of railway appliances.
He was highly popular with the men un-
der his charge, and received on leaving
the Central a beautiful gold watch, chain
and Masonic emblem from the men in the
mechanical department.
The Watson-Stillnian Company, of
New York, have made several additions
to their sales department in order to han-
dle the increasing business in hydaulic
tools and turbine pumps. Mr. Edwin
Stillman has entered the sales depart-
ment, and is helping to take care of cus-
tomers in New York State, while all
railroad business in the South is now in
charge of Mr. Frank C. Clark. The more
direct representation that has become
necessary in the Orient will hereafter be
in the hands of Mr. F. W. Horn, the
well-known machinery importer of Yoko-
hama, Japan.
Mr. Walter D. La Parle has been ap-
pointed general sales agent for the
Chicago Bearing Metal Co. Mr. La Parle
is a native of Chicago and has been en-
gaged in the railway supply business for
the past twenty years. He was formerly
connected with the Verona Tool Works
of Pittsburgh for eleven years, after
which he organized the Solid Steel Tool
Co., which is now the Western Tool &
Forge Co., of Brackenridge, Pa. Mr. La
Parle has a very wide acquaintance among
railroad officials in both the operating and
maintenance branches and brings to his
new position a technical and practical
knowledge which has been gained by
long years of training and experience.
Mr. La Parle's offices are in the Old
Colony Building, Chicago.
Mr. Darius Miller, first vice-president
of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy
Railroad, has been made the head of all
departments of that road. This was oc-
casioned by the retirement of Mr. Daniel
Williard, who has become president of
the B. & O. Mr. Miller began his rail-
road work as a stenographer in the gen-
eral freight office of the Michigan Central
in 1877. He subsequently l)ccame a clerk
in the general freight office of the St
Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern. This
position he left to become chief clerk to
the general manager of the Memphis &
Little Rr>ck Railroad. In i88j he was
appointed freight and ticket agent on the
same road. In 1899 the St Louis, Arkan-
sas & Texas Railway secured his services
as general freight and passenger agent,
and a year later he became traffic mana-
ger of the same road. This lead to his
being secured by the Queen & Crescent
Route as traffic manager. Later he be-
came traffic manager of the Missouri,
Kansas & Texas and was in due time
elected to the position of vice-president.
He accepted the second vice-presidency of
the Great Northern in 1901. The follow-
ing year saw him first vice-president of
the C, B. & Q., which position he now
holds, and he has now become the of-
ficial head of all departments of the road.
Obituary.
Charles B. Dudley, chief chemist of
the Pennsylvania Railroad, died last
December after an attack of typhoid
pneumonia at his home in Altoona. Dr.
Dudley was born in 1842 at Oxford,
N. Y. He was educated at the Oxford
Academy and also at Yale University
where he graduated in 1874 with the
degree of Ph.D. He spent the year
after graduation as professor of
physics in the University of Pennsyl-
vania, and in the following year he was
appointed to the position of chemist
for the Pennsylvania. Dr. Dudley was
widely known for the valuable work he
did in the testing of materials used on
railways, but outside this he was con-
sidered one of the most prominent men
of science in the country. He was
president of the American Society for
Testing Materials, president of the
American Chemical Society, a member
of the Iron and Steel Institute. He was
president of the Bureau of Explosives
of the American Railway Association,
and chairman of the committee on the
safe transportation of explosives. He
was honored by the International As-
sociation for Testing Materials at a
recent meeting in Copenhagen, when
he was elected president.
We regretfully record the death of
James W. Friend, of Pittsburgh. He
died on December 26, 1909, after a lin-
gering illness. He was sixty-four years
old. Mr. Friend was a familiar figure in
the iron, steel and coal industries and
among the banking interests of Pitts-
burgh, having been vice-president of
the Pressed Steel Car Company, the
Western Steel Car & Foundry Com-
pany, one of the owners of the Clinton
Iron & Steel Company, vice-president
of the German National Bank of
Allegheny, and a director in the
Farmers' Deposit National Bank of
Pittsburgh.
was a native of Scotland, and on coming
to this country entered railway service at
the age of seventeen as an apprentice in
the shops of the Albany & Schenectady
Railroad. In July of 1849 he secured the
position of machinist in the Hudson River
Railroad, and subsequently became a loco-
motive engineer, after which he was pro-
moted to be shop foreman, and later on
he was made master mechanic on the
Southern division. In 1859 he became
master mechanic for the whole line and
of the Troy & Greenwich Railroad. In
l88o he was made superintendent of
motive power of the Hudson River &
Harlem division of the N. Y. C. & H. R.
In 1899 he was given the position of su-
perintendent of motive power and rolling
stock of the New York Central & Hudson
River Railroad, the West Shore Railroad,
the Rome, Watertown & Ogdensburg
Railroad and the Dunkirk, .Mlegheny Val-
ley & Pittsburgh Railroad. During Mr.
Buchanan's time the famous 999 class of
engines were brought out by him for ser-
vice on the Empire State Express, and it
is this fact that is probably more widely
known to the general public than any
other of his long and useful career.
William Buchanan, one of the veterans
in the service of the New York Central,
who, for some time, had been on the re-
tired list, died at his home in South Nor-
walk, Conn., aged 80 years. Mr. Buchanan
To Promote Industrial Education.
The American Federation of Labor has
decided to encourage a teaching of the
principles of mechanics in the public
schools. John Mitchell, chairman of a
committee appointed to push the move-
ment, says :
"National associations for the promo-
tion of industrial education have been
started from time to time, but this is the
first time the American Federation of
Labor has gone into the matter. The
committee has gone into the subject ex-
haustively, and finds that many manufac-
turers because of the specialization of the
different departments of the trades find
it difficult to get competent superintend-
ents owing to the difficulty of finding
all-around mechanics who have learned
everything about any particular trade.
"We will agitate for the teaching of
the principles of mechanics in the public
schools. The high schools, for instance,
teach pupils how to prepare for the pro-
fessions, but as there arc more people in
mechanical trades than in the professions
they should also, we believe, teach the
principles of mechanics.
"A man, for instance, may know that a
joint at a certain angle is stronger than
at any other angle, without knowing the
reason why. Another man will know why
that joint is stronger. This man will be
more valuable than the first man. Am-
bition to excel would be stimulated if
mechanics had a better opportunity of
knowing the principles of mechanics, as
well as learning one branch of a trade in
a routine way. In the end this would be
better for both emioyers and employes.
83
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
February, 1910.
Railroad Character Sketches
Macfarlane^as a Napoleon of Finance
Br James Kennedy.
Presentations, raffles and benefits seem-
ed to come like evil spirits and seize upon
the lean pocket-books of the railway men.
Jack Macfarlane was the chief manager
of these nefarious visitations. Jack had
earned a character for benevolence that
marked him out as the proper man to
appeal to in the hour of financial need,
and whether it was the bare-faced beggar
whose children had the measles, and
whose pantry and coal-scuttle were empty
because, as he said, the doctor and the
druggist had taken all his money, or
whether it was some invisible widow, Jack
made no inquiries as to their previous
habits or antecedents. The man with the
measly children may have had teeth black
with tobacco and his breath sulphurous
with alcohol, and the widow might be an
invisible thing, like Wordsworth's cuckoo,
or Halley's comet, but the tender-hearted
railroaders responded nobly.
Some odd cases there were. A car-
penter came into the roundhouse at mid-
day and asked Macfarlane if he would call
the men together. The visitor had a
bundle under his arm. "Certainly — what
was it — a new invention?" No; it was
an army revolver of the most formidable
caliber, a relic of the battle autumn of
1862. It had a history and he would
raffle it at twenty-five cents a chance. His
wife needed a new set of teeth more than
he needed artillery. He was willing to
part with a family heirloom rather than
see the mother of his children compelled
to live on mashed potatoes and butter-
milk. Macfarlane testified to the com-
plete toothlessness of the unfortunate
woman. The raffle, like all others, oc-
curred at Clark's parlors, and the history
of the revolver was so illuminated by
stories of feats of broil and battle by the
loquacious carpenter, and so strongly en-
dorsed by Macfarlane that a fine set of
incisors, molars, and bi-cuspids, sharp and
shining as a badger's, were promptly
planted on the gums of the half-starved
woman. This was not all. Macfarlane,
like an experienced financier, had quietly
accepted a handful of stock in the shape of
free raffle tickets himself, and won the re-
volver.
A fresh young paymaster, recently ap-
pointed, had had the efifrontery to keep a
finely mounted revolver of light caliber
lying conspicuously exposed at the window
of the pay car. Jack came along in the
crowd next pay day and deposited his
heavy artillery on the sill of the window,
and took considerable time counting his
money. Some high words were exchanged
between Jack and the paymaster. For a
few minutes they had the car to them-
selves. The paymaster blanched. No
shots were exchanged. Jack came out of
the pay car swinging his revolver like an
Indian club. The path to Clark's parlors
was cleared for him as if by magic. The
paymaster's revolver was never seen
again. Some said that Jack was half shot,
but that was a false report.
Macfarlane's methods were similar to
most benevolent institutions. "Think of
thyself last," was no part of Jack's gospel.
His own expenses came first. When Shaw
fell asleep in the cab of a locomotive and
tumbled out of a cab door sustaining a
severe contusion of the radius and ulna,
superinducing inflammation which ex-
tended to the biceps and deltoid, Jack's
charity list was as promptly in the
vicinity of the bruised arm as Billy's medi-
cine box. Billy reduced the swelling, and
Jack raised the money. Billy was a sur-
geon in embryo. Jack was the finished
financier. Nobody had the audacity to
ask for an examination of his subscription
sheets. The signatures were largely
hieroglj-phic. The figures were as in-
volved as a problem in differential cal-
culus. Shaw was full of gratitude. Billy
was full of pride, and on pay-day Mac-
farlane's pockets were full of silver.
In the presentations to departing of-
ficials Jack was at his best. He assumed
full charge. He knew where gold-headed
walking sticks could be had at his own
price. Neither the precious metal upon
the head of the stick nor the duties of
Jack's fellow committeemen were heavy
upon them. The subscriptions included
alcoholic beverages to the full, or nearly
full, committee, but it did not include the
aquafortis test to the shining head of the
stick. In many instances the subscribers
would not have grudged to have added a
pair of shoes to the walking stick, so that
the recipient could have kept on walking
away as far as possible, but bygones
should be bygones when the parting of
the ways come.
A boiler maker foreman was leaving
and something had to be given to him so
that in his new sphere of industrial
activity the railroaders could see the re-
flex of the exalted estimate we had of
him. Macfarlane proposed a set of reso-
lutions. Billy drew up the ornate sen-
tences in mellifluous perfection. Shaw
made a cylindrical case of burnished brass
to hold the document. The presentation
at Clark's parlors was an affecting scene.
The words were inscribed on a silken
banneret and decorated with a spread
eagle, crowned by a bare arm in the
sinewy hand of which there was a raised
hammer seemingly ready to strike the
bird of freedom a crushing blow. The
boiler maker was so carried away, as it
Dixon's Graphite En-
gine Front Finish is
better than anything
you have ever used
on the fronts of lo-
comotives.
One thing you ' ve
noticed about the
other finishes is that
they give off offen-
sive fumes when the
front of the engine
gets a little hot. You
won't find this diffi-
culty with Dixon's
Finish.
Besides, Dixon's Fin-
ish lasts from six
to nine weeks and
produces a restful
surface rather than
a dazzlingly bright
one.
We'll be glad to
send you free de-
scriptive circular
69-F on request, a
free test sample too,
if you like.
JOSEPH DIXON
CRUCIBLE CO.
Jersey City, N. J.
February, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
83
GOLD
Car
Heating
Lighting
Company
Manufactureri ol
ELECTRIC,
STEAM AND
HOT WATER
APPARATUS
FOR RAILWAY CARS
IMPROVED
SYSTEM OF
ACETYLENE
CAR LIGHT-
ING
Largest Mtnultclareri io the World ol
Car Hcabog Apparalw
Send for circular of our combina-
tion PRESSURE AND VAPOR
SYSTEM OF CAR HEATING
which jyitem autonutically mam
tains about the same temperature in
the car regardless of the outsi'lr
weather conditions.
M«tn Office. Whitehall Building
17 BATTERY PLACE
NEW YORK
were, that he ordered large quantities of
"Clark's Best," with the result that the
parting hour was all too short. He ran
to catch a train, pocketing the shining
case but leaving the resolutions elsewhere
Next week Macfarlane and Shaw were
stripped to the waist washing themselves.
Shaw looked like the tattooed man. On
his broad breast were cabalastic characters
like Runic inscriptions. Shaw had been
wearing the missing resolutions as a chest
protector.
Jack got the worst of it when the mana-
ger died. The great man, like Solomon,
had grown silly as he grew older. He
should have been buried quietly, but some
parasite suggested that the railway men
should erect a monument to his memory.
The surviving officials approved of it. It
was no light matter. It was coercion and
retaliation running riot and Macfarlane
was the storm center. It was a low steam
pressure on one side and a tremendous
back pressure on the other side. Jack
nearly stood still, but the strength came to
him that comes to men that are compelled
to bear troubles that are not of their own
making. Jack was a manipulator in
finance, but he hated the task of taking
bread out of the mouths of hungry men,
women and children, and heaping it on
tlic grave of the unworthy. It was his
t'lnancial Waterloo. He was never quite
the same Jack Macfarlane afterwards.
Railway Rate Regulation.
Among the recent recommendations of
President Taft on the subject of railway
rate regulation, the one which has prob-
ably been received with the least opposi-
tion is the proposal to create a Court of
Commerce, composed of five judges, to
which all appeals from the decisions of
the Interstate Commerce Commission
shall be made.
Another recommendation is the modi-
tlcation of the Sherman law so as to
permit railways to enter into reasonable
iiRreements regarding rates. Under the
present law the published rate is the legal
rate, and the President proposes to have
a fine of $250 inflicted on any road which
cither by mistake or otherwise quotes
an incorrect rate.
Mr. Taft proposes to give power to
the Interstate Commerce Commission
In change the classifications, as it now
has the power to change rates. The
change in clas.sification practically in-
volves change of rate of commodities,
and the proposal is simply an cnlarge-
MK-nt of powers of the commission in
I bin direction.
If the President's views prevail the
mmmission will be given power to ini-
tiate invcsligalions and to hold hearings
on any point which it may consider
^ll<luld t>e so examined. The commission
lias asked that it be given power in its
iliscretion to postpone indefinitely any
proposed advance in rates, pending in-
vestigation as to the reasonableness of
the advance. In dealing with this request
from the commission the President rec-
onuncnds that the commission be em-
powered, when an advance of rates is
tiled, to begin investigation at once as to
its reasonableness and that if after 60
days the commission has not completed
such investigation, the advanced rate or
rates shall go into effect and shall be
legal.
Willing to Go Higher.
"Yes," said the old man, addressing his
visitor, "I am proud of my girls, and
should like to see them all comfortably
married ; and as I've made a little money,
they won't go to their husbands penniless.
There's Margaret, twenty-five years old,
and a real good girl. I shall give her five
thousand dollars when she marries. Then
comes Bet, who won't see thirty-five
again, and she'll have ten thousand dol-
lars ; and the man who takes Dora, who
is forty, will have fifteen thousand dollars
with her."
The young man reflected a moment or
so, and then nervously inquired, "You
haven't one about fifty, have you?"
Engine Front Finish.
The ordinary treatment of locomotive
front ends has a number of unsatisfac-
tory features. Whatever is put on a
front end requires frequent renewal.
This means not only cost of material,
but also cost of labor. Some of the
material generally used is volatile, and
when the engine is running and the front
end becomes hot, offensive fumes come
back to the cab. In aggravated cases
these fumes may fill the eyes of the
engineer, and making it difficult to see
the signals. For engine fronts The
Joseph Dixon Crucible Company recom-
mend their Graphite Engine Front Finish,
which is said to give a service of from
six to nine weeks at each application. It
provides the engine front with a durable
and attractive coating. The value of
this finish is due chiefly to the flake
graphite which forms its base. As most
of us ktiow, flake graphite is iniafTected
by liiat or cold ; and it has, in addition,
durable polishing properties. Tlie Dixon
Company have recently issued a little
circular concerning this engine front
polish, and all those interested in material
of this kind, shoidd write to the Dixon
Company for it. The home office should
he addressed at Jersey City, N. J.
A Proper Understanding.
Possible Hoarder- "Ah, that was a rip-
ping dinner, and if that was a fair sample
of your meals, I should like to crime to
terms."
Scottish Farmer-— "Ilefore we gang any
further, was that a fair sample o' ycr ap-
petite?"
84
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
February, 1910.
Great Meeting of N. E. Railroad Club.
The officials of the New England Rail-
road Club achieved a triumph in the Jan-
uary meeting of the club, for they made
it so attractive that several railway presi-
dents were present, the Governor of
Massachusetts delivered an address, and
a galaxy of the most celebrated business
men in the country swelled the large
audience.
President Webster of the club was in
the chair and introduced Governor
Draper, who in a pleasing address made
the point that railroads must serve the
people with equality. It is as important
that the people treat the railroads fairly
as that they should be treated fairly.
Mr. W. C. Brown, president of the
New York Central Lines, said : "The
most portentous cloud discernible upon
the political or economic horizon at this
time is the steady, relentless increase in
the price of everything that goes to make
up the cost of living.
"This unusual phenomenon of steadily
rising values in the face of a long suc-
cession of bountiful crops is one of the
most important as well as interesting
problems that confronts the political
economists today."
Mr. Brown then discussed the relation
between the supply of gold and the in-
dustrial conditions. He made a vigorous
plea in favor of increasing agricultural
products, and asserted that we must in-
crease production per acre by more intel-
ligent methods, or we must face the
relentless, certain day when we shall not
produce food enough to supply our own
necessities.
Mr. George A. Post, president of the
Railway Business Association, made some
most felicitous remarks about the posi-
tion railway supply men occupied at that
meeting, where no apologies were neces-
sary in getting close to railway officials
of the highest rank.
Mr. Post excited intense enthusiasm by
expressions of admiration for the Gov-
ernor of Massachusetts and for President
Brown, of the New York Central Lines.
He explained the purposes of the Railway
Business Association as working under
the banner inscribed "Conference, Conces-
sion and Concentration." "It was, he
said, "the necessity for this trinity of ac-
tion that called our organization into
existence. Our method of promoting that
end is to help create such amity between
the railroads and the public that they
will co-operate and each perform its part
with wisdom.
"Our message to you in New England
is addressed to railway officials on the
one hand and to the public and public
officials on the other. To our railway
friends we say: 'By your efficient opera-
tion, your fair dealing with your patrons,
your consideration to all men and your
spirit of co-operation toward those
charged with regulation, let it be seen
that you desire the general good will and
stand ready to go all reasonable lengths
to secure it"
Can Do Four Things.
A good illustration and a few timely
words do more to rivet the attention of
a busy man than columns of closely
printed matter set in minion type. As an
example of the effective style of catalogue
we may mention that recently got out by
the Buker & Carr Manufacturing Com-
pany, of Rochester, N. Y. In that
catalogue their Twentieth-Century Out-
fit is well illustrated and briefly explained.
The outfit is most useful in a railroad
repair shop as it deals with air brake and
steam hose in several ways. First it
is a bolt cutter and it cuts the clamp
bolts as fast as a man can feed them
to the jaws. Second it is a hose stripper.
It will pull hose from their metal coup-
lings after the bolts are cut at the rate
of perhaps a thousand a day. Third it is
Bolt Cutter in Operat
a hose fitter and forces new hose on
metal connections with as much ease as
it took off old ones. Fourth it is a hose
clamper. It applies clamps to new hose
after the couplings are in place and it
does this in a way which leaves nothing
further to be desired. Write to the
Buker, Carr Manufacturing Company,
Rochester, N. Y., and ask for a copy of
the catalogue. It is worth looking over.
The Johns-Manville Co., of New York,
have issued an elegant catalogue with post
card attachment describing and illustrat-
ing how four cars of coal did the work
of five. The figures are given in detail
showing the saving effected. It is pointed
out that most of the so-called steam pipe
coverings are merely coverings and not
in any sense insulators. The merits of
their Asbesto-Sponge Felted Covering are
set forth in due form and when this is
used on the pipes and Vitribestos Boiler
Covering is used on the boiler, the sav-
ing is unquestionably great. All in-
terested in fuel saving should send for a
copy of this publication.
FLEpqpLE
sTi^YlOLrr
RECOGNIZED
STANDARD
FLEXIBLE
STAYBOLTS
Holds firebox sheets securely
together, and accommodates it-
self to the unequal expansion
of the plates.
USED ON OYER 125 RAILROADS
"StaT'bolt Trouble
a Thing of the Past "
So say many of our customers
who have used the Tate Bolt
in large numbers, covering a
period of time sufficient to base
comparisons and eliminate all
chances of doubt.
THE TATE BOLT HAS
PROVED ITSELF INDISPENS-
ABLE TO LOCOMOTIVES IN
HIGH PRESSURE SERVICE
BY RENDERING A LOWER
COST OF FIRE BOX REPAIRS
TO A GREATER MILEAGE IN
SERVICE, THEREBY IN-
CREASING THE EARNING
VALUE.
FLANNERY BOLT COMPANY
PITTSBURGH, PA.
Enite 828 Frlck BnildlBf
B. E. D. STAFFORD. 6«ii. Xulkrv
J. aOOER.S FLAinrEBT h OOICPAST,
S«Iluif Areata
Frlek BnililiDC, PiUtbnivh, Fa.
TOH K. DATI8, ICaehuioal Expwt
E. A. FIKF, EAit«rD TerritarF
IT. IL WnSOH, WMtern Territory
O0iaC0HWi:ALTH BtrPPLT OOKPAXT,
Sonthe&AterB Territozy
February, ig'O-
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE EXGINEERING.
S5
Brmke Equipment.
Are You Prepared for
Every Breakdown ?
Betler Secure the 1910 Edition.
JusI Published, ol_
Locomotive Breakdowns
and Their Remedies
By Fowlar-Wood. 1910 rocket Edl-
rnKj%'^.^./''^cciro.^"o; ?.e^Jo^°
^e El"trl7He.dllght .nd Qae.Uon.Md
™»er. on the Air Br.ke .re 11 Included.
FullT lUnstr.te.]. J^lce $1^
We$tingiu)us^ E-YIiTBrake
Instruction Pocket Book
Bt Wm. W. Wood. Here 1. . »«°|' '»'
the r.llrcd ra.n, and the m.n who "I'D' J»
« ,.oe It l« ">e only complete work pob-
fr.heS on the We.tinghon« E-T I^«J"«"
Written by an .\lr Br.Ke
Instructor who know.
Jnst wh.t Is needed.
It coverf the subject
th.iroughly. E t e r 7-
tlilng .twut the New
Westlnghouse Englo.
and Tender B r . k e
K.iulpment. Including
the St.ndard No. 5
and the Perfected No.
.-. -stvle of br.ke. I.
..jtiMl In d e t . 1 1.
Written In pl.ln Eng-
lish and profuaely Il-
lustrated with ColorM
Fl.tM, which en.bU
one to trace the flow
of pressure, through-
out the entire equip-
ment. The best book
ever published nn th.
Air Brake. Eiiually
rood for the beginner and the advanced eor
rlneer. Will paw any one through any
«.mln.tlon. It Inform, .nd enlighten, yon
on every point. Indl.pens.ble to every en-
^nem.n .nd tr.lnm.n. Filled with colored
l!lu.rr.tloD«. Price t2.00.
Waltehaerl LoeomotWt Gear
By Wm. W. Wood. If you wonld thor-
oughly understand the WalK.ert LocomotU.
V.lve Ge.r you should powwa. » copy of thl.
book It covers the subject In every det.ll.
Ex.mln.tlnn questions with their -n-y" •"
given. Fully Ulustr.ted .nd cont.ln. alia-
*ng card v.ard mMleH. Price t\M.
Locomotive Catechism
„_ , iw. 27th Edition. It li •
.. m Cover to Cover. Include.
-iioont of pr.ctlc.l Inforra.tlon
: on the construction .nd m.n-
.Klern locomotive.. Cont.ln.
. ..red Chapter, on the W.lsch-
, -. 1 ive V.lve Ge.r. the Air Brake
y.. . ■ ,..| the Electric Head Mghl. «25
D.g'-. *■■-. Illustration, and 3 Folding Plate..
Over \.IM E.amln.tlon Q'— '"r"" "" ""^
Aoawen .re Included. Price %2M
Long John's Misfortune.
Evervbodv knows that "Long" John
Driscoil is' lame, but very few people
know how John came to lose his foot
John pulled a construction when the
Santa Fe was pushing its track through
New Mexico. Lawlessness prevailed in
the territory at that time, and railroad
men were ' frequently the victims of
thieves and robbers.
John with other railroad men was
housed for a time in a hotel in Albu-
querque. Everybody went armed. One
night John was in bed and he thought he
heard a noise in the room. It was a
clear moonlight night, and on looking
carefuUv about he thought he saw a
hand clasping the rail at the foot of his
bed. Quickly slipping his revolver from
under the pillow he took aim at the hand
and fired. He jumped up with a yell and
found he had passed a ball through his
own foot.
Link Motions and Valve Settinc
By Colnn. A hsn.Iy U'-'- '■' «" -mlnee
.-nglneer
„l,|.l.t th.t .-l-.r. up the mj-sterle. of
u-tiltic. Rbow. the different valv.
l„ iw how ihey work .nd why. 1 1.-
n.l .ll.le v.lve. of different type, .re
rsi~l and e.pl.lned. A b<«k th.t every
■ d man In the motive paw« d«p.rtm»ot
Air Brako Catechism
By Bl«k.IL A complete W""- "" '^
W«iIln«hou«. Air Br.ke. Including the No.
5 .nd y'. 0 ET I>ocomotl.e Brake Ejnlp-
tm freight S.rv|r,; .nd <'»„7'"- ' ^"^^
Pump S'O P.J". '"1" '""'"':iJ^"'
folding Pl.te. and diagram.. Price 12 00. ^
A SPECIAL
CIRCULAR
Agmntm WmiUmd ml Evmry Tmrmlnml.
Writm lor our Mpmelml Tmrmm
TheNormanW.HenleyPub.Co.
any of the— Im-.k. tmX
requMl. Any of th>M
A Modest Hero.
By Angus Sinclair.
In 1889 it was my good fortune to
cross the Atlantic in company of Dr.
Williams, of the Baldwin Locomotive
Works, and Albert J. Pitkin, of the
Schenectady Locomotive Works We
formed a very social trio and I have
always remembered the voyage as the
most delightful trip I ever enjoyed. Our
principal amusement was telling stones
and Dr. Williams seemed to excel him-
self According to my note book :
"Some men," remarked the Doctor,
"think that they can best distinguish
themselves, when they become the chief
officers of a railroad, by turning off as
many of the old hands as possible. A
superintendent wants new train dis-
patchers, new conductors and even new
brakemen. A master mechanic has a
following behind him, and to give his
friends positions he turns out shop fore-
men, engineers and even firemen. I never
found that practice to work well. Ihe
men familiar with a road and the ways
of doing the work may be depended upon
to carry on the business for the interest
of the company belter than new men. I
never saw the follower practice followed,
but it resulted in failure, and the men
who adopted the policy seldom remained
long on one road.
"When I went on the Michigan South-
ern, as general superintendent, I was told
on all hands that 1 would find the worst
set of men to be found on any road in
the West, and that my first work ought to
be the making of a clean sweep of the
trainmen. The thing was repeated to me
M often that 1 got to believe that I wai
Koing among a hard, incompetent crowd.
I made up my mind to move slowly, but
to be on the watch for black sheep.
"There was on the road, as passenger
Miifineer, a tall, lank, loosc-boncd Eastern
man called James McKinney, who had a
gruff, independent way with him that I
did not like. In a few weeks I made up
mv mind that I would start an exodus
with McKinney. Time went on and 1
had no decided cause for sending Mc-
Kinnev about his business when a bad
snow storm came on. The main line got
blocked near Chicago and I had person-
ally to take a hand in getting the track
cleared. A number of snow-blocked
trains had got together, and it was a ter-
ribly hard job getting the cars moved out
We toiled continuously, day and night,
at the work, and the last night .the only
engine I had that could give help was
that run by McKinney. We kept going
all night long and worked steadily with-
out a murmur. I had heard something
during the night about the heater pipe on
McKinney's engine bursting, but no delay
was caused by it. although there was a
fearful cold wind blowing and the bare
prairie gave it full sweep so that the men
had full cause for giving in. Well, to-
ward morning we got the line cleared,
and when we were all done McKinney
asked some of us to help h.m to get
down off the engine. I asked what the
matter was, and he replied that his leg
ROt burned when the heater pipe burst,
and it was now so stiff that he could
not move. We got him down and into
a waiting room and when we took his
drawers off to examine the wound the
skin of his side and leg came off. I was
shocked, and asked whatever induced him
to keep at work in that condition. In a
matter-of-fact way he said that there was
no one to take his place, and he could
not let the work stop. He was laid up
for six weeks, but got around again all
right I always found him just the kind
of man that one would expect from the
incident. His case was a lesson to me
not to judge men rashly. He is now ati
engineer on the Union Pacific, and I
know the company have no better man.
Corubin.
A valuable by-product is obtained m
making chromium by the Thermit process.
This by-product is known as "Corubin
(registered trade-mark) an.l has proved
to be one of the best abrasive materials
obtainable. It is used extensively abroad
in the manufacture of high grade emery
wheels, emery cloth and for other pur-
poses where a first class abrasive is re-
quired, Arrangements have now been
completed for supplying the American
market with this material and the Gold-
schmidt Thermit Co., of 90 West street
New York, will be glad to send further
particulars to any firms that may be in-
terested in the subject.
Nev» Arbor for Shell TooU.
Tl.c Cleveland Twist Prill Company
have secured the patents and are about to
place on the market a new arbor for
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEFRING.
February, 1910.
shell tools. As is indicated in our illus-
tration the essential difference between
this patent arbor and the regular type is
that it is equipped with an adjustable col-
lar provided with integral keys which
slide in longitudinal keyvvays in the arbor.
The arbor is also threaded for a short
distance to receive an adjusting nut which
posed of $50,000,000 or $60,000,000, al-
♦.-gether, and his kinsfolk and friend i
Vvcre given only about half of that
great sum. This munificent giver
was born in Scotland, about the
time that the Chicago grocer's life began.
"In the last dozen years the largest
giver of all Americans or, indeed, of all
NEW ARBOR FOR SHELL TOOLS.
bears on the collar. The collar engages
the shell reamer in the usual way.
Perhaps the chief advantage of the new
arbor is the quickness and ease with
which it releases the shell tool no matter
how tightly it may have become jammed
on the arbor. A turn or two of the ad-
justing nut does the business and there is
no necessity for removing the arbor from
the spindle, and no need to resort to the
vise and hammer methods which often
cause damage. Another advantage which
this arbor possesses is the fact that the
collar can always be set so as to allow the
shell tool to fit snugly on the arbor, and
yet have the collar keys full engage with
the slots.
On a recent Monday morning the
pastor of a church in Virginia was the
recipient of a basket of strawberries
brought to him by a little girl of the
parish. "Thank you very much, my
dear," said the minister, one of the
"unco guid" species. "These berries
are as fine as any I've ever seen. I
hope, however, that you did not gather
them yesterday — the Sabbath." "No,
sir," replied the child. "I pulled 'em
early this mornin', but they was a-growin'
all day yesterday.
individuals, the world over, has been An-
drew Carnegie. He was born in Scotland,
amid the usual grinding conditions of life
for poor laborer's boys in a country upon
which nature has lavished little to make
work light or the struggle for existence
easy.
"These men are types of a great class
of Scots whose giving shames those who
call the Scots avaricious and miserly.
They are great workers and great getters
of gold. They love wealth and the suc-
cess which it implies more ardently, per-
haps, than some other nationalities, but
they are princely givers, when the occasion
and the means are theirs. The typical
son of Scotland hates waste and sets great
store upon thrift, but he is no miser. He
wins with a strong hand and gives with
one which is as noble as it is careful."
Scots Giving.
Thomas Murdoch, a Scots wholesale
grocer of Chicago, died on Christmas Day
and left between $2,000,000 and $2,500,000
to benevolent purposes. The Cleveland
Leader, sent to us by Mr. A. H. Carpen-
ter, of the Acme Machinery Company,
of Cleveland, O., says concerning Scots
benevolence :
"The largest bequests of the year, for
public purposes, were made by the will of
John Stewart Kennedy, of New York, a
banker of great wealth. It is calculated
that about one-half of his fortune was
given to philanthropic institutions and
agencies, to churches, museums, and col-
leges especially. Mr. Kennedy dis-
Remembering Faces.
One cannot attend a railway convention
or other meeting where many people
come together who have met before, with-
out being struck with the difference dis-
played in recognizing faces. The aver-
age person does not possess the gift of
naming people they have seen rarely
before.
The late P. M. Arthur, chief of the
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers,
possessed an extraordinary gift for re-
membering faces and could name all the
delegates in a large convention. That gift
is a strong source of popularity and is
much cultivated by politicians.
King Edward of Britain is reported to
have an extraordinary memory for faces,
and is said to have recognized Ameri-
cans he met during the visit he made to
the L'nited States a quarter of a century
after he had met them.
When personal accomplishment among
royal potentates are considered, the
Khedive of Egypt is the most remarkable
of living rulers. He is a splendid linguist,
speaking every European language with
USEFUL
INFORMATION
ON
LOCOMOTIVE
REPAIRS
Will Be Found In
"REACTIONS"
The Thermit Quarterly
This paper is issued every
three months and is sent en-
tirely free of charge to inter-
ested parties in the United
States, Canada and Mexico.
The current issue is of excep-
tional interest to railroad men
as it reports the discussions
on locomotive frame welding
v^fhich took place at the last
annual meeting of the Inter-
national Railway Master
Blacksmiths' Association.
Other interesting articles
include a description of the
welding of a 48-ton flywheel
in the wilds of North Caro-
lina, where no shop facilities
of any kind were obtainable;
also the welding of the stem-
post of U. S. S. General Mc-
Dowell at San Francisco, re-
pairing broken iron and steel
rolls, etc.
Write for a copy and for
our illustrated Pamphlet No.
25-B.
90 West St., New York
432-436 Folsom St., San Trancisco, Calif.
103 Richmond St. W., Toronto, Ont.
SINCLAIR'S LOCOMOTIVE ENGINE
RUNNING AND MANAGEMENT
U itill popular. We h«v it. Price $2.00
ANGUS SINCLAIR CO.. 114 LibertT St.. N. Y.
StandardsHn Disinfectants
are as essential as STANDARDS
in materials for R. R. Construc-
tion.
Don't buy Disinfectants with-
out Knowing what they are.
CHLORO - NAPTHOLEUM is
STANDARD. Guaranteed 5 to
6 times more efficient than
pure Carbolic Acid Crystals.
WEST DISINFECTING CO.
9 E. 59th Street, New York City
GEO. L. LORD, Maniigrer.
Railroad & Steam^ihip Department.
Febriiarj'. lOio.
RAILWAY AXD LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
87
CARS, CABS, SHOPS
ROUNDHOUSES
require a roofing that
is unaffected by ex-
tremes of temperature
RUBEROID
ROOFING
Will not melt, rot, crack or
corrode. Contains no tar.
Outlaitj Mttal
SPARK PROOF, CINDER PROOF,
QAS PROOF, WEATHER PROOF
Writ* for •aniplev. prices and booklet No. 60.
THE STANOARO PAINT CO.
I 00 Vnillam Street New York
Cbtcifo. l-hlle<lelpbla. BoitoD, Emu Citr.
Urnipbls. Atleote.
"HOMESTEAD"
VALVES
Are constructed upon mechanically cor
rect princi[ile> — they are leak proof undei
Meam, air or b^rdraulic pressures. Tfae>
are practically indestructible because the
•eati are protected from wear. Tbe pluy
it balanced and held in place by pretsurr
when open, and when closed it U locked
on the seat b]r our patent wedging cam
"Homestead" \ alves are the quickest actinji
simplest, most easily operated and longeti
lired of any ma<'.e.
Homestead Valves are opened wide and
closed tight by a quarter turn.
Write for caulogitc of Homestead (\o*<\»
HOMESTEAD VALVE M'F'G CO.
Iraei Founders Work* et HomeeteaR. Pa.
f O. Bo.17 64, pnTBBURQ.PA.
DUNER
CAR CLOSETS
DUNER CO.
ease and fluency — German, perhaps, best
o£ all, since lie was educated in Vienna.
At his receptions in Cairo it is nothing
unusual for him to converse alternately in
German, French, English, Arabic and
Turkish. One of the most striking charac-
teristics of the Khedive is his wonder-
fully retentive memory. He never for-
gets a face or a name, and is credited
with having admitted, only a short time
.-.go, that tabulated on his mind are the
names, occupation, nationalities and cir-
cumstances of the many hundreds who
have shaken hands with him in the re-
ception room of the .\bdin Palace, so
that without hesitation he can greet each
cue by name and in his guest's own lan-
guage on meeting him again, no matter
how long after the first introduction.
Alternating Current Portable Drill.
The practice of taking heavy castings
to a stationary drill, and of spending
valuable time in adjusting them in order
that a few brief moments may be spent in
drilling is an example of old time shop
practice which is being gradually super-
seded by the use of new tools. The direct
current portable breast drill designed by
the General Electric Company has so dem-
onstrated its abihty to do the work for
which it was designed that they are now
manufacturing an alternating current one
which possesses all the superior features
of their direct current drill and permits
the use of this device where alternating
current only is available.
The drill possesses the ruggedness of
design required to withstand the hard
usage incidental to its service, yet its
weight has been reduced to 21 lbs. The
device may be handled by one person with
case and rapidity. Two gniirled side
handles and a breast plate provide ample
means for holding it se-
curely in any position.
An indic.iting control
switch for starting and stop-
ping the motor is located
conveniently near the right
handle so that it can be
operated by the right hand
without releasing the hold
on the right handle. Thi-
fcature makes control of the
apparatus so simple that the
workman's whole attention may be given
tn the operation of the drill. Hand holes
arc provided which furnish a means of
(•.■i>iy access to the commutator and brushes
for inspection and repairs if necessary.
The drill is fitted with a Jiicob's cliiuk
which will take drills up to and includ-
ing H in. in diameter. An idea of the
saving of time made possible by its use
may be gained from the following ap-
proximate data given to us by the makers:
It will firill a H in. hole i in. deep in cast
iron in 27 seconds ; do the same in ma-
chine steel in 95 seconds. It will also
satisfactorily operate a J4 in. wood bit.
Compare this with the time required to
move heavy castings to a stationary drill,
adjust them, drill one hole, adjust again,
drill another, etc. A crane is generally
required for this work, necessitating the
services of several men in addition to the
one operating the drill. In many cases
the same work could be done in a few
minutes by one person with a portable
drill.
This alternating current drill is designed
for operation on a no or 220 volt 60
cycle circuit to which it is connected by
screwing the attaching plug into a stand-
ard lamp socket. Our illustration shows
the alternating current portable drill with
cover removed.
Success.
.Salesmanship is like athletics.
Success, in a degree, is handed to
most of us.
Then success makes a fool of us.
Success makes for popularity, which
means invitations.
Invitations to banquets, joy parties,
and one more drink.
Successful salesmanship means the
cultivating of confidence on the part of
the buyer; confidence in the salesman,
his house and his goods.
You can make this confidence in but
one way, and that way is not through
the bottom of a glass or by smutty
stories.
The buyer that must have joy parties
and night attention gets tired of these
in a short time or goes down and out;
in either event, he becomes a worthless
acquaintance to the salesman who "set
'em up" in former years.
IMiKlAlll.K DKll.L lUK ALIKKNA TlNi; CUKRENT.
Chances arc he will reform and look
hack on his escapades with shame, and
blame the salesman for being the cause,
for we arc all prone to bl.iiiie others
for our own faults.
One rc(iuires a good digestion, a clear
eye, a good appearance, quick thought
and earnest application in selling, just
as one docs in boxing, playing l)illiards,
or engaging in any other sport.
Learn to say "no," and you will have
acquired the most essential aid in sales-
man'iliip training. — T/ic Ifniiglilon Lint.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
Februan', 1910.
The Flue Cleaner with
Always Sharp Knives—
THE
PERFECTION
Tbla comes about because of the peculiar
knife arrangement — while In operation,
they sharpen themselves. The potitive
cleaner for welded or drawn flues In any
quarter and especially In places where
there Is little elbow room. RemoTes all
of the $cale, leaves ail of the tuhei.
TRY IT FOR 30 DA.T8 ON THE BABIB
OF BATISFACTIOy OR WO PAT.
SCULLY STEEL AND
IRON COMPANY
CHICAGO. ILLINOIS
lO(OMOIlVt
AND
DuplexAir Brake Gauges
Capsular Diaphragm,
Double or Single Bourdon
and Auxiliary Springs
THE BEST OF EVERY
KNOWN TYPE
backed by fifty years experience
lltidi Steam Gau^e (o.
90 WEST STREET, NEW YORK
Erie Lead with U. S. Screw Threads.
To the railway companies more than
any other interest is due the fairly rapid
introduction of standard screw threads.
The United States officials had agreed to
use the Sellers system of screw threads
in all government structures and they
became known as United States Standard
Screw Thread. For years the promise
was all that the (iovernment departments
had done.
When the promised reform was in a
moribund state, Mr. Octave Chanute.
general manager of the Erie railroad, in-
spired with life and vigor the movement
which it had not previously possessed.
He determined to introduce the system of
interchangeable screw threads upon Erie
car repairs, for it promised to effect great
saving of expense. He applied to the
Xavy department for screw threads and
gauges and specimens were received, but
they did not agree. By very great per-
sistence he succeeded in prevailing upon
Pratt and Whitney to make special tools
for the manufacture of the United States
screw threads and the most important
standard ever introduced by the Master
Car Builders' Association was put in a
fair way for becoming the uniform screw
threads of the world.
Terrible Nervous Strain.
A rather seedy looking man hurried ex-
citedly from the rear coach into the one
ahead. "Has any one got any whiskey?"
he shrilly inquired. "A lady back there
has fainted."
Half a dozen flasks were offered in-
stantly. Seizing one, he looked at it
critically, uncorked it, put it to his lips,
and took a long, lingering pull.
"Ah !" he exclaimed, with gusto. "I
feel better now. Seeing a woman faint
always did upset me." — Cosmopolitan.
Light Spreading Book.
Peter Gray & Sons, lantern makers,
Cambridge, Mass., have been giving away
a remarkably convenient memorandum-
information book. It is complete as a
calendar, contains pages of psychological
fragments of wisdom, has blank for iden-
tilication, tells all about weather indica-
tions, on weights and measures, makes a
person independent of school memory, as
it gives answers to almost every embarras-
sing question that Young America shoots
at its long suffering parents. It's a dandy.
Send for one. You may get it or may
not, but try. There is a special edition
for ladies, too. That goes exclusively to
people interested in buying lanterns.
A neat catalogue describing and illus-
trating Mica Chimneys and Globes is
issued by the Storr's Mica Company,
Owego, N. Y. The Storr's "Never
Break" has become a familiar watchword
among railway men, and those who may
TOOL
Die Blocks
Steel Forgings
First Prize awarded at the Loui-
siana Purchase Exposition, at St.
Louis, for our TOOL STEEL
when placed in competition with
the best makes in England and
Germany.
Wrife ior Iniomallon and Prices.
Specify Mclnnes Tool Steel when
ordering.
McINNES
STEEL CO.
CORRY, PA.
Amenta
BCHBOCK & satriBEs,
291 Pearl St., New T»rk.
ROT MACHnTEKT 00.,
Hiiineapolis, ifi**
STANDARD MECHANICAL BOOKS
FOR ROAD AND SHOP MEN
BY CHAS. McSHANE.
The Locomotive Up to Date
Price, $2.50
New York and
Westinghouse Air Brakes
Price, $1.30
One Thousand Pointers for
Machinists and Engineers
Price, $1.30
All book* bonnd In fine clofh
AGENTS WANTED eTerywhere; writ* far
terms and descriptlTe drcnlars. wni k«
•est prepaid to any addreu gpon reeetRt
ot prle*.
GRirrilN &WIINTBRS
171 La Salle Street, CHICAGO
Febr-jary. rpio.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
Swift and True
ARROW
High-Speed
TOOL
STEEL
For
Railroad Repair
Shop Work
American Selling Agents
JOHNA.CROWLEY&CO.
120-122 Liberty Street
NEW YORK
ESTABLISHED 1884
Sipe's
Japan Oil
Is superior to Linseed Oil
and Dryers for
ALL KINDS Of PAINIirKi
In Daily Use by
All the leading Railroads
In the United States
Manufactured solely by
JAMfS B. SIPE & (0.
Nartb Side.
PITTSBUBOH
not be familiar with its appropriateness
should send for a catalogue and become
instructed in the peculiar fitness of Mica
in the use of lamp chimneys. The value
of the publication is enhanced by a full
description of the best methods of clean-
ing the chimneys.
Had Patience.
The days of long sermons are not en-
tirely departed from Scottish churches,
although the discourse lasting four hours
that used to be slept through is now sel-
dom indulged in.
A stranger entered an Auld Licht
church in the middle of the sermon and
seated himself in the back pew. After
a while he began to fidget. Leaning over
to the white-haired man at his side, evi-
dently an old member of the congrega-
tion, he whispered :
''How long has he been preaching?"
"Thirty or forty years, I think," the old
man answered. "I don't know exactly."
"I'll stay, then," decided the stranger.
"He must be nearly done."
'"The Mallet Articulated Compound
Locomotives" is the subject of Bulletin
No. 1000, published by the American
Locomotive Company. It is an elegant
folio of 12 pages printed on toned paper
and illuminated with 19 illustrations of
the Mallet articulated type of locomotive.
The remarkable success of this type of
engine in certain kinds of work is finely
described in an introductory essay, and
the various locomotives illustrated are
mechanically described. These Bulletins
are issued monthly and may be had on
application to the company's office. New
York.
Visitors to the Springfield Manufactur-
ing Company's factory at Bridgeport.
Conn., find signs of new business activity
that have come from a change of man-
agement. Mr. Bromdes, who was long
the active personage at Bullards, is now
president of the Springfield Manufactur-
ing Company and he is making things
hum. He is preparing to manufacture
several new tools, particulars of which
"ill be given out soon.
Special Apprentice Courte.
A great many graduates of colleges and
of technical schools have gone through the
special apprenticeship course of the
I'cnnsylvania Railroad which fits them for
promotion to official positions. The
course gives a young man a smattering of
varied experience which may be made the
basis of thorough railroad professional
knowledge or it may be of very little
practical use. all depending upon the dis-
position of the recipient. The course is :
Erecting shop. 6 months; machine shop.
6 month*; vise shop, 3 month*; air brake
ihop, 3; blacksmith (hop, 3; iron foun-
dry, 3; boiler »hop, 3; car shop, 6; round
One Year and
Eleven Months'
SERVICE
WITHOUT REP.\CKING, ON
High-Pressure Locomotives
style 300 TV.
A throttle failure is an absolute
impossibility ■where Cran-
dall's Throttle Valve pack-
ing is used.
IT WILL NOT BLOW OUT
Crandall Packing Co.
FACTMRT AND OBNBRAL OrFICB
PALMYRA, • NEW YORK
BBANCBBS
tirw York
IM UbtTtj St.
» So. W>l*r St.
Oklrtfa
01 WMt Waihlocto
MICA
Caboose Lamp Chimneys
Save SO per cent.
STORRS MICA CO.,
■. n. onpi. owroo, n. y.
Patents.
Ui:0. p. WHITTLI-SHY
McOII.L BUII.DINO WA.SMINGTON. D. C.
mrm» Raascaabl* Paai»fel«< 9«Bt
90
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
February, 1910.
house, 4 ; liring locomotive on road, 3 ; sliop
clerks, office, 2; motive power office, 2;
drawing office, 3 ; test department, 5
months.
A Mine Worker of Long Ago.
Our illustration shows an interesting
old relic of steam power which was used
at the Michigamnie mine about twenty
years ago. Mr. A. L. Rose, of Marquette,
Mich., sent the photograph to the Loco-
motive Engineers' Monthly Journal and
the editor of that magazine has kindly
lent us the engraving. Speaking of this
curious old machine, Mr. Rose says, "It
has a vertical engine which is attached to
the axle by cog-wheels and the power is
conveyed to the other pair of wheels by
of control and designate other disinfec-
tants in terms which instantly indicate
their comparative potency and is expressed
in the words "Carbolic Acid Coefficiency."
This subject has been agitated abroad,
especially in Great Britain, within the last
few years, with great success, and quot-
ing from a form used by the Central
South African Railways, we find that the
large consumers of disinfectants require
those who supply them with disinfectants,
shall guarantee the product offered and
specify the carbolic acid coefficient of
same, so as to do away with the uncer-
tainty that now exists and which has al-
lowed even those preparations which have
no disinfecting value to find a consider-
able sale among large consumers.
OLD STEAM LOCOMOTI\-E ONXE USED IN MINE SERVICE.
a rod on each side. The car behind is
one of the old style ore cars that the
Marquette, Houghton & Ontonagon Rail-
way, now part of the Duluth, South
Shore and Atlantic, had about eighteen
years ago. It carried about eight tons of
iron ore. As can be seen the car has only
two pairs of wheels and used to couple
with links and pins. The photograph
was taken by Mr. Nathaniel Mortonson."
Standardization of Disinfectants.
A great deal of interest must be felt
among railroad men on the striking paper
read by Dr. Wm. Dreyfus before the meet-
ing of the American Public Health As-
sociation on the Standardization of Disin-
fectants, which led to the appointment of
a committee consisting of five prominent
bacteriologists to report on a standard
test for proving the merits of anything
that is offered as a disinfectant.
In the paper read before this meeting a
technique was described that insures uni-
form results when carried on by different
investigators, as the plan proposed is to
take carbolic acid crystals as the standard
Our attention has recently been directed
particularly to this matter of disinfectants,
in considering the offer made by a manu-
facturer to supply in one of his products
a disinfectant which is from five to six
times stronger than carbolic acid and
the test has not only been surprising in
showing the greater effectiveness of this
disinfectant, but also in demonstrating
that it was actually less expensive than
disinfectants of less efficiency than car-
bolic acid, such as Formaldehyde, but also
of those which were just as strong as
carbolic or a little stronger.
^^'c believe that when the subject is
taken up by the railroads and the practice
is adopted as instanced in the case of the
railroad quoted above, purchasers will
gain a double ad\'antage by requiring
those who offer disinfectants to specify
the carbolic acid coefficiency of each.
The one to be trusted as your intimate
friend is not the one you hear talking
kindly to people when they are present
and unkindly of them when they are not
present. — Standard.
"UNG'S
>C".?tJewTooI
Holder
URGBT CUIHR BI6GESI CUTS
G. R. LANG 6 CO., Meadville, Pa.
Model Locomotives and Castings
special Models Built to Order
SeDci 4 cents in stamps for catalogue.
A. S. CAMPBELL
557 Hendrix St. Brooklyn, N. Y.
TURNTABLES
Philadelphia Turntable Co.
PHILADELPHIA, PA.
CHICAGO: ST. LOUIS:
Marquette BIdg. Commonwealth Trust Bidg
Machinists wanted on ma-
chine tools and erecting floor.
No labor troubles.
LIMA, OHIO
AldonCarReplacers
1 set a pair of " Sure Shot " Aldon Frogs,
nd the first pull the car was rerailed.
Extract from Wrecking Master's Report.
THE ALDON CO.
915 Monadnock
CHICAGO, ILL.
POP VALVES AND GAGES
The Quality Goods that Last
The A«hton Valve Co.
271 Franklin Street. Boston, Maai.
174 Lake Street. ■ Chicago. 111.
20lliCenturyLocomotives
NOW $2.00
Angus Sinclair Co. "I^.^'y';*,;'
Rl|!%iX.veEniineerin$
A Practical Journal of Motive Power, Rolling Stock and Appliances
Vol. XXIII.
114 Liberty Street, New York, March, 1910.
No. 3
Grand Trunk Shops at Battle Creek. A foundry, and carpenter and pattern the ground, and supports the steel struc-
These shops are centrally located on the shops are on the north side of the yard lure witli its colonial shale brick walls and
western division and take care of the crane runway opposite the locomotive tlat comiiosite roof of asphaltum.
repair work for 259 locomotives, covering shops, and the frog shop is just east of the The i>ricting and machine shop is a
over l.ooo miles of track. The general forge shop, on the south side of tlie yard spacious building, under one roof, and
layout provides for a future extension' of crane runway. constructed of steel, concrete and brick,
100 per ociu. to each biiildin.i^ in such 1 .Ml hi; 1 ' I to the main being of self-supporting type, having floor
I Id ( I is<, siinr M Tin; ii.vrri.i
SNI) rUl'NK KMI.W.VV SYSTKM.
...nner that the area for cxtcnoion i» not line of li.e r.-tilway, an.l all yard track* dimensions of 170 x 612 ft. The roof
Utwern the Mructurci. in which rafic it to building, connect with the main line m covering ^* a composition of felt and tar
would t,e necessary to carry material from as to give free movement, of material in spread ;;;;''' _;]'••'; K';»j;^\['«'\'_^_';;;8^^
different departments over this additional and from the shops.
area. The powcr-houic is at the east side The power house is a handsome sub
of the shops so as to Imt central wlirii the stanlial biiildiiiK. the concrete fonndatioii
-sr shops are erected "f *•'""'' '■■■' ' ' ' '"'"'" "' ' '' ''"""■
tained through skylights and surrounding
windows of the clerestory of the erecting
• Imp, while the roof lighting of the ina-
cliMir simp is furnished through windows
92
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE EXGINEERIXG.
March, 1910.
of sawtooth type. Particular attention
has been devoted to obtain full benefit of
natural light; instead of the ordinary
window glass, the corrugated style was
adopted, the effect produced, being a bet-
ter diffusion of light, which almost en-
tirely eliminates any semblance of shadow.
Besides this the interior of the building
is painted white and is thus an excellent
reflecting surface.
Due consideration regarding the com-
The erecting bay is served by two electric
cranes, one of 120-ton and the other of
lo-ton capacity. These are supported by
Separate runways, which are attached to
the steel frames of the building. The
larger crane being above the smaller one
has ample headroom to carry a locomo-
tive the entire length of the shops over
the other, while the smaller crane ex-
pedites the work of stripping and erect-
ing various parts of the engines. Motor-
* jc^-
OFFICE BUILDING AND GENERAL STORE. G. T. R., BATTI.E CREEK
fort of the employes is quite apparent in
these shops. Situated on the balcony,
which extends along the machine shop
side of the wall, a length of 588 ft. x 40 ft.
in width, are to be foundthreeheating fans
by means of which air is drawn over an
aggregate of 43,500 lineal feet of i-in.
steam pipe coils. The heated air passing
through "down" ducts, enters concrete
tunnels, leading to the diffusers along the
walls, slightly above floor level, from
whence it enters the shop. It can be
readily imagined that by this method, be-
sides imparting warmth, a perfect circu-
lation of air is steadily maintained. A
6o-h.p. engine drives each of these fans,
the exhaust steam passing through the
coils, which steam, along with that from
the steam hammers, pumps and main en
gine, is ample to cope with an outside
temperature considerably below zero
point.
In the erecting shop bay, which is 70 ft.
wide by 612 ft. long, are twenty-five en-
gine pits, each 43 ft. in length, having a
space allowance of 24 ft. between their
respective centers. Extending along the
sides of each pit are recesses, in which
are hung air piping and wiring conduits
The former having connections for
pneumatically operated tools, which in the
latter are two plug receptacles to admit
of the use of extension incandescent
lamps. Water and steam pipe valves are
placed at the back end of each pit to be
used in connection with the customary
boiler test. Between each two pits is
located a work bench attached to which
are two extension lamps similar to those
in pits. Each of the benches are also
equipped with two heaw vises.
It is worthy of note that to all the
supporting columns adjacent to the back
end of the pit, there are also attached
air pipe connections and plug receptacles.
driven double emery wheels are placed
along the walls immediately in front of
the locomotives to assist materially in
saving time on various portions of the
work. There are two tracks which enter
the' machine shop opposite the sixth pit
from each of the erecting shops to facil-
itate the transporting of engines to and
from that shop.
At one end of the erecting bay five
pits are temporarily covered over, that
portion being allotted to the pipe depart-
ment, and also the welding and cutting of
is located the heavy machine tool section
of the machine shop. This section is 60
ft. in width and 612 ft. long. It is not
at present used entirely in the interest
of the machine shop, about 120 ft. being
used as carpenter shop. The entire
length, however, is served with a lo-ton
crane. The machines in this section are
driven by individual motors. With the
exception of a portion of the wheel and
truck department and the major portion
of the general machine department, all
the other departments embraced within
the machine shop on the ground floor
are arranged under the balcony. These
ore the wheel and truck, piston and
crosshead, motion, tool, bolt and rod,
the tin, paint, air brake, brass finishing,
machine repair, belt, and electrical de-
partments being on the balcony floor
which is of reinforced concrete 6 ft.
thick. In order that each one of the
above named departments might be self-
sustaining a sufficient number of ma-
chines of varied types have been allotted
it, thus obviating the frequent handling
of the work. A concrete caustic soda vat
having inside dimensions of 10 x 20 x 10
ft. deep is placed in the main bay of the
machine shop. By means of this the
work of cleaning wheels, engine trucks,
etc., is quickly accomplished. Through
the medium of a small motor-driven ex-
haust-fan the fumes from this vat are
conducted outside the building.
These shops are at one end of the ma-
chine and erecting shops at right angle
thereto, being constructed on similar lines
to that of the erecting shop, having floor
CORNER OF THE ,; -
fines. It might be stated that due to the
fact of an approved method of repairing
flues, also the relative location of each
machine and furnace, the process of ac-
complishing the work is of an expedi-
tious character. A motor-driven pressure
blower delivers a 14-oz. blast to both of
these last named departments.
Running parallel with the erecting bay
-umP at BATTLE CREEK.
dimensions of 180 x 205 ft. A brick cur-
tain separates this shop from the erect-
ing and machine shops. An opening,
however, admits of the conveying of
boilers to and from the erecting shop, the
boilers being passed through by means
of a truck with a revolving top. The
main boiler bay is 60 x 180 ft. and has
ample capacity to accommodate nine
March, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE EXGINF.ERIXG.
93
boilers at one time and is covered by a
thirty-ton double trolley crane. In the
machinery bay which has dimensions of
50 X 30 ft., an accumulator capable of
exerting water pressure of 1.500 lbs. per
sq. in. has been installed. This is sup-
plied by two motor-driven pumps ad-
to and from steam hammers. The oil
and water piping is carried underground
in pipes laid in concrete and high pressure
air is carried alimg on the roof trusses
with outlets on columns. .Ml material in
this shop is handled by tlie jib cranes an<l
cars on :i J4-in. industrial track and serves
iiE.WY M.\cniNi-:Ry sechon in the b.\ttle creek shops.
jacent to it. The hj-draulic tools con-
sist of a large four-post flanger and a
horizontal punch having a 60-in. throat.
In addition to these there are in the forge
bhop two heavy shears, a large punch and
a bulldozer, which receive power from
this plant. A large annealing furnace
forms a part of the equipment in this
department, also a motor-driven splitting
shears and punch, besides other miscel-
laneous tools. The brass foundry is also
temporarily located in this bay. A ten-
ton overhead travelling crane and several
jib cranes facilitate the handling of the
work in this bay. The tank shop is di-
! into two bays running parallel with
other, one on which truck wheels
axles are handled, and the other is
iealing with repairs to frames and
. the tank bay having a floor space
- X 205 ft., which gives ample room
ace a tank and a frame on a singlr
A twenty-ton double trolley crane
ployed in this bay.
e forge shop is 66 ft. east of ma-
■ and erecting shop with the north
on yard crane runway. The build
as a self-supported steel frame with
curtain walls, composition roofs
cinder fJoor. The inside dimensions
100 X 200 ft., and 2| ft. 8 ins. from
■ line to bottom of roof trusses.
The building is divided into ten bays,
20 ft. each. The windows are 15 ft. 8
ins. wide, and extend from concrete
w.atrr fable to bottom of roof trusses.
The center of roof has a monitor top 10
ft. high, by 30 ft. wide, with a pivoted
lash, mechanically operated for ventila-
tion and light, and this with wall windows
rive excellent lighting.
All iteam piping is carried in an un-
derground tunnel in center of building
all parts of the building. The coal and
coke sheds are just south of shops, and an
industrial track runs into it, so that coal
can be taken to all forges on a small coal
car. There arc 10 double forges on the
west side of the building, all light work is
done on side next wall while on the side
next the steam hammers, which range from
2.i0 lbs. to 3,300 lbs., the heavy work is
taken care of. Near the north end of
the forges, in the center of the building,
is placed a special (ire, which is raised
and lowered by air; this is used for weld-
ing frames and is close to a 3,300-Ib. single
frame hammer, both of which are covered
by a jib crane and are close to yard crane
for handling engine frames. The hydraulic
bulldozer, the hydraulic bar sheer, 3J4-in.
forging machine, ij^-in. bolt forging ma-
and centering machine. This machine
and the two forging machines are run by
a 30-h.p group motor. The 3,500-lb.
hammer and furnace are just south of
this, and take care of the heavy forge
work.
ITie store and office building is a two-
story structure, built of reinforced con-
crete and brick. It is 60 ft. wide by 200
It. On the east and west sides there is
a concrete platform 12 ft. wide. This
platform is on a level with the first floor,
which is occupied by the stores depart-
ment, and the unloading tracks which run
on either side of the building are at a
level convenient for unloading freight
from the cars to the platform. These
platforms extend to the center of the mid-
way where heavy material may be easily
handled with the yard crane. The plat-
form along the east side extends to and
around the oil house, which is about 150
ft. from the store and office building.
On entering the building one finds him-
self in a spacious hallway; to the right is
the clerks' office of the stores department,
to the left the storekeeper's private office,
while directly in front is a stairway lead-
ing to the motive power offices which oc-
cupy the second floor. The second story
is occupied by the master mechanic, Mr.
J. T. McGrath, and his stafif; it is divided
into two sections by a hallway running
from the top of the stairway to the assem-
bly rooms at the north end. The MM's.
private oflicc is at the southwest corner in a
Lommodious room 20 ft. sq. finished in
quartered oak, maple floor and tinted
walls. Continuing along the west side
the drawing class room is next. This
room is 32 ft. x 40 ft. It is fitted with
tables, drawing boards, blackboards, etc.,
and across one end is a row of clothes
lockers to accommodate the clothing of
those who attend the evening classes. Two
evenings a week are devoted to the in-
structing of apprentices in mechanical
drawing, practical mechanics and elec-
.M'PRI NTICF. CLASS AT WORK, UATTI-E CREEK SHOPS.
chine, with their nir furnaces, are on Iricily. Across the hall is a reading room
northeast corner of the shop, and take 20 ft. x 40 ft. This room is provided with
care of all machine forxing for the plant, the lalp«l periodicals pertaining to the
Just south of this on cast side of build- mechanical, scientific and literary world,
ing is the axle departnieni with axle fur- Lending from this rorim and also the
race, 5,000-lb. hammer and double cut-off dr,';wing class room are vertical rolling
94
RAILWAY AXD LOCOMOTIVE EXGIXEERIXG.
March, 1910.
doors, which may be opened into the as-
sembly room, which is 60 ft. x 80 ft. and
will accommodate about 400 persons
easily, making an ideal place for social
functions, lectures, etc. Continuing along
the east side and opening from the read-
ing room is the librarj^, the book cases of
which are well stocked with the latest
works.
The oil house is a single-story building,
30 ft. -K 40 ft. ; it is built of reinforced con-
crete and brick. The floor of the build-
ing is about 10 ft. above the ground level,
which happens to be low at this point and
makes convenient place for the oil storage
tanks, ten in number, with a capacity of
8,000 gallons each. The oil house is di-
vided into two rooms of equal size, one is
used as a pump room for pumping the oil
from the tank below, the other for the
storing of oil in barrels. The oil pumps
sre six in number, three of which are
power pumps and the others are operated
by hand. These are of the S. F. Bowser
& Co, self-measuring type.
tubes by baffle plates of thin sheet steel as the autogenous process, thus securing
The Jacobs Superheater.
The Jacobs superheater is of the smoke-
box fire tube type, involving no change in
the construction of boilers or front ends
in its application to locomotives of the
usual type. The superheater consists of
two steel drums or sections with horizon-
tal fire tubes and suitable steam connect-
ing pipes. The gases of combustion after
leaving the boiler tubes pass through and
around the superheater sections, super-
FIG. 3. REAR SECTION AND STEAM PIPES.
heating the steam to an average of 100
degs. Superheating is thus accomplished
by waste heat in the ^ases of combustion
without sacrificing any effective heating
surface in the boiler.
The construction of the superheater is
shown clearly by Fig. I. The forward
drum is circular in cross section and is
placed ahead of the exhaust pipe. The
rear drum is somewhat oval in cross sec-
tion in order to leave space above for the
dry pipe and stands over 2 ft. ahead of
the front flue sheet of the boiler. The
steam is conducted from the dry pipe for-
ward to the front drum of the super-
heater where it is circulated around the
shown by Fig. 2. It is carried back from
the front section to the top of the back
section where it is again circulated around
the fire tubes and the superheating corn-
perfect and permanent joints. The
tubes in the front section are expanded
and beaded in the regular manner. Owing
to the thinness of all superheating sur-
1
FRONT AND BACK SECTIONS OF J.XCOBS SUPERHE.\TER.
pleted. From this section the steam is
carried into the steam chests through
steam pipes as illustrated in Fig. 3.
The front section has a large cj'lindrical
opening between the flue sheet as shown
in Fig. 4. A smoke tube through this
opening connects with the petticoat pipe
by an elbow. The connections are made
with tight joints so that the draft in-
duced by the exhaust causes no direct
current from the boiler tubes to the stack.
The flue gases from the boiler are drawn
forward by the exhaust through the tubes
of both sections and back through the
cylindrical opening in the front section.
into the petticoat pipe and out the stack
as illustrated in Fig. 5. Thus the gases
are brought into contact with all the
superheating surface and an equalization
of draft in the boiler is secured which is
not possible with the usual draft appli-
ances. The use of netting and the dia-
phragm is entirely done away with and
an even draft is induced in all boiler
tubes and over all portions of the fire
with consequent improved combustion and
evaporation. In the indirect course fol-
lowed by the gases through the super-
heater tubes, live cinders are so broken
up and destroyed as to eliminate all fire
throwing from the stack.
The drums or sections are constructed as
light as safety will permit, thus reducing
the weight of the superheater to the mini-
mum and the thin sheets are efficient heat-
ing surfaces. The tube ends in the back
section are welded to the flue sheets by
faces, the nia.ximum degree of superheat
is quickly reached after the locomotive is
started.
For facilitating work on boiler tubes,
the back section of the superheater is at
a distance of 2"} ins. ahead of the flue
sheet, thus providing a working space be-
tween the two. A man-hole through the
lower portion of the smoke arch affords
access to this space. In line with the
large cylindrical opening in the front
section, one 6-in. flue is placed in the rear
section in order thai boiler flues may be
cut out and removed through this hole.
FIG. 4. FRONT SECTION IN PLACE.
.\I1 parts of the superheater are readily
accessible and the drums may be easily
removed from the smoke-bo.x. Owing to
the manner in which the superheater is
built, there are practically no running re-
pairs to be made while the engine is in
March, 191a
RAILWAY AXD LOCOMOTIVE EXGIXEERIXG.
ser\-ice. Steam pipe connections have ball
joints. With the elimination of all draft
appliances, repairs to front ends of loco-
motives with this superheater is practic-
ally reduced to inspection. While the
live cinders are broken up and all tire-
throwing from the stack eliminated, the
front end is self-cleaning and requires
but little attention at terminals on this
account.
The first Jacobs superheater was placed
in service on the Santa Fe and applied to
a simple locomotive leaving the shops in
November, 1908, and has been in con-
tinuous service since that time with ab-
solutely no repairs to the superheater.
Since then and up to September. 1909,
sixteen locomotives on the same road have
been equipped with Jacobs superheaters,
all of which were built in the company's
shops and applied while the locomotives
were in for repairs. Thirtj-seven super-
heaters are now being built at the Topeka
shops and will be applied to locomotives
at present undergoing repairs and those
scheduled for the shops in a short lime.
The four Baldwin .\lallet locomotives,
two passenger and two freight, are
equipped with the Jacobs superheater. In
addition to these, the same type of super-
heater has been specified for 76 loco-
motives of various types recently ordered
from the same works. It is also con-
templated ordering 75 additional Jacobs
superheaters from the Baldwin Locomo-
tive Works to be applied to the Santa
Fe tandem compound locomotives.
Necessarily, with the different classes
of locomotives to equip, the style and
construction of the superheaters has
been altered to suit the locomotive to
Ory Hpe etfens
struction of the superheater as applied
to the tandem compounds. In this de-
sign, the steam receives an initial super-
locomotives using saturated steam, in ad-
dition to greater hauling capacity and
lower repair costs. The tests conducted
iBH i^irvw^ — ) mxaiz Count of Caxs m imcreBat
rmr//fircnl—') mtKCtc Flow of Heam n SuptrriraKr
Otsijnea Oy HIV Jacobs
SUPEKI1K.\TER .AS APPLIED TO SI.MPLE LOCOMOTIVE.
heating in the front section and passes
into the high pressure cylinders. It is
FIG. ;. SKCi lOX OF HE.\TER FRONT AND
BACK SECTION.
discharged from there into the rear sec-
tion and reheated, and then passes into
last August by the engineer of tests, on
the tandem compound locomotives with
and without the Jacobs superheater, show
very clearly the superior performance of
locomotives using superheated steam.
These tests were on the mountain district
between Raton, New Mexico and La
Junta, Colorado, the running distance
being 81.5 miles. This superheater was
designed by Mr. H. W. Jacobs, assistant
superintendent of motive power of the
A., T. & S. F., at Topeka, Kan.
y^A^ CAm^Of ***<
m;. (..
SUPEHHEATKK A.S APPLIED TO TANDEM COMPOUND.
which they were applied. In addition to
equipping simple locomotives, super-
neatert have been placed in the Santa Fe
type tandem compound locomotives, the
larKcit enitines in the world on a tingle
rigid wheel brace. Fig. 6 »how» the cnn-
the low pressure cylinders. The super-
heater here acts as a two-stage super-
heater.
In actual road service the locomotives
equipped with the Jacobs superheater
dhow considerable economy in fuel over
Inflammability of Treated Wood.
At the recent annual meetinp of the
Wood Preservers' .Association in Chi-
cago, Mr. H. M. Rollins, superintendent
of the Texas & New Orleans Wood
Preserving Works, read a paper on the
"Inflammability of Treated Timber."
He gave the experience of his road
with the treated timber.
Mr. Rollins dealt entirely with wood
treated by creosoting and said that it
had been shown that wood so treated
it at first more inflammable, but that it
gradually loses this property and final-
ly becomes much less inflammable than
the untreated wood. This is due to the
vaporization of the lighter oils and the
consequent deposit of the residues on
the inner surfaces of the pores of the
wood. Fire tests on treated and un-
treated poles showed that the former
were only slightiy charred, the fire
going out of its own accord, after about
ten minutes, while the latter, under
similar treatment, were completely
burned through, the fire continuing for
two and a half hours.
Never pass Judgments in your disheart-
ened hours. An honest soul never takes
llir vrrcliit of ill tnrl.inrluilv
<y6
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE EXGlXLERtXG.
March, 1910.
Ingenious Repair Work.
Tiie method whereby a locomotive
cylinder casting, cracked in the live steam
passage between the branch or steam pipe
joint and the valve chamber, was saved
and practically made as good as new,
at the Silvis Shops of the Rock Island
Lines, deserves more tlian passing notice.
Mr. G. W. Seidel is superintendent of
these shops and to him is due the credit
of having worked out the solution of the
problem. The cylinder casting was de-
signed for an eleven inch piston valve and
the crack opened up so that steam es-
caped from the live steam passage before
reaching the valve. A wrought iron
steam pipe or sleeve was secured inside
the live steam passage in the cylinder
casting and the job was done.
The way this was accomplished is quite
interesting. The old bushing in the valve
chamber was removed and the valve
chamber bored out from 12^ ins., the
original size to I3'4 ins., thus making
was counterborcd 7 ins. in diameter, f^
in. deep at the lower side and ^-in. deep
at the upper side. This was done so as
10 permit the use of a wrought iron ring
which was brazed to the top of the tub-
ing. This wrought iron ring was counter-
sunk and ground to the old steam pipe
joint ring. This arrangement holds the
upper end of the tube securely in place
and a tight joint is made between steam-
pipe and tube.
The lower end of the tube is inserted
in the 5 9-16 in. opening in the valve
chamber brushing and is expanded or
rolled into the bushing exactly as flues
are rolled in a boiler. In this case a
special expander had to be made with a
long shaft and a universal joint close to
lime and expense have been saved with
any cracked cylinders which have ap-
peared on the Rock Island Lines since
Mr. Seidel's 5-in. pipe cure has been ap-
plied to the diseased engines.
MKTIIOD OF REPAIRING CRACKED CYLINDER, C. R. I. & P.
the new bushing ^ of an inch larger in
diameter, to allow for the regular bush-
ing to be applied, after 7-32 in. wear has
taken place. When the new bushing was
put in position, it, of course, cut off com-
munication between the live steam pas-
sage and the valve chamber. A 5 9-16 in.
hole was, however, cut through this
bushing in the center so that steam could
enter the interior of the chamber. Into
this s 9-16 in. hole a piece of 5 in. Shelby
tubing was inserted, the tube was bent to
suit the curve of the live steam passage,
and at the upper end of this tube, the
steam pipe joint was made.
Before applying the 5-in. tube, the
steam pipe joint and the cylinder saddle
the top of the hard taper pin upon which
the expander rollers turn. This form
was necessary in order that the operation
of expanding the tube could be done
from the smoke box. When the tube and
bushing had been securely united by roll-
ing, all the holes previously in the
cylinder, for relief valve and oil pipe con-
nection were drilled through the bushing.
This method of obviating a cracked
cylinder has the merit of being practic-
ally standard for the class of cylinder for
which it was designed. Any crack any-
where along the length of the live steam
passage is handled by this method and
the same treatment is applicable to either
or both cylinders. Verv considerable
The Trainmaster.
His duty, says Mr. F. E. Bolte, Ter-
minal Railroad .•\^sociation, St. Louis,
is to take charge of the movement of
the traffic, exercise supervision over
the men employed in the movement of
trains, interpret and enforce the rules
pertaining thereto, take general charge
of clearing the road in case of accident
or obstruction and see that proper pre-
cautions are taken to insure the safety
of property and trains.
He should anticipate conditions af-
fecting the movement of trains, land-
-Hdes, washouts, shortage of power, de-
railments and the various obstacles that
suddenly confront him from time to
time, and as far as possible have plans
and preliminaries arranged for handling
the traffic.
It is axiomatic that no official can be
successful without the co-operation of
those over w-hom he exercises super-
vision. The trainmaster needs this to
an exceptional degree from dispatchers,
yardmasters and yard men, station men,
train and engine men, down to the
humblest member of the department.
His personality will be largely in-
strumental in securing and retaining
this support. Too much reserve, like
too great an intimacy, will destroy it ;
but the perfect poise of the man of
power will claim it at all times and the
confidence that such an attitude inspires
is productive of a loyalty to the com-
pany, to the division and its officials
that is echoed in the splendid records
that are daily being made where such
conditions exist.
In the administration of discipline is
to be found one of the supreme tests
of ability. It must be done construc-
tively at all times to be effective. Ap-
plied in any other spirit it fails of the
purpose for which it is designed and
serves to implant the seeds of discon-
tent and sedition in a field thereby ren-
dered peculiarly receptive, and many
evils and abuses will arise to plague
the unfortunate official who strays into
such an error. Inability to understand
and thus successfully handle men has
been responsible for the failure of
numerous officials possessed otherwise
of brilliant talents. Absolute justice is
difficult to render, but all can approxi-
mate it by excluding all personal feel-
ing in dealing with infractions calling
for its dispensation. The trainmaster
who conscientiously endeavors to do
this has little to apprehend, either from
a reversal of his decision by superior-
authority or through a disgruntled or-
ganization.
March, 1910.
RAILWAY AXD LOCOMOTIVE EXGIXEERIXG
General Correspondence
Variations in Painting Practice.
Editor :
The rather remarliable variations that
exist in car painting practice were pre-
sented in a paper read before the recent
convention of the American Chemical
Society by Mr. Carl F. Woods, of the
Arthur D. Little, Inc., laboratory of en-
gineering chemistry, in Boston. As an
indication of the unscientific way of deal-
ing with paint problems, Mr. Woods
notes at the outset that although there
has been in recent years a strong move-
ment for the standardization of paint
products, very little attention is being
given to the proper application of the
standardized paints themselves.
There is no class of painting in which
this is more clearly illustrated than in
that of car finishing, for this is not a
■comparatively simple operation like house
painting, but rn tlu- miitr.Try is .t complex
significant that those cars which have had
ihe most e.xpensive finishing are not of
necessity the longest lived. It is ob-
vious, therefore, that there are certain
underlying principles upon which the
durability of the finish depends.
Car paints as a rule are mixtures of
liquids and solids having widely different
chemical and physical properties. While
each succeeding treatment has its own
specific demands, the entire paint coating
must act as a unit to prevent separation
of the various films under the physical
stresses of service.
There are four fundamental operations
in car painting which must be performed
to obtain the proper finish and the desired
durability : First, the pores of the wood
must be thoroughly saturated to prevent
the absorption of succeeding coats and to
form a cementing bond between the wood
am! the paint film-, Sccinul. the natural
color and varnish processes. Other
methods of finishing are employed but all
of them are abbreviations or combinations
of the three main types.
The lead and oil process, the oldest
system in use, consists in thoroughly
saturating the wood with a thin paint of
white lead and linseed oil, followed after
proper drying by thicker coats of the
same paint until the woodwork is proper-
ly primed and filled. On the foundation
so prepared, several coats (usually three)
of a special paint known as rough stuff
are applied. This consists essentially of
a mineral silicate of moderate fineness
mixed with white lead and ground in
varnish. Such a paint dries quickly and
can be brought by rubbing with blocks
of pumice stone, to a smooth, slate-like
finish, which affords an admirable surface
for the body color. .After a sufficient
aninnnt of color has been appHcil, the cn-
ilOK.S, DRIVING WHEELS .\.\n .MA( II IN i:i<\ nl I'. U. U. IINM I M
and highly skillful procedure, requiring
expert labor and involving the applica-
tion of many coatings.
The object of car painting is both for
protection and for decoration, although
the latter consideration has exerted the
greater influence on the modern practice
of car finishing. It is possible to pre-
•erve the wood-work of a car tody just
as efficiently hy frequent painting with
suitable oil paints as by covering it with
the ten to fifteen coats of paint and
varnish customarily applied.
The cost of p.-iinting the same type of
car variei on difTerent roads from $30 to
$60, and in certain cases even a larger
amount, while some roads are forced to
repaint their cars every two years, and
others with the aid of one coat of varnish
each year- are able to operate for ten
to fifteen years before complete rcfinish-
inif become* necessary. It i* particularly
inequalities of the surface must be cor-
rected and a smooth, hard foundation pre-
pared for the application of the succeed-
ing color and varnish coats. Third, the
required color must be applied in a
smc5oth, homogeneous film which is suf-
ficiently thick to cover the underlying
coats and which at the same time pos-
sesses proper elasticity. Fourth, the
color coat must be covered with a film
of varnish, both to protect the underly-
ing paints from the effect of the weather
and to obtain the glossy, smooth finish
desired. It is necessary that this final
coat be hard enough to withstand the
abrasive action of sand and dirt and the
general deteriorating effects of sun, wind
and weather, hut at the same time possess
the maximum amoiuit of elasticity.
Three distinct processes for car finish-
ing are in use, which may he called the
lead atifl oil. the siirfacer, aiul the
tire surface is given several coats of
varnish, allowing each to dry thoroughly
before adding the next.
The surfacer process was devised about
thirty years ago to reduce the time, labor
anil exjiensc of the old lead and oil sys-
tem. The fundamental ditTcrence be-
tween the two processes is that the sur-
facer system omits the lead priming and
filling and the rough stuff coats, but
buihis up the surface rapidly by the appli-
cation of specially prepared paints, .'\fter
the building-up coats have been laid, the
entire surface is rul>bed with block pumice
to the desired finish. From this point on,
the process is identical with the lead and
oil system, the surfacer process confining
its efforts to the rapid preparation of a
surface for the color coat.
The color and varnish process is of
very recent origin and in a radical de-
parture from the older lead and oil sur-
9'J
RAILWAY AXD LOCOMOTIVE LXGIXEERIXG.
March, 1910.
facer systems. The fundamental idea of
the new process is that the fewer the
number of coats and the more similar
these coats are in composition, the more
durable will be the final results obtained.
With this in view, a combination of coats
is applied which are so composed as to
prime the wood, prepare a surface, and
obtain the desired color at the same time.
Ihis is accomplished by employing heavy
silicate paints, containing the proper
color ground in the same kind of varnish.
each coat possessing suitable drying
qualities for its respective demands. The
best results are obtained by the use of
dark colors such as green or brown, be-
cause the principal ingredient may be
ochre, umber or some other natural
earth pigment which not only produces
the desired shade, but is well adapted for
preparing a foundation. The surface so
obtained is covered with a coat of th^
body color ground in varnish followed
by one thick coat of finishing varnish.
Each of the processes referred to has
its specific faults and virtues. The lead
and oil process, if properly applied, re-
quires from three to four weeks and the
application of ten or more coats. The
surfacer process requires about the same
number of coats, but. owing to the
quicker drying of the surfacers. requires
but two to three weeks for application.
The color and varnish process is the
simplest of all, and has been applied with
apparently successful results in from six
to eight days, with an application of four
to six coats.
The faults of the color and varnish
process are not as yet thoroughly under-
stood, as the method is of very recent
development and has not been subjected
to the test of long continued service. It
should be understood that the aim of this
shorter process is durability at the lowest
cost, and that appearance is in a measure
sacrificed; but it is claimed that the fin-
ish obtained is fully as durable as by the
older methods, that it is free from many
of their faults, and that it produces a fin-
ished appearance sufficiently good for the
purpose. On the other hand, the process
is dependent upon specially made paints
in which adulteration is difficult of de-
tection, and which if carelessly made arc
not only short lived, but render more
difficult the refinishing of the car. The
system is only applicable to dark colors
as the lighter and more brilliant pigments
do not possess sufficient covering power,
but this is not in itself a failing, as the
use of dark green and brown colors is
rapidly increasing, owing to the greater
stability and length of life obtained. In
this connection it is of interest to note
that the Pullman Company have adopted
a brown body color as the most satisfac-
tory shade available, while a large pro-
portion of the railroads, both steam and
electric, employ a color of similar nature.
„ , ,. W. B. Snow.
Boston. Mass.
The Bad Right Angle Notch.
Editor:
Some years ago I had what Jim
Skeevers would call a good object lesson
01. the bad results of notching or check-
ing out of tim.ber which is carrying a
v-cight or under strain in any way. We
were repairing some tender trucks, that
is, giving them a good overhauling, and
we put in a couple of new truck tran-
soms in each, for oak was the thing at
tiiat time. The spring plank was new
ii; each case and was made a little
tlie work was completed the manager
of the railway restaurant prevailed upon
the superintendent to have a chamber
made in the ice house for hanging meat,
etc. This chamber was reached by a
door from the outside, and the restau-
rant people kept the key, and as the
chamber was covered on both sides,
back and top with ice, it was considered
a good cooler. Xo ice could be taken
rut of the main ice house through the
meat chamber. It had no opening into the
ice house. The roof of the little cham-
NoTCH FDR SArcrr ^auglr L
J. L
- CRhCK
TRUCK SHOWIXG CRACKED TR.AXSOM
thicker than the old one had been, and
altogether the work was done properly.
The blacksmith had been given the
safety hangers to heat up and anneal,
and he had been told to make them a
little longer on account of the new
spring planks, but he misunderstood
somehow or other, and when the trucks
v.ere ready to go under the tenders the
safety hangers would not fit. Two of
the engines had to go out that evening,
so the top of the transom was notched
out just .sufficient to let the safety
hanger go in place and hang clear of
the spring plank, and everything was
called all right.
The engines went out and ran their
regular trips, but in about a month the
transoms showed signs of cracking.
The crack began at the notch for the
safety hanger, and eventually new truck
transoms had to be put in long before
it would otherwise have been necessary.
I do not know whether the sharp cor-
ner in the wood where the notch was
cut is any more of a crak starter than
it we had put in a fillet. I don't
think a fillet in wood is much good,
but some of your correspondents may
be able to say positively, and if they
can, I hope they will use the columns of
Railw.w and Locomotive Engineering
to tell us about it.
Another case of the same kind oc-
curred the following w-inter. I had
nothing to do with the second case ex-
cept help to repair. A railway ice house
was beinp- filled with ice, and before
ber had rafters slightly checked out at
the ends, no doubt with the idea of
keeping the walls from crushing in, but
the checking of the timbers started
cracks in the wood, and before the win-
ter was over the whole of the little
meat house had collapsed.
W'hile on the subject of checking out
timber let me say that a very good form
of shop ladder consists in nailing rect-
angular rungs to the two rails and fill-
ing the space between the rungs with a
batton as wide as the ladder legs and
CR.ACKED ROOF TIMBER.
flush with the rungs. The usual way is
to notch out the ladder legs and insert
the rungs. Waking the ladder the way I
speak of causes less work than doing it
in the usual way and makes a better lad-
aer and pays due respect to the principle
that you ought not to notch or check tim-
ber that is to be put under a, static or a
working strain. G. Sherwood.
St. John.
March, 1910.
R.ML\VAV AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
99
Southern Pacific Engine.
Editor;
Enclosed you will find some photo-
graphs of Southern Pacific engines and
trains, any one of which will, I think, in-
terest the readers of your magazine.
E. McBuRXEY.
Oakland. Cat.
\.\ very ingenious lamp for indicat-
ing train numbers may be observed be-
side the smoke stack, one on each side.
boiler I said to the man in charge, you
have been carrying too much steam ; it's a
wonder the boiler did not blow up.
"Why, Boss," said he, "that didn't do
it, but I'll tell you what did it. You see
I had a purty good head of steam
when the belt came off. While they was
ti.xing the belt I went down by the wood
and brought back a fat rail fence that I
used to chuck up the lire a little. The
steam gauge pointer w.is up to the stop,
was a good man and had worked in
blacksmith shop for two years.
Ex-Inspector.
Uheding, W. Va.
SOUTHERH PACIFIC TRAIN NO. 2 KE.XUV 1-OK TlIK START.
1 he lamp has five divisions so that five
figures or letters may be shown at a
time. The glass of each division is about
6 ins. wide by about 8 ins. high. The
outer or weather side of each division is
made of plain glass; behind that the
stencil of figure or letter slides in a
groove and behind the stencil is opal glass
so that the figures are clearly visible day
or night. The lamp has a curved back
struck from a 20 9/16 ins. radius, and
this curve<l back forms a reflector for the
lamp. The flat face of the lamp is about
JO ins long. Where an electric headlight
is used the indicator lamp is fitted with
an electric bulb. The faces of these
lamps are set an an angle nf 45 degs. to
the line of the track so that it is pos-
sible to see the figures if one was stand
ing directly in front of the engine, or if
he was at right angles to the smokebox.
— Editor. 1
but 1 had a big stone hanging upon the
safety vaive lever. When the belt was
fixed I blowed the whistle before starting
the engine and the end of the boiler blew
out. That whistle did the job."
The ouiKT (il the engine came round
Flange Lubrication.
Editor :
On page lo of your January issue of
R.MLw.w AND Locomotive Engineering
1 notice a letter from L. J. Maloy relative
to flange lubrication. In line with the
last sentence I will give my little opinion
for what it may be worth.
First, we must consider the cost of oil-
ing devices and the oil ; and oil enough
to keep the flanges properly lubricated
over any very great extent of track
would soon run into a very expensive
item. The tracks would necessarily be-
come more or less oily, thereby causing
great inconvenience at stations where
people must pass over them often and run
chances on ruining their shoes or skirts.
[lien too, the efficiency of the brakes
Aould be greatly lessened by greasy
'.mges and track, thus causing greater
lability for accidents. .\nd lastly, the
■rnctive power of the engines would be
reduced to such an extent by slippery
wheels and rail, that the cost of the re-
duction in tonnage rating which would be
necessary to counterbalance this decrease,
would far outweigh any saving that
might be derived from reducing friction
liy riange lubrication.
C. A. Poland.
Atchison, Kan.
Abbula Railway,
Editor :
I am sending you a snapshot of a
''eavy passenger locomotive fitted with a
Minw plnw. useil Mil the .Milnila r:iilway
RecUesancM with a Whistle.
Editor :
V'our article about eare of Imilers re-
miiuS rnr ' ' ■ . .' . ', ^^
''"" — l^n
mHm^:/fj^^
■.1/ /V ".^4-tJ
1 ** • / ^\:''A
1
.I.NL ON THE ADULT, A KAII.WAV, .SWIT/KKl.ANIi.
tnr
aKnr-iIinr.iI ; . ..m-
mon than they are. I was sent 10 examine
a boiler used in connection with a thresh-
ing machine in .Miss'.iiri and found the
bark head badly biilucd and three stay
bolts pulled out. When I examined the
when I W.1S there and spoke very em-
phatically against the whistle. He de-
clared it must come oflf right away. On
the siiBgrstidii beiiig made that the
engineer was incrmiprtent, the owner
flared up and prntesttcl that the enginrcr
in Switzerland, which may interest you.
I am a boy of fifteen and took the picture
myself. This railway runs from Chur to
(he Kngadine nl a height of 6.0(/> ft.
above sea level. The grade of this rail-
RAILWAY AND LOCO.MOTIVE ENGINEERING.
March, 1910.
piece of engineering. Its tunnels are
very interesting because the railway turns
about in them, and trains come out right
over the place they enter. I also enclose
a postal view of this railway. Your valu-
able paper is received and interests me
very much. John Scott Boyd, Jr.
Poiighkccpsic. X. y.
Walschaerts valve gear, and we have
been instructed to allow a quarter of an
inch of load in all cases. I am at a loss
to knt)w why it is considered necessary
to allow so nuieh of an opening of the
\alve. and if my experience is of any
value th.e locomotives will not start as
readily or pull as much, especially at a
FIG.
AX EX.\iIPLE OF CLASS P ON THE P. R. R., BUILT IN 1893.
Engines and Trains on P. R. R.
Editor:
The article on the Pennsylvania Rail-
road locomotives published in your
December number was very interesting
and I am enclosing you some photographs
of locomotives and trains on the Phila-
delphia, Washington & Baltimore Rail-
road (Pennsylvania System), which I
thought might interest your readers.
Photograph No. I is a class "P" loco-
motive No. 5051, built at Altoona shops
in July, 1893, and No. 2 is one of the old
class "K'" type No. 5142, built at Altoona
shops June, 1892. No. 3 shows train 77,
New Y'ork and Washington Limited
hauled by a "D-16-B" Locomotive No.
5229, near Baltimore, Ohio. No. 4 shows
train 68. another of the New York and
Washington Express Limited's with a
"D-16-B" on the head end.
Another which is not a very good
photograph shows the Peninsula Express,
better known as the Pigeon along a cer-
tain section of the road by the farmers,
as its appearance is tlie signal for meal
hour and quitting time. The locomotive
is one of the old class "O'' No. 5123, built
at Altoona in the early 8o's. There are
quite a number of the "E-2" class on this
end of the Pennsylvania, and quite a few
of the class "E-2-A" equipped with piston
valves and Walschaerts gear. The writer
well remembers the wheel covers on the
class "O," "K" and "L" engines and
would like to see one in your paper,
Baltimore, Md. L. J. Lapsley.
low speed, as they would do if the valve
opening were much less. The subject
has caused a good deal of discussion
among the engineers and mechanics, and
opinions are very much divided here. I
am sure it would be interesting to have
your opinion on the matter, and very
likely some of your clever correspondents
who may have had more experience with
the Walschaerts valve gear than I have
[At first thought we are of the same
opinion as our correspondent, but as the
lead or opening of the valve at the end of
the piston stroke is a constant quantity
on engines equipped with the Walschaerts
valve gearing, no doubt the large amount
of lead alluded to is allowed for loco-
motives for fast pessenger service. As
is well known the Stephenson valve gear-
ing has the peculiarity of increasing the
amount of lead as the travel of the valve
is shortened. Sometimes the valve open-
ing at the end of the piston stroke will
exceed three-eighths of an inch. It would
be interesting if the records of steam in-
dicator diagrams could be secured in
illustration of the results obtained on the
locomotives referred to by our corre-
spondent. The views of any of our read-
ers, who may have had experience in this
direction, would be welcomed. The tend-
ency of modern locomotive practice is to
diminish the amount of lead or valve
opening, and the inventors have been
busy devising means to open the valve
rapidly after the piston had completed its
stroke, rather than open the valve to any
appreciable extent before the stroke was
completed. Our latest new book "The
Valve-Setter's Guide," discusses the sub-
ject very fully, but, as we stated before,
we would be pleased to have the opinions
of our readers, who may be situated so
that their experience would be prima
fiicic testimony on the question. — Editor.]
Position of Loads and Empties.
Editor:
I have heard a great deal of discussion
among railroad men relative to the posi-
FIG. 2. OLD CLASS K, BLULT AT ALTOONA IN 1893.
Lead in the Walschaerts Valve Gear.
Editor :
We have been overhauling several en-
gines here that are equipped with the
had, would also give us the benefit of
their observations on engines equipped
with that particular value gear. This is
the first general repairing that has been
done on the engines, and I have no
knowledge about the original amount of
lead that was allowed when this class
of engine was new.
Superior, Wis. S. W.
tion of loaded or empty cars in a train.
A great many of the transportation men
claim that 20 loads next the locomotive
and 20 empties next the caboose will pull
as hard as when the position is the re-
versed, and that the dynamometer will
prove it, while engineers claim that they
get better results with the loads ahead.
On a level and straight track it may not
^^arcll. lyiO.
KAII.UAV AXD LOCOMOTIVE KN'GIN'KIiRIXG.
make so much difference, but on grades
and curves I fail to see why it would not
be good policy to switch all loads ahead.
As no doubt a great many would be
pleased to have this question answered,
perhaps the oracle will condescend to
^ive his opinion in the columns of your
valuable journal. Willi.vm Scott.
Pittsbiirsh, Pa.
[VVe would very much like to have the
experience of cngincnK-n on this subject.
skill. Under existing conditions the high
school graduate is required to devote time
to studies that would help only in the
learned professions. If he happens to
choose a mechanical calling the greater
part of the school knowledge he has ac-
quired is useless. To make every youth
attend a manual training school would be
extending the training unsuitable for
bread winning.
The ancients, who frequently expressed
steam shut oflt there is nothing to drive
the wheels faster than the speed, but there
may be something to retard them.
Mr. C. W. Chapman writing on the
subject said he found the wheels turning
at the rate of 25 miles an hour while the
train was running 45 miles an hour. Mr.
F. C. Miller, when on the same subject,
says the engine does not slip but skids.
The cause of this alleged slipping, which
is really skidding, has been very fully
dealt with before now in your magazine
and I only write to call attention to the
misleading use of the word "slipping"
wluii applied to this retarding action,
which comes from the wheels being out
if quarter or pin bent or other irregu-
larity between wheels and rods.
n i/c/ii'Difrf, Oiil. Stldext.
II'.. 3. P. R. R. TR.MN NO. -7. NEW YORK AND WASHINGTON LIMITED.
Tell US what you have seen and know
about it. Don't write theory, send us
some facts, — Editor.]
Burning Too Much Coal.
Editor :
With reference to question No. 10 op
page 68 of your February issue it is
as you say a difficult question to answer,
but it appears to me that your corre-
spondent does rot say the height of the
exhaust pipe. From the size of the
nozzle, which is given, I judge it is
too low, and draft cannot be regulated
evenly through all the flues, which is one
of the principal objects of locomotive
drafting. W. R.
Cincinnati, O.
sound sense in proverbs, had the saying,
Sitlor ne supra crepidam judicaret, mean-
ing let the shoemaker stick to his last.
There is too great a tendency among our
people lo quit their last, imagining that
they can do anything without special
training. Men with a smattering of a
trade are the most helpless malaperts that
ever wearied a foreman in charge of me-
chanics. Do not let us foster or cultivate
this breed. Foreman.
Dayton, Ohio.
Skidding Not Slipping.
Editor ;
In the February issue of your esteemed
contemporary, the Locomotive Engineers'
Bridge vs. Clear Nozzle.
Editor :
There arc a great many different opin-
ions on this subject. Engineers raise dis-
cussions frequently, and I have heard
some remark that this engine or that en-
gine will not steam without a bridge in
the nozzle. It is almost impossible to con-
vince some engineers that the engine will
steam without the bridge. My opinion is
that putting a bridge or bar across the
nozzle is not the proper remedy for the
engine to steam.
In the first place it causes back pres-
sure. This is not the only obstruction
caused. When the exhaust strikes the
bridge it is split and destroys the vacuum
in the smoke box. Your fire does not
burn evenly. I am inclined to think there
is much more work put in the front end
of a locomotive than is beneficial and does
not do all that is claimed for it.
This exhaust nozzle is with the bridge,
when the exhaust steam strikes it, is split
Keep to Your Calling.
Editor :
In your February number Mr. W. C.
Brown, president of the New York Cen-
tral lines, is credited with saying: "I
would have a first-class manual training
school attached to every high schood, col-
lege and university, and I would make at-
tendance compulsory."
These expressions indicate that Mr.
Brown puts a very high estimate upon the
value of manual accomplishments, but I
as a mechanic of the old school happen to
differ from the views of the N'cw York
Central Railroad's president and I shoulrl
like 10 air my views before your readers.
There is growing up among us a passion
for doing things differently from the way
they were done in the past, .itid unthink-
ing people arc inclined lo conclude that
a new or novel method mimt necessarily
be an improvement. In his zeal for in-
dustrial education Mr. Rrown would like
lo impose upon the whole rising genera-
tion the duty of acquiring manipulative
HHi ^^^^^^HH
F '^^
I k;. 4. r. U. U. TRAIN NO. (iS
Journal, I have read several tellers on
etiKines slipping when shut off and two of
the corrrspondiiits appear lo mc to have
hit the nail on the head.
The ordinary expression "slipping" as
applied to a locomotive makes one think
that the wheels ?nii*f be spinning round
faster than the speed of the train, just as
the wheels niiKht do if under sii' •"• Wol.
U. C.M'IT.M.."
and does not go straight up the stack,
especially if this nozzle is below the center
(.f the boiler, which I am inclined to be-
lieve is a disadvantage, and I do not con-
sider that more than one petticoat im-
proves Ihc steaming qualities of the en-
gine An exhaust no/zle without a bridge
will give far heltrr results. This nozzle
<. 1r..'l iMlh III.' ,.l.l,. .,1 Ihr l.oll.M and
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE EXGIXEERIXG.
March, 1910.
i.iic petticoat I would suggest lor an en-
gine, say with 2iJ4 x 28 in. cylinder.
I would also suggest nozzle bored
parallel, y/2 in. x 5 in. diameter, with one
petticoat. This can be lowered or raised
.'is may be required. There will be less
back pressure with this nozzle than witli
one with the bridge and a much better
vacuum obtained. Care must be taken
that the exhaust is set central with the
stack. M. J. V.\RLO\v.
I- lilt ll'illiaiii. Out., Canada.
Name Plate Used 52 Years Ago.
Editor :
The enclosed is a matter of history
and came off one of the old Boston &
Providence Railroad locomotives. Mr.
GrigEjs calls himself a machinist. The
B.df P.R.R.
SEPTEMBER 18^58
G S , G R I G G s
M.*lCHTNIST.
OLD NAME PL.\TE. BOSTON & PROVI-
DENCE.
superintendent of motive power was un-
known them. I think a reproduction of
this old name-plate will interest your
readers. Herbert Fisher.
Taunton, Mass.
small portable variable speed motor,
which is mounted on a truck and can be
taken about the shop as required and
used to drive cylinder borer, valve set-
ting machine, dome facer, etc.
The turn table is operated by an elec-
tric tractor. There are two ash pits pro-
vided with cross-over tracks between, so
that it is possible to get at any engine
and give it attention out of the regular
order. Ashes from the cinder pits are
handled by locomotive crane with bucket,
the crane also being used for the lifting
of coal to the coal chutes and for other
purposes about the shop.
The roundhouse is to be heated by ex-
haust steam from the power house. What
may be called daylight lighting has been
provided for by having the outer wall
built high and making it nearly all of
glass. At night a vertical Cooper-Hewitt
lamp has been placed between each pit.
This throws the light on the running gear
and outside parts of the engine and makes
a pleasant light to work by. Mr. F. F.
Gains, superintendent of motive power
of the road, has kindly sent us the photo-
graph from which our illustration was
made.
engineer, Link Belt Co., Xicetown, Pa. ;
A. E. Averill, editor, American Engineer
and Railroad Journal, Xew York, X. Y. ;
N. M. Rice, G. S. K., A. T. & S. F, Ry.,
Topeka, Kan.
Paper No. 3. — "Accounting for fuel
consumed. Individual records of per-
formance." W. E. Symons, chairman, C.
& G. W. Ry., Chicago; E. A. Foos, C.
C. Fuel, Rail & Tie Department. C. B.
Roundhouse at Macon.
Our illustration shows the roundhouse
on the Central of Georgia Railroad which
is situated at Macon, Ga. There are 32
stalls in the roundhouse, making it a
little over half a circle. The procedure
here is that engines are brought in over
International Fuel Association.
The second annual meeting of the
International Railway Fuel Association
will be held at Hotel La Salle, Chicago,
111., on May 23 to 26, 1910. The papers to
be read at the meeting and the com-
mittees in charge are as follows:
Papers Nos. I and 5 have been consoH-
dated and are "Grade of Fuel most suit-
able for locomotive use, considering cost
per unit of traffic and best interests of
producer" ; "Recommended methods of
preparing ceal as to size for locomo-
tives."' J. C. Crawford, chairman, fuel
L\ VOC.\S BRIDGE, GUATEM.\L.\ K R.
& Q. R. R. Chicago: E. J. Roth, Jr., fuel
inspector, B. & O. R. R.. Baltimore. Md.
Paper No. 4. — "Methods of purchasing
fuel with regard both to traffic conditions
and to producers interests. Relation be-
tween producer and railroad." W. H.
Huff, chairman. V. P.. Victor-American
Fuel Co., Denver Colo. ; L. L. Chipman.
G. S. M., Fidelity Coal Mining Co..
Kansas City, Mo. ; W. K. Kilgore, fuel
agent, C. M. & St. P. Ry., Chicago.
Paper X'o. 6. — "Methods of supervision,
instruction and encouragement in loco-
motive operation to secure greatest
efficiency in fuel consumption." D.
Meadows, chairman, assistant division.
M. M. Michigan Central R. R.. St.
Thomas, Ont. ; \V. C. Hayes, superin-
tendent locomotive operation. Erie R. R.,
Xew York, X. V.; J. McManamy, R. F.
CENTRAL OF GEOROIA RAILRO.'.D. ROt'NDHOL'SE AT ^^ACON, GA.
the cinder pit, given coal and water, and
then placed on an inspection pit. .\fter
inspection, if no work has to be done,
they are turned and run out on storage
tracks which have been provided for this
purpose. Only such engines go into the
roundhouse as require either boiler wash-
ing or repairs.
On each post between each pit there are
connections for operating pneumatic
tools, steam for blowing up boilers, and
sockets for lights and for operating a
engineer, C, B. & Q. R. R.. Chicago;
Le Grand Parish, S. M. P.. L. S. & M. S.
Ry.. Cleveland, Ohio ; Curtis Scovill,
A. G. S. A.. Central Coal & Coke Com-
pany. Dallas. Texas.
Paper Xo. 2. — "Standard uniform blank
for reporting all items of cost in con-
nection with fueling stations and handling
fuel, for all types of stations and condi-
tions." R. Emerson, chairman, assistant
to general manager, Lehigh Valley R. R..
So. Bethlehem, Pa.; F. V. Hetzel. chief
of E., Pere Marquette R. R., Grand
Rapids. Mich.
Special Paper "A." — "Character of
membership that should be encouraged in
the association and steps to secure that
membership." S. L. Yerkes. fuel agent.
Queen & Crescent System, Lexington.
Ky.
Special Paper "B." — "Method of Kin-
dling Locomotive Fires." C. F. Richard-
son, assistant to G. S. M. P.. C. R. I. &
P. Ry., Chicago.
March. 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGLXEERING.
103
Method of Attaching Circular Rack.
A new departure 111 the matter of at-
taching a circular rack to the wheels of
electrically driven vehicles has beeu made
by Mr. J. E. Osmer, formerly master
mechanic of the Northwestern Elevated in
Oiicago. In what he calls the type "A"
construction, a circular rack is used, the
interior being machined to the proper size
to shrink solidly upon the annular exten-
sion on the wheel after the rack has been
heated sufficiently to bring about the ex-
pansion required, it is put in place and
this is all the fastening necessary.
In this case the wheel is removed from
the axle for rack renewals, whereas, with
what he calls type "B" construction the
circular rack is in sections, the flange of
/^.
DETAILS OF T^TE B CONSTRUCTION.
which is machined to a slip fit within the
annular extension, holding the sections of
the rack snugly together. To the outer
end a ring may be applied to further aid
the annular extension in holding the sec-
tions together, but this is only recom-
mended on very heavy duty machines
such as locomotives, etc. The sections
are bolted to the annular extension. Keys
are not required in either the types of
construction. The wheel is not removed
from the axle for gear section renewals,
nor are the wheels and axles removed
from the truck.
In both constructions the entire torque
from the motor is transmitted directly to
one wheel, and one-half through the axle
to the opposite wheel. In ordinary con-
struction the entire torque is transmitted
directly to the axle, and divided, requiring
a much larger axle, due to the necessity of
a key-way.
The annular extension may be used
with a cast iron or cast steel wheel center
where a tire is used, either for electric
cars or electric locomotives, or the same
can be used in connection with the press-
ed or rolled wheels now in use on a great
many electric roads, by welding the an-
nular extension to the web of the wheel
by mean« of the Oxy- Acetylene or Oxy-
Hydric welding processes.
The advantages of this method of rack
.'iti.-K Iiiii. Ill, .-IS expLiined by Mr. Otmer
an- t!i,' ihr present motor equipment can
l.f M^^•'l, 'iiher with the u^e of an ex-
tended axle hearing lining, if desired, or
with the present axle bearing lining,
using a split cast iron slrrvr bolted
around the axle to arrest the lateral
thrust. With new motor equipment an
extended axle bearing lining cap, with an
extended lining housing made integral
with the magnet frame, is used, thereby
furnishing a longer bearing at the end of
the motor where the torque is transmitted.
Ordinarily this bearing is closer to the
center of the a.Klc the amount of the
length of the gear hub than the plain side.
In reality the torque end of the motor
should have the longer bearing and be as
close to the hub as possible. The de-
vice is covered by letters patent.
Supply Men, Attention.
Mr. F. .A. Foster, graduate of the Wor-
cester Polytechnic, mechanical engineer
and designer of special and automatic ma-
chinery, who has been for some time past
connected with the American Locomotive
Company, is leaving for China the latter
part of March. He intends to take a
position in which he will have a great deal
to do with machinery and mechanical
work for railroads.
Mr. Foster is desirous of receiving
catalogues from .\merican manufacturers
of railroad supplies, appliances and ma-
chine tools, etc. We would advise our
advertisers and supply men and manu-
facturers of anything which can be used on
railroads in China to send information to
Mr. Foster. The catalogues should be
addressed F. A. Foster, care of Mr. Al-
bert C. Lee, Davenport Road, Tientsin,
China.
Useful Air Brake Book.
"Developments in .\ir Brakes for Rail-
roads" is the title of the Weslinghouse Air
Brake Company's special publication num-
ber 0014 — dated November, lf)lo. This
publication consists of a reprint of two
technical papers, on the subject of "Air
Brakes," one read before the New York
Railway Club, in 1909, by Mr. W. V.
Turner, the other read before the West-
ern Railway Club, in 1906, by Mr. S. W.
Dudley. These papers it may be said
compose the most advanced treatise on the
subject of air brakes that is in existence.
The paper read before the New York
Railway Club l)y Mr. Turner sets forth
the importance of the problem of air
brake equipment, then deals with the re-
quirements of a brake, fundamental prin-
ciples in brake design, past and present
conditions, and the "E T" locomotive
brake, improved freight brake and
modern passenger car brakes. The sub-
ject of braking power and wheel sliding is
then taken up. anrl also the operation of
the improved brake for passenger cars
which is at this lime the "L N" equip-
ment
The comparative value of old and new
equipment is dwelt upon at length, and
the book contains nearly 100 charts and
diagrams showing the performance of im-
proved brake equipment, many of the
charts and diagrams which are something
entirely new to students of the air brake
will be reproduced in our air brake depart-
ment as space permits. This paper is
considered by air brake men to be the
most complete and up-to-date air brake
course yet printed. Mr. Turner is recog-
nized as the foremost man today, not only
by the Westinghouse Air Brake Co., but
also by the Air Brake Association,
where his expressions are accepted as
from an authority.
The second paper by Mr. Dudley, en-
titled "What Stops a Moving Train."
should be read by every air brake man.
The fact that it was written almost four
years ago does not make it of any the less
\alue today, as the forces acting on a re-
volving car wheel as a brake shoe is ap-
plied, are the same now as four years ago,
and this paper explains in detail frictional
force and adhesion and their application
in stopping a revolving car wheel.
Having to Hustle.
Mr. G. A. Wcitzel, of the Southern
Railway, said: "Some time ago when
tlie panic struck us our force was re-
duced and we worked in relays. I was
round house foreman, machine shop
foreman, general foreman and general
rcmstabout. I got up against it one
day. One passenger train left at 3
o'clock, giving me 2:35 between trains.
The engineer and firgman did not come
to the round house and the sheds were
about three miles away. While the
hostler was going to make the change,
the engine was getting hot and an expan-
sion pipe blew out. 1 went to the
hostler and he reported that the engine
was foaming badly. The next engine
had about six to eight staybolts out,
and I had to have an engine. The main
thing in handling the power quickly is
TYPE A. IVI'K 11.
to h.ive good organization in the round
house. 1 had the inspector meet the
engine at the pit. lie let them knock
out the fire ; I got the report. I changed
the water in that engine, put a spring in
there (1 have to use cold water) and
had the engine back in town ready to
take the train out without any delay.
It gave me 2 hours and 3.S minutes.
This was a case of emergency. I broke
ii|i oil barrels to start the fire."
1 nhould say sincerity, a deep, grelt,
genuine sincerity, b the first characteris-
tim of all men in any way heroic. —
Carlyle.
104
RAILWAY AXD LOCOMOTIVE EXGIXEERIXG.
March, 1910.
Central South African Mallet Compound
The American Locomotive Company
have recently completed a Mallet ar-
ticulated compound locomotive for the
Central South African Railways. This
engine is designed for a 3-ft. 6-in.
gauge of track and is the heaviest and
most powerful articulated locomotive
Luilt so far by this company for a nar-
row gauge road. This locomotive
weighs 29,000 lbs. more than the en-
gine of this type built last year by these
builders for the X'atal Government
Kaihvnys of South Africa.
The engine here illustrated is of the
2-6-6-2 type of wheel arrangement, hav-
ing a two-wheel truck front and rear.
Both trucks are of the radial center
bearing, swing bolster type with jour-
nals outside of the wheels. The bolster
is suspended by 3-point or stable equili-
brium hangers. The frame, which is of
cast steel of light but strong construc-
tion, is in three parts. The main frame
has two arms on each side which e.x-
tend outside of and partially surround
the wheel, and between the ends of
these arms the section forming the
pedestal for the journal bo.x is securely
bolted. Coil springs seated on top of
the boxes transmit the load to the jour-
nals. As the engine is designed to pass
through curves of 350 ft. radius, it was
necessary, in order to provide the re-
quired truck swing, and to bring the
diameter with same length of stroke.
The exhaust passages of the low pres-
sure cylinders are carried forward to
the front of the cylinder, where they
connect to the btanches of a "Y" pipe.
This has a ball joint connection with an
elbow which is connected by a pipe fitted
with a slip joint with an elbow having a
ball joint connection with the exhaust pipe
in the smoke bo\. This arrangement
was necessary in order to secure a
proper length of flexible exhaust pipo
so as to reduce the angle of its deflec-
tions when the locomotive passes
through sharp curves. In order to pro-
vide room between the top of the cylin-
der casting and the smoke box for the
flexible exhaust pipe it was necessary,
in this case, to provide an ofifset of ~,H
ins. in the bottom of the smoke box
from a point isJ/j ins. back of the cen-
ter line of the exhaust pipe.
Following the usual practice, the high
pressure cylinders are equipped with
piston valves and the low pressure with
Allen-Richardson balanced slide valves,
both being operated by a simple design
of the Walschaerts valve gear. The re-
versing mechanism is so arranged thai
the weights of the parts of the two sets
of valve motions counterbalance each
other. Reversing is eflfected by means
of the builders' design of power revers-
ing gear, except that in this case the
ing device which acts with precision.
The three pairs of driving wheels of
the front system are all equalized to-
gether and with the leading truck by a
single central equalizing beam, while
the rear set of driving wheels are equal-
ized in a similar manner, except that
the cross equalization is omitted and
each side is equalized with the trailing
truck by means of an equalizing beam
which fits into a pocket in the truck
center pin. This arrangement gives a
three point suspended engine.
The boiler is of the radial stayed
straight top type and the barrel meas-
ures ~2'/i ins. in diameter inside at the
first ring. The design incorporates an
i8-in. combustion chamber, the bottom
of which is laid with fire brick. There
are 271 tubes 2]^ ins. in diameter, each
20 ft. long, which provide a heating sur-
face of 3167.7 sq. ft. The total heating
surface of the boiler is 3324.2 sq. ft.
This gives a ratio of total heating sur-
face to the volume of equivalent simple
cylinders of 2S1. The firebox is
107 15/16 ins. long and 66 ins. wide, and
provides a grate area of 49.5 sq. ft. Fol-
lowing English practice, the inside fire-
box is made of copper, the crown and
S'de sheets being in one piece, and cop-
per staybolts are used for the water-
space stays.
The tender is of the railroad com-
I
^ •
'^^ t ' 1 — ■ — ft 1 ^*' 1
• — . MS*
--rlf—^--""^ {!■
u.^: -.^... ..... ^ ^ ki^m^ ' (
^^ f'^ll
-f
-^ _0 ^ ^r^ r m m?^
- ^
MALLET ARTICULATED COMPOUND FOR THE CENTRAL
F. Collins. Locomotive Superintendent.
SOUTH .\IK1C.\X K.\!L\\'.\N".'=.
Locomotive
point of support as low as possible, to
suspend the bolster underneath the axle
and employ a long center pin which is
built up in two parts, the lower one
straddling the axle.
In working order, the engine has a
total weight of 225,000 lbs., of which
192,500 lbs. is carried on the driving
wheels. As far as the feature peculiar
to the articulated type of construction
is concerned, the design in general fol-
lowS the builders' standard practice.
The high pressure cylinders are 18 ins.
in diameter by 26 ins. stroke and the
low pressure cylinders are 28}4 ins.
reversing cylinder is operated by steam,
as this engine is not equipped with
compressed air.
The frames, which are 4 ins. wide, are
of wrought iron, the rear frames having
a single front rail integral with the
main frame, while the forward frames
are fitted with double front rails. There
is a single articulation connection be-
tween the front and rear engines. That
part of the weight of the boiler which
is carried on the front system is sup-
ported by a single self-adjusting slid-
ing bearing, which is provided with the
builders' usual design of spring center-
pany's design throughout. It is fitted
with a tank having a water capacity of
5,000 Imperial gallons and space for lo
lc>ng tons of coal. The tender frame is
of steel, the center and side sills being
constructed of lo-in. channels. It is
mounted on two four-wheel trucks of
the equalized pedestal type, the frames
being constructed of steel plate. The
tender is equipped with automatic
vacuum brakes, while steam brakes are
used on the engine.
Some of the principal dimensions and
ratios of the design are given in the
following table:
March. 191C.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE EXGLXEERING.
105
Weight on drivers ^ tractive effort 4.00
Total weight ^ tractive effort 4.6t
Tractive effort X diameter drivers -7- heat-
ing surface ( B. U. factor) 666
Total heating surface -r- grate area 67
Firebox heating -^ total heating surface.
per cent 4.7
Weight on drivers -r- total heatinK surface 57.8
Total weight -^ total heating surface 67.6
\'o1unie of equivalent simple cylinders.
pound locomotive, was by no means the
first time that immensely high boiler
pressure was tried. In 1850 when Robert
Sinclair was locomotive superintendent of
the Caledonian Railway he put to a prac-
tical test a theory that by using steam of
very high pressure he could have unusually
=3ia . _X|
u.
SOUTH AFRICAN M.M.LET LOCOMOTIVE ENGINE TRUCK.
Total heating surface -=- volume equiva-
lent simple crlinders j8i
Grate area -r volume equivalent simple
cylinders 4.j
Track Gauge. — 3 ft. 6 ins.; tractive power, 48,100
lbs.
Wheel Base. — Driving, 8 ft. 4 ins.; total 40 ft.
} ins; toul, engine and tender, 6$ ft. 6 1/16
ins.
Weight, in working order, 225,000 lbs.; on driv-
ers, 192,500 lbs.; on engine and tender, 352,-
000 lbs.
Beating Surface. — Tubes, 3167.7 sq. ft.; firebox,
156 sq. ft.; total. 3324.2 sq. ft.
Driving journals.— 8 in. x 10 in.
Engine Truck Journals. — Diameter, s54; length,
10 in.; trailing, diameter, s'A in.; length, 10
in.; tender, s'/, in.; length, loU in.
Boiler. — Tjrpe, straight top; O. D. first ring,
73 W in.; working pressure, 200 lbs.; fuel,
bituminous coal.
Firebox. — Type, wide; length, 107 15/16 in.;
width, 66 in.; thickness of crown. K in.;
tube, I in. and H in.; sides, '/i in.; back.
^ in.; water space, front. 4 in.; sides. 2^
in.; back, 3^^ in.
Crown Staying. — -Radial.
Tubes. — Material, cold drawn seamless steel; di-
ameter. 2i.i in.; No. II B. W. G-
Boxes. — Driving, cast steel.
Piston. — Rod oiamter, 3li in.; piston packing,
cast iron rinus.
Smck'- ^T.irl; --r)iameter, 17 in.; top above rail.
T^ ', in. steel channels.
V, MP. piston, L. P. Allen. Rich-
II. P. 5 in. L. P. s'/i in-: steam
in. and L. P. H in.; ex clear-
II. and L. P.
/16 in. H. and L. P.
.. diameter outside tire, 46 in.;
:T-..i*r:! ... r.ist steel; engine trtxk. diameter,
atiM m. ; kind, spoke centers; trailing truck,
diameter, ji^/i in.; tender truck, diameter.
33 J4 in.
There are people who go about the
'rid looking for slights, and they are
cessarily miserable, for they find them
every turn— especially the im.iginary
• 'S. One has the same pity for such
-n as for the very poor. They are the
-rally illiterate. They have had no real
'.ication, for they have never learned
* to live.
small cylinders that would do the work
of much larger cylinders and use decided-
ly less steam.
Following out this idea, Sinclair built
an engine in the shops at Glasgow witli
cylinders 10 x 22 inches and boiler carrying
steam of 200 pounds gauge pressure. The
prevailing pressure at that period was
100 pounds to the square inch. He calcu-
lated that this engine would perform the
same work as was done by engines with
cylinders 15 x 22 inches and do it at much
less expense. The boiler was of Low-
moor iron half-inch thick, the firebox was
of copper strongly stayed, and the tubes
were brass.
When put to service these little engines
did the same work as those with cylinders
five inches greater diameter and pulled
the trains with greater ease. The first
weakness developed was in the water
glasses and these were constantly breakinp
Several bad accidents happened from this
cause and the pressure was reduced tn
150 pounds, which took the vim out of
the" small engines. There was much
trouble from leaky tubes, and breakage
of staybolts was so common that thr
engines were considered dangerous and
the steam was further reduced to the
prevailing pressure. But it is a fact tli.T!
inferior gauge glasses prevented the high
steam pressure locomotives from making
the expected success.
High PreMUfM of Long Ago.
The practice of carrymg what might be
i'arded as excessively high pressure of
'^.im that came into vogue with the com-
Sliding Door Fastener.
The Boston & Maine Railroad hat
recently made trial of a sliding door
fastener and check, for baggage and
other passenger train equipment. The
device has been given a trial on cars
passing through Concord, and it is the
intentirin of the designer that the pain-
ful and serious injuines to persons-
caused by the sudden closing of a side
door due to the violent stopping of
cars will thus be eliminated. The de-
vice is tlie invention of Mr. \V. H..
Duraiii. air brake inspector of the
B. & M.
The fastener handle swings pendu-
lum-like in either direction, and in so
doing unlatches the catch from the
catch-plate which holds the door shut.
.■\t the same time it releases from the
overhe;id track a check, or frictiork
shoe, secured to a threaded depending
rod which extends from the swing
handle. This rod is surrounded by a
coil spring, within a guide casting
fastened at the top of the door, and as-
sists the check to firmly grip the over-
head track, thereby holding the door at
any point in its travel.
The locking and the holding in posi-
tion when open of a sliding door has
been accomplished in a simple manner.
.At the same time a double holding de-
vice is presented for keeping a door
closed to guard against the loss of car
contents should the door happen to
work open when the car is moving on
the road. The fasteners arc for right
01 left hdud docirs and arc made in two
UNC DOOK FASTENliK.
sizes. The whole device has been designed
on scientific lines and should prove use-
ful to railways. Further information in
regard to the fastener can be obtained
by a<ldres»inK Mr. L S. Elliott, of Lake-
wood. N. IL The inventor has called this
fastener the "Laconia."
io6
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTUR KXGIXEERIXG.
-March, igio.
Rll!^„En9iieerin)
A Practical Journal of Motive Power, RoUini
Stock and Appliances.
Published Monthly by
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114 Liberty Street, New York.
Telephone. 984 Cortlandt.
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Confusion of Colored Signals.
Some e-xtracts from a French techni-
cal paper published by the Literary
Digest contain statements concerning
confusion of colored signals that seem
to emphasize the value of the World
System of Railway Signals described
and illustrated in our February number,
page 60. In the Digest, under the head-
ing of "An Optical Delusion," we read:
"To a pedestrian passing over one of
the Paris bridges, the red and white
lights on an adjoining bridge present
a fine spectacle. If walking at an ordi-
nary pace the eye be fixed on the group
formed by a white light and the nearest
red one, these two lights are first seen
clearly separate; then as they draw
nearer, the red light disappears com-
pletely, only the white remaining visi-
ble; then after another slight movement
the white light drops out and the red
remains. If the spectator advance fur-
ther, the same phenomenon succeeds
in inverse order, up to the moment
when the lights are again completely
separated."
After e-xplaining the phenomenon by
a diagram, the article conitnues: "It
may happen in fact that an engineer
running a locomotive casts a quick
glance at a group of signals, and seeing,
as he supposes, that they are all white,
believes the way clear, when the signal
for him to stop has been eclipsed and
swallowed up, as it were, by a white
light situated farther away and sensibly
in the same direction."
We direct tlie attention of railway
superintendents to the source of dan-
ger tlius pointed out. There are so
many dazzling lights within the perime-
ter of danger signals that all possible
care should be exercised to prevent mis-
takes from being made. We are afraid
that some of the mysterious mistakes
about danger signals made by engineers
may have been caused by the phenome-
non described-
Boiler Inspection.
The third annual report of the Public
Service Commission of the second dis-
trict of the State of New York, which
covers the calendar 3'ear 1909, has just
come from the press. Under the head-
ing locomotive boiler inspection there
are some interesting facts given by the
Commission. The total number of lo-
comotive boilers in use in the United
States is about 57,000, and about one-
eighth of that number, or over 7,000,
boilers have come under the super-
vision of the Commission.
The report calls attention to the fact
that there are only two experts em-
ployed in this department of the Com-
niission's work, the State boiler in-
spector and his assistant- It is there-
fore impossible for these men to exer-
cise more than a general supervision
over the inspectors who are designated
by the railroad companies. The tabu-
lated returns of the Commission indi-
cate a general improvement of the
whole matter of boiler inspection,
maintenance and washing.
Among the accidents to boilers which
have been investigated by the Commis-
sion there were four accidents in 1908
caused by plugs and studs blowing out.
These accidents resulted in the injury
of four persons. In 1909 no such acci-
dents took place. Low water is the
most prolific cause of accidents to loco-
motive boilers, according to the table
referred to. In 1908 eleven low water
accidents caused the death of eight per-
sons and the injurj' of fourteen- The
year 1909 saw only four such accidents,
resulting in the death of six persons
and the injury of six. It is, however,
gratifying to know that the ratio of ac-
cidents to locomotives in service has
decreased. In 1908 an accident took
place for every 299 boilers in use- In
1909 tliere was only one accident to
every 624 boilers- In 1908 one person
was killed for every 829 boilers in ser-
vice, and in 1909 there was only one to
1,267 boilers- The ratio of injured to
boilers in service was in 1908 one to
266, and in 1909 one to 543, and in the
first of these years there were 7,466
boilers in service as against 7,604 in
1909. Altogether, these figures seem to
point to a small but general rise in the
safety of life and limb as far as loco-
motive boilers are concerned, in this State.
In the year there were 1,147 boiler
defects reported. The classification of
some of the defects shows that 51 de-
fective water glasses were reported; 56
defective gauge cocks reported, and 17
steam gauges were reported to be out
of order. The Commission believe that
tlie fewer low water accidents in 1909
is due to the better care of the gauge
glasses and gauge cocks which has
been brought about. In the matter of
slaybolts 977 were reported broken, but
the government inspectors found 138
broken staybolts witli tell-tale holes
plugged, and they found that 46 boilers
had tell-tale holes filled with paint.
They do not specify the number of
broken staybolts there were in these
46 locomotives.
It was stated in the report that it was
e'ltirely impossible for the two govern-
ment experts to make a detailed exami-
nation of all the locomotive boilers in
use. This was done only in special
cases, and was intended to check the
work of those railroad inspectors
whose reports were considered doubt-
ful- A general examination of 2,350
boilers was actually made-
The report of boiler inspection, while
gratifying in a general way, shows the
magnitude of the work ahead of the
Commission and the good which can be
accomplished by State and railroad co-
operating for the safety of life, limb
and property- The work of the Com-
mission, while necessarily not complete
in itself, has brought to light some in-
teresting and instructive facts. In
boiler inspection and maintenance, as
in other departments of railroad ac-
tivity, the Chancetaker will eventually
be located and dropped from the ranks,
as the most expensive item in the whole
of the boiler shop outlay. The Com-
mission's report, without naming any
particular railroad, nevertheless indi-
cates some weak points, which it is in
the interest of everybody to have reme-
died. The report deals with a large
number of subjects, but the pages on
locomotive boiler inspection will be
useful to the conscientious railroad
man who is connected with one of the
most important departments of railroad
work. A copy may be obtained by apply-
ing to the Commission at Albany, N. Y.
Setting Up Wedges.
Much more trouble arises from the
frequent slacking down of wedges than
there is from setting them up. It is
well to remind even the most experi-
enced railway men that it is necessary
tliat the locomotive should be under
March, 191a
RAILWAY A\D LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
107
I full steam pressure during the final
adjustment of the wedges. This is ob-
vious from the fact that while the
frames do not expand to any great ex-
tent, those portions of the frames near
the fire are more or less subjected to
heat and consequently slightly vary in
length from their condition while in the
machine shop. It is good practice to
place the locomotive so that the crank
pins will be on the top quarter on either
s-de that may be most convenient. This
should be done by moving the engine
with pinch bars, the forward movement
; :«ving a tendency to press the driving
io.xes firmly against the shoes, leaving
ilie lost motion, if any, on the back or
movable wedge.
The wedges should then be firmly set
up. It is well to have two pinch bars
.Tpplied to the wheel in opposite direc-
tions. When the driving bo.\ becomes
jammed in the jaws, the point at which
the wedge stands above the bottom
brace or binder may be marked and the
wedge should be drawn down until the
box again moves freely in the wedges.
The amount drawn downward should
in no case exceed one-sixteenth of an
inch, but much depends on the condi-
tion of the wedge bolts. If they are
much worn care should be taken, after
the wedge has been drawn downwards
the required amount, to raise the wedge
o!t the amount of the lost motion,
-•therwise the wedge will have a ten-
dency to move still lower on the pedes-
tal jaw and induce lost motion. In the
case of wedges that are equipped with
bolts passing through the pedestal jaws
and holding the wedges in place, the
danger of the wedges moving on ac-
count of lost motion is obviated. Par-
ticular care should be taken in tighten-
ing the jam nuts. The tendency of
these nuts moving is very great, and as
there is generally some difficulty in ap-
plying a long wrench to the nuts, the
best efforts of a skilled man should be
made in applying all the force that
these nuts will bear.
When the wedges have been carefully
adjusted and securely fastened in place,
the rod should be carefully tried on
both of the dead centers, and the keys
tightened and slightly loo<icncd until
the bearings move freely on I he crank
pins. The readjustment of the wedges
while running should never be attempt-
ed except in urgent cases where the
heating of a box may necessitate a fur-
ther loosening of one of the wedges.
It is needless to add that the careful
lubrication of the wedges is an essen-
tial requisite. The tendency of a dry
wedge to cut i* very great, and this is
ofirn the cause of the beginning of the
heating of the box. The promiscuous
lo«»ening of the wedge* is a most per-
lous habit and Is always attended
:th bad results. It is a mechani-
cal mistake which is not capable of
amendment. It should be altogether
abolished.
Factor of Adhesion.
Not long ago we were asked by one
of our correspondents to define the ex-
pression factor of adhesion as applied to
locomotives. We will endeavor to comply
as briefly as possible. The usual answer
to the question is that it is the result
obtained by dividing the weight carried
on the drivers of an engine by the cal-
culated maximum tractive effort. On
page 76 of our February issue we gave an
illustrated description of two classes of
engines for the C. & N. W. The first of
these, a passenger engine, carried 151,-
000 lbs. on the driving wheels, and the
calculated maximum tractive effort was
31,900 lbs., thus giving a factor of ad-
hesion of 4.73.
The object of obtaining this factor
may not be readily apparent at first
sight. It has nothing to do with run-
ning the engine, but it is a very im-
portant figure for the designer, and it
throws light on whether the engine is
likely to be "slippery" or not. The
ordinary co-efficient of friction of a
steel tired wheel on a clean rail is 0.2
or '/i- Some authorities give this figure
as 0.25, but there is no hard and fast
determination of this factor. This co-
efficient varies with the state of the rail
and may go below 0.2 for damp or greasy
rail, or it may go above that, for a rail
covered with good sand ; but for the pur-
poses of this article H is a very fair
average.
This means that for ordinary pur-
poses an engine can theoretically exert
a draw-bar pull 'A of the weight on its
driving wheels less internal friction. If
an engine carries 125,000 lbs. on its driv-
ing wheels and can develop a tractive ef-
fort of 25,000 lbs., the factor of adhesion
is said to be 5, and this engine will not
likely show any tendency to slip. The
C. & N. W. engine above referred to has
a factor of 4.73, which is a fairly close ap-
proximation to the theoretical figure 5 as
here assumed.
Some designers prefer to permit a lit-
tle slip at the st.Trf, knowing that the
engine will, when notched up, have a
reduced tractive effort and that when
working on the road there will then be
no tendency to slip. In order to produce
an engine of this kind, the tractive effort
at the start may be arranged to give a
factor of adhesion as low as 4 and in-
dcc<l 4.25 and 4.5 is considered good
practice and a slight margin of slip-
peryness might therefore exist just
when starting, though witli somewhat
soft tires, or a little sand, or n careful
start, the tilipping might not be ex-
cessive, because in all cases the co-
efBcient of friction between wheel and
rail is not an absolute or unvarying
ratio.
On the other hand it would be possi-
ble to design an engine so that it would
have a factor of adhesion of 6. Such
an engine would have no tendency to
slip, but it would not have as high
a tractive effort as it might, or as good
service conditions would warrant. Tlie
designer has always before him the advis-
ability of securing the highest tractive
power which he can for the weight to
be borne by the drivers. In fact, as a
rule the factor of adhesion is purposely
shaved down a little below the theoreti-
cal limit. Yard engines, which are
worked a good deal of the time in full
gear, are as a rule designed so as to have
a higher factor of adhesion and conse-
quently less slip than passenger or freight
engines, because a prompt start of a
heavy load is constantly required of the
yard engine.
If it were possible to design an en-
gine as light as a hand car and yet
capable of developing a tractive effort
of 25,000 lbs., we would have a machine
which would make very uncertain
progress along the track but would spin
its wheels around furiously when called
upon to pull loads. The converse of
this would be an equally unsatisfactory
machine, one in which the power it
could develop would be awaj' below the
limit and its hauling capacity would be
low. If the co-efficient of friction be-
tween wheel and rail be assumed as 0.25,
then appropriate calculations and allow-
ances must be made for that figure.
It is always a matter of nice balance
and fine judgment to so proportion the
amount of draw-bar pull to what the
engine will practically stand for, as far
as weight on drivers is concerned, and
most of our modern locomotives leave
little to be desired in this respect. We
have heard of cases where a carefully
designed engine doing good work had
its cylinders bored out so as to "pull
another car," with the result that the
hitherto satisfactory engine was "im-
proved" into a magnificent slipper. The
over-cylindered and the under-cylindcred
engine are the two extremes, which,
like Scylla and Cliarybdis, must be suc-
cessfully avoided by the designer steer-
ing a middle course.
Grow Catalpa.
.Miout thirty years ago the Department
of Agricidture made a strong effort to
induce Western railway companies to
plant catalpa trees along the right of way
and on spare lands, but the movement
was not successful.
The same department is agitating the
subject again and Ihey say that calalpi
is an almost indestructible limber. Rep-
resentatives of the Government Ilureau
of Forestry have been making detailed
io8
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGLNEERING.
March, igio.
study of the uses to which the wood may
be put. In southeastern Missouri they
secured a post which for fifteen years
served as a fence post on a farm at
Charleston, Mo., and was then turned
over to the St. Louis, Iron Mountain &
Southern Railway where it played its part
sturdily in another fence for twenty-three
years more. Today it shows not the
slightest traces of decay. A tie which
had been in actual use on the lines of the
Louisville & Nashville for eighteen years
was found to be in perfect condition.
Even where the spikes had pierced the
tie the wood was thoroughly sound.
For telegraph and telephone poles the
hardy catalpa is unequaled. The few
groves in the west are speedily making
their owners rich, and the Government
experts are urging farmers to devote as
much land as possible to the cultivation
of this profitable tree.
These groves can be cultivated with
little trouble and expense, and if ordinary
vigilance is taken to protect growing
trees from certain parasites, the hewn
wood becomes practically indestructible ;
for nothing, the scientists say, can suc-
cessfully attack the cut timber. It is the
hope of the Bureau of Plant Industry
that a realization of the great market for
the hardy catalpa timber, which at pres-
ent is very scarce, will result in vast
tracts of artificial forests on the now tree-
less plains of the west.
The Superheating of Steam.
It is a noteworthy fact that mechanical
appliances when introduced or resurrected
with actual use are, as a rule, loudly
heralded either as filling a long felt
want, or effecting such a saving that
makes the past seem full of senseless ex-
travagance. Of course, something of this
kind is to be expected, and such reports are
promptly discounted by all men of ex-
perience. When the blowing of the trum-
pets has ceased, and the air has been
cleared, it is usually found that the ad-
vance, if it is visible at all, is at the same
sober pace that has marked the march of
progress along the echoing corridors of
the centuries. Occasionally there is some-
thing out of the ususal slow-paced move-
ment that challenges general attention.
Among the mechanical appliances used
in railways the most important innovation
of recent years is the revival of the use
of superheated steam. The revival began
in Germany, and, like everything else
made in Germany, was loudly advertised.
At first it sounded as if Herr Schmidt
and his compatriots were blowing off
steam. The superheating of steam was
nothing new. Many experiments were
made during last century and little or
nothing of value was accomplished. Herr
Schmidt, however, introduced new meth-
ods, bringing the steam in its passage
from the boiler to the cylinders almost
literally through the furnace fires, and
the reports of fuel saving and increase
in pressures, and consequently increased
efficiency were at first unbelievable.
The American engineers were quick
enough to take up the matter, but as may
be noted in our pages from month to
month, the adoption of superheating
apparatus is by no means in this
country. The important items of con-
itruction and especially that of main-
tenance are much larger in American
practice than the same items are in the
glowing German reports. It does not
follow, however, that the German esti-
mates are wrong. Some of the differences
are to be attributed to the use of anthra-
cite in American locomotives as compared
with the use of bituminous coal largely
used in Germany. The high initial pres-
sures generally used in American loco-
motive boilers, when subjected to super-
heating, combined to overtax the resist-
ance of the necessarily thin pipes in which
the steam was enclosed while undergoing
the process of superheating. The ruptures
of these pipes have been alarmingly fre-
quent. Not only the steam pipes them-
selves but the joints have been a con-
stant source of trouble. Our clever con-
structing engineers are meeting the prob-
lem with a degree of ingenuity that is ad-
mirable ; but it seems that greater
economy could be obtained by the use of
superheating in the case of steam where
the initial pressure did not exceed i8c
'bs. per square inch.
Tlie most recent statements coming as
they do from official reports, tabulated
and endorsed by the engineers of the
Italian government, are worthy of serious
attention. A number of locomotives of
the 2-6-0 type running on the State Rail-
ways of Italy, fitted with the latest pat-
tern of the Schmidt superheater, have
been matched against an equal number
of locomotives of the same type on which
the superheating of steam was not ap-
plied. Those equipped with superheaters
have been hauling passenger trains of
average weight of 206 tons at average
speeds of 45 miles per hour over level
nnd slightly undulating lines, and the re-
ports of coal consumption show for each
100 miles' run to be 8.68 lbs. On the
ether hand the simple saturated steam
locomotives performing the same work
on the same lines, but with an average
load of 180 tons, show a coal consump-
tion of 11.32 lbs. of the same kind of
coal, thus showing an economy of 23.3 per
cent, in favor of the locomotives equipped
with the superheating apparatus, besides
hauling an extra load amouting to an
increase of 12.6 per cent.
This w-as not all. Special points for
timing the speed of the locomotives were
also established, and the distance tra-
versed by the superheater locomotives in
94 minutes, took an average of 104 min-
utes in the case of the locomotives not
equipped with the superheaters, a relative
time economy of g.6 per cent. By these
computations a saving of 45.5 per cent, is
effected by the use of the superheater.
In the matter of oil consumption, the
locomotives equipped with the superheat-
ers required an average of about 30 per
cent, more oil than the simple engines,.
but this is a matter of small outlay in
comparison with the other items referred
to, and in general practice the advantage
in favor of the superheater would at least
foot up to 40 per cent.
It is to be regretted that the increased
cost of construction and maintenance
necessitated by the use of the superheater
has not been tabulated with equal care by
the Italian engineers; but the rapid
adoption of the use of the apparatus in
the case of the new locomotives used orr
the Italian State Railways is the best
l-roof that they are satisfied that a con-
siderable saving of outlay has been
effected by the introduction of the
Schmidt superheater on the locomotives in
the service of the Italian State Railways.
Protection Under False Pretenses.
"To protect the public," is an expres-
sion that is used to cover a multitude of
sins, a larger volume of them, indeed, than^
charity. The latest hollow pretense in
this line is made by a combination of auto-
mobile manufacturers whose purpose is to
milk the buyers of motor cars through the
meshes of what have been known as Sel-
don patents.
The Seldon patents covered certain de-
vices that could not be used in forming a
practical automobile, but the threat that
they covered essential parts of a gas en-
gine operated machine has scared part of
the public into paying blackmail on the-
patents for years. The lower courts have
sustained the validity of the patents, which
has added to the aggressiveness of the
combinations controlling the patents, but
the Supreme Court of the United States
has yet to be heard fromi. The lower
courts held the crude devices used before
the Richardson safety valve to cover the
same ground as the pop safety valve, but
the U. S. Supreme Court decided that they
were not practicable as means of quick
relief of steam pressure and consequently
did not perform the functions of an effi-
cient safety valve. The want of efficiency
is likely to prove fatal to the Seldon patent
when it reaches the Supreme Court.
Trying for Electricity Direct from Coal.
The efforts of philosophers and in-
ventors were devoted for over 2,000'
years to the inventing of an apparatus
through which the potential energy of
fuel could be transformed into me-
chanical work. After such an experi-
ence that was in the end crowned with
magnificent success, there is no saying-
that any object of human endeavor is-
hopeless.
March, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
109
Every few years some inventor pro-
ceeds to wrestle with the problem of
converting the potential energj- of coal
direct into mechanical work without
the intervention of steam. The favor-
ite line of effort followed is to convert
the heat of burning coal direct into
electricity. We have watched for years
the attempts of various inventors to
perform that most desirable operation,
but so far their labors have been in
vain.
The favorite processes followed have
been through forms of o.xidation. Of
course, ordinary combustion is a form
of oxidation, but it is not adapted for
the conversion of heat into electricity.
Rusting burning and explosions are all
forms of oxidation, the rapidity of
chemical reaction marking the principal
difference between them. It may be
that through one of these processei
carbon may yet be utilized to turn the
immense power it possesses direct into
electricity. Should that ever happen it
would be bad for the locomotive, but the
probabilities are that any evolution along
this line will be gradual.
Energy in a Steam Boiler.
Most of the energy in a steam boiler
under pressure is contained in the water,
snd only a relatively small amount of the
energy in the steam. Take, for instance,
the case of a horizontal tubular boiler
carrying 150 lbs. pressure and having
160 cu. ft. of water space and 80 cu.
ft of steam space. The water weighs
160 X 62.4 ^ 9,984 lbs., and the steam
weighs 80 X .3671 = 29.37 lbs. The
energy in each pound of water at 150
lbs. pressure that would be liberated
by explosion and expansion down to 212
degs. Fahr. is 1 1323.4 ft.-lbs., and the
energy in each pound of steam at the
same pressure is 134,521.2 ft.-lbs. (A
Manual of Steam Boilers, by Prof. R. H.
Thurston, table entitled "Total Available
Energy in Water and Steam"). The total
energy in the water is therefore 9,984 X
11,823 = 118,040332 ft.-lbs. and the
total energy in the steam is 29.37 X 134.S21
= 3,950,882 ft.-lbs. The energy in the
iteam is consequently less than 4 per
cent, of that in the water. The water is
the more dangerous content of the boiler.
The total energy in the water and steam
is 118,040,832 -f- 3,950,882 = 121,991,714
ft.-lbs. If the boiler weighs, say 10,000
lbs., and if all of this energy were ex-
pended in an explosion in projecting the
boiler vertically, then, neglecting the fric-
tion of the air, the boiler would rise to a
height of 12,199 ft-, or over 2 miles.
The secret of avoiding boiler explosions
is regular inspections at short intervals by
competent men, and prompt compliance
with their recommendations in regard to
repairs and the allowable working pret-
sure. — The Fidelity and Casually Com-
pany, of New York.
BooK Notices
Freight Transport.mion on Trolley
Lines. By Chas. S. Pease, C. E.
Published by the McGraw-Hill Book
Company, New York. 64 pages, illus-
trated, ornamental cloth. Price, $1.00.
This enterprising publishing firm has
added a new and valuable book to their
publications. The subject of freight
transportation by trolley is a new and
growing industry and has called into
existence a class of rolling stock hitherto
unknown in transportation. Mr. Pease
discusses the subject with a degree of
clearness and brevity that shows how
thoroughly he has ninstcred the subject.
The chapter on the reconstruction of old
single truck passenger cars is particularly
interesting as showing how economically
a beginning in this new industry can be
established. The book will be welcomed
by those employed in the new and grow-
ing enterprise of which it treats.
More Light on Air Brakes.
Among all the books that have been
published concerning air brakes, we be-
lieve it is safe to say that "Conger's Air
Brake Catechism" has helped more men
to understand the principles, action and
mechanism of air brakes than any other
publication. Like most other publica-
tions concerning developing mechanism.
Conger's catechism gradually fell out of
date and the author has now given his
work revived vitality by preparing a new
text which brings the book strictly up-
to-date.
The new catechism has 42 pages more
than the old one, and has both the No.
5 and 6 E T equipment, the K triple
valve and the L type triple as well as a
general revision. All the New York
Brake Co. equipment up-to-date is in-
cluded. This takes in the B 3 brake,
the type J triple valve and the automatic
control for locomotives.
While the new catechism is a decided
improvement containing considerably
more matter than the old one, the price
remains the same, viz. : one dollar. Send
ill your orders as quickly as possible to
Angus Sinclair Co., Engineering Build-
ing, Liberty street, New York.
Experience of a Veteran Engineer.
The world has been for many rtnluries
interested in old soldiers and doing them
honor was popular in all countries no
matter how peacefully inclined the peo-
ple may have been. The battles they had
fought and the dangers they had passed
through appealed to human sympathy.
In these days of piping peace the old
locomotive engineer has taken the place
in public sympathy that the old soldier
held in the days of Auld Lang Syne. And
this may well be the case, for the old
soldier must have passed through many
years of stir and strife to have encoun-
tered the dangers and hardships under-
gone by a locomotive engineer of sixty
years' experience.
Stories concerning the lines of experi-
ence of exceptionally old engineers have
lately been told in the Locomotive Engi-
neers' Monthly Journal. One record is
that of S. B. Clark still on the Wabash
at Bluffs, la., who began work in 1848 ai
a water boy on a gravel train on the
Northern Railroad of New Hampshire.
He used to fire the engine "John" going to
and from work which gave him the ex-
perience that commended him for a fire-
man's position. The "John" was a Bald-
win of the "Miller" type, with single pair
of drivers and four wheel truck, the pre-
cursor of the "American" engine which
Baldwin did so much to bring into popu-
larity.
In 1851 he got a regular job as fireman,
but a year later left New Hampshire to
take a position as second engineer of a
flour mill at Jackson, Mich. The loco-
motive bee had. however, caught on to
his bonnet and a year later he was firing
on the Michigan Central between Detroit
and Michigan City. The prospects of
promotion were, however too slow for
his taste on that line, so he returned to
the Northern and fired there for about a
year. There is something in the West
like the mountain breezes that allures a
man from the effete East. He reached
the right hand side on the Northern but
could not settle down, and in 1854 he wai
back on the Michigan Central where he
got a job running in advance of old fire-
men he had known there before.
On the Michigan Central he was per-
sonally acquainted with the old engineers
who organized the Brotherhood of Loco-
motive Engineers. Mr. Clark took an ac-
tive part in promoting the Engineeri
Brotherhood. In 1869 he went to the
Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul as travel-
ing engineer, a position that did not last
long for he went back to firing on tht
same road. After a time he drifted to tht
Wabash as engineer but left that to join
the Union Pacific where he ran an engine
between Rawlins and the Green River.
That was too far West for his tnste and
he moved East to the Chicago, Burling-
ton & Quincy, where he had the misfor-
tune to take part in a head-on collision
with a Wabash train. That laid him up
for two years. When he recovered he re-
turned to the Wabash where he still holds
a place on the pay roll but is now em-
ployed in an oflicc at Bluffs where he has
been for 20 years.
In the notes of his experience Brother
Clark says: "Sixty-two years connected
with railroading I The experiences one has
had in 62 years would fill quite a book, if
told, and some of them would be hard
to believe."
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
March, 1910.
Why Should a Young Man Want to Become a Loco. Engineer?
The editor of Railway and Loco-
motive Engineering, who had often been
asked why he became a locomotive en-
gineer, answered without hesitation : "It
was my earliest ambition, nurtured from
watching the trains rushing past my
childhood home."
Ambition drew him away from the oc-
cupation of running a locomotive ; but he
never regretted his first choice and never
enjoyed any work so much as running a
locomotive.
Several years ago the editor of a con-
temporary magazine asked the editor of
Railway and Locomotive Engineering
the question at the head of this column, an
answer was given which we reproduce.
Before doing so, however, we think it
would be interesting if many locomotive
engineers would send us short letters tell-
ing how they came to follow the calling
of locomotive engineer.
The article by Angus Sinclair referred
to reads :
"In the prevailing struggle for existence,
it is no easy task for a young man, hav-
ing no special training or technical educa-
tion, to decide upon a calling which is
likely to give him permanent employment
with fair remuneration. In looking over
the field of available occupations, I do not
find one which is equal to that of locomo-
tive engineer for providing a good income
and congenial employment for the right
man. The right man is a very important
factor in deciding who shall be accepted
from the numerous candidates for the ap-
pointments that lead to the position of
locomotive engineer.
"The average youth who offers himself
as a fireman with a view to becoming a
locomotive engineer, gives himself little or
no self-examination to ascertain if he pos-
sesses the attributes that will make a suc-
cessful engineer. Therefore the officials
controlling the employment of men have
to be keen inquisitors into ability and
character, to prevent the wrong man from
taking a place in the line that leads to
the running of a locomotive. Thit
exercise of judgment is not always suc-
cessful, for occasionally men become en-
gineers who have not the natural capacity
to care for any appliance more complicated
than a wheelbarrow. The incompetence
of such persons becomes a constant source
of annoyance and danger when he is priv-
ileged to perform the duties of a locomo-
tive engineer.
"The first requisite of a would-be loco-
motive engineer is the possession of a
good constitution and a respectable charac-
ter with steady habits. He ought to be
naturally industrious and have a good
common school education, be of observing
habits, have good eyesight and hearing
and be free from nervousness. He must
also be courageous without being reckles*
and he must have the faculty to keep coo)
under difficultv or danger.
•'If a man possesses these characteristics
and knows that he has them, he may safely
offer himself as a fireman, for his steady
progress towards the right hand side of
the engine is assured.
"The locomotive engine which reaches
nearest perfection, is one which performs
the greatest amount of work at the least
cost for fuel, lubricants, wear and tear of
machinery and of the track traversed. The
nearest approach to perfection in an engin-
eer, is the man who can work the engine
so as to develop its best capabilities at the
least cost. Poets are said to be born, not
made. The same may be said of engin-
eers. One man may have charge of an
engine for only a few months, and yet
exhibit thorough knowledge of his busi-
ness, displaying sagacity resembling in-
stinct concerning the treatment necessary
to secure the best performance from the
engine, while another man who appears
equally intelligent in matters not per-
taining to the locomotive, never acquires
a thorough understanding of the machine
"There are few lines of work where the
faculty of concentrating the mind to the
work on hand is so valuable as in that
of running a locomotive. The tendency
to indulge in what is called mental wool
gathering has led many a locomotive en-
gineer to grief. A man may be highly in-
telligent and endowed with general
knowledge, but on a locomotive he will
make a failure unless he has the power
while at work to devote his whole at-
tention to the duties of taking the loco-
motive and train over the division safely
on time. The man who permits outside
hobbies or interests to occupy his
thoughts while running a locomotive, is
likely to fall into many troubles.
"People of a serious disposition are
often regarded with favor for responsible
railway employment, but I have not
found that positively religious men make
such good engineers as others less re-
generate. Ahaziah Sims had drifted from
the oil room to firing, then by force of
staying became locomotive engineer. He
was a demonstratively pious man, and
some people imagined that his religious
capital made up for no end of occupation
shortcomings.
"One morning Ziah walked smilingly in-
to the roundhouse lodge room and re-
marked: 'Had splendid run. Engine all
the way kept saying 'Bless the Lord, bless
the Lord.' "
" ' I know vat was de matter mit your
engine, Zi,' exclaimed Joe Dietz. 'Your
valves vas oud an' you did not know id,
Hims odt say Bress the good Lord, an'
den you haf four exhausts.' "
Ahaziah was less than a good average
engineer, for he permitted his mind to
praise the Lord in psalms when he ought
to have been fondling his engine. Glory-
fying the Lord and all his works is all
right in its place; but it is better for an
engineer on duty to be keeping an open
ear on the deterioration of the pistons
and valves or in watching the rhythm of
rods, axle boxes, air pumps and other
moving parts that utter notes of distress
when suffering from any defect. Which
of these pistons is beginning to blow or
is it one of the valves? What is the
m.atter with that injector which breaks
occasionally? The man who cannot de-
vote his mind exclusively to the working
of the engine and to looking out for sig-
nals when on the road will not make »
first-class engineer.
"I was a locomotive engineer between
breaks for about twenty years, but I was
in some respect a better engineer dur-
ing the first five years of my service than
I was in the last five years. The cause
of my degeneracy was that latterly dis-
tractions had come into my life which
prevented me from concentrating my at-
tention upon the working of the engine
with the intensity applied when I was
younger.
"Severe hardships have to be endured
by nearly all locomotive engineers, but
the life has its compensations. A mar
who knows his business and performs his
duties properly holds a very independent
position. Concerning the attractions that
might induce a young man to chose the
business of a locomotive engineer, I tes-
tify that with all its drawbacks I do not
know of a pleasanter occupation. It has
been my good fortune to engage in many
lines of business — some of them of high
grade and of very honorable standing —
but I never enjoyed any work as much a?
that of running a locomotive engine."
The Mallet vs. the Electric Locomotive
Commenting on the problem of elec-
trification of the Central Pacific over
the Sierras, Mr. Kruttschmitt, as re-
ported in the Wall Street Journal, says :
"Eastern critics may be inclined to the
opinion that we are dallying with this
matter. W'e have found that it pays
well to make haste slowly with regard
to innovations. Electrification for
mountain traffic does not carry the
same appeal that it did two years ago.
Oil burning locomotives are solving the
problem very satisfactorily. Each Mal-
let compound locomotive having a
horse power in excess of 3,000 hauls as
great a load as two of former types,
burning 10 per cent, less fuel and con-
suming 50 per cent, less water."
I am not careful for what may be 1
hundred years hence. He who governed
the world before I was born shall take
care of it likewise when I am dead. My
part is to improve the present moments.
— John IVesIev.
March, igia
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE EXGINEERING.
Applied Science Department
Reading Indicator Diagrams.
It is a singular circumstance that
every man you meet is willing to talk
about the state of his health, and will
reveal, as far as it is possible to be re-
vealed, his internal workings; but when
it comes to some young mechanic who
may be seeking information in regard
tc some of the mysteries of his calling,
his elders are sometimes silent and an
air of introspective profundity dwells
upon them like the burden of Dumah,
whatever that was. The kindlier spirit
of the twentieth century is happily dis-
pelling much of this ungenerous feel-
ing. In locomotive practice in the
olden days the valve-setters had the
bump of secrecy developed to a most
abnormal extent. Of course, there was
a human side to it. They were gener-
ally paid higher wages than those who
had been denied the opportunity of
showing by practical experience what
they were capable of doing.
The reading of indicator diagrams
may justly be considered a much sim-
pler matter than the adjustment of in-
volved valve gearing, but there is much
more to be found in these diagrams
than may be at first supposed. Hav-
ing described in the January issue of
Railway and Locomotive Engineer-
ing the means used in taking these
diagrams, it may be well to begin the
attempt to thoroughly understand them
by supposing that if it were possible
that the piston of a steam engine could
be acted upon on one of its sides by
a steam pressure of lOO lbs. to the
square inch, and if there were no press-
rre at all acting on the other side, and
the steam pressure was maintained uni-
formly during the entire time that the
piston passed from one end of the cyl-
inder to the other, then the diagram
would show a rectangle, because the
ipring in the indicator would be kept
at an unvarying height during the en-
tire travel of the piston, but steam en-
Kinei that are not furnished with a con-
denser are subjected to a back pressure
of at least 15 lbs. per square inch on
account of the atmosphere finding its
way into the exhaust passage. This re-
duces the steam pressure to S5 lbs. per
square inch. The effect is to reduce
the complete rectangle by a little more
than one-seventh of its entire space
along the bottom of the diagram. In
common practice there is an extra
pressure of ^ or 4 lbs. owing to the in-
completeness of the exhaust, because
steam, being a fluid of much grosser
density than the atmosphere, is much
slower in moving through space than
the almost intangible air. When the
piston is moving at an extremely high
speed the back pressure increases, so
that a back pressure of 20 lbs. per
square inch or one-fifth of the entire
amount of pressure that we have alluded
to is not uncommon.
In the case of a steam engine when
the cylinder is placed in connection
with a condenser where the exhausted
steam escapes into a vacuum, or par-
tial vacuum, then the atmospheric pres-
sure is largely removed, and the back
pressure against the face of the piston
may be reduced to 2 or 3 lbs., thus ef-
fecting a very considerable gain in the
use of the steam, as the amount of
steam used in each case is the same.
In the illustration of the indicator di-
igram before us (Fig. i), it will be
STEAM LINE
CUT OFF
has the effect of cushioning the piston,
but of the merits or demerits of this-
compression we need not now dilate. It
is sufficient to know that the pressure
upon the face of the piston has already
increased before the stroke has been
completed, and before the valve ha»
begun to open, allowing the fresh sup-
ply of steam to enter. In all well-con-
structed steam engines the valve opens
rapidly, so that the full pressure of
steam is admitted by the time that the
piston is ready to move in the opposite
direction. From the point where the
valve begins to open, to the admission
or lead line, the piston may be said to
be standing still, but the pressure of
steam is rising as the valve opens. As
the piston moves in the opposite direc-
tion the full pressure of steam is main-
tained as shown in the illustration.
Supposing the cylinder to be 24 ins.
PISTON COMMENCE TO MOVE
ADMISSION OR LEAD LINE
VALVE COMMENCES TO OPEN
COMPRESSION LINE
EXHAUST CLOSES
VACUUM LINE
TM'K AI. INDICATOR DIAGRAM WITH .NAMES OF LINES.
noted that the vacuum line is a consid-
erable distance below the diagram
proper, and there is also a limited space
between the atmospheric line and the
exhaust or back pressure line. The ex-
haust or back pressure line is a variable
line, changing, as we have already
stated, according to the impediment
presented to the opposite face of the
piston from which the steam is acting.
The vacuum line is also slightly vari-
able, diminishing in height in higher
altitudes in a ratio to the distance
above the sea level.
Following the exhaust line from left
to right, it will be found that the line
curves upwards at some little distance
before the piston has completed its
stroke. This is the point at which the
exhaust closes, and as there is neces-
sarily some steam still left in the cylin-
der, the compression of the remaining
portion of steam begins. It is claimed
that this compression or crushing into
smaller space of this portion of steam
in length and the valve gearing so ar-
ranged that the valve closes at one-
fourth of the stroke, that is, after the
piston has traveled 6 ins. in its back-
ward stroke, it will be found that the
line begins to curve downwards before
the valve has entirely closed. This is
owing to the gradual cutting off of the
supply of steam, so that by the time
that the valve is entirely closed there is
already a considerable diminution in
the pressure of steam, and a conse-
quent falling off of the pencil point in
its path along the paper. After the
valve is entirely closed there is a rapid
falling of the line. This curved line is
called the expansion line, and extends
ill a p.nrabola, until the piston has
nearly reached the end of the stroke,
ar which time the release of the pent
up steam occurs and the curved line
drops suddenly to the exhaust or back
pressure line.
It will be noted that the line after
passing the cut-ofF point drops sud-
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
March, igio.
denly, but a careful measurement of the
distance traveled by the piston at any
particular point will show that the line
indicates an exact ratio of the pressure
of steam in the cylinder in proportion
to the distance traveled by the piston,
so that if the pressure of steam during
the first 6 ins. of the travel of the pis-
ton amounts to loo lbs. per square inch,
and the supply of steam is then cut off,
it will be found that when the piston
has traveled 12 ins. the pressure of
steam as shown by the indicator will
amount to about 50 lbs. per square inch,
the enclosed steam thus having doubled
its volume, and consequently dimin-
ished one-half in pressure.
The exact calculations in regard to
this expensive use of steam will be
treated more fully in the succeeding issues
of Railway and Locomotive Engineer-
ing. .
Celebrated Steam Engineers.
XXVII. William Hedley.
In the last issue of Railway and
Locomotive Engineering we took
occasion to call attention to the ad-
mirable work of John Fitch, an Amer-
ican pioneer in the work of steam
navigation. This month we take pleas-
ure in recalling another pioneer in
steam engineering, William Hedley,
whose production of the first locomo-
tive used commercially in hauling cars
marked him as one of the most noted
pioneers in the great work of transpor-
tation by steam, which others were
destined to take up after him and carry
on to triumphant success.
The first we learn of the noted me-
chanic was as superintendent of the
Wylam Colliery, near Newcastle-on-
Tyne, England. He was a man of con-
siderable scientific attainments, and was
encouraged by his employers in his
idea of using steam instead of horse
power in moving the products of the
mine to the market. Hedley was among
the first to discover that sufficient ad-
hesion could be secured in moving
heavy cars on a smooth rail instead of
the rack or toothed rails which had
been found to be troublesome in prac-
tice. Hedley was fortunate in having
under him a clever blacksmith named
Timothy Hackworth, who afterwards
became a celebrated locomotive de-
signer and builder. Hedley's first lo-
comotive was not particularly success-
ful, but the second, entirely designed
by him, and built by Hackworth in the
blacksmith's shop of the colliery, was
fairly successful and ran for many
years, and is now on exhibition in the
South Kensington Museum in London.
It is generally known by the name of
"Puffing Billy," and but for its top-
heaviness it is in every way as credita-
ble a production as Stephenson's
"Rocket," which it ante-dated sixteen
years.
This locomotive, built in 1813, had a
return flue boiler, and became the
model for all of the successful locomo-
tives built previous to Stephenson's
time. As a matter of fact this lo-
comotive is literally two of Watt's
engines cleverly mounted on wheels.
The workmanship was excellent. The
frames are of wood, very substantial in
form, and rest upon axles without the
intervention of springs. The four driv-
ing wheels are connected by inside
gearing, and the motion is transmitted
to a gear wheel on a separate axle.
The water tank was an oblong iron
box, and the water was conveyed by a.
leather pipe to the pump. The tank
was attached to the locomotive by a
chain, a method of coupling which still
lingers in the freight traffic on some of
the British railways.
A remarkable feature is the construc-
tion of the cylinders, which are made
in two sections and substantially
riveted together. The steam chest is
a small cavity on the top of the cylin-
ders, and there is a handle cleverly
adapted for connecting the valve stem
that catches on a vertical plug rod con-
nected with the walking beam. The
cylinders are 9 x 36 ins. The grate
area 6 sq. ft. The valves are of the D-slide
pattern, worked by a shaft motion.
The vertical cylinders necessitate the
use of what are known as grasshopper
beams, which in turn convey the mo-
tion downward by vertical connecting
rods to a shaft equipped with overhang-
ing cranks set at right angles to each
other. A spur wheel is attached to this
shaft, which, with four other spur
wheels, transmit the motion to the two
main axles. The wheels resting on the
rails are 39 ins. in diameter.
Hedley was really the beginner of
the experiments in what may properly
be called successful steam locomotion.
The unevenness and insecurity of the
tracks upon which his locomotives ran
militated somewhat against their use
in drawing passenger vehicles, but the
commercial success of his locomotive
encouraged that restless spirit of en-
terprise which culminated in the suc-
cess achieved by Stephenson and
others. In fact, it was while George
Stephenson was employed as a mine
foreman in the vicinity where he had
numerous opportunities of observing
Hedley's locomotive that he conceived
the ideas of the marked improvements
which culminated in the success which
ultimately attended his efforts in the di-
rection in which Hedley had so well
begun.
It is gratifying to know that Hedley
lived to see the complete triumph of
steam as a means of transportation,
and while greater rewards came to
others that labored in the same field,
there was nothing that savored of envy
or jealousy in his character. He was
eminently successful in his own limited
sphere of industrial activity. He was
a typical British mechanic of the high-
est and best kind. He was loyal to his
employers and courteous and kindly to
his subordinates, and was universally
esteemed by all who had the honor of
his acquaintance.
Questions Answered
DOUBLE HEADERS.
17. L. H. E., Dryden, N. Y., writes:
On a certain branch of our railway
whenever a double header is run, a car
i.'- coupled between the two engines.
On other branches of the road, engines
are directly coupled together. Can you
explain this?— A. The object of put-
ting the car between the engines is to
avoid the concentrated load on bridges,
culverts, etc., which two engines to-
gether would give. On the other por-
tions of the line this precaution may
not be necessary.
FACTOR OF ADHESION.
18. G. A., Apalachicola, Fla., writes:
In your January issue you state that
two engines of equal capacity, alike in
every respect, but with different sizes
of driving wheels, that the one with the
small drivers can haul the most. Why
is this when the power is limited by
their adhesion? — A. Read our article
on the meaning of the expression factor
of adhesion in another column of this
issue.
CHECK VALVE STICKING.
19. E. W. E., Belle Plaine, la., asks:
Why will a boiler check valve stick open
when there seems no apparent reason for
its doing so, with no dirt on the seat, a
good face on both valve and seat, and not
too much lift. The type of valve we have
has a threaded connection on each end to
fit a standard hose nut and a cap on top
with a guide in check valve case for
stem below. — A. Sometimes the kind of
valve you write about may stick when new
on account of being, as they generally are,
a neat fit, and the slight expansion of the
metal when the boiler becomes hot, being
sufficient to stick the check. This is a
possible explanation, assuming that there
is no obstruction or foreign substance
under the wings of the valve.
IS A DERAILER A SWITCH?
20. W. M., Brunswick, Ga., writes :
Would you kindly favor me with your
opinion on the following subject? A train
backing into a siding backed through a
derailing switch which was in the siding
clear to the main track. The accident
occurred at night, and when the engine
March, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE EXGIXEERLXG.
113
was heading out, ic mounted the rail.
Would >ou consider the derailer a switch
under the following rules : "When a
train backs in on a siding to be met or
passed by another train, the engineman,
when his engine is in to clear, must also
see that the switch is properly set for the
main track.'" Also, "Both conductors and
enginemen are responsible for the safety
of their trains and under conditions not
brake on the second engine of a "double
header" in the event of an application
from the first engine that would exhaust
all the brake pipe pressure and conse-
quently all the pressure surrounding the
automatic brake valve on the second en-
gine. If this check valve were not used
the application cylinder pressure might un-
seat the rotary valve and escape under
the conditions cited above. Again in the
drivers. That from the low pressure
group to the pony truck would not
be much. All the wheels are heavily
loaded, so there would not be much
danger of a slip. In any case a Mallett
almost automatically stops its own slip-
ping. Tractive effort or draw-bar pull
as calculated by the formula does not
depend on which way the engine runs
or on anything e.xcept dimensions of
provided for by the rules must take every event of an application from the second cylinders, steam pressure and diameter
precaution for their protection." A. —
The first rule you quote clearly indicate!
the main line switch. The second is the
general rule for taking the safe side in all
cases. It would appear to us that if the
derailing switch had a light on it then it
was the duty of the engineman to see it
and be governed accordingly. If not, yet
if he knew derailing switches were used
on his road, the general rule for safety
would have caused him to look out for
one at the point in question. On some
roads where there is no light and where
derailers are the exception, the brakes-
man would be held responsible for the
derailing point being closed under the
circumstances you mention.
engine in double-heading, which must be
an emergency application, if all brake pipe
pressure should escape the valve handle
remaining in emergency position. If this
check valve were not used, application cy-
linder pressure could flow into the feed
valve pipe thence through the end of the
cut-out-cock with the escaping brake pipe
pressure and release the engine brake at a
time when it is most desired to keep it
applied.
of drivers. It is not altered by slip-
ping, a slipping engine simply does not
use its full tractive power to pull cars.
Furthermore the Southern Pacific Mallet
was designed to run cab first.
LEAKAGE FROM MAIN RESERVOIR.
21. D. R. R. writes : How can you de-
termine whether leakage from the main
reservoir into the brake pipe is from the
rotary valve, lower body gasket, or past
the P. R. R. standard cut-out cock? —
A. Rotary valve leakage enough to be of
any consequence can usually be detected brass to get down to a smooth wearing
by an escape of air from the emergency surface without heating. Tlie lead
BABBITT ON JOURNALS.
23. G. A., Apalachicola, Fla., writes :
Please explain why babbitt is put on
car brasses, crank pin brasses, etc. If
the babbitt is to provide a suitable bear-
ing, why is it put on brass? Would not
iron do as well ? — A. Babbitt is not us-
ually put on car brasses. It is occasionally
used in rod brasses, etc. Babbitt is an
anti-friction metal and a little of it in a
rod brass is all right. Iron would not
do at all. Lead is often used as a lin-
ing for car brasses as it assists a new
exhaust port of the brake valve as the
badly worn or cut rotary valve leaks to
the atmosphere as well as into the brake
pipe. However, the brake valve must be
taken apart to correct the disorder
whether the rotary valve or body gasket is
leaking. A bad leak past the P. R. R.
cut-out cock will usually lift the equalizing
discharge valve when the brake valve
handle is placed on lap position. In this
case, of course, equalizing reservoir pres-
sure remains constant, but if any doubt
exists as to whether a slight increase of
brake pipe pressure is from the brake
valve or from the cut-out cock, the brake
valve can be placed in emergency position
and the pipe disconnected from the large
end of the cut-out cock, and any leakage
past the cut-out cock into the brake pipe
can then be noted.
slowly squeezed out and the brass comes
down gradually on the journal as the lead
Kives way.
BRAKE VALVE EXHAUST PORT.
-'5. E. W. E., Belle Plains, la., writes:
(i) What is the size of the preliminary
exhaust port in the G6 and D8 brake
valves? (2) Is it the same in all brake
valves? — A. The opening through the pre-
liminary exhaust port bushing in the G6
and D8 brake valves is s/64 of an inch.
(,2) The opening remains of' the same
size in all the late Wcstinghouse brake
valves ; that is, the size of this port is the
same in the D8, Ds, E6, F6, G6, Hs, and
H6 brake valves.
TEST FOR 9K IN. PUMP.
26. B. B., Brooklyn, asks: How can
you test the efficiency of the g'A in. air
pump while it is on the engine?— .A. By
using a dummy coupling with 3/32 of an
inch opening. A 9Vs-in. pump, at a
speed of 60 to 70 cycles, that is, 120 to 140
single strokes per minute, should maintain
a pressure of 70 lbs per square inch
against a leak through this sized opening.
A fair test is to use a 11/64 of an '"ch
opening and with a wide open throttle and
no less than 150 lbs. steam pressure the
pump should not allow air pressure to fall
below 60 lbs. If it does the pump should
be removed and replaced by one known to
be in good condition.
RUNNING TENDF.R FIRST.
24. R. L. C, Ceres, Cal : Please an-
swer this question re the Southern
Pacific Mallet compound, which you
described and illustrated in your Jan-
uary issue, page 13. .As it runs cab first
is not some of its tractive power sacri-
ficed, especially in starting train? In
other words, would this locomotive
have a greater draw-bar pull when run-
ning in the usual way? — A. We do not In your January issue you states that of
think this engine will lose any of its two engines of equal capacity, alike in
TRACTIVE EFFORT AND ADHESION.
27. G. A., Apalachicola, Fla., writes:
rSE or THECK VALVE.
22. D. R. R. writes: Why is a check
valve used in the branch of the application
cylinder pipe leading to the automatic
brake valve when the stop cock of the
H 6 brake valve it located in the main
reservoir pipe?— A. This check valve is
to prevent a backward flow of air from
the application cylinder of the distributing crosshe.id
tractive power running cab first. In
the old fashioned 4-4-0 engines, with
large driving wheels, it was found that
they sometimes slipped a little more
readily in the start when backing up
than going ahead, owing to the slight
transfer of weight from driving wheels
to truck when crank was at or near top
quarter, due to the angle the main rod
was in, when delivering its push. In
the Mallet for the Southern Pacific
the wheels arc sm.ill, the main md
making a very small angle with the
If there was any transfer
valve to the automatic brake valve which
would result in the release of the engine
of weight it would be principally from
the high pressure to the low pressure
every respect but with different sizes of
driving wheels, the one with the small
drivers can haul the most. Why is this,
when the power is limited by their ad-
hesion ? — A. Read question No. 2,
January issue, page 2.j, over again and
note what is said about the position of the
crank pin. Take the formula for finding
the tractive power and work out two
problems in which each of the factors is
the same except the diameter of the
drivers. Tractive effort is a thing by
itself and ought not to be mixed up with
the adhesion between rail and wheel.
Read article on the Factor nf .Adhesion in
another part of this paper.
RAILWAY AXD LOCOMOTIVE EXGIXEERING.
March, 1910.
Air Brake Department
Conducted by G. W. Kiehm
Losses of Air Pressure.
The vast difference that sometimes
exists between theory and practice is
exemplified in the use of compressed air
as a motive power or mechanical energy.
The results that can be achieved by
combining theory and practice is mani-
fested in an admirable and wonderful
manner by the operation of the air brake.
Some years ago the use of compressed
air for mechanical purposes was regarded
with disfavor, and was considered any
thing but economical, principally because
of the loss of power which occurs after
compression, and during transmission.
Today the value of compressed air for
shop purposes is universally recognized,
and the cost of production is of secondary
importance. In air brake practice the re-
sults that are attained by the reduction
and restoration of air pressure in a single
piece of pipe under a train of cars is
marvelous and almost beyond belief. In
view of the fact that the air brake makes
possible the operation of numerous heavy
trains at high speeds and is an extraordi-
nary safety device as well as the most
practical and efficient method of stopping
a train of cars, the cost of producing the
compressed air cannot be taken into con-
sideration and the losses that occur during
compression and transmission are com-
paratively slight or of little consequence
and have been well taken care of when
the brake was designed. Even if the
energy expended by the locomotive in
compressing the air was taken into con-
sideration it would be manifestly unfair to
lose sight of the fact that the conditions
under which the work of the compressor
effect the steam pressure of the boiler are
somewhat peculiar, that is, at the time
the compressor is working its maximum
capacity the locomotive is at rest, or drift-
ing with the throttle closed, while at the
time the locomotive is hauling the train
the compressor is merely maintaining the
air pressure against leakage. As stated
before, the losses of power after com-
pression and during transmission are in
air brake practice so slight as to be un-
worthy of serious consideration, but as
the student of the air brake art attempts
by means of a mathematical calculation to
determine the pressure that will result
from a given number of strokes of the
compressor or from different manipula-
tions of the brake valve those losses are
in evidence, and manifest themselves in
the difference in the result of the calcula-
tion and the pressure that is actually at-
tained, as indicated by an air gauge.
The results of the calculations always
Mulit-atu a liigher pressure per square inch
than that wliicli actually exists because of
tile losses that occur, and any mathemati-
cal calculation to determine the pressures
that will result from expanding com-
pressed air from one chamber into another
is somewhat uncertain and at the best
only approximate, especially immediately
after compression, and the remainder of
this space will be used with a view of ex-
plaining why the calculations are uncer-
tain, and why the losses are encountered.
In the first place the atmosphere, which is
composed by volumes of 21 parts oxygen
and 79 parts nitrogen, contains a variable
amount of aqueous vapor sometimes re-
ferred to as the degree of saturation or
relative humidity, and the pressure of the
atmosphere per square inch varies, being
14.7 lbs. at the sea level, and 13,33 at one-
half mile above. At a rough approximate it
loses a half pound pressure with every
ascent of 1,000 ft.
In a vessel filled with compressed air
there is contained a certain number of
atmospheres or a certain number of times
its capacity in free air at atmospheric pres-
sure ; the number of times depends upon
the number of pounds gauge pressure the
vessel or reservoir contains.
Referring to 14.7 lbs. as one at-
mosphere which is not registered by the
air gauge a little table showing the num-
ber of atmospheres required to compress
air to different gauge pressures, or the
number of atmospheres contained in a
reservoir filled with compressed air, will
be given. It being understood that so
many atmospheres means so many times
the capacity of the reservoir in free air,
or at atmospheric pressure, that the pump
will be required to compress in order to
accumulate the number of pounds gauge
pressures indicated. The number of pounds
pressure given are principally those used
in air brake practice.
Gauge Pressure. Atmospheres.
IS lbs. = 2.02
30 " = 304
45 " = 406
60 " =r 5.08
70 " = 576
90 " = 7.12
no " = 8.48
120 " = 9.16
130 " = 9-84
140 " = 10.52
In calculations for practical purposes
the variations in atmospheric qonditions
before compression may be disregarded
but after compression the condition of the
air is affected by the rise in temperature
to such an extent that tiie variations in
pressure resulting therefrcim cannot be
ignored.
It is during compression that the first
serious loss of pressure is encountered. It
is due in a measure to the necessity for a
certain mechanical construction of the
compressor, and any loss of pressure is
of course a loss of mechanical energy. In
order that the steam-driven air pump may
operate, give good service, and be efficient
when operating against high and low air
pressures the reversing mechanism starts
in motion as the compressor piston ncars
the end of its stroke, and at a high air
pressure the movement is most difficult
when it nears the end of stroke, giving the
reversing motion more time in which to
accomplish the reversal of moveinent and
the stroke is consequently slightly short-
ened.
The matter of clearance for the air
pump piston has been carefully looked
after in the latest designs of air pumps,
but no matter how skilfully the pump is
constructed there is always a small space
in the end of the air cylinder from which
all the compressed air cannot be dis-
charged and on the following stroke the
air can expand into the space vacated by
the piston's movement and occupy space
that should be filled with free atmosphere.
The pump has therefore a calculated or
theoretical capacity, and an actual capac-
ity. The theoretical capacity is the diameter
of the cylinder and length of stroke, or a
cylinder full of free air compressed on
each stroke ; the actual capacity is the
amount of air that is actually compressed
on each stroke and the difference is clear-
ance and space from which air is not com-
pressed, pressure per square inch in this
space and weight of air valves. Packing
ring, or air valve leakage or leakage from
the air cylinder to the atmosphere not
being considered. As the pump's actual
capacity, determined by test, is always less
and a certain per cent, of its theoretical
capacity, estimated by calculation, the dif-
ference is usually referred to by the ex-
pression "per cent, of efficiency." And if
the pump actually compresses on each
stroke 75 per cent, of the atmospheric air
contained in the cylinder its efficiency is
75 per cent, or its per cent, of efficiency is
75. As the figures showing the actual
capacity of the pump are used for all
practical purposes, the losses mentioned
■'o not affect a calculation. Those losses
that do occur after compression.
The atmosphere is frequently referred
to as a gas, and air pressure is sometimes
referred to as a fluid pressure. When air
March, 1910.
KAILWAV AND LOCOMOTIVE EXGIXEERIXG.
I
is compressed the work which is done in
the compression is converted into heat
and shows itself in the rise in temperature
of the compressed gas. After compres-
sion it cools down to the temperature of
the surrounding atmosphere and in air
brake practice this usually occurs before
being used to do work. The mechanical
equivalent of this dissipated heat is work
lost
The air we breathe is composed of fine
particles of matter and forcing them to-
gether creates a friction, and this in turn
generates heat, the heat tends to increase
the volume or expand it, and as the com-
pressed air is enclosed, it is unable to do
so, consequently it results in a rise of
pressure per square inch.
In this connection expansion may be
said to have two diflferent effects that is
t .\panding the compressed gas by heat re-
sults in a rise in pressure actually expand-
:;ig it by admitting it to another vessel
' r reservoir cools it, cooling it contracts
It, lowering the pressure per square inch.
Thus the heat is dissipated by conduc-
;!on and radiation and its mechanical
fjuivalent is work lost, technically. "The
tompressed gas having again reached
thermal equilibrium with the surrounding
atmosphere expands and docs work in
virtue of its intrinsic energy." The in-
trinsic energy of a fluid is the energy
which it is capable of exerting against a
piston in changing from a given state
as to temperature and volume, to a total
privation of heat and indefinite expansion.
It may be of interest to quote another
expression, "The great cold which results
when air expands against a resistance for-
bids expansion working," which is equi-
valent to saying forbids the realization of
a high degree of efficiency in the use of
compressed air. The loss of work due
to the degree of heat developed by com-
pression is entirely unavoidable. As the
whole of the mechanical energy which the
compressor piston spends upon the air is
converted into heat and the heat of com-
pression increases the volume, hence it is
necessary to carry the air to a higher
pressure in the compressor in order to
finally obtain a given volume of air at a
given pressure and at the temperature of
'he surroimding atmosphere.
The work spent in effecting the excess
; r'ssurc is work lost. The loss encoun-
tered in the transmission of the com-
pressed air is not a serious one, and i(
'iKht ,is compared with the loss encoun-
-rd in compression and in the rc-expan-
n or final application of the air. In
• msmission from the compressor it is
nstanlly loiing some of its pressure, and
it5 volume is constantly increasing. Con-
tequently, a calculation to flefcrmine the
pressures at this time would be rather
uncertain. If would be similar to at-
tempting to obtain a definite or final re-
sult from a constantly changing condi-
tion and any mathematical calculation to
drtermme the loss of pressure <lue to
transmission would necessarily contain
the factors, unit of time, volume of air,
pressure of air, diameter of pipe, length
of pipe, and ditference in pressure or head
required to maintain the tlow. The loss
of power or pressure incident to the
transmission or conduction of air pres-
sure from the locomotive to a train of
cars is really not a loss from an economi-
cal point of view, at the time the pressure
is limited by the adjustment of the pump
governor as the governor at this time
vents a small quantity of compression to
the atmosphere with the object of avoid-
ing a consideration in the steam cylinder
which would result if the pump was
stopped for any length of time ; thus while
the pump is slowly running to avoid a
condensation of steam the loss in air
pressure is at the same time supplied with-
out any additional effort, the only time
then that the loss is of any consequence
is during the short time required to store
and restore, after an application of the
brake, the pressure used in the brake
system. As stated before the friction en-
countered in compressing air heats it, and
increases its pressure, but the friction en-
countered in transmission cannot heat
the compressed air as it is at this time
expanding into additional space and
lowering its temperature and consequently
its pressure. While new types of triple
valves can have no effect upon the fric-
tional resistance to the flow of air through
the train, and the losses incident thereto,
they do, however, produce to a certain ex-
tent some very undesirable effects such as
opposition to the flow of air, both during
the movement in release and application of
the brakes. There is also a loss of pres-
sure in expanding the compressed air
from the storage reservoir into the brake
cylinder, the loss is due to expansion,
lowering of temperature, additional space
vacated by the movement of the brake
piston and triple valve piston, and leakage
through the leakage and feed grooves.
The volume or capacity of the reservoir
is sufficient, however, to supply all losses
and create a pressure of 50 lbs. per square
inch in the brake cylinder when the
reservoir is filled with compressed air at
70 lbs. pressure and cooled to the tempera-
ture of the surrounding atmosphere.
Any and all natural losses incident to
the compression and conduction of air are
slight as compared to the losses that re-
sult from leakage that could be avoided,
and about the only reason for mentioning
or enumerating tliem is to show why a
calculation to determine the results in
pounds pressure per square inch is un-
certain and at times shows a wide vari-
ation.
From an air brake point of view the
effect of the natural losses is too insig-
nificant to be considered, the actual loss
of work, that whirh occurs at the brake
piston being supplied by a slight addi-
tion to the volume stored in the auxiliary
reservoir anrl that loss by compression
and transmission being supplied by a few
additional strokes of the compressor and
they cannot really be termed additional
strokes as it is advantageous to allow the
compressor pistons to move slowly after
the maximum pressure is attained.
Seventeenth Air Brake Convention.
-■Xccording to the practice of recent
years the executive committee of the Air
Brake Association deferred the selection
of subjects and committees to report
thereon until a few months prior to the
convention. This has been done with a
view of having live subjects for the con-
vention, instead of selecting subjects at
the close of a convention whicli might
become stale before the next meeting of
the association.
The subjects and committees selected
are as follows :
1. Air Brake Instruction, Examination
and Rating, Messrs. Thos. Clegg, Geo. A.
Wyman, H. H. Burns, H. A. Wahlert,
T. F. Lyons.
2. Air Pump Piping, Fittings and Con-
nections, Messrs, Geo. W. Kiehm. John S.
Earner, F. F. Coggin.
3. Best Arrangement of Air Pump and
Main Reservoir Capacity for loo-car
Train Service, Messrs. P. J. Langan, E.
H. Dewson, Wm. G. Kaylor.
4. Brake Cylinders and Connections
and Recommendations for Overcoming
Troubles Due to Cylinder Leakage,
Messrs. W. P. Garabrant, L. M. Alberg,
S. H. Draper.
5. Inspection and Cleaning of Triple
Valves and Brake Cylinder?. Mr. C. P.
McGinnis.
6. Past Year's Developments in .Mr
Brakes, Mr. W. V. Turner.
7. Questions and Answer'; on New
York Brake Equipment, Messrs. T.
F. Lyons, O. E. Moore, VVm. Owens.
N. A. Campbell.
8. Questions and Answers on Westing-
house Equipment, Messrs. S. G. Down,
.S. J. Kidder, S. W. Dudley.
9. Recommended Practice. Messrs. S.
G. Down. Geo. R. Parker, L. M. Carlton,
Geo. B. Culver, H. A. Wahlert.
The secretary announces that each mem-
ber is invited to forward any material or
tell of any experience he may have had
with reference to these subjects, com-
miunVatc with the chairman of the com-
mittees Members who arc unable to at-
tend the convention will greatly assist in
the as.sociafion's work if they will send
written contributed remarks to be read at
the convention and to be placed in the
proceedings. A* topical subjects are al-
ways intcrrsling and instructive, each
member is invited to send a topical sub-
ject fo the secretary as early as possible,
sn Ih.it it may be placed before the execu-
tive riimmitlee for consideration. Some
of the most useful and enlightening dis-
cussions have followerl the presentation of
a live subject ftir lopiral discussion.
RAILWAY AXD LOCOMOTIVE EXGIXEERING.
March, igio.
Electrical Department
New York Subway Control. — II.
Bv W. B. KoUWENHOVEN.
Very often when there is trouble
either with the master control or the
motor control on the car at the head
of the train, the best thing that the mo-
torman can do is to cut out that car
and run the train from a cab in the
second motor car. Thus he saves the
time that would otherwise be spent in
going over the equipment.
Sometimes a train, instead of ac-
celerating smoothly, will get up its
speed in a series of jerks. This is
caused by some trouble in the con-
tactors on one of the cars, and it should
not be permitted to continue. The mo-
torman should ask his conductor to go
should be tied up out of the way. If
the sound seems to come from one of
the motors and to resemble a hissing or
singing sound, it is probably due to the
fact that the brushes that press on the
commutator of the motor have become
loose or broken. This will cause severe
sparking or spitting as the motor re-
volves, and if left to continue will very
quickly burn out and ruin the commu-
tator. The sound may be caused by
some of the wound wire having worked
loose from the armature slots and
knocking against the field poles as the
armature revolves. If the noise is
caused by the brushes, the motorman
can open the motor case and carefully
clean the commutator with a piece of
.■\RRANGE.ME.\T OF CONTROL
back through the train and try to find
the car which causes the jerking. As
soon as he discovers the car in ques-
tion he must make a report to the mo-
torman, whose duty it is to go back and
open the ten-point switch on the panel
of the defective car.
If any unusual noise is noticed when
the train is in motion by any one of
the train crew, he should immediately
make a report of it to the motorman.
To prevent a serious delay arising from
this trouble, the motorman should stop
the train and ask the conductor to get
off and stand beside the train while the
motorman moves the train. In this way
the conductor should find the cause of
the noise, if possible. If the trouble is
caused by some loose brake rigging, it
APP.XR.ATUS, AND MOTORS,
waste. Then he can adjust the spring
that holds the brushes in place until
they give a good even pressure. In the
case of a loose armature coil the best
thing he can do is to cut the power off
from the motors by opening the ten-
point switch. If the smell of the burnt
rubber is noticed anywhere throughout
the train, it is caused by burning insu-
lation due to some of the wires becom-
ing overheated by e.xcessive currents.
These e.xcessive currents may be
caused by an overload or a partial short
circuit, or ground, as it is called, oc-
curring between two wires. If the in-
sulation is actually blazing, the extin-
guisher which is provided on every car
should be used to put out the flames.
In any case, the main switch and the
ten-point switch on the car should be
opened even if the insulation is only
smoking.
The subway trains are usually made
up of eight cars, five being motor cars
and the other three being trailers.
When two or more of these cars have
been disabled and then cut out by the
motorman, the speed of the train is
naturally very much reduced Even if
only one car is cut out there is quite a
material reduction in speed. In case
of trouble on a car, the motorman
should use his judgment as to whether
it is best to stop his train and make an
attempt to locate and repair the trouble
or to cut out the car and proceed at the
reduced speed to the terminal. If he ii
a considerable distance from the end of
his run he should stop and try to find
and repair the trouble if possible, fol-
lov^ing the method laid down in his
book for instructions. Take for example
the noise caused by the brushes spark-
ing on the commutator. This would
necessitate the motorman cutting out
the car unless he thought that the delay
caused by his opening the motor case,
wiping oS the commutator and adjust-
ing the brushes would more than be
made up by the increased running
speed possible.
If a third rail contact shoe breaks it
usually makes itself known by severe
sparking or arcing as it bumps along,
and if the shoe is left to drag it may
cause a bad short circuit and set some-
thing on fire. The motorman should
bring his train to a stop and pull the
bus line jumpers on the car with the
broken shoe. This will disconnect the
car from the other cars of the train.
On the platform of every car is pro-
vided a piece of board about three feet
long and tapered at one end. This is
called a slipper. The slippers should be
removed from their holders and slipped
between the third rail and the shoes that
make contact with it. This lifts all the
shoes from the rail and cuts off the
current. Then the motorman should
either tie up the broken portion of the
shoe or remove it.
In case a fire occurs on a train in
any one of the heating or lighting cir-
cuits, the switches controlling these cir-
cuits should be immediatelj' opened
and the fire extingushed with the ap-
pliances at hand. It sometimes happens
so that an arc forms in the car wiring or
underneath the car, between tv/o of
the wires coming into contact, or be-
tween a wire and the steel frame of the
March, 1910.
RAILWAY AXD LOCOMOTIVE EXGIXEERIXG.
"7
car. In this case the motorman must
open the master controller switch in
bis cab, thus opening all the circuit
breakers on the train. If this does not
stop the arc, then he must open the
main switches on the panels. If the
src still continues, a train hand mu'St
run to the nearest cnK-rtr<.'ncy box.
-WITCH P.VXtL.
.k the glass front of the box and
down the ring inside. This starts
ilock-work mechanism in the main
rgcncy box in the nearest passcn-
sfation, and rings a bell calling the
■It's attention. It also drops an an-
■■iator indicating the location of the
from which the alarm comes. The
iti box immediately cuts off the cler-
powcr from the section of track and
;!ies the sub-station of the location
•lie trouble. If the accident occurs
r a station the train man can run
he station and ask the station agent
■urn in the alarm, which he must do
■ri the main box in his station.
n case of a train jumping the track
! causing a short circuit or ripping
'il the third rail from its supports,
'•mergency alarm must immediately
^ent in. After an emergency alarm
been sent in, a train man must go
the station and notify the train de-
. itcher over the telephone as to the
nature of the accident, the exact loca-
tion, and the extent of the trouble. The
power will not be turned on until the
>nb-*lation is notified by some one hav-
ing the proper authority to do »o.
These emergency boxes are placed
about every 40D (I. along the line of the
subwaj'. They are painted white ■with
aluminum paint, and are provided with
a glass front, as stated. Immediately
below the emergency box is placed a
second box, a fire alarm, which is also
provided with a glass front, but is
l^ainted red. In case the extinguishers
provided on the cars fail to put out the
tiames or a serious tire is caused by a
bad short circuit, a train man must run
to the nearest fire alarm box as quii'kly
as possible, break the glass and pull
down the lever inside. This rings a fire
alarm gong in the nearest station. The
station agent must immediately send in
an alarm to the city fire department,
and direct them to the fire when they
arrive. In case the train man does not
send in an emergency alarm at the
same time he sends in the fire alarm,
then the station agent must send one
in, because it is imperative that the
power be turned off when the firemen
enter the subway. The train despatcher
must be notified, as in the case of an
emergency alarm. The motorman and
train crew have to be careful about
sending in either of the above men-
tioned alarms, and before doing so they
must feel certain that there is danger
to life and property. If the electric
power is cut off from a section of the
track the motormen of other trains in the
section should immediately throw their
master controller handles to the "off" po-
sition, close the light switches and wait
until the lamps light up again, indicat-
ing that the power is turned on again.
The automatic block signals used in
the subway arc similar to those found
on many steam roads. They consist of
home and distance signals and all the
signals are numbered. When a motor
man sees a caution signal ahead he
must reduce the speed of his train and
continue at a slow speed or control, as
it is called. If he finds a home signal
set at danger, then he should bring his
train to a stop a little before reaching
the signal, and wait until the signal
clears before proceeding. If after wait-
ing for one minute and the signal does
not clear, then he may proceed with his
train at a slow speed. First, however,
one of the train crew must get down
and release the automatic stop with
which the subway is equipped. These
automatic stops are T-headcd trips and
arc placed a little in advance of the sig-
nal and near the right hand running
rail. They arc so arranged as to en-
gage with a dummy coupling on the air
brake system under the body of the
car. If a motorman runs by a signal
the automatic trip engages with the
dummy coupling, thus applying the
brake in the emergency and opening
the master control circuit and allowing
all the contractors to drop, cutting off the
current. When necessary the train
man can release the trip on the track
by means of a key which he carries,
permitting the train to pass. The mo-
torman must now proceed under slow
speed until the next signal is reached.
If that signal indicates a clear track,
then he may run ahead again at full
speed. At the ne.xt station the con-
ductor n\ust make a report to the su-
perintendent on the telephone, giving
the number of the signal that is out of
order.
In case of doubt a motorman must al-
ways act on the safe side. He must
acquaint himself thoroughly with the
equipment of the road and with that of
the motor cars, in mr.ch the same man-
ner that a locomotive engineer must be-
come familiar with his engine. How-
ever, the motorman must always be
careful about one thmg that the loco-
motive engineer need not think about,
and that is the powerful and deadly
electric current. The electric current
is delivered at a pressure of 550 volts,
and if a man makes .1 good contact with
anything that is alive, the consequences
may be very serious. In hunting trou-
ble on the car equipment the motorman
should always be siire that the main
switch is open and that the power is
turned off, because an accidental con-
tact with some part of the equipment
that happens to be alive may result in
a serious and painful accident, if not in
instant death. The current cannot be
seen, but it is always there as a hidden
peril.
No absolute rule for distance between
trains is fixed. The distance should
never be less than tnat in which a mo-
torman can stop his train with ease. If
he can onlj' sec 50 ft. ahead he should
run his train so that he can stop within
that distance. The motorman must
not overrun platforms and always
give proper attention to the grades,
weather and to the state of the rails.
When running he must coast or drift
as much as possible, that is, run with
TKAIN LINE JUMl'KU.
the power turned otf so as not to use
any more power than is necessary. He
should always remember that nothing
justifies a collision, and that the safety
of his passengers should at all tinics be
his first consideration. Taking it all in
all, his position is similar in many ways
to that of his brother, the locomotive
engineer, and it is iilentical in the re-
sponsibility for life and property.
ii8
KAILVVAV AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
March, 1910.
Concrete Ties for Railroads.
By J. F. Sl'RINGER.
It might be thought to be quite a simple
matter to design such a concrete tie. But
a log of concrete will not do. Even if
such a block possesses all other quali-
ties, the necessity of attaching the rails to
it presents quite a problem. But the
problem of attaching the rails is not all.
If one stops to consider a moment, he
will soon see that with the tie loaded at
each end, as is the case when a train
CORELL CONCRETE TIE.
passes over it, and has a tendency to break
in the middle. This is a kind of treat-
ment to which concrete is but feebly able
to resist.
There is the Corell tie. It consists of
two blocks of concrete, each about one-
third the length of an ordinary wooden
tie. These are separated from each
other between the rails and thvis they
avoid the danger of breaking in the
middle. A steel rod extends from one
block to the other. This rod lies below
the base of the rails in a groove re-
cessed in the blocks. Now there is im-
nuts the rails are attached. It will be
seen that the whole arrangement keeps
the blocks from spreading or getting
closer together and supplies a means of
attaching rails. An advantage of this
type consists in the fact that it permits
continuous ballasting along the center
of the track. This tie is, apparently,
not correctly described as a reinforced
one, unless one chooses to regard the
U-piece as reinforcement.
There is a reinforced concrete tie,
proper, which has been patented by
a man in a position of responsibility.
This is the device of Mr. James Mac-
Martin, chief engineer of the Dela-
ware & Hudson Railroad. In this tie
the fundamental piece is a long block
of concrete, about the same length ai
an ordinary tie. This is reduced in
cross-section at the ends and between
the rails. The main reinforcement
consists of three J/2-in. steel rods ex-
tending longitudinally along near the
bottom until outside the rails, when
they rise into the body of the concrete.
The rail rests on a wooden block of
yellow pine 2 ins. thick and extending
over the whole of the concrete surface
in the neighborhood of the rail base.
Beneath this block is another of the
same wood 4 ins. thick and smaller in
area than the upper one. The upper
block is removable, while the under
one is permanent. There is concrete
at either end of the upper block, but
the resistance to movement lengthwise
G. H. & H. TR.\a<; L.\ID WITH PERCnWL CONXRETE TIES.
bedded in the concrete body of each of
the blocks a U-shaped rod. The curve
of the U is sunk into the concrete about
8 ins. The arms of the U project up-
wards and by means of threads and
of the tie is still further strengthened
by two metal plates somewhat of the
form of a Z. These pieces of metal
are deeply imbedded in the concrete.
The wooden blocks permit the rail
to be attached to the tie in the usual
manner by spiking. The upper block
when worn may be removed and re-
placed. It is of especial importanc*
that, with this system of tie construc-
tion, it is possible to bring the rail to
LONGITt'DIXAI, CON'CRKTE STRINGERS.
surface by shimming, in case such re-
adjustment is necessary. With the
wooden blocks and spikes, reshimminy
becomes at one possible. This tie has
seen actual service on the D. & H.
Judging from what is stated, the re-
sults have not been such as to warrant
the adoption of the tie without some
modifications. The principal defects
are thought to be danger of breaking
in the center, and the liability of the
tie to shelling oflf of the concrete at
either end of the upper wooden block.
It is now proposed to extend the thick-
ened portions of the concrete body
toward the center of the track and to-
wards the ends of the tie. This will
undoubtedly tend to correct the shell-
ing ofif. To prevent center breakage,
it is proposed to increase the amount
of material at the center.
The Percival concrete tie is of very
different construction. It consists, in
the first place, of a log of concrete in
which is imbedded steel reinforcement.
This tie is of uniform breadth on top,
but is sharpened underneath between
the rails. An interesting feature con-
sists in the method of attaching the
rails to the tie. There is a metal tie-
plate which extends across the top and
clasps a wooden cushion at either side.
This cushion is two inches thick and is
bolted to the tie proper by means of a
screw spike which engages in a babbit
metal socket imbedded in the body of
the concrete. The same spike holds
rail, tie-plate and tie together. An ex-
perimental section in the main line of
the Galveston, Houston & Henderson-
March, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE EXGIXEERIXG.
119
Railroad at Galveston, Tex., has been laid
with these ties.
Our line engravings show two
somewhat similar ties. In the one, the
"■•nforcement is an angle bar, 2I-2 x
J ins. and 5/16 in. thick, placed as
^^wn on the cross-section view. In
;l.e other tie. which is for foreign ser-
vice, the reinforcement consists of 29
is placed lengthwise, the total cross
tion of these rod* being ,1 sq. ins.
wooden cushion is inserted as shown
Sweeping an Engine's Chimney.
Bv .^NGUS SlXlL.MR.
On a bright April morning long ago in
what was the springtime of my life, I
was sitting in the office of the foreman of
the locomotive department at .Arbroath,
Scotland, when an overgrown lad of about
seventeen years came in and reported that
he had come ready to begin work, .\nother
foreman had engaged him as a wiper and
he had cniiie to take up his job.
TfiiTT'
'^&3P'-
77<T
CONCRETE TIE REINFORCED WITH ANGLE IRON.
in the AflSeck tie. In the Adriatic tie
there is an inclined seat for the rail,
in conformity with a practice abroad
which has in view an inclined rail sur-
face for contact with the cone-shaped
tread of the wheels. In both tics the
rails are secured by bolts inserted from
below.
.■\nother type of concrete construc-
tion, while differing from the cross tie
method of track support, may be re-
ferred to here. Instead of ties, there
are longitudinal beams or girders of
concrete. This system has been in use
on a small railway where the loco-
motive weighs T5 tons and the loaded
four-wheeled cars 10 tons. The
weight of rail is but 40 lbs. to the yard.
The longitudinal supports are of sub-
stantial cross-section, being 2 ft. deep,
26 ins wide at the bottom, and 22 ins.
at the top. There are two series of
recesses arranged to open along the
upper surface. One series consists 0/
rather deep holes. In the bottom of
these holes is placed a layer of sand,
or similar material, and above it is
placed a block of vitrified brick. This
block is to afford support for the rail
Between it and the sand, a layer of
asphalt is arranged, and the block is
•et in the same material. This addi-
tion of asphalt is for the purpose of
making the construction waterproof.
By varyiniir the amount of sand, adjust-
ment may be made to secure any
height for the surface of the rail that
may he desired. .\s the sand is in a
confined space, if cannot escape, and
»o m.-ty be relied on to properly sup-
port the weight of the traffii
The man who has travelinK men on
the road selling noodt and «r.liciting
orders is fre'iuently lesi than civil with
tlic drummer who call* to solicit orderi
from his concern.
He was an ungainly youth of great size,
composed mostly of legs and arms. His
rosy face and general demeanor betokened
rustic training on blood-making porridge
diet. He was dressed in a suit of the
white duck overalls much affected by the
Scottish workman and appeared to be
proud of the snowy whiteness of his ap-
parel. This was the introduction of David
Wilkie to railway life and to me.
The foreman directed the youth to go
to the running shed, as tlie engine house
was called, and ask for a man he named,
who would put him to work wiping en-
gines.
Wilkie went to the running shed as di-
ricted and asked for Mr. Walker, the
foreman, and the first person he met was
a shop apprentice named Jack MoncriefF,
a foppish sort of youth, whose purpose in
life seemed to be mischief and deviltry.
"Mr. Walker is down at the shops,"
idea struck Jack, and he acted on it.
"Do you know the first duly of a
cleaner?"' he asked the white-garmented
novice. "Xo ; I hinna ony idee," replied
Wilkie.
"Well, the first thing you have to do is
to sweep the lums (chimneys) of the en-
gines." That seemed reasonable enough,
as all house chimneys have to be swept of
soot regularly in Scotland.
"Xow come and I'll help you make a
start," said Jack.
With that he got a broom out of the
running slicd, opened the smoke box door
of the engine standing on the pit and told
Wilkie to get inside and push the broom
up tlio luni, taking care to sweep off all
the soot.
I happened upon the scene a few
minutes afterwards, and found Wilkie
pushing the broom vigorously up and
down the chimney. His long legs were
sprawling over the buffer beam, his head
and arms were inside the smoke box, and
the soot was showering down upon his
white overalls. Jack was shouting direc-
tions, with merely a quiet smile on his
face. The sight was too much for me.
I fell down and roared.
Wilkie looked out of his smoke box,
and, seeing me laughing, concluded that
something was wrong. His red cheeks
had received several patches of blacking,
and his big nose looked like the handle
of an ebony cane. His appearance was so
ridiculous, that Jack could not maintain
his role of serious overseer, and he too
fell into a fit of laughing.
Then Wilkie slowly emerged from the
smoke box, his slow powers roused to
anger. His first act was to seize Jack
Moncrieff by the axis of his trousers and
push him into the smoke box, using the
soot-begrimed broom to push him well in.
Looking round he saw a bucket of the
yellow grease used for anointing the axle
rxi* ur
J^rrnr
/fell/n
He
CONCRETE TIE REINFORCED WITH SMALL UOLND IKON ILSK.S.
said Moncrieff, "but I'm his assistant; is
there anything I can do for you?"
"A dinna ken," replied the rustic, "may-
be there is; A'm amc lac be a cleaner."
"Yes, yes," said Moncrieff, "I under-
stand. You will he under my orders.
Come along and I'll put you to work." He
then led ihc youth outside the running
shed, rudgeling his brains in the mean-
time as to what kind of a trick he couhl
play upon the newcomer. An engine was
standing on the pit outside and a wicked
bearings of British cars. With his hand,
which held as much as an ordinary shovel,
he scooped up a gob of this grease and
plastered it over Moncricff's head and
face.
Mr Walker, Ihc foreman, appeared
about this time and Jack was sent away
for a fortnight's holiday. He was rather
given to hna.<ting of the tricks he played
upon greenhorns, but he never mentioned
the experience he had in sending Davie
Wilkie to sweep the lum of engine 66.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGL\ELKL\G.
March, 1910.
Passenger and Freight Power for the Chicago Great Western
THE 4-6-0 TYPE.
The Baldwin Locomotive Works have
recently completed twenty-four locomo-
tives for the Chicago Great Western
Railway. Four of these engines are of
the ten-wheel type for e.xpress passenger
service, while the remaining twenty are
of the consolidation type for heavy freight
service. Both designs follow the Asso-
ciated Lines' standards in many respects,
although important changes have been
made in various details.
The passenger locomotives are of spe-
cial interest, as they are equipped with
the Emerson type of fire-tube superheater.
This device was first used on the Great
Northern Railway, and the results so far
have been satisfactory. In the Emerson
type, the smoke-box headers approximate
the usual steam pipes in form. Each
header is divided into two compartments,
one for saturated, and the other for
superheated steam. The large boiler
tubes which accommodate the super-
heater elements, are placed immediately
back of their corresponding headers, in-
stead of being grouped in the the upper
part of the boiler barrel, as is usually the
case with fire-tube superheaters. In these
engines the headers are straight, and
stand vertically. The superheater ele-
ments on each side are placed in twelve
headers and are arranged with a double
loop in each large boiler tube. The loops
are connected by cast steel return bends.
A plug is screwed into the front of the
header opposite each tube opening. An
application has been made for a patent
covering this design of superheater.
The smokebox contains a single high
nozzle, and the stack is tapered, with a
minimum internal diameter of 20 ins. An
adjustable petticoat pipe extends down-
ward from the stack base, and an adjust-
able diaphragm plate is in front of the
nozzle. The boiler of this locomotive is
straight topped with a wide firebox. The
mud ring is 5 ins. in width all around,
so that liberal water spaces are provided.
The crown sheet is flat, and is stayed by
inverted T-bars hung on expansion links.
The longitudinal barrel seams are butt-
jointed, with diamond welt strips.
The safety valves are set at 150 lbs.,
and with cylinders 26 x 28 ins. and driv-
ing wheels 73 ins. in diameter, the re-
sulting tractive force developed is 33,000
lbs. The cylinders are equipped with
13-in. piston valves, having cast iron
bodies and three snap rings at each end.
The cylinder castings have heavy walls,
and are secured to the smokebox and to
each other by a double row of bolts. The
by-pass valves are similar to the well-
reverse shaft bearings. This casting is
bolted at the front to the guide yoke,
and at the back to a crosstie between the
first and second pairs of driving wheels.
The combining lever is pinned directly
to the valve rod, and the latter is sup-
ported by a suitable bracket mounted on
the upper guide bar.
Some of the principal dimensions are as
follows :
Boiler — Material, steel; diameter, 70 in.; thick-
ness of sheets, 11/16 in.; fuel, soft coal.
Firebox — Material, steel; length, 107 15/16 ins.;
width, 66 !4 ins.; depth, front, 6-yi ins.;
depth, back, 49 J^ ins.; thickness of sheets,
sides, 5/16 in.; thickness of sheets, back,
S/16 in.; thickness of sheets, crown, H in.;
thickness, of sheets, tube, ^ in.
Water Space — Front, 5 ins.; sides, 5 ins.; back,
S ins.
Tubes — Diameter, 5x2 ins.; material, steel;
Number, 24 tubes, sin. dia., 203 tubes, 2-in.
dia.; length, 16 ft. 9 ins.
Heating Surface. — Firebox, 149 sq. ft.; tubci,
2,206 sq. ft.; total 2.355 sq. ft; grate area,
49.5 sq. ft.; engine equipped with Emerson
superheater, superheating surface, 460 sq. ft.
Driving Wheels. — Diameter, outside, 73 ins.;
journals, main, io}4 x 12 ins.; others,
9 X 12 ins..
Engine Truck Wheels. — diameter, front, 33H
ins.; journals. 6 x 10 ins.
Wheel Base. — driving, 15 ft. 3 ins.; total en-
gine. 27 ft. I in; total, engine and tender,
57 ft. 9'A ins.
Weight. — On driving wheels, 144,950 lbs.; on
truck., front, 53,100 lbs.; total, engine, 198,-
050 lbs.: total, engine and tender, about
343,000 lbs.
Tender. — Wheels, diameter, 36 ins.; journals.
S'/i X 10 ins.; tank capacity, 8,000 gals;
fuel capacity, 11 tons; service, passenger.
P.\SSENGER 4-6o FOR THE CHICAGO GRE.\T WESTERN RAILROAD.
J. G. Neuflfer, Superintendent of Motive Power. Baldw
Locomotive Works, Builders.
tubes, arranged in two vertical rows of
six tubes each. The superheated steam
section of the header is centrally placed
between the two arms of the saturated
steam section, the latter being divided at
the top. At the lower end, the super-
heated steam sections are connected by
a transverse equalizing pipe. The super-
heater elements are composed of steel
tubes having an internal diameter of i
in. These tubes are expanded into the
known P. R. R. design, which has been
extensively nsed by the builders. In the
present instance the relief ports are
covered by a flat plate of cast steel, made
in one piece with a central spindle which
acts as a guide.
The valve motion is of the Walschaerts
type, and presents a single arrangement
of this form of gear. The link is mounted
in a specially designed steel casting,
which also serves as a support for the
THE 2-8-0 TYPE.
The consolidation type locomotives use
saturated steam at a pressure of 200 Ibf.
With 24 x 30 in. cylinders, and driving
wheels 63 ins. in diameter, the resulting
tractive force is 46,600 lbs. The weight
available for adhesion is thus utilized
to the best possible advantage. The steam
distribution in these locomotives is con-
trolled by balanced slide valves actuated
by Walschaerts valve gear. The cylinder!
March, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
are arranged with their center lines co-
incident with the steam chest centers.
Each combining lever is pinned to a long
crosshead sliding in two brackets which
are bolted to the top guide bar. This
crosshead carries a lug to which the valve
rod is secured. In this way the motion
is transferred from the plane of the link
running gear presents no unusual fea-
tures. The tenders of both classes of
engines are similar. They are mounted
on arch-bar trucks having steel bolsters
and Standard rolled steel wheels. The
longitudinal sills are composed of 12-in.
steel channels.
The following t.ible contains the prin-
sidcs. 5/16 in.; back, 5/16 in.;
in.; lube, JS in..
Water Space. — Front, s ins.; sides, 5
S ins.
Tubes. — Material, steel; wir
jmber. 413; diameter.
ft.
Heating Surface. — Firebox. 171 sq.
3,514 sq. ft.; total, 3,683 sq. i\.;
49.6 sq. ft.
Driving Wheels. — Diameter, outside,
crown, >^
ins.; back,
e. No. 1 1 J
length, tb
ft. ; tubes,
; grate arei.
rials.
nF..\\Y :
J. G. Neuffcr, Superintendent of Motive Power.
to that of the steam chest center, without
the use ot a rocker.
The boilers of these engines are straight
topped, with crown-bar staying, and so far
as their construction is concerned, they
follow the Associated Lines' practice
closclv The design of the frames and
!-8-o 1-OR Till: CllIC.VC.I) (".Ki:.\T WliSTERN R.\1LU(1.\I)
nal.lw
Works, niiilders.
cipal dimensions of the 2-8-0 class of loco-
motives.
Boiler. — Type, straight; material, steel; diameter,
80 ins.; thickness of sheets, H in.; work-
ing in-essure, 200 lbs.; fuel, soft coal;
staying. T-crown bars.
Firebox.— -NIatcrial, steel; length, 108 1/16 ins.;
width, 66K ins.; depth, front, 74 ins.;
depth, back, 63^ ins.; thickness of sheets.
Engine Truck Wheels. — Diameter, front, 33 ins,;
journals, 6 x 10 ins.
Wheel Base. — Driving, 17 ft. 0 ins.; total, en.
gine. 25 ft 8 ins.; total, engine and tender,
58 ft. 6 ins.
Weight (estimated). — On driving wheels, 187, oo»
lbs.; on truck, front. 29,000 lbs.; total, en-
gine, 216,000 lbs.; total, engine and tender,
about 360,000 lbs.
Tender. — Wheels, diameter, 33 ins.; journals,
S'A X 10 ins.; tank capacity, 8,000 gals.;
Fuel capacity, 11 tons; service, freight.
SECTIONAL VIF.W OP EMEBSON SUPERHEATKR.
Rates of Long Ago.
Railway managers who are constantly
abused for charging high rates for trans-
portation service might look back long-
ingly to the early days of the railway era.
when the common carriers were at liberty
to charge what the business would stand
without killing the goose that laid the
golden egg. In the light of present day
agitation what once was, is truly
marvelous.
In 1840 the Philadelphia & Columbia
Railroad was in a flourishing condition.
Any citizen of Pennsylvania was allowedi
to run his own cars over the railroad on
paying a toll varied from 6 mills to 4 cents
per ton mile. During the first nine months
of operating the Baltimore & Ohio Rail-
road the charge per ton mile was 6 cents.
In 1H37 the charges for carrying freight
on a few of our leading railroads were
per ton mile: Baltimore & Ohio, 4J4
cents; Baltimore & Washington, 4 cents;
Winchester & Potomac, 7 cents ; Ports-
mouth & Roanoke, 8 cents ; Boston 8c
Providence, 10 cents; Boston & Lowell,
7 cents; Mohawk & fhuLson, 8 cents.
Passenger rates came closer to modern
charges, for 2 or 3 cents per mile was
rarely exceeded.
KAILW.W AXD LUCU.MUTIVE EXGIXEHKIXG.
Marcli, 1910.
Road, River and Canal.
This imifiuc coinbiiialion of the high-
ways of the world — road, river, canal
and railway — runing side by side, is to
be seen at Bowling station on the Cale-
donian Railway. The road is the main
thoroughfare between Glasgow and
Dumbarton, Helensburgh, etc.; the
river is the world-famed Clyde ; the
canal is the Caledonian Railway Com-
pany's Forth and Clyde waterway con-
On Aug. 12, 1906, the Pennsylvania
Railroad announced that all future
passenger equipment would be built of
steel; not only were the cars to have
steel frames, but to be steel and non-
collapsible in every particular. In plan-
ning the cars and establishing stand-
ards which are now followed in all
Pennsylvania passenger cars, no ex-
I)onsc has been spared by the company
t<i build a ciiach which should provide
necting the east with the west of Scot-
land ; and the road is the line known as
the "Lanarkshire and Dumbartonshire,"
which forms part of the Caledonian
system. Close by is the striking monu-
ment to Henry Bell, whose tiny
steamer, the "Comet," sailed the waters
of the Clyde in 1812 with such far-
reaching effect, while not far distant is
RO.\D, RIVER, CANAL AND RAIL.
the greatest possible strength, a steel
framing which could not be affected by
fire, an inside lining which should be
absolutely unburnable, and, at the same
time, one that would not conduct heat
or sound.
The Pennsylvania Railroad in No-
vember, igo6, ordered 100 all-steel pas-
senger cars. Since that time additional
the picturesque and historic castle of orders have been placed and there are
Dumbarton.
During the holiday season the picture
from which our illustration was made
was sent to Dr. Sinclair by Mr. John
F. Mcintosh, the locomotive superin-
tendent of the line.
All Steel Trains.
What is probably the largest steel
passenger car equipment owned by any
railroad in the world is that of the
now in service on the company's lines
24s coaches, 10 dining cars, 21 combina-
tion passenger and baggage cars, 29
baggage cars, 18 postal cars, and one
company car, a total of 324 cars. In
course of construction there are 140
coaches, 34 dining cars, 48 combination
passenger and baggage cars, 4 baggage
cars, 42 postal cars, 27 mail storage
cars, and II baggage and mail cars.
The Pullman Company, at the in-
stance of the Pennsylvania Railroad,
passenger equipment programme, the
Pennsylvania Railroad will, in a short
time, have in service about 900 of its
own steel passenger tars and 500 steel
Pullman cars.
Evening Schools.
In some districts on this continent ex-
cellent facilities are provided in the form
of evening schools where people working
during the day time may receive instruc-
tion in technical education ; but in many
places where workmen are numerous very
little has been done to aid them in self
help. Tliis is a pity, for the very best
class of mechanics are frequently ignorant
of the principles of their business and
liave no means of repairing the educa-
tional defect. There is so much attention
bestowed upon promoting technical school
education through colleges that the night
school receives very little attention out-
side the industrial centers.
In Great Britain, where evening
schools have been unprecedentedly suc-
cessful, the Government long ago recog
nized the necessity for teachers of eve-
ning schools being in sympathy with the
needs of the scholars. In any district
where a certain number of pupils can be
obtained, the Council of Education estab-
lishes an evening school and teachers are
selected, men having the technical knowl-
edge most needed for the particular
schools. By this system the technicali-
ties of nearly all trades are taught in the
evening schools. The value of this sys-
tem of instruction is extending.
Among us a system of education of
that kind would need to be carried out
by the various States, and State author-
ities are difficult to move in anything non-
political. Our railway companies are do-
ing something to help out evening school
education, but agitation should be carried
on to make the several States perform
their duty towards the education of work-
men.
Some drummers make themselves a
burden to the people they call upon, but
those made of the proper material soon
FIRST SOLID STEEL PASSENGER TRAIN ON THE PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD.
Pennsylvania Railroad, which, with the
cars just completed and those in course
of construction, have 630 all-steel pas-
senger cars. With this large number
of cars the Pennsylvania intends to be-
has for the past four years been at
work designing all-steel parlor and
sleeping cars. Some 500 such cars are
shortly to be completed and placed in
service on the Pennsylvania Railroad.
gin the operation of all-steel passenger With the all steel passenger equipment edge. The drummer who travels with
trams on some of its lines of densest now in service or on order, and some his eyes open sees many things that are
*'"^^'^- 250 steel cars to be ordered on the 1910 useful and profitable to his customers.
make themselves welcome. That class
is the traveler who carries the news of
his world. He brings the latest and the
freshest gossip of a kind that adds to
the store of a business man's knowl-
March, 191a
RAILWAY AXD LOCOMOTIVE EXGIXEERIN'G.
Items of Personal Interest
Mr. H. F. Smith has been appointed
master car builder on the Chicago & Al-
ton, with office at Bloomington, 111.
Mr. J. T. Andrus has been appointed
purchasing agent of the North Coast
Railroad, with office at Spokane, Wash.
Mr. E. C. Anderson has been appointed
mechanical engineer of the Colorado &
Southern, with headquarters at Denver,
Colo.
Mr. J. C Stuart, vice-president of the
Erie, has been elected chairman of the
General Managers' Association of New
York.
Mr. W. C. Ranous has been appointed
superintendent transportation of the
Minneapolis, St. Paul & Sault Ste. Marie
Railway.
Mr. W. J. Bohan has been appointed
mechanical engineer of the Northern
Pacific, at St. Paul, Minn., vice Mr. J. E.
O'Brien resigned.
Mr. W. J. Given has been appointed
storekeeper of the Lake Erie & West-
em, with headquarters at Lima, O., vice
Mr. B. J. Vungbluth, resigned.
Mr. George W. Davis, of Boone, la.,
has been appointed assistant foreman of
the roundhouse at Boone, la., on the Chi-
cago & North-Western Railway.
Mr. C. H. Montague has been appointed
superintendent of motive power of the
St. Paul & Des Moines Railroad, with
headquarters at Des Moines, la.
Mr. F. D. Warner, heretofore loco-
motive foreman at Field, B. C, on the
Canadian Pacific, has been appointed
night foreman at Revelstoke, B. C.
Mr. £. A. Schultz has been appointed
round house foreman of the Chicago &
North-Western Railway at Milwaukee,
Wis., vice Mr. J. W. Cryslcr, retired.
Mr. H. J. Palmer has been appointed
purchasing agent of the Georgia, South-
ern & Florida, with office at Macon, Ga.,
vice Mr. W. P. Hopper, promoted.
Mr. R. P. Blake has been appointed
master mechanic of the Montana division
of the Northern Pacific, at Livingston,
Mont., vice Mr. C. E. Allen, promoted.
Mr. J. Murrin has been appointed
superintendent of locomotive shops of the
Chicago & North-Western, with office at
Chicago, vice Mr. Oscar Otto, resigned.
Mr. F. Kerby has been appointed road
foreman of engines on the Baltimore &
Ohio, with headquarters at Riverside,
Baltimore, vice Mr. H. S. Pcddicord, re-
ligned.
Mr C. L. Brev'jort, train master on the
Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton Railroad,
has had his jurisdiction extended from
end of double track to Erie Junction at
Lima, O.
Mr. W. Hamilton has been appointed
master mechanic of the Western division
of the Grand Trunk at Battle Creek.
Mich, vice Mr. E. D. Jameson, assigned
to other duties.
Mr. W. W. Spruell, locomotive engi-
neer on the Louisville & Nashville Rail-
road, has been appointed traveling engi-
neer on the road, with headquarters at
Birmingham, Ala.
Mr. J. H. Leifield, formerly a machin-
ist on the Chicago & North-Western
Railway, has been appointed assistant
round house foreman on the same road
at Milwaukee, Wis.
Mr. W. C. Mehan, superintendent of the
Grand Trunk Pacific at Melville, Sask.,
has been promoted to be general super-
intendent of the Mountain division at
Prince Rupert, B. C.
Mr. H. P. Johns, chief draughtsman
of the St. Louis & San Francisco at
Springfield, Mo., has been appointed me-
chanical engineer of that road, with of-
fice at Springfield, Mo.
Mr. Carl C. Ahrens has been appointed
traveling fireman of the West Iowa di-
vision of the Chicago & North- Western
Railway. Mr. Ahrens was chosen from
the ranks, for his ability.
Mr. Harry C. Stauffer has been ap-
pointed division freight agent on the
Philadelphia & Reading Railroad, with
office at Philadelphia, Pa., vice Mr. E.
D. Hilleary, transferred.
Mr. R. J. McDonald has been appointed
assistant traveling engineer of the South-
ern district of the Chicago & Alton. He
will assist Mr. Joseph Turpin, the travel-
ing engineer of that district.
Mr. N. N. Boyden, master mechanic of
the Southern Railway at Atlanta, Ga., has
been transferre<l in the same capacity on
the same road to Knoxville, Tenn., vice
Mr. J. F. Sheahan, resigned.
Mr. Edgar D. Hilleary has been ap-
pointed division freight agent on the
Philadelphia & Reading Railroad, with
office at Harrisburg, Pa., vice Mr. Ben-
jamin R. Boggs, promoted.
Mr. W. J. Souder, auditor and superin-
tendent of the St. Paul & Des Moines
Railroad, has been appointed purchasing
agent of the road as well as being auditor.
His office is at Des Moines, la.
Mr. Charles .Adams has been ap-
pointed round house foreman on the
Cincinnati, H.imilinn ft Dayton at the
Gesf street shr«ps in Cincinnati, vice
Mr. A. P. Lowden, resigned.
Mr. E. M. Swcctman, master mechanic
on the Southern, at Sheffield, Ala., has
been transferred as master mechanic on
the same road to Birmingham, Ala.,
vice Mr. G. Akans, transferred.
Mr. J. E. O'Brien, mechanical engineer
of the Northern Pacific at St. Paul,
Minn., has been appointed superintendent
of motive power of the Western Pacific,
with office at San Francisco, Cal.
Mr. Geo. Akans, master mechanic on
the Southern Railroad at Birmingham,
Ala., has been transferred as master me-
chanic on tlie same road to Atlanta, Ga.,
vice Mr. N. N. Boyden, transferred.
Mr. R. S. Miller, general foreman of
the car department of the New York,
Chicago & St. Louis, at Cleveland, Ohio,
has been appointed master car builder
and his former title has been abolished.
Mr. G. W. Kirtley, who for several
years has been superintendent of car
service of the Erie, has been promoted
to superintendent of transportation. The
title he previously held has been abol-
ished.
Mr. H. G. Osborne has been trans-
ferred as master mechanic to the Iowa
and Des Moines Valley divisions of the
Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific at Valley
Junction, la., vice Mr. E. J. Harris, trans-
ferred.
Mr. P. S. Lindsay, formerly road
foreman of engines on the Canadian
Pacific Railway, has been promoted to
be district master mcclianic on the
same road, with headquarters at Bran-
don, Man.
Mr. B. J. Yungbluth, heretofore store-
keeper of the Lake Erie & Western Rail-
road at Lima, O., has been appointed
general storekeeper of the Pittsburgh
Railways Company, with olVice at Pitts-
burgh, Pa.
Mr. J. E. O'Brien, formerly mechanical
engineer of the Northern Pacific at St.
Paul, Minn., has been appointed superin-
tendent of motive power of the Western
Pacific Railway with headquarters at San
Francisco, Cal.
Mr. T. F. Patterson, heretofore loco-
motive foreman at Kenora, Ont., on the
Canadian Pacific, has been appointed dis-
trict master mechanic at Moose Jaw,
Sask., vice Mr. L. E. W. Bailey, assigned
to other duties.
Mr. F;. J. Harris has been transferred
as master mechanic to the Kansas City
terminal and the St. Louis divisions of
the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific at
Armourdale, Kan., vice Mr. R. L. Stew-
art, Ir.Tnsfcrrrd.
Mr. Henry Mel, formerly material
12%
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
March, igio.
agent on the National Railways of
Mexico at Beaumont, has been ap-
pointed assistant purchasing agent for
the same roads, with headquarters at
Beaumont, Tex.
Mr. W. Alexander, heretofore assist-
ant district master mechanic of the
Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul, has been
appointed district master mechanic, with
offices at Milwaukee, Wis., vice Mr. J. C.
Miller, resigned.
Mr. E. W. Kolb, engineer of electric
signals of the Chicago, Rock Island &
Pacific, at Chicago, has resigned, to be-
come signal engineer of the Buffalo,
Rochester & Pittsburgh, with office at
Rochester, N. Y.
Mr. R. L. Stewart has been trans-
ferred as master mechanic to the Mis-
souri division of the Chicago, Rock
Island & Pacific, with headquarters at
Trenton, Mo., vice Mr. L. A. Richard-
son, transferred.
Mr. A. G. Hebb, heretofore road fore-
man of engines has been appointed dis-
trict master mechanic of District No. 2,
central division of the Canadian Pacific
Railway, with headquarters at Winnipeg.
This is a new position.
Mr. E. W. Hoffmann has been ap-
pointed train master of the Indianapolis
& Springfield division of the Cincinnati,
Hamilton & Dayton, with office at In-
dianapolis, Ind., vice Mr. H. F. Reynolds,
assigned to other duties.
Mr. L. A. Richardson, formerly at
Trenton, Mo., has been appointed master
mechanic of the Chicago terminal and the
Illinois divisions of the Chicago, Rock Is-
land & Pacific in Chicago, vice Mr. D. H.
Speakeman, transferred.
Mr. J. E. Buker, superintendent car
department of the Illinois Central Rail-
road, has been elected first vice-president
of the Chicago Car Heating Company,
with headquarters at the Railway Ex-
change Building, Chicago.
Mr. W. H. Biggar, K.C., heretofore
general solicitor, has been appointed gen-
eral counsel for the Grand Trunk and
Grand Trunk Pacific Railways, with of-
fice at Montreal. The office of general
solicitor has been abolished.
Mr. Frank Johnson, general foreman
of locomotive repairs on the Southern, at
Knoxville, Tenn.. has been appointed
master mechanic on the same road, with
headquarters at Sheflield. .Ma., vice Mr.
E. M. Sweetman, transferred.
Mr. Charles Postle. formerly night
roundhouse foreman at Boone, la., has
been appointed day foreman of round-
house on the Nebraska and Wyoming
division of the Chicago & North-Western
ern Railway at Missouri Valley, Iowa.
Mr. C. E. Allen, master mechanic of
the Montana division of the Northern
Pacific" at Livingston, Mont., has been
appointed gcnerar master mechanic of the
Y'ellowstone. Montana & Rocky Moun-
tain divisions, with office at Livingston.
Mr. E. Howard Delo has been ap-
pointed electrical inspector on the East-
ern Pennsylvania division of the Penn-
sylvania, having jurisdiction over the
lines between Altoona and Philadelphia.
The office of foreman of electricians
has been abolished.
Mr. M. J. Griffin has been appointed
superintendent of Cincinnati terminals of
the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton, which
have been extended to the end of the
double track north of Hamilton and in-
clude the Middletown branch. His head-
quarters are at Elmwood, Ohio.
Mr. P. J. McGill, who has just been re-
tired from service on the Union Pacific,
after forty years' continuous service with
honorable record, was presented with a
diamond ring by the members of the
B. of L. E. division, running between
Denver and Cheyenne Wells.
Mr. J. F. Sheehan, master mechanic
of the Southern at Kno.xville, Tenn.,
has resigned and has entered the ser-
vice of the International & Great
Northern in the same capacity at Pales-
tine, vice Mr. F. S. Anthony, appointed
superintendent of machinery.
Mr. James T. Wallis, superintendent
of motive power on the Erie Division
of the Pennsylvania at Williamsport,
has been made acting superintendent of
the West Jersey & Seashore Railroad,
vice Mr. D. H. Lovel, granted a leave
of absence on account of ill health.
Mr. Daniel Willard, who was recently
elected president of the Baltimore & Ohio
Railroad, has recently had his field of
activity considerably enlarged. At a
recent meeting of the directors of the
Baltimore & Ohio Southwestern, he was
elected president, to succeed Mr. Oscar
G. Murray.
Mr. D. H. Speakeman, formerly mas-
ter mechanic of the Chicago, Rock
Island & Pacific terminals in Chicago,
has been transferred in the same ca-
pacity to the Nebraska & Colorado
division on the same road with headquar-
ters at Goodland, Kan, vice Mr. H. G. Os-
borne, transferred.
Miss Anna Heinrichsdorff is the first
woman to receive an engineer's diploma
in Germany. After studying four yean
in the Berlin Polytechnic Institute she
passed the electrical engineer's examina-
tion and received the mark of excellent
in each branch. She has opened offices in
Berlin and will now practice her profes-
sion as a means of livelihood.
Mr. W. M. Whitenton, who more
than twenty years ago began his rail-
road career as a telegraph operator in
Fort Worth for the Missouri, Kansas &
Texas, and is now general manager of
the Southern and the Choctaw districts
of the Rock Island, has succeeded J. W.
Robins as vice-president and general
manager of the Chicago, Rock Island &
Gulf.
Dean F. E. Turneaure, of the Col-
lege of Mechanics and Engineering of
the University of Wisconsin, recently
gave two addresses before the instruc-
tional staff of the College of Engineer-
ing of the University of Illinois. His
subject on the first day was "The Stress
in Bridges L'nder the Load of Moving
Trains," and on the second day, '"Some
Features of the Manhattan Suspension
Bridge."
A correspondent writes us that Mr. H.
H. Wallace, who was appointed traveling
engineer of the Cincinnati, Hamilton &
Dayton from Springfield, 111., to, and in-
cluding Cincinnati terminals, has by his
efforts • encouraged the men under him
to give close attention to the proper
method of firing with beneficial results.
.All are trying to "make good." Mr. Wal-
lace was formerly on the Chicago, Sl
Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha at St. Paul,
Minn.
Mr. O. F. .Adams, who is now seventy
years of age, has been notified that he
has been pensioned by the Union Pa-
cific, being among the first Atchison
men to get a railroad pension and the
only Union Pacific pensioner at Atchi-
son, Kan. He worked for the road
twenty-seven years without a mark
against his name. Besides the pension,
he and his wife have been given a life
pass over the Union Pacific lines
and a doctor's certificate entitling them
to free medical attention.
Mr. J. M. Wakeman, general manager
of the McGraw Publishing Company,
New Y^ork. has resigned, owing to im-
paired health and will be succeeded by
Mr. Hugh Wilson, well known through
his connection with the Railway Age.
Mr. Wakeman, who intends spending a
year or two abroad, first entered the ad-
vertising field as representative of Loco-
MOim: Engineering and proved highly
successful from the start. He is likely
to represent Railw.ay and LocoMOmx
Engineering abroad.
Mr. John C. Sullivan, forinerly loco-
motive engineer on the Cincinnati, Hamil-
ton & Dayton, has been appointed a mem-
ber of the railroad commission of Ohio,
by Governor Judson Harmon. Mr. Sulli-
van's term of office will be six years.
This appointment is very gratifying to the
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers,
who have for years advocated the appoint-
ment of one of their order to such a posi-
tion as Mr. Sullivan holds. The personnel
of the commission will be all the stronger
by the presence of a practical railroad
man among them.
Mr. H. A. Fabian, who for the last
three years has been assistant to Mr.
C. S. Mellin, president of the New Y'ork,
New Haven & Hartford, has been ap-
pointed by that official and by Mr. Lucius
Tuttle. president of the Boston & Maine,
to the position of manager of purchases
(Continued on page 127.)
March, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE EXGINEERING.
General Foremen's Association
System in Shop Repairs.
The foremen oi many small railway
shopi fail to carry on the business of
repairing through want of knowledge
nceming systematic methods. These
ople might glean valuable hints from
the following remarks made by Mr. E.
C. Hanse at the last General Foremen's
Convention;
"We have a form that we have to
make out every week and a monthly
sheet to make out at the end of the
month. We show on the weekly form
the repair^ needed to every engine that
is in service, and in the right hand cor-
ner we have a part set aside for en-
gines in shop, engines turned out of
shop and engines w^aiting repairs. On
the left hand corner is the condition of
passenger engines; on the right hand
corner is the condition of freight en-
gines, and on the bottom is the condi-
tion of switch engines. We also have
a blue print that gives the classification
of repairs needed. That goes by letters.
Class 8 is light repairs; class 9 is extra,
6 is heavy repairs, and 5 is still heavier
repairs. If we want to give an engine
new flues, we put her in the shop for F;
one-half set of flues, F 3. If you only
have two-thirds set of flues, it is marked
F 2. You designate the class of re-
pairs; the sheet made out each week
goes to the general foreman's office and
it is marked. 'O' means good; '8' means
light repairs to machinery, as we have
more or less light repairs to do when
we drop a wheel. If we drop all the
wheels we put it in '".' We have a
yellow sheet with 365 different names.
Whenever we put an engine in the
shop we go through and mark it 'X' or
'O.' This is a very good system. I
think it is incomplete bcrausc there are
a lot of repairs that do not show, but
there is a vacant place at the bottom
9nd they can be written in. In the
Jacksonville shops we carry from twenty-
five to thirty engines all the time. At
Portsmouth the superintendent looks
over the sheet every morning. He can
look at that report any time and see
jniit exactly what is needed on an en-
cine run on that division.
"We make out a weekly report ihow-
;f where the engine was repaired last,
and that is a separr-.te sheet. It shows
the condition, date when she came in
and went out and the class of repairs,
and at the end of that week it shows
what came in the shop and what went
out. .Another !ip.ice shows what ii left
in and when expected out, what rtast
of repairs needed and the class of pre-
vious repairs. After I get through with
the two weekly reports they go to the
office and there a tissue copy is made.
We have the tissue copy in the book to
refer to at any time.
"In addition to that we have a daily
report showing engines in the shop, en-
gines out of the shop, and engine when
taken shows the date; engines in ser-
vice today; next place, engines remain-
ing in shop today, and on the bottom is
engines waiting repairs."
One of the Sawed-Off Class.
"Mr. Quayle has spoken of me as one
of the sawed-off fellows like himself,"
said Angus Sinclair in addressing the
General Foremen's Association. "That
reminds me of the reception I received
from .-Mexander Mitchell, the famous
designer of the consolidation locomo-
tive and master mechanic of the Lehigh
Valley Railroad. In the course of my
rambles I called at his office and sent
in my card. He came out with the card
in his hand, gazed at me with a curious
expression, and said, ".\re you Angus
Sinclair?" I replied that such was the
name people called me. "Well, well,"
he exclaimed, "I was never so surprised in
my life. I have been reading your writ-
ings for years, and I pictured you as a
big, raw-boned, red-headed Scot, always
ready for a scrap. Y'our appearance does
surprise me."
Ambition to Climb.
"Every opportunily which presents
itself and which cm lie made to serve
our needs must be harnessed that we
may have an honorable, useful, pros-
perous career and attain by our efforts
alone that position in the world of me-
chanics which is our ambition," said
President Fay at the opening of the
last General Foremen's Convention. He
continued :
"As to our ambition to climb higher
as an association, so it must be with
the individual, and it is a duty we
owe ourselves as well as our employers
to give earnest heed to the qualifications
of our successors, and to do what may be
done to broaden the horizon of him who
is to follow after. It is not enough for
the individual to qualify himself for pro-
motion; progress demands that the suc-
cessor lie 50 qualified that the work in
hand Ik- not retarde>l by the change, but
that it be given impetus by the infusion
of new binod and the organi/ing efforts of
the promot«d individual."
Plea for the Women at Conventions.
"My wife is an inspiration to me,"
said Mr. Robert Quayle at the General
Foremen's Convention. "She makes
me a better man than I would be with-
out her. A woman moves quietly, but yet
effectively, up and down through the
avenues of life, and she is accomplish-
ing things every day, and we rarely stop to
give her credit for what she does. The
man who stops to think knows what
the women are doing. .■Xnd do any of
us stop to condemn the woman even
over in London who is talking woman
suffrage and who goes up in the face of
a policeman and gets arrested because
she wants to go into the House of
Commons to make a speech? With that
kind of determination, with that kind
of activity, woman is goin to win."'
Building Up a Working System.
A certain class of railway men think
that as soon as they enter the business
they are entitled to jump over the heads
of older hands into responsible posi-
tions. The question was finely touched
by President Fay in liis address to the
General Foremen's .Association when he
said : "It seems fitting to sum up what the
man who must assume our duties and
responsibilities must be prepared to do.
He must prepare himself for leadership
by efficient service in subordinate
places. He must know men. He must
help in building up an organization of
men. It is a mistake to always seek
genius. It is more important to build
that combination of various abilities
and temperament which will form a
united homogeneous body before which
the dilVicuIties of the greatest problems
will crumble and disappear. We should
all strive to build up a working organ-
inzation which shall be so complete
and so satisfactory, with a correct pol-
icy so firmly established that those who
lollow will find little which they will be
willing to change or discard."
The greatest obstacle in the way of
forming definite conclusions from ex-
periments, is the fact that, generally,
more than one experiment is tried at
the same time. Hundred" of experi-
ments that count for nothing, would
have been valuable in ailvancing both
general and specific knowledge, if between
them and others with which they are
( ompared, some addition or alteration
li.id not been made, the presumed in-
fluence upon the result leaving the
Litter problematical.
126
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGIXEERING.
March, ipio.
Railroad Character Sketches
Shatv Hat a Vacation
By James Kennedy.
It was considered criminal to stay off
work for a day, and it was folly to ask
off. The very idea was absurd. Hence
the railway men were nearly all like the
Cretans — they were great strangers to the
truth. They had cousins that died, and
aunts that had to be buried, and they were
called for jury duty, and they had to ap-
pear in Court, and they told lies with such
serious faces that the superintendent al-
most believed them and let them go oc-
casionally on the condition that they would
do two days' work in one to make up for
the loss.
Shaw's vacation came more naturally.
jMacfarlane and he were chipping a saddle.
As usual the patternmaker had left plenty
of stuff for fitting. The moulder had evi-
dently added to the amount. Cast iron
was cheap, and an inch or two more was
safer than running the risk of losing a
saddle by a shortage on the fitting strips.
.■\11 day the rhythmic blows of their
hammers added to the multitudinous mur-
murs of the machine shop. At intervals,
when they had cut deep grooves into the
wide strips, Shaw held a blacksmith's
cleaver against the projecting superfluous
portions of the remaining metal, and the
mighty Macfarlane struck terrific blows
with a heavy sledge and the flying splin-
ters of broken metal flew like grapeshot.
In one of these metallic fusilades a small
splinter struck Shaw in the right eye.
Billy was promptly on the job with his
magnifying glass and magnetized needle,
but a portion of the splinter remained em-
bedded between the pupil and iris of the
damaged optic, and the darkening day-
light settled upon Shaw with a double
gloom.
The sympathy of the boarding mistress
took the form of an application of tea
leaves. These were kept in place by
bandages overlapping each other like the
head-gear of a high caste Brahmin. There
was an extra lap under Shaw's chin that
gave him the fierce aspect of an English
dragoon. Thus equipped poor Shaw re-
tired to the darkness of his little hall bed-
room. He was sick and sore. His soft
hands were blistered with the oscillations
of his hammer handle. The blows seemed
to strike his injured eye and the throbbing
re-percussions sank into his weary brain.
Shaw closed the other eye and sleep fell
upon him like a soothing poultice. Some
invisible spirit loosened the ragged splin-
ter and when Shaw awoke it was with a
sense of blessed relief. An inspiration
came to him. He would keep his eye
bandaged in certain situations, and he
would keep his eye open for a few days
and see if he could find easier work some-
where else.
Among the railway men he remained
turbaned and half blindfolded. He was
an object of pity. Macfarlane would have
started a raffle for him, but Shaw was get-
ting paid for his time, so the feeling of
pity was not unmixed with envy. .At
Clark's parlors Shaw took what he called
an eye opener, and went out and had
cards printed — J. Shaw, Machinist and
Draughtsman. The latter part of his title
might be misleading, but as he had sold
many draughts of fishes when he was in
the haddock business, the word was not
entirely inappropriate.
Shaw struck a new job. Marine en-
gines were being refitted for the coming
summer. Day and night and overtime
and easy money and a free supper and
sleep in the boats and visions of a bank
account came to Shaw, and both eyes and
hands were on the job. He wrote a
letter to Billy that the doctor had advised
him to take a change of air, as the city air
was bad for his optic nerve. If Shaw
had had half as much skill as a mechanic
as he had nerve as a story teller he would
have made his mark. As it was he lasted
about half a day. He kept his word, how-
ever, in regard to a week in the country
and he took to the woods.
Some days afterward the coroner sat
on a body found in the river. It was
swollen and bruised, and had a contusion
in the right eye. One of Shaw's cards
was found in a tattered pocket. That was
enough for the coroner. This was Shaw.
Of course Macfarlane and Billy could not
get off to identify the dead man, but on
Saturday night they met in Clark's par-
lors and moralized on the vanity of human
life and extolled the virtues of their de-
parted friend. The night was stormy and
the rain rattled in fierce gusts against the
window panes. Customers were scarce
and Clark was closing up his establish-
ment. Macfarlane and Billy were having
one more of something or other. A soli-
tary blue flame of flickering gas gave out
no light but rather served to make the
darkness visible in Clark's parlors.
Shaw walked in !
A gust of wind blew out the trembling
flame. Billy gasped. Macfarlane dropped
a ponderous glass full of "Clark's Best''
on the tail of Clark's brindled cat, cutting
the tail off at half mast. A blood-curdling
howl rent the startled air. Clark sank to
the floor in a heap. The pig's feet in the
capacious basin seemed to stand up as if
ready for a two-step. The rats looked out
of their holes for a moment and vanished
into utter darkness. The bartender, as
might be e.xpected under such appalling
conditions, forgot to ring up the last two
drinks. The weather-beaten and rain-
soaked apparition took off its broad-
brimmed sombrero and swung it like a
Dixon's Graphite En-
gine Front Finish is
better than anything
you have ever used
on the fronts of lo-
comotives.
One thing you've
noticed about the
other finishes is that
they give off offen-
sive fumes when the
front of the engine
gets a little hot. You
won't find this diffi-
culty with Dixon's
Finish.
Besides, Dixon's Fin-
ish lasts from six
to nine weeks and
produces a restful
surface rather than
a dazzlingly bright
one.
We'll be glad to
send you free de-
scriptive circular
69-F on request, a
free test sample too,
if you like.
JOSEPH DIXON
CRUCIBLE CO.
Jersey City, N. J.
March, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE EXGIXEERIXG.
127
GOLD
Car
Heating
Lighting
Company
MiDufactureri of
ELECTRIC,
STEAM AND
HOT WATER
APPARATUS
FOR RAILWAY CARS
IMPROVED
SYSTEM OF
ACETYLENE
CAR LIGHT-
ING
L«rgc«l M^aulaclarcra in the World e(
Car Heating ApparatM
S«nd for eircuUr of our combina-
tion PRESSURE AND VAPOR
SYSTEM OF CAR HEATING,
which ijritem automatically main-
uini about the tame temperaiurt in
the car regardleu of the outiide
weather conditioni.
Main Office, Whitehall Building
17 BATTERY PLACE
N EW YORK
mighty pendulum, shaking a shower of
real water on the floor. Then, in the
voice of the old familiar Shaw, it asked
for something, and the dazed and dum-
lounil few knew that their eyes of flesh
were dimly beholding the real Shaw again.
Explanations were forthcoming. Dead?
— not much. Not even dead drunk.
Shaw is back in the shop now in charge
of the tool room, so that in the same
month he had a vacation, a resurrection
and a promotion.
Personals
(Continued from ['jge 124.)
and supplies for the \. Y., N. H. & H.,
the Central New England, the New Eng-
land Navigation, the Connecticut, the
New York & Stamford, the Rhode Island
& Housatonic, the Boston & Maine, the
Maine Central and the Washington
County & Summerset railroads.
Mr. F. D. Underwood, president of the
Erie Railroad, has been explaining the
cause of the high expense of living
through a newspaper interview. Mr.
Underwood says that only a few years
ago farmers drove loads of their prod-
uce into towns and cities and frequently
had to drive their loads home again
for want of purchasers. They were pro-
ducing more food stuffs than the con-
sumers could use. The case is now dif-
ferent. The farmers cannot produce eat-
ables as fast as the people consume them.
There are too many consumers for the
number of producers. That explanation
is clear enough for any one to under-
stand.
The Chanute Medal, which is each year
awarded by the Western Society of En-
gineers for the best paper presented to
the society in the field of civil engin-
eering during the preceding year, has
been given to Professor Arthur N. Talbot
of the University of Illinois. Professor
Talbot's paper, which has been made the
basis of the award, is entitled "Tests of
Cast-Iron and Reinforced Concrete Cul-
vert Pipe," and describes an elaborate
research which in its various stages has
been in progress for a number of years at
the University of Illinois. The founda-
tion for the medal given by the Western
Society of Engineers was established by
Dr. Octave Chanute. The arrangement
provides for three medals, one for work
ill the line of mechanical engineering, one
in civil engineering, and one in electrical
engineering. Professor Talbot's friends
arc congratulating him upon being the re-
cipient of so distinguished an honor.
Mr. Richard W. Harrison, former
cngincman on the P. R. R. has been pro-
moted to the position of motive power
foreman at Dclmar, Del., vice Mr. Mur-
ray Stewart, transferred. Mr. Harrison
was born at West Grove, Pa., March 3,
1K56; he entered the service of the Pcnn
nlvania at the age of seventeen years and
having spent seven years in the shops as
machinist he was promoted to the position
of engineman, in the year 1S80. and was
assigned to the Maryland division of the
P. B. & W. R. R. On June I, 1885, he
was transferred to the Delaware division
and served as a freight engineman until
December I, 1895, at which time he
was essigned to passenger work. From
this date until November I, 1909, a per-
iod of fourteen years, he served as "A
Knight of the Throttle" on the through
passenger trains of the Delaware divi-
sion. We hope his work at Delmar will
lead to further advancement in the motive
power department.
Mr. Frank P. Smith has accepted a
position with the Hobart-.-Mlfrce Co., Chi-
cago. He entered railway service in the
early seventies as a locomotive fireman
on the Milwaukee & St. Paul. He after-
wards served in the same capacity on the
Toledo. Wabash & Western and the Chi-
cago & North Western, on which latter
road he became a locomotive engineer.
In this capacity he served successively on
the Wabash ; the St. Louis & Iron
Mountain ; the Chesapeake & Ohio ; the
Kentucky Central ; the New York, Chi-
cago & St. Louis; the Louisville. New
Orleans & Texas, and the Cincinnati
Southern. In the early nineties he en-
tered the railway supply business with the
C. C. Jerome Metallic Packing Co., and
in November, 1895, he entered the service
of the Hancock Inspirator Co., which is
now one of the companies controlled by
Messrs. Manning. Maxwell & Moore,
New York. He remained in this position
until December last, when he entered the
service of the Hobart-Allfree Co., with
headquarters at New York.
Mr. Alfred P. Prendcrgast, assistant
master mechanic at the Mt. Clare shops
of the Baltimore & Ohio, at Baltimore,
Md., has been appointed master mcclianic,
succeeding C. T. Turner, retired, after
47 years' service in the same shops. Mr.
Prendergast entered the service of the
Baltimore & Ohio as an apprentice in
1883 at Wheeling, W. Va., and after com-
pleting his apprenticeship was engaged in
the steel industry in the Pittsburgh and
Youngstown districts. Several years
later he returned to the Baltimore &
Ohio as gang foreman, being given em-
ployment at Benwood, W. Va., and later
became mechanic shop foreman at Cum-
berland, Md.. where he also served as
roundhouse foreman. He was later made
general foreman of locomotives and car
lepairs and subsequently promoted to be
division master mechanic at Grafton.
Two years later he was transferred to
the Baltimore & Philadelphia divisions as
master mechanic, with oflice at Riverside,
Baltimore, leaving that position two years
later to go to the Mt. Clare slicips at
Baltimore, as assistant master mechanic,
which position he held at the time of his
recent appointment.
I2S
RAILWAY AXD LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
March, igio.
The Straightport Coupling.
A form 01" steam coupling which has
been designated by the makers as the
"straightport" coupling forms the subject
of our illustrations. The two-piece type
is illustrated in elevation in cut marked
Fig. 2, and shown in section in Fig. i.
Couplers made on precisely similar lines,
in larger, as well as smaller, sizes, either
one or two-piece designs, are also fur-
nished by the makers. A form of coupler
construction which secures
a steam tight joint under
all conditions, is furnished
in the S-4 design. Fig. 2,
which has had excellent
record for such service and
it has been adopted by many
of the leading roads of the
country.
The castings of the coup-
ling head, nipples and clamps
are of malleable iron;
and the surfaces of the engaging lugs are
milled with great accuracy to insure per-
fect alignment of the gasket faces and a
precisencss in interchange. This is a
special and important feature of the
manufacturing process of these couplings.
The same care has been exercised in the
design and workmanship of the gasket,
which is molded from a specially prepared
composition and is reinforced by metal
bands inside and out; designed to prevent
spreading of the composition, which under
heat expands slightly and takes up any
unevenness of wear in gasket faces, be-
sides giving a desirable compression under
steam. The manufacturers are placing
on the market a gasket of harder ma-
terials, designed for use when high pres-
sure steam is carried between the loco-
motive and baggage car for trains using
the head-end s\stem of electric light.
the instantaneous renewal of gaskets
without the use of special tools.
The locking feature combines cfTective-
ness, economy and simplicity. In their
coupled position the locks are thrown over
the lugs on the opposite coupler and hold
tlie couplers firmly under the usual con-
ditions of service. If a train should ac-
cidcntly part, the destroyed or damaged
locks can be quickly and inexpensively re-
paired or renewed.
The furnishing of the heads and nipples
separately with clamps is also one of the
innovations of the makers. The ad-
vantage being the ability to use over
again, hose already mounted on new
coupler heads, where the old heads have
been damaged. The makers, the Safety
Car Heating and Lighting Company, of
New York, assure us that these steam
couplings are now in use on upwards of
tifty-tive of the principal railroads in this
country and are growing in favor. Any
further information on the subject will be
very readily given to those interested in
the matter by this company.
Making Sure.
The housewives in \ermont have not
yet abandoned the practice of stimulating
the industry of workmen by a drink. One
day a carpenter went to do some work in
^n^^
m
^^•^^L
m
■P^
-
^t^
1^
STRAIGHTPORT ST£.\.M (. < >LI'LI.\i:, WITH LOCK.
Here the greater wear and tear on gaskets
is in no way comparable with the lower
pressure requirements of the heating
equipment alone. The gasket retaining
ring feature is a direct application of a
simple, yet effective principle in me-
chanics. It is a spring ring, permitting
a house and the lady said to him :
"Mr. Wright, I'm going to give you a
drink of rum, will you take it now or wait
till you are finished?" "Well, Ma'am,"
said the maker of chips, "we've heard so
much of sudden deaths lately, that I'll
take the drink now and make sure of it."
RECOGNIZED
STANDARD
FLEXIBLE
STAYBOLTS
Holds firebox sheets securely
together, and accommodates it-
self to the unequal expansion
of the plates.
USED ON OYER 125 RAILROADS
"Stay bolt Trouble
a Tbin^ of tbe Past "
So say many of our customers
who have used the Tate Bolt
in large numbers, covering a
period of time sufficient to base
comparisons and eliminate all
chances of doubt.
THE TATE BOLT HAS
PROVED ITSELF INDISPENS-
ABLE TO LOCOMOTIVES IN
HIGH PRESSURE SERVICE
BY RENDERING A LOWER
COST OF FIRE BOX REPAIRS
TO A GREATER MILEAGE IN
SERVICE, THEREBY IN-
CREASING THE EARNING
VALUE.
FLANNERY BOLT COMPANY
PITTSBURGH, PA.
Enite 821 Frlck BnUdlsc
B. E. D. STAFFORD. Otn. Ibmasar
J. R06EBS FLAKKEKT * OOXPAVT,
SellinK AKeati
rrlok Baildisc, Fittibnrth. Fa.
TOK E. DAVIS. MwhuilMlI Eip«rt
H. A. TTKZ, Eaitem Territory
W. K. wnsON, Wutern Ttiritory
OOiaiONWZALTH SITPPLT OOKPAVT.
Sonthcaxtera Territory
March, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING
129
Are You Prepared for
Every Breakdown ?
Belter Secure tbe 1910 Edilloo,
Just Publlahed. ol
Locomotive Breakdowns
and Their Remedies
By Fowlor-Wood. 191U Pocket E(U-
tloo. This tMjok lelts you Just wbat to do
Id cast of aDj- accident or breakdown.
Walsoaert Loconiollve Valve Gear Troubles,
Tbe Electric Headllgbt and Questions aod
Aostrers on the Air Brake are all Included.
Fully Illustrated. Price Jl.OO.
Westinghousa E-T Air Brake
Instruction Pocket Book
By Wm. W. Wood. Uere la a book for
the rttllruad uian, aod tbe man wbo alms to
t* one. It la the oaly complete work pub-
llabed OD tbe Weatinsbouae E-T Looomotiva
Brake EquipmeDt. Wrltteo by ao Air Brake
Instructor who kDuWM
^^^ Just what l9 needed
^^^^^^^^ _ It covers the subject
thoroughly. Every
thing about the N«w
WeatlDghouse Bngloe
and Tender Brake
EqulpmeDt. locludlog
the Standard No. 6
and the Perfected No.
a fftyle of brake, la
ated la d <
Written In plain Eng-
lish and profusply II-
lastrated with Colored
Plates, which eoabla
one to trace the flow
of pressures through-
out the entire equip-
ment. The best book
ever published on tba
Air Brake. Equally
good for the beftlooer and tbe advanced en-
gineer. Will paas any one through any
examtoatlon. It informs and eollghtena yoa
00 every point. Indispensable to every en-
glocman and trainman. Filled with colored
Illustrations. I^lce $2.00.
Waltobaert Looomotiva Gear
By Wm. W. Wood. If you would tbor-
oagbly understand the Walscaert Locomotlrt
Talve Gear you should posseaa a copy of this
book. It corera tbe subject In every detail.
Bzamlnatlon questions with tbeir annwera ara
given. Pully lllaatrated and contains slid-
ing rard board models. Price 11. SO.
Locomotive Catechism
By Grimihaw. 27th Edition. It la ■
New B'l-.k frv.m Coter tu Corer. Incladea
tbe freatent amount of practical Informatloo
erer published on tbe conatructloo and man-
acemeiit of modern locomotlvea. Tontalna
Specially Prepared Chapters on tbe Walach-
aert Ix>conv>tlte Vaire Gear, the Air Brake
E<]ijlpment and the Electric Hoad I.lBht. R25
pa(<-a. 4:!7 Illustrations and 3 FoldlfJK Plates.
Orer 4.000 Eiamlnallon Questions and ibeir
Answen are Included. Thrice I2.S0.
Link Motions and Valvo Sottlsf
By CoMn. A handy tfook for the cnitlneer
lit machinist that clears up the myalerlea of
Tslve setting. Rhows Ibe dlfTerent valra
years In use, how they work and why. Pis.
ton and slide ralrea of different types are
lllnstrated and eiplslned. A h»ok ihst erery
rallr'.sd man In the nKitUe power departmaDt
■.n,:hi I'. ii«»<- Pik.- -.0 ■■■nu.
Air Brake Catechism
By Blackall. A <-f,fripli'te trralla* on tb*
Weatlniniuse Air Brske. Includlnf the No.
.-> snd No A KT lycomollre llrake Equip-
mer,t •\.- K iv^il.k H.r. I..., Irlj.le Valre
for r- ' .Mil»..jr,d
Pot 1 with
f.,W' . I:.' f<l.
A SPECIAL
CIRCULAR
reqaest. Any of these
iks .ent pretisld on re-
AQmnIm Wuntmtl mt f rarjr Tmrmlnml.
Wrilm for our Sgtmolml Tmrmm
The Norman W. Henley Pub. Co.
IJ2 N«>t«i St..' NF').' YORK V S A
Block Signal Report.
The Block Signal and Train Control
Board have just completed their report
to the Interstate Commerce Commis-
sion. It is the second annual report
and is quite a full presentation of the
case as it stands. The report, however,
does not confine itself exclusively to
the consideration of block signals. Au-
tomatic stop signals are considered,
and four different devices are given. Cab
signals alone, and in connection with
automatic stops, are discussed, and the
requirements of the Signal Association
are given.
Then comes the ash pan law, the
present extent of equipment, and de-
ficiencies when they exist. Devices in
use and inventions are examined. Air
brake matters are taken up, together
with hose connections and pressure re-
taining valves. Loose wheel inventions
and inventions relating to track, rail
joints and track fastenings, etc., make
up the large total of matters of vital
interest to those who run on the road.
The conclusions of the board are also
given, and there is, of course, quite an
array of interesting statistics. The book
is published by the government and can
be had free on application to Mr. Ed-
ward A. Moseley, secretary of the In-
terstate Commerce Commission, at
Washington, D. C.
We would advise locomotive engi-
neers, firemen, and, indeed, all those
who have to "go up against it" out on
the road, to send for a copy. A post card
request will do, and on getting the re-
port you will be able to see just what
progress is being made in these matters
which affect you in your everyday
work, and you will get an idea of what
the Commission is trying to accomplish.
Mr. E. A. Moseley, Washington, D. C,
is the man to apply to.
No Samples Carried.
The eminent lawyer had stepped from
the London train and was making his
way to a hotel, when he was approached
by a porter. "I can see you're a commer-
cial traveler," said the latter, with a
touch of his cap. "Show me where yer
luggage is and I'll carry it to the hotel for
you." The lawyer smiled in a quizzical
way. "I am a traveler," he said, "but I
ileal in brains." "Fust time ever I see
a traveller as didn't carry no samples!" re
joined the porter, sarcastically.
T!ie McConway & Torley Company,
ol Pittsburgh, Pa., have just issued a
neat little pamphlet denting with the
Htihoup steel truck side frame. The
'■•ist <Iccl side frame as a substitute for
the built up construction hag passed
the experimental stage. It has fewer
I'.'irt^, greater strength where additional
strength is required, and the expense
of repairs and maintenance is corre-
spondingly diminished. The Buhoup
side frame embodies the desirable fea-
tures of such cast steel frames, and has
several features peculiarly its own. For
instance, it has adjustable bolster col-
umns which permit the insertion of a
truck bolster after the rest of the truck
has been assembled, and which also per-
mits of removing and replacing bolsters
without disturbing any other part of the
truck. Brake hanger supports arc cast
integral with the adjustable columns.
This further reduces the number of
parts of the truck. This frame, witli the
lower journal box extension cast inte-
gral with the frame, dispenses with the
use of tie bars and also makes it un-
necessary to have two nuts on the jour-
nal box bolts, a split key being all that
is required with this construction. If
you wish to get further information
write to the builders for a copy of this
pamphlet. It is well worth looking
over.
Splendid Road.
An admirer of one of our leading roads
sends us the following as a good example
of child reasoning: "An old lady, com-
monly known as Grandma Mason, died
recently. The foreman of the round-
house had a little tot of a girl about 3'/i
years old, and she asked where the old
lady had gone. Her mamma replied : "To
heaven, my dear." The friends of the
deceased took the remains to Mt. Vernon
for burial. The-- qhild saw the funeral
procession leave the house which was in
the same street. When her sister re-
turned from school she said: "Oara,
Clara, just think — Grandma Mason lias
gone to heaven on the North-Western
road."
W. H. Nicholson and Company, Wilkes-
Rarrc. Pa., began the new year in
the right way. They have already issued
three elegant publications describing and
illu.strating their expanding lathe man-
drels, gas pipe taps, flue expanders and
other devices. Theif descriptive matter is
very convincing in proving that the solid
mandrel has outlived its usefulness and
that calipcring mandrels should be relegat-
ed to the region of the lost arts. There is
no question about the superior workman-
ship and fine material of the company's
products. They both spell economy in
moans and time. The locomotive eccen-
tric mandrel and llic lube expander are
something new and will be gladly wel-
comed by all Ught-minded mechanics.
Scnil for their publications.
Landed Softly.
At a small slatiiMi in Maine an old man
carrying a carpet bag, and accompanied by
an old wiiman, entered the train.
It was apparent from their expressioni
130
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
March, igio.
of curiosity, mingled with anxiety, that
this was their first railway journey. The
train started, and they both looked
eagerly from the window, and as the
speed increased a look of keener anxiety
gathered on the old woman's face.
A few minutes later the train ran on to
a long bridge, the sides of which could
not be seen from the car window. With
a little shriek the old woman clutched
her husband's arm.
Meanwhile the train sped onwards, and
was soon once more on solid earth. The
old woman was quick to note the change.
Her features relaxed, and she sank into
her seat with the fervent exclamation :
"Thank goodness, she's struck the
ground again !"
She feared they had got on board a
flying machine.
Automatic Cutting-Off Saw.
The machine we here illustrate is
Messrs. Fay & Egan's latest improved
cutting-off saw, designed for cutting off
'arge timbers and material required in car,
bridge, ship and mining construction work.
It is very heavy and substantial and is
capable of easily performing any work
within its capacity to which it may be
rpplied.
The carriage is mounted on planed ways
on the frame, and is moved back and forth
by double rack and pinion driven by fric-
RAILWAY CUTTING-OFF SAW.
tion. This arrangement permits the car-
riage to be advanced by pressure upon the
toot treadle, at a regular speed for cut-
ting off, and as soon as the treadle is re-
leased the carriage returns. The feed of
the machine is driven by gears, no
sprockets or chain being used. The car-
riage is driven by cut rack and pinion,
with the pinion at the center of the travel
of the carriage.
The machine has capacity for timbers
up to l6 X 19 ins. One of the good fea-
tures on this machine is the traversing
of the saw carriage by friction, so that
the rate of advance is always under con-
trol of the operator while the saw is
running, and the movement of the car-
riage is automatically stopped in either
direction. The table is equipped with
adjustable idle rollers permitting the ma-
terial to be easily moved across its sur-
face. For further particulars, address
the manufacturers, Cincinnati, Ohio.
of Pittsburgh, known among his friends
as "Aleck." The New York Evenini;
Sun says :
"Mr. .Mexander B. Peacock found
reason to believe that his business was
being robbed by some of his employees.
They had been living extravagantly and
Mr. Peacock satisfied himself as to the
fact of their dishonesty, which mounted
up to a total loss of some $350,000. Mr.
Peacock forthwith discharged the group
of men, and having made it clear to them
that he had proof of their guilt sufficient
to send them to prison, announced to them
that he proposed to give himself the
luxury of taking it out of their several
hides. So he locked them in a room, one
at a time, and proceeded to give each of
them such a thrashing as has not been
known before — no, not in Pittsburgh. One
of the men is said to have declared, on
escaping from Mr. Peacock's attentions,
that he had been knocked down nine
times."
.\leck is built on a Falstaflf model. We
are really sorry that we could not see him
after he finished cleaning out that bunch.
Why He Saved the Man.
Suddenly a white form appeared at •
window. AH about leaped the mad
flames. A portion of the wall had caved
in, and it was too hot for the firemen to
go up after the man, anyway. But see,
a noble hero dashes under the ropes,
makes his way to the elevator, and shoots
up to the leventy-leventh floor, where the
lonely form is still standing. Within
about eight and one-half minutes he comes
tearing out of the building with the life
he has saved besides his own. Just then
the entire building and the man who held
the mortgage on it collapsed.
.\bout seventy-five thousand people
rushed over to the hero — the man who
at the risk of his own life and without
the aid of a brass band went to the res-
cue of one lone man.
" 'Twas, indeed, noble of you," the peo-
ple cried, with one voice. "Why did you
do it?"
"Veil," said the hero, "I hat to. He
owes me two tollars."
Taking Dishonesty Out of Their Hides.
One of the greatest jokers of our ac-
quaintance is Mr. Alexander B. Peacock,
New Erie Railroad Map.
The Industrial Department of the
Erie, of which Mr. Louis Jackson is com-
missioner, has published a most valu-
able map which is certain to prove of
great interest to people connected with
industrial enterprises. The territory
between New York and Chicago
traversed by the Erie is one of the
greatest and most varied manufacturing
territories in the world, and particulars
of the immense facilities for new in-
dustries are given in this map and the
descriptive matter connected with it.
It ought to be in the hands of every
person connected with industrial enter-
"THERMIT"
IN
Locomotive Repair Shops
Enables you to weld engine
frames and return the engine
to service in twelve hours or
less. It not only welds but
KEiNFORCES the weak point
in the frame so as to prevent
future breakage. It permits of
welds being made on practically
every part of a frame without
disinantling. It is quick, easy
and effective. The necessary
appliances are supplied at prices
which bring them within the
reach of even the smallest
shops, while one welding op-
eration will more than save
their first cost.
Write for Pamphlet No. 25-
B and for "Reactions," the
Thermit Quarterly which con-
tains full information.
90 West St., New York
432-436 Folsom St.. San Francisco, Calif.
103 Richmond St. W., Toronto, Ont.
SINCLAIR'S LOCOMOTIVE ENGINE
RUNNING AND MANAGEMENT
U itill popular. We have it. Price $2.00
ANGUS SINCLAIR CO.. 114 Liberty St.. N. Y.
Standards in Disinfectants
are as assential as STANDARDS
in materials for R. R. Construc-
tion.
Don't buy Disinfectants with-
out Knowing what they are.
CHLORO - NAPTHOLEUM is
STANDARD. Guaranteed 5 to
6 limes more efficient than
pure Carbolic Acid Crystals.
WEST DISINFECTING CO.
9 E. 59th Street, New York City
GEO. L. LOKD, Maniiger.
Railroad & Steamship Department.
^^arch, ipio.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE EXGIXEERIXG.
131
KICOMOIIVt
(iAU(i[S
AND
DuplexAir Brake Gauges
Capsular Diaphragm,
Double or Single Bourdon
and Auxiliary Springs
THE BEST OF EVERY
KNOWN TYPE
Iwcked by fitly years experience
Uticd StediD (tiwii (0.
90 WEST STREET, NEW YORK
prises. Mr. Jackson will be glad to fur-
nish the map and fuller information to
those desirous of information.
ESTABLISHED 1884
Sipe's
Japan Oil
Is superior to Linseed Oil
and Dryers for
ALL KINDS Of PAINTING
In Daily Use by
All the leading Railroads
In the United States
M*nur«ctur«d solely by
lAMfS B. SIPf & (0.
North Side,
PITTSBIJROH
Geese Crossing an Electric Railway.
\\ hen electric street railways were first
introduced the conducting rail was left
exposed under the impression that the
low current would not be dangerous.
Human beings did not suffer from shocks
but some animals were less fortunate.
and there were many amusing sights wit-
nessed when animals received shocks.
Seeing a flock of geese getting acrosi
electrically charged rails was amusing.
The flock would waddle along behind the
leader which went on calmly until he
put his foot upon the rail. Then he
would spring back with a wild quack and
look about fiercely to see what had com-
mitted the outrage upon his dignity.
Seeing nothing that he could reasonably
blame, he would utter some voluble re-
marks in which he was joined by a
chorus of the whole flock. Then he
would make another start and again
touch the electric current which tumbled
him backward, screaming and quacking
all his companions joining to swell the
eiinnilt. They would keep making the
wildest noises for a few minutes, run-
ning hither and thither in search of some-
thing to pour their wrath upon, but care-
fully avoiding the rail.
After they tired of this performance
the flock would fly over the track send-
ing forth their fiercest notes of defiance
and contempt, but that flock of geese
would never be seen waddling over that
railway again.
Thermit Welding.
The repairing of steel and iron rolls is
the subject of a special pamphlet just is-
sued by the Goldschmidt Thermit Com-
pany of New York. This enterprising
company have the happy faculty of fully
and freely explaining their methods of
operation and furnishing excellent illus-
trations for the guidance of those who are
willing to take advantage of their new and
important discoveries in the art of welding
on new metal no matter where a fracture
may occur. Their latest publication is a
valuable educational contribution to the
engineering literature of our time, and is
well worthy of the perusal of all interested
ill Thermit welding. Send for a copy to
the company's office at 90 West street,
New V'ork.
The Canadian Pacific Railw,iy will in
all probability double-track the main line
this year from Winnipeg to Portage la
Prairie, which is about half-way to
Rrandon, the latter rity being 132 mile?
from the .Manitoba capital. Next year,
the double tracking will extend all the
way to Brandon. This section of the road
i< perhapi the mo^t congested on the en
tire system, a great many of the com-
pany's branch lines feeding the main track
between these two points, aiul traffic is
particularly heavy over the single track
when the grain rush comes on in the
fall.
The Monthly Proceedings of the Car
Foremen's Association, of Chicago, have
recently been more than usually interest-
ing from the fact that the revision of the
M. C. B. rules have taken place and many
important changes have been made which
should be known to all who are interested
in the subject. Copies of the publications,
containing the reports of the December,
1909, and the February, 1910, meetings
held in the Masonic Temple, Chicago, may
be had on application to the secretary,
Mr. A. Kline, 841 N. soth court, Chicago.
At the annual stockholder's meeting
of the King-Lawson Car Company, re-
cently held at the offices of the company
at Middletown, Pa., the following direc-
tors were elected for the ensuing year :
Messrs, Thomas Lawson, G. C. Draper,
Edward Bailey, Harold C. Hansen, Paul
A. Kunkel, Arthur King, Howard W.
Bible. At the director's meeting, called
immediately after the adjournment of the
stockholder's meeting, the following of-
ficers were chosen for 1910: President
and general manager, Mr. Thomas Law-
son ; vice-president, Mr. Howard W.
Bible ; treasurer, Mr. Harold C. Hansen ;
Secretary, Mr. Paul A. Kunkel.
The J. M. Packing Expert is a breezy
four-page circular issued by the H. W.
Johns-Manville Co., Cleveland, Ohio,
and will appear monthly. It should be
gladly welcomed by all interested in
the use of asbestos packing in high
steam pressure. The apt quotations
from Shakespeare with which the cir-
cular closes are not only complimen-
tary to the marvellous genius of the
Bard of Avon, but illustr.ite the fine
eye that the accomplished editor has
for apt texts conveying truths that, like
the packing referred to, are everlasting.
Send for a copy either to the Cleveland
or the New York office.
Plain to Be Seen.
A Denver man whn vi^ite<l the museum
at City Park recently tells of a farmer he
saw there. The ruralist stepped in front
of a portrait which showed a man sitting
in a high-backed chair. There was a small
white card on the picture reading :
"A portrait of E. H. Smith, by him-
jelf."
The farmer read the card and then
chuckled to himself.
"Regular fools these city fellers are," he
said. "Anybody who looks at that picture
"ud know Smith's by himself. They ain't
no one in the paintin' with him."
RAILWAY AN'D LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
March, 19 lO.
CARS, CABS, SHOPS
ROUNDHOUSES
require a roofing that
is unaffected by ex-
tremes of temperature
RUBEROID
ROOFING
Reel*
U.S.
Will not melt, rot, crack or
corrode. Contains no tar.
Outlasts Mttal
SPARK PROOF, CINDER PROOF,
QAS PROOF, WEATHER PROOF
Write for »mmple«. prlc«« and booklet Mo. M.
THE STANDARD PAINT CO.
I 00 William Street New York
Cblcaco. PMladelphla, BoetoD. Kaniaa Oltj.
Urmpble. Atlaota.
"HOMESTEAD"
VALVES
Are constructed upon mechanically cor-
rect principles — they are leak pr©of undei
•team, air or hydraulic pressures. The;
are practically indestructible because the
•eats are protected from wear. The plug
!• balancea and held in place by pressure
when open, and when closed it is locked
on the seat by our patent wedging cam.
"Homestead" \ alves are the quickest acting,
simplest, most easily operated and longest
liTcd of any made.
Homestead Valves are opened wide and
closed tight by a quarter turn.
LOCOMOTIVE BLoW-OFF
Write for catalogue of Homestead Go»da.
HOMESTEAD VALVE M'F'G CO.
Brass Founder! Works at Homestead, Pa.
P. O. Box 1754, PITTSBURG, PA.
DUNER
CAR CLOSETS
DUNER CO.
On May I the Dearborn Drug and
Chemical Works will move their general
offices and chemical laboratories from the
Postal Telegraph Building to the new
McCormick Building, on Michigan ave-
nue and Van Buren street, Chicago. The
extensive growth of this business has
made necessary this removal. The gen-
eral offices and laboratories will occupy
the greater portion of the top floor of
one of the finest office buildings in Chi-
cage. The Dearborn company will have
the entire frontage on Michigan avenue
for their office and laboratories, with a
total floor space of more than 5,000 sq. ft.
The company extends a cordial invita-
tion to old and new friends to visit them
at their new headquarters. At no place
in Chicago can a better view of the city
and Lake Michigan be had. Valuable in-
formation may also be obtained, pertain-
ing to the successful treatment of boiler
feed waters. This company's system is
well worthy of investigation and anyone
interested should write direct to the
manufacturers if they are unable to visit
the new and commodious quarters of the
Dearborn Company.
A recent press dispatch from Bing-
hamton, N. Y., says: "Three men -were
under arrest today charged with grand
larceny in stealing an Erie Railroad
bridge. The bridge was a small three-
ton structure over a creek. It had re-
cently been replaced by a heavier one
and was placed alongside the tracks.
When the construction train arrived
this morning to remove the structure it
was not to be found. An investigation
resulted in the discovery that it had
been disposed of to a junk man for $3
and three drinks."
Graphite as a Lubricant.
The Joseph Dixon Crucible Company,
of Jersey City, N. J., announce the publi-
cation of "Graphite as a Lubricant,"
eleventh edition. This is just oflf the
press, being the edition for 1910. Every
two or three years the Di.xon Company
republish this pamphlet, which has be-
come a standard work with them. Each
new edition is thoroughly revised and
brought fully to date. The present edi-
tion is more compact than its predecessor,
the idea being to concentrate the informa-
tion into convenient form.
The power house engineer and indeed
others who have the care of engines or
machinery will find the newest edition
of considerable value. It deals especially
with the lubrication and the treatment of
power house machinery. The appearance
of this last edition is good, and big read-
able type with liberal margins are used
throughout the sixty-four pages of the
book. It is easy to read and worth read-
ing. A free copy of this eleventh edition
of "Graphite as a Lubricant," will be sent
to anyone interested in machinery
and better lubrication. Address Joseph
Dixon Crucible Company, Jersey City,
N.J.
Tests were made last month of a street
car driven by a storage battery which
Thomas A. Edison has been working on
for several years. The iridications are
that Mr. Edison has at last solved the
problem of producing a storage battery
which will compete economically with the
dynamo current. Mr. Edison believes that
the storage battery will revolutionize auto-
mobile and street car traffic.
Sudden Railroad Sociability.
"Speaking about the sociability of rail-
road traveling," said Robert Burdette,
"I never got so well acquainted with the
passengers on a train as I did the other
day on the Milwaukee and Burlington
Railroad. We were going at the rate of
about thirty miles an hour, and another
train from the other direction rushed into
our arms. We were all thrown intimately
into each other's society and brought into
immediate social contact so to speak.
"I went over and sat down in the
lap of a corpulent lady from Montreal
and a girl from Minneapolis jumped over
nine seats and sat down upon the plug
hat of a preacher from Kenosha, with
so much timid girlish enthusiasm that it
shoved the hat clear down over his
shoulders.
"Everybody seemed to lay aside the
usual cool reserve of strangers, and we
made ourselves entirely at home.
"A shy young man with an emaciated
oil cloth valise left his seat and went
over and sat down in the lunch basked
where a bridal couple were wrestling
with their first picnic. Do you suppose
that reticent young man, had he been at
a celebration at home, would have dashed
impetuously betw-een two strangers and
sat down on a plate of cranberry jelly?
"Why, one young man who probably
led the class meeting at home and wai
as dignified as Champ Clark, was eating
a piece of custard pie when we met the
other train, and he left his own seat and
went over to the front end of the car and
stabbed that piece of custard pie into the
ear of a young and beautiful widow from
Nebraska.
"People traveling somehow at times
forget the austerity of their home lives
and form close acquaintances that some-
times last through life."
If you really want to know the import-
ant improvements that have been made by
the Detroit Lubricating Company in
pressed steel or brass grease cups, send
for their latest illuminated circular on the
subject. These grease cups drawn from
March. 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE EXGIXEERIXG.
TOOL
Die Blocks
Steel Forgings
First Prize awarded at the Loui-
siana Purchase Exposition, at St.
Louis, for our TOOL STEEL
when placed in competition with
the best makes in England and
Germany.
Write l*r laUnnallon and Prices.
Specify Mclanes Tool Steel wl>en
ordering.
McINNES
STEEL CO.
CORRY, PA.
•OKROCK k BQinBES.
191 Pe^I St.. Kew Tark.
SOT MACHZKEBT 00..
Klsaeapolll, Uiaa.
STANDARD MECHANICAL BDOKS
FOR ROAD AND SHOP MEN
BY CHAS. McSHANE.
The Locomotive Up to Date
Price, $2.SO
New York and
Westinghouse Air Brakes
Price, SI.SO
One Thousand Pointers for
Machinists and Engineers
Price, »I.SO
All baoka bound In line cloth
ktJtttTH WANT«D .f»rTwli»r., wrIU far
uraii tod dMf-rlptlTe rlrrultra. Will be
aaal prayild to aaj adilrna apoa raetitt
GRirrilN &WIINT&RS
171 La S«IU street, CHICAGO
rolled sheet metal, possess many distinct
qualifications of durability and efficiency.
They arc especially adapted for hard ser-
vice in exposed places. The stems can-
not twist or break off.
llie young women known in this coun-
try as typewriters, after the machine they
operate, are a useful, industrious class and
deserve encouragement. Under the cir-
cumstance what are we going to say to the
\ew York Times which has suggested
calling them "dactylographers" ?
Recent types of arc lamps and their
operation are ably described by Mr. C.
E. Stephens and published as Circular No.
1506 by the Westinghouse Electric and
Manufacturing Company, Pittsburgh, Pa.
The subject is full of interest. The emis-
sion of light from the incandescent crater
of the positive carbon is full of mystery
to the ordinary beholder. The care of
the mechanism, and the trimming and
caring for the lamps, has developed into
a craft or occupation by itself, and the
average machinist is as far removed from
a knowledge of these things as the torch
bearers of the tenth century were. Send
for a copy of the circular and learn some-
thing new and full of illuminating in-
terest
School of Telegraphy.
The Pennsylvania Railroad have just
completed the installation of additional
machines for higher instruction, in con-
nection with their School of Telegraphy
at Bedford, Pa. In addition, a library of
text books on electricity in all of its
branches has been opened for the benefit
of the students of telegraphy. When the
Bedford school was first opened, exten
sions of the company's own telegraph
wires were run through the class room.
to give the students an opportunity of
handling practical railroad messages. In
addition, there was installed a miniature
railroad, equipped with block signals, for
explaining the block signal system. The
latest innovation to be placed in the
school is an automatic sending machine,
with a transmitter that can be .>ict at any
speed. This machine is used to teach the
students to receive messages, and as it
transmits at a uniform speed, it is prov-
ing of great advantage.
Since the Bedford school was opened
in September, 1907, there have been 234
students enrolled. Of this number 126
have graduated and arc now employed as
IrlcRraphcrs. All gradnates are offercil
positions on the Pennsylvania Railroad
An old woman was profuse in her grati-
lude to a magi'^tratc who had dismissed
a charge brought agaiii't her.
"I thought yoti wouldn't be 'arH on me
vour worship." she remarked, as she left
the dock ; "I know 'ow often a kind 'art
beats br'ind a ugly face!"— Ti>-fli7.f.
One Year and
Eleven Months'
SERVICE
WITHOUT REPACKING. ON
High-Pressure Locomotives
stylo 300 TV.
A throttle failure is an absolute
impossibility where Cran-
dall's Throttle Valve pack-
ing is used.
IT WILL NOT BLOW OUT
Crandall Packing Co.
FAOTORY AND OBNBRAL OFnOB
PALMYRA. - NEW YORK
BBANCHBS
N»w York OleTelaBd
ll« Ub«rtT 8t. » 80. Water St.
Ohicafe
U Weat WathlDgtoo St.
MICA
Caboose Lamp Chimneys
Save 50 per cent.
STORRS MICA CO.,
R. R. Depl. owl 00, N. V.
Patents.
GEO. P. WHITTLKSBY
Mcaii.i. iiuii.niNO WASHiNaTON. n. c.
Tarma tteaaonable Pamphlet Sent
RAILWAY AXD LOCOMOTIVE EXGINEERLXG.
March, igio.
WATTERS A.B.C.TRACK SANDERS
Only two pieces. No repairsi
For sale by
J. H. WAnERS, Asst. H. M. Ga. R.R., Augusta, Ga.
TRADE I I ^^ MARK
INFALLIBLE
METAL POLISH
REGISTERED IN U.S.PATENT OFFICE
FOR ALL KINDS OF METAL
BMt, Gbeapeat mat «kwa r«rt>m
SBND FOR PnCE!SAMPLE. AODRISS
Lgenti
Nuitti GEO W. HOFFMAN Mir
inDI«N*POLIS, IND.
A BORING TOOL
like this Is AI.WATS readj for
UBe. It needs no forelnc or tem-
perlnv and Bares 70 per cent, of Qrlodlns and 90
per cent, of Tool Steel used In Forged Tools.
Patented March 12, 1885.
Writt for Catalog
lis N. FraDciac* Are.
Holder People"
Chieaca, V. S. A.
Portable Valve Seat
Rotary Planer
For truing up worn locomotive valve
seats. Built in six sizes. Operated
by hand or power. Catalogue?
H. B. UNDERWOOD & CO.
1023 Hamilton Street
Philadelphia, Pa.
The leaders of the French revolution
were fairly representative politicians who
had no sympathy with science or learning.
The science of chemistry was growing
but the revolutionists guillotined An-
toine Laurent Lavoisier with the shout,
"The Republic has no need of chemistry,"
a sentiment that represented the height of
ignorance and brutality.
Broad Views of Learning.
A famous instructor of science said :
A good citizen of the world must be a
man of large sympathies. Though color
Mind he must have common feeling with
painters, and if tone deaf, the works of
musical composers must not be without
interest to him. And through it all, it
must not be forgotten that distinction is
a noun of limited number. The time
may come when they who know as much
mathematics as Newton shall be counted
by scores. The time has come when they
who know as much geometry as Euclid
are to be counted by thousands ; and they
who know as much chemistry as Dalton
by tens of thousands. But we are as
badly in want of Newtons, EuClids and
Daltons as ever.
It is the conviction of those whose
opinions of today will count as truisms
tomorrow, that as far as opportunities
are consumed, the education of one
should be the education of all.
A recent press dispatch from Pitts-
burgh states that the Pennsylvania Rail
road have placed an order with the Bald-
win Locomotive Works for fifty locomo-
tives. For several months the company
have been working on a number of large
freight engines in their shops at Altoona.
and with the increasing demand for mo-
tive power the company found that it
was impossible to turn out a sufficient
number of passenger engines to keep the
supply up to the standard. It is on ac-
count of this, it is said, the road was
compelled to enter the market for addi-
tional motive power.
Sterling.
Sterling means having a standard value
established by the British. Gold and silver
ive spoken of as sterling — meaning stand-
ard quality. The name comes from East-
phalian traders whose name English mer-
chants distorted into Easterlings. These
people were such skilful craftsmen that
numbers of them were invited to England
to manufacture the coin of the realm.
They were known as "easterlings," and in
lime the word became contracted to
"sterling." In this contracted form the
word has come to imply what is genuine
in money, plate or character.
Nature's Work.
Things hadn't turned out too well
with their love aflfair. The fatal word
bad just been spoken as he stood re-
jected. The mittened stood respect-
fully before her, listening to her elabo-
rate explanations of her decision. Be-
low, the smooth waters of Lake Chau-
tauqua rested in awesome wonder. "I
trust I have made myself sufficiently
plain," she exclaimed. "You are all
that" he answered sadly, "but it's only
fair to give nature the credit for what
she's made you."
"lANG'S" S"
LARGEST CUn[R BIGGEST CUTS
Triangrular Cutter Takes Same Cuti
as solid forged tools.
G. R. LANG 6 CoTweadville, Pa.
Model Locomotives and Castings
Special Models Built to Order
Send 4 cents in stamps for catalogue.
A. S. CAMPBELL
557 Hendrix St. Brooklyn, N. Y.
TURNTABLES
Philadelphia Turntable Co.
PHILADELPHIA, PA.
CHICAGO: ST. LOUIS I
Marquette Bids. Coromonwealth Trust Bld(
Nichols Transfer Tables
Turntable Tractors
GEO. P. NICHOLS & BRO.
1090 Old Colony Bldg. CHICAGO
AldonCarReplacers
Had engine 1020 off at Benton, engine and
tank both being on the ties. Will say for your
information that I used Aldon frogs and put it
on track first pull. — Extract from Wrecking
Master's Reports.
THE ALDON CO.
965 Monadnock CHICAGO, ILL.
MTOIM
POPVALVES AND GAGES
The Quality Goods that Last
The Ashton Valve Co.
271 Franklin Street, Boiton. Maai.
174 Lake Street. . Chicago, III.
20lliCenturyLoconiotives
NOW $2.00
Angus Sinclair Co. ''L^l'VoV
Rl|!S!SX.v»En$ineerini
A Practical Journal of Motive Power, Rolling Stock and Appliances
V«L XXIII.
114 Liberty Street. New York, April, 1910.
No. 4
Knoxville-New Line, Double Track
Our frontispiece illustration this month
gives an excellent idea of the double
track line on the Southern Railway. The
photograph from which our engraving
was made was taken near the i i8th mile
--:• and shows the section of double
curvature have been eliminated. Putting
this another way, a train passing over
the old single track before the im-
provements were undertaken would
have gone round curves equivalent to
one-and-a-fifth complete turns which
it docs not Ii.-ivc tn (1,1 on tlie new
the mile, this latter is called a i per cent,
grade. The train tonnage has by this
means been increased by about 200 tons.
A feature of the new work has been the
elimination of most of the open spaces
or breaks in the track. These have been
closed up by the building of reinforced
•I'THERN RAFLWAV IMf-KOVRMKNTS. DOUHI.K TRACK AT MIl.lACiK
»i;twi;kn k.so.wti.i.k am> m:w i.ini:, tknn.
track weit of that point. The distance
from Knoxville to New Line, Tcnn., was
about 30I/1 miles, but in the work of pro-
viding the second track the mileage was
•tightly reduced, grades were cut down,
curve* made easier and many eliminated
altogether. In fart about 4.16 degrees of
alignment. The difficulty of pulling a
train round a curve is too well known
to our readers to re(|uirc any explana-
tion here.
Formerly the curves were 6 dcgs. but
these have been reduced to 5 degs. and
grades from about 77 ft. to 52.8 ft. tn
concrete arches, as shown in one of our
sni.'illcr half-tone engravings. These
arches have the advantage of allowing the
rrgul.'ir ballast road-bed to be carried
along in one unbroken sweep of double
track road.
.\ new plair girder sicci bri<lgc has
136
RAILWAY AXD LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
April, 1910.
been built over the Holston River near
Strawberry Plains, Tcnn. Our illustra-
tion shows the new and old structures
side by side. The bridge rests on con-
crete abutments and concrete piers.
Nine of the spans are !00 ft.
Tractive Power Analyzed.
Bv Geo. S. Modgi.\s.
.At first sight there seems to be very
little analogy between the way a loco-
nintivi- ciisiiK- moves :ilonjj the track and
|H
■■■
^^^B
Ul^S^^^iw^
^- B
NEW AXD OLD HOLSTON RIVER BRIDGES .\T STR.WVBERRV PLAINS. TENN.
long while the channel span is
1^5 ft. long and is a through span
while the others are deck girders.
At many of the public' highways, level
crossings have been done away with.
Concrete arches have been used and nine
bridges over as many streams have been
replaced by concrete.
The work of double tracking, grade
reduction, curve elimination was carried
on without the interruption of the heavy
traffic of the road. Several high bluflfs of
solid rock were cut down along the line
of the existing road for the purpose of
laying the second track. This work was
done without any serious accident, al-
though trains on the Southern Railway
were constantly passing and repassing. .\t
some places the existing track had to be
raised 9 ft. to bring it up to the new level
Mr. W. B. Crenshaw, principal assistant
engineer, was in charge of the work. \\\
are indebted to Mr. H. B. Spencer, vice
president of the Southern Railway, fm
the photographs from which our halt
tone illustrations are made.
that of a man rowing in a boat. The en-
gine progresses owing to the revolution
of its driving wheels while the man in
the boat "tugs at the weary oar." The
oar. however, is a lever of the second-
center of the blade, is 3 times the dis-
tance from the rowlock to the man's
hand. It is readily seen that the ful-
crum is at the end of the oar, by supposing
that the man rows close to land, and puts
the blade against a stone on shore. In
this case there is no slip to the blade as
there has been in the water. The arm of the
power is from rower's hand to the blade,
taken as 4, and the arm of the resistance
is from blade to rowlock, taken as 3. The
pressure on the rowlock is what causes
the boat to move. Let us further suppose
that the rower exerts a pull of .25 lbs. on
the handle of the oar while drawing it
toward him. He also exerts a push of
25 lbs. on the boat where his heels touch
the foot rest. He therefore gives a pull
forward of 25 lbs. on the oar and this
gives a pressure of 33J-3 lbs. at the ful-
crum. The pressure on the rowlock in
one direction is the sum of these, or 58^
lbs. The pressure to retard motion is 25
lbs. and comes from the man's heels on
the bottom of the boat. The pressure
used to drive the boat ahead is therefore
3^14 lbs. applied at the rowlock. This ex-
plains the lever of the second class.
With these facts in mind let us glance
at the formula for calculating the maxi-
mum tractive effort of a locomotive. It is
of course the diameter of the cylinders
squared, multiplied by the stroke, multi-
plied by the mean effective pressure in
pounds, the whole divided by the diameter
of the driving wheels, all space dii-
sions in inches. This statement c
tractive eft'ort formula, while quite
More Men Eligible.
-At the beginning of this year, 165.000
railroad employees were added to the
500,000 in this country to whom pension
plans already apply. This large increase
is due to the action of the New York
Central and Rock Island Lines, which
have installed pension departments.
CONXRETE ARCH 0\'ER HIGHWAY, SOUTHERX RAILWAY.
class with power applied at the handle,
resistance applied at the rowlock and the
fulcrum is in the water where the blade
dips below the surface.
For example let us suppose that the
oar. measured from the rowlock to the
rect, yet entirely obscures the origin of
the formula and the method of reasoning
employed. The formula in its more ex-
tended form may be stated thus : Area of
cylinder multiplied by twice the stroke
(for one revolution of the wheel), mul-
April, igio.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE EN'GLVEERIXG.
137
tiplied by the mean effective, or average
pressure in the cylinders, multiplied by 2,
tor the two engines of a locomotive, the
whole divided by the circumference of the
driving wheel, because the force de-
-•2-" -3-- - -2-
INfAGINARY DL\GRAM OF TR.\CTU E EFFORT
veloped in two strokes of two cylinders is
distributed over a distance equal to the
circumference of the driving wheel. This
put in the form of an equation stands as
follows :
d' X .7854 X 2S X MEP X 2
T =
D X 31416
It will be observed that the figures all
cancel out and leave the letters which
gives the formula in its shorter or usual
form.
Taking as an example a simple engine
with cylinders 20x24 ins., driving wheels
■•> ins., in diameter, and 200 lbs. boiler
ressure. This engine will have a cal-
ilatcd maximum tractive effort of 27,-
- X) lbs. Either statement of the fer-
ula gives the same result, but it will be
bservcd that the long formula shows
•AO piston strokes on each side or four
strokes in alL Each stroke is 2 ft. long
so that the total piston movement ac-
■ junted for, is 8 ft. long. A piston stroke
I 8 ft. produces one revolution of the
-iving wheel 60 ins. in diameter. Thus
c 8- ft stroke causes a movement of the
ngine 15.708 ft. along the track.
Suppose now we concentrate all the
cylinders on one side of the engine and
make one, 20 ins. in diameter and 96 ins.
stroke. Taking the mean effective pres-
26^ tons. This pressure acting through
8 ft. does +27,257.6 foot-pounds of work.
We know from the diameter of the driv-
ing wheel that the engine moves forward
15.708 ft. We have therefore 427,257.6
BEAM ENGINE, SAME FROPORTIONS.
•ure at 85 per cent, of the l)oiler pres-
lure, according to the Master Mechanics'
Afsociation practice, we have what might
be called a horizontal pillar of steam at
170 Ibt. to the square inch, pushing the
piiton through 96 inf. This gives a pre»-
iure on the piston of 5J407 2 lt<». or nearly
foot-pounds acting through 15.708 ft. and
this gives a pressure of 27,200 lbs. which
is the calculated maximum tractive
power of the engine.
This same reasoning would hold good
for a beam engine in a steamboat. A
cylinder 4 ft. long and 20 ins. diameter,
having a piston, acted on throughout a
double stroke by 170 lbs. of steam, would
in up and down strokes develop 427,-
257.6 foot-pounds of work, and if the
walking beam was so proportioned as to
cause the crank to describe a circle 60 ins.
in diameter, the pressure on the pin would
be 27,200 lbs. This analogy can be shown
to exist in the wheel and axle or indeed
any of the mechanical appliances, pro-
portioned so that 8 ft drive of the
power will produce 15.708 ft. motion of
the weight.
For the sake of illustration one might
suppose the 8- ft. cylinder to be- placed
on one side of the locomotive with butt-
end of connecting rod fastened to a
crank pin at the upper end of a lever, so
proportioned, that an 8-ft. motion of the
upper end would produce a swing of
15.708 ft. at the lower end. Such a lever
may be supposed to turn about some con-
venient point and the other end of the
lever to rest against one of the ties in
the track. This lever will impart exactly
the same motion to the engine that the
20 X 24-in. cylinder and the 6o-in. wheel
do now. The proportions of this
imaginary lever have nothing to do with
the distance of the crank pin from the
rail, nor with the distance the center of
the axle is above the rail.
The reason for this is that no other pro-
portions of lever except our imaginary
lever will give the required motion of en-
gine for this push of piston. Regarding
the wheel as a lever with fulcrum on the
rail is correct enough for certain cal-
culation!!, but in the case before us the
whole problem is practically one of ef-
ficiency. We put certain work into the
machine, represented by the horizontal
pillar of steam and we so proportion the
machine as to make a definite advance
with the stated number of foot-pounds.
In this consideration of the matter the
friction of the machine itself has been
disregarded for the sake of simplicity, and
the imaginary lever has been introduced
for the same reason.
The tractive power formula does not
take any direct notice of the position of
the crank pin within the circumference
of the wheel. The length of stroke, how-
ever, is one of the factors in the for-
mula. The length of the stroke is oi
course intimately related to the position
of the pin, but the real object of the cal-
culation is to establish an equation be-
tween the work put into the machine and
the work derived from the machine. If
one may say so, the horizontal pillar of
steam made up of pressure and dis-
tance is really the numerator of the frac-
tion in the longer formula. The circum-
ference of the driving wheel or the dis-
tance moved by the engine in one revolu-
tion is the denominator. This is distance
,/'^ci.;^,agi75"
y ■,_ « — ^
DIAr.KA.M OF WHEEL AND AXLE.
only, so that solving or working out the
traction gives us the other factor which is
pressure, or tractive effort, or draw bar
pull in pounds.
Heating Power of Wood.
Government reports arc the dullest
kind of reading, but there is an occa-
sional line or two that redeems pages
that arc flat, stale and unprofitable.
The following is worth reading: "The
greatest heating power is possessed by
the wood f>f the linden tree, which is
very soft. Fir is next and almost equal
t<i linden. Then pine, while hard oak
.ind other hard woods possess more
than 10 per cent. less heating capacity
than linden."
138
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERL\G.
April, 1910.
Baldwin Mallet for the Galveston, Harrisburg ® San Antonio Ry.
The Baldwin Loconiolivc Works have
recently completed twelve Mallet loco-
motives for the Associated, or Harriman
Lines. These engines are in service on
the Galveston, Harrisburg and San An-
tonio Railway, part of the Southern
Pacific System. They have been designed
in accordance with Associated Lines'
standards, and are similar in many re-
spects to the consolidation Mallet engines
built last year for the Southern Pacific
Company. The new locomotives exert a
tractive force of 64,700 lbs., and are of
comparatively moderate size for an en-
gine of this type. The weight is dis-
tributed over a wheel base of 44 ft. 10 ins.,
and the average load on each pair of
drivers is about 45,000 lbs. The ratio of
adhesion is 4.1.
The boiler is straight topped, and is
equipped for oil burning. TTie separable
joint, feed-water heater and internal com-
bustion chamber are omitted in tliis de-
passcd through a rcheater. This device
is similar in arrangement to a Baldwin
superheater. The deflecting plate is
cylindrical in shape, and is placed in a
horizontal position, between the two sec-
tions of the reheater. It is closed at the
back by a conical extension, but is open
in front. The stack has a downward ex-
tension, communicating with the space
enclosed by the deflecting plate. The
gases circulate among the superheater
tubes, and on reaching the front end of
the smoke box, flowback, inside the
cylindrical deflector, and so escape up the
stack. This arrangement is intended to
be self cleaning, and we believe has
proved satisfactory. The steam leaves
the reheater at the back end, and is then
conveyed to the low pressure steam
chests through a flexible pipe. The gen-
eral arrangement of the steam and ex-
haust piping is similar to that used on the
consolidation Mallets above referred to.
engine and tender trucks are equipped
with rolled steel wheels, manufactured by
the Standard Steel Works Co. of Phila-
■delphia. These engines embody a large
number of common standard details, and
may be described as small editions of the
consolidation Mallet locomotives now in
service on the Southern Pacific system.
The successful work done by those en-
gines argues well for the performance of
the new locomotives, one of which is
here illustrated. Some of the principal
dimensions are given below.
Cylinders, 21I/2 ins. and 33 ins. x 30 ins.
Valves, balanced piston.
Boiler — Type, straight; material, steel; diameter,
74 ins.; thickness of sheets, 2 3/32 ins;
working pressure, 200 lbs.
Firebox — Material, steel; length, 116^ ins.;
width, 66 ins.; depth, front, 72 ins.; back,
64 ins.; thickness of sheets, sides, J^ in.;
back, ^ in.; crown, ^ in.; tube, }4 in.
Water Space — 5 ins. all around.
Tubes — Material, iron; thickness, 0.125 ins.;
number, 301; diameter, 2% ins.; length,
21 ft. o ins.
Heating Surface — Firebox, 198 sq. ft.; tubes,
3,708 sq. ft.; total, 3,906 sq. ft.; grate area.
GALVESTON, HARRISBURG & SAN ANTONH;
J. J. Ryan, Superintendent of Motive Power.
MALLET EXGIXi:,
Bald«
Works, Builders.
sign. The tubes are 21 ft. in length, and
are liberally spaced, with bridges % in.
wide. The fire-box crown is flat, and is
stayed by inverted T-bars hung on ex-
pansion links. Flexible staybolts, to the
number of 439, are disposed as follows :
In the throat and back head, they are
confined to the two outside rows all
around, the lower horizontal rows ex-
cepted ; and in each side sheet they are in
the three upper horizontal rows, and the
two outside vertical rows at the front
and back. The remaining bolts are placed
in the sides, at the upper and lower cor-
ners. The boiler details have been
worked out in accordance with Associ-
ated Lines' practice.
The steam dome is placed immediately
above the high pressure cylinders, and
steam is conveyed from the throttle to the
high pressure steam chests through exter-
nal pipes. The high pressure exhaust is
then conveyed, by means of horizontal
pipes, to the smoke box, where it is
The steam distribution to all the cylin-
ders is controlled by 13-in. piston valves,
which are duplicates of one another, and
are set with a lead of S-16 ins. The re-
verse shafts are connected by a jointed
reach rod, placed on the center line. The
spring rigging is arranged with yokes
over the boxes of the leading drivers. A
leaf spring is suspended, in a transverse
position, from these yokes; and in this
spring rests the back end of the forward
equalizer. The second and third pairs of
drivers in the rear group are also ar-
ranged with yokes over the boxes, and
the frames are supported on intermediate
leaf springs. The b.:ck truck is side bear-
ing, and is equalized with the drivers.
The frames, articulated connection, and
waist bearers are designed in accordance
with the latest practice of the builders,
and are similar to the corresponding parts
used on the consolidation Mallets.
The tender is of the Associated Lines
standard type with rectangular tank. The
53.4 sq. ft Engine equipped with Baldwin
smoke-box superheater; superheating sur-
face, 512 sq. ft.
Driving Wheels — Diameter, outside, 57 ins.;
journals, main, 10 ins. x 12 ins.; others,
Q ins. X 12 ins.
Engine Truck Wheels — Diameter — , 30^ ins.;
journals, 6 ins. x 10 ins.
Wheel Base — Driving, 29 ft. 4 ins.; rigid, 10
ft. o ins.; total engine, 44 ft. 10 ins.; total
engine and tender, 71 ft. 9 ins.
Weight, estimated — On driving wheels, 266,000
lbs.; on truck, front, 22,000 lbs.; back,
22,000 lbs.; total engine, 310,000 lbs.; to-
tal, engine and tender, about 480.000 lbs.
Tender — Wheels, diameter, 33 ins.; journals, 6
ins. X II ins.; tank capacity, water, 9,000
gals.; fuel capacity, oil, 2,850 gals.; service,
freight.
Convenient Pickling Vat.
Lye vats, pickling tanks or "dope"
tubs — under whatever name they may
be known in locomotive repair shops —
are generally something of a nuisance.
The nuisance may be mitigated by the
location of the tubs at a distance from
the place where other locomotive re-
pairs are carried on, or by such a form
of construction that the objectionable
features are reduced to a minimum.
April, 1910.
RAILWAY A\D LOCOMOTIVE EiNGLNEERING
139-
The former method entails some ex-
pense in the matter of the time con-
sumed in the taking of the parts to and
from the place where other work is to
be done upon them. The second
method usually implies an arrangement
under which the steam and lye fumes
from the pickling vat are endured and
absorbed by the men, but not in a spirit
of satisfaction.
In the equipment of the new locomo-
tive shops of the St. Louis & San Fran-
cisco Railroad at Springfield, Mo., a
new arrangement, for which credit
should be given to the motive power
department and to the .\rnold Com-
pany, has been designed and installed,
and it is one which seems worthy of
special mention. On account of the
construction of the tank and the ar-
rangements for taking care of the steam
and lye fumes, it has been possible to
place the lye vat where it is most
serviceable and Where the smallest
amount of time and labor is required
to make its operation available.
The tank and its location with refer-
ence to the work of the shop are shown
in our engravings. In these shops, as
is customary, the locomotive repair
tracks occupy the bay on one side of
the building, the machinery is on the
opposite side, and the miscellaneous
work on driving wheels and tires is
done in the middle bay. The pickling
tank is located near one end of fhis
middle bay.
The tank is built of concrete with a
The tank covers are made of steel in
sections and they are handled by the
overhead crane which serves the cen-
tral bay. .At one end of the Ivc tank
made with the continuous passage thus
formed on all four sides by a pipe run-
ning under the floor and up through
one i.t the supporting roof columns to
\ INI II. AI 1:11 l.Vl. \ .\r, IKl.-^l I
is tlie washing tank ;ind there are near-
by hose connections with the water
supply.
The most interesting point in the
CI nstruclion of this type vat is the ar-
rangcn.ent for carrying away the steam
;ind fun.cs which ,ire ordinarily the ob-
.-Ihil':
M'RIXi,Ifi:i.|i. Ml
vikW Oh SPKIM.KItl.K SHOI
curb extending 18 ins. above the level
of the floor, which for some distance
around the tank, i» of concrete ilop-
inR toward the tank. Thii tpacc i*
u»ed for such purposes a« require ■
fire, duch a* lettinflr and removinK tirci
jcctionabic features of thia pari ui !■""
motive repair shop operations. In lli<-
concrete walls of the tank, just below
the upper edge, is set a row of hollow
lilrs with occasional openings into ihr
inlrrinr of the tank, and ronncclioii it
a fan chamber and fan located upon the
gallery. The discharge duct from the
fan leads to the roof. The complete-
ness of the suction is such that even
when the covers of the tank are re-
moved most of the steam from the vat
is taken up the ventilator and very lit-
tle of it escapes into the shop, and
when the covers are in place neither
^ii-ani nor fumes are observable.
The washing pit is also built of con-
Tcte and has a grating floor about 5 ft.
l.ilow the top of the curb. Under-
in .itli this grating is a sludge pit about
. II. (kep below the grate. When loco-
p rjiive wheels or other parts arc re-
iMived from the lye vats they are ini-
nicdi.ilely swung by the traveling crane
into the washing pit. The water and
' ilier matter passes down through the
Kiaiiiig and falls into the sliulgc pit.
.As often as may be necessary the grat-
ing is lifted and the accumulation in
the sludge pit removed by means of a
(.•r.il) bucket carried by the overhead
I 1 .-inc.
Uy this arrangement most of the ob-
jcrlionable features of the lye tank are
Kiiiiivrd and the time and labor con-
".Mireil in conveying driving wheels and
nihcr parts to an outside pit arc saved.
The Ive tank is 30 by ID ft., and the
^ Milling tank in ft. square.
Incidenlally, the engraving showing
(111- lyr tank and washing tank in the
forr«riinn<l shows also another admir-
able feature of the equipment of these
shops. This is in the manner of ar-
ranging the motor brackets. The gat-
|c ry underneath the tr;iveling crane pro-
140
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
April, 1910.
jects some distance over the middle
bay, giving a sufficient overhang for
convenience in loading or unloading
material to be taken to or from the
gallery. This gives a space of some 4
ft. between the columns and the edge
of the gallery, and in this space at a
uniform height the motor brackets are
placed, the outer edges of the brackets
are suspended from the gallery and the
inner edges are bolted to the columns.
This plan is followed throughout the
plant. Before erection all columns
were punched uniformly for the bracket
bolt holes and the brackets may be
mounted upon the columns that stand
in the most convenient position. When-
ever it becomes necessary or con-
venient to erect other brackets or to
change the location of a motor, another
bracket may be erected upon any col-
umn or a bracket can be changed from
one column to another in a few min-
utes by the removal of six bolts and
their replacement after bracket and mo-
tor have been removed to the new posi-
tion. No further work of adjustment
is necessary.
Old Time Illinois Central Engine.
The old-time eight-wheel engine, here
illustrated, that belonged to the Illinois
Samuel J. Hayes had been one of the
Baltimore and Ohio pioneer master
mechanics and was considered among the
ablest mechanical engineer of his time.
This No. 4 coal burning locomotive may
well be regarded as representing the most
advanced practice of designing up to that
time, with spread truck providing for
level cylinders, driving wheels sufficiently
spread to give room for a fire box with
ample grate area, wagon top fire box well
raised, the boiler with barrel 57 inches
diameter and sand box in the middle.
A well designed link motion was em-
ployed, four-bar guides and the old
familiar pump operated from the cross-
head. The smoke stack which out dated
the diamond stack, was of rather ample
dimensions for coal burning and probably
was suitable for wood when coal was
scarce.
In working order the engine weighed
a little over 60,000 lbs .with 36,500 lbs. on
the drivers, which were 62^ ins. diameter.
The cylinders were 16 by 24 ins., a size
which continued standard for many a
day. There were 173 2-in. tubes, 11 ft.
4 ins. long providing 1,038 sq. ft. of heat-
ing surface. The fire box was 5 ft. by
345 < ins., the total heating surface having
been 1,191 sq. ft. These proportions are
considered good for a modern locomotive
Promising Employment to Scholars.
For some time past there has been great
difficulty inducing young men to make
connections with correspondence schools
or other institutions where practical in-
struction is given with a view of fitting so-
called graduates for superior positions in
railway and mechanical avocations. Some
of the concerns giving practical instruc-
tion have fallen into the habit of promis-
ing to obtain lucrative employment for
students who have remained a certain
time under instruction. In many cases
the managers of the various educational
establishments and systems have been un-
able to make their promises to find em-
ployment good, and the graduates have
been left lamenting.
We advise youths who have paid for
instruction under the promise that em-
ployment would be found for them, to
require a bond or legal document that
would help to collect damages when prom-
ises for finding employment are not made
good.
Not Considered Safe.
It is curious to know that what users
of slang would call the first "sure-enough"
railway in the world was laid between
Manchester and Liverpool in 1830. It
i
OLD TIME 4-4-0 ON THE ILLINOIS CENTR.JiL RAILRO.AD. DRAWING MADE BV il. N. FORNEY.
Central Railroad possesses several points
of interest that intelligent railroad men
will examine with keen appreciation. In
the first place the drawing of the engine
was made by Mathias N. Forney in 1863,
the draftsman who afterward became the
celebrated engineering journalist and no
doubt the designing was done in consulta-
tion vvitli Samuel J. Hayes, at that time
superiii lent of machinery of the Illinois
Central Railroad.
of this size and the heating surface was
considered unusually liberal.
That form of engine became very
popular and the proportions were imi-
tated by several contract locomotive
builders. In fact the general design be-
came a sort of standard and has been
called the "American" type.
We are indebted to Mr. W. O. Moody,
mechanical engineer of the Illinois Cen-
tral, for the photograph of the engine.
was twelve years later before the prudence
of British ministers of state would permit
their sovereign to travel by rail. Prince
Albert, the Queen's husband, traveled fre-
quently on the Great Western, and often
at a high rate of speed, though he would
sometimes say to the conductor, "Not
quite so fast next time, if you please."
But the first time Queen Victoria took a
railway trip was in 1842 on the anniver-
sary of tlie battle of Waterloo.
April. loio.
RAILWAY AXD LOCOMOTIVE EXGIXEERIXG.
General Correspondence
The General Foremen's Page.
Edit, r :
It is with much interest and pleasure
that I read the items on page 125 in the
March number of your valuable paper.
The first item, "System in Shop Repairs,"
should not be lost sight of. It is a good
one and is similar to methods in force on
Santa Fe system. The second item
amused me, as it is a fact that often we
picture, in our minds, the appearance of a
writer, and when we meet the man him-
self we find that our imaginary picture
is badly drawn. The addresses that have
been made by the worthy editor. Dr.
.\ngus Sinclair, at the General Foremen's
Conventions, have been instructive and
have assisted its members in organizing.
His many years of work and experience
makes him a valuable man as an honorary
member of the association.
"Ambition to Climb" is the third item,
and in it Brother E. F. Fay has covered
the topic well, and if our many foremen
all over the country would put this article
into practice, very little effort on the part
of the officers would be required to make
the organization the pride of all associa-
tions and a credit to its members. It
would then be looked upon by our su-
perior officers of the systems on which we
are employed, as necessary in the opera-
tion of their departments, and the associa-
tion would help us to gain the end for
which we and they are striving.
The plea for the women at the conven-
tion is the fourth item. Mr. Robert
Quaylc has made this subject plain. The
presence of the women in our convention
should help to encourage its members in
the determination that we will succeed.
"Building Up a Working System" is the
fifth item, and former President E. F. Fay
certainly has not lost sight of this ques-
tion, which is an important one It is
brought to my notice almost daily in the
operation of my department. It is a mat-
ter that is Itcing looked into by our su-
perior? more thoroughly each day. The
question as to the ability of the men in
our positions and the kind of working
S)s(em we are able to organize, and
whether or not it will lead up to a high
efficiency of economical methods of opera-
tion.
Your valuable paper furnishes its read-
ers with .1 great deal r,f tiiost useful in
struction that, if practiced, much good will
result I have l>cen a reader of Railway
AKo LoTDMoTivE Ekoinet.iii.st, for a num-
l»er of years and hope to still continue.
If you will he kind enough to advise me
of when my subscription is due I shall
remit the amount to you promptly. I sin-
cerely hope to meet Dr. .•Kngus Sinclair
at the convention of the General Fore-
men in Cincinnati, O., on May 3, 4, 5, 6
and ~ of this year. T. H. Ocden,
President Int. Ry. Gen. For. Assn.
Dodge City, Kaii.
[We are very much pleased to have this
communication from Mr. Ogden. The
items concerning tlie International Rail-
way General Foremen's .Association to
which he refers are to be found in our
Marcli issue, page 125. In the present
iiig weights and many times by forming
a ring and then pelting away at one an-
other till tile best man won, with no pil-
lows on our hands as are used today. Up
to the present time the writer has not been
defeated in some of these sports, namely
uiniiiing ,ind running, but he has been
v/orsted in some of the hard bouts, but
not always. 1 had a record for jumping
and running jump of 22 ft. 4 in. on the
ievcl.
Wlit-n the tocsin of war sounded and
i.r.r l:inu'iitf(I Lincoln called for men I
issue the reader is referred to page 166
for items concerning the association. We
give the committees, the subjects, time
and place of meeting and shop notes. —
liditor.J
Incidents in Early Railroad Days.
Editor :
In answer to your kind inquiry for
some of my old time reminiscences, let
me say briefly that I was born in Rich-
land County, Ohio, near Mansfield, on
Oct. 19, 1840. My parents came to Ohio
from Hagerstown, Md., by wagon in 1836.
They located near Mansfield in what was
then almost a dense forest; consequently
I know something of the hardships of
pioneer life. 1 grew to manhood amidst
the hardy folks of that time. At barn
raisings and log rollings and later on at
corn huskings and coimtry dances, it was
.-ibsolulely necessary to know who w.is
the iH-st man. Physically llial was lesl.il
by such feals as ruiitiing, jumpiiiK. I'ii
ai.swered to that call on Jist April, 1861,-
for 75,000 men to serve three months. It
is well known liosv far away the end of
the war was at the expiration of that
short term. Next 300,000 men were
called for and I again responded this
lime for three years, and I served in all
three years and three months. I came
home with an honorable discharge feeling
very much like the Irishman riding the
mule. 'Hie mule began kicking, as mules
will do, and finally got one of his hind
fi'ct in the stirrup. The Irishman said :
"By cripes, if yc want to get on I'll get
off."
On the 24th of March, 1865, I went rail-
roading. Now right here remember that
the young men who went railroading in
those days were just branded by the coun-
try people and others, as being simply
lost to all decent society. My parents,
sweetheart and old associates threw up
ihcir hanils in holy horror and predieled a
142
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
April, 1910.
hemp was growing for a noose around
my neck. But the good Lord has dealt
very kindly with me and I have gone
along down the line, now 45 years, and
see men of this profession occupying posi-
tions of honor in all walks of life. There
have been a great many articles written
and long records given, but few if any
have as long a continuous record on one
road. Nearly all of them have shifted
from Dan to Beersheba. I began on
March 24, 1865, on what was then the At-
lantic and Great Western, six foot gauge,
now a part of the great Erie system. I
started as brakeman. Those were the
days when conductors hired their own
brakemen and engineers hired their fire-
men and discharged them if they did not
suit.
Well, I was hired by conductor Polk
Palmer and on the day following left
tjalion, Ohio, on the first freight train
that left that terminal. The next terminal
was then Akron, Ohio, 81 miles further
on. We left Gallon at 2 p. m. the 25th
and arrived at Akron at 9.30 a. m. the
26th, and as we were the only train on the
road we were first out when we got to
Akron, but we did not get out for three
weeks. It was a very common occur-
rence in those days to order an engineer
to take a train out, without a conductor.
In fact all work trains were run without
conductors. The engineer was held re-
sponsible for the whole train. One trip
that I made may be interesting to your
readers. Engineer J. T. Pinkney was
ordered to pick up a crew and take twelve
empty box cars from Akron to Galion.
I was that crew. Now I had only made
one trip, but when he asked me about my
experience I was so anxious to get out, I
told him I was an old brakeman of the
Pennsylvania. Then he asked me what I
new about the whistle signals and I told
him that one blast of the whistle meant to
.set the brakes and two to let them off.
My examination was satisfactory and he
said I would do well. We got out of the
yard and the division had many long
grades and the track was new, no ballast,
and it was not good to let the train down
these grades too fast, so he would call
for brakes and I would crawl from one
car to another as fast as I could and of
course the brakes would not hold them
much so he would call again. Then back
1 went and let them all off as he had
whistled twice. See?
Well we got through some way or
other but I now look back and wonder
how it was done, because I did nothing.
This same engineer, J. T. Pinknej', took
a liking to me and in July of that year he
discharged his fireman at an intermediate
station and hired me. I fired for him two
years on freight and passenger. The
company was at that time running a wood
train, all engines burned wood then, and
that train, like all other work trains, was
in charge of engineer C. C. Green. As
I was the oldest fireman I was assigned
to that run and ran the engine practically
all the eight months. At the end of that
time, Jan. I, 1868, I was promoted to be
an engineer. I ran the yard engine one
week and then went out on the road, Jan.
8 being my first trip. Engine No. 64,
Rogers build, 18 x 20 in. cylinders, 5 ft.
driving wheel. She was then one of the
large engines of that day.
I pulled freight and work train up to
1878 when I did extra passenger work
until June, 1880. At that time I got a
regular passenger run and now I am clos-
ing up my 45th and last year of continu-
ous service on the same road. I never
had but one accident, and in that one, no
passengers were injured. I was laid up
from my injuries seven months but no
blame attached to me. In my experience
11. .\. RICKSTICKER.
Locomotive Engineer, Erie R. R.
there have been some things that I think
would be very interesting to the older
class of railroad men, but as they have
nearly all passed through the same I will
not occupy space but will pass them by
like the Irishman did the painter. An
Irishman was told to hold the end of a
rope down on the sidewalk while they
rolled ofT a barrel of cement from the top
of a new building. This painter was on a
scaffold about half way up the building.
He thought something was going to
happen as the barrel weighed 250 lbs. and
the Irishman 150 lbs. They called out
from above, ".\re you ready Pat?" Down
came the barrel and up went Pat, past the
painter. The barrel struck the sidewalk
and busted. L'p went the rope and down
came Pat past the painter. The painter
called down: "Are you hurt, Pat?" Pat
looked up. "Go to hell, I passed ye twice
and you wouldn't spake to me," says he.
On Oct. 19 of this year I will reach
the age limit and I will be canned. Un-
fortunately as the Erie has not joined
the pension system I will be left on my
own resources in my declining years.
M. A. RiCKSICKER,
Loco. Engineer, Erie R. R.
Galion, Ohio.
Relative Economy of the Mallet.
Editor:
Would you kindly advise me concern-
ing the exhaust on a Mallet articulated
compound? I imagine to the ear it is a
jumble, and with one's eyes closed it
would seem as though one were listening
to a double header. It seems to me it
might be difficult for an engineer running
in the night to ascertain whether or not a
Mallet was slipping, if he relied on
sound, as I believe a good many engineers
do. Perhaps I am wrong in this last, and
if so, I shall be glad to be corrected.
I should also like to know if a Mallet
articulated compound is not more expen-
sive to keep in repair than two separate
locomotives. It seems to me that being
1 Tactically two complete and separate lo-
comotives, each working by itself, so to
-peak, there would be a great strain on the
machinery, especially as the two are
. upled together. I should be very much
interested to hear any results which you
i.iy have. I know as a general thing any
ew idea at first is always advertised to
'e a great improvement on the old style,
.nd aflfords a great saving. This was the
case at the time compounds were so gen-
eral, but I notice that there are only a
very few running compared to what there
used to be and on some roads which I
have in mind all of them have been
changed over to simple engines. Thank-
ing you for any information which you
can give me. John Worcester Merrili.
Boston, Mass.
[This letter asks several questions
which have arisen in the minds of many
and on account of the general interest
taken in the Mallet compound we have
printed Mr. Merrill's letter. The exhaust,
coming as it does only from the low-pres-
sure cylinders, is not a jumble of sounds
but are clear exhausts, two to the revolu-
tion of the driving wheel instead of four
as in ordinary engines. The slipping of
drivers is automatically regulated by the
construction of the engine. If the high-
pressure group slips high-pressure steam
fills the receiver and increases back pres-
sure sufficiently to check the slipping. If
the low-pressure group slips the low-pres-
sure cylinders run themselves out of steam
faster than the receiver supplies it and
that checks their slip. In the matter of
repairs the Mallet is not as expensive to
April, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
143
maintain as two separate engines would
be. Boiler work is always a heavy item
of locomotive repairs. The Mallet has
only one boiler as against two in the sep-
arate engines. The cost of maintaining
the machinery of the Mallet depends on
circumstances and may not be more ex-
pensive than maintaining the machinery
of two separate engines with total num-
ber of wheels, etc., equal. The Mallet has
one air pump, two injectors, and in gen-
eral terms one set of fittings and attach-
ments, while the two engines have to-
gether, as a general rule, two air pumps,
four injectors and two separate sets of
fittings, etc. The high- and low-pressure
engines on the Mallet type of locomotive
are not coupled together. If any one of
our readers, engineers, general foremen or
others have any facts or figures bearing
on this interesting question, the columns
of our paper are freely open to them.
—Editor]
Hedley or Stephenson?
Editor:
I have my March copy of your most
valued magazine and wish to take ex-
ception to some of the statements
which you make about William Hedley
under "Celebrated Steam Engineers."
Y6u give a great deal of credit to
Hedley which I think is quite unde-
served. The first experiments in what
may be called successful steam locomo-
tion were due to a Mr. Blackett, the
Wylam Colliery owner, together with
Jonathan Foster, his enginc-wright.
My authority is "The Life of George
Stephenson," by Samuel Smiles, which
was published in 1869.
Smiles describes a number of the
early experiments on locomotives and
says that the "Puffing Billy" ("Black
Billy" he calls it) was found capable
of drawing nine loaded wagons and
was designed and built by Blackett and
his engine-wright, Foster. He also
says that this engine gave so much
trouble that it was known as a nuisance
by all the workmen and had to be con-
tinually followed and aided by horses.
Smiles gives the credit of the first
practical and commercially successful
locomotive to George Stephenson, who,
with the patronage of a Lord Ravens-
worth, erected his "Blucher" and ap-
plied the exhaust blast for the purpose
of inducing draft. Before the use of
the steam blast, the difficulty of gen-
erating steam enough was so great that
the locomotives could not compete
with horses, and it was only when
Stephenson made this application that
the locomotive became a real success.
Smiles states that Mr. Blackett em-
ployed Hedley as "viewer" or overseer
in the colliery pit and that he took out
a patent for an engine fr.imc in Hed-
ley'* name. So if the accounts of
Smiles are correct, you have given
credit to Hedley which in no way be-
longs to him.
Hoping that you will favor me with
the name of the author or authors from
whom you have drawn your material
for your article, W. R. Hanes.
Urbana, lit.
[Comment on this letter will be found
in our editorial columns. — Editor.]
The Old and the Nev7.
Editor :
This is a good example of the old
and the new. We just happened to get
the two extremes passing each other in
regular service. Talk about "ships that
pass in the night," here is an illustration
of those about which no poems are
witli any success or to avoid taking any
chance of doubling a grade, we do addi-
tional work at this filling-out point that
will enable us to keep those heavy loads
of stone next to the engine, that we may
have the benefit of an easier handled train.
You can readily see we make a distinc-
tion between heavy and light loads, and
without a doubt it would be equally as
noticeable between loads and empties.
Our trains at all terminals are made up
on this plan.
For instance, next to the engine are
placed loads, then empty coal cars, then
empty flat cars on rear end.
I firmly believe that an engine will han-
dle a train made up in this manner with
less labor and less likelihood of damage
written. Every old scorpion working and
working well. The photograph is from
Mr. T. J. Burns, assistant to the superin-
tendent of motive power at Detroit.
The old and the new are still in the
game. D. R. McBain,
Assistant Supt., M. P., N. Y. C. Lines.
Albany. N. V.
- 1 11 \ I I' \-^ I \ I III xiiiin".
to draw bars and draft ringing in starting
and stopping trains. Jas. Conner.
Xciu Albany, hid.
Position of Loads in Train.
Editor:
The article in the March issue of your
magazine in reference to the position of
loads and empties so appeals to me that
I feel it should have attention, being an
engineer, and what I shall say is my con-
clusion from actual experience. I work
over two divisions of the Chicago, In-
dianapolis & Louisville Railway, and over
those divisions we handle an immense
amount of stone coming from the Bedford,
Ind., stone quarries. Well, over 50 miles
of one division we handle 1,020 tons, but
nn arriving at this point we fill out to
1.650 tons.
The tonnage rating of our engines is
within a few tons of what they will han-
dle. Now, it frequently happens that on
our arrival at this filling-out point with a
train of this heavy stone loaded on cars
of 100,000 lbs. cap.icity. that our (ill-out
is composc<l of mrrrhandisc or light loads
Practical rxpcrirncc has taught our en-
gine .ind traiiimrn that to handle this train
Position of Loads.
Editor :
In answer to your question in regard to
making up trains with loads and empties
it is my experience that a train made up
with the loads ahead and the empties be-
hind is the easier pulling train over a hilly
and crooked division. Also having the
heaviest loads ahead while on a level and
straight track it does not make very much
difference. This is where the grade is
sometimes one per cent. You take a short
train made up of all heavy loads and it
will pull harder than the same tonnage
train made up with more cars with lighter
tonnage per car. This is in a very hilly
and crooked piece of track and more ton-
nage can be pulled with the longer train.
C. F. SUNDBERC.
Sioux City, lotva.
(We arc glad to have this practical ex-
pression of opinion drawn from experi-
ence. Now if this is true what is the
reason it is so? We want engineers who
have this or diflTcrent experience to let us
have the benefit of their views. Wc have
heard men who believed the short heavy
train with few cars better than the same
tonnage in longer iriiin'. llnw ;ilioiit
that?— Editor.)
144
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE EXGIXEERIXG.
April, 1910.
Mind Your P's and K's.
Editor:
On page 100 of the March issue of
Railway and Locomotive Engineering
one sees a picture of what is styled Class
K Pennsylvania Railroad locomotive,
which is a mistake. Class K, of P. R. R.
had wagon top boiler with sand box in
wheel guards (see "Recent Locomotives,"
by M. N. Forney), and No. 10 P. R. R.
was first of the K engines. There was
not any of the Belpaire boilers used until
the Class P engines; the first was, I
think, No. 1321. Henry F. Colvin.
Philadelphia, Pa.
Good Record.
Editor :
The following arc facts connected with
the wonderful record of durability made
by Big Four Pacific type engine No.
6416.
This engine has made 200,581 miles
without repairs; no new flues and with-
out having tires turned (Railway Steel
Spring Co.'s tires), only receiving light
running repairs in the round-house be-
tween trips. The engine left the Belle-
fontaine shop on Nov. 20, 1907 and
returned for general repairs Dec.
17, 1909. It hauled nine heavy express
cars a day, running 288 miles at an
average speed of 55 miles per hour. In
the two years' time this engine had no
A Plea for the Bench Vise.
Editor :
Having read in your paper many articles
concerning tool equipment, I have not yet
noticed any which make more than a
passing mention of the most useful, most
abused, and most neglected, as regards
repairs; namely, the erecting shop vise.
Having worked in various erecting shops,
I find the same case in each, that is, the
bench vises are always in poor repair.
I do not think anything annoys a fitter
more than when in a hurry to cut a piece
of iron or file a bolt, as have to try two
or three vises before he finds one capable
of holding the job firm enough to work
on it. As a rule there is one-third back
lash in screw, and the outer jaw has in
many cases, to be pulled out by hand,
owing to collar being loose or lost.
In one large erecting shop in which I
worked once, out of two hundred and
fifty odd vises, twenty-four were only in
first-class repair, one hundred and twelve
were fair, and the rest were mostly scrap,
taking up good bench room. All these
could have been kept in decent repair and
would have paid for that expense many
times over. Because, as a rule, when a
fitter tries to do a job in a vise and finds
it won't hold, he waits till the first good
vise is vacant, may be a quarter of an
hour or 10 minutes, or he goes down the
sliop to a screwing machine, or shears, or
I.NE WITH GOOD RECORD OX THE BIG FOUR.
failures of any kind. It was run by En-
gineers A. N. Jenkinson and Arthur
Swisher and was kept in excellent con-
dition through their careful attention, in
particular watching the left main wedge.
During this time the left main wedge was
lined down four times, while the right
was lined twice and so prevented the en-
gine from pounding on her boxes.
This mileage certainly makes a good
showing for the Bellefontaine shop and is
an example of the work turned out. This,
I think, under the conditions stated
above, is the world's record. I am en-
closing a photograph of the engine.
C. H. VOGES,
Gen'l. Foreman.
Bellefontaine, Ohio.
an emery wheel, as the case may be, and
loses more time walking there and back
than would have done the job three times.
It is useless to expect a fitter to look
after his vise in an erecting shop now-a-
days as he never gets time to start re-
setting jaws, etc. I think each large erect-
ing shop should have a man detailed for
nothing else, but to oil, fit new screws,
and recut the jaws and keep all vises in
first-class repair. It would save a lot of
time and temper and make working in an
erecting shop a lot more comfortable. If
any readers of your paper know of any
shops where a system of erecting shop
tool and vise inspection is carried out I
would like to know of it. J. L. G.
]\'innit<cg.
The Walschaerts Valve Gear.
Editor:
In the last issue of Railway and Loco-
motive Engineering, your correspondent,
S. W., Superior, Wis., makes some timely
comments on allowing a quarter of an
inch of lead on locomotives equipped with
the Walschaerts valve gear, and seems to
have a doubt in his mind as to the ad-
visability of allowing so much of a valve
opening at the end of the piston stroke.
S. W. must bear in mind that the open-
ing of the valve in these engines is not
increased with the shortening of the valve
stroke, as is the case with engines
equipped with the Stephenson link motion.
Three-eighths of an inch lead is quite
common in passenger engines when the
lever is hooked up, and while it is quite
true that in certain positions these engines
do not start as readily as those having
I'-ss lead, it is found that after they are
once moving they run better and pull
more than engines do that have only a
small amount of lead. It is not uncom-
mon to see such locomotives as have a
large amount of lead backed up a short
distance so that one of the cranks may
be on the top center to allow a full pres-
sure of steam to be admitted for starting,
then they will start readily.
Locomotives with the Walschaerts valve
gear are not subject to changes in lead in
ordinary repairs. Their original design
is maintained in regard to the position
and action of the valves. Others who are
up against the same thing ought to let us
hear from them through the columns of
>our valuable paper. G. D. Ruggles.
Readiille, Mass.
Age Proved Value.
About the time "granger" sentiments
V ere most powerful in Iowa a man who
liad accumulated wealth by fortunate
farming and coal mining operations, con-
ceived the idea of building a railroad to
sliare some of the wealth that hauling
freight and passengers was bringing to
what he called the soulless transportation
corporations. By means of old rails and
second-hand material of all kinds, this
anti-monopolist succeeded in getting a
few miles ready for operating. Next
thing was the purchase of a locomotive.
He found an old engine popularly known
as the Mud Hen, for her tendency to
waddle into ditches, and he made a deal
which transferred the machine to him.
When the purchase of this fiery steed
had been accomplished, a friend cast
doubts upon the value of the Mud Hen.
"Not a good engine, did you say? Why,
man, I have the best reason for knowing
that I made a good bargain. The Rock
Island Railroad used that engine for
thirty-one years, and they certainly would
not have kept her that time if she had
not been a good one."
^
April. 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
I4S
Ventilation of Cars.
A very successful method of ventilat-
ing freight and passenger cars has been
devised by Mr. T. H. Garland, super-
visor of refrigerator traffic on the Chi-
cago, Burlington & Quincy. If one
may so say the principle of the ejector
has been made use of to promote the
circulation of air in cars.
On a passenger car the ventilator
is placed on the roof and opens into
the deck light or clearstory window.
It is made of No. 24 gauge, galvanized
iron, and on the outer tact- jirescnts
which is drawn out of the car. It is
said that the amount of air taken out
by each ventilator is 400 cu. ft. a min-
ute. When applied to a sleeping car a
duct is run down to some convenient
place in the neighborhood of each low-
er berth and in this way there is a con-
stant but mild movement of air from
the lower levels in the car.
The Garland system has been very
successfully applied to the kitchens of
dining cars, as well as to the dining
compartment itself. When applied to
dining cars the odor of cooking and
ventilators, amount to 2400 cu. ft., and
this would be more than the contents
of an ordinary car dining saloon. The
air in this portion of the car would be
changed every minute. The outward
movement of air is compensated for
in passenger cars by the constant open-
r-ii I M \\ f\U. SlIOWINl
six opLiuntts; there are all for e.xhaust
air. There are four inlet openings
placed so that two of them are always
facing the direction in which the car
is moving.
Air entering the funnel-shaped intake
pipes, when the train is in motion, is
deflected through a right angle and
blows out of the ventilator again, draw-
ing with it air that is in the car. In
the words of a well-known comic song
the air "walks right in and turns around
and walks right out again," but in its
short excursion through the device it
does some useful work. In fact air
entering and leaving the ventilator as
it does when the car is in motion is
really the motive power of the whole
scheme.
The funnel-shaped mouths of the ven-
tilator are 12 x 4 ins. each, and the area
of each i^ gradually reduced, so that
on the sides of the device they meas-
ure 4x3 ins. These 4x3 openings
are placed in others 5x4 ins., so that
there is '/i in. above and below the
discharge, and I in. at one side of it,
and also a clear disch.irge duct 4x4
ins. in the centre. See Fig. I.
In our illustration. Fig. 2, the feath-
ered arrows show the course of the air
forced into thr ventilator by the mo-
tion of thr ir:iin, and the plain arrows
indic.ite the induced current of air
the smell of vegetables and meat is
entirely removed. As this kind of ven-
tilation becomes more powerful with
increase of train speed, a damper, if
ing and closing of the doors, and the
inevitable leakage from windows,
tliough it is said the passengers ex-
perience no draughts and are not con-
scious that the car is specially ven-
tilated. No air can possibly enter
through the ventilators, and thus dust,
cinders, snow, sleet, rain, etc., cannot
get in.
The application of this apparatus to
refrigerator cars is similar in principle
to that for passenger cars. The mov-
ing car causes its own ventilation, and
air is introduced into the car through
one or more of the drain pipes from
the ice box, or by slightly raising one
of the hatches. In this way air enter-
ing the car is made to pass over or
around the lumps of ice, and is very
much cooled in consequence. Very
gratifying reports of the performance
I H., J. I'l.A.N (»l \ KXTII.MOK SHOWING DIKKCT ANI» INlHi l-,l) .MU CtfKKKNT.S.
one may so call it, is provided at the
inner side of the ventilator so that the
amount of air drawn cifT can be regu-
lated
The exhausting of air at the rate of
400 ru. ft a minulr would, with six
of this device have been received by
Mr. Garland, and as there are no mov-
ing parts and nothing to get out of
order the maintenance charges on this
kind of equipment ought to be correspond-
ingly low.
146
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE EXGIXEERIXG.
April, 1910.
Grand Central Improvement Work.
The present station and train shed
in the City of New York was origi-
nally built about 1870. The trains on
the Harlem division prior to that time
ran to a station in Madison Square
Garden. In about 1900 a reconstruction
of the yard and extensions of the office
portion of the buildings was completed.
The use of electricity as a motive power
changed old conditions as it was only
necessary to provide sufficient headroom
for the trains. The railroad company for
the payment of a sum of money was
ning the various concourses the idea of
separating traffic going in opposite direc-
tions has been carried out.
The design of the station is unusual
only in the magnitude of the quantities in-
volved. There are, however, two or three
features which may be interesting. Be-
tween 56th and 57th streets, where the
four tracks in Park avenue tunnel widen
out to ten, switches are required which
prevent frequent column supports being
placed. Two trusses were therefore
erected in the center of the street to
carry the street surface. These trusses
appreciated when it is considered that the
cost of producing space for one car (ex-
clusive of the cost of the station),
amounts to approximately $30,000.
The Grand Central terminal provides
not only a terminal station but a storage
yard for the handling of equipment and
office building above the station with a
large area on which revenue producing
buildings may be constructed.
Mallet Articulated for the B. & A.
The American Locomotive Company
have recently completed a Mallet articu-
THE GR.\ND CEXTR.AL ST.\TIOX. NEW YORK, AS IT WILL BE.
granted the sub-surface rights of all or a
portion of certain cross streets in the
vicinity.
The station building proper is set back
on two streets so as to provide a wide
piazza in front of those portions of the
building where passengers enter and de-
part. The main concourse will be en-
tered on 43d street, with a width of 120
ft., and a height of 100 ft., the floor level
being some lo ft. below the grade of 42d
street. On the southerly side of this will
be a large waiting room, toilet rooms,
ticket offices, etc., the waiting room being
so placed that it will not have to be passed
through by passengers in going to and
from trains. Around three sides of the
course at about the street level will be
a balcony to which carriage passengers
and those entering from the street will
have access. The main concourse con-
nects only with outward bound trains so
that the current of traffic through it will
be almost entirely in one direction. An
arrival concourse for through trains will
be built on the easterly side of the building
and will have independent exits to the
subways and the street. Below these
rooms on a floor immediately between
them and the suburban track level will be
a large mezzanin concourse, to which pas-
sengers have independent access. In phn-
are about 150 ft. long with their tops
some 13 ft. above the street surface. To
make these ornamental a curb was built
just outside of the ornamental work and
soil placed back of it in which ivy and
shrubbery has been planted so that now
this very utilitarian structure appears to
be constructed for ornamental purposes.
As none of the sewers in that vicinity of
the city were low enough to drain the
suburban level it was necessary to build a
new low level sewer to the East River.
The city has given the railroad company
permits to proceed with work on vari-
ous foot-bridges across the yard.
The new Pennsylvania terminal in New
York occupies approximately 28 acres,
the Grand Central terminal has 46.2
acres on the main level and 23.6 on the
suburban level, making a total of almost
70 acres. The amount of excavation in
the two terminals is approximately the
same, about three million yards. There
is approximately twice the mileage of
tracks in the Grand Central terminal
amounting to slightly under 32 miles.
There are 46 tracks against platforms as
compared with 21 in the Pennsylvania
station. The car capacity of the old ter-
minal was 366 cars. The capacity of the
new one is 1.149 cars. The value of the
facilities which are being installed can be
lated compound locomotive for the Bos-
ton & Albany Railroad. This is the first
engine of the articulated type to be put
into service on any of the roads com-
prising the New York Central Lines. It
will be used in hauling freight on the
Albany and Springfield division of the
above mentioned road. This part of the
road passes through the Berkshire Hills,
and the grades are long and steep in both
directions, the ascent between Chester
and Washington having an average grad-
ient of 1.5 per cent. At present the
freight traffic is handled by consolidation
locomotives, and pusher engines are used
on the two ruling grades both East and
West.
Although this engine is in a sense an
experimental one, the success of the Mal-
let type on other roads where the con-
ditions are analogous to those existing
on the Boston & Albany, leaves little
doubt but that it will prove to be a most
efficient addition to the heavy power on
that road. The Mallet engine has about
45 per cent, more tractive power than the
consolidation engines now doing the work,
while the average weight per axle is about
2.775 lbs. less, and the rigid wheel-base
is 7 ft. 6 ins. shorter. Another interest-
ing fact is that the grate area of the two
classes of engines is the same, which
April, igia
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
147
gives a much larger proportion of heating
surface to grate area in the Mallet en-
gine than has been the previous practice
in locomotives of this type. Service tests
of Mallet engines designed to burn bi-
tuminous coal have, however, proved
that larger grate areas have hitherto
been provided than were required for slow
speed service. In the engine here illus-
trated, therefore, the grate area was re-
duced in order to secure a better rate of
combustiort This has the effect of facili-
tating the firing of the engine.
With the exception of a larger boiler
and larger truck wheels, the Mallet en-
gine is practically a duplicate in design of
eight of the same type recently delivered
by these builders to the Denver & Rio
Grande Railway. As far as the features
characteristic of the Mallet type of loco-
motive are concerned the design follows
the builders' usual practice. The wheel
arrangement is of the 2-6-6-2 type, having
a two-wheel truck front and rear.
In working order the engine has a total
weight of 3+2,000 lbs., of which 296,500
lbs. is carried on the driving wheels. The
high pressure cylinders are so'A ins. in
diameter by 32 ins. in stroke, and the low
pressure 33 in. in diameter with the same
stroke. The boiler carries a working
pressure of 210 lbs., and with driving
wheels, 57 ins. in diameter, the theoretical
maximum tractive power working com-
pound is 66.600 lbs., which, with the Mel-
lin System of compounding employed, can
be increased to 80,800 lbs. by working
the engine simple. The theoretical maxi-
long. The total heating surface of the
boiler is 5,476 sq. ft., of which the tubes
contribute 5,291 sq. ft, and the firebox the
remainder.
The firebox is 108 ins. long and 75^4
ins. wide, and provides a grate area of
56.5 sq. ft. This gives a ratio of heating
surface to grate area of 97 which is con-
siderably higher than the usual practice
for engines of this type designed for
burning bituminous coal. The crown and
sides of the firebox are in one sheet, as
are also the roof and sides of the outside
shell. Ample water spaces are provided
around the fire box, the mud-ring being
4'/^ ins. wide on the side and back and 5
ins. at the front. At the back end the
firebox is supported by a ^ in. buckle
plate, and at the front end by sliding
shoes on a cast steel crosstie.
Cast steel frames are used throughout
and there is a single articulated connection
between the frames of the front and rear
systems. A very strong and substantial
system of frame bracing has been em-
ployed. In the front system the frame
bracing consists of a heavy cast steel
crcsstie at the rear end. which is bolted
to both the top and bottom rails of the
frame, and to which the radius arm of the
articulated connection between the front
and rear frames is secured ; a massive
vertical steel casting placed between the
second and rear driving wheels, which ex-
tends down to the bottom rails of the
frames and the upper part of which ex-
tends outside of the frames and furnishes
a support for the self-adjusting sliding
nection, is a heavy cast steel guide yoke
across the upper rails of the frame be-
tween the first and second pair of driv-
ing wheels and the cast steel crosstie over
the middle pedestal which furnishes the
support for the front end of the firebox.
The front and rear systems are equal-
ized together in the usual way by vertical
bolts connecting the upper rail of the front
end with the lower rail of the rear frame.
As in the engines of this type built by
this company for the Virginian Railway,
the load on these bolts is supported by a
coil spring through which the lower end
of the bolt passes and which presses up
against the bottom of the rear frame rail,
thus giving the flexible support at this
point which is necessary in order that the
three boiler supports, viz., the two sliding
bearings and the equalizing bolt, may each
bear its proportion of the load in any
variation of the alignment of the three.
Both the front and rear trucks are of the
center bearing radial type with swinging
bolster. The truck frame is of cast steel
and the portions of the sides over the
journal boxes are shaped to form caps for
the coil springs which transmit the load
to the journal boxes upon which they are
directly seated.
The principal dimensions and ratios are
as follows :
Weight on drivers -=- tractive effort, 4.45.
Tractive effort x diam. drivers -r- heating sur*
face (B. I), factor), 693.
Total heating surface -j- grate area, 97.
l-'irebox heating surface -h total heating sur.
face (per cent.), 3.4.
\'«.itumc of equivalent simple cylinders cu. ft..
1Q.32 cu. ft.
Wheel Base— Driving, 10 ft.; total, 30 ft. 8M
MALLET ARTICLLv\TF.D FOR TTIF. BOSTON
John Howard, Supcrintendrni <<f Motive Pnwer.
mum tractive effort of the consolidation
engines now used on this section of the
Boston & Albany is 45,000 lbs.
One of the most characteristic features
'li this engine is a larger boifer capacity
which has been provided, :iii<l would indi-
'!iat this engine cm deliver its
1' al tractive power .it the ordinary
of freight service. The boiler is
of the straight top radial st.iyed type, and
the barrel mca»urei 82 ins. in diameter in-
«ide at the front end. It contains 410
tubes iV* ins. in diameter, each 22 ft.
boiler bearing ; another steel casting of
similar design located between the first
and second pair of driving wheels which
constitute the guide yoke and also the
support for a second boiler bearing, and
a cast steel front deck casting ahead of
the cylinders whicli also serves for the
tnginc truck center pin guide.
In the rear system, in addition to the
ca^t steel foot plate at the back end, the
cylinder casting and the steel casting at
the front end, which includes the bearing
for the center pin of the articulated con-
American Locomotive Company, Builders,
ns. ; lotaJ, engine and tender, 74 ft. 8
der, ^4J,ooo lb*. ; on
; engine and tender.
9 X 13 Ina. ; engine
icr, 6 ins.; length, la
mats, diameter, 6 ins.;
nder truck journals,
Mi,Mli. in ins.
. ^'/i ins.; back,
riihc* Nuinlier, 410; diameter, ali Ins.; No. 11
II. W. <;.
.\ir Broke i'ump— I, 8$4-in. L. H.; t rcwrvoir*.
lender Kranie^l3-in. steel chonnels.
Tank Style, water l»ltom: capacity, 8,000 gal.
Ions; capacity, fuel, la tons.
148
RAILWAY AXD LOCOMOTIVE KXGIXEERIXG.
April, 1910.
Electric Locomotive for the N. Y., N. H. ® H. Railroad
The Westinghousc Electric & ALinufac-
turing Company have built for the Xew
York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad
an electric freight locomotive of large
capacity, for use on the electrified sec-
tion between Stamford and New York
City. The locomotive has been designeil
primarily for handling fast freight ser-
vice, but will also be used for hauling
heavy passenger trains. The mechanical
parts of this locomotive have been de-
signed by the engineers of the Baldwin
Locomotive Works and the mechanical
department of the N. Y., N. H. & H.,
and were built at the Baldwin Loco-
motive Works.
The general plan of the trucks and run-
ning gear has been worked out in accord-
ance with a patent granted to Mr. S. M.
Vauclain, July 6, 1909. This patent de-
scribes an articulated locomotive in which
the truck frames are connected by an
intermediate draw-bar. One truck has
only a rotative motion about its centre
pin, while the other has a fore-and-aft
as well as a rotative motion, in order to
compensate for the angular positions of
the trucks and draw-bar when the loco-
motive is traversing curves. The trac-
tive force is transmitted through the
truck frames and draw-bar, instead of
through the main frame.
In the present instance, the 2-4-4-2
wheel arrangement has been adopted.
Each truck has two pairs of driving
wheels, and a single pair of leading
wlieels. The driving wheels are held in
alignment by cast-steel bar frames, similar
to those usually employed in steam loco-
motive practice. The frames are placed
outside the wheels, and are braced trans-
versely under the centre of the locomo-
tive by heavy steel castings provided with
draw pockets in which the intermediate
draw-bar is seated. The leading wheels
are mounted in radial-swing trucks of the
well-known Rushton type. The radius
bars for these trucks are pivoted to the
same cross-ties as the main draw-bars.
The wheel loads are equalized as in steam
The cab is built of steel plate, and
measures 43 ft. 6 ins. in length, covering
the entire locomotive. The frame which
supports the cab is composed of two 12-in.
channels, united at the ends of plates and
angles. Tliis frame
is braced trans-
versely by five cast
steel cross-ties; one
over each truck cen-
tre-pin, one at mid-
length, and one near
each end of the lo-
comotive. The cab
is supported on in-
termediate and end
cross-ties, the
weight being trans-
ferred through
coiled springs which
are placed in suita-
ble pockets. The
cab frame is held in
alignment by the
truck centre - pins,
while the lower
spring pockets are
free to slide over the
truck - frame cross -
ties. The springs
over the end cross-
tie are placed 30 ins.
apart, transversely.
The middle cross-tie
carries four springs;
these are placed at
the corners of a
rectangle and are 84
ins. apart. trans-
versely, and S3 ins.
longitudinally. A s
both the trucks are
free to rotate about
their centre pins, the displacement of the
spring pockets, even on a 20-deg. curve,
is comparatively slight. A characteristic
feature of the heavier details is the free
use made of cast steel. This is particular-
ly true of the truck frame cross-ties, which
are interesting examples of mechanical
apparatus for their operation from the
il,ooo-volt alternating-current or 600- volt
direct-current circuits of the electrified
sections which the locomotive will tra-
verse. The motors are placed directly
GE.\RED FREIGHT ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVE FOR THE N. Y. N. H. & H.
locomotive practice, the springs of the
leading wheels being connected to the
driving springs by equalizing beams. One
of the trucks is cross-equalized under the
centre of the locomotive. The frame is
spring-supported by the cross-equalizer,
on each side of the centre line.
design. The tendency to follow approved
steam locomotive practice is also evident
in many of the mechanical details of this
locomotive.
The electrical equipment comprises four
3SO-horse-power single-phase geared mot-
ors, together with the necessary auxiliary
SECTION OF N. Y. N. H. & H. ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVE.
over the axles and are mounted solidly on
the truck frames. Each end of the arma-
ture shaft is provided with a pinion ;
these mesh with gears mounted on a quill
surrounding the axle and carried in bear-
ings on the motor frame, similar to the
usual axle bearings. The quills are pro-
vided with six driving arms on each end,
which project into spaces provided be-
tween the spokes in the driving wheels.
Each of these arms is connected to an
end of a helical spring, the other ends
of the spring being connected to the
driving wheels.
This arrangement of drive smooths out
the torque pulsations, and at the same
time allows for the vertical movement of
the axles. In addition to the spring con-
nection between the quills and drives, flex-
ibility is provided betxveen the pinions
and motor shaft, to equalize the torque
on the gears. The quills are of large
diameter permitting unrestricted motion
of the w'heels and axle?. The centre of
gravity of the motors, as well as that of
the entire locomotive, is high, avoiding
April. 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
149
the transmission of strains and shocks
from the track and roadbed to the motors.
The motors, of the standard Westing-
house type, have twelve poles built into
solid frame, and are designed for forced
ventilation. When operating on 25-cycle
alternating-current with forced ventila-
tion each of the four motors will carry
continuously a load of 300 horse-power.
An air-blast transformer is provided for
lowering the trolley line voltage to that
required by the motors. The control ap-
paratus is of the well-known Westing-
house electro-pneumatic type.
When operating on alternating-current
all four motors are connected in multi-
ple, and the control is obtained entirely
by changing the connections to various
taps, but when operating on direct-
current the motors are first grouped
all in series, and then two in series and
two in parallel, in combination with
various resistance steps. Provision is
made for cutting out any one of the four
motors singly on either alternating-cur-
rent or direct-current. A master con-
troller and brake valve have been placed
in each end of the cab so that the loco-
motive can be operated from either end,
and the system of control is such that two
or more locomotives of this t>pe can be
coupled together 2nd operated from one
master controller. Two pneumatically
operated pantagraph trolleys are provid-
ed for collecting current from the ii,oc»-
volt overhead alternating-current line.
Pneumatically operated third-rail shoes
are used to collect current on direct-cur-
rent third-rail section
The locomotive will be capable of haul-
ing a freight train having a maximum
weight of 1.500 tons, at a speed of ;
miles per hour. When used in passeni
'crvice 8oo-ton trains will be hauled at
n maximum speed of 45 miles per hour.
A steam heater is provided on the loco-
motive for heating the cars of the trains
when used in passenger service. Some
of the principal dimensions are as fol-
lows:
Driving wheels, outside diameter, 63
ins.; driving journals, 8 by 13 ins.; truck
wheels, diameter, 42 ins. ; wheel-base,
rigid, 7 ft. ; wheel-base, total, 38 ft., 6
ins. ; length between coupler faces, 48 ft. ;
height over all, 13 ft., 9 ins.; width, 10
ft. ; approximate weight, total, 260,000
lb* ; approxim.Tlc weight on driving
wheels, 1R8.000 lbs.
Apprentices at Dunmore, Pa.
different classes of work in the depart-
ments within three years, and during the.
fourth year of service the apprentice is
occupied in the work of which he has
the least knowledge, or to the best ad-
vantage of the company in increasing the
output of the shop.
The schedule for machinists embraces
six months for lathe work generally, and
three months each for planers and shap-
ers. Slotters and boring mills have each
three months. Vise work is carefully
subdivided, so that tlie apprentice has
three months on rods, four months on
motion work, pistons, crossheads, etc.
There is then six months' work in the
erecting shop, which includes frame work,
shoes and wedges, wheeling engines, put-
ting up spring rigging, engine truck work,
expansion gear and the like. This is fol-
lowed by three months' work above the
running boards, consisting of hand rail
work, safety valves, whistles, boiler
mountings and bells. Tlie three years
are completed by three ninnths at putting
up motion work, setting valves, lining
The Eric Railroad is developing a sys-
tem of training apprentices that might
well be taken a.i a model in practical
railroad shop engineering. Wc recently
had the pleasure of looking in at the
<hops at Dunmore, Pa., and it was par-
ticularly interesting to observe how com-
pletely systematized the method of in-
»tructifin has become. A shop schedule
romprising a four years' course is rigidly
adhered to. The courie covers all the
nish a complete course of instruction
that leaves nothing to be desired except
diligence and attention on the part of
the student apprentice.
We observed at the entrance of the
shops a new methcW of checking the
time of the employees. Numbered checks
are hanging on pins on a numbered board,
and on entering, the check must be con-
veyed a few feet and hung on a corre-
sponding space on another section of the
board. When the whistle blows the time-
keeper folds up the hinged bunrd and a
padlock attachment secures it. Tlie be-
lated mechanic or apprentice must need
go and tell his story to the shop foreman.
The operation of this apparatus seemed
to us, at first sight, to be severe, but it
is said to have a salutary effect, especially
on the apprentices. The romantic scenery
ir. the neighborhood seems to have an
attraction for some, of the youths, and
tbey love to linger and watch the maples
grow red in the clear, cool air and listen
to the bluebirds prophesying spring. The
specter of tlie hinged checkboard haunts
( III! K l;il.\Kl) .\T THE ni'NMORl-: SllOl'.S UV TIIF. KKIK I
guides, putting in pistons, putting up
steam chests and adjusting packing.
It will be noted that in this course
there is no mention made of the tool
room, air brake department or surface
fable. The Erie instructors wisely con-
clude that these arc special sections re-
quiring special training, and a certain
number of apprentices are specially se-
lected for these branches. In the fourth
year, however, as wc have already stated,
there is an opportunity given to every ap-
prentice to gather a certain amount of
experience in these branches also, in-
cluding a knowledge of milling and grind-
ing, and also some practical experience
at the laying-out tabic.
The same system of careful subdivision
of time and work is used in the care of
blacksmith and boiler maker apprentices,
and all apprentices have special instruc-
tion ill the clemcnls of geometry, meth.-in-
ical and free-hand drawing. Models of
valve gearings and an extensive assort-
ment of charts and other illustrations fur-
tlicir memories, and when the ulii>l!e
blows they are generally on the ]<<\t.
Appreciates Space in R. and L. E.
A short time ago one of our many satis-
lied advertisers while doing business at
home in a very satisfactory way, received
.111 enquiry from Portugal concerning
their product. The inquiry came from
readers of Railway anh Locomotive En-
(.INF.ERING. This fact was beyond ques-
tion, and the advertising company wrote
us in complimentary terms, but expressed
some surprise that we had reached a
l:ir away land so effectively. We were of
i./urse pleased with the result, but were
not surprised, as our foreign circulation
is one of ihc things which is all in the
day's work with us, and we just call our
advertisers' attention to the fact that
ri;iching foreign countries is one of the
iidvantagcs that goes with "space" in our
paper. Our foreign edition is exactly the
same as the home edition and is printed
in Englisli. but it gets there just the same.
ISO
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
April, 1910.
Rll!2SSLEii$iiieeriifi
A Fraotioal Journal of Hotiro Power, Rolling
Stock and* Appliances.
PuMished Monthly by
ANGUS SINCLAIR CO.
114 Liberty Street, New York.
Talephont. 984 Cortlandt.
Cable Address, "Locen^," N. Y.
Glasgow, "Locoauto. "
Business Department;
AKOTIS SINCLAIR. D.E., Frest. and Treas.
JAKES KENNEDY, Yice-Prest, and Gen. Ugr.
HABBY A. KENNEY, SecreUry.
Editorial Department:
ANGUS SINCLAIH. D.E., Editor.
6E0BGE S. HODGINS, Managing Editor.
JAKES KENNEDY. Associate Editor.
Adrertising Department:
JAS. B. PATEESON, Manager, Chicago.
Boston Bepresentative :
S. I. CABFENTEE, 643 Old South Building,
Boston, Mass.
London Bepresentative;
THE LOCOMOTIVE PUBLISHING CO., Ltd.,
8 Amen Comer, Paternoster Bow, London, £. C.
Glaavow Representative;
A. F. SINCLAIE. 49 Jamaica Street, Glasgow.
SUBSCEIPTION PRICE.
fs.os per year, $1.00 for six months, postage
paid in th* United States, Canada and Mexico.
For 0th€r parts of the world, $2.50, or ten
shillings. Single copies, 20 cents. Remit by Ex-
press Money Order, Draft, Post Office Order or
Registered Letter.
Mailing address can be changed as often as
necessary — always give old and new address, and
if yov subscribe in a club, state the name of the
agent.
Please give prompt notice when your paper
fails tc reach you regularly.
Hedley or Stephenson?
In our correspondence department
we publish a letter from Mr. W. R.
Hanes, in which exception is taken to
the credit we give to William Hedley
for his work on the development of the
locomotive, and claiming that to George
Stephenson is due the credit which we
accord to William Hedley. "The Life
of George Stephenson," by Samuel
Smiles, is given as the authority for be-
littling the work of Hedley and for
rragnifying the claims of Stephenson.
The engineering world does not accept
as history the statements made by
Smiles in his lives of the engineers.
Every person Smiles wrote about was
created a hero, and everything worthy
of credit in that line was claimed for
them.
This tendency was displayed with un-
usual e.Ktravagance in the case of
George Stephenson, who was credited
with creations and performances that
never came within the range of his
ability. Smiles' romances have made
George Stephenson popularly consid-
ered the inventor of the locomotive,
when as a matter of fact he never in-
vented a single improvement on that
form of engine or any part or attach-
ment which is used today. What
George Stephenson deserves much
credit for was his energetic advocacy
of railways and for the persistency he
displayed in favor of the locomotive
being employed for motive power. He
took this position, and adhered to it,
when few engineers believed that steam
could be applied to land transportation
engines.
No events of industrial history are
better known than those relating to the
development of the locomotive engine.
The first authentic record of steam be-
ing applied to the propulsion of a car-
riage relates to the invention of Cugnot,
a French military officer, who experi-
mented in 1769 with a steam driven
gun carriage. Other inventors ap-
peared from time to time with appli-
ances designed to run on common
roads. In 1803 Richard Trevithick, a
Welsh mining engineer, built a loco-
motive that ran on rails and pulled a
train of cars. The engine had one cyl-
inder 8 X 54 ins., a boiler with a single
flue and four carrying wheels. The ex-
haust steam was passed into the chim-
ney, thereby creating draft. The en-
gine possessed all the essential ele-
ments of the modern locomotive except
the multitubular boiler; but it was
badly over-cylindered and slipped on
the least application of steam. Trevi-
thick did not follow up the business of
locomotive building, but it was taken
up by others connected with coal mines
who were finding horse traction too ex-
pensive. For several years after
Trevithick's engine had slipped over
a section of tramway in Wales, several
inventors brought out appliances de-
signed to overcome the supposed vi'ant
of adhesion between wheel and rail.
About 1811 Christopher Blackett,
owner of Wylam Colliery, in the North
of England, finding the expense of
horse haulage too expensive, applied to
Trevithick for a locomotive. Failing to
secure an engine, he suggested to Wil-
liam Hedley, his mine "viewer," as the
superintendent was then called, to build
one. As a preliminary to building the
engine, they proceeded in a truly scien-
tific manner to prove the co-efficient of
friction between a wheel turned by
power and an iron rail. Hedlej' put
cranks upon the axles of coal tubs and
made crude tests to find the adhesion.
Then he built a special car for the pur-
pose of testing the adhesion and found
it sufficient for traction purposes.
A letter written by Hedley describ-
ing the experiment proceeds; "This ex-
periment was decisive of the fact that
the friction of the wheels of an engine
upon the rails was sufficient to enable
it to draw a train of loaded coal wagons.
An engine was then constructed; the
boiler was cast iron, the tube contain-
ing the fire went longitudinally through
the boiler to the chimney. The engine
had one cylinder and a fly wheel. It
went badly.
"Another engine was then construct-
ed. The boiler was of malleable iron,
the tube containing the fire was en-
larged, and in place of passing directly
through the boiler, it was made to re-
turn again through the boiler into the
chimney, now at the same end as the
furnace. This engine was placed on
four wheels and went well."
That is Hedley's own account of his
first experience in locomotive building.
The engine that "went well' was after-
ward known as the "Puffing Billy," and
is now in the South Kensington Mu-
seum of London.
George Stephenson, who was engine-
wright at Killingworth Colliery, about
twelve miles from Wylam, conceived
the idea that he could build a locomo-
tive, and began devoting close attention
to "Puffing Billy." After a time he ob-
tained permission from his employers
to try his hand on the construction of
an engine, and after ten months turned
out the "Blucher," which had a single
flue boiler, was very deficient in steam
making, and compared very unfavora-
bly with the engines built by Hedley,
several of which were by this time at
work.
The principal owner of the Killing-
worth Colliery, where George Stephen-
son was employed, was Lord Ravens-
worth, a powerful nobleman whose
influence did much to put the engine-
wright into prominence. This influence
put Stephenson into the position of
chief engineer of the Stockton & Dar-
lington Railway, the first public enter-
prise of that kind put into operation.
This made George Stephenson the
most prominent railway engineer in the
world and led to his appointment as
chief engineer of the Liverpool & Man-
chester Railway, the first to be opened
for general traffic. He pushed railway
engineering work and other enterprises
with supreme vigor, but he left no trace
of ability as an inventor, as a machine
designer or improver of mechanism.
Position of Loads and Empties.
We have received one or two communi-
cations, which we print in the correspond-
ence columns of this issue, on the subject
of the best position to put loads and emp-
ties in a train. One correspondent tells
us that on his road the heaviest cars go
next the engine, and that even the loads
are graded so that the lightest loads are
farthest from the engine, and the tail end
of the train is made up of empties if there
are any. Our correspondent, reasoning
by analogy, says that if a train is made
up entirely of empties that he believes
it would be advantageous to grade the
empties on the same principle, that is, to
put the heavier cars in the front and the
lighter ones behind.
April, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
151
It is generally believed that if a train con-
tains 500 tons of freight it will pull easier
if that load is carried in a comparatively
few cars, and that the same tonnage
spread over a long train so that each car
is not loaded to its full capacity, will be a
hard pulling train. Therefore, the rough
and ready rule for engine rating, that
one load equals two empties is by no
means true and is very often a most inac-
curate method of estimating the relative
resistance of loads and empties. This is a
matter which locomotive engineers are
good authorities on. What do you say?
The question involved in the placing of
loads and empties in a train is an entirely
different matter and depends on some-
thing which is not contained in any en-
gine rating rule we know of. What we
want our readers to do is to pve us the
result of their experience, first as to the
actuality of the thing itself. Is it true
that heavy cars at the front are better
than at the back ; or is the reverse of this
the fact? Second, is the arrangement of
hea\-y cars at one or other end better than
distributing them throughout the train?
Those two questions are important and
our columns are open to any one who
knows anything about the matter. The
questions are good practical railroad ones.
Let us have your opinion.
We also want to get at the "Why" of the
whole matter. If loads are better ahead
there is some reason for it If empties
ahead give good results in that position,
there is a cause, one way or other. What
• it? We want the ideas of our corre-
ndents from what they find by their ex-
■ rience to be the best arrangement
When a boy makes a pear-shaped kite,
he provides it with a tail attached to the
sharp or lower end. The tail is made of a
stout cord often with knots and bows of
paper at intervals along it, but the heaviest
part of the tail is at the end, farthest
from the kite, and the boy will tell you
it is to balance the kite and keep it up-
right in the air. As a matter of fact the
center of gravity of the whole thing is
lower than it would be without the tail,
':' the kite pulls the tail and the arrange-
:it works well. In the case of the train
- not a matter of center of gravity nor
:pright position, but it works all right.
A'hen a lifting magnet takes hold of a
-e mass of pig iron the bulk of the load
arried close to the magnet, and odd
, ^'^ hang on irregularly below as if they
■A'rrc dripping from the mass above. These
are two cases, one with load dote to the
lifter and the other camparativcly far
away; both work all right. We just
give these at examples for sake of argu-
ment pro and con. We are not here con-
cerned with which is better, nor do we a>k
our correspondents to explain either.
What we want to get from our practical
thinking readers is what is the best ar-
rang-nn-nt for light and heavy lars in a
train .lui ■xh\- I./-t us have your views.
Firebox Stays.
In a report for the Eighth Railway
Congress, prepared by Mr. H. Fowler
and Mr. L. .\rchbutt, respectively works
manager and chemist of the Midland
Railway of England, the subject of fire-
box stays and their protection is dealt
with. Among other things the report
says that on the roads from which in-
formation was sought, viz. : British and
Colonial, excluding Canada, in which the
practice conforms closely to that of the
United States, copper is still the principal
material used for firebox stay bolts.
Opinion is divided as to the use of bronze
bolts.
The Tasmanian Government Railways
use bronze stays only and believe that
this material has a longer life than
copper. They, however, found that a
yellow bronze, the composition of which
had not been determined, deteriorated
very rapidly while in use, wasting away
in two years from 15/16 to '/^ an inch.
Deterioration took place close to the
water side of the firebox sheets and ex-
tended out about f^ ins. from that plate.
The other quality of bronze used in a
different set of bolts, and which at least
in color resembled copper, showed no
signs of corrosion but failed by fatigfue
and generally broke close to the casing
sheet, though some few broke near the
firebox plates. Some experiments were
made on the London and North Western
Railway with an aluminum bronze but
the results were not satisfactory.
Speaking of the whole question of
bronze stays the report points out the
fact that the heads of bronze stay bolts
inside the firebox, drop off much more
readily than those of copper bolts. It is
?aid that a possible explanation of this
feature may be that, under pressure
copper firebox sheets tend to bulge
slightly between stays, and that this ac-
tion, small as it is, when constantly re-
peated, tends to break off the stay bolt
head. Copper stays do not seem to be as
susceptible to the result of this bulging
action and consequently do not give the
same trouble in this way. Sometimes
this breaking away of the bronze stay
head carries with it part of the bolt to
a depth of two or three threads which
are inside the firebox plate. Some of
our readers may remember that the early
use of steel rivets in this country was
often attended by the breaking off of
heads, hut this was no doubt due to the
brittlcness of the steel when subjected
to the process necessary to form the head
and not to any bulging and straightening
of plates.
A form of failure, more or less com-
mon to alt forms of stay l)oll«. that of
heads burning off is mentioned in the
report, with reference to copper stay bolts.
This is specially noticeable in the area
forming the track of the hottest flame
It iiii-liii|p< pcrh.ip« Irii »tav bolls at the
bottom diminishing several rows higher
up where the flame turns over the brick
arch, and may involve from 50 to 60
stay bolts. In this, the bronze stay bolt
appears to be less satisfactory than the
copper bolt, though other materials are
also liable to have heads burned off in
the zone indicated. In many instances
provision is made for this form of failure
by using a small stay at first, and re-
placing with slightly larger size several
times before the holes in the firebox
become so large as to require a bushing.
This anticipation of failure, if we may so
call it, implies very careful boiler inspec-
tion and prompt renewals. On the Mid-
land Railway it is not customary to use
bronze when the size of stay required is
so large that copper will afford the re-
quired strength.
In dealing with the breakage of stay
bolts owing to the expansion and con-
traction of the firebox, to which all stay
bolts are liable, the report points out that
.\merican practice with flexible stays is
not followed. Many forms of bronze
stay bolts are. however, rendered flexible
to a certain extent by sawing them in
the direction of their length. The method
followed is to subject the bolt to the
action of a thin circular saw. Four saw
cuts are taken parallel to the axis of the
bolt, two are vertical, one on the top and
one on the bottom of the bolt. The other
two are sawed on the sides in a horizon-
tal direction. This at least describes the
position of the cuts, though, of course,
the bolt is revolved a quarter turn for
each cut. The saw enters the bolt at a
point midway between the ends and
penetrates the desired distance. The
shape of the cut conforms to the curvi-
ture of the saw, being deepest in the
centre and sweeping up toward the ends
in conformity with the perifery of the
saw.
In other words the saw-cut roughly
resembles in outline, a piece of string
belli at its ends and allowed to sag in
Ihe centre. The cut, however, has the
same radius as the saw. After the four
cuts have been taken, the stay bolt is
rolled so as to close the gaps made by
the saw. The bolt is then ready to screw
into place. A bolt so treated is known
as Stone's flexible bronze stay bolt The
bolt is flexible in the centre in a vertical
and horizontal direction, and one or
other of these planes is more or less
approximated to, when the bolt is screwed
in place. This method is in principle at
k-a'-t analogous to the .American method
of turning off the thread of the bolt be-
twcin plates, leaving a large fillet at each
cn<l. The report points out that the
method of broken stay bolt detection,
very generally followed, is by tapping
each stay bolt. The Natal Government
Railways as the New South Wales
(iovernmcnt Railways use tell-tale holes,
ilrilird into the stay bolts from both ends.
• 5-
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
April, 1910.
Wasting Money on Waterways.
Tlic present session of Congress inili-
cates that a large amount of the people's
money will be wasted on that perennial
fraud, the Rivers and Harbors bill. Many
creeks that never will have sufficient
water to float a fifty-ton schooner will be
deepened as a menace to railway com-
panies, and the Mississippi River will
have money wasted upon vain efforts to
decrease the obstacles to navigation. A
proposal has been made to spend $200,- .
000,000 on the Mississippi and Missouri
rivers on the idiotic pretense that it will
prevent railway companies from charging
exorbitant rates. The scheme gives new
interest to comments made in Mark
Twain's book, "Life on the Mississippi."
He says :
"The military engineers of the commis-
sion have taken upon their shoulders the
job of making the Mississippi over again
—a job transcended in size by only the
original job of creating it. They are
building wing dams here and there, to
deflect the current; and dikes to confine
it in narrower bounds; and other dikes
to make it stay there ; and for unnum-
bered miles along the Mississippi they are
felling the timber front for fifty yards
back, for the purpose of shaving the bank
down to low-water mark with the slant
of a house roof, and ballasting it with
stones ; and in many places they have pro-
tected the wasting shores with rows of
piles. One who knows the Mississippi
will promptly aver — not aloud but to him-
self— that 10,000 river commissions, with
the mines of the world at their back, can-
not tame that lawless stream, cannot curb
it or confine it, cannot say to it, "Go
here" or "Go there," and make it obey ;
cannot save a shore which it has sen-
tenced ; cannot bar its path with an ob-
struction which it will not tear down,
dance over and laugh at. But a discreet
man will not put these things into spoken
words; for the West Point engineers
have not their superiors anywhere ; they
know all that can be known of their ab-
struse science; and so, since they con-
ceive that they can fetter and handcuff
that river and boss him, it is but wisdom
for the unscientific man to keep still, lie
low and wait till they do it."
Looking Over the Valves.
The constant supervision of the action
of the valves in all steam engines and
particularly in the locomotive, is not only
essential to the object of getting the best
work out of the engine, but it is of much
consequence in the important item of coal
consumption. The skilled engineer or me-
chanic is well aware that no matter how
carefully adjusted the valves may be
when the engine is built, or overhauled,
variations soon occur. These largely
owe their existence to the fact that the
valve being moved by a combination of
rods and levers that are necessary in con-
veying the motion from the main driving
rod to the valve itself, these couplings
not only wear rapidly and create what is
known as lost motion, but their wear is
also of an erratic or eccentric character
that is impossible to gauge or predict in
advance.
The most common discovery made in
looking over the valves is the variation in
the lead or opening of the valve. It will
generally be found that the opening has
increased at one end of the piston stroke
and diminished a corresponding amount
at the other end of the stroke. In the
case of a locomotive equipped with the
Stephenson shifting link, this is a simple
matter. A shortening or lengthening of
the eccentric rod half the amount of the
variation will set the valve right, at least
for another period of service.
The most common mistake made in
these alterations is the dependence which
even the most skilled mechanic often
makes is trusting to the original wheel
markings in obtaining the dead centers or
exact points where the end of the piston
stroke occurs. It is a gross error to
imagine that while these marks may have
been correct at the time they were
originally made that they remain correct
,';fter the locomotive has seen some ser-
vice. It should be borne in mind that the
rod connections have loosened. The loco-
motive in its entirety may be nearer the
rails on account of the slight relaxation
of the springs, while, of course, the
wheels retain their original position. The
result is that while the main rod may
have become lengthened, the space be-
tween the center of the main axle and the
center of the cylinder may be slightly
shortened. These variations, however
slight, aflfect the wheel markings, and it
is time well spent to begin the operation
of looking over the valves from the be-
ginning, and make new marks on the
wheels, and also prove that the markings
are correct by trying the engine not only
in the forward gear, but also running
backwards, and so obtain as nearly correct
as possible an exact basis on which to con-
duct the investigation.
It should also be borne in mind that in
construction and general work the parts of
the locomotive are almost always in a
normally cool condition, whereas in prac-
tice the engine is subjected in some of its
parts to intense heating. This change
has a marked effect on the valve gearing,
and one of the most variable points
affected is the reach rod.
In the case of locomotives equipped
with a radial link it is easy to observe the
exact location of the link block when the
reverse lever is in the bickward as well
as in the forward position, and any
marked variation in the position of the
link block should be rectified, otherwise
undesirable irregularities in the motion
of the valve will be produced.
Locomotives that are unfortunate
enough to sustain even a slight shock in
some apparently trifling collision are al-
most always affected in the delicate me-
chanism of the valve gearing. This can
readily be accounted for from the fact
that many of the essential parts of the
motion are not traveling in direct paths
and lend themselves readily to distortion
and must be reckoned with among the
causes that make necessary a systematic
examination of the action of the valves.
Correspondence Schools.
We find that not a few railway peo-
ple cherish very strong sentiments
against the managers of certain cor-
respondence schools and that R.mlway
AND Locomotive Engineering receives a
share of opprobrium in that connec-
tion which is entirely unmerited. Such
schools of correspondence have
aroused much animosity, by means of
glib-talking solicitors who induce peo-
ple to enter into written agreements
to pay for an expensive school course
which is generally away beyond the
capacity and industry of ordinary men.
When the would-be student begins to
receive the instruction, mostly in the
form of expensive books, he soon dis-
covers that he has agreed to purchase
something in the nature of a gold brick
and regrets entering upon the agree-
ment. But regrets are useless. The
pretended educators have got his sig-
nature and they leave no means untried
to compel him to deliver up the pound
of flesh. The result is that all corre-
spondence schools have aroused the
hatred of thousands of people who
have been bitten and of many others
whose friends have suffered.
We have repeatedly referred to the
educational features of Railway and
Locomotive Engineering as our Cor-
respondence School, and we regret to
find that some people believe that we
operate a correspondence school out-
side of our monthly paper. That is a
mistake. The subscription price paid
for the paper covers the whole expense
of our correspondence instruction. We
are free to assert that the instruction
contained in twelve numbers of our
paper is worth much more to a practi-
cal railroad man than any of the ex-
pensive courses that prove a heavy
burden to carry.
Come, Step Into My Parlor.
Some of our manufacturers are impres-
sed with the belief that an exhibition of
American products to be held in Germany
this year will be the means of opening
new markets for our products. The
Houghton Line regards the scheme as
another case of the spider inviting the
fly to step into its parlor. We share that
view. We have been attending exposi-
April, 191a
RAILWAY AXD LOCOMOTIVE EXGIN'EERIN'G.
153
tions great and small for the last forty
years and have been forced to the con-
clusion that the promoters of such affairs
were as a rule the only people to derive
benefits. There have been a few excep-
tions, but the people who have pushed their
business in the old-fashioned way of em-
ploying good salesmen and the ordinary
channels of publicity have found them-
selves better off than those who have
burdened themselves with expensive dis-
plays that attracted principally idle sight-
seers and people benf on imitation.
As a parallel of the German-American
exposition, the Houghton Line says : Let
us suppose that the Standard Oil Company
would issue a proclamation that, as they
did not make all varieties of oils, they
would like to know the best and cheapest
sources for varieties they did not make,
and therefore for si.x months 26 Broadway
would be open, free to all oil manufac-
turers for the purpose of showing to the
Standard their products and how they
make them. Does any one suppose that
there would be a panic in the rush for
space? Not even if the great John D.
himself headed the invitation and agreed
to be present in person. In fact, no one
would have any sympathy for the fool oil
manufacturer who would accept. Yet this
is precisely what the German nation has
offered to Americans.
Telephone Train Dispatching.
I Train dispatching by telephone has been
instituted on the main line of the Lehigh
:!ley Railroad between Easton and Penn
ven Jet, Pa. This installation is the
- -ct result of the success of telephone
;iatching on the Mahanoy and Hazle-
division. It is found that communi-
■■.on between the dispatcher and the
■ es along the Une is much less subject
mtcrruptions and delays than it for-
rly was, and the movement of trains
IS smoother and more rapid. One hun-
dred and fifty-two miles of line are cov-
ered by this system.
Strict rules govern the sending and the
receiving of all messages. The number of
trains and engines and the names of sta-
tions must first be pronounced distinctly
-'1 then spoiled out in full. The person
the receiving end writes out the order
m the dispatcher exactly as if it were
received by telegraph. A feature that has
proved of great value is the possibility of
talking directly with engineers and con-
ductors This direct convers.ition enables
the men to carry out orders with fewer
mistakes than when they receive them in
the form of a telegram.
I'.y a device known as a "st-lcctor" the
catcher can call any office he chooses,
without railing other offices. In a gen-
eral way the ">rlectf)r" may be compared
til the face of a clock, with the names of
stations in place of the hour*. Pointing
the hand, or indicator, to ".MIcntown,"
fcr example, the dispatcher rings up that
place without disturbing the agents in the
offices at Bethlehem, Mauch Chunk, or
any other station along the line. Since
the installation of telephone service on
the Mahanoy and Hazleton division, Dec.
6, there has not been a single failure
among any of the 36 selectors on that
divisions. The current for the operation
is furnished from a storage battery of
100 volts, the voltage being constant at
all times.
The difficulty of summoning the man
at the receiving end, which is often pres-
ent with the telegraphing system, is com-
pletely done away when telephones are
used. Part of the scheme of operation of
the "selector" is to make the gong in the
desired station ring, and continue ringing,
until the call is answered by some one.
In the case of telegraphic dispatching, it
is often necessary to adjust the relay to
the changes in the weather. If a man in
any office along the line wants to call the
dispatcher he first pulls the telephone arm
forward, places his ear to the receiver and
listens. If the line is busy he waits for
his chance, and announces his presence
by depressing a foot switch and giving the
name of his station. The dispatcher
acknowledges the call by saying either
"right" or "cut out" ; the latter expres-
sion is equivalent to the more general
one, "ring off."
The telephones are being installed
gradually, on one section after another of
the Lehigh Valley, so that the operation
of the system may be thoroughly effective
from the start. The results up to date, in
the speed and smoothness of train move-
ment have been very satisfactory. On the
divisions equipped with telephones, tele-
graph facilities are still maintained for
the handling of car reports and other
communications not pertaining to the
movement of trains.
Book Notices
Internal Lubrication of Steau En-
gines, by T. C. Thomsen. Published
by the Technical Publishing Co., Lon-
don, England. 112 pages, 24 illustra-
tif)ns, cloth. Price, 75 cents.
The publications of the Technical
Company are notcci for their conciseness
and freedom from involved jargon. These
fine features arc well sustained in the
neat volume before us. The author is
an eminent authority on the important
subject of the lubrication of steam en-
gines, and his repeated experiments have
conclusively shown that a pint of ordinary
oil will save a ton of coal, and really good
nil will save much more. The chapter on
the subject c>f stcnin engines using super-
heated steam is particularly valuable and
well wrrthy the careful notice of all in-
terested in this kind of steam engine.
Mr. G. .-K. Sekon, the well-known rail-
way writer, and Editor of the British
■■Railway Magazine" and "Railway Year
Book," who inaugurated those publica-
tions nearly 13 years ago and has con-
ducted them up to the present time, has
severed his connection with them. Mr.
Sekon is producing on popular lines a
new illustrated 6d. Magazine — "The Rail-
way and Travel Monthly" — which, as its
title indicates, covers the whole tield of
locomotion, and will doubtless be wel-
comed by all interested in railways and
railway engineering and operation, as well
as by tourists and travelers generally.
The Twenty-third Annual Report of
the Commissioner of Labor has just
been issued from the Government
Printing Press, Washington, D. C, and
forms a bulky volume of 810 pages.
The first chapter is entirely devoted to
national and international labor organ-
izations, and describes with a remarka-
ble degree of fullness their administra-
tion, membership, benefits and insur-
ance methods. The third chapter is
also of special interest, particularly to
railroad men. Railroad relief funds are
tabulated and the different methods are
fully illustrated. .As a reference work
for all who are interested in the sub-
jects treated of it would be difficult to
find another medium anywhere com-
parable to the report just issued.
Copies can be had on application to the
Commissioner of Labor at Washington,
D. C. This book being issued by the
government for the information of the
public, is sent free to those who desire it.
The Second .-Snnual Report of the
Public Service Commission of the State
of Xcw York is issued in two octavo vol-
umes averaging 800 pages each. The work
of the Commission, although apparently
cumbrous in its operation, has resulted
ill the promulgation of a uniform sys-
tini of accounts of corporations, and in
the multiplex details of railroad man-
agement there is gradually being estab-
lished a general systematic method of
accounting lor which there was much
need. Copies of the Report may be had
from the J. B. Lyon Company, State
printers, .-Mbany, N. Y.
Picture Postcards of Old.
.\ long-forgotten book entitled ";\l-
niaiiac de la Petite I'oste de 1777"' has
just been discovered, showiiiR that even
then the picture postcard nourished in
France. The .-Mmau.ic reports as fol-
lows: "Deuianison, the printer, has in-
troduced (lictorial cards containing room
for short aniKiunccmcnts or letters.
Thfsc pretty cards arc sent thrniiRli the
post like letters at a cheaper rate, and
are all the vogue."
154
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
April, 1910.
Railway Amidst Roman Mounds.
On the Haverhill hraiicli o£ the Great
Eastern Railway of England an interest-
ing feature is the Bartlow Hills, estimated
to be 1790 years old. When the line was
built in 1865, the company was compelled
to erect retaining walls and an arch be-
tween two of the hills, as shown in our
illustration. There are seven mounds in
all ; three of them are very low, but the
It is just here, as the Engineering Rec-
ord points out, that there is very often
too much uncertainty in the results gained
in a commercial laboratory. In fact our
contemporary believes that the tendency
of commercial laboratory work is toward
slovenliness. The secret of good labora-
tory work in experiment or research is in
the correct of control of conditions, pre-
cision in handling instruments and ap-
pcrimenter failing to realize such dis-
crepancy might be misled.
The experimental and research labora-
tory is one of the greatest helps in the
advancement of science and it behooves
all those engaged in such work to study
accuracy and care to the highest point,
particularly in conducting experiments
which are necessarily removed from exi-
gencies of business production.
Joint Railway Time Table.
The leading railway companies in
Scotland, the Caledonian, Great North of
Scotland, the Glasgow & Southwestern, the
Highland and the North British, are
discussing the propriety of issuing a
joint public time table to take the place
of the assortinent issued by the various
companies. Scotland is a small country
and the idea is a good one. If it works
well there it might be tried elsewhere
with much profit to all concerned.
ANCIENT KO.MAN .MOUNDS A.\I) MODERN KAII.WAV MXi:
Others consist of one larger mound, 93 ft.
in height and 147 ft. in diameter, having
two smaller ones 69 ft. in height and
100 ft. in diameter on either side of it.
All three of these are on the south side
of the railway. On the north is another
mound 45 ft. high and 100 ft. in diameter
For many years their origin remained a
mystery, but in 1832 they were opened and
found to contain stone coffins with bones
and iron chains, also vessels containing
liquid and other relics of Roman funeral
rites, and the further discovery of a signet
ring and coins showed them to have been
Roman burial places in the reign of Had-
rian. Hadrain was in Britain in the years
120 and 121 A. D., during which time the
famous wall between Newcastle and Car-
lisle, dividing England from Scotland, was
built.
Laboratory Work.
Laboratory work was in early days
practically confined to the chemist. Later,
medical science sought in it for the ex-
perimental verification of its theories.
Perhaps the latest branch of science to
take up laboratory work has been physical
science, and engineering has profited in
consequence. Educational establishments
have bent their energies in the same di-
rection. In fact the experimental labora-
tory has gained a recognized place in any
industrial establishment todav.
pliances and in analyzing data. Disturb
ing factors which may practically be dis
regarded in the laboratory may exercise
,■[ seriously modifying result when the
Old Time Mono-Rail.
Between the years 1878 and 1880 a
rather curious railroad was operated be-
tween Stratford and Gilmour, Pa. This
was a sort of mono-rail road, but it was
long before the days of the gyroscope, llie
track looks more like a fence than any-
thing else, but in reality it constituted
wliat stood for permanent way. The
upper part with rail on top supported the
weight of the locomotive and the vehicles,
the lower portion carried a guard rail on
each side which prevented the engine and
cars from tipping over. The section of
the track was like the letter A. The
OLD-TI.ME MONO-K.Vir. KOAD IN I'KNXS V I.\ AX I A
miniature laboratory object experimented
with, has been expanded to working pro-
portions for operation in regular daily use
outside, where it is supposed to do its
work. Working conditions may only have
a partial or incomplete reproduction in
the laboratorv, and in such cases an ex-
road did a profitable freight and passen-
ger business, but one fine day the boiler
blew up, killed si.x persons and after that
the whole enterprise was abandoned. We
are indebted to Mr. G. W. Murray, en-
gineer on the Erie Railroad for the picture
from which our engraving is made.
April, 191a
RAILWAY AXD LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
155
Applied Science Department
III.— The Steam Indicator.
Having explained briefly the construc-
tion and method of using the steam indi-
cator, and presented what may be called a
descriptive diagram with an ideal outline
of steam pressure curves, it remains to be
more fully noted that the perfect diagram
card is rarely described in steam engine
practice and more especially in locomotive
practice. The line traced "by the pencil
of the indicator necessarily varies under
varying conditions of pressure. Not only
are the diagrams of varying character as
shown in the cards of different engines,
but the cards vary materially even when
taken from the same engine under dif-
ferent conditions. To the thoughtful ob-
server this can be readily accounted for by
observing the line carefully and comparing
it either mentally with the perfect diagram
that experience may have impressed on
the mind's eye, or contrasting it with an
ideal card as shown when an engine is
running with the valve gearing perfectly
adjusted, and the indicator in perfect con-
dition.
The path through which the intelligent
process of reasoning moves in the mind
of the acute observer embraces the entire
phenomena of the conduct of the steam
in the cylinder. The degree of prompt-
ness with which the steam is admitted
when the piston is at the end of the
stroke, the apparent loss, if any, between
the pressure of steam in the boiler and
the pressure of steam in the cylinder.
Then the loss by what is known as wire-
drawing which is generally observable in
the case of engines where the piston is
traveling at a high velocity, and where
the supply of steam fails to keep pace
with the piston. Then the point of cut-
off, or complete closing of the valve ; this
point is rarely as distinctly defined as it is
in the ideal card, especially in engines
where a sliding valve is used, and where
the closing of the valve cannot by any
kind of contrivance be so rapidly effected
as in the case of valves having a short
rotary motion as in the case of the Corliss
valve and similar devices, which it may
hardly be stated are not available for use
on locomotives. Then follows the ex-
pansion line, the exact extent and charac-
ter of which is also variable under vari-
able conditions of service, ;iiul is partic-
ularly affected by the amount of back
pressure with which the piston has to con-
tend in its path towards thf- opposite end
of the cylinder from whirli the expand-
ing volume of steam that is rapidly
'liminiihinK in pressure is operating.
There it also to be observed the bcpn-
iiing of the exhaust and a brief but com-
prehensive glimpse of the arrangements
for the e.xhaust, indicating the amount and
duration of the back pressure incident to
the degree of readiness of release with
which the pent up steam escapes into the
outer air. In addition to these the point
where the compression of the unex-
hausted steam that is still left in the
cylinder is also to be observed, and the
amount of that compression.
Thus it will be observed there are at least
nine salient features to be observed in
one stroke of the piston, and it will be
readily understood that these features are
doubled and rarely exactly duplicated in
the returning piston stroke and any ap-
parent variation in the lines marking the
two strokes are full of significance, each
telling its own story and pointing it may
be to more or less error and consequently
showing defects
in construction
and adjustment
which if prop-
erly observed
and remedied,
contribute great-
ly to the eco-
nomic use of
steam, as well as
effecting a sav-
ing in the wear-
ing parts of the
engine.
To these should
be added varia-
tions that may occur by reason of defects
in the mechanism and working of the indi-
cator itself. These, although of rare oc-
currence, sometimes happen and their
effect is very misleading unless detected
and remedied. \Vc shall allude to these as
we go more fully into the subject. Mean-
while before illustrating some of the
variations that arc observable in indicator
diagrams it might be well to estimate the
mean pressure of steam used in the
cylinder during one stroke of the piston.
This can be readily accomplished by divid-
ing the diagram into a number of equal
parts as is shown in the accompanying
illustration. One line will be observed as
passing through the point of cut-off, which
has been placed at one-fourth of the
stroke, the other three lines being at
equidistant positions, dividing the dia-
gram which represents the cylinder into
four equal parts.
Now suppfning that the cylinder is 24
ins. in length, the cut-o(T point occurring
when the piston has moved 6 ins. It will
be readily understood that during thi^
part of the piston stroke the pressure of
steam on the face of the piston will be at
or nearly at boiler pressure, and supposing
this to be 145 lbs. per sq. in. When the
valve closes, and the piston continues to
move on its path the pressure of the en-
closed steam decreases in a ratio to the
distance traveled, so that when the piston
has traveled 6 ins. further the pressure
will have decreased to 72.5 lbs. per sq. in.
When the piston has moved 18 ins. on its
course, the steam will then occupy three:
times its original space and consequently
will have fallen in pressure to 48.33 lbs-
and so until the end of the stroke has been
reached when the pressure will have fallen
to 36.25 lbs. per sq. in. The mean or
average pressure may then be found by
adding these four varying estimates of
pressure together and dividing the total
by four, which would give an average
B
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1
fee
i
i
I
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4
3
2
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INlikATOR 1)I.\C.R-\M DIXini-.D .SO .\S 'Id llNl) M. !•:. V.
pressure of 75-52 lbs. per sq. in., or a
little more than one-half of the boiler
pressure. In this calculation we have not
made allowance for tlie steam wasted in
clearance and in condensation and pos-
sible leakage. These items all tend to re-
duce the average pressure on the piston,
so that in all calculations looking to esti-
n;.iting the horse power of an engine, it
i- safe to deduct ten per cent, of unavoid-
able loss in steam engine practice.
Celebrated Steam Engineers.
XXVIIl. Zkkaii ( oi.hukn.
'ITie Lowell Machine .Shops were the
oldest locomotive shops in New England.
It was here in 1847 that a fifteen-year-
old farmer's boy, named Zerah Colburn,
lirgan his apprenticeship as a machinist.
1 1 is education was of the poorest, but he
brought with him the discerning eye, the
impressinnabic mind, and an enthusiasm
that marked him from the beginning of
his engineering career as possessing the
keenest intellect coupled with an industry
that was tireless. In a few years he was
156
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
April, 1910.
not only one of the most expert ma-
chinists in New England, but he was
among the foremost draughtsmen in
America. He moved from place to place
with the restlessness of youth. He was
for some time superintendent at Souther's
locomotive building works in Boston.
He was engaged for some time in
the shops of the Concord Railroad, and
his services as mechanical engineer
were much sought after on several of
the leading railroads. He early ex-
hibited a fine discrimination in the co-
relation of the various parts of the
locomotive. The mystery of breakages
in the early locomotives was solved
by him ver3' successfully, and a juster
proportion of parts than anything
hitherto accomplished manifested itself
wherever Mr. Colburn was employed.
These details in construction would ap-
pear trivial and common in the light of
the larger experience in mechanism in
the present century, but they were of
vital importance in improving the effi-
ciency and reducing the cost of the early
locomotives. He could easily have at-
tained the very highest position as a
locomotive constructor, and he rejected
many offers of lucrative positions.
It was while moving from place to
place at this busy period that he began
writing articles to the current technical
journals about the work on which he
was engaged. He was among the first
and most successful in making engi
peering subjects absorbing in interest.
Gifted with a fertile imagination, and
rich in fancy, he had a gorgeousness of
language that was something new in
engineering writing.
Colburn became at an early age not only
a master in mechanism, but also a master
of classic English. He gave vocal utter-
ance to the great work of harnessing the
steam engine to the transportation prob-
lems of a new Continent. As editor of
"Colburn's Railway Advocate," he became
an authority of national importance on
railway subjects. He established the
"Engineer" in Philadelphia, and latterly
was chiefly instrumental in founding "En-
gineering" in London. The latter illus-
trated weekly soon became the leading
engineering magazine published in the
British Empire. He was also the author
of a monumental work, "Locomotive En-
gineering and the Mechanism of Rail-
ways," which was for many years the
standard work on the subject.
.As might be expected his analytical
mind ran with mercurial swiftness
ihrough the intricate mazes of the diverse
performances of the various t\-pes of the
early locomotives. He was the first to ad-
vocate the increase of grate surface, and
while holding the position of mechanical
engineer with the New Jersey Locomotive
and Machine Company, he found an op-
portunity to put his theories into prac-
tice. He designed a number of loco-
motives with fire boxes 7 ft. 6 ins. wide
and 6 ft in length. These were con-
sidered very powerful engines at the
time, having cylinders 18 by 24 ins. and
equipped with boilers having ample heat-
ing surface to fully supply steam for the
cylinders.
This was in 1855, and although Mr.
Colburn's original plans were not closely
adhered to by his successors it is a re-
markable fact that his general scheme of
increasing the fire box to the widest pos-
sible capacity has latterly met with ap-
proval. The question of how far his
plans influenced the design of the Wootten
fire box and other similar forms has been
much discussed, but the general opinion is
that Colburn was the first to demonstrate
the advantages of the wide fire box and
all subsequent alterations or alleged im-
provements have merely been the natural
outgrowth of the necessities arising from
the increased size of the modern loco-
motives.
It may be stated brieflly, however that
it was not so much the value of any par-
ticular improvement that Mr. Colburn
effected in the mechanical appliances
used on railways as it was the clarifying
effect of his writings^ He was a great
educational force. He raised machine
shop and roundhouse discussions to the
dignity of literature. He gave a philoso-
phic impulse to mere manual labor. By
his influence railroad men talked less and
read more. He was a pioneer in the field
of engineering journalism and set a stan-
dard of excellence which has been a mark
for others that have followed in the same
field, but which has not been surpassed.
Questions Answered
IKCRE.\SE OF LE.\D OR PORT OPENING.
28. G. H. C, Topeka, Kan., writes :
I have been carefully studj-ing Mr. Ken-
nedys new book, "The Valve-Setter's
Guide," and it contains more information
in less bulk than an\-thing I have ever
seen on the subject. There is one point,
however, that I would like further in-
formation upon, and it would be of valu-
able service to us if you would kindly ex-
plain how we can increase the lead or
port opening, and where should we make
the changes, that is, assuming that the
valves are already adjusted to give % in.
port opening at the end of the piston
stroke, what should we do to increase the
port opening to 5-16 in. front and back on
a locomotive equipped with the Wal-
schaerts valve gear? — A. This is not,
properly speaking, a valve-setter's job.
This is the work of the constructing en-
gineer. If the valves are square at all
of the openings with one quarter of an
inch lead, and it is desired to increase the
opening to five-sixteenths of an inch, this
can only be done by making a change in
the combination or lead lever. If the
locomoti%e is placed on one or other of
the dead centers it will be observed that
the combination lever is then in its ex-
treme angular position, and the distance
between the two upper joints of that lever
determines the position or amount of
opening of the valve. If the valve rod is
coupled to the pin on the top of the lever
as is the case with engines equipped with
outside admission valves, it will be neces-
sary to increase the distance between the
two upper joints referred to. We could
not state definitely the exact amount of
increase unless we knew the entire length
of the lever and the co-relation of the
parts to which the lever is attached, but
presuming that the lap of the valve and
the amount of port opening are together
equal to one inch, and the distance be-
tween the two upper joints of the com-
bination lever is four inches, it follows
that if four inches has moved the valve
one inch from the central position, the
distance between the two upper joints
would have to be increased one quarter
of an inch in order to move the valve one
sixteenth further in the direction desired.
As we stated this is a constructor's job,
and it would be safer to experiment with
a new combination lever rather than at-
tempt blacksmith work on a part of the
valve gearing where the joints are so near
to each other and where it would be al-
most impossible to avoid a distortion of
the exact parallel at which the joints
should be maintained.
BROKEN AIR PIPE.
29. R. R. D., Philadelphia, writes: If
we break the balance pipe on the second
engine when double-heading, can we plug
both ends of the pipe and allow the brake
valve handle to remain in running posi-
tion without danger of unseating the
rotary valve, or is it necessary to cut the
brake valve in, to get air on top of the
rotary valve, then lap the valve, plug the
train line exhaust and disconnect the re-
lease pipe at the distributing valve ? — \.
.Assuming that the balance pipe referred
to connects the large end of the Pennsj-l-
vania cut-out-cock with the brake pipe, it
is only necessary to stop the leak at both
ends of the break and proceed. Slight
leakage at the rotary key gasket or at the
union connection of the reservoir pipe
would be supplied from the feed valve
pipe which would be connected with the
brake pipe, the air pressure unseating the
supply valve and flowing backward
through the feed valve.
An effective way to stop the leak from
the end of the pipe connected to the cock
would be to place the handle of the cock
in a position half way between open and
closed and wedge it in this position. Un-
der the foregoing conditions should a leak
drain away the pressure above the rotary
valve faster than it could be supplied by
the litnited amount backing through the
April, 19 10.
RAILWAY AXD LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
feed vaive, the brake valve rotary would
he unseated and must be placed on lap
lion and the reservoir cock opened,
;n order that the brake can be released
Dv an increase of brake pipe pressure the
release pipe must be disconnected.
It would not be necessary to plug the
ke pipe exhaust as the engineer who
follow this up and knows why he is
:.g it, will have no difficulty in seating
equalizing discharge valve if it is at
- time forced off its seat by an in-
-e of brake pipe pressure during a
r<se of the brakes.
CENTER OF CYLISDERS.
30. C. R., Sunny\'ale, Cal., asks:
Why is the center point of the piston
rod and crosshead usually placed a lit-
tle higher from the top of the rail than
the center of the shaft of the driving
wheels; why are they not in a perfectly
horizontal line with each other? — A.
The horizontal center line of the cylin-
ders is usually placed above the center
line of the driving axles for the purpose
of giving the truck more room, espe-
cially when the engine is going round
a curve. By keeping the cylinders
slightly higher, the designer can place
cylinders in line with main crank pin.
using a shorter pin than if he brought
the cylinders low and had to keep them
!1 away from the wheels. Raising
iiider center line helps a little in
both these ways.
B.\L.\NCED COMPOUNDS.
;i. R. L. C, Ceres, Cal., asks: Are
./alanced compounds at the present
time looked upon with as much favor
as they were formerly? Is the saving
in fuel on such an engine more than the
additional expense incurred in keeping
the cranked axle and inside main rods
and braces in good repair, especially
on an engine with looped inside main
rods? — .\. The balanced compounds of
which you speak have not been used
;>'nsively in this country. We have
data at hand showing the expense
• It maintaining the inside main rods
and bras-cs in repair.
PRESM'KE I.N BKAKE CYLINDESS.
ii. R. R. D., Philadelphia, writes:
Why ii it that on an engine equipped
with the H-6 brake, having an auxiliary
reservoir and triple valve on the tender
a full application of the brake results in a
constant escape of air at thr high-speed
reducing valve on the tenrlcr - — A. It is
due to the fact that the safrty valve of
the distributing valve is adjusted to m.-iin-
tain a higher pressure in the application
cylindrr than the reducing valve is ad-
justed to retain in the tender brake
'blinder
In order to avoid this, ihr adjustment
the high-speed rrdiicing valve must be
increased to equal or slightly exceed that
of the safety valve, or the adjustment of
the safety valve must be lowered to a
figure slightly less than that of the reduc-
ing valve.
If there are no special instructions cov-
ering the adjustment of pressure control-
lers under such circumstances, the air
brake instructor should decide upon the
course to be pursued.
If the engine and tender were equipped
with the E. T. brake when built we would
recommend that the safety valve remain
set at 68 lbs., and the high-speed reducing
valve be set at 70 lbs. However, if tlie
tender had been built and equipped, and
goes with an engine having the combined
automatic and straight air brake, a man
not knowing the percentage of braking
power, the cylinder pressure it is based
upon, or brake pipe pressure employed,
ic would be impossible to offer any sug-
gestion relative to the adjustment of the
pressure controllers.
DEGREE OF CURV.\TURE.
33. G. .\.. Apalachicola, Fla., writes :
Please define a ten degree curve? — A.
When speaking of railway curves the
number of degrees which enclose an arc of
100 ft. gives the degree of curvature.
In a ten-degree curve 100 ft. subtend an
angle of 10 degs. This gives a radius of
572Vi ft.
WEIGHT OF TR.MN.
34. G. A. .\palachicola, Fla., writes:
When a thousand ton train is. spoken
of, does it mean that the train weighs
that much on the scales or does it mean
the draw-bar pull? — A. A thousand ton
train means weight of train behind the
tender — not draw-bar pull.
First Aid on the C. P. R.
One of the most popular movements
on the Canadian Pacific Railway, of re-
cent organization, is that of first aid to
the injured, as carried on under the
auspices of the St. John Ambulance
Association. First of all, the question,
"What is first aid?" is best answered
by stating what its objects are. To
teach people, outside of the medical
profession, to render assistance to any
person suffering accident or sudden ill-
ness until the arrival of the doctor.
To teach people what not to do in case
of accident, so that there shall be no
likelihood of a sympathetic but ignorant
public causing unnecessary pain ami
suffering through improper treatment.
That in ca«ie of emergency, that is,
bleeding, poisoning, choking or drown-
ing, a life may not be •..icrifioed for the
want of a little elementary knowledge
on the part of the bystander.
The Canadian Pacific Railway Centre
of the St. John Ambulance Association
have, for some time past, realized the
value of this movement to their em-
ployees and to themselves, as is seen
from the fact that they have a large and
complete organization at their works in
Montreal, both in the car and locomo-
tive departments, and now every shop
has its quota of ambulance men, so
that no matter in what part of the
works an accident may happen there
you will find an ambuknoe man, ready
and willing to give 'mmediate help.
The cost of instruction and the books
and first aid material necessary are
furnished by the management free of
charge.
The class is taken in hand by one
of the company's instructors, whose
duty it is to teach the practical work,
such as the proper application of
bandages and splints to various parts
of the body and lifting and carrying the
injured on stretchers, etc. Before" the
instructor allows his class to go up for
final examination they are expected to
answer a series of test questions and
to do the practical work in connection
with them.
As soon as the instructor considers
the class ready for examination he
makes his report to the proper quarter,
and a medical officer of the Canadian
Centre of the St. John Ambulance As-
sociation is appointed to examine the
class as, for obvious reasons, no lec-
turer is allowed to examine his own
class. After the examination the men
are given one hour per week in which
to meet together for practice, and are
by this means kept up to a proper state
of efficiency; also, at stated intervals
the men are inspected by a medical offi-
cer appointed by the management so
that the company can find out for them-
selves if their men are up to the mark
and able to do the work required of
them.
One thing strictly impressed on all
ambulance men is the exact relative po-
sition first aid has to the medical pro-
fession. The ambulance man is given
clearly to understand that he is not
expected, or in a position, to supplant
the doctor, or to treat any accident to
its final solution, for the simple rea-
son, the work of the ambulance man
eiuN where the doctors begin. As an
incentive to employees to obtain the
certificate, the management grant cer-
tain privileges. For instance, other
things being equal, the man holding a
first aid certificate has preference of
employment, preference for promotion
ami also granted an extra pass over and
above the usual annual pass and on the
same conditions.
Mr. I.acey R. Jf)hnson, assistant su-
|n I iiitemleiit of motive power, is the
chairman of this organization on the
Canadian Pacific and Mr. S. A. Gidlow
is secretary.
158
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
April, 1910.
Air Brake Department
Conducted by G. W, Kiehm
Triple Valve Test Rack.
Our illustrations consist of a photo-
graph of the improved Westinghouse
Triple Valve Test Rack. The upper view
shows the clamping device which is
operated by air pressure. This rack is
for testing the following types of West-
inghouse triple valves, F24, G24, Fas, Fi
(H24) F2 (F46), Hi (F36), H2 (H49).
Pi (F27), P2 (F29), Mi, M2A, Ri, R2,
LiB, L2A, L3, Ki and K2.
The tests that are conducted are: (i)
charging test ; (2) leakage; (3) retarded
release feature ; (4) application test or
service sensitiveness; (5) packing ring
leakage; (6) friction test; (7) service
port capacity test ; (8) by pass valve,
in the past. It is very gratifying to know
that many repair men would no more
think of placing a repaired triple valve
in service without first testing it on the
rack than they would think of again
placing it in service without cleaning and
examination. Many are inclined to think
that the repairman of the past or the man
who repaired triple valves before the in-
troduction of the test rack, or without
modern facilities merely filed-down the
slide valve and seat a little, hunted up a
ring that would make a pretty fair fit in
the bushing, ground it for a few minutes —
and then considered the triple valve ready
for service.
This mav be correct in some, but not
principally upon tightness of the slide
valve, graduating valve, check valve, triple
piston packing ring, the capacity of the
feed groove, freedom from undue resist-
ance to motion and leakage to the atmo-
sphere, the following form of test was
usually applied.
After the check valve and seat was
cleaned or ground to a bearing it was
tested by removing the drain plug from
the check valve case and filling the case
above with water, if no water appears
at the drain plug opening in a reasonable
length of time the valve was considered
tight, and was then bolted to the valve
body with emergency valve, spring, piston
and guide in their proper positions. The
WESTIXGIIOUSE TRIPLE \"AI.VE TEST RACK.
safety valve and graduated release test.
While the space in this issue will not per-
mit of a complete description this very
important machine will be referred to in
the following issue.
Triple Valve Tests.
The triple valve testing machine, or test
rack that is used in all up-to-date air
brake repair rooms is considered by air
brake men to be an absolute necessity
even if the air brake equipment is to be
maintained in only a reasonable, not to
say, a high, state of efficiency.
There is no question but that these
opinions are correct and it is a well
known fact that a triple valve that ap-
plies and releases perfectly among 10,
15, or 20 other brakes gives no assur-
ance that it will do so when it is coupled
with 60 or 80 other brakes in a train of
cars, and such being the case it naturally
follows that better workmanship and a
more rigid and exacting test is required
at present than was altogether necessary
in all cases, because the average railroad
mechanic when brought to face a situ-
ation and to know what is expected of
him, will without doubt devise the means
if within the range of possibility. If his
company insists that he repair triple
valves in a manner that will insure satis-
factory service and yet furnish him with
no means of determining whether the
valves will do it, he will likely get up
some sort of test of his own.
The writer has been employed in shops
and engine houses where there were no
facilities whatever for testing triple
valves or any other parts of the air brake
apparatus, and like a great many others,
he has often found the locomotive or car
due to leave about the same time he could
finish the piece of work. This left no
time for even an application or release
test on the locomotive or car. Under
such conditions a cleaned or repaired
triple valve was given an improvised test
while being assembled. Realizing that
the efficiency of the triple valve depended
piston and slide valve were then placed in
the bushing dry or without any lubrication
and worked back and forth a few times,
then the slide valve was tested for a leak
from the triple exhaust port, by drawing
the piston back just far enough for the
slide valve to close the ports in the seat
and by placing the mouth over the triple
exhaust port and sucking out all the air
in the exhaust cavity a vacuum would be
created and the tongue or lips would ad-
here to the port if the slide valve was
tight. If the slide valve leaked, the leak-
age would prevent the formation of, or
quickly destroy the partial vacuum de-
pended upon for the test. If the lips ad-
hered to the port while the piston and
valve were drawn to the end of the
bushing and forced back several times
the slide valve was considered tight and
the piston was shoved against the slide
valve end of the piston bushing and the
hand held tightly over the brake cylinder
port, the exhaust cavity would then be in
communication with the cavity y, and if
April, 191a
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
1 59
the same conditions just stated could then
be obtained, that is, if the lips would
then adhere to the exhaust port, the left
hand being held tightly over the exposed
brake o'linder port, the emergency ralve
and check valve case gasket were also
considered free from leakage.
If everything was satisfactory up to
this point the triple piston packing ring
was tested by lubricating the slide valve
and piston bushing, the piston bushing
rather freely, and holding the left hand
of the slide valve and piston was of
course a matter of judgment. With a
slide valve and seat having perfect wear-
ing surfaces, and a slide valve spring of
the proper tension and a properly fitted
packing ring there will be no undue re-
sistance to motion. If there was this
resistance it takes but an instant to reverse
the piston in the bushing to determine
whether the packing ring or slide valve
spring were at fault, and when the triple
valve had apparently passed this test it
There is no intention whatever of sug-
gesting the above as a substitute where
there is no test rack for cleaned and re-
p.iired triple valves, for the test rack has
undoubtedly become a necessity, and an
essential part of the apparatus used for
air brake maintenance. It tests triple
valves under working conditions, shows
the resistance to movement under pres-
sure, shows the capacity of the feed
groove and packing ring leakage in
pounds per minute which is something
FRONT AND TOP SECTION OF WESTINGHOUSE TRIPLE VALVE TEST HACK.
tightly over the end of the slide valve
bushing and forcing the piston hard
toward release position, a perfect cushion
would be formed if the ring was tight,
the slide valve having already indicated
that it did not leak, and if the packing
ring leaked the fact would be indicated
by the hiss of escaping air or by bubbles
showing in the lubricant at the edges of
the piston, when the piston was finally
forced against the slide v.ilve bush, then
the puff of escaping air that is noticed ii
from the feed groove.
Frictional resistance to the movement
was considered ready for service after
the excessive lubrication having been re-
moved from the piston bushing and the
back cap bolted to the valve body, the
condition of the feed groove and back cap
gasket being a matter of observation
rather than test.
In cleaning the feed groove a pointed
piece of wood was used rather than
metal to avoid the possibility of enlarg-
ing the groove and the use of the slide
valve spring with sharp worn edges was
carefully avoided, the graduating valve
was tested like the slide valve.
definite, and it makes satisfactory repair
work a possibility. In fact there are
test racks in use that show frictional re-
sistance to the movement of the triple
piston in inches of vacuum.
It is neither the intention of the writer
to uphold the repairman of the past or
criticise the repairman of today, but in
spite of some of the poor repair work of
the past the air brake usually operated in
a very satisfactory manner, and at the
present time improvement and increased
facilities have placed the air brake equip-
ment in the best condition it probably
i6o
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE EXGINEERING.
April, 1910.
ever has been in. All this is notwith-
standing the fact that today one can go
through a freight yard or repair shop and
find passenger triples in freight service,
triple piston of a Pi (F27) valve in an
Hi (F36) valve body, check valve springs
from i;4 to 2^ ins. in height, and springs
in the back cap, one might almost say
varying from a coiled hair pin to a throttle
latch or a reverse bar spring. It is repair
work of this kind which constitutes one
of the many problems tliat we have always
with us.
Broken Air Brake Couplings.
The average individual having but a
casual interest in the subject of parted
trains and broken couplings, overhearing
some of the discussions relating to this
niatter, would likely arrive at the con-
clusion that the air brake would be' of
valuable assistance in stopping a train if
it could in some way be prevented from
tearing the train in half every time it is
applied.
are also among the defects of the air
brake that are liable to part a train.
A defective or cut out driver brake can
under certain conditions set up a greater
strain on the couplings than the pull of
the engine in attempting to start a train,
for in starting the train the engine can
exert but its maximum tractive effort,
while the inoperative driver brake can in
some cases allow the entire weight of the
engine to be thrown on the couplings. It
is sometimes a very easy matter to shift
the responsibility for a broken train on
to some defect of the air brake equip-
ment but the condition of the draw gear
itself and the make up of trains are often
the reverse of what they should be, and
the manner in w'hich the train and engine
are ihandled is by no means the most re-
mote cause of parted trains.
Opening, the engine throttle before the
brakes have had time to release is often
responsible for broken couplings in spite
of the fact that the manufacturers of the
WESTINGHOUSE TRIPLE VALVE TEST RACK
No doubt trains have been parted by a
triple valve moving to emergency position
when a service application was intended,
but it is absurd to attempt to create the
impression that the train will be parted
every time the brake is used in the quick
action position or every time quick action
occurs. No doubt a quick action applica-
tion starting from the rear of a train is
more likely to part it than one starting
from the front end, but if the train has
once parted quick action is pretty sure to
occur if the parting is between air braked
cars.
Undesired quick action is but one of the
air brake defects that has a tendency to
part a train, a short piston travel at the
rear end of a freight train and a long
travel at the head end, a defect of the
triple valve or retaining valve at the rear
end that would prevent the exhaust of
brake cylinder pressure in a reasonable
length of time or a defective brake valve,
brake have for years attempted to impress
upon the minds of all concerned the im-
portance of this matter, and it requires but
a little thought and attention to observe
that more time must be allowed in which
to release the brakes on a train if leak-
age or the condition of the pump allows
but a little or no excess pressure, than
would be required if the pump is in good
condition and there is a high main
reservoir pressure to release the brakes
with.
Severe strains to the draw gear and
break-in-two can also be caused by re-
leasing at low speeds, attempting to re-
lease the brake before the application is
actually completed, using the quick action
application at low speeds, or in fact at
any time as well as catching an engine
that is slipping, by the use of sand. The
importance of uniform travel of the
brake cylinder piston or rather the effect
of unequal piston travel as a factor in
parting trains is invariably ignored be-
cause the travel, unless slack adjusters
are used, is always more or less unequal,
and it is not given the attention it should
be as it is constantly increased by wear,
therefore requires continual adjustment.
It is not unusual to find in a train of
freight cars, some pistons traveling 5 ins.
and some 10 ins. In fact, it is the rule
rather than the exception and it is a well
known fact, that by calculating from the
ordinary locomotive gauge, a brake pipe
reduction of 10 or 12 lbs, results in a
brake cylinder pressure of about 20 lbs.
per sq. in. in a brake cylinder with 10 ins.
piston travel while the same reduction re-
sults in practically a full brake cylinder
pressure of 45 or 50 lbs. in a cylinder
with 5 ins. piston travel.
In pursuing an investigation along the
line of rough train handling or broken
trains, a matter of this kind cannot be ig-
nored, and this important part of air
brake maintenance is likely to be neglected
until some rigid rules relative to the
matter are strictly enforced. Leaky brake
cylinders are even -worse in this regard
than the unequal piston travel, both hav-
ing about the same general effect in pro-
ducing shocks to trains, but the unequal
travel is preferable for a continued reduc-
tion will at least result in some braking
power. Brake cylinder leakage and im-
proper piston travel on the engine and
tender does not have this effect when the
engine is equipped with the E. T. brake,
but a misuse of this brake can produce
worse effects than those it was designed
to overcome.
The engineer is in the best position to
determine the cause of break-in-two, and
to handle trains, in a manner that would
tend to reduce to a minimum, the effect of
those troubles. Such a man requires ex-
perience as well as knowledge and good
judgment, and neither the manufacturers
nor air brake men ever attempt to explain
except in a general way, how different
trains should be handled, because grades
and curvature enter into the matter and
the condition of the brake itself is one of
the most prominent factors in determining
the correct manipulation of any brake.
Consolidation.
A correspondent having asked the
origin of the name "Consolidation," as
applied to locomotives and similar ques-
tions, we sent him our illustrated card
showing different types of locomotives.
We feel called upon to give more particu-
lars about the origin of the word "Con-
solidation" in that connection. The first
Consolidation engine was designed by
Alexander Mitchell, then master me-
chanic of the Lehigh & Mahoning Rail-
road. Just about the time the 2-8-0 en-
gine was completed the Lehigh & Mahon-
ing was consolidated with the Lehigh
Valley, and the name "Consolidation" was
given to the engine in honor of the event.
April. loio.
RAILWAY AXD LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
i6l
Electrical Department
Inspection and Repair of Motor Cars.
By \V. B. Kolwexhos-en.
Thorough inspection anJ repair ol rail-
way equipment at regular intervals does
much to decrease the depreciation of
apparatus and to increase its life. It
also lessens the delays caused by
break-downs with their resulting
blockades. The articles appearing in the
Februao' and March number of the Rail-
way AND Locomotive Enxixeering on
the New York Subway Control, made
clear the fact that in reality the duties of
the motorman and those of his brother,
the locomotive engineer are very much
alike. In the same way the repair shops
of an electric road takes the place of the
round house of the steam road. A large
portion of the equipment of an electric
motor car is placed underneath the body
of the car. This makes it necessary to
provide a number of pits in the repair
shop in order that the repair gang may
have easy access to this part of the equip-
ment.
The cars when sent to the repair
shop, should first be thoroughly cleaned
and the windows washed. A test should
always be made for live parts. Some
unes the insulation becomes worn and a
ive wire comes in contact with some
letal part of the car body or frame. Now
11 the metal parts of an electric motor
.ir should make good electrical contact
'. ith each other and the tracks, but this
innot always be depended upon. For
■istancc there may be some part, such as
le master controller-cover or an iron
>or sill, which makes such poor contact
•ith the trucks and other steel parts of
■iie car, that for all practical purposes it
may be considered as insulated from them.
Iron rust forms a fairly good insulation,
itid the metal parts of a car that once made
. '<od contact, may in time become so cor-
■ .ded with rust, that this contact is de-
• ctive. The object of having metal car
')dy and parts make contact with the
■uck at all times is a safety feature.
If a live wire wears through its rubber
ating and comes in contact with some
f the iron work on a car in which all the
etal parts make good contact with the
-unning rails, a short circuit or ground,
< it is usually called, will result. A
hort circuit or an electric railway it
.'•nerally spoken of as a ground. A
Kfound when formed at onrr makes itself
known and calls for immrrliatr action. If
.ill the metal parts of the cars are not
Making good contact with each other, and
■ live wire comes in contact with one of
■ icse parts, it also becomes alive or
charged, as it is usually called, and forms
a source of very grave danger to workmen
and others.
This is doubly dangerous because the
charged portion gives no indication that
the electric current is present until some
person makes contact with it. When a
car becomes charged and is sent to the re-
pair shops it should be very plainly
marked in order to prevent any of the
men whose duty it is to sweep out the
car and clean the windows from entering
the car. It is never safe to make per-
sonal contact with the third rail current,
a man will at least likely receive a heavy
shock if not a more serious injury.
When a car comes into a shop for over-
liauling a test should be made for live
parts. To do this a bank of five incan-
descent lamps connected in series may be
.MOTOR OPEN lOR INSPECTION.
used. One terminal of the bank of lamps
is connected with the running rail, and
with a wire connected to the other ter-
minal a man goes about the car touching
all the metal parts. If the bank of lamps
fail to light everything is all right. If,
however, he find on touching some metal
part that the lamps light up, then he
knows that that particular part of the
car is alive. Tlic slippers, which are
pieces of board, are then placed between
the third rail shoe and the third rail, and
the wires in that part of the car that is
alive arc then carefully examined and
the necessary repairs are made.
In overhauling the motor equipment,
the motor leads arc first disconnected
from those of the control circuit. Some
railway companies solder the control
wires and the motor leads together.
Others, instead of soldering them,
employ a cotinection box containing
heavy lugs in which the leads may be
securely clamped together. It is a very
simple matter to remove the lea<ls with
such an arrangement. After the leads
have been disconnected, the field frame
is utiliriltrd .'iiid •i|icMrd anil the ariii.'i
lure is llicn removed. The armature is
now thoroughly cleaned by an air
blast which forces out any dust that
may have lodged in the winding or ven-
tilating passages.
The armature is then carefully tested
for insulation, grounds, short circuited
coils, broken coils, and other troubles.
The insulation test consists of applying
several thousand volts to the armature,
one wire of the supply being connected
to the commutator and the other to the
armature shaft. This test voltage is
much higher than that which the arma-
ture works under in practice, and if
there are any weak spots in the insula-
tion they will give way under the strain
and can then be repaired. If the arma-
ture withstands the test voltage satis-
factorily, then there is not much danger
of its failing from this cause when on
the road. This insulation test, in which
llic high voltage is applied to the arma-
ture windings in the repair shop, finds
.in almost identical test in the round
house. The test referred to is the one
in which a high pressure is applied to
the boiler shell to see if it will safely
cany its working pressure. This is the
ordinary hydrostatic test. If no leaks
develop and the boiler withstands the
strain produced by the high pressure, it
is declared safe. In the same manner,
if the insulation or the armature satis-
factorily withstands the strain produced
by the high voltage, it is also declared
safe. Thus boiler shell and insulation
can be relied upon to withstand their
normal working pressure for some time.
If, upon testing, any of the coils are
found to be broken or burnt out, they
.ire removed from the armature and re-
placed by new coils. In soldering the
new coils to the commulat<ir bars ;i
lesinous flux is used bcc.iuse an acid
llux would be very injurious to the in-
sulation. The phosphor-bronze bands
that hold the armature wires in place
are carefully inspected to sec if any
;irc broken. After this the commutator
is thoroughly cleaned from any accu-
mulation of carbon dust, oil and grit
lh.it may have collected. If the com-
niulator is rough or if there arc bars
that arc higher than their fellows, the
.'irmature is placed in a lathe atid light
(uts are l.iken over the commutator.
The commutator is then carefully filed
,inil .sand-papered until it is perfectly
smooth ;ind bright. Rmcry cloth i.i
never used for this purpose, because
".mall particles of emery often become
lodged in the mici that srpar.iles the
l62
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
April, 1910.
commutator bars. These particles ruin
the insulation. The armature is then
given a thorough coating of some air-
drying insulating varnish.
The brush holders and the field frame
are next carefully cleansed from dust
and grit. If the brush holders show
wear or are burnt on the commutator
side, or are rough, they are tiled smooth
and clean and painted with some insu-
lating varnish. The field windings are
tested by the repair gang for insula-
tion, short circuits, broken wires and
grounds, as in the case of the armature
windings. If a field coil winding is
defective or damaged it is either re-
moved and repaired or else replaced by
a new coil.
The motors are now reassembled,
new brushes are put in place and the
contact springs are adjusted. The re-
pair gang then turns its attention to
the rheostats, the contactors, the third
rail shoes, and to the other parts of the
motor equipment. A piece of asbestos
board fastened on the car bottom above
each rheostat affords a very excellent
protection against fire. If any rough
places are found on the contacts they
are filed smooth and the entire equip-
ment is put in good shape.
The controllers should be examined
very often, as they get out of order
n:ore easily than any other part of the
car. The repair man first removes the
cover and proceeds to the inspection of
the controller proper. Each finger and
contact strip receives careful attention.
The fingers sometimes bend and then
jam against the contact drum or cylin-
der and prevent its rotation. The badly
burned and worn fingers are replaced
by new ones. New contact rings are
placed on the drum wherever needed
and any contact rings or fingers that
are found to be rough are filed smooth.
The tension of the fingers is carefully
adjusted by the workman. All the in-
sulation and wiring is carefully cleaned
from dust and then given a coat of in-
sulating varnish.
The car wiring, the train line, and in
fact all the wires on cars of modern
design are either run in iron pipe con-
duit or else in flexible conduit, and the
system is as nearly fireproof as possi-
ble. The switches and fuses are also
grouped in one fireproof box. The re-
pair gang carefully tests all the circuits
and replaces any lamps that may be
burnt out. If any wires are grounded
or broken they are carefully repaired.
The leads that run from the car body
to the motor deserve very careful at-
tention. The trucks, on which the mo-
tors are mounted, swing in rounding
curves; this places severe strain on the
insulation due to the bending and
chafing of the wires. This chafing and
bending is liable to cut and wear
through the rubber insulation and
cause a short circuit or ground. One
very good way of reducing this difii-
culty is to mount a hard wood block
on the motor frame and a block on the
bottom of the car near the king-pin
Holes about 2 ins. apart are bored
through the blocks to carry the wires,
and the slack is arranged in either an
S- or a U-shaped loop. The nearer
that the block on the car is to the king-
pin, the less the relative motion and
wear on the insulation will be. Repair
men often wrap old pieces of rubber
hose or canvas about the leads to pro-
tect them.
The bearings on a motor car are just
as important as they are on a steam
locomotive or coach, and the need of
good lubrication is just as great. Addi-
tional inspection is required by the
armature bearings, in order that they
may not become so badly worn as to
let the armature rub on the field poles.
If this took place it would quickly ruin
an armature. Wool waste thoroughly
saturated with oil is considered the
best method of lubricating bearings,
and is used almost exclusively on elec-
tric roads as well as on steam. Some
of the early electric roads made a large
number of experiments of different
lubricants and methods. They finally
arrived at the same conclusion that the
steam roads had arrived at years be-
fore. It would have saved time, trouble
and expense if they had accepted the
work already done by the steam roads.
Electric practice has sometimes unnec-
essarily endeavored to blaze a new trail.
Three classes of wheels are used on
motor cars, namely, cast iron, steel-
tired, and solid pressed steel wheels.
These three types are also used on
steam roads. Flat wheels are of com-
mon occurrence on roads where the
traffic is heavy, the grades steep and
the stops frequent. The wheels are
usually trued up by grinding.
The question of when and how often
a motor car should be inspected and
repaired is just as important as the
method and thoroughness of the inspec-
tion and repair itself. There are two
methods of determining when a motor
car needs inspection and repair. One is
based on the time elapsed between the vis-
its to the repair shops and the other is on
the mileage system. By the first method the
cars are inspected every three or four days
and completely overhauled and repaired
once every twelve or fourteen months.
By the mileage system the cars are sent
to the repair shops after they have run
a given mileage and are then put in per-
fect repair.
On some electric roads the deprecia-
tion of the cars when they are out on
the road in charge of the motorman is
enormous.
If the motorman on these roads was
held personally responsible for a train
and its equipment when in his charge,
just as the locomotive engineer is held
responsible for his engine, the results
would probably be different.
Electric Locomotive for the B. & O.
During the present year the service of
the B. & O. tunnel has demanded a fur-
ther enlargement of the electric locomo-
tive equipment and a new contract was
placed for two additional locomotives to
meet the requirements. In general the
new type has a flexible wheel base con-
sisting of two trucks coupled together and
surmounted by a platform carrying a steel
cab and running the whole length of the
locomotive. The two trucks are per-
manently linked together with a heavy
hinge and carry the draft gear and
bumper on the outer end frames. With
this construction all hauling and pushing
stresses are transmitted through the truck
framing on approximately the same hori-
zontal line and are not carried through
the center pin into the platform framing.
This relieves the platform of all stresses
except such due to its own weight and
that of the apparatus on it. The prin-
ciple embodied in this type of locomotive
construction is not new but is one whose
success has been demonstrated by its prac-
tical application to steam locomotives for
a number of years. The B. & O. Mallet
compound locomotive resembles the new
B. & O. electric type in that it has a wheel
base made in two halves hinged together
and taking the hauling stresses directly
through this hinge.
The apparatus for controlling the loco-
motive is mounted on the platform and
enclosed in the cab. This cab is divided
into three parts, a main operating cab,
occupying the center part of platform, and
two low auxiliary receptacles extending
from the main operating cab to the outer
ends of the locomotive. These receptacles
contain such parts of the control appara-
tus as do not require continuous inspec-
tion and care. The engineer's seat is in
the cab, well back from the forward end
of the locomotive, and so placed as to af-
ford him the best command of all the
apparatus under his control. The cab is
so short that without leaving his seat the
engineer can obtain a fair view of the
train behind or of a switchman at the
coupler.
By means of the multiple unit control,
which is a feature of these locomotives,
two of these 90-ton units can be coupled
together and operated by one engineer in
the forward cab. All the motors are con-
trolled simultaneously by one operating
handle, and one engineer thus has under
his control a maximum capacity of 3,500
h. p., or a maximum tractive effort of
gw,ooo lbs., developed from one 180-ton
locomotive, which could move off on a
level track with a 6,000-ton load behind it
or take a 1,000-ton load up a grade 80 ft.
to the mile.
April, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
163
New Locomotives for the Caledonian
Our illustration shows a type of loco-
motive which the Caledonian Railway
have added to their stock for the purpose
of working goods trains. The engines
were turned out from the St. Rollox
workshops, built to the designs of Mr.
J. F. Mcintosh, the company's locomo-
tive engineer.
The engine is an i8'i x 26 in. cylinder
engine with 5 ft. six-coupled wheels, and
is of the 0-6-0 type, with inside cylinders
driving on the middle axle. The tubes
are of mild >teel. galv.-ini^ed. 275 in num-
tended study and experiment in this par-
ticular direction; and so satisfactory has
been its behavior in actual working under
severe and varying conditions that ar-
rangements have been made for fitting it
to all new Caledonian engines. An il-
lustrated description of this spark arrester
was given in Railw.w and Locomotive
Engineering for February, 1909, page 53.
The Charles Balance Valve.
The method of balancing main valve of
locomotive here shown is applicable to
crdinarv slide valves or even those which
to float or cant in any direction, but is
practicaly equivalent to a solid ring mak-
ing a tight joint all the time with the
friction plate above it.
The spring ring is made of hard cast
iron, bored eccentric 1-16 of an inch,
giving it a thickness of 7-32 of an inch at
the part remote from split, at the split
it is s-32 of an inch thick. The spring
ring being made of hard cast iron is not
affected by heat any more than the pack-
ing rings of a piston are, and for thi«
reason the cast iron ring is more satis-
factory than steel springs.
C.VLEDOMAN R.MLW.W
LOCOMOTIVE NO.
ber, and i>4 in. external diameter. The
firebox shell is 6 feet 5 ins. long by 4 ft.
o'/i in wide at the bottom, and the crown
of the copper box is stayed with girder
stays. Ramsbottom safety valves are 3
ins. in diameter and adjusted to blow off
at the working pressure of 160 lbs. per
square inch.
The cylinders are inside the frames and
the slide valves arc operated by Stephen-
son Imk motion. The built crank axle has
journals 8'/2 ins. diameter by y'A ins.
long, and the connecting rod bearing is
S'/j ins, diameter by 4 ins. long. The
leading and trailing axles have journals
8 ins diameter by 7'/i long. The engine
is equipped with steam brakes. It has also
an ejector and "through" vacuum brake
pipe, thus permitting of the working of
express goods trains.
A special feature in the construction is
the introduction into the smokcbox of a
novel form of spark arrester which bids
fair to at List solve the difficult spark
problem by diminishing live-coal throw-
ing while keeping the ilr.id cylinders in
such a position in the sinr)keI)ox a« to
remain entirely clear of the bottom rows
of boiler tubes. This effective and ex-
tremely simple arrester is the invention
of Mr Mcintosh and it the result of ex-
have had the Richardson system applied
to them. The Charles system consists of
a cast iron disk about }i ins. thick, the
under side of which is planed to fit the
valve back, which is also planed to suit
Two strips on the under side of the disk
engage with two shoulders cut in the
back of the valve, or drop into the
Richardson slots as the case may be.
The disk is held tightly to the valve by
means of four hollow studs screwed into
the valve with nuts on the upper side of
the disc keeping it in place. The passage
through the studs leads into the exhaust
cavity of the valve so that any slight leak
past the packing ring will find a ready
exit. On the upper side the disk is cut out
near the circumference as shown in our
illustration. This recess ^ x ^ in. deep
carries the packing ring and the spring
ring. The packing ring is 'A in. wide on
top. The inner side is vertical, while the
outer side tapers to an angle of 60 dcgs.
from the horizontal. It is against this
tapered fare th.it the spring ring presses
and this pressure tends to fi>rcc the pack
ing ring up ag.iinst the friction plate, and
.ilso causes it to hug the upright wall of
the disk and also 10 close up the Ihiii
diagonal cut in the packing ring. The
packing ring has therefore no tendency
The whole arrangement, which hat
been devised by Mr. Frank Charles, of
.Atlanta, is exceedingly simple and the
entire work of finishing can be done on
machines and this avoids hand work such
as filing and scraping. After the device
has been finished in lathe and planer, it
is ready to be put in place and is expected
to stay there until the engine goes into
S»»RIAJ<ic K'^^
'^S/"^///4.oy//^;:4^
m
p.\Kr.s 01 ( 11AK1.1..S ii.\i..\.srK \Ai,\'E.
the back shop. Our free hand sketch
shows roughly the position of the assem-
bled parts, and how the packing ring is
constantly forced upward. The Charles
Balance Valve Company of .\tlanfa, Ga.,
arc handling Ihii balance valve, and will
lie pleased lo give further iiifnrniation
on the subject.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
April, 1910.
Items of Personal Interest
Mr. F. W. Warren has been appointed
locomotive foreman at Brockvilie, on the
Grand Trunk, vice Mr. J. D. Scott, trans-
ferred.
Mr. F. W. Poignand has been appointed
instructor of apprentices on the Erie
Railroad, vice Mr. Keller, resigned.
Mr. P. C. Withrow has been appointed
mechanical engineer of the Denver & Rio
Grande, with offices at Burnham Station,
Colo.
Mr. W. D. Gillott has been appointed a
road foreman on the Eastern division of
the Western Pacific, with office at Elko,
Nev.
Mr. G. Woodsum has been appointed
acting locomotive foreman at Island Pond,
Vt., on the Grand Trunk, vice Mr. M. B.
Dube, resigned.
Mr. R. M. Conley has been appointed a
road foreman on the Western division of
the Western Pacific, with office at Sacra-
mento, Cal.
Mr. E. A. Sherman has been appointed
train master of terminals of the Cincin-
nati, New Orleans and Te.xas Pacific
Railway at Cincinnati, O.
Mr. F. C. Link has been appointed
road foreman of engines of the first,
second and third divisions of the Sea-
board Air Line Railway.
Mr. T. F. Johnstone, formerly engine in-
spector of the Chicago Great Western,
has resigned to accept service with the
Baldwin Locomotive Works.
Mr. Oliver M. Colston has been ap-
pointed assistant to the vice-president
and general manager of the Fort
Worth & Denver City Railway.
Mr. Ira Schreck has been appointed
road foreman of engines on the Indian-
apolis division of the Big Four, with
headquarters at Bellefontaine, O.
Mr. James H. Atworth has been ap-
pointed road foreman of engines on the
Cairo division of the Big Four, with
headquarters at Bellefontaine, O.
Mr. J. H. Reed, a locomotive engineer
on the Erie, has been promoted to the
position of roundhouse foreman at Avoca,
vice Mr. G. E. Van Orsdale, resigned.
Mr. Benjamin R. Boggs has been ap-
pointed assistant general freight agent
on the Philadelphia & Reading Rail-
road, with office at Philadelphia, Pa.
Mr, C. W. Wall, in addition to his
present duties as general foreman of the
Erie elevator, has been appointed fleet
engineer of the Union Steamship Line.
Mr. E. H. Williams, heretofore locomo-
tive foreman at Kipling. Sask., has been
appointed general foreman at the Bran-
don shops at the Great Northern Railway.
Mr. H. L. Roth has been appointed gen-
Americans to Exploit Asia Minor.
The American syndicate of capitalists
of whom Charles A. Moore, of Manning
Maxwell and Moore of New York is a
leading spirit, are negotiating with
promising success to secure control of
all the railways about to be constructed
in Asia Minor. The intention is not only
to build the railways but to supply all
the rolling stock and machinery. As it is
the purpose of the Turkish Government
to establish a very extensive system of
railways in Asia .Minor, the call for roll-
ing stock, bridges and machine tools will
help materially to increase the activity
of our manufacturing establishments.
Asia Minor is a great peninsula form-
ing the Western extremity of Asia and
was the seat of many famous and power-
ful kingdoms of antiquity. It was the
seat of many of the most bitter conflicts
for supremacy waged by world wide con-
querors who struggled to secure or main-
tain supremacy in this fair and fertile
region. Most antiquarians locate the
Garden of Eden in Asia Minor, but the
land is now desolate and in many places
barren. .^11 that is needed, however, is
water which will be provided by a vast
system of irrigation.
eral foreman of the Cincinnati, New Or-
leans and Texas Pacific Railway shops at
Ludlow, Ky., vice Mr. J. H. Murphy, re-
signed.
Mr. W. H. Preston, heretofore genera!
car foreman, Farnham shops of the Cana-
dian Pacific Railway, has been appointed
general air inspector Eastern Lines, Mon-
treal.
Mr. J. W. Small has been appointed
superintendent of Machinery of the Kan-
sas City Southern, with office at Pitts-
burgh, Kan., succeeding Mr. F. R. Cooper,
resigned.
-Mr. D. B. Trueblood has been appointed
general foreman of the Montgomery dis-
tiict of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad at
Tuscaloosa, Ala., vice Mr. H. C. Stevens,
resigned.
Mr. F. M. Falck has been appointed
assistant superintendent of Wilmington
and Columbia Division of the Philadel-
pliia & Reading Railway, with office at
Reading, Pa.
Mr. J. D. Scott, heretofore locomotive
foreman at Brockvilie, Ont., on the Grand
I runk Railway, has been appointed loco-
motive foreman at Turcot. Que., vice Mr.
R. Ivers, resigned.
Mr. E. D. Pelley has been appointed
road foreman of engines on the Gales-
burg division of the Chicago. Burling-
ton & Quincy Railroad, with headquar-
ters at Galesburg.
.Mr. Richard Lanham, road foreman of
engines of the St. Louis, Iron Mountain
& Southern, at De Soto, Mo., has been
appointed a master mechanic, with office
at Paragould, Ark.
Mr. R. A. McAdam, heretofore air
lirake instructor on the Canadian Pacific
Railroad, with office at Montreal, has
licen appointed air brake inspector, vice
C. W. Carey, deceased.
Mr. S. J. Hungerford, heretofore su-
perintendent Winnipeg shops, C. P. R.. has
been appointed superintendent of rolling
stock of the Great Northern Railway,
with office at Winnipeg, Man.
Mr. C. H. Mitchell has been appointed
train master on the Cincinnati, New Or-
leans and Texas Pacific Railway, first
district, with offices at Danville, Ky., vice
^Ir. E. A. Sherman, transferred.
Mr. H. C. Harragin has been appointed
assistant air brake instructor on the
Canadian Pacific Railway, vice Mr. G. A.
G. Bartlett, promoted. Mr. Harragin's
headquarters are in Montreal.
Mr. J. J. Hurley, foreman of the rod
department in the Cleveland shops of the
Erie Railroad, has been appointed round-
house foreman at Briar Hill, on the same
road, vice Mr. J. Hanson, resigned.
Mr. W. H. Kirby, heretofore assistant
foreman at West Toronto Jet. on the
Canadian Pacific, has been appointed loco-
motive foreman at Port Burwell, Ont.,
vice Mr. D. S. Taylor transferred.
Mr. E. J. Murphy, heretofore locomo-
tive foreman at Havelock, Ont., on the
Canadian Pacific, has been appointed as-
\
April, 191C.
R.\ILWAV AND LOCOMOTIVE EXGINEERIXG.
165
sistant foreman at West Toronto Jet.,
vice Mr. W. H. Kirby transferred.
Mr. D. S. Taylor, heretofore locomo-
tive foreman at Port Burwell, OnL, on
the Canadian Pacific, has been appointed
locomotive foreman at Havelock, Ont.,
vice Mr. E. J. Murphy transferred.
Mr. F. A. Reidel has been promoted
from the position of engine inspector at
Avoca on the Erie Railroad, to that of
night engine dispatcher, at the same place,
vice Mr. R. W. Winterstein, resigned.
Mr. \V. R. Thomas, road foreman of
engines of the Cincinnati, New Orleans &
Texas Pacific, has been promoted to gen-
eral foreman of the mechanical and car
departments, with office at Ludlow, Ky.
Mr. G. A. G. Bartlett, heretofore assist-
ant air brake instructor on the Canadian
Pacific Railway, has been appointed air
brake instructor with headquarters at
Montreal, vice Mr. A. A. Mc.^dam, pro-
moted.
Mr. Robert F. McKenna, of Scranton,
Pa., formerly master car builder of the
Lackawanna, has been successfully oper-
ated upon for appendicitis and kidney
trouble. His condition is most favorable
for a complete recovery.
Mr. J. F. Sheahan, master mechanic of
the Southern Railway at Knoxville, Tenn.,
has been appointed master mechanic of the
International & Great Xorthern, with
office at Palestine, Tex., succeeding Mr.
F. S. Anthony, promoted.
Mr. H. C. Stevens, formerly general
foreman of the Mobile & Ohio Railroad
at Tuscaloosa, Ala., has accepted the
position of master mechanic on the
Denver & Rio Grande Railroad, with
headquarters at Alamosa, Colo.
Mr. W. Hamilton, heretofore locomo-
tive foreman at Stratford, Ont. on the
Grand Trunk, has been appointed master
mechanic on the Western division, with
office at Battle Creek, vice Mr. E. D.
Jameson, assigned to other duties.
Mr. Roydon V. Wright, for several
years editor of the American Engineer
and Railroad Journal, has become a mem-
ber of the staff of the Railway Age
Cazi'tle, with supervision of the mechani-
cal department and the shop edition.
Mr. J. H. Holt, formerly general
foreman of machinery and c.ir depart-
ment on the Detroit, Toledo & fronton
at Ironton, Ohio, has been appointed
roundhouse foreman on the Atchison,
Topeka & Santa Fe at Topcka. Kan.
Mr. A. J. RobcrU, heretofore chargeman
Temiskaming & Northern Ontario Rail-
way »hop«. North Bay, Ont., has been ap-
f»ointcd locomotive foreman at the Strat-
ford. Ont., shops of the Grand Trunk
Railw;iy, vice Mr. W. Hamilton, pro-
moted.
Mr. Harry Hoover, a former well-
known foundry foreman, has accepted •
pritition with the S. Oliennaycr Co.. manu-
facturers of foundry facinK*. supplies and
equipment. He will took after the inter-
ests of this company in Bufltalo and Dun-
kirk, N. Y.
Mr. H. X. Williams, general yard-
master of the Xew York, Chicago &
St. Louis at East Buffalo, has been pro-
moted to be trainmaster of the road at
Fort Wayne, Ind., and is succeeded by
Mr. John E. Colligan, who has been hit
assistant.
Mr. F. E, Whitcomb has been appointed
engfineer of signals at Boston, on the
Boston & Albany Railroad, vice Mr. J. M.
Fitzgerald, promoted to be assistant signal
engineer of the Boston & Albany and of
the Xew York Central, vice Mr. W. A.
Peddle, resigned.
Mr. W. L. Park was recently elected
vice-president of the Illinois Central Rail-
Mr. C. C Steinbrenner, the new vice-
president of the Galena Signal-Oil Com-
pany, was born in Cleveland, Ohio, on
Sept. 20, 1863. He was educated at the
public schools of that city. In 1881 he
was employed as stenographer and as-
sistant clerk in the motive power depart-
ment of the Pennsylvania Railroad. In
1882 he went to the C. & P. Railroad at
Wellsville as assistant shop clerk, after
which he became assistant clerk in the of-
fice of the superintendent of machinery,
C. C, C. & I.
was promoted
-ili.\i:ki..n.nek.
at Cleveland. In 1885 he
be secretary to that
official and stenographer to the general
attorney of the same road. In 1890 he
was promoted to chief clerk, motive power
department, of the Big Four. He re-
signed that position later to become chief
clerk, motive power department of the
Illinois Central. Shortly afterward he
became auditor of the railway depart-
ment of the Galena Signal-Oil Company,
which place he held until his election to
the vicc-prrsidcncy on Feb, la General
Charles Miller, president; Mr. Samuel
A. Megeath, first vice-president and gen-
eral manager; and Mr. L. J. Drake, vice-
president, were re-elected.
road Willi headquarters at Chicago, and as
such he will have charge and supervision
cf the transportation, maintenance, motive
power, construction, purchasing and pen-
sion departments of the company.
Mr. J. H. Guess, purchasing and fuel
agent of the National Railways of Mexico
at City of Mexico, Mex.. has been ap-
pointed general purchasing agent of the
Mexican International and the Inter-
oceanic, with office at City of Mexico, and
his former title has been abolished.
Mr. John A. Talty, of Buffalo, road
foreman of engines on the Delaware,
Lackawanna & Western, and president of
the Traveling Engineers' Association, and
first vice-president of the Central Rail-
way Club, has been appointed assistant
supervisor of equipment by the public
service commission of the second district
of the State of Xew York. Mr. Talty is
a man of progressive spirit and ideas, and
his intelligent handling of questions re-
lating to mechanical subjects has brought
him into conspicuous notice. The public
service commission in a bulletin announc-
ing the appointment of Mr. Talty, says
that he headed the civil service list with
a percentage of 85.75 ; also that he has
served as freight brakeman, fireman, en-
gineer, air brake inspector and traveling
engineer. This recognition of his ability
is highly gratifying to his many friends.
Mr. H. G. Crissinger has been op-
pointed road foreman of engines on the
first district of the Cincinnati. New Or-
leans & Texas Pacific, vice Mr. M. L.
koth, promoted. He was born at
Derry, Pa,, in the year 1866. He came
troni that good old German stuck that
did so much to shape the destinies of
the Keystone State. He came to Ken-
tucky in 1884, securing a position as
lirenian on what was then known as the
c incinnati Southern Railroad. Later
iliis road was reorganized and is known
.IS the Cincinnati. Xew Orleans &
Texas Pacific. He was promoted to be
a locomotive engineer in 1886. in which
capacity he continued until his promo-
lifin to that of road foreman of cn-
Rines. During his entire service as a
locomotive engineer he did not have a
day of suspension, nor was discipline
ailniinistered in any form. He has been
a member of the Brotherhood of Loco-
motive Engineers for more than twenty
years and has continually served as
chief of Subdivision 603 since its organ-
ization.
Obittury.
We have regretfully to record the death
of S. A. Teal, formerly master mechanic
of the Sioux City & Pacific Railroad, and
also of the Fremont, Elkhorn & Missouri
Valley Railroad. These roads form part
of the Chicago & North- Western system.
.Mr. Teal retireil on a pension about four
\cars ago and lived at Waterloo. Neb.
lie was buried at Coimcil BlufT^, la.
i66
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
April, 1910.
General Foremen's Association
Business for the 1910 Convention.
The Executive Committee of the Inter-
national Railway General Foremen's As-
sociation has arranged for ne.xt conven-
tion to be held at Cincinnati, O., beginning
May 3, with headquarters at the Grand
Hotel, a most convenient location, being
close to the general station.
Secretary Bryan has sent out a list of
the subjects on which reports will be sub-
mitted. They are :
(1) "Best Method of Cleaning Ash
Pans to Conform to Inter-State Com-
merce Law." Committee — J. T. Shepard,
general foreman, Soo Line, Wyerhauser,
Wis. ; C. L. Walters, general foreman,
Great Northern Ry., St, Paul, Minn.; T.
F. Griffith, general foreman, C, C, C. &
St. L. Ry., Indianapolis, Ind.
(2) "Use of Commercial Gas as Fuel."
Committee — H. G. Kelly, general foreman,
C. & N.-W. Ry., Chicago; J. M. Davis,
general foreman, C. & S. Ry.. Denver;
W. G. Reyer, general foreman, N. C. &
St. L. Ry., Nashville, Tenn.
(3) ".■\dvisability of Installing Hot
Water Wash Out and Filling Systems."
Committee — F. G. Colwell, general fore-
man, I. C. Ry., Chicago ; F. Bauer, Big
Four Ry., Indianapolis ; D. E. Barton,
general foreman, Santa Fe, Topeka, Kan.
(4) "Use of Oxy-Acetylene Process
of Welding Fire-boxes, Boiler Sheets,
Frames, and Other Locomotive Work."
Committee — J. M. Davis, general foreman,
C. & S.. Denver : E. F. Fay, shop superin-
tendent. U. P. Ry.. Cheyenne, Wyo. ; W.
F. Lauer, general foreman, Erie. Hunting-
ton. Ind. ; Thos. Zinkan, general foreman,
Big Four, Delaware, O.
(5) "Wide Fire-box." Committee — P.
F. Flavin. Standard Railway Equipment
Co., Chicago ; C. Bowerson, general fore-
man, T., St. L. & W. Ry., Frankfort, Ind. ;
H. O. Olson, foreman, D. & I. Ry., Two
Harbors, Minn. ; C. H. Voges, general
foreman. Big Four, Bellefontaine, O.
(6) "Superheaters." Committee — G. W.
Keller, general foreman, N. & W. Ry.,
Portsmouth. O. : E. C. Roddie, general
foreman, I. C. Ry., New Orleans; A. L.
Ball, general foreman, C. & I. S. Ry., Kan-
kakee, 111. ; E. C. House, general foreman,
S. & L. Ry., Savannah, Ga.
In connection with these subjects of in-
vestigation we wish to offer a word of
advice similar to that which we have
given to members of the .\merican Rail-
way Master Mechanics' Association for
years. When you receive the circular or
this paper put it in a conspicuous place
and keep it before you until you are able
to write something to the chairman of
the committee. You may not be able to
send in your mite of information about
sU of the subjects, but send in what you
have got. Don't say, "My help is not of
much value." It is of decided value. The
great river is made up of small springs
and tiny brooks. The most valuable re-
ports submitted to railroad associations
have been formed from driblets of infor-
mation sent in by individual members.
Effective Way of Starting Fires.
Talking on the troublesome process of
starting fires. Mr. A. F. Bradford, of the
Big Four, said : "We cover our grates all
over with coal, which makes a good foun-
dation. We have a covered round vat in
the engine house where we mix crude oil
and shavings together. The man who
fires up takes two ordinary water buckets
of shavings soaked with crude oil and
scatters the contents over the top of the
coal in the fire-box. He uses a piece of
burning waste to ignite the kindling mate-
rial on the coal and shuts the door, which
is not opened until there is steam in the
boiler.
"-A.t one time we blew the crude oil in
with a burner but that did not work so
well as mixing it with shavings.'"
Driving Axle Wear.
It is not so long ago that 200.000 miles
was considered good service for the driv-
ing axle of a locomotive, but material
must be improving for we find that some
railroads are making more than double
the old mileage out of driving axles.
At last General Foremen's Convention
the statement was made that on the Illi-
nois Central we have a limit of wear on
an axle of from 225,000 to 250,000 miles.
If it is worn more than three-eights the
axle would be removed, and if it was a
large one it would be put in a smaller en-
gine. We have done it frequently by
sounding the engine, but we have never
pulld it away from the bearings. We
have located cracks when they had not
run their mileage.
IMr. C. H. Voges, of the Big Four, did
not think much of the Illinois Central
practice and remarked : "We have the
heavy freight and passenger engines and
we run them 400.000 miles and three-
eights limit wear. We have a long jack
for testing which we place between the
drivers, and I strike the axles with a
sledge hammer and of course clean them.
I remove the liner of the hub of the wheel
and clean that thoroughly, and if there is
any crack develops there at all it will be
removed. If a crack runs lengthwise you
can determine it in the heavy freight serv-
ice, but if the crack runs crosswise, I
would remove the axle at once. I would
not recommend pressing a wheel off an
axle. I think you will lose the pressure
of the wheel fit. We have axles from one-
half to one-eighth ; it all depends on what
class."
Novel Method of Soliciting Ads.
When Mr. J. Will Johnson, secretary
of the Executive Committee of the Enter-
tainment Committee of the I. R. G. F.
.•\ssociation, started out to solicit ads for
the Annual Report, he found the atmos-
phere exceedingly cold at first. Then he
posted the following notice :
"The supply man. now attending this
convention, who is in the habit of hugging
the typewriter had better quit or we will
publish his name in the next proceedings."
The second day of the convention four-
teen of the boys came to the secretary, in-
vited him out to dinner and left fourteen
one-half page advertisements and told him
not to pay any attention to foolish stories.
We cannot possibly say just how the four-
teen took that notice but we do know that
people may dread slander but they all
fear the truth more.
There are few general foremen have
failed to make the acquaintance of Vim
Leather Air-brake Cup Packing. The
Houghton Line, Philadelphia, makers of
that packing, have published St. Patrick
stories in the March number of their
magazine. Send for it. The stories are
always fresh and the magazine will be
sent complimentary.
It is stated that out of $2,700,000 ap-
propriated by the Lake Shore & Michigan
Southern for enlarged locomotive and car
shops at Elkhart. Ind.. $600,000 will be
expended this year. Twelve large build-
ings, more than 20 tracks and a first class
mechanical installation, are included in
the improvements to be made.
New subjects of investigation are hard
to find, but much searching and consulting
ought to be engaged in before a motion is
made to carry over a subject to another
vear.
A correspondent has asked us about the
upkeep of the Mallet type of engines. If
you have any information let us have it.
April, 191a
RAILWAY AXD LOCOMOTIVE ENGLXEERIXG.
167
Steam Coupling and Lock.
The Gold Car Healing & Lighting
Company, ot New York, have recently
developed a lock for steam train line
couplers which can be very quickly
tightened or loosened, without the use of
tools. It is the generally accepted
opinion that the couplers for air, signal
and steam connections between cars
«hould automatically separate in case the
cars are uncoupled or a break-in-two
occurs. Most roads, however, require
FIG. I. GOLD 5TE.\M COL'PLIXG, UNLOCKED
their trainmen to separate the hose
couplings by hand when trains are
broken as it is more or less injurious to
the hose if they are pulled apart. The
shape and weight of the coupler heads in
connection with the angle at which the
hose is attached, ordinarily maintains the
gaskets in close contact when coupled, but
at the same time permits automatic un-
.oupling.
The high speed of modern trains to-
gether with the increased steam pressure
often carried in the trainline to operate
electric generators in the baggage car
makes a positive lock, one that cannot be
loosened and caused to leak by vibration
r excessive pressure, very desirable be-
• veen engine and tender and also be-
:.veen engine and baggage car. The
lock we show here, very simply performs
this function. Our illustrations repre-
sent a pair of couplers with the new
locks, the couplers connected, but not
locked, being shown in Fig. I. A pair of
locks, detached from the couplers arc seen
FIG. 3. GOLD .STK.SM COII'LINf,. LOCKED.
in Fig 2, and the coupler with locks
tightened, in Fig. 3.
In the eye, cast in the coupler, immedi-
ately over the gravity relief trap and
where the chain wa* sometimes attached,
now inserted one end of llir lock which
It shaped like a pin and -iciircd with .1
cotter. The chain may then be attached
to the hose clamp if desired. The other
end of the lock has a projection shaped
like a cylinder split through its axis and
an opening of similar shape to engage the
semi-cylindrical part of the adjacent
lock. .\ thumb screw near the middle
serves to force the locks upward when en-
gaged and so pull the couplers tightly to-
gether like a toggle joint. The point of
the screw bears against the body of the
coupler and is rivetted over, to prevent
working out of the lock. This lock is
made of malleable iron and has sufficient
play in the eye of the coupler to allow
of readily inserting the half cylinder in
the half circular
opening of the
mating lock. A
few turns of the
screws, which have
large T heads, bind
the couplers firmly
together.
These locks are
made for each size
of coupler and are
so designed that
where couplers of different sizes will
couple the locks will also operate proper-
ly. It is not necessary to confine these
locks to the couplings at the head end of
trains, however, and they may be used
when desired between the various cars of
a train. This has been done on some of
the large lines in
the Northwest,
where it was felt
that the additional
security against
leakage was more
important th.?n the
automatic uncoup-
ling if the train
should break ni two, a contingency wl'.ich
seldom happens. It incidentally prevents
pulling apart in switching and thus re-
duces the wear of hose in charge of care-
less trainmen.
Our engravings show the gravity relief
trap which has been favorably known for
a number of years. It has been recently
improved by making the seat so wide that
the gasket main-
tains a smooth sur-
face against the
seat, preventing
leakage due to
wear. .\s this trap
is operated by
gravity, it simply
falls open when
pressure censes, al-
lowing the water of
o.'udcnsation accumulate<l in the train line
to fall to the ground and .«o avoid freez-
ing the coupler in chl weather. This also
reduces the time required to Rct steam to
the rear of the train even in moderate
weather because there is no water in the
pockets, to be driven to the end of the
train line. Trainmen can always tell if
pressure is on the line by simply tapping
the valves, and so avoid being scalded
by steam, when uncoupling. With this
trap it is unnecessary to separate the hose
coupling every time the train is laid up,
which operation is often forgotten, and
under ordinary conditions if a cold night
comes on unexpectedly, the hose may be
ruined and delay caused when steam is
turned on the next day. The Gould equip-
ment is designated to obviate this trouble.
The life of the hose is also increased by
reducing the amount of twisting and
bending which is a necessary accompani-
ment of the process of coupling and un-
coupling.
Through Traffic Uninterrupted.
Mr. and Mrs. .\rnolJ Kosczioski, of
Gary, Ind., have broken up housekeeping.
It might be more correct to say their
house was broken up for them. A man
who was moving their domicile yesterday
carelessly left it on a railway track about
three minutes and while he went after a
piece of chain a freight train came along
and demolished it. The worst of it is the
Kosczioskis are away on a visit. When
they return all they will be able to collect
of their former furnishings arc a small
section of blue border from a rag carpet
and the handle with which Mrs. K. used to
lift the griddles ollf the kitchen stove. It
was at the Broadway crossing of the
FIG.
.\PP.\R.\TfS. GOLD .STE.\M COUPLING.
Michigan Central about 6 p. m. When a
pulley chain broke Mr. Thornton started
after another chain, but forgot to notify
the agent that his house was on the track.
A few minutes later a fast freight train,
castbound and heavily loaded, came along
about 30 miles an hour and passed right
through the Kosczioski's sitting-room.
Beds, tables, chairs, stoves, dishes, pillows,
sheets and all the other appurtenances of
a first-class household flew hither and
thither through the air until some of the
superstitious inhabitants of the town
thought that a comet had hit Mars and
the inhabitants of that planet were coming,
with their belongings, to earth via the
parachute route. The train wasn't even
delayed. It ran about three blocks be-
fore the engineer could stop. — Chicago
Rccord-Ilerald.
Based on calculations made in 188.1, en-
gineering experts belonging to the Lon-
don & Northwestern Railway led to the
conclusion that about one pound of steel
went into dint daily on every mile of
track operated. On a similar basis we
1 rlicvc that the track of the Pennsylvania
Railroad between New York and Pitts-
liurgh grinds up about 2% pounds of steel
per hour for every mile of track.
i68
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
April, 1910.
Railroad Character Sketches
Billy't Half -Holiday
By James Kexxedv.
When Billy was transferred to a cler-
ical position in the office, he took a swell-
ing of the head, but it was not accom-
panied, as is usual in such cases, with a
contraction of the heart. With the kind
of collars he began wearing he could not
readily look around and see all of his
old companions without running the risk
of severing his carotid artery. By walk-
ing straight ahead and neither turning to
the right nor to the left he found his way
to where Itlacfarlane was setting up
wedges and tightening bottom braces in
the roundhouse pit. Billy beamed benevo-
lently from his lofty attitude in the upper
world. Macfarlane grinned through the
wheel spokes like a Gibraltar monkey.
Would he go to Coney Island on a trip
this afternoon ? Would he — what ? Say
that again. Billy repeated the invitation,
.^n electric thrill of joy ran through Mac-
firlane. How about Shaw? Of course
he was in the swim.
The way that Macfarlane and Shaw
worked the remainder of the forenoon
would gladden the hard heart of a cold
blooded contractor. They simply made
things dance. Macfarlane trammed the
wheels and attached the rods and rammed
in the pistons and marked the valve rods
and screwed down the steam chests and
put on the casings and the superintendent
came along and smiled a smile of satis-
faction. Shaw gathered tools from the
far corners of the roundhouse and tossed
blocks of wood hither and thither like a
cyclone. He lifted ponderous hydraulic
jacks out of the pit with one hand, and
v.hen a laborer came clamoring for a
jack to lift an ash pan, shaw jumped
into the pit and lying on his back lifted
the pan to its place with his mighty feet
like a Japanese juggler balancing a barrel.
It was Saturday afternoon and the
golden glow of the coming summer was
in the air. The worthies, three abreast,
made for the river. A pillar of cloud
went with theni. Billy's perfectos were
much in evidence. Billy loved to hear
himself speak. Macfarlane kindly encour-
aged him. Shaw liked to listen. Mac-
farlane's old toothless terrier seemed to
catch something of the bloom of youth
and occasionally pulled at the string as if
to break away into a private excursion
of its own. At the dock the half blind
creature in an unguarded moment
tumbled into the river. The salt water
freshened him up a little more. At the
island the quartette had themselves pho-
tographed and weighed and electrified,
and their fortunes told. Billy was to
marry a rich lady, Macfarlane was to rise
in the world. Shaw was to have troubles
until he was fifty. Then he would be
used to them. The dog w-as to have a
change of master and an early death.
Then they had beer by the mugful and
clams by the plateful, and sausages by
the handful. Thus sustained and fortified
they sallied forth to see the sights. Like
many other sightseers they became a part
of the sight themselves. Macfarlane beat
the record at striking blows with a ham-
mer. Shaw lifted weights that were past
belief. Billy was a splendid backer. He
paid for everything and talked so much
that the crowds gave up listening to the
"barkers," preferring the eloquence of
Billy. A pair of wrestlers challenging the
crowd in a roped arena met their match
in Macfarlane. He threw one of them
with such violence, that the other one
weakened. The proprietor offered Mac-
farlane a position as champion, which he
promptly declined.
This was too good to last. Shaw was
the first one to weaken. In the aerial
swings he sickened. He had become so
accustomed to the air of the slimy pits,
that the upper air was too much for
him. Billy advised him to take a walk
by the seashore. Shaw strolled leisurely
away. The buffoonery of the place made
him tired and he sat down on the lonely
sands, and the breath of the salt sea
soothed him to sleep. He dreamed he
was selling haddocks again. The incom-
ing tide crawled nearer and nearer.
Presently a wave big and round as a
locomotive boiler rolled over him, and he
sprang to his feet. The myriad lights
of the city by the sea were flashmg
into crosses and crescents and wreaths of
electric fire. What time was it? His
ninety cent W'aterbury watch was gone.
So was his sixt}- cents of loose change.
The prophesies of the fortune teller were
being partly fulfilled.
When Shaw found his companions,
Billy was waltzing in a whirling maze
of youth and beauty. Macfarlane was
selling his dog to a bleary-eyed youth
who seemed to have more money than
sense. Macfarlane was so busy telling
the dog's pedigree that he was un-
conscious of Shaw's presence. As soon
as he observed Shaw he called upon him
to verify his statements in regard to the
cog. Shaw's teeth were chattering, but
his evidence seemed to satisfy the young-
ster and the bargain was completed,
^lacfarlane took the money without a
tremor, and in giving some parting words
in regard to the qualities of the dog he
administered a parting kick to the de-
cayed canine. This livened the helpless
creature somewhat and imparted a false
vigor to his movements. Billy expressed
the wildest regret at the idea of part-
Dixon's Graphite En-
gine Front Finish is
better than anything
you have ever used
on the fronts of lo-
comotives.
One thing you've
noticed about the
other finishes is that
they give off offen-
sive fumes when the
front of the engine
gets a Httle hot. You
won't find this diffi-
culty with Dixon's
Finish.
Besides, Dixon's Fin-
ish lasts from six
to nine weeks and
produces a restful
surface rather than
a dazzlingly bright
one.
We'll be glad to
send you free de-
scriptive circular
69-F on request, a
free test sample too,
if you like.
JOSEPH DIXON
CRUCIBLE CO.
Jersey City, N. J.
April, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
i6q
GOLD
Car
Heating
Lighting
Company
M*Dul*ctureri of
ELECTRIC,
STEAM AND
HOT WATER
APPARATUS
FOR RAILWAY CARS
IMPROVED
SYSTEM OF
ACETYLENE
CAR LIGHT-
ING
Laffcal MaBatactarcri ■■ ihc World at
Cmi Healing ApptrUm
Send for circular of our cotnbina-
bon PRESSURE AND VAPOR
SYSTEM OF CAR HEATING,
which lystem automatically main-
tains about the tame temperature in
the car reKardleii of the outiide
weather conditioni.
Main Office, Whitehall Building
17 BATTERY PLACE
NEW YORK
ing with a dog of such breed. Billy
insisted on buying it back, but the new
master was immovable.
Shaw was wet outside, and his friends
soon moistened his clay inside. They
sailed home and at Clark's parlors their
exploits were recounted. Clark had an-
other dog ready for the market, a black
.nnd tan without a single redeeming fea-
ture in its repulsive character. Those
ignorant of Macfarlane's devious methods
marveled at his interest in such dogs.
-Appearances were against them, and they
were habitually guilty of all sorts of
crimes and misdemeanors, but like old
books they were bought for next to
nothing and in the hands of a skilful
manipulator they brought good prices.
Next week Shaw had a new watch, a
present from Macfarlane, a new hat, a
present from Billy, and Macfarlane had
a new dog, a prest-nt from Clark, and
they are looking hopefully forward to
another trip to the white city by the sea.
Train Resistance.
What is called Bulletin No. looi issued
by the .American Locomotive Company
deals with the important subject of train
resistance, and is a very handy publica-
tion for the use of those who are inter-
ested in such matters. Formerly train
resistance was computed before the intro-
iluction of what is called the large car.
.\t the present time solid trains composed
of fifty-ton capacity cars are in general
use. an<i the resistance per ton for such
cars has been more accurately deter-
mined. It appears that the best data on
the subject shows that the resistance
varies from about 2.5 to 3 lbs. for
scventy-two-ton cars and from 0 to 8
lbs. for twenty-ton cars. Grades are
also taken into consideration in this
bulletin and altogether it is a useful
addition to our stock of knowledge on
the subject. The company will send this
bulletin free on request.
While on the subject of train resistance
it may be interesting to refer to some
tests made on the engine of the Empire
State Express in 1892, by Angus Sinclair.
His observations helped to establish a
formula for train resistance which was
put forward by the late A. M. Wellington,
.luihor of the standard work, "Economic
Theory of Railway Location." Mr. Wel-
lington writing on the subject at that
lime refers to the observations of Messrs.
IIP. Dudley. D. K. Clark. O. T. Crosby
and William Sirnudlcy. .Another ob-
vrrvcr, Wilsnii Worsdcll, he considers
should have sonic allowances made in his
figures, and he says, "Considering that
the Worsdcll observations arc known to
need small corrections at least, Mr. Sin-
ibiir's two records come extraordinarily
I'rar to giving the mean of the four
oihers."
In iliit w^iv. the curve for train resist-
ance which had been plotted as the mean,
from experiments giving widely different
results by themselves was found on analy-
sis of Dr. Sinclair's work to be the really
accurate record of train resistance and
upon the curve so plotted Mr. Wellington
deduced the simple formula for train re-
si.stance: R = '4 V -t- 2.
Fast and Slow Is the Way They Gq,
The guard of a Caledonian gchxls
train one day reported the driver for
slow running. The driver meant to
have his revenge for this, and a short
time after, when running a fast goods,
train, and having a clear road for some
miles before him, he thought he would
give Mr. Guard a startler, and did the
run at the rate of fifty miles an hour.
The old van, of course, rocked like a
cradle, and on pulling up the driver
went back to see what the guard
thought of it. He found that he had
lashed himself to the brake wheel, hav-
ing previously chalked up on the van,
"If found dead, killed by furious driv-
ing."— The Weekly Telegrafh. \
Prevent Breakage of Pistons. '
During recent rambles among railway
repair shops we have found that many
annoying delays have been caused by the
breakage of piston valves. The Erie peo-
ple have found a remedy for this source
of trouble by making the valves of Hunt-
Spiller gun iron which is a very strong
close grained iron having an average ten-
sile strength of about 30,000 lbs. It has
exceptionally fine wearing qualities, which
with its strength make it particularly de-
sirable for cylinder packing, cylinder bush-
ings, piston valve packing, piston valve
bushings, crosshead shoes, eccentrics and
straps, driving boxes, shoes and wedges,
etc. It is used very extensively now by
many of the largest railroads in the coun-
try for these parts. The first cost is a
little higher than ordinary cast iron but
the advantages of using it more than off-
set this for it eliminates enginehouse re-
pairs, thereby saving much money.
Men Were Sad When He Sung.
.•\t a certain Scottish dinner it was
found that every one had contributed to
the evening's entertainment but a certain
Dr. MacDonald.
"Come, come. Dr. MacDonald," said
the chairman, "we cannot let you escape."
The doctor protested that he could not
sing. "My voice is altogether unmusical,
and resembles the sound caused by the
act of rubbing a brick along the panels
of a door."
The company attributed this to the
doctor's modesty.
"Very well," asserted the doctor, "if
you can stand it I will sing."
Long before he had finished his audi-
170
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOI IVE EXGIXF.ERING.
April, 1910.
cnce was uneasy. There was a painful
silence as the doctor sat down, broken
;it length by the voice of a braw Scot at
the end of the table.
"Mon," he exclaimed, "your singins
not up to much, but your veracity's just
awful. You're richl about that brick!"
The Janney X.
The McConway & Torley Company, of
Pittsburgh, Pa., have recently got out a
neat little pamphlet describing the Janney
X coupler. Some of the special features
set forth in the pamphlet are that cars
equipped with the Janney X, couple auto-
matically by impact. The knuckle can be
thrown open without the necessity for a
trainman to go between the cars. Un-
coupling from the side of the car by
means of an operating or uncoupling
lever, by the operation of which, the lock-
ing block is raised to the uncoupling posi-
tion, and so allows the cars to part. The
lock-to-the-lock, and the lock-set devices
are favorably known and require no de-
tailed description here. The couplers are
made from acid open-hearth steel. They
are made in two sizes. If you would like
to have the descriptive pamphlet write to
the company for a copy.
Excuse in 'Verse.
In spite of the bad weather that pre-
vailed over most of the country during
the last four months, passenger trains
have been run with wonderful punctuality
on most of the lines. One night a freight
train on the Milwaukee road was stalled
and delayed an important passenger train.
\n irate super wired the engineer the
well-known ominous phrase, "What was
the cause of your delaying No. 8?" The
engineer is a friend of Shandy Maguire
and a rival of the engineer-poet. He an-
swered :
"The wind was high, the steam was low ;
The train was heavy and hard to tow ;
The coal was slack and full of slate —
That's why we held up Number 8."
Thermo Jet.
The Thermo Jet System for car heating
is one of the products of the Safety Car
Heating and Lighting Company of New
York. A very full and clearly illustrated
description of it is to be found in a loose-
leaf catalogue which this company has
just got out. They report a successful
introduction of their apparatus, which,
they point out, combines in one system a
steam and air system below 212 degs. F.,
a vapor system at 212 degs. F., and a
pressure system above 212 degs. F., giving
the advantages of three systems in one.
One may say that the advantages
claimed are very neatly summed up in
what would be called an acrostic made on
the words "Thermo Jet" in the catalogue.
This publication, which is the same page
size us our magazine, is well illustrated
throughout, but has an insert which gives
one of the clearest and most effective pic-
tures we have seen, drawn in perspective,
of the whole apparatus. The parts are all
numbered for reference and yet none of
the figures obscures the view, as is often
the case. The Thermos Jet System is
new, and a look at the pamphlet is inter-
esting. It will be sent direct to any one
who applies for a copy. The address of
the company is No. 2 Rector street. New
York.
Nearer the Work.
Two Irishmen were digging a sewer.
One of them was a big, strong man about
six feet four inches in height, and the
other one was a little, puny man about
four feet six inches. The foreman came
along to see how the work was progress-
ing, and noticed that one of them was
doing more work than the other. "Look
here," he cried, "how is it that little Den-
nis Dugan, who is only half your size, is
doing nearly twice as much work as you,
Patrick?" Glancing down to his part-
ner, Pat replied, ".\nd why shouldn't he?
.Ain't he nearer to it?"
"Hydraulic 'Valves and Fittings" is the
title of a 120 page illustrated catalogue
just issued by the Watson-Stillman Co.
of so Church street, New York. Its
pages gives an exceedingly large and full
list of types and combinations of hydrau-
lic valves and fittings. Almost every
page contains some hint or a piece of
valuable advice as to the best piping ar-
rangements such as what types or com-
binations of valves are best suited to
certain work ; how the valve arrangement
may automatically operate a number of
cylinders or machines. Any engineer will
find this book handy when estimating or
planning new hydraulic installations or
when making changes on old ones. The
catalogue is neatly and suitably bound and
is of the 9*6 M. C. B. standard size.
The illustrations are clear and the letter
press concise. In the majority of cases
prices are quoted, and altogether the
catalogue is one that a practical man
would like to have. It will be sent free
to any one requesting catalogue No. 78.
Conscience in Cheating.
"James," said the milkman to his new
boy. "d'ye see what I'm a-doin' of?" "Yes,
."■ir," replied James; "you're a-pourin'
water into the milk," "No, I'm not,
James ; I'm a-pourin' milk into the water
So if anybody asks you if I put water in
my milk you can tell 'em no. Allers stick
tn the truth, James; cheatin' is bad 'nough,
but lyin' is wuss."
Wendell Phillips says that the best
education in the world is that got by
struggling to make a living.
f
g^^
oi
m-
tSe ;
FLE
STiB
MAR 1 ' 04^B.,
FEB. 2'0 90^V.>
i
w'i
RECOGNIZED
STANDARD
FLEXIBLE
STAYBOLTS
Holds firebox sheets securely
together, and accommodates it-
self to the unequal expansion
of the plates.
USED ON OVER IE5 RAILROADS
" Stay-bolt Trouble
a Thin^ of the Past "
So say many of our customers
who have used the Tate Bolt
in large numbers, covering a
period of time sufficient to base
comparisons and eliminate all
chances of doubt.
THE TATE BOLT HAS
PROVED ITSELF INDISPENS-
ABLE TO LOCOMOTIVES IN
HIGH PRESSURE SERVICE
BY RENDERING A LOWER
COST OF FIRE BOX REPAIRS
TO A GREATER MILEAGE IN
SERVICE, THEREBY IN-
CREASING THE EARNING
VALUE.
FLANNERY BOLT COMPANY
PITTSBURGH, PA.
Solta 828 Frick Bnlldlnc
B. E, D. STAFFORD, 0«n. Ku&cw
3. EOOEAS FLANITEBT & OOICPAVT,
BalliBK Affonti
Friok Boildinc, FitUbnirk, Pk.
TOK K. DAVIS, KMhanio*] Expat
H. A. TIKE, Eutara T«rTit«r7
w, X. WIL80W, WMtira Territory
OOKXOHWEALTH StTPPLT OOHFAJTr.
Boathautm TurlUiy
April, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
17>
Are You Prepared for
Every Breakdown ?
Belter Secure Ihe 1910 Ediiion,
Just Published, ol
Locomotive Breakdowns
and Their Remedies
By Fowlor-Wood. ISM Poclset Edi-
tion. Thia book telU rou Just wbat to do
In case of any accident or breakdown.
Walscaert Locomotlre Valve Gear Troublea,
Tbe Electric Headlight and Qaestlons and
Answers on the Air Brake are all Included.
rullT llinstrated. Price 11.00.
Westinghouse E-T Air Brake
Instruction Pocket Book
By ■Wm. W. Wood. Here Is a bo.ik for
Ihe railroad rjian. and tb>' man who alms to
be one. It is the only complete work pub-
ilsbed on tbe Weitinffhouta E-T LocomotiTa
Brake Equipment. Written by an Air Brake
Instructor who knows
^^^^ Just what Is needed.
It coverf tbe subject
thoroughly. E t e r y-
thlng about the Nsw
Westinghouse Engine
and Tender B r a k a
Equipment. Inclodloc
tbe Standard No. 6
and the Perfected No.
8 Style of brake, la
WESTINGHO"^^
ated In
detail
Written in plain Eng.
llsh and profusely Il-
lustrated with Colored
FUtea, which enable
one to trace the flow
of pressures through-
out the entire equip-
ment. The best book
erer published on tbe
Air Brake. Equally
r<>'>d for tbe beginner and tbe adranced en-
gineer. Will pasB any one through any
examination. It inr..rms and enlightens you
00 erery point. Indispensable to every en-
glneman and trainman. Filled witb colored
liiuuratio
ITlre $2.00
Walschaert Locomotive Gear
By Wm. W. Wood, if you would thor-
oughly understand tbe Walscaert Locomotlra
Valve Gear you should possess a copy of this
book. It covers Ihe subject In every detail.
Buminalion qoesllons with their answers are
given. Fully illuslraled and contains slid-
ing card iKiard models. Price J1.50.
Locomotive Catechism
By Gr
K.lltl.in. It is a
N»w K-,\i fr.,11, r..ver I'. Cover. Includes
Ihe grestest amount of practical information
ever published on the conslmclion and man-
agemet.t of modern locomotives. Contains
Si»«-I.lly Prepared Thaplera on tbe Walsch-
aert I.<.<-omoMve Valve Gear, the Air Brake
Equlj.meiii and Ihe Eleclrlc Head IJcht. 8M
pages, 4.17 lllijslrntions and 3 Folding Plates.
Over 4 (i<)0 F.ismlnsllon Qiiesllons and their
An.w.n. are lri.l„d.-.|. Price 12. .V).
Link Motions and Valve Setting
By Colrfn. A handy t>nok for the enirinefr
•T mscblnlal thai clears up the mysteries of
valve selling. 8bows Ihe different valva
gears In n~-. how they work and why. Pis-
Ion and slide valves of dilTerent types are
lllnalraled and esplalned. A tKi^»k thai every
railroad man io the motive power department
'•nthi 10 have. ITIf-e ,V) renls.
Air Brake Catechism
By Blscksll. A '-.,m[ilete Irestla* on tbe
We.Mngb')use Air Brake. Including Ibe No.
.'. and No. 0 ET I»romollve Brake Equip-
rnenl Ihe K (fjnlrk H^rvleei Triple Valve
r r rr.-ii^t.' w.-rri-i. >'<.t f f.« ' Y^psa-Compound
■iraled wllb
•Ic. 12,00.
A .-iPKCIAI.
CIRCULAR
'•" 'f'iU'-'
l>o>.ks ser
rel,,l of
•f/a/ Ft
!. A
1 pre
-rlre
hooka aeot
r of tbewi
aid on re-
AamMm WmiH
mrv 1
Tmrmlnml,
Wrilm for our Sft^clml Tarma
Ihe Norman W.Henky Pub. Co.
^r.-v Y'.Hi' rr R A
Safety Record of the D. & H.
The Delaware & Hudson Company has
made a good record in the matter of
safety of passengers. From July 1, 1907,
to the end of the last official year, June
30. 1909, this road carried 13,888,355 pas-
sengers without a fatality. In this pe-
riod the passenger mileage as it may be
called, that is, the number of passengers
carried one mile, was 264,283,047. The
company attributes this good record to
the facts that the road and equipment
were kept in good condition, that their
line is well supplied with telegraph, pass-
ing sidings, yards and other facilities,
and that the main line was almost all
equipped with block signals. Another
most important fact which had largely
to do with the result is that the dis-
cipline of he employees was kept as
nearly perfect as possible. We believe the
men responded in a most creditable man-
ner. That may be called doing good
work.
Coal Pile Watch Dog.
The efficiency of the coal used in a rail-
way power plant is a desirable thing to
know. To operate such a plant eco-
noinically, it is necessary to keep a check
not only upon the quantity of the coal
used, but upon the amount of steam it is
producing. .\ record of the weight of
water evaporated in the boilers from day
to day enables these in charge to detect
KKNNlCorr W.MKU WEIGHEK.
inferior coal, scaly boilers, defective fur-
naces, inefficient firing, clc. It enables
the power plant manager to stop any
waste he may find. Such a record can be
kept by the use of a Kcnnicolt Water
Weigher. This device is designed to be a
check upon the efficiency and economy
of the plant. If is in fact very like a care-
ful inspector who is always on duty. The
object of the device is to produce eco-
nomical operalinn and it is worth while
looking into the claims made for it. Write
for particulars to the Kcnnicott Water
Softener Company. They are Ificatcd at
Chicago Heights, 111.
Car Shop Tool.
The machine we illustrate is designed
for any kind of heavy planing, matching
or surfacing in car shops. It is made in
five sizes to work car material 10, 15. 20,
24 or 30 ins. wide and 8 ins. thick, and is
made with or without overfeeding rolls.
The frame is a heavy cast iron structure
and in use is free from vibration. Cylin-
ders are solid crucible steel forging', four-
sided and slotted on each side. The pres-
DOUl'.i.K I \ l.l.Mil.l^ l'l..\.\i:K .\.\li M.MCIIER.
sure bars are adjustable in permit the cut-
ting of molding i in. deep. The matcher
spindles are adjustable across machine,
and may be drawn completely out of the
way for surfacing the full width of upper
cutting knives. The feed mechanism con-
sists of four or six powerfully driven rolls
'Yi ins. in diameter, all double geared.
The in-feeding rolls are driven down and
an even pressure is maintained by spring
tension. The in-feeding rolls arc carried
on one pair of side housings, and geared
to raise simultaneously by means of a
hand wheel convenient to the operator.
Ihe out-feeding rolls are driven from
the in-feeding end of the machine by
means of a chain and sprocket, thus elim-
inating a long chain of gearing. For fur-
ther particulars concerning this machine
address the manufacturers, J. \. Fay &
Egan Co., Cincinnati, Oliiu, who make a
standard line of car shop tools.
Sick of Love.
It was a Sunday school class in Buf-
falo, and the teacher, a woman, had asked
the children to look up verses in the Bible
111 which the word love occurred — as a
groundwork, of course, for moral instruc-
tion. When the time came V\ answer one
small l)oy put up his hand, .iiid, leave
given to quote his text said : "Song of
Solomon, chapter ii, verse j, "Stay me
with flagons, comfort mr with apples, for
I am sick of love !' "
Discipline.
Ncar-siKhled l.ady— "The bov wlici is
trying to tie that tin can to that poor dog's
tail ought to be thrashed within an incli of
his life— the horrid little brute."
Maid — "It's your Imy, mum." "My
boy?" "Yes, mum," "Tell him, if he'll
slop, I'll give him some cake."
172
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
April, 1910.
Pensions for Soo People.
The extension of tlio welfare work
among the employees and the pension
system now in vogue on the Canadian
Paeific Railroad to tin- Soo line and its
connections will be made this year, ac-
cording to an announcement made at
the Soo general offices in Minneapolis
several weeks ago. The pension sys-
tem will be established first and grad-
ually other features of the welfare work
will be developed. The Canadian Pa-
cific has just made public the annual re-
port of its work along these lines.
The pension system which will be
duplicated on the Soo system calls for
no contributions from the employees
themselves. All employees who have
been in the service of the company for
ten years or longer are to be retired at
the age of sixty-five years with an an-
nual allowance proportionate to the
length of their service and the rate re-
ceived during the last ten years of their
emploj'ment. The minimum pension
allowance authorized will be $30 a
month.
One Roan Horse.
"One roan horse" was the description
of an animal that occupied a car in the
Central yards. Two yard men were sent
to bring out the roan horse. They
switched the car to the cattle chute and
boldly broke the seal, but a single peep at
the animal sent them away in terrified
flight. They had found a rhinoceros con-
signed to a circus. They sent for a four-
horse van to transport the animal and
when they mustered courage to make its
closer acquaintance found that the beast
was stuffed.
The Railway Supply Manufacturers' As-
sociation met some weeks ago for the
drawing for the assignment of exhibit
space at the mechanical conventions to be
held at Atlantic City, N. J., next June.
Messrs. B. E. D. Stafford, chairman, S. P.
Bush and C. P. Storrs formed the com-
mittee. There was about 95 per cent, of
the entire exhibit space applied for, and
possibly 80 per cent, of the applicants
were given their preference as to location.
It is the purpose of the committee to
endeavor in some manner to locate all
who may wish to exhibit this year. The
badge committee has prepared a very
beautifully designed badge for igio for
the supply men and their friends. Mr.
A. L. Whipple is chairman of this com-
mittee. Mr. John D. Conway is secretary
of the Railway Supply Manufacturers'
Association, 313 Sixth avenue, Pittsburgh,
Pa.
they held a banquet on the last evening
of the voyage.
Mark Twain, after delivering an ex-
ceedingly humorous speech, was fol-
lowed by Chauncey Depew.
Depew began in his usual facetious
manner and soon had the table in an
uproar.
"The gentleman who has just pre-
ceded, if indeed I may call him a gen-
tleman, has done a very mean thing.
This afternoon as I was pacing the
quarter deck I met Mr. Clemens, and,
rehearsing the speech I had prepared,
asked him what he thought of it. He
replied that he thought it a very good
speech, and now, to my astonishment,
he has just repeated that speech, word
for word, and left me in a very un-
pleasant predicament."
Of course everybody roared. The
next morning as they were coming up
the harbor an Englishman approached
Mr. Clemens and said: "Mr. Twain, I
had always heard, aw, that Chauncey
Depew was such a remarkable after-
dinner speaker, don't you know; but
don't you know that speech of hi«
which you delivered last night was a
very poor affair, don't you know.
Really, I couldn't see why you thought
it was worth repeating."
Selling Wooden Cars.
Owing to the fact that the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad are receiving many steel
passenger cars the company offers now for
sale a large number of their wooden pas-
senger cars. Since igo6 some 630 steel
cars have been built or are in course of
construction. In addition, about 250 cars
will be ordered for 1910 delivery. With
this large number of cars now on hand
the Pennsylvania are able to operate solid
all-steel trains on their lines of densest
traffic and it is. therefore, possible to dis-
pose of much of their wooden passenger
equipment. The first consignment which
is to be disposed of by the Pennsylvania
Railroad Company consists of 140 coaches,
13 dining cars, 5 cafe cars, 39 postal cars,
I baggage car, 22 combined passenger and
baggage cars, and 4 baggage and mail
cars.
A Humorless Englishman.
Senator Chauncey Depew, Mark
Twain and other humorists, once crossed
the Atlantic on the same steamer, and
The health officers of Washington have
had a violent fit of watching milk dealers.
A boy delivering milk was stopped on his
round by two police officers who asked
him if his employer ever put anything in
his milk. "Oh, sometimes," was the in-
nocent answer. The officers thinking
they had a clear case of adulteration, of-
ffered the boy a quarter if he would tell
them what was put in. "Gie, give me the
quarter first," said the little fellow. The
quarter was duly handed over, with the
question, "Now, what does your employer
put in the milk?" "Well," said the boy
with a sad smile, "he puts the measure
in every time he takes any out."
"THERIVIIT"
IN
Locomotive Repair Shops
Enables you to weld engine
frames and return the engine
to service in twelve hours or
less. It not only welds but
REINFORCES the wcalv point
in the frame so as to prevent
future breakage. It permits of
welds being made on practically
ever}' part of a frame without
distnantling. It is quick, easy
and effective. The necessary
appliances are supplied at prices
which bring them within the
reach of even the smallest
shops, while one welding op-
eration will more than save
their first cost.
Write for Pamphlet No. 25-
B and for "Reactions." the
Thermit Quarterly which con-
tains full information.
90 West St., New York
432-436 Folsom St., San Francisco, Calif.
103 Richmond St. W., Toronto, Ont.
SINCLAIR'S LOCOMOTIVE ENGINE
RUNNING AND MANAGEMENT
Is (till popular We have it. Price $2.00
ANGUS SINCLAIR CO., 114 Liberty St.. N. Y.
WARNING
WAITERS A. B. C. Track Sanders
er casing.
My patent No. 773909 covers the introduc-
tion of the air under pressure into the sand
in advance of the entrance to the trap.
Infrintjors and I'sers manufacturing same
will be dealt with by due legal process.
J. H. WATERS, Asst. M. M. 6a. R.R., Augusta, 6a.
April.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE EXGIXEERIXG.
173
TURNTABLES
Philadelphia Turntable Co.
PHILADELPHIA, PA.
Nichols Transfer Tables
Turntable Tractors
GEO. P. NICHOLS & BRO.
1090 Old Colony BIdg. CHICAGO
ALDON CAR REPLACERS
anil cnfiinc<( and they have done the work
iatisfactorjly — fxtracl frcm li'rcfking Mas-
ter s R.-r 't.
THE ALDON COMPANY
965 Monadnoclc, CHICAGO. ILL.
ESTABLISHED 1884
Sipe's
Japan Oil
Is superior to Linseed Oil
and Dryers for
ALL KINDS Of PAINTING
In Daily Use by
All the leading Railroads
In the United States
Manufactured lolely bjr
JAMfS B. SlPf & (0.
North SIdf. ClITSni Rfill
Electric Grinding and Bufiing.
The Gener.il lilectric Company's new
and improved types of alternating cur-
rent buffing and grinding tools are de-
signed for use in wood working, machine
and repair shops, foundries, large manu-
facturing establishments, etc., where al-
ternating current is available. These de-
vices find a ready application for dressing
small castings, accomplishing the work
much more quickly, and giving a finer
finish than can be obtained with machine
tool, clipping hammer, chisel, etc.
The grinding equipment consists of an
phase, fi, I, 2, 3, 5 and 7y2 h. p. Neither
emery wheels or bufTs are furnished with
the standard equipments. Further infor-
mation may be obtained from the General
Electric Company of Schenectady, X. Y.
G. E. GRINUIXG EQUIPMENT.
alternating current motor with sub-
stantial supports fitted with tool rest and
water attachment; these latter acces-
sories are rapidly clamped to the bearing
brackets in such manner as to permit
ready removal when desired. Each end
01 the extended shaft is fitted with two
steel flanges, two leather washers, and
one iiut for clamping the emery wheel
securely in position. The
motors are rendered splash
,ind dust-proof by totally en-
closing them; while shafts,
bearings, attachments, and all
working parts arc made extra
strong and durable to with-
stand hard and constant
usage. ■ The installation of
■me of these grinding equip-
ments where it is readily ac-
Kssible to the shop force, enables the men
10 always keep tools sharp, and improv-
ing the quality of the finished product.
\s sharp tools require less power to oper-
.ile than <lull ones, the cost of power may
he sensibly diminished by keeping all cut-
ting edges in the best condition.
The self-contained, compact and
rugged buffing equipments provide a very
I tTcctive polishing device, the use of
which invariably results in a great saving
■ if time and labor. These devices arc
Mtnilar in construction to the grinding
■ utfits, with the exception that the tool
.ind water attachments are omitted. The
shaft is also longer, each end being
tapered ami thrca<led for recovering the
Ir.iffs. The bearing brackets are circular
.trid so designed that thoy may 1)C turned
il:rough <x> dcgs. to admit of side-wall
11 stallation, thus allowing relocation of
thr device at will.
(he fiillowlng equipments may be sup
plied for operation on single two or three
phase, 1 10/220 volt circuits. Capacities:
Siigle phase. W, I, J and .? h, p. I'niy
CarefuL
The brakeman was a novice, and on his
first run here there was a very steep grade
mount. The engineer always had more or
less trouble to get up this grade, but this
time he came near sticking. He almost
lost his head way. Eventually, however,
he reached the top.
.\t the station that crossed
the top. looking out of his
cab. the engineer saw the
r.cw brakeman and said, witli
a sigh of relief:
"I tell you what, my lad.
we had a job to get up there,
didn't we';'"
"We certainly did." said the
new brakeman, "and if I
hadn't put the brake on we'd
Iiave slipped hack.'— Wasiiington Slar.
A Senator's Hat.
The most conspicuous article in Senator
Culberson's office at Washington is his
hat, a big broad-brimmed black felt head-
piece. The hat reminds some of the older
Capitol attaches of the Texas Senator's
father. Judge D.iviil Citllierson. one of the
G. E. BUFFING EQUH'MF.NT.
leading figures in the House for more than
twenty years. Judge Culberson had a
peculiar gait, which he acquired, he said,
from driving steers when he was a boy.
".•\nd that's one fault my boys. Bob and
Charlie, won't have," the Judge used to
say, "because I have given them two pre-
cepts that I hope they will follow. One
was to learn how to walk and the other
was to remember where they put their
hats. By George, I've spent one-third of
my life looking for my hat. and I want
the lK)ys to save the time."
Deaf Off the engine.
A curious case of a deaf engine driver
on an Irish railway was once scientifically
iiivcstigaleil. Koporl was made that
I'atrick Kelly, the driver in question, was
I'p^i deaf to be trusted to manage an
engine. He was suspended and a specialist
of high reputation was calleil in to ex-
amine the man This specialist examined
the driver in a quiet room and fnuud
that he could not hear ordinary conversa-
lii.n. and so reported. "I may be .-is deaf
174
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE EXGIXEERING
April, 1910.
as the celebrated Burke in a quiet room,"
said Kelly, "but that is not where I do
my work. Go out with me upon the en-
gine and see if you can hear better than
I can." This was done and the specialist
had to admit that Kelly heard perfectly
well when the engine was running and the
more noise made the keener this driver's
hearing became. He was returned to
duty and the famous aurist astonished
the scientific world with a paper on
"When a deaf man hears better than
others."
A High Speed Element.
"I have a spinthariscope," says
Thomas A. Edison, "which is a tiny
bit of radium, of a size that will go
through the eye of a needle, mounted
on a piece of willemite. It has been
shooting off millions of sparks for the
six years I have had it, and I expect
it will be shooting off sparks the same
way for thousands of years. There will
be enough sparks given out by that
fragment of radium to cover and illu-
minate the State of Rhode Island.
Some say that this is at the speed of
light; others, 12,000 miles a second. The
speed is the source of radium's power."
Cup for Graphite Lubrication.
The Campbell graphite lubricating sys-
tem was devised and patented by a
locomotive engineer on the Iron Moun-
tain System, and is now controlled
and marketed by Adreon Manufacturing
Co., of St. Louis and Chicago. Briefly,
this system assists the valve oil to pro-
duce better lubrication. The surfaces of
valves and cylinders are generally more
or less rough and graphite fills up the
small imperfections and glazes over the
surfaces, thus rendering the operation of
the reverse lever easier. It is an unques-
tioned fact that a properly lubricated ma-
chine will produce the maximum power
for the coal burned.
The graphite lubrication cup is bolted
to the boiler in the cab and oper-
ated by the engineer. He has at all times
control over the quantity of graphite to
be used. The Campbell system has been
tested very carefully under various condi-
tions and its use effects a very important
saving by reducing wear and tear on
valves, pistons, cylinders and packing, in
addition to reducing the consumption of
valve oil. The Adreon Co. are willing to
furnish one or more of these devices for
test, and can submit to mechanical depart-
.ment officials letters bearing on the merit
of the device which will be interesting.
They will be happy to furnish further in-
formation to those who are interested in
this matter.
is under cross-examination, that he never
commits himself to a definite statement
of any sort involving himself or his
friends — if he can help it. A certain gen-
tleman asked a Scotsman whom he had
in his employ what he thought of the
character of a certain man. .\ftcr due
deliberation the Highlander replied in his
native tongue : "Heaven forbid that I
should say a bad word of any one, espe-
cially of a neighbor, but this I'll confess —
if you were to gather all the rascals in
this town together, I should say the num-
ber was not complete if Dempster was
not in the company."
Good Performance.
The Mallet articulated compound en-
gine built by the American Locomotive
Company for the Natal Government of
South Africa is reported to be doing
good work in the land of the kopje and
the veldt. This engine, the builders in-
form us, which was of the 2-6-6-0 type
of wheel arrangement, has a total
weight in working order of 196,000 lbs.,
179,500 lbs. on the driving wheels, and
a tractive power of 46,600 lbs. It has
been in service for several months and
has fully met the expectations of the
Natal Government Railway officials and
has proved a most efficient and success-
ful locomotive for conditions existing
on that road. On a 3.3 per cent, grade
it easily handles 325 long tons, which is
50 per cent, more than their heaviest
engines of other types can haul. It has
also proved a remarkably good curving
engine, passing through the sharp
curves, many of which are of 19.5 degs.,
much more easily and with less flange
friction than their eight-coupled en-
gines, with rigid wheel bases.
Good Collateral.
Alex. Peacock used to be an intimate
friend of David McCargo, at one time
general superintendent of the Allegheny
Railroad. Mr. Peacock enjoyed free ac-
cess to riding on trains and locomotives
and was in the habit of sharing the pleas-
ure with lady friends. One day Alick
took a charming lady friend for a ride on
one of the locomotives. The road was
very crooked and Alick put his arm round
the lady's waist, explaining that this was
necessary to prevent her from being
thrown down by the lateral swinging of
the engine.
"I understand," exclaimed the girl ;
"there is lateral danger and you give me
collateral securitv."
Decidedly Shady.
It is a well-known characteristic of the
Scottish Highlander, particularly when he
Canada carries second-class mail mat-
ter, which includes newspapers and mag-
azines, for one-half cent a pound and
makes money in the business. The United
States postal service charges one cent a
pound for second-class matter and claims
that the business is done at ruinous loss.
One Year and
Eleven Months'
SERVICE
WITHOUT REPACKING, ON
High-Pressure Locomotives
style 300 TV.
A throttle failure is an absolute
impossibility where Cran-
dall's Throttle Valve pack-
ing is used.
IT WILL ^OT BLOW OUT
Crandall Packing Co.
FACTORY AND GBNEBAL OmCB
PALMYRA, - NEW YORK
BRANCHES
New York Clereland
IM Ubert7 St. 9 So. Water St.
Cklcago
62 W««t Wa«Mngton St.
MICA
Caboose Lamp Chimneys
Save 50 per cent.
STORRS MICA CO.,
R. R. Dept. OWEGO, N. Y.
Patents.
GEO. P. WHITTLESEY
McQILL BUILDING WASHINOTON, D. C.
Terms Reasonable Pamphlet Sent
April. 191a
RAILWAY AXD LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
175
GARS, GABS, SHOPS
AND
ROUND HOUSES
require a roofing that
is unaffected by ex-
tremes of temperature
RUBEROID
ROOFING
KecM'd
U. S. Pit.
OOcm
Will not melt, rot, crack or
corrode. Contains no tar.
Outlastj Mttal
SPARK PROOF, CINDER PROOF,
QAS PROOF, WEATHER PROOF
Writ* for ■■mplM. prlc«« tod bookltt No. M.
THE STANDARD PAINT CO.
I 00 William Slr»t N*w York
Ctalcaco. PliUadelphli, Boston. Einua Cttr.
Ufmpbli. AtUoti.
"HOMESTEAD"
VALVES
Are constructed upon mechanic&tlj cor-
rect princi[riej — they are leak preof tindei
•team, air or hydraulic prctsurea. They
are practically indeatructtble because the
•eata are protected from wear. Tke plug
it balanced and held in place by pressure
when open, and when closed it Is locked
on the seat by our patent wedging cam.
"Homestead" \ alves are the quickest acting,
simplest, most easily operated and l«ngcs1
lired of any made.
Homestead Valves are opened wide and
closed tigbt by a quarter turn.
I.o. f.M(iTI\ K HI.«.\V ..J ^
Write for catalogwe of Hoatratca^ G*«<la.
HOMESTEAD VALVE M'F'G CO.
P O Bo
• Work! at Horn
1754. PITT8UURQ. PA
Pa
DUNER
CAR CLOSETS
DUNER CO.
The Boss.
We all know him and speak of him by
this name, but it is not freely recognized
as a word belonging to the English lan-
guage. Purists in language regard it as a
slang word but as slang e.xpressions by
usage become polite parts of language,
the word Boss may be working its way
into respectability.
Philologists, the people who interest
themselves particularly, in the origin of
words, are a little divided about the origin
of the word boss. Those proud of Celtic
learning attribute the word to the Gaelic
word bos meaning hand. We can see no
earthly connection between the Gaelic bos
end the popular boss.
Those who have listened to Dutch peo-
ple talking should have no difficulty in
identifying the much used baas, master,
with boss the Americanized equivalent.
The pronounciation is almost unchanged.
Master or employer in all the early
Dutch settlements was baas and boss it
become with the English speaking people
who hated and repudiated a master but
were willing to endure the same person-
age under a foreign name. That was one
of the numerous bitter pills that have their
obnoxious taste entirely disguised by a
thin coating of sugar. There are many
people who respect bosses that would not
consent to work under masters.
The screws were made, and they
were sent away by a large wholesale
drug house.
Years afterwards when the old Mint
was dismantled, I noticed some old
screws among the rubbish which looked
familiar, and on talking about them to
the coiner he told me this story:
When the screws were made mercury
was cheap in Philadelphia and dear in
the mining regions of South .America,
so the screws were filled with mercury
and safely carried to the gold mines for
use in refining the precious metal. The
duty on screws was much lower than
the tariiT on mercury.
After the mercury was run out, the
hollow body was used as an ingot mold
and cast full of gold, the plugs returned
and securely riveted. Some of the
screws were bent purposely and all
were allowed to rust badly before they
were shipped to the United States a»
old scrap iron, having oflfered no at-
traction to robbers ever ready to
possess themselves of gold under
transportation.
Her Indorsement.
"I want this check cashed," said the
fair young matron, appearing at the
V indow of the paying teller.
"Yes, madam. You must indorse it,
though," explained the teller.
"Why, my husband sent it to me. He
!■; away on business," she said.
"Yes, madam. Just indorse it — sign it
on the back, so we will know and your
husband will know that we paid it to you."
She went to the desk against the wall,
and in a few moments presented the
check triumphant, having written on its
back:
"Your loving wife, Edith." — Today's
Magazine.
Smuggling by Screws.
In these days when tariff matters are
prominent in the minds of Americans
the following incident told in the
litierican .\tnchinist years ago by George
I -rott Setter' will be of interest. The
'nry reads:
The house for which my grandfather
u:is head received throuRh the Spanish
( ninnl an order for a large number of
wrnuRhl iron screw*, bored out leaviiiR
;i certain thickness of shell, the hole to
Ur closed by a close fitting plug. The
ffiinul explained that the screws were
made hollow to reduce the weight as
ihcy had to be transported part of the
way to the mines in .South America on
the backs of mules.
Dangerous Knowledge.
"Brother Philander," said Bert Walker
the other day to the boss deacon. "I
have something serious I want to say to
you. I know that you keep a bottle of
liquor in your cellar. Suppose our mini-
ster and the rest of the deacons would
find it out? What would you do?"
"Well," replied Philander, very slowly
and thoughtfully, "the first thing I should
do would be to find a new hiding place
for the bottle."
Valve Setter's Guide.
The Valve-Scttcr's Guide, by James
Kennedy, is undoubtedly the most pop-
ular engineering book published this
year. The first edition is already ex-
hausted in less than two months, and
as we are proceeding to press a new
edition is being issued. The book is
substantially bound in ornamental
cloth, and besides the descriptive mat-
ter there are twenty-five illustrations.
The book is meeting with high com-
mendation from the best authorities.
The stan<linR orders from our own spe-
cial agents and others will hr promptly
tilled early in .April.
Endless Flow.
A truly rliM|iunt parsun hail been
preaching for an hour or so on the im-
iiKirtality of the soul.
"I looked at the mountains," he ex-
claimed, "and could not help thinking,
'Beautiful as you are, you will be de-
stroyed, while my soul will not." I
Ka/cd upon the ocean and cried, 'Mighty
as you are you will eventually dry up,
hut not I !' "—Everybody's.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE EXGIXEERIXG.
April, 11)10.
Telling the Time in Egypt.
The working uf tin- Oriental mind was
delightfully illuslralcd in a story which
Professor Turner told the Mathematical
Association recently. He had been spend-
ing the Christmas vacation in Egypt to
supervise the erection of a telescope at
Helouan. Captain Lyons, who was in
charge of the instrument, said that he
had found that at noon every day a gun
was fired, and was anxious to know how
the system worked.
Accordingly he interviewed the gunner
and asked how he knew when to give the
iignal. "Oh, I look at my watch," said
'he official. ".\nd how do you correct
vour watch?" asked the captain. "I take
it to the maker in Cairo and he tells me
the error." Forthwith Captain Lyons in-
terview the watchmaker and asked him
how he checked the error of the watch.
"I get the correct time from the gun,"
said that simple craftsman. And thus time
■was told in Egj-pt. — London Evening
Standard.
Corrugated Fireboxes.
We are informed by Mr. W. H. Wood,
president of the William H. Wood Loco
Firebox Co., of Media, Pa., that loco-
motive No. 2490, of the New York Cen-
tral, has been running nine months on
that road without loosing a trip. This
•engine was equipped with the corrugated
firebox designed by the Wood company.
At the time this engine was in the shop,
engine 2494. similarly equipped, came in
for some repairs to tubes and we are told
that the staybolts of both engine were
found to be unbroken. From a report by
Mr. Wood's expert it appears twelve tell-
tale holes were drilled in the radial staybolts
of each engine for the purpose of still fur-
ther testing the staybolts. In the first of
these engines it was found, after the lag-
ging had been removed that just over the
left hand fire door two staybolts had been
fractured and in the second engine at
about the same place one staybolt had
been fractured. The safety valves of
these engines were tested and everything
was found to be in good condition.
Times Had Changed.
Several years ago Lord Clonmel
brought to this country a string of race
horses and at the close of the season Phil
Dwyer gave a banquet in his honor.
Sheriff Tom Dunn of New York was
called upon for a speech.
"Faith, and this is the wonderful
country !" said Dunn. "I was a poor
Irish lad and me dear old mother, God
rest her soul, hardly had pennies enough
to bring me over. And here I am to-
night sitting cheek by jowl with Lord
Clonmel himself! Why, me friends, back
in the old Tipperary days I couldn't get
near enough to his lordship to hit him
with a shotgun !'' — Everybody's Magacinc.
Flue Scraper and Tube Cutter.
,V handy lenP.ct describing the Ryerson
flue scraper and the Wernicke boiler lube
cutter has been issued by Joseph T. Ryer-
son & Son of Chicago. The scraper is
simple in construction and has few parts.
There are eight scraping blades held fast
at one end while able to move radially
inward. The arrangement of the blades
is such that they have a tendency to dig
into the walls or the flue and so remove
all scale and soot.
The Wernicke tube cutter is so made
that with one size of tool, any size of
flue from iJ4 up to 4 ins. in diameter
can be cut off. This is accomplished by
attaching various sized bushings on the
cutter end of the machine so as to force
the cutting wheels out into contact with
the inside of the tube to be cut. The
machine will cut off tubes either inside
or outside the boiler head as desired.
Write to Joseph T. Ryerson & Son for
further information. They have offices
in New York, Chicago and Pittsburgh.
Not Always Sober.
"Among the amusing characters we
had on the Kansas Pacific in early days,"
remarked John Mackenzie, "was Con
Considine, one of the best engineers on
the road and one who could be depended
upon to take his train through under the
most difficult circumstances. But Con
liked company, was an excellent story
teller, and the very best kind of boon com-
panion, so the inevitable happened. Con
got to liking the bottle too well and be-
came unreliable. The droll stories he
told, the jolly songs he sang, and the
funny bulls he made kept him in high
favor with the trainmen, and they did all
in their power to shield Con ; but in the
end that failed to shield him and he was
finally discharged.
"A few days after he received his time.
Con came to me sober for once and asked
for a letter of recommendation. I wrote
out a fine letter, telling that he was a first-
class engineer, but said nothing about his
personal weaknesses. Con looked over
the letter and said : 'Faith sir, would not
ye's put in that I was a sober and indus-
trious man of poor but honest parents?'
" 'Well, Con,' I replied, 'I do not mind
putting in the poor but honest parents,
but I can't well say anything about your
being a sober man.'
" 'Well, sir,' he replied, 'you might put
down that I was sober frequently.' "
Nothing.
A teacher was examining his class, and
he said : "I will "ivc a quarter to any
boy that can toll what nothing is." A
small boy at the back of the class put up
his hand. "Well, Willie, and what wouUl
you say it is?" "Please, teacher, it is a
bung hole without a barrel round it."
Willie got the quarter.
TOOL
Die Blocks
Steel Forgings
First Prize awarded at the Loui-
siana Purchase Exposition, at St.
Louis, for our TOOL STEEL
when placed in competition with
the best makes in England and
Germany.
Write lor Inloraiatlon and Prices.
Speelly Nelaaaa Toel Steel wfeaa
erderlag.
McINNES
STEEL CO.
CORRY, PA.
Acanti
■OHROCK ft BQVISEB,
tSl Pearl St., New Tark.
ROY HACHrtrEKT 00.,
Kiiuieapolli, Ml
STANDARD MECHANICAL BOOKS
FOR ROAD AND SHOP MEN
BY CHAS. McSHANE.
The Locomotive Up to Date
Price, $2.SO
New York and
Westinghouse Air Brakes
Price, $1.50
One Thousand Pointers for
Machinists and Engineers
Price, $1.50
All booka bound In fine cloth
AGBNTS WANTED eTerrwhere; wrlta f«f
terma and descriptive clrcolara. Will b*
acnt prepaid to anj addrcaa upon receipt
«( price.
GRIPrilN SWirSTBRS
171 La Salle Street, CHICAGO
April, sgio.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE EXGINEERING.
177
"LANG'S"
New Tool
Holder
LARGtST CUn[R BIGGEST CUTS
G.R-LANG6C0.,Meadville,Pa.
Model Locomotives and Castings
Spwlal Models Built to Order
S*Dd 4 nnts la stimps (or citalogae.
A. S. CAMPBELL
557 Hendrix St. Brooklyn, N. Y.
POP VALVES AND GAGES
The Quality Goods that Last
The Aihton Valve Co.
271 Franklin Street. Boilon. Mut.
174 Lake Street. . Cbicaso. III.
HUNT-SPILLER IRON
FOR LOCOMOTIVE CASTINGS
Hunt'Spiiler Mfg. Corporation
W. B. LEACH, Can. Mgr. A Traas.
~~ South Boston, /Vlass.
Xevv l^Liblication
The Most Popular
Engineering Book
PUBLISHED THIS YEAR rs
m VALVE-
SEITER'S GUIDE
By JAMtS KtNNfDT
A comprehensive treatise on the
construction and adjustment of the
Stephenson, Walschaerts, Baker-
Pilliod, and Joy Valve Gearings.
Fully illnstrated and bound in
cloth. Price 50 cents. Mailed to
any address on receipt of Price.
Sedwdldition Wow Ready
An^usSinddirCompdny
114 m\k]) siKtd. ?iiw H)kK
Bulletin No. 35.
"A Study of Base and Bearing Plates
for Columns and Beams," by X. Clifford
Ricker, has just been issued as Bulletin
No. 35 of the Engineering Experiment
Station of the University of Illinois. It
includes a discussion of results obtained
from tests of steel and cast-iron plates of
different forms : an analysis of the theory
employed in determining the resistance of
such plates to fracture ; general formulas
which may be employed in determining the
safe load which may be imposed upon
such plates when supporting end of a
beam, or of a column; and a series of
tables by the use of which resort to com-
plex formula may be entirely avoided.
Copies of Bulletin Xo. 35 may be obtained
gratis upon application to Dr. W. F. M.
Goss, Director of the Engineering Ex-
periment Station, University of Illinois,
L'rbana, 111.
Good Road Bed.
Speaking of some fast runs in the
British Isles the Daily News says : To
the London and North-Western be-
longs the undoubted distinction of
possessing the finest permanent way
and the straightest road in Eng-
land. The old London and Birming-
ham Railway was built at a period when
railway engineers thought that a train
could not run at top speed round even the
slightest curve. That is why the line be-
tween London and Birmingham makes the
finest stretch for non-stop running in the
kingdom. The most wonderful part of
new run between London and Birming-
nam, if finally scheduled at i hour, 47
minutes, will he the outward climb at
over 60 miles an hour of the Tring bank.
Tring lies at the summit of a long and
steady gradient in the Chiltern Hills, 31
miles from Euston.
Conger's Air Brake Catechism.
The twrnty-fcjurtli cilitidii of The .Mr
Brake Catechism by Clinton B. Conger is
just off the press. The book contains 270
pages, 4 X 6"!i ins. It is neatly bound in
cloth and we sell it for one dollar. This
edition contains more matter than those
which have gone before and is up-to-date
in every way. The very latest information
on the construction and operation of the
Westinghouse and New York Air Brake
equipments is given, and both are well
illustrated in the book. At the end there
is a list of examination questions such as
»rc asked in examinations for promotion.
If you can answer these qiicstioMS there
is no danger of your failing, and the an-
swers arc containril in ihc text matter "f
the book. VVc will have more to say of
this excellent little l)ook next issue, but
you will get the full worth of your money
when yon si'iid an order for the honk.
The Imok i< the result of nriRJnal work on
llir ntithiir's part ami it not in any sense
reprint <>{ in«tructinti painphlrt«. Write
' IIS for it. Price one dollar.
Quite an Order.
He was om with his best girl, and ai
they strolled into the West- End restaurant
he tried to put on an I-do-this-every-eve-
ning kind of look. When they were
seated at a table a waiter approached
them.
"Will monsieur have a la carte or table
d'hote?" he asked.
"Both," said the young man, "and put
plenty of gravy on 'em." — Tit-Bits.
Branch Offices Moved.
The Chicago and Baltimore branches of
the H. W. Johns-Manville Co. have
moved to new locations. The Chicago
branch recently on Randolph street, is now
in the four-story and basement of building
Xos. 27-29 Michigan avenue, in the block
between South Water and River streets.
With 32,500 sq. ft. of floor space, offices,
store and stock rooms all under one roof.
The Baltimore office, store and ware-
house is now at Xo. 30 Light street.
Here the company have considerably more
room than before, and in both cities the
company keeps on hand a large stock of
J-M products so as to give all orders
prompt attention.
Peat for Locomotives.
The Swedes are experimenting in the
use of peat fuel for the State railways.
Their experts claim that a mixture of
equal parts of peat and coal by weight,
or two baskets of peat to one of coal,
gives the best results. The price of
coal is twice that of peat, and a con-
siderable saving in cost of fuel is ef-
fected. Xo change of the locomotive
furnaces have been found necessary,
and it is also claimed that the grates
can be more easily kept clean than with
coal.
Good Idea.
Most of the station platforms on Euro-
pean railways are level with the floor of
the passenger car, the compartment door
cpening a few inches above. A practice
intended for the safety of passengers has
liicn introduced at some of the stations
on the Great Western Railway of Eng-
land. This is to paint the edge of the sta-
tion platform white for a width of about 12
ins. Iliis is intended as a caution which
automatically calls a passenger's attention
to the position of the edge. It is no doubt
iiseful at all times but would probably he
particularly serviceable at night.
Self Reliance.
We have seen it a>serUi| that a college
is a great place for learning self-reliance.
If that is one of the best things to be said
about college experience we would prefer
starting out our young boys as newsboys.
That is the department of experinic.'
where self-reliance shines out wilh
Keriuinc luster.
178
RAILWAY AXL) LoCO .MOTIVE EXGINEERING.
April, 1910.
66
BROWNHOIST
99 LOCOMOTIVE CRANE
FUELING TENDER
OF LOCOMOTIVE
Write
for
Catalogue
Send
for
Particulars
<(
BROWNHOIST" Locomotive Cranes
With or Tvithout Grab Buckets, are indispensable in General Railroad Shops and Yards
THE BROWN HOISTING MACHINERY CO.
Branch Offices: Ne-w YorK and Pittsburg'
CLEVELAND, OHIO, U. S. A.
INDEX TO ADVERTISEMENTS.
Page.
.Acme Machinery Co Front- Cover
Adreon Mfg. Co 21
Ajax Mfg. Co 23
Ajax Metal Co 4th Cover
Aldon, The, Co i;3
.American Balance Valve Co 8
American Brake Shoe Co 14
.American Locomotive Co 3
American Steel Foundries 14
American Vanadium Co 13
.Armstrong Bros. Tool Co 15
Armstrong Mfg. Co 12
Ashton Valve Co 177
Baldwin Locomotive Works 14
Ball Chemical Co., The 21
Barnett, G. H., & Co 2d Cover
Barrett .Machine Tool Co 4th Cover
Bettendorf Axle Co .-J Cover
Books —
Development of Locomotive 7
^^iscella^eous 17
Railroad Men's Catechism 11
Valve Setter's Guide 177
Bowser. S. F., & Co., The 12
Brown Hoisting Machinery Co 178
Buker & Carr Mfg. Co 15
Campbell, A. S 177
Chapman, Jack, Co 8
Chicago Car Heating Co 7
Chicago & Alton R. R 24
Chicago Pneumatic Tool Co 24
Cleanola Co., The 22
Cleveland City Forge & Iron Co 4th Cover
Cleveland Twist Drill Co 4th Cover
Coes Wrench Co 4
Commercial Acetylene Co I
Commonwealth Steel Co 19
Consolidated Railway, Electric Lighting &
Equipment Co 2d Cover
Crandall Packing Co 174
Dayton Malleable Iron Co 19
Dearborn Drug & Chemical Co 20
Detroit Seamless Tubes Co 5
Dixon, Jos., Crucible Co 168
Dudgeon, Richard 10
Duncr Car Closet Co 175
Falls Hollow Staybolt Co 24
Fay & Egan Co., j. A 11
Flannery Bolt Co 170
Franklin Mfg. Co i
Galena Signal Oil Co 10
Garlock Packing Co 8
General Electric Co 24
Gold Car Heating & Lighting Co 169
Goldschmidt Thermit Co 172
Goodrich, B. F., Co • 20
Gould Coupler Co 15
Griffin & Winters 176
Hammett, H. G 4th Cover
Harbison-Walker Refractories Co 2d Cover
Hendrick Mfg. Co 12
Henley, N. W., & Co 171
Hicks Loco. & Car Co 8
Hoffman, Geo. W 9
Homestead Valve Mfg. Co 175
Houghton, E. F., & Co 4
Hunt-Spiller Mfg. Co 177
Independent Pneumatic Tool Co 9
Jenkins Bros 4th Cover
Jerome & Elliott 9
Jessop & Son, Wm :8
Johns-Manville, W. H., Co 7
Kennicott Water Softener Co 23
Lang, G. R., & Co 177
Lawrenceville Bronze Co 12
Long & Alstatter Co 7
Locomotive Publishing Co., Ltd 8
Magnus Metal Co 8
Manning, Maxwell & Moore 9
McConway & Torley Co 4
Mtlnness Steel Co 1 76
Pace.
National Boiler Washing Co 20
National Malleable Castings Co 4th Cover
Nathan Mfg. Co 8
National Railway Devices Cn 4th Cover
New Era Mfg. Co 18
Nichols, Geo. P., & Bro 173
Nicholson, W. H., & Co 23
Nickel Plate Road.'. 8
Norwalk Iron Works 23
Pennsylvania R. R. Co 15
Philadelphia Turntable Co 173
Pilloid, The, Co 10
Pittsbur.e Crushed Steel Co 4th Cover
Porter, H. K., & Co 3
Power Specialty Co 22
Pratt & Whitney Co 1
Pressed Steel Car Co 10
Pyle Nat'l Elec. -Headlight Co 7
Railway Materials Co 2d Cover
Ralston Steel Car Co 4th Cover
Rue Mfg. Co IS
Safety Car Heating & Lighting Co 11
'Sargent-HolHngshead Co 19
Saunders. D., Sons 24
Sellers, Wm., & Co., Inc ii
Sipe. James B., & Co 173
Standard Car Truck Co 22
Standard Coupler Co 18
Standard Paint Co 175
Standard Steel Works Co 14
Starrett Co., L. S 6
Storrs Mica Co 174
Tabor Mfg. Co 6
Trenton Malleable Iron Co 14
Underwood, H. B., & Co 9
Vulcan Iron W'orks 11
Walworth Mfg. Co 2d Cover
Ward Equipment Co 2
Watson-Stillman Co 4th Cover
Walters. J. H 172
Westinghouse Air Brake Co 16
Whiting Foundry & Equipment Co 6
Whittlesey, Geo. P 174
Wilpaco Packing Co 21
Wood, R. D., & Co 9
Wood. Guilford S 21
Wood, Wm. H.. Loco. Firebox Co 3
World Signal Co 3rd Cover
Rl|!£iX.veEn$ineeriK
A Practical Journal of Motive Power, Rolling Stock and Appliances
VoL XXIll.
114 Liberty Street, New York. May. 1910.
No. S
Railroads in the TyroL more pronounced range from SS to 65 tain roads of the Austrian Tyrol.
There are thousands of railroaders on per cent. Our frontispiece this month This region is one of great niag-
our plains who have never seen an shows an inclined railroad, operated by nificence and beauty. In fact the Tyrol
IIINCERBKKG INCLINK RAIIAV\\ IN IHI
inclined railroad, and have no idea of electricity up the Ilungcrberjr incline. in;iy be regarded a» an eastern con-
the »leep gradients of some thort dii- The other illuftrations also give an tinuation of Switzerland. It is traversed
ttnce ContincnUl tracks. Some of the idea of these short but well built moun by the great chain of the Alps. The
iSo
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
May, 1 910.
highest mountain in this chain is the
Gross Glockner, which rises to a height
of 12,776 ft. The Ortlcr Spitz, in the
Ortler range, rises to a height of 12,818
ft. above sea level. The mountains are
covered with vast glaciers and on the
higher slopes the dazzling brightness
of the snow adds to the glory and
majesty of the scene. It is to the water
power, derived from the torrents which
flow out from beneath the mantle of ice
that the snow on the silent peaks has
been poetically called the "white coal
of the y\lps."
The needs of tourist travel have been
the main factors in callling these steep-
graded roads into being, and the
Yankee dollar helps largely in main-
taining them. The style of motive power
has a wide range, varying from steam to
The usual conception of a switch or
siding is on a level piece of land, even
in the most mountainous country; but
in one of the views presented of the
Virgl ascent in the Tyrol, we see that
the very pronounced topography of the
short distance over which the grade
ascends, did not allow of anything but
a siding in almost the steepest part of
the gradient, yet these roads are op-
erated with a remarkable degree of
safety and annually carry thousands of
sightseers and tourists.
Shandy Yarns on Land and Sea.
You have made many sea voyages, and
are reticent in a large degree of sights on
the way ; I have only made one, several
moons ,TC". and T am gloating over it yet.
. AA.J.^jmM
■■LMA ...4^v.^^^-«.ilk^
m^^
J
.^^Ml^ak
^^,^, ^jT
^I'li;. 1
w
TITE MENDFL INCLINE, AUSTRLVN TYROL.
cable, hydraulic, electric, to simple
gravity roads. They are naturally located
among some of the most ravishing
scenery in the world, charmed with all
the poetry of distant prospects and vast
horizons.
Small blame to me, as the exchequer says,
"It was your first — and last."
I always loved to read of sea voyages.
In the long ago, when I used to give a
show to every nostrum recommended to
make a mustache sprout, I ran away from
home here in Oswego and went sailing be-
fore the mast on "the lakes," as we des-
ignated the five great inland fresh water
seas. It was customary for young kids
to do so. We learned the rollicking walk,
chewing tobacco, damning our tarry top
lights, and drinking grog, all of which
sailors can do to the queen's taste ; and to
be a full-fledged A. B., we had to go
aboard a schooner to catch on to the rest,
which included the three heads of nauti-
cal knowledge, "to hand, reef and steer."
With these things handy in our knowledge
boxes, and an ability to perform them, we
were duly qualified to assume the stature
of manhood, whether the mustache was
visible or not, even under a microscope.
Not liking the calling, after I found out
the slavish conditions men are treated to
who follow it, I made a pier-head jump
and cut the job; went to an old friend of
mine, who held down the position of
roundhouse foreman against all comers —
the grief committee hadn't been yet
evolved from the womb of time — and I
got it. Then began a railroad career which
lasted for forty years.
I didn't write the foregoing to give you
an autobiography, by any means, but I
wanted to tell you that before I was a
week on the job of stuffing a wood burn-
er's gullet I originated a conundrum, all
my own, and as the M. M. was riding
with us between stations one day to watch
how she'd burn her fire, I suppose, I fired
It at him. I said: "Mr. Morgan, what
is the greatest nonsense in the world?"
He gave me a look of wounded pride,
bleeding at every pore, and in the essence
of sarcasm replied : "I don't know."
"Well, I do; shall I tell you?" Out came
a guttural "yes" from the gall-duct of his
internals, and I said : "Putting a cushion
on the fireman's side of this old ballaboo."
That was the commencement of a railroad
career which lasted for forty years and
which terminated about 14 months ago on
account of the ills of age coming to keep
me company. I endeavored to cut their
acquaintance here on freedom's soil, but
found out I could not shake off their ac-
quaintance, so, like all interesting invalids,
I resolved to make a sea voyage.
On the I St of May. last year, on board
an ocean liner, I started for "foreign
parts," as Mickey Free said in the novel
of Charley O'Malley. We swung out into
the North River, and I intently watched
old familiar sights on each hand until we
got outside Sandy Hook, and our course
was laid for the British Isles.
I had another conundrum all my own
on the rail, as a kind of solace to a
wounded heart, when a newly fledged
throttle-bar manipulator would be telling
me how his valves required squaring, and
it was this: "What is heaven?'' The. re-
ply was : "Standing on the forward deck
of an ocean liner, in the good old summer
time, when passing Sandy Hook, as she
headed east." I really reveled in the en-
May, 1 910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
iSi
joyment I experienced as it came to pass.
Ere the sun sank to the west of Staten
Island we were out of sight of land and
boring a hole through wind and water at
a 17 knot gait. Then my glance from sky
line to sky line, all around the horizon,
told me that sail was swept from the seas
and the mighty giant, Steam, had replaced
it.
The last time I was east of Sandy Hook
was many a long year ago, when the im-
migrant ships were carrying their living
loads to the American shores, and when
from one to three months were often re-
quired to make the voyage from the
Mersey to the Hudson. Now a trifle of
time over four days is all that is required,
which makes us exclaim, "the world do
move," or the liners move, whichever you
like.
There being nothing of a very interest-
ing nature to occupy our minds watching
the great body of water through which
we were cleaving our liquid way, outside,
I resolved to have a look inside, and note
places of interest there, particularly the
second class cabin, where I was domiciled.
Everything in the shape of bed linen and
covering was exceedingly neat, and the
staterooms scrupulously clean ; the food
very appetizing, and the stewards, assist-
ants and chambermaids decidedly oblig-
ing. "Let us take a look into the first
cabin," I said to a congenial chum I
picked up with since coming aboard. We
-tarted and found an iron gate barring
: trance, with a good big padlock on it.
Xo, you don't," said my chum. "This
gate bars the way to the land of dollars,
where the guests shake gold dust on their
griddle cakes and wash them down with
dry Mumm." While we were with our
noses through the bars a man in uniform
was convenient on the luxurious side of
the gate, and I asked him if there was
any show to get a glimpse of the first
cabin. He very kindly answered, "Yes;
by applying for a stateroom therein to
the purser and paying the difference in
the price." I said, "Thank you, sir. Will
■ u kindly answer me one question?" "Go
iliead." "Please advise — blank that word
advise. It sticks yet in my throat sin'
jhe great Mogul's letters used to salui
me, telling nic of a 10 minutc>' failure on
the night line on account of injectors
t'.ving out at Salins, sixty miles away, and
king me to please advise, I tossing in a
■sties* bed at the time — if you know at
My time on board of a ship like this
' iicn there will be perfect equality and
hen dollars won't cfiunl ?" "No, sir; I
''> not." "Well, I do, and it is when the
■ rder is given to 'clear away the lioats.' "
There were parti of that ship I desired
to explore, and I decided to shake my
' hum and go it alone; but, alas, "the best
•lid schemct of mice and men gang aft
.•Kley," and I didn't succeed in gelling be-
yond the jlrerage.
After spending about three month* be-
yond seas I was one of many who were
huddled in together on the tender at
Queenstown to be carried out to another
big liner waiting for us in the oflfing to
take us home. I had resolved I'd explore
her from the bridge to the keelson — and
I did, hence tliis letter to you.
As we were passing in through the
gangway from the tender a uniformed
ward, and I made my way there without
any interference, as the occupants were at
supper. There were about 700 sons and
daughters, kids and grandkids of south-
ern Europe, and all with most beautiful
appetites, devouring meat, potatoes, bread,
butter and other dishes unnamable to me,
and licking their lips and fingers after
each course and pushing out ihoir platters
oflicial, presumably the |)urscr, stood
there with an assistant. When I got along
I said : "Room 84, first cabin." I was
steered off in that direction, and in half
an hour or so after the tender left us I
had seen all I desired of the land of golrl
and silver, and wishing I saw nniie of it.
for the spirit of envy was rampant in my
breast. I made my way to room S4, sec
ond class, which was mine to lioston,
good enough for any one who never saw
luxury in <iii(-|i great ahinidance as I did
in the fairy liowcrs of magnificent splen-
dor of the saloon. Wc were domicilpd
well aft, and the steerage was away for-
i. ',1 i .. . Ul^Kl'KST t.l; .! .
for more. I tell you there was no need of
bicarbonate of soda there in th.it crowd;
l>otalnes and hash was the slogan of their
mot her toiigiii-, and I »as unacquainted
with its curves, but I watched the waiters
respond and the food disappear.
I iiispeclcd their lirddiiiK and found it
clean, and as evrrythiiiK around the berths
was made of iron and wire, 1 think it
woiilil he safe to call it sanitary .'ilso.
One thing 1 do know, it was a vast iin-
proveiiieiit on eonilitions 60 years pre-
vious on hoard the iminiKrant ships.
The next place I was anxious to get
into was Ihe engine room. Ah, luit there
I82
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
May, 1910.
was the rub. The engineer ne.xt to the
chief was a young, honest-faced looking
fellow on the sunny side of 30. He used
to come into our cabin every day, and I
soon caught on to the reason why. He
was very intimate with a lady passengar,
as if they were "little boys and girls to-
gether." As it was about as impossible
to get permission to view the sights be-
low the water line as to get to glory, I
looked around for another way. After
the First Engineer, as I'll call him, took
his departure from the lady one after-
noon, after gulping down moonshine for
a couple of hours together, I said to my-
self, "That lady can get me permission."
I went to her, saying, "Please pardon me,
lady, for what you may consider imper-
tinence on my part for addressing you
without an introduction, but you resemble
a most beautiful lady of my acquaintance
so much who has a sister abroad studying
music, and who is expected to return this
summer, and you bearing such a charming
resemblance to her sister, 1 have trusted
to the good nature I see in your face to
not feel offended if I ask if you are from
Chicago?" She did not. She permitted
m» to hold a brief conversation with her,
and did not appear to be strange in the
slightest degree. You see, I had been at
the blarney stone but recently, and I am
a convert to its virtues. She told me the
First Engineer is an old friend of the
family — they were little boys and girls to-
gether— and she enjoyed his company and
appreciated it, as it relieved the monotony
of the voyage. I complimented his gen-
eral appearance, and told her that his
position was a much more responsible one
than was that of the captain ; that I was
somewhat acquainted vvith stearn, and it
would cap the climax of the voyage's
pleasure if I could see the sights of the
engine room, but I am exceedingly sorry
to say that my desires will never be grat-
ified, as the orders of "no admission" are
so strict. "If that is all you require to
make you happy I think your wish will be
gratified."
Next day I was down amongst the wiz-
ards of nature, which were harnessed by
the genius of man and obedient to his
will. I had heard much of the terrific
heat of the fire room, and I supposed that
physical endurance was put to a terrible
test to keep steam-generating fires. I first
went to the coal bin. A young man was
wheeling some to a battery of four boilers
with his coat on. I wheeled a barrow of'
it to be sure of conditions. I dumped it
in front of the furnace doors, and laughed
at my life-long suppositions. Two men
were cleaning fires. "Here," said one of
them, "take this in your hand and see
will you laugh," meaning the rake. I did
— with my coat on — and I cleaned the fire
and covered it, and save a little moisture
under my hat, there was no perspiration.
I was not prepared for this. The ther-
jnometer showed but 70 degrees in the
engine room. What a sight to me was
the long, long shaft, and its 16 ins. in
diameter. I walked beside it till it passed
out of my sight aft. When I got back
again in the engine room I looked with
intense pleasure at the tremendous expan-
sion cylinders, and the music of the ma-
chinery reminded me of McAndrew's
Hymn, by Kipling :
"The crank-throws give the double bass;
the feed pump sobs and heaves ;
And now the main eccentrics start their
quarrel on the sheaves.
Her time, her own appointed time, the
rocking link-head bides,
Till — hear that note? the rod's return
whings glimmering through the guides.
Fra skylight lift to furnace bars, backed,
bolted, braced and stayed.
And singin' like the morning stars for joy
that they are made."
I next was shown the engineer's quar-
ters, which were very comfortable, con-
taining many ornaments and a well-
stocked library. From there we went into
the firemen's cabin, and it was clean, well
ventilated and contained comfortable
berths. Their food was excellent and
abundant, and I considered them well
housed, but I have seen excerpts taken
from letters written by Samuel Gompers
giving his experience of what he saw on
an ocean liner. I take exceptions to parts
of it. He was a first cabin passenger on
the "Baltic"' to Liverpool, last June. He
got permission to go over the ship with
a guide. He represents himself as hustled
along through the second cabin, the steer-
age, and they came to a small, steep and
narrow stairway, with an iron ladder lead-
ing down below — it mu6t have been to the
engine room the entrance led — and when
he showed an inclination to go down he
was told by the guide that passengers
never go down there, that it was "too
hot." Hot air is described as belching up
and conclusions drawn that it was "an in-
fernally hot place below." Mr. Gompers
should have been told by the guide that
there is a body of cold air continually be-
ing driven down through big pipes, and
the hot air up. and it must be that he
stood at or near the hot air pipes. Any
way, I'll wager that down in her engine
and fire rooms the Baltic had all modern
appliances for comfort. I have no re-
tainer from any steamship company to
sing their praises ; it is only simply stating
things as I found them, for justice sake,
that I write of them.
Mr. Gompers says : I asked where the
sailormen were lodged. "In the fo'k'sle,"
said the guide, "but visitors never go
there. The sailors work four-hour
watches, so the fo'k'sle has a lot of chaps
in it asleep, and visitors might wake them
up." Well, the guide told the truth there.
The officer of the watch would not enter
the fo'k'sle except on very urgent business
unless at eight bells, when one watch has
turned out and another getting ready to
turn in, as going to bed is called on ship-
board. Mr. Gompers, not being a sailor,
did not know the rules. I agree with him
relating to the obnoxiousness of the tip-
ping system ; but why should we kick at it
on sea, when all around us on land is
growing rotten with it. Take a night in
a Pullman, for instance. A story is told
of a passenger who was ready, grip in
hand, to get out, and his royal nibs came
up to him and said, "Brush you off, sah?"
"No," said he, "I prefer to walk off."
Let us reform the land ere we tackle
the sea.
There are many other things in Mr.
Gompers' letters deserving notice, but I
have ground out enough of grist for the
present and, in the language of shipboard,
I'll sing out "Belay!"
Shandy Maguire.
Faults of Tallow.
During a recent visit to New Eng-
land we foregathered with some vet-
eran engineers, and, as usual, railroad
reminiscences were in order and the
ancient way of using the tallow pot
was amusingly described. "Going to
the front end, tallow pot in hand, was
no picnic when the engine was rolling
on the rough track," said Walsh, "but
getting new tallow into the steam chest
was worth the risk and trouble. No
groaning piston or cut valves after that
soothing dose was given regularly."
Most of the company agreed that
Billy Walsh was telling the truth, and
the strongest endorsement was given
of the tallow pot and its contents. Its
use was a reminiscence and therefore
worthy of report.
A white-haired veteran named Wil-
son was, however, inclined to demur
from the general praise of tallow. He
said; "What about the effect of the tal-
low in eating holes through the cast-
ings?" This was partly agreed to, but
a voice was raised blaming the poor
quality of castings for the corrosion of
cylinders, pistons and valves that
caused so much trouble when tallow
was used.
"No," said Wilson, "the castings
were not to blame, and the copper
joints were not to blame. They
were probably all right. It was the
acid in the tallow that did the damage.
My master mechanic, who was a nat-
ural investigator, had the tallow an-
alyzed and found 20 to 25 per cent, of
free acid in the tallow. The people
supplying the tallow never tried to
purity the stuff. All they wanted was
big profits, and that practice killed
their golden egg goose. Mineral oil
used for cylinder lubrication is mixed
with tallow, but the makers take care
that the tallow they use contains very
little free acid."
May, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING
183
Passenger 4-6-0 for the Seaboard Air Line Railway
The Baldwin Locomotive Works have
recently delivered twenty locomotives to
the Seaboard Air Line Railway. Five of
these engines are of the six-coupled type
for switching service, while the remaining
fifteen are of the ten-wheel tjpe for ex-
press passenger service. The following
description is confined to the passenger
locomotives.
The Seaboard Air Line has had a wide
experience with ten-wheel engines in gen-
eral road service. For work which does
not demand exceptional steaming capacity
this type of locomotive possesses fea-
tures of unquestioned merit. The new
Seaboard engines develop a tractive
force of 29,000 lbs., and having a liberal
factor of adhesion, they should prove
capable of handling heavy trains without
difficulty. They will operate over grades
of 1 14 per cent.
These locomotives have wagon-top
boilers, with narrow fireboxes placed
above the engine frames. The latter are
ceases, for the Baker-Pilliod gear dis-
penses with the link and sliding block,
and consists of an arrangement of
pin connected rods and bell-cranks. The
peculiarities of this gear and of the Wal-
schaerts are very fully e.xplained in the
Vahe Setters' Guide by James Kennedy
and sold by this office. The parts of this
gear are supported by a cast steel cradle,
which is placed outside the leading
drivers, and is bolted in front to the
guide yoke, and at the rear to a suitable
cross-tie. The valves have a constant lead
of 3/16 of an inch. The Baker-Pilliod
gear is a patented device, and the mech-
anism applied to the Seaboard Air Line
engines was designed by the Pilliod Com-
pany of New York.
The frames of the locomotives under
notice are of cast steel, 4 ins. in width,
with single front rails of forged iron.
The equalization is arranged with leaf
springs over the leading driving boxes,
and yokes over the boxes of the main
in.; thickness of sheets, ctuwn, H in.;
thickness of sheets, tube, I2 in.
Water Space — Front, 4 ins.; sides, 3^ ins,;
back, 3 J/j ins.
Tubes — Material, iron; wire ^au^c. No. 11 ; num-
ber, 328; diameter, 2 ins.; length, 14 ft.
Heating Surface — Firebox, 184 sq. ft.; tubes,
.■.418 sq. ft.; total, 2,602 sq. ft.; grate area,
36 sq. ft.
Driving Wheels — Diameter, outside, 72 ins.;
journals, g'A x 11 ins.
Engine Truck Wheels — Diameter, front, 30 ins.;
journals, 6 X 10 ins..
Wlicel Base — Driving, 13 ft. 6 ins.; total en-
gine, 24 ft. 4 ins.; total engine and tender,
49 ft. 2 ins.
Weight — On driving wheels, 136,850 lbs; on
truck, front, 368,500 lbs; total engine, 173,-
700 lbs.; total engine and tender about,
295,000 lbs.
Tender — WTieels, diameter, 33 ins. ; journals,
5.''j X 10 ins.; tank capacity, 6,500 gals.;
fuel capacity, 10 tons; service, passenger.
Answering Circulars.
May and June are the months when
several of the railroad mechanical con-
ventions are held and the investigation
work of the year harvested. Chairmen
of committees are generally chosen
owing to their familiarity with the sub-
A. J. Prjole, Superintendent of Motive Power
depressed between the main and rear
driving pedestals, so that there is ample
depth under the tubes. The firebox is
radially stayed ; one T-bar, hung on ex-
pansion links, supports the front end of
the crown, while the flexible bolts num-
ber 325. These stay the entire throat
sheet, and are placed in the outside rows
in the sides and back. The furnace is
equipped with a brick arch, supported
en four 2'.jin. tubes. The boiler barrel
:> composed of three courses, the smallest
being 63% ins., with the gusset sheet in
the center.
The cylinders are single-expansion, and
the steam distribution is controlled by
balanced sliile valves driven by the Baker-
Pilliod gear. This motion is similar to
the Wal»ch.ifrt», in that the valve He-
rives its travel from a return crank se-
cured to one of the crank pins, and is
given lead by means of a crosshead con-
nection. Here, however, the similarity
4-()o KOK THE SE.M'.'ivmi \[\< I. IN:. n\ll w
and rear drivers. The frames arc sup-
ported on leaf springs placed between the
axles and also back of the rear driving
pedestals. This arrangement provides
lour springs on a side, and should pro-
mote easy riding.
The tender frame is composed of lo-
in, steel channels and oak bumpers. The
trucks are of the equalized type, with
cast steel bolsters. All truck wheels un-
der the engine and tender are of forged
and rolled steel, and were supplied by
the Stand.ird Steel Works Co. of Phila-
delphia. The principal dimensions of
these engines are given in the accompany-
ing table :
Cvllndrr. .M T .- .n.
Valrr '
noiirr p: material. (IfpI; thick
nr II ''lA int.: working I'ret-
■U". tiiel, soft coal: ilayini,
radi,il.
Firebox — Material, strrl: lensth, lasH Ins.:
width, 41 'i in».: deiilb, front, fiii Int.;
depth, back. t)ii Ina. ; thichncts of ihrets,
•ides. H in-: Ihickneu of ihocti, back, H
Baldwin I»conKitive Works, Builders.
jtcts which they are helping to investi-
gate, bill the ineiubcrs ought to remem-
ber that the committee nicnibcrs depend
upon the association at large to supply
the information required to make up a
good report. This can only be done by
the members generally .niiswcriiig the
circulars of inquiry. Unless this is done
the usefulness of the associations is
seriously curtailed and the practical value
of the organization reduced.
Most of the members of the various
mechanical associations are proud to
tell their general officers about the val-
uable work done at the conventions they
have attended, but comparatively few of
them are able to give particulars of their
own work in helping to produce useful
reports. The failure to do so generally
results from oversight and indifTcrence.
We give this hint in litnr in the ho|ie
that indifTcrence may he ili;iiiRid to zeal
and industry.
l84
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
May, igio.
Smooth Wheel and Rail.
In an article on the factor of adhesion
which we published in our March issue,
on page 107 we had occasion to remark
that if it were possible to design an en-
gine as light as a handcar, yet capable of
developing a tractive effort of 25,000 lbs.,
we would have a machine which would
make very uncertain progress along the
track, but would spin its wheels around
furiously when called upon to pull loads.
One of the most interesting experi-
ments ever made in the early days of the
of that period had generally been over-
cylindered, as we would say, and the
builders wrongly concluded that because
their engines would slip with smooth
wheels, that all engines must necessarily
slip without some holding point to work
on. Medley, in showing the fallacy of this
theory, made one of the most momentous
advances in the science of locomotive en-
gineering which has ever been made. He
destroyed an error and opened up the
road of progress.
.\ftcr making this discovery concerning
MEDLEY'S TEST CARRIAGE.
S, B. arc .rtagcs for the men to ilatid utiou.
locomotive was that by William Hedley
for the purpose of ascertaining what con-
ditions were necessary for a locomotive
to pull a load upon a smooth track. Loco-
motives had been built, but it was not
only generally assumed by engineers of
that time, but firmly believed, that the
locomotive with smooth wheels would not
pull loads along a smooth track.
Belkinsop used a cog wheel engaging
a rack rail. This engine did satisfactory
work, but the rack rail was expensive and
its maintenance costly. Chapman's en-
gine worked with a central chain, which
frequently broke. Burton used movable
legs. These engines are shown in Dr.
Sinclair's work, "Development of the
Locomotive Engine," to which the reader
is referred for further particulars.
It was in the interval between the ap-
pearance of Chapman's engine and Bur-
ton's walking locomotive that Hedley suc-
ceeded in demonstrating the possibility
of a locomotive wdth smooth wheels on
smooth track being made to pull a load.
The illustrjftion we present shows the
form of machine used. Hedley had a car
rigged up with drivers and gear wheels.
A couple of men standing on small plat-
forms or steps on each side of the test car
operated handles which turned the gears.
At first no doubt the wheels slipped, but
at last, as weight after weight was added,
the machine progressed along the track
and pulled coal wagons after it. Thus
Hedley disproved the theory which had
influenced all engine builders up to that
time, that smooth wheels were not eflfec-
tive on a smooth track.
At the time this experiment was made
the co-efficient of friction between wheel
and rail was not known, and Hedley's
test did not establish it. The tractive ef-
fort of a locomotive was not then known
and this experiment threw no light on it.
Hedley found out that with sufficient
weight on the drivers, a locomotive with
smooth wheels on smooth rails could be
made to pull loads. The other engines
There -were other tu-o on the opposite side.
smooth wheel traction Hedley built a
locomotive in which he used the frame,
wheels and gears of his test machine.
This engine, however, was not a success
on account of the failure of its boiler to
make sufficient steam. Then came Bur-
ton's mechanical traveler in May, 1813,
and in the same month Hedley built a
second engine, commonly called "Puffing
Billy," which, with smooth wheels on
smooth track, a return-flue boiler and ex-
haust carried up the chimney, was a com-
plete success.
One Engine Pulled More Than Another
There are still superstitions about cer-
tain locomotives pulling more cars or
steaming better than others of the same
dimensions, but the modern engineer
generally discovers the cause of the dif-
ference without much searching, and he
nearly always realizes that the differ-
ence is due to some cause that is no
mj'Stery.
Two engines were doing the switch-
ing around a rolling mill, and it was
found that one of them could haul more
cars up a certain grade than the other,
which was built in the Pittsburgh Loco-
motive Works. It was some time be-
fore a complaint about the weak engine
reached the superintendent, but he lost
no time in making an investigation.
The grade w-as short and the steam was
always at the popping point. The super,
listened to each of the engines working
and ordered the smoke box door of the
weak engine to be opened. He found
the exhaust nozzle choked to about an
inch and a half in diameter. The front
end door of the Baldwin was then
opened and they found that the nozzle
tip had been removed. The engineer
explained that the engine steamed all
right without a nozzle tip. The tip was
removed from the Pittsburgh engine
and it then pulled as many cars as the
other.
Furnace Cement.
A new fire-resisting cement has been
lecently put on the British market,
adapted for use on the brick bridges
of boiler furnaces, or, in fact, in any
brick work that has to withstand a
high temperature. It adheres to the
smoothest surfaces, and is supplied in the
form of paste, and requires an equal quan-
tity of water added to it when mixing
for use.
Method of Flue Setting.
Our illustration shows a method of
flue setting for locomotive boilers
which has been devised by Mr. E. C.
Stocker, a locomotive engineer on the
North- Western Pacific Railroad, and by
Mr. James McAdams, foreman boiler
maker on the same road. Writing of
their invention, for which patent is
pending, the inventors say:
"It consists in the construction of the
tubes and the manner of their attach-
ment or setting, which prevents the
erosion and leakage caused by intense
heat in the combustion chambers and
on the tube sheets. It is accomplished
by reducing the section or thickness of
metal interposed between the water and
fire and forming arch at a, in draw-
ing, it being a w'ell known fact that
the life and endurance of all joints in
steam boilers is determined by the
thickness of metal interposed between
the external heat and the contained
water. It also consists in swedging or
reducing in diameter the end of the
tubes entering combustion chambers,
■and by so doing, it doubles the capacity
for water at that vital point and induces
free circulation of water around the
tubes, limiting the expansion caused by
NEW METHOD OF FLUE SETTING.
the temperature, also giving space for
scale to drop from tubes at that particu-
lar place.
"The object of reducing the tube ends
at combustion chamber is for various
reasons; to limit the rapid flow of hot
gases through them, still maintaining
the heating surface by the expansion of
the gases as it passes from small to
larger diameter of the tubes, which
means reducing stack temperature and
cost of fuel. It also gives greater dis-
tance or pitch between the tube holes
and greater stability to the tube sheets."
Mav, loic.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE EXGIXEERIXG.
General Correspondence
How I became a Locomotive Engineer.
Editor :
In response to your invitation to
locomotive engineers to write short let-
ters telling why they took up that line
of work, I take this opportunity to tell
the storj- of my beginning. My father
died when I was but seven years old,
shortly after I was living with an uncle
in L'nion Co., Ohio, on a farm. The
old Nip and O, as it was called in those
days, (N. Y. P. & O.), ran along beside
my home. While living there I cannot
say that I became more than an ordi-
nary observer of things pertaining to a
railway.
When I was about ten years old uncle
moved to Dayton, O. After being there
a few years one could always find me
wending my way to one of the round-
houses of the several railways having
terminals there. These trips were al-
ways made on a Saturday afternoon.
My uncle and aunt had made one of
those Ohio homes characteristic of that
day, and Saturday afternoon was the
only playtime I had which would per-
mit me to be gone from home long
enough to accomplish the above named
purpose.
I will never forget the kindness of
an engineer running between Dayton
and Cincinnati. He was in passenger
service and ran the first extension front
locomotive I ever saw. He would let
me ride from the roundhouse to the
station, and if it did him half as much
good as it did me, he certainly has
never regretted letting me ride. I was
then about eleven years old, and I cer-
tainly made up my mind to become a
locomotive engineer.
The summer of 1879 found me cm-
ployed on a farm in Wayne Co., Mich.
There was no railway running close by
to nurture my ambition to become a
locomotive engineer. In the fall of that
year there came to work here a man by
the name of C. H. Dcrry, who was very
ambitious to get a job firing. This fel-
low remaini-d for a little more than one
year, and his talking about what a good
job firing was caused me to settle the
matter with myself, and I determined
to become a locomotive engineer when
I became a man.
I remember along about these years
I was at Three Rivers, Mich. The Mich-
igan Crnlr.-il had two passenger trains
that tied up there ever night. One
night I watched the train crew as they
sidetracked their train. Then after the
engine was cut off I went up alongside
of the coachei and commenced looking.
I had noticed the brake cylinder e.x-
haust as the train was being moved to
the siding, and to satisfy my curiosity
f finally opened the bleeder valve of one
of the au.xiliary reservoirs. It having
considerable pressure in it I became
frightened, and not waiting to close
the valve I ran for my life. Not know-
ing what I had done I was worried that
night, and never went to watch tlie
crew put away their train again.
as nuich now at the end of the 20
years, having spent it on a railroad, I
certainly have spent a great deal more
during these j'ears than I would have
spent had I remained on the farm. This
money has not been foolishly spent, but
has served to do good in one way or an-
other.
The position of locomotive engineer
is in all a good one. anil I would advise
tlic right man not to hesitate further
INThRIOR OF CAB, B.ALDWIN MALM-.T COMl-Ol'ND ItIR I'llK A. T. & S. F.
I finally became a locomotive fireman
against the advice of the farmer for
whom I worked in Wayne Co., Mich.
I remember one day he told me if I
would stay working for him at the end
of 20 years I would have more of this
world'."* goods than I would have if I
went "rilroading." as he termed it. I
did not believe him at that time to be
right, but I know now he was. But
then there is this about it. H I have not
than to make sure that he is the right
man. The right man is he who has a
good common school education, good
habits, is not inclined to want to lay
off often. He must be of a strung con-
stitution and have his mind fully made
up that he wishes to become .1 loco-
motive engineer. Then when he begins
his training, he will enter into his
duties with a dcgrpe of satisfaction that
one must have to attain success. He
i86
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
May, 1910.
must know himself that he is the riglit
mail ; and if he is, he will not become
discouraged in convincing those who
employ firemen that he is the right man.
My experience as locomotive fireman
is, as I look back over the years em-
ployed as such, foremost in those things
that go to make up what might be
termed a good job. To please my en-
gineer was my greatest responsibility,
and when I knew I was doing this my
work was easy. But as the years rolled
by I began to plan on a position of
greater responsibility. Have run a loco-
motive for about 14 years, am still em-
ployed as locomotive engineer, and I
never did any work so agreeable, take
it all round, as running a locomotive.
F. W. Beaird,
Engineer G. R. & I. Ry.
Grand Rapids^ Mich.
Long Legged No. 10.
Editor :
Several contributions and pictures in
recent issues of your paper have dealt
with old Pennsylvania engines. No doubt
many of the younger men have heard of
"Long Legged" No. 10 on the Pennsyl-
vania, but probably few know what the
engine looked like. No. 10 was one, and,
I think, the first one, of a class of high-
speed engines designed by the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad, and officially known as
Class K, of which nineteen were built in
1881 and 1882. On the road they were
known as "Bicycle" engines, because of
their large driving wheels of 78 ins. di-
ameter. This class inaugurated many in-
novations in American locomotive prac-
tice; the boiler was set higher than on
any previous passenger engine, and there
were dire predictions of derailment or
overturning of the engine due to the ex-
cessive height ; the firebox was placed
on top of the frames, which made possible
an addition of about 4 ins. to the width
of the box over previous types; bead-
probably the first to have the air pump
placed on the left hand side. In subse-
quent years, extension fronts were added,
the steam reverse gear removed, and the
sandboxes removed to the top of the
boiler. Otherwise they remained as built.
The K's were very handsome machines
for their time, as will be seen by a study
of the line drawing, and many good rec-
ords were made. For example, on Sept.
9, 1881, one of them made a mile in 52
seconds, equalling 72 miles per hour. On
May 15, 1883, engine No. 184 ran eleven
miles in 9 minutes and 52 seconds, or at
the rate of 66 9/10 miles per hour; and
on Nov. 28, 1891, engine No. 340 made
ghanics. A vivid comp.irison of the two
types can be obtained from a study of
the drawings made to the same scale ;
and a further comparison may be made
from the table of dimensions below :
Class "K." Class "E 3d."
Cylinders 18x24" 22x26"
Diamiter of drivers. 78" 80"
Driving wheel base. 7*9" 7' 5"
Total wheel base... 22' yy^" 30' 9^^"
Minimum diameter
of boiler 49ji" 65H"
Working steam pres-
sure 140 lbs. 205 lbs.
Height to center o£
boiler 7' iVi" 9' 3 S/jS"
Fire ■ box, inside
length M9H" J""
Fire - box, inside
width 41 Ji" 72'
Number of tubes. . . 201 315
Diameter of tubes. . i%" a*
Length of tube.... lo' 11 13/16" 15' o"
MODERN NO.
PASSENGER 4-4-2 ON THE P. R. R.
227 miles in four hours and 11 minutes,
or at a net rate of 56.75 miles per hour.
Engine No. 10 ran her inevitable course
in life, first on an express, then on lighter
trains, and ten years ago could have
been seen daily running an accommoda-
tion train out of Jersey City, being re-
tired with her mates only about four or
five years ago. These engines were al-
ways used between New York and Phila-
delphia and Camden and Atlantic City,
occasionally being sent as far as Wash-
ington, but they never saw mountain
service.
The present No. 10 is one of a very
large class of Atlantic type engines, and
she does her trick daily on the Pennsyl-
vania's famous eighteen hour train to
Chicago, making the run from Jersey
City to North Philadelphia, 84 miles, in
83 minutes by the time card. There are
several classes of these Atlantics, diflfer-
ing only in minor details, some having
Total heating sur-
face 1205 sq. ft. 2640 sq. ft.
Grate area. 34 8/10 sq. ft 55 5/10 so. ft.
Weight on drivers. . 65,300 lbs. 1 12,000 lbs.
Total weight 92.700 lbs. 180,000 lbs.
Brooklyn, N. Y.
C. B. Chaney, Jr.
Honor to Whom Honor.
Editor:
Referring to the article on page 96 of
your March issue, "Ingenious Repair
Work." It seems to me there must be
some mistake as to who the credit for
this method of repairing cracked cylin-
ders is really due. Mr. G. L. Van Doren,
superintendent of the Central Railroad
of New Jersey shops at Elizabethport,
N. J., worked this scheme up and applied
the first one in February, 1907, before our
brother's visit from Silvis shops to ours.
I want to add that we have changed sixty
engines since that time. Therefore we
believe Mr. G. L. Van Doren should re-
ceive the credit for priority.
W. H. Hawkins,
General Machine Foreman.
Elizabethport, N. J.
OLD LONG-LEGGED NO 10 ON THE PENNSYLVANL^.
ing was dispensed with, and the dome and
stack were very pleasing in their curved
and flowing outlines. Alligator cross-
heads and two-bar guides, and sandbox
placed in the wheel covers, made their
appearance on these engines, and were
used thereafter for all new passenger en-
gines for many years.
The curious device noticed beside the
dome and under the hand-rail, was a
steam reverse gear, and the engineman
could "hook her up" to a much finer de-
gree than usual. These engines were
Belpaire and some round-top boilers,
some 2o!/2. others with 22 ins. cylinders;
in other respects the types being prac-
tically the same. Engine No. 10 belongs
to the latest class, E 3d, which is the
most recent development of standard type,
having Walschaerts valve gear and Bel-
paire boiler, wide firebox, Vogt type of
enclosed crosshead guides. These Atlan-
tics are doing most excellent work, and
are found on all divisions of the line,
from the level Jersey stretches to the
division west of Altoona across the Alle-
Position of Loads and Empties.
Editor:
I think a train will handle easier w-ith
the loads ahead as far as pulling is con-
cerned, or with the tonnage contained
in as few cars as possible. There is a
question in this which none of your
correspondents have as yet touched
upon. That is the braking power. It is
well known that the braking power of a
car is reduced proportionately accord-
ing to the weight of the load contained.
With the empty car you w-ill get the full
percentage of braking power, and with
empties on rear of train the most severe
braking is on rear end, resulting in a
stretch out of train which may result
disastrously to draft rigging.
May, 1910.
R-AILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
187
With the loads on rear the brake
power is reduced enough to avoid this,
account of load of cars, and still not
enough to cause the loads to run against
the empties like going against a bump-
ing post. As to loads and empties
mixed through a train, it causes too un-
equal a distribution of braking power.
A Constant Reader.
Chicago, III.
Position of Loads.
Editor :
Your article in April number has been
read with interest. Relative to loads and
empties, I am in a position to know, as
I have handled trains of 100 empties, 85
loads, and 85 loads and empties. Sup-
pose I have a train of 50 loads and 35
empties, the empties on head end. In
starting train, won't empties start quicker?
and what happens when we come to the
loads — a knuckle or draw bar is broken.
If air hose should burst with empties
on head end we would have a wreck, this
is why empties should be on rear end of
train. All big cars should be on head
or all large loaded, because the heft of the
train being on head end will help the
light ones. J. Huncerford.
Buffalo. N. y.
Position of Empties and Loads.
Editor :
Referring to the letter of William
Scott in your March number relative to
frequent discussions among railroad men
as to the position of loads and empties in
a train and your request for enginemen
to give their views, or, rather, experience,
also facts and not theory, on the subject,
the writer has had an experience of nearly
twenty years on locomotives of all kinds
' sizes, and has handled freight, passen-
and mixed trains made up in every
eivable way, and has been a close ob-
(rr of all the conditions relative to
i.... handling of trains, and has repeatedly
heard the "Old Timer" and the young
engineer make the assertion that a train
made up with empties ahead and loads on
the rear pulled harder than if the same
train w.-is made up vice vers.i, but has
never had a fact established nor a theory
advanced to back up their assertion.
I here is no reason why trains made up
iHi empties on the rear should pull
easier than if they were ahead, and the
loads on the rear, but a train m.ide up in
that order can be handled much nicer and
imoother with le»< itrain on the draw-
heads and less shock to the train in gen-
eral and lets discomfort to the occu-
pants of the "dog house," than if the emp-
ties were ahead and the loads behind. If
the engineer is particularly carrfiil in the
handling of the tliroltle and the brake
valvet. he can eliminate all shocks and
discomforts, except when (he train it run-
r.ing through sags or over "hog backs."
it is not within the power or skill of any
engineer 10 avoid the "stretching" or
"bunching" of the train, and this same
"stretching" and "bunching" has caused
more damage to couplers and draw gear
than most all other conditions combined.
Many an engineer has been demerited
for damage to draw gear or the pulling
out of the end of a car starting from a
water tank when the "evidence" and re-
port from the car inspector indicated a
'new break" or "freshly damaged," which,
in the opinions of the super and M. M.,
could only be caused by rough handling
in starting the train by the engineer. As
a matter of fact, the initial and major
part of the damage occurred miles back
while running through a sag or over a
hog back, the parts barely holding to-
gether until the first stop was made. A
train made up with twenty empties ahead
and twenty loads on the rear will not pull
any harder than if made up in the re-
verse order, but it might seem so, and
this accounts for the impression made on
the mind of an old-timer, who said "my
train was made up with the loads on the
rear and the empties ahead, and it was
like trying to pull a cat over the carpet
by the tail." Superintendents and train
masters should insist that all freight
trains should be made up with the loads
ahead to avoid the possibility of breaking
in two, the parts colliding and spreading
the wreckage on another track to be run
into by another train, as frequently hap-
pens. Engineer.
Point Pleasant, K. J.
Loads and Empties.
Editor:
I note with much interest the discus-
sion on the positions of loads and empties
in the train in the current number of
your valuable paper.
My experience has been that the gen-
eral character of the road over which the
train is handled is the factor which makes
the difference. In handling a train on a
level road or one on which the grades
have a uniform ascent free from any
level stretches followed by a sharp raise,
the position of loads and empties is of no
importance, but when handling trains over
a rolling country where a sharp descent
is followed by a short ascending grade
which must be taken at high speed to
avoid stalling, the loads should he ahead
to insure a good pulling train. The idea
being to get the heavy part of the train
over or well up on the gra<lc before the
speed is very much decreased; also on
long grades embracing numerous sharp
curves the loads ahead will be the better
proposition, doubly so if a slippery rail
is encountered, as the jerk from loads at
the rear when drivers are slipping badly
will often stall the engine when the same
loads ahead would not have the amount
of slack necessary to do any harm.
The fact that a train can be started with
less likelihood of damage to draft gear
when the loads are ahead cannot be
doubted, but stopping is another question,
and the experience we have had along
this line convinces us that empties on the
rear of long trains are bad actors when
the air brake is applied at low speed, and
not infrequently the train separates when
running at a speed of twenty-five miles
per hour.
Our method of tonnage rating may be
of interest to your readers, for example :
Our locomotives starting from one of the
terminals are rated at 2,140 tons. This is
carried on the average of 35 cars
when all are loaded, and an allowance for
resistance of nine tons a car is allowed,
bringing the net tonnage down to 1,835
tons. The road is a river grade for
24 miles, rather winding and having
several short grades of about 25 ft. to the
mile. We then come to the foot of a
grade of 60 ft. to the mile with a tonnage
rating of 1,000 tons and an allowance for
resistance of seven tons .per car. At the
top of the hill we again fill out to 1,370
tons, with a resistance of four tons to the
car.
From this point the road is rolling with
a ruling grade of about 45 ft. to the mile.
Our experience is that the long train of
light cars is the easy pulling train from
the terminal to the top of the hill, but
from that point, owing to the many "hog-
backs" the short train of heavy loads is
better, as a much higher speed can be at-
tained through the hollows and the train
being short, speed does not decrease so
much over the knoll. The only reason I
am able to give for the short heavy trains
pulling harder up the hill is that we have
many sharp curves and the flange friction
of heavy cars and the great weight on
center and side bearings makes the cars
hang back on the curves. Many times
stalling results if an engine slips much
when rounding one of these curves, but
by backing out of the curve they never
have any trouble in again starting the
train and again going on up the hill.
Then again, the more cars in the train,
the more allowance for resistance, thus
reducing the actual number of tons
pulled. In figuring the resistance no dis-
tinction is made between loads and
empties.
S. B. Morris.
rimira, N. Y.
The Position of Loads.
Editor :
I read what has been said in the April
issue of your valuable magazine relative
to the make-up of freight trains, with re-
spect to the position of loa<ls and empties.
This is an important subject and calls for
the best kind of judgment being used on
the part of employees, whose duties re-
quire them to make up trains at terminals.
We must admit that there arc employees
i88
RAILWAY AXD LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
May, 1910.
engaged in this branch of service, who,
for some reason or other, cannot see any
use in placing loads on the head end, in
one case, and on the rear end in another.
Then again there are locomotive engin-
eers who, apparently, look at the subject
ir. about the same way, and if asked for
an expression of opinion as to the why
and wherefore, they seem unable to give
any satisfactory reasons.
We are, however, only interested in
what the better method of making up
trains of loads and empties should be.
Practical experience shows that a train
made up with the loads on head end, and
empties on rear end, can be better handled
by the locomotive. It has been noticed,
that with train made up in this manner,
where the engine is ascending heavy
grades, and working up to its maximum
e.Tort, that with the heavy part of the
train close to the source of power, and the
lighter part equally distributed towards
the rear end, a more advantageous run
can be made, both as to time and train
handling. The reverse of this proposition
must be explained also. A train made up
with the smaller cars next the engine,
then heavier ones next these, and the
loads on rear end, finally, has worked
more hardship in handling long freight
trains than any other method of making
up trains than all the other systems of
make-up.
Of course, it might be said that both
methods of making up trains have their
peculiarities and drawbacks. To illustrate
a case under the former proposition. Pre-
sumably we have a train made up with
loads next engine, then large heavy cars
next these, then the lighter equipment on
rear of train. The difficulty encountered
in handling this kind of train is found
v.-hen the air brakes are used to stop it.
The 100,000 lbs. capacity cars are usually
braked at 85 per cent, of their light
weight, the 65,000 and 85,000 lbs. capacity
cars are braked at about 70 per cent, of
their light weight. Now if these cars are
under load, it is fair to assume that there
is 100,000 lbs. load that must be taken care
of with the brake originally intended
to take care of the car when light. The
same being true of the smaller cars, etc.
When cars are loaded the percentage of
retarding force developed by the brakes is
materially reduced, and instead of having
85 per cent, as in the former case and 70
per cent, in the latter case, we have about
31 per cent, and about 19 per cent. These
percentages are only approximate but
serve the purpose of the illustration.
Here is the detrimental feature in han-
dling a train with empties at the rear.
Suppose a train is running 12 to 14 miles
an hour, and the engineer makes a 12 or
14-Ibs. service reduction, not uncommon
you'll find it in every-day practice, ir-
respective of whatever instructions may
have been given for or against it. What's
the result? Here's the answer and it
holds good in seven cases out of ten :
Draw bars and draft rigging broken and
pulled out, in a few cases trucks derailed
and traffic blocked for some time. What
caused this trouble? Uneaven braking
power, the cars on the rear end holding
about three times more than those on head
end, the slack taken up with a jerk from
the rear end, head end is not being re-
tarded at same time the rear end is, due
to loads with decreased braking power
being ahead. The result is obvious.
What part of the responsibility for such
an accident is up to the engineer? If the
trouble developed is due to the 12 or 14
lbs. service reduction, he would be ac-
countable. But this will have to be proved.
Rather than endeavor to hold the engineer
on circumstantial evidence and on his ad-
mission that the aforesaid reduction was
made, let us tell him what, in our opinion,
should be done to avoid troubles of this
character, as far as we are able. It's our
opinion that in stopping a train made up
in the way this one is, empties at the rear,
an initial service reduction of say 5 or 6
lbs. should be made and sufficient time al-
lowed in order that the slack can adjust
itself. In this case the slack will stretch,
due to the greater braking power on rear
end, then heavier reductions may be made,
as circumstances may warrant, without
danger of doing, or causing damage to the
draft gear of train. A locomotive engin-
eer generally has the sense of touch and
feel, so nicely and keenly developed, from
practical work in the handling of the en-
gine, the train and air brake, that he
usually can work without getting into
such trouble.
Suppose the train is made up in the
way here mentioned, loads ahead, the only
way, when possible, it should be made up.
Now then if an air hose burst while the
train is in motion, and running on a
double track, we can better imagine the
result than describe it. We know where
the responsibility belongs in this connec-
tion, and it is no doubt due to a defective
air hose getting by the inspectors, or due
to lack of one, at some interchange point.
Speaking of the second proposition, the
heavy loads on the rear, an explanation is
also necessary. Usually this one draws as
though the engine was always overloaded,
a poorer run is made, more time con-
sumed in getting from one terminal to
the other, both trains may be of nearly
equal weight, the motive power employed
to do the work is equally satisfactory,
but the results obtained are wide apart,
more fuel and water are used, and then
explanations are in order. Perhaps the
engineer is quietly informed that he is
not getting the work out of the engine?
But still it's not his fault, but how are
you to get the other fellow to see this?
It's no mystery to the practical man; once
he is acquainted with the circumstances,
he has the answer to the question. What
are the hazards accompanying the nega-
tive plan, or loads at the rear? Here are
a few. Supposing the train, in going over
the division, has to cross a few "hogg-
backs," maybe it drifts over some of them,
the heavy loads on rear end have a
tendency to hold back, the engine and
perhaps half the train is on the other side,
and the tendency is to move ahead faster
than the rear end can keep up. Is not a
break-in-two likely to occur? The
chances are largely in favor of it. What
else? If the engineer makes the 12 or
14 lbs. service reduction, as in the former
case, the brakes on head end doing about
three times more effective work than those
on rear end, the slack is forcibly driven
up against the engine, and you have the
crushing effect and the liability of dam-
aging the train. If an air hose burst, the
results are more severe, as then the un-
desired quick action of the brakes occur,
and severe damage cannot be avoided. Is
there anything the engineer can do to
avoid damaging the draft gear? Yes.
He can make a light service application of
5 or 6 lbs., then wait a sufficient length
of time until the slack bunches against the
engine, and when further and heavier re-
ductions, as may be necessary, he can
make them, thus reducing the possibility
of damaging the equipment. i
Jas. Spellen, I
Road Foreman of Engines, B. R. & P. Ry. 1
Du Bois, Pa.
Improving Conditions.
Editor:
It may interest you to know that Mr.
F. C. Pickard, assistant master me-
chanic at the Moorfield shops of the
Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton, has
formed a class for instruction of
his shop foremen, engineers and fire-
men. On the 13th there was a very
interesting meeting to consider where
and how conditions could be bettered,
economy as to care of supplies fur-
thered, etc., and he gave a very interesting
talk on the slipping or skidding of loco-
motive driving wheels, taken from the
March number of Railway and Locomo-
tive Engineering. The young men
are taking quite an interest in these
meetings. There has been a good rest
room put up at this point, and your
Chart No. 9, nicely framed, is on the
wall. A number of magazines are to be
found on table. Railway and Locomo-
tive Engineering, of course, among them.
This is quite an improvement and all look
for good results to follow.
William H. W. Roberts.
Cincinnati, O.
Upsetting Axle Collars.
Editor :
Enclosed is a blue print of die for
upsetting collars on axles as used at
the Dale street shops of the Great North-
ern Railway. The die block A is of cast
iron and is keyed into the die block of
May, 191 0.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE EN'GIXEERIXG.
«89
steam hammer; the block B is recessed to
the size of the collar required, the back-
stop D also being recessed to receive col-
lar. The operation is as follows :
The axles are first drawn a little each
side of center to permit of wheel fit be-
ing turned to required length ; after this
is done they are then taken up, heated on
end for 3 or 4 ins., swung in crane from
fire to hammer, and lowered into position,
the block B being put in place backed by
the wedge C. A few blows of the steam
DEVICE FOR LPSETTlMj LOLLARS ON
AXLES.
hammer driving the wedge to place com-
pletes the operation.
Many hundreds of axles have been
scrapped yearly by the different railroads
after they have worn at the journal below
the limit, when by upsetting a new collar
on them, and using them for smaller
capacity cars their life is doubled. It was
no doubt considered that the old method
of upsetting collars on worn axles by the
ram was too slow and laborious and did
not pay. hence their relegation to the scrap
heap. This die does the work quickly, and
eliminates the hard labor needed for the
ram, making it in every sense an econom-
ical method, as it doubles the length of
service of axles so treated.
John Treacy,
Master Smith Gt. Nor. Ry.
->/. Paul, Minn.
Spring Floods.
Editor;
These are 5omc views of the recent
high water in Youngstown. Ohio. On
March .1 thr Pcnnsvlvania Railroad
H I'. II iV > I Ki' .-.
Kt here were in place » submerged
■ the movement of freight was al-
most at a ftandstill All of our passen-
fer train* were run over the B. tc O.
•nd the Erie for a few days.
P. J. .Maiia«.
Youngiloum, Ohio.
The Peg Leg Railroad.
Editor.
Replying to your recent letter I have
tried as far as possible to give you all
the information I could secure in con-
nection with the operation of the one-rail
line railroad operated here some years
ago; and which was illustrated in your
.April number, page 154.
The '"Peg Leg Railroad" extended
from Bradford up Brook Valley to
Gilmour. a distance of four miles, and
was built as an experiment after the
plan of a single rail track used at the
Centennial Exposition at Philadelphia
in 1876, and if successful it was ex-
pected to revolutionize railway con-
struction in all mountainous sections of
the country.
The track consisted of a single rail
spiked to a heavy timber set on pilfs
and cars were carefully balanced on
single wheels. .-X locomotive of equally
queer construction completed a train
which was one of the most interesting
sights of the city of Bradford, Pa.
The road was projected in 1887, the
articles of agreement between the gen-
tlemen composing the corporation bear-
ing the date of Oct. 2, 1887. The
petition recited that the company de-
sired to construct and maintain a rail-
road having a gauge not exceeding 3
ft. for public use in conveying of per-
sons and property. Capital stock was
limited to 827,000, divided into 540
shares of $50 each.
The officers of the company were as
follows: Mr. A. I. Wilcox, President;
Messrs. S. H. Bradley. Olean, N. Y.,
J. B. Brawley. Meadville, Pa., M. N.
Allen, Titusvile. Pa., Roy Stone, Cuba,
K. Y., George Gilmore, Titusville, Pa.,
E. W. Codington, Bradford, Pa., Direc-
tors. Charter was granted Oct. 4,
1877, and road opened January 1878
as far as Tarport, and on Feb. II, 1878,
it was completed.
The first locomotive cost $.1,000 and
was a ten ton affair, without a flue in the
boiler, a piston and a
driver without a crank.
The road had to com-
pete with the narrow
is'auge and was not a
Kood business proposi-
tion.
On Jan. 27, 1879, a
new 15-ton upright loco-
motive, shown in your
illustration last month,
I'uilt by the Baldwin peo-
ple, was put on the road
lor an experimental trip.
A short distance from Babcock the boiler
exploded, five men were killed outright
and one other serifiusly injured. The en-
gine was tipped sideways onto the lateral
timbers of road, and the two cars, one a
passenger and one a flat, were hurled off
the track into the creek. TTie railroad
was subsequently sold by the sheriff to a
Mr. .A. J. Edgett of Bradford and aban-
doned. G. R. McGraw,
Storekeeper, Erie Railroad.
Bradford, Pa.
Loco. Department Foreman's Problem.
Editor.
We, as foremen of the roundhouse,
back shop and the various divisions
of the mechanical department, have a
great problem that we alone must
solve. We are employed by the diflfer-
MKK A .MONO-
RAIL.
ent railway companies of the country
for the purpose of solving this problem.
Our work is carried on at our respec-
tive stations under vastly different con-
ditions, with different facilities and sur-
roundings and yet with the same ob-
ject and purpose in view.
It is my understanding that the In-
ternational Railway General Foremen's
Association was organized for the pur-
pose of increasing the efficiency of the
mechanical foremen of the world, by
bringing the foremen together in con-
vention, at least once a year, to discuss
the problem which we have, and the
ways and means of solving it. Coming
as we do, from the various parts of the
country where we work under various
conditions and discussing the vital mat-
ters with which we have to deal, pro-
motes a more general diffusion of the
knowledge we desire, than any other
means.
With this knowledge we are pre
pared to adopt the improved methods
of operation which must be used to
meet the requirements of the times. It
i* the duly of every foreman to be
c<|uipped with as much knowlcilgc per-
190
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
May, igio.
taining to his work as it is possible for
him to obtain. It is for his best inter-
efts as well as that of the company by
which he is employed.
No industry has made the progress
in development, that has been made in
the science of transportation. No other
influence is as vital and extensive as
that of the railroads in connection with
the progress and development of the
business welfare of the country. What
part of this progress are we to be cred-
ited with? Are we doing our share?
Our opportunities and resources are in
abundance. Are we prepared and
prompted by a desire to present a pos-
sible, simple and consistent solution of
the problem?
We should form our plans with a
view of raising each individual's effi-
ciency to the limit of his indivdual
capacity. If this is obtained with the
rank and file, we are progressing with
the solution of the problem. We are
expected to get results which can only
come from men well equipped with
and willing to apply knowledge per-
taining to their work. Our responsibil-
ity and obligations require thought and
application.
From our ranks it should be easy
for our superiors to choose those who
are capable of assuming more re-
sponsibility and of meeting the present
needs for leadership in the shop and
roundhouse. Upon our talent and abil-
ity depends the success of many of the
undertakings and operations of the de-
partment and yet I feel that too few
of the many foremen in this depart-
ment are doing all that they should do
to establish a definite, stable, sys-
tematic and self-sustaining system for
conducting the operations for which
we are held responsible. I fear some of
us are improvident and thoughtless of
the future, or fail even to appreciate
the fact that there is a future to be
considered. The present is very ab-
sorbing, but our plans must not end
with the present. The progress of the
railroads and of this generation de-
mand that we too must be progressive
and the increase in the demands made
upon us can only be appreciated by
those who have closely watched the
growth and development of American
railroading.
The position of mechanical foreman
was less difficult to fill a few years
ago than at the present time with its
monster record-breaking locomotives
and greatly increased capacity cars and
the more intricate labor problems with
which we have to deal. Then it was
an easy matter to step from the loco-
motive or shop to a position at the
head of some department, but to-day
a different kind of ability is required,
more qualifications are required and
as the development progresses, a still
greater ability will be necessary. Shall
we be ready for the work, equal to the
occasion? Is the fact appreciated by
the foremen throughout the country
that we must be continuously diligent
if we are to be prepared to meet the
conditions which will arise?
No doubt other departments have
their problems, but no other position is
at the same time more important and
more difficult to fill than that of the
mechanical department foreman, who
at the same time has the labor prob-
lems and the mechanical problems to
contend with. Some have large shops
equipped with modern and e-xpensive
machinery to take care of, and our
superior officers expect that we will
render valuable assistance in the suc-
cessful and economical operation of the
department.
Economy is part of the problem we
Have before us. It is impossible for
our superiors alone to so organize the
system as to obtain the best results. .
Our assistance is necessary to produce
the most satisfactory and at the same
time the most economical handling of
the great locomotive power which is
placed under our care. We must
strive to obtain a good performance
of power at a reasonable cost of main-
tenance and handling. We must com-
bine qualitiy of work with rapidity of
handling, especialy in the roundhouse.
Are we giving our superiors the as-
sistance they need for the success of
the department?
It has been said that it was more
difficult to secure a good roundhouse
foreman than a railway president, which
is not true of course, but the fact re-
mains that it is sufficiently difficult t"
secure a roundhouse foreman of thi.'
right sort and still more difficult for
this foreman to secure a full comple-
ment of good men to do the work they
outline. Therefore, it is necessary
that we be up and doing and keep
abreast of the times. It is necessary
that we be able to judge our men's
ability and place them where they will
render us and the company we repre-
sent the greatest amount of service.
It is necessary for us to so organize
our forces as to promote the most per-
fect harmony and hearty co-operation.
Efforts without harmony are most like-
ly to prove failures. I believe we
should encourage men who make extra
effort to make themselves useful. Let
them know that their efforts are ap-
preciated. We must also make proper
effort to maintain harmony with the
members of the other departments in
connection with the operation of our
station as harmony with them is a
very necessary requisite in the solution
of our problem.
Economj' must be our watchword on
each hand. Time and material must
not be expended uselessly and without
getting results, and T say to all foremen.
whether members of the International
Railway General Foremen's Associa-
tion or not, that unless we keep pace
with the progress of the great railway
systems of the country, our names are
liable to be dropped from the pay rolls
or placed in such obscure positions
that they would better be left off en-
tirely. Our interests are identical with
the interests of our employers and our
time is valued according to the ability
we are able to demonstrate.
I would say in conclusion, especially
to the members of the International
Railway General Foremen's Associa-
tion, improve every opportunity to in-
crease your knowledge and efficiency
in your work, that our superiors may
look upon our organization with favor
and appreciate the benefits which we
and they in turn receive from our meet-
ings, in order that our membership and
usefulness may be increased and our
members encouraged to attend our con-
ventions. J. H. Ogden,
Pres. I. Ry. G. F. A.
Dodge Cit\, Kan.
Cement and Steel Tie.
Editor :
I noticed an article published in your
valuable magazine written by Mr. J. F.
Springer, which is not correct, and I
wish to put your readers right on the
subject. There is no such railway tie as
the Corell tie. The cut you show is a
section of track laid with the Kneedler
concrete steel reinforced blocks, now in
use at Sioux City, la.
This section of track has been in con-
SECTION OF TRACK SAID TO HAVE
KNEEDLER TIES.
stant use under heavy traffic for four
years, and it is in perfect condition today.
We have secured seven patents, covering
every point of construction. I claim to
be the original inventor of the steel re-
inforced tie, constructed of blocks or
pots. We shall prosecute any infringe-
ments of our patents.
John D. Kneedler,
Sioux Citv, la. Patentee.
Retained the Mason Bells.
Editor :
.A.n incident was related to the writer
while in Roanoke, Va.. a short time ago
by Vice-President Eddy of the Norfolk
S: Western Railroad. This line was built
about i860, and was entirely equipped by
locomotives from the shops of the late
May, 1910.
RAILWAY AXD LOCO.MOTIVE ENGINEERING.
191
William Mason, in Taunton, Mass. Like
all Southern roads built in ante-bellum
days, it was a five-foot gauge road, and
continued as such until June, 18S6, when,
in common with similar lines in the South,
it was altered to conform to the standard
gauge.
This change necessitated the withdraw-
al of the old Mason engines from further
ser\'ice on the N. & W., and word had
been sent out to the various engineers
on the line to report, with their locomo-
tives at the company's repair shop in
Roanoke on the day set for the com-
mencement of operations of changing the
gauge. Many of these engineers had run
on their machines almost from the time
they had been sent out from the Taunton
shop, and had an affection for them like
unto that which the Arab has for his
horse.
"That Saturday afternoon," said Mr.
Eddy, "witnessed one of the most pa-
thetic sights ever seen in Roanoke, and
touched everyone who beheld it away
down into the cockles of his heart. One
by one, at short intervals, and from all
parts of the system the Mason locomotives
were run in a sort of funeral procession,
with engineers tolling the bells in mourn-
ful rhythm. When the shops were
reached many of these old and grizzled
veterans stepped down reluctantly from
their cabs and patted their old companion
of many a long and weary ride, by night
and by day, with the affection a parent
might bestow upon a loved child, from
whom he was about to part. They tied,
some a bit of ribbon, others a bunch of
flowers, upon it, wiped, with loving care,
some speck from its polished trimmings,
and then, in many instances, leaned upon
its grimy sides and cried like children
over the parting."
President Kimball, who was a witness
to this touching scene, was considerably
affected, and was desirous of showing the
men his regard for this manifestation of
their devotion to their old engines. He
consulted some of them as to what he
could do in the matter, and it was the
wish of all, that the bells should be trans-
ferred from the Mason locomotives to
•*i- new machines to which they were
s-ned. Today, although the Taunton
■ motive has entirely disappeared from
that section, still up and down the Roa-
noke Valley the mountains on cither hand
give back the echoes of those bells which
William Mason cast in his shop here
thirty years ago. „^^^^^^ P,^„^^
Taunton, Mass.
Painting Old-Time Cars.
Editor :
I noiired in the February number Mr.
Ceo. M Lloyd's criticism of my article
in Railway ahd I^ocomotivk F.NGiNrr.R-
tnc of December last in regard to the
"Old Colony" and '.Varrag.in^cft" rival-
I hopr wr «h.i!l hc.Tr further from
Mr. Lloyd in this connection, as I am sure
there are few, if any, better able than he
to tell of that incident of long ago, when
the engines of the Rhode Island and
Taunton Locomotive Works struggled for
supremacy on the Old Colony Railroad.
I claim for my item that it is substantially
correct as far as it goes, though I con-
sider the interesting controversy is wor-
thy of a more detailed account than I
was in a position to reiuler at the time I
forwarded the picture of the "Old Colony"
to you for publication.
The passenger cars of bygone days
ire, to me, almost as interesting and pic-
turesque as the old locomotives them-
selves. I recall some which were run-
ning on the Old Colony as late as l88l,
and which are said to have been in ser-
vice since the opening of the road. They
were built by the famous Bradley firm
of Worcester in 1845, and at the time the
Old Colony sold them in 1882, they had
remained practically unchanged from their
original appearance. .\s John Quincy
Adams, who resided in Quincy, and Dan-
iel Webster, whose home was in Marsh-
tield, often traveled in these cars, they
possessed historical associations worthy
of more than ordinary notice. With this
brief introduction, I beg to present a
couple of items which I have copied from
an old South Boston weekly which tell
of the elaborate paintings placed upon
two of these old-time cars. The glowing
description of the early writer leaves
little to be desired :
The South Boston Gazette of Dec. 30,
1848, says : "For some time past the
painters employed by the Old Colony Rail-
road have been engaged in painting a
passenger car. We had the pleasure of
visiting the shop a few days ago and ex-
amining this car, and pronounce it the
most splendid specimen of car painting
ever produced. It is of a vermilion hue,
shaded with brown and black, while either
corner is ornamented with gold scrolls
done in a superior manner. But by far
the greater attractions arc the pictures
upon the sides. These were executed by
Mr. Kelley, a young artist of very prom-
ising talents, and are pronounced by ex-
cellent judges worthy of a place in any
drawing room. Four in number, they
represent scenes in suck a manner as to
make it appear as if the events por-
trayed were transpiring before us. A lion
springing upon a gazelle as it is drink-
ing from a brook is the subject of o»e of
the pictures. A lady riding upon a pow-
erful charger and accompanied by a dog
IS also portrayed, while on the other
side is a fine view of a buffalo hunt.
The fourth, and by far the most heniitifiil,
is a painting descriptive of the in-
human mother and the wolves. The al-
most fiendish look of the mother, the
iigonizing features of the children, the
appearance of the hungry wolves as they
surround the sleigh, and the noble be.iring
el the horse as he exerts himself to the
utmost to escape the ferocious animals
are all portrayed in a most beautiful man-
ner. The pictures are surrounded by gilt
frames, and as if to make the delusion
more perfect, these frames appear to be
hung by small cords upon the sides of the
car. The painter of the vehicle is Mr.
James Hazeltine, who has acquired an
enviable reputation as a car painter."
Another clipping from the South Bos-
ton Gazette of April 7, 1849, reads: "An-
other passenger car has just passed
through the paint shop of the Old Colony
Railroad. This vehicle is of a vermilion
hue with golden scrolls upon the corner
posts, and two splendid pictures of the
passenger depot, corner of South and
Kneeland streets, upon the sides. The
painting on this car fully sustains the
reputation which Mr. James Hazeltine
has justly earned. We doubt if there is
a more splendid vehicle upon any rail-
road in New England."
W. A. Hazelboom.
Boston, Mass.
How a Model Was Earned.
Editor :
I would like to write a few words about
your valve motion model. It came last
week and every night since there has been
a picnic in our house. The foreman came
and explained how it worked, and now we
are having regular lessons in valve-set-
ting. Now I know all about how the
steam gets into the cylinder and after it
does it work, I know how, what is left of
it, gets out again. I am only an appren-
tice, and I have no money to pay for high-
priced correspondence school courses, so
I thought I would try your offer and get
a valve model free for 25 subscribers, so
I went to work asking everybody to sub-
scribe and showed them the paper. It
was uphill work at first. I only got three
the first pay day. Then I got seven
others that promised, and I put their
names down, 'llic master mechanic said
that he had more papers than he could
read, but when I showed him the ten
names I had, he said he would take it for
a year because he wanted to encourage
young men. I put his name at the head
of the list, and when the foreman saw it,
he put his name down next. Then they
began coming and asking me about it. In
two months I had nineteen names, and
then it seemed as if I had come to a
standstill.
I made another canvas among the men
and did not get a single one, and I
thought I would have to give it up. 0(ie
day the master mechanic asked how I was
getting on, and when I told him I was
stuck, he advised me to see the superin-
tendent, and in one afternoon I got nine
more names, and they are still mining.
There is nothing like getlling the head
men on the list. R. G. Wii son.
Paterson, N. J.
192
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
May, 191 o.
Wood and Steel Box Cars.
Some time ago the Canadian Pacific
Railway placed in service 500 box cars
that differed quite materially from any
cars that had previously been built.
Both the under frame and the super-
structure are made of steel. The frames
of these cars were built by the Domin-
ion Car & Foundry Company, and the
roofs, flooring, lining, etc., applied at
the Angus shops of the C. P. R. at
Montreal. The cars have the following
dimensions: Inside length, 36 ft.;
width, 8 ft. 6 ins.; height, 8 ft.; side
doors, 5 ft. wide by 7 ft. 654 ins. high.
The end doors are of steel, two in num-
ber and at one end only. The upper
door is for general use and the lower
door is for rails. The capacity of the
car is 80,000 lbs. Weight, 38,200 Ibi;
The features of construction are:
Framing of steel throughout; center
sills, 15-in. channels; side and end sills,
8-in. channels; side and end posts and
braces, 3-in. Z-bars. Corner posts and
side plates are made of angles. Body
bolsters, cross bearers, and carlines are
pressed steel shapes.
The lining for the sides and ends is
one of the principal features of the de-
sign, and consists of tongued and
grooved B.C. pine, ij4 in. thick, laid
horizontally and bolted to the inside of
the posts and braces. The method of
attaching does away with the need for
outside sheathing, which has been uni-
slotted. The floor supports are 3-in. Z-
bars in place of the usual wooden nail-
ing strip. The floor is bolted to these
Z-irons.
The trucks are of the arch bar type,
and have McCord journal boxes, Sim-
plex bolsters. Barber rollers, Susemihl
side bearings, channel cross ties and
cast steel columns, and inside-hung
metal brake beams. The brakes are
Westinghouse, Schedule- K C 812; draw
Adhesion and Cohesion.
A correspondent calling herself a fe-
male reader of Railway and Loco-
.MOTIVE Engineering, writes : The word
adhesion is frequently mentioned in
your paper, but I have never seen any
explanation of what adhesion means. In
my desire for knowledge concerning a
detail of my brother's business, I have
consulted Webster's unabridged diction-
ary, but that does not make the ques-
ROOF OF C. P. R. BOX CAR SHOWING .STEEL CARLINES.
gear. Miner Tandem class "G" springs;
couplers, Simple.\ ; roof, Chicago Winslow
improved, inside.
These cars are very easy to repair
when damaged. An instance of this
was shown by a car which had been
sideswiped, with the result that the
side posts and braces were bent con-
siderably out of shape. The lining was
removed and the framing jacked into
place without heating or cutting apart.
The lining w^as then replaced, the whole
versally used in the past and reinforces
the strength of the framing. Provision
is made for easy closing of the joints
should the w-ood shrink. This is done
by slacking the bolts which secure the
lining to the posts and tightening the
nuts under the side sills which pull
down the straps, bringing with it the
lining from the top. To provide for
this the holes in the framing are
operation being done in a compara-
tively short time with hardly any new
material used.
The latest cars are also 80,000 lbs. ca-
pacity and weigh 36,700 lbs., which is
a saving of 1,400 lbs. of dead weight
over that of the first car built. We are
indebted to Mr. W. R. Burnett, M. C.
B. of the Canadian Pacific, for infor-
mation and photographs of these cars.
tion clear. It says "Adhesion, to stick,
like plaster," and similar meanings, co-
hesion being given as synonymous. My
brother laughs at that and says the dic-
tionary maker does not understand w^hat
locomotive adhesion means. What have
you to say about it?
Adhesion as applied to locomotives is
the weight resting upon the driving
wheels to prevent them from slipping
under the power transmitted to turn the
wheels. It has been found that weight
about four times the power transmitted
to turn the wheels is necessary to pre-
vent slipping, and that is known as the
adhesion of the wheels. The mechani-
cal use of the word adhesion had not
come into use when dictionary makers
finished their work, and such people ab-
hor innovations.
Cohesion is entirely different from
our adhesion, although both words are
frequently emploj'ed to convey the
same meaning. A good scientific
authority says: "Cohesion is the force
by which particles of matter are held
together and makes what is known as
'strength of material.' As particles of
matter are called molecules, cohesion is
frequently defined as molecular at-
traction."
Cohesion belongs particularly to sol-
ids, and is in fact the cause of their
solidity. In some it is much stronger
than in others, rendering them harder
or more tenacious. Extremes in de-
grees of cohesion are steel and putty.
Liquids have so little cohesion that their
weight alone overcomes it, but there is
some cohesion in liquid, as may be no-
ticed by the way drops of water cling
into globules. Aeriform fluids have no
cohesion. Another force, called repulsion,
means tending to force the particles apart.
It is to this fact that gases owe their
ability to readily diffuse when not con-
fined in a vessel.
May, iQio.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE EN'GIXEERING.
193
Gas-Electric Motor Cars.
The gas-electric motor cars recently
purchased by the Southern Railway from
the General Electric Company, as shown
in the outline ^-iew, have been designed
with special reference to traffic conditions
in the South. The car is divided by a
center entrance. The seating capacity for-
ward of this entrance is 14 and to the rear
is 38, making a total seating capacity of
52 passengers. A rear entrance is also
provided, thus completely dividing the
forward and rear passenger compart-
ments.
The car body is 5S ft. long over bump-
ers, and of this space the engine compart-
ment takes up 10 ft 9 ins. The car is con-
structed of steel frame work and sheathed
■i steel plates, the interior being fin-
■ 1 in mahogany. The truck under the
engine compartment has a wheel base of
6 ft. 6 ins. and is equipped with M. C. B.
?^-in, steel wheel. On each axle of this
'.< is mounted standard 100 h. p. 600-
: box frame, commutating pole, railway
tur, type GE-205, thus
. . ing the car a motor ca-
• ity of 200 h. p.
n the engine compart-
:.t there is a direct-driven
engine generator set,
engine being of the
linder "Y" type, each
nder 8 ins. in diameter
8 ins. stroke. Direct
pled to this engine is an
le 600-volt generator
vided with commutating
5. The engine ignition
furnished by a low ten-
: n magnet and magnetic
irk plugs. The carbure-
ts of the overflow type
I hot-water jacketed,
•nprcssed air is used for
-•ing the engine, this be-
supplied to the several
•I'lers in succession through a dis-
:ting valve. Compressed air is sup-
'1 from a pump direct driven by the
II crank shaft. A small auxiliary gas-
.:ne drives an auxiliary pump to
'ly compressed air to the main reser-
i when necessary. This gas-engine is
direct connected to a generator for
<ing the car. Combined straight and
rnatic air brakes are furnished to-
T with the usual auxiliary apparatus,
m addition to these brakes an aux-
■• ratchet and hand brake is part of
' quipment for emergency use. A rad-
r is placed on the roof of the car,
h prnvid'* an efficient means of cool-
■, the thermo-siphon prin-
'■ cold wcathi-r hot water
■ ,>-..c circulating syitem will
b* by-[>atsed through the passenger eom-
partmenn.
At there if no mechanical transmission
between the engine and the axle, the
— 'f-d of the engine ii not a function of
the speed of the car ; consequently the
gas-engine may be operated so as to give
its maximum output irrespective of the
speed of the car.
Heirs of All the Ages.
We who live to-day have been described
as the heirs of all the ages, and by that is
meant that we, being the latest production
of evolution, have the result of the ac-
cumulated knowledge of all those who
have gone before. This is practically
true; the lost arts, if there be any, are
insignificant in comparison with the dis-
coveries which have been made and are
ours. The knowledge mankind pos-
sesses today was wrested from nature
by toil, patient experimenting, hard
thinking, success alternating with fail-
ure. However hardly won, it belongs
to the world today.
The story is told by Professor Hux-
ley, that when a young man he worked
laboriously upon a certain problem. He
stated it as best he could and took it to
electric light. Hedley did not know
the co-efficient of friction and could not
have calculated the tractive power of
one of his own engines, but it was his
work that broke down the fallacy that
smooth wheels and smooth rails could
not be used together. Faraday discov-
ered that a closed circuit of wire
brought near a permanent magnet re-
sults in a flow of electricity through the
wire, and that on drawing the wire
away a reverse flow takes place. From
this discovery came the dynamo.
There is not a boy beginning his career
as engine cleaner who has not the chance
to get for himself, by study, application
and good reading as much of the
world's knowledge as he needs. A col-
lege education is a good thing, but it is
only one kind of a start; the getting of
knowledge is almost entirely a matter
of personal application and a sincere
desire to know.
We not only have positive knowledge
today, but we can understand where
GA3 ELECTRIC .MOTOR C.\R FOR THE SOUTHERN R.\IL\V.\Y.
the Royal Institution to see if he had
not made the discovery of perpetual
motion. He waited in the hall until a
shabbily dressed man cnme in and the
hall porter advised him to follow this
man into his office and show his work.
Huxley did so, full of hope. The shabby
man looked the pages over carefully
and handing back the manuscript said
to Huxley; "Young man. do you know
anything of mechanics?" Muxley ad-
n.itted that all he knew was in that pa-
per, and the sh.ibby man, who was
Michael Faraday, advi<ied him to leave
the hopeless quest, for something more
likely to yield results. Huxley devoted
himself to biology and wrote his name
large among llu- world's great men.
The progress of the last few hundred
years becomes apparent when wc re-
flect that in Qurcn F.lizabeth'* time a
fork at the dinner table was unknown.
Ceorge Washington never had a kero-
sene lamp and Lincoln never saw an
others went wrong. Hedley's contem-
poraries believed that smooth wheels
and smooth rails would not work. They
did not fry to find out if it was true or
not. It is not now necessary for men
to perform a second time the success-
ful experiments of the past, except for
verification, or having more accurate
instruments, to obtain figures more
closely in accord with truth. The me-
chanical equivalent nf heat twenty years
ago was taken at 77O foot-pounds, while
today, owing to more careful experi-
ments, it has been shown to be 778.3.
Nevertheless, the fact that heat had any
mechanical equivalent was the great
discovery, and today, with our text
books, our records, our histories pre-
serving for our use the great work done
by the mighty workers in past genera-
tions, we who inherit all that has gone
before, who have as ours all that has been
arcoinpliihed, we are the heir* of all the
agev
194
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
May, IQIO-
Riimv.EiRiiieeniii
A PrMtio»l Journal of MotiT. Pow.r, BolUnf
Stock and Appliances.
Published Monthly by
ANGUS SINCLAIR CO.
,14 Liberty Street, New York.
Talophone. 984 Cortlandt. „ „ _
Cable Address, ■'Loceng, M. TL.
Glasgow, "Locoauto.
nwES KENUEDy. Vice-Prest. and Gen. Mgi.
i^SBT A. KENNEY, Secretary.
Editorial Department: -.:.„,
JAMES KENUEDY. Associate Editor.
Bcrton E.p«s^entatWe: ^^^ ^^^ ^^^^^ 3^,^^^^
Boaton, Mass.
^^&' ^roMOTfvE fTTBLISHING CO Lt^,
iliien Comer. Paterr.oster Kow, London, E. C.
'*'S;*?r8™'^i5K.'«^ Jamaica Street. Glasgow.
STTBSCKIPTION PBICE.
"^please give prompt notice when your paper
feS* t» reach you regularly.
FntPred at the Post Office, New York, as
Entered ^t^ w^e^^^^j^^^ j^,^., j^j^^^^^
Static and Kinetic Friction.
Friction has been defined as the resist-
ance to motion due to contact of surfaces.
The amount of friction is due to the pres-
sure between the surfaces, the roughness
or smoothness of the surfaces and to a
certain extent on the adhesion existmg be-
tween them, or, in other words, the mate-
rial of the surfaces in contact. Friction is
one of the sources of loss in a machine
and is the final enemy of perpetual motion.
Friction when reduced to figures is gen-
erally given as a certain proportion of the
weight of the body to be moved, and this
is called the co-efficient of friction.
Suppose a smooth block of steel weigh-
ing 50 lbs., when slid along smooth brass
is found to require a pull of 7/2 lbs., then
the amount of the pull becomes the nu-
merator of the fraction and the figure
representing the weight of the block be-
comes the denominator of the fraction, we
get 15/100 or T./20 or 0.15 as the co-effi-
cient of friction for steel on brass. This,
for all practical purposes, may be called
the static friction between these sub-
stances, as the figures are true when the
steel just begins to move on the brass. As
a matter of fact, when the two bodies are
actually at rest it requires a little more to
start them than to maintain the motion.
This may be due to a slight interlocking
of the adjacent particles on the surface
. of each.
Perhaps one may picture the meaning
of static friction by supposing that we
have an oak box filled with matches, rest-
ing on a smooth elm plank. The co-effi-
cient of oak on elm with fibers parallel is
0.25. therefore if the box and matches
weigh 10 lbs. it will require z'A lbs. to
draw it along the elm board. If a string
is passed over a frictionless pulley at the
end of the plank and a a'/j-lbs. weight be
suspended from the string, the oak box
would be just ready to move. Theoreti-
cally, if you took a match or two out of
the bo.x, so as to give it a chance to start,
you could throw the matches back after
the box had begun to move. It is this
starting or static friction which is ordi-
narily meant by the co-efficient of friction.
The curious part about the co-efficient
of friction is that if you made the motion
faster and faster, then after a certain
speed had been reached this co-efficient
would not give the ratio of resistance be-
tween the surfaces. As the speed becomes
greater the co-efficient becomes less. Our
box of matches would take less than 2^/^
lbs. to move it, if traveling very fast. One
of the rules given in the text books of for-
mer days was at variance with this now
well known fact, for we find in Traut-
wine's civil engineer's pocketbook, pub-
lished in 1881, the statement that the co-
efficient of moving friction is the same at
all velocities. There is a footnote to the
effect that there is reason to doubt this
statement, as Prof. Thurston has proved
it untrue with regard to axle friction, and
in dealing with axle friction another foot-
note in the same book says that Prof.
Thurston found the co-efficient of friction
is much affected by velocity and by the
temperature of the journal. That was in
1878. About the same time in England,
the Galton-Westinghouse brake tests
demonstrated beyond question the fact
that the co-efficient of friction diminishes
as the speed rises.
The word static comes from the Greek,
meaning, "to cause to stand still," and the
word which is for convenience applied to
moving friction, viz., kinetic, comes from
the Greek root "to move." The use made
of these two forms of friction in the stop-
pin'' of a railway train has its most strik-
ing" application in the high-speed brake,
and may be shown by taking a definite ex-
ample. Suppose we have a passenger car
weighing 64,000 lbs., and that it is sup-
ported on two trucks of four wheels each.
There is under the car eight wheels, each
carrying 8,000 lbs. In an article in our
issue for March, page 107, entitled the
Factor of Adhesion," we referred to the
co-efficient of friction bet%veen wheel and
rail as 0.2, or under certain circumstances
as 0.25. In the Westinghouse table 0.25
is taken as representing the static friction
of brake shoe and wheel. Each coach
wheel carries 8,000 lbs., and with a co-
efficient friction taken at 0.25 it would re-
quire a force of 2,000 lbs. to skid the
wheel. As a matter of fact the Westing-
house rule is to take 9° Pet cent, of the
light weight of the car as if it was the
actual weight, in order to allow a margin
sufficient to make sure the car will not be
over-braked. For the purposes of brake
calculation this car would be supposed
only to weigh 57,600 lbs. and each wheel
is supposed to carry only 7.200 lbs., and
with the co-efficient of friction as 0.25,
it is calculated that 1,800 lbs. would skid
the wheels. The Westinghouse rule
amounts in this case to a margin of 200
lbs. to come and go on, for greasy rail.
etc., for each wheel. The allowable static
friction in this case is therefore 1,800 lbs.
When we come to kinetic friction we
have to turn to the table of co-efficients
obtained in the Galton-Westinghouse
tests. At a speed of 60 miles an hour the
co-efficient of friction is 0.072 and this
would give only 518.4 lbs. This means
that an air pressure in the brake cylinder
which was capable of exerting a retard-
ing pressure on the wheel of 1,800 lbs. at
about 2 miles an hour could only exert a
retarding force of 518.4 lbs. on the
wheel spinning along at 60 miles an hour.
At about 30 miles an hour the co-efficient
of kinetic, or dynamic friction, as some
call it, is 0.163 and this gives a pressure
on the wheel of 1, 173-6 lbs. There are of
course like variations for other speeds,
but the loss of brake power at high speed
is sufficiently apparent from these figures.
The principle of the high-speed brake
is to varv the pressure on the brake shoe
according to the speed. At 60 miles an
hour when the co-efficient of kinetic fric-
tion is low a very high brake cylinder
pressure is used, indeed more than enough
to skid the wheels if the speed was slow.
This pressure is allowed to gradually
blow down as the speed slackens, and as
the speed is reduced the co-efficient of
friction comes up, so that for practical
purposes the high-speed brake makes up
to the wheel in pressure what it lacks in
effective friction at any time, and thus
maintains a general average of fairly uni-
form retardation from the time the brakes
are applied until the train comes to rest.
Science Mysteries.
Those who begin to study scientific
problems after they have grown up are
entitled to as much sympathy in the
difficulties they encounter as the
heathens, who have passed a life in re-
ligious darkness and at years of ma-
turity have religious doctrines thrust
upon them. When a young man re-
ceives scientific instruction as part of
his education, the mysteries that are li-
able to excite heresy and unbelief are
generally made clear by instructors who
help to explain away obstacles to com-
prehension. When a grown person,
however, becomes a student of scientific
problems, he meets at the very portals
of the study, with unproved statements
given as fact, and he is in danger of
May, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE EXGINEERING.
1 95
giving up the pursuit of this line of
knowledge and saying in his wrath, all
writers on science are liars.
One of the most trying tests ;,•- the
faith of a novice is the statements
usually made in explaining the laws
relating to matter. To be informed
that matter is divisible into infinitely
small particles called atoms that no hu-
man eye or magnifying device will ever
; be able to see, is to excite the question,
' How can that be proved? To be told
that atoms of different substances are
of certain known weights e.xcites the
question: Who was able to weigh an
entity so small that no microscope can
be made powerful enough to show its
form?
As the student advances in the study.
these and other difficult subjects be-
come more comprehensible; but it
would be well for the compilers of te.xt
books of science to distinguish a little
more clearly between what are estab-
lished facts and what are theories, no
matter on what evidence the latter rest.
There are a great many things be-
lieved about matter and forces of na-
ture which never will be conclusively
proved; yet those who have studied
their phenomena most profoundly are
thoroughly convinced of the truth of the
theories concerning them. Molecular mo-
tion, for instance, as an explication of
heat, is one of the most trying theories to
put upon the faith of a novice. Science
says that heat is caused by the move-
ment of the internal molecules forming
the substance. The natural question
arises: How can there be movement in
the particles forming a hard piece of
steel? Common sense would at the
first thought call the theory absurd.
Yet there arc proved facts in connec-
tion with metal and other substances
that seem equally absurd and can be
proved by experiment to be facts, not
mere theories.
If the objector who considered it ab-
surd to say that there could be move-
ment in the molecules inside a piece of
dense steel, were asked if he thought
it possible that the same steel could
absorb any form of gas, he would read-
ily answer that such an idea was as
absurd as the other. Yet the power
which solids and liquids possess of ab-
sorbing many times their own bulk of
gases is amont; the most astonishing
phenomena in nature, and is as true as
the fact that water becomes stcnni when
heated to a certain temperature. This
is »poken of as the occulsion of gasrs in
solids and liquids. Platinum, which is
the densest of all solids, absorbs as
much as five times its own volume of
hydrogen without any increase in bulk,
and the metal palladium absorbs 643
times its own volume of cnrbfinic oxide
and remains unrhanRcd in volume.
Most of our re.'iders are familiar with
the operation of converting wrought
iron into steel by the process of cemen-
tation. The success of that process is
due to the readiness of iron to absorb a
foreign substance under favorable con-
ditions. The carbon which converts the
iron into steel penetrates to the heart
of the metal. Other phenomena of a
similar character might be mentioned,
but the instances given illustrate how
readily one with elementary knowledge
may make a mistake by assuming that
science facts are contrary to common
sense.
Overheating of the Main Rod.
.\s the warmer weather approaches the
tendency of locomotive bearings to over-
heating increases. This is to be expected
and extra care, if possible, should be taken
that all bearings should be kept clean
and well lubricated. In regard to con-
necting rods, the fact that many locomo-
tives are now equipped with solid brasses
the danger of heating in that particular
kind of bearing is greatly diminished.
There is at all times, however, a partic-
ular likelihood of the main rod bearing to
become heated, partly from the fact that
it is constantly the subject of treatment
in the matter of tightening the key or
adding new liners, and also partly from
the fact that the main crank pin gradually
loses its perfectly circular form. It will
be noted by observing machinists that ec-
centrics wear most at the smallest part
of the eccentric or that nearest the axle.
This is owing to the fact that that part
receives the shock of reversing the move-
ment of the link at both ends and hence
the metal of that part of the eccentric
wears away more readily than the larger
part which merely carries on the lateral
motion after it has been begun.
The crank pin is subjected to similar
shocks with the result that the outer side
of the crank pin at both front and back
centers wears away more rapidly than any
other part of the crank pin. This can
be readily observed by calipering the
crank pin when opportunity occurs. Ma-
chines for trueing up worn crank pins
are not in such common use as they
should be, and the attempt to do the
work by hand is far from perfect in its
results. When the crank pins have be-
come much worn at the particular part
referred to, the correct titling of the
brasses becomes impossible, and the ten-
dency to heating becomes increased from
the fact that, as a rule, engineers natur-
ally fall into the habit of keying up the
brasses while the rod is on one or other
of the centers, the point, of course, where
the worn crank pin measures the least.
The keying up while on the center should
be done Ruardedly and the operation sup-
plemented by trying the bearing at some
other point and ascertaining whether the
bearing readily moves laterally on the
crank pin.
The method of leaving the brasses
slightly open on the crank pin end of the
main rod is not good practice. The ten-
dency of the brasses to loosen is very
great, and loose brasses are sure to bring
trouble by affording ready ingress to dust
and other substances that superinduce
rapid wear and heating. At the front end
of the main rod the brasses may be re-
duced so that the two brasses may remain
slightly apart, care being taken not to
tighten the key beyond the point of an
easy bearing. In all keying up the key
should not be driven with much force, as
the slight taper on the key makes it a
wedge of great force and brasses may
readily be bent out of shape by reason of
the over pressure of a key and so pave
the way for endless trouble. In the case
of pounding it is always time well spent
to insure the careful and correct fitting of
the main rod bearings. In the matter of
lubrication, graphite has been found to
possess great cooling qualities when used
with lard oil, and when properly lubri-
cated and care taken that the pin docs not
bind in the brasses at any point of the
complete revolution of the crank pin,
there should be little or no difficulty in
regard to the overheating of the main
rod.
A Mental Awakening.
An old engineer, writing about his
experience nearly half a century ago in
railroad shops, says: "The ambitious
shopman of this generation has so many
well known engineering books and pub-
lications to help him, that nothing but
will is needed to obtain a knowledge
of the technical part of his business. It
was very different fifty years ago.
"Books and papers treating of steam
and of machinery were then both scarce
and expensive. I remember well the
first technical book I ever saw. It was
called 'The Mechanic's Calculator,' and
belonged to the foreman of the shop.
He kept it locked in his desk and
seemed to prize it as much as if it
were a precious jewel. In those days,
a shop hand who was fortunate enough
to know something of the principles
underlying his trade, or could work out
problems in screw cutting, gearing,
valve motion and such like, jealously
guarded his knowledge or would sell it
to others at fancy prices.
"One dinner hour, while sauntering
about the shop, I espied the foreman's
treasured volume lying on the top of
his desk. I took up the book, and
glancing hurriedly through it, found a
chapter devoted to steam engines. Mere
I paused, read and reread the rules,
problems and explanations, but they
were all mysteries to nic. I felt for the
lirst time that I was merely an animated
machine, since I was drawing lines, de-
scribing circles and doing many other
things daily without being able to give a
icason why they were done. I felt
196
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
May, 1910.
abashed and humiliated. When I left
school, I had a very crude knowledge
of arithmetic. Greater knowledge of it
I felt would unlock the mystery of the
signs in 'The Mechanic's Calculator,'
which I could not understand.
"There was an old Scotsman working
in the shop at the time, an excellent
mechanic, who made no mystery of
what he knew about the technical part
of the machinist art. I spoke to this
man about the foreman's book, and
about my own ignorance and desire to
learn all that I could about the theory
of the business. He advised me to at-
tend a night school and study arithme-
tic and geometry. The end of it was
that I took his advice. But it was not
the night school alone that helped me.
That impressed upon me the need for
more knowledge, and my daily occupa-
tion became a school. When I saw any-
thing done that I did not understand I
did not rest until I knew the why and
wherefore of the operation. When a
youth once gets the thirst for knowl-
edge he acquires what he wants from
all quarters."
Compounding and Superheating.
The application of compounding and
superheating to railway locomotives has
for some time past aroused interest in
Great Britain. The state of this case was
very well put by Mr. George Hughes,
chief mechanical engineer of the Lan-
cashire & Yorkshire Railway, when
speaking recently before the Institution
of Mechanical Engineers. The primary
aim of compounding and superheating
alike is a reduction in the coal bill. In
both cases also it is a matter of com-
mon knowledge that theoretically there
should be a substantial economy, and in
general stationary practice some such
economy is realized. Hence one natur-
ally infers that locomotives would also
benefit by compounding and superheat-
ing, at least as regards fuel economy.
With regard to compounding, it is
worth noting that the comparative lack
of success of compound locomotives in
the past has been due in large part to
mechanical as well as thermal deficien-
cies. Thus the starting difficulty has
been a pitfall to many designers. Ob-
viously, an ordinary compound engine
with only one high pressure cylinder
will often find itself with the high pres-
sure piston in such a position that it
will not start ; the low pressure cylinder
is out of action until the engine has
started, since its supply of steam comes
through the high pressure cylinder. In
order to overcome this condition, some
means must be adopted for admitting
boiler steam to the low pressure cylin-
ders. The manj' detail methods of do-
ing this fall into two broad divisions.
In one are those methods which permit
of a slight leakage of boiler steam into
the low pressure steam chest. When
the engine is running this steam is only
a small proportion of the total used, and
has very little influence on economy or
power distribution. When the engine is
standing, however, the leakage of s'cam
accumulates in the low pressure steam
chest and is sufficient to start the
engine.
The other methods involve a valve for
admitting boiler steam to the low pres-
sure cylinder. The valve can be cut
out of action when not needed, but, if
not automatic, it is liable to be left in
use when not required, thus leading to
low steam economy and inferior dis-
tribution of the load between the cylin-
ders. Mr. Hughes adopts the valve
method of admitting steam to the low
pressure cylinders for starting, but the
valve is automatically controlled by the
reversing lever so that it is only in ac-
tion at full gear. Further, by adopting
four cylinders, two high and two low
pressure, the starting load is divided
between two cylinders, and gives a
lower maximum and a more equal av-
erage starting effort.
The economy of compound locomo-
tives depends primarily upon two
things. With two expansion cylinders
it is easier to obtain a more complete
expansion of the steam than in a single
cylinder. Also the range of tempera-
ture in one cylinder is reduced by com-
pounding, and initial condensation is
decreased. As regards this last, Mr.
Hughes notes the fact that at high
speeds initial condensation is less than
at low speeds, and hence reasons that
compounding will be most economical
in slow engines.
Some experiments made by Mr. Ivatt
on the Great Northern Railway seem
to confirm Mr. Hughes's ideas. Mr.
Ivatt tested a four cylinder compound
engine against a two cylinder simple
engine, both being on express service
between London and Doncaster under
identical conditions. As regards coal
the results were very slightly against
the compound, and in repairs and oil
the advantages also lay with the simple
engine. Air. Hughes's results, based on
eleven engines of each type and cover-
ing a period of two years, showed a
saving in coal effected by the com-
pound engines over the simples of be-
tween 9 and 10 per cent., but when
shunting, ballasting, and light-engine
miles were deducted the saving fell to
3.2 per cent.
As regards superheating, Mr. Hughes
experimented with both goods and pas-
senger engines. The saving in coal was
very marked, about 12 per cent, for the
goods and 21 per cent, for the passen-
ger locomotives. Owing to the higher
speed of the latter it might be expected
that the saving would be less, but the
erplanation seems to be that the fre-
quent stoppages of the goods engines
militate against economy by allowing
the superheater to cool down, so that
the first steam after restarting will i)e
wet or low in superheat. In practice
the superheater locomotives in both
goods and passenger service have
shown themselves able to haul loads 10
per cent, or so heavier than the non-
superheating engines.
Information regarding maintenance is
not given in the paper, but one would
anticipate a heavier repair bill for the
superheater locomotives. As a broad
generalization from the results given,
one may say that a well designed com-
pound engine justifies itself for slow
goods traffic, whilst a superheater 1 )co-
motive shows to best advantage where
the runs are long, as in express work.
There is, however, no reason to think
that speed is an advantage for the su-
perheater, and, indeed, it is probably
in itself a disadvantage. One thing Mr.
Hughes's paper makes abundantly clear,
and that is that locomotives may be classi-
fied according to their duties, and that
each class requires special qualities. It
is therefore impossible to say of com-
pounding or superheating that it is or
is not a failure without specifying un-
der what conditions.
Utility of Higher Schooling.
For years education has become a sort
of shibboleth used to pass all sorts of
people along the highway of progress,
people who are frequently devoid of all
the attributes that in a fair field have
pushed the select upward and onward
in the race of life. Where misery ex-
ists, where vice and crime are rampant,
where turbulent elements endanger the
safety or even preservation of society,
we are told to possess our souls in pa-
tience waiting for the good time when
education will effect the regeneration
of mankind, making the wolf and jack-
rabbit run together in harness.
Education has done so much to push
certain individuals above the madding
crowd, the mental training of sys-
tematic education has enabled certain
nations that have nurtured school
houses to outstrip in moral and physi-
cal progress nations less enlightened,
that it takes much courage to move a
prominent citizen of the United States
to protest that the value of nearly all
branches of higher education is greatly
overestimated. That is what Mr. R. J.
Crane, of the Crane Co., Chicago, has
done, in a volume of 331 pages. The
book, which carries the title "The Util-
ity of All Kinds of Higher Schooling,"
can be obtained from the Crane Co.,
Chicago, price $1.
Mr. Crane holds that every boy and
young man has a right to know exactly
what higher education is prepared to
May, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
197
give in exchange for his time and
money spent upon it. The author
makes a clear distinction between edu-
cation and schooling, and has been at
:; uch pains to investigate the effect of
lege training upon the fortunes of
ung men who have gone into the
rid to earn their livelihood.
In pursuing his investigations Mr.
Crane adopted the Socratic method of
asking questions, and he certainly re-
ceived information of a surprisingly
negative character. The leading edu-
cators were first questioned, and they
with one accord urge the importance of
education for business men. They
r.iod bravely, not to say unscrupu-
■isly by their class.
College graduates were then ques-
tioned, and most of them were loyal to
what they considered the interests of
learning, but a few admitted that a lit-
erary or scientific education did not
compensate for the lack of practical
knowledge. Others again confessed
that among employers they found de-
cided prejudice against college grad-
uates.
When the investigation was extended
■ business men it was found that most
: them were mildly favorable to col-
.:e graduates for employment by their
: -ighbors. Some of them, who wrote
in the most friendly terms about col-
lege men, employed none of them, al-
though their employees were numbered
by the hundreds. This is especially
•rue of the higher railway officials.
Want of space prevents us from dis-
issing the book at length, but we com-
••nd it to those who are inclined to
ace a high estimate upon the advan-
:i;es of a college education. The state-
vnts made in the following paragraphs
;i)ear to be liustained by sound argu-
• nts:
"I challenge any technical graduate
■ mention any idea that he got in his
liool that he found he could apply to
Ivantagc in the factory."
•I do not know of a good, success-
:l. substantial manufacturer who con-
'^butes toward the support of tcchni-
.il schools."
Fog-Signalling in Belgium.
A new system of fog-'^ignalling is in
I.craiion in Belgium. It consists of a
..v.. ...nx number of luminous relays in
of each signal These are lo-
1^ near as possible to the track.
.ch signal is preceded by three lumi-
'>us repealing signals, which show a
'llow-orangr linht whrn the signal
rm is hori/onl.il and a green light
ben it is in its inclined position. The
imps of these relay* are elrrtric. fitted
ith powerful reflectors and furnished
■ ith yellow and green glasses. The
\slem is said t<< meet with general
Ijpro-.nl
Book Notices
Air Brake Catechism and Instruc-
tion Book. By Clinton B. Conger.
269 pages. 4x6ji ins. Cloth. Price
$1.00.
This book is a thorough revision of
a work that has been built up with the
progress of the air brake to the twenty-
fourth edition. This time it is practi-
cally rewritten. It is not a reprint of
the instruction pamphlets issued by the
.\ir Brake Company, as are many of
the instruction books of today. It is
written by a man who has lived with
and grown up beside the air brake since
the automatic was put into service and
has kept up with its improvements. He
is an engineer who can handle an air
braked train and tell another man how
to do it, as well as how to locate trouble
and defects in the apparatus.
The facts about the operation of the
Westinghouse and the New York
brakes are told in definite and easily
understood language. This makes the
book valuable to the man who wants to
learn how the air brake operates.
All the new equipment in general use
up to date of both air brake companies
is illustrated and explained. The book
contains 269 pages, is the right size for
the pocket, so that it can be a compan-
ion when on duty. Price $1. Sold by
the Angus Sinclair Company, Engineer-
ing Building, Liberty Street, New York.
When the late Mr. Jay Gould began
railroad operations in the West he
came across a promising lad named
Willard Beahan. Mr. Gould helped
him to learn engineering, and in the
fulness of time he became an expert
in railway location. The book before
us is the best proof that Mr. Gould
knew the possibilities that were in the
young man. Mr. Beahan has become
an established authority in the held
practice of railway location. Not only
so, but in the twenty pages that he de-
votes to the locomotive there is a
grasp of detail and a completeness of
comprehension that bespeaks the thor-
ough engineer. We heartily commend
the book to all who are interested in
the subject of constructive railroad en-
gineering.
Bkiix;e .\nd Strvctur.^l Design. By
W. Chase Thomson. Published by
the Enginering News Publishing
Company, New York. 192 pages,
with illustrations. Cloth. Price $2.
Mr. Thomson, a leading member of
the Canadian Society of Civil Engi-
neers, who has given much careful
study to the subject of bridge and
structural design, and who has deliv-
ered a series of lectures on this subject
under the auspices of the Dominion
Bridge Company, has given the result
of his work in a book that is a valuable
contribution to the engineering litera-
ture of our time. The primary object
of the book is to teach the elements of
bridge and structural design in a sim-
ple and practical manner. The illus-
trations are excellent. The analysis f>f
stresses, the proportion of members and
the details generally are worked with a dc
gree of clearness that could not be sur-
passed. The book is of course designee' fur
students and draughtsmen, but it
should be of real value to practical
bridge designers.
The Field PuM-tuv. or Railway l.n-
CATION. By Willard Beahan. B. C. E.
Published by the Engineering News
Publishing Conipany. N'cw York. 254
pages, with numerous illustrations
anil folding plate ' l-'t' IVi"-- $1
C. P. R. Mallet Compound.
At a recent meeting of the Canadian
Railway Club in Montreal. Mr. H. H.
Vaughan, assistant to the vice-president
of the C. P. R., made the announcement
that his company is preparing for a change
in the standard type of freight locomo-
tives. The regulation engine at present
in use, of which the company has built or
bought 500 since 1894, will give way to a
new consolidation type of 220.000 lbs. One
of these heavier engines was built at the
Angus shops eighteen months ago. and
has proved so satisfactory that arrange-
ments have been made to build ten more
engines of the same type. Should these
prove as satisfactory as the sample, the
new type will be adopted as the regula-
tion freight locomotive. Speaking of the
Mallet engine recently built by the Cana-
dian Pacific for use on the Rocky Moun-
tain grades, Mr. Vaughan said: "The
monster engine recently built at the Angus
shops, known as the Mallet articulated
compound, which is the heaviest locomo-
tive ever built in Canada, has not so far
proved very satisfactory for ordinary road
work. .Mthough there was every prospect
of this type proving successful in grade
work, no more would be built by the C.
P. R. until the present sample had been
given a more extended trial than it had
\et had."
The Lucin Cut-Off.
.■\ recent press dispatch from O^den,
Utah, says that the I'nion Pacific arc to
make extensive iniprnveinents. The Lucin
ciit-ofT across Great Salt Lake is tti be
double -tracked. As soon as the necessary
material has been received between 500
and 1,000 men will be put to work on the
long trestle across the lake. The work
will necessitate a great deal of pile-driv-
ing and practically the entire bridge will
be widene<l. The many improvements and
Iniildings mapped out for the yards and
the cut-oflf will necessitate an expentlilure
<if fully $1,500,000 during the coming sea-
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
May, 1 910.
Old Time Railroaders.
By N. W. F.\y.
Although not a railroad man, I have
taken your valuable magazine for the past
six years, and have been e.xceedingly in-
terested in the reproduction of old-time
locomotives. I am sending photograph of
the old Boston & Maine engine "Warrior,"
which in the winter of 1894 was hauling
a passenger train between Claremont Jet.
and Concord, N. H., over the Concord &
Claremont branch, a part of the present
Concord division.
I am unable to state when the "War-
rior" was built, but am inclined to believe
the engine was originally a wood-burner.
She was about the last of the locomotives
with a name to run on this branch. Her
stack was also of a style now obsolete,
and the big square headlights are no
longer seen. The engineer in the cab win-
dow is John Canty of Claremont Jet., who
commenced railroading 28 years ago, and
has been an engineer since July i, 1885,
on this same Concord & Claremont,
where he commenced firing the old wood-
burner "Gen. Pierce." His engineer at
that time was the late George Wright,
In those days it was customary for
trainmen to transport produce, etc., for
their own convenience, and it was not un-
usual to see the "Gen. Pierce" or "C. W.
Clark" (another wood-burner long run
by Mr. Wright) roll in with boxes, bags
or crates on the front footplate contain-
ing anything from vegetables to live pork.
Some of the other well remembered en-
gines that for years did faithful work on
this tortuous and mountainous branch
were the "Grafton," "Crombie," "G. W.
Nesmith," "James Kettell," "Contoocook"
and "King Lear."
The writer, back in the '80s, got the en-
gineer bee buzzing in his head, and went
out into Nevada, where he eventually got
a shop job as spare fireman in the South-
ern Pacific shops at Wadsworth.
But the memory remains strong, and
since reading R.ailway and LocoMotrvE
Engineering he has looked longingly each
month for some word or reminiscence of
the old Truckee division of the Southern
Pacific, of which Winnemucca was the
eastern terminal, with Wadsworth one
hundred and thirty miles westward and
separated by a desolate waste of alkali.
OLD B. & M. 4-4-0, "W.-XKRIOR.'
rigged with a fire hose and pump and was
called "Goliath," because she was so little,
I suppose. She was an exact counterpart
of the one illustrated in Railway and
Loio.MOTivE Engineering for December,
1906, and could start loads out of all pro-
portion to her size. To see her racing
and roaring at the tail end of a long
freight up "two-mile siding" hill was an
exhilarating sight.
Some of the desert crews of that time
were Johnnie Smith and the 203 and gen-
erally bulletined for the "Golden Gate
Special" on its bi-weekly run; PoUick on
the 91, Shepley on the 222 (the three
deuces), Arthur on the 62, Houston on
the 149, Dorsey on the 180, old Ben
Church on the 13, Burke on the 2 (the
deuce), Louie Hattenhouse on the 13s,
Dolan on the 360, and Forrest on the 179.
The last two were modern 4-4-0 Schen-
ectadys.
The name of the division superinten-
dent, who had an office at Wadsworth,
was Whited, and the master mechanic,
George Hunt. A man with white eye-
brows and whom I never heard called any-
thing but Buck, was the shop foreman,
and a thin, nervous, shagg>-, dark featured
man by the name of George Angus was
round house foreman. Mr. Angus was a
Grand Army man.
I often wonder if any or all are in the
land of the living, and if Wadsworth is
still on the railroad map, a straggling
town of shops, church, hotel, tiny homes,
indolent Piutes and industrious Chinamen,
lying along the green-fringed Truckee
River, where the west-bound overland
limited bursts above the horizon line, trail-
ing aloft its banner of black smoke and
drifting swiftly down from "two-mile
siding," rolls into the terminal for a brief
pause and change of engines before begin-
ning the sixty-mile climb for Truckee,
the Sierras and the snow sheds on the
heights.
well known along the line and yet remem-
bered by many of the older men in the
service. A roadmaster at that time was the
late James Perkins of Claremont, and he
used frequently to ride over the line with
Engineer Wright. Both were large, heavy
men, and the writer as a boy remembers
hearing it said that when George Wright
and Jim Perkins were in the cab to-
gether it would be impossible for the en-
gine to tip over.
Yet, both men went into the ditch with
the engine "Carroll" one morning as they
were bowling down the long hill between
Newbury and Bradford, March 14, 1887.
A solidly packed snow drift did the trick,
and although the engine, which was run-
ning about twenty miles an hour, jumped
clear of the rails and rolled down a 3S-ft.
embankment with a portion of the train,
no one in the cab was injured. A fireman
by the name of Thompson was with En-
gineer Wright on that occasion.
sage lirush and drouth. There were brave
men and grand engines in that far oflf
desert, and some of the records for speed
and pulling by the sturdy, glittering 4-4-o's
stand today. Double-headers were pro-
hibited on the desert run because of the
alkali dust that persistently penetrated the
boxes and valves, but going east out of
Wadsworth it was necessary to help trains
as far as "two-mile siding," and at White
Plains a helper engine was constantly
stationed to assist for the long, hard pull
up White Plains Hill, a weird place
abounding in railroad lore and legend.
The rule of the road was, first in first
out, and every engineer was the jealous
autocrat of his machine and between runs
both engineers and firemen were regularly
busy pottering about their beloved charges
that carried a lot of brass and decorative
finish and daily went out of the round
house shining like suns.
The yard engine at Wadsworth was
Telephone in Cars at Terminal.
Some of our leading railroads have in-
stalled a telephone service at passenger
terminals that can be used by patrons in
the Pullman car before the train starts.
At the rear end of the observation plat-
form is what electricians call a jack, and
to this a wire is run from the bumping
post at the end of the track. The jack
has a spring shutter which closes auto-
matically when the plug on the end of
the wire is withdrawn. This protects the
contacts from moisture and dust when
not in use. The car itself is wired so
that a telephone is on the writing desk in
the car. Connection with the outer
world is kept up until one minute before
the train pulls out. The New York Cen-
tral's famous Twentieth Century Limited
is thus equipped, and the Chicago-Denver
Limited on the C. B. & Q.
May, I QIC.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
Applied Science Department
The Steam Indicator.
I\'. R£.\D1XG THE DI.\GR.\.MS.
Having briefly sketched the construc-
tion and operation of the steam indica-
tor and presented the detail in regard to
what may be called an ideal diagram,
and a general method of calculating the
mean effective pressure of steam as
shown by the diagram, it remains to
present fuller details in regard to the
multitudinous variations that occur in
I steam indicator diagrams and to explain
briefly the causes that lead to such
\ariations and suggest the remedies
that are essential to the correct con-
struction and adjustment of the valve
gearing in order that the indicator dia-
FIG. 1.
grams may approach as nearly as possi-
ble the ideal diagram already described,
and consequently insure the most eco-
nomical and effective use of the steam
power required in moving the engine.
It cannot be too strongly impressed
on the mind of the engineer or me-
chanic that the most important use of
the indicator is to ascertain fully and
clearly the action of the valves. The
exact adjustment of the valves while
the engine is in the hands of the most
skilled mechanics is no proof that they
will stay adjusted. When the engine is
vndcr steam many parts of the engine
undergo changes, some of which ma-
terially aflfcct the action of the valves.
Apart from the expansion of some parts
of the engine there is a tendency to de-
rangement by a rapid wear or springing
of some of the parts while the engine is
running. This liability to change is
greatest in the first week or two of ser-
vice. It is rarely otherwise than that
the lead or opening of the valve will
have increased at one end of the stroke
and diminished a corresponding amount
at the other end. The variation may
not be great, but when it is remembered
that all of the other points are coinci-
dently dinarrangcd it will be easily im-
agined that the aggregate loss of effec-
tive pressure by the irregular action of
the valve increases the cost of running
ai well as diminishing the power of
the engine. In short, engines may be
laid not to be completed until the ad-
juitment of the valve gearing has been
carefully tested by the use of the indicator.
In our illustration. Fig. i, it will be
noted that while retaining the ideal or
correct diagram lor the purpose of com-
parison and marking with dotted lines
the diagram which may be taken from
an engine where the valve is to some
extent out of its proper position, at the
point X there is no apparent compres-
sion showing that the exhaust has re-
mained open until the piston has com-
pleted its stroke. Following this dotted
line in its upward direction, at the point
II it shows that the piston is already
moving in its path towards the other
end of the stroke and the valve has not
yet opened sufliciently to admit steam
pressure equal to the pressure in the
boiler or steam chest, and by the time
that the valve has opened to admit the
full pressure as shown at the top of the
diagram the piston has moved a con-
siderable distance on its path. This
point could be readily measured and
compared with the entire length of the
stroke and the number of inches trav-
eled by the piston before receiving the
full pressure of steam could be correct-
ly ascertained.
Following the dotted line further on
its course it will be noted at y that the
point where the dotted line begins to
move downwards on the diagram, or the
point of cut-off where the valve closes
and the admission of steam ceases, that
this point is extended some distance
further than the ideal or correct point.
In other words, in actual practice, sup-
posing the cylinder to be 24 ins. in
length and the point of cut-off aimed at
to occur when the piston had moved 6
ins. on its path, it would be found that
the piston had moved over 7 ins. on its
course before the valve had closed.
Continuing further we find at the ex-
treme end of the stroke that there is a
lateness of exhaust as shown by the de-
gree of pressure of steam remaining in
the cylinder at the end of the stroke of
the piston. This lateness of exhaust is
further proved by following the dotted
line to the point /, showing that the pis-
tfin is meeting some amount of back
pressure on its return stroke. These
two defects — lateness of exhaust and
back pressure — are both serious draw-
backs in the economical use of steam,
and assuming that the design of the
valves and ports and amount of travel
of the valve arc correct, the remedy is a
mere matter of readjustment of the
position of the eccentric or eccentric
rod
It must br understood, however, thai
before making any changes in the ad-
justment of the gearing, the diagram of
the return stroke of the piston should
also be taken, and still keeping the
ideal, or correct diagram before us, as
shown in Fig. 2, and assuming that the
diagram of the return stroke of the
piston is indicated by the dotted line, it
will be seen that in this diagram there
is also a considerable variation from the
ideal diagram. The compression of the
steam remaining in the cylinder from
the previous admission begins at the
point r, while the piston has still about
6 ins. to travel before reaching the
end of the stroke. It need hardly be
stated that this early compression is a
real hindrance to the working of the
engine. Following the dotted line up-
wards it is evident that by the time the
point m is reached the valve has already
opened the port while the piston has
not yet reached the end of the stroke.
This, of course, adds to the resistance
to piston travel. As we proceed from
the highest point of pressure it will be
noted at the point /> that there is a lower-
ing of the dotted line before the point
of cut-off or closing of the valve has
been reached. The lowering of the line
at this point is generaly attributed to
what is known as wiredrawing. It is a
proof that there is a throttling of the
sleam in some way and may be caused
by having steam pipes too small, or
with pipes having sharp bends. In the
case we arc discussing the likely cause
of the wiredrawing arises from the
early closing of the valve. It is evident
that the piston has already begun on its
path along the cylinder when the valve
has already begun closing, and hentt
the supply of steam does not keep pace
with the space traversed by the piston.
."Xnothcr peculiarity will be observed at
the point s showing an early release,
that is, an opening of the exhaust at a
time when the piston has still several
inches to travel.
Such arc some of the more comnioii
variations that may be noted on indica-
tor diagrams, and others with even
greater drfiartures from the correct dia-
gram will be illustrated and discussed
in the near future.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
May, 1910.
Celebrated Steam Engineers.
XXIX. George S. Griggs.
The New England States have pro-
duced many clever engineers, and these
fine men have had no small hand in the
development of the modern locomotive.
The subject of this sketch, George S.
Griggs, was the first master mechanic of
the Boston and Providence Railroad, and
was in many ways a man of marked abil-
ity. He was at once architect, builder,
machinist and engineer. He began build-
ing locomotives in 1845. His first engine,
named the "Norfolk," was for many years
considered the best locomotive in New
England. The engine was four wheel
connected, had inside cylinders, and was
the first inside connected engine equipped
with a swiveling truck. Several new fea-
tures were also shown in the construction
of the boiler. The dome, containing the
throttle valve, was placed in the middle
of the boiler. A manhole opened into the
boiler immediately over the firebox. The
frames were also of an original design,
consisting of two bars, the upper bar
measuring 5 x 5.5^ ins. and the lower bar
2x2 ins. The pedestal jaws were of cast
iron, with tenons at the top. The cylin-
ders were cast with overlapping flanges
that admitted of a very secure fastening
to the frames. The cylinders were held
together by a central casting, the lower
part of which was adapted as a circular
projection upon which the truck readily
turned.
Nearly all of the novel features that
Mr. Griggs introduced were permanently
adopted by the locomotive builders and
are still retained. Indeed, few engineers
have made a more indelible impression
upon the science of locomotive construc-
tion than he did. The valve gear used by
him, although not entirely new, also
showed his ingenuity. The gearing was
equipped with four drop hooks. Under
these hooks a runner rested on a half
round cam, so that the turning of the
cam shaft lifted two of the hooks and
dropped the other two in place. It was
claimed by many eminent engineers to be
the best valve gearing used on locomo-
tives previous to the invention of what
became known as the Stephenson shifting
link. The gearing did not have the qual-
ity of a variable cut-oflf, but with proper
adjustment it was a very reliable valve
gearing.
It may be noted that at this early date
the speed of Mr. Griggs' first locomotive
was nearly equal to the highest speed of
the modern locomotive, the distance be-
tween Boston and Providence being reg-
ularly run at that time in one hour and
ten minutes ; the regular run being made
at the present time is rarely less than
one hour.
He continued building all the locomo-
tives required by the Boston and Provi-
dence Railroad, and when the link mo-
tion appeared he cleverly adapted it and
applied it to all the older locomotives. As
a proof of his fine work as a mechanic,
he was the first to introduce the method
of having eccentrics keyed in place before
the wheels were put under the engine, and
it is said that it was rarely found that a
change in the eccentric keys was neces-
sary. He experimented in placing elastic
lining between the wheel centers and the
tires, but as locomotives became heavier
his ingenuity in this direction did not
meet with the success that he anticipated.
One of his most notable improvements
was the introduction of the brick arch
into the fireboxes of locomotives. This
was the most important step in smoke-
preventing appliances hitherto accom-
plished, and the arch as perfected by him
is still used in the same form as finally
devised by him. He also made the first
rocking grates and perfected the attach-
ments whereby one or more of the grates
could be moved sufficiently for dumping
the fire when required. He also intro-
duced the first diamond-topped smoke-
stack, which was quite an improvement in
the wood burning locomotives, and was
universally adopted by other builders of
locomotives.
Mr. Griggs' work was marked by the
finest mechanical skill. This feature was
the more remarkable in view- of the fact
that machine shop tools, and more espe-
cially the tools necessary for handling
heavy work, had nearly all to be con-
structed in the shops where the locomo-
tives were built. In brief, he was a fine
type of the best kind of mechanic, com-
bining inventive ability of a high order
with a painstaking energy that never
wearied. As a pioneer in railroading his
services were of much value in the devel-
opment of the locomotive.
Questions Answered
COMPOUND WITH SUPERHE.\TER.
35- W. G. L., New York, writes:
Could you please tell me how the re-
heater, on the A., T. & S. F. 4-4-6-2.
between the h. p. and 1. p. cylinders in-
creases the eflSciency of the locomo-
tive, since by heating the steam to a
higher degree it will expand in all di-
rections, thus increasing the back pres-
sure on the h. p. cylinders and conse-
quently ofTsetting any gain of the 1. p.
cylinders?— A. In a general way all
compounding is a matter of compro-
mise. The high pressure steam when
exhausted certainly produces back
pressure, and one may say that the
efficiency of the engine is the algebraic
sum of the steam pressures and the back
pressure. When the high pressure exhaust
is superheated it no doubt increases back
pressure, but it is able to withstand
greater heat losses when introduced
into the low pressure cylinders than if
it had not been reheated. This advan-
tage is greater than the disadvantage
of slightly increased back pressure. In
correctly estimating the compound all
the items on the debtor side have to
be added up and all the items on the
creditor side added together and the
balance struck. If there is cash in the
bank, so to speak, the operation is worth
while; if the losses are the greater of the
two, the operation is not a success. In
this case the gain from the superheating
outweighs the slight loss due to in-
creased back pressure.
EXPANSION OF WATER.
36. J. W., Kenora, asks how many times
its own volume does water expand under
the influence of heat. — A. There is no
formula by which you can at once find
the increase in volume of heated water, as
the expansion is not regular like mercury
in the tube of a thermometer. Kent gives
a table showing the volume of water at
39.1 degs. R, as unity. This temperature
is the one at which water attains its maxi-
mum densit}', and if at that temperature
its volume is taken at unity, then at 50
degs. F. the volume would be 1.00025;
at 104 degs. F. it would be 1.00767; at 149
degs. F. it would be 1.01951, and at 212
degs. F. it had expanded so that its vol-
ume would be 1.04332.
BRAKES CREEPING ON.
37. K. N., Wheeling, W. Va., writes:
Vou say that brakes creep on with the
brake valve handle in running position
from the same causes whether the en-
gine is equipped with the standard
"G 6" brake valve or with the No. 6
E T brake. Assuming that it is caused
by brake pipe leakage and a sluggish
feed valve, whj' is it that the No. 6
brake will apply with the handle in
running position but the leakage will
not set the brake when the handle is
placed on lap position? — A. It means
that the leak which is applying the
brake is in the feed valve pipe, or in the
excess pressure pipe, or from the regu-
lating portion of the feed valve, and
when the brake valve handle is placed
on lap position this leakage cannot af-
fect the brake pipe volume.
LEAKV GASKET IN DISTRIBUTING VALVES.
38. E. E., Brooklyn, writes : What is
the effect of a leaking gasket 23 of the
H 6 distributing valve? — A. A leak to
the atmosphere from this gasket has
the same eflfect as brake pipe leakage.
If there is a leak into the port "M" the
leakage will escape at the distributing
valve exhaust port while the exhaust
valve is in the release position. After
a brake pipe reduction the efifect of the
leakage depends upon volume of leak-
age, amount of reduction, brake cylin-
der leakage, and brake pipe volume. If
the leakage is considerable, a light re-
May, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGIKEERING.
duction on the lone engine will result in
an equalization of pressures owing to
this brake pipe reduction. If coupled to a
train a blow will occur at the distribut-
ing valve exhaust port after the light
reduction if brake cylinder leakage is
not equal in volume to the leakage
through the gasket. After brake pipe
pressure has been reduced below the
point of equalization there will be an
iucrcase of brake pipe pressure through
this gasket from the brake cylinder
which will be supplied from the main
reservoir. Whether this flow of air into
the brake pipe will lift the equalizing
discharge valve of the brake valve or
ir.erely increase brake pipe pressure, de-
pends upon the volume of leakage from
gasket, brake pipe leakage, and leakage
past the brake valve piston packing
ring.
INJECTOR PROBLEM.
39. K. T. W., Sutherland, Tenn.,
writes: I am sending a question I
would like you to answer in the next
paper if you can get it in. I have had
quite a discussion with the officials
about Sellers injectors or any other.
They claim that low water in boiler
will prevent injectors working. I told
them that low water had nothing to do
with it. I hope to have your answer
SQ I can let them read it. — A. You are
quite right about it making no difTer
ence whether the water in the boiler i-
high or low. As long as the steaii
pressure is sufficient and the flow i i
water to the injector adequate the in-
jector will work. .-\re you sure they
may not have meant low water in the
tender?
BR.^KES CREEPING OK.
4P. F. J. K., Winona, Minn., writes ;
When an engine here, equipped with tli^
"H-6" brake is coupled to a train of car
the engine and tender brake creeps ci
and the engineer claim»-.hc is compellf'
to release the brake with »hc indcpendcut
valve, what could cause the brake t(.
creep on when the valve handles are in
running position? — A. The same thing
that will cause any other type of auto-
matic brake to creep on. It is caused by
brake-pipe leakage and a defective feed
valve, that is a feed valve that does not
conitantly maintain brake-pipe pressure
at a predetermined figure. In this case,
however, you say that it was necessary
to use the independent valve to release
the brake, and this would he termed a
stuck brake and would lie caused by an
overcharged brake pipe or a defective
ditiributing valve. The eflTerf of an over-
charge, that is a brake-pipe pressure in
excess of the adjutlmrnt of the feed
valve if the samr whether a distributing
ralve or a triple valve is used. In the
event of what wr would term a stuck
brake, if the brake pipe has not been
overcharged, and if the feed valve is
working properly the distributing valve
is at fault. And as it was possible to
release with the independent valve, it
proves that the application portion of the
distributing valve is all right, but that
for some reason the equalizing slide valve
could not be moved to release position,
which could be caused by the equaliz-
ing valve sticking or by a leak past the
piston packing ring which would allow
the pressure chamber to become charged
without creating enough differential in
pressure to move the equalizing valve.
more education enjoyed the privilege
of attending night schools. Medical
treatment was provided for the sick, a
benevolent fund kept hunger away
from the homes of those who were un-
able to work, and libraries and read-
ing rooms were maintained. Musical
societies were formed, cricket clubs
encouraged, and prizes given for the
best kept gardens.
Stephenson was a benevolent man,
but he believed in directing his chari-
ties to the aid and encouragement of
those who were willing and ready to
help themselves.
George Stephenson's Helping Hand.
Connection with railway enterprises
appears to have exercised enterprising
liberality unknown among industrial
capitalists of ante-railway days. The
noblest monument erected for George
Stephenson was reared by himself in
the establishing at Clay Cross, Eng-
land, of a system of education and pro-
tection for working people. That was
about 1840. ten years after the first
passenger-train-hauling IncomotiM.- Ipl-
Electric Night N. Y. Club.
A very significant paragraph in the re-
port of the special committee of the \ew
York Railroad Club is as follows:
"The electrification of large freight ter-
minals has not as yet been attempted nor
satisfactorily worked out ; therefore it is
necessary to proceed with caution in this
matter, and the problem must be exhaus-
tively studied and new developments made
hefnre it uoiiLl be justilialile tn make
\--iN'.ik lAus IN 1111 (,i;ij:n MOCNT wui.ck.
gan to sound its first note of progress.
The capitalists of those days were
represented mostly by land owners and
manufacturers. These people had not
got over the fashion of treating work-
men as animals that were fortunate if
their employers gave them enough for
their work to cover the expense of
coarse food and homely clothing.
George Stephenson displayed a dif-
ferent spirit and excited the dislike of
the gentry by his humane policy. He
made it a condition of employment
that every employee should contribute
a small percentage of his income to a
benevolent fund, to which the com-
pany contributed liberally. From that
fund the work people's children re-
ceived free education and those who
were working and needed or desired
such an installation. The electrification
of any large freight terminal would in-
volve a number of roads, and cannot be
undertaken independently without the co-
operation of all the railroads afTectcd, on
account of the relations existing among
the various roads in the interchange of
freight traffic."
In the discussion of the report those
who participated were Messrs. George
Gibbs, chief engineer, and C. S. Krick,
superintendent of the Pennsylvania Tun-
nel and Terminal Co. ; W. S. Murray,
electrical engineer N. Y., N. H. & H.;
Calvin Townley, vice-president of the
.American Institute of Electrical F.ngi-
neers; G. M. Kasford, assistant to the
president of the American Locomotive
Co, and I., n. Stillwell, consulting engi-
neer.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
May, 1910.
Air Brake Department
Conducted by G. W. Kiehm
Triple Valve Test Rack.
FUNCTIONS OF THE VALVES AND COCKS OF
THE TESTING RACK.
Valve A.
Position I. Release.
Position 2. Direct opening to brake
pipe closed.
Position 3. Lap.
Position 4. Brake pipe exhaust through
1/32 opening.
Position S- Brake pipe exhaust through
3/64 opening.
Position 6. Brake pipe exhaust through
1/16 opening.
Position 7. Brake pipe exhaust through
5/64 opening.
Cock F.
Controls communication between the
main reservoir and testing rack.
Cock X.
Used in clamping triple valve to triple
valve stand face to admit air to and
exhaust it from the clamping cylinder.
Cock Y.
To be used if triple valve is of the
pipeless type, to permit brake pipe air
to flow to the triple valve.
Cock Z.
To be used if triple valve has brake
pipe connection to the check valve case.
PIPING DIAGR.^M OF WESTINGHOUSE TEST RACK.
Position 8.
Brake pipe exhaust for
rapid reduction.
Valve B.
Position I. Brake pipe pressure under
diaphragm, auxiliary pres-
sure above diaphragm.
Position 2. By-pass brake pipe air to
auxiliary reservoir.
Position 3. Lap.
Position 4. Brake pipe pressure over
diaphragm, auxiliary pres-
sure under diaphragm.
Valve C.
Used for controlling air from main
reservoir to the auxiliary reservoir dur-
ing service port capacity test and for
adjusting the safety valve.
Valve J.
Notches determine the rate of feed up
of the brake pipe volume.
Cock I.
Controls communication between
brake pipe and triple valve and used to
operate triple valve in quick action.
Cock 2.
Closed to obtain reduced auxiliary
volume, open to obtain maximum aux-
iliary volume.
Cock 3.
Closed to obtain reduced brake cylin-
der volume, open to obtain maximum
brake cylinder volume.
Cock 4.
To exhaust air from the brake C}'1-
inder.
Cock 6.
To open and close the pipe from
valve C to the auxiliary reservoir.
Cock 7.
To exhaust air entirely from or re-
duce pressure in the auxiliary reservoir.
Cock 8.
Used when testing by-pass and grad-
uated release feature, to cut in, or cut
out, the supplementary reservoir.
Cock 9.
To close brake pipe exhaust to at-
mosphere from valve A, giving a pre-
determined brake pipe reduction.
Lever D. — The notch used determines
the differential pressures acting on the
triple valve piston.
Air Brake Maintenance.
IMPROPER REPAIRS.
The problem of obtaining economi-
cal air brake repair work, and work
that will not come under the heading
of wrong repairs, has already been re-
ferred to, and if attention was called
to the problem without suggesting a
remedy it was because the remedy is
or should be easily recognized and
applied.
When repair parts of passenger
triple valves are found in freight triples
and springs that were not manufac-
tured for air brake apparatus are found
in triple valves the work needs super-
vision and the workman needs instruc-
tion. While the workman is not re-
quired to spend any of his hours off
duty in study unless he feels so inclined
it is not unreasonable to expect him to
know one type of triple valve from an-
other and the repair parts of one from
those of another.
It is with regret that we sometimes
hear that the position of air brake in-
structor has been abolished or that the
air brake foreman has been assigned
to other duties, and believing in the
maintenance of air brakes in the high-
est possible state of efficiency we can-
not help but think that at such times
not only an expensive but a serious
mistake has been made because if any
two men employed by a railroad com-
pany are in a position to earn their
salary those two men are, and if they
are not doing so it should not be a dif-
ficult matter to secure men who will,
instead of paving the way for further
neglect, careless workmanship and
wasteful habits.
It is not necessary for an air brake
man to make a tour of inspection
through the average engine house and
freight yard in order to be convinced
that thousands of dollars are being:
May, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
203
wasted annually on air brake repair
work alone, especially at points where
there is little or no supervision, or
where very little attention whatever
is paid to air brake repair work.
Whatever is derived from the air
brake, along the line of satisfactory re-
sults, is proportioned in a measure to
what is put into it financially, but the
vnethod by which the expenditure be-
•mes the most economical and effec-
r.ve can be determined and decided
upon by air brake men only, as they
re familiar to a certain extent with the
most economical practices of all rail-
roads and are assisted by the experi-
ences of others.
If there are tricks in all trades, the air
brake trade is no exception and without
"giving away" any of the sharp prac-
tices or so-called tricks of the trade in-
dulged in by some repairmen, and look-
ing at the subject merely from a point
of doing work right instead of in a
way that will pass, let us consider the
operation requiring about the least
skill in air brake work, namely clean-
ing air brakes on freight cars. If any-
one interested is inclined to doubt that
there is any waste of time and material
in present day methods of cleaning air
brakes he should examine the number
of worn out packing leathers and make
an estimate of how much additional life
the leather should have had, or how
much longer each one would have given
good service in the cylinder if each
cleaner in his turn kept the thickest
part of the leather at the bottom of
the cylinder. One may also find a
number of discarded triple valve body
gaskets and note how many were pre-
maturely destroyed by being placed on
the reservoir instead of the triple valve
when that valve was applied, how many
were destroyed by improper lubrication
of the brake cylinder and by being
broken because one part of the gasket
adhered to the reservoir and the other
part to the triple valve when it was re-
moved. While the latter was primarily
no fault of the repairman that removed
the triple valve it would not have been
distorted or broken during the re-
moval if the repairman who applied the
• --w gasket had put a very small quan-
■:ty of lubricant on the reservoir side
f the gasket, prior to bolting the valve
• the reservoir.
While calling attention to a waste of
packing leathers and body gaskets that
could have been avoided without taking
up more than a moment of the cleaner'*
time, we desire to point out that he
can waste leathers or rather cause
them to be worn out prematurely by
failing to renew, or by uting an ex-
pander ring that is oblong instead of
round or one that is a litttr large and
buti tightly at the end». rings of that
kind will force their binding points into.
and wear through the leather in a re-
markably short time.
Quite often a stud backs out of the
piston when attempting to remove the
nuts in order to renew a packing leather
and quite often the nut and stud are
screwed into the piston at the same
time instead of first removing the nut and
tightening the stud in the piston, and if
a packing leather slightly heavier or
thicker than the one removed, is used,
there may be a worse brake cylinder
leak through the piston than previously
existed with the old packing leather.
Removing a packing leather on a pis-
ton in a repair yard among gravel and
cinders is at the best an unsatisfactory
practice and the work can be better
done by keeping a quantity of pistons
with leathers properlj' put on, in stock,
thus leaving the removed piston to be
cleaned and leather put on at some
more convenient place and at a more
suitable time.
When the triple valve is removed the
reservoir studs sometimes back out two
or three threads before the nut
loosens, and sometimes all the way.
In order to get the standard stud out
of the flange of the triple valve body,
it is, in most cases, necessary to take
the nut off, and during the operation
the threads are sometimes damaged and
as a result there is a reservoir leak. At
times when the nut loosens after the
stud backs out part way, the repairman
neglects to tighten the stud first and the
same reser^'oir leak exists and if it can
be heard the triple may be taken off
again and two body gaskets used, the
second gasket may more effectually
divert the course of leakage so that it
is not so easily noticed.
This waste of time and material is
not confined entirely to packing
leathers and triple valve body-gaskets,
but will be found to exist on about
every other line of repair work, but not
necessarily in all shops and yards. The
writer's attention was recently directed
to ordinary .>r in. union pipe connec-
tions at the triple valve leading to the
retaining valve. Among about 100
freight car brakes due to be cleaned,
and which had been previously cleaned
at various points throughout the coun-
try, 60 per cent, were found with no
gasket whatever. If the average repair-
man, when removing a triple valve,
finds a gasket in the union and does not
lose it during the operation he will
likely replace it, but if none is found,
it will take up too much time to cut
one.
While no account was taken of de-
fective valves, broken and cracked pipe
and crossed threads in the triple valve
it showed fio per cent, practically in-
operative retaining valves from one
cause alone, and while they may not he
of so much importance at limes, 60 per
cent, inoperative on a grade may at
some time cost more in about 15 min-
utes than a score of repairmen's wages
would amount to in several years. We
do not wish to insinuate that the ma-
jority of repairmen are careless or that
the repair work in all freight yards is
faulty, but when a repairman will spend
about one hour and 30 minutes in put-
ting up a retaining valve threading and
fitting about 25 feet of %-inch pipe and
then, because there is a badly worn
thread in the triple exhaust port, drive
the nipple in with a hammer and con-
nect the union, it is plainly evident that
an improvement can be made.
It is all very well for a railroad offi-
cial to spend a short time with the re-
pairmen, look about the place, collect
some data and then say and believe
that "it is our practice to do thus and
so," when it is done in the manner de-
scribed. If any one arrives at the con-
clusion that the average air brake re-
pairman requires no supervision or fur-
ther instruction there is a serious mis-
take being made. No matter how care-
ful or conscientious a workman may be
there are times when he may become
weary in well doing, and conceive the
idea that he is doing something un-
necessary and so devise a shorter cut
to the completion of the particular
piece of work, and if allowed to go on,
he may gradually be led to abbreviate
the work until eventually he may con-
sider that stenciling the reservoir and
cylinder will be sufficient for the pres-
ent cleaning.
There is but one way to have air
brake repair work done in an economi-
cal and at the same time satisfactory
manner, and there is but one man in
position to know whether this is being
done or not, and the air brake foreman,
to know this, must be an experienced
and capable man himself, because if
there is any inclination to deceive, it
is not a hard matter to do it and
furthermore we sometimes deceive
ourselves.
Safety Valve Adjustment.
Several instances have conu- to our
notice in which the safety valve of the
distributing valve of the ET brake
equipment has been tampered with,
that is, the figure of adjustment
lowered, presumably with a view of
preventing an accumulation of brake
cylinder pressure sufficient to slide the
driving wheels. We have always tried
to impress upon our readers the im-
portance of adjusting any and all pres-
sure governors to the figure recom-
mended by the manufacturers, at least
until local conditions or special in-
structions necessitate a change.
The manufacturers of modern brake
equipments have spent large sums of
204
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
May, 1 910.
money in developing and tlioroughly
testing the brake equipments and arc
in a position to make recommendations,
and in order that our readers may not
be confused concerning the proper ad-
justment for the E6 safctj' valve it is
in order to make a few comments upon
the braking effect of the pressure gov-
erned by this valve, and make a com-
parison with the effect of the brake
cylinder pressure developed by what
we will call the standard brake, a brake
having the G6 brake valve and the com-
bined straight air brake, schedules
S. W. A. and S. W. B.
In the first place the safety valve is
in communication with the application
cylinder of the distributing valve dur-
ing all the manipulations of either brake
valve, except at such time as the
equalizing valve of the distributing
valve assumes service lap position,
whetlu-r it be the result of the nianipii-
proper brake cylinder pressures arc de-
veloped in each case.
During emergency applications when
the highest possible retarding effect is
desired, the rise of brake cylinder pres-
sure made possible by additional fea-
tures and a higher adjustment of the
safety valve brings the braking power
of the locomotive brake somewhat
nearer to that of the car brakes. In order
to make this clear we will consider
two locomotives equipped as stated,
assuming that each locomotive has
200,000 lbs. resting on the driving
wheels and that two l6-in. cylinders
are used. For convenience we will take
round numbers and consider but one
side of the locomotive and the total
power e.xerted.
The locomotive equipped with what
we will call the standard brake would
be braked by what is commonly known
■ ''' 75 "U so. that is 75 per cent, liraking
:c K XEAR MARSHALLTOWN, MXI I'l K^rixs KILLED.
lation of the automatic brake valve or
the result of brake pipe leakage.
The safety valve is adjusted to main-
tain a pressure of 68 lbs. in the applica-
tion cylinder of the distributing valve,
and during an emergency application
of the brake the pressure will rise a few
pounds higher owing to a restriction in
the port connecting the application
cylinder with the safety valve and to
the flow of air through the "blow
down timing port."
Application cylinder pressure means
brake cylinder pressure, and 68 lbs.
seems a very high cylinder pressure
if we look no further than pounds
pressure per square inch. The fact of
the matter is that if two engines are
properly equijiped, one with the ET
brake and the other with the standard,
the locomotive with the ET brake will
develop about 20 per cent, less braking
power on the locomotive than the en-
gine equipped with the standard brake
develops, assuming of course that
power based on 50 lbs. cylinder pres-
sure, while the locomotive with the
ET equipment would be braked at 60
on 50, or 60 per cent, braking
power based on 50 lbs. cylinder pres-
sure. On the locomotive with the
standard brake each i6-in. brake cylin-
der would develop approximately
10,000 lbs. total pressure from a 50 lbs.
cylinder pressure which must be multi-
plied by a leverage of 7^ to i, to bring
a total pull of 75,000 lbs. on all brake
shoes on one side of the locomotive
which is necessary to develop the brak-
ing power of 75 per cent, of the 100,000
lbs., which is braked by the one cylin-
der. On the locomotive equipped with
the ET brake, the same total pressure
on the brake piston is developed by the
50 lbs. cylinder pressure, which must
develop but 60,000 lbs. at the shoes
which requires a leverage of 6 to i.
It is evident then that the engine
with the standard brake with a cylinder
pressure of 50 lbs. resulting from a
service application of the brake, de-
\ clops a pull of 75>ooo lbs. on the brake
shoes on one side of the locomotive or
18,750 lbs. on each shoe if there are four
shoes. Also 45 lbs. cylinder pressure
as developed by the straight air brake
would give 16,785 lbs. pressure on each
of four brake shoes, while with the ET
brake, the 45 lbs. cylinder pressure
transmitted through the 6 to i leverage
ratio will bring a pull of but 13,500 lbs.
on each of the four shoes.
Thus it is seen that calculating from
the same cylinder pressure, during or-
dinary service operations, the brake on
the engine equipped with the ET brake
is 20 per cent, less effective than the
standard brake, even when regarded
from a pound pressure point of view,
liowever, during the emergency opera-
tion, the 68 lb. cylinder pressure de-
veloped by the ET brake, transmits
through the 6 to I leverage 81,600 lbs.
itotal braking power, or approximately
20,000 lbs. on each of four brake shoes.
It is understood that in each of these
events or instances the weight on the
driving wheels is 100,000 lbs. or 25,000
lbs. per wheel tending to keep it re-
1 Giving. The weight assumed has been
taken arbitrarily in order to obtain
round numbers, for ease of calculation.
It is intended to acquaint the reader
with the object and relative effect of
the 68 lb. cylinder pressure.
Those interested in this subject are
aware that the term "percentage of
tiraking power" is obtained when the
locomotive or car is at rest, "retarding
effect" when in motion, and while the
terms bear some relation to each other
they are entirely different when at-
tempts are made to calculate the re-
tarding effect from cylinder pressure
only.
While investigating the cause of a
slid flat wheel, the airbrake man of to-
day is inclined to disregard brake cyl-
inder pressure in that connection, and if
caused by the automatic brake, brake
cylinder pressure must have been de-
veloped with which to draw the shoe
against the wheel, the amount or num-
ber of pounds being merely incidental.
Injuring the driving wheel tires of a
locomotive equipped with the ET
brake is almost impossible, whether the
pressure on the cylinders is 68 or 100
lbs., as the independent brake can be
used at all times to release and reapply
the locomotive brake without disturb-
ing the train brakes. The ET brake
is an excellent protection to driving
wheel tires, although it can be com-
pelled to produce some bad results; in
fact it can be made to produce many
effects that it was designed to over-
come. Maintenance in good order is
the great requisite with air brake equip-
ment as well as with any other of the
many appliances used on locomotives.
Mav, 1010
R-'MLWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
aoS
Electrical Department
The Interborough Repair Shops.
IBv W. B. KOLWENHOVEX.
The Interborough Rapid Transit Co.
operates both the Elevated roads and
the Subway in New York City. The
reader is referred, for a description of
the electrical equipment used by this
company, to pages 545 and 546 of the
igo7 volume of Railw.w and Loco-
motive Exci.vEoixG and to pages 69 and
70. 163 and 164, 255 and 256 of the 1908
volume. The shops on the elevated lines
take care of 1,600 motor cars, and those
■It the Subway 1.300 motor cars.
The motor cars are inspected after
they have run 900 to 1,000 miles and
are completely overhauled after 65,000
miles of travel. Formerly the Inter-
borough inspected and repaired their
equipment every three and one-half to
four days. This, on the mileage basis,
corresponds to only about 450 miles,
I and unless a car was in almost con-
tinuous service it would not make this
distance. The mileage system has re-
duced the number of cars inspected per
day on the elevated lines from 232 to
121, or 47.8 per cent. In the case of
I the Subway the reduction has been
even larger, or 51.8 per cent. The
average mileage between inspections on
the elevated is now 967.6 miles, where
formerly it was 484.5, and on the Sub-
way the increase has been from 419
miles under the old system to 1,014
miles under the new. The Elevated
cars are now inspected about every
seven days and the Subway cars every
seven and one-quarter days.
VNTien a motor car has run i^xx)
miles it comes into the barns and is
run over a pit. Here the control ap-
paratus is inspected and each control
combination, corresponding to the
points on the controller, is tested. The
motors with their brushes and brush-
holders are examined and the air
brake, pump and governor are cleaned
and tested. The brake rigging is gone
over and the triple valve and the eVi-
gineer's valve are carefully tested. At
the same time the air brake piston
travel is taken. The wheels are gauged
and the trucks are cared for. The con-
tact shoes arc inspected and the shoe .
fa«e« tested In the meantime, the car
\>o<iy i% looked over for any defects,
and all of the windows, doors catches
and other sm.ill parts receive attention.
The signal and light circuits are tested
•ind the train line with its coupler
■'•kets is inspected. The motor ar-
mature bearings are oiled. All the
bearings are repacked with wool waste
every 10,000 miles. The car body is
now swept out and the windows
washed.
Corresponding to each car that enters
the inspection barns there is an inspec-
tion card. On this card every part of
the car is listed and given its proper
number. Every man in the inspection
gang has certain parts of the car that
it is his sole duty to look after. After
he has completed the inspection of
these particular parts of the car, he
marks the parts on the inspection card
O. K., indicates any repair work that
has been necessary, and signs his pass
number. This places the responsibility
directly upon the repair man. If that
particular part of the car that he has
marked O. K. fails before the next in-
spection, he is held responsible. How-
ever, if a man does his work thorough-
ly and carefully and no failures occur,
then he receives a substantial bonus for
his faithfulness. This system of hold-
ing the repair men personally respon-
sible, and of rewarding the good men,
has resulted in a very marked increase
in the efficiency of the repair shop
force, and the incompetent man is
dropped.
After a motor car has completed
65,000 miles of travel, it is sent to the
repair shop. In the repair shop the
body is jacked up and the trucks arc
run out from under and taken to the
machine shop. The motors are taken
out and sent to the armature room,
where they arc thoroughly cleaned and
overhauled. The armatures are tested
for insulation, grounds, short circuits
and open coils. In the insulation test
2,000 volts are applied to the armature.
This voltage is almost four times
greater than the motor operates under
when on the road, and an armature
which can withstand this test is good
for another 65.000 miles unless some-
thing unforeseen happens. If any of
the armature coils are defective, the
damaged part of the winding is re-
moved and new coils arc substituted.
When an armature comes into the re-
pair shop and needs rewinding the sec-
ond time, all of the old coils are re-
moved, consigned to the scrap heap, and
an entire new winding is put on. The field
coils are cleaned and tested in the same
manner as the armature, and damaged
ones arc replaced or repaired.
The reverser and all of the contact-
ors are removed from underneath the
car body and sent to the armature
room, where they are carefully tested
and the resistance of all the coils is
measured. They are reinsulated and
rewound if necessary, new tips are ap-
plied and the entire mechanism is care-
fully gone over. If a contactor is de-
fective in any way, it is entirely rebuilt.
The resistance grids and the control
rheostat are removed from the car
body and are sent to the armature
room, where they receive a thorough
testing and are repaired when neces-
sary. The air pump compressor and
the governor are removed and sent to
the machine shop. In the machine
shop the compressor motor is taken out
and sent to the armature room. Here
it receives the same treatment as that
received by the main motors them-
selves.
The car body wiring, including the
train line, bus line and the light and
heater circuits, are thoroughly tested
and repaired. All the switches are in-
spected and the defective ones are re-
placed. The covers are taken off all
the connection boxes, the coupler sock-
ets arc examined and new springs are
inserted where necessary. The master
controllers are opened and given a
thorough inspection and cleaning and
new fingers are put in where needed.
The control cylinder is removed and
sent to the armature room, where it is
taken apart, cleaned and reassembled
in first class condition.
In the machine shop the air com-
pressor pumps are taken apart, cleaned,
repacked and put in perfect repair.
The trucks receive a careful inspec-
tion. The gauge of the wheels is tested
and the flanges are examined. If nec-
cessary the wheels are trued up by
grinding. The contact shoes with the
shoe fuses arc cleaned and put in con-
dition for service. The motors arc sent
back from the armature room, the
motor shells mounted on the trucks
and the armatures inserted. The brush
holders are removed, cleaned and re-
placed, and new armor us placed over
the motor leads to protect the insula-
tion from chafing. This armor con-
sists of .\o. 13 brass wire spirally
wound, is simply slipped over the leads.
The trucks arc now run back under the
car body and the body lowered back
in place. In the meantime all of the
other parts that had been removed
irom the car for inspection and repair
206
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
May, lyio.
are reassembled in place and all the
electrical and brake rigging connec-
tions are made.
A high voltage test is now applied
to the car wiring. This test consists
of a 2,000 voltage insulation test corre-
sponding to the hydrostatic test applied
to the steam locomntivc boiler. It is
applied to every wire in the car cir-
ready for service and is turned over to
the traffic department for regular work.
The department that has charge of
the inspection and repair of the ecjuip-
nient maintains a complete card index
system of all the various parts of a mo-
tor car that come under their care. In
this system every motor, every com-
pression motor, every contactor, and in
NKW YORK CENTRAL TERMINAL WORK— STEEL WORK SUPPORTING TRACK.
cuits, and when successful proves that
the insulation is well able to withstand
the voltages to which it is subjected in
practice. Tests for short circuits, ground
and broken or open circuited wires are
also applied to every wire. Then the
cars are tested to see if they operate in
the proper directions, and the con-
tactors are put through the various
combinations corresponding to the dif-
ferent positions of the master con-
troller handle. Tests are also made to
see that all of the metal parts of the
cars make good contact with each
other and with the ground.
Repair work on both the Elevated
and Subway motor cars is similar up
to this point. The Elevated cars are
equipped with the manually operated
style of control and the Subway with
the automatic type, and here is where
the first difiference in the repair work
occurs. The overhauling of Elevated
motor cars is now considered to be
complete, and the car is ready to be
returned to service. The Subway mo-
tor cars have still one more operation
for the repair gang to make before they
are ready to be returned to service, and
this is the setting of the control gov-
ernor. This is accomplished by taking
the car out on the track with a record-
ing ammeter. This is an instrument
that records the amount of current in
amperes just as a steam gauge records
steam pressure on a locomotive. This
ammeter is connected in the motor cir-
cuit. The car is then run up and down
and the governor is set so that it op-
erates on 290 or 29s amperes. When
this trial run is completed the car is
fact almost every part of the motor car
equipment has a separate card. On
this card is kept a complete record of
that particular motor or piece of ap-
paratus, showing the date on which it
came in for inspection and repair, the
trouble, if any existed, and what was
done, and by whom, is there set down.
With this system it is possible to tell
when any given part of the equipment
fails an undue mmiber of times.
Tlie Interborough Rapid Transit Co.
ha\e a large foundry in which they
exception of the trucks, as is the case
in the shops of any first class steam
railroad.
Not only docs this company maintain
a complete record of each individual
piece of apparatus and hold the repair
and inspection men personally respon-
sible for the work they do, but they
also have a very excellent system of
keeping their shop foremen on their
mettle. Each month, in the office of
the superintendent of this department,
a report is made out giving the costs
of labor and maintenance per car-mile
employed in those inspection and repair
barns that are doing similar work. A
copy of this report is sent to each fore-
man, informing him just what he has
been doing in his own shop, and also
what the other men have accomplished.
Witli this system a foreman makes it
his business to keep well informed as
to the amount and cost of the repair
parts that his shop is using, and this
causes him to do his best to keep down
the cost of labor and material as low as
possible.
The delays that take place on the
road are reported to the inspection de-
partment over the telephone. From
these reports a list is made up giving
the length of exact delay and the cause.
These are embodied in the monthly re-
port and each delay is charged to its
proper cause. An example of the com-
pleteness and detail of this report is
given below:
No. of Length. Cause. Charged to
Delays.
I 25 min. Motor short cir- Inspection
cuiting. Bars
I 10 min. Passenger fall-
ing against side
of trrTin.
I 1 5 min. Improper motor
Ill-sign. Makers
NEW ^'ORK CENTRAL TERMIN.\L WORK ON EXPRESS LEVEL.
make their own copper 3nd brass cast-
ings and some of the smaller iron ones.
They also manufacture their own ar-
mature coils, and if necessary can build
and equip an entire motor car, with the
The writer wishes to take this op-
portunity to thank Mr. J. S. Doyle, su-
perintendent, Mr. Kerins and Mr. Rae-
mer, for their kindness in furnishing
him with the data for this article.
May, 1910.
RAILWAY AXD LOCOMOTIVE EXGIXEERING.
Narrow Gauge Engine for Central South African Railways
We recently published a description 01 a
Mallet articulated compound locomotive
built by the American Locomotive Com-
pany for the Central South African Rail-
ways. These same builders have just com-
pleted a Pacific type locomotive for the
same road which is an interesting example
of the maximum weight and power ob-
tainable in this type within the limitations
of a 3-ft. 6-ins. gauge of track. In work-
ing order it has a total weight of 155.000
lbs., of which 106,000 4bs. are carried on
the driving wheels.
With 62-ins. driving wheels and a maxi-
mum tractive power of 28,800 lbs., the
most difficult problem in connection with
this design was to provide sufficient boiler
capacity to meet the requirements without
exceeding the height of 7 ft. 8 ins. from
the top of the rail to the center of the
boiler. In this case the difficulty was very
satisfactorily overcome by the application
of highly superheated steam. The boiler
delivery factor indicates ample boiler
and following the most approved practice,
both the valve and piston rods are pro-
vided with e.xtended front rods. In this
way, the valves and pistons float in their
respective cylinders and friction is reduced
to a minimum. An interesting detail of
the design is the new arrangement o£
the piston-rod extension guide, which is
to constructed as to be self-centering. An-
other interesting feature of the design is
the trailing truck, which is a modification
of the company's new design of outside
bearing radial truck which has been suc-
cessfully applied to a number of recent
Pacitic type locomotives. In the truck
here applied the modification consists in
the use of a spring yoke rigidly secured
to the slab frame instead of one hinged to
the frame. The advantages of this type of
trailing truck, as compared with the build-
ers' older type of outside bearing radial
truck, are : Greater simplicity of construc-
tion, material reduction in the dead weight
of the engine, and a more perfect main-
reducing the load on the trailing truck.
The firebox is 78 ins. long and 65 ins.
wide and provides a grate area of 35
sq. ft. This gives a ratio of grate area to
equivalent heating surface of 70.6. The
firebox is supported by a steel expansion
plate at the back end, while the support
for the front end is furnished by a steel
waist plate, just back of the rear pedestal.
The tender, which is of the 8-wheel type, is
fitted with a U-shaped tank having a water
capacity of 4,000 Imp. gals, and space for
10 English tons of coal. The tender trucks
are of the equalized pedestal type. Steam
brakes are applied to all the drivers, and
in addition the engine is equipped with a
vacuum brake which acts on the tender
wheels and is provided with a connection
for the train line. The principal ratios and
dimensions of the design are given below :
Factor of adhesion 3.68
Total evaporative heating surface ^
grate area 56.6
Firehox bpatinp surface .^ total evapora-
tive heatinp surface, lu-r cent 6.7
PASSF.NGER <-6-2 FOR THE CENTR.VL SOL-TH .AFRIC-\N R.MI.W.WS.
R. F. Collint. Locomotive Superintendent. .\inerican Locomotive Company, Builder*.
capacity to meet the requirements oi tenance of the springs in their normal Volume on both cylinders, cu. ft i.io
the service for which the engine is in- relation to the main and truck frames and Total evaporative heating surface -r vol-
tended, in which the maximum speed in proper alignment with and full bearing q^^,^ ^^^^ ^ volume of cylinders!!!!!! 3.1J
will not exceed 45 miles an hour. on the journal boxes. Tractive effort X diameter drivers -i-
The superheater is the builders' latest dc- The spring-seat fits freely in a central equivalent heating surface..^..... 711
r., ... ., ■ e j'.i. »■! Superheater hcilinK surface -f- tube heat-
«ign With fire tubes having side steam opening formed in the spring-scat guide jng surface, per cent 19.1
headers and tubes of the double loop type and is carried on a trunnion block which Track Caugc— .i ft. 6 ins.; tractive power, 38,800.
arranged to give a high degree of super- passes freely through a longitudinal open- ^^'""l' ji'^'^.^lV^JUJi,,;' ,f,'j Uder, M'ft.".M
heat. The superheater as here applied pro- ing in the spring-seat, and which is pro- ins.
vidcs a heating surface of 353 sq. ft. This vided with pivot ends carried in bearings ^''«^|f„i^ . %"„'^^iV;/ ,",;;}'[;„ j'^V,*"/,^^
is 19 per cent, of the tube heating surface, bolted to the under side of the spring- Healing Surface— Tubes. 1,848 sq. ft.; firebox,
which approximates very closely the ratio seat guide. Hie trunnion block is coupled '^A *^' 'V,' •"P*''"*'"- ■>'■' '^- '" ■ '°"''
recommended by German locomotive de- to the sprinK--cat by means of a trans- crnie Area j? sq. ft.
signers, in whi. h country lh<- application verse pin p.issing through the trunnion Hoilrr— <). D. first ring. 6j int.
of superhe.it.. I vieam has Ikch developed and spring seat, the whole thus forming a Fireboi[--Typr. «.idr; length. 7« ins.; width, 6j
to a high dr^r.-r of efficiency. Full ad- universal joint connection. i„,'^: ,1.1,,, a, i,,.; back, M in.; water space,
...ntage has Iwcn Uken of the application The U.ilcr is of the Bclpaire type and t.^^'J-No.* !":' ''l,'rmci'rr,"''i|;^'ns.' '"length.
'.f highly superheated steam to use large is provided with a copper firebox in .ic- in fi > in.': ».u»r, No. li B. W. C.
cylinden and a low boiler pressure. The cordance with the usual English practice t""" " '^' ',7th'ouisid'e"'.nri, .N
cylinders are 21 ins. in diameter by 28 ins The throat sheet and backhcad are inclined 1 level top; 1 ' .
Stroke, and the boiler carries a working so as to throw the center of gravity as \ , -avel, sW; stcjm Uv.
pressure of 170 Iht, to the square inch. far forward as possible, thereby bringing j. ,. '',"' ^ '"•
Ten-inch piston valves are employed; more weight on the driving wheels and Wi.. , 1 . outside tire, 61 ins.
20S
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
May, 1 910.
Items of Personal Interest
Mr. A. B. Lacy has been appointed
purchasing agent of the Virginian Rail-
way, with office at Norfolk. Va.
Mr. P. J. Archer has been appointed
purchasing agent of the Arizona East-
ern Railroad, vice Mr. C. E. Walker
resigned.
Mr. J. T. Foley has been appointed
assistant to vice-president of the Illi-
nois Central Railroad and with office
at Chicago.
Mr. L. O. Jackson has been appointed
mechanical superintendent of the Beau-
mont & Great Northern, with office at
Omalaska, Tex.
Mr. E. B. Hall has been appointed mas-
ter mechanic on the Chicago & North-
western at Eagle Grove, la., succeeding
Mr. C. Coleman.
Mr. J. W. Lowery has been appointed
master mechanic of the Tombigbee Val-
ley, with office at Calvert, Ala., vice Mr.
P. P. Brooks, resigned.
Mr. John Nash has been appointed dis-
trict foreman on the Oregon Short Line,
with office at Kemmerer, Wyo., vice Mr.
A. R. Lambert, resigned.
Mr. A. B. Pollock, assistant supervisor
of signals of the Pennsylvania Railroad at
West Philadelphia, Pa., has been appoint-
ed a supervisor of signals.
Mr. W. R. Smith has been appointed
master mechanic on the Chicago & North-
Western at the Chicago terminals, vice
Mr. J. Charlton, transferred.
Mr. Albert James has been appointed
roundhouse foreman at Tucker, Utah on
the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad, vice
Mr. R. Pickering, transferred.
Mr. F. J. Harrison has been appointed
superintendent of motive power on the
Buffalo, Rochester & Pittsburgh Rail-
way, vice Mr. W. H. Wilson, resigned.
Mr. C. H. Caswell has been appointed
general roundhouse foreman on the
Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton at Cin-
cinnati, O, vice Mr. C. L. Adair re-
signed.
Mr. E. W. Pratt, assistant superintend-
ent of motive power and machinery of
the Chicago & North-Western at Chicago,
has been transferred to Clinton, la., on
the same road.
Mr. F. D. Fosdick, master mechanic
on the Chicago & North-Western at Mad-
ison City, has been transferred in the
same capacity to Chicago, succeeding Mr
E. H. Wade.
Mr. A. C. Stevens has been appointed
master mechanic of the fourth division
of the Denver & Rio Grande, with office
at .Mamosa, Colo., vice Mr. J. H. Farmer,
transferred.
.Mr. Oscar Kuenzcl, formerly mechani-
cal engineer for the Pennsylvania at New
Bremen, has resigned. He intends to be-
come the editor of a mechanical paper in
New York.
Mr. H. G. Huber, assistant master
mechanic of the Pennsylvania at Phil-
lipston, Pa., has been transferred to
Harrisburg to succeed Mr. W. J. Rus-
ling, promoted.
Mr. J. Charlton, master mechanic on
the Chicago & North-Western, in charge
of Chicago terminals, has been trans-
ferred to Mason City, vice Mr. F. D. Fos-
dick, transferred.
Mr. W. E. Woodhouse, master me-
chanic of the Canadian Pacific at Calgary,
Alb., has been appointed shop superin-
tendent at Winnipeg, Man., vice Mr. S. J.
Hungerford, resigned.
Mr. C. W. Stambaugh, of Y'ork, has
been appointed road foreman of engines
of the Baltimore and Hanover division of
the Western Marybnd Railroad, vice Mr.
H. K. Martz, resigned.
Mr. W. J. Rusling, formerly assistant
master mechanic on the Pennsylvania
Railroad at Harrisburg, Pa., has been
appointed general fqreman of the Enola
shops of the same road.
Mr. F. B. Harriman has resigned as
general manager of the Illinois Central
and of the Indianapolis Southern; the
duties of that position have been as-
sumed by the vice-president.
Mr. James R. Paterson, who has been
in charge of the advertising department
of Railway and Locomotive Engi-
neering, has severed his connection
virith the Angus Sinclair Company.
Mr. H. C. Stevens has been appointed
master mechanic of the fourth division
of the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad,
with headquarters at Alamosa, Colo.,
vice Mr. J. H. Farmer, transferred.
Mr. W. J. Bingley has been appointed
master mechanic of the Maryland Di-
vision of the Western Maryland Rail-
way, with headquarters at Hagerstown,
Md., vice Mr. C. M. Tritsch promoted.
Mr. J. H. Farmer, master mechanic on
the fourth division 'of the Denver & Rio
Grande at Alamosa, Colo., has been ap-
pointed master mechanic of the Rio
Grande Southern, with office at Ridgway,
Colo.
Mr. F. H. Green, general purchasing
agent of the New York Central Lines,
has had his authority extended over the
Toledo & Ohio Central and over the
Zanesville & Western. Office at New
York.
Mr. Daniel Willard, president of the
B. & O., has been elected chairman of the
board of directors of the Cincinnati, Ham-
ilton & Dayton, succeeding Mr. O. G.
Murray, who continues on the executive
committee.
Mr. R. B. White has been appointed
superintendent of the Indianapolis &
Springfield division of the Cincinnati,
Hamilton & Dayton, with headquarters
at Indianapolis, vice Mr. J. M. Scott
promoted.
Mr. R. P. C. Sanderson, superintendent
of motive power of the Virginian Rail-
way, has resigned from that position to
become general superintendent of the new
plant of the Baldwin Locomotive Works
at Eddystone, Pa.
Mr. G. H. Emerson, formerly superin-
tendent of m.otive power of the Great
Northern Railway at St. Paul, Minn., has
been promoted to the position of assistant
general manager of the same road, with
headquarters at St. Paul.
Mr. George E. Howard has been ap-
pointed Eastern representative of the J.
Rogers Flanncry & Company, general
sales agents for the Tate flexible staybolt,
manufactured by the Flannery Bolt Com-
pany of Pittsburgh, Pa.
Mr. J. F. Deems, general superintendent
of motive power, rolling stock and ma-
chinery of the New Y'ork Central Lines,
has had his jurisdiction extended to the
Toledo & Ohio Central, and to the Zanes-
ville & Western Railways.
Mr. J. M. Scott, superintendent of the
Indianapolis & Springfield division of
the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton,
has been appointed superintendent of
the C, H. & D. and branches, with
headquarters at Dayton, Ohio.
Mr. A. C. Deverell, assistant superin-
tendent of motive power of the Great
Northern at St. Paul, has been appointed
superintendent of motive power, with
jurisdiction over locomotives and car
shops, vice Mr. G. H. Emerson, promoted.
Mr. C. L. Adair, formerly general
roundhouse foreman on the Cincinnati,
Hamilton & Dayton, at Cincinnati, O.,
has been appointed master mechanic
of the Kansas City, Mexico & Orient,
with Iieadquarters at Sweetw'ater, Tex.
Mr. John M. Borrowdale, formerly as-
sistant superintendent car department, has
been appointed superintendent car depart-
ment of the Illinois Central, the Yazoo &
Mississippi Valley, and the Indianapolis
Southern Railwavs, with office at Chicago,
111.
May, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
209
Mr. C. M. Tritsch has been appointed
superintendent motive power and car
departments of the Western Maryland
Railway and of the Georges Creek &
Cumberland Railway, with head-
quarters at Hagerstown, Md., vice Mr.
R. E. Evans, resigned.
Mr. A. H. Westfall has been ap-
pointed general superintendent of the
Toledo, St. Louis & Western and of
the Chicago & Alton Railroad, with
office at Bloomington, III. Mr. P. H.
Houlahan, having resigned, the office
of general manager is abolished.
Mr. R. D. Hawkins, assistant superin-
tendent of motive power of the Great
Northern at St. Paul, has been appointed
superintendent of motive power, with
jurisdiction over the mechanical and elec-
trical forces, other than locomotives and
car shops, vice Mr. G. H. Emerson, pro-
moted.
Mr. Morgan K. Barnum, formerly gen-
eral inspector of machinery and equipment
on the C, B. & Q., has been appointed
general superintenden of motive power of
the Illinois Central, the Yazoo & Missis-
sippi Valley, and the Indianapolis South-
ern Railroads, with headquarters in Chi-
cago, III.
Mr. C. E. Walker has resigned as
secretary and treasurer of the Phoenix
& Eastern Railroad, the Gila River
Railroad, the Aravaipa Canyon Rail-
road, and the Arizona Eastern Rail-
road. Mr. Gibson Taylor has been
elected secretary, and Mr. P. J. Archer,
treasurer of these roads.
Mr. H. Berlin Voorhees, son of Mr.
Theodore Voorhees, vice-president of
the Reading, has been appointed first
assistant to Mr. Daniel Willard, presi-
dent of the Baltimore & Ohio. He has
been superintendent of the Philadel-
phia division of the Baltimore & Ohio
for some time.
The International Railway Congress
to be held at Berne, Switzerland, next
July promises to be a most interesting
meeting. Dr. Angus Sinclair, inspector
■ f technical education on the Erie Rail-
-oad. has been appointed by President
I D. Underwood to represent the rail-
v.iy company at the meeting. Dr. Sin-
' l.iir expects to sail on June 25, and
will make an extended tour in the
British Isles and on the Continent.
Mr. R. C. Richards has been appointed
'cidcnt inspector on the Chicago &
.\'orth- Western Railway. Me will bring
• Viiit. .14 far as possible, by education and
'iiforcement of discipline, the elimination
01' the causes which result in injuries to
passcngtrs and damages to freight. Mr.
Kichardn was claim agent for many years
on this ro;nl. He ii to observe the causes
'>f accidcnt<i, mcthodt of hniidling trains
■iid freight consignments, and to try to
l-ring al)out the nrcetsary co-operation be-
tween departments. Some years ago he
wrote a book on the subject of railway
accidents.
The position of superintendent of mo-
tive power of the Rock Island at Fort
Worth has been abolished and Mr. F.
W. Williams, its incumbent, trans-
ferred to Cedar Rapids, la. Mr. C. M.
Taylor, superintendent of motive power at
Shawnee, Okla., now has jurisdiction
over the entire Southern district, which
includes the territory heretofore cov-
ered by Mr. Williams. Mr. W. J.
O'Neal, master mechanic, has been
transferred to the Louisiana division,
at Eldorado, Ark., and is succeeded by
Mr. H. Clewer, who has been road
foreman of equipment at Trenton, Mo.
Mr. Leo Pender, formerly roundhouse
foreman at Tucker on the Denver & Rio
Grande, has been transferred to Thistle,
LItah, in the same capacity, vice Mr. W.
J. Woodhead, resigned. Mr. Pender spent
his youth in South America, his parents
having gone there in 1882. He came back
to the United States in 1898, where he
worked as machinist until 1902. He spent
a couple of years firing on the Northern
Pacific, after which he went to Mexico.
He was gang foreman, fireman, engineer
and foreman on Mexican railways, and in
1909 he was employed as engineer by the
D. & R. G. at Helped, Utah, and later he
was made roundhouse foreman at Tucker,
and now transferred to Thistle.
The Secretary of State at Washington
has designated the following gentlemen to
represent this country at the eighth inter-
national railway congress to be held at
Berne, Switzerland, next July: The dele-
gates arc Messrs. Franklin K. Lane of
California and Edgar E. Gark of Iowa,
Interstate Commerce Commissioners ;
Fairfax Harrison, vice-president of the
Southern Railway; W. A. Garrett, former
general manager of the Seaboard Air Line ;
J. A. Brown, vice-president of the Rail-
way Equipment Co.; Colonel H. S.
Haines, former president of the American
Railway Association; W. F. Schefter,
Pittsburgh ; Cordenio A. Severance, St.
Paul, Minn., and William C. Kuntz of
Stecltiin, Pa. These gentlemen officially
represent the United States at the con-
gress. Many railways arc, however, send-
ing their own representatives.
Mr. George Karsten, a switchman on
the Chicago & North-Wcstern Railroad,
was recently presented with a medal of
honor by President Taft under the pro-
visions of the act of Congress governing
such matters. Mr. Karsten was working
at Allis Station and saw a woman at
tempting to cross the railroad at a point
where there were twenty parallel tracks.
.■\ string of cars hid an approaching en-
gine from her. The switchman rushed to
her as.iistan('r, hut she, mistaking his in-
tention, stniKgled with him until the en
gine struck ihem down. The woman fell
outside the track and Karsten between
the rails. She had one foot crushed and
died the same night. Karsten was not
seriously injured, though his clothes were
badly torn, and the tender and the engine
as far as the pony truck passed over him.
The railway company made application to
the Interstate Commerce Commission,
laying the facts before them, with the re-
sult that the medal of honor was awarded.
Mr. Walter McFarland, who has been
associated with the Westinghouse Elec-
tric & Manufacturing Company since
Jan. I, 1899, has resigned to accept an
official position with the Babcock &
Wilcox Company. Mr. McFarland has
occupied the office of acting vice-presi-
dent for the Westinghouse Electric &
Manufacturing Company for a period ex-
tending over ten years. In this capacity
he has had official supervision of the
large contracts of the company, as well
as being the advisory head in all the
co-operative movements of the com-
pany with the Associated Westinghouse
Companies, involving literature, adver-
tising and exhibition work. Mr. McFar-
land was born in Washington, D. C,
in 1859. His education was received in
the public schools of Washington, the
preparatory department of Columbia
L'niversity and the United States Naval
Academy. He entered the latter insti-
tution as a cadet engineer in 1875, and
in 1879 he graduated, being second in
his class. In 1881 he was commissioned
as assistant engineer; in 1891 as past
assistant engineer, and in 1808 as chief
engineer. He was the youngest officer
for more than twenty years to have
reached the latter grade. He has been
a frequent contributor to the technical
ircss, and his papers on engineering
tcpics have won for him an enviable
reputation as an engineer of broad ex-
l>tricncc and advanced ideas.
Obituary.
Frederick Mortimer Robinson, who
has been connected wilh the Pressed
Steel Car Company of Pittsburgh, Pa.,
for the past six years as sales agent,
died of pneumonia on April 2, and was
buried in Petersburg, Va., April 4. Mr.
Robinson was .1.1 years of age, and
had formerly been connected with
the Chesapeake Sc Ohio Railway Com-
pany. He was a Knight Templar and
a member of the Acc.i Temple of
Shriners at Richmond, Va.; a member
of the Cominonwe.ilth Club, Richmond,
Va. ; the Cleveland Coal Chib; the
Union Club of Pittsburgh; the Railway
Club of Pittsburgh, and the Virginia
Historical Society, Richmond, Va. Tie
is survived by his parents, one brother
and two sisters. Mr. Robinson has
been well known in the railroad supply
trade for several years and his dealli will
he mourned by his many friends.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
May, 1910.
General Foremen's Association
Punctuality Demanded.
On taking the chair at the last con-
vention after being elected president of
the association, Mr. T. H. Ogden said:
"I have found a little something to
say. Like the Senator from Mississippi,
it is coming now. I can only say, how-
ever, that I thank you for the courtesy
and will endeavor to do my best. I
will say, further, that there is no officer
T. H. OGDEN.
President Gener.il Foremen's .Association.
of the association who can make it a
success without the assistance of all.
We have a membership of about 300,
and when we stop to consider the as-
semblage present this morning, it is
not encouraging to anj' officer. None
of our superiors could succeed without
our assistance and co-operation. While
I am in this position, I shall try to call
things by their right name. We will
not call a meeting at 9 and commence
at 10. We will use some of the system
followed at home in our shops in fur-
nishing our subordinates with what
they call for. If they want it at 8 we
furnish it at that time and not at 9.
That is the policy we will have to be-
gin now.
DISCUSSIONS TOO LOXG.
"There is one thing I want to call
your attention to, and that is our dis-
cussions are altogether too long; they
embody too many subjects in one topic.
We have too many topics which in-
crease our subjects so. In formulating
our topics for ne.xt year, I want to im-
press upon the members not to have so
many subject? embodied in one topic.
I would like to have the members have
some plan by which we can know what
topic we are going to take up ne.xt year,
and each member write something —
some article on some particular sub-
ject, and present it to the meeting,
just the same as the ones who present
the paper on the subject. We should
talk this over among ourselves and
each member come with a small paper
on quick turning of power, the cost,
how to obtain the best method, back
shop practice and how to get the av-
erage out of the power that is required.
I believe that this association has two
topics that we can discuss in this meet-
ing, and we can discuss them for two
or three years; one is the quick turn-
ing of power and the other is the mile-
age of an engine and how to procure it.
Back shop practices — how to handle the
work in the round house — all such
things are dependent upon us. It is a
good thing to argue about air and get
the different opinions about our work in
the shop, but after it crosses the turn-
table it is of little interest to us except
in the case of an engine failure. We
want to discuss the best method to pre-
vent engine failures. When we have
accomplished that, reduced the cost of
operation and turning the work out in
good shape, we have carried out the
purpose for which we are in our
positions."
As that salutary advice was to a
great extent given for the benefit of
future conventions, we publish it now
as being on time for the sixth con-
vention.
As the most important work super-
vised by the men composing the Gen-
eral Foremen's Association is the re-
pairing of locomotives, the most im-
portant subjects investigated and dis-
cussed are those relating to methods
for facilitating the work of repairs.
Nearly every shop has excellent meth-
ods peculiar to itself, and it is right
that the particularly good practices
should be revealed to all. In a very
compact paper prepared by Mr. W. C.
Stears, assisted by G. F. Dick, A. F.
Bradford and F. W. Rhuarp, the asso-
tion received edifying facts on the fol-
lowing question, which we give in full:
BEST METHOD OF GETTING WORK THROUGH
THE SHOP.
"In considering this question, we will
have to take into consideration the fact
that there is a wide difference in the
construction of the shops, and condi-
tions of the same on the different rail-
roads. It would therefore be impossi-
ble for us to discuss the method of han-
dling the work in detail. But the shop
organization should be such as would
insure the quickest handling of the
work possible. This can be done by
specializing the work; such as rod
work, steam chest, links, rocker boxes,
crossheads, pistons, which should be
handled by different gangs with work-
ing foreman. In fact, organize all the
different jobs in gangs that it is possi-
ble to do so under the local conditions.
The taper bolt should also be used for
all engine work, using the 1/16 inch to
the foot tapers, the reamers should be
marked by a series of letters and num-
bers so that it would be possible to
order bolts from machine foremen and
have them fit when brought to the job.
It would also facilitate the work in
round house, on such rod bolts and
frame splice and cylinder bolts, as well
L. H. BRY.-\N,
Secretary. Treasurer General Foreman's Ass'n.
as be a great advantage in supplying
material to outside points ready for
use.
"All cross-head pins, piston fits, etc.,
should also be maintained as a stand-
ard of the different class engines. A
stripping gang of handy men should
be organized, who should do sufficient
stripping to get the engine off the
wheels : namely, drop pedestal binders,
rods and brake rigging, all other strip-
ping should be done by the machinist
working on the engine.
"As we believe that the saving in ma-
terial and time lost in looking up
material will more than offset the dif-
ference in the pay of machinist and
Mav, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING
handy men. to say nothing of the time
saved by getting the work distributed
to the machine shop and blacksmith
shop as soon as it is off the engine.
the men in erecting department should
also be furnished with portable tool
boxes erected on wheels as a ware-
house truck, which should be equipped
with a full set of wrenches, pinch-bar.
sledge, etc., and charged against each
man. This would save a great amount
of time that is usually lost in looking
up and getting tools from tool room.
All the taps, dies, drills, reamers and
motors to be handled from regular tool
room on the check system, to be drawn
by an individual, kept for the purpose
by each gang on erecting floor. There
should also be a material man to draw
all material from store room and de-
liver to shop (where the shop is large
enough to warrant it).
"We also believe that the men should
be worked on the premium system,
which would be both beneficial to the
company and the men; to the men by
enabling them to earn in proportion to
their ability; to the company by in-
creasing the output of the shop, also by
excluding the incompetent man from
the shop."
Mr. Kelly thought it would pay to
have the entire stripping done by the
stripping g^ang. When the engine is
ready for the machinist, the rebuilding
of the engine can be started at once.
The stripping gang can be trained to it,
and he saw no reason why they should
break or destroy anything. Besides a
portion of the material stripped off an
engine should go to the lye vat, and he
did not think the machinist ought to do
any stripping.
In regard to the portable trucks with
a portable ^nse and tools, in some cases
they are very handy, but he did not
think every machinist ought to have
one. In the large shops you are limited
for «p.Tcc. nnd the entire shop might
be taken up with boxes and trucks.
Prisideiit Ogdcn remarked: "The in-
:il effort system is the only
method of organization, and a
rrr-thod that will increase the efficiency
of the back shop as well as the
round house and every other fore-
man that works under that system.
It does not only increase the earnings
of the man who does the work, but
the foreman's salary; his efficiency
■ — ^nie* along with his workmen,
•icourages him to take a more
•- part in looking after the work.
It also encourages him to see whether
he has too many men on one special
operation Mr. Ogden then proceeded
by figure* to show the beneTits that the
workmen derived from working under
the individual effort system "
The disrutfion w.it then dropped, lo
He resumed later, but pres* of business
kept it out, and the presumption is that
it will be taken up at the Cincinnati
convention.
Sixth Annual Convention.
Mr. Luther H. Bryan, of Two Harbors,
Minn., secretary of the Foremen's Associ-
ation, writes to the editor as follows :
"In connection with the International
Railway General Foremen's Association,
whose sixth annual convention is to be
held at Grand Hotel, Cincinnati, O., May
3, 4, 5, 6 and 7, I want to state that we
are going to have the best meeting we
have ever had, that is, if letters from the
members are any indication. Every mem-
ber should make it a point to be there, as
matters of vital importance are to be
brought up. It took the M. M. and
M. C. B. associations all of fifteen years
to get firmly established and show to the
"man higher up' that they were the one
important factor in the railroads of the
world. Times are faster now, and the
facts and information that took years of
struggle for them to gather for their su-
periors, must be gleaned for our superiors
in a much shorter time.
"The master mechanics have made it
possible for your position to be created to
relieve them of some of the many re-
sponsibilities that fall upon their shoul-
ders, and their aim is to select the master
minds from among the workmen, to take
charge of the many duties that now fall
to the lot of the foremen, and it is up to
the foremen to prove the wise selection of
their superiors. They depend more than
you realize upon your judgment, and are
trying their best, in many ways, to fit you
for higher positions. The active minds
are the ones picked out for advancement,
the thinkers, the doers.
"The I. R. G. F. A. was formed for just
this purpose, to get the thinkers and doers
together, to get their opinions and
thoughts on things of railroad interest
that would benefit their superiors and
thereby the railroads. They may not say
it in so many words, but I honestly be-
lieve that the superintendents of motive
power and master mechanics of today are
willing and anxious for you to attend the
general foremen's convention, knowing
that you will return enriched in knowledge
and improved physically. A trip of this
kind will not only help the mind, but the
body will be benefited. The old adage
'All work and no play makes Jack a dull
boy,' is an axiom, pure and simple. If a
week or so at the convention will benefit
you, so will this bring benefit to the com-
pany which employs you, and would am-
ply repay them for the expense incurred
sending you to the convention, and your
loss of time while there. Make an ear-
nest appeal to your superior, lay the mat-
ter l)efore him in a straightforward, hon-
est way, and see if you cannot convince
him that it will be for the company's wel-
fare as well as your own. for him to send
you there. Try it They are all good
men, and mean to do what is right, but
they just haven't had time to think the
matter over, and are waiting for you to
ask them."
Less Romance but More Comfort.
Everything in the line of machine
construction is now so thoroughly spe-
cialized that no workman or combina-
tion of mechanics thinks of building a
machine tool or a locomotive to em-
brace valuable features that the con-
tract shop owners refuse to build.
When .American machine shops were
working into the making of machine
tools and other concerns were trying
their hands on building locomotives,
the individual ideas were much more
potent than they are today. There was
more romance and variety in the occu-
pation of the old-time mechanic, but
his modern successor earns his wages
with less effort of head and hand.
Old Things Made New.
The apprentice boy in the machine
shop with a fondness for reading trade
literature finds in the simplest every-
day matter a subject of novelty to him-
self, remarked Chordal, and in the
course of time his mind becomes
stocked with material gathered item by
item, each one as old as the hills to the
world, but to him fresh as the daisies.
An apprentice boy in a machine shop
sits on a block at noon reading a me-
chanical paper or is thoroughly inter-
ested in an article on "Lining up engine
guides." .\n old, grayhaircd fellow
looks over the boy's shoulder, gets a
general idea of the illustrations, and
sneeringly remarks: "Pshaw! that
thing's a thousand years old. Is that
what you fellows read about in those
papers?"'
If the boy is smart, he will reply:
"I am sixteen years old and this is the
first I ever knew of the guide business.
How old were you when you found it
out?"
When the same boy gets to be fifty,
he may possibly become disgusted with
this same kind of shop literature, and
begin to think that the editor ought to
be kicked for putting old things in the
paper, thinking they can be passed off
as novelties. He may forget his own
experience.
Professional literature forms the an-
nals of professional progress. The ar-
tisan's literature is not and need not be
consecutive. It presents a series of
items which each individual arranges
in his own mind for his own individu.il
annals of progress.
We should impart to others our courage,
.ind not our despair; our health and ease,
and not our disease. — Thortau.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
May, 1 910.
Railroad Character Sketches
Shaw Becomes a Valve Seller
By James Kennedy.
Some people do not know when they
are well off. When good fortune comes
to them in an easy way they are not sat-
isfied. It is something else that they
want Rich men are not satisfied with
money ; they desire to become authors or
statesmen and blossom into foolishness.
When Shaw was put in charge of the
tool room he was practically his own
master. He had long lapses of languid
leisure. He could gaze out at the win-
dow and watch the pigeons describing
concentric circles in the blue vault of
heaven, and when some overgrown ap-
prentice called for a twist drill, the youth
had to roll up a handful of oily waste into
a hard ball and hit Shaw in the back of
the head with it before he could wake the
tool-keeper out of his day-dream. Shaw
was not altogether blind to earthly things.
While he had one eye on the phenomena
of nature as manifested in the winged
denizens of the intangible air, the other
eye swept with unwavering constancy the
beaten path whereon the shop superin-
tendent approached Shaw's secluded sec-
tion of the works. If Shaw had continued
his course of double observation he might
have become cross-eyed. As it was, he
began to assume poetic attitudes and ac-
quired the philosophic habit of looking at
his own nose.
An inspiration came to Shaw. He could
set valves, or thought he could. He had
sanded the rails, and pinched the wheels,
and moved the eccentric rods at Macfar-
lane's bidding, and he knew all about it.
If he had a couple of men he would tackle
the job after night, and next morning the
engine would be ready to go out. There
was overtime and extra pay in it, and
there was a dignity and mystery about it
that fed the fires of vanity in the head of
the ex-haddock man. He began by squar-
ing up the old "49." It was a simple
matter of dividing up the lost motion on
the eccentric rods and putting a small
offset in the eccentric keys, and the old
engine was none the worse. This is more
than can be said of the two assistants.
The pinching was back-breaking. Shaw
believed in long stretches of engine mov-
ing so that all of the lost motion could be
taken up. Shaw explained that he would
not let an engine go out of his hands un-
less it was exactly right if it took a part
of next week. Shaw had a good con-
science. That is more than some valve-
setters are said to have.
The laborers became familiar vifith
Shaw's methods. They could foresee his
valve-setting a week ahead, and they
evaded the superimposed sufferings with
ingenious duplicity. Running over the
valves was bad enough, but when it came
to new saddles on the links it was some-
thing terrible. It was all night, and next
day they were still at it. Shaw became
introspective and uncommunicative. Im-
portance sat upon his dark brow. From
his serene altitude other men looked little.
His sayings became oracular. His meth-
ods were mystical as those of an astrol-
oger. He had great black checker boards
constructed whereon he inscribed para-
bolic curves radiating from mysterious
centers and running through a network of
lines like the courses of transatlantic
ships. A double row of compound frac-
tions were inscribed on the ends of the
board and men marvelled that Shaw's
mind, hitherto dull and common, could
blossom into such amazing mathematical
efflorescence.
He was drifting either to the madhouse
or a master mechanicship when a sort of
valve-setting cataclysm engulfed him. It
was Friday and the "42" had new axles,
and key ways had to be cut in the axles
for holding the eccentrics in place. Shaw-
was getting beyond his depth. The few
engines whose valves he had been experi-
menting upon happened to have a key-
way cut in the wheels at a point nearest
to the crank pin. In the "42" the key-
ways in the wheels were cut at a point
furthest from the crank pin. Shaw had
been accustomed in his superficial experi-
ence in associating the position of the
eccentrics with the key-ways in the
wheels. If the key was at right angles,
or where the figure three occurs on the
dial of a clock, Shaw believed that the
extended part of the forward eccentric
should be about one o'clock, and the back-
ward eccentric about five o'clock. In this
blind belief he went on. He and his as-
sistants had a sad night of it, but they
worked mightily, and in the dim dawn of
the morning the engine was ready for
moving. Other new thoughts came to
Shaw. The manager was to look in on
Saturday and Shaw would show him
something worth remembering. It had
been the custom to have thirty or forty
men pulling on a rope and hauling the re-
paired engine out preparatory to firing up.
Shaw had steam up from another engine
that happened to be near. When the gang
assembled and the manager was looking
loftily on, Shaw waved them aside and,
jumping into the cab, he moved the re-
verse lever into the extreme forward
notch, and opening the throttle, the old
engine trembled for a moment as if con-
scious of what was going to happen, and
then plunged suddenly backwards. A cry
of alarm burst from the astonished crowd
as the ponderous draw-bar of the engine
shot through the solid brick wall, and in
another instant the wall itself fell out-
wards with a blinding crash I Shaw shut
off steam, but not before the old engine
was out in the open air blocking the main
line. A string of empty coal cars came
lumbering along and leaped over each
other as if to bury Shaw in elemental
ruin !
How Shaw survived was a mystery. He
was brought out in a semi-unconscious
condition. Macfarlane was called upon to
clear up the wreck and rectify the engine.
Billy had to write a report of it, which he
did with a degree of fullness that left lit-
tle to be desired. In a few days Shaw's
valve-setting became a fateful memory.
He is back at his old job, and in his leis-
ure moments he is finishing oil cups and
cutting piston rings and cleaning injectors
and the pigeons are describing their in-
volved and convoluted circles unheeded.
Macfarlane had a fit of supreme contempt
for Shaw too deep for words, but Billy in-
sists that Shaw was right, because in
ancient history it is recorded that when a
great man visited his native city it was cus-
tomary not to admit him at the common
gateway, but to pull down a portion of the
city wall so that he might have the high
honor of having a gateway cut for himself
and so enter as became a conquering hero,
amid the acclamations of the admiring
m.ultitude, and this honor Shaw had ac-
corded to the manager.
Invention to Operate Distant Signals.
In the development of station sig-
nals means of operating a distant sig-
nal tried the ingenuity of engineers
longer than any badly needed inven-
tion. About 1846, when most railway
men had decided that nothing short of
a man stationed beside a distant sig;nal
could operate it, so that a train stand-
ing at a station would have distant
protection, a porter at an English rail-
way station, who had charge of two
signals, one at each end of the plat-
form, devised a system of wires which
enabled him to operate both signals
from one point. After this invention
had been in use for about a year the
engineer of the road happened to see
what the porter was doing, and
promptly applied for a patent on the
invention, which was granted and be-
came the basis of a modest fortune in
which the ingenious porter reaped no
share. There are patent sharks in
England as well as elsewhere.
Y. M. C. A. Work on P. R. R.
The Pennsylvania Railroad Y. M. C. A,
in Philadelphia, in the annual report for
1909, shows a total attendance of 344,439
in the year. In the educational classes
320 members were enrolled, and 606 ses-
sions were held.
Truth is to be costly to you — of labor
and patience ; and you are never to sell it,
but to guard it and to give — Ruskin.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE EXGIXEERING.
213
Dixon's Graphite En-
gine Front Finish is
better than anything
you have ever used
on the fronts of lo-
comotives.
One thing you^ve
noticed about the
other finishes is that
they give off offen-
sive fumes when the
front of the engine
gets a little hot. You
won't find this diffi-
culty with Dixon's
Finish.
Besides, Dixon's Fin-
ish lasts from six
to nine weeks and
produces a restful
surface rather than
a dazzlingly bright
one.
We'll be glad to
send you free de-
scriptive circular
69-F on request, a
free test sample too,
if you like.
JOSEPH DIXON
CRUCIBLE CO.
Jersey City, N. J.
Don't Blame the Conductor.
A novel educational method was recent-
ly tried on the traveling public in Roches-
ter, X. Y. A new and complicated sys-
tem of transfers was introduced a few
months ago. Mr. W. C. Callaghan, super-
intendent of Transportation Xew York
State Railways, writing in the Electric
Traction IVcekly, says :
"The day the new transfer was put into
effect, cards were posted on the windows
of all cars headed, 'Don't blame the con-
ductor.' These cards informed the public
that the conductors were working under
rules which they could not change, and
requested passengers with complaints of
any kind to present their grievance to the
office. This slogan, 'Don't blame the con-
ductor,' was undoubtedly one of the hap-
piest thoughts that could have occurred,
as it became general all over the town,
and no doubt relieved the conductors from
many disputes and troubles."
mounted on the table, have independent
vertical, lateral and angular adjustments.
For further particulars, you are requested
to write the manufacturers, who will be
pleased to give you full information.
Let Him Cave It In.
The late Sir Daniel Wilson, president
of the University of Toronto, said on
one occasion when addressing the stu-
dents, "I have had a lot of trouble in my
life, but most of it never happened."
This saying conveys the lesson that
worry and fret are ninety-nine times out
of a hundred entirely unnecessary. Ar-
temus Ward, speaking one day of ac-
tivity and push, said, "When an emer-
gency comes along I like to see a
man rise up and just cave in the head
of that emergency."
A Molder for the Car Shop.
The J. .■\. Fay & Egan Company, of
Cincinnati, Ohio, have a model molder on
the market that is regarded in woodwork-
ing circles as being a very satisfactory
machine and particularly useful in car
shops. The manufacturers call this
machine their No. 182 four side
molder. This machine is made in
three sizes, eight, nine and ten
inches wide.
In order to work very heavy
moldings without vibration, the
manufacturers have given special
attention to the construction of the
frame. It is cast in one piece,
very heavy, and it is extra long
to give good belt length. The
feed is very powerful and
positive, consisting of four geared
rolls, the two upper ones being spur sec-
tions and the two lower ones solid. The
upper rolls are driven down, which makes
it possible for the makers to attach their
patent spring hold down, giving uniform
pressure on the material, and being in
every way more powerful and satisfac-
tory than the old system of weights and
levers, commonly found on molders.
Sectional clamp bearings are applied
to both the upper and lower cutter head
spindles. The bearings consist of metal
plates held in position by clamp bolts.
These exert no downward pressure on
the journals, and cannot be screwed tight
enough to bind, a feature of the old style
cap boxes that often Rave trouble. By re-
leasing the clamp bolts and simply press-
ing the plates down with the hand, any
wear may be taken up. A cool running
journal is thus insured.
Powerful screws mounted on ball bear-
ings raise and lower the bed, the section
of which, after the lower head, swings
down out of the way to give access to the
knives. The side heads, which are
The Gyroscope Car.
Continued experiments are being made
with the gyroscope car, the latest exhibi-
tion being given in Kent, England, on a
circular track of a mile in circumference.
The car was run on a single rail around
the track at 20 miles per hour. The stabil-
ity mechanism consists of two gyroscope
wheels which rotate in opposite direc-
F.AV & EG.\N FOUR SIDE MOLDER.
tions, each at 3,000 revolutions per min-
ute. The wheels are enclosed in air-ex-
hausted cases, their axes of rotation being
horizontal, while the axes of precession
are vertical. While the car is standing bal-
anced on the rail and the gyroscopes run-
ning there is no tendency to movement in
the car, but when any disturbing force ap-
pears, such as the movement of the passen-
gers, the effect of the gyroscope wheels is
to cause the car to lean over to the opposite
side and balance the disturbing force.
Normally the action is automatic, but the
driver can control the action so that the
car can be made to lean over while load-
ing and unloading and rest on adjustable
platforms. The weight of the car when
empty was 22 tons and a load of 10 tons
was carried. The gyroscope wheels
weighed together t'/i tons. The motive
power was a gasoline engine. Two
ciiKincs were used, one of 80-horse
power for moving the car and one of 20-
horse power for driving the gyroscope
wheels. tJ
214
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
May, 1910.
International Fuel Association.
The International Railway Fuel Asso-
ciation will hold their second annual
meeting in the Hotel La iialle, Chicago,
on May 23 to JO, nicliisive. 1 he secre-
tary, Mr. L). B. Sebastian, 3i7 La Salle
Station, Chicago, writes the editor as
follows :
"The hours ot session will be from 9
a. m. to I p. m. on the four days, and the
members will be welcomed on the open-
ing day by the mayor of Chicago, and ad-
dresses by other prominent men are ex-
pected.
"Members are particularly urged to
bring their families to this convtnticn. The
hours of session were purposely arranged
without intermission to permit opportuni-
ty for recreation and to establish a better
acquaintance between the members. The
matter of entertainment, the entire ex-
pense of which will be borne by the asso-
ciation, will be a distinct feature this
year. Something will be done every day
in connection with complimentary theater
parties to members and their friends, a
trip across Lake Michigan and return on
a commodious passenger steamer, or a
visit to one of Chicago's large amusement
parks ; besides automobile rides, etc., are
being arranged for.
"The commodity, 'Fuel,' is of more
importance to railroads from a cost
standpoint than anything else purchased,
and with this live subject is it any wonder
that all of our large and small railroads
are interested as members in this asso-
ciation ?"
A list of the papers to be presented and
of the personnel of the committees is to
be found in the March issue of Railway
Locomotive Engixeerixg, page 102.
Lots to See.
Richard Randall had been a perfect
railway manager, with charity to all and
malice toward none. The time came for
Richard to enter upon his reward, and a
celestial messenger called to escort him
upon his last run. As they were skipping
through the skies a thought came to
Richard, who was always compassionate,
that he would like to pay a brief visit to
the other place. The request w-as no
sooner made than granted, as like a flash
they were transported to the lower re-
gions. There were many things to be
seen, as the guide intimated that Richard
might indulge in any enjoyment to be
had from the novel sights, leaving him to
select for himself. After being absent for
some hours the guide returned and found
Richard sitting watching intently the an-
tics of a group of men who were squirm-
ing in a particularly hot furnace.
"What have you found there ?" demand-
ed the guide.
"I've found a furnace filled with chance-
takers, and that is pleasure enough for
me. I intend to stav here."
Weathering of Coal.
"1 he Weathering of Coal," by Messrs.
S. W. Parr and W. F. Wheeler, is issued
by the Engineering Experiment Station
of the University of Illinois as Bulletin
No. 38. This bulletin embodies the re-
sults of weathering tests conducted on
car-load lots of coal for a period of one
year, in the course of which, coal from
various mines was exposed in covered
bins, open bins and under water. The re-
sults are presented in the form ot charts
which show graphically the losses m heat-
ing value resulting from each condition
of exposure. Copies of Bulletin No. 38
may be obtained gratis on application to
Prof. W. F. M. Goss, Director of the En-
gineering Experiment Station, University
of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois.
Silver in Lead.
It may not be generally known that old,
or what may more properly be called an-
tique, lead usually contains a considerable
proportion of silver. This is readily re-
covered by what is known as Pattinson's
process, which is an electric application
used in separations of the molecules of
silver from the lead. In fusing lead the
greater bulk of the silver finds its way to
the surface of the molten metal, but much
of the silver remained in the lead previous
to the application of Pattinson's electric
device.
Pushing the "Get There" Idea.
Down at Dayton, Ohio, there are
rival lines which compete strenuously
for business. One of the managers
placed some signs in cars, reading, "Di-
rect Route to Greenwood Cemetery."
Not to be outdone, his rival put up
some cards which read, "Shortest Route
to All Cemeteries." — Electric Traction
IVeekly.
Tractive Power.
The American Locomotive Company
have just issued a very useful and con-
venient bulletin. No. 1002, for March.
This bulletin deals with the tractive power
of simple locomotives, and the tables given
are the most comprehensive that we have
seen on the subject. Table No. i is the
tractive power calculated for simple en-
gines with boiler pressure of 100 lbs. Ta-
bles Nos. I to 8 are for boiler pressures of
from 150 to 220 lbs. In these two tables
almost any combination of cylinders, driv-
ing wheels and pressures which anyone is
likely to come across is covered. There
are other tables giving, respectively, the
number of revolutions of driving wheel
per mile for different sizes of wheels. Sec-
onds per mile with equated miles per hour.
Cylinder volume. Internal area of tubes.
Heating surface of tubes. Weight of tubes.
Middle ordinates and tangent deflections
GOLD
Car
Heating
Lighting
Company
Manufacturert of
ELECTRIC,
STEAM AND
HOT WATER
APPARATUS
FOR RAILWAY CARS
IMPROVED
SYSTEM OF
ACETYLENE
CAR LIGHT-
ING
Largest ManufKturera in tbe World of
Car Heating Apparatiu
Send for circular of our combina-
tion PRESSURE AND VAPOR
SYSTEM OF CAR HEATING,
which system automatically main-
tains about the same temperature in
the car regardless of the outside
weather conditions.
Main Office, Whitehall Building
17 BATTERY PLACE
NEW YORK
May, 1910.
R.\IL\VAY AND LOCOMOTIVE EXGIXEERING.
RECOGNIZED
STANDARD
FLEXIBLE
STAYBOLTS
Holds firebox sheets securely
together, and accommodates
itself to the unequal expansion
<if the plates.
USFD ON OVER l£5 RAILROADS
" Starbolt Trouble
a Thincf of the Past "
So say many of our customers
who have used the Tate Bolt
in large numbers, covering a
jicriod of time sufficient to base
comparisons and eliminate all
iliances of doubt.
THE TATE BOLT HAS
PROVED ITSELF INDISPENS-
ABLE TO LOCOMOTIVES IN
HIGH PRESSURE SERVICE
BY RENDERING A LOWER
COST OF FIRE BOX REPAIRS
TO A GREATER MILEAGE IN
SERVICE. THEREBY IN-
CREASING THE EARNING
VALUE.
FUNNERY BOIT COMPANY
PITTSBURGH, PA.
Suito >2« rnck Bulldlnc
•. Z. D VTArrOBD. Oon Man*(i>r
J. ROOEKS rLAVVZEY * COMPAJfY.
S*Ilinc A«*ntt
rnck Balldlnc, Plttibursh, Pa.
TOM B DAVI* lUchini'al Eip«rt
OEO. E HOWARD. Esiorn TarTtUry
W M. WtLSOM. WaiUrn Tarrltary
OOmtOaWEALTH ■VPPLY COKPAWT.
of curves. Metric conversion tables and
classification of locomotives. By means
of this bulletin a great many calculations
connected with locomotive design may be
considerably simplified. There is a vast
amount of work represented in filling the
few sheets of which it is composed, but
the results are so neatly tabulated and
arranged that it is a pleasure to work
with it. Those who would like to have a
copy should apply direct to the company
for one.
Employees and Pensions.
The latest government report on the
number of railroad employees puts the
total for the countrj- at 1,672,074. Of
these approximately 665.000, or about 40
per cent., are employed on roads which
have pension systems. Among the com-
panies that now bestow pensions on em-
ployees are the Xew York Central, the
Rock Island, the Pennsylvania, the Buf-
falo, Rochester & Pittsburgh, the Chicago
& Xorth-Western, the Illinois Central,
the Santa Fe, the Union Pacific, the
Southern Pacific and its affiliated lines,
the Lackawanna, and the Baltimore &
Ohio, the Atlantic Coast Line, the Read-
ing, Jersey Central and the Canadian
Pacific and Grand Trunk in Canada.
Human Growth.
Observations regarding the growth of
man have determined the following inter-
esting facts : The most rapid growth
lakes places immediately after birth, the
growth of an infant during the first year
of its existence being about eight inches.
The ratio of increase gradually decreases
until the age of three years is reached,
2t which time the size attained is about
half that which it is to become when full
grown. Aiter five years the succeeding
increase is very regular until the six-
teenth, being at the rate for the average
man of two inches a year Beyond sixteen
the growth is feeble, being for the follow-
ing two years about six-tenths of an inch
a year, while from eighteen to twenty the
increase in height is seldom over an inch.
At the age of twenty-five the growth
rcases, save in a few exceptional cases.
Tell-Tale Hole in Staybolts.
The Falls Hollow Staybolt Company, of
Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, have kept pace with
the discussions concerning flexible stay-
bolt* which have taken place in the Mas-
ter Mechanics' .Association and in the
Master Boiler Makers' conventions during
the past few years. This speaks well for
the enterprise an<l the careful examination
of every phase of the important staybolt
question by this well known company. It
is known that the purpose of the inventors
and makers of flexible staybolts has been
to design a llcxibic stay which would,
without straining or bending the metal
of the outer firebox sheet, should re-
spond freely to the slight movement
caused by repeated expansion and con-
traction of the fire sheets, and this de-
sirable feature has been introduced into
locomotive practice. The Falls Hollow
Staybolt Company are now advocating the
desirabilty of introducing the tell-tale hole
into the flexible staybolt. Their work-
ing out of this problem is interesting, and
those concerned in the care of staybolts
should write to the company for particu-
lars on the subject, which they are pre-
pared to give. The rigid hollow staybolt
as made by this company is too well
known to require any detailed description
here. It has not only been extensively
used in this country, but has been specified
in foreign countries, and their further ef-
fort to include flexible staybolts is one
that cannot fail to awaken interest in the
minds of all those who have the care of
locomotive boilers in their charge.
Might Be Something Happened.
A witness in a railroad case at Fort
Worth, Tex., was asked to tell in his
own way how the accident happened,
said: "Well, Die and I was walking
down the track, and I heard a whistle,
and I got off the track, and the train
went by, and I got back on the track,
and I didn't see Ole: but I walked
along, and pretty soon I seen Ole's hat,
and I walked on and seen one of Ole's
legs, and then I seen one of Ole's arms,
and then another leg, and then over
en one side Ole's head, and I says to
myself, 'Gee, something muster happen
to Ole !" — Evcrybod's Magazine
Increase of Pay on the P. R. R.
The boards of directors of railroads
comprising the Pennsylvania System
have ordered a voluntary advance of 6
per cent, in the wages of all permanent
employees of the company who now
receive less than $300 per month. This
is the third general voluntary increase
in wages granted by the Pennsylvania
in the last eight years. The Pennsyl-
vania Railroad and its affiliated lines
employ about ioo.ooo men. Of these,
r-pproximately 105,000 will participate in
the increase of wages. This will in-
volve an addition of some $10,000,000
to the pay rolls of the various com-
panies.
The Pennsylvania in December, 1902,
awarded an increase of 10 per cent, to
all employees receiving less than $200
per month. In December, 1906, another
volunKiry increase of 10 per cent, in
wages was made by the various companies
iti the system, so that the present read-
justment means a total addition of 28.26
per cent, to the rates paid in December,
ii>02. Aside from the voluntary ad-
vances that have been made, there have
been granted constantly incrc.iscs in
wages due in jirninriliiins, .n wc II .is in-
2l6
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE EXGINEERIXG.
>[ay, 1910.
creases for various classes of em-
ployees, so that with the increase in
wages effective April i, 1910, the cost
of labor to the Pcnnsj'lvania Railroad
System for the year 1910 will be more
than 33 per cent, greater than in 1902.
In other words, an employee of the
company will, in 1910, receive approxi-
mately one-third more salary than he
was paid eight years ago.
this wrench during the past year, in spite
of the generally poor condition of busi-
ness. More railroads use it than ever
before. If this is true, and we see no
reason to doubt the maker's claims, it is a
very good illustration of the fact that
there will always be a good healthy de-
mand for a thoroughly serviceable article.
New Era Packing.
A very handy little booklet has been
issued by the New Era Manufacturing
Company, of Kalamazoo, Mich. It
deals in short form with their new era
metallic packing, or, as they call it,
self-lubricating bearing metal. We are
told by the makers that "this product
consists of a high grade of anti-friction
alloy reduced to a sponge-like form, in
which the metal portions are highly at-
tenuated, and of irregular and inter-
rupted surface formation, treated with
lubricating oils and then coated, on all
its surfaces throughout the sponge-like
mass, with flaked and comminuted,
friable mineral lubricating substances,
which convert the whole mixture into
a compound mass of metallic lubri-
cants."
Uncertainty.
Max Adler used to tell this story
about a farmer who owned a fine Al-
derney cow. One day a stranger, hav-
ing seen, admired and coveted the cow,
met the owner and asked, "What will
you take for your cow?" The farmer
became e.xcited at the prospect of a
sale, but suddenly reflected, and said,
"Now, look ahere, you; be you the tax
assessor, er hes that there cow been
killed on the railroad?" — Erie Railroad
Employes Maga::iiie.
A Serviceable Wrench.
The Uuanta Wrench Company of
Meadville, Pa., are making a first-class
wrench for railroad use. The wrench is
of special design and construction, having
a reinforced movable jaw, made of the
best quality of malleable iron. The head,
bar and shank are made in one piece
which is drop-forged from special high-
grade steel. The hexagon nut which
moves the jaw up and down is threaded
its entire length and gives an extremely
rigid bearing for the thrust of the wrench.
The shape of this nut is such that it af-
fords perfect grasp for the hand, and is
free from any knurled surface. The iron
handle is made to fit the hand, giving the
best possible grasp, and its use will not
tire the hand. It has a taper fit to the
shank and is free from the annoyance
caused by loose rivets often used to hold
handles in place. This handle is made of
malleable iron, and is as nearly inde-
structible as it is possible to make it. The
makers report a wonderful demand for
Speed of Wood-Working Machinery.
"It is curious," said a well known
master car builder the other day, as
we strolled around his finely arranged
planing mill, "it is curious how ig-
norant most of your iron-working
friends are about the speed of wood-
working tools. Most of them know
that this class of machine requires
great power to drive it, and that is due
to the enormous capacity of these ma-
chines for doing work. Wood, of
course, is more easily worked than
metals, but the material is cut up so
rapidly that it represents immense con-
centration of power." Here are some
notes on the subject that may surprise
some of the men who are deficient in
respect for the wood-workers of the
country:
A properly driven circular saw has
a peripheral speed of 7,000 ft. per min-
ute— nearly a mile and a half. A band
saw is run at about half that speed.
Planing machine cutters have a speed
at the edge of 6,000 ft. per minute, and
the cutters of molding machines slice
out material at about 4,000 ft. per min-
ute. Wood-carving drills are run 5.000
revolutions per minute. Augers I'j
ins. in diameter are run 900 revolutions
per minute, and those half that size are
run at 1.200 revolutions per minute.
Mortising machine cutters make about
300 strokes per minute.
This Rule Has Exceptions.
.•\ religious worker gave a "Talk for
Men," during the course of which he ex-
pressed his conviction that no young man
should visit any place to which he would
not feel justified in taking his own sister.
"Is there any young man present wlio
thinks one may safely disregard this wise
rule?" asked the speaker. Whereupon a
youth in the rear of the hall arose and
.shouted in a stentorian tone. "Yes, sir,
I do." "And what, sir." demanded the
angry and surprised speaker, "is the place
you yourself would think of visiting to
which you could not take your sister?"
"The Barber shop !" replied the youth
with a grin.
Record of Transportation, P. R. R.
The Pennsylvania Railroad have i^fued
their annual Record of Transportation
Lines, showing that on December 31.
1909, the road had 24,097.94 miles of
track, the greatest in the history of the
company. The system has in all 11,234.36
Are You Prepared for
Every Breakdown ?
Better Secure the 1910 Edillon,
Just Publlsbed, of
Locomotive Breakdowns
and Their Remedies
By Fowler-Wood. 1910 Poc%et Bdl-
tloD. This book tells you Just what to do
In case of any accident or breakdown.
Walscaert Locomotive Valre Gear Troublea,
The Electric Headlight and Questions and
Answers on the Air Brake are all Included.
Fully IllTistrated. Price Jl.OO.
Westinghouse E-T Air Brake
Instruction Pocket Book
By Wm. W. Wood. Here U a book for
rhe railroad man, and the man who alma to
be one. It Is the only complete work pab-
Hsbed on the Weatinghouae E-T LocomotiT*
Br&ke Equipment. Written by an Air Brake
Instructor who knowa
Just what U needed.
It covers the subject
thoroughly. E t * r y-
thlng about the N«w
Westinghouee Engine
and Tender B r a k a
Egulpment. tncladlof
the Standard No. 5
and the Perfected No.
6 Style of brake, la
ated In
Written In plain Eng-
lish and profusely 11-
lusTrated with Colored
Plates, which enable
one to trace the flow
of pressures through-
out the entire equip-
ment. The best book
pver published on the
Air Brake. Equally
good for the beginner and the advanc&d to-
glneer. Will pass any one through any
examination. It Informs and enllghtene yoa
on every point. Indispensable to every en-
glneman and trainman. Filled with colored
Illustrations. Price $2.00.
Walsctiaert Locomotive Gear
By Wm. W. Wood. If you would thor-
ou^'hly understand the Walscaert LocomotlTe
Valve Gear you should possess a copy of thla
book. It covers the subject In every detail.
Examination questions with their answers are
given. Fully Illustrated and contains slid-
ing card board models. Price $1.50.
Locomotive Catechism
By Grimshaw. 2Tth Edition. It la a
New Book from Cover to Cover. Includea
the greatest amount of practical Information
ever published on the constnictlon and man-
agemeiit of modern locomotives. Contains
Specially Prepared Chapters on the Walsch-
aert Locomotive Valve Gear, the Air Brake
Equipment and the Electric Head Light. 825
pages, 437 Illustrations and 3 Folding Plates.
Over 4,000 Examination Qnestlons and their
Answers are Included. Price $2.50.
Link Motions and Valve Setting
By Colvin. A handy book for the engineer
or machinist that clears np the mysteries of
valve setting. Shows the different valve
gears In use, how they work and why. Pis-
ton and slide valves of different types are
Illustrated and explained. A book that every
railroad man Id the motive power department
ought to have. Price 50 cents.
Air Brake Catechism
By Blackall. A complete treatise on the
Westlnpbouse Air Brake, including the No.
5 and No. 6 ET Locomotive Brake Equip-
ment; the K ( Quick-Servlcel Triple Valve
for Freight Service; and the Cros»- Com pound
Pump. 3S0 pages, folly illustrated with
folding plates and diagrams. Price $2.00.
my of these trooks sent
request. Anv of these
CIRCULAR b^ks sent prepaid on re-
ceipt of price.
AgentB Wanted at Every Terminal.
Write for our Special Terma
The Norman W. Henley Pub. Co.
132 Nassau Street, NEW YORK. U. S. A.
A SPECIAL
May. 1910.
R.\ILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
217
THE
THERMIT
WELDING
PROCESS
This process oflFers the great
advantage that welds on large
sections can be made without re-
moving the broken part from its
position. Locomotive frames are
welded without dismantling the
engine, sternposts and rudder
frames of steamships are repaired
without removing them from tlie
ship. The same advantages apply
to other large repairs which may
be executed in a few hours.
Thermit is a mixture of finely
divided aluminum and iron oxide
which, when ignited, reacts to
form superheated liquid steel and
superheated liquid slag (Alumi-
num Oxide) at a temperature of
5400 degs. Fahr. In welding, the
steel is poured into a mold sur-
rounding the pieces to be welded
together and which have previ-
ously been brought to a red heat
by means of a gasoline torch.
The very high temperature of the
Thermit Steel causes it to dis-
solve the metal with which it
comes in contact and amalgamate
with it to form a single homo-
geneous mass when cool.
Our illustrated pamphlet No.
25-B gives full information about
the process and contains detailed
directions for making locomotive
repairs. We shall be glad to send
you a copy of this pamphlet on
request and also a copv of "RE-
xrTinVS"— the Th.rmit Quar-
90 West St., New York
SINCLAIR'S LOCOMOTIVE ENGINE
RUNNING AND MANAGEMENT
Is ttill popular. We have it. Price $2.00
ANGUS SINCLAIR CO.. 114 l.ib.rtr Si.. N. Y.
WARNING
WAITERS A. B. C. Track Sanders
Mf pftiVBt llo, TTMOt c«T*n th« tntrodar*
U«s of tb« air ao4«r pr«Mar« Into th« ■uitf
ia a^vano* of th« aatruMM to th« trap.
lafrlntf'^ri anH f ton man of art urine aama
wtll W doalt with by du« l^fal procota.
I. H. WATHK. ks\l M. M. 64 R R , Ibfifti, it.
miles of line, of which 6,2^.32 miles are
east of Pittsburgh and Erie, and the re-
mainder, 4,940ja4, run west of Pittsburgh.
There are now 11,234.36 miles of first
track, 3v348.39 miles of second track,
760.10 miles of third track, and 570.20
miles of fourth track. There are also
8,184.89 miles of siding. The increase in
the trackage in the year 1909 was 120.53
miles. The Pennsylvania Railroad is es-
sentially an institution of the State of
Pennsylvania, for in it are located 4,101.03
of the 11,234.36 miles of line.
Reward for Life Saving.
Mr. Robert Brendle received a medal
of honor (under the provisions of the act
of Congress) from President Taft, for
saving the life of a woman on the Centre
street crossing of the B. & O. in Mc-
Keesport, Pa. Nine parallel tracks cross
the street at grade. Mr. Brendle, who was
the policeman on duty at this crossing,
saw a woman attempt to cross as a freight
train was approaching. He shouted a
warning, but the woman, being foreign,
did not understand English, and he rushed
to her assistance. He picked her up and
carried her ofif the track, none too soon,
for the buffer beam of the engine struck
him a glancing blow. The mayor and
chief of police at McKeesport made ap-
plication for the medal.
Duplex Uncoupler.
.\ very ingenious device called the Du-
plex Uncoupler and Automatic Release
has been brought out by the National Rail-
way Devices Company, of Chicago, III. It
is an uncoupling apparatus which is applic-
able to any car and to any kind of
coupler. It consists of a round iron bar
carried in suitable bearings with handle at
the side of the car. This handle is an
ordinary crank, and the operator in work-
ing the device rotates the round iron bar
on its own axis. One of the cleverly de-
vised features of this arrangement is that
the handle is close to the step, and in the
normal position, with knuckle closed, a
man can step on the handle and not open
I lie knuckle. More than that, a man may
-t.ind on the step with one foot and op-
erate the handle with the other.
So much for the handle end; the other
end is bent into what may be called a sort
'if right angled triangle, with the corners
curved so that a short round iron rod may
be moved by rotation of the triangle. In
the normal position this bar lies on the
base of the triaM({lc and draw gear move
ment simply slides the short round iron
lod along as required.
This short round iron bar has a sliding
pivot motion, if one may so say, in a
bracket at its outer or flattened end. The
<ilher end is attached to the coupler lock.
In the lock-5et position this thort round
iron rod falls into the heel or right angle
of the triangle, which by reason of its ro
taiion has raised the bar and alx) the
coupler lock. In the knuckle-open position
the further rotation of the triangle has
raised the short bar and the knuckle lock
with it to its highest position, still keeping
in the heel or right angle of the triangle.
When it comes to a case of "pull out"
of the draw bar, the forward movement of
the coupler pulls the short bar into the
smaller or acute angle of the triangle, lift-
ing it at the same time, and with it the
knuckle lock, so that the knuckle swings
open and danger of accident are thus
avoided.
It is not very easy to describe this device
without the aid of illustrations, but our
description is at least an accurate outline
sketch for the mind to grasp. The best
way to get the whole thing so that all its
merits may be readily understood is to
drop the makers a post card and ask for
their folder; it is illustrated very clearly.
With this brief description and their illus-
trations and remarks you will see what a
cleverly designed arrangement it is and
how well it has been thought out. Their
address is 490 Old Colony Building, Chi-
cago, 111.
Fatigue of Metals.
It should be borne in mind that hard-
ened tools undergo changes of temper in
the course of time. This is altogether
apart from the disintegration of metals
which is constantly going on. Old
swords, formerly the ice brook's temper,
may now be readily bent and in a few
hundred years more will fall to pieces of
their own accord. The silver coins of the
middle ages are now scarcely able to hold
their own weight. The brass pillars at
the door of Solomon's Temple are crum-
bled into dust. In the matter of hardened
steel tools it may be added that the lower
the temperature the longer it takes to re-
move the hardness from a piece of hard
steel.
Incrustation of Boilers.
The following are a few of the rcme-
<lies for scale in boilers recommended
by various authorities. Imagination
helped in making the remedies rem-
edy: I. Potatoes, one-fiftieth of weight
of water, prevents adherence of scale.
2. Twelve parts of salt, two and one-
half caustic soda, one-eighth extract of
oak bark, one-half part of potash. 3.
Pieces of oak wood suspended in a
boiler and renewed monthly prevent
deposits. 4. Two ounces of muriate of
ammonia in a boiler twice a week pre-
vents incrustation and decomposes
scale. 5. Coating of three parts bl.ick-
Icad. eighteen of tallow, applied hot to
the inside of a boiler every week, pre-
vents scale. 6. Thirteen pounds of mo-
lasses fed occasionally into an eight-
horse boiler prevented incrustation for
six months, so the engineer said. 7.
.Mahogany or oak sawdust in limited
2l8
RAILWAY AXD LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
May, 1010.
quantities; the tannic acid attacks the
iron, and should be used with caution.
8. Slippery elm bark has been used
with sonic success. 9. Carbonate of
soda. 10. Cloride of tin. 1 1. Spent tan-
ners' bark. 12. Constant blowing off.
On to Her Calling.
Our Landlady — "It's the strangest
thing in the world ! Do you know, our
dear old pet cat disappeared very sud-
denly yesterday. Excuse me, Mr. Ru-
dolph, will you have another piece of
rabbit pie?"
Mr. Rudolph (promptly) — "No, thank
V ou !"
Our Landlady (an hour later) — "That
is three more pies saved. This season
will be a profitable one indeed."
Twentieth Century Outfit.
The Bukcr & Carr Alanufacturing
Company of Rochester, N. Y., makers of
the Twentieth Century Outfit, have issued
a folder in which every part of their ma-
chine is illustrated and numbered for or-
dering. This twentieth century outfit is
the handy little machine used in so many
railroad shops for any one of four opera-
tions connected with the handling of air
brake or steam hose. With this machine
one can easily cut hose clamp bolts, also
pull the hose off an old coupling, and this
is not an easy operation, as anybody
knows who has tried to do it by hand.
It will force hose on a coupling, and it
will apply the clamp. The machine for
doing all this is illustrated, and even the
minutest part has its name and number
on the folder just issued. Write to Buker
& Carr and secure a copy of this folder,
or ask them any question you like con-
nected with their machine.
Water Softening.
The Germans claim that they have
discovered something new in the way
of water softening. The apparatus con-
sists of a piece of thin sheet aluminum,
which is bent into a series of deep cor-
rugations, usually about l^ in. wide,
the depth of the corrugation being
about I inch. The dimensions vary ac-
cording to the amount of water to be
treated. The quantity of water is fed
into a hopper and a number of holes
lead into the corrugations, the supply
being limited so that the corrugations
will not overflow. The aluminum is set
with a slight incline, so that the water
flows through the corrugations into a
storage tank. This is all the treatment
the water receives. One would not
think this would serve any purpose, but
if the reports are to be depended upon
something happens to the water during
its contact with the aluminum. No
hard scale is deposited on the plates or
tubes, the precipitates from the water
forming only soft mud, which can be
readily waslied away.
Reward for Bravery.
A pleasing incident occurred at the
head offices of the Canadian Pacific Rail-
way in Montreal not long ago. Con-
ductor Thomas Reynolds, who had been
in charge of the train wrecked at the
Spanish river bridge, was called into the
office of Sir Thomas Shaughnessy, the
president of the company. Mr. Reynolds
was presented by Sir Thomas with a gold
watch and $500 as an appreciation of his
bravery, his loyal and humane work at
the wreck. Although severely injured,
he worked heroically and succeeded in
saving the lives of a number of passen-
gers.
Examining a Witness.
The lawyer for the defendant was try-
ing to cross-e.xamine a Swede who had
been subpoenaed by the other side as a
witness in an accident case. "Now, An-
derson, what do you do?" asked the
lawyer. "Sank you. Aw ah not vara
well." "I didn't ask you how your health
was, but what do you do?" "Oh, yais; Aw
work." "But what kind of work do you
do?" "Oh. yais; Aw work in fact'ry."
"Very good. What kind of a factory?"
"It ees a very big fact'ry." "Your honor,"
said the lawyer, addressing the Court, "if
he keeps on like this I think we shall have
to have an interpreter." Then he turned to
the witness — "Look here. Anderson, what
do you do in that factory — what do you
make?" he asked. "Oh. yais; Aw un'er-
stan'; you want to know vat Aw make 'n
fact'ry, eh?" "Exactly. Now tell us
what you make." "Von dollar an' a half
a day." An interpreter was called in.
Something About Drills.
The Dunlap Engineering Company,
successors to the Columbus Pneumatic
Tool Company, located at Columbus,
Ohio, issue at intervals finely illus-
trated catalogues descriptive of their
products. The latest issue furnishes
complete details of their close-quarter
drills, central spindle and reversible
type of drills. The latter is a very
clever device partaking something of
the nature of reversible valve gearing.
It is simple and durable. The struc-
tural iron reamers are also fully de-
scribed. A marked improvement in
these new tools is the absence of oil as
a lubricant, the bearings being bushed
with graphite. These motors have a
feed of '/ inch per minute. The chip-
ping and caulking and riveting ham-
mers all show evidence of recent im-
portant improvements, and these fine
tools are as near perfection as can be
made. Another important improve-
ment in the sharpening of files is illus-
trated. With this machine two dozen
files may be sharpened in one hour.
All interested should send for a copy of
Catalogue No. 20.
TURNTABLES
Philadelphia Turntable Co.
PHILADELPHIA, PA.
CHICAGO: ST. LOUIS:
Marquette Bids. Commonwealth Truit BId(.
Nichols Transfer Tables
Turntable Tractors
GEO. P. NICHOLS & BRO.
1090 Old Colony Bldg. CHICAGO
ALDON CAR REPLACERS
I have never seen a device better adapted
for the purpose intended than the AldOD
Wrecking Frogs. — Extract from Wrecking
Master's Reports.
THE ALDON COMPANY
965 Monadnock Block, CHICAGO, ILL.
ESTABLISHED 1884
Sipe's
Japan Oil
Is superior to Linseed Oil
and Dryers for
ALL KINDS or PAlNTlliO
In Daily Use by
All the leading Railroads
In the United States
Manufactured solely by
JANES B. m & (0.
North Side, PITTSBURGH
May, igio.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGIXEERING.
219
One Year and
Eleven Months'
SERVICE
WITHOUT REPACKING. ON
High-Pressure Locomotives
style 300 TV.
A throttle failure is an absolute
impossibility where Cran-
dall's Throttle Valve pack-
ing is used.
IT WILL NOT BLOW OUT
Crandall Packing Co.
TACTORT AND GBNBRAIv OmCl
PALMYRA. ■ NEW YORK
BRANCBBS
N*« Tort Clndiad
IM UWrtT St I So. WaUr St.
U Waat WaahlBfUa Bt.
MICA
Ciboose Lamp Chimneys
Save 50 per cent.
STORRS MICA CO.,
■ . B. bapl. OWrGO, N. r.
Patents.
GEO. P. WHITTLHSEY
McOlU. BUIIJllSd WASHINOTON. O. C.
T«rai« ■•■••nabl* F«ai»kl«l ■••!
Some Small Tools.
The L. S. Starrett Company, of Athol,
Mass., make a great variety of useful
small tools and among them we may men-
tion their new taper gauge Xo. 267. The
thin leaves of this gauge are tapered, the
width varying by I -64th in. to every J4 '"•
of length. They are graduated in % ins.
and figured to read in fractions of an inch
from i-i6th up to I l-i6th in. The gauge
is very convenient for mechanics' use to
measure the width of slots and size of
connecting with a hard-boiled egg.-
Po'cer and The Engineer.
NEW TAPER GAUGE, NO. 267-
hules in nuts drilled for tapping. It is
also useful for settling calipers to sizes
within its capacity.
Another small Starrett tool is what they
call their telescoping inside gauge No. 229.
These are instruments from which the
exact size of holes or slots can be taken
by an outside caliper or micrometer, so
that shrink, close or loose fits, varying in
thousandths, or less, can be made and
measured. The ends of each telescope
head are hardened and are made on a
radius of the smallest hole it will enter.
Ordinary leg calipers have a tendency to
spring and the points to catch in blow
holes or other depressions. This little
ti ol can be used either in fitting cylinders
to holes or holes to cyl-
inders. The gauges are
made in sizes to enter holes
from '/2 in. to 6 ins. Write
to the company for furtht r
particulars about either of
these articles.
Railroad and Farmer.
The Pennsylvania Railroad Company
have just issued a pamphlet entitled
The Pennsylvania Railroad and the
Farmer. This booklet tells of the va-
rious things the railroad is doing to
create traffic by co-operating with the
farmer. The road began an agricul-
tural campaign three years ago; since
that time it has run
educational trains and
steamboats on prac-
tically all of its lines.
It has distributed
farming literature, es-
tablished experimen-
tal farms, and under-
taken the education
of its agents.
The pamphlet just
issued, in summing
up the work the com-
pany is doing, con-
cludes as follows:
"What does it all
mean to the railroad?
It means there will be more fertilizers to
haul, more farm implements, more raw
material from which these tools are
made, more crops to haul, and more pas-
sengers to carry; it means that the rail-
road will be doing its duty to the public,
to its stockholders in the intelligent exer-
cise of its initiative, and. when reduced to
a finality, that the railroad is perform-
ing its share of the work which must
be done by the newly-fdrnied partner-
ship, railro.Td and farmer, if agricul-
tural communities are to progress and
prosper."
Not that Queen.
Dr. Davidson, the Archbishop of
Canterbury, is a genial old gentleman.
Pounding.
On his way to dinner
Casey stepped into the door
of his friend O'Brien's en-
gine room and found that
worthy member sitting on
the tool chest eating his
limch.
"O'Brien," says he, "whaaf's th' diflfar-
rice belwanc yer ingin an' a lazy hobo
) reakin' sthone?"
"Oy giv' it up, Casey, whaat is it?"
"Whoy," says Casey, "Ih' hobo pounds
part av th' toime. an' ycr ingin pounds
awl av th' toime."
And Cairy got out just in time to miss
TF.LKSCOPING INSIDE GAUGES, NO. »a9-
and nothing delights him more than
dropping into a Sunday school unex-
pectedly and catechising the classes,
especially if girls compose the class,
lie recently took in hand a class of
small girls who were going over the
story of Solomon. "Now," he asked,
"who was the great <|uecn who trav-
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
May, igio.
eled so many miles and miles to see the
king?" No one answered. "Why, you all
know. The queen who came to see the
king?" Still no one seemed to re-
member. "You do know, I am sure,"
persisted Dr. Davidson. "The name
begins with S; and she was a very
great queen." Just then a little hand
shot up. and a shrill voice cried.
"Please, I know, the Queen of Spades."
Hot Box Story.
The Joseph Dixon Crucible Company
of Jersey City, N. J., when commenting
on the dangers of a hot box, say: "Two
years ago there occurred at a powder
mill in Indiana an explosion which re-
duced the factory buildings to ashes, and
even damaged a section of the town in
which the factory was located. It was
caused by a hot box.
"That's the whole story ; but it resulted
in a heavy loss of life and property. For-
tunately, the results of hot boxes are
rarely as dire as they proved to be here,
but there is always the chance of loss in
every case. It may be the ruining of the
bearing or journal; it may be the tying
up of the plant for hours ; it may be a fire
that destroys a portion or all of the plant.
"There is one insurance, however,
against all frictional damage. It is Dix-
on's flake graphite. This lubricant attaches
itself directly to the metal surfaces, filling
in the microscopic depressions and be-
coming fastened upon the microscopic pro-
jections that exist on all metal surfaces.
Thus direct contact of metal to metal is
made impossible, and we have what may
be termed a 'graphited contact' which
lowers friction, reduces wear and pre-
vents damage."
Vanadium Steel.
In addition to the numerous interest-
ing and instructive publications got out
by the Vanadium Sales Company of
America, they have now issued two
new ones, both treating of Vanadium
steels, their classification, heat treat-
ment, and instructions for applications.
One of these publications is written in
French and the other is written in Ger-
man. Either or both of these may be
had by those requiring them on appli-
cation to the company, address Frick
Building, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Hammer and Tongs.
The expression going at a thing ham-
mer and tongs was recently the subject of
some correspondence in one of the Lon-
don dailies. It appears that hammer and
tongs is in a way equivalent to the old
adage "strike while the iron is hot," both
referring to the blacksmith and his tools.
The tongs was required to hold the iron
and the hammer was for striking it.
When the blacksmith was thus engaged
his whole attention was given to his work,
and he had to work hard and fast before
the iron cooled. The expression has come
to signify anything done with great en-
ergy.
Mr. Clement E. V. Stratton, who often
writes for Railw.w and Locomotive En-
gineering, contributes to the discussion
on the subject by saying that the .Ancient
Worshipful Society of Blacksmiths' Lor-
iners (makers of bits, spurs, etc.), lock-
smiths, cutlers and bladcsmiths had the
motto : "By hammer and hand all trades
do stand." It is no secret, he says, that
after the apprentice had taken the oath
on the anvil to preserve the secrets of
hammermen, he was presented with a new
hammer and a new pair of tongs as work-
ing tools of his trade.
Just here one is lead to remark that the
modern slang expression, "I didn't do a
thing," is one which is intended to con-
vey the impression of concentrated at-
tention and violent action, though the
words themselves as they stand do not
indicate it. The expression comes out in
its full significance in some such sentence
as this : "When the firemen turned their
hose in my direction I didn't do a thing
but run." There is activity of the ham-
mer and tongs variety.
Not Deaf Yet.
"Do you know," said Mrs. Bifton Crush
to the tame suburbanite whose name she
bore. "Do you know I get so flustered
in New York on the elevated I can't hear
a word anyone says, what with the roar
in the street and the noise and rattle of
the cars, and all — !'' "Well, that is
strange," replied the man who oscillates
between home and biz twice a day, as he
looked at her over the top of his news-
paper. "I see in the public service activ-
ity column the heading to an extensive
article entitled 'Hearing on the Elevated
Service Most Satisfactory.' "
Definition of Alloy.
In a paper read before the American
Brass Founders' Association it is stated
that according to the common understand-
ing an alloy, is a combination or mi.xture
of two or more metals, which, after being
brought to a state of fusion and cast, ex-
hibits no objectionable segregation. In
distinction between this common inter-
pretation of the word alloy, there is a fur-
ther distinction or classification, which
refers to a combination of two or more
metals, which when cast produce an ab-
solutely homogeneous mass, designated
by the name — true alloy. A true alloy is
one in which the constituents are so
merged or dissolved one in the other that
they exhibit no structure whatever, one
constituent cannot be discerned from the
other, they are completely merged. To
distinguish such a combination, beside the
term true alloy, the term solid solution is
also used ; such alloys being analagous to
compositions of matter, such as glass in
CARS, CABS, SHOPS
AND
ROUND HOUSES
require a roofing that
is unaffected by ex-
tremes of temperature
RUBEROID
ROOFING
Will not melt, rot, crack or
corrode. Contains no tar.
OuilaslJ Mttal
SPARK PROOF, CINDER PROOP,
QAS PROOF, WEATHER PROOF
Writ* for MmplM. pric«a and booklet M*. M.
THE STANDARD PAINT OO.
1 00 William SIrasI Naw Yark
Ohlcafo, PhlI>d«lptaU, Botton, Kuuu Ottj,
Memphis, Atltnta.
"HOMESTEAD"
VALVES
Are constructed upon mechanicallj cor-
rect principles — they arc leak pr»of under
steam, air or hydraulic pressures. They
are practically indestructible because the
seats arc protected from wear. The plug
is balanced and held in place by pressure
when open, and when closed it is locked
on the seat by our patent wedging cam,
"Homestead" Valves are the quickest acting,
simplest, most easily operated and l«nges1
lived of any made.
Homestead Valves are opened wide and
closed tight by a quarter turn.
LOCOMOTIVE BLOW-OFF
Write for catalogue of Homestead rmdi
HOMESTEAD VALVE M'F'G CO.
BrastFoundari Works at Homeataad, Pa.
P. O. Box 1754, PITTSBURG, PA.
DUNER
CAR CLOSETS
DUNER CO.
Mav. I'lio.
RAILWAY AXD LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
TOOL
Die Blocks
Steel Forglngs
First Prize awarded at the Loui-
siana Purchase Exposition, at St.
Louis, for our TOOL STEEL
when placed in competition with
the best makes in England and
Germany.
Write tor Inlomatlen and Prices.
Specify Mcleaee Tool Steel whea
orderlag.
McINNES
STEEL CO.
CORRY, PA.
■OKB.OCK * BQUTRES,
(91 Fwrl Bt., N«w T«tk.
BOY KACHTtTEaT 00..
KliuiMpolli, MUb.
which calcium oxide, silica, soda, etc., are
so completely dissolved one in the other
that an absolutely homogeneous and struc-
tureless product is produced. An amal-
gam is an alloy of mercury with another
metal or metals. — Electric Traction Mag-
iiciiie.
STANDARD MECHANICAL BOOKS
FOR ROAD AND SHOP MEN
BY CHAS. McSHANE.
The Locomotive Up to Date
Price, $2. SO
New York and
Westinghouse Air Brakes
Price, SI.SO
One Thousand Pointers for
Machinists and Engineers
Price, $1.30
All books boand In tins clolb
AOINTD WA.NTSD ••trrwhirt; wrlu tm
Unas tod dM'rlpUis (irrslsrs. Will hs
seat prn'^l'l to ss/ sdilrsts spos rsntpl
sf prirs.
GRiPrirn &WI INTERS
171 La S«ll« Street, CHICAGO
system, according to the statistics, is in
e.xcellent shape. Heart disease and
pneumonia, the Census reports say, are
rarer among railroad employees than
among any other working men.
A Grave Subject.
A good story is told of an .\berdeen
gravedigger of the old fashioned type,
who had a sublime indifference to the
rank or wealth of those with whom he
had occasion to talk. An Aberdeen-
shire laird had visited the burying
ground with a view to selecting a spot
for a family vault. He chose what he
deemed to be a suitable spot, remark-
ing that he could see his residence
from it. The sentiment was pretty
enough, but it had no sympathy from the
gravedigger, who remarked: "Faigs!
gin I get ma haun's owre ye, ye'U
neither see yer hoose nor ony ither
place. I'll put ye deep eneuch!"
Pitting in Boiler Plates.
Much of the cause of pitting in boiler
plates and flues lies in the particles of
slag and carbon which have been forced
into the plate during the process of roll-
ing. The foreign bodies are electro-nega-
tive to the boiler plate, and small gal-
vanic cells are set up that eat away the
metal surrounding the foreign substance.
.\ remedy for general electrolytic corro-
sion and wasting lies in the employment
of zinc plates connected to the boiler shell.
Electrolytic action is set up between the
two metals, with the result that the boiler
is protected from the action of the acids
in the water and the zinc alone suffers.
Where this remedy is used a sufficient
number of slabs of zinc should be attached
securely to the boiler so that there should
be at least one per cent, of zinc surface
as compared with the entire heating sur-
face of the boiler.
Railroading Is Healthful.
Compilations have been made, from
government reports, showing the rela-
tive liability to disease of the employees
in various trades. According to the re-
turns so far tabulated by the Census
Bureau, the occupation of the steam
railroad employee is the healthiest of
,'fll. In a long list of maladies, the only
one to which the railroad employee is
more liable than workers in niainiiac-
turing or agricultural trades is typhoid
ftver, and to this he is far less liable
than the workers classed as Inburrr-.
The figures show that the railroad man
i' far less liable to consumption than
the workers in the manufacturing and
(hcmical iiuliistries. Me is less apt to
mmniil Hiiicidr than any other wage
earner, ami ^iifTcr< le'< frfim rheiima-
lisin and malarial fever. Mis nervMU*
New Form of Legal Tender.
I want a ticket to B ," said
a lady just before train-time. "Twenty-
four cents," responded the ticket agent,
working his sausage-machine. She laid
down a silver quarter. Being well ac-
quainted and a practical joker, the agent
drew from his pocket a glittering pants
button and passed it over with the ticket
and scooped up the quarter.
"Is this legal tender?" asked the lady,
gravely.
"Oh, yes," he answered, with mock
gravity, "they are the mainstay of the
republic."
She pocketed it, and got' aboard, leav-
ing the agent's face corrugated with
smiles. A few days after he told it to
a brigade of runners buying tickets for
B , and while he was enjoying the
encore the lady appeared with :
"Ticket for B , please."
"Twenty-four cents," with a sly wink
at the runners. He laid down the ticket.
She scooped it and laid down twenty-
four dazzling pants buttons, exactly like
the first.
"You said they were legal tender.
They go a long way in supporting the
family," she chirped sweetly, as she bowed
from the presence of the more than presi-
dential prerogative. — Erie Railroad Em-
ployees' Magazine.
How Tinfoil Is Made.
Tinfoil, that useful substance, which is
extensively used for wrapping tobacco,
certain food products and other ar-
ticles of commerce, is a combina-
tion of lead with a thin coating of tin on
each side. Not one man in a hundred
who throws a piece of tinfoil away after
it has served his purpose, knows how it is
made. The method of making the foil is
ingenious, and in a sense very simple. A
small pipe of pure tin is made, and into
this pipe of tin molten lead is poured
until the whole is solid. It is then rolled
flat like a pancake, the lead remaining in
a thin sheet in the center between two
films of tin. In this way the tin coating
spreads simultaneously with the lead core,
even though it may be reduced to a
Irickness of less than o.ooi of an inch.
A Permanent Resting Place.
A High Church curate was once suni-
luoned to a hospital to console a man
who had been injured fatally. The clergy-
man was delayed, and when he reached
the hospital the man had died. "Too had,
kir," cxplaine<l the dead man's friend.
"Bill's dead, sir; but I think it's all right,
sir. I gave him consolation." "You
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE EN"GL\EERL\G.
did?" inquired the clergyman, in astonish-
ment. "How did you give him consola-
tion?" "Ah," replied the man, "Bill says
to me, says he — 'J'nii I'm goin' to die.' 'I
reckon you are,' says L "I've been a very
bad man, Jim,' says he. 'That's what you
have been. Bill,' says I. 'I reckon, Jim,'
fays he. Til not go up there,' says he,
pointing up. 'Ah, Bill, you won't,' says L
'Jim,' says he, ' I reckon — I reckon I'll go
down — down there,' says he, pointing
down. 'Yes, Bill,' says L 'I reckon that's
where you'll go, and you're lucky that
you've got some place to go to at all."
The Splash of a Drop.
The researches of A. M. Worthington,
F. R. S., headmaster and professor of
physics in the Royal Xaval Engineering
College at Devonport, England, have
taken what to many would appear to be
a unique difection. Prof. Worthington
has minutely studied the splash of a
drop, and his work appeals to the se-
rious student of phj-sics who is interest-
ed in the unexpected phenomena of
fluid motion.
Prof. Worthington has taken a series
of what may be truly called instan-
taneous photographs of a drop of water
falling into a bowl containing the same
liquid. In order to do this work he has
had to abandon the shutter over the lens
of his camera, marvelously rapid as its
mechanical action undoubtedly is. He
has had recourse to an electric spark
the flash of which endures for the al-
most inconceivabl}- short interval of the
one three-millionth of a second. This
is a period so exceedingly brief that it
stands to one whole second in about
the same proportion as one day stands
to a thousand years, yet in this short
interval of time, during which his pho-
tographic plates run the chance of being
somewhat under-exposed, a ray of light
a little less than 3,000 ft. long dashes
in on the sensitive plate and prints the
minute picture of the splash.
Oil in Waste.
The amount of oil that can be absorbed
b> cotton waste in journal boxes has been
ascertained by repeated experiment, and
it amounts to about four pints of oil to
I lb. of waste. Any amount in excess of
this will not remain in the waste, but will
run down through the waste into the bot-
tom of the box.
Quality of 'Work.
There are grades of skill in all occu-
pations. Andrew Carnegie tells a story
about hearing a group of street sweep-
ers discussing the skill of their
companions. One was said to be ex-
pert on plain work, but he was no good
on the refinements of nooks and the
surroundings of lamp posts.
The cynic only knows no heroes.
The dullest routine practice finds un-
known somebodies who by bold origi-
nality have entitled themselves to that
higlR■^t expression of praise, "better
than I."
Expert or Technical.
There are so many vague impressions
among people about the meaning of the
terms "expert" and "technical" persons
that we reproduce the definition given
by Mr. R. T. Crane. He sajs:
"An 'expert' is one who has become
skilled and thorough in any line of
handicraft or calling.
"A 'technical' man is who who has
learned the science or theory of some
calling or handicraft."
Not Feminine.
In former days it was customary to
speak of a locomotive as "she,"' thereby
gallantly implying some feminine attri-
butes to the machine of steel and steam.
Xow that dresses which sweep the ground
have gone out of fashion, at least in cities,
we cannot liken an engine to a woman
because she draws a train after her. Xor
would the smoke-abatement people allow
us to refer to her as scattering the sparks,
and those who object to the postofBce
deficit year by year do not enthusiastically
refer to her as transporting the mails
(males). A woman probably considers
she is doing the greatest volume of busi-
ness when she is out shopping, while a
locomotive does business entirely between
shoppings.
Air Brake Presentation.
As a memento of the most notable air
brake test held in recent years and in
token of the kindly feelings of the vari-
ous air brake and mechanical represen-
tatives present from railroads all over the
country, Mr. C. H. Weaver, supervisor
of air brakes for the Lake Shore &
Michigan Southern and in direct charge
of the entire series of tests, has recently
been presented with a solid gold watch
beautifully and appropriately engraved
as follows : "To Mr. C. H. Weaver from
his associates at the Lake Shore Rail-
road air brake tests. 1909, in recognition
of the able manner in which the tests
were conducted and his good fellowship
to all.
P. C. Riley (Penna. R. R.).
M.\RK Pt-KCELL (Nor. Pac. R. R.),
W. W. White (Mich. Cent. R. R.V
Committee."
Personal Mention.
Mr. Le Grand Parish, formerly super-
intendent of motive power of the Lake
Shore &■ Michigan Southern Railway, has
resigned from that road and has accepted
the position of president of the Arch
Company of Chicago.
JXG.
May, 1910.
C.B.LANC CO.
*^— --_
MEAOVILLt. PA
< ~~^ ' r»T.>»M>ta
"lANG'S
yy New Tool
Holder
IAR6KT cunER
BI66EST CUTS
Triangular Cutter Takes Same CuU
as solid forged tools.
G.R.LANG6C0.,
Meadville,Pa.
4 - :^
MTOIM
POPVALVES AND GAGES
The Quality Goods that Last
The Athlon Valve Co.
271 Frsnklin Slretl, Bo.ton. M....
HUNT-SPILLER IRON
FOR LOCOMOTIVE CASTINGS
Hunt-Spiller Mfg. Corporation
W. B. LEACH, Can. Mgr. A Traas.
South Boston, yviass.
New Publication
The Most Popular
Engineering Book
PUBLISHED THIS YEAR IS
TH[ VALVE-
SETTER'S GUIDE
By JAMES KENNEDY
A comprehensive treatise on the
construction and adjustment of the
Stephenson, Walschaerts, Baker-
PilUod, and Joy Valve Gearings.
Fully illustrated and bound in
cloth. Price 50 cents. Mailed to
any address on receipt of Price.
Second Edition Now Ready
An^usSlnddirCompany
114 lIBfRir STRHT. KfW rORK
The canny Scot has taken fast hold of
American railway life. There are 36
Scotts on the Railroad Official List, and
no less than 655 Mcs. The latter names
are fairly divided between Scots and
Irish, but all may be considered of Celtic
origin.
Rill^oSXiveEniineerini
A Practical Journal of Motive Power, Rolling Stock and Appliances
V»L XXIIL
114 Liberty Street, New York, Jane, 1910.
No. 6
New York Terminal of the P. R. R. ject practically involved the construe- the station is the gateway of a great city.
Our frontispiece and following illus- tion of two under land and water tubes The station is in three levels. On
trations this month show views of the each about 13 miles long. The whole the tirst is the general waiting room.
New York Terminal of the Pennsyl- of this vast project was conceived by flanked by two subsidiary waiting
vania Railroad. The building of this the late .A. J. Cassatt. wluii president rooms of ample dimensions. Connected
station in the heart of New York City of the Pennsylvania. with the main waiting room is the main
VIKW <jK the PtNNSYLVANLX RAII.KOAD STATIO.V l.\ Till. liKAKT OF NKW YOKK CITY.
was, if one may tay so, an incident in The Pennsylvania Station is a granilr baggage room, covering the same area
the larger project of boring under the building of imposing dimensions, occu- as the arcade, and the restaurants on
Bergen Hill in New Jersey, tunneling pying eight acres, bounded by Seventh the plane above. Parallel to it is the
under the Hudsrin River, tunneling the and Kightli avemics and 31st and 33rd cnncoursc, 200 ft. wide and extending
island o( .Manhattan and again diving streets. 1'hc architects, Messrs. Mc- the entire width of the station; under
beneath the Ka^t River and so reach- Kim, Mead & White, have endeavored which is a sub-concourse 60 ft. wide,
ing Long Island City. The whole pro- to express in its design the idea that \r he used for exits only.
224
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
June, igio.
On the third level is the train plat-
form, 36 ft. below the level of the
street. There are eleven passenger
platforms, with twenty-one standing
tracks and a trackage of sixteen miles.
It is estimated that about 1,000 trains
will be run daily from these tracks by
the Pennsylvania and Long Island
roads. In the main waiting room there
are above the windows six huge panels
upon which maps will be placed showing
Long Island, P. R. R. lines east of Pitts-
burgh, P. R. R. lines west, the United
States, Pennsylvania, and steamship lines
from New York to Europe.
CORKER IX P. R. R. WAlTIXr, ROOM.
In a little pamphlet issued by the
railroad we are told that "From Harri-
son the line extends across the Hack-
ensack Meadows on an embankment
to Bergen Hill, an abrupt eminence
on the western bank of the Hudson.
under 32nd street to the passenger sta-
tion. The railroad continues across the
island east of the station under 33ril
street and under 32nd street, first in two
tunnels of three tracks each, then in two
single track twin tunnels, and finally into
four single track tube tunnels running un-
der the East River to Long Island City,
thence still by tunnel to the portals of
the Sunnyside Yard.
"The construction of these tunnels
exemplifies the skill and daring of mod-
ern engineering. The tubes under the
river were bored by the shield method.
An iron tube over 2}, ft. in diameter was
driven through the mud and sand, 70
ft. below the surface of the river, by
hydraulic jacks, compressed air being
used to keep out the water, and as the
shield progressed the rings of the tubes
were fitted in place. By this process
the steel tube was gradually built from
cne bank of the river through to the
other, and as the shield bit its way
through the rock, gravel, or sand it left
in its wake the outer rim of the iron
tunnel ready for the interior work.
Then came the concrete workers to
line the sides of the tube with a solid
mass of concrete two feet thick, and
to lay on its bottom a still more solid
foundation for the tracks, and to build
along its sides the conduits for wires,
the top of which serves as a pathway
through the tunnel from end to er)d.
"Every known scientific appliance
was utilized in the construction work,
both in implements and for the safe-
guarding of the lives and health of the
wfirkmen, and althougli the work ex-
TIIK COXCOfR.^E.
Through the solid rock of this hill, and
under the towns built on its surface,
two single track tunnels have been bored
from its eastern border and two single
track tube tunnels extend under the Hud-
son River to the New York side and thence
ST.XTIOX IN- NEW YORK.
tended through several years and thou-
sands of men were engaged in it from
time to time, the percentage of the loss of
I'fe or even injury was small. The bor-
ing was started from the sides and pro-
gressed until the shields met near the
P. R. R. WAll i;m_, ki m i\i
center of the river, and in every case
when the western shield met its eastern
counterpart the calculations were so accu-
rate and exact that there was only a
discrepancy of a fraction of an inch in
the alignment.
"Some idea of the size of the station
building may be realized by the state-
ment that Trinity Church could be
placed in the center of the structure
and be entirely lost to sight. The new
United States Post-Office, under con-
struction at Eighth Avenue, 31st and
33d Streets above the Pennsylvania
Railroad tracks, will greatly facilitate
the prompt delivery of mail in the hotel
and residential district of Manhattan
Boroueh."
Old Time Railroad Reminiscences.
By S. J. Kidder.
Like many of the young men born and
raised in New England at a somewhat
early age the writer was stricken with
western fever. The longer this diseased
state of the system continued the more
acute it became, and when an opportunity
presented itself to go west I was not
slow in taking advantage of it.
It was a period when a Yankee looked
upon Chicago as the jumping off place of
the West, and when I announced to my
friends the intention of going beyond the
Missouri river their countenances as-
sumed an expression such as would be ex-
pected when one departs for that bourne
trom whence no traveler returns. At the
time I thought myself extremely fortu-
nate to be the possessor of transportation
from Boston to Chicago, though subse-
quent events somewhat dampened my
ardcr, and I was quite impressed that to
June, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
225
put up railroad fare through the States
might have been more conducive to com-
tort than a free ride through the Prov-
inces of Canada. Sleeping cars at this
time were not common and were consid-
ered a luxurj- which few could afford,
regardless of the fact that a night's ride
in a passenger car bore none of the fruits
of comfort.
A day and night ride from Boston to
Ogdensburg with a brass strap, having
sundry screw heads projecting above it,
extending along the top of the somewhat
low seat back, for a pillow was not con-
ducive to peaceful sleep, and the monotony
was further contributed to by the train,
known as the fast, through express, stop-
ping at all stations with a long tarry here
and there to "wood up" the locomotive
tender, or partake of refreshments. The
changes of engineers, too, were quite fre-
quent, the division being from seventeen
to eighty miles. In fact, eighteen en-
gines were required to haul the train
from Boston to Chicago, the average for
each run being about sixty-four miles.
We reached Ogdensburg about daybre.ik
and transferred to a ferry boat, where
the custom house officers compelled every
one to unlock their trunks and look on
while they dug to the bottom in search of
contraband articles, turning the contents
topsy-turvy, and finally, when closing the
receptacle, one officer sat upon the lid
while another turned the key.
Reaching the Canadian side of the St
Lawrence river another transfer was
made from the boat to a train, many of
the window panes of which were broken
out, and a ride of a few miles took us to
Prescott Junction where, after a wait of
some two hours, we again boarded a
train. The track was laid with U-rails,
in section similar to an inverted letter U,
and from excessive wear in many pHrrs
the top was worn through, makinf; the
track extremely rough. The engines
hauling us, built in Kingston, Canada,
were much of the type of .\merican en-
gines of that period. The steaming quali-
ifies of those hauling our train were not
of the best, and with the had track, which
cribbing some feet above the ground. In
raising the building much of the window
glass had been broken and numerous
cracks were well developed in the floor.
The waiting room, in dimension perhaps
30 by 40 feet, had a large cylindrical stove
in the center, round which the passen-
gers, men, women and children, stood in
a circle, and while they toasted on one
side the other was exposed to the chilling
blasts which came from the lake and
freely floated through the numerous aper-
tion, in most instances, stood on their
present locations. The railroad shops,
round houses, passenger and freight yards
were in what is now the business district
and all street and railway crossings were
at grade.
With boyish ardor two days were spent
in Chicago visiting the various depots,
shops and roundhouses, bent on seeing
everything having to do with railroads.
Most of the sights were new to me, for
within the prescribed limits of Northern
.N i_\\ N I iKK ]■• 'K FAI.:
ir TfNXF.I.S UNDER THE HUDSON'. P. R R.
tures in the building. .\t 4:30 the follow-
ing morning the train was again put in
commission and an eight hours' ride took
us to Port Sarnia. Here we were ferried
across the river and our trunks again sub-
jected to the tender mercies of the custom
house officers. Reaching the Michigan
side of the river a train was boarded fur
Detroit Junction, 6j miles, where in the
evening \\c transferred to a Michigan
Central train for Chicago. Another night
New England but few locomotives built
outside of that bailiwick were in service,
while here, in almost endless variety it
seemed, were to be seen the Rogers,
Ketchum & Grosvenors, Danforth &
Cooke, New Jersey Locomotive & Ma-
chine Co., Baldwin's, Richard Norris &
Son, .Schenectady ( known as Dutch
wagons), Amoskcag, Detroit, Cuyahoga
and other builds, the shops in which many
of these locomf>tives were constructed
UIAOHAM OK I'. R. R, 11 .\M r. S^Sll.M EROM BERGEN HII.L TO LONG ISL.AND.
made rca^onalilc speed dangrrnus, the
average was perhaps fifteen miles an hour.
After a long day's ride Toronto wai
reached al 8 o'clock, the train l>eing some
four hours late. At this point it was
abandoned and the hundred or more pas-
•engert were compelled to bivouac in the
italion for the night.
Prrparation* were under way to con-
ttruct a new tiation and the old one had
been moved back and •itr>od mounted on
was spent on the road and late the fol-
lowing morning the "Windy City" was
reached.
The Chicago of today bears but few
of the earmarks seen during that early
visit. At that time the streets in the
business district were all below grade, the
wooden sidewalks being built upon stilts,
and to cross a .street one had to descend
a flight of stairs and on the opposite
tide ascend another. The railroad ita-
having then gone out of existetice. It was
at this time, on the C. B. & Q. R. R.. I
saw the first ten-whcclers. They were
inside connected, weighed perhaps thirty
to thirty-five tons and were built at the
Amoskeag Machine Shop. These engines
had the appearance of leviathans and
found little favor among the cngincmen,
being in their estimation too big for
safely.
Having d<ine the Chicago railroad ter-
226
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
June, 191 o.
minals pretty thoroughly, for at that time,
while it was considered a great railroad
city, it did not taUe long to cover the
railroad field. I prepared to resume my
journey westward, but with serious mis-
givings as to whether I was not depart-
ing from the last vintage of civilization.
It was well along in the forenoon when
the train rolled out of the Chicago &
North-Western station and hardly a mile
had been covered before we were fairly
out of the city on the wide, open prairies
of Illinois, and for the first time I saw the
broad expanse devoid of hills and timber.
Here, too, was my first experience in a
Pullman car, and shortly after crossing
the Mississippi river I crawled into an
upper berth and was soon oblivious of all
surroundings. The following morning I
was awakened by the strains of sweet mu-
sic, but from whence it came I could not
imagine until later, upon reaching the
ground floor, I discovered a young lady
playing a cabinet organ which was built
into the car and occupying a center section.
Our train was a heav}' one for the
little engine pulling it and occasionally it
seemed an open question whether we
were going to reach the summit of a
grade without stalling. The day's ride
was a most pleasant one through western
Iowa, at times over what appeared an
almost boundless prairie entirely devoid
of trees, then among bluffs or across val-
leys and streams, the banks heavily
fringed with timber. Very few farm
houses were in sight, but here and there
was a struggling village at which the
train stopped, nearly all of them having
come into existence with the advent of
the railroad, yet in its swaddling clothes,
for it had been completed to Council
Bluffs but a few months when I first
passed over it. The Chicago & North-
Western was the first Chicago railroad to
reach the Missouri river valley and at
this time Council Bluffs could hardly be
called a railroad center, the North-West-
ern being the only railroad then entering
the town.
The train arrived at the "BluflFs" about
3 p. m. and such of the passengers as
held through tickets to Omaha mounted
a Concord stage coach, the others walking
to the Missouri river ferry, three miles
away, where all boarded a boat and
crossed the river. A short drive from the
levee, up a sharp hill, took us into Omaha,
which was the goal my youthful anticipa-
tions were seeking. Omaha was a town
of some twelve thousand people and had
one railroad, the Union Pacific, then
under construction, the "front" or end
of the track being some five hundred
miles west of the city. The river front,
or levee as it was known, was a very busy
place, all of the material for constructing
the road, rails, ties, building material and
food being brought up the river or ferried
across, as, at this time, the supplies in
large quantities were coming in over the
Xorth-Western railway. With the advent
of railroads into Council Blutfs and Oma-
ha began the decline of stcamboating on
the river, and a few years later the numer-
ous boats which plied on the "Big Mud-
dy" and lined the levee, some of them
running 1,700 miles above Omaha to Fort
Benton, slowly but surely disappeared.
The Union Pacific had 53 engines, prac-
tically new with the exception of a few
old ones purchased for construction work,
all having been brought to Omaha up the
river from St. Joseph. The product of
nearly every locomotive builder of that
time was represented on the U. P., each
type of engine bearing the distinctive de-
sign of the maker in every respect and
gaudily bedecked with polished brass,
gold leaf and paint. Among them were
the Hinkley, Rogers, Danforth & Cooke,
Lancaster, Norris, McQueen, Manchester,
Taunton, Smith & Jackson and the Law-
■■IN THE SWIM" AT YOUNGSTOWN. PA.
rence Machine Works. With the advent
of the C. & N.-W. Ry. into Council Bluffs
active efforts were instituted to make a
connection between the Union Pacific and
this road by bridging the Missouri river,
something which up to this time had been
looked upon as utterly impracticable
owing to the frequently shifting course of
the river and great depth through quick-
sand to reach a solid foundation. An
engineering outfit was organized to locate
the most suitable site for such a struc-
ture and it fell to the good fortune of the
writer to be one of the party. Several
months were consumed in making the
surveys from the main lines to various
points along the river and finally a loca-
tion was selected where the U. P. bridge
as it is known now stands. As above
suggested this was the first bridge to span
the Missouri river. The Nebraska end
rested on the face of a high bluff, much
of which has, with the expansion of rail-
way facilities, been removed, while an ex-
tensive fill was made on the Iowa side to
bring the track up to the bridge. In sur-
veying the three mile line from the river
to Council Bluffs a clearing had to be
made through the woods. The trees were
straight as a telegraph pole, from six to
nine feet in height, of small diameter and
stood so thick as to be almost impene-
trable. The survey was completed late in
the fall and the following summer the
building of the bridge foundations began.
That winter the river was heavily cov-
ered with ice and to facilitate the move-
ment of material across, a pile railroad
bridge was constructed and used for sev-
eral months, but with a sudden rise of
the water the ice went out, taking the
bridge with it and again the ferry boats
were resorted to. During these early
days of the Union Pacific the yards,
shops, depots, etc., were located on or
adjacent to the levee, far below the table
land on which Omaha was situated and
outside of the city proper. The depot
was a one-story affair, built of wood and
of a character such as is usually seen in
a country town. Quite large and sub-
stantial brick shops and a round house
had already been built, but during the
winter, from some lack of stationary en-
gine power, a Taunton locomotive had
been jacked up, raising the driving wheels
from the rails, and with a belt over one
of the drivers, the other end of the belt on
a shaft pulley, the necessary motive
power was furnished to operate the shop
tools. With the completion of the work
of locating the bridge my thoughts turned
to a job out on the road, for many were
the tales I had heard of Indians on their
native heath, buffaloes and a strenuous
frontier life generally along the line,
and I longed to get to or near the
"front" where all these exciting things
were to be seen.
The general master mechanic was ap-
proached for work in the locomotive de-
partment, but day after day I was told to
call again as there would be something to
do as soon as a lot of new engines, then
at Council Bluffs, could be got across
the river. Several w-eeks elapsed, then
came the good news to be ready to go to
North Platte on the first train, and re-
port to the master mechanic there. What
I saw up the line and some of my expe-
riences while there will be related in a
future number of R.mlway and Locomo-
tive Engineering.
New Kailroad in Canada.
It is stated that charters and subsidies
having been obtained, English and French
capitalists will soon be asked for finan-
cial support in behalf of a new railroad,
the Montreal, Kapatchawan & Rupert
Bay, capitalized at $3,000,000, which is
designed to link Montreal with the Grand
Trunk Pacific which is now being built in
Canada. The new road will bring W^in-
nipeg within 1,260 miles of Montreal.
June, 191O-
R.MLWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
Mallet Articulated Compound for the Delaware and Hudson
The Schenectady works of the Ameri-
can Locomotive Company have recently
turned out six very heavy articulated
compound engines for the Delaware &
Hudson Company. They are intended
for pusher service on the Wilkes-Barre
and Susquehanna division of that road,
between Carbondale, Pa., and Oneonta,
N. Y., a distance of 95 miles.
In working order they have a total
weight of 445.000 lbs., all of which is
carried on the driving wheels. The
high-pressure cylinders are 26 x 28 ins.,
and the low-pressure cylinders are 41 x
28 ins. With the boiler pressure of 220
lbs. and driving wheels 51 ins. in diame-
ter, the theoretical maximum tractive
power, working compound, calculated
by the American Locomotive Com-
pany's formula, is 105,000 lbs. The nor-
mal maximum tractive power, working
compound, can be increased about 20
per cent, by changing the engine to sim-
ple. The maximum tractive power of
these engines working simple is thus
the cylinders, to which the steam pipe
is joined by means of a specially de-
signed connection having a ball joint at
either end and fitted with a slip joint.
This construction permits of the expan-
sion and contraction of the steam pipe,
due to variations in temperature, and
also facilitates removing and putting it
up when repairs are necessary. With
this arrangement of steam pipes, the
engineman is afforded an unobstructed
view ahead.
The low-pressure cylinders are the
largest ever applied by the builders, be-
ing 41 X 28 ins. Steam is distributed to
the high pressure cylinders by 14-in.
piston valves, having inside admission
and ample port area. The low pressure
cylinders are equipped with Mellin dou-
ble ported balanced slide valves. Spe-
cial provision has been made for
strengthening the valve yoke. This is
stayed by two longitudinal bolts which
pass through cored passages in the
valve. The bolts, which are I in. in
arm rigidly bolted to a cast steel cross-
tie between the rear ends of the front
frames. This radius arm fits in a steel
pocket casting securely bolted to the
bottom rails of the rear frames, and
which also extends back underneath the
high pressure cylinder saddle, to which
it is bolted. The coupling is made by
means of a vertical pin 6 ins. in diame-
ter, inserted from the top.
Two features which have proved very
successful in the articulated locomotives
built for the Eric Railroad have been
incorporated in this design. These are
the floating balance device and the side
spring buffers at the frame union. The
floating balance device which is located
between the second and third pair of
drivers of the front system immediately
back of the boiler bearing, which car-
ries the spring centering device, con-
sists of a pair of spring supported col-
umns. These have ball and socket con-
nection at their upper ends with the sad-
dle casting of the boiler bearing and a
;iu, iJl.l.AW.xki.
J. H. Manning. Superintendent of Motive Power.
126,000 lbs. The six articulated locomo-
tives in this order will, therefore, re-
lieve 12 of the consolidations from
pusher service without sacrificing any
tonnage, and with a saving in oper-
ating expenses due to handling fewer
units.
Owing to the large diameter of the
boiler, it was necessary in this instance
to locate the high-pressure steam pipes
underneath the running boards. Steam
is led from the throttle through a dry
pipe to the tmokc box, where it is divid-
ed in a tee-head and pastes into two
branch pipes, one in either side of the
smoke box, in the same manner as in a
tingle expansion engine. From these
branch pipes, two wrought iron steam
pipes, connected through elbows with
ball joints, extend back underneath the
running board, on<- on either tide of the
boiler, to the high pressure cylinders.
An elbow covers the steam pattage in
lILb.-Mi.N.
American Locomoti'
Company, builders.
diameter, are fitted with l-in. wrought
iron pipe thimbles, which act as spacers.
By-pass valves of the builder's standard
pattern are provided for the low-pres-
sure cylinders. These are located in
chambers in the side of the cylinder
castings, and automatically establish
communication between the two ends of
the cylinder when the throttle is closed.
The valve gear, which is the Wal-
schaerts type, is reversed by the build-
er's hydro-pneumatic reversing gear.
The frames throughout are of Vana-
dium cast steel, and of large section.
The frames of the rear engine have a
single front rail cast integral with the
main frame, while those of the front
system are provided with double front
rails, the lower one of which it in one
casting with the main frame.
A single articulated connection is used
between the front ami rear systems.
This is formed by a catt steel radius
similar connection at their lower ends,
with two castings hinged at one end to
the bottom of the cast steel cross tie
between the lower rails of the frames.
The outer ends of these hinged cast-
ings rest in U-bolts, and are supported
by coil springs seated on the cross tie.
These columns serve to support a por-
tion of the weight which would other-
wise come on the iii.Tin boiler bearing,
thus relieving that bearing of excessive
pressure. In this instance, the total ini-
tial compression of the springs is about
.10,000 lbs.
With this arrangement that part of the
weiRht of the boiler which is carried by
the front sy»lem is divided between three
points of .support, namely, the self ad-
justing sliding bearing, located between
the third and fntirlh pair of driving
whocN, the spriuK supported columns and
the pair of adjuslablc hinged bolts uhich
rnnnect the frames of the two systems.
228
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
June, 1910.
The surfaces of the boiler bearing, which
is located between the second and third
pair of driving wheels, are not normally
in contact, so that this bearing does not
support any weight except under unusual
conditions.
The side spring buffers are placed in the
pocket casting of the articulated connec-
tion, one on either side, and as far apart
as possible. They are so designed that
when the engine is on a tangent the buff-
ers just touch the bumper castings bolted
to the cast steel cross tie at the ends of
the rear frames. Thus, when the engine
enters a curve one or the other of the
buffer springs is compressed. When the
engine is curving, these buffers serve to
direct the pushing force through the cen-
ter of the wheel base of the front engine
instead of through the flange of the out-
side forward driving wheel, as it would
be were they not applied. In pushing, the
resistance of the head load tends to swing
the front system about the center of its
wheel base when the engine is passing
through a curve, thereby increasing the
flange friction of the front driving wheels.
The action of the spring buffer is to coun-
teract this side push of the load ahead
and thus reduce the resistance.
The boiler is of the radial stayed type
with conical connection sheet. At the
first course the barrel measures 90 ins.
in diameter outside, while the outside
diameter of the largest course is 102 ins.
The barrel is fitted with 446 tubes, 254
ins. in diameter and 24 ft. long. There is
a liberal width of bridge between the
tubes, which are spaced 3ji ins. between
centers. The boiler has a 4-foot combus-
tion chamber, which is radially stayed to
the shell of the Ixjiler. The width ot
through a curve. These are located on
the back head of the boiler and oil is
fed to them by steam pressure through a
pipe line, from which there are leads to
the above mentioned wheels. A single
hredoor is provided in the firebox,
equipped with a Franklin automatic
opener. Iron doors are provided at the
Grate .^rca. - 100 sq. ft
Axles. — Driving journals, lo x 12 irs,; tender,
Syi by '0 i.ns.
Firebox. — Thickness of crown, H *". : tube.
9-16 in.; sides, )i in.; back, 1$ in.: water
space, front. 5 ins.: sides, 4 ins.; back,
4K ins
Smoke Stack. — Diameter, t8 ins.; top above rail,
16 ft. o ins.
Valves. — L. P. double ported h. p. oiston type;
travel, 6 ins.; steam Isj/, slide h. p. 1 1-16,
1. p., I in.; ex. lap, b. p. 5:16^1. p., 7-16.
LOW PRESSURE CVl.I.Xl
back of the cab, which may be closed
when the engine is backing.
The tender is fitted with a water bot
tom tank which carries 9,000 gallons of
water and the fuel space holds 14 tons of
coaL
In the design of the tender frame special
care was taken to provide a strong and
rigid construction. The longitudinal sills
are composed of 15-in. steel channels
weighing 33 lbs. to the foot; and top
and bottom cover plates are used. Both
,v ,.. ;.i.\i.li;t ci:)Mpnuxn.
Locon^ctive, Man and Car.
One of the papers over in Phila-
delphia, the Record by name, has poked
a bit of harmless fun at a big engin-
eer on a little engine. Our contem-
porary says: "Frank Seidler is the
biggest engineer on the Williamsport
end of the Philadelphia & Reading
system, and he has the "littlest" en-
gine. The engine looks like a toy
alongside the monsters that handle
coal trains or that go pounding along
with general freight. It is an engine
that was once considered "some pump-
kins" on the road, but it has got down
to pulling a work train. The big en-
gineer on this tiny old-fashioned engine
weighs 320 lbs."
The remarks about how this engine
I'.as dwindled in size by comparison
reminds us of the couplet indicating
the growth of the box car:
Dear little box car, don't you cry.
You'll be a freight house by and by."
Whether or not we get heavier box
cars or locomotives in the future, we
wish Frank Seidler good health and
good luck.
the water space is not less than 8^ ins.
at any point and increases to 11^ ins. at
the bottom.
-Ml the plates of tlie boiler slu-ll are,
of course, very thick, the heaviest plate
being i 3/16 ins. thick, and the lightest
I in. The firebox is 114 ins. wide and
126^-^ ins. long, and provides a grate area
of 100 sq. ft. Two Chicago sight feed
flange oilers are provided for oiling the
flanges of the front and back wheels of
each system when the engine is passing
the front and rear bumpers are of cast
steel. The tender trucks are of the four
wheel arch bar type, the design following
the Delaware & Hudson Company's
standard practice, and have a carrying
capacity of 100.000 lbs. each.
Some of the principal dimensions are
given below :
Wheel Base. — Rigid, 14 ft. 9 ins.; total, 40 ft.
2 iiis. ; total, engine and tender, 75 ft j^
Weight. — In working order. 445.000; on drivers.
445. coo: engine and tender. 611.800.
Heatirg Surface. — Tubes. 6.276 sq. ft.; firebox,
353 sq. ft.; total 6,620 sq. ft.
King Rode on Locomotive.
The late King Edward, of Great Brit-
ain, displayed much courtesy towards
Andrew Carnegie. The friendship of
the two dated from the time Edward, as
Prince of Wales visited this country in
1859. At that time Andrew Carnegie
was superintendent of the middle divis-
ion of the Pennsylvania Railroad, and
he took the future king riding on the
locomotive of different trains, among
them a trip over the horseshoe curre.
June. 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
General Correspondence
Source of Information.
Editor
I have been a reader and subscriber of
your valuable paper since its inception,
and have always found it interesting, ab-
sorbing, and helpful, but never more so,
than at present, and the engineer, fire-
man and shop man of today should con-
.«ider themselves fortunate in having such
? valuable source of information as it
furnishes.
Your articles in the March number.
those of the late 70's and early 8o"s of
the last century, when the writer did his
firing and was promoted to the position
of engineer. In those days there were
very few publications or in fact anything
printed that set forth the problems of
practical railroading such as your maga-
zine does today, .^ny engineer can readily
consult the different formulas that you
furnish and know exactly whether or not
his engine is being over-loaded, or in fact
he can get any other information he may
panics was saved in the less frequent
cases of doubling hills. The adoption of
the tonnage rating for locomotives was
certainly a long step in the right direc-
tion.
The writer believes that the tonnage
rating system originated with Mr. Frank
S. Gannon who, in 1881, while superinten-
dent of New York City & Northern Rail-
road, now the Putnam division of the N.
Y. C. He issued instructions to conductors
and engineers that thereafter engine haul-
.11 MEADNII.l.l. VAItll INDIK 1 1 1 i I U ll.Tl IS IMIU.Ni, llll. MAKtIl |-I.li()l)
{CauTtity of Ikt ErU K-^ilroaJ Bmployti' Mafarxnr.)
Reading Indicator Diagrams" and "The
■ tor of Adhesion" arc most explicit.
I no doubt have been eagerly read and
-■••jted by scores and hundreds of your
■lerj Not only to the three ctastes of
»/rkmen mentioned above, the "Factor
of .Vdhesion" will appeal, but alK> to a
great number of transportation ofiicialt
who in the latter day railroading are
eager to read and keep abreast of any
desire that in any way pertains to his
calling.
In the period I speak of, when I was
getting my experience and knowledge
mostly by observation, it was the custom
among railroad superintendents to Yatc an
engine's haulinc; c.ipacity by the number
of cars or loa<ls it could haul, and if the
engine stalled and doubled three trips in
five it was considered good enough, and
knowledge and information they can get the rating stood as good and regular prac-
relative to the h.iuling power of locomo-
tive*.
I tay the railroad men of today are
fortunate in having such a «ource of in-
formation on subjects so closely per-
taining to their calling as rnmpared with
tice until more enlightened officials saw
there was a dead Io^a in overloading en-
gines. The jy»tein of r.iting now almost
everywhere in vogue, the tonnage basis,
was established, and lots of grief tn the
train hands and more to the railroad com-
ing capacity would be rated by tonnage
ni>tead of cars, and he indicated the num-
ber of tons each of the different sizes of
engines would be required to haul over
the various portions of the road. After
this the doubling of hills was reduced to
.1 minimum and occurred only on
especially wet and greasy rails or
when the train consisted of cars
that had an especially large pro-
portion of bad side hearings, for
those were the days when wooden body
?.n<\ truck bolsters were in use, and you
(ould seldom see daylight between the
lop and bottom side bearings on an empty,
let alone on a load, and this often resulted
in stalling, because the side bearings pre-
«30
RAILWAY AXD LOCOMOTIVE ENGIXEERING.
June, 1910.
vented the trucks from adjusting them-
selves to the rails.
Possibly other engineers have knowl-
edge of the adoption, earlier than 1881, of
the ton unit instead of the car for rating
locomotives, but the writer thinks if Mr.
Gannon did not originate the system, he
was one of the pioneers in adopting it.
Engineer.
Mount Pleasant, X. J.
Bay State Limited.
Editor :
Here is the photograph of the Bay
State Limited on the New York, New
Haven & Hartford, hauled by engine No.
1 109. It is in the act of picking up water
the weight of the revolving parts are driv-
ing the motion, and consequently will
bring all the wear on the point of the
eccentric closest to the center of the axle.
The heavier the eccentric and motion rods,
and the higher the speed the more wear
on the small half or part of eccentric near-
est the center of the axle. It is simply a
question of centrifugal force.
E. J. Srenster,
Genl. Foreman, C. & N. W. Ry.
Chicago Sliof>s.
Flange Lubrication.
Editor:
On page 90 of the March issue of
Railway and LocoMorn-E Engineering
riAlE LIMlTlCD ON THl'. N. Y., N. H. .V II.
from a track trough when this picture
was snapped. This train is one of the
three 5-hour trains betw-een New York
and Boston which are perhaps the finest
trains in New England. I am a constant
reader of your magazine and was very
much interested in the pictures you had in
the February and March issues.
R. C. P.VLMER.
AVic Hazcn, Conn.
Wear of Eccentrics.
Editor:
In the May issue of your magazine I
saw an article, as I have in previous is-
sues on the wear of eccentrics, about the
wear being all on the small half of the
eccentric or the part nearest to the axle.
All the explanations of this that I have
seen are wrong, according to my views,
which I will give.
The wear of eccentrics or gain in throw
has been a difficult question to answer,
and has been answered a number of w-ays,
but with a little thought is an easy prob-
lem to solve. The eccentric and strap
being out of center is governed by cen-
trifugal force and after any momentum
or speed is attained its tendency is to
pull away from its center, which brings
all the wear on the small half or the
point closest to the center of the axle.
Where momentum or speed is enough
is indeed a good record, especially on
tires, and Mr. Voges should be con-
gratulated on turning out such work.
What do you suppose these same tires
would have made equipped with the
wheel flange lubricator? We have 50
and 60-ton engines here making 30,oo(>
to 50,000 miles and consider this ex-
cellent mileage. We can't exceed this
on account of tread wear, as we do not
have any more flange wear since ap-
plying the above mentioned lubri-
cators. Mr. Voges calls special atten-
tion to this being the Railway Steel
Spring Co.'s tires; why should there
be so much diflference in tires? We
are using the Latrobe and Midvale and
they seem to be as hard as could be
handled. Reragding my flange lubri-
cators, I may say the Tennessee Copper
Company is using ray lubricators and will
be glad to recommend them to any one
interested in flange lubrication. My
occupation is that of a roundhouse
foreman with the above mentioned
i-ompany. Mr. W. T. Foster is super-
i tendent of this road. P. J. M.MX)y.
Copperhill, Tenn.
I notice a reply to my letter in the Jan-
uary issue, by Mr. C. A. Poland, of
Atchison, Kan. When I spoke of flange
lubrication I only had reference to
lubricating the front wheel of an en-
gine on the high side of a cur\'e while
the engine was on same. Lubrication
is shut off while engine is on straight
track. From the way Mr. Poland
wrote I imagine he must have thought
I was going to open a valve and let
oil run in a stream as large as your
finger, and from one end of the road to
the other. I have designed and pat-
ented a lubricator which works auto-
matically, lubricating the high side of
the curve and cutting off when the en-
gine is on level or straight track, pre-
venting the tires from cutting, in-
creasing the life of rail, and reducing
friction of long trains rounding curves,
and the best of all, lessening wrecks,
for it is impossible for a flange to
climb a rail when it is lubricated.
On page 144 of the April issue of
your valuable magazine, I noticed an
article from Mr. C. H. Voges, general
foreman of the Big Four at Belle-
fontaine, Ohio, headed "Good Record."
Mr. Voges says that engine No. 6416
made 200.581 miles between shoppings
with only a few roundhouse repairs.
No tires were turned or changed. This
Headlights for the Rails.
Editor;
I have been trying to overcome the
disadvantages of the very bright head-
light as now used high up on locomo-
tives, and I am sending you a rough
drawing to try to explain my idea. The
chief disadvantage of this form of light
R-VIL ILLUMIX.NTIOX.
to my mind is that the glare blinds the
engineer of an oncoming train.
My idea is to place two small elec-
tric or gas lamps on the inside of the
pilot of the locomotive, similar to the
lights on an automobile, only the light to
stream through pilot onto the rail.
The intention is to have each small
beam of light flash on each separate rail,
the lights being placed low down so
that the engineer will have a clear view
of his block signals or of an approach-
ing train, and the light being almost
parallel with the rail will carry a good
way ahead. Thom.\s J. Pratt.
Paterson, N. J.
June, igio
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
231
Some Old Ones on the B. & M.
Editor:
I am sending you some photographs of
several old "mills" that once ran in this
neck o' woods. The "Sailor Bov" was one
Healey, late of the Rhode Island Works,
was foreman. The "Gen. Sherman" was
built by Hinckley and Drury in 1866, for
the Boston & Maine, at the same time
Aretus Blood of the Manchester Works
BOSTON & LOVVEL ENGINE 'S.MLOR BOV."
cf the engines of the Salem and Lowell
Railroad, of which there were three, viz :
the "Transport," "Factory Girl," and the
one named above. Sailor Boy and Fac-
tory Girl were names given as appropriate
to the leading industrial life at the rail-
road's terminals.
Mr. E. T. Summer, the present master
mechanic of the Southern division of Bos-
ton & Maine, is a native of Salem and
remembers these engines, having seen them
when he was a boy more than 60 years
ago. At that time they were drop-hook
Hinckley engines and the frames were
outside the wheels. Later the frames were
cut off ahead of the drivers. He tells a
story concerning these engines with the
facility of an eye-witness.
The Sailor Boy and the Factory Girl
put up in Salem over night The inhabi-
tants of this town hclil to their Puritan
ideas and thought the engines should be
married, so a local preacher named Clark
was found, and told about it. He came
down to the yard one day and the engines
built the "Gen. Grant" for the same road.
Both of these engines • were scrapped
within a year. The other photograph, if
Loads and Empties in a Train.
Editor:
In reading the April nmiiber I noticed
u letter describing the most desirable
manner of making up freight trains
relative to the placing of loads and
empties in a train. A few years back
it was considered good practice to
place the loaded cars ahead in a train,
some claiming that where a train is
made up in this manner it handled
much better and there was less trouble
due to damaged draft-rigging. Also
you can find plenty of engineers at the
present who will assert that a train, say,
of 700 tons, on a grade of I'/i per cent.,
will pull easier if the loaded cars are
placed next the engine.
I might say that I have handled
freight trains on a grade of this kind
where a dynamometer car was placed
behind the engine, and that the regis-
tered draw-bar pull did not show that
there was any gain owing to the man-
ner of placing the loaded cars in the
train. If you have an equal number of
tons and the resistance is equal it will
require an equal draw-bar pull to move
the train over the grade. The rcsist-
>ou will notice, is one with three drivers
gone. This engine came in under its own
steam, fixed up by Mr. Summer and was
BOSTON & MAINE ENGINE "CF.NF.R.^L SIU U.5.1
w^r- r-..i{,i.-.| together and were married.
Tin ::. .. -,ilt igja
'!(;'■ M..rllK)ro" was a Fitchburg Rail-
road engine, built by McKay and Aider*
at Fast BoMnn, in iJW. Mr. B. W.
run by Mr. W. P. Steele, now of the
.American Locomotive Company. The
tender carried the weight at the back.
D. F. Cassidv.
Somenille, Man.
INCI.Ni: ".MAKI.nORO."
ance in a long train should run much
higher on a track where the curves are
sharp and close together than on a
short train of an equal number of tons.
My opinion as to the manner in
which a train should be made up is
this. The loaded cars should be dis-
tributed through the train. Of course
I do not mean that it would be practi-
cable to make up a train of, say eighty
cars, consisting of forty loads and forty
empties, first load then empty through-
fiut the train, but if they arc divided
into groups of say three, four or five
loads or empties, the train will handle
much better over any kind of a grade.
And when it conies to stopping the
conditions are all to the good where
a train is made up in this way. It must
be remembered that the brake on a
loaded car is no hotter than the brake
on an empty car, and that the unbrakrd
weight of the loaded car is away in
232
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
June, 1910.
advance of the unbraked weight of the
empty car.
Suppose the empty cars are all on the
rear of the train and the brakes are
applied, the unbraked weight of the
loaded cars on the forward portion of
the train will carry this part of train
much farther than the rear of train
your "best railroad magazine published"
and see what others have to say in
regard to this matter.
Inn Spectre.
[Our correspondent has touched upon
a most important matter. We would like
to hear from others who do the work of
inspection and from those who are in any
ENGINE WITH ONI.V DRINER LEFT RIDING ON TENDER.
unless the draft-rigging is strong
enough to hold it. I have seen many
cases where it was not strong enough,
especially in cases of emergency, some
of them being undesired emergency.
My experience has taught me that there
is nothing to be gained by placing load-
ed or heavy cars ahead in a train e.xcept
that the train will start better than
were the heavj' cars all behind. There
is less liability to damaged draft-rig-
ging when starting. Tests have been
made to show that where freight trains
are handled in excess of forty cars in
length it is a decided advantage to dis-
tribute the loaded cars throughout the
train. F. \\". Be.\ird.
Grand Rapids, Mich. .
way afifected by the work of the locomo-
tive inspector — such as locomotive en-
gineers, firemen and shopmen. — Editor.]
Ancient and Modern Air Pumps.
Editor:
You will find enclosed a photograph
showing the past and present of air
pumps used on locomotives. The one
on the left is a Gardner & Ranson
pump, which was one of the first air
pumps used. The other five are Wes-
tinghouse, as follows: 6-in., 8, 9lA, 11
and 8i/^-in. cross-compound. The 6-in.
Westinghouse was first used on the
Big Four about 30 years ago. The 8^-
in. cross-compound pump is one of the
Locomotive Inspection.
Editor :
In reading R.\ilway .\xd Locomotive
Engineering as I do, I fail to see any-
thing in regard to the subject of locomo-
tive inspection. Some time ago I did see
an article where an official of some sys-
tem said he had inspection of locomo-
tives down to about three minutes. Did
he mean the small engines of ten years
ago, or the engines of the present, articu-
lated compounds for example.
Locomotive inspection in my judgment
is an important feature for a railroad
company for safety, economy, and the
maintenance of power. There are a great
many things for the inspector of today
to give attention to. Tires, flanges,
scoops, safety devices on both ends of the
engine and tender. None of us are in-
fallible. Overlooking any part or parts
may cause detention, accident or worse,
which means reprimand, sometimes not in
choice language, or it may be suspension.
Now. Mr. Editor, I would like you to
take up this matter of inspection in
1 • ''!••'.
■ ij
'jm.
S^Sb , rTr**.-T _i: 1
ANCIENT AND MODERN AIR PUMPS
Westinghouse Company's latest prod- in
ucts, and will pump about the same
amount of air as the other five com-
bined. C. H. Voces,
General Foreman, Big Four.
Belief ontaine. Ohio.
A Tenderfoot of the 8o*s.
Editor :
"Old Time Railroaders.'" by Mr. N. W.
Fav, in vour Mav number wa.« a ver\-
interesting reminiscence to me, especially
the reference the Truckee division of
the Southern Pacific, where I was em-
ployed a few years ago as machinist and
fireman, and possibly my memories will
be of interest to your readers and the re-
maining Old Guard.
It's been over twenty years since leaving
that part of the world, but I have been
more fortunate than Mr. Fay, as an occa-
sional friend informs me of some hap-
pening, and a few years ago an article
appeared in Railway and Locomotive
Engineering, in which it was stated that
the division was changed to Sparks, close
to Reno, the line straightened and Wads-
worth abandoned. So I presume if Wads-
worth is of any importance, it must be in-
habited by difierent commercial enter-
prises than existed in Mr. Fay's time,
when the yard engine "Goliath" was run
and fired by Huston and later by Cun-
ningham, and could be heard for miles,
pushing trains up to two-mile siding.
Those were the days when if a man
did a dishonorable act the community ad-
ministered punishment from which there
was no appeal. One case I may mention
was of a brakeman suspected of being a
spotter ; he was escorted to the river
bridge, where a can of front-end paint
and one of Bill Donaldson's largest pil-
lows had preceded him. After the cere-
monies he was headed East, admonished
never to return, but later reported his
troubles to headquarters, causing several
dismissals.
L'pon another occasion a cow puncher,
color blind from excessive indulgence with
Charley Lewis' "sperits of fomento," got the
wrong cayuse out of Tom Herman's cor-
ral and took to the foothills with con-
stable and blacksmith foreman Crosby
and three deputy Piutes in
pursuit in an all-day chase,
returning to camp with
their prisoner bound with
a lasso to the back of the
mustang he had stolen.
Judge Angus, our general
foreman, held court that
evening with postmaster
Taylor acting as prose-
cutor and shoemaker Mc-
Guire representing the de-
fendant, but the poor fel-
low was bound over to the
criminal court, as he was
found guilt}- of a crime
which had no precedence
in that country that was pardonable.
Whatever happened, everyone butted in
like a free roll at a poker game.
Constable Martin, shop foreman, was
unanimously elected a limb of the law at
a meeting held at the Opera House, and
about his first case of note was a prisoner
who escaped from the sheriff at Carson,
and $100 reward was offered for his
capture dead or alive. This news soon
spread, and everj' stranger was spotted
June. 1910
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
-'J3
by the town sleuths, which wa» ihe entire
population. Finally the constable saw a
stranger in the shop and put him under
arrest. He proved to be the man wanted,
and after some difficulty was placed in the
"jug" back of Scotty Lee's store. I was
not working that day and was told to
watch him while the sheriff was notitied
to come for his man.
The jail was an 8 x 10 frame shack
with two cells lined with sheet iron, and
a corridor in front and large padlocks.
I took a look at this fellow, who was
small and about twenty-two years of age.
Thinking ever>-thing secure. I went to the
hotel for breakfast and was gone possibly
thirty minutes when some one yelled "He
is out!" and upon my return 1 found he
had cut his way out of the cell and
picked the lock, leaving a large quid of
tobacco in the keyhole as a memento. Our
bird had flown and I was in disgrace, as
some one had to be blamed. Finally
Gigerie Bob and two other Piute bucks
were rounded up and put on the scent.
which led to the river and which he waded
for a few hundred rods and did not cross,
but aaint'J a ivw h"ur> lioforc i!'c Iii.li.-in-i
Whitehead and Jem Gesford are in Cali-
fornia. Dorsey is running on the Santa
Fe. Bert Keys is in Mexico in locomo-
tive department service. Charley Kamm
is in the distillery business. Frank Wal-
strom, who was the only tirenian to suit
Louie Hattenliousc, is on a farm in Ne-
braska. Mike Martin is running a ma-
chine shop in Chicago, and Peter Maher.
who was on the rod job, is superintendent
of motive power on the C. & A. Judge
Angus, Tom Clark, Bill Nichols, Bill
Ehinlap, Andy Russle, Bob Richie and
several whom I am unable to recall by
name have passed away, and let us hope
to a better land than where the baying
of the coyote, the hymn of the Piute, the
sage brush and sand hills abound.
W. D. M.\RTi.\.
Genl. Foreman N. V. C. Lines.
South Bend, liiJ.
in all 2,JIJ sq. ft. This is made up of
156 sq. ft. in the tire box and 2,056 sq. ft
in the tubes. The grate area is about
J5J4 sq. ft., which gives a ratio of grate
area to total heating surface as I is to
04. The number of tubes in this boiler
is -'83.
The type of locomotive is what we
call a 4-4-J or .-Ktlantic type and is of
very symmetrical proportions and
graceful design. The engine truck
wheels are 38 ins. in diameter and the
carrying wheels at the rear are 48 ins.
in diameter. The total wheel base of
this machine measures 35 ft. 4 ins. The
weight in working order is 68.5 metric
tons.
The tender is mounted on 40-in.
wheels, weighs in working order 50
metric tons. It carries about 8 tons of*
coal and about 5.7S5 gallons of water.
Four-Cylinder Balanced Compound.
The locomotive here illustrated is
built by J. A. Maffei, of Munich. Ger-
many, for the Royal Bavarian State
Railways. The engine is finished in the
neat and compact fashion ch.cractoristic
Without Foundation.
We have before now referred to the
so-called railroad news which the ordi-
nary daily newspaper gives to its readers.
The possession of a wide sheet of white
paper, a soft lead pencil and a fcrtilo im-
KOLR-CVLIXUER BAL.\NXED CO.MI'OLNI) I-OR TilU UUV.\L l;A\ .\KI.\.N Sl.Ml. 1;.\1L\V.\V.
found his footprints in the sand ; and then
for at least five hours they held a regular
dog trot until the older buck and myself
Imj down along the railroad and were
counted out, while the two Piutes trailed
their man to Reno, where he made his
"getaway," only to be captured at Truckeo,
being identified by some of the railroad
boyi ; and upon searching hit clothes they
found all kindt of burglar toolt sewed in
the lining, and even in his shoet.
Buck, mentioned by Mr. Fay, was a big-
hearted Englishman fiy the name of
Bucklen, and ttill an eniplnye •>! the com-
pany at San FranciKo. Shorty Hyde,
whom the Inn* were convinced had drawn
the grand [iri/e in the old Li^uitiana Lot-
tery, wa> at Spark«, la«l report, Johnnie
Smith, George lltmt. Superintendent
of this builder, and with the high polish
of the continental mechanic. The en-
gine has cylinders 13.6 and 22.8 by 25.O
ins. The steam pressure is 235.2 lbs.,
and with driving wheels 80 ins. in di-
ameter, a tractive effort of 10,600 lbs.
can be developed.
The valves are of the piston type, ac-
tuated by Walschaerfs gear. The two
high pressure cylinders arc on the out-
side and the low pressure ones arc be-
low the smoke box. All pistons drive
on the front pair of driving wheels and
• •n the crank a\lc. The counterweights
in the driving wheels are necessarily
light and in the front wheel they are s<i
disponed as to counterbalance crank axle
weights.
The healing nurface of the boiler i»
agination are after all the ground-work
for a good deal of what is called railroad
news. The ordinary daily paper which
has become in many instances, especially
on the front page, merely the record of
death, disaster, foolishness and crime,
occasionally increases its efforts, by print-
ing an account of something that did not
happen.
We recently saw a statement in a
prominent New York daily to the effect
that an officer of one of our leading rail-
ways, in making a so-called surprise test
of signal observance, had been arrested
and only liberated on giving heavy bail.
By direct inquiry, addressed to the vice-
pre>iident of the road in question, we
learned that the statement, as printed,
was without anv foundation.
.I'- RAILWAY AXD LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
Victorian Railway Shops at Newport
By J. H. Boyd
luni. loin.
The Victorian Government Railway
Shops, located at Newport, a suburb
of Melbourne, possess many features
of special interest. The rolling stock
for the whole of this railway is built
for 5 ft. 3 ins. gauge. The original
workshops were situated at Williams-
town, which is three miles further from
the Victorian metropolis and better
known as Point Gellibrand.
In 1884-S the authorities decided to
build an up-to-date workshop, and an
area of about 732 acres at Newport was
secured and designs obtained from their
consulting engineer in London.
tern and have two classes — first and sec-
ond. The carriages for long distance
traffic are provided with corridors, gen-
erally at one side. The method of coup-
ling carriages is the same as in England.
and the method of fastening rails to ties is
the same as in America. It should be men-
tioned that the driving gear for the wood
machine shop is under the floor. Saw-
dust and refuse are drawn away for fuel
in the boilers by the most approved
method. Spray painting machines worked
by compressed air are used for painting
the outside of freight cars. Many other
details that were often painted by brusli
GKNr.K.XL VIEW OF NEWPORT SHOPS OF VICTORI.VN GOVERNMENT R.MEWAV;
The workshops generally cover twelve
acres, some 2,300 workpeople being em-
ployed there. The adjoining yard occu-
pies 120 acres. The works which run
from west to east are divided into three
blocks. Commencing at the eastern end,
the first is a large timber store, containing
some £60,000 worth of timber. This tim-
ber comes from all parts of Australasia.
The woodworking machinery employed
in the manufacture and repair of car-
riage and trucks is well arranged and
is representative of the best wood-
working machinery makers of Great
Britain and the United States. Austral-
ians, in general, have an open mind
in regard to the purchase of ma-
chinery : the cost, design and genera!
adaptability of the machine required, be-
ing the principal factors in making their
decision in favor of any particular ma-
chine, rather than favoring any particu-
lar maker or country.
The whole of the eastern block is de-
voted to the manufacture and repair of
carriages or cars and freight or goods
wagons. The carriages are of two dis-
tinct types — suburban and for long dis-
tance traveling. Australian railways gen-
erally have adopted the compartment sys-
are now painted or varnished by this
method.
Passing on to the central block which
is devoted to the ofiices, including that of
Mr. T. Smith, the workshop manager, are
ERECTING SHOP, BOILER SHOP BEYOND.
the stores department, the pattern shop,
the coppersmith's shop, and the foundry.
The iron foundry is well provided with
molding machines, sand sifting and core-
making machines.
In front of the central block is a large
lawn and flower garden in which the men
can spend, if they desire, their lunch hour.
Attached is a large dining room recently
erected by the commissioners, which pro-
vides accommodation for about 600 mea
The catering and management are done
by a committee of the men, and a good
meal can be had for 6d. (or 12 cents).
The west block, containing boiler shop,
fitting and erecting shop, machine shop,
smithy, etc., is devoted entirely to the
construction and repair of locomotives.
The boiler shop, which alone covers
nearly 57,000 sq. ft, is well equipped.
The plant includes the usual punching,
'Irilling, rolling, pressing and straighten-
nig machinery and all other devices used
in the construction and repair of boilers.
The fitting, erecting and machine shops
cover in the aggregate nearly ico.ooo sq.
ft. The erecting and fitting shops are
capable of turning out over 20 new en-
gines of various types per annum in addi-
tion to the repairs to existing engines and
rolling stock which is always going on.
'I i \ I , I M-. I ; I . L\ 1
L\ III OUTGOING TR.XCK
J-jr.e. igio.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE EXGL\"EERL\G.
235
An impression of the capacity of the
works can be gained from the fact that
36 new locomotives are in hand and some
SO others are undergoing repairs.
Of the several types of engines the A-2
about £2,700 and weight 68 tons with wa-
ter tanks full. They are used for subur-
ban lines ; but when the lines are electri-
fied the engines will be converted into
regular road locomotives.
M.XCIIIXE DEPART.MEXT. .'JLOTTIXG M.XCHIXES AT WORK.
type, which is designed for e.xpress pas-
senger traffic, 10 of which have recently
been built, is of special interest. Ten
others are well advanced, they have 6-ft.
driving wheels, weigh no tons. The esti-
mated cost of each is £3,700. The side
view, showing the engine being lifted
from the building track or pit to the cen-
tral rails gives a good idea of proportions
of the machine. The general effect is of
a combination of an .American and Brit-
ish built engine. The outside cylinders,
pilot and style of cab suggesting the
American, the lack of bell and headlight,
combined with other features of design,
suggesting the British type.
Another class of locomotive built at
Newport is the "D D." type, which
weighs 9J tons and costs about £2,900.
This class of engine is used on suburban
The machine shop is well designed
generally with good machines and tools.
As air' :; ■■, ■!.,• ', •' ■ :y ■. ' ':■■' ■ -r- f
are well qualified to give an opinion in
.\ustralia, that America is well ahead on
design and ingenious development of
machines and tools, but their machines
are often on the light side, and in many
cases not sufficiently rigid.
One of the special features in the
manufacture of the locomotives is the
built-up crank shaft. This method was
adopted in the first place because of the
lack of facilities for forging the shaft
The method of building up the shafts un-
der pressure is most successful and gives
entire satisfaction.
The forge shop is generally well
equipped, and among other appliances has
a 5-ton steam hammer for forging axles,
connecting rods, etc., other features are
the bolt and nut forging machines.
The smithy is also well equipped with
steam hammers and necessary tools, and
which, including the forge, covers an
area of over 60,000 sq. ft
.Approximately the capital value of the
works is £350,000; wages paid, £640,000;
value of material used annually, £355.-
000; work at present in hand, locomotives,
36; carriages and vans, go; freight trucks
<>r cars, 667.
.Apprentices are expected to serve six
years, and during that time are expected
to attend the Workmen's College in Mel-
bourne and show proficiency in their tech-
nical training. The results or marks ob-
• :■ '. •■ ■: wirij'ii e\a:i, illations are
GENERAL \ IIW oi TIIE MACHINE Sllni'.
ONE or THE -tl'.IKIiAX (I.A.S.S.
or country line», principally for patien-
ger, goods and mixed trains.
The D D E, or tank enginet, are alio
contlructrd at the workt at a cott of
many and various types and makes— Great
Britain, the United States and Germany
l>eing represented.
High-speed steel is being used with ad-
vantage, and it was observed by Mr. R.
Ferguson, forem.in of this <lcpartmcnl,
that the stronger machines of British
make stood up well to the increased out-
put now demanded of them.
It 'n admitted generally by those who
posted up In the works from time to time
so that progress is noted by all concerned.
The writer is indebted to Mr. T. H.
Woodroffc, chief mechanical engineer, for
kindness and courtesy, both in allowing
hiin to visit the works under such favor-
able conditions and also for several of
the photographs, blue-prints, etc. Mr. T.
.Smith, works manager, was also very
attentive.
2J,(>
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
June, 1910.
Steam Turbine and Reduction Gear.
The Westinghouse marine steam tur-
bine made by the Westinghouse Ma-
been liniiicd. owing to mechanic;*! diffi-
culties involved. It, therefore, re-
mained for Messrs. Melville and Mac-
GEOKGE WESTINGHOUSE,
President, The Westinghouse Companies.
President American Society of Mechanical Engineers.
REAR-ADMIRAL GEORGE W. MELVILLE,
Ex-Engineer-in-Chief U. S. Navy.
chine Company of Pittsburgh, Pa., is
too well known to require detailed de-
scription here. The Melville-MacAlpine
reduction gear, as applied to the West-
inghouse marine turbine, is a very suc-
cessful combination of high speed tur-
bine and low speed propelling shaft.
In an article contributed to Applied
Science by Mr. J. A. MacMurphy, chief
draughtsman of the turbine department
Westinghouse Machine Company, he says,
among other things:
"It has been generally admitted that
properly cut gears will transmit power
with extremely small loss, but the use
of gears for large work has heretofore
JOHN H. MACALPINE,
Member Institute of Naval Architects.
Alpine to invent a gear which would
transmit the enormous powers neces-
sary for the propulsion of large, fast
ships at a speed of revolution of pinion
which would permit of a design of tur-
bine giving the lowest possible steam
consumption, and would reduce the
speed of revolution to that required for
best propeller efficiencj'. Ordinary
gears will not do this: that is, they can-
not be operated successfull}' with wide
gear faces working with several hun-
dred pounds' pressure per inch of width
of tooth, while revolving at a velocity
of over a mile a minute at the pitch
line. And this for the manifest reason
that if it were humanly possible to ac-
curately cut and align the gears so that
there would be a line contact to begin
with, this condition would net be main-
tained for any length of time because
of the natural wear of the bearings.
"The novel feature of this reduction
gear consists in carrying the pinion
sliaft in what the inventors call a "float-
ing" frame. The floating frame is ex-
tremely stiff in itself and supported
I ;-.!f-way between the end bearings in
such a manner that it is free to oscil-
late in the vertical plane passing through
the axis, of the pinion shaft, while it is
prevented from moving in other direc-
tions. The result of this arrangement
is that any minute irregularity in the
jitcli of the teeth (which would tend
\o concentrate the loadj will merely
cause the floating frame to change its
position about its central support and
111 this way equalize the pressure. The
I inions automatically adjust themselves
to divide the load and so avoid ab-
normal stresses. In order to transmit
the enormous' power required in ma-
rine work, it is not necessary to have
very wide gears, and it is found advan-
tageous to divide this into two gears
on the same shaft. Helical teeth are
employed so that they will roll into
contact without shock and thus reduce
wear and noise.
"In this connection it will be inter-
esting to note that Mr. George West-
inghouse has developed a modification
of this gear which diflfers from the
"floating frame" type in that both the
pinion shaft and the gear shaft are car-
ried in fixed bearings, the connection
between the gear rim and the shaft
benig made through a thin diaphragm,
which while amply strong to transmit
torque, is sufficiently flexible to permit
of the gears aligning themselves by
interaction of the tooth pressure. The
flexible support of the pinion frame
consists of an I-beam so arranged that
the web is free to bend back and forth
as required.
"The effect of this increased effi-
ciency of both turbine and propeller in
a marine installation has an even far-
ther reaching effect, as a large reduc-
tion in coal bunker capacity is also
brought about and moreover the boiler
H. P. required is reduced about one-
REDUCTIOX
GEAR WITH
FRAME.
FLOATING
June. 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
ill
third. On the Lusitania there are
twenty-three double-ended and two
single-ended boilers, the double-ended
boilers being 17 1-2 ft. in diameter by 22
ft. long, the saving of one-third of the
space occupied by these boilers will be
seen to be a very large item. As each
of these ships carry 192 firemen and 123
trimmers, the reduction of the number
of boilers to be fired would effect a
very material reduction in the expense
for this part of the crew."
Wheel Hub Expander.
Writing to the Electric Traction
Weekly, Mr. J. O. Harrison, superintend-
ent of motive power of the Fort Dodge,
axle in order to allow the metal in hub of
wheel to yield its grip on the axle. This
method requires several hours' labor
while, with the gas jets as we use them,
a pair of steel wheels can be removed in
twenty minutes."
[In writing us on the subject Mr.
Harrison says he also uses this heater
when putting wheels on axles. The ex-
panded hub lets the axle pass in quickly
and the adjustment is made as the hub
cools. The actual shape of the circular
burners is probably each like a hook, so
as to permit of their being put around
the axle on the hubs of the wheel. The
drawing does not show the burner very
c'early. — Editor.]
GAS HUB EXPANDER FOR WHEELS.
Des Moines & Southern Railroad, at
Boone, la., says :
"I have in my shop a little device which
ought to draw a better salary than some
mechanics. It is as you can see from
the accompanying sketch a straight pipe,
screwed into a T from which a pipe runs
each way dropping down on either side
of the wheel to the hub where it again
connects to another T. From each of
these two T's two curved pipes encircle
the hub of the wheel, both inside and
lutside the hub. These circular pipes are
perforated with small holes. We attach a
hose to the straight pipe at top. This
hose connects through one branch to an
air tank and through another to our gas
''iipply. Air and gas being turned on and
'lighted at small holes in the circular
pipes, form a hot, blue flame around the
hub of the wheel. This wheel is put in
the press and given about 80 tons of
pressure. In a very few minutes, seldom
more than ten, the heat has expanded the
wheel iuffVcicntly to allow the press to
move it off the axle. Heretofore I have
1 ever heard of any one pressing steel
wheels off steel axles. It has been cus-
tomary to drill two or three holes
through hub of wheel parallel with the
Reminiscent.
A valued correspondent who delights
not in seeing his name in print has sent
us the following notes:
I was much pleased with Mr. Rick-
secker's autobiography and hope to see
more of the like from his fellow vet-
erans. Am sorry that he had forgotten
the No. 64 Rogers. She had cylinders
16 x 24 ins., not 18 x 20 ins. The first en-
gines having larger than i6x24-in. cyl-
inders were built in Jersey City Loco-
motive Works, with SJ^-ft. driving
wheels. I think the first engine with
that size of wheel was No. 80, named
Frank Cummings, which had 16 x 24-in.
cylinders.
The first engine on the Atlantic &
Great Western with an i8x24-in. cylin-
der was a Mogul built at Jersey City.
I note your editor's answer to Mr.
Merrill about the Mallet compound ex-
haust. If he is correct in that, I do not
understand the Mallet engine. I had
always before thought that it had four
exhausts for each turn of the drivers.
and if not, why? [It has four exhausts
for each turn of the drivers and is prac-
tically two cross compounds coupled
together, the valves being set to make
the exhausts synchronous.— Editor.]
Railways in Madagascar.
A comprehensive scheme is being fur
mutated by the French Government t"
establish a complete railway system in
the island of Madagascar. There is ai
present a narrow gauge line about i?"
miles in leuKth. The new project com
prises standard gauge railways througli
the most fertile valleys in the island,
that will open up to commerce this hitli
erto almost entirely unexplored region
The mineral wealth of the country is
reported to he great, while the vegeta-
tion is said to resemble more the luxu-
riance of Hrazilian forests than the
jungles of the near continent of Africa.
scarcity, have on the lines west of
Pittsburgh placed in experimental
service a number of concrete telegraph
poles through New Brighton, Pa. The
construction of the poles has followed
a series of elaborate experiments which
have been conducted during the past
two years.
Owing to the fact that wooden poles
are becoming more and more ex-
pensive as they become more difficult
to obtain, the Pennsylvania, in 1906,
began to test the value of concrete as a
substitute for wood. Fifty-three rein-
forced concrete poles were set up in
the line along the Pittsburgh, Fort
Wayne and Chicago Railway, near
Maples, Ind. A year later they were
found to be giving entire satisfaction
and showed no evidences of decay.
According to the experiments made
so far it is thought that a concrete tele-
graph pole will last for many genera-
tions, thereby doing away with the fre-
quent renewals necessary with wooden
poles. Much importance is also at-
tached to the increased strength of
the new poles, which hold the strain
of the line, even on curves, without
brace?.
Concrete Telegraph Poles.
The IVnniylv.iMi.i Railroad system,
in order to provide against timber
CONrRETF TKI.rr.RAPH POLE.
The poles at New Brighton arc of
graceful proportions, bring about 7,0
ft. high, 14 ins. in diameter at the liot-
loni and 6 ins. at the top, Their gen-
eral appearance is pleasing to the eye
on account of the uniformity in size,
shape and color.
238
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
June, 1910.
Rlim^EnsiiieeriiD
A Practical Journal of Motive Power, Soiling
Stock and Appliances.
PubUshed Monthly by
ANGUS SINCLAIR CO.
Ne
York.
114 Liberty i-tr.et,
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Business Department:
ANGUS SINCLAIR, D.E., Prest. and Treas.
JAMES KENNEDY. Vice-Prest. and Gen. Mgr.
HAREY A. KENNEY, Secretary.
Editorial Department:
ANGUS SINCLAIR. D.E., Editor.
GEORGE S. HODGINS. Managing Editor.
JAMES KENNEDY, Associate Editor.
Boston Representative:
S. I. CARPENTER, 643 Old South Building,
Boston, Mass.
London Representative:
THE LOCOMOTIVE PUBLISHING CO., Ltd.,
3 Amen Comer, Paternoster Row, London, E. C,
Glasgow Representative:
A. F. SINCLAIR, 15 Manor Road, Bellahous-
ton. Glasgow.
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if you subscribe in a club, state the name of the
agent.
Please give prompt notice when your paper
fails to reach you regularly.
Entered at the Post Office, New York, as
Second-class Mail Matter.
The Chancetaker Must Go.
The words at the head of this article,
we believe, form the headline for some
remarks attributed to a master me-
chanic in Texas. We recently saw
some exception taken bj' a writer in a
contemporary magazine to the word
chancetaker as applied to a railroad
man who is guilty of bad judgment.
Railway and LocoMoxn'E Engineering
first applied this word to the railroad
man who did not play the game ac-
cording to the rules. It originated in
the contemplation of a man who ran
at full speed past a caution signal in the
hope that the home signal would be
clear before he got to it. That act may
be called bad judgment by those who
prefer the word, but to us he is a
chancetaker.
There are degrees of bad judgment,
but in nearly all cases of bad judgment
there is the chancetaking element.
Habitual bad judgment is incompe-
tency. One may say that the rules of
the road provide means of safely get-
ting out of difficulty, as, for example,
flagging to a siding if you get on the
time of a superior train. The fact that
you know what the antidote to a poison
is is no excuse for taking the poison.
Even if you have the antidote handy,
you take a grave risk if you swallow
the poison. The serious and the deadly
thing about the chancetaker is that he
may with his bad judgment, or what
ever you like to call it, kill good, care-
ful, first class men in some fool acci-
dent. How would you like to go into the
beyond that way?
There has been a great deal of dis-
cussion about signal observance rec-
ords— surprise checking, some call it —
now we want to get the honest opinion
about the matter from the locomotive
engineers and others who are subject
to these signal observance tests. If
you write us your views, with name and
address and your road, we will use your
pen name only if you wish, and respect
your confidence to the full. We want
to print the views of those who have
experience in the matter. Engineers,
firemen, road foremen and men who
make the tests, officials, anybody may
write us who is concerned in the busi-
ness, and we will give them an oppor-
tunity to express their views without
giving their names to the public.
Our opinion about the signal ob-
servance test is that if properly con-
ducted it is all right. We do not ap-
prove of an official sneaking out from
behind a hedge to catch some one man
or men he may not like. But we be-
lieve the fair, impartial test of all is
perfectly legitimate. Such tests are
not poorly disguised attempts to look
for trouble, they should be like the ex-
amination at a college, made to see
where the whole class stands. The
signal observance test should carry
with it no more imputation of untrust-
worthiness to the railway man than
the presence of a National cash regis-
ter carries the imputation of dishon-
esty to the employee in a store. If the
cash register was only to be used by
John Jones and the rest of the em-
ployees simply gave their word as to
the number and amount of sales, then
the cash register would be objection-
able. Where all use it, it keeps a legiti-
rnate record and there is no discrimina-
tion.
Some of our important roads have
made signal observance tests in such
numbers that they clearly must apply
to all engineers alike, and the setting
of the signal at danger or extinguishing
a light is only the artificial production
of a condition that may at anj' time
confront enginemen, and be brought
sbout by failure of track circuit or
signal mechanism or other sufficient
cause. Several roads report as high as
98 per cent, efficiencj' of the men so
tested, and that is an honorable record
for the men and a proof of their care,
their watchfulness, and their conscien-
tious performance of duty, which it is
not possible to obtain in any other way.
Under this system a man is able to
establish a positive reputation for good
work. Not that he merely kept out of
trouble, but that he did the right thing
at the right time and the fact was
known and recorded.
A man in a railway repair shop does
not have to explain to some official that
he worked ten hours, where the brass
check system is in vogue. The check
proves that he was present on the day
in question and at the hours specified,
and no imputation of dishonesty is ever
intended by the use of the check sys-
tem at the gate or by the presence of
the timekeeper in charge.
We have not much sympathy for
oversensitive persons in a big working
concern like a modern railway. There
must be a definite system to keep up
efficiency and maintain discipline. The
trouble about the chancetaker is that
by getting outside the rules of the
game he may injure or kill those men
who, doing the square thing themselves,
believe that the others on the road are
doing the same thing, and that the com-
I^any is guaranteeing their safety by en-
forcing the rules.
Send us a letter and state your
views. You have a right to your opin-
ion, and if 3-ou do not agree with us, let
us know where and why. We will re-
spect your nom-de-plume, but give us
your name and address and road as a
guarantee of good faith and not for
publication. What do you think of sig-
nal obseirance tests, and what about
the chancetaker?
Cracks, Pitting and Grooving.
Some interesting facts with regard to
cracks, pitting, grooving and general sur-
face corrosion of boilers have been
brought out in a report prepared by
Messrs. H. Fowler and L. Archbitt, of
the Midland Railway of England, for the
eighth International Railway Congress.
These defects though known under va-
rious names, say the reporters, are so
closely related that it is difficult to de-
cide under which head a particular de-
fect shall be classed. The conditions
which result in cracking may if corro-
sion be also present result in grooving.
A groove is primarily due to oxide of
iron (rust) having formed as a thin
scale on a portion of a plate which is
subject to slight movement. This move-
ment causes the scale to crack off. Scale
is again produced under suitable condi-
tions. The repetition of the formation
and removal of this scale in time pro-
duces a groove. This may not explain
every case, but is in general the theory
of how grooves are produced. Crack-
ing is, strictly speaking a different phe-
nomenon and occurs principally in the
firebox, where there is radii of outer and
inner plates. Cracks are probably more
often found between the tube holes ; round
the outside of the plate, especially in the
upper part; and sometimes between the
stays on the copper or inside sheet of the
firebox. In all cases where copper fire-
June, 1910.
R.\IL\VAV AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
■239
plates are used, there is a liability to
crack inside of any flanged portion.
It is possible that these cracks, gen-
erally found as a series, may be started
in an incipient form when the plate is
bent, but they develop only under con-
tinually repeated stresses as the boiler
"breathes" in working. They develop in
places where slight movement can take
place and do not appear in stiff portions of
the box.
Pitting as apart from the tubes is
nearly always confined to the lower parts
of the barrel and in some cases it has
been found to be worst at the smoke-box
end. The Lancashire and Yorkshire Rail-
way are mentioned as finding pitting worst
in small boilers, where the tubes are
close to the bottom of the barrel. The
Natal Government Railways find the
same result with engines having shallow
fireboxes. Both these cases may be due
to the want of free circulation of water,
and the consequent tendency of corrosive
matter to lie on the bottom of the boiler
in contact with plates.
In the matter of grooving there are
four principal places at which grooving
generally takes place, i. At the bottom
of the smoke-box tube plate; 2, just above
the mud ring in the outer casing sheet,
especially near the comer; 3, at the bot-
tom of the circumferential lap joints in
the interior of the barrel ; 4, at the throat
plate flanges, near the position where the
flange joins the bottom of the barrel.
There are several other places where oc-
casionally grooving is found such as
near the edge of the fire-hole door ring,
and at the flange of those in which the
fire hole is formed by flanging the plate.
In some cases the grooving occurs on
the inside of the vertical flanged portion
of the door plate and sometimes may
be found between vertical rows of stays
in the lower portion of the throat sheet
in the water side.
With regard to general surface corro-
sion, this is stated as taking place princi-
pally over the bottom of the boiler barrel
and smoke-box tubc-platc. The Eastern
Bengal State and East Indian Railways
find that these plates corrode inside the
smoke box owing to the corrosive effect
of the smoke-box gases, but several loco-
motive departments including that of the
Elastern Bengal State Railway, find that
these plates also corrode on the water
side. The I^nrashire and Yorkshire Rail-
way find that corrosion of the boiler
plates takes place near the feed-water de-
livery.
In reading this necettarily brief synop-
sis of the report, the American reader is
reminded that in some of the cases men-
tioned the plan of construction is differ-
ent from wh.1t i« common in this coun-
try, but the definition of the terms used
and the probable causes for (he condi-
tions observed make the report a valuable
contribution on the subject with which it
dealt.
Wheel Failures.
During a recent tour the Editor had
occasion to discuss with an unusually
bright master mechanic the subject of
wheel failures, which continue to be alarm-
ingly common under heavily loaded cars,
also under tenders and among engine
truck wheels. The failures are in fact
common in every position where the
wheel has to endure hard usage under
heavy loads. Since returning to the office
we have received a letter from the master
mechanic, part of which reads:
"I find that steel tired wheels shell out
a great deal worse under tenders than
under cars. In fact, those under cars
are the exception. This leads me to be-
lieve that the short wheel base may be
partly responsible, for I have never seen
shelled spots develop to any noticeable
degree on drivers or on trailers, but have
seen it very pronounced on four wheel
engine trucks and that without brakes.
My experience has been mostly with
very crooked tracks and I consider this
responsible for the frequency and severity
of this scaling propensity.
"The outside wheel on a sharp curve
must, in addition to revolving, be dragged
over the rail, describing a circle from the
inner wheel, or the inner wheel must stop
and hunch backward. Either of these ac-
tions or a combination of both will cause
tire to burn and induce shelling. In
order to prevent this, recourse must be
had to make one wheel independent of
the other. Experiments which were made
along these lines between 1870 and 1890,
while showing that such could be done,
never led to the adoption of the inde-
pendent wheel ; but it may be possible
that at that time the demand for better
conditions was not so urgent as it is now.
I am not sufliciently advanced in scientific
or practical engineering to urge changes ;
but present conditions for your con-
sideration."
We agree with our correspondent that
something ought to be done to avert the
danger which is every day becoming more
alarming through failure of wheels. Sev-
eral remedies might be proposed, among
them the independent wheel, but that
would entail complications that might
prove worse than an occasional wheel
fracture. When the excessively heavy
cars came into vogue and with them in-
creasing loads r)n tenders and engine
trucks, the obvious remedy proposed to
provide against breakage of wheels was
stronger wheels, which meant the aban-
doning of the time-honored cast iron
wheel in favor of steel tired wheels. That
change was largely carried out, but break-
ages or failures have not been stopped.
The shelling of sirel tired wheels is no
doubt caused by the overloaded wheel un-
dergoing severe kitcral shock*, a* In rniiiid-
ing curves, but that raiuiol be avoided. A
little more cone to the tread of llic wheel
might help and i< worthy of being trird.
First-class cast iron wheels display less
tendency to shell than steel tired wheels,
r.nd the cause may be that the chilled
tread has more cone than the steel tired
wheel.
It falls upon the motive power depart-
ment of railways to search for remedies
to prevent breakage of the weak members
of the rolling stock family ; but the fact
is, that weight has been added to the
running gear of locomotives and cars
until in some instances the safe limit has
been exceeded. Axles and other parts
have been enlarged to withstand the added
stresses, but wheels do not admit of the
simple strengthening ' process of adding
material. There is upon the market ex-
traordinarily strong material, such as
vanadium and nickel steels, but railway
companies cannot afford to purchase such
material for tires in these days, when
politicians great and small are working
sc zealously to reduce railway revenues.
It may be that the interests of safety will
require transportation companies to re-
turn to the practice of imposing lighter
loads upon their rolling stock.
Remedy for Defective Sheets and Stays
The designing of a steam lK)iler light
er.ough to be carried on a wheeled vehicle
and equipped with an engine that used the
steam generated by the boiler to propel
the vehicle and pull other vehicles behind
it, was one of the greatest inventive tri-
umps the world has ever seen. That hap-
pened a little more than one hundred years
ago and marked the beginning of a revolu-
tion in the methods of land transportation.
But the rose is generally garnished by
thorns and every good and useful thing
bring drawbacks along with the advan-
tages, so it was with the steam boiler that
gave vitality to the locomotive engine.
Several essential features of this form of
boiler made its care and management a
burden to the people responsible for the
safety of its operation. The boiler had to
be light ; strong enough to withstand high
pressure ; it required to have the capacity
for generating steam with immense rapid-
ity; it needed to be so designed that re-
pairs could be done without tearing the
vessel apart, and it had to be so con-
structed that cleaning could be easily ac-
complished. Ever since Richard Travet-
hick built a locomotive boiler in i8oj em-
bracing part of these requirements, his
successors in this line of enterprise have
been striving to improve the boiler so that
ii should possess all the attributes named.
But the road to success has been paved
with ( bstacles that have been almost in-
surmountable.
While the engines continued to be small,
and the sleam pressure low, the difficulties
encountered in maintaining a boiler in
good working order were comparatively
small ; but when the sleam approached
200 Ibn. gauge pressure then arose a fierce
24,0
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
June, 1910.
conflict between the forces working for
the destruction of the boiler and the skill-
ful labors of those having the duty of
maintaining the boiler safe and free from
the defects of broken staybolts, leaky
seams and leaky flues. The firebox has
always been the embarrassing part of the
boiler. An oblong box of sheet steel se-
cured to the outside shell as strongly as
science and the teaching mature experi-
ence could devise, the expectations natur-
ally were that the furnace would act in
harmony with its surroundings; but in-
stead of that no sooner was a fire started
on the grate than the boiler began tearing
itself away from the bonds applied to hold
it secure. The expansion and contraction
of the inside firebox sheets would be dif-
ferent in degree from the expansion and
contraction of the outside shell. Every
change of temperature due to fire intensity
and to change of steam pressure would
cause movement that ended in fracture of
sheet or of staybolts.
Ever since high steam pressures came
into fashion, there has been an incessant
struggle maintained to overcome the
movement that has proved so disastrous
to boilers and fireboxes. It has been a
struggle to resist the irresistible and had
no more chance of success than would be
an effort to stem the rising tide.
This question of trying to resist the
movement of firebox sheets has come into
unusual prominence lately through a paper
by Mr. Donald R. MacBain, superintend-
ent of motive power of the Lake Shore
Railway, read at the May meeting of the
New York Railroad Club. The paper il-
lustrates many failures of sheets and of
staybolts and gives particulars of investi-
gations made to ascertain the causes of the
failures. The experiments and investiga-
tions carried out for this purpose were
the most thorough and far reaching of
anything done in this line since boiler fail-
ures began to attract attention, and an
illuminating feature of the work was that
it was conducted by a practical boiler
maker who sought for information with-
out preconceived notions of what he was
seeking to find out. For details of the
work done and of the discoveries made
we must refer our readers to the paper
read by Mr. MacBain. A digest of the
paper is to be found on page 259 of
this issue. It is enough for us to say that
they found breakage of staybolts and
cracking of sheets at certain spots well
known to locomotive men ; that strength-
ening the parts to resist movement proved
useless and that finally by providing for
movement by means of flexible staybolts
an effectual remedy was found.
In connection with one firebox illus-
trated the paper says : "This installation of
flexible staybolts, including radial stays,
was made in January of 1907, and the en-
gine was put into heavy passenger ser-
vice. It was our intention to have made
this firebox of one piece but, owing to a
defect developing in one of the side sheets,
a half side sheet had to be applied, and up
to Feb. I. of this year, at which time the
last cxamin.-ilion was made, the engine had
made 243.000 miles without one broken
staybolt, without any vertical cracks in the
side sheets, without any trace of a crack in
the back head, or throat sheet, and with-
out any cracks, or any sign of a crack,
leading away from the arch tube holes in
the back flue sheet, nor has there ever
been a tool on the side sheet seam ; in
fact, the engine has never been held one
moment for boiler work, other than that
of expanding the flues, since it went into
service in February of 1907."
Master Mechanics' Convention.
The leading business for the coming
convention of the American Railway Mas-
ter Mechanics' Association will be intrc-
duced by thirteen committees' reports,
which include that of the standing com-
mittee on mechanical stokers, of which
Mr. J. Rumney is chairman. Some prog-
ress has been made in the application of
mechanical stokers since the last conven-
tion, but the interest in the subject seems
to have abated to some extent, but it is
well for the members to be informed on
the present state of the art.
Revision of standards will be reported
on by a committee, of which Mr. W. W.
V. Rosing is chairman. Standards that
were established years ago have become
obsolete and others require changing, so
it is high time this work was done. Mr.
Rosing may be depended upon to recom-
mend the changes which will bring up
standards to meet prevailing practice.
Motive Power Development comes next,
with Mr. Robert Quayle chairman of the
committee. We do not remember any
year wherein greater development of mo-
tive power has taken place than during
tl'ic year that has elapsed since last con-
vention. The story of the progress made
will form a valuable and interesting re-
port. One visiting the various locoinotive
building works is certain to be amazed
with the increase in the power of recent
locomotives and the variety of novelties
that have been applied to increase the
power and the efficiency of this form of
engine.
Increase in the weight and rigid wheel
base of locomotives have called for widen-
ing track gauge on curves and that sub-
ject has been referred to a committee of
which Mr. F. ;\I. Whyte is chairman. Mr.
Whyte may be depended upon to see that
the proper change is recommended.
One of the most vital of living subjects
before the railway world at present is
superheaters, which will be reported on by
a committee, of which Mr. L. R. Johnson,
of the Canadian Pacific, is chairman. No
better selection could have been made, for
the Canadian Pacific has taken a lead in
the introduction of superheaters, and Mr.
Johnson has enjoyed acquaintance with
the working of superheaters in marine
service as well as on locomotives. There
is still some conflict of opinion concern-
ing the economy and utility of super-
heaters, so it is well for the association
to receive a report on the subject from an
engineer whose good judgment and ex-
perience guarantees a true statement of
the merits and shortcomings of the vari-
ous steam heating appliances.
Locomotive and shop operating costs, is
an important subject that has been a little
neglected of late years and it is now be-
fore a committee of which Mr. H. H.
Vaughan is chairman. The wide shop
experience that Mr. Vaughan has enjoyed
in Great Britain, in the United States and
in Canada, makes him peculiarly well
fitted to report on this subject, and we
look forward for something that will set
motive power men discussing the cost of
the w-ork performed under that super-
vision. Discussions of locomotive and
shop operating costs have at various times
raised the temperature of convention halls
and we should not be surprised to wit-
ness some excitement when this subject
is called.
Reporting on the design, construction
and inspection of locomotive boilers has
been assigned to a committee, of which
Mr. T. H. Curtis is chairman. The sub-
ject of locomotive boilers has been before
the conventions more than any other and
Mr. Curtis will distinguish himself if he
adds anything of value to the immense
accumulation of literature on boilers now
to be found in past annual reports. The
contents of a paper read by Mr. Donald
R. MacBain, at the New York Railroad
Club last month, attracted so much atten-
tion that Mr. Curtis may be able to sub-
mit valuable information on lines that
have remained unventilated.
Tlie remaining subjects to be reported
on are steel tires. Mr. A. Stewart, chair-
man : safety appliances, Mr. C. A. Seley.
chairman ; timber specifications, Mr. R. E.
Smith, chairman; and train brake and
signal equipment, Mr. .\. J. Cota, chair-
man.
When to these reports are added a vari-
ety of topical subjects the convention will
be kept remarkably busy during the three
davs the sessions last.
Agricultural Specials.
We have all heard of president's
specials or millionaire's specials or
opera company flyers or circus trains,
but there is in actual operation on the
Erie a train which may well be called
an agricultural special. The ofiicials
of that road, believing in the spread
of useful information for the farmer,
w'ent to the Cornell University and of-
fered the State Agricultural College a
free train to carry the professors, and
have them give lectures at the various
June, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
241
stations along the line. The college
accepted the offer.
The first and indeed all subsequent
trains of this kind have been an im-
mense success. Milk, potatoes, beans,
poultry, fruit, corn, grain, alfalfa, etc.,
were the topics discussed by the lec-
turers and suitable exhibits were car-
ried in the cars. The Erie furnishes
the train and crew, the college fur-
nishes the lecturers, the exhibits and
the literature. The whole thing was
carried out with the enthusiasm which
means and wins success.
Later the Erie put on the milk pro-
duction special, with sample cows, if
we may say so, as part of the traveling
equipment. After a lecture of about
thirty minutes' duration had been de-
livered the farmers wore asked to ad-
journ from the lecture car to what we
must, for want of a better name, call
the bovine annex. This was a baggage
car fitted up for the accommodation of
kine. Two Jersey cows were then
shown at the door of the car. The
lecturer e.\plained that the first of
these took $50 a year to feed, and gave
S58 worth of milk, profit $8. The sec-
ond, also, at $50 worth of food but
gave $g6 worth of milk. These facts
were the results of careful record, each
cow having, as you might say, a debit
and credit side.
These unequally sided cows were
metaphorically thrown into the shade
by one of Holstein breed. This ani-
mal ate the equivalent of $60 in the
year but gave $191 worth of milk. The
milk from the Jersey cow contains a
larger percentage of butter fat, but the
Holstein is a fresh milk producer par
excellence. The cow e.xhibited by the
Erie produced 11.966 lbs. of milk in
the year, which is close to six tons,
and that is about ten times the weight
of the producer. The reasons for the
difference in the cows exhibited was
fully explained and set forth by the
'■ ' turcrs.
The work done by these agricultural
■ rials is beneficial in every way. The
truclion given enables the farmers
produce more on their farms. This
ts more business into the hands of
railroad, and cows and other pro-
; -ers are rated on a strictly dollar and
' rit«' basis, which would no doubt
■onish them if they became aware of
'• fact. If a pennant should at any
ne be awarded for milk production
«e make bold to mention the Erie's
Molslrin in this connection.
Signal Efficiency Tett*. .
.Some ytK.rmn rffirienry lost* were made
lait year liy the T'eniisylvania Railroad
and practically a perfect record was made
by the employes. The»e fiitures arc
«hown in a report issued by the railroad.
The avrraxe number of tests made each
day was 820 and of the total for the year
99.75 per cent, were perfect. In the twen-
ty-five onc-hundredths of one per cent, of
failures arc included the cases where en-
gincmen passed signals by a few feet be-
fore stopping their trains, and similar
cases, which, though violations, were not
such as would make possible an accident
to a train. Efticiency tests are conducted
by officials of the Pennsylvania Railroad
who, at unusual times and places, set
signals at caution or danger, display
fuses, or place torpedoes on the track,
with a view to keeping all employes
constantly on the alert for any and all
signals. Failure to observe any of the
rules regarding the operation of trains is
considered cause for discipline.
The tests made in 1900 were divided into
four classes, in which the following re-
cords were made by the men : Block sig-
nal rules, 47,384, of which 99.6 per cent,
showed perfect observance on the part of
the employes. Rules governing flagmen,
and the use of fusees, torpedoes, and
other signals, 45.887 tests, with 99.6 per
cent perfect. Trains ahead of schedule
time, 92,379 tests, with 99.8 per cent, per-
fect. Signalmen relieving each other, 99.9
per cent, perfect out of 112,901 tests.
Eight of the twcnty-si.\ divisions of the
Pennsylvania Railroad showed perfect re-
cords in all signal tests made during the
year. On the Sunhury and Shamokin di-
visions a total of 12,539 block signal rule
tests were made and in only nine cases
was the observance imperfect. Twelve di-
visions had over 99 per cent, of eflSciency
tests perfect, 19 divisions had perfect rec-
ords in trains checked for running ahead
of schedule time, and 9 divisions had per-
fect records in signalmen relieving each
other on time.
In 1906 the Pennsylvania Railroad first
made public the results of efficiency tests.
Since that time these tests have been
conducted regularly and the results have
been given to the public from time to
time. The percentage of failures has been
gradually decreasing and at the same time
the number of accidents on the Pennsyl-
vania system has shown a far greater per-
centage of decrease.
BooR Notices
PractH-E ami Iiikihv of the Injectok.
By Strickland L. Kneass, C. E. Thir<l
Edition. Revised and Enlarged. Pub-
lishers, John Wiley & Sons, New
York. 1910. Price, $1.50.
The Iwiok before us is one of 175 pages
and has eleven chapter* and an index.
The author tells us that it has been his
object to present solutions of some of the
more interesting injerlor problems with
illustrations drawn from practical tests,
and to describe in detail the function of
the various parts.
Since the publication of the previous
edition, there have been changes in the
construction of locomotives which have
affected the method of feeding boilers
and of injector design. Many of the articu-
lated types have no room in the cab for
an injector of the required capacity, so
that the non-lifting form is coming into
vogue again. Motive power officials are
lecognizing the advantage of utilizing
waste products for heating the feed wa-
ter, of purifying it of scale-bearing salts,
and are giving more attention to the de-
tails of boiler feeding accessories which
make for economy of operation. Two
additional chapters have been added on
these important subjects. The arrange-
ment of the contents of the book is good.
After the history and development of the
injector. Chapter 111 gives a definition of
the terms, and a description of the parts;
this is followed in order by a chapter on
the delivery tube ; one on the combining
tube ; another on the steam nozzle. The
action of the injector follows, succeeded
by four other chapters on the application,
sizes and tests and the two on modern
practice, to which we have alluded.
A History of thf. Log.\kithmic Slide
Rule and Allied Instruments. By
Floridan Cajori, Ph. D. Published by
the Engineering News Company, New
York. 136 pages, cloth. Price One
Dollar.
The slide rule has been adapted to al-
most every branch of the arts in which
calculation is required, and few instru-
ments offer a more attractive field for his-
torical study. Dr. Cajori, the accom-
plished professor of mathematics of Colo-
rado College, has added a valuable con-
tribution to the engineering literature of
our time in presenting not only the most
complete history of the instrument and
its uses, but also giving in historical detail
the growth of the instrument, if we may
use the expression, to its present high de-
gree of utility. The book should meet
much popular favor among all kinds of
practical engineers and carpenters, as well
as mathematiciaTis and all writers and in-
structors in arithmetic. It need hardly be
added that excise officers and indeed all
interested or engaged in exact calculations
should have a copy of Dr. Cajori's valua-
ble book.
Trip in Canadian Scenes.
The New York Central Railroad have
i'sucd for free distribution an illus-
trated pamphlet descriptive of the
Thousand Islands, and the trip through
the Rideau Canal and down the St.
Lawrence River to Montreal, Quebec,
and up the famous Sagucnay River, with
the wonderful rock-ribbed entrance
towering thousands of feet above the
water. Cape Trinity and Cape Eternity.
The folder contains a map of the ter-
ritory, a list of hotels and boarding
houses and detailed information that
will aid in the enjoyment of the trip.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
June, 1910.
Mallet Articulated Compound for the Canadian Pacific
A very interesting form of Mallet ar-
ticulated compound engine was recently
built by the Canadian Pacific Railway at
their Angus Shops in Montreal. Mr.
H. H. Vaughan, assistant to the vice-
president, designed the engine. The
engine is of the 0-6-6-0 type, all wheels
are driving wheels and the adhesive
weight is therefore a maximum.
Our illustration shows the right side
of engine No. 1950. Next to the cab
are the safety valves, further along is
the back sand bo.x, then the whistle,
next is the throttledome, then the dry-
pipe dome, then the superheater, next
the forward sand bo.x and bell. The dry
pipe originates in the dry-pipe dome,
and runs back to the throttle valve,
which is enclosed in its dome. Steam
passing through the throttle goes to the
superheater, after passing through
which it enters outside pipes leading to
the high pressure steam chests. This
outside piping is heavily lagged and
are of the inside admission piston type
H. P. II ins. in diameter and the L. P.
is 12 ins. The driving wheels are 58 ins.
in diameter, and with 200 lbs. steam
pressure the engine develops a tractive
effort of 57,400 lbs. The high pressure
cylinders have a cast steel saddle which
h bolted to the boiler. The boiler at
this point is of course under pressure
and the saddle is secured by 1% in.
bolts having a taper of 1/16 in. in 12
ins. The holes are reamed to this taper
from the inside and the bolts are driven
from the inside, their shape making
them act like plugs in their own holes.
The low pressure cylinders have no sad-
dle, but a small casting is attached to
the under side of the superheater cham-
ber. The flat surface on top of the cyl-
inders slides on this casting, but no
weight is transmitted here to the low
pressure group, the weight being trans-
mitted through a heavy casting back of
the smoke box. Wnlschaerts valvt-
The space between the two radial
friction plate paths is 8J4 i"s. wide. In
this path, which may be called the roller
path, there are two wedge shaped
blocks having a taper of J4 '"• 'i 12 ins.,
and these are set with the thin ends
together at the center. These inclined
blocks rest on what we have called a
roller, but it is in reality about one-
quarter of a heavy cast wheel fastened
to a shaft at the hub. The rocking of
this wheel or roller, turns the shaft upon
which it is fastened and the movement
of the shaft causes the arms of an
equalizer to press down upon a pair of
coil springs at one side, and ease up
somewhat on the springs on the other
side. This roller has a series of teeth
which mesh into appropriately spaced
holes in the wedge blocks.
In entering a curve if the leading
truck was carried over to the left the
boiler would endeavor to move straight
ahead, but the movement of the wedge
. ^
,„^ ^ 1
L-M
u
i
«I^^^B^^
■ -.^-V'^ ■t'-'- - ' '^^^SWP^^WI
1
■
~^m
i^mtiSma'.
■"• "' x.^
lb
— y -
r
L. K. Johna
MALLET .\RTICULATED COMPOUND FOR
.Assistant to the Vice-President.
.Superintendent Motive Power, .\ngu5 Shops.
ROCKY MOUNTAIN SKRH-CE C. P. R.
adian Pacific Railway, Builders.
.Angus Shops, Montieal.
does not move, as the high pressure en-
gine, which forms the rear group, is
rigidly connected to the boiler.
The high pressure exhaust from both
cylinders enters a common receiver.
This receiver pipe between the two
headers extends up beside the boiler
about 6 ft. and curves down again under
the boiler to a point exactly over the
pivot pin of the locomotive frame and
at this point a flexible joint is inter-
posed. The receiver is here attached
to a header which supplies the low pres-
sure steam chests.
The cylinders are placed front to
fiont so that as the locomotive moves
ahead the leading or low pressure en-
gine is backing, as it were, while the
high pressure group at the rear is run-
ning forward. The high pressure cylin-
ders are 23% x 26 ins. and the low pres-
sure cylinders are 34 ins. in diameter,
with same length of stroke. The valves
gearing is used on both high and low
pressure groups.
The guiding of the locomotive by the
front or low pressure group is very
cleverly managed. As we said before,
the rear group are attached directly to
the bailer. The front group swings
about the pivot pin in the frame which
is in the center of the engine between
the high and the low pressure cylinders.
The weight-bearing casting at the front is
securely bolted to and mounted on the
frames, and may be seen in our half-tone
illustration between the leading and the
second wheel. The upper casting is bolted
to the boiler close to the smoke box. This
casting is made with three approxi-
mately radial paths on it. The two out-
side paths are provided with friction
plates and these have oil grooves con-
nected with an oil receptacle on the
top casting. These friction paths are
therefore constantly lubricated.
blocks to the left would slightly raise
the engine on the right side on the in-
cline of the right wedge. The wedge
block movement would carry the roller
wheel to the left, the equalizers would
compress the coil springs on the left
side and the sum total of the action of
wedge blocks and roller wheel would
tend to cause the boiler to come back
to the center line of the truck and in
this way the guiding of the engine
around curves would be effected.
Weight in Working Order — Drivers, 262,000
lbs.: engine and tender, 391,000 lbs.
Wheel Base — Front engine, 10 ft. 4 ins. rear
engine, 10 ft. 4 ins.; total engine, 35 ft. a
ins.; engine and tender, 60 ft. 7 ins.
Firebox — Length and width, 120 x 69^ ins.;
water spaces, sides, 4J^: throat, 5; back,
I'A ins.; thickness of sheets, 5/16, H, '/i
and 7/16 in.
Heating Surface — Tubes, 2,605 sq. ft. ; firebox,
180 sq. ft.; total, 2,785 sq. ft.; superheat-
ing surface, 420 sq. ft.; equivalent heating
surface,* 3,415 sq. ft.; grate area, 58 sq. ft.
Tank — Kind, semi-water bottom; frame, sills,
center, 13 ins.; sides, 10 ins.; trucks, kind,
equalizer: wheel, diameter, 34 ins.; axles,
514 X 10 ins.; water capacity, 5,000 imp.
gallons; coal capacity, 12 tons.
June, 1910.
R.\ILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
243
Applied Science Department
The Steam Indicator.
V. Peculiarities in Diagrams.
Diagrams taken from the cylinders of
locomotives that are running with the re-
verse lever near the center and conse-
quently with a short valve stroke and
an early cut-off of steam, are subject to
irregularities that are apt to be mislead-
ing. An example of this kind may be
seen in Fig. 3. Generally speaking a
diagram of this kind, showing an extra
high point indicated by the pencil fol-
lowed by a sudden dropping, may be
safely taken as proof that there is an ex-
cessive degree of compression. By com-
[iression it will be understood that when
the valve closes the exhaust port, a cer-
tain amount of steam has been left in
the steam port and also in that part of
the cylinder not yet traversed by the pis-
ton in its approach to the extreme end
of the cylinder. This pent up steam may
have a pressure of twenty pounds per
square inch or even more while the pis-
ton may have three or even four inches
more to travel before completing its
stroke. As the remaining steam that we
have referred to is being crushed into
smaller bulk by the moving piston, the
pressure of the steam so confined increases
fnlil in some cases it is higher than the
pressure of the steam in the boiler.
The indicator, of course, is affected
by this extra pressure, and also by
the sudden decrease of pressure when
the valve opens and allows the pent up
steam to exprnd its extra degree of press-
ure in mixing with the steam at a lower
pressure. In such cases there is usually a
tendency to lift the valve from its seat,
that is in engines equipped with the slid-
ing valve. In locomotives equipped with
piston valves there is a tendency to com-
press the rings of the pislnn valves. In
both kinds of valves this extra pressure on
the valve face ha« a pernicious effect, the
tendency beinif to injure the valve seat
and lead to a breaking or collapsing of
the ringt.
With locomotives running at high
(peedi and with a short travel of the
valve and an early cut off, it is a physical
impossibility to avoid an extra degree of
compression. This is caused by the fact
that valves when confined to a short
stroke necessarily travel at a slower
speed, and as we have already stated
when the exhaust port is closed that por-
tion of the valve which overlaps the port
has to be moved to the point where the
valve opens before any release of the
pent-up steam can occur. A larger valve
stroke and a consequent increased speed
of valve movement renders this com-
pressed steam period of shorter duration,
that is in comparison with the distance
which is being traversed by the piston.
While, as stated, the indicator diagram
that we have referred to may be taken as
a proof of excessive compression, it is
well to remember that the high point on
the diagram may arise from the momen-
tum given to the piston and moving parts
of the indicator whereby the marking
pencil may be raised beyond the real
amount of pressure actually at work in
the cylinder. This is readily the case if
the spring is too light or is weak,
or by frequent use has lost much of its
original resiliency. The marked improve-
ment in the manufacture of the steam in-
dicators has however given a reliability
to the instrument that leaves little to be
desired. It remains with those who are
interested with the care and management
of these fine instruments to sec that they
are kept in the very best condition. After
using, they should be taken apart and
carefully cleaned and oiled with a fine
quality of oil, after which the parts
should be assembled, leaving out the
spring, which should be placed in the box
separately.
In concluding these brief articles on the
steam indicator it may be stated that it
is largely by the careful use of this in-
strument that many of the improvements
in valve gearing have been effected. The
importance of the lessons that its intelli-
gent use teaches cannot be overestimated.
It immediately points out faults in con-
struction and adjustment in valve gear-
ing. To the thoughtful engineer many
juggestions have come by carefully scan-
ning th« indicator diagrams. Inventors
have profited by its use. We close with
an illustration. Fig. 4, showing a diagram
taken from a locomotive equipped with
the Baker-Pilliod valve gear. This din-
gram comes as near the ideal diagram as
can be expected and in view of the fact
that the gearing is so constructed that its
rigidity remains tmilisturl)ed after many
months of constant service, it cnn }>r
readily understood that a locomotive
from which indicator diagrams like these
may be taken after a lengthened period of
service has reached a degree of perfection
that it would be extremely difficult to
surpass.
Celebrated Steam Engineers. 1
Wilson Eddy.
As we have already said that the New
England States produced many clever me-
chanics who helped greatly in the devel-
opment of the locomotive engine, and
many of whom are still well remembered
by their successors. The Lowell Machine
Shops furnished many of these accom-
plished mechanics with their early train-
ing, and all of them took pride in ac-
knowledging the debt of gratitude they
owed to the instructors who seemed to
possess the happy faculty of giving the
young mechanics the right kind of a
beginning.
Among these New Englanders Wilson
Eddy was long and favorably known as
an accomplished machinist and engineer
of marked ability. In 1840 he was fore-
man of the Springfield shops of the Bos-
ton and Albany Railroad. His keen, me-
ihanical ingenuity suggested many im-
provements in the locomotives of his
time. These locomotives were mostly
modelled on the early English type, and
about 1840 he began the construction of
new locomotives from his own designs.
In 1851, he produced his first locomotive.
It was named the "Adilison fiilmore," in
compliment to the president of the rail-
road. While the locomotive had much of
the English design, there were a number
of features peculiarly its own, some of
which were afterwards copied by all loco-
motive builders. The engine had a four
wheel truck in front, with a single pair of
driving wheels, 6 feet 9 inches in diame-
ter, and a single pair of trailing wheels
under the foot plate.
The most notable improvements were
the placing of the hnri/nnlal cylinders
244
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
June, 1910.
outside of the frames. It was the first
engine constructed in lliis way. It was
also furnished with the first frames in
two sections; these were spliced, thereby
greatly facilitating the repairing of
frames when necessary. His arrange-
ments for placing the cylinders high
enough to clear the truck wheels necessi-
tated the raising of the boiler, and while
the first appearance of his locomotive
created alarm among railway men it was
soon discovered that the raising of the
center of gravity was a step in the right
direction. It effected a considerable sav-
ing both in wheel flanges and rails, be-
sides reducing the tendency to spread the
rails and jump the track, which were
among the worst troubles of the early
locomotive builders. Eddy afterwards
favored the adoption of two pair of high
driving wheels, similar to what is known
as the American type of locomotive of
our own time.
He introduced a system of oil cups on
the boiler head for lubricating the cylin-
ders, and arranged pipes leading to the
top of the steam chests to convey the
lubricant. These simple contrivances
look common enough to us, but Mr. Eddy
was the first to introduce such effective
conveniences. When he began building
locomotives there was a strong prejudice
against equipping the locomotives with
cabs, but the "Addison Gilmore" gave the
cab question its final settlement. It ap-
peared in elegant form, at once a thing
of beauty as well as a covering for the
enginemen. The boiler was not furnished
with a dome, the steam being admitted to
the dry pipe through a series of
holes. The throttle was a plain slide
valve placed in the T-pipe in the smoke
box, and was actuated by a rod extend-
ing through the dry pipe to the back
boiler head.
During a period of nearly forty years
Mr. Eddy built many locomotives for the
Boston and Albany railroad. A marked
feature of his locomotives was the large
increase of heating surface. The ratio
established by him of cylinder contents to
heating surface has been universally
adopted, and is a proof of how carefully
his experiments along that line had been
conducted. In brief, the changes made
by him were nearly all in the right direc-
tion and have stood the test of time. His
locomotives were easy of operation, con-
venient and comparatively easy of re-
pair, and so properly proportioned that
the ma.ximum amount of wear was ob-
tained before any considerable degree of
repairs were necessary. In the March,
1898, issue of Locomotive Engineering,
page 151. we gave a brief account of
what was probably the last of the Eddy
"clocks," as these old engines were called.
This engine was No. 39 on the Boston &
Albany and was, when our correspon-
dent saw it, in the Worcester round-
house of the B. & A.
Questions Answered
WEIGHT ON DRIVERS.
41. E. H., Morton, Pa., writes: I often
sec in your valuable magazine such ex-
pressions as adhesive weight, and weight
carried on drivers. Are these the same
thing? You seem to treat them as if
they were. — A. For all practical purposes
they are the same ; the expression "weight
on drivers" is not exactly correct, for that
looks as if the weight of the wheels and
rods were not taken into account, which
they are. A better form of expresssion
than weight on drivers would be "weight
on track under drivers," but adhesive
weight covers this fully. If you want to
get the ratio of adhesive weight to tractive
effort, you have to use the weight on the
rails below the drivers and this takes in
everything not carried by the engine
truck or the trailing truck if an Atlantic
or Pacific type engine. We admit that the
meaning of weight on drivers is better ex-
pressed by the expression adhesive weight,
because the weight of the wheels, a.xles
j'.nd rods counts in such a case.
WRONGLY CONNECTED A!K PIPES.
42. K. X., Wheeling, W. Va., writes :
What could be wrong with an H6
brake that works all right with the lone
engine, or when coupled to a train, but
when the engine is the second one in
double-heading, the brake will not apply
on this engine, but instead there is a
blow at the brake valve exhaust port
^vhen the head engineer applies the
brakes? — A. As the air pressure es-
capes at the brake valve only during the
reduction of brake pipe pressure orig-
inating on the first engine, it is evident
that the application cylinder of the dis-
tributing valve is open to the at-
mosphere through the brake valves at
this time. The only way in which an
opening from the application cylinder
to the brake valve exhaust could exist
at such a time would be through
wrongly connected or crossed applica-
tion cylinder and release pipes, that is
the application cylinder pipe connected
to the distributing valve at the con-
nection at which the release pipe should
be. To test for this without tracing
up the pipes, apply the automatic brake
on the lone engine until the cylinder
hand on the small gauge shows 8 or 10
lbs., then return handle to lap position
and place independent brake valve in
application position, and if pipes are
wrongly connected, application cylinder
pressure cannot be increased and the
hand will not show any more pressure
than was developed by the automatic
application.
of two engines each built to the same
specification throughout, except one is a
ten-wheel engine and the other a con-
.solidated, both having the same mean
effective steam pressure? — A. The name
of the 2-8-0 type is consolidation, not
consolidated as you wrote it. If these
engines have the same mean effective
pressure, the same sized wheels, and the
same sized cylinders, the calculated trac-
tive effort of each will be alike. See ar-
ticle on "Tractive Effort Analyzed" by
Mr. Geo. S. Hodgins, page 136 of our
April issue. You will see that the tractive
effort formula takes no note of the num-
ber of wheels an engine has. It is con-
cerned only with size of drivers, mean
effective pressure and cylinders. As a
matter of fact it is not likely that a ten-
wheeler and a consolidation would be de-
signed so as to be exactly alike in these
respects. The 2-8-0 type is usually de-
signed with large cylinders and small
wheels, because this gives high tractive
power, and the total weight on the
drivers can be and usually is heavier than
that on the drivers of the 4-6-0. In this
connection see, also, article on "Factor
of Adhesion," page 107 of our March pa-
per. In that article you will see that when
a designer has decided upon the tractive
effort necessary for the work his engine
will have to do, he fixes the sizes of cyl-
inders, and wheels and boiler pressure.
The factor of adhesion practically indi-
cates to him the kind of engine he should
build. If a ten-wheeler was properly de-
signed and the same tractive effort given
to a consolidation, it is probable that the
2-8-0 would not work up to her full ca-
pacity. If the 2-8-0 engine was properly
designed and same tractive effort given to
a ten-wheeler, it is quite possible the ten-
v.heeler might be over-cylindered.
CONCERNING TR.\CTIVE EFFORT.
43. J. E. G., McGehee, Ark., asks : Is
there any difference in the tractive effort
LE.\KAGE INTO BR.\KE PIPE.
44. K. N., Wheeling, W. Va., asks:
On an engine equipped with the H6
brake the gauge shows 70 and 90 lbs.
with the handle in running position, but
after a service application of the brake
on the lone engine, the black hand slow-
ly rises to 70 lbs. If this rise in brake
pipe pressure is caused by main
reservoir pressure leaking into the
brake pipe, how is it that the hand
goes no higher than 70 lbs.? — A. Some-
times the inner mechanism of the gauge
gets in such condition that the hands
will not move higher than a certain
figure, regardless of the pressure that
happens to be in the reservoir or brake
pipe. If the gauge is correct and the
action you mention occurs, there must
be a leak into the brake pipe while the
handle is on lap position and the leak
must be from a source that contains but
70 lbs. pressure, and as the feed valve
maintains 70 lbs. in the feed valve pipe,
while the valve handle is on lap posi-
tion, it is evident that the leak must be
June, 1910.
RAILWAY AN'D LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
245
from the feed valve pipe into the brake
pipe, which could occur through the
rotary valve seat gasket, or through a
cut on the face of the rotary valve seat
where it forms the bridge between the
feed valve pipe and brake pipe -ports.
TR.\IX RK^1ST.^^•C^:.
45. F. T. S., Loyalton, Cal., writes : I
would like to ask you how to figure the
tonnage that a locomotive will haul. Know-
ing the grade, degree of curvature, what
is the rule for calculating the tonnage? —
A. First find the tractive effort of the
engine, take off about 10 per cent for
internal friction of the engine itself. This
gives the effective pull on the train, which
in this case includes the tender. The
rule for train resistance as quoted by Dr.
Sinclair, in "Locomotive Engine Running
and Management" is about 6 pounds per
ton to move a car along level track on a
calm day at between 10 to 20 miles an
hour. Divide the effective pull delivered
by the engine by 6 and the quotient is the
number of tons weight in the train. If
ascending a grade take this weight of
train and multiply it by the vertical rise
of the grade and divide by the horizontal
length. If the grade is I in 100 multiply
(jy I and divide by 100. Deduct this re-
sult from the weight of the train pre-
viously found, and that gives weight of
train this engine can haul up a I per cent
grade. If the train is on a curve ascertain
how many degrees of curvature the train
c<cupies and deduct one per cent for each
degree. In this sense each degree is
the 1/360 part of a circle. It the train
occupies 4 such parts or four degrees,
■deduct 4 per cent. Most of the calcula-
tions from which the foregoing figures are
<.'erived were made many years ago on
the track and with the cars of that time, so
that one can hardly expect more than an
approximation to present day results. No
wind resistance is here taken into account
Potential Energy.
By George S. Hodcins.
The other day I bought what is
known as a dollar watch. It is a stem
winder and a stem setter .ind I intended
to use it on my office' desk. As I wound
it up the thought occurred to me. it
only takes about six or seven seconds
to wind up the watch and it will then
run for a day. The slight resistance of-
fered to the rotation of the stem is
easily overcome, yet in those few sec-
ends the watch is jfiven the power
which will move the hands durini; the
succeedintf hours.
.As a matter of fact the main spring
has been roiled closely, and this has
sliirhtly altered the position of the
small particles of steel of which this
'printf is composed, and they are now
arranged in a new order with reference
to one another, some exerting a com-
pressive strain, others one of tension.
The molecules of the spring have un-
dergone some distortion. This new ar-
rangement of particles is not stable and
would not last, even as long as it had
taken to coil the spring, if it was not
forcibly held by the escapement. This
is so designed that by the rhythmic
swing and sway of the tiny balance
wheel only a minute amount of uncoil is
permitted each second to the tense
spring. Thus the second-hand ticks
lound its small circle, and the larger
hands count out the minutes and the
hours.
The forcible rearrangement of the
particles composing the spring, caused
in winding the watch, endowed that
spring with energy, or the power to do
work. This energy was for the most
part in the stored up state and it is then
spoken of as potential energy as dis-
tinguished from the moving form in
which the work is actually being done.
The moving form is called kinetic
energy, while the stored up power is
energy in the waiting-to-be-used, or po-
tential form. The energy which was
stored in the spring may be called the
potential energy of molecular dis-
tortion.
Another and equally familiar exhibi-
tion of potential energy is when the
hammer of a drop-forging machine is
drawn up to the top of the guides
against the ever present force of grav-
ity. The hauling up of the hammer is
work pure and simple, as it is weight
moving through distance, and can be cal-
culated in foot-pounds as soon as the
distance traversed and the avoirdupois
01 the hammer is known. While the
hammer is high in air waiting to de-
scend, it has the potential energy of po-
sition with reference to the dies below,
and as soon as the detent lets it fall it
slides down with great swiftness, giving
back with slight friction on the guides
and in the blow, the kinetic energy con-
sumed in raising it. Tlio blow on the
dies shows the work done in the form-
ing of the piece and in the (low of lint
metal as it takes the desired shape.
In another column of this issue we
have referred to a railroad collision by
which one engine and part of another
was loaded on a tank frame and :i tlat
car. This loading was the expression
in the kinetic form of the energy which
had been stored up in the moving
trains, and unless this potential energy
had become active in the lifting of the
engines and the breaking up of many
cars, it is certain that it would have
developed an enormous amount of heat.
This very principle was made use of
in the design of what was known as the
Palliser shell, used in warfare. This
projectile was made of cast iron with
a rhilled point. The interior of the shell
was hollow and filled with the bursting
charge. The Palliser shell was not
provided with any fuse, but when fired
at high velocity at the solid armour
plate of a battle-ship, it was believed
that the sudden stoppage of the projec-
tile would develop sufficient heat to
ignite the bursting charge and so ex-
plode the shell.
We have briefly considered potential
energy under the names of molecular
distortion and of position, but there is
another form of potential energy which
perhaps comes nearer to us as railroad
men than either of the others. The coal
on the tender of a locomotive possesses
energy in the potential form, for it is
the coal from which the heat comes
which generates the steam, which drives
the engine and pulls the train. Coal is
the result of natural processes which
have gone on in the world thousands of
years ago. For all practical purposes
we may say that the plant life of the
long by-gone ages did what plant life
does to-day. In the process of growth,
plants, by means of their leaves, in the
presence of the warm and actinic rays
of the sun, take up the carbon from the
carbonic acid of the air and in doing so
liberate oxygen. This is briefly the
barest outline of the process, but it
gives us the key to the apparent mys-
tery of the energy contained in the
coal. The plant life which flourished
long ago in surpassing luxuriance was
in many quarters of the globe not per-
mitted to rot and be destroyed. It was
buried under tons of mineral matter
which held it compressed and crushed
together for countless ages, but unal-
tered in its fundamental chemical com-
position. The oxygen of the air was, in
all the intervening years, ready to re-
unite with the carbon of the coal and
in such chemical union to give back in
the form of heat, the energy expended
in separating them in the days when
the earth was young.
The coal on the tender of a locomo-
tive has the potential energy of cliemi-
cal separation and this energy is lib-
erated when the appropriate tempera-
ture conditions for the union of the
carbon and oxygen are present in the
firebox. Coal has this energy in very
concentrated form. The heat and light
and violet rays of the sun poured lavish-
ly upon the plant life of a remote past,
and which was then slowly stored up
in fiber, twig and leaf, overthrown and
sunk beneath clay and rock, buried and
preserved for our use, is now liberated
and changed from the potential to the
active form in the few short hours that
it takes a modern train to rush from
New York to Albany or speed from
Philadelphia to Pittsburgh.
A very satisfactory form of luminous
paint is made from a mixture of ground
oyster shells and sulphur. When in use
this paint absorbs light during the day
time and gives it out in the riark. Paint
of this kind is useful for many purposes.
246
RAILVVAV AND LOCOMOTIVE EXGINEERIXG.
June, 191a
Air Brake Department
Conducted by G. W. Kiehm
The seventeenth annual convention of
the Air Brake Association was called to
order at the Hotel Denison, Indianapolis,
Ind., Tuesday, May 10, 1910, by the pre-
siding officer, Mr. J. R. Alexander. After
the usual routine of business had been
transacted, the reading of technical pa-
pers was taken up, the first of which was
"Tests to determine the effect of low
temperature on air-brake hose and coup-
ling gaskets," by Mr. \V. J. Hatch.
The object of the tests was to decide
on a specification of air hose and air hose
gaskets that would reduce the tendency of
the hose to stiffen and the gaskets to
become hard and create excessive brake
pipe leakage, during extremely cold
weather. While the subject is not of so
much interest to Southern railroads, it is
a very serious one on Northern lines,
where extremely cold weather prevails
during the winter months. Very often
brake pipe leakage resulting from frozen
hose and couplings becomes so excessive
that the number of cars to be hauled per
train must be reduced in order that the
train may become charged with air and
at such times the earning capacity of the
locomotive is reduced by this leakage from
frozen hose.
The principal object of the tests was
to secure hose that would not freeze or
if they did freeze would not freeze so
stiff as to create the amount of leakage
caused by ordinary hose freezing. Spe-
cial hose were submitted by the manufac-
turers for these tests and apparently some
very satisfactory hose were secured and
as a result some very rigid specifications
for air brake hose were adopted.
The second paper presented was "Air
pump and main reservoir capacity for
freight service," by Mr. P. J. Langan.
It is a well known fact that some very
strange ideas concerning main reservoir
capacity are prevalent and it is also a fact
that in some instances this matter has
been given no consideration whatever
when a locomotive was equipped with its
main reservoir.
In some instances main reservoir ca-
pacity is too small and in some instances
it is too large, and it is evident that some
locomotive builders or designers are la-
boring under the impression that it is im-
possible to have too much main reservoir
capacity, while on some locomotives there
does not seem to be enough available space
for main reservoirs of sufficient capacity.
Mr. Langan has by a series of tests de-
termined to his own satisfaction the proper
main reservoir capacity to meet the con-
ditions he is confronted with personally.
and they can be generally applied. At
the same time it was recognized that air
pump capacity bears some relation to main
reservoir capacity, and having fixed upon
sufficient main reservoir capacity, tests
were also conducted to determine the air
pump capacity necessary to handle differ-
ent lengths of trains on descending grades.
By a series of tests conducted under
normal or average conditions it is shown
very clearly that any of tne different
sized pumps can perform but a certain
amount of work in a given length of time
and no more, and the tables and diagrams
show exactly the length of time required
for the 9^2-in. pump, two 9'/2-in. pumps,
the 1 1 -in. and two 1 1 -in. pumps to charge
different lengths of trains, or rather
charge different numbers of car-brakes.
There is a great deal of information con-
cerning the time required to charge and
recharge trains of different lengths w'hen
the pump and main reservoir capacity
are sufficient to meet present operating
conditions.
SECOND day's proceedings.
The first paper presented at the second
day's session was on the subject of "Air
Pump Piping," and had particular refer-
ence to size of air pump steam pipe, back
pressure on air pump piston, and the dis-
position of exhaust steam from air pump.
Recommendations relating to the size
and installation of steam pipes were de-
rived from shop tests and back pressure
on the air pump exhaust due to pipe fric-
tion alone %vas determined by means of
indicator cards taken from the exhaust
pipe at the same time.
Tests to determine the back pressure on
the air pump piston resulting from piping
the air pump exhaust into the engine cyl-
inders exhaust cavity were derived by
means of gauges attached to exhaust
pipes while locomotives were in service,
hauling various sized trains. The paper
also contains suggestions concerning the
arrangement of steam pipes with a view
of obtaining an equal distribution of steam
and oil w-hen two pumps are used per
locomotive.
A unique feature in connection with
the paper is that a member of the com-
mittee, Mr. John S. Barner, New York
Central Lines, has designed an air pump
exhaust nozzle for use in the front end
of a locomotive that will entirely elim-
inate the back pressure on the pump ex-
haust and at the same time muffle the
annoying thump of the pump e.xhaust,
while another member of the committee,
Mr. F. F. Coggin, has designed and per-
fected a by-pass valve for obtaining air-
pump exhaust steam for car-heating pur-
poses without creating any additional
back pressure on the air pump piston,
beyond that due to pipe friction. The
paper illustrates this valve and contains
a sketch of the air pump e.xhaust nozzle
used during road tests and also gives ex-
cellent reasons for discontinuing some of
the present-day practices concerning air
pump piping. During the laboratory tests,
the number of strokes obtained per min-
ute and the resultant capacity of the pump
was noted, also the capacity of two pumps
per locomotive under different steam pipe
arrangements.
During the discussion there appeared to
be some sentiment in favor of a restrict-
ed flow of steam, for the sole purpose of
preventing the pump or pumps from being
run at an excessive rate of speed, and
even at this late day it is not generally
recognized that there is any such thing as
a recommended speed or a maximum per-
missible number of strokes per minute
during ordinary service conditions. The
second paper of the day was "Air Brake
Instruction," by a committee composed of
Messrs. T. T. Clegg, chairman; T. F.
Lyons, H. A. Wahlert, H. H. Burns, G.
A. Wyman. The paper deals with air-
brake instruction car equipment, meth-
ods of instruction, examination and rating,
length of time between visits of instruc-
tion cars and road work of air-brake in-
structors. During the discussion all the
air brake instructors present felt it their
duty to outline their own individual sys-
tems of instruction and as a result the
discussion was not closed. The paper af-
forded an opportunity for comparing the
methods of instruction employed by the
various instructors.
The paper, while enumerating some of
the qualifications the instructor must pos-
sess, ventures the assertion that an air-
brake instructor may be secured either
from shop or road service; however, at-
tention was also called to the fact if
anything jarred upon a gray-haired en-
gineer's nerves it was receiving instruc-
tions from a shop man, and if anything
would jar a mechanic it would be to have
a locomotive engineer tell him how to
fit up and repair air-brake apparatus.
When the hour set for the topical dis-
cussion arrived, Mr. George Christensen,
of the Johns-Manville Company, was per-
mitted to read a paper entitled, "Brake
cylinder leakage, causes and remedies,"
which was a ven,- hearty- endorsement of
the J.-M. brake cylinder expander ring.
While dwelling upon the problem of brake
cylinder leakage in general, the chief aim
of the paper was to show an increased
brake cylinder efficiency as derived from
the use of the J.-M. ring.
June, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
247
At 3 p. m. Mr. Walter V. Turner, chief
engineer of the Westinghouse Air Brake
Company, delivered an illustrated lecture
upon the subject of "Brake operation and
manipulation in general freight service."
Mr. Turner received the same affection-
ate greeting that is always accorded him
by the Air Brake Association. The mem-
bers always anticipate something new in
the line of air brake information when
he speaks, and he never disappoints his
audience. He is always able to prove
any assertion he may make, and a remark
made by Mr. Turner is never questioned
by the members of the association.
This lecture was illustrated by slides
thrown on a screen ; diagrams and charts
were used to convey the ideas Mr. Tur-
ner wished to impress upon the minds of
his hearers. The first part of the lecture
referred to brake cylinder and retaining
valve leakage and the brake cylinders on
cars sent to the shops at Wilmerding to
be loaded or unloaded were tested in an
effort to find the general conditions of
brake cylinders. The cars were those of
various roads and were tested just as
they arrived regardless of whether they
were new or old. The charts taken from
the recording gauge used on those brake
cylinders show an alarming state of af-
fairs in connection with brake cylinder
leakage.
At this time the old method of testing
for cj'linder leakage by noting the receding
movement of the brake piston, is shown
to be worthless. The charts make it plain
that brake cylinder leakage can be accu-
rately noted only by the use of a gauge
and that the only correct way to test for
cylinder and retaining pipe leakage is to
use a gauge at the retaining valve. Re-
taining valves to which air gauges can be
attached arc being manufactured, and two
railroads arc onuipping all their cars with
them. After calling attention to the fact
that air brake men arc dealing too much ■
with the effect instead of the cause, Mr.
Turner passed on to the handling of
freight trains.
This subject was handled in a general
but in a very complete way and nearly
all the information given is printed in a
special publication No. 9015, issued by
the Westinghouse Air Brake Company,
which is a copy of a paper read before
the Chicago Railway Club, in December,
1909-
Mr. Turner read a portion of this pa-
per and explained the causes and condi-
tions which produce shocks and break-
in-twos during brake manipulation. At-
tention was called to practically every dif-
ficulty that is encountered in stopping
and starting a freight train and in all
cases thr most practical remedy was
(fiven. Like all other papers prepared by
him, this one is so complete that there is
no room left for any discussion and at
the conclusion of the address hi* audience
arose to their feet and vigorously ap-
plauded
THIRD DAYS SESSION.
After the conclusion of the discus-
sion on "air brake instruction," Mr.
T. L. Burton read by far the most tech-
nical paper that has ever been pre-
sented before the Air Brake Associa-
tion.
Under the title of "Stopping Passen-
ger Trains through the Medium of an
Emergency Application of Air Brakes."
Mr. Burton has given a complete analy-
sis of the factors entering into the
problem of stopping a moving train of
cars.
There is given the thorough defini-
tions of the terms, work, power,
energy, inertia, motion and force after
which gravity and velocity are treated,
there are about 50 formulas submitted
for use in calculating the effect of the
forces considered. While the paper is
of a theoretical nature, it illustrates a
practical application of the formulas in
determining time and distance in stop-
ping trains.
The paper was endorsed and com-
mented upon by Messrs. Turner, Xellis,
Dudley, Owens and Kelly, and it will
add greatly to the- interest of the
printed proceedings of the meeting and
those who wish to learn the finer points
and get to the bottom of the air brake
business will find material for a full
year of hard study in this paper. The
members in discussing the paper pro-
nounced it complete in detail and that
the formulas will be accepted as cor-
rect for some years to come. Mr. Bur-
ton was given a vote of thanks by the
association for his excellent paper.
Mr. C. P. McGinnis next read a
paper entitled "Maintenance of Brakes
in the Northwestern Territory." He
outlined the methods employed and the
results obtained while caring for triple
values and brake cylinders under the
extraordinary conditions encountered
by the railroads in this territory. It
appears that instead of repairing cars
and car brakes at shops the repairmen
are compelled to rig up repair cars and
go out on the line at certain seasons of
the year and repair cars that are tem-
porarily stored on side tracks and look
after the brake equipments at the same
time.
The afternoon session consisted of a
smoker or the informal meeting which
originated at the St. Paul convention in
1908. Those meetings are the most in-
teresting and to some members the
most instructive feature of the annual
conventions. It is a meeting in which
the new members feel free to get up
and tell their troubles, and at the same
time learn what some one else has dis-
covered along the same lines.
The first topic of this session was
prearranged because of some slight
misunderstanding on the subject of
train handling Mr Turner vrry kindly
arranged to be present at this meeting
and Mr. P. J. Langan, who has made
a series of tests with a dynamometer
car in order to obtain some informa-
tion along the line of slack action and
shocks to trains, was the first speaker.
He requested that Mr. Turner take
notes of his statements and those of
the members and sum up the con-
clusions and clear up any differences of
opinion that might arise.
Mr. Langan stated as his reason for
asking Mr. Turner to arbitrate, that
Mr. Turner is the greatest of the
air-brake experts in this country and is
considered the one perfect instructor.
There is a reason for the associa-
tion's sentiment regarding Mr. Turner
and it is not what might be termed hero
worship, but the facts in the case are
that he lives a few years in advance of
the railroad air-brake experts, conse-
quently, when the air-brake man dis-
covers a new problem and presents it,
Mr. Turner has already anticipated it
and solved the problem by elaborate
tests and as he derives his explanations
from chronograph, dynamometer car,
and recording gauge records naturally
his answer is final and unquestioned by
air-brake men.
There is no Stenographic record of
what was said during this session so
that it will not appear in the printed
proceedings of the convention, but we
are able to present our readers with the
general sense of the meeting in the dis-
cussion on train handling. What we
give here on this subject has been
agreed upon by the members as being
the best practice.
Air-brake men realize that train
handling is one of the broadest sub-
jects and one of the most important
and is always governed to a great ex-
tent by local conditions, but some gen-
eral instructions are applicable to most
ordinary conditions, and in laying down
rules to be adhered to in train handling,
the worst possihlc condition and make-
up of trains are taken as a basis.
About the most difficult train to handle
successfully with the air-brake is the
long mixed trains of loads and empties
with the empties on the rear end.
The first of the rules that should be
adhered to under all conditions is,
"When it is desired to apply the brakes
the brake valve handle should be
moved from running to service posi-
tion promptly without any hesitating
on lap position." Second is "the initial
reduction of brake pipe pressure should
be what is termed a light one, or, one
that will move all the brake pistons it
is possible to move without building up
sufficient brake cylinder pressure to
create enough retarding effect any-
where to part the train."
With loads ahead and empties in the
rear, brakes should be applied while
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINKERING.
June, 1910.
ongine is using steam, the object being
to keep the the train stretched. When
the speed of a train has been reduced
to about 8 miles an hour following the
first reduction, a heavy reduction
should then be made with a view of
bringing the train to a halt while the
brake pipe exhaust port is open and
discharging brake pipe air. In the
event of loads in the rear and empties
on the head end, the throttle should be
closed before the brakes are applied,
and, after a reduction just sufficient to
run through the train, time should be
allowed for the slack to adjust itself.
In a case of loads and empties indis-
criminately mixed the direction the
slack will run should be observed and
the brake used accordingly.
As light a reduction as possible
means, one just sufficient to move the
brake pistons, on a 25-car train it
would be 4 or 5 lbs., on a so-car train,
6 or 8 lbs., and on a 75-car train about
10 or II lbs.
With mixed trains at speeds of 18 or
20 miles an hour or more the reduction
should not be heavy as it is undesirable
10 produce an equalization of auxiliary
and brake cylinder pressures at such
speeds during service stops as there
would be no object in bringing the
train to rest while the brake exhaust
port is open, if the pressure has been
reduced beyond the point of equaliza-
tion.
In handling solid trains of all loads
or all empties it is plain that if the
rules laid down cover the worst con-
ditions they will suffice for the better
conditions or if a certain method of
braking can be successfullj- employed in
stopping trains that are hard to handle
the same method could be used in
handling a better make up of trains.
In the case of undesired quick action
emanating from a triple valve, the
"dynamiter" should of course be cut
out, but if for any reason whatever
it cannot be found, the speed of the
train should be kept up until near the
stopping point and the brake valve
handle used in emergency position.
The object of such a method is to start
the emergency application on the head
end of the train in case it is known
that a triple will work in quick action
and it may be termed as "beating the
triple valve to it."
Under modern operating conditions
the method of releasing brakes is of
almost as much importance as the ap-
plication and with certain make up of
trains more so. We have reference to
the release of brakes while the train
is in motion.
The first recommendation is intended
to cover the worst cases of long trains
and the throttle should not be opened
■until one minute after the valve handle
lias been moved to release position.
With modern locomotive pump and
main reservoir capacity the brake valve
handle should not be allowed to re-
main in release position for a period
of over IS seconds. After this release
the handle should be returned to run-
ning position and again moved to re-
lease position for a few seconds as the
overcharge causes the re-application of
the head brakes or at about the time it
sliould occur. It is absolutely essential
that this be adhered to in handling long
trains and under no circumstances
should the valve handle be brought to
running position at a period of from
25 to 60 seconds after the handle is
first placed in release position.
If the brakes are to be recharged with
the handle in release position on
descending grades it does not conflict
with the 15 seconds time in release
position . as the handle will not be
moved from release position until the
application is desired. The sole ob-
ject in placing a time limit on the
handle in release position is to pre-
vent so far as possible an excessive
overcharge on the head end of the
train.
We would remind our readers that
the improper release on long trains can
produce undesired quick action. It is
possible to overcharge the forward
portion of a long train to such an ex-
tent that when the brake pipe supply
is temporarily cut oflf by a return to
running position, the rear cars in re-
charging will sometimes absorb the
brake pipe pressure on the forward
cars rapidly enough to cause undesired
quick action. It is understood that
long trains are here being considered,
the methods for handling short trains
having been agreed upon some years
ago. It is also understood that brakes
should not be released at very 'low .
speeds and the handle of the brake
valve should not be placed in release
position while brake pipe air is still
flowing forward and escaping at the
brake pipe exhaust port.
While it is to be regretted that the
remarks made at this time were not
recorded Mr. Turner has covered the
subject thoroughly in his lecture on
"Brake Manipulation" which will appear
in the proceedings. After a discus-
sion upon freight brake maintenance
the smoker was adjourned.
FOURTH D.W.
The fourth day's session opened with
the Association's recommended prac-
tice by the standing committee of
which Mr. S. G. Down is chairman.
This was the concluding paper of the
session and at its close the Association
was confronted with an unusual order
of business.
An application for membership in the
Air Brake Association, bearing the
name of Mrs. J. A. Parkins, was pre-
sented. It was endorsed by the names
of Messrs. W. V. Turner, J. R. Alex-
ander and T. F. Lyons. Mrs. Parkins
was examined with a view of ascer-
taining her knowledge of air-brakes by
Mr. Turner and Mr. Alexander.
The examination covered the subjects
of car brake equipment, triple valve
operation, construction and leverage,
and Mrs. Parkins answered correctly
every question asked her. Mrs. Par-
kins, being prepared, answered a series
of questions on the subject of leverage
and foundation brake gear that would
have caused many a member consider-
able uneasiness and the vote to admit
her to membership was unanimous, and
to the seventeenth annual convention
belongs the honor of admitting the
first lady to membership. Mrs. Par-
kins is the wife of Mr. J. A. Parkins,
air-brake instructor, Santa Fe system,
and has derived her knowledge of air-
brakes from assisting her husband in
the instruction car and working out
problems in leverage and car equip-
ment. Mrs. Parkins is a student of the
air-brake and a constant reader of
R.MLWAV AND LoCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING
and passed through her examination
with the same degree of confidence that
is manifested by all of "R. & L. E."
students of the locomotive when up for
examinations for promotion.
OFFICERS ELECTED.
The following officers were elected
for the ensuing year: President, T.
L. Burton, C. R. R. of N. J., and P. &
R.; first vice-president, W. J. Huntly,
C. & O. R. R. ; second vice-president,
H. R. Wahlert, Tex. Pacific; third vice-
president, J. F. Slattery, Denver & Rio
Grande ; secretary, F. M. Nellis. W. A.
B. Co.; treasurer. Otto Best, N. C. &
St. L.
Question About Excess Pressure.
W. R. B., Tottenville, N. Y., writes:
Where is the excess pressure of
the brake system stored and what is
its use? — A. The pressure that is re-
ferred to as the excess, is stored in the
main reservoir on the locomotive. It is a
pressure, a number of pounds in excess
of that with which the brakes are being
operated and it is used as a driving
head to promptly release brakes and re-
charge the brake system.
There are some curious phenomena
noticeable in connection with revolving
bodies. For instance, an emery wheel out
of true will make violent vibrations when
revolving at slow speed. As the speed
rises the wheel revolves smoothly. At
300 revolutions the heavy part will lurch
out as may be proved by holding a piece
of chalk within touching distance.
Junf. 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
249
Electrical Department
Running a N. Y., N. H. & H. Electric.
Bv W. B. KoUWENHOVEN.
The New York, New Haven and Hart-
ford Railroad, which connects many of
the New England cities and towns with
New York City, does not possess a ter-
minal of its own in New York, but shares
the N. Y. C. terminal known as the "Grand
Central Station." The New Haven also
uses the Central tracks as far as Wood-
lawn, where its own begin. In 1905 the
New Haven changed the motive power of
1'1..\.N l>^ MAMhK ( il.M KIll.l.l.K.
the road from steam to electricity as far
as Stamford, installing an 11,000 volt, 25
cycle, single phase alternating current
system. Prior to this, however, the
New York Central had installed a
600 volt direct current system
on their lines. The New Ha-
ven was therefore compelled to not
only run on alternating current but on
direct current as well. The reader is re-
ferred to pages IJ7 and 138, and pages
401 and 402 of the 1909 volume of R.\il-
W.SV AND LoCOMOTtVE E.VGINEEBIXC for 3
description of the New Haven installation
and equipment. .At present the road is
continuing the electric installation to New
Haven.
The New Haven electric locomotives
are e<iuippcd with four motors, connected
;/ermanently in pairs, each pair operating
ai a unit. The crew of one of these
locomotives c<<nfists of two men, the en-
gineer and his helper, or fireman.
Wherever electric locomotives are used
to replace the steam locomotives the
»ame numl>er of men in the crew is neces-
sary. It has Wen the experience of the
New Haven Road that many of the en-
gin'ers who ran steam IrM-omotives in
;>.-i»»rnger service have had no difficulty
in adapting themselves to the changed
conditions.
Before describing the operation of one
of the»e New Mavcn electric locomotives,
and the duties that fall to its crew, it is
necessary that the reader should first
form a mental picture of the equipment.
The equipment naturally separates itself
into two parts, one, the motor control
apparatus for making the various steps
in the application of power to the motors,
and the other, the master control appa-
ratus for handling the motor control.
Each of these divisions can be further
divided into those parts that are used
cnly when running on direct current, those
used only on alternating current, and
those that are common to both.
The equipment of the motor control
lor running on direct current comprises
tour third rail shoes and a trolley that is
located on the roof at the center of the
locomotive, lor collecting the current.
From the collecting devices the current
passes through a main switch and a cir-
cuit breaker. Then it passes through the
contactors, or unit switches, which are
livided into three groups, through a set
"f resistance grids to the motors and
down to the track. There are six
switch groups, three to each motor
unit. Besides the apparatus mentioned
there are also two direct ammeters, one
to each pair of motors and a direct cur-
rent wattmeter which gives the total
direct current power consumed by the
locomotive.
The alternating current collecting de-
vices consist of two pantagraph trolleys
located on top of the cab at either end
of the locomotive. From the trolleys a
high-tension cable is led down in an iron
pipe to two oil circuit breakers or
switches. From the oil switches the cur-
rent passes to two auto-transformers
which are simply transformers provided
with nine taps, which arc connected to
the windings at intervals, thereby pro-
viding a series of voltage steps, for ac-
celerating the motors. The alternating
current from a transformer goes through
three preventive coils; small transformers,
which are used in making the connections
tf, the transformer taps. The same three
switch groups that were mentioned above
serve to make the connections of the
preventive coils to the transformer taps
ill the proper sequeiKe. One oil switch,
one auto-transformer, three preventive
coils and three switch groups belong to
each motor iniil ; there being an exact
fiuplicate for the other motor unit. There
is aUo provided an alternating current
ammeter to each unit for register-
ing the rale at which current is taken by
the locomotive and one wattmeter for
recording the total amount used by both
units.
The same master controller serves to
run the motor on both alternating and
direct current, with the aid of what is
known as a change-over switch for
changing the connections from direct to
alternating currect and vice versa. The
master controller is provided with two
handles, a control lever and a reversing
Itver, which is removable. A plug, which
must be inserted in a socket in the master
controller before the locomotive can be
run, is attached to the reverser handle by
a chain.
A set of relays is also provided for in-
terlocking the control circuits so that it
is impossible simultaneously to throw
both direct and alternating current into
the motors or any apparatus. There are
three relays in the set, one for direct cur-
rent and two for alternating; one for
each transformer. When the current is
off the armatures the relays fall to their
lower positions. If direct current is
throw-n into the locomotive the direct cur-
rent relay (the large one) raises its ar-
mature, and the control circuit for direct
current finds its way through the upper
contacts of this relay and through the
lower contacts of the other two. On al-
ternating current the two other relays
raise their armatures while the direct cur-
rent one remains down, and the control
circuit for .-illiTn.-itiiit; current finds its
MASTKK ( (>.\ IKOI.l.KH WITH I OVI'lK
i<i:m()\ i:i).
way through the upper contacts of the
first two and through the lower contacts
of the third. If, by any means whatever,
alternating current should enter the loco-
motive while miming on direct current,
r'UC or both of the alternating current re-
lays wouM become excited and raise its
armature, thereby opening the direct cur-
rent control circuit, cutting off the current
from the contactors, causing them to drop
and to cut off the current from the
250
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
June, 1910.
motors. The same conditions would re-
sult if direct current found its way into
the locomotive when operating on alter-
nating current.
All of the switches or contactors in the
switch groups, and a number of other
switches, besides the third rail shoes,
direct, and alternating current trolleys
are worked by compressed air, controlled
by electro-magnet valves, some of which
are in turn operated by the master con-
troller and the others by a set of push
buttons or small switches provided for the
purpose. The compressed air for this
purpose is taken from a control reservoir,
in which a pressure of from 70 to 80 lbs.
is maintained, and which receives its
supply from the main reservoir through a
pressure reducing valve. The current
for operating the electro-magnet valves is
drawn from two 20-volt storage batteries,
one of which is in use while the other is
charging. Storage batteries require di-
rect current for charging purposes, and
because, for the major part of the run
the locomotives operate on alternating
current, a small motor-generator set is in-
stalled to provide direct current for the
batteries. The motor-generator set con-
sists of a small alternating current motor
driving a small direct current generator,
which provides the necessary current.
The control circuit wires are grouped
in a train line and brought out in coupler
sockets at each end of the locomotives.
Jumpers fitting these sockets are pro-
vided which make it possible to connect
two or more electric locomotives to-
gether and to run them as a single unit
in charge of the engineer in the cab of
the first one.
One of the novel features of the
equipment is that each motor unit is pro-
vided with a blower which consists of a
motor driven fan. The purpose of these
blowers is to drive a strong current of
air through the motors and transformers
and resistance grids, in order to keep
them cool. This artificial cooling re-
sults in a marked increase of the hauling
capacity of the locomotive. Electric
thermometers are placed in the niotcirs
and at any time that the engineer desires
he can tell exactly what the temperature
of any motor is by pressing the button
for this purpose. Another feature is the
arrangement of the equipment, this with
the exception of the driving motors, is all
placed inside the cab, even the air com-
pressors, the blowers, the main and con-
trol reservoirs are to be found there. The
apparatus that belongs to each motor unit
is arranged on separate sides of the cab,
where it is readily accessible and can be
closely watched hy the engineer and his
fireman.
Whenever the electric locomotives are
standing idle in the roundhouse in the
alternating current zone the reverser
handle with its plug should be removed
from the controller by the engineer and
returned at the terminal office. It should
never under any circumstances be per-
mitted to remain on the locomotive. The
operating handle should be left in the off
position. When the engineer leaves his
charge for the night in the roundhouse, he
should see that both the alternating and
the direct current trolleys arc locked
down, that the third rail shoes are folded
up out of the way, and that both oil
switches and the direct Current main
switch, and all other switches are open
and that the hand brake is set. If the
locomotive is standing idle in the direct
current zone everything should be left in
the same way e.Kcept that the third rail
shoes should be down in contact with the
third rail.
In preparing to leave the roundhouse in
the morning the engineer must first make
sure that the safety chains are unhooked
from the alternating current trolleys.
These chains make dead grounds with
the trolleys and are used to protect the
engineer and his helper if they should be
UIRKCT CUKF<H.\T TROLLEY K.VL-LK.
required to go on top of the locomotive.
He enters the cab, makes sure that both
the oil switches are open, and proceeds to
test the two sets of storage batteries, by
use of a 20-volt lamp supplied for this
purpose. This is done by holding one
wire from the lamp on one blade of the
double pole battery switch, and the other
wire on the other blade; if the lamp lights
up to full brightness the engineer knows
that the battery is all right, but if it
burns dull he knows that the battery needs
charging. If both batteries are in good
condition the engineer throws the bat-
tery switches so as to use No. i battery
on the odds days of the month and No. 2
on the even days, otherwise he throws the
switches so as to use the stronger battery
and charge the weaker one.
After the engineer has completed his
battery test, he inserts the controller plug
and the reverser handle in the master
controller and proceeds to raise the alter-
nating current trolleys. This is done by
pressing the buttons marked "A. C Trol-
ley Down" and "Shoe and Trolley Un-
lock," releasing the "A. C. Trolley Down"
button first. The trolleys are raised by
spring pressure and are held locked down
by air pressure. If, when the engineer
presses the buttons, the trolleys fail to
rise it indicates that there is not sufficient
air pressure to unlock the trolleys, and
the engineer must use the hand pump pro-
vided to unlock and raise trolley No. 2.
.'\s soon as the trolley makes contact
with the overhead wire, the engineer
closes both alternating current circuit
breakers, energizes both transformers, anrt
sees that the change-over switches are
thrown to the alternating current posi-
tion. Then he starts the air compressor
and watches the gauge, to see that the
compressor automatically cuts off when 130
lbs. pressure is secured in the main reser-
voir, and that the compressors start up
again when the pressure falls to 120 lbs.
He ne.xt tests the bell, sanders and lights
by pressing the buttons actuating each
;ind closing the proper switches, and he
also lowers and raises the alternating and
direct current trolleys and the third rail
shoes several times to make sure that
they operate properly.
Next the engineer must test the con-
trol for alternating current. Before
proceeding with the test, however, he
must first see that there is at least
70 lbs. on the control reservoir, and
then open both circuit breakers, throw
the reverser handle to the forward po-
sition and proceed to notch up the op-
erating handle, meanwhile his helper
watches the switch groups to make sure
that the proper contactors come in at
each notch. When this is completed
the engineer should return the operat-
ing handle to the off position, throw the
I cverse lever to the backward position
,ind repeat. The test should also be
made using the other controller.
If everything is satisfactory he
should return the handles to the off
position and close both oil circuit
breakers again. Then either the en-
gineer or his helper should see that the
sand boxes are filled, and that there is
the proper complement of spare fuses,
tools, etc., on the locomotives. The
engineer starts the motor-generator set
by closing the snap switch provided for
the purpose, and closes the knife switch
for charging the proper storage battery.
He inspects all fuses and makes sure
that the direct current main switch is
open and that the short circuiting
switch, whose use will be explained
later, is also open. He tries the brakes^
on the locomotive to see if they set and
release properly, and is then ready to
proceed. These tests must all be care-
fully and intelligently made in time to
remedy defects if any are found to exist.
This guards against engine failures.
June, 191a
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
Pacific Type Engine for the Chicago, Burlington ^ Quincy
The most extensive use of superheat-
ers in the United States, is at present
found in the middle West, especially
on passenger locomotives. The policy
of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy
Railroad with regard to the use of su-
perheated steam, is shown by the fact
that this road has recently received
from the Baldwin Locomotive Works
fifty Pacific type locomotives equipped
with Emerson superheaters. These en-
gines are designated by the railroad
company as class S-2, and are the latest
development of a series of Pacific type
locomotives which have been highly
successful.
With 69-inch wheels, a tractive force
of 34.500 lbs., and a liberal factor of
adhesion, the new engines are well fitted
for handling the heaviest class of pas-
senger traffic.
The boiler is of the extended wagon-
top type, and its design presents several
features of interest. The barrel is coni-
rangement of cab fittings. The super-
heater elements are in 24 tubes, each
S'A ins. in diameter.
The boiler pressure is 160 lbs., and to
secure the desired tractive force the cyl-
inder diameter is made 24 ins. Piston
valves 12 ins. in diameter, control the
steam distribution. These valves have a
steam lap of iVs ins. and an exhaust
clearance of % in.; they are set with a
maximum travel of sH ins., and a con-
stant lead of '/i in. The valves are
placed between the upper and lower
frame rails, and are 43 ins. apart trans-
\ersely. This location allows very di-
rect steam and e.\haust passages, but
when used with the Walschaerts gear a
k>ng rocker is required. In the present
instance this rocker is of cast steel, and
i~ keyed to a shaft 41 '4 ins. long. This
shaft is supported in suitable bearings
which are bolted to the guide-yoke. The
links are carried on longitudinal bearers,
outs (Ic the Icadinpr driver?
standard on the Burlington, and has
been successfully employed on a large
number of locomotives. The leading
truck and trailing wheels are steel tired
with cast iron spoke centers, and were
manufactured by the Standard Steel
Works Co.
The tender has a water bottom tank,
with a low center of gravity. The longi-
tudinal frame sills are composed of
l2-in. channels; the front bumper is of
oak, and the back bumper of steel, built
up. The fuel space is partially covered
by a hood, which prevents coal spilling
over the sides. The trucks are of the
equalized pedestal type, with cast steel
bolsters. The wheels are similar to
those used under the engine, and were
supplied by the same makers.
The building of these locomotives in-
dicates a growing confidence in the use
of superheated steam, especially in
heavy passenger service. The builders
in writing to us on the subject
fipi
0
-^a ';>fii«Bh*"*i.«is*^^i!^« L*.
f^i
F. II. Clark, General Superintendent of Motive l'(
posed of three rings, the first of which
is tapered, while the dome is placed on
the middle ring. The longitudinal
seams are butt jointed, with eight rows
of rivets. The outside welt strips cover
four rows. In accordance with the prac-
tice of the builders, the seams arc weld-
ed at the ends; and on the middle ring
the seam is welded throughout its en-
tire length i>n cither siile of the dome
ripening. The firebox is radially stayed
with four rows of expansion links sup-
porting the front end of the crown. The
side water Irg* taper in width at the
mud ring from 6 in^. at the front to 4
int. at the back. The fire di>or opening
i< formed by flanging both sheets out-
ward and riveting them directly to-
gether. The back head is vertical to a
point immediately above the fire door;
thenrc it si'iprs forward. This plan is
inlriidi'd to farilitate a convenient ar-
The frames are of cast steel, 5 ins. in
width. The lower rails arc extended 16
the forward end of the cylinder saddle,
while the upper front rails are of forged
iron, aiul are bulted to the main frames
in the usual manner. The front bumper
is further braced by short supplemental
rails, which are boiled to the under side
of the cylinder saddle. The trailing
wheels have outside journals, and the
rear frames are bolted to a transverse
steel casting which constitutes a tail for
the main frames, and is placed imnic-
diatcly back of the rear driving' pedi-s-
tnls. The trailing wheels arc allowed a
limited amount of lateral motion, and
the weight is tran.sfcrrcd from the trail-
ing equalizers to the journal boxes
through inclined friction plates. The
frames arc supported, back of the trail-
ing wheels, on -liort elliptic springs.
Tlii.s arr.iiigeiiieiil ol trailing wlieels is
Baldwin Locomotive Works, lliiiUlers.
say: "In work of this character the
demands inailc upon the boiler are most
exacting, and the superheater provides
a means for increasing the capacity of
the locomotive per ton of weight. It is
along these lines that the improvement
of the locomotive should progress, and
the superheater promises to be an im-
portant aid in effecting such improve-
ment." Some of the principal dimen-
sions arc given below:
Cylindert, 35 x 28 in«.
Iloilcr. -Ilininrlcr, 70 int.; niiikiliK preMure,
I ho lll».
Firebox. — Material, ileel; lenRth, loSVt int.;
wktih, ji^i Int; depth, front, jiH Ini.;
Iinck 61 t| ino.
Tubes, — Malrrtnl, iron; wire itnupe, tuper*
heater luheii No. R; i)^ in. lubea No. ii;
nunilirr, 170; length, 11 (eel.
lleatinR Siitfnre. - l''lrrliox, 194 ki, (I.; tuhct,
>,8t6 K), (t.; total, ],aia W), ft.; tCmerion
•uperhcater, 915 tq. ft.; grata area, ;s
M), ft.
Weight.— On driving whrela, 15.1,100 Ibi,: on
truck, front, 4.J.050 llx. ; on truck, (inck,
jQ.ojo tha.: total engine, j.i6,ino Iba.; total,
engine anii tender, about jgo.ooo Iba.
IVnder. Tnrik rap., ».3no biiI... fuel, if tona.
252
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
June, 1910.
The New Bridge at Quebec.
Our illustration sliows an outline of
the proposed bridge over the St. Law-
rence River joining Point Levis with
Quebec. The design has been com-
mented on as the ugliest that has been
got out for a long time for any large
structure of its kind, as it presents only
a series of triangles and straight lines.
Whether or not the charge of vi^ant of
beauty is so very serious if in other
respects the design is good, will al-
ways remain a matter of opinion.
The bridge commission appointed by
plained that when coal had been white-
washed and was subject to the action of
rain, critical buyers objected to the ap-
pearance of the coal.
There is no doubt that the whitewash-
ing plan would materially help in tracing
coal losses, especially if supplemented by
inspection and careful checking at arrival
and departure at certain intermediate
points. The arrangement would have to
be worked out in detail by the road
adopting it. As a matter of fact the
whitewash has no eflFect on the quality of
the coal, though its appearance if
for red lights as a night warning on cross-
ing gates. The object is to eliminate all
red lights not intended to serve as stop
signals for locomotive engineers.
OUTLINE OF PROPOSEn ERIDGE OVER THE ST. L.WVRENCE RIVER AT OCEDEC.
the Dominion Government have invited
competitive plans which were filed last
month, and it may be that the design
here shown will not be used. The spe-
cifications .call for a height of 290 ft.
of tower above the masonry. In the
f.'imous Forth bridge in Scotland this
height is 330 ft. This feature of the
specifications has also been criticised.
Wireless for Trains.
A recent press dispatch from Omaha,
Neb., says the Union Pacific Railroad not
long ago issued orders to install wireless
telegraphy over the main lines of that
system and announced that as soon as
completed all trains will be dispatched by
wireless.
For three years Dr. Frederick H.
Millener has been experimenting with
wireless on the Union Pacific system and
has now perfected his apparatus so that
the railroad believes it p'ractical.
Sending stations will be erected at all
division points and receiving stations at
every high point as well as on all trains.
Train orders will be sent to stations as
well as directly to moving trains.
streaked by rain would be altered. We
understand some such plan as this is used
m foreign countries.
Waste in the Ashpan.
In a test recently made at eighteen
points on the Erie Railroad, on ninety-
five samples of ashes taken from the ash-
pans, an average of 33% of carbon was
found in the ashes. This is the most val-
uable heat producing element of fuel.
Anything which will materially reduce
this waste of carbon will prove a paying
investment for any railroad company. It
is safely to be presumed that the ash
dropped from all the locomotives in the
country contains as much carbon as that
Automatic Loading.
A curious railway wreck occurred
some time ago and one of our numer-
ous correspondents sent us in the pho-
tograph from which our engraving is
made. .\ six-coupled yard engine was
hauling a train composed of twenty-
four loads and one empty flat car. This
fiat was immediately behind the tender
and came in very handy when the auto-
matic loading of the power began.
The road engine, of the 4-6-0 type,
was pulling a fast freight train. When
the engines came together they
stopped, doing comparatively little
damage to each other, but the moving
train behind each, did not stop pushing
until considerable damage to the cars
in both trains had been done, many emp-
ties being reduced to kindling wood. The
result at the front end. as shown in our
illustration, reveals the fact that the
tank of the yard engine pushed under
the foot-plate of atul heaved the yard
engine up at the bade. The push of the
train behind forced tlie tender frame
of the yard engine under the engine,
:nd in this condition and without leav-
ing the rails the yard engine tender
irame passed completely under the
yard engine and against the front of
the road engine, which it raised up in
front and partly carried.
The one flat car in the y.ird engine's
Whitewashing Coal.
A curious example of how people do
not always want the truth is afforded by
the fact that some years ago the vice-
president of a coal company, subsidiary
to the C, R. I. & P., adopted the practice
of spraying car load lots of coal with
whitewash. Under this white mantle the
black diamonds were hauled to destina-
tion and if any coal had been stolen en
route it was at once visible and detection
was more or less easily accomplished.
While this plan was eminently satis-
factory as far as revealing the extent of
depredations it was finally abandoned be-
cause of the opposition of consumers
who were anxious to claim a destination
loss, and also on account of objections
made by other dealers. Salesmen com-
At CiriEXT.M. V.VT .SUCCESSITL LO.\DIXG
analyzed fr<im the Erie ash pans. These
apparently small losses aggregate into
fortunes when the whole country is taken
mto account.
Red Lights Are Stop Lights.
It is stated that it is the Penn.sylvania's
intention to have red lights exclusively
as stop lights along the road. This com-
pany we understand has substituted green
train just behind followed the fortunes
of the yard engine tank frame and
pushed in under the switcher as its own
tank frame went on to lift the road
engine out of the way. The yard en-
gine was thus so successfully loaded
on the fiat car that in clearing away
the wreck the flat was coupled on to,
and flat and engine taken away to a
siding about a quarter of a mile away.
Xo one was hurt in this collision.
June. 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
General Foremen's Association
The si.\th annual convention of the
International Railway General Foremen's
Association opened in the Grand Hotel,
Cincinnati.
President Ogden welcomed the mem-
bers and congratulated the association
upon the prosperous condition of the
organization. He adverted to the pressure
put upon the mechanical department to ex-
ercise rigid economy owing to the depres-
sion of business and urged members of
the association to do all in their power
to effect economies wherever possible.
.■\nother vital matter that had been
directed to his attention was the co-
operation which should exist between
general foremen, subordinate foremen
and their men. He regretted that it is
a fact that many foremen lost sight of the
little leaks which tend to increase operat-
ing expenses.
He had been informed that many fore-
men displayed indifference to the work
reported by the enginemen or conductor
that demanded immediate remedy. Main-
taining harmony with enginemen tended
to strengthen the General Foremen's .As-
sociation as self-interest alone ought to
convince all concerned that it is good
policy to create harmonious feeling with
all in the company's employ, from supe-
riors to the workmen under our charge.
We are striving to qualify ourselves
for leaders and to infuse enthusiasm into
our subordinates that they may perform
that work to the satisfaction of all con-
cerned.
TTie secretary read the secretary's and
treasurer's reports, which were highly
satisfactory.
The president then in a few compli-
mentary words introduced their honorary
member. Dr. Angus Sinclair, who deliv-
ered an address which traced the devel-
opment of railroad mechanical industries
on the American continent. He said that
when railroad operation began among us
most of the people were engaged in agri-
cultural pursuits, which thousands of
young men left to enter machine shops
and engine houses. Millwrights, black-
imiths and handy men by natural selec-
tion filled the positions of general shop
foremen and drilled the rustics into me-
chanics as KipliPK makes Sergeant Mulva-
ney by hard drilling convert raw recruits
into efficient soldiers of the British army.
Dr. Sinclair concluded : It seems to
me that your association has been par-
ticularly fortun-ite in selecting Cincinnati
as a place of meeting. This city is an old
railway center wilh many interesting
memories. Here in the early d.iys thrived
• *" Nilei Locomotive Works, which put
.■■. progressive stamp iipt'P the locomotive
of that day. Several engines were equip-
ped in these works with what is now
known as the Walschaerts valve motion,
before Walschaerts had reached the
breeches age.
Here have grown up makers of ma-
chinery that are household words to
every railway general foreman. I need
only mention the Fay & Egan maker.s of
wood working machinery to make you
feel at home. .\ few miles out of the
city are the Xilcs Tool Works that has
placed more machine tools in railway
shops than any tool maker in the busi-
ness. There are other machine tool mak-
ing works within the city limits with
V. hose product you are all familiar, such
as the Bickford Tool Works. Those
among you who enjoy punching and
shearing operations can find Long & A\-
stater establishment out at Hamilton,
not far from the Niles Tool Works.
It would be highly edifying to visit all
these works, and if you feel like extend-
ing your investigations and professional
enjoyment, you might take in Barney &
Smith Car Works at Dayton, also the
Dayton Malleable Iron Works whose pro-
duct you are all familiar with.
In conclusion I would express the hope
that the toils of the convention may be
brightened by social enjoyment and by
harmonious intercourse with old and new
friends. C\pplause.)
REPORT OF SECRET,\RY-TRFASrRER.
The report of Secretary-Treasurer
Bryan shows that the .Association was in
a prosperous condition, 207 members be-
ing on the roll. The members accorded
much credit to Mr. Bryan for the en-
ergy and ability he had displayed in
changing a burden of debt to a substan-
tial credit balance.
It may be the proper time now to men-
tion that Mr. Bryan wished to retire
from the position of .Secretary-Treasurer
when the election came round, but the
members were so enthusiastic in urging
him to continue holding the important
office that he consented to continue giving
his services for another year.
TO SHORTEN rONVESTIONS.
After the reading of the Secretary-
Treasurer's report a discussion arose con-
cerning the dispatch of business and some
of the members expressed the opinimi
that the interests of the association would
be promoted by confining the convention
to three days instead of spreading the
business out five i\:\\s, which had lieen the
practice adnplrd. The Ix-lirf was ex-
pressed that more general foremen wouM
be able to attend if the lime was reduced
to three days. After the subject had
been discussed at some length a motioi>
was made to change the constitution to
provide for the annual convention ex-
tending over three days.
THE FOREM.\N .\XD HIS MEN.
-Address by Mr. W. L. Kellogg.
An interesting address on the above
subject was delivered by Mr. W. L. Kel-
logg, superintendent of motive power of
the Cincinnati. Hamilton & Dayton, on
the above subject. The real text of the
address was found in the sentence : "In-
telligent co-operation between the fore-
man and his men spells success by the
shortest method possible." He referred
to the difficulty of inducing workmen to
take a living interest in their work when
the product turned out consists of pieces
whose ultimate use the maker knows lit-
tle about. He regarded as the duty of
foremen to instil into workmen facts
concerning details of their work and the
purpose of every detail of production. If
that practice were followed generally the
workmen would have more to think about
than the mere consideration of wages and
how much every job was going to pass to
their credit. Spreading information among
workmen concerning the work they are
engaged upon has a tendency to make
the men better artisans and more con-
tented citizens. The most salient para-
graphs of the address read :
"Your foreman has lost his most valu-
able asset if he is not able to keep in
sufficiently close touch with his men, to
act as their counselor or adviser, and ex-
ert his influence at all times toward peace
and harmony, counseling the men to uni-
form activity and energy, pointing out
to them the possibilities of their future
success through the success of their em-
ployes, encouraging them in habits of
temperance ;iiid morality, in the estab-
lishment of savings accounts ami the
building of homes, and counseling them
when selecting representatives and lead-
ers to pick conservative men, men quali-
Ticd to appear for them when meeting
their superior officers on matters of mu-
tual interest.
"The success of their craft can well
be likened to the success of a nation, our
own great country having been built up
as the result of physical application of
the energies given us. The most success-
ful labor organizations of this country
today should be pointed out to the men
as the ones which have had the mnst
conservative leaders and in which the
men have lent themselves to their sur-
roundings and endeav'T'-'l !•■ I'lvancc
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
June, 1910.
with their employers, and to the advan-
tage of their employers, and who have not
brought disaster on their employers
through their endeavors to advance solely
at their expense.
"I believe the personal interest feature
01 your work should be enlarged on at
all times. The highest importance should
at all times be attached to having fore-
men keep in closest personal touch with
the men under them, displaying an interest
in their personal welfare with solicitude
for them in sickness and organizing re-
lief for them in case of need ; helping the
indifferent workman by endeavoring to
get him up to the standard of his more
successful associates ; singling out the
men who will not, or cannot, fit in har-
moniously with the balance of the crew
and dropping them fro/n the service."
P.\PERS AND DISCUSSIONS, LATER.
This necessarily brief synopsis of the
opening of the General Foreman's Con-
vention will be followed in later issues
of Railway and Locomotive Engineer-
ing with the more extended accounts of
the proceedings of the association.
officers elected.
The gentlemen elected as officers of
the International Railway General
Foreman's Association for 1910-11,
were: President, Mr. C. H. Voges; gen-
eral foreman of the Bellefontain, C,
shops of the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chi-
cago & St. Louis Railway; first vice-
president, Mr. T. F. Griffin, general
foreman of the Indianapolis, Ind.,
shops of the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chi-
cago & St. Louis Railway; secre-
tary-treasurer, Mr. L. H. Bryan, gen-
eral foreman of the Two Harbors,
Minn., shops of the DuUith & Iron
Range Railroad.
CONVE-N'TIOX exhibits.
The following railway supply con-
cerns had e.xhibits at the convention:
Armstrong Bros. Tool Co., Chicago,
111.; Ashton Valve Co., Boston, Mass.;
Celfor Tool Co., Buchanan, Mich.;
Chicago Pneumatic Tool Co., Chicago,
III.; Crane Company, Chicago, 111.;
Crucible Steel Company of America,
Pittsburgh, Pa.; Curtain Supply Co.,
Chicago, 111.; Dearborn Drug & Chem-
ical Works, Chicago, 111.; Detroit Lu-
bricator Co., Detroit, Mich.; Joseph
Dixon Crucible Co., Jersey City, N.
J.; Fairbanks, Morse & Co., Chicago,
Til.; J. A. Fay & Egan Co., Cincinnati,
O.; Franklin Railway Supply Co., New
York City; Oarlock Packing Co., Pal-
myra, N. Y.; Gold Car Heating &
Lighting Co., New York City; Gold-
schmidt Thermit Co., New York City;
Green, Tweed & Co., New York City;
Hunt-Spiller Mfg. Co., Boston, Mass.;
Jenkins Bros., New York City; H. W.
johns-Manville Co.. New York City;
the E. A. Kinsey Co., Cincinnati, C;
Nathan Mfg. Co., New York City; Ot-
ley Mfg. Co., Chicago, 111.; Storrs Mica
Co., Owego, N. Y.; Strong, Carlisle &
Hammond Co., Cleveland, C; Tal-
inage Mfg. Co., Cleveland, C; West
Disinfecting Co., Cincinnati, C; West-
inghouse Air Brake Co., Pittsburgh,
Pa.
The Care of Boilers.
A leaky seam in a boiler should not
be caulked under pressure, as the jar
caused by the blows of the hammer has
a tendency to start new leaks and may
cause a rupture in the seam. The loca-
tion and extent of the leak should be
carefully marked and the necessary re-
pairs effected when the boiler is cold.
Sudden openings of valves are also perni-
cious, particularly if there is water in the
pipes. Water hammer, or the sudden
rush of a body of water impelled by
steam pressure, has a very bad effect on
pipes, and is the cause of many leaking
joints. Boilers should not be emptied
while under steam pressure. If there is
not time to wait until the boiler is cooled,
it is good practice to draw the fire, open
the furnace door, then turn on feed water
and blow out from time to time until the
steam gauge shows no pressure.
Railway Wage Advances.
The railway wage advances, already
made or to be made before the end of
the year, are now estimated at $100,000,-
000 for the entire country. This is the
figure given by President Brown of the
New York Central. It includes, of
course, many advances the details of
which have not yet been settled.
Calculated on the Interstate Commerce
Commission statistics as a basis, the
wages paid to railway employes, under
the new scale, will amount to $1,227,233,-
000 a year. This is arrived at by esti-
mating the operating expenses of the
present fiscal year from the monthly re-
ports now available ; applying the per-
centage of labor cost to total operating
expenses in 1908, the latest year for which
wage figures have been published ; and
adding the $100,000,000 estimated advance
in wages this year.
The $1,227,233,000 which, it is estimated
will be paid out to employees annually
under the new scale, is thus compared
with $1,072,386,000 in the fiscal year 1907,
which was the year which holds the rec-
ord for the volume of railway business.
Wages on the railroads were not reduced
after the 1907 panic, so that this year's
advances are on top of those which were
made in 1906 and the early part of 1907.
The proportion of labor cost to total op-
erating expenses has increased steadily
for several vears.
live, more and more to recognize the
important position that engineering
^hould occupy in the estimate of civil-
ized humanity. It seems remarkable
that we should hear so little of the
eminent engineers who have done so
much to advance what is known as
human progress, especially during the
last half century, while we are being
constantly startled by the clamorous
calls for recognition by alleged states-
men and embryo authors, whose works,
if we may so dignify their babblings,
pass out of remembrance in a short
lime and are heard of no more forever.
Is it not a fact that all of what we
call modern civilization is practically
the work of the engineer and should be
so credited? The human mind has be-
come so accustomed to the contempla-
tion of mere words that it would seem
as if work, however stupendous in its
magnitude and however beneficial in
its results, is taken by us as a mere
matter of course. True it is that the
work of the engineer may be said to
speak for itself, and that like the silent
majesty of the Pyramids it is at once
the creation of the mighty builders and
iheir monument. This is true only in
an abstract or general way, but the
proper recognition of individual effort
;ind accomplishment is by no means
what it should be.
To our thinking there is an element
lacking in the engineering mind. There
is a tendency among them to consider
only the engineering side of their pro-
fession and to lose sight, in. a great
measure, of their proper relations with
the world at large. The engineering
fraternity is perhaps more modest than
need be. Engineering should be recog-
nized as the chief force by which civil-
ization has been advanced and estab-
lished and on which it largely depends.
To this end it is well that all engaged
in engineering work should interest
themselves in something more than
mere engineering. The mind trained to
harnessing the elemental forces of na-
ture would, if more widely directed,
impress itself more largely upon the
popular mind and lead to a fuller rec-
ognition and, doubtless, to a higher
reward.
The Rewards of Engineering.
It is gratifying to observe that there
i:- a tendency in the age in which we
Order for 1,000 Gondolas.
A Pittsburgh press dispatch of recent
ciate says : An order was placed by the
New York Central with the Pressed Steel
Car Company of Pittsburgh for 1,000 ad-
ditional freight cars, of the 50-ton ca-
pacity gondola type, for use on the New
York Central Lines. All of the r.ooo car
order will be made in the lower North
Side plant of the car company. This
class of cars is of course made of steel
and is spoken of as the steel hopper-bot-
tom high side gondola coal or ore car. It
is ideal for rough freight.
June. Ipio.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
Items of Personal Interest
Mr. J. F. Ilolzciiur has been ap-
pointed purchasing apent of the Kana-
wha & Michigan, with office at Colum-
bus, Ohio.
Mr. Ross Brown has been appointed
district passenger agent of the Iowa Cen-
(Vice Pi
tral Railway with headquarters at Oska-
loosa, Iowa.
Mr. J. J. Conn has been appointed
assistant general ptirrhn^in? nprrnt nf thi-
i). I, (wwvroKii.
(Vkc I'rriiilcfil, M. M. Au'n).
Aichiton, Topclca & Santa I'c, with office
in Chicago, III.
Mr. Jamcn S. Sheafc ban been ap-
poinltd enitineer of te*l» at the Hurn-
s'de shops ot the Illinois Central Rail-
road at Chicago, 111.
Mr. J. R, Scott has been appointed road
foreman of equipment on the eastern dis-
trict of the Frisco System with headquar-
ters at Springfield, Mo.
Mr. L. M. Jacobs has been appointed
general foreman of the Trinity & Brazos
Valley Railway at Eros, La., vice Mr.
J. D. Maupin, promoted.
Mr. J. W. Johnson has been appointed
master mechanic of the Western division
of the Chicago Great Western, with head
quarters at Clarion, Iowa.
Mr. G. A. Brown has been appointee 1
superintendent of car service on the Clii
cago & Great Western, with office at tlic
Grand Central Station, Chicago.
Mr. F. X. LaPrairie, heretofore car
ot motive piiwer of the Xortliern dis-
trict. Rock Island Lines, at Cedar Rap-
ids, Iowa, has resigned to go into other
business.
Mr. J. D. Maupin has been appointed
G. W. VVII.IilN.
(PmUlcnl, Matt. .Mrcll. A»'ii).
.1 ^pector at Kenora, Out., on the Caii.i
dian Pacific, has been appointed wrcel
ii'g foreman at Vancouver, B. C.
Mr. W. I. Laird has been appointed
(ccncral agent of the freight dcpartnirni
of the Chicagi) Great Western, wiili
(^fTue at 10.1 Adams street, Chicago.
Mr. J. J. Hnioks, griieral sales in.i-
ager of the Harbison-Walker Uefr
lories Company, of I'ittsbiirgh, has In ■
elected one nf llie directors of the cum
pany.
Mr. A, T. Ilollciibeck has been ap
pointed »uperiiiten<lrnt of tclcKraph on
the Chicago Great Wrslcrn, with head-
ruartcrs at Chicago, 111., Grand Central
Station.
Mr. W. I.. Marrison, ««pcrinliiiil<'nl
(\'ice- President. M. M. .\&s'n).
n.aster mechanic of the Trinity & Bra-
zos Valley Railway at Eros, La.
Mr. Thomas Sweeney has been ap-
(T
.\Niil S SIM l..\IK,
cattircr, .M. M. Ant'il).
pointed road foreman of engines nn the
Shamokin division of the Philadelphia
Ik Reading with headtitiarters at Tam-
aqiia. Pa.
2s6
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
June, 1910.
Mr. C. Adez has been appointed act- of materials and coal, vice Mr. J. VV. chanic of the Lake Shore and Michigan
ing traveling lirtnian on the Canadian
Pacific Railway, district No. 2, Pacific
division, with headquarters at Vancou-
ver, B. C.
Mr. E. H. Wade, master mechanic on
the Chicago & North-Western at Chi-
cago, has been appointed supervisor of
locomotives at Green Bay, Wis., on the
same road.
T. H. cin-;Tis.
(Vice-President. M. C. B. Ass'n).
Mr. R. N. Begien, formerly division en-
gineer of the Philadelphia division on the
Baltimore & Ohio, has been appointed
assistant to the chief engineer, with offices
at Baltimore.
Mr. Charles Coleman, master me-
chanic of the Chicago & North West-
ern at Eagle Grove, Iowa, has been
(Ji.itU -Secrtlary, .M. M. ,»< .M. C. B. .Ass'n).
transferred as master mechanic to
Winona, Minn.
Mr. H. C. Griffin, genera! shop inspec-
tor, on the Lake Shore & Michigan South-
ern, has been promoted to be supervisor
Sengcr, promoted.
Mr. R. B. Darby, assistant engineer
of motive power uf the Lake Shore &
F. H. CL.\RK,
(President, M. C. B. Ass'n).
Michigan Southern, at Cleveland, Ohio,
has resigned to go to the Pilliod Com-
pany, New York.
Mr. R. Brown, heretofore assistant
boiler foreman, Winnipeg shops of the
Canadian Pacific, has been appointed lo-
comotive foreman, Cranbrook, B. C, vice
D. T. Main, promoted.
Mr. E. Y. Brake, heretofore car fore-
man on the Canadian Pacific at Leth-
A. STKWART.
(Vice-President, M. C. B. Ass'n).
bridge, Alta.. has been appointed car
foreman at Cranbrook, B. C, vice Mr.
A. McCowan, resigned.
Mr. I. W. Marshall, heretofore assist-
ant car foreman on the Canadian Pacific
at Winnipeg, has been appointed car
foreman at Lethbridge. .-Mta., vice Mr.
E. Y. Brake, transferred.
Mr. .\. R. .Avers, assistant master me-
Southern, at Elkhart, Ind., has been pro-
moted to mechanical engineer, vice Mr.
R. B. Kendig, promoted.
Mr. Le Grande Parish, formerly
superintendent of motive power of the
Lake Shore & Michigan Southern
Railway at Cleveland, Ohio, has, as
I rcviously announced, become presi-
dent of the American Arch Company
LE GRAXnF. PAUISII.
(Vice-President, M. C. B. Ass'n 1.
of New York. The office of this com-
pany is in the Hudson Terminal
Building, 30 Church street. New York.
Mr. B. H. Montgomery, assistant gen-
eral foreman on the Lake Shore & Mich-
igan Southern Railway at Collinwood
shops, has been promoted to succeed Mr.
1'.. I~. Kuhn, as general foreman..
.KTIIX Kit.ti;v.
(Treasurer, .M. C. K. Ass'n).
Mr. J. A. Coopers has been appointed
traveling engineer on the Missouri, Kan-
sas & Texas Railway with jurisdiction
from Wagoner, Okla.. to Hillsboro, Tex.,
vice Mr. W. P. Danforth, promoted.
June, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
257
Mr. T. H. Goodnow, master car builder
on the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern
of Englewood, 111., has been transferred
to assistant master mechanic at Elkhart,
Ind., vice Mr. A. R. Avers, promoted.
Mr. Harry L. Wyand has been ap-
pointed district passenger agent of the
Chicago Great Western, at Oeveland,
Ohio, with office at 315 Williamson Build-
ing, vice Mr. Frank R. Mosier, resigned.
Mr. W. P. Hobson, formerly master
mechanic on the Chesapeake & Ohio at
Lexington, Ky., has been transferred
to the Cincinnati division of the same
road, vice Mr. W. T. Smith, promoted.
Mr. R. A. Pyne, district master me-
chanic of the Canadian Pacific at Nel-
son, B. C, has been appointed master
mechanic, with office at Calgary, Alta.,
vice Mr. W. E. Woodhouse, promoted.
Mr. P. A. Crj'sler, heretofore general
car inspector Eastern Lines of the Cana-
dian Pacific Railway, has been appointed
assistant general foreman of passenger
car repair work at Angus shops, Mon-
treal.
Mr. J. R. Gould, formerly master me-
chanic of the Chesapeake & Ohio at
Richmond, Va., has been appointed su-
perintendent of motive power of the
Virginia general division of the same
road.
Mr. W. T. Smith, formerly master
mechanic on the Chesapeake & Ohio at
Covington, Ky., has been appointed su-
perintendent of motive power of the
Kentucky general division of the same
road.
Mr. A. A. Mavor, master mechanic, on
the Grand Trunk Railway system, in
charge of the company's locomotive shops
at Point St. Charles, Montreal, has been
elected president of the Canadian Rail-
way Gub.
Mr. J. H. Nash, master mechanic on
the Illinois Central Railroad at Pa-
ducah, Ky., has been promoted to the
position of superintendent of the Burn-
side shops of the same company at
Chicago.
Mr. J. Rutley, heretofore locomotive
engineer on the Canadian Pacific, has
been appointed road foreman of en-
gines, district 4, western division, Mac-
leod, Alta., vice Mr. L. E. W. Bailey,
resigned.
Mr. J. J. Connors, district master me-
chanic of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St.
Paul at Dubuque, la., has been appoint-
ed assistant superintendent of motive
power for the linei west of the Missis-
sippi River.
Mr. F. J. Harrison, division master
mechanic of the Buffalo, Rochester 8c
Pittsburgh, has been appointed iuper-
inlendcnt of motive power, with oflke
at Du Boil, Pa., vice Mr. W. H. Wil-
ton, resigned.
Mr. C. H. Terrell, formerly matter
mechanic on the Chesapeake & Ohio
at Huntington, W. Va., hat been ap-
pointed superintendent of motive power
of the West Virginia general division of
the same road.
Mr. J. T. Carroll, master mechanic on
the Lake Erie & Western Railroad, has
resigned, to accept the position of super-
intendent of motive power of the Balti-
more & Ohio Railroad, with headquarters
at Pittsburgh, Pa.
As announced last month, Mr. Mor-
gan K. Barnum, formerly general in-
spector of machinery and equipment
on the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy
Railroad, has been appointed general
superintendent of motive power of the
Illinois Central, the Yazoo & Missis-
sippi Valley, and the Indianapolis
Southern Railroads, with headquarters
in Chicago, 111. Mr. Morgan was born
April 6, 1861. He graduated from Syra-
cuse University, 1884, with degree of
A. B., and later received degree of
A. M. He entered railway service in
1884 as special apprentice in the shops
of the New York, Lake Erie & Western
it Susquehanna, Pa., since which he has
been consecutively, to September, 18S7,
machinist and mechanical inspector;
September, 1887 to 1889, general fore-
man same road at Salamanca, N. Y.;
January to September, l88g, general
foreman, Louisville & Nashville shops
at New Decatur, Ala. ; September, 1889,
to September, 1890, assistant master
mechanic, Atchison, Topeka & Santa
Fe at Argentine, Kan.; September, 1890,
to June, 1891, superintendent of shops
c-n the Union Pacific at Cheyenne,
Wyo; June, 1891, to December, 1898,
district foreman on the same road at
North Platte, Neb.; December, 1898, to
December, 190a, master mechanic, Ne-
braska division same road at Omaha,
Neb.; Dec. 15, 1902. to February, 190.1.
aisistanl mechaniral superintendent
Southern Railway; February, igo.i, to
April, 1904, superintendent motive
power, Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific;
June, 1904, to date, mechanical expert
or more correctly, general inspector of
machinery and equipment — Chicago,
Burlington & Quincy Railroad. Mr.
Barnum has won his way up by hard
work and ability, and his many friends
are pleased to see the high position in
the railroad world to which he has now
attained.
Mr. J. T. Carroll, formerly master me-
chanic of the Lake Erie & Western, has
been appointed superintendent of motive
power of the Baltimore & Ohio with office
at Pittsburgh, Pa.
Mr. J. W. Senger, supervisor of ma-
terials and coal, on the Lake Shore St
Michigan Southern, has been promoted
to be master car builder, with headquar-
ters at Elnglewood, 111., vice Mr. T. H.
Goodnow, promoted.
Mr. W. P. Danforth, heretofore trav-
eling engineer on the Missouri, Kansas &
Texas Railway, has been promoted to the
position of master mechanic of the Trin-
ity division of the same road with head-
quarters at Trinity, Texas.
Mr. J. F. Walsh, superintendent of
motive power of the Chesapeake &
Ohio Railroad at Richmond, Va., has
been given the title of general superin-
tendent of the same road. His office
remains in Richmond, Va.
Mr. B. F. Kuhn, general foreman loco-
motive shops on the Lake Shore &
Michigan Southern Railway at Collin-
wood, Ohio, has been promoted to be
-istant superintendent CoUinwood shops,
; e Mr. F. H. Reagan, promoted.
-Mr. T. J. Hamilton has been ap-
inted district master mechanic of the
Ciiicago, Milwaukee & Puget Sound,
with office at Deer Lodge, Mont. He
will have charge of the line between
Harlowton, Mont., and Avery, Idaho.
Mr. H. B. Voorhees has been ap-
pointed additional assistant to Mr.
Daniel Willard, president of the Balti-
more & Ohio Railroad. Mr. Voorhees'
headquarters are in the company's
general office building in Baltimore.
Mr. R. B. Kendig, mechanical engineer,
of the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern,
has been promoted to general mechanical
engineer of the New York Central Lines,
with headquarters at Grand Central Sta-
tion, New York, vice Mr. F. M. White,
resigned.
Mr. John T. Wilson, former assistant
(ngineer at Baltimore, on the Baltimore
& Ohio, has been promoted to be district
engineer, with jurisdiction between Phil-
adelphia and the Ohio River at Parkers-
burg and Wheeling, with headquarters at
Baltimore.
Mr. E. A. Murray, foreman of the
machine department of the Covington,
Ky , shops of the Chesapeake & Ohio,
has been appointed master mechanic
on the same road, with headquarters at
258
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
June, 1910.
Lexington, Ky., vice Mr. W. P. Hob-
son, promoted.
Mr. F. H. Reagan, assistant superin-
tendent on the Lake Shore & Michigan
Southern Railway at Coliinwood shops,
has been promoted to be master mechanic
of the Lake Erie & Western, with head-
quarters at Tipton, Ind., vice Mr. J. T.
Carroll, promoted.
Mr. A. J. Isaacks has been appointed
master mechanic of the Southern division
of the Chicago Great Western Railroad
with headquarters at Des Moines, Iowa,
vice Mr. T. H. Yorke, resigned. Mr.
Isaacks was formerly connected with
the Chicago & Alton.
Mr. William Wibel, acting assistant
purchasing agent of the National Rail-
ways of Mexico, the Mexican Interna-
tional and the Interoceanic, at New
York, has been appointed assistant
purchasing agent of these companies,
with office at New York.
Mr. J. H. Waterman, storekeeper of
the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy at
Lincoln, Neb., has been appointed su-
perintendent of timber preservation,
with office at Galesburg, 111., succeeding
Mr. F. J. Angler, resigned. Mr. J. H.
Ellis succeeds Mr. Waterman.
The employes of the Mobile & Ohio
motive power and car departments have
presented Mr. George S. McKee, con-
sulting mechanical engineer, who re-
tired last month, with a gold watch,
and Mrs. McKee was presented with a
chest of silver and a diamond ring.
Mr. W. J. Rusling, assistant master
mechanic of the Pennsylvania Railroad
at Harrisburg, Pa., has been appointed
foreman of the Enola, Pa., shops, vice
Mr. H. T. Coates, Jr., promoted. Mr.
H. G. Huber, assistant master mechanic
at Phillipston, succeeds Mr. Rusling.
Mr. Theodore Voorhees, first vice-
president of the Philadelphia & Reading,
has been elected president of the bureau
for the safe transportation of explosives,
vice Dr. Charles B. Dudley, deceased.
Mr. Voorhees is also chairman of the
committee on transportation of explosives
of the American Railway Association.
Mr. W. H. Williams, master me-
chanic of the Bufifalo, Rochester &
Pittsburgh, at East Salamanca, N. Y.,
has been appointed master mechanic
of the Middle and Pittsburgh divisions,
with office at DuBois, Pa., and Mr.
Harry Sneck has been appointed mas-
ter mechanic of the Buffalo and Roch-
ester divisions, with office at East
Salamanca.
Mr. J. W. Adams has been appointed
inspector of passenger service on the
Baltimore & Ohio, with headquarters
at Baltimore, Md. Mr. Adams entered
the B. & O. service as assistant yard-
master at Philadelphia, in 1888, and on
June I, 1890, was promoted to station
master at Baltimore, which position he
has filled until promoted to the posi-
tion of inspector.
Mr. D. B. MacBain, formerly assistant
superintendent of motive power of the
New Y'ork Central Railroad at Albany,
N. Y., has been appointed superintendent
of motive power of the Lake Shore &
Michigan Southern Railway at Cleveland,
Ohio, to succeed Mr. Le Grand Parish,
who resigned to become president of the
American Arch Co. Mr. MacBain's se-
lection for the position is a promotion.
As a motive power man he has made a
fine record on New York Central Lines.
Mr. Frederick M. Whyte, general me-
chanical engineer of the New York Cen-
tral Lines, has been appointed general
manager of the New York Air Brake Co.,
with headquarters at Watertown, N. Y.
To accept this position, he resigns the
position to which he was promoted soon
after Mr. W. C. Brown became presi-
dent. Mr. Whyte's record and career
furnish one of the unusual examples of
how a young man can advance steadily
on his own merits, and his many friends
wish him every success in his new field
of labors.
The Department of State has dele-
gated Dr. W. H. Tolman, Director of
the American Museum of Safety, to
represent the United States at the
Ninth International Housing Congress.
Mr. Robert W. DeForest is the president
of the American Section of the Inter-
national Housing Committee, of which
Dr. Tolman is the executive secretary.
Mr. R. W. Gilder is vice-president, and
Messrs. T. C. Martin and Arthur
Williams are the other members. The
leport from the United States sum-
marizes the progress of the movement
in this country.
Mr. J. B. Comstock, who for six
years has been with the Westinghouse
Electric & Manufacturing Company at
its East Pittsburgh works, and for
four years manager of their publication
department and printing plant, has
severed his connection with that com-
pany to accept a similar position with
the P. & F. Corbin Company of New-
Britain, Conn. Prior to Mr. Comstock's
connection with the Westinghouse
Company, he filled the same position
with the Corbin Company, which he
has recently been asked to assume
again.
Mr. James F. DeVoy, mechanical
engineer of the Chicago, Milwaukee &
St. Paul at Milwaukee, Wis., has been
appointed an assistant superintendent
of motive power, with office at Milwau-
kee, and 'Mr. J. J. Connors, district
master mechanic at Dubuque, Iowa,
has been appointed an assistant super-
intendent of motive power, with office
at Dubuque. Mr. Charles H. Bilty,
draftsman, succeeds Mr. DeVoy as me-
chanical engineer. Mr. Walter Liddell,
general foreman in the locomotive de-
partment at Dubuque, succeeds Mr.
Connors as district master mechanic.
Mr. David Brown, assistant superin-
tendent of motive power of the Dela-
ware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad
at Scranton, Pa., has recently been
compelled to undergo an operation,
from the effects of which, we are in-
formed, he has almost quite recovered.
It is a well known fact that all the ma-
chinists of the D., L. & W. system hold
Mr. Brown in great esteem for the
many loveable traits of character which
he possesses. Mr. Brown has been un-
tiring in his efforts to make the new
machine shops second to none, and
those in the mechanical department of
the Lackawanna know how well he has
succeeded. His many friends most
heartily wish him continued good
health for many years to come.
Mr. Lewis B. Rhodes has been ap-
pointed superintendent of motive
power of the Virginian Railway, with
office at Norfolk, Va. He was born in
1864 at Macon, Ga., and received his
education in the high schools at Macon
and began railway work in the latter
part of 1880 on the Central of Georgia.
He was at first a machinist, and was
later appointed foreman on the same
road. In 1889 he left that company to
go to the Georgia, Southern & Florida,
since which time he has been consecu-
tively to 1900, locomotive engineer,
shop foreman, general foreman and
foreman of locomotive repairs. He was
appointed master mechanic on the same
road in 1900, which position he held
at the time of his recent appointment
as superintendent of motive power of
the Virginian Railway.
Mr. Alfred Beamer, superintendent of
the Idaho division of the Northern Pacific
Railroad, stationed at Spokane, Wash.,
has resigned and will be succeeded by
Mr. J. M. Rapelje, of Glendive, Mont.,
now superintendent of the Yellowstone
division. Mr. Beamer will devote his time
to extending the use of the ABC block
system of train dispatching, of which he
and T. H. Langtry, trainmaster of the
Northern Pacific in Spokane, are inven-
tors and patentees. Mr. Beamer has
arranged for a thorough demonstration
of his system at the national convention
of Train Dispatchers of North America
in Spokane, June 21 to 24, when 500 dele-
gates from roads in the United States,
Canada and Mexico will be in attendance.
Special wires will be run into the con-
vention hall so that the dispatchers can
become familiar with the working of the
system, which is designed to prevent col-
lisions. It has been in satisfactory op-
eration on the Idaho division of the
Northers Pacific road the last three years.
A very full description of the A, B, C
system was given in Railway and Loco-
motive Engineering on page 537 of the
December, 1908, issue.
June, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
259
Sir William Van Home has resigned
the chairmanship of the Canadian
Pacific directorate, but will remain a
member of the board. In explanation
of his action Sir William says that
the position was merely nominal, not
as in Great Britain where the chair-
man is the active head of the company.
"Such a concern as the Canadian Pacific,"
he said, "can have but one active head,
and there should be no room for doubt
anywhere as to who that head is, but
judging from the number of applica-
tions I get for passes or places on the
road there are yet some people who
do not seem to know Sir Thomas
Shaughnessy is and has been for a
long time the real head of the C. P. R.,
and I need not tell anybody in Canada
what a competent head the company
has in him, nor how abundantly able
he is to manage its affairs without the
help of anybody." Sir William's connec-
tion with the Canadian Pacific began in
1881, when he became general manager.
Three years later he was made also vice-
president, and in 1884 he succeeded
Lord Mount Stephen as president, re-
signing in 1898, when he became chair-
man of the board and was succeeded
in the presidency by Sir Thomas
Shaughnessy.
Obituary.
Isaac Bond, well known to men con-
nected with the mechanical depart-
ments of railroads, and who for many
years was a master mechanic on the
Erie, at Susquehanna, Rochester and
Hornell, died recently at his home in
Hornell. Mr. Bond was seventy years
old and has had an honorable record of
useful work.
John I. Kinsey, for over forty years
master mechanic on the Lehigh Valley
Railroad, passed away at his home, in
Easton, Pa., at the age of 83. He en-
tered the service of the Lehigh Valley in
the South Easton shops in 1856. In 1897
he was appointed superintendent of the
Morris canal. He was an honorary mem-
ber of the Master Mechanics' Association.
James Hcdley, formerly superinten-
dent of two English railways and third
of a line of noted railroad men, died
last May at the age of eighty-seven. He
leaves a widow and seven sons, two of
whom arc in the railroad business. One
it Mr. Frank Hedley, vice-president and
general manager of the Interborough
Rapid Transit Co., and another is Mr.
E. M. Hedley of the Galena Signal Oil
Company.
rections. He eventually went into the
foundry business with his brother at
Woonsocket, R. I. In 1857 he moved to
Newburgh, N. Y., on the advice and with
the help of Holmer Ramsdell, then pres-
ident of the Erie. At Newburgh he went
into partnership with Isaac Stanton for
the manufacture of car wheels. The firm
of Snow and Stanton suffered in the
panic of that year and later we find Mr.
Snow at Ramapo, N. Y., engaged in mak-
ign cast iron car wheels. His wheels
were high priced, but were most satisfac-
tory in service. Mr. Snow was not only a
manufacturer of great ability, but he had
the qualities which go to make up the suc-
cessful salesman. He liked his fellow
men, and he was eminently truthful.
These characteristics opened evcrj* door
for him and contributed to his splendid
success. His relations with his many em-
ployees were perfect, and he was the recip-
ient of many confidences from his men.
He was at all times ready to give that help
and s>Tnpathy that brought hope and
compelled manly effort in others. In
later years he founded the Ramapo Iron
Works, the Steel Tired Wheel Company
and lastly the .-Kmerican Brake Shoe &
Foundry Company.
William Waif Snow died at his home
in Hillburn, N. Y., last April at the age
of 81. He was born in Heath, Mass, in
1838. His parent* wished him to become
a miniiter, but hi* taste* lay In other di-
John H. Converse, president of the
Baldwin Locomotive Works, Inc., Phila-
delphia. Pa., died at his home in Rose-
mont. Pa., last month, after a brief ill-
ness. Mr. Converse was born in Burling-
ton, Vt., in 1840. His early education
was received in the public schools of that
town and he entered the University of
Vermont in 1857, from which he gradu-
ated in 1861. His first work was on the
editorial staff of the Burlington (Vt.)
Daily and Weekly Times. He took up
railroad work in 1864 and was employed
on the Chicago & North-Western. In
1866 he went to the Pennsylvania Railroad
at Altoona, Pa., under Edward H. Wil-
liams, then general superintendent. In
1870 he secured a position with the Bald-
win Locomotive Works through Mr. Will-
iams, who had become one of the pro-
prietors, and three years later he became
a member of the firm. Mr. Converse
handled the business and financial man-
agement. He had for many years held
directorships and taken an active part in
the management of numerous other insti-
tutions. Among these may be mcntionol
The Philadelphia Trnst Co., the Philadel-
phia National Bank, the Philadelphia
Savings Fund and the Real Estate Trust
Co. Since 1800 he has been a member
of the board of directors of City Trusts.
He was also a member of the Philadelphia
Board of Public K.ilucntion, trustee of the
Presbyterian H(jipital, president of the
Fairmont Park Art Association and of
the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts.
During the war with Spain, Mr. Converse
served as president of the National Relief
Commis«ion organized in Philadelphia.
Unequal Expansion of Boiler Sheets.
.\ very interesting paper on the ine-
quality of expansion in locomotive boilers
and the possibility of eliminating the bad
effects thereof was recently read at a
meeting of the New Y'ork Railroad Qub
by Mr. D. R MacBain, superintendent of
motive power of the Lake Shore & Mich-
igan Southern Railway. The speaker pre-
sented a series of lantern slides which
very clearly illustrated his remarks.
The first showed the back head of a
modern locomotive cracked on each side
along the outer row of staybolts. This
is a common form of failure with rigid
staybolt setting. The second slide showed
a similar failure of a throat sheet. In
all cases the cracks began on the inside
or water side of the sheet. Another form
of failure shown was that of a side sheet
cracking vertically along a line of stay-
bolts, ."^n example was given of a fire-
bo.x flue sheet cracked from the arch flue
holes up and down. This is a common
form of failure and Mr. MacBain at-
tributed it to there being probably more
expansion transversely in the outer sheet
than in the flue sheet across the bottom
where the cracks occur. Another ex-
ample was given of a back flue sheet
cracked from the top flue holes, the cracks
extending up around the flange. Mr.
MacBain explained that a larger radius
of flange had been tried, but the J4-in.
radius was found to be the most satis-
factory.
In a diagram he gave the result of an
investigation to determine the direction
and extent of expansion in a flue sheet
caused by putting in a set of new flues.
A circle was drawn upon the tube sheet
before the flues were set and this circle
was carefully measured after the setting
had been completed. The distortion of
the circle was found to be 1/32 of an
inch at the bottom and 3/32 of an inch at
the top. The sides each showed a dis-
tortion of 1/32 of an inch. The part of
the flue sheet where the tubes are placed
became larger. Fig. 8 showed a seam
on a side sheet near the top. Consider-
able trouble is often experienced by a
leak of this kind, but Mr. MacBain spoke
of having at last found an effective rem-
edy for the trouble. Fig. 9 showed three
rows of radial stays where breakages
most frequently occur. They are just
above the last row of short or horizontal
bolts. The speaker believes that the same
agency is responsible for all these various
boiler troubles.
Some very careful measurements were
shown as made on a number of boilers
with a view of ascertaining the amount
and position of the distortion of boiler
plates in service, and upon the gaining of
this information the application of flexible
staybolts began ; at first they were used
in certain areas, but later were ap-
plied intirely to one firebox with the most
26o
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
June, 1910.
satisfactory results. Mr. MacBain
brought out the important point that it
is not only necessary to use flexible stay-
bolts, but it is essential to know how to
put them in. For example, in the throat
sheet he said the first row above the mud
ring were set tight, the second above the
mud ring were 1/32 of an inch loose.
All others were 1/16 of an inch loose.
The back flue sheet braces were left
3/32 of an inch loose. Taking this
throat sheet as an example he believes
such an installation will increase the life
of a modern firebox from 50 to 75 per
cent.
Some interesting information was g^ven
concerning the relative expansion of flues
and boiler barrel. In placing a set
of flues in one of their boilers a
sag of I 3/16 ins. was purposely
given to the flues and an indicator
was attached to one of the top ones, by
means of which a pencil moving on a
card traced a graphic record of the move-
ment of the tube. When the boiler was
cold and a fire started it was found that
the artificial sag of the tube was increased
as it became hot and expanded. Later
as the water became hot the ex-
pansion of the barrel sheets carried the
flue sheets farther apart and so reduced
the sag in the tubes. Two graphic rec-
ords of road tests were taken in the same
way and it was found that when the en-
gine was worked hard, the rush of heated
gas into the flues caused them to ex-
pand, but when the engine was drifting or
was worked lightly the tubes shortened
and showed less sag in the center, accord-
ing to the indicator.
The most interesting feature of the
paper was on a point, the importance of
which it would be impossible to over-
estimate. He said : "Slide No. 14 shows
the side view of the previously mentioned
firebox, showing a full installation of flex-
ible staybolts, including radial stays. This
installation of flexible staybolts was made
in January of 1907, and the engine was
put into heavy passenger service. Up
to Feb. I, of this year, at which time
the last examination was made, the engine
had made 243,000 miles without one
broken staybolt, without any vertical
cracks in the side sheets, without any
trace of a crack in the back head, or
throat sheet, and without any cracks, or
any sign of a crack, leading away from
the arch tube holes in the back flue sheet,
nor has there ever been a tool on the side
sheet seam ; in fact, the engine has never
been held one moment for boiler work,
other than that of expanding the flues,
since it went into service in February
of 1907."
This record of mileage is just about
equal to the average distance of the moon
from the earth, and that fact enables one,
in a sense, to appreciate the performance
of the all-flexible staybolt engine.
Railroad Character Sketches
Shaw Attendg a Convention
By James Kennedy.
Tliis is the age of conventions. The
leading spirits in almost every field of
human endeavor are meeting semi-occa-
sionally, and comparing notes, and shap-
ing their energies, and molding their
methods, and setting the seal of approval
on ideas and individuals. Hence cometh
standardization and classification, and
hence dcparteth complex confusion and
ancient usage. Then there is a blessed
lelief that is experienced at these meet-
ings. The pent-up feelings of the asso-
ciated members, like compressed air in
metallic reservoirs, rush noisily into the
intangible air, passing, of course, .through
the ears of willing or unwilling listeners.
Whatever may be the feelings of the
hearers, the speakers feel better. Let it
is strange that in spite of the pains taken
to gather such assemblages together,
nothing seems so welcome — morning,
noon or night — as a motion to adjourn.
Doubts might arise in inquiring minds as
to what is the real motive of such meet-
ings. Are they exhibitions of goods that
may be brought to the eyes of prospective
purchasers, or is it mere holiday-making,
or both? Do the members come back
wiser and better? Certain it is, that they
come back sunburned and blistered and
bitten by poisonous insects, and full, it
may be of malted milk, and also of re-
pentance.
Shaw went to the convention of the
International Tool Keepers. The proper
tool-room had not yet been established.
It lay somewhere in the undiscovered
future, in the airy realms of unimagined
ideality. The present condition of the
craft was chaotic. The idea of a me-
chanic coming to the tool-room and ask-
ing for a tool, and the tool-keeper giving
it to him without any further ado was
behind the age. A feeling of unquiet
gradually grew in the masterful minds of
the tool-keepers and hence the conven-
tion. Some simple thinkers favored the
idea of a mechanic having a string
around his neck on which would be hung
a certain number of copper checks, like
Chinese coins. These would be ex-
changeable for tools. Others had a card
system in their mind's eye whereon ever}-
kind of tool had a history peculiarly its
own, inscribed in characters only known
to the tool-keeper. A more profound co-
terie had a system of signals full of
meaning, like the deaf and dumb alpha-
bet. Another class ran into formality.
Shelves for holding tools should be made,
they claimed, at a certain degree of angu-
larity. The earth was their model —
twenty-three and a half degrees leaning
away from the perpendicular. Still oth-
ers claimed irregular formation of tool
receptacles according to size and distance
apart, each in its proper orbit, like the
planetary system, the tool-keeper, of
course, being the central sun, around
which the tools radiated according to the
centripetal forces of attraction or repul-
sion. Then the question of contiguity
had its apostles. Wrenches, they claimed,
should not be hung up and taps laid
down. They should dwell together in
unity, like brethren. Drills should not be
thrown together carelessly. They should
stand on their heads, all numbered in
arithmetical succession, like the multipli-
cation table. Full of these and other con-
flicting opinions the convention assem-
bled.
When the committee on credentials
had their report accepted and the house
was ready for business, a tall, dark-
haired man stood up. He had flowing
whiskers and was robed in a long coat
that nearly reached his frying-pan-shaped
feet. He leaned forward at an angle of
eighty-five degrees, and extended his
right hand. A hush fell upon the Asso-
ciated Tool-Keepers. It was Shaw,
clothed and in his right mind. Billy had
prepared a speech for him and Shaw had
carefully learned it. Looking solemnly at
the chair, Shaw began by stating that he
rejoiced to have lived to witness the
occasion of such a meeting. It was some-
thing he had long hoped for. "In what
respect do we differ from the lower ani-
mals," queried Shaw, "but in the use of
tools." ("Hear, hear.") "Tools are the
instruments through and by which
thought is transmitted into action."
f "Right you are.") "Tools are the tangi-
ble and crystallized expression of the
aims and objects of humanity. The
higher we go in the scale of civilization
the more intricate in form and the more
marvelous in execution tools become."
("That's what knocks.") "From the
stone-hammer to the steam-hammer is a
wide step." ("You bet it is.") "Tools
mark the progress of events. Tools make
possible the visions of seers, and the
dreams of poets and romancers assume
a form and a meaning when the proper
tools are skilfully used toward the object
aimed at." ("Now you're shouting.")
"By the use of tools we remove moun-
tains and make the desert places blossom.
But why expatiate?" ("Go on, go on.")
"Without tools we would lapse into
beast-like barbarism. What then is the
province of the tool-keeper? He is the
guardian of the highest expression of the
best thoughts of intelligent humanity."
("Sure's you're born.")
"I would therefore move," continued
Shaw, glancing at one of Billy's notes,
"that the chair appoint a committee on
the housing and handling of tools, a com-
June, 1910.
RAILUAV AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
261
mittee on the cleaning and keeping of
tools, a committee on the distributing and
collecting of t6ols, a committee on the
borrowing and lending of tools and a
committee on the classification and segre-
gation of tools. These five separate com-
mittees to consist of five members each,
and to present their reports at five o'clock
this afternoon." ("That's business," cho-
rused the nameless interrupters.)
Shaw sat down amid a storm of ap-
plause. His motion was carried by ac-
clamation. Of course there was an im-
mediate adjournment. The chair must
consult with the members on such im-
portant appointments. In the triumph of
the hour Shaw wandered out among the
exhibits that had blossomed into being
on the occasion of the convention. Souv-
enirs and buttons and badges were thrust
upon him and the elemental habit of col-
lecting things that he had no use for
came back to him in all its pristine eager-
ness. The gradation from memento-
gathering to petty larceny was swift.
His capacious pockets were soon stuffed
with articles never meant as gifts. Of
course this was too good to last. The
climax came after Shaw had left the
Toolmakers" restaurant where he had not
only ate mightily, but had also in a mo-
ment of forgetfulness gathered up several
forks and knives and other equipment.
This habit is said to be quite common
and can only be accounted for on the
ground that there is a growing opinion
that spoons and table articles generally
should be taken after meals, like medi-
cine.
There was a police station near the
Grand Pavilion and a little court house,
and a pair ot stern looking detectives laid
their hands on Shaw. The prisoner was
searched. Besides the domestic articles
referred to there was found on Shaw one
screw-jack Cminiature), two screw-driv-
ers, three watches (nickel plate), two
monkey wrenches (silver plated), four
pocket knives (pearl handles), three sets
of dice, two packs of playing cards, with
instructions on bridge whist, eleven books
(leather bindings), twelve badges of
unique and varied designs, six paper
weights (metallic), two thermometers
(with mirrors), four paper cutters (scim-
itars), two busts of Abraham Lincoln
(stucco), one rat trap and thirty-nine
other unassorted articles, the whole
forming a collection of one hundred and
seventeen separate pieces.
The members of the Associated Tool-
Keepers thronged around, and pleaded
ably and eloquently for Shaw's release.
.Some restitution there was, but Shaw
was dismissed with a heavy reprimand
that teemed to lit lightly upon him, and
although his collection was somewhat
ihorn of its full proportions by the item
hand of justice, the exhibit made quite a
sensation when Shaw reached hii old
boarding house and spread hit multiform
curiosities on the table. Billy and Mac-
farlane had the first choice and made sad
havoc. The boarding mistress took the
rat trap and Shaw's popularity was fur-
ther enhanced by a presentation of one
of the Lincoln busts, which now fills a
high niche in Clark's parlors.
It need hardly be added that the vari-
ous committees of the Tool-Keepers'
Association merely reported progress, al-
though no real progress seemed to have
been made.
Where the New D. & H. Mallets Work.
The division over which the new articu-
lated compounds for the Delaware & Hud-
son will be operated has some very heavy
grades. The engines are, in the opinion
of the builders, probably the most power-
ful locomotives ever constructed. They
have just been completed by the American
Locomotive Company, and are designed
for pusher service on the Wilkes-Barre
driving wheels of 2^3,000 lbs. A single
Class E-5 engine can very satisfactorily
handle a 2,600-ton train from Ararat to
Oneonta, but it requires tlie assistance of
two locomotives of the same class, as
pushers, to haul this load up the 20-mile
grade to Ararat, at which point the push-
ers cut loose. With this power a speed
of about 10 miles per hour can be main-
tained on the six miles of ruling grade
from Carbondale to Forest City, and a
speed of 15 miles per hour over the re-
maining 14 miles of the ascent.
In the fall of last year one of the heax-y
Mallet engines built by the .-\mcrican Lo-
comotive Company for the Eric Railroad
was borrowed and put into pusher service
on the 20-mile Ararat grade. A number
of test runs were made, which proved
that a single Erie Mallet engine easily
did the work of two of the D. & 11. Class
E-5 consolidation locomotives. Follow-
ing these tests six Mallet engines were
ordered from the American Locomotive
HYDRAULIC E.NGINKKKINCi AT MEADVILf.E ON THE ERIli, IIUKING THE FLOOD.
(Courtesy of the Erie Railroad Employes' Magazine.)
& Susquehanna division of the D. & H.,
between Carbondale, Pa., and Oneonta,
N. Y. On these divisions there is a heavy
movement of freight traffic, consisting
mostly of loaded coal trains. The grade
conditions on this portion of the road are
severe, and sharp curves are numerous.
Against northbound traffic, in which direc-
tion practically all the movement of loaded
freight trains takes place, there is a six-
mile grade of 1.36 per cent, from Carbon-
dale to Forest City. P'rom the latter point
to Ararat, the summit of the rise, a dis-
tance of 14 mile*, the road is on a grade
averaging 0.81 per cent. Going down the
other side of the mountain it is practically
a continuous grade of 51.7 ft. per mile, for
7S miles into Oneonta.
Hitherto the freight traffic on this divi-
sion has been handled by consolidation
locomotives, known on the D. & II. as
Class E'5, having n theoretical maximum
tractive power of 49,690 lbs., a total
weight of 253,000 lbs., and a weight on
Company, one of which is illustrated in
this issue on page 227.
The wheel arrangement is of the 0-8-8-0
type, and the design is based on the articu-
lated locomotives built for the Erie Rail-
road in 1907, but with 35,000 lbs. increase
in weight, and 10 per cent, more power,
thus giving a good margin of power to
meet the varying conditions of service
on the Delaware & Hudson Railroad.
With the same average weight per driv-
ing axle, and a rigi<l wheel base 2 ft. 3
ins. shorter than the E-5 class, the new
articulated engines, under normal working
conditions, have over twice the power of
the E-5 consolidation engines, and in case
of emergency they can exert a tractive
power more than two and one-half times
as great as the latter. One of these en-
gines as a pusher and a Class E-5 loco-
motive in the lead, will easily take a
2,600-ton train up the grade where it pre-
viously took three Class E-s locomotives.
The saving of an engine is the result
262
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
June, 1910.
Fay & Egan Car Shop Molder.
The J. A. Fay & Egaii Company, of
Cincinnati, Ohio, have a model molder
on the market that is regarded in wood-
working circles as being a very satisfac-
tory machine and particularly useful in
car shops. The manufacturers call this
machine their No. 182 four side molder.
It is made in three sizes, eight, nine
and ten inches wide. The accompany-
ing illustration gives a very good idea
of the appearance of this well designed
car shop tool.
In order to work very heavy moldings
without vibration, the manufacturers
have given special attention to the con-
J'.\Y & EG.^N C.\R SHOP MOLDER NO,
."struction of the frame. It is cast in one
piece, very heavy, and it is e.xtra long
to give good belt length. The feed is
very powerful and positive, consisting
of four geared rolls, the two upper ones
being spur sections and the two lower
ones solid. The upper rolls are driven
down, which makes it possible for the
makers to attach their patent spring hold
■down, giving uniform pressure on the
material, and being in every way more
powerful and satisfactory than the old
system of weights and levers, commonly
found on molders.
Sectional clamp bearings are applied
to both the upper and lower cutter head
spindles. The bearings consist of metal
plates held in position by qlamp bolts.
These exert no downward pressure on
the journals, and cannot be screwed tight
enough to bind, a feature of the old style
cap boxes that often gave trouble. By re-
leasing the clamp bolts and simply press-
ing the plates down with the hand, any
wear may be taken up. A cool running
journal is thus insured.
Powerful screws mounted on ball bear-
ings raise and lower the bed, the section
of which, after the lower head, swings
down out of the way to give access to the
knives. The side heads, which are
mounted on a table, have independent
vertical, lateral and angular adjustments.
For further particulars, you are requested
to write the manufacturers, who will be
pleased to give you full information.
The Kindly Kind of Porter.
"What numbah, lady?" asked the pleas-
ant looking porter, addressing the wom-
an who came on board his Pullman an
hour before train time.
"Upper 16," answered the mild passen-
ger.
"Upper 16!" The porter's exclamation
was almost a shriek, and his face screwed
itself into wrinkles of concern.
"I know it's hard," sighed the woman,
as, with a softening of her heart, she felt
that this menial was expressing for her
the indignation she would have liked to
voice herself.
"I don't b'lieve this ca-a'h's all sold out
like that!'' he scold-
ed. "You just have a
seat theah, lady, while
I goes into the office;
I kin suah git you
somcthin' bettah !"
The world was not
so bad after all.
There was a good-
ness in human
nature which ex-
ceeded her most op-
timistic dreams. For
here was this man,
belonging to a de-
partment of service
not noted for its
eagerness to coddle
patrons, taking such
a kindly interest in her comfort.
The porter returned, with a lag in his
step and a discouraged shake of his head.
"Best we kin do, lady ; got an awful
crowd comin' on heah to-night."
"Well, it's too bad; but thank you, just
the same, for your trouble," beamed the
recipient of this unusual attention.
"Ya-as'm, suah it's too bad !" muttered
the porter, as he started for the linen
cupboard. "I was goin' to sleep in uppah
16 myself." — Puck.
B. of L. E. Souvenir.
The Ninth Biennial Convention of
the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engi-
neers have marked their visit to Detroit
in May by a very elaborate souvenir in
book form. The pages measure 9 x 12
ins. so that there is ample room for the
fine engravings which they have had
made of scenes in Detroit, where the
convention was held, and of the neigh-
boring city of Windsor on the Cana-
dian side of the river. No more beau-
tiful park is to be found in any city
than that at Belle Isle with its many
attractions, natural and artificial. The
souvenir book also contains views of
the city of Jackson, Mich., one of the
principal cities of the State. Those
who attended the convention in De-
troit last May will be able at any future
time to refresh the memory by a
glance at this most artistic, tasteful and
elegant souvenir.
Early Opposition to Railways.
In a speech delivered by the chancellor
of the University of Syracuse, Mr. James
R. Day, before the New York Traffic Club
some interesting reminiscences were given.
Speaking of railways as he remembers
them, the chancellor says : "My acquaint-
ance with railways began as a boy in
Maine when my father shipped lumber
over a road with wooden rails upon which
were nailed iron straps. The little loco-
motives had fierce names. They were the
'Lion' and 'Tiger.' I remember riding on
that road one day when the engineer saw
a spike sticking up through the iron. He
ordered the fireman to run ahead and
drive it down, which he easily did before
the engine reached it!
"But the old road has gone and the lit-
tle old engines, as they were called, repose
in museums, I am told. But it was a great
railway to my boyish fancy, and none has
ever interested me more nor been invested
with greater dignity and glory. 'Con'
Sullivan, the engineer, was the greatest
man of the village.
"My next acquaintance with a railway
was of what is now the Maine Central, a
locomotive with red driving wheels and a
vast umbrella-shaped smokestack — the
greatest engine of the State, weighing
twenty-five tons, burning, I have forgotten
how many cords of wood, and running
twenty-five miles an hour.
"I recall that these roads were not with-
out unfriendly criticism and opposition.
The first had crowded out o.x and horse
teams which for years had enjoyed the
monopoly of drawing lumber over to the
seaport town. The other had displaced the
stage coach and closed the country inns
along its route. This opposition recalled
to mind the violent attacks made upon
railway promoters in early days.
George Stephenson was accused of
interfering with the farmers' sale of oats
and hay. He was told that the noxious
gases from his engines would kill the
pheasants and the screech of his w'histles
would scare away the foxes, making hunt-
ing impossible, and the noise and confu-
sion would prevent the hens from laying.
This all seems very ridiculous now. Cer-
tain railwaj' legislation of today will ap-
pear equally ridiculous less than a century
from now."
Pennsylvania Railway Relief Fund.
The monthly report of the Relief De-
partment of the Pennsylvania Railroad
system shows that nearly $230,000 was
paid to members during the month of
March, 1910. On the united lines east
and west of Pittsburgh during March the
payment for the families of members who
died amounted to nearly $75,000, while to
the members who were incapacitated
from work during the same period nearly
$75,000 was paid. Since 1886, a total of
more than $28,000,000 has been paid out
The work of this department is most
laudable.
June, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
263
New Cable Conduit.
A new cable conduit has recently been
placed on the market by the H. W.
Johns-Manville Co. of New York,
known as J-M Fibre Conduit. It is
noteworthy because of some features
' ..:i ...
joints, a No. 6 wire can be pushed
through each duct from manhole to
manhole, thus doing away with the use
of any ropes or rods. A very attractive
booklet has been got out by the manufac-
turers, and a copy can be obtained by
J-.M. CONDUIT STR.\IGHT JOl.NT.
new in the manufacture of conduits.
It is made of indurated fibre, a mate-
rial which has been e.xtensively used
for insulating purposes. In making the
conduit the fibre is moulded into shape
under high temperature and immense
pressure, and is thus without grain or
laminations. This process gives each
writing to the H. \V. Johns-Manville Co-
New York.
'Tunnel Drill" for Lehigh Agents.
Seventy passenger agents, from all the
local offices of the Lehigh Valley Rail-
road, some, time ago were brought to
length of conduit
piece wall quite homogeneous, with
a tensile strength that is remarkable
when compared with the light weight
of the conduit.
Perhaps the most interesting feature
of this new conduit are the bell joints.
One end of each section is moulded to
an enlarged size, with an opening as
I M co.vDurr screw joint.
solid, }i-in. one- New York by squads to receive visual
and oral instruction in regard to the
Hudson River tunnels. At the time of
the formal opening of the tubes de-
scriptive literature was sent to all
the Lehigh passenger agents, but ex-
perience showed the railroad officials
that no amount of reading compares with
sctual experience. Mr. C. S. Lee, General
J-M CONDUIT
large as the outside diameter of the
opposite end of the next section. Thus,
any two sections fit together without
any reduction in the wall thickness of
either section at the joint. This makes
a stronger and more rigid connection
than is possible with other kinds of
joints.
In order to provide for systems
where straight joints are imperative,
the manufacturers have also arranged
SOCKET JOINT.
Passenger Agent of the Lehigh, decided
that every man who came in contact with
the ticket-buying public should actually
ride through the tubes, so as to be able
to readily answer any questions asked.
The seventy passenger agents received
c thorough drill in the Terminal Build-
ings on the Manhattan side, through the
down-town tubes to Jersey City, up the
Jersey shore, back through the pair of
tubes farther up the river, and under
J .M CONDUIT SLEEVE JOINT,
conduit with straight Sixth avenue to Twenty-third street.
Now they know just where the tunnch
run, and can give graphic descriptions to
inquirers of just where the arrows on
the walls of the stations point to, and
whether to turn to the right or the left
at the bottom of the elevators In the Jer-
sey terminal.
to make this ne
line joints. These are perfectly smooth
intide, with no offset Each length of
the conduit is also smooth throughout
it* bore. This greatly facilitates the
work of inserting cables. The manu-
facturers claim that by reason of there
being no seams or roughneii at the
Hearing at Fault.
A well-known railway general manager
on one of the Western lines was rather
deaf in his old age, and although a vener-
able looking gentleman, had not entirely
abandoned a habit of profanity, which he
had acquired as trainman in his youth.
Mr. G. M. happened to be in Detroit one
time when there was a Methodist con-
ference going on, with headquarters at
the Cadillac Hotel. When .Mr. G. M.
walked into the dining room, the head
waiter, thinking that he belonged to the
clericals, seated him at a table reserved
for the ministers. Presently one of the
brethren looking at Mr. G. M. remarked,
"Perhaps our strange brother will say
grace?"
Mr. G. M., having an idea that he was
addressed, shouted : "If you are saying
anything to me speak louder, for I'm
so d deaf, I can't hear ordinary
talk."
Electric Signal Lamps. B. & O.
Statistics of the performance of the
Baltimore & Ohio Railroad's electric sig-
nal system for 1909, just compiled by
Mr. F. P. Patenall, signal engineer of
the road, show a marvelous percentage
of efficiencj', and, compared with oil-
burning signals, great economy in opera-
tion. On the Washington Branch, be-
tween Baltimore and Washington, the
69 lamps were lighted and extinguished
1,259,250 times, while on the Metropoli-
tan Branch, between Washington and
Gormantown, Md., the 38 lamps were
lighted and extinguished 208,050 times,
and during the year there were but 9 fail-
ures, 4 being caused by lightning and 5
by films burning out. The Baltimore &
Ohio has had in operation since 1907 the
system of electric lightning for signal
lamps patented by Messrs. F. P. Patenall
and G. H. Dryden and the results have
been very satisfactory.
On the Washington Branch 69 of these
inmps are in service and 38 between
Washington and Gormantown, on the
.Metropolitan Branch. When burning the
lamps consume approximately one-half an
ampere of current, and on the Washing-
ton Branch, where fifty trains are run
each direction daily, this results in each
lamp burning one hour and forty min-
utes each twenty-four hours. The lamps
light upon approach of the trains both
day and night. The territory covered by
these 107 signals is divided into five sec-
tions, the signal appliances and batteries
on each section being maintained by one
repairman and one batteryman, no lamp-
man bring required.
Thimbles were first made in Amster-
dam, Holland, about ajo years ago.
Cupid inspired the move that caused a
young goldsmith to devise a thimble to
protect the fingrrs of his lady love from
the punching of the needle.
264
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
June, 1910.
High Speed Friction Saw.
Joseph T. Rycrson & Son, of Chi-
cago, have just completed a high
speed friction saw particularly adapted
to car shop work. Since steel has now
entered so extensively into car work,
there has been a great demand for some
quick method of cutting up steel sec-
tions, small bars, rails, etc., and the
machine illustrated was designed to an-
swer that purpose. In this design the
makers were prompted by the advice of
HIGH SPEED FRICTION SAW.
a number of railroad mechanical de-
parttnent men, who suggested the re-
modeling of the saw previously manu-
factured for this purpose.
The Ryerson high speed friction saw has
a capacity to cut continuously, is-in. 80-
Ib. beams, and this without turning the
beam. Other sections of smaller or
equivalent cross sectional area can also
be cut. We are told that a is-in. beam
may be cut in from 28 to 38 seconds and
smaller sections in less time. The ma-
chine is self contained and has no bolts,
gears or other driving mechanism that
consume power or are apt to get out of
order. All parts of the machine are
designed as simply as they can be made
without sacrificing strength and effi-
ciency. The machine complete occupies
floor space approximately 7 ft. long by
4 ft. wide. No foundation other than a
good floor is necessary.
The saw discs are made from ordi-
nary flanged steel, and two are furnished
with each machine. Additional blades
can be made in the railroad shop when
required. The only sharpening neces-
sary is occasionally to renick the blades
on the edge, which operation can be
done in about fifteen minutes with a
special chisel which is furnished with
each machine. A very full description
of this saw may be had from a circular
issued by the makers. The circular will
be sent free on request.
Who Gets the Difference?
In these days of high prices much
blame is placed upon the railways by
people who take no trouble to investigate.
Here is a sample. Potatoes are sold by
the farmers in the upper part of New
York State for 20 cents per bushel. The
freight charge from Rochester to New
York is 9 cents per bushel. The potatoes
are then sold at $1.50 per bushel, and
when sold in small quantities to con-
sumers the price is $2.56 per bushel.
The same ratio applies to
nearly every other com-
modity. Eggs are bought
from the farmers at less
than 20 cents per dozen, and
are carried by rail over
300 miles for less than half
a cent per dozen. The eggs
are then sold in New York
at prices ranging from 40 to
60 cents according to the
locality where the purchase
is made.
The increase in prices
between the producer and
the retailer is without a
parallel in the history of the
world, except in a few
cases of prolonged sieges
when lines of communica-
tion were threatened or en-
tirely cut off. Wherever the
fault lies it is well to know
that the railway companies
have no share in it
Sufficient Excuse.
"Now, guard," said an eminent novelist,
"remember if I have this compartment
all to myself for the entire journey you
will receive half-a-crown from me." "Very
good, sir !" replied the guard, and he
locked the door. All went v/eW till they
got to a certain station where an irascible
gentleman pulled at the door of a locked
compartment. "Guard ! Guard !" he
called. "Open this door! I've got the
same right to travel in this carriage as
anybody else, and I mean to do it!" The
guard hurried up, whispered a few words
to the irascible gentleman, who went
quietly away to seek room elsewhere.
"How did you manage it?" asked the
author at the end of the journey, as he
pressed the promised half-crown into the
guard's hand. "How did you manage
to get that bad-tempered old chap to go
away so quietly?" "Oh, that was easy,
sir!" replied the guard. "I told 'm you
were a bit wrong in the 'ead !"
Egg Specials in England.
The movement for the co-operation of
railroads, with farms has reached the
other side of the Atlantic, and in England
they are running what are called "egg
trains" with lectures on how to conduct
the poultry business on a profitable basis.
If you could increase
the service of the paint
on your bridges, viaducts
and other steel struc-
tures, wouldn't it mean
thousands of dollars
saved to your company ?
DIXON'S
Silica-Qraphite
PAINT
has been cutting main-
tenance costs for the last
forty - five years. The
secret of service that
DIXON'S PAINT gives
is due to the inert pig-
ments that are practi-
cally indestructible.
Write for free booklet
Philosophy of Protective Paint
Joseph Dixon
Crucible Co.
JERSEY CITY, N. J.
June. igio.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
26s
NO
DANGEROUS
GASES
USED IN THE
THERMIT
PROCESS
Thermit is Absolutely SAFE,
CANNOT EXPLODE and may
be used ANYWHERE.
Thermit is a mixture of alumi-
num and iron oxide and is not
combustible except at an extraor-
dinarily high temperature (about
3,000° F.). It may be thrown on
liquid cast iron without danger of
ignition. In order to start the re-
action it is necessary to use a spe-
cial ignition powder. When once
ignited it reacts to form superheated
liquid steel and superheated liquid
slag at a temperature of 5,400° F.
Owing to the simplicity and light-
ness of the appliances it is pos-
sible to make welds bv the Thermit
Process ANYWHERE. Locomo-
tive frames are welded without re-
moving them from the engine and
at a great saving in both time and
expense over other methods. By
using THERMIT, it is seldom
necessary to keep a locomotive
out of service more than one or
two days in order to weld frames
or mud rings.
Write for pamphlet No. 25-B
and for "Reactions." the Thermit
Quarterly, which give full informa-
tion.
90 West St.. New York
itt-U« Foil
lot Rlrhn
St., Ban rranciico. Calif.
8t. W., Toronto, Out.
SINCLAIR'S LOCOMOTIVE ENGINE
RUNNING AND MANAGEMENT
!• stilt popular. We have it. Price $2.00
ANGUS SINCLAIR CO., 114 librrtr Si., N. Y
OOUBIC %AHDtA
/.//ATPUtO TO BASC OF
/// 5AN0 BOX.
.'//rctainin<) hand ixvtiC\
WATTERS I.B.C.TRACK SANDERS
Only 1-0 pi.^.. No r.palri
I „. u.1^ l„
I. n. WAIHRS, M. M. M. (a R R , kwirii. (a.
Railroad Necessities.
The preservation of air-brake hose and
the prevention of leaks in pipes, etc, is
one of the most important items in rail-
road car maintenance. For example : The
shifting of the main l54-'"ch pipe breaks
and loosens the connections at the cross-
over pipe, causing them to leak. ."Vs a re-
sult of experience, the M. C. B. Associa-
tion established standards for the loca-
tion of brakes, pipes and their application
and maintenance, designed to meet all of
the requirements of the service. One of
the most common defects in brake equip-
ment is leaky train pipes, due to insecure
fastenings and to the shifting of the pipes
when cars are bumped in switching. The
Monogram Bracket manufactured by Guil-
ford S. Wood, of Chicago, makes shifting
impossible. All of the M. C, B, require-
ments are obtained and maintained. The
bracket is designed for strength with a
liberal factor for safety, and its use re-
duces the cost of maintenance.
Another of the devices made by Mr.
Wood is the flexible nipple and protector
for air hose. About half the discarded
air hose are found to be damaged at the
nipple end. A photograph of an air-
brake hose having a sheet iron protector
at the nipple end, which was in use twen-
ty-eight months, shows the result, and
one might almost say the abnormally,
hard usage air hose gets at the nipple
end. With a view of protecting the hose
and so increasing its life, Mr. Wood,
whose address is Great-Northern Build-
ing, Chicago, has got out the flexible
nipple end hose protector made of coiled
wire. The protector is removable, for its
upper end is held by the hose clamp. It
is flexible because made of coiled wire
and it is practically indestructible because
it is heavy steel wire placed over rubber.
.\fr. Wood has issued several folders on
the subject of the bracket and of the
protector. All are so well illustrated
that the letterpress is hardly required,
though the use of each device is fully
explained. The folders are quite interest-
ing and can be had free on application to
.Mr. Guilford S. Wood, Chicago.
Paid for Repartee.
The foreman and his gang were clear-
ing up a wreck on the day after a heavy
rain storm had visited the country, and
the superintendent, who had brought
some men from the other end of the
division to help, came up to the foreman
and said: "Buckncll, do you see that lazy,
good-for-nothing lout over there; give
him a day's pay and get him out of here.
I'll get you a refund but I don't want him
here." Buckncll looked in the direction
the super's eyes had taken and taw a fel-
low in workman's garb watching men re-
setting a pair of jacks under the buffer
beam of the derailed engine.
The foreman went up to him and said,
iharply: "Look here, my man, how much
do you get a day?" "One twenty-five," he
replied. Bucknell handed him the money
and said : "Now, then, you get out of
here quick. You haven't rendered much
assistance." "No," he said, slowly and
reflectively. "I wouldn't render any as-
sistance to thick skulls like you. If you
made an honest effort to raise that en-
gine it wouldn't be so bad, but you've
done nothing but jack down a couple of
ties into the ballast and left the engine
where it was. You'll have them in China
some day if you keep at it." The fore-
man, not very pleased at this kind of talk
from one of the "men," jerked out: "Be
off with you, and keep your brilliant rep-
artee for someone who appreciates it"
The man moved off slowly and Bucknell
went up to the super with, "I got rid of
your man, sir." "My man," said the super
in surprise. "Bucknell, you ought to be
ashamed of yourself having a fellow like
that around." "Well, Mr, Blakely, if he
isn't one of the men you fetched here, he
isn't one of mine, and I've taken a lot of
his impudent back talk and paid him $1.25
for it,"
Auxiliary Brake Valve.
Our illustration shows an invention
of Mr. S. N. Stevens of Fitchburg,
Mass. It is an additional brake valve
or emergency valve and is placed on
the fireman's side of the locomotive
and is intended to be used by him in
AlIXILIAKY BRAKE VALE.
the event of a disability to the engin-
eer, or the engineer's brake valve or in
case the fircninn observes a stop signal
or an obstruction on the track that
cannot be seen by the engineer. It ac-
complishes its purpose by taking air
pressure directly from the brake pipe,
and the reservoir connection is for the
purpose of operating the track sanding
device with the application of the
brake. It is covered by patent No.
9S5,6m, The inventor fells us the valve
can be applied at tmalj cost and that the
tn.iinlpnance charge is practically nothing.
266
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
June, 1910.
A Study of Bells.
Quite an interesting folder has been
issued by the Vanadium Metals Com-
pany of Pittsburgh, Pa., on the subject
of the use of their Victor Vanadium
Bronze in the manufacture of locomo-
tive bells. A test was made by a com-
pany that makes annually thousands of
large bells. It was a comparative test
between Vanadium bronze and the
standard bell which is an alloy of 82
per cent, copper and 18 per cent. tin.
The Vanadium btll was judged to have
the better tone, to be much lighter, and
its physical endurance was far beyond
that of the standard bell. This whole
question of Vanadium as one of the in-
gredients of steel or other metals is
one of interest and importance to the
mechanical engineering world. The cir-
cular about the bells is illustrated. Send
to the company if you would like to
know something about the matter.
Liquid Finish.
Two men who had the earmarks of the
"tramp" were riding on a Germantovi-n
car during the Philadelphia strike. One
of them was poorly clad and dirty, and
his companion was of the same stamp.
His companion was reading a piece of
newspaper, and now and then leaned for-
word to comment on the news. " 'What
do you think of this,' he was heard to
exclaim. 'Fellow drowned in a beer vat
in Milwaukee yesterday.' The other
rubbed his eyes and said: "Poor fel-
low, floating on his watery bier."
One on the Foreman.
A blacksmith took a day off, and
his newly hired helper was im-
proving the shining hour by try-
ing his hand at forging some-
thing himself. It had looked sim-
ple enough folding a bar of heated iron
over a square mandril with a weld-
ing heat where the two edges of the
bar met. When the job was finished
the foreman came around to look at it.
It was burned here and hammer-
marked there. It was neither square
nor three-cornered. It partook more
of a combination of a trapezium and
rhombus. It was so warped it would
hardly lie still on the floor. When set
on end it tumbled over to the heavy
side. It was so indented by erratic
blows of an unmanaged hammer that
it looked as if it came through a shower
of grape shot.
"What do you call that?" said the
foreman. "Spring-band," said the helper.
"You do? I'll tell you what I'll do,"
said the foreman. "If you show me
another thing like that I'll give you
two dollars."
The helper dug among the coal for
a few minutes and produced the exact
counterpart of his creation in metal,
the result of a previous effort he had
made in the same direction.
Borne down by the weight of popular
opinion, and the convincing resem-
blance of the two distorted metallic
miracles, the foreman handed over the
money.
When not engaged in hammer swing-
ing the helper is now assisting the
•white-washing gang, and wheeling coal,
and sweeping the floor, and carrying
planks from place to place, and lifting
bundles of iron hither and thither. He
is hesitating as to whether he will join
the army or navy. He will do some-
thing desperate soon.
Air Brake Hose Renewals.
The M. C. B. arbitration committee
have issued the following notice to mem-
bers intended to make clear a point in
connection with the renewal of air brake
hose:
"It has been brought to the attention
of the Arbitration Committee that a great
deal of trouble is being experienced at
interchange points as to the proper inter-
pretation of the words 'Name of Rail-
road,' on the label for M. C. B. Stand-
ard 1%-inch air-brake hose, and that
hose which meets every requirement of
the specifications, except that it does not
bear the name of a railroad company, is
being removed from cars. In order that
there may be no delay to traffic and to
avoid any further trouble, the Arbitra-
tion Committee recommends that where
the label bears either the name of the
road or the name of the purchaser in the
location shown for the name of the road
and meets the M. C. B. hose specification
in all other respects, that it be considered
standard hose."
Collision with Geese.
The night express on the Intercolonial
Railway between St. John and Moncton
encountered a large flock of wild geese
near Salisbury. The result was disastrous
to the birds. When the train reached Sal-
isbury station the driver found five dead
ones on the pilot of the engine. The birds
were flying low in a dense fog and were
probably confused by the glare of the
headlight. Although it is not uncommon
to hear numerous flocks of geese in noc-
turnal flight at this season of the year the
birds were unusually plentiful around the
city the previous night and at times the
air resounded with their discordant honk-
ing.— Montreal Herald.
Superheated Steam.
The subject of the efficiency of super-
heated steam is always an interesting sub-
ject, but it is particularly so at the pres-
ent time when there is a tendency to sub-
stitute it with lower boiler pressure, for
the high pressures introduced a few years
ago. In this connection there has just
been published a report of superheater
TURNTABLES
Philadelphia Turntable Co.
PHILADELPHIA, PA.
CHICAGO: ST. LOUIS:
Marquette Bldg. Commonwealth Truit Bide.
Nichols Transfer Tables
Turntable Tractors
GEO. P. NICHOLS & ERG.
1090 Old Colony Bldg. CHICAGO
ALDON CAR REPLACERS
We set three pairs of Aldon Frogs and had
all nine cars on the rails in twenty minutes.—
Extract from Wrecking Masters' Reports.
THE ALDON COMPANY
965 Monadnock Block, CHICAGO, ILL.
ESTABLISHED 1884
Sipe's
Japan Oil
Is superior to Linseed Oil
and Dryers for
ALL KINDS Of PAINTINC
In Daily Use by
All the leading Railroads
In the United States
Manufactured solely by
JANES B. SIPE & (0.
North Side, PITTSBURGH
June. iqio.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
267
One Year and
Eleven Months'
SERVICE
WITHOUT REPACKING. ON
High-Pressure Locomotives
style 300 TV.
A throttle failure is an absolute
impossibility where Cran-
dall's Throttle Valve pack-
ing is used.
IT WILL NOT BLOW OUT
Crandall Packing Co.
rAOTORT AND OBNBRAL OmCB
PALMYRA, • NEW YORK
BRANCHES
Hew Tork Cltv^Uod
114 UlMrtT 81. • 80. Wairr Rt.
Cklrio
STORRS' Mica
Headlipt Chimneys
I , Il.r R.,l,.-,) An -.m,«i,y
STORRS MICA COMPANY
R R. Depl.. Owiifo. N. Y.
Patents.
QEO. P. WMITTLHSEY
tests of the Jacobs high and low pressure
superheaters as applied to tandem com-
pound locomotives on the Atchison, To-
peka & Santa Fe.
The report which occupies 116 pages
is signed by Mr. H. B. MacFarland, en-
gineer of tests. The report also gives
the record of road tests made on a sim-
ple engine of the 2-8-2 type, fitted with
the Jacobs smoke-box superheater. Al-
together this book is probably one of the
most complete and e.xhaustive reports on
the subject that has ever been brought
out and the Santa Fe is to be congratu-
lated on having gone so thoroughly into
this important subject.
Grim Industry.
The wandering master mechanic sat
in this office all afternoon relating his
out of the way e.xperiences. Among
the many curious things he told was
this anecdote. He said:
"About five years ago I was appointed
master mechanic of a railway in Central
-America. On arriving at headquarters
I found the most desolate shops I had
ever seen. I walked through the ma-
chine shop and found the men slumber-
ing over the most ancient machine tools
that ever escaped the scrap heap. Then
I entered the car shop and found de-
cided activity there. All the men were
busy making coffins."
Corrugated Fireboxes.
The W. H. Wood Loco. Firebox
Company, of Media, Pa., have issued a
small publication of the catalogue variety
giving information concerning the corru-
gated firebox made by this concern. In it
Mr. William Wood, the engineer of the
company, answers several very pertinent
questions about expansion and contrac-
tion. He gives the opinions of many other
engineers and hoilcrmakers on the form
of construction adopted by the Wood
Company. The pamphlet is clearly illus-
trated and should prove of interest to all
those who have to do with the care or
maintenance of boilers. Write to the
company for a copy of the pamphlet if
you are desirous of learning something
about the corrugated firebox. The pam-
phlet is for free distribution.
McOILL BUILniNO
Tana* Beaaonabl*
WASMINarON, O. C.
Panphlaf 4aal
The Good Old Times on the Erie.
Mr. C. E. .Siicklcs, an old time con-
ductor on the Erie Railroad, writing to
the Erie Railroad Employes' Magazine,
draws a picture of a trainman's duties in
the good old times, that Iclh graphic.illy
the hardships the men had to endure in
the days when the operating of railroads
was under development. Mr. Stickcis
writes:
"Conductors were their own secretaries
and kept their own accounts and had
hard work to keep Ihcir cash strnighl. as
rash fares wfniM art mixed up with thrir
own money and it was hard to separate it
from the company's.
"In those days the brake boys had to
keep the coaches warm with wood stoves,
one in each end of the coach with a large
wood box which had to be kept full by
bringing in the wood by the armful from
stations where the train stopped. When
the train stopped they would have to get
cut and hold it by hand brakes at all sta-
tions, also. If you had a hot journal you
had to crawl under the car to pack it,
as there were inside bearings.
"The freight boys had to ride on top
most of the time, help wood up the en-
gine several times over the division,
string a bell rope over the train and pull
it in again at terminals. All trains
stopped for meals somewhere between
Adrian and Binghamton.
"Such a thing as overtime was never
heard of in those days. A day and a
half was the time allowed from Hornell
to Susquehanna, no matter if it took a
week to do it in. However, special time
was allowed for work done on the divis-
ion when being held for some purpose or
other.
"I believe there is one brakeman left on
the Susquehanna division who registers
back to 1865 — forty-five years ago. There
are three who have 40 years to their
credit ; two who have 39 years ; three
who have 38 years; one who has 37
years ; two who have 36 years ; two who
have 32 years; one who has 31 years, and
there are twenty-three who, I think, have
from 21 to 27 years, all good and faith-
ful employees."
The Very Acme.
The Acme Machinery Company never
do things by halves. Their latest illus-
trated catalogue of bolt, nut and forging
machinery, is one of the most complete
publications of its kind that we have ever
seen. It contains over 160 pages and over
100 illustrations and presents an elaborate
variety of machines, comprising the new-
est and finest equipment in both cutters
and threaders, nut forging and tapping,
bolt and rivet heading machines. Some
of the machines, especially the upsetting
and forging machines, have all the ponder-
ous massivcncss of heavy artillery, some
of them weighing as much as 25 tons.
The six spindlcil nut tappers arc models
of elegance and lightness. The bolt cut-
ters have several new features that must
be seen to be appreciated. All interested
in the fools we have alluded to, should
have a copy of this line calalogur, which
may be had on application at the main
office of the company <it Cleveland, Ohio.
The Commercial Acetylene Company
have moved their Western office to the
Peoples' Gas Building, at the corner of
Michigan and Adams streets, Chicago,
268
ElAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
June, 1910.
By Rail Across Australia.
A transcontinental Australian railway
is one of the probabilities of the near
future. A survey of the proposed line
was provided for in 1907. This has been
completed and a report made to the Fed-
eral Government (of the Australian
States). The line will be 1,063 miles in
length, and its estimated cost $20,000,-
000. There is at present no rail connec-
tion between the eastern and western sec-
tions of the continent.
Kalgoorlie, the western terminus of the
new line, is the great western gold field
of the country. It is at presenl connected
with Perth, on the western coast, by a
railroad some 350 miles in length. Rail-
ways in both Victoria and New South
Wales are fairly well developed, and
Port Augusta is connected with the Vic-
toria lines by a road through Adelaide to
Melbourne. Lord Kitchener is a strong
advocate of the transcontinental for strat-
egic reasons, connected with the defense
of the Commonwealth in case of military
need.
The Prime Minister is reported to have
said apropos of Lord Kitchener's re-
marks : "We have appealed to Casar and
mean to follow his judgment." All of
which seems to indicate an early break-
ing of ground for the new line. An-
other fact likely to hasten the project is
the discovery that much of the country
surveyed is capable of agricultural, or at
least pastoral, development — the soil fer-
tile and the only need water.
A rather unfortunate feature of the
railway situation in Australia is the mul-
tiplicity of gages. These vary on the
present lines from 2 feet 6 inches through
3 feet 6 inches, and 4 feet 8]^ inches to
5 feet 3 inches. At a "gauge conference,"
held several years ago, it was decided
that in case any formal unification of track
width was ever adopted the gauge should
be 4 feet Syi inches. This is the width
adopted for the new line. — Collier's.
Very Fast Going.
When the average American drum-
mer iinds himself among strangers of
a boasting town he generally manages
to hold his own. Sam Short, who
travels for Minor, of Chicago, was en-
joying an evening cigar in the smok-
ing room of the Kinton, in London,
when one of the company began to
boast about fast trains. He had come
in from Aberdeen last week, and, by
Jove, they came through in eight hours,
some stretches being made at 100 miles
an hour.
"That's nothing," remarked Short.
"You know that in the West we have
hitched the power of the Mississippi
River to train hauling, and the way
those electric driven cars hum along
is a caution. One hundred miles an
hour is crawling.
"Why, last month, when I was leav-
ing home in Omaha, my wife came to
see me ofif. Just as the train was start-
ing I leaned down to kiss my wife, and
the train went off so sudden that I
kissed a cow fifty miles east in Iowa."
Valves and Wrenches.
A descriptive pamphlet finely illustrated
and extending over 40 pages has just been
issued by the Walworth Manufacturing
Company, Boston. The valves and fittings
of the company have a world wide reputa-
tion and in many respects their output is
the highest standard of design and work-
manship. Their boiler blow-off valve has
become deservedly popular, while the
boiler trimmings and mountings generally
could not be surpassed in elegance or
utility. As makers of tools also their
Stillson wrenches have long held a place
in the front rank. Their heavy pipe and
bench vises are established favorites.
The same may be said of their dies and
pipe cutters and chain tongs and other
small tools. All interested should obtain
a copy of the catalogue, which may be
had free on application.
Traveling Engineer's Subjects.
Mr. J. A. Tally, chairman of the com-
mittee on subjects for the next convention
of the Traveling Engineers' Association,
has issued a circular to the members in
which he says :
"The undersigned having been ap-
pointed by the president as chairman on
'Subjects for 1911,' your committee would
appreciate any suggestions that you have
to offer in the way of subjects that you
would like to have discussed in our 191 1
meeting. J. A. Talty, chairman, Commit-
tee : Messrs. W. G. Wallace, J. P. Kelley,
J, F. Roddy, Ed. M. Sawyer.
The Traveling Engineers' convention is
to be held next September, and, although
191 1 is a good way off yet, it is to
be hoped that Mr. Talty's request will
meet with a full and prompt response.
CARS, CABS, SHOPS
AND
ROUND HOUSES
require a roofing that
is unaffected by ex-
tremes of temperature
The Art of Metal Spinning.
"Metal Spinning" is the title of a pam-
phlet recently issued by the Industrial
Press. It is written by Mr. C. Tuells
and William A. Painter, and its thirty-
eight pages contain numerous illustra-
tions. The price is 25 cents. Metal spin-
ning is an art which was practically per-
fected long before press working of
metals acquired commercial importance.
As press working developed metal spin-
ning declined relatively as a manufactur-
ing method, being a process requiring a
certain amount of manual dexterity and
skill. It has never been superseded, how-
ever, especially for making fine brass,
copper and aluminum ornamental hollow
ware. The art is now being revived in
modern lines for other than ornamental
work because of the advantages it offers
in many respects.
RUBEROID
ROOFING
I RacM'd
I U. S. ft.
1 Offioa
Will not melt, rot, crack or
corrode. Contains no tar.
OallasU M»1al
SPARK PROOF, CINDER PROOF,
QAS PROOF, WEATHER PROOF
Writ* tot umpln, price* ind booklet N*. M.
THE STANDARD PAINT CO.
I 00 William Street New York
Ohlcafo, Phlladelpbli, Boaton, Kaaiu <Mf,
Memphl*. Atlanta.
TOOL
Die Blocks
Steel Forgings
First Prize awarded at the Loui>
siana Purchase Exposition, at St.
Louis, for our TOOL STEEL
when placed in competition with
the best makes in England and
Germany.
WrHe lor Inlorsiatlon and Price*.
Speclly Nclaae* Tool Steel whoa
ordering.
McINNES
STEEL CO.
CORRY, PA.
Acrent*
KXBSOCK ft BOTTIBES,
t91 Pearl St., New Tark.
ROY UACETKEBY 00.,
Uinnaftpolla, ^<»»
DUNER
CAR CLOSETS
DUNER CO.
June. 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
269
"lANG'S
V New Tool
Holder
IAR6BT ClintR BIGGEST CUTS
G.R.LANG6C0., Meadville.Pa.
&)
ASIHTOIM
POPVALVES AND GAGES
The Quality Goods that Last
The Athton Valve Co.
271 Franklin Street. Boiton. M«s>.
174 Lake Slreel. . Chicaio. HI.
HUNT-SPILLER IRON
FOR LOCOMOTIVE CASTINGS
Hunt-Spiller Mfg. Corporation
W. B. LEACH, Can. Mgr. A Traas.
South f3oston, /Vlass.
New Publication
The Most Popular
Engineering Book
PUBLISHED THIS YEAR IS
THE VALV[-
Wm GUIDE
By JAMfS KfNNfDY
A comprehensive treatise on the
coDJtniction and adjustment of the
Stephenson, Walschaerts, Baker-
Pilliod, and Joy Valve Gearings.
FuUjr illustrated and bound in
cloth. Price 50 cents. Mailed to
any address on receipt of Price.
Second [dttion Wow Ready
An^usSlnddirCompdny
114 IIBTRT^ STRUT. NIW )ORK
A foundry in Kngland i* anxious to ex-
tend its output, and seeks .American spe-
cialtiri. palrnird in HnRJand, in malleable
caitings, for tn.iniif;irturc in Great Britain.
Apply, Foundry, care of The Ixjcomolive
I'ii!.:i-liin(i 0>.. Ltd., .1 .Amrn Corner,
Some Fast Runs.
McCord and Company have issued an
elegant folder giving an interesting de-
scription of the runs made by trains on
the Philadelphia & Reading Railway and
the Pennsylvania Railroad between New
York and Philadelphia. The average
speed of both trains is about 50 miles an
hour, but there are several stretches where
the speed approaches go miles an hour.
The McCord Force Feed Lubricator was
at Work on both trains besides other of the
McCord specialties, including the McCord
Journal Box, the McCord Draft Gear and
McKim Gasket. Send for copy of the
Folder to the company's oflice at 50
Church street, New York.
Capacious.
Miss PoUie Juggle's mouth was ex-
ceedingly well developed. She sat in bliss-
ful contentment on the sea beach at Long
Branch, watching the restless sea, and
something of its grandeur shed its ligh'
upon her soul. "Oh, Harry," she said to
the young man by her side, "how grand
it all is, ain't it? I feel as though — as
though I could open my mouth and take
it all in." A small boy who was near by
looked up, a startled gleam in his eye.
"But I say," he remarked, "you won't do
it will you? We only came down here
yesterday."
Activity on the B. & O.
The output of the Mount Clare shops
of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad for the
month of April was the largest in their
history, exceeding the record for March,
when 45 locomotives underwent heavy
repairs and were rebuilt. About 2,200
men are employed by the B. & O. at Mt.
Clare, 1,600 being in the locomotive shops,
and the steady increase of traffic on the
system has necessitated overtime work
by many of them in order to keep the
equipment in condition to handle the bus-
iness. Mount Clare is the principal shop
on the B. & O., and most of the heavy
repair and rebuilding of equipment is
clone there.
In order that the shops might be run
to their full capacity the B. & O. recently
placed a large order for new machinery ;
practically all of this has been put in
piace. Eight modern engine lathes, a
quadruple multiple drilling machine, a
sicam hammer for the blacksmith shop,
iiumcrous wood-working machines for
the cabinet shop, an automatic turret
lathe and various special machines have
l.cen installed. The lathes and drilling
M achincs arc driven by electricity.
The new equipment orders arc being
filled and placed in service. Up to the
present time more than lOO consolidation
freight engines and 20 Atlantic type ex-
press engines have been received. The
entire order was for a.TO freight and 26
passenger engines. Of the order for 10,-
000 freight cars, more than .1,000 have
been delivered aiicl put in use.
Railway Men Honored.
.^ press from Montreal recently
printed in the Toronto A'cws. says:
Mr. D. McNicoll, vice-president of the
C. P. R., has been made an Esquire
of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem,
and Messrs. Lacy R. Johnson and S.
A. Gidlow, of the same company,
honorary associates of the order, of
which Sir Thomas Shaughnessy was
recently created a knight. These
honors have been conferred in rec-
ognition of the work of the railway
in the organization of the St. John's
Ambulance Association of the Angus
shops. Mr. Johnson is assistant
superintendent of motive power of the
C. P. R. and Mr. Gidlow is secretary
of the First Aid Department of that
road.
Radial Trailing Truck.
The American Locomotive Company
have recently issued Bulletin No. 1003, in
which the radial trailing truck for loco-
motives as made by that company is very
fully described and illustrated. In addi-
tion to the details of the truck which are
illustrated by line engravings, examples
from a number of types of engines using
this truck are given in the bulletin. Those
who desire to understand the construc-
tion of this truck should write to the
company, 30 Church street, New York,
for a copy of the bidletin.
The Standard Coupler Company an-
nounces the removal of their Chicago
office from the Fisher Building to 1005
Peoples' Gas Building, corner Michigan
avenue and Adams street, Chicago. This
well-known company are makers of Stan-
dard Steel Platforms, Sessions-Standard
friction draw gear and Standard couplers.
Mr. Geo. A. Post is the president of the
company.
Hate to Experiment.
Railway officials hate to experiment
with novel devices on the locomotive,
a sentiment which sometimes leads im-
provements of real merit to be rejected.
Wc do not remember of any improve-
ment worthy of notice that came into
use without opposition. One of the
greatest causes of annoying labor to
engineers in the old times was packing
the stuffing boxes of piston rods and
valve stems. Yet the introduction of
metallic packing was fiercely opposed
by the forces of ignorance and prejudice.
Signal Instruction Cars.
To increase the efficiency of operating
employees the Pennsylvania have decided
on signal inHlriielion cars on all divisions.
The main line <livi^il>n^ between Philadel-
phia and Pittsburgh have been equipped.
270
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
June, 1910.
Explicit personal instructions are to be
given frequently to enginemen, firemen,
conductors and trainmen. These are to
be given in the signal car and will in-
clude not only block and interlocking sig-
nals but all others used.
These signal instruction cars are 60 feet
long, divided into two compartments.
One room will be for examinations, the
other has a table upon which is placed
under a glass cover a large track chart of
the railroad, which can be rolled back and
forth by means of rollers placed at each
end. It shows all main running tracks,
switches, cross-overs, all signals, track
troughs, stations and mile posts. The
men will be given an opportunitj- to study
this chart prior to passing an examina-
tion. Each car is provided with a set of
model signals, which can be manipulated
so as to show the signal indications that
the men receive when on the road.
The cars are in charge of examiners,
each with an assistant. They will conduct
the examinations, with the exception of
those on machinery and air brakes. The
cars may also be used for examination
of employes on other subjects beside the
signals, such as train rules, etc.
Independent Air.
The high degree of perfection to which
the manufacture of air tools has reached
is finely illustrated in the latest circular
issued by the Independent Pneumatic Tool
Company, Chicago, 111., a copy of which
may be had on application. Their Thor
air tools embrace hammers equipped with
duplex valves combining strength with
lightness, piston air drills and reamers,
long stroke rivetting hammers, stay-bolt
drivers. A new feature is introduced in
what is known as Thor No. 9, close-quar-
ters piston air drill. This drill is well
suited for locomotive work, particularly
where spaces for machine work is limited.
Any of this enterprising company's ma-
chines will be sent on trial at the com-
pany's expense.
Electric Locomotives for P. R. R.
The Pennsylvania Railroad Shops are
working on 43 new electric locomotives
for use in the Hudson River tunnels, at
New York. The trucks are being built at
the Juniata shops while the cabs are being
turned out at the car shops, and the keen
rivalry between the two departments has
resulted in the machines being completed
at the rate of six a week. They are then
sent to the Westinghouse Electric Com-
pany at East Pittsburgh to be electrically
equipped.
The Cleveland Twist Drill Company,
of Cleveland. Ohio, have moved their
Chicago branch to No. 9 North Jeffer-
son street. In their new location,
greatly improved facilities for the
prompt handling of their steadily in-
creasing business are afforded.
Terra Gotta Stations.
Three terra cotta railroad stations
have been built by the Lehigh Valley
Railroad, and plans for a fourth are
now being considered. The structural
material is the hollow tile block of the
kind used for fireproofing skyscrapers
in New York and other cities. The ex-
terior surface of the walls is covered
with stucco, so that the terra cotta tile
itself is not visible when once a build-
ing is complete. Tests of the material
have shown that it is strong enough to
stand any strain put upon it and will
be as serviceable as stone or brick.
The new style stations of the Lehigh
Valley are at Honeyoye Falls, Free-
ville and Interlaken, N. Y.
In addition to being fireproof, the
stations have the advantage of being
warmer in winter and cooler in summer
than stations of the ordinary type.
This is due to the hollow spaces, or
what some call the dead air spaces,
which make the blocks non-conductors
of heat. The New York, New Haven
& Hartford Railroad recently built a
hollow tile station at Rowayton, Conn.
The Delaware, Lackawanna & Western
have been making investigation with a
view of using terra cotta in some of the
new stations on that road.
Re-rolling Old Rails.
About four or five thousand tons of
steel rails are being re-rolled by the Pro-
vincial Steel Company at Cobourg, Ont.,
for the Intercolonial Railway, and at the
present time from fifty to one hundred
tons of rails are being turned out daily.
These rails were purchased by the In-
tercolonial Railway from the old Ship
Railway between Fort Lawrence and Baie
Verte. They were then placed in use on
the I. R. C, and since have been torn up
and sent to Cobourg to be re-rolled. The
rails formerly were of the one hundred
and ten pound varietj-, and are being re-
duced to eighty pounds. They were laid
on the road a few years ago, and becom-
ing somewhat worn were taken up and
sent to the Provincial Steel Company, who
are now engaged re-rolling them. The
Provincial Steel Company is a new indus-
try started in Canada, and tliis is the first
work they have done for the Government
road. The process used is called the Mc-
Kenna process. Used rails are heated
and then put through the rolls, thus mak-
ing the rails practically new, but reduced
in weight and size.
In the suit of the Simplex Railway Ap-
pliance Company against the Pressed Steel
Car Company for infringement of Sim-
plex bolster patents, the United States
Circuit Court for the Southern District
of New York, has decided in favor of
the Simplex company.
STANDARD MECHANICAL BOOKS
FOR ROAD AND SHOP MEN
BY CHAS. McSHANE.
The Locomotive Up to Date
Price, $2.50
New York and
Westinghouse Air Brakes
Price, $1.50
One Thousand Pointers for
Machinists and Engineers
Price, $1.50
All books bound In fine clotk
AGENTS WANTED eTerywherv; wrlto f«r
termi and dcscriptlTe drcalart. WUl to
MBt prepaid to any addrcu opcm r*c«lyt
of pile*.
GRirrilN &WiPSTERS
171 La Salle SIreef, CHICAGO
Railroad Fish Planting.
The Lehigh Valley Railroad are help-
ing the fish commissioners of New York
and Pennsylvania stock the streams io
these two States with fish. The Pennsyl-
vania commissioner, Mr. W. E. Meehan,
has already sent out three hundred cans
of trout fry, from the Harrisburg hatch-
eries, for spring "planting" along the line
of the road. The company is also co-
operating with the New York commis-
sioner in his efforts to stock the up-
State streams with trout and bass. A
corps of trained attendants accompanies
each consignment of fish, to see that they
are fed at regular intervals and planted
scientifically. Everj- effort is made to
transport them with the least possible
delay. The railroad company arranges
with outing clubs and individuals to be on
hand the minute the fish arrive, so that no
time will be lost in getting them to the
water.
The baby trout or bass, known as "fry,"
are hatched during the winter at the
State hatcheries. In the spring they are
distributed. More than two dozen
streams in Pennsylvania, tributary to the
Lehigh and Susquehanna rivers, have
been stocked with fish year after year.
Many parties spend the summer months
in house boats on these rivers, fishing
directly from their dwellings, or row-
ing up the tributaries in small boats.
Rl!i^iveEn$ineerini
A Practical Journal of Motive Power, Rolling Stock and Appliances
Vol XXIII.
114 Liberty Street, New York. Joly. 1910.
No. 7
Erie's Four-Track Open Cut. of the main line. Xew Jersey & New traffic to and from Jersey City, will now
The Erie Railroad Company has so far York and the Greenwood Lake branches be used only for the movement of freight
completed the task of constructing an began to use the new line, both east and trains. The two tracks now completed
open cut through Jersey City Heights, as westbound. The Northern Railroad and are known as numbers 2 and 3, they being
li-LS CLI O.S Ull, l.Uli- it.\iLKU.\U 111KULl.11 lUL llLKCiEN MILL.
> have finished two Iracki all the way Susquehanna track connections have been the two middle ones of a prospective fuur-
hrough and connected them, so that about finished and the Bergen tunnel, which has track line through the cut. The value to
:e middle of June last passenger trains been used f<ir more than 40 years for all the patrons of the Erie of the new open
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE EXGINEERIXG.
July, 1910
cut, particularly the commuting pas-
sengers, is too great to be measured in
words ; to the entire passenger service, it
means no more tunnel delays, no more
VIEW or OPEN CUT FROM ABOVE.
closed windows, stifling atmosphere or
artificial light — but a clean, wholesome
ride for everybody and the elimination of
the only passenger tunnel on the Erie
Railroad between New York and Chicago.
iimtiiig territory." A few years ago so
many trains became necessary that both
5 in the Bergen tunnel had to be'
I'S' ' in the morning for inbound traffic.
The new cut will be used by the six
principal lines which carry the passenger
trathc, muth of which is suburban.
These are the Main Line, New Jersey &
New York Railroad. Northern Railroad
of New Jersey, the New York & Green-
wood Lake Railroad, Newark branch, and
the New Y'ork. Susquehanna & Western,
the latter at present running into the
Jersey City terminal of the Pennsylvania
Railroad. These six lines converge, and
from three main stems some distance
west of the new open cut, each main
stem carrying the traffic of two branches,
and are known as the main line, Newark
branch and Susquehanna line. The point
of divergence of the New Jersey and
iWING PROGRESS OF THE WORK, TAKEN AT TR-^CK LEVEL.
The banks of earth sloping to the surface
of the rock walls, on either side of the
open cut, have been sodded, and a force
of men for several weeks has been as-
signed to the work of testing the walls
for loose rock. Wherever such has been
found, it has been removed so as to pre-
clude the possibility of accidents to pass-
ing trains. A wall, surmounted by a high
metal fence, will be built along both
: sides of the cut for the protection of life
pit' to prevent the possibility of anything
rolling down.
The practical completion of this en-
gineering feat is one of the greatest in
. e history of the Erie Railroad and is
of great importance, because it will af-
ford the relief that has been needed for
years. Passenger traffic has developed
and continues to develop within 50 miles
of New Y'ork, in what is termed "corn-
New Y'ork Railroad from the main line
is 5.5 miles west of the west end of the
open cut; the junction of Newark branch
and Greenwood Lake line is 2.4 miles
and connection between the New York,
Susquehanna &: Western Railroad and
the Northern Railroad of New Jersey
will be three miles west of the entrance.
The approach to the open cut from the
east end is over a massive steel trestle
which reaches the level at Grove street,
Jersey City, and which spans Erie street,
Jersey avenue, and Coles street, rising
above the tracks of the New Jersey
Junction Railroad, which runs north and
south near the base of the Heights. The
maximum grade is 35 feet to the mile.
Concrete arch bridges carry Palisade ave-
nue and Baldwin avenue over the cut.
There are four short tunnels extending
between a point west of Baldwin avenue
and east of Central avenue, east of Sum-
mit avenue to St. Paul's avenue, east of
St. Paul's avenue to east of the Hudson
County boulevard and between the boule-
vard and the west portal, but none is long
enough to affect the atmospheric condi-
tions, the greatest being 571 ft. and the
shortest 220 ft. in length, or a total of 1,288
ft. of tunnels. The total length of the cut
is 4,400 ft. and width of roadbed 58 ft
The minimum depth is 45 ft.; maximum
depth, 85 ft. In order to produce this
deep canyon, it was necessary to blast
500,000 cubic yards of blue trap rock and
excavate 160,000 cubic yards of earth. The
rock represents 750.000 lineal feet of
drilling, and it took 250,000 lbs. of dyna-
mite to rend it. No fatal accident hap-
pened in making the cut.
Basing the operation of trains on a
four-track line, which will be a fact by
autumn, an ingenious method will be
adopted in handling them. The traffic
being practically all inbound during the
early morning hours and outbound in the
evening hours, the direction of traffic
on the four tracks through the open cut
will vary according to conditions. During
the morning rush, a separate track will be
assigned to each group inbound, leaving
one track to handle the outbound busi-
ness of all the groups. In the evening,
the conditions will be reversed, while in
the middle of the day. the normal move-
ment will be two tracks for inbound busi-
ness and two for outbound.
Trains of the main line and New Jer-
sey & New- Y'ork Railroad will be brought
in on one track, those of the Green-
wood Lake division and Newark branch
on another, and those of the Northern
Railroad of New Jersey and New York,
Susquehanna & Western on the third
track, so that there will be three distinct
leads to and from the Jersey City ter-
minal, whereas there are but two at pres-
ent, as a result of the two-track line
through the tunnel, and one of these must
be used for trains running in the opposite
direction. Freight trains will not use
any of the tracks assigned to the four-
track open cut line in the Jersey City
yard, because the ascent over the trestle
begins at Grove street, which is at least
OPEN CUT
four city blocks from the tunnel. This
is another distinct advantage which will
tend to eliminate delay in the handling
of passenger traffic.
July, 191a
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
273
Railway Guards in England.
Not long ago the Railway Guards' Uni-
versal Friendly Society celebrated their
diamond jubilee. The London Globe
commenting on the occasion says : "The
guard occupies, under changed conditions
the same post as did the stage coach
guard of years gont by. The coming of
railways caused great distress among those
dependent upon the coaching system for
their livelihood. Drivers, guards, horse-
keepers, ostlers, etc., suddenly found
themselves stranded, just as the London
cab drivers are suffering today owing to
the introduction of the motor vehicle.
Generally speaking, the guards were the
\ ILW SHOWIXG PROGKr.-> "I \V ':K.
only coaching officials able to continue
their calling with the new means of loco-
motion, but as guards of railway trains
the older men among them soon dropped
out, owing to the harder life which the
latter service entailed.
"To begin with, the railway guard oc-
cupied a kind of 'dickey' overlooking the
tops of the carriages, where he was utterly
unprotected from the weather, and from
the smoke and fiery particles emitted by
the engines. Two guards were allotted
to each passenger train, the upper and
an under one. The upper sat on the last
carriage with his face to the engine, and
was furnished with wire spectacles or a
begoggled face mask to protect his eyes
from the ashes. The under guard sat on
the carriage next to the engine with his
back to the engine. By this vis-a-vis
arrangement each guard had constantly
before him all the carriages in the train
except the one he was riding upon, and
they could both communicate with each
other by signal. The coaches upon which
the guards rode were always, and usually,
the only braked vehicles on the train, the
retarding agency being hand-operated
icrew brakes; but if the train was very
heavy, additional brake vans and guards
were sent out with it.
'The oldtime upper guard h.nd multi
farioiis duties t'j perform. He notified the
engine driver through his under guard
when the train was traveling too quick or
too slow, and when to stop, and after
applying the brakes both men hurriedly
descended to see that the woollen brake
shoe* had not caught fire. 7 he upper
guard superintended the stowing of the
luggage on the roofs of the vehicles after
the 'strapper* had Inspected, cleaned,
shampooed and refreshed with cold
drawn neat's foot oil the iron wire lined
luggage straps. But notwithstanding
careful stowing, the luggage often got dis-
placed by the oscillation of the train,
whence it ran the risk of falling off or
striking an overbridge, and despite tar-
paulin covers it was frequently set on fire
by the sparks from the engine, while if
packed too tight it excluded the air from
and extinguished the roof lamps. In
case of serious accident both guards were
expected to render first aid, being in-
structed in the use of the tourniquet and
carrying bandages for the purpose. They
were instructed not to allow passengers
to stand up in the open coaches while in
motion, nor in any other manner to en-
danger themselves by improper exposure,
and not to permit them to alight for the
purpose of rebooking by the same train.
Guards were forbidden to pass over the
tops of carriages when in motion, but they
might clamber along the footboards to
collect ticket, etc., as is still done on
Continental railways, though the increas-
ing speed of trains soon led to this latter
practice being discontinued. The upper
guard was entrusted with bills and passes
of every kind, carried in a portfolio, and
kept a journal recording the running of
the train.
"In 1847, owing to the great speed of
the broad gauge trains, the Great West
ern Company transferred the under guard
to an iron 'dickey' at the back of the loco-
motive tender, where he could more easily
communicate with the engineman, and re-
christened him 'traveling porter.' The
the luggage in safety, while in order that
they might still keep a good lookout along
the top of the train the roof of the new
van was furnished with a raised glazed
lookout. An interesting feature of the
North London Company's rolling stock
consists of the retention of the raised
guards' lookouts, which are seldom to be
met with now on any other line, as their
utility pretty well vanished with the intro-
duction of automatic continuous brakes,
whereby the control of the train was
transferred from the guards' manipulating
handbrakes to the engine driver primarily.
Lastly, the guards' accommodation as-
sumed its present form of thoroughly well
sheltered and brilliantly lighted vehicles,
with padded scats and apparatus for
warming food while traveling."
The Public Drinking Cup.
The State Board of Hcaltli in Kansas
last year did away with the public drink-
ing cup. The order affected the rail-
roads as well as other corporations which
provide drinking water for the thirsty.
When the law, for such it is, went into
effect there was much adverse comment
tor the principal reason that no cup or
cups of any kind were provided in rail-
road cars. The health regulation ex-
pressly prohibited the providing of a cup.
We recently saw in a dentist's surgery,
an individual cup made of paraffine paper,
which was held in a thimble of light
nickel-plated ware or aluminum. When
till- cup had been used by a patient, it was
(ONCKKTK HKIIii;K ( AKKVI.M. .slKKKT ACK(1.S.S Till: OI'KN If T.
exponents of the narrow gauge, however,
at once claimed this innovation as a con-
fession of weakness regarding the safety
of the broad gauge trains and nicknamed
the porter the 'man in the iron coffin.'
"After a while the discomforts and
hardships suffered by guards were alle-
viated by Riving the roof seat a box
shaped shelter glared in front. The next
steps in advance were regular shut-in vans
for them to travel by, and for storing
emptied and thrown into a suitable
receptacle. The thimble and paper cup
were tapered so as to fit together very
neatly, and when standing on the table
I he iKiitom of the cup cjiel not reach quite
down to the lower edge of the metal
lliimblr. As the thimble had no bottom it
loiijd not be used to drink out of, and
llic clean, while paraffine cup when hold-
ing filtered water had a cool and refresh-
ing appearance.
RAILWAV AND LOCOMOTIVE EXGINEERIXG.
July, lyio.
Mallet Articulated Compound for the Chicago 'El Ahon
A recent order from the Chicago &
Alton Railroad to the American Loco-
motive Company has resulted in the build-
ing of three engines of the Mallet articu-
lated compound type, and a number of
2-8-2 engines, these Mallet engines have
a 2-6-6-2 wheel arrangement and the low-
pressure cylinders are in front. The Mi-
kado or 2-8-2 type engines are now being
used in road service between the Girard
Coal district and Chicago, a distance of
about 2IO miles. Except on the grade
between Lawndale and Atlanta, which is
0.85 per cent., these engines can handle a
4,000-ton train over this division. The
Mallet type locomotives are intended for
pusher service on the Atlanta hill, and
with their assistance the road engine can
take the above-mentioned tonnage through
to Chicago.
The cylinders of the Mallet are 22 and
35 by 30 ins. and with 62-in. driving
wheels and a working pressure of 200
lbs., the engine can exert a tractive force
illustration. This bearing is bolted to the
boiler before the tubes are set.
The boiler is of the extended wagon-
lop type, the front ring of which is 74^^
ins. in diameter. The crown staying is
radial and the tubes are 406 in number,
each 2 ins. in diameter, outside, and are
each 21 ft. long. The total heating sur-
face amounts to 4,766 sq. ft., made up 300
in the firebox and 4,466 sq. ft. in the
tubes. The total amount of heating sur-
face in this boiler is a little more than
half the space enclosed between the bags
on a baseball field. The grate area is
49.7 sq. ft., which gives a ratio between
grate and heating surface as i is to 96.
The wheel base of this engine is 48 ft.
I in. ; with the tender it is 76 ft. 8 ins.
The driving wheel bases are in each case
II ft. and the total adhesive weight is
286,300 lbs. The total weight amounts to
327,300 lbs. The engine truck and trail-
ing wheels are each 33 ins. in diameter,
and the tender is carried on eight w-heels,
The persistence of an advertisement is
strikingly illustrated in the experience of
.\ngus Sinclair with a small company he
organized in 1887. The concern was
called the Engineering Literature Com-
pany, and its purpose was to sell books
that Dr. Sinclair controlled. The ailairs
of the Engineering Literature Company
were wound up in 1890, but railway men
wanting to purchase books still keep
sending orders to the company, which has
been defunct for twentv vears.
The Highland Park Home.
A very fine sentiment was expressed
by Mr. P. H. Morrissey, formerly the
grand master of the Brotherhood of
Railroad Trainmen, on the occasion of
the opening of the Highland Park
Home for disabled railroad employees,
a short time ago. The needs of help-
less men who have at some time la-
bored in the railroad field, has been
very fully and substantially realized
Peter Maher, Superintendent
mai.li:t ..i; : ;< tlated for the Chicago
^ower and Equipment.
Locomotive Company, Builders.
of 61,500 lbs. Both the high and low-
pressure engines use Walschaerts valve
gear, the high-pressure valve being a
14-in. piston valve, while the low pres-
sure has a double-ported valve. All hav-
ing 6-in. travel. The high-pressure steam
lap is I in., while that of the low pres-
sure is Ji in. The lead in all cases is
3/16 in. constant. The exhaust clear-
ance is 5/16 in.
The articulation or jointing of the
frame follows the builders' practice and
is placed just in front of the high pres-
sure cylinders, a ball-jointed receiver
pipe, w-ith slip joint at the front end,
takes steam from the high to the low-
pressure cylinders. The high-pressure
engine is attached to the frames and
boiler in the usual way, and in taking a
curve the low-pressure engine moves
under the boiler to one side. The main
slide bearing for the boiler on the jointed
front frame is immediately below the for-
ward sand box as shown in our half-tone
each 36 ins. in diameter. The tender has
the ordinary L'-shaped tank, holding
8.500 gallons and carrying 14 tons of bi-
tuminous coal. The tender frame is
made of steel channels, and steel trucks
are used. The total weight of the en-
gine and tender is 498.300 lbs. A few
of the principal dimensions are appended
for reference.
Axles — Driving journals, main, lo x 12 ins.
others, 9 x 12 ins.: engine truck journal
diameter. 6yi ins.; length, I254 ins.; trait
ing truck journals, diameter, 6^
length, I2j4 ins.; tender truck journals,
diameter, 5^2 ins.; length, 10 ins.
Firebox — Type, wide; length. loS'/i ins.
width. 66 'i ins.: thickness of crown
is in.; tube. Yi in.; sides. H.in.; back,
is in.; water space, front, 6 ins.; sides,
5 ins. : back. 5 ins.
Tubes— Gauge. No. 11 E. W. G.
Boxes — Driving, cast steel.
Brake — Driver, New York automatic; tender.
New York; air signal. New York; pumps,
2 No. 5 ; 2 reseri'oirs.
Engine truck — Swing center bearing.
Trailing truck — Radius bar type.
Piston — Rod diameter, 4 3/16 ins.; piston pack-
ing, C. Ir. rings.
Smoke stack — Diameter, 18 ins.; top above rail,
15 ft. 1/16 in.
and Mr. Morrissey has put the whole
undertaking on a higih ethical plane
i\hen he said:
"We have not provided this home for
aged and disabled railroad employees
as a matter of charity. It has been and
will be a matter of duty with us. The
railroad men of the country owe to
iheir less fortunate brothers a duty
that is greater than charity."
The home represents the investment
of about $120,000, with a debt of only
$40,000 upon it, which there is every
reason to believe will soon be provided
for.
Wireless for the U. P.
The Union Pacific Railway manage-
ment have arranged to introduce the
use of wireless telegraphy in its regular
work. They are equipping two stations
for the work, one at Cheyenne and the
other at Sydney, 103 miles distant.
July, !9io.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
Traveling Engineers' Association.
The eighteenth annual convention of
The Traveling Engineers' Association
will be held at the Clifton Hotel,
Niagara Falls, Canada, commencing at
lo a. m., Aug. l6, 1910, and continuing
for four days.
The following is the list of subjects
10 be discussed at this convention:
1 — Fuel economy, under the follow-
ing heads:
(a) Value of present draft appliances.
Can they be improved to eflfect fuel
economy?
(b) Firing practices, including the
prevention of black smoke.
(c) Roundhouse practices; whether it
is more economical to knock or
bank fires at terminals.
(d) Whether it is more economical
to buy a cheap fuel of a low heat
value, or a higher priced fuel of a
greater heat value.
(e) Devices and appliances for use
on engines and tenders to prevent
waste en route.
2 — Superheat as applied to locomo-
tives.
3 — How can the traveling engineer
best educate the present-day fireman to
become the successful engineer of the
future?
4 — Latest developments in air brake
equipment and its effect on train hand-
ling.
S — What progress has been made in
reducing the cost of locomotive lubri-
cation, and is it advisable to place this
item entirely under the control of the
road foreman or traveling engineer?
6 — New valve gears as compared with
the Stephenson link motion, referring
particularly to economy of operation
and maintenance, and also necessary
procedure in case of break-downs.
Mr. C. F. Richardson (La Salle Street
Station, Chicago) is president of the
association, and Mr. W. O. Thompson
(New York Central car shops, East
BuflFalo, N. Y.) is the secretary, to
whom any communication concerning
the convention should be addressed.
Superheater Questions.
The Traveling F'.nKinecrs' cnimittee on
superheat have prepared a comprehensive
list of questions on this very important
subject. The committee consi^ts of Mr.
M. H. Haig, mechanical engineer of the
A. T. & S. F., Topeka, Kan., chairman,
and Messrs Max Toltz, C. W. Carey, E.
Salley and Geo. Cooper. The subject is
"Superheat as Applied to Locomotives."
The questions asked are: What type of
superheaters are in service on your road?
How many of each type? How many in
freight service? In passenger service?
How many degrees of superheat are ob-
tained in superheater? Have tests been
made to determine temperature of tieam
at steam chest? If so, give the tempera-
ture. What is the boiler pressure of loco-
motives equipped with superheaters?
What is the boiler pressure of locomo-
tives of same class operating with satu-
rated steam? Where boiler pressure has
been reduced and superheater applied,
what has been your experience in lessened
boiler troubles? What per cent greater
tonnage is hauled by locomotives using
superheated steam than by locomotives of
same class using saturated steam? What
per cent of fuel is saved by use of super-
heated steam? What per cent of water?
What change in front end apparatus and
diflference in size of nozzle is necessary
upon application of superheater? Do you
find any difference in steaming quality of
locomotives using superheated or satu-
rated steam ? Which is the more free
steamer? Can a locomotive equipped with
a superheater operate better with foam-
ing water than a locomotive not so
equipped? Has the reduction in the
amount of water consumed, resulting from
the use of the superheater, been sufficient
lo increase the possible mileage between
boiler washings? If so, to what extent?
Do you experience any trouble in lubricat-
ing with superheated steam. If so, at
what temperature? Do you lubricate cyl-
inder as well as valve chamber? Do you
use force-feed or ordinary lubricators with
saturated steam; with superheated steam?
Do you use slide valves or piston valves
with superheated steam ? Which gives the
better results? Has the use of super-
heated steam caused any trouble or ex-
pense in maintaining piston rod and valve
stem packing? If any trouble, explain
changes required. Have you had any
trouble in leaking joints in the super-
heater, or in the steam connections? Do
you use gaskets or ground joints with
superheated steam? If gaskets are used,
what kind and make? What is the nature
of questions on subject of superheat
asked by your engincmen? What ques-
tions on the subject of superheat are in-
cluded in your examinations of engineers
and firemen? Has your road ever ap-
plied superheaters to locomotives and
later discarded them? If so, what types,
and for what reason?
The Making of Good Engineers.
One of the subjects which will be
taken up at the coming convention of the
Traveling Engineers' Association is
"How can the traveling engineer best
educate the prescni-day fireman fo he-
come the successful engineer of the
future?" This is not only a live subject
hut it Is one of the utmost importance,
and the successful solution of the prob-
lem would mean much to railroads. The
committer of which Mr. J. C. Petty i<
(hairm.in and which includes Messrs.
W. J. Anthony R. Collett, J. F. Co^grovr
and H. K. Rrntlev, have issued a rirrnlar
addressed to members in which they have
asked ten questions.
Among these questions, one of them
is, "Would you recommend the best stan-
dard books on machinery for the educa-
tion of engineers and firemen to be in
railway libraries, or would it be best, in
your opinion, for each man to have these
books at his home?" Again, "If possible
to do so, do you not believe it would be
best for each engineer to have a regular
fireman?" The ninth question is. "Do
you not believe a man with shop experi-
ence as machinist's helper would make a
better man for the position of engineer
if it could be arranged with railway
companies to start them in this way, with
the intention of promoting them as fast as
possible to do so?"
The circular containing these ques-
tions is addressed to all members. We
would like to hear from any of our
leaders, firemen, engineers, road fore-
men and others on the questions we have
o.'.iotcd.
Telephone Apparatus for Trains.
All trains on the Lehigh Valley are to
be equipped with telephone apparatus by
ineans of which immediate communication
can be established. This announcement is
the result of successful experiments with
apparatus on the car of Mr. J. F. Maguire,
general manager.
The device is an extension pole, similar
to a trolley pole on a street car, which
can be hooked over the telephone wires
beside the track. In this way train crews
will be able to communicate with train
dispatchers from any point on the road.
On the other hand, to reach any person
(.-n a train, the operator at the nearest
station will be informed, the train stopped
and the telephone connected by means of
the pole. The new apparatus is expected
to be particularly eflfective in the handling
of freight trains. The breaking or pulling
out of draw heads causes delays, and the
ability fo rapidly communicate with head-
quarters will be most satisfactory to all
.oncerned.
Silver "Brasses."
In what would now be termed olden
times, some curious methods were cm-
ployed to effect temporary repairs on
locomotives, such as making brasses and
glands of hard wood. That material
would hardly staml a trip with a modern
Mallet engine. We remember hearing
about one form of substitute that would
stand all the shocks and strains put upon
our most powerful locomotives.
A mining railway under construction in
Brazil purchased a locomotive from Bald-
win's and it was shipped in parts. A box
containing part of the engine was mislaid,
among them rod brasses and piston
glands. A silver smelting plant belonged
to the mines and they made castings of
silver to replace the missing parts.
276
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
July, 1910.
B. of L. E. Convention.
The Grand Convention of the Interna-
tional Brotherhood o£ Locomotive Engi-
neers was held in Detroit in May last.
The report of the proceedings reached us
too late to appear in our June number,
but we are pleased to publish some par-
ticulars of the interesting meeting even
at this late date.
It was very fitting that Detroit should
be selected for holding the convention
of 1910, the largest meeting held by the
order, with over 700 delegates in at-
tendance, for Detroit was the birthplace
of the order when in 1863 a few loco-
motive engineers, mostly in the employ
of the Michigan Central Railroad, came
together and organized the Brotherhood
of the Footplate, which a year later be-
came the Brotherhood of Locomotive
Engineers. At that time the conditions
of employment on the Michigan Central
were of a character to make men desper-
ate and ready to resort to any fair means
for preserving self-respect. There was
an official in high authority at that time
who had a peculiar hatred to locomotive
engineers, and lost no opportunity of
tjTannizing over that class. The writer
once applied to that man for a position
as machinist and was promised a job,
when he incidently mentioned that he
was a locomotive engineer. "An engi-
neer are you?" exclaimed that official
ruffian in a fury. "Get out of here you
son of a . I wish all locomotive en-
gineers were in hell." That kind of lan-
guage was familiar to the men who
formed the Brotherhood of the Foot-
plate, and, no doubt strengthened the
resolution to establish a means of de-
fense by union.
The conditions of railroad employment
in the days when the Brotherhood of Lo-
comotive Engineers was formed were elo-
quently described by Grand Chief Stone
in his opening address at Detroit when
he said:
"We of today can hardly realize what
is meant in the early days to be known
as a member of a labor union. The rail-
road man was an Ishmaelite, every man's
hand was against him. No city wanted a
railroad headquarters established there,
because of the objectionable class of men
it brought in. No company wanted their
men to organize because they could see
the handwriting on the wall, and the
petty official who had played favorites
and sold jobs, and collected his percentage
from their pay, who had discharged men
without cause whenever the spirit moved
him, and had been a Czar in his little
world, awoke to find a new order of
things, and to realize there was a new
power in the world that in future would
have to be respected."
These sad conditions were wide spread
and stimulated the men who established
the Brotherhood to stand fast and to in-
vite engineers generally to join the order
The invitation met with hearty response
for during the first year of its existence
forty-four subdivisions were organized.
In August, 1864, the first convention of
the Brotherhood of the Footplate was
held in Indianapolis with all the forty-
four subdivisions represented, and earnest
enthusiasm prevailed that promised a
prosperous future for the brotherhood
and decided amelioration of the condi-
tion of railroad employees. Mottoes se-
lected for the order were : "Sobriety,
Truth, Justice, Vigilance not Violence,
;ind do unto others as ye would that they
should do unto you, and so fulfill the
iaw. "These mottoes constituted the
foundation stone of the order and no or-
ganization has ever adhered more loyally
to the principles professed.
A notable characteristic of the order
has been the attention paid to elevat-
ing and conferring benefits upon the in-
dividual members. While other labor
organizations were contented so long as
members paid their dues regularly, the
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers
were always bringing out schemes for
making the membership more valuable.
In 1866 a monthly journal devoted to the
interests of the members was started. A
year later an insurance system was
formed which has proved a precious boon
to many sufferers. In 1887 a Ladies'
Au.xiliary was organized which has been
wonderfully successful and has an insur-
ance department that has done much
good in cases that the ordinary insur-
ance benefit do not reach. A large num-
ber of the divisions have a weekly in-
demnity insurance that gives members
comfortable incomes when they are dis-
abled or during sickness.
Commenting in his opening address on
the work of the Brotherhood, Grand
Chief Stone said : "The B. of L. E. has
improved the conditions of the locomo-
tive engineer, increased his wages, se-
cured for him better treatment, elevated
his home life and his standing as a man,
made him a steady, sober, reliable engi-
neer, a good neighbor and citizen, a
credit to the community and to the
country.
"It has furnished insurance for him at
cost and is today carrying over 117 mill-
ions of dollars, and has paid into the
homes of deceased members over 21
millions of dollars, besides creating a fund
to care for old and indigent members
who otherwise would become objects of
charity. . . .
"In addition to that the organization
has given away in charity over $3,000,000
to the families of deceased and disabled
members. ... If the B. of L. E.
never did anything else, the one fact that
it has scattered this vast sum of money
broadcast on its mission of mercy will
stand as a monument to it throughout all
time."
Many railroad officials opposed the
Brotherhood for years, but the better
class of men soon reorganized the elevat-
ing and beneficent tendencies of the or-
ganization and it has gradually grown
into high favor, and is now constantly
pointed to as the best kind of a labor
union. The Brotherhood of Locomotive
Engineers had not long been in existence
when railroad officials came to perceive
that its influence stemmed the downward
trend of wages that under speculative in-
fluence used to follow every slight de-
pression of business. The Brotherhood
had adopted the policy of forming con-
tracts with railroad companies to main-
tain a certain scale of pay which could
not be broken every time business was
dull. The obstacle to cutting down engi-
neers' wages had the best kind of influ-
ence upon the whole pay roll.
The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engi-
neers has been singularly fortunate in
the selection of its managing officials, who
are known as engineers of various grades,
ihe highest being Grand Chief, who per-
forms very important duties. The first
Grand Chief William D. Robinson served
only a few years and was succeeded by
Peter M. Arthur, who held the command
with remarkable ability for over thirty
years. The present incumbent, Warren S.
Stone, is an excellent business man, be-
sides being an exceptionally able execu-
tive officer who has already indicated
that the order will grow -apidly in
strength and prosperity under his man-
agement.
The B. of L. E. New Building.
May 14 last was a celebrated day for
the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engi-
neers, for on that day a vast concourse
of the order with their friends assem-
bled at Cleveland, O., to take part in
ceremonies arranged to dedicate the open-
ing of the new building erected by the
Brotherhood and recently finished. The
Grand International Convention in Ses-
sion at Detroit was transported by the
railroad companies in three trains.
The building has been erected at a
cost of one million dollars. It contains
500 offices, with 132,000 square feet of
floor space. It is a modern up-to-date
fireproof building, with all modern im-
provements and has an auditorium seat-
ing 1,400 persons.
First Grand Engineer Prenter presided
;it the opening and introduced a number
of eminent speakers, among them being
the Governor of Ohio and the Mayor of
Cleveland.
An attractive part of the meeting was
the unveiling of a bust of the late Grand
Chief Arthur. In connection with this
was a humorous and eloquent address
delivered by Shandy Maguire, the cele-
brated poet of the Brotherhood, and the
reading of a poem prepared for the
occasion.
July, igic.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
277
General Correspondence
Efficiency Tests.
Editor:
The subject of making efficiency
tests is one that has produced vast dis-
cussion. For sometime after the prac-
tice had its inception, it was found
that a large majority of the employees
held a hostile feeling against it, but
after it was understood, there came a
change, and now the majority look on
the tests as a necessary part of the
training to which employees of the
motive power and transportation de-
partments are subjected.
Our method is to make every test
simple, and in line with every day prac-
tice, and to scatter them each day
through the month, and in this way to
keep each, and every man on the alert,
so that he may be able to act promptly,
and decisively when the occasion de-
mands.
Rule No. 27 states that a signal im-
properly displayed, or the absence of
a signal where one is usually shown
must be regarded as a danger signal,
and train brought to a stop. This rule
is very plain, and no one should allow
himself to fail to notice all signals, and
sec that the proper display is made, and
if he lives up to rule he not only in-
sures his own safety, but also that of the
rest of crew, and if a passenger train,
the safety of the other lives entrusted to
his care.
We also have a rule requiring all en-
gineers and conductors to be examined
yearly on book of rules, and special
rules contained in time-table, and it is
surprising when you find some of the
older men who have allowed them-
selves to become rusty, and this proves
beyond a doubt the necessity of keep-
ing ourselves in constant trim, so that
no matter what turns up, we .ire ready
to say what should be done. This is
especially true in the proper observ-
ance of signals, and it is my opinion
that no employee who has hit own,
and the company's interest at heart can
consistently object to the making of
efficiency tests.
I recollect just before these were
started on our road of an accident in
which a very good friend of mine, and
his fireman lost their lives, and caused
thousands of dollars' worth of damage
by their failing to comply with Rule
No. 27. At a facing point switch, with
a high switch stand on whirh the light
had been extinguished, the twitch
had been opened by some unknown
party, caused this fast passenger train
to be derailed doing the above damage.
Had my friend lived up to Rule No.
2T, and brought his train to a stop, and
made an examination before proceed-
ing, just think of the untold suffering
that could have been saved.
These are the things we hope to
avoid by making the surprise or ef-
ficiency tests, and from our present
percentage we are led to believe that
the employots realize the importance of
obeying the rules, and are doing every-
thing in their power to assist us.
Billy O.
How I Became An Engineer.
Editor :
If asked how I became an engineer I
believe the right answer would be thai the
gradual evolution of an inborn love for
things mechanical was responsible. Some
cf my earliest recollootions arc of occa-
blackboard during the noon hour and
several of the older boys often drew pic-
lures of the locomotive. While I was too
.louiig to attempt to criticise their efforts,
t'ill the pictures did not look right to me,
;:s they invariably made a full side view
and drew the wheels as ellipses as in a
perspective view.
I remember on one occasion one of tlie
1 oys had taken particular pains and liad
irdduccd what was pronounced the "best
engine ever," until someone called atten-
tion to the fact that there was a wheel
lacking. .'Xfter a number of trials and
I lulless discussion no place was found
li put the missing wheel, which some-
V, liat changed the good opinions before
e.xpressed. The artist in a last attempt
to make things right, finally drew an el-
lipse in a slanting position at the front
of his incomplete machine, hut some ob
.s\viii.ii .\mj .su..\.\i. luwKK .\r uocKvii.i.i:. i'\.
sional glimpses of different forms of inc-
rhanisin and especially of that most
human of machines, the locomotive.
Born in Iowa, my mother moved to
Ohio after the ile.ith of my father which
occurred when I was less thar a year
old. When 1 was five years of age we
visited our former home, and my only
remembrance of that trip is of a sleigh
ride along the crest of a high hill and ^f
my endeavoring to keep in sight a loiij;
train of yellow coaches far off in tin-
valley.
At the little ungraded schcKil which I
first attenilcd, the teacher snmeliines gave
the pupils p<-rmis»ion to draw upon the
servant critic said that was where the
"cow-catcher" belonged, when with one
disgusted stroke of the eraser further
criticism was silenced.
In my little uld Rcography was a wood
cut of a "Railroad Train Starling," which
represented a locomotive with enormous
wonil-burning st.nck leaving the depot
with its train. The artist had represented
the steam from the cylinder rocks in rather
a crude fashion which gave the engine the
appearance of having a wooden paddle
■ticking out at each side. This picture
had n great fancination for me, hut it was
long l)efore I ceased to wonder what those
"paddles" were for.
2/8
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
July, 1910.
The Pennsylvania and the Hock-
ing Valley used the same track into To-
ledo and their locomotives were the only
ones which I had the opportunity to ob-
serve at all closely for a number of
years. I watched the gradual transition
from the diamond stack to the straight
slack with extension front end, wonder-
ing what it was all for. When the pas-
senger trains of these lines made the stop
at the East Toledo station, the engines
were always on the street crossing and I
can still feel the awe inspired by the beau-
tiful Rogers eight-wheelers of the Hock-
ing Valley line, with their brass bands
and shining bright work, black walnut
cabs, and landscapes painted on the sides
of the headlight casing.
In all these years I had never so much
as put a foot on these wonderful crea-
tions and was in complete ignorance as
to how they were started or stopped,
never having had the acquaintance of any-
rne who had even seen the inside of a
cab. I finally made friends with a team-
ster with whom I occasionally rode part
way to school, who told me that he had
once worked on a railroad. Here was my
opportunity, so I eagerly asked how they
started the engine, and his reply was,
"They pull a rope, and to stop it they pull
another rope." But I could not reconcile
myself to the belief that those shining
cabs were filled with a collection of rope
ends, and when I found that my friend
had worked on the section. I put him
down as a base imposter.
The Wheeling & Lake Erie Railroad
finally built a line called the Toledo Belt
which was within a half mile of my home
and when the construction train came
opposite the house I was "Johnny on the
spot."
The W. & L. E, in its early days was
entirely equipped w-ith engines built by
Wm. Mason at Taunton, Mass., all but
four being of the so-called Mason-Fairlie
type, and the engine on this work train
was one of these "bogies," as the men
called them. The engineer was out on the
cars with the train crew. The fireman,
seeing that I was very much interested,
rsked me up into the cab and I was at
last initiated into the mysteries of the
''keyboard" of a locomotive. After the
completion of this line I became quite
friendly with several of the engineers
tnd rode on a number of the little bogies
and also on the "Big 4," a much larger
one with Walschaerts valve gear, whose
wonderful performances are still spoken
cf by old-timers.
During these last few years of my
school life I picked up quite a little
knowledge of railroading but never
thought to become an engineer as my
mother was strenuously opposed to my
adopting that occupation. After leaving
school I worked as a mechanical draughts-
man for about two years, but I could
not get the railroad "bug" out of my
head and it ended by my finally taking a
trip to Norwalk, O., where the W. & L. E.
shops were located, and applying for a
position as fireman. I was informed that
I'.o firemen were needed at present, but
that trip was the first of about a dozen
jind finally I was given a job as fireman
on a night switch engine in Toledo yard.
Not being used to working nights it was
extremely hard for me to keep awake and
about the fourth night I momentarily
went to sleep while we (vere pulling a cut
of cars around a curve wliich was on my
side of the engine. When I came to my
."-enses three or four lanterns were violent-
ly swinging us down and we stopped just
in time to avoid a collision with a road
engine making a drop of a caboose. That
e.xperience taught me a lesson, and then
and there I promised myself that never
again w-ould I close my eyes while there
was any necessity for my being awake,
;;nd on more than one occasion have I
been thankful that that promise has been
religiously kept.
I suppose my subsequent experience as
a fireman was about like that of .scores of
others — plenty of hard work and many
pleasant incidents, every day adding to my
knowledge of the field of work I had
chosen.
After firing for three years and ten
months I was promoted, my first engine
being one of the same little "bogies" upon
which I had received my first lesson.
While hardly an "old-timer," still I saw
the motive power of the W. & L. E. grow
from the 17 x 24-in. ten-wheelers, which
we called the "big" engines, to the 22 x 30-
in. consolidations, and I have never re-
gretted the day I bought my first gloves
;.nd overalls and became a "railroad man."
I have found that good books and pa-
pers treating of the different branches of
railroad work are of inestimable value to
the man who takes an interest in his work
and wants to be up to date. While in the
junior class at the high school, one of
the older students showed me the first
edition of "Forney's Catechism of the
Locomotive" which he had drawn from the
public library. This book was a veritable
wonderland to me and as soon as I be-
came a real fireman I bought a copy of the
second edition, then out but a short time.
When I had fired for about six months
I saw an advertisement somewhere of a
paper called The Locomotive Engineer,
and upon speaking of it to my engineer
he said that he had taken it for about a
year and would let me have the back
numbers if I wished. That was my first
acquaintance with what is now Railw.w
AND Locomotive Engineering, and the
benefit I have derived from reading its
pages could not be measured in dollars
and cents.
In looking back over my younger days
1 can easily see why and how I became
a locomotive engineer. The interest I
look in the locomotive which grew
stronger year by year found its logical
outcome in my making my hobby earn
nr.' living — this I have lately seen de-
scribed as true happiness.
While of course there are many un-
pleasant things connected with the life of
a locomotive engineer, there is still a sort
of fascination about it that is hard to
overcome which undoubtedly keeps many
in the ranks long after they are financially
j.ble to retire.
To mj' mind there is nothing more
thrilling than to be at the throttle of a
modern "battleship" making a run for a
l.ill, doing every ounce of work of which
her inches are capable and giving a close
imitation of how Halley's comet might
look to a near-by observer.
I have often wondered if the designers
of these splendid machines feel a pride in
their creations as they see them doing
their wonderful work day by day, giving
the most spectacular manifestation of
power, of which any man-made mechan-
ism is capable, and I have always felt
like taking off my hat to the shopmen who
can take the poor, seemingly worn-out old
"hog," leaky, wheezy, loose in every joint
and turn out in a few weeks a perfect
locomotive, practically as good as new.
To one who has any love fof the loco-
motive, who is not afraid to put in sev-
eral years of hard, back-breaking work,
tnd who has the moral stamina required
to succeed in any calling, I would say
by all means take the path which leads
to the right hand side.
After being with the W. & L. E. for
sixteen years, I resigned to accept a po-
sition as locomotive engineer with the
Isthmian Canal Commission with financial
iienefit, but as it is all construction work
here, I have more than once longed to be
again at the head end of 2,500 tons with
about 125 tons of "Brooks" ready to heed
my every wish.
This may perhaps be too long-drawn-
out to find a place in your columns, but
when I look back upon my past expe-
rience, not at all uncommon, it seems as
if I could write a book upon "How I
Became an Engineer."
Feed. M. Westcott.
Tabernilla, Canal Zone, Panama.
Eddy Engines in New England.
Editor :
Your June number gives an interesting
narrative of the achievements in locomo-
tive building of the late Wilson Eddy.
But it contains some errors, which you
may think worth correcting. The "Ad-
dison Gilmore" was very far from settling
the cab question, all the locomotives on
Eddy's road having been long equipped
with cabs, as in fact were all the other
locomotives in New England at that
period.
The locomotives on that road were
very far from being of English type. I
think that as early as 1846 every loco-
July, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
2Ti
motive running there was of the eight-
wheel pattern, chiefly of Hinkley and of
Taunton make, with some four of strange
design from the Lowell Machine Shop.
Mr. Eddy's first engines were the "At-
lantic" and "Pacific," eight-wheel freight
engines, built from his design, by the
Springfield Locomotive & Car Company.
The.se were followed by the "Gilmore,"
which was very far from being a success,
bcinc unable to encounter the steep grades
between Worcester and Springfield, even
with the light trains of those days. She
was afterward cut down to an eight-
wheel type, with six-foot drivers, the
centers of which would not have pre-
vented an old-time Hebrew from wor-
shipping them, as they were not like any-
thing in the Heaven above or in the earth
beneath. His freight engine did good serv-
ice for the road, but his boilers, while
free-steamers, had the radical defect of
being leak}', owing to Mr. Eddy's obsti-
nate adherence to the desigrn of a frame,
the back end of which was bolted rigidly
to the outside firebox.
Boston, Mass. Geo. H. Lloyd.
[Our esteemed correspondent might
look again at the brief sketch that we
published of Mr. Wilson Eddy's career
as an engineer. No one ever claimed that
Mr. Eddy constructed the first locomotive
cab. but there was a strong prejudice
against cabs which Mr. Eddy's fine ar-
tistic productions speedily overcome. Fur-
thermore, Mr. Eddy came into promir
nence under Major Whistler, the cele-
brated pioneer railroad engineer. Both
were employed on the Western division
of the Boston & .Mbany Railroad, then
all of the locomotives used on the road
were of the English type, built by the
Lowell Machine Shops Company, with a
few of Ross Winan's "crabs." It was
after several years' experience with these
locomotives that Mr. Eddy began design-
ing locomotives, and it is universally con-
'!ded that his work had a marked influ-
■ nee on the motive power in .\merica.
Trom the crude contrivances of the early
'lays of locomotive engineering, Mr. Eddy
made engines convenient to operate, easy
to repair and so admirably proportioned
that maximum wear was secured before
heavy repairs became necessary. Mr.
Eddy did much to improve the utility of
locomotives and established a kind of har-
monious uniformity in their appearance.
— Editor.]
Old Engine Number* on the P. R. R.
Editor:
I have read with acme interest the
correspondence about the old Pennsyl-
vania Railroad locomotive*, especially
the letter of Mr. C. B. Chancy, Jr., in
"ur May issue. Mr. Chancy mentions
I'l Class "K" engines. I have recol-
iTtion of 16 a< follows : No* 1, 3, 10,
1R4, 260, 340, 341, 956 to 950; and 1066
to 1070
I should very much like to know the
numbers of the "K" engines not in-
cluded in the above list. Perhaps one
of your correspondents could furnish
them.
During the latter 8o's a number of
Class "P" locomotives, with 68-in
wheels, 18^ .x 24-in. cylinders and
larger boilers than those of Class "K"
were placed in high-speed service on
the New York division. Conspicuous
among these were Nos. 395, 417, 917
and 1244 to 1253. Doubtless some of
these engine are still running in local
passenger and freight service.
Previous to their retirement, the "K"
engines had their wheels reduced to
72 ins. in diameter. When last seen by
the writer they were working locals
out of Camden, N. J.
The Pennsylvania has always been
conservative about the introduction of
very heavy locomotives, and this policy
is illustrated by the persistence with
capacities, and when properly handled,
feed water into the boiler in a highly
efficient and satisfactory manner. The
starting and stopping of an injector is a
comparatively simple matter, but to feed
water into a boiler in the most approved
manner requires the best judgment. No
matter how skillful an engineer may be
in handling an. engine — that is, with re-
gard to the adjustment of the throttle
and reverse lever — he does not have the
record for good runs, unless he has the
ability to feed the boiler effectively. It,
therefore, behooves the progressive en-
gineman to make a special study of this
important branch of locomotive manage-
ment.
There are enginemen, and we find them
on every division of our standard rail-
roads, who have boiler feeding down to a
science. They are men usually of more
than the average degree of intelligence,
and who have the faculty of concentrat-
ing the mind to a marked degree. The
which the Atlantic type has been re-
tained for working the heaviest ex-
press traffic over the entire system.
The wisdom of the policy has been
proved by the fine work done by these
engines. With the introduction of
heavier cars and higher speeds, how-
ever, it has become necessary to
"double head" on many runs; and the
next move of the motive power de-
partment, in providing a high-powered
passenger locomotive, will be watched
with interest. Paul T. Warner.
Philadelphia.
Editor: ^°*'" Feeding.
Ever since the introduction of the in-
jector its possibilities as a boiler feeder
have been recognized by intelligent and
observing engineers. There arc a nuni
her of injectors on the market today,
which ni.iy almo»t be called perfect boiler
feeders; <lifv b:ivc a wide ramie of
• ii Ai.K. .\rsTK.\;
. i' .lo'inji the mb.)
hitter qualification is essential to success
ill every branch of industry, but nowhere
is it so much needed as in the handling
of a twentieth century locomotive.
Let us consider what constitutes per-
fect boiler feeding. In the first place the
water should be fed into the boiler con-
tinuously, and the amount injected should
just equal the evaporation. In the sec-
end place the water level should be car-
ried at the lowest point consistent with
safety so that the cylinders are supplied,
at all times, with dry steam. This method
is theoretically correct, and at the same
time is highly practicable. In order to
feed a boiler continuously, it is neces-
sary to adjust the water ram of the in-
jectors as the evaporation is increased or
decreased. On a hilly division, the evap-
oration is a variable quantity, and hence
considerable judgment must be exercised
on the part of enginemen in order to ad-
here to this method.
2So
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
July, 1910.
Motive power officials have recognized
the benefits to be derived from this
method of boiler feeding, and have at-
tempted to encourage the practice by
equipping engines with short water
glasses, and injectors of not too large
capacity. The co-operation of the round-
house foremap is also necessary. Tanks
should be cleaned at regylar boiler wrash
periods — oftener if necessary; tank hose
should be taken down occasionally and
the screens cleaned out. The boiler
checks should be ground in at regular
boiler wash periods also ; and the lift of
the valves should be maintained as near
standard as possible. The tubes of in-
jectors should not be allowed to become
coated with scale, nor badly worn. The
steam ram and overflow valve injector
should be ground in when leaks exist.
If these rules are adhered to little or no
trouble is experienced with injectors
"flying off," and the conditions are suit-
able for continuous boiler feeding.
It is a well known fact that boiler
feeding and fuel economy are closely
allied. This has been brought out very
forcibly the last few years since the ques-
tion of fuel economy has been given .so
much attention. When the boiler is
fed continuously and the water level is
maintained fairly constant, the conditions
are the best possible for perfect com-
bustion in the firebox. There are no
rapid changes in temperature, and a
bright fire can be kept without danger
of excessive loss of steam from the pops.
The fireman can keep the steam up to the
maximum working pressure without
special effort, as the fluctuations in pres-
sure are only those that come from
changes in the cut-off and opening of the
throttle. LTnless an engine is a par-
ticularly good steamer the practice of put-
ting on and shutting off the injector at
frequent intervals causes the steam pres-
sure to vary considerably, and the fire-
man in his efforts to keep the pressure
constant wastes large quantities of fuel.
There is another saving effected by con-
tinuous boiler feeding iliat is often over-
looked, and that is the waste at the over-
flow when the injector is put on many
times during a trip.
With continuous boiler feeding changes
in the temperature of the flues and fire-
box sheets are slight ; and hence the
trouble from leaky flues and firebox
sheets is reduced to a minimum. Several
years ago tests were made which proved
conclusively that the leaky flue trouble
was caused mostly by the change of
temperature from injecting cold feed
water into the boiler at a time when the
circulation was poor.
There are enginemen who will start
from a terminal or station with the in-
jector working. This practice cannot be
too heartily condemned. In the first place
an enormous quantity of steam that
should be used to aid in starting the
train is detracted from the cylinders to
the non-productive work of forcing
water into the boiler. It is said that
from one-eighth to one-tenth of the
steam generated by the boiler is thus con-
sumed by the injector. In the second
place the cold water entering the boiler
at a time when the water is in violent
circulation causes a decrease in the tem-
perature of the boiler and a consequeni
fall in pressure. Under such manage-
ment the best efforts of the fireman can-
not bring results, and hence he becomes
indifferent.
There are engineers on fast through
trains that go over a whole division
without shutting off the injector — ex-
cept when making a start. Since the in-
troduction of water scoops and large
capacity tanks — holding fifteen and six-
teen tons of coal — it is possible to go over
a division without stopping. On a level
division where the engine is working
steam, most of the time the problem
of feeding the boiler continuously is
not a difficult one, but on hilly divisions,
where the evaporation varies consider-
ably, some skill is required on the part of
the enginemen. W. Smith,
Benwood, W. I'a. B. & O. R. R.
Old Colony Locomotive History.
Editor:
Herewith is presented a photograph of
the Old Colony Locomotive, "Falmouth,"
the leading engine on the ill-fated ex-
press which left Fall River steamboat
wharf in the gray dawn of October 13,
1876, for its quick run to Boston, collid-
ing at Randolph, fifteen miles from its
destination, with tlie engine "Pacific"
in Hyannis, Engineer Samuel Deck-
row, of Taunton and his fireman, John
Clark, of South Boston, crew of the
second engine, "Old Colony," all re-
ceived severe permanent injuries which
terminated their respective careers on
the foot-plate on that unlucky morning.
.All are now gone except John Clark,
who for many years has been superin-
tendent of the oil room at the round-
house in South Boston. The crew of the
freight engine "Pacific," forewarned of
their peril by the roar of the on-rushing
express before the headlights of the lat-
ter actually appeared around the curve
dead ahead, had barely time to jump and
save themselves after doing all in their
power to get clear of the main line.
The Old Colony descriptive list of 1877
gives the following details regarding the
subject illustrated: Road No. 68.
Weight, 63,000 lbs. Cylinders, 16 x 24
ins. Drivers, 5V2 ft. Built at the com-
pany's shops at South Boston, May, 1876.
The engine ran with her original boiler
until 1897, when a new one was pro-
vided. Despite the misfortune of 1876
the "Falmouth" proved one of the best
of the Taylor engines, which is saying
a great deal, as they were all noted for
their efficiency. Besides the "Falmouth,"
whose present number in the New Ha-
ven classification is 2008, there still re-
mains in active service in this section
quite a few of the locomotives of the
days when the O. C. R. R. reigned su-
preme along the highw'ays of steel which
traverse the length and breadth of the
famous Land of the Pilgrims. Occa-
sionally one may be teen near a station
where some obscure branch joins the
which was backing a long train of freight
cars on to a siding near the railroad sta-
tion at that place. The lapse of over
thirty j'ears has not effaced from the
minds of the older railroad men in the
Old Colony region the memory of this
thrilling disaster, and the reproduction
of this picture will recall the single fa-
tality in connection with the accident,
the death of young Thomas Abbott, of
Hyannis, Mass., fireman of the "Fal-
mouth," who was instantly killed in the
terrific crash. Engineer Alonzo G.
Crosbv of the "Falmouth," who also lived
main line humbly waiting to take up a
couple of cars dropped by a through
train and convey them to their destina-
tion a few miles away.
W. A. Hazelboom.
Boston, Afass.
Wear of Eccentrics.
Editor:
I was surprised at the theories of
yir. E. J. Brewster, as presented in
his letter published in the June issue
of R.MLWAY AND LOCOMOTTOE ENGINEER-
ING, in regard to the wear of eccentrics
July, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
a8i
being all on the small half of the
eccentric and attributing it to centri-
fugal force. He falls into two errors.
First, the wear is not all on the small
part of the eccentric. There is a con-
stant wear on every part of the eccen-
tic as every one knows who has trued
up worn eccentrics in the lathe and
who knows the original size of the
eccentric. That there is a greater
amount of wear on the small part of
the eccentric is entirely owing to the
fact that it is this part of the eccentric
that reverses the motion of the link
at each end of the stroke, and it is a
well-known law in mechanics that it
requires greater force to reverse a mo-
tion than it does to carry on the mo-
tion after it has been reversed.
Each reversing movement of the ec-
centric rod which moves the link and
which in turn moves the rocker and
valve, acts as a blow in the small part
of the eccentric and the long continued
succession of blows has the effect of
wearing away that part of the eccentric
much more rapidly than the larger part
of the eccentric which has easier work to
perform in merely carrying on the motion
which the smaller part had begun.
Mr. Brewster's idea of centrifugal
motion being the cause of the wear
alluded to would be correct if the ec-
centric rod was a revolving arm con-
stantly impelled to fly outwards by
centrifugal force and retained in posi-
tion by its adhesive contact to the small
part of the eccentric, but the eccentric
has a reciprocating movement and like
the piston rod is reversed twice in each
revolution of the main axle and is not
j-articularly affected by centrifugal
force.
If anyone interested in the subject
would find an opportunity to watch
the movement of the eccentric rod on
2n engine moving slowly, the shock
of reversing the link or rocker would
be readily observed, especially if there
was some lost motion in the joints to
emphasize the movement.
W. L. Calver, Foreman.
Interhorough Shops, New York.
Old Baldwin on the Northern Central.
Editor :
In 1869 the Baldwin I-ocoinotivc Works
built for the Northern Central Railway
two locomotives, No». 131 and 133, for
burning hard coal. These engines wcrt-
plarc'l in service between Ballimore and
narri»burg, doing express train ser-
vice, and were in the front rank of loco-
moiivrt of their day. They were
handsome machines, as will be seen
from the phnioitraph, and were kept con-
stantly in |l.ls^»•tn{cr train service until
retired, b<ltiK tal<<n out of service in 1880,
according 10 the practice of the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad of scrapping an engine
whrn twenty years old.
These engines had wagon-top boilers
and single domes, unlike the majority of
Baldwin engines of that period, which
had straight boilers with two domes. The
dimensions of these engines were as fol-
lows: Cylinders, i- x 24 ins.; boiler, 48
ins. diameter; 155 tubes, 2 ins. diameter,
II ft. 6 ins. long; fire-box, 34 x loaj/j ins.
with a 5% in. combustion chamber, burn-
ing anthracite. Driving wheel b.ise, 7 ft.
6 ins.; total wheel base, 22 ft. 1% ins.;
total heating surface, 1,035 sq.ft. ; diame-
ter of drivers, 62 ins. The photograph
herewith was taken from an ink wash
ing considered. Water for the engines is
pumped from Silver Lake close by. While
this is good water, and requiring the .
average amount of soda ash, the water
from the city (Wisconsin River) is much
better, in fact, about perfect, requiring
but very little soda ash.
1 do not know that I can do any better
than give a resume of the handling of
the business at this point, which you can
publish later if you like, where the heavi-
est compound engines have been trans-
ferred to the West or elsewhere and the
heavy simple engines are in tlieir place.
OLD XORTIItRN CENTK.XL ENGINE NO.
drawing made by the writer, and shows
No. 131 as she appeared in her later years.
In conclusion, I would say that I have
tried for years to obtain a photograph of
cither of these engines "taken from life,"
but without success, and if any of the
many readers of your valuable paper know
of any such picture being in existence, I
shall be very grateful if they will com-
municate with me.
C. B. Cn.vNEV, Jr.
331 Slate street,
Brooklvii, X. )'.
Roundhouse Work.
Editor:
I have been asked by representatives of
railway and mechanical papers to give a
write-up of the general country round-
house work, as handled under my charge
as I find it, and with any new kinks, ap-
pliances, etc.
Roundhouse work the country over is
probably pretty much the same grind. .Xs
to new kinks at this place, we have no
array of very modern appliances, in a
strict sense. The pneumatic calking tool
recently installed is proving its worth, and
doing the work in from one-half to one-
third the lime required by hand. Care
must be taken, however, not to use too
much air pre.ssure, and jar the sheet and
start the other flues leaking.
We arc promised an extension of the
plant this sutniner. The 10 east stalls nf
the fS arc to be lenRthrncd some 20 fi
to accommodate the big, long-geared en-
gines. A pneumatic sanding arranKcnunt
is to be put in. also a larger stationary
boiler to replace one of the smaller onrn.
Electric lights for the roundhouse, and
electric power for the turn table, are li>--
Later I will append a comparison with
the two classes of power, showing up a
little in favor of the compound ; however,
expense of repairs is not shown, which
since has appeared to be a little the heavi-
est for the compounds. A trial is being
made of the electric head lights; results
not known here as yet.
H. W. Griggs,
Roundhouse Foreman.
Portage, IFis.
Builder of the "Marlboro."
Editor:
On page 231 of your June issue you
have a picture of the engine "Marlboro,"
said by Mr. Cassidy to have been b\iiU
by McKay & .Mders. Begging Mr. Cas-
sidy's pardon, but judging from ocrl.iin
prominent details I think she was a "Win.
Mason" engine. Notice particularly the
headlight brackets, shape of the diamond
stack, cylinder and steam chest covers
strap end on valve rod, piunp and check
valve, driving wheels with concealed coim-
terbalance, whistle set in center of dome
top, shape of dome cover and sand box,
bell stand, slight taper of boiler, tank
trucks and also the ogee curve at the
front end of lank flange. Most of these
iletails are distinctly "Mason."
Kirku'niiil, Mo. IIv. MaRTIN.
Old Ten-Wheel Amoskeag.
Editor :
Referring to your May number I no-
ticed a very interesting subject written
by Mr. .S. J. Kidder on "Oldtimc Rail-
way Reminiscences." In this connection
would you be willing for me in the
next ilsuc of your paper to make an in-
quiry asking if anyone has any old |iho-
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE EXGINEERING.
Inly, 1910.
tographs of the locomotives which Mr.
Kidder speaks of, in his article of the
ten-whcci type on the Chicago, Burling-
ton & Quincy, built by the Amoskeag
Machine Shops? He states they were in-
side connected engines, and were, in the
opinion of the engineers, too large to
be run with safety. I think they must
have been curiosities, and I should like
very much to get hold of a photograph
of one, as this is the first I have ever
heard of a ten-wheel type being built
so far back. Thanking you for any in-
formation you can give me.
John Worcester Merrill.
Boston, Mass.
Edward VII in Canada.
The following, taken from the col-
umns of the Buffalo Express, gives some
interesting particulars concerning the
visit to Canada and the L'nited States
of Edward VII, then heir apparent. The
writer of the article is Mr. James M.
Williams, son of the locomotive engineer
who ran the engine "Cumberland" at the
head of the royal train. iMr. Williams
says :
"It is not generally known that when
King Edward VII visited Canada and
the United States, in i860, as His Royal
Highness, Albert Edward, Prince of
Wales, the special train, consisting of two
was the engineer chosen to handle the
"Cumberland."
"Messrs. Tillinghast and Williams,
with J. Lewis Grant, superintendent of
the Northern Railway of Canada, helped
to build the Rome. Watertown & Ogdens-
burg Railroad, and held the same posi-
tions relatively, on this road as were
afterward tendered to them on the North-
ern Railway of Canada. At the begin-
ning of the Civil War J. Lewis Grant re-
turned to the States and was made su-
perintendent of the Buffalo & Erie Rail-
road, now part of the Eastern division
of the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern
Railway. Messrs. Tillinghast and Will-
iams returned with him, and Mr. Tillin-
ghast received the appointment of divi-
sion superintendent of the New York
Central, and Mr. Williams that of
master mechanic of the Buffalo & Erie
at Erie, Pa.
"The special time-table of Sept. 10,
i860, for the train of the Prince of
\\'ales. with the photographs of the ob-
servation car and the engine 'Cumber-
land,' which are herewith reproduced,
the writer believes are the only ones in
existence. The time-table shows that
the Prince traveled at the rate of 21 miles
an hour, or from Toronto, Ont., to Col-
lingwood, Ont., on Georgian Bay, 94I/2
miles, in 4^2 hours. After the train had
ally, to all of the train crew, gold pieces.
My father, the engineer, received a $20
gold piece as a souvenir of the trip. The
observation car, as will be seen in the
picture, had ten crowns of England on it,
and I have one of the crowns in my
possession."
Testing Plant for University.
L'pon the recommendation of Mr. Rob-
ert Quayle, superintendent of motive
power and machinery, and with the ap-
proval of Mr. W. A. Gardner, general
manager ; the locomotive testing plant of
the Chicago & North Western Railway
Company has been presented to the Uni-
versity of Illinois. Under the immediate
direction of Mr. H. T. Bentley, assistant
superintendent of motive power and ma-
chinery, it has been taken from its foun-
dation, the bearings and other running
parts have been put in good order for
sen-ice, and the plant with all the special
patterns used in its construction has been
loaded and shipped to the University of
Illinois. It is understood that the plant
will be held by the university pending the
construction of its proposed transporta-
tion laboratory.
The Chicago & North Western Com-
pany's testing plant was designed under
the general direction of Mr. Quayle aided
WUUL) DURMN
INSIDE CONNECTED, NORTHERN RAILWAY
iLourtes? of the Buffalo Express.)
coaches, the Prince's observation car and
the finest locomotive in Canada at that
time, the 'Cumberland,' named after the
president of the Northern Railway of
Canada, was in charge of and run by
two former Buffalonians. They were
James Tillinghast. then superintendent of
motive power of the Northern Railway of
Canada, who planned and supervised the
constructing of the observation car and
had charge of the special train, and Levi
S. Williams (the writer's father), who
covered i83':2 miles, in 45 minutes, which
was pretty fast for those days, it had to
stop for water at Richmond Hill, then
again at Aurora, Ont., 30.2 miles from
Toronto, for wood for fuel, arriving at
Collingwood at i p. m. The Prince, in
returning, left Collingwood at 3 p. rrr., and
arrived at Toronto at 7 p. m., the return
trip being made in just four hours, or at
the average rate of 23.625 miles per hour.
"The Prince was very generous as
well as democratic : for he gave person-
CL'ilLERLAND.
b>- Mr. E. M. Herr, now vice-president
and general manager of the Westing-
house Electric & Manufacturing Com-
pany, but at that time assistant superin-
tendent of motive power and machinery.
The drawings were developed under the
immediate direction of Mr. E. B. Thomp-
son, now superintendent of motive power
and machinery of the Chicago, St Paul,
Minneapolis & Omaha Railway, but who-
at that time was chief draftsman for the
railway company. Mr. Quayle had been'
July, 1910.
RAILWAY AXD LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
283
made chairman of the Master Mechanics'
Committee on Exhaust Pipes and Steam
Passages, and some time before while
master mechanic at South Kaukauna, Wis-
consin, had improvised a testing plant
by lengthening out the members of a pas-
senger car truck to make the wheel
fpacing agree with that of the drivers of
jhe locomotive he desired to test, and by
mounting this truck bottom side up in
a pit in such manner that he could run
a locomotive upon it. Encouraged by
these earlier experiments he later advo-
cated the testing of locomotives at the
Fortieth .street shops of the railway com-
pany. The rc'^ult was the plant which is
Erie Does Quick Work.
The Susquehanna shops of the Erie
Railroad have made a record for that
road which will be hard to beat. Some
very fast time on heavy repairs had been
made at the Hornell and the Meadville
shops, and Mr. H. H. Harrington, the
master mechanic at Susquehanna was
confident that his men could beat the
record of both the other shops. His
intention to have a try at it was com-
municated to Mr. L. R. Laizure, general
foreman, and the men were taken into
their confidence.
The attack on engine No. 2018, after it
had made 71,78/ miles, was made at 7
Frames cleaned, white leaded and tested
for fracture. Spring rigging overhauled.
Valves completed at 8.25 p. m. Motion
work, eccentrics, straps, etc., and lifting
shaft completely overhauled and last piece
back on engine by 2.45 p. m. A new way
of removing and applying flues was tried.
Il was done so that when the last flue
was out in three hours and forty-five
niiniiles, the first 100 flues were back and
being applied.
We do not pretend to give in detail
the list of repairs to this engine. For full
particulars the reader is referred to the
Erie Railroad Employes' Magazine, from
which our information is drawn. Up
( .|;-1 1(\ \ I IMS I \1< ii.S 11
now being sent to the University of Illi-
nois. The proceedings of the Master Car
Builders' Association will show that the
North Western plant was an important
factor in the development of several com-
mittee reports dealing with the design of
exhaust pipes, steam passages, draft pipes
and stacks The plant was found use-
ful also in working out various other
problems of more immediate interest to
the Chicago & North Western Railway
Company. In recent years it has been
idle.
The plant consists of foundation plates,
pedestals and three pairs of axles with
their bearings, supporting wheels, fric-
tion brakes, etc. It was the first of its
kind to l>e supplied with permanent
mounting rails, by ute of which a loco-
motive could t>e rolled on or oflf the
wheels without resort to temporary
blocking.
II-: XOKTIIKK.N K.MI.W.W OK ( .\X.\li.\ l"OU
(Courtesy of the Bulfolo Express.)
o'clock a. m. on May u, by a selected
shop force, each man of which knew be-
forehand exactly whAt he was expected
to do. Just before the whistle blew Mr.
Laizure said a few words of encourage-
ment to the men, concluding with "Do
not loose sight of the Erie standard, good
work and quick work." The class of re-
pairs given to the engine arc what is called
T B M F repair. This means tires,
boxes, machinery and flue repairs, and the
work was executed in thirteen hours and
thirty-four minutes.
The first pair of wheels was in the
wheel lathe at 8.42 a. m. The second was
in another lathe at 8 50 a. m. Tires re-
moved from main drivers, iccond-hand
tires bored, applied and turned by 2 p. m
The driving boxes were removed while
wheel, were being rolled to the lathe
There was a complete tet of shoes and
wedges laid out and fitted by 10.30 a. m.
rRIN'CE OI- WALES TRIP.
ti, this time the Hornell shops had held
ibc record with heavy repairs done in 24
hi.urs and .33 minutes, and Mr. llarring-
tnn has asked his men to get into the 18-
hoiir class, but the time made, 13 l>o"fS
:ind u minutes will be hard to beat in
anv shop. Mr. J. C. Sleuart. vice-prcsi-
(leiit of the Erie, complimented his offi-
cers and men at Susquehanna on their
splendid performance.
A New Design in Valve Gear*.
Since l«42, when the Stcpliensons
|,laccd on their locomotives the first
reversible valve gear, which was the
unpatented product of the mind of young
William Williams, one of their draughts-
men, there have been invented upwards
of fifty reversible motions, each calculated
ti> improve the functions of steam admis-
sion and exhaust, together with the com-
plications resulting from the neces-
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
July, igio.
sity for variations in cut-ofF, lap, lead
and quick port opening. It seems re-
markable, considering the ingenuity
of valve gear inventors, therefore, that
only the designs of William Williams
(the shifting link) and of Egade Wal-
of the points above mentioned, it will
be seen that for 25 per cent, of the pis-
ton travel from the front end, the
crank has traveled 4"/^ parts of the
crank circle; for 50 per cent., 6J4 parts,
and for 75 per cent., 9 parts. On the
MiiDEL OF THE PILLIOD BROTHERS' NEW VALVE GEAR.
schacrts should have survived through
the decades marked by so many radical
improvements in the general design of
the railway locomotive. And it be-
speaks much for the rare attainments
of these two inventors, and the magni-
tude of the problem with which they
coped.
A design, which differs from any-
thing heretofore successfully produced,
both in principle and effect, has been
perfected by Messrs. Charles and
Henry Pilliod, and is shown in our
half-tone and drawings. Some of the
features claimed for the Pilliod gear
are: A uniform cut-ofi, uniform re-
lease, a possible 25 per cent, cut-off
with a 75 per cent, release and a late
release in the working notches of the
quadrant. In the design of any valve
motion the first consideration must be
the action of the parts furnishing the
power. The troubles of the valve
gear designers lie principally in the
difficulty of the conversion of the cir-
cular motion of the connecting rod, at
the one end, into the reciprocal motion
at the other, and in the elimination of
the objectionable effects of the resul-
tant angularities.
To explain the effect of this angular-
ity of the driving parts let the crank
circle be divided into 28 parts, or the
half circle into 14 equal parts, the latter
representing one piston stroke of the
engine. The front and back centers of
the crank give two points, each of
which marks the beginning of the pis-
ton stroke in either forward or back-
ward motion. It is well known, that
the piston travels fastest while the
crank is traveling through the first half
of the piston stroke, or through 90
degs. of the crank circle. For purpose
of clearness the piston stroke may be
divided into 4 equal parts, 25, 50 and
75 per cent. By drawing radii equal to
the length of the main rod from each
back end the results are 25 per cent.,
5 parts; for 50 per cent., 7% parts, and
for 75 per cent., gyi parts. These are
the conditions of angularity that must
be met in the proper distribution of
steam through the valve gear.
In the motion ellipse the upper half
DIAGRAM OF E\EXTS IX STROKE,
corresponds to the travel of the valve
for the front end of the cylinder and
the lower half corresponds to the travel
of the valve for the back end of the
cylinder. The ellipses reproduced
show the two extremes of service con-
these ellipses are indicated the cor-
responding movements of the valve for
each movement or position of the
crank.
An interesting feature of the Pilliod
valve gear is the fact that, without
change in essential detail, the impart-
ing motion may be taken from a single
crosshead connection or from a return
crank as in the conventional designs.
This will be of particular interest to
those who have experienced more or
less trouble with the operation of loco-
motives on sharp curves where the at-
tending distortion of the main frames
results in appreciable error in the opera-
tion of the valve gear. In fact, the form
preferred by the Pilliod brothers is where
the motion of the right hand engine is
taken from the left hand crosshead and
the motion of the left engine is taken
from the right crosshead by a clever ar-
rangement not unlike the valve gear of a
Worthington pump. There is no connec-
tion from the crank pin ; the crosshead
attachment alone does the work.
The absence of large or fiat wearing
parts in a valve gear is appreciated by
those charged with the upkeep and in
this gear, as in several others, all wear
is taken by pin connections which may
be case hardened and, when necessary,
replaced at a minimum of expense.
The absence of any great weight in the
moving parts also tends to reduce the
effects of wear and at the same time
this feature adds to the ease with
which the locomotive is controlled
from the cab.
In the case of a gear which neces-
sitates the use of a link, errors due to
lost motion are often uncorrected for
long periods owing to the difficulty of
making some of the adjustments, while
in the case of the gear without wearing
OE'TLINE OF THE PILLOID
ditions, full gear and 25 per cent, travel
and are the same in both forward and
backward motions. It follows that
with the two extreme positions in har-
mony the intermediate positions will
show corresponding harmonization. In
BROTHERS' \"ALVE GEAR.
parts, other than pins, a correction is
so easily made by the adjustment of
tapers, or by the insertion of new parts,
that the general performance of the
engine should be more or less distinctly
benefitted in the average.
July, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
285
The Pilliod brothers have issued an
illustrated and descriptive pamphlet which
they will be happy to send to anyone in-
terested enough to apply, Nicholas Build-
ing, Toledo, O.
New Electric Locomotive.
The Westinghouse Electric & .Manu-
facturing Company, of Pittsburgh, recent-
ly completed a 150-ton locomotive for use
on the electrified section of the New
York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad
between Stamford, Conn., and New York
City. The entire electrical equipment, in-
cluding the spring drive of the motors, is
the design of the Westinghouse Company,
while the mechanical parts were designed
ty the engineers of the Baldwin Locomo-
tive Works and the New Haven Railroad
company.
The specifications required that the
locomotive be able to haul a 1,500-ton
freight train at a speed of thirty-five miles
an hour on level track, where the train
resistance is not over six pounds per ton.
They also required that the locomotive.be
capable of hauling an 800-ton passenger
train at a speed of 45 miles an hour.
This capacity would enable it to haul an
800-ton limited train from the Grand Cen-
tral Station, New York City, to New
Haven, a distance of 73 miles with no
intermediate stops, in one hour and fifty-
five minutes; or to haul an 800-ton ex-
piess train the same distance in two
hours and twelve minutes, with an allow-
ance of five minutes for stops; or to haul
. 350-ton local train in two hours and
rty-five minutes, with an average stop
: forty-five seconds.
The locomotive has hauled thirty-seven
'. adtd cars, a heavy freight engine and a
caboose from New Rochelle to Stamford,
a distance of eighteen miles in twenty-
••ven minutes. Although this run v.
.'ide in a drizzling rain that froze
i-t as it fell and made the tracks vi ;
ippery, the engine attained a speed ■ i
: rty-five miles an hour. During sonn
tests made at the works of the Westing-
house Company at East Pittsburgh, Pa.,
';<.■ locomotive started and accelerated a
100-ton freight train, both on lever track
;nd on an up-grade of 0.3 per cent, on a
three degree curve. A train correspond-
ing to the 800-ton passenger train was
' relerated at a rate of about 04 miles
• r hour per second and quickly reached
ii.t required speed.
The design of the trucks and running
yar of the locomotive is unique. The
Mck frames arc connected by an inter-
:i'diate drawbar. One truck has only a
■ tativc 'motion about its center-pin, while
' <■ other has a fore-and-aft as well ai a
tative motion, in order to compensate
' r the angular positions of the trucks and
'rawb.ir when the locomotive is travers-
ing a curve. The tractive force is trans-
mitted through the truck frames and
drawbar instead of through the main
frame. Each truck has two pairs of driv-
ing wheels, and a single pair of leading
wheels. The wheel loads are equalized
as in steam locomotive practice. To
assist in reducing shocks and keeping
the two trucks in alignment, chafing
castings and spring buffers are inter-
posed between the truck frames, under
the center ot the locomotive. The
weight of the cab, instead of being <ar-
ried on the center pin, is carried on
friction plates at the ends of the truck.
The weight is applied through springs,
which have a considerable latitude for
motion to allow for variation in the
track without changing materially the
distribution of weight on the ends of
the truck. The plan of running-gear
;ind cab support adopted for this loco-
motive prevents any periodic vibration
i.r "lie ~incr." ini:iin:i7c- sli.n-k-; nn the
differences being in the mechanical de-
tails and general arrangement.
Each motor is rigidly mounted on
the truck frame and directly above a
iiuill surrounding the driving axle, to
which it is geared. The motors project
into the cab, and the floor above them
is raised. This method of mounting
t!ie motors on the truck frame gives a
high center of gravity, and prevents
the transmission of strains and shocks
irom the track and road bed to the
motors. An air blast transformer is
provided for lowering the trolley line
voltage to that required by the motors.
The control apparatus is of the West-
•nghouse electro-pneumatic type.
When operating on alternating cur-
rent, all four motors are connected in
multiple, and the control is obtained
by changing the connections to various
volt.i.ge taps on the main transformer.
:,->^
N Y N I-i at M
^r^^^r^
m:\v electric locomotive on the n. v.. N. H. & H.
truck and road bed, and insures easy
riding. As the rigid wheel base is only
seven feet for each truck, the locomo-
tive is extremely flexible, and easy on
the track at curves.
The electrical equipment, which was
luiilt and mounted by the Westing-
liiiusc Electric & Manufacturing Coni-
i>any, comprises four single-phase
fjcarcd motors, together with the
.'■tixiliary apparatus necessary for their
operation from the ii.ooo-volt, alter-
nating-current or 600-volt, direct-cur-
rent circuit of the electrified section*
'f the New Maven and the New York
Central railroads, respectively. The
motors are of the same Kcneral electri-
cal design as those in use on the pres-
ent New Haven locomotives, the main
< Ml direct current the motors arc first
k roupcd all in series, and then two in
series and two in parallel, in combina-
tion with various resistance steps. Pro-
vision is made for cutting out any one
of the four motors singly on cither al-
ternating current or direct current. A
master controller and brake valve are
located in each end of the cab so that
the locomotives can be operated from
either end, and the system of control is
such that two or more locomotives can
he couplrd together and operated from
r.nr master controller The speed con-
trol is extremely flexible. Two pneu-
matically operated pnntagraph trolleys
are provided for collecting current
(rnm the ii,ooo-volt alternating-current
hne.
286
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
July, 1910.
RllSv.Eii9iieeriiiS
A Practiol Jonmal of Motive Power, Boiling
Stock and Appliances.
Published Monthly by
ANGUS SINCLAIR CO.
114 Liberty Street. New York.
Telvphons, 984 Cortlandt.
Cable Address,
"Loceng,"
Glasgo'
N. Y.
Business Department :
ANGUS SINCLAIR, D.E., Prest. and Treas.
JAMES KENNEDY, Vice-Prest. and Gen. Mgr.
HABEY A. KENNEY, Secretary.
Editorial Department:
ANGUS SINCLAIR. D.E., Editor.
GEORGE S. HODGINS, Managing Editor.
JAMES KENNEDY, Associate Editor,
Boston Representative:
S. I. CARPENTER. 643 Old South Building,
Boston, Mass.
London Representative:
THE LOCOMOUVE PUBLISHING CO., Ltd.,
3 Amen Comer, Paternoster Row, London, £. C.
Glasgow Bepresentative :
A. F. SINCLAIR, 16 Manor Road, Bellahous-
ton, Glasgow.
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Second-class Mail Matter.
Anomalies of Friction.
In an article on "'Static and Kinetic
Friction" which was printed on page
194 of our May issue, we pointed out
that the gradual blowing down of the
high brake cylinder pressure, as the
speed of the train slackened, was for
the purpose of preserving a sort of
rough average brake shoe pressure on
the wheels as their speed of revolution
became less.
When we examine the values for
kinetic friction as recorded in the Gal-
ton-Westinghouse tests, we find that
the co-efficient of friction is not only
modified by the speed of the revolving
wheel, but also by the length of time
the surface of the brake shoe is in con-
tact with the tread of the wheel.
Viewed from the educational standpoint,
the Gallon- Westinghouse tests are
most interesting and instructive on the
subject of friction.
These tests show that at a speed be-
low 2 miles an hour, or what may be
called just moving, the friction is prac-
tically static, and amounts to 0.25,
while the same wheel when revolving
rapidly under a car moving at 60 miles
an hour, develops what may be called
a kinetic co-efficient of friction of only
0.072. This is a reduction of 28.8 per
cent. A still further reduction of the
co-efficient of kinetic friction is recorded.
dependent on the time the surfaces
of wheel and shoe have been kept in
contact. If we hold the brake shoe ap-
l^-lied for 5 seconds on the 6o-mile-an-
hour wheel, the co-efficient of friction
sinks to 0.063, Sfid in 10 seconds it has
gone down to 0.058, although the rec-
ord of tests does not indicate that the
speed of the wheel has been allowed to
slacken during the 10 seconds.
During every stop there are two oppo-
site tendencies at work. One is the ten-
dency of the co-efficient of brake shoe
friction to increase due to the slackening
speed of the train. The other tendency
is for the co-efficient of friction to be-
come less owing to the smoothing, pol-
ishing and heating of the surfaces in
contact and probably to the actual melt-
ing of the particles on the surfaces of
shoe and wheel. The variation in the
co-efficient of friction during the stop
is the net result of these two opposing
tendencies, and under differing conditions
it may cause an increase of co-efficient
or the co-efficient may remain constant
or it might even decrease.
The blowing down of the high brake
cylinder pressure as the speed of the train
slackens, at least provides for a contin-
gency which may easily arise in actual
service on the road. The train might
pass over a highway crossing upon
which there was sand and grit, and this,
when picked up by the wheels, would
have the effect of very considerably
increasing the co-efficient of friction.
There is also the drying of braked
wheels when they are passing over par-
tially damp track, due to the heat derived
from brake shoe friction.
There does not seem to be any defi-
nite ratio existing between the figures
given in the Galton-Westinghouse ta-
ble. A speed of 60 miles an hour de-
velops a kinetic friction of 0.072 as soon
as the shoe is applied, while a wheel
revolving under a car moving 27.3
miles an hour shows precisely the same
co-efficient of friction after 20 seconds
application. In other words, the fast
moving wheel develops the same co-
efficient of friction the moment the
3hoe touches the wheel as the slow
moving wheel does after having been
smoothed and polished and heated by the
brake shoe for 20 seconds. A wheel run-
ning under a car at 30.7 miles an hour,
after 10 seconds brake application, devel-
ops the same same co-efficient of friction,
viz., 0.099, as a wheel under a car moving
20.4 miles an hour does in twice that
time.
The general rule, however, which ap-
pears to be derivable from a study of
the facts as set down in the table, is
that for the same length of time applied
any given brake shoe pressure will
be more effective on a slow moving
wheel than it will be on a fast moving
one ; and that for the same speed the
longer the brake shoe has been applied
the less effective it will be. This latter
is, liowcver, true also if the speed of the
wheel be artificially maintained without
reduction and against the slowing action
of the brake. For all practical purposes
we have also the general fact that the
co-efficient of friction is less on a fast
moving wheel than it is on a slow moving
one. This is true since the effect of
speed is the predominating influence. In
everyday service this is capable of more
or less modification according as the rail
is sanded intentionally or by accident,
or is damp or dry.
Underground Railwrays.
A very good example of how fast things
move in the present century is afforded by
the extract which follows, taken from
the London Spectator. The article was
written before electric tube railways had
become an accomplished fact and at a time
when there appeared to be no practical
relief from steam trains in underground
tube railways. The paper mentioned
above says:
"There is no prospect of adequate relief
from steam. The feeling of the people
is wholly against elevated railways ; rail-
ways on the flat only increase the con-
gestion, and practically in the congested
districts could neither be constructed nor
used ; and underground railways drawn by
steam carriages are far too costly to con-
struct, besides involving too much vibra-
tion for the safety of the houses above,
and too little air for the safety of the
travellers below. An inner and outer cir-
cle of such railways has been constructed;
but though they carry multitudes, they
hardly seem to relieve the demand, they
cannot be made cheap, owing to the con-
ditions of construction, and it has been
found practically impossible to push them
across the centres of traffic where they
are most required. What is needed is
either some means of motion through the
air, which remains to be discovered, or
motion through the earth at such a depth
that buildings on its surface are not inter-
fered with, that the streets are uncon-
scious of the new subways, and that the
rights of property can hardly be said to
impede their construction. This motion
can be secured. Carriages filled with hu-
man beings can be driven through iron
pipes, eleven feet in diameter, placed fifty
or more feet below the soil, at great ve-
locity, yet without danger either of acci-
dent or asphyxiation.
"The electric motors emit neither smoke
nor steam; they can be made to ventilate
the pipes so that breathing is as easy as
above ground, and they supply daylight or
its equivalent, for themselves. The prin-
ciple of their structure is perfect; but
their use has been checked by a vague
impression that pipes so laid and used at
such a depth would produce unforeseen
July, 191C.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
287
evils, and possibly injure property very
seriously. This impression will now be
dispelled. The joint committee, after
hearing quantities of evidence from ex-
pens, has reported that the evidence is
'conclusive in favor of the sufficiency and
special adaptability of electricity as a mo-
tive power for underground tubular rail-
ways' ; that 'way-leaves' should be
granted them to pass under any public
streets, on condition of their running a
sufficient number of cheap trains."
Colors of Thin Plates.
Perhaps as you have been standing
beside an engine when a recent rain
storm has left little pools of water
shining between the stones and pebbles
which form the ballast of the track,
and it may be that a drop of black oil
from the engine has fallen into one of
these little pools, or it may be that the
drop has simply fallen upon the sur-
face of a water-soaked tie. In either
case the black oil has at once lost all its
dark coloring and has spread over the
water or wet surface and now glows in
mingling and intermingling bands, rib-
bons and threads of exquisite iridescent
color.
These beautiful rainbow tints are not
due to the presence in the oil of any
lustrous mixture of bright materials
which now reveals itself in the fallen
drop. The oil has spread out into a
film of such exceeding thinness that the
waves of light which fall upon it and
?re reflected from its upper and lower
surface interfere with one another. The
shortest waves of light are those which
produce the color we call violet, there
being 64,631 of them in one inch. The
distance between each wave being
measured from crest to crest or from
hollow to hollow. The wave lengths
for red arc such that 36.918 of them
would just occupy one inch. This
means that each violet wave is .000154 of
an inch in length and the red wave is
0.000027 "f an inch long. The intermedi-
ate colors of the rainbow have wave
lengths included between these extremes.
Concerning what has been called in-
terference. One may have observed
the waves of the sea rolling in against
a breakwater or solid quay The ad-
vancing wave strikes the wall of stone
and is reflected back and meets a sec-
ond wave advancing toward the wall.
If the crest of the reflected wave ex-
•■"•tly meets the crest of the advancing
■ the cre»t of the combined wave
•lirown up to a greater height, but
" i rest meets hollow both waves are
destroyed and level water takes the
place of each, and the phenomrna of in-
terference is made clear.
In the case of the thin film of oil a
portion of the light striking the outer
(urfare is reflected back and a portion
of the light penetrate* the film, and on
reaching the inner or lower surface of
the film is reflected back. If the on-
coming and retreating waves of light
interfere they either augment or dimin-
ish the intensity of the light reaching
the eye, and as the wave length for
each color is different from all the
others, interference is the inevitable re-
sult. The effect is augmented by the
varying thickness of the oil film as it
spreads out over the water surface.
This increase or the self-extinction of
the various light waves while travers-
ing a film so thin and unstable as to
defy instrumental measurement, results
for the beholder in the flash and play
of changing color, or the ebb and flow
of many-tinted light and shade.
Argentine Exhibition.
An International Exhibition of rail-
ways and land transport was duly opened
last month at Buenos Ayres, and in addi-
tion to the interest attached to the ex-
hibition itself, the occasion also marks the
first centenary of the independence of the
.Argentine Republic. That the celebra-
tion has taken the special form that it
has indicates how deeply the republic is
conscious of the part that railway enter-
prise has played in the development of
the resources and in the upbuilding of
the great and growing prosperity of
the magnificent country. The exhibi-
tion has already had the effect of
attracting and interesting the civilized
world with the amazing resources of the
country and to the stable and beneficial
government under which its advance-
ment cannot but be rapid in all that tends
to national greatness.
Railways may be said to have been un-
known in the Argentine fifty years ago.
Today there are over 15,000 miles of
r.'iilways and about 12,000 miles pro-
jected. The railways already in opera-
tion and those in course of construction
have already called into existence ports
of entry that may be said to be the foun-
dation of cities that will shortly take
their places among the busy centers of
industry and commerce. These ports are
already the termini of new railway sys-
tems, and the country not only seems
ready but the people are anxious to
assimilate and take the utmost advantage
of all of the latest improvements in the
r,atter of transportation. The progres-
sive and liberal government is establish-
ing telegraphs, telephones and postal ser-
vice ever>'where and are inviting and re-
ceiving a tide of immigration that bids
fair to rival that of our own country.
The Exhibition give* an excellent op-
portunity to <ee their best products thor-
oughly appreciated and properly valued
with the certainty of an ample and liberal
market. In addition to this there is a
rommerrial stability ahniit the govern-
ment that places it at once in the fore-
front of the .American republics, .ifTord-
ing a degree of confidence to the manu-
facturers in other countries. The British
locomotive constructors and railway sup-
ply men generally have been quick to
take advantage of the opportunity, but
American enterprise is also already at
work and much of the development in the
future of the Argentine will be aided by
the ready skill engendered in the atmos-
phere of American enterprise.
Boiler Construction and Practice.
In a report prepared for the Inter-
national Railway Congress by Mr. H.
Fowler, works manager of the Midland
Railway of England, and Mr. L. Arch-
butt, chemist of the same road, we
lind some interesting remarks on loco-
motive boiler repairs. Among other
things the reporters say the general
practice in keeping records of boiler re-
pairs is to make written notes of the
work done, but the Western .Australian
government railways and the Southern
Mahratta railways make sketches in-
dicating the nature of the repairs as
well as written particulars.
The report indicates that the authori-
ties of several of the railways sending
in replies are of the opinion that a
more liberal spacing of the tubes
near the edges of the tube plate and
not allowing the tubes to come very
near the edge of the plate tends to
prevent cracking of the plate flanges
and it also tends to save the bridges
near the flange of the plate. This per-
mits of an increased radius in the
plate corners, prevents cracking and
grooving. Increase of water spaces
provides means for better circulation
and reduces breaking of stays and cor-
rosion.
The Great Eastern Railway uses a
1/16 copper liner between mud ring
and outer firebox sheet (steel) and this
copper liner is the full depth of the
mud ring and extends several inches up
into the water space. This prevents
grooving near the mud ring and the
internal angle iron used to connect the
smokebox tube plate with the barrel
of the boiler is said to prevent groov-
ing. Steel tubes have been used on a
number of roads in order to lessen cor-
rosion due to galvanic action. The
Cape Government Railway officials
state that grooving is more pronounced
in boilers with brass tubes than in
those using steel tubes.
The Cape Government Railways and
the Lancashire and Yorkshire officials
say that increasing the width of the
water spaces roimd the firebox has a
k-or.d effect in preventing cracks, pitting
and grooving. The Cape railway with
shallow firebox provides a 4-in. space
at the bottom, flaring out to 5 or 6
ins. at the top, and this has been
found very beneficial. With fireboxes
;'laced between the frames there has
288
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
July, 1910.
been some tendency to decrease the
grate area in order to secure a similar
result.
In washing out, the use of cold water
is the general practice, though many
roads are considering the advisability
of using hot water. Si.x roads get the
hot water they require by means of an
injector while others use stationary
boilers. When the boiler is refilled hot
water is of course used at a tempera-
ture of about 180 degs. Fahr. The aver-
age mileage between washouts varies
from 300 to 1650 miles, depending on
the quality of water used. The time
allowed for cooling down of boilers
varies from 3 to 24 hours, eight hours
being the usual thing.
From 20 to 25 roads used scum
cocks, but on some, their use has
been discontinued because of the
danger of their sticking open and caus-
ing delay, notably on the Oudh and
Robilkhand Railway in India. The
London, Tilbury and Southend Rail-
way use their blow-oflf cocks every 500
miles. The usual position for the
blow-off cock is immediatelj^ above the
mud ring and in the throat sheet, on
the center line of the firebox. The
Western Australian Government Rail-
ways have their scum cocks on the
back sheet on the left of the firebox,
3 ins. above the crown sheet, with
pipe suitably arranged. Thirteen rail-
ways answering the inquiry of the re-
porters state that they admit feed
water at the middle of the barrel, and
eleven have it enter near the smoke-
box tube plate.
Increased Wages.
The kindly spirit with which many of
the leading railway companies are meeting
the demands of the employees for an in-
crease in wages is one of the most encour-
aging signs of the times, and is an indis-
putable proof that prosperity is not only
coming in a fuller measure, but it has
already come. We have alluded so fre-
quently in our pages to the fine sense
which has been exhibited by the Brother-
hood of Locomotive Engineers and of the
Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and
Enginemen in time of labor controver-
sies, that it would be idle to repeat our
grounds for belief that in many respects
the committees of these orders might well
serve as an example to all societies of
working men. The appointment of com-
mittees consisting of men of ripa expe-
rience and mature judgment are r re-re-
quisite to success in all such movements,
and in this attribute the Brotherhoods to
which we have referred could not be ex-
celled.
It is a pleasure to observe that the fire-
men, trainmen and others are sharing in
the results of these friendly conferences
with railway companies. The firemen have
every right to look for better conditions
and better wages. As we have often
pointed out, the increase in the size of the
modern locomotive has become such that
the work of the fireman has become nearly
doubled in comparison with his work dur-
ing last century. The increase in wages
has not in any sense kept pace with the
degree of increase of labor, not to speak
of the increase of prices of almost every
kind of commodity. The firemen are en-
titled to considerable increase in remuner-
ation, and every indication points to a
general increase all over the country.
In this connection it is to be regretted
that the machinists and others engaged in
construction and repair work are not ap-
parently receiving that degreee of atten-
tion which their case demands. While the
conditions under which their work is per-
formed has greatly improved, and in some
instances the hours of labor have been
shortened, the increase in wages has not
been what it should have been. We be-
lieve that the reward of their skilled labor
should be increased. It is to be hoped that
advantage may be taken of opportunities
as they oflfer.
Railroad Trespassers.
Trespassing on railroad property in
violation of the law has caused the deaths
of more than 50.000 people in the United
States in the last eleven years. In this
same period more than 55,000 trespassers
have been injured. With a view to re-
ducing to a minimum the practice of tres-
passing, the Pennsylvania Railroad have
determined to redouble their efforts to
secure the enforcement of the law against
trespassing, which in foreign countries has
done so much to decrease the number of
fatalities of this kind.
In 1907 the Pennsylvania inaugurated a
campaign against trespassing, and, due
doubtless to this, the number of trespass-
ers killed in 1908 was only 757. In 1909,
732 lost their lives in this way. In the
eleven years prior to January i, 1910,
exactly 7.972 people who were on the
Pennsylvania's right of way in violation
of the law were killed. It is thus seen
that in the eleven years an average of two
trespassers a day have been killed on
Pennsylvania Railroad property. This
death roll is laid at the railroad's door
by the public, even though these people
are killed as a result of their own viola-
tion of law.
It is not only tramps who are killed and
injured in this way, but people who use
railroad tracks as thoroughfares. That
the practice of walking on railroad tracks
is prevalent in industrial districts gives
.-•ddcd significance to the fatalities on the
Pennsylvania System as a result of tres-
passing. The tracks of the Pennsylvania
are lined with factories, as they run
through the densest industrial section,
through territory which holds more than
half of the population of the L'nited
States.
In 1808. as many as 4.063 trespassers
lost their lives on American railroads ;
five years later the number was 5,000, and
in 1907 the number killed was 5,612, that
is more than 15 a day. These figures are
taken from the annual reports of the
Interstate Commerce Commission. The
Pennsylvania Railroad have now posted
their tracks and stationed watchmen to
see that warnings are respected. The
company is endeavoring to reduce the
number of trespassers who are killed and
injured by an even greater number than
they have been able to do in the past
three years.
Strains Due to Jerks.
Experiments made by placing a dy-
namometer between the rope and the
cage in a hoisting plant showed con-
clusively the bad effects of starting the
load with a jerk due to a slack rope.
When there w-as 2>j ins. of slack, the
stress on the rope was 39 per cent,
greater than if the load was lifted slow-
ly and gently. With 3 ins. of slack the
stress was 65 per cent, greater than if
lifted slowly and gently. With slack of
6 ins. the stress was 122 per cent., or
more than double, and with 12 ins.
slack the stress on the rope was three
times as great as when starting slowly
with a taut rope. Such sudden stresses
en hoisting ropes necessarily cause
deterioration in the strands, which
eventually result in breakage, if not
sudden breakage of the rope. The jerk
can be greatly reduced by care on the
part of the hoisting engineer, and the
insertion of a good spring connection
between the cage and the rope. —
Mines and Minerals.
Self-T.\ught Mechanical Drawing and
Elementary Machine Design. By
F. L. Sylvester, M. E., with additions
by Erik Oberg. Published by the Nor-
man W. Henley Publishing Co., New
York. 333 pages, cloth. Price $2.
This is an elementary treatise compris-
ing the first principles of geometric and
mechanical drawing particularly adapted
to machine design, and will be of much
value to the student whose previous
theoretical knowledge may be limited.
The work is divided into twenty chapters
beginning with a description of instru-
ments and materials and passing in
proper sequence through a series of
problems illustrating a variety of work-
ing drawings and leading on to the
strength of materials and introducing a
variety of mechanical appliances, the
whole forming a very comprehensive and
masterly compendium of the practice and
theory of mechanical drawing. The
book is sure to meet with much popular
favor. By the use of this book an earnest
student can have a full and complete
knowledge of mechanical drawing and
designing. The illustrations, press work
and binding are excellent.
July, 1910.
R.\IL\VAY AXD LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
General Foremen's Association
SELF-CLEANING ASH PANS.
A paper on this subject was presented
by Mr. C. T. Walters, Great Northern
Railway, as follows :
There are two styles of ash pans used
by the Great Northern Railway — solid
bottom and hopper ash pans. To clean
the solid bottom ash pan, we use what
is known as an ash pan swipe, which
has been in use on the road for years,
with very great success. The swipe is
made of one cast iron column which is
placed across in the pan from 4 ins. to 6
ins. from the front of the pan on the
column bases are cast 4y< ins. apart, and
tapped out from J^-in. gas pipe. The pipes
are screwed into the column, pipes being
4 ins.. 18 ins. and 30 ins. long. The num-
ber of ' j-in. pipes depend on the width
of pan. After you have placed the swipe
in the pan, cut a hole in the side of the
pan to admit the i^-in. pipe which is
screwed in to the column and connect it
to ij/j-in. cock which is placed on the
side of fire box from 6 ins. to 10 ins, above
mud ring or in the most convenient
place to get at. The handles to open the
cock to blow out the pans are run into
the cab. When necessary to clean the
n open the back damper and then open
cock and you have a clean pan. It
not neccssarj- to keep the cock open
re than 20 to 30 seconds. This device
used only on the light power.
' )n the heavy power we use a drop
tom. The hoppers are bolted to the
'-• frames which are hung from the
'I ring. The doors of the hoppers are
•ig and connected by levers to a shaft
ted on the engine frame; on the shaft
;i lever for opening and closing the
•r$ of the pan. There is a quadrant
• hed to hold the doors closed. This
'-• of pan is standard on our road,
:ng the place of the slide bott'im pan
;.:h was in use for a short time, as
slides were very hard to open, caused
.v*hes getting into the grooves. In
iiher the slides would freeze up
'.'•lays.
;..iper excited a lively discussion,
■•t of the members favoring water pits
- cleaning ash pans. Some of the mem-
'•> favored slatted ash pans. Iitit these
! not seem to find favor with the men
ited in districts subject to severe winter
MS.
'Ir. J. H. Painter, .Atlantic Coast Line,
•1 they flanged the hopper door 21/2 inf.
■ind the edges, and the fine athe*
-ned a teal that prevented leakage.
fr \Vm, Hall. Chicago & North West-
. said that they used two blow oflF
cocks, one in front and the other at the
back of the ash pan. Considerable pres-
sure was used and the contents of the
ash pan were ejected promptly.
Various methods of cleaning ash pans
were advocated, the water jets finding
most favor.
C0MMERCL\L CAS AS FUEL.
Mr. Wm. G. Reyer, Nashville, Chatta-
nooga & St. Louis, contributed the fol-
lowing paper on "Commercial Gas as a
Fuel" :
At the present time, as far as we have
experimented with gas as a fuel, has
been to remove tires. I herewith attach
sketch of our burner, also method of
using same, on reversed side of this
sheet [not shown here].
When we first began to use gas, we
had a i-inch pipe with 5^-in. hole, l-
in. pitch, that is for a 56-in. tire.
We used on an average of about 600
to 700 ft. of gas to the tire, but we seemed
to get better results when we changed
the pipe and put the holes in on an angle
so it would take up the full space of the
tire, and by cutting down the gas as low
as we could and using the full supply
of air, that is, with a J/j-in. air supply.
We now take oflf a tire with an avcraijc
of 275 to 32s ft. of gas.
We are using a double pipe, that is
taking off two tires at once, but we use
about the same amount of gas to the tire,
the only difference being the time we save
in heating.
We experimente<l with a double pipe,
that is two pipes, around each wheel,
but we did not get very good results. It
seemed we could not get the gas around
quick enough.
We see very little difference in the
amount of time saved by using the gas;
it takes about 12 to 20 minutes to remove
a tire with gas, according to thickness of
tire, and we did about the same with
gasoline.
The following paper on the same sub-
ject, was submitted by Mr. H. D. Kclley,
Chicago & North Western :
For the past 18 months we have been
using commercial gas as fuel at the Oii-
cago shops for applying and removing
driving wheel tires, babbitting cross-
heads, driving boxes, rod brasses, and
for shrinking steel spiders on piston
rods. Formerly, we used gasoline as
fuel. Coninicrcin! g:is h:is proved to be
much more satisfactory, by being always
ready, quicker, safer to handle, and
cheaper.
I made extensive tests with both com-
mercial gas and gasolit"- ' '"• '■-''' v.—r,-
run tor about four weeks, first with gaso-
line, then with commercial gas, applying
and removing driving wheel tires, only.
With gasoline a large iron tank, holding
about 50 gallons, was used. .\ gauge was
placed on this tank and graduated to read
in gallons. The test was run for 12
days. The- time for heating each tire
was kept, as well as the amount of gaso-
line used. At the end of the 12th day,
the time for heating the tires was added
together and divided by the total num-
ber of tires handled, giving the average
time per tire for heating. The total gal-
lons of gasoline used in 12 days, was
added together and divided by the num-
ber of tires heated, thus giving the aver-
age gallons per tire.
With commercial gas, a meter was used
and the test was run for 12 days. The
time for heating each tire was kept, as
well as the amount of gas ; at the end of
the i2th day the total time was added
together and divided by the total num-
ber of tires heated, giving the average
time per tire for heating. The total cubic
feet of gas used in 12 days was added
together and divided by the number of
tires heated, giving the average number
of cubic feet per tire. With both com-
mercial gas and gasoline, I took the
inside diameter of the tire, in inches,
and added them togctlicr for each test,
and divided the number of inches into
the amount of gas or gasoline used, get-
ting the cost per inch of diameter for
both tests. This, I think, gave me a
good comparison between gas and gaso-
line.
The following table gives the time and
cost per average tire, or better still, the
.•utual cost per inch of diameter for
heating locomotive tires; gasoline at 10
iciits per gallon. Conmiercial gas at
S5 cents per 1,000 cu. ft. :
Inside
(li.im. of tire. Gasoline Commercial gas.
42 in. $0.1365 $01143
44 " M.V •'>9'
4^^ " 14QS '-iSI
52 '• .ifKX) .1415
5fj " .1920 .1523
62 " .2015 .1689
f>H " .2210 .1850
74 " .2405 .2013
.Nverage time,
per tire.... 17,52 min. 15.5 min.
.\vrrngc cost,
per tire $0 175 $o- M.I.I
,\\'geco8t per
(linin,, inch,. .00325 .00272
In this test commercial gas showed a
vnMii/ ..f ;il)iiiit 16 per rriil
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE EXGINEERING.
July, 1910.
DISCUSSION.
This being essentially a shop subject
excited keen discussion.
Mr. W. G. Reyer uses a system of coil
pipes that generate gas from coal oil. If
we use only 10,000 ft. of gas a month it
costs $1. I do not think you will find
commercial gas any cheaper than gasoline,
though it is safer. The coal oil burner is
much safer, better and cheaper.
Mr. W. Smith, Baltimore & Ohio, said :
We use crude oil for running repair work
and changing tires, but we think gaso-
line is much more satisfactory. It doesn't
flame up so high and there isn't so much
trouble in burning running boards and
cabs as with crude oil.
Mr. C. L. Dickert, Central of Georgia,
had tried gas, gasoline and coal oil, and
the experience gained induced them to
adhere to coal oil. They use a home-
made heater and a ring, but instead of
drilling holes in it we saw it with a hack
saw about every 2>4 ins. It makes a much
better burner.
Mr. Smith : We get better results by
mixing carbon oil with the crude oil — a
little less carbon oil than crude oil.
President Ogden : In my experience in
using carbon oil, if we did not thin it with
fuel oil there was too much carbon, and
we were unable to keep the holes in the
pipe cleaned out long enough to heat a
tire.
Mr. W. C. Groening, Pere Marquette:
At the shops at Grand Rapids we cannot
get gas, but we use 87-deg. gasoline. It
afifords a better gas, is a quicker heater
and gives better results. With a com-
mon gasoline burner there is a blazing,
but with the 87 test we get a good blaze
and intense heat. What test gasoline did
Mr. Kelley use?
Mr. Kelley: It was 68.
Mr. C. H. Voges, C, C. & St. L.: I
saw a demonstration in the Collinwood
shops. They have a 2-in. pipe with f^-in.
holes, and it makes an intense heat. They
use a combustion chamber. They put a
3j4-in. tire, 72 ins. in diameter, on in 21
minutes. We have been using gasoline
for the last five or six years and it has
given good satisfaction.
Mr. H. M. Brown, C. & O. : At the
shop where I am located we have not had
an opportunity of using gas for heating a
tire, but use iso-deg. oil. With the class
of labor that we employ to take ofT a tire
and put it on, it is absolutely safe and
very satisfactory. We have never used
gasoline on account of explosions. We
also use the same burner for preheating
frames for thermit welding, or for a tank
frame that may be bent. With iso-deg.
oil a higher heat can be obtained than
with gasoline that is low of specific
gravity.
These men of the world who go through
it in armor, defend themselves from
quite as much good as evil. — Old Curi-
osity Shop.
Wheel Mounting Pressures.
The M. C. li. Committee, with Mr. E. D.
-Xclson as chairman, concerned with the
question of mounting pressures for va-
rious sizes of axles and kinds of wheels,
;-cported that to specify certain mounting
|iressures without pointing out the neces-
sity for high grade workmansliip in boring
and turning, would only be giving incom-
plete information.
The report goes on to say it is import-
ant to consider the fact that good work
cannot be performed without good tools.
Everything must be in good shape and a
iiigh standard kept up. The general ten-
i!ency has been to finish axles with too
rough a wheel scat which results from too
tach lathe shall be measured for sound-
I'css. No axle varying over .001 of an
inch when measured at two points ninety
regrees apart on circumference at equal
distance from end shall be considered as
:uitable for mounting.
"Wheels to be calipered with micrometer
laliper. A wheel varying over .002 of an
inch in any two diameters will not be
considered satisfactory for mounting.
Mounting presses to be provided v.ith
recording pressure gauges. AH wheels not
mounted within limits given, or wheels
ihat are forced against shoulder, to be
withdrawn."
The report concludes with an important
suggestion concerning uniformity of prac-
I. C. B.
Size of
Axle.
Journal.
A
zYa in. x 7 in.
B
HVi in. X 8 in.
C
5 m. X 9 m.
D
SYz in. X ID in.
WHEELS — CAST IRON. WHEELS — STEEL.
(Tons) (Tons)
Maximum. Minimum. Maximum. Minimum.
44 36 66 54
44 36 66 54
55 45 83 68
55 45 83 68
coarse a feed. This makes only partial
contact between wheel and axle. Further-
more, in mounting the wheel the high
ridges made on a roughly turned wheel
;eat are pushed off, reducing the diame-
ter and making it necessary to turn the
axle down when preparing for a second
mounting. With fairly rigid lathes, axles
can be turned at a speed of forty to fifty
revolutions a minute.
Micrometer calipers are necessary for
several reasons. The calipering can be
done more quickly and accurately than
by using a machinists' calipers or snap
gauges. The difference between of wheel
seat and bore of wheel, expressed in
thousandths of an inch can be got at quite
accurately, while with calipers it is a
question of skill of the workmen and
with snap gauges the same is true only in
a lesser degree.
To successfully use the ordinary trade
micrometer calipers, takes time and a
certain amount of skill, to obviate this
delay several types of micrometer gauges
have been designed and used. The report
describes these forms in detail and gives
several half-tone illustrations of them. As
to mounting pressures, your committee
recommends the following, in conjunction
with the character of workmanship al-
:eady referred to, as being an essential
in the problem.
Among the specifications included in the
report may be mentioned the following:
Wheel fits should be calipered at three
points, namely : One inch from each end
and middle and at other points if there
are any indications of excessive varia-
tions in diameter.
"Axles shall not be considered as suit-
able for mounting where there is a differ-
ence in diameter between any two meas-
urements exceeding .003 of an inch. This,
however, shall not be construed to mean
that wheel seats on each end of axle are
to be of one fi;:e. Each tenth axle from
lice which might easily be adopted in all
railroad shops. The committee says :
"One point that may be foreign to the
subject should receive attention, which
is lathe centers. It would be very de-
.lirable if all shops were to adopt one
angle. Generally, lathe centers used for
ordinary work are sixty degrees, that is,
the included angle. If this were adopted
for all axle work, it would result in the
axles running true on centers, reducing
the amount of material necessary to turn
away when truing up axles that have been
previously turned."
Locomotive and Shcp Costs.
The report of the Master Mechanics'
Association Committee on Locomotive
and Shop Operating Costs, of which
Mr. H. H. Vaughan was chairman,
showed how carefully the committee
had considered the subject, especially
in the matter of repairs of locomotives.
The committee strongly favored the most
thorough kind of repairing, and while it
would hardly be possible to limit the cost
of repairs to any specified amount, the
committee pointed out very clearly that
limiting repairs that are actually required
to put an engine into good condition is
iiot economy. The cheapest plan is always
to make the repairs properly and thor-
oughly, so that when turned out the
engine will make as many miles as
possible before requiring further general
I'epairs. The committee favored the sys-
tem whereby any operation necessary in
lepairing locomotives may be reduced
to a series of detail operations, and the
time required for those may be de-
termined with a considerable degree of
■'.ccuracy. Such records are now becom-
ing quite common, and their use enables
'.he mechanic to know what is expected
of him, as well as those in charge of the
work to form an estimate as to the cost
of locomotive repairs.
July, iQia
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
2gi
Norfolk & Western Mallet.
The Baldwin Locomotive Works have
recently completed five heavy Mallet loco-
motives with the 2-8-8-2 wheel arrange-
ment, for the Norfolk & Western Rail-
way. These engines are designated by
the railway company as class Y-i, and
each is practically equivalent in capacity
to two twelve-wheeled locomotives of
their class M-i. The latter engines are
the standard, on that road, for heavy
freight service, and weigh in working
order 204,000 lbs. The new engines will
operate over grades of 2 per cent, com-
bined with uncompensated curves of 8
degs. The sharpest curves on the main
line are of 12 degs. The track is laid
with 85-lb. rails.
These engines are in many respects
similar to Southern Pacific locomotives
Nos. 4000 and 4001, which were built in
the spring of 1909. They are lighter,
however, and present various differences
in details. The design has been worked
out along lines adopted by the builders
for heavy Mallet locomotives, while the
details, where possible, accord with exit
ing Norfolk & Western practice.
The boiler is of the straight topp^
-cparable type, with a feed-water he:r.
in the front section. The fire-bo.\ has ..
sloping back head, and the crown is
stayed by radial bolts; while 472 flexible
bolts are placed in the outside rows in
the sides, back and throat. The barrel of
the main boiler is composed of three
rings, with sextuple riveted butt seams on
the top center line. In accordance with
the practice of the builders, the seams arc
welded at the ends. The dome is on the
forward ring, and the seam is strength-
valve, placed on the left side immediately
back of the front tube sheet.
The arrangement of the steam piping is
similar to that used on the Southern
Pacific locomotives previously referred to.
The high-pressure exhaust is conveyed
forward, through horizontal pipes to the
smoke-box, where it is passed through a
F ^^
1
-^
■1
FKOM \ liW Ml I in .\ ^ \\ , MAI.LKT.
lialdwin rchcaler. The spark arrester
consists of a perforated plate, so placed
that all the products of combustion must
pass through it before entering the stack.
The steam distribution is controlled
throughout by 15-in. piston valves, set
with a Ic.id of '< in. The four valves are
connection and the method of securing the
cylinders to the frames, accord with the
regular practice of the builders for en-
gines of this size. The frames are of
cast steel, 5 ins. in width, and of most
substantial construction. The pedestal
binders are lugged to the pedestals and
held in place by three i;4-in. bolts on
each side. The equalization is continuous
throughout each group of wheels, the
trucks included. The front truck is center
bearing and the rear truck has side bear-
ing. As far as the running gear is con-
cerned, the operation and performance of
locomotives equipped with this wheel ar-
rangement have been most satisfactory.
Tlie waist bearers which supports the
fcirward boiler section are of the usual de-
sii;ii, and are both under load. The fire-
box is carried on sliding bearers at the
front and back.
The tender frame is composed of 15-
in. channels for the center sills, and 12-
in. channels for the side sills. The
lumpers are of oak. The frame is
-trongly braced, and the frame bolsters
arc built up of ij^-in. steel plates and
4 X 3-in. angles. The frame is braced
transversely, at mid-length, by two 8-in.
ili.-innels. The trucks are of the arch-
bar type, with I-beam bolsters, triple
elliptic springs and rolled steel wheels.
The lower spring seats are mounted on
rollers, thus providing the equivalent of
a swing truck. The tank is of the water
bottom type, holding 9,000 gallons of
water and carrying 14 tons of coal.
These locomotives are far larger than
any previously built for the Norfolk &
Western Railway by the Baldwin Loco-
ninlivc Works, but for Mallet engines
encd by a large diamond shaped welt
strip placed inside.
The water heater is traversed by 450
tubes, which are distributed over the en-
tire cross section. Both injectors are
placed on the right hand side in front of
the cab, and they force water into the
liratcr through a single chock valve also
placed on the right hand side. The heater
is surmounted by a man hole, and the
feed is discharged through a suitable fit-
ting which is tapped into the man hole
cover. The heated water rnters the
Ic/iler proper through a single check
duplicates of one another, those con-
trolling the high-pressure distribution
being arranged for inside admission,
while the low-pressure valves have out-
side admission. The ports anri bridgei.
arc modified to suit. 1 he valves are of
cast iron with L-shapcd packing rings
sprung in. Walschaerts motion is used,
and the high- and low-pressure gears
jirc controlled simultaiieouily by the Bald-
win power reverse. The front and back
reverse shafts arc connected by a singi''
reach rod placed on the center line.
Tl-.e arrangrmrnt of the arliculatcil
their size is not unprecedented. Some of
the principal dimensions arc as follows :
I yllnilcrii.- 34)i aii<t jji x 30 in*.
Holler.— Ilinnirlcr, 80 int. ; tllicknrii» of tticcts,
ii in.; wi-rkiiiK t'rcsturc, suu 'bii.
llratlnR Surface.- rirclitix, lin »\. ft.; tiitx'ii,
4,300 tq. ft.; fccilwntcr henlcr tuticii, i.^Sg
■q. fl.; totnl, 5.go8 hi. ft.; Rialc area,
75. » »<|. fl.; trr.lwnlrr healer tiilien, iniiii-
Iwr, 450: .liiiM.rler, 3<,i in..; IriiBlll, s fl.
1 ln«. Knuinr eniiippcd wilh llaldwin Ke-
lieater in iniukelKix. t<ehealin|| (iirface,
;fl« XI. ft.
Drivlnii Wlieela.— Uiamcler, $6 ini.
Wheel Dane.— Drlvinii, 411 ft. 3 int.; ri^ill, is fl.
6 Ina.; Inial eniiine, 5s fl. 6 inr, anil
Irnilrr. d) (t. 3 liia.
Wciihl. On ilrivinii wliecU, 360,000 Ibt.: on
Irurk, front, 1 <(,ooo Itit. ; on truck, backT
1 it.orto llm. : totnl cnitine, 390,000 Ibi. ; total
ciiMine and tcmler ab'iul, 5^0,000 Ibt.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
July, 1910.
Locomotive Running Repairs
I. — Introductory
The general and running repairs of lo-
comotives are subjects to which some-
thing new are constantly being added.
The modern locomotive is not only much
larger than that of the last century, but
it is also much more complex, and hence
it is necessary for railway men to keep
in touch with the growing requirements
of the time. The best methods of doing
repairing work on locomotives twenty or
thirty years ago would now be, in many
cases, impracticable. Many new appli-
ances for the repairing of locomotives
have come into being of recent years,
with the result that such work is now
completed within a space of time so
limited that it would formerly have
seemed incredible. The improvements in
traveling and jib cranes, the introduction
o{ electric and compressed air motors,
the endless variety of new machines, to-
gether with the remarkable degree of per-
fection to which almost every kind of
tool has been brought, not to speak of
the greater purity of metals, especially in
the finer grades of steel, have almost
itvolutionized the art of making general
and running repairs to locomotives.
It will readily occur to all engaged
in railroad work that in the vast realm
;in emergency or repairing a breakage is
not readily applicable to every condition.
Different methods may be applied to meet
the same end, and it is especially ob-
servable among the most skilled mechan-
ics that individual artisans have varie-
ties of means or methods of operation
peculiarly their own.
The same remark applies in a larger
sense to machine shop tools and meth-
ods. In the New England States there
is a degree of fineness to be observed in
the smaller class of tools that is not
equalled in any other part of the coun-
try. This is especially the case in the
variety of machine shop tools used in
the processes of milling and grinding. In
the central or main arterial lines of rail-
ways, there is a tendency towards mas-
siveness in construction in the larger
kinds of tools, whereby the most pon-
derous parts of the mechanical appli-
ances used on railways are swung from
place to place with great ease and
quickness.
Much of these and other methods are
of course, local and accidental, and
are fashioned largely to suit the growing
requirements of the railroad center in
which they are established. Among the
most notable examples of this combina-
D. L. & W. SHOPS A.S Si-.I'.-N IN TOl
of mechanical ingenuity, as exemplified
in meeting emergencies, it would be im-
possible to lay down specific rules for
every contingency that may arise. Much
has happened in regard to the mechanical
appliances used on railways, and much
will continue to happen that cannot be
foreseen. It is also true that what may
seem to be the best method of meeting
tion of power and speed in handling the
heavy parts of locomotives may be found
in its most advanced degree of excellence
the appliances used at the locomotive re-
pair shops of the Lehigh Valley Rail-
road at Sayre, Pa., at the shops of the
Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Rail-
road at Collinwood, Ohio; at the Burn-
side shops of the Illinois Central Rail-
road, Chicago, 111. : at the shops of the
Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Rail-
load at Silvis, 111., and at many other
of our modern railroad repair plants
throughout the country.
At Sayre the work of repairing loco-
motives is completed under one roof, the
locomotives themselves being easily lift-
ed from place to place in the vast shop.
In this and other of the larger shops the
machines are nearly all electrically driv-
en, and there is also a very commodious
system of electrically-driven trucks that
move rapidly about, and to further fa-
cilitate transportation turn-tables are
placed where the lines of traffic cross
each other. At Collinwood the grouping
of machines necessarily used in the fash-
ioning of some particular part of the lo-
comotives has reached a degree of con-
venience that would be difficult to sur-
pass. These groups or sections are
served by jib cranes that are so con-
structed as to be free from the possibility
of contact with material that may accu-
mulate beneath.
In the matter of wide passageways, the
shops of the Delaware, Lackawanna &
Western Railroad at Scranton, Pa., show
quite a new departure. An extensive sys-
tem of tunneling has been introduced,
thereby obviating the necessity of much
surface traffic between the divisions of
the shops. The result of this innovation
will be watched with much interest, for
while the tunnels are to some extent a
necessity, arising from the fact that the
shops are separated from each other by
public highways, it is believed that the
system adopted will be found to have
several important advantages.
It should also be borne in mind that
modern roundhouses are keeping pace in
the matter of equipment with the ma-
chine shops. The older of the establish-
ments are of a kind that make running
repairs difficult of accomplishment. This
is especially the case where the largest
kind of locomotives are housed in lim-
ited quarters, and it is gratifying to ob-
serve that the construction of new
roundhouses is going on with increasing
rapidity. The Western railways are be-
ing particularly well equipped in regard
to roundhouses. These new buildings
are fitted up more like machine shops, as
they should be, and the roundhouse ma-
chinist bids fair to be as conveniently
served and as comfortably housed as
those whose work is carried on in the
best machine shops.
Coming to the matter of running and
July, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVM F.NGI NEF.KIXG
293
of general repairs, the work naturally di-
vides itself into the two parts to which
we have referred. Running repairs may
be stated briefly as the kind of repairs
naturally arising from the daily incidents
of service, and not sufficiently important
in themselves to call for a systematic re-
pairing of all or any considerable number
of the wearing parts of the locomotive.
General repairs, on the other hand, may
properly be said to consist of the com-
plete repairing of all of the wearing parts
of the engine after a lengthened period of
service. Most of the chief railroads
measure this period of service by the
number of miles run. If the service per-
formed by the locomotive is regular and
the running repairs properly attended to,
it is a safe method to establish a mileage
record, as a maximum distance which a
locomotive may run between the general
overhaulings.
It may be noted that the records of
distances run between general repairings
is somewhat similar to the estimated
working life of a locomotive. A fair av-
erage mileage run by a locomotive be-
tween repairings was set at about 100,000
miles many years ago. This distance is
being lengthened as improvements in ma-
terial and mechanism continue. Twelve
or fourteen years' constant service was
also set as the length of time in which
not only the best kinds of boilers would
be worn out, but also all of the other
parts of a locomotive that are subject to
the severe stresses incident to locomotive
service. Yet in spite of these facts it is
no uncommon sight to see locomotives
that have passed twenty years of hard
service.
It may be well to take up our study of
locomotive repairs by presuming that a
new locomotive or one that has been
newly and completely repaired has begun
its work. If the engine has been re-
paired and the work thoroughly done,
there will likely be little trouble for some
time, but it is very safe to assume that
the valve gearing will rapidly undergo
■ .me change. This is particularly the
ise in locomotives equipped with the
~trphenson valve gear, for no matter how
irefully the gearing may have been ad-
i'lsted when the locomotive was con-
tructed or repaired, variations soon oc-
'-ur. These largely owe their existence
to the fact that the valves are moved by
a combination of rods and levers that are
necessary in conveying the motion from
the main driving rod to the valves. These
■■ouplings not only wear rapidly and cre-
■r what is known as lost mntion, but
'lieir wear is also of an erratic kind that
n impossible to provide for in advance,
ind can only be kept nearly correct in
their movement by systematic examina-
tions and careful readjustincnis made
liv men of thorough expcricnrc in the
)>itricate details of locomotive valve-
^"'aring.
II. — Readjusting the Valve Gear
The most ciuiimou discovery made in
looking over the main valves of a loco-
motive is the apparent variation in the
lead or opening of the valve. It is almost
always found that the opening has in-
creased at one end of the piston stroke
and diminished a corresponding amount
at the other end of the stroke. In the
case of the Stephenson gearing, a short-
ening or lengthening of the eccentric rod
live assurance of the necessity of a
change.
A common mistake made in examining
the valve gearing, which even the most
skilled mechanics often make, is trusting
to the original wheel markings for the
dead centers or exact points where the
end of the piston stroke occurs. It is an
error to suppose that while these marks
may have been correct at the time that
they served their original purpose, that
ii<i.M. iLuuU .\1 .Mt.ADX 11,1 1. i.AlxiJ Ci> illl. KKIE.
(Courtesy of the Brie Railroud Employees' Maga:inc.)
half the amount of the variation in the
valve opening will square the valve, that
is, the amount <if opening at each end of
the stroke will be equalized.
Sometimes it will be fouiul that the
lead may have increased in the forward
motion and diminished in the backward
motion. This may be rectified by mov-
ing the eccentrics the amount in which
the valve is in error. The direction in
which the eccentric has to be moved will
readily suggest itself when the locomo-
tive is on cither of the centers, when the
valve is in position showing the amount
of opening. The rocker, it will be seen,
reverses the ludlion so that the eccentric
will have to he moved in the opposite di-
rection from that in which it is desireil
to move the valve.
In the case of locomotives where the
valve gearing derives its motion from a
fixed crank, as in the case of the Wal-
schacrts and Uakcr-I'illoid motions, the
threaded valve rod will readily adjust the
valve to the central position, but in case
of much variation in the amount of lead
in the forward and backward motion, it
will be necessary to rhangc the po-iilinn
of the crank. This is an important un
dertaking, which should only lie made af-
ter very careful investigation and posi-
they remain correct after the locomotive
has seen some service. It should be
borne in mind that the rod connections
have loosened. The locomotive in its en-
tirety may be nearer the rails on account
of the relaxing of the springs, while, of
course, the wheel centers retain their
nriKinal height. The result is that while
the main rod may have lieeome Icngth-
eiieil, the space between the center of
the main axle and the center of the cyl-
inder may be slightly shortened.
These variations, however slight, alTect
the wheel markings, and it is time well
spent to begin the operation of looking
over the valves from the beginning, and
make new marks on the wheels, and also
prove that the markings are correct by
trying the engine, not only in the for-
ward gear, but also running backwards,
and so obtain as nearly correct as possi-
ble, an exact basis on which to conduct
the investigation.
It should also be borne in mind that
in construction and general repairing of
locomotives the parts of the work are in
a normally cor)l condition; whereas, in
practice the engine is subjecled in .some
of its parts to considcralile heat. This
change in temperature has a marked ef-
fect on the valve gearing, and the change
-'y4
KAILWAV AND LOCOMOTIVE EXGINEERIXG.
July, 1910.
is more particularly noted on the reach
rod, owing to the expansion uf the boiler
to which the quadrant is attached. The
reverse lever may be readily tried in the
extreme forward and backward positions
and any marked variation in the posi-
tion of the link-block should be recti-
fied; otherwise injurious irregularities
in the motion of the valves will be
produced.
It should also be remembered that in
all cases of locomotives that are unfor-
tunate enough to sustain even a slight
shock in some apparently trifling colli-
sion, they are almost always affected in
the delicate mechanism of the valve gear-
ing. This can readily be accounted for
from the fact that many of the essential
parts of the motion are not traveling in
direct paths, and lend themselves readily
to distortion and must be reckoned with
among the causes that make necessary a
systematic and oft-repeated examination
of the position and the action of the
valves.
It is proper to bear in mind that a
slight variation from the correct position
is almost inevitable in all valve gearings,
and especially so in the Stephenson gear-
ing. ThfS variation may not seem to be
of much consequence, but when we re-
member that not only is the admission of
steam at the most effective part of the
piston stroke interfered with, but the
compression, the point of cut-off, the re-
lease or exhaust, and also the exact bal-
ancing of the amount of effective pressure
on the forward and backward stroke of
the piston, are all affected, and all tend
to a loss in the economical use of steam,
and all contribute to a loss of power, as
well as add to the cost of coal consump-
tion which in itself is an item of great
and growing importance.
In the case of the Walschaerts
valve gearing, the change must be made
in the combination lever the distance be-
tween the two upper joints in the lever
and their corelation to the entire length
of the lever being the determining factor
in regard to the location of the valve. In
the case of the Baker-Pilliod valve gear-
ing, the combination lever may also be
changed so as to affect the amount of
lead, and a change of lead may also be
effected by lengthening or shortening the
lower arm of the bell crank, to w-hich
the valve rod is attached, a lengthening
of the arm increasing the amount of lead,
while a shortening of the arm corre-
spondingly diminishes the amount.
Changes in the amount of lead or
valve opening in the latter two classes
of valve-gearings are not, properly
^peaking, repair work, but are really
organic changes that belong entirely
to the constructor's department, and
affect many important points in the
successful operation of the steam engine,
and the changes are nearly always of a
pernicious kind.
Questions Answered
C.^NDLE POWER OF HEADLIGHTS.
(^46) W. H. H., Minneapolis, Minn.,
writes : Will you kindly tell me how to
find the candle power of a headlight, as
follows : Parabolic reflector, 16 ins. diam-
eter and 7 ins. deep, with a 50 candle
power acetylene light placed 3 ins. from
the back of the reflector.— A. The method
of determining the theoretical candle
power of a headlight involves quite a
complicated formula. In this case the
factor of intensification, as it is called,
due to the reflector is 107, and using a
50 candle power light we multiply 107 by
50, the product is 5,350. About 80 per
cent, of this is taken as the candle power
of the projected ray. In this case it
would be about 4,280 candle power.
PU.MP GOVERNOR CONNECTIONS.
(47) A. B., Youngstown, O., writes:
When the excess pressure or S. F. 4 gov-
ernor is used with the G. 6 brake valve,
where is the upper connection of the ex-
cess pressure head piped to? — A. To a
plugged li in. connection in the lower
case of the brake valve, the plug is located
in the brake pipe port about 3 ins. from
the gauge pipe tee. The lower connec-
tion to the governor top is piped to a
plugged port in the lower case which
leads to the feed port of the brake valve.
This latter connection is made at the same
point that the low pressure governor of
the duplex reservoir control is when the
feed valve is attached to the brake valve.
In case the ports are not drilled and
plugged, the Westinghouse Air Brake Co.
will be pleased to furnish specificatior.j
for drilling.
.APPARENT LOSS OF WATER,
(48) Young Boswell, Oakdale, Tenn.,
writes: An engine standing on a side
track full, or nearly so, of water, with
the fire practically dead, will lose its
water. The engine not popping and no
leaks in the boiler at any place. All the
time the engine is losing the water the
same is jumping the full length of the
water glass as if the engine were sway-
ing to and fro. Fill the boiler again
and the result will be the same. The
question is : What becomes of this wa-
ter? The engine throttle in this case
is not leaking. — A. The very condi-
tions you say exist in this case prevents
the assumption that the boiler loses
water as there are no leaks. This ques-
tion can only be answered in a general
way and by some observations on the
physical characteristics of water. The
expansion of water in a boiler appears
much greater than an ordinary observer
would think, for instance, if you fill a
boiler up to the bottom of the glass
when cold, then when steam is raised
to working pressure the water level is
probably about the third gauge cock;
;ind conversely if below the second
cock when in steam, it will disappear
when cold.
If you will fill a spherical flask with
water about three-quarters full and boil it
till the air is all displaced, then cork tight-
ly and withdraw the lamp quickly, and
allow it to cool, it will go on boiling for
a long time, as the vapor condenses
and the atmospheric pressure is pre-
vented from acting upon it. But the
character of the boiling changes as
i: cools and instead of boiling quietly
with small bubbles, it becomes very
spasmodic, boiling with large bubbles,
and finally ceases. A sponge of cold
water squeezed over it starts it off again
and again, but always in large erup-
tions. There is a partial vacuum in the
vessel, and if air is admitted the process
ceases. In the case of the boiler if the in-
jector is opened it will suck water from
the tender, the overflow valve being closed,
through the injector steam valve, and
cooling will start the boiling or eruption.
AUTOMATIC^ WITH INDEPENDENT VALVE.
(49) B. B., Brooklyn, whites: What
causes an automatic application of the H.
6 brake when the independent valve is
used? — A. When this occurs, the pres-
sure in the reservoir pipe falls below that
in the brake pipe and the backward flow
which unseats the supply valve of the feed
valve causes the reduction in brake pipe
pressure necessary for the automatic op-
eration. The fall of pressure in the reser-
voir pipe indicates that the volume of air
used by the brake cylinders or cylinder and
brake pipe leakage combined is in excess
of the pump's capacity, or there is some
obstruction in the reservoir pipe. The
obstruction may be a partly closed reser-
voir cock or a partly stopped-up air
strainer, should one be used, and the leak-
age mentioned may also be aggravated by
the pressures in the reservoir and brake
pipe being nearly equal, due to the use of
an improperly adjusted pump governor.
S. F. 4 GOVERNOR.
(so) A. B., Youngstown, O., writes:
Does the excess pressure top of the S. F.
governor stop the pump when the brake
valve handle is in release position? — A.
When used with the G. 6 brake valve
it does not, but when used with the H. C.
brake it does. If it does not stop the
pump w'hen the handle of the H. C. brake
valve is placed in release position, it must
be due to leakage from the supply valve
or regulating valve of the feed valve be-
ing in excess of the volume that can
escape through the warning port to the
atmosphere. The effect of this would be
to increase the pressure in the feed valve
pipe above the adjustment of the feed
valve, consequently the pressure would in-
crease until the high pressure top would
stop the pump.
July, 1910.
RAILWAY AXD LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING
^5
Air Brake Department
Conducted by G. W. Kiehm
Undesired Quick Action.
So much has been said and written
on the subject of undesired quick action
that if it were all collected, printed and
bound, it would in itself fill a small
sized library.
In spite of the many times it has
existed in imagination only and the
number of times it has occurred after
the train had parted, there is no doubt
but that it occurs every now and then
on most all railroads, and occasionally
it comes in epidemics, when every one
concerned takes notice and the trouble
is corrected for the time being, until the
e(]uipment is again neglected for a suflS-
cient time for the trouble to occur all
over again.
The occasional breaking out of the
disorder usually results in a large num-
ber of triple valves being cleaned that
might otherwise have been neglected,
even if the fault is not with the triple
valve as often as it is generally sup-
posed to be.
A little care and attention is, however,
very beneficial to the air brake equip-
ment and in one sense of the word the
undesired quick action is one of the
most valuable disorders the brake can
develop, even if a train is occasionally
parted by it.
A peculiar phase of the situation is
that with the exception of a few well-
known air brake men nearly every one
has some radical opinion concerning the
subject, of course different views and
"lifFerences of opinion being but
itural.
One general impression seems to be
that when the disorder occurs some
part of the brake equipment is at fault;
)-h is not always the case. Sometimes
'• opinion that the manufacturer is at
lilt is expressed, but that cannot be
i'-monstrated to the satisfaction of
r brake men who know that the
inufacturers arc as deeply interested
overcoming and avoiding un-
>5ired quick action as railroad men
Now if the quick action really does
occur as the result of a disorder or im-
prip'r manipulation of the valves of the
■ nt, it can be caused by but one
n, namely excessive or undue
:.tial of pressure between the
-ike pipe and auxiliary reservoir
"tumes.
This is the condition, the possibility
f it being brought about is from a
iriety of incidcntaU.
The chart printed in connection with
this subject is for the purpose of show-
ing in detail the causes and conditions
likely to produce undesired quick action,
and as stated the disorder is caused by
the one condition, occasioned by any
one or a combination of the disorders
named under the several headings, and
in order that it may not confuse the
student of the air brake we will try to
make clear why and in what manner
some of the disorders mentioned pro-
duce the effect.
By the chart, then, we see that brake
pipe pressure falling faster than auxil-
iary reservoir pressure can reduce, can
be caused by: (i) Weather conditions.
(2) Lubricant. (3) The feed valve. (4)
The engineer's brake valve. (5) Equal-
izing reservoir. (6) Brake pipe. (7)
up of excessive lubrication requires no
explanation.
Under the heading of lubricant it may
be well to say that too heavy or too
much used, acts as a packing, making
the slide valve hard to move when
pressed tightly against the seat in a
similar manner that the collection of
dirt in heavy oil on a rotary valve
seat will make it hard to move the
rotary valve.
It has at times been observed that
after cleaning and lubricating a large
number of triple valves, the number of
cases of undesired quick action in-
creases, which can be accounted for by
the fact that in case of a dirty and
gritty condition of the slide valve and
scat, small quantities of air under pres-
UNOESIREO OUICK-ACTION. PRIMARY AND CONTRIBUTING CAUSE&
AUXILIARY RESERVOIR PRESSURE
CANNOT REDUCE AS f AST AS TMS
BRAKE XRE PRESSURE IS FALLINO
r.\BLE OF C.M'SE? OF UNfiKSlRED QUICK .\CT10N.
Conductor's valve. (8) Triple valve. (9)
Piston travel.
To reason out just how each one of
the parts mentioned and under what
conditions it could produce the disorder
is an interesting study. In the first
cause, the repairman, who has made a
very neat fit of a supply valve piston in
a slide valve feed valve (not necessarily
air tight), tested it thoroughly and after
bolting it to the reversing cock or feed
\alve bracket located on top of the
boiler, found that it refused to work
or that the piston stuck in the bushing
as soon as it got hot and would not
work again until it was cooled off, will
understand how the unequal expansion
of different metals, mentioned under
weather conditions, may influence the
disorder we are considering.
The effect of the thin coating of ice
on the slide valve seat or the gumming
sure can get between them, which has a
tendency to balance the pressure on
the slide valve and reduce the fric-
tional resistence to motion, while after
being unsparingly lubricated the lubri-
cant packed or excluded the air pres-
sure from between the valve and scat
and the slightly roughed valve would
adhere to the seat with all the force
of the air pressure per square inch
effective on the slide valve.
The sluggish feed valve as a con-
tributing cause is now pretty well un-
derstood, it bring identical with lap
position in allowing brake pipe leakage
to start the application or open the
graduating valve, as cited under ma-
nipulation of engineers' brake valve.
The tendency of the triple valve pis-
ten's movement when influenced by this
improper manipulation or by the slug-
gish feed valve has been dwelt upon
296
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
July, 1910.
in these columns and further comment
is unnecessary, but we wish to call at-
tention to the s/64 preliminary exhaust
port, in connection with causes orig-
inating with the brake valve, and to the
dirty, gummed up, or too tight fit of the
equalizing discharge piston, the re-
moval of the exhaust elbow and the
too light initial reduction of brake pipe
pressure.
Under the causes that will show the
triple valve to be at fault is "feed
groove closed by dirt," which may be
considered as preventing the triple valve
which causes the disorder, from being
found, that is, the restricted feed groove
prevents the reservoir's prompt re-
charge and upon the test to locate it,
the triple does not work in quick
action.
The other causes will be understood,
and in reference to short piston travel
as causing undesired quick action, this
is encountered only with a very short
travel when the iio-lb. pressure is em-
ployed.
In this case the auxiliary pressure
expands promptly, but has not suffi-
cient space in which to expand, which
causes momentarily the e.xcess in dif-
ferential.
Many readers will appreciate the fact
that this chart contains a great deal of
air brake information, and locating the
cause apparently becomes more com-
plicated than ever, but concerning lo-
cating the disorder, when a triple valve
is at fault, or when there is a "kicker"
or "dynamiter" in the train, we will
again mention Mr. Turner's remarks at
Richmond in which he advocated a
change in the method of locating the
defective triple valve.
By cutting the train pipe until the
defective valve is among four or five
suspected ones, and in case the pistons
do not come out on several, on the
first reduction, each man watching for
the defective brake, is likely to cut one
out, as it is quite likely that all will ap-
ply at the same time when quick action
does occur, and each man watching
imagines he saw the one that "kicked,"
and in order to avoid mistakes, time
permitting, the better method of
procedure, in case the defective valve is
confined to a few cars, would be to
apply the brakes and cut out or rather
close the stop cocks in the brake pipe
on all the suspected ones and recharge
the brake pipe, then open those stop
cocks merel}' enough to release each
brake, and when the reservoirs are
again recharged and the reduction is
started, but one brake will go into quick
action, and that is the defective one.
This is assuming that the stop cock
leading to the defective one is partly
closed, and in this event the defective
valve cannot reduce brake pipe pressure
fast enough to throw other triples in
the train into quick action.
Locating the disorder when it only
occurs occasionally is a much more
difficult matter, but we are dealing here
with the disorder when it actually does
occur, not when it exists onb' in imag-
ination, for it is safe to say that un-
desired quick action only occurs about
25 per cent, of the time it is reported,
and in breaking-in-two of the train, the
train has often parted before the quick
action occurred.
Now, in the event of light cars, with
the higher percentage of braking power
on the rear of the train and loaded cars
on the head end, should the train part
near the middle shortly after the ap-
plication, who would be in position to
state positiely whether quick action had
occurred and parted the train or
whether the higher percentage of brak-
ing power on the rear end had run the
slack out fast and hard enough to part
the train.
Let it be remembered that the black
hand on the gauge would fall in either
case and that the emergency application
has been used many a time without
resulting in a parted train.
Admitting that it does occur occa-
sionally and that it is a serious matter
when it does, the chart shows very dis-
tmctly that it can be overcome only bj'
intelligent repair work, thorough test,
and air brake instruction.
Concerning the latter we will call at-
tention to one of the changes of rec-
ommended practice that has resulted
from changed conditions. Eight j'ears
ago with short trains and 50 per cent,
air-braked cars an initial reduction of
5 or 6 lbs. was considered sufficient to
get the brake pistons out and bunch the
slack, and the amount of subsequent
reductions was of very little conse-
quence.
Three years ago, with longer trains
100 per cent, air-braked, the volume of
brake pipe pressure rendered the 5-lb.
reduction practicalh' valueless, and the
10, 12 and 15-lb. reduction was neces-
sary to get the reduction through
the train promptly, while today with
the unequal braking power and about
So-per cent, type K triples in the train,
the 5-lb. reduction to start w-ith is about
correct, as the type K triples will run
the reduction through the train, and at
the same time it is obvious that the
S-lb. reduction cannot develop enough
brake cylinder pressure to part the
train, regardless of which direction the
slack is running, as a result of the brake
application alone.
With 100 per cent, air brake cars and
light cars on the rear, bunching the
Fiack by means of a straight air on in-
dependent brake is poor practice, as the
brakes on the light cars will surely run
the slack out again, and when such con-
ditions are felt it is policy to keep the
train stretched even if it is necessary to
keep the engine throttle open until
after the brakes have applied.
Preventing Undesired Quick-Action
An invention intended to prevent the
undesired quick-action of triple valves
has received considerable attention from
some railroad companies. It consists
principally of a by-pass and check valve
arrangement whereby auxiliary reservoir
ITcssure can escape past a sticky triple
\ alve piston, or rather, if the triple pis-
ton does not respond and reduce aux-
iliary reservoir pressure promptly, the
auxiliary pressure can escape into the
brake pipe by means of the by-pass ar-
rangement and the sticky triple valve pis-
ton will not be moved, and consequently
undesired quick-action will be avoided.
While this invention may do all
and more than is claimed for it, it looks
like a misdirected effort. It has been
pointed out from time to time that un-
desired quick-action results from a dis-
order of the air brake equipment, and if
the equipment is maintained in a fair con-
dition and given a reasonable amount of
attention there will be no undesired
quick-action. This quick-action does not
occur just previous to the break every
tunc a train is parted, and does not oc-
cur every time a report of it is made on
the work report book or on the detention
report, and even if it did it would indi-
cate that the air brake equipment needed
some attention rather than a necessity
for some device to prevent its operation
while the brake remains in the same con-
dition.
The inventor's idea appears to encour-
age neglect rather than an increased air
brake efficiency; besides there is no as-
surance that the device itself will not be
neglected and become defective along
with the rest of the equipment and fail
to prevent the possibility of the disorder
occurring; in fact, there is every reason
10 assume that such would be the case.
If this annoying and dangerous defect
of the air brake is to be dealt with and
overcome, the quick-action triple valve
must receive proper repairs and a thor-
ough test, to begin with, and occasional
cleaning, lubrication, and inspection af-
ter being placed in service. The same
thing can be said of the brake valve, and
especial stress should be placed on the
words "proper repairs" and "thorough
test." The inspector and repairman's du-
ties do not end here ; the pipe connec-
tions on locomotives and cars are always
subject to severe strains, which often pro-
duces leakage, and the brake requires
continual attention.
In case there should be any company or
individual pursuing investigations or de-
veloping inventions along a line that
tends to make possible the placing of
July, loio.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
297
triple valves in service and allowing them
to remain indefinitely without any atten-
tion whatever — to such we say an inves-
tigation along the lines of automatic lu-
brication of triple valves and brake cyl-
inders, as practised to a certain extent
by some Western railroads might prove
interesting. This system of automatic lu-
brication is made possible by means of a
cylindrically formed body of lubricant,
a portion of which is graphite, enclosed
in a brass casting located on the cross-
over pipe between the cut-out-cock and
the triple valve.
The moisture always present in the at-
mosphere or compressed air, dissolves in
small quantities the body of this lubri-
cant, the graphite portion excepted, and
the flow of air through the triple valve
holds this lubricant in suspension and de-
posits it on wearing surface of the triple
valve and brake cylinder without its ac-
cumulating in the ports and passages.
The graphite portion of the compound is
also scattered through the brake system,
and can be found on the packing leather
of the brake cylinder, as well as on the
triple valve, and it reduces packing leath-
er wear to the minimum.
The system has been in use several
years, and works equally well with 70
or 1 10 lbs. brake pipe pressure, and by
continually lubricating the movable parts
of the triple valve, it prevents any unde-
sired quick-action that would result from
a sticky triple valve piston.
The entire system of lubrication
should be all right if it does not entirely
do away with the periodical or occasional
inspection of the triple valve, but in deal-
ing with any air brake trouble it will be
noticed that about the time the repair
work and inspection is being properly
taken care of. the trouble usually disap-
pears, and to any one directing their ef-
forts to overcoming undesired quick-ac-
tion and at the same time reducing in-
spection and repair work, the writer
would recommend .-lutomatic lubrication
in addition to the by-pass arrangement,
and without wishing to ridicule either
tystem until they have been thoroughly
tefted.
Triple valves and packing leathers that
had been in continuous service for sev-
eral years, without receiving any atten-
tion whatever, have been exhibited and
appear very satisfactory, and from all ac-
counts the by-pass arrangement hag been
"•d on triple valves in all conditions,
! has proved that it can prevent the
':nde«ired quick-action.
Gosport station, on the London and
Southwestern Railw.iy, is the best present
day example of what an important railway
nation looked like over sixty yeari ago.
In appearance it hat hardly changed at all
since it was opened in 1841, under the
name of "Portsmouth,"
Energy Stored in a Moving Train
In the diagram showing the distance
ill which a train can be stopped from a
speed of sixt\- miles an hour, we print
the first of the series of diagrams pre-
pared by Messrs. W. V. Turner and S.
W. Dudley. They appear in a publica-
tion entitled "Developments in Air
Brakes for Railroads," and a number of
the most important ones will be repro-
duced in these columns in future num-
bers.
There is nothing particularly remark-
able about this first diagram. We mere-
ly reproduce it to call attention to those
which will follow it, and also to illus-
also to determine the loss in weight of the
shoe and wheel under repeated applica-
tions. From the consideration of the
results obtained the committee recom-
mended that shoes when tested upon a
cast-iron wheel, in effecting stops from
an initial speed of forty miles an hour,
should develop a mean coefficient of fric-
tion of not less than 22 per cent, when
the brake-shoe pressure is 2,808 lbs., and 16
per cent, when the brake-shoe pressure is
6,840 lbs.
Considerable variation was shown in
the wearing qualities of the shoes, and,
as might be expected, the shoes tested
wore more rapidly on a steel-tired wheel
DISTANCE OF l»4 FCCT
TOTAL ENERGY STORED IN TRAIN AND OVERCOME BY BRAKE 63360 FOOT TONS
OSTANCe IN THOv/SANO rCET
USE or BKAKES.
DI.\GK.\.M OF ENERGY STORED IN A .MOVING TR.MN.
trate the enormous amount of air brake
mformation that can be conveyed by
means of lines on a single diagram.
Referring to this particular one, Mr.
Turner has said, "this illustration taken
from the records of a run during a se-
ries of tests at Absecon, N. J., the train
being composed of a locomotive and ten
cars. The amount of work it took the
locomotive, nearly six minutes, and a
distance of about three and a half miles
to accomplish was overcome by the
brakes in less than twenty seconds and
within a distance of about one thousand
feet The broken line represents what
the step might have been if no brakes
had been used ; i. e., the train brought
to rest by the resistance of the air and
journal friction."
than on a cast-iron wheel, and, in general
terms, it was noted that the shoes which
show a wear below the average are those
which cause the greatest amount of wear
in the wheel. All shoes showed greater
wear when applied under high pressure.
Brake Shoe Tests.
The report of the Standing Committee
on Tests of Brake Shoes, of which Prof.
Goss was chairman, presented to the Mas-
ter Car Builders' Association, was of par-
ticular interest, supplemented as it was
by reports of analysis made by the Ameri-
can Brake Shoe and Foundry Company,
of Mahwah, N. J. The committee took
twenty-eight brake shoes, (elected from
cars in service. These brake shoes were
of fourteen different kinds, each kind in
duplicate. One set was submitted to tents
at Purdue University. The other set
was tested at Mahwah, N. J.
The tests were made to determine the
coefficient •>( friction of the shoe, and
Train Brake and Signal Equipment.
The report of the committee on train
brake and signal equipment, appointed
by the American Railway Master Me-
chanics' Association, with Mr. A. J. Cota
as chairman, consisted of a resume of
emergency brake tests made on the Lake
Shore & Michigan Southern Railway dur-
ing October, November and December of
1909, also the progress made in proposing
a revision of the present code of tests of
triple valves, and a brief mention of the
disposal of matters referred to the com-
mittee by the executive and other com-
mittees during the year. The report is
a most valuable one, the Lake Shore Tests
being particularly interesting and instruc-
tive.
United States Steel.
.\carly twenty-lour millions of tons
of iron ore was mined by the United
States Steel Corporation last year as
t-onipared with seventeen millions of
Inns in iqo8. Steel ingots were pro-
duced last year to the extent of thir-
teen millions of tons as compared with
eight millions in the previous year.
The output during the present year is
'aid t') »how a corresponding increase.
298
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
July, 1910.
Electrical Department
Running a N. Y., N. H. & H. Electric.
By W. B. KouwE.N'iiovEN.
In passing Woodlawn where the New
Mavcn tracks end and the New York
Central tracks begin, the change from al-
ternating current to direct current is
usually made without stopping the train.
In fact the passengers are unaware that
any change in the motive power has
taken place. As there is no time allowed
at Woodlawn to test the locomotive con-
trol for direct current operation this test
must be made before leaving Stamford,
in addition to the tests the engineer has
already made.
The change-over switch must be thrown
to the direct current position to try the
control apparatus for direct current
operation. There are two of these
change-over switches on each locomo-
tive, one to each motor unit. The change-
over switches arrange the motor control
connections so that when the locomotive
is running on either direct or alternating
current the proper contactors in the
switch groups come in, as the engineer
notches up the controller handle. These
switches also control the connections for
the blower and compressor motors, and
for the lights, so that they receive power
whether the locomotive is in the direct
or alternating current zone. The move-
ment of both change-over switches is
automatically controlled by the set of
three relays mentioned in the last issue.
When alternating current enters the loco-
motive the two small relays lift their
armatures while the armature of the
large direct current relay remains down,
and the control current from the storage
batteries shifts the change-over switch to
the alternating current position (with the
handle down). If alternating current en-
ters only one transformer, it will raise
the armature of the small relay belonging
to that transformer, and as that of the
direct current relay is down, the change-
over switch will throw over. When
direct current enters the locomotive and
raises the armature of its relay, while
those of tlie small relays are down, the
control current for direct current opera-
tion will throw the change-over switches
back to the direct current position with
the handles up. If one or both alternating
current relays and the direct current re-
lay simultaneously raise their armatures,
the control circuit for both alternating
and direct current is opened, as was ex-
plained in the last issue. When no cur-
rent is entering the locomotive the arma-
tures of all three relavs are down.
In order to throw the change-over
switches to the direct current position
when at Stamford in the alternating cur-
rent zone, the engineer opens both oil
switches cutting off the current from the
transformers, and the armatures of the
two small relays immediately drop. Then
by lifting the armature of the large relay
by hand, the engineer establishes the con-
nections for the direct current control
circuit and the change-over switches will
iiistantly shift to that position. Now the
engineer can pull his controller handle up
notch by notch while the helper watches
the switch groups and checks ofif the
proper unit switches as they come in for
direct current operation. When he has
completed this test with both master con-
trollers in either direction, the change-
over switches are thrown back to their
former position by lifting the armature
of one of the small relays. The engineer
must also make sure that the small
switches on the back of both master con-
trollers are open. Then the helper closes
the circuit breakers again and the loco-
motive is ready for operation with either
direct or alternating current.
In running on alternating current one
alternating current trolley is sufficient to
collect all the power needed, and the
other one should be kept locked down
by closing the cut-out cock in the air
line leading to it. The rear trolley
should preferably be used because in case
of the trolley striking any projection or
becoming disabled it will not fall on the
other trolley and ruin it for service.
In leaving the roundhouse at Stamford,
passing over switches and coupling to
train, and in any place where slow speed
is desired the engineer may retain the
master controller handle in one of the
switching positions for a short time.
These positions are not running positions
rnd the controller handle should not be
a'lowed to remain in them for any length
of time when it can possibly be avoided.
When the locomotive is standing still the
engineer should, under no circumstances,
allow current to pass through the motors.
When the conductor gives the signal to
'■go ahead" the engineer should throw the
reverser handle to the forward position
if he has not already done so, and pro-
ceed to notch up the controller handle,
promptly drawing it from the alternating
current switching position to alternating
current No. i position, one notch at a
time. As he does so he must watch the
ammeter in front of him and endeavor to
maintain the current between 1,600 and
i.Soo amperes; 1,800 amperes need not be
exceeded under normal conditions. Mean-
while the helper watches the ammeter at
the other end of the cab to make sure that
the motor unit is receiving current as
well as the one supplied with current
through the forward ammeter. From al-
ternating current No. i the engineer
should draw the controller handle notch
by notch through positions Nos. 2, 3, 4,
S, up to alternating current No. 6, at
which position the current is full on. He
should take care not to exceed 1,800 am-
peres while drawing up the handle. Any
one of the positions Nos. i, 2, 3, 4, s or
6 are economical running points and the
engineer may retain the controller handle
in any one of them as long as he sees fit.
When a slow speed is desired he should
stop on one of the first notches and allow
the controller handle to remain there.
If in notching up, the engineer should by
mistake pull the controller handle beyond
alternating current position No. 6, the
control circuit will be opened and all the
unit switches will drop out, cutting off
the current from the motors. In this
case he should immediately return the
handle to position No. 6, but if in the
meantime the speed of the train has
slackened considerably, then he must first
pull out the controller plug which is at-
tached to the reverse handle by a chain.
This will open the control circuit and the
engineer must now push the controller
handle back to the ofi position, reinsert
the plug and notch up as before.
When the train is approaching Wood-
lawn where the change from alternating
to direct current is made, the locomotive
passes a post along the right of way
marked "shoes down." Here the en-
gineer must press the button on top of
the controller marked "shoes down."
Pressing this button opens the small elec-
tro-magnet valves on the shoe cylinders,
admits compressed air to the cylinders
and forces down the shoes. The helper
must see that all four shoes go down,
otherwise the locomotive must be brought
to a stop and the shoes lowered by hand.
.\fter passing the last overhead bridge,
the helper throws the direct current main
switch to the up position, closing it. Upon
leaching the post marked "power off"
the engineer immediately throws the con-
troller handle to the off position and
closes the small switch on the back of
the controller. The closing of this small
switch lowers the alternating current
trolleys and locks them down and also
locks the shoes in the down position.
IMeanwhile the helper opens the two al-
ternating current circuit breakers, as sooni
July, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE EXGINEERING.
299
as the trolleys are lowered. If the troF-
leys fail to come down the locoraorive
must be brought to a stop and the trol
leys pulled down by a wooden pole pro-
vided for the purpose. The train is
allowed to coast over the gap between the
alternating current and the direct cur-
rent zones. .\s soon as direct current
enters the locomotive, the direct current
relay is excited and raises its armature
and the change-over switch automatic-
ally changes to the direct current position
(with the handle up). When these changes
have been completed and the direct cur-
rent has entered the locomotive, the en-
gineer pulls his controller handle up to
the proper running position, while the
helper closes the storage battery-charging
switch for direct current. The train con-
tinues to run on direct current to the
Grand Central Station in New York.
Here the train is uncoupled and the loco-
trotive is run on a siding to await its
next train back to Stamford.
When the locomotive is standing idle
at the Grand Central Station in the direct
current zone, the engineer should leave
everything the same as when standing in
the roundhouse at Stamford, except that
the third rail shoes should be down am!
in contact with the third rail.
Before leaving the station the engineer
must test the control, repeating practically
the same tests as were used before leav-
ing the roundhouse at Stamford. He
should start the air compressors and see
that they operate satisfactorily. Then he
should test the storage batteries, see that
the change-over switches are still in the
direct current position with the liandles
up, insert rcverser handle and plug in
master controller and by pressing the
button marked "bell." ascertain that the
current for the control circuits is on.
Next he must proceed to test the control
for direct current operation, making sure
that the main switch is open and that the
small switches on the back of the con-
troller are open before commencing the
test. The helper must watch the switches
01 the switch groups to see that they work
properly while the engineer notches the
controller handle up to full multiple posi-
tion, using both controllers in turn and
in both forward and backward directions.
He must also make a test on the con-
trollers for the alternating current opera-
:i by throwing the change-over switch
the alternating current position. Be-
fore throwing the switch, however, he
must first open the compressor, blower
— d light circuits, .\ftcr this test is com-
'cd the engineer throws the change-
■r switch back to the direct current
ition. Then he closes the main switch
! the imall switch on the back of the
" r at the head end of the
'• that the nwilrh on the
r ii open. Thin small
twitch IS aiwayn krpt closed when run-
Tiing on direct current. The bell, sanderi
and lights are tested, and a general in-
spection of the fuses, tools and other
equipments is made. The brakes are tried
to see if they set and release properly, and
the engineer is ready to proceed with the
locomotive.
In leaving the Grand Central Station
where slow speed is required the engineer
may retain the master controller handle
in the direct current switching position
for a short space of time. The running
positions on direct current are the "Direct
Current Series. Shunt No. i. Shunt No.
2 and the Full Multiple" positions. Any
of these four positions are economical
running points and the controller handle
may be retained in any one of them for
any length of time. The engineer must
never allow the handle to remain con-
tinuously in any other position while oper-
ating with direct current, because it is not
only uneconomical, due to the power lost
push down the button marked "circuit
breaker reset" and proceed to notch up
cgain. If the breaker does not reset when
the button is pushed, it can be reset by
hand.
In passing over switches and in places
where there are gaps in the third rail,
an overhead rail is provided. At these
points the engineer presses the button
marked "direct current trolley raised," in
order to obtain current for the locomo-
tive. The trolley remains up only as long
as he presses the button, and when the
gap is crossed and the button released,
the trolley comes down of its own
weight.
Freight Train Resistance.
.\ very interesting individual paper on
Freight Train Resistance and Its Relation
to .\verage Car Weight was presented at
tlu' June convention of the Master Me-
in the grid resistance, but there is danger
in burning out a grid.
Upon receiving the conductor's signal
to go ahead and starting the train, the
engineer must watch his ammeter while
the helper watches the ammeter at the
other end of the cab to make sure that
both motor units are receiving power.
The engineer must promptly notch his
controller handle up to the series posi-
imn and continue to shunt No. i, and No.
i position sii as lo maintain a current of
from 1,600 to 1,800 amperes under nor-
mal conditions. From shunt No. 2 he
should continue more slowly to full mul-
tiple, taking care not to exceed i,aoo
amperes. The main direct current cir-
ciiit-lireakcr will open at a,Soo ampcrc'i
and if he exceeds this current and opens
the breaker, he nnut immediately return
the controller handle to the off position.
I.AKI. Sfl'EklDK.
chanics' Association by Mr. Edward C.
Schmidt, assistant professor of railway
engineering in the University of Illinois.
The tests, the results of which form the
basis of the report, were part of the re-
search work of the engineering experi-
ment station of the university, and were
conducted by the railway engineering de-
partment. The dynamometer car used
was owned jointly by the Illinois Central
Railroad and the university, and the tests
extended over a period of about one year
and were carried out over the Chicago
division of the road.
The report is a very careful analysis
of all the work done and the methods of
conducting the tests. A number of curves
were plotted showing train resistance in
pounds per Ion at given speeds, and coni-
(larisons with previous train tests were
made.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
July, igio.
Items of Personal Interest
Mr. R. W. Brown has been made air
brake instructor on the Baltimore & Ohio
South Western Railroad.
Mr. T. Duff Smith, has been appointed
fuel agent of the Grand Trunk Pacific,
with office at Winnipeg, Man.
Mr. George S. Goodwin has been ap-
pointed assistant mechanical engineer of
the Rock Island lines, with office at
Silvis, 111.
Mr. W. P. Garabrant has been ap-
pointed road foreman of engines of the
New York division of the Pennsylvania
Railroad.
Mr. Geo. B. Foster has been appointed
Chicago sales manager of the Wisconsin
Engine Co., with office in the Fisher
Building, Chicago.
A life-size bronze statue of the late
Samuel Herbert Spencer, president of
the Southern Railway, has recently been
unveiled at Atlanta, Ga.
Mr. J. A. Barker has been appointed
road foreman of engines of the Chicago,
Cincinnati. & Louisville Railroad with
headquarters at Peru, Ind.
Mr. F. Kinsey has been apointed in-
spector of transportation of the Chi-
cago, Great Western Railroad, with
headquarters at Chicago, III.
l\Ir. J. G. Boyd has been appointed
roundhouse foreman at Gibson, N. B., on
the Intercolonial Railway of Canada,
vice Mr. E. E. White, resigned.
Mr. J. W. Mclninch, locomotive fore-
man at Woodstock, N. B., on the Cana-
dian Pacific, has had his headquarters
moved to Aroostook Junction, N. B.
Mr. A. B. Ayers has been appointed
mechanical engineer of the Chicago.
Indiana & Southern and of the Indiana
Harbor Belt, with office at Cleveland,
Ohio.
Mr. H. J. Reed has been appointed
night locomotive foreman at Winnipeg
roundhouse, on the Canadian Pacific Rail-
way, vice Mr. W. K. McLeod. trans-
ferred.
Mr. E. C. Ferguson has been appoint-
ed car foreman on the Canadian Pacific
at Ottawa, Ont., vice Mr. T. A. Mus-
grove, resigned, to enter the C. N. R.
service.
Mr. G. T. Spalding has been appointed
traveling engineer of the Rocky Moun-
tain division of the Chicago, Milwaukee
& St. Paul, with headquarters at Deer
Lodge, Mont.
Mr. W. H. Gardner has been appointed
traveling engineer of the S. C. and D.
division of the Chicago,. Milwaukee &
St. Paul Railway, with headquarters at
Sioux City, la.
.\lr. Charles E. Fuller, superintendent
of motive power and machinery of the
Union Pacific Railroad who has been
elected president of the American Rail-
way Master Mechanics' Association, was
born Oct. 27. 1862, at Terre Haute, Ind.,
he was educated in the public schools and
took a special course in mechanical
studies. Entered railway service 1879 as
apprentice in drawing office of the Terre
Haute & Indianapolis Railroad, since
which he has been consecutively to .A.pril,
1889, machinist apprentice foreman on the
same road; April 15, 1889, to Feb. 8,
1890. general foreman New York, Lake
Erie cS: Western shops at Hornellsville,
•M. Y. ; Feb. 8, 1890, to Oct. 20, 1892. mas-
C. E. FULLER,
President, Master Mechan:"?' Association.
ter mechanic of the New Y'ork division
of the same road ; Oct. 20, 1892, to Dec.
31, 1899, superintendent motive power
Central Vermont Railroad Jan. i, 1900,
to Oct. I, 1902, master mechanic Erie
shops at Susquehanna, Pa. ; Oct. i, 1902,
to June I, 1903, assistant mechanical su-
perintendent of the same road at Mead-
ville. Pa. ; June i, to Aug. 24, 1903, as-
sistant mechanical superintendent Erie
system, including the controlled lines ;
Aug. 24, 1903, superintendent motive
power Chicago & Alton and subsequently
he took service with the Union Pacific as
the chief officer of the mechanical depart-
ment.
Mr. F. W. Stanyan has been appointed
general manager of the Montpelier &
Wells River Railroad, with office at
Montpelier, Vt., vice Mr. W. .A. Sto-
well, resigned.
Mr. C. L. Brevorts has been appointed
superintendent of terminals on the Cin-
cinnati, Hamilton & Dayton, with head-
quarters at Elrawood Place, vice Mr.
Griffin, resigned.
Mr. E. R. Battley, heretofore machin-
ist at Stratford shops of the Grand Trunk
Railway, has been appointed locomotive
foreman at Fort Erie, Ont., vice Mr. C.
A. Livingston, transferred.
Mr. C. C. L. Bent, general manager of
the Baltimore & Ohio Southwestern, will
become general superintendent of termi-
nals of the Baltimore & Ohio and of the
Staten Island in New York.
Mr. John Lampton Conerly, general
car foreman of the Illinois Central in
New Orleans, has been transferred to
the larger and more important plant in
Memphis, on the same road.
Mr. A. R. Creelman, K. C, the com-
pany's general counsel, has been elected
a director of the Candian Pacific Railway
board, to fill the vacancy caused by the
death of Sir George Drummond.
Mr. H. W. Davis has been appointed
Eastern representative of the Falls Hol-
low Staybolt Company of Cuyahoga
Falls, Ohio. Mr. Davis's office is in
Xew Y'ork City, at No. 2 Rector street.
Mr. W. C. Hurst has been appointed su-
perintendent of the Northern and South-
ern divisions of the Cincinnati, Hamil-
ilton & Dayton, with headquarters at
Dayton, Ohio, vice Mr. J. M. Scott,
resigned.
yW. P. A. Rainey has been appointed
assistant supervisor of signals on the
eastern Pennsj-lvania division of the
Pennsylvania Railroad, with office at
Harrisburg, Pa., vice Mr. F. J. Baunian,
resigned.
Mr. J. F. Kirby, formerly division fore-
man on the St. Louis, Iron Mountain &
Southern, has resigned and has become
master mechanic for the Hodges and
Downey Construction Company at Der-
moth, Ark.
Two Interstate Commissioners. Messrs.
Lane and Clark, by appointment of the
President, will represent the United
States at the International Railway Con-
gress to be held at Berne, Switzerland,
this month.
.As a result of the abandonment of the
shops of the Northern Central at Mt.
Vernon, Mr. George H. Burton, assist-
ant master mechanic at that point, has
been transferred to Renovo, Pa., in the
same capacity.
Mr. C. A. Livingston, heretofore loco-
motive foreman at Fort Erie, Ont., has
been appointed locomotive foreman at
Durand, Mich., on the Grand Trunk Rail-
July, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
301
way, vice G. H. VVyatt, transferred to
Nichols, Mich.
Mr. T. J. Hamilton, formerly traveling
engineer on the Chicago, Milwaukee &
St. Paul, has been promoted to the po-
sition of district master mechanic on
the same road, with headquarters at
Deer Lodge, Mont.
Mr. J. \V. Senger has been appointed
master car builder of the Chicago, Indi-
ana & Southern Railroad, and of the In-
diana Harbor Belt Railroad, with head-
quarters at Englewood, 111., vice Mr. T.
H. Goodnow, resigned.
Mr. G. A. Smith has been appointed
division freight and passenger agent of
the Eastern division of the Chicago
Great Western, with headquarters at 103
Adams street, Chicago, III., vice Mr. R.
\V. Goodell, promoted.
The title of Mr. W. F. Knapp, super-
intendent of shops and machinery on the
Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac.
has been changed to that of superin-
tendent of motive power. His office re-
mains at Richmond, Va.
Mr. J. J. Scully, heretofore superin-
tendent district i, central division of the
Canadian Pacific at Kenora, Ont., has
been appointed superintendent district 1,
western division. Moose Jaw, Sask., vice
Mr. W. J. Uren, transferred.
Mr. John M. Hofman, formerly
roundhouse foreman on the Texas &:
Pacific Railway at Big Springs, Texa-.
has accepted the position of machin.
shop foreman on the Louisiana & Ar
kansas Railw.iy at Stamps, Ark.
Mr. T. J. Sweeney, formerly a loc<
motive engineer on the Shamokin divisi<j:
of the Philadelphia & Reading, has beei:
appointed road foreman of engines on
the same division of the P. & R. with
headquarters at Shamokin, Pa., vice Mr.
J \V. Harrif. resigned.
Mr. Ren Johnson, assistant locomotive
superintendent of the L^nited Railways
of Havana, at Havana, Cuba, has been
appointed superintendent of motive power
of that company and the Havana Cen-
tral, with office at Havana, vice Mr.
Charles J. Thornton, resigned.
Mr. E. J. Searles has been appointed
assistant to Mr. J. D. Harris, general
superintendent of motive power of the
Baltimore & Ohio, with office at Balli-
ri', Md. Mr. Searles is a mechanical
inccr and a graduate of Johns Hop-
- L'niversity. From 1902 to 1904 was
infer of motive power of the Balti-
rr & Ohio at Pittsburgh.
Messrs. J. D. Harris, C. E. Fuller
and C. A. .Seley were elected members
of the executive committee of the
Master Car Builders' Association.
MrMfs. J. F. Deems. A. W. Gibbs,
A. Seley, W. H. Lewis and J. F.
I*h were elected members of the
mittee on nominations of the Mas-
Car Builders' Association, at the
'nt meeting at Atlantic City.
Mr. Theodore H. Curtis, now presi-
dent of the Master Car Builders' As-
sociation, has had a training somewhat
like that of the late Pulaski Leeds. He
was born at Terre Haute, Ind., in 1866,
and he entered railway service as a
draughtsman on the C, C, C & St. L.,
in 1886. Later he worked as draughts-
man at the Brooks Locomotive Works
and at the Pittsburgh Locomotive
Works up to 1889. He was afterwards
chief draughtsman for the N. Y. C. &
St. L. for about 12 years. Subsequently
he was appointed mechanical engineer
of the same road, but in 1889 he went
to the Erie Railroad, and in 1901 he
took service with the Louisville &
Nashville in the same capacity. In
1903, after the death of Pulaski Leeds,
he was appointed superintendent of
T. II. CUKTIS,
Trcsidint Maslcr Car Buiidcrs' .Association.
m.ichinery and has held that position
to the present time. Mr. Curtis was
known as a capable mechanical engi-
neer before he was appointed to the
higher position and he has maintained
that reputation to the full notwith-
standing the pressure of many execu-
tive duties. He is a close student of
mechanical matters, and has the analyt-
ical faculty very clearly developed.
Sir \Villi.im J. Sinclair. M. A.. M. D,
M. R. C. P., professor of obstetricsand gy-
nxcology, Pro-Vice Chancellor of Victoria
L'niversity, Manchester, Eng., has been
elected a corresponding member of the
Royal Medical Society of Buda-Pesth. Sir
William, as most of our readers know, is
brother of Dr. .Angus Sinclair, editor of
Railway and LoroMtrriVK F.n<.ineeiiing.
Mr. Thomas Tait. chief commissioner
of Victoria Railways System in Australia,
has. we imderstand, advised the govern-
ment to consult Sir William Van Home
regarding the ennstruction of a railway
across the continent. Sir William is one
of ihc most ci-mpctcnl railway ;.iiilw,rii;,-s
and is free to advise the government of
Austria and those of the various States in
the Commonwealth upon a matter of such
importance as the practicability of trans-
continental communication, with extensive
irrigation as an auxiliary feature.
At the meeting of the Master Car
Builders' Association held at Atlantic
City last June, Mr. T. H. Curtis, super-
intendent of machinery of the Louis-
ville & Nashville Railroad, was elected
president of the association for the
year 1910-11. Mr. A. Stewart, general
superintendent of motive power and
equipment of the Southern Railway,
was elected ist vice-president. Mr. C. E.
Fuller, superintendent of motive power
and machinery. Union Pacific Railroad,
was elected 2d vice-president, and Mr.
D. F. Crawford, general superintendent of
motive power, Pennsylvania Lines, was
elected 3d vice-president. Mr. John S.
Lentz, master car builder of the Lehigh
Valley Railroad, was elected treasurer,
Mr. John Kirby having retired.
The election of officers of the .Ameri-
can Railway Master Mechanics' Associa-
tion took place at the closing session of
the convention held at .Atlantic City last
June. Mr. C. E. Fuller, superintendent of
motive power and machinery of the
Union Pacific Railroad was elected presi-
dent for 1910-11. Mr. H. T. Bentley, as-
sistant superintendent of motive power
and machinery of the Chicago & North-
western Railway, was elected first vice-
president of the association. Mr. D. F.
Crawford, general superintendent of mo-
tive power of the Pennsylvania Lines, was
elected second vice-president, and Mr. T.
Rumney, general mechanical superintend-
ent of the Erie Railroad, was elected third
vice-president of the association. Dr. .An-
gus Sinclair, of New York, was elected
treasurer, and Mr. Joseph W. Taylor re-
mains secretary of the M. M. and the
M. C. B. Associations.
Obituary
James R. Paterson, recently in the
sales department of the Commercial
.Acetylene Company of New York and for
many years advertising manager of Rail-
way AND LoroMOTivE Fncinekrinc, died
at Cranford, N. J., on May 31. Mr. Pat-
erson was born in London, England, and
was distinguished in his youth as an all-
round athlete, and participated in several
of the international football matches. He
was prominent in railway supply circles,
and was a member of several of the lead-
ing fraternal societies of America. He
was trained as a banker's clerk and went
through an apprenticeship to that busi-
n<'ss. Judging that the prospects for ad-
vancement in Lon<Ion were unsatisfactory,
he came to this country abnut 1890. He
had been in failing health for some
months. He leaves a widow and son, who
is a student at the Stevens Institute of
l.-,h.iol..i;v at IIoliMkrn. N. J.
302
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
July, 1910.
This Paper Reaches Purchasers.
Railway and Locomoti\t; Engineering
has the largest circulation of any railroad
pubhcation outside of the brotherhood
journals. It has more subscribers among
such officials as master mechanics, gen-
eral railway shop foremen and road
foremen of engines than any other which
makes it really the best advertising me-
dium for people having goods to sell for
railway rolling stock and repair shop pur-
poses. A new department called Loco-
motive Running Repair begins with this
issue. The Air Brake and the Electrical
Departments are conducted by practical
men in their own line.
Saratoga Wants the Convention.
The hotel people and others of Saratoga
are making a systematic and vigorous
effort to have the railway mechanical as-
sociations hold their annual conventions
there again. A committee representing
the business interests of Saratoga waited
on the committees of the Master Car
Builders' and the Master Mechanics' As-
sociations at Atlantic City and made
highly liberal offers of accommodation
for the associations if they could be pre-
vailed upon to patronize Saratoga regu-
larly or every second year. No definite
promises could be given, but another
effort will be made before the joint com-
mittee.
Steam Heat Connections.
The M. C. B. Committee. Mr. L S.
Downing, chairman, who had the question
of train pipe connections for steam heat
under consideration, reported that tests
were conducted at Collinwood, in March,
1910, on a train of thirteen cars, equipped
with 2-in. pipe in the usual manner:
Inlet controlling valves were all closed ;
steam was turned on at head end of train
and time noted. When water appeared
at rear end the time was noted ; when
steam appeared time was noted. When
steam appeared the valve on rear end
was closed. Time to get 10, 20, 30, 40, 50,
60 lbs. in rear car was noted.
The report continues : From the data
obtained, the committee find that the
large coupling will allow steam to pass
more freely than the medium, but the dif-
ference is not so great as to be of much
consequence. They believe that either large
or medium is entirely satisfactory. When
the Master Car Builders' adopted the
large coupling and hose as Recommended
Practice, in 1903, many prominent rail-
roads immediately accepted the recom-
mendation and put the large equipment
on all of their passenger cars and passen-
ger locomotives. Other roads did not do
this, and the committee therefore do not
recommend either size as standard for
the Association, nor did they specify any
particular make of valve as standard,
though a number were subjected to test.
The results of the tests were given in the
report.
Inspection of Boilers. vices are unreliable and have had the ef-
The Master Mechanics' committee on '""^ °^ '=*'''"S a«ay ^rom the men in
design, construction and inspection of lo- "'''"^^ "'*^"" a«epted responsibility,
comotive boilers, of which Mr. T. H. "Attention is invited to the item of rup-
Curtis was chairman, decided to confine '"'"''* ''""• ''"^■'- 3.204- This covers the
their report to the matter of boiler in- '''=°^'^ °* ^" ^^"^Se number of 42.200
spection for the whole field of enquiry locomotives per annum for a period of
would be too large for one report. In- '°"'" ^^^'^ ^"^ '«" "°""^s- Assuming 250
formation on the subjects of boiler in- """ '° ^^''^' locomotive boiler, the result
spection rules, and also as to casualties ^^'"'"^ °"^ ""^ ^^''"""^ P" >'"'' ^° "<=h
due to boiler explosions, was received "5,912 flues in service,
from a large number of roads. On the "A* ^^^ *™« ^^e different railroad corn-
subject of explosions, information was ?='"'«= '■""^ ''^^^'^ ^°^ information as to
received from 157 railroads, covering the ^"'^^^ explosions, they were also asked to
period from Jan. i, 1905, to Nov. i, 1909. ^"PP'^' '^"P'" '^^ "^^'■' ■""•^^ ^"'1 ^^S^^^'
These roads operate 43.787 locomotives, ^'°"5 ^°^ '^^ "^'"^ ^""^ inspection of loco-
have 157,169 miles of track, and in the "'°"^^ ''°''^''^- ^ "^''S'^ °^ ^"ch rules
58 months covered by the records, made ^"^ regulations as were submitted shows
0,012,057,467 engine-miles. The commit- '''^* ^ "^^y thorough and vigorous inspec-
tee estimated the number of locomotives "°" °* locomotive boilers is being raain-
in the United States to be 58,000 and that '^'"^"^ ^""^ recorded, and the rules pre-
the reports cover about 75 per cent, of ^"-'"''^ "^''^ thorough instructions as to
the total number of locomotives in the ^^e proper care of the locomotive boilers."
country. "
The report says, "Explosions and fail- Trade Mark Suit.
ures of locomotive boilers are divided A suit for infringement of trade mark
into five classes, as follows: Explosions brought in United States Circuit Court
of boiler shells, explosions of fire boxes, over two years ago by James B. Sipe &
damage by burning, rupture of flues, Company (with offices at Pittsburgh),
boiler-fitting failures. Explosions of against Columbia Refining Company has
boiler shells and fire boxes, or damage '.ately been decided. This company made
by burning, etc., are usually due to low and sold a paint oil under the name of
water. Of the failures reported, 98.3 "Japinol," while James B. Sipe & Com-
"A statement of the explosions, failures and casualties is shown below :
Xo. Average Xo. Aver- Xo. In- age per
per Killed, age per jured. Year.
Year. Year. ' .\ver-
Low Water:
Explosion of boiler shells 14 2.9 20 4.1 16 3.3
Explosion of fire boxes 246 50.9 127 26.3 144 29.8
Damaged by burning 2,499 517.0 15 3.1 57 11.8
Ruptured flues 66 13.6 . . . . 3 0.6
Fitting failures 25 5.2 . . . . 4 0.8
Other Causes :
Explosion of boiler shells.... 6 1.3 10 2.0 7 14
Explosion of fire boxes 2 0.4 i 0.2 i 0.2
Damaged by burning 40 8.3 i 0.2 r 0.2
Total 2,898 599.5 174 35.9 233 48.1
"In addition to the failures shown above, there were also other failures, as
follows :
Xo. Xo. Killed. Xo. Injured.
Rupture of flues 3,204 8 21
Boiler fitting failures 1,609 2 SI
Total 4,813 10 72
per cent, were due to low water and 1.7 pany has been manufacturing and selling
per cent, to other causes. Of the failures a paint oil for the past twenty-five years
due to low water, 98.6 per cent, were under the registered trade mark "Japan
due to the failure of the men handling Oil." On May 6, 1910, in the United
or in immediate charge of the locomo- States Circuit Court, Judge Lacombe, of
five to maintain a proper supply of the Southern District of New York, is-
water in the boiler; the remaining 1.4 sued a decree perpetually enjoining and
per cent, were due to other causes, restraining Columbia Refining Company
A.utomatic devices, either to maintain from using in any manner whatsoever
the water supply or to act as an alarm the word "Japinol" or any other word so
when proper supply is not provided, have closely resembling James B. Sipe & Com-
been proposed and given consideration, pany's trade mark "Japan Oil" as to be
but it has been determined that such de- misleading to the trade.
July, 1910.
R.A.ILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
303
Locomotive Superheaters.
The Committee on Superheaters, under
the chairmanship of Mr. Lacey R. John-
son, presented a very able and compre-
hensive report to the meeting of the
American Master Mechanics' Association.
The report embraced the result of experi-
ments on twenty American railways and
the data obtained was condensed and clas-
sified in such form that the most casual
reader could see at a glance the number
of locomotives using superheaters, their
location, and a tabulated comparison with
locomotives not using superheaters. From
the report it appears that the Canadian
Pacific has applied superheating to the
largest number of locomotives of any rail-
road in America, there being no less than
487 locomotives so equipped. The Santa
Fe comes next with 168, while the Great
Northern has 61. Nearly a dozen of the
leading railroads are represented by one
each, the total number of locomotives so
equipped being 805.
Eight t>'pes of superheaters are dealt
with in the report These and the num-
ber of locomotives to which they are at-
tached are as follows : Vaughan- Horsey on
five railroads is on 491 engines ; Jacobs,
104; Baldwin, 79; Churchward (Eng-
land), 61; Emerson, 59; Schmidt, 58;
Cole, 13, and Union Pacific, i. It may be
added that the Schmidt superheater is in
use on 130 railroads in Europe, and is in
service on more than 5,000 locomotives.
The report presents a detailed descrip-
tion of the various superheaters with il-
lustrations. Most of these devices have
been already the subject of articles and
illustrations in the pages of Railway and
Locomotive Enginefjunc. Perhaps the
most novel in point of construction is the
Jacobs superheater. We had the oppor-
tunity of observing the construction of the
first superheater of this kind used, while
visiting the shops in Topeka, Kans. It
is of the smoke-box fire-tube type, and
consists of two steel drums, fitted with a
series of horizontal fire tubes between
the heads and with steam pipe connec-
tions. Its application can be readily made
to locomotives of the usual type without
radical changes in the boiler or front end.
It is a simple but effective method of util-
izing the waste heat in the combustion
gases without a sacrifice of effective heat-
ing surface in the boiler. With this de-
sign of superheater any desired degree
of superheat may be obtained by setting
the front flue sheet back farther in the
boiler and this space utilized for super-
beating surface.
In the important item of running re-
pairs per 100 ton-miles, the reports are
very conflicting. An average may be
taken from a few roads where they have
made an exact comparison between the
cost of maintaining the superheater and
non-superheater cl.issrn of locomotives.
In each case the locomotives were other-
wise alike. The Southern Pacific reported
an increase of 18 per cent, in the mainte-
nance of superheaters. The Boston &
Maine reported an increase of 13 per cent.,
while the C, B. & Q. reported an increase
of nearly 15 per cent. These figures re-
ferred to the Baldwin, Cole and Schmidt
superheaters. In the item of cost of coal,
the reports are also very variable, rang-
ing from 6 per cent, to 40 per cent., the
highest coal saving report being received
from the Canadian Pacific road, where
the Vaughan-Horsey superheater is quot-
ed at a reduction of 42 per cent, in coal
consumption. The reports from this road
are extremely variable, some showing a
net reduction in coal expense of little
more than 3 per cent. The general aver-
age on all roads is between 15 and 20
per cent, saving in coal by the use of the
superheater.
The general practice seems to be to
lower the boiler pressure when a super-
heater is applied, and as a consequence
the result shows a reduction of boiler
repairs. The increased cost of lubrication
is not nearly as large as was stated sev-
eral years ago, the marked improvement
in oil pumps meeting the requirements
of the service. Bronze valve seats .%re
favorably reported on, and special metals
are being experimented with for rod
packing.
The committee, in conclusion, while
pointing out that the use of the super-
heater is both economical and practical,
wisely refrain from recommending any
particular type of superheater, and while
the report in point of completeness of de-
tail leaves little to be desired, it is a
noteworthy fact that the important item
•of first cost has been omitted as, we pre-
sume, not properly coming within the
scope of the committee's work. The re-
port is altogether not only one of the most
important that has come before the con-
vention, but the able committee have
handled the subject in a masterly manner.
Tate Flexible Staybolts.
Quite an interesting and artistic cata-
logue, among the many that come to our
office, may be mentioned that issued by
the Flannery Bolt Company of Pittsburgh,
Pa. This catalogue, which is of standard
tize, deals with the Tate flexible staybolt,
an article which was put on the market in
1904 and has gained prominence in the
railway world.
The catalogue is beautifully illustrated
with drawings executed in half-tone,
giving sizes and section of bolt
sleeve and cap. Not only is the
ordinary form of flexible bolt shown,
but the flush head bolt is shown, where
the sleeve enters the water space. The
roof sheet staying, radial sleeves and but-
ton head bolts are also shown. The tools
made by the company for applying the
Tate bolt arc illustrated and described in
detail. The catalogue concludes with in-
structions for applying the Tate flexible
.itaybolt and also the 1910 price list of
these bolts, in detail, giving all the prices
for the dilTerent kind of caps, same for
different kinds of sleeves, bolts, round nuts
and tools.
At the May meeting of the New York
Railroad Club, Mr. D. R. McBain, su-
perintendent of motive power of the Lake
Shore & Michigan Southern, read a pa-
per on the inequalitj' of expansion in lo-
comotive boilers, and the remedy. He
gave particulars of an engine entirely
equipped with flexible staybolts, which
had run 243,000 miles without leaks or
cracks, or any detention for boiler work,
other than that of expanding the flues.
The views by stereopticon shown by Mr.
McBain clearly indicated that Tate flexible
staybolts were the ones used. We gave a
digest of this paper on page 260 of our
June issue and in it we referred to the
mileage made by this engine, which is
just about equal to the average distance
of the moon from the earth and this fact
enables one to appreciate the perform-
ance of the all-flexible staybolt engine.
In discussing Mr. McBain's paper, Dr.
Sinclair said among other things: "The
engineering world has striven for eighty
years to restrain expansive forces of metal.
They tried to resist the irresistible and to
do so they made their sheets and staybolts
heavier and heavier. There is an engineer-
ing aphorism that says, when an ar-
ticle breaks it is too weak; but that
does not apply to staybolts and side
sheets of boilers, for the heavier you
make them and the harder you make
them the more liable they are to
break ; and it seems now that the only
remedy is to give flexibility instead of
rigidity to these parts. This is a lesson to
the whole railroad world — to be prepared
to give flexibility instead of stability. I
think, gentlemen, it is going to be one of
the most important movements that has
ever happened in the railroad world, and
is going to save untold trouble from leaky
fireboxes and the terrific expense of con-
tinuously renewing a thing that appears to
be just right and goes to destruction ap-
parently as soon as the work is done."
A copy of the Flannery Bolt Com-
pany's catalogue may be had by applica-
tion to the company, Frick Building, Pitts-
burgh, Pa.
Traveling Engineers' Convention.
The Traveling Engineers' Associa-
tion hold their next annual convention
in .Niagara Falls on August 16 to 19, in-
clusive. The president of the associa-
tion is Mr. C. F. Richardson. The
' icc-prcsidcnts are Messrs. F. C.
Thayer, of the Southern Pacific; W. C.
H.iycs, of the Eric; and W. H. Corbctt,
of the Michigan Central. The secretary
is Mr. W. O. Thompson, New York
Central car shops. East Buffalo, N. Y.,
and the treasurer is Mr. C. B. Conger,
Grand Rapids, Mich.
304
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
July, ipio-
Quick Dumping Ore Car
Tlic traiisiiortati 11 of ore from the
mines to the docks at the great lakes and
the unloading of the ore from the car?
on the docks into the vessels for trans-
portation over the Ukes has always been
an important part in the economical pro-
duction of iron and steel and the rail-
road companies engaged in this work
i„g of vessels as well as less detention of
the cars.
The Pressed Steel Car Company has
just completed a sample car representing
a lot of 300 cars which they are building
at their Chicago plant, the Western Steel
Car & Foundry Company, for the Duluth
& Iron Range Railroad, and the Duluth,
Missabe & Northern Railroad. These
ORK C.\R.
have- endeavored to obtain the best cars
for the purpose.
The development of the cars to meet
modern requirements on the lines of
greater capacity, and greater rapidity of
unloading has been considerably ham-
pered bv the permanent and expensive
construction of the docks with pockets
at short regular distances correspondmg
to that between the hatches on the ves-
sels and in accordance with which the old
equipment of wooden cars had been built,
and which cannot be changed without
building new docks and changing the ves-
sels. Builders and designers of ore cars
for this service were required to work in
accordance with these conditions, which,
together with the comparatively limited
knowledge jn former years as to the
strength anil endurance of steel in car
construction, resulted in the building of
cars, not especially adapted to a rapid
unloading. Recently the question of a re-
duction in time and labor required to
unload the cars has become more impor-
tant, in order to secure more rapid load-
cars are of all steel construction, and
have the following general dimensions;
Length over striking plates, 22 ft. i in. ;
length inside of body, 18 ft. i^ ms-'-
width over side sheet, 8 ft. 7 '"s. ; width
inside of body, 8 ft. 6/2 ins.; height from
rail to top of side, 9 ft- ^ ins.: height
from rail to center of draw heads. 2 ft.
1014 ins.; length of door openings, 6 ft.
7^'ins. ; cubic contents, level, 686 cu. ft. ;
cubic contents, ten-inch average heap,
80' cu ft.; weight of car and trucks,
emptv. 32.700 lbs. ; rated capacity, 100,000
lbs • maximum capacity, 120,000 lbs. ; ratio
of paying freight to total weight of car
loaded, 786 per cent.
The construction of the car is of single
hopper center dumping type, and in order
to make it self-clearing and dispense with
the necessitv of poking the lading when
unloading, the area of the bottom open-
ing has been made very large, being about
50 sq. ft., and the slopes of the hopper
sheets have been made very steep, being
so degs. at the ends and 60 degs. at the
sides, from the horizontal. These con-
ditions were made possible without re-
ducing materially the carrying capacity of
the cars by increasing their height and
width, reducing the wheel base of the
trucks and spreading the trucks further
apart. The door opening is closed by two
doors hinged at the sides, and which form
part of the vertical sides so that when
opened, part of the sides, as well as the
bottom, falls away from the load, thus
mrking a large unobstructed opening, re-
ducing the necessity of bridging. The
doors meet on the center line of the car
and each are supported by two 6-in. chan-
nel bars, to which the door-operating
gear bars are attached.
The door-operating gear is designed to
be operated from either side of the car,
besides it is so arranged that when the
doors are closed and the car is loaded,
there is no strain on the winding gear
proper. The supporting mechanism is
self-locking and the load tends to keep
the doors closed rather than to open
them This is accomplished by means of
cranks which turn over a dead center into
a position of rest. The doors are con-
nected to the cranks by heavy rods with
■icrew attachment for adjustment. This
causes the doors to stay tight. Gears of
this kind have given good service on
coal cars, and have the further advantage
that when the doors are frozen so that
thev cannot drop by gravity they can be
forced down by the connecting rods. An-
nother feature in connection with the
door gear is a safety device which will
prevent the injury of the operator when
opening the doors. To operate the doors
the usual wrench is applied to the square
end of the operating shaft: the crank
arms are revolved by means of block
clutches having a clearance of 180 degs
This permits the cranks to revolve halt
a revolution, after having been brought
over the dead center, sufficient to fully
open the doors without moving the
wrench in the operator's hands. Aftei
the doors have been opened the clutches
are in proper position for closing the
doors, there being no lost motion. In i
recent test at the Clinton furnaces a
Pittsburgh the sample car was loaded witl
100,300 lbs. of wet ore and was unloade.
bv one man. The time consumed by th
ore in leaving the car was eight second;
Not a handful of ore remained in th
car and no poking or hammering of th
sides to loosen the ore was resorted t
during the operation. The car was aftei
wards loaded with 68,000 lbs. of ste
Funchings; the load was placed direct
over the doors, and although this was
very severe test of the efficiency of tl
door gear, there was no sign of weakne
or leakage.
Be cheerful and have no regrets for t:
wasted or misused past, and never borrc
trouble about the future-but do well t
duty which is nearest to you in the pn
enX..— Charles Prall.
JulV; 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
St^S
Capacity of Safety Valves.
The report of the Master Mechanics'
committee, Mr. F. M. Gilbert, chairman,
which had considered the subject of the
size and capacitj' of safety valves for use
on locomotive boilers, stated that a series
of tests were made for the committee by
Mr. E. D. Nelson, engineer of tests on
the Pennsylvania Railroad, to determine
the maximum or worst condition that
locomotive safety valves were required to
take care of. With a gauge pressure of
190 to 270 lbs. it was found that the maxi-
mum discharge of steam was 2.44 lbs., the
minimum 1. 18 lbs., and the mean 2.05
lbs. per square foot of heating surface per
hour.
The committee took twice this' mean
value, 4.10, as the basis for a formula,
which, in their opinion, will reduce safety-
valve practice to a uniform basis, and at
the same time provide proper relief for
the boilers. The proposed formula was:
O.08H.S.
A=
P
Where A = Outlet of valve in S(|. ins.
H.S. = Boiler heating surface in sq. ft.
P. = .Absolute pressure, or gauge
pressure -!- 15 lbs.
The committee believed that this formula
will provide, on boilers carrying 200 lbs.
gauge pressure, an outlet that will take
care of 4.1 lbs. of water per square foot
of heating surface per hour.
A number of observations were made
on locomotives in passenger service, pro-
vided with safety valves, the combined
outlets of which would take care of from
''4 to 4.06 lbs. of steam per square foot
heating surface per hour, and no cases
re found where the safety valves failed
properly relieve the boilers. The loco-
tives on which investigations were
.'le carried 200 lbs. gauge pressure, had
.u sq. ft. of healing surface and s6'/j
It. of grate area. Past investigations have
verified that Napier's rule for the flow nf
steam may be safely taken for the type-
of muffled safet>' valves now on thi-
market
\ formula prepared in the 1908 convcii
II of the Master Mechanics' .Associatio;!
1^ quoted for reference. It may be
:nd in the proceedings for that year,
k'e 262. In this the constant used was
1)266. Valves designed in accordance
'h it were able to release 5.28 lbs. of
•im per square foot of heating surface,
r hour.
I he committee recommend ihaf the
imtenance of proper areas 'of outlet
■uld be a feature of safety valve main-
■i.incc and rejiair. The committee con-
■ '■rrd that safety valve outlets to either
the formulas quoted will be satisfac-
■y for locomotive boilers only; and for
^e using coal as the fuel, ami under the
•ulilions now prevailing for thr stinni-
'lon of the draft by the use of '-xhaust
«team and by mraii* of the ordinary steam
blower.
Electric Fixtures.
One of the most artistic and com-
prehensive catalogues, out of the many
that come to this office, is undoubtedly
that of the Safety Car Heating and
Lighting Company of New York. The
catalogue is entitled "Electric Fix-
tures." The Co. have spared no expense
in accurately illustrating the design 01
their fixtures, as well as the character
of the workmanship which the com-
pany has uniformly insisted upon in
their system of manufacture and in-
spection. It has been their aim in this
catalogue to show a comprehensive
collection from the great variety of de-
signs as made by them, representing all
the principal schools of art. The com-
pany have the advantage of patterns
;ind tools, as well as a large stock to
draw from, which is important where
quick delivery is needed. Special atten-
tion has been K'ven to the photometric
tests and the designs have been worked
out in a systematic way so as to in-
sure the maximum of intcrchangeabil-
iiy of parts.
As a frontispiece they have included
illustrations of ten standard metal fin-
ishes, but there are other special styles
of finish made by this company. .At-
tention is directed to the perfected
"Safety Shadcholder," adaptable to all
forms of electric fixtures as illustrated
on page ]-i^A Tlic Kcnor.il .-ul.iptioi! of
which tl;e half-tones stand out with
startling clearness. The catalogue is
the same size as our magazine, 9 x 12
ins., and not only is a useful book of
reference but it gives one at a glance
the state of the art at the present time.
It will be sent to anyone who applies
for it at No. 2 Rector street. New York.
Ca.- Wheels.
1 he M. C. B. Committee on Car Wheels,
Mr. W. Garstrang, chairman, reported
that the design of cast car wheel sub-
mitted last year, has proved to be a great
success, and the committee saw no reason
to change or in any way alter this wheel.
Some modifications were, however, re-
quired in the brackets used on existing
circumference measuring tapes, so as to
make them conform to the new tread and
contour on the 1909 wheel. Some addi-
tional dimensions were also required to
lay out the maximum flange thickness
gauge. The committee received a com-
munication from the Wheel Makers' As-
iociation in which some suggestions were
made, which the committee did not feel
justified in recommending to the M. C. B.
.Association.
Specific Heat.
The specific heat of a body is some-
times spoken of as capacity for heat, and
here be it remembered that the unit of
l-.eat is such a quantity as will raise the
lt-mpi.r;itnrt- ■■f .nu- p niin! .if pure dis-
iliis device, after having been thorough-
ly tried in service, speaks for itself. It
is timely in meeting the prevalent use
t'f glass reflectors or shades, as it mini-
mizes breakages. The device is self-
contained and does away with the pos-
sible loss of parts. The company will
be glad to supply you with photoRraph»
or cuts of the illustration on receipt of
size required.
The catalogue contains an inilcx of
all the numbered figures, and it is all
vriiilril ni) lic.'ivy |il:ilc pnnrr from
III I. IUMI'
tilled water from j'j to 40 degs. F. This
i., one British Thermal I'nit of 1 B. T. U.
The conception of heat is entirely differ-
ent from that of temperature, as is often
.shown in a simple laboratory experiment.
.V cake of liciswax abimt 'j in. thick is
placed in a horizontal position a short
distance above the top of a table. A num-
l.cr of metal balls are immersed in a
liipiiil having, say, a high temperature;
all the balls soon have the same tempera-
ture as the liquid, and each of the balls is
.■I llir sime trnineratnre as all the others.
3o6
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
July, 1910.
If these balls with equal temperatures
be placed on the cake of wax they will
all begin to melt the wax and sink into
the cake as they part with their heat, but
the rate and depth of penetration into the
cake will vary. For example, under these
circumstances an iron ball will melt its
way through the wax first ; it will be fol-
lowed by a copper ball of equal size ; a
tin ball will probably just show on the
under side of the wax, while a lead ball
and a bismuth ball may not be aba to do
more than sink half their diameter into
the wax.
This experiment proves that while the
temperature of all the balls was equal, the
amount of heat or the number of British
Thermal Units possessed by each varied
considerably. The iron ball contained the
greatest number of B. T. U. and the bis-
muth least. At the close of the experi-
ment the temperatures of the balls would
all be different, but the capacity for
heat of each is a property of the metal
itself, and each maintained its own specific
heat when all were at the same tempera-
ture.
Of all bodies, water has the greatest
specific heat, and consequently it takes
a greater number of thermal units to raise
its temperature through any given number
of degrees. Water heats comparatively
slowly and cools comparatively slowly.
Mercury and platinum heat rapidly, but
they also cool quickly.
M. M. and M. C. B. Consolidation.
The report of the joint committee on
the consolidation of the Master Mechan-
ics' and Master Car Builders' Associa-
tions was presented at the Atlantic City
Conventions last June. The committees
were expected to set forth the advantages
and disadvantages of a union of the two,
and while they faithfully discharged this
duty, the advantages to be gained by a
union of the two are preponderant in the
report. The committee were also charged
with the work of proposing a constitution
for a new association.
An analysis of the membership of both
associations shows that 86V2 per cent, of
the men who are directly connected with
railroad mechanical work are officers of
both car and locomotive departments. In
the Master Mechanics' Association 60
per cent, of the members whose titles
indicate that they are in the me-
chanical department, are connected with
locomotive and car matters. The re-
port says the question for discussion is
not that of absorption or consolidation,
but the formation of a new and united
association which, including in its mem-
bers employees of both the car and the
locomotive departments of our railways,
may be called The American Railway
Mechanical Association.
The matter was practically tabled by
both associations.
Water Softener Pictures.
The Dodge Manufacturing Company
of Mishawaka, Ind., have issued a cou-
ple of wall hangers, showing the ex-
terior and a section of their apparatus.
The sectional view is one of the most
artistic things of its kind which we have
seen for a long time. It is beautifully
printed in colors and thus really forms
a sort of graphic summary of the whole
of the Dodge water softening process.
For example, there is an appropriate
color selected to represent the raw, hard
water clear or turbid as it enters the ma-
chine, another color represents the clear,
saturated lime solution produced from
the raw water that has been diverted to
the lime tank. The quick-lime basket
and the tank in which the soda ash so-
lution is made are represented by other
two colors. The treated and filtered
water is also shown.
There are ten colors in all used in this
hanger, and these are not simple arbi-
fXIO.X ST.VTIOX. SOUTH J.XCKSOX-
\-ILLE, FLA.
trary colors with a sharp line of demar-
cation between them. The colors chosen
by the Dodge company in representing
the "Eureka" water softener and purifier
are appropriate in that the tints are as
far as can be, the actual colors of the
objects they represent. The shading of
these colors, one into the other, is deli-
cately and artistically managed, so that
the whole picture shows the mingling
of the waters, the chemicals, the solu-
tions, the movement of the agitators and
the method of drawing off the sludge
and the delivery of the pure water.
This company has a good treatise on the
subjects of water-softening which they
will be happy to send to those who write
to them for a copy, and the artistic
hangers are also for distribution and may
be had on application by those who are
interested in the subject.
Coupler and Draft Equipment.
The M. C. B. committee on coupler
and draft equipment, of which Mr. Dur-
borow is chairman, included in their re-
port specifications covering the size of
eyelet for lock-lift device ; gauges for
knuckle pivot pins; use of knuckle-throw-
ing devices; lock bearing area; twist
gauge, and shelf brackets.
The report also deals with the subject
of friction draft gear. It says that to
make a scries of service tests would
necessitate equipping cars with various
types of draw gear in turn. This would
be an expensive method of test, would
hold cars out of service when they might
te urgently required. The possibility of
asing the drop testing machine was con-
sidered, but the behavior of the various
types of friction draw gear under the
forces of impact given by such a machine
was found to differ greatly from their
action in service. Any kind of static
testing machine was also considered un-
satisfactory.
.\ machine of the double pendulum type
has been designed. Each pendulum is a
series of weights bolted together, and
each pendulum weighs 210,000 lbs. The
pendulums are suspended by swinging
hangers and each can be drawn back and
up by suitable means. Thus provision is
made for swinging each pendulum through
an arc sufficient to give a maximum
speed of 15 miles an hour when at the
lowest point of swing, so that with one
pendulum at rest and one in motion,
speed up to that limit is obtainable, and
with both pendulums in motion a maxi-
mum speed of 30 miles an hour is avail-
;ible at the point of contact, when they
meet. By using pendulums in the testing
machine, many uncertain variables are
eliminated.
In the pendulums provision is made to
accommodate all the types of draw gear
10 be tested. Theoretically the difference
l.etween the sum of the travels of the
pendulums from the point of release to
the point of contact and the sum of their
recoils is the measure of shock absorbed
by the draw gear under test, and it is
therefore the measure of the efficiency
of the draw gear. Thus draw gear hav-
ing a low recoil would indicate high ab-
sorption of shocks, and vice versa.
The committee expect soon to have
this machine in operation and to be able
to embody in their 19H report full de-
tails of a complete series of tests made
en all the types of friction draw gear now
on the market.
Widening Gauge of Track at Curves.
The Master Mechanics' Association
committee on the widening of track at
curves, with Mr. F. M. Whyte as chair-
man, reported that the committee had
held several meetings with the committee
appointed by the .A.merican Railway En-
gineering and Maintenance of Way As-
sociation, to consider this subject, and the
result this year had been that the com-
mittee was able to make a final report.
The recommendation of the joint com-
mittee has been accepted by the Mainte-
nance of Way Association, and the Master
Mechanics' committee suggested that ap-
proval be given by that body, as the
matter concerned the engineering depart-
ment more than the mechanical depart-
ment of railwavs.
July, 1910.
R.\IL\VAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
307
The report recommends that "Curves
eight degs. and under should be standard
gauge. Gauge should be widened ;-s in.
for each two degs. or fraction thereof
over eight degs. to a maximum of 4 ft.
9Ji ins. for tracks of standard gauge.
Gauge, including widening due to wear,
should never exceed 4 ft. 9H ins. The
installation of frogs upon the inside of
curves is to be avoided wherever prac-
ticable, but where same is unavoidable
the above rule should be modified in
order to make the gauge of the track at
the frog standard."
Inverted Mantle Lamp.
The Safety Car Heating and Lighting
Company of New York have sent us
some statistics regarding the use of the
inverted Pintsch mantle lamp. Among
other things they say: "Over 73,000
lamps, using inverted mantles have been
placed on cars since October i, igog,
bringing the lamps in service up to the
verv- large totals of 60,000 in North
America, 69,000 in England, 101,000 in
France, 202,000 in Germany. A three-
fold increase of light and a 40 per cent,
saving in gas consumption is made pos-
sible ; and that the cost of operating the
lamp is reduced to only one cent per
hour with 100 candle-power efficiency.
An important fact of this development is
the rapid rate at which the old lamp
equipment is being brought up to date
for use with the inverted mantle. About
60 per cent, of the railroads of North
America have already applied the single
mantle lamp, some have changed their
entire equipment, others have contracted
to do so and on many roads the work
is being carried forward as rapidly as
it is possible to shop the cars. Over
22,000 flat-flame lamps have recently
been changed so that all told the Pintsch
inverted mantle lamp is now in service
en more than 8,200 cars in the United
States, Canada and Mexico."
Car Framing Roofs and Doors.
The Committee on Car Framing Roofs
and Doors, appointed by the Master Cat
Builders' Association, under the chair-
manship of Mr. W. F. Bentley, believe
that the most durable and economical
roof for use is an outside nictal roof of
good quality of steel or wrought-iron
sheets, with a medium weight per square
foot of 14 ozi., thoroughly and evenly
galvanized with a minimum coating of
zinc of I'/i ozs. per square ft., and pro-
vided with flexible joints. Roof sup-
ported by a construction to carry at a
«afcly factor of five, a uniformity dis-
tributed load of not less than 360 lbs.
per running U>f>t of length of car. The
carlinet should be metal, %c) constructed
m connection with purlins running
lengthwise, and roof boards running
crosswise of the car, to provide proper
tie and bracing to side and end framing
at roof line.
In dealing with end bracing for box
cars and bracing for side doors the com-
mittee made quite a number of recom-
mendations which they hope will be sub-
mitted by letter ballot to the Association.
The conclusions of the committee on roofs
are also to be submitted by letter ballot,
to the members.
The Loss of a Shoe.
As Levi struggled to detach himself
from a barb wire fence, he exclaimed :
"I knew that something would happen
when I found that I had left the horse
shoe behind."
Levi was my fireman, a lad of French
ancestry, with his full share of Gallic
superstition. He had seen old horse
shoes nailed above doors and in other
places as protection against bad luck or
evil spirits, and he concluded that the in-
side of a locomotive cab would be a
good place to install any charm, amulet
or relic calculated to divert bad luck or
misfortune.
Soon after coming to this conclusion,
Levi picked up an old horse shoe in a
junkman's collection of merchandise and
carried it to the engine whence he lost
no time in nailing it up in the cab above
the spot where his own head appeared
in his moments of leisure on the road.
The horse shoe was a very rugged, rusty
piece of scrap iron, but its presence was
considered satisfactory for a time. The
brakemen and other familiar spirits hav-
ing access to the cab, were in the habit
of making fun of the homeliness of the
shoe, and one day Levi determined to
put a shine upon it. He took the shoe
to the grindstone and spent most of an
afternoon laboring to convert it into a
polished ornament. The work was not
finished to his satisfaction when the
whistle blew, so he put the shoe into the
custody of the shop sweeper, telling Old
Jerry to keep it locked up until the
owner could return and finish the job.
Next day we started out as usual, and
near the middle of the division met the
result of a lap order in the form of a
construction train. We met on a high
hill and the crews of both trains went
for the country and lingered not in their
going. Levi was about the liveliest
member of the jumpers and was first to
land in the barbed wire fence. Nobody
was much hurt, and a possible tragedy
became a comedy, everybody enjoying
Levi's lamentations about the absence of
his horse shoe.
to read as follows: "Draft timbers must
not be spliced. Longitudinal sills may be
spliced at two points. No adjacent sills,
except center sills, to have center splice
immediately opposite the splice on adja-
cent sill ; splices to be staggered so as to
make joint of one splice at least 24 ins.
from the joint of the splice on adjacent
sill, measured from a line drawn at right
angles with sills. Center sills must be
spliced between body bolsters and cross-
tie timbers, but not within 18 ins. of
either. Splices on all sills other than cen-
ter sills, as provided for above, can be lo-
cated at any point between body bolsters or
between body bolster and end sill, but not
within 12 ins. of body bolster.
"Steel sills may be spliced in the most
convenient location. Adjacent steel sills
may be spliced. The thickness of each
splice must not be less than the thickness
of the web of the section spliced."
An analysis of the proposed rule will
show that few restrictions have been
placed upon the practice of economy in
the use of high-grade material, which is
rapidly becoming more costly and difficult
to obtain ; the committee did not feci that
they recommended too wide a latitude in
the number or location of the splices.
It has, the report continues, of course
been impracticable for the committee to
conduct practical tests to demonstrate the
soundness of their recommendations, be-
cause of the large scale upon which such
tests would have to be conducted ; and it
is questionable whether the testing to de-
struction of any reasonable number of
cars, with sills spliced in a variety of
ways and locations, would conclusively
confirm or disprove any theory or afford
positive data from which to prescribe cor-
rect practice.
Bulletin No. 1004.
The American Locomotive Company
have recently issued Bulletin No. 1004,
which is a very full and well illustrated
description of the Mallet Articulated com-
pound locomotives recently built for the
Delaware & Hudson company. A descrip-
tion of this engine and the portion of
the road it works on were described in
Railway anp L<xomoti\'e Encineerinc
for June, pages 227 and 261. The bulle-
tin, however, contains drawings of the
boiler, intercepting vaKc, thmtlli-. side
spring buffers and floating balance de-
vice used in the automatic readjusting
of the engine after rounding a curve.
Comparison is made between it and the
Erie Mallet, and a profile of the D. & H.
grade is given.
Splicing UnderframinK.
The M. B. C. Committee on Splicing
Underframing, with Mr. R. E. Smith as
chairman, in dealing with the maximum
amount of sill splicing allowable recom-
mended that M. C. B. Rule 65 be changed
Unique was the funeral of a Ixiwestoft
railwayman, who for thirty-five years had
rung the warning bell at the Great East-
ern Railway station. On his coffin as it
was carried to the grave was placed the
bell, inscribed: "For thirty-five years I
spoke at his command."
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
July, 1910.
Railroad Character SRetches
The Shop Picnic
By James Kennedy.
The shop picnic was the cYcnt of the
railroad year. Macfarlane was president
of the picnic committee. Billy was floor
manager. Shaw had charge of the room
set apart for invited guests. It was cus-
tomary to run the old "49" w'th a string
of dilapidated cars along the road to
some resort where, with music and mos-
quitoes and a blistering sun and barrels
of beer, a day of alleged enjoyment was
held. When Macfarlanc's turn came to
be president he inspired the committee
with new notions. Too much beer was
bad. Of course the committee met in
Clark's parlors. That was a matter of
necessity. Games were the proper thing
to attract and interest young people. Ath-
letic games, baseball, running, jumping,
throwing weights, and most appropriate
for a railroad men's outing, throwing the
hammer, and the like. A subscription
sheet went its usual rounds and prize
money floated in. In Macfarlane's mas-
terly hands the money, or a portion of it,
took the form of shinnig cups and glit-
tering medals and burnished badges. The
boarding mistress could not sleep with so
much precious metal in the house, so
Clark arranged to have one of his parlor
windows cleared for the grand display.
When the great day came the round-
house and shop came to a stand still.
The picnickers went along like a royal
progress. The old locomotive was draped
in red, white and blue. Some of the
flooring of the old cars fell in and the
merry mob had to cease dancing until
they reached the grove. The party had
become too well known at other resorts
and it was a new place this year. The
committee were gorgeous in rainbow
badges. The ladies were all smiles and
red ribbons. The air was vibrant with
brazen trumpets. Clark had charge of
the refreshments. The athletes were in
great shape, \\hat they lacked in skill
they made up in enthusiasm. If they did
not run as fast as they might have wished,
they ran as fast as they could, and the bes>
can do no more. The baseballists were
so jubilant that some of them are in
regular training now, and are destined
either to become professionals after the
match with Macfarlane's nine and the
scoop handler's team is over, or they
may have to be confined in lunatic
asylums later in the season.
Macfarlane gave one or two exhibitions
of skill, but he was above competing. It
would not do for the president of a shop
picnic to act like a common man. He
becomes transfigured, just as a tricky
politician becomes a statesman — when he
goes to Washington. ,'\lexander the
Great offered to compete at the Olympic
games if he had princes for his contest-
ants. Macfarlane went him one better.
He exhibited alone. He threw the
hammer, and it was a good thing that tho
competitors had finished before Mac-
farlane began, because, after he had made
two or three demoniac whirls with the
hammer, the implement took wing and
flew like Halley's comet and passed
rapidly out of sight. Some distant
strollers said that they heard something
crashing among the branches of the trees
in the shady distance. Whatever it was
the hammer was never seen or heard of
more.
When the thunders of applause had
died away and Macfarlane had recovered
his equilibrium, the manager came along
refulgent in the gaudy glory of a spotted
vest and glittering spectacles that
gleamed in the summer sun, like flames of
lire. Like the admiral of a ship the great
man was not to be spoken to. In the shop
his presence was something awful. On
the road the sweat was on every brow as
he passed along. At the picnic he con-
descended to speak to Macfarlane. The
two great men moved around, like Castor
and Pollux, in majestic loneliness, the
manager, like a Marshal of France, and
Macfarlane unapproachable as an aide-
de-camp. After describing some pre-
liminary parabolic curves about the
grounds the two worthies leisurely
strolled to Shaw's reception room. Lender
Shaw's delicate management the vocal
valves of the mighty were lubricated.
Havanas were in evidence and the great
man hinted that there was going to he
changes — a reorganization, and — would
Macfarlane take charge of the round-
house ? Certainly. No — no thanks neces-
sary. Purely a matter of business re-
organization. Good day-^yes — must catch
the 2 -.30 — must complete the reorganiza-
tion.
Shaw automatically took something to
settle his nerves. The strain was too
great, so he began entertaining himself.
Macfarlane, with his newly added dignity,
left SImw alone. The principal guests
had come and gone and Shaw felt at
liberty. The first bumper made a new
man of him and, of course, he had to treat
the new man that he became. Then he
locked the door and put the key in his
pocket and sailed over to Clark's
benches, and lingered long and set valves,
and built engines, and kept tools, and
drew diagrams, utilizing the wet circles
imprinted by the bottoms of beer glasses,
and was supremely happy.
Meanwhile the grand march was in
progress. Billy was radiant in white
trousers and rainbow badge, and an angei
If you could increase
the service of the paint
on your bridges, viaducts
and other steel struc-
tures, wouldn't it mean
thousands of dollars
saved to your company ?
DIXON'S
Silica-Oraphite
PAINT
has been cutting main-
tenance costs for the last
forty - five years. The
secret of service that
DIXON'S PAINT gives
is due to the inert pig-
ments that are practi-
cally indestructible.
Write for free booklet
Philosophy of Protective Paiot
Joseph Dixon
Crucible Co.
JERSEY CITY, N. J.
July, igio.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
GOLD
Car
Heating
Lighting
Company
Maouftctureri of
ELECTRIC.
STEAM AND
HOT WATER
APPARATUS
FOR RAILWAY CARS
IMPROVED
SYSTEM OF
ACETYLENE
CAR LIGHT-
ING
Largcal Mtnufaclarera Is iKe World •(
C*r Hnbng Apparalm
Send (or circular of our combina-
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SYSTEM OF CAR HEATING,
which tjrstcm automatically main-
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the car regardleii of the outiidr
weather condition*.
M4itn Office, Whitcb«ll Building
17 BATTERY PLACE
NEW YORK
of brightness on his arm. It was Eva,
the golden-haired; Eva, the beautiful:
Eva. the bearding mistresses' niece. She
was white as an alabaster statue, and her
fairy feet fell softly as snow-flakes.
When Billy and Eva came down the
middle and the delightful multitude clus-
tered after them in long procession, and
the warbled music melted into mellifluous
modulations, all the grimy and weary
memories of slimy pits and noisy shops
fell away from the dark-faced mechanics,
like old garments, and a brightness, as of
dust from angel's wings, fell upon them,
like a benediction. Macfarlane and Shaw
were in a raised pavilion reviewing the
merry multitude moving in measured
melody. Macfarlane was full of double
dignity. Shaw was full of double or.
perhaps, treble X. Mazy figures suc-
ceeded mazy figures. The rhythmic rustle
of flying feet, the rosy blush of youth and
beauty, the visions of bright eyes and
heaving bosoms, the garrulous gossip of
the massed merrymakers, and above all
the glare and glory of the high-set electric
lamps burned the vision into the
memories of the multitude forever.
But the whistle of the old "49" is wak-
ing the echoes. Macfarlane and Billy and
Eva led the procession to the cars.
Where was Shaw ? In the semi-darkness
there is a dusky figure unlocking the re-
ception room door; there is a gulp and
a gurgle, and there are several bottles of
liquid fire not yet sunk beyond the equator,
and there is a long-tailed coat and a hand
that has not yet lost its cunning, and the
bottles find a rocky resting place in
Shaw's pockets and Shaw, the last of the
careless crowd crawls into the cars and
the picnic is ancient history.
Block Signal Report.
The report of the Block Signal and
Train Control Board has just been is-
sued. This board is, if one may so say,
a department of the Interstate Com-
merce Commission. From the report we
find that the total mileage in the United
States operated under the block system
upon January I, l<>io, was 65,758 miles
Of this mileage, 14,237.7 was equipped
with automatic and 51,520.3 with manu-
ally operated signals. During the year
1009 there was an increase of 2,047.1
miles in the length of road equipped with
automatic signals, being an increase of
4,162.2 mill's in the length of road cov-
ered by the manual block system, making
a total increase in miles covered by the
block system of 6,209.3 miles. Ten roads
v.hich have not previously used block
signaN appear in this report, and twenty-
two roads have made changes in their
block signal installations.
During the last few ycar» telephones
have been installed on a number of roadt
in place of telegraph inslrunu-nt* for
the transmission of dispatchers' orders
The telephone is used for the trans-
mission of train orders on about 275
railroads; the aggregate mileage oper-
ated by these companies is 131,014 miles,
and the telephone is used on 26^544 miles
of road.
Mechanical Stokers.
The standing committee report on
Mechanical Stokers, of which Mr. T.
Rumney was chairman, was presented at
the Master Mechanics' Association by
Mr. Geo. S. Hodgins. The report con-
tains a brief description of the Craw-
ford No. 8 stoker, invented by Mr.
D. F. Crawford, general superintendent
of motive power. Pennsylvania Lines,
Pittsburgh, Pa., also of the Barnum
stoker, the Dodge or Black stoker, the
Hayden stoker, the Street stoker, and
the Strouse stoker.
The concluding remarks contained in
the report are: "The main defect of
the present stokers seems to be. to a
very great extent, with the coal-cOB-
veying apparatus, and it is the failure
of this particular feature which us-
ually makes the stokers of today some-
what unreliable. The committee con-
sidered that the progress and the de-
velopment of mechanical stokers which
had been made during the past years
was indicative of a determined effort
to build stokers which would in every
way be a success, and the committee
was convinced that the mechanical
stoker is destined to be a very import-
ant factor in the operation of heavy
locomotives in the not very distant
future."
In discussing this report, Mr. D. Mc-
Bain, superintendent cf motive power
of the Lake Shore & Michigan South-
ern Railway, said, he believed that for
the present the association should get
away from the idea that a mechanical
stoker should be more economical than
a good fireman. He believed that
when under all circumstances of road
service a mechanical stoker could be
made to do as good work as a good
fireman and do it day in and day out
that the first object of the mechanical
stoker had been attained. After that
economy could be gone into. Now was
the time to encourage inventors and
iluise interested to work along toward
the production of a good all round re-
liable stoker, as it was badly needed on
some trains today.
Drippings from Refrigerator Cars.
The M. C B. commiltre on salt-water
ilrifipings from refrigerator cars, with
Mr. M. K. Barnum as chairman, reported
that all salt water drippings should be
rttainetl in the ice tanks of cars and only
drained off at icing stations. The total
rapacity of drain openings should not ex-
ceed the capacity i>f Ihr traps, and the
310
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING
July, igio.
tapacity of both traps and drains should
be sufficient to let go all the accumulated
brine within the time devoted to icing the
train. The mechanism for handling drain
valves should be simple and positive and
so designed as to insure the closing of
the valves before the hatch plugs can
be returned to place. Salt drippings
should be conducted from ice tanks,
through the drain valves and thence to
the outside of the cars through regular
traps and drain pipes.
The various packing companies, says
the report, assisted the committee in their
work of investigation, and have expressed
their willingness to put into efifect the
practice recommended in the report, when
the committee's recommendations are
adopted by the Master Car Builders' As-
sociation.
Dixon Crucible Company Meeting.
At the annual meeting of the stock-
holders of the Joseph Dixon Crucible
Company of Jersey City, N. J., the old
board consisting of Messrs. Geo. T.
Smith, William Murray, William H.
Corbin, Edward L. Young, Geo. E. Long,
William H. Bumsted and Harry Dailey
were unanimously re-elected. The board
of directors re-elected the former offi-
cers, namely, Mr. Geo. T. Smith, presi-
dent; Mr. William H. Corbin, vice-
president; Mr. Geo. E. Long, treasurer;
Mr. Harry Dailey, secretary; Mr. J. H.
Schermerhorn, assistant treasurer and
assistant secretary. Mr. William H. Cor-
bin was also re-elected as counsel.
Classification of Cars.
The M. C. B. Committee on classifica-
tion of cars, of which M. J. Milliken was
chairman, presented a list of definitions
with designating letters of general ser-
vice passenger equipment cars and also
the same of general service freight
equipment cars. In getting up this set
of definitions, the . rolling equipment of
43 railroads, operating 117,500 miles of
track and owning approximately 1,350,500
cars, was very carefully examined. It
was found to be impracticable to make
,1 definite classification, giving the in-
dividual characteristics of the cars that
would in any way be applicable to the
equipment of the various railroads of this
country. It therefore seemed to the com-
mittee that the classification should be
broad in its interpretation, and confined
only to the kind of cars of a general class,
and to the stenciled capacity of the car.
In working out the proposed classification
of cars, a single designating letter has
been given for the general service of the
car and a secondary letter to cover the
general type of the car. In selecting the
primary and secondary letters the at-
tempt has been made, as far as practicable,
to use letters which give some indica-
tion of the type of the car, or to retain
the letters that are now generally used.
For example, PV indicate a car of the
general passenger type used as a rail-
road official's car — a private car. P.O.
stands for passenger-observation car.
Education and Fuel Economy.
"Education as an Essential of Fuel
Economy" was the subject of an able pa-
per presented by Mr. W. C. Hayes, su-
perintendent of locomotive operation,
Erie Railroad, at the Master Mechanics'
convention last month. Mr. Hayes dwelt
on the need of educational preparation
for young firemen before beginning ac-
tual service. A course of instruction
covering all of the principles of combus-
tion, train rules and signals was strongly
recommended. Young men so prepared
would have a preference anywhere and
would begin their work under the most
favorable conditions. After being em-
ployed, Mr. Hayes claimed that the young
fireman should continue his educational
course. Valuable literature can be easily
secured, and the road foreman of engines
should see that the studies are being kept
up, and be prepared to instruct, as well
as discuss with the men all matters of
vital importance concerning their work.
Mr. Hayes gave some startling illus-
trations of how easily fuel may be wasted
by careless methods in firing, and how
necessary it was that young firemen
should be treated quietly and intelligently
and led by easy stages to a complete
mastery of their calling.
Standards and Recommended Practice.
The Master Car Builders' standing
committee on Revision of Standards and
Recommended Practice, of which Mr. K.
L. Kleine is chairman, proceeded with
their work by sending out a circular and
very carefully considering the replies. .As
many as forty-four matters were taken
up and disposed of, either by referring
the matter directly to a special committee
having the matter in question, in hand, or
by recommending a proposed change to
the association or advising that no action
be taken. In this way some definite dis-
posal is made of all questions arising and
suggestions made by members of the as-
sociation.
Removal to Larger Offices.
The Bettendorf Axle Company have
moved their Chicago offices from the Old
Colony Building to larger quarters in
the McCormick Building, the room num-
lier of which is 1508. While the Betten-
dorf Company is not yet quite settled in
their new quarters, the offices will be
much better arranged and the company
will have there several full-sized Bet-
tendorf trucks, side frames and also Bet-
tendorf body and truck bolsters so that a
sort of private exhibition of their prod-
ucts will always be on view for any in-
terested person who visits their new of-
fices.
RECOGNIZED
STANDARD
FLEXIBLE
STAYBOLTS
Holds firebox sheets securely
together, and accommodates
itself to the unequal expansion
of the plates.
USED ON OYER 125 RAILROADS
** Star bolt Trouble
a Thinif of tbe Past *'
So say many of our customers
who have used the Tate Bolt
in large numbers, covering a
period of time sufificient to base
comparisons and eliminate all
chances of doubt.
THE TATE BOLT HAS
PROVED ITSELF INDISPENS-
ABLE TO LOCOMOTIVES IN
HIGH PRESSURE SERVICE
BY RENDERING A LOWER
COST OF FIRE BOX REPAIRS
TO A GREATER MILEAGE IN
SERVICE, THEREBY IN-
CREASING THE EARNING
VALUE.
FLANNERY BOLT COMPANY
PITTSBURGH, PA.
Suite 328 Frick Bnilding
B. E. D. STAFFORD, Gen. K«iu*er
J. ROGERS FLANNERY & COMPANY,
Selling Agents
Frick Buildine, Pittsburgh, P«.
TOM R. DAVIS, Mechanical Expert
GEO. E. HOWARD, Eastern Territory
W. M. WILSON, Western Territory
COMMONWEALTH StIPPLT COMPANY,
Southeastern Territory
July, loio.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
3"
One Year and
Eleven Months'
SERVICE
WITHOUT REPACKING, ON
High-Pressure Locomotives
style 3O0 TV.
A throttle failure is an absolute
impossibility where Crjin-
dall's Throttle Valve pack-
ing is used.
IT WILL NOT BLOW OUT
Crandall Packing Co.
riOTORT AND OBNBEAL OmCa
PALMYRA, ■ NEW YORK
BBANCnBS
Nrw Tork C1tTelu4
IM UWrtj gt. • So. Wiur Bt.
U Wwt WisMactoa at.
STORRS' Mica
Headlight Chimneys
To ih^ R.Ji.,^ - An >r.O'<i.y
To rK^ (-.nginf^nan A n^trntf^r*
STORRS MICA COMPANY
K R Dipt.. O w«|o. N Y.
Locomotive Frame Construction.
L'comotive Frame Construction was
the subject of an individual paper pre-
.sented to the American Railway Master
Mechanics' Association by Mr. H. T.
Bentley, assistant superintendent of mo-
tive power, C. & N. W. Ry. Mr. Bentley
favored the use of cast steel driving
boxes with adjustable hub liners, so that
lateral motion could be readily taken up.
The boxes, Mr. Bentley claimed, should
be of a removable type so that it would
be possible to quickly replace them with-
out having to drop the wheels.
In regard to frame breakages in the
case of locomotives equipped with the
Walschaerts valve gear, ^Ir. Bentley had
found no trouble, showing that the loco-
motives in his charge are properly braced.
In regard to driving box brasses, it ap-
peared from numerous experiments that
a mixture of 80 per cent, copper, 10 per
cent, tin and 10 per cent, lead, gave very
satisfactory results. The opinion was
'Illy advanced that the frame jaws should
if much widened so that the pressure per
-quare inch could be greatly reduced.
P.ronze shoes and wedges were also
favorably reported on, the recommenda-
lion being added that the shoes and
wedges should be of the flangeless type.
Mr. Bentley summed up his able paper
with suggestions favoring heavier frames,
and avoiding pounding in driving boxes.
All weight carrying parts on frames to be
braced to boiler, and all of the best
material.
said that the cover or binding of the
book should not in any way affect the
force of the rules.
Patents.
GEO. P. WMITTLF-SEY
MaOIU. BUII.UINO WASHINaTON. D. C.
T*ra« BtaaaaabI* Paai»lil«l ■•■!
Rules for Loading Material
The M. C. B. committee appointed to
consider the rules for the loading of ma-
terial, of which Mr. A. Kearney was chair-
man, begin their report by saying,
"While the report involves several rec-
ommendations for changes, still the idea
throughout has been to adhere as closely
as possible to the rules as they now exist,
making only such additions, corrections
and omissions as would, in the opinion of
the committee, conduce to greater unitv,
better sequence, and a natural clearness,
principles so necessary in formulating
rules of this character,"
Several of the illustrations used in the
interchange code have in the opinion of
the committee become very indistinct and
should be made much clearer. The re-
port contains quite a number of individual
opinions of the members, and the list of
recommended changes is quite extensive,
A suggestion was received from the
arbitration committee that the rules for
handling explosives and inflammables
should be incorporated in the interchange
code along with those on the loading of
material. The comniittrc on loading ma-
terial did not altogether approve of lliis
suggestion, upon the ground that the in-
terchange code might become too bulky.
The chairman, however, expressed a per-
sonal opinion on the subject in which he
Engine Performance and Superheat.
Locomotive Performance Under Differ-
ent Degrees of Superheated Steam, was
the title of an interesting paper presented
by Professor C. H. Benjamin and Associate
Professor L. E. Endsky of Purdue Uni-
versit\', before the American Railway
Master Mechanics' Association, nie paper
may be said to be a record of the con-
linuance of experiments begun by Profes-
sor Goss, who read a report before the as-
sociation in 1909, on the subject of "Loco-
motive Performance Under Saturated
and Superheated Steam." At that time,
it may be briefly stated, that the learned
professor presented an array of facts and
figures showing an increase of 10 to 15
per cent, in the amount of power devel-
oped by the use of superheated steam,
without increasing the amount of fuel.
In the paper presented this year the
same systematic method of careful and
varied experiments are duly recorded,
with a greater variety of pressures, the
most important point proved being that
at steam pressures over 220 lbs. per square
inch, there is no apparent fuel economy
in the use of superheated steam, in fact,
the line may be drawn at 200 lbs. pressure
as being the limit at which superheating
of steam has any appreciable value in
point of economy. At pressures of 160
lbs. to 180 lbs. per square inch the results
as indicated verify the exhaustive reports
made by Professor Goss last year that
there is a saving in fuel of nearly 15 per
cent, by the use of superheated steam, and
a still larger saving in the use of water.
Tank Cars.
The M. C. B. Committee on Tank Cars,
of which Mr. A. W. Gibbs was chairman,
in presenting their report called attention
to the fact that at the 1000 convention
they had referred to tank cars constructed
without side sills and on which no means
are provided for jacking, to faicilitate
handling in derailment or in making
repairs.
In order to determine the necessity for
these jacking castings, tests were made
with a loaded tank car, limit weight
132,000 lbs., fitted with continuous sills,
but no side sills, and not equipped with
jacking castings; also with a loaded tank
car, limit weight 132,000 lbs., constructed
with reinforced shell, having no center
sills or side sills, and not equipped with
jacking castings. Details of the opera-
lions required in handling these cars were
given and the committee practically drew
the conclusion that, inasmuch as there
are freight cars of other types in service
which should also be provided with jack-
ing castings, on account of the present
difTiculty experienced in jacking up cars
not cquipprrl with side sills of tuflicient
312
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
July. 1910.
section to withstand the |)rcssure of tho
head of the jack, the question is one of
general importance, and the committee
recommended that a special committee-
be appointed to go into this question gen-
erally, so that any recomniendcd practice
adopted would cover the whole situation.
Steel Tire Report.
The report 01 the master mechanics'
committee on steel tires of which Mr. A.
Stewart was chairman, was brief. The com-
mittee says: "Your committee appointed
to consider specifications for steel tires
have given the subject considerable
thought and have been in communication
with the tire manufacturers, some of the
committee visiting the tire works with
the idea of trying to work out specifica-
tions which it would be possible to en-
force under working conditions and not
impose unnecessary hardships on the man-
ufacturer or excessive cost to the pur-
chaser.
"The results have not been encourag-
ing, and we feel that any specification we
could get up, to give any practical results,
would require a test to destruction of, at
least, one finished tire out of each heat,
in view of the cost of carrying out a speci-
fication containing this requirement, we
hesitate to ofl'er it. and, unless it is the
opinion of this association that such a re-
quirement, with the expense of enforce-
ment, would be justified, we ask that the
committee be discharged."
Train Lighting.
The Committee on Train Lighting, of
which Mr. T. R. Cook was chairman, pre-
sented a report to the Master Car Build-
ers' Association, which the members be-
lieve will have the effect of immediatelv
simplifying the practice of car inter-
change, w'ith better protection against fire,
and establish a system of rules regarding
the posting of notices explanatory of the
apparatus used in train lighting. Dia-
grams are shown in the report as to the
regulation of the exact position and ar-
rangement of battery terminals, charging
receptacles, and the marking of the same
in a distinctly uniform manner. Switches
will henceforth be stencilled in plain let-
ters, and all batteries will be installed in
doube compartment tanks. All of the
rules and regulations suggested by the
committee are not only calculated to meet
the growing requirements of the service,
but in many cases are absolutely neces-
sary for the safety of the trains. Many
of the proposed changes will be gladly
welcomed by the railway employes en-
gaged in train lighting.
Baldwin 'Works Doing Well.
A recent press dispatch from Phila-
delphia says: An order for 85 large pas-
senger locomotives has been placed with
the Baldwin Locomotive Works by the
Harriman lines. This order amounts ,to
;;bc ut $1,125,000, and is one of the largest
iocomotive orders recently given. The
locomotives are to be of the largest and
heaviest passenger type. Deliveries are
to be made in October, November and
December of this year. This announce
mcnt was made by Mr. Alba B. John-
son, vice-president of the Baldwin
Works, Inc. In reply to a ques-
tion whether the rumored curtailment
and cancellation of equipment orders
had aflfected the Baldwin works, Mr.
Johnson stated that no orders had been
canceled, and that there was no expecta-
tion that any would be, but that on the
contrary, purchasing on a gratifying scale
is anticipated. There are at present about
14,500 men employed against less than
4.000 in the depression of 1908, following
the 1907 panic.
The Ready-Made Farm
Farms are already being prepared for
next year under Sir Thomas Shaughnes-
sy's scheme of ready-made farms for
British immigrants. Fifty of these are
to be at Sedgewick, in Central Alberta,
in the neighborhood of the Canadian Pa-
cific branch line from Lacombe to Har-
distry, a rolling prairie of very rich soil,
which is being filled up rapidly with set-
tlers, says the Standard of Empire. The
ready-made farm consists of a certain
tract of fertile prairie land on which a
house and barn has been built, and the
first year's crop has been sown by the
railroad.
The settlers are all practical agricultur-
ists of experience, and all of the families,
as their ancestors for generations before
them, have been successful tillers of the
soil. One representative farmer said :
"Nothing could be more satisfactory than
our prospects, nor more encouraging
than the reports received from the ad-
vance party, who tell us that the condi-
tions in the West more than fulfilled their
most sanguine expectations, and that
every promise that had been made them
had been faithfully and fully carried
out."
These settlers, with the 180 who ar-
rived a few weeks ago, complete the first
year's emigration of those selected under
Sir Thomas Shaughnessy's scheme. The>
bring with them a lot of household goods
and capital ranging from $1,500 to $2,500
each.
The Perfect Number.
Among all the numbers none other
seems to have attained the celebrity of r.
There are seven days in the week, seven
years of plenty, seven years of famine.
seven wise men of Greece, seven won-
ders of the world, seven Mohammedan
heavens, seven notes in the musical scale,
seven colors in the solar spectrum, etc.
The visible moving bodies of the heav-
ens are seven — Sun, Moon. Mercur.\-, Ve-
nus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn.
CARS, CABS, SHOPS
AND
ROUND HOUSES
require a roofing that
is unaffected by ex-
tremes of temperature
RUBEROID
ROOFING
U. S. P«l.
Will not melt, rot, crack or
corrode. Contains no tar.
Oullastj Mttal
SPARK PROOF, CINDER PROOF,
QAS PROOF, WEATHER PROOF
Writ* (or umpln, price* and lx>okl*t H*. M.
THE STANDARD PAINT OO.
I 00 William SIraal Naw Yark
Cblcaso, PbUxlelpbIa, BoitoD, Kuuu Otj,
Mrmpbll. Atluta.
"HOMESTEAD"
VALVES
Are constructed upon mechanically oor
rect principles — they are leak pr»of under
Bteam, air or hydraulic pressures. Tfcey
are practically indestructible becauae the
•eats are protected from wear. The ylug
it balanced and held in place by preasorc
when open, and when closed it ia locked
on the seat by our patent wed^ng cam.
"Homestead" \ alves are the quickest acting,
simplest, most easily operated and l«ngesl
liTcd of any made.
Homestead Valves are opened wide an4
closed tight by a quarter turn.
LOCOMOTIVE BLoW-OFF
Wntc for catalogue of Homestead Go«da.
HOMESTEAD VALVE M'F'G CO.
Brasa Foundart Works at Hatneataad, Pa.
P. O. Box 1754, PITTSBURG, PA.
DUNER
CAR CLOSETS
DUNER CO.
July, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
313
"lANG'S
JJ New Tool
Holder
LARGKT (UTTDI BIGGEST CUTS
G.R.LANG6C0., MeadvUle.Pa.
ASIHTOIM
POPVALVES AND GAGES
The Quality Goods that Last
The Athlon Valve Co.
271 Franklin Street, Boston. Mul.
174 L>lee Street. . Chicazo, 111.
HUNT-SPILLER IRON
FOR LOCOMOTIVE CASTINGS
Hant-Splller Mfg. Corporation
W. B. LEACH, C«n. Mgr A Tr«a«.
South Boston, /Vtass.
STANDARD MECHANICAL BOOKS
FOR ROAD AND SHOP MEN
BY CHAS. McSHANE.
The Locomotive Up to Date
Price, S2.50
New York and
Westinghouse Air Brakes
Price. $1.50
One Thousand Pointers for
Machinists and Engineers
Price, SI. 50
All bevka baand la Una clolb
AOB^TS WA.STBn exrjwbtr*. mnu tm
ttf«* tmi <1>«--rlpM'< rtrmliri Will ke
■ami prepaid to iiij addreea opoa receipt
•( pelM.
GRirrirs &wiint&r&
171 La S«lle Street. CHICAGO
A »cric» <i( <liKr»l» of ,ill Ihc |i.ipcr3
prcirnlcd :it the Mantcr Mrrlianir<i' and
at. the Maitrr Car Ruildtrrt' Aavicialions
at the Albniic City cinvcnliont, la^t
June, are to be fnund in this Itiiie.
Lumber Specifications.
The report on liimber specilications was
the result of a conference of a joint com-
mittee of the M. M. and the M. C. B.
associations. The chairman of the M. M.'s
committee was Mr. R. E. Smith, and
the M. C. B. committee chairman was
Mr. G. N. Dow. The committees, before
drawing up their report, put themselves
in communication with the Railway Store-
keepers' Association and with the vari-
ous lumber manufacturers' associations
throughout the countr>'. The specifica-
tions which were submitted are stated in
the report to have met the approval of
the various committees and especially of
the lumber manufacturers. The report
contains letters of endorsement from tl-e
chairman of the Northern Pine Manufac-
turing .\ssociation, the Pacific Coast
Lumber Manufacturing .-Association, the
Hardwood Manufacturing .\ssociation,
and the Southern Cypress Manufacturers'
.■\ssociation.
Cape-to-Cairo Railway.
The completion of the Cape-to-
Cairo Railway, the dream of Cecil
Rhodes, is now well in sight, says a
correspondent of the London Daily
Mail. By the end of this year the
whole extent of the line will have been
surveyed. From Khartum, in the north,
and from Broken Hills, in the south,
the line is creeping forward. The line,
with its 6.600 miles of track, will be the
longest in the world.
Mr. Huberty, secretary of the .\nglo-
Belgian Katanga Railway Company,
says that it has just been decided to
survey the route of the Congo exten-
sion of the Cape-to-Cairo line from
Elizabethville (close by the famous
Star of the Congo copper mines) north-
ward to Kambwe. The line between
the Star of the Congo and Broken
Hills (Rhodesia), will be completed by
September next.
The great bulk of the line, including
some thousands of miles at the north-
ern and southern ends, will be British
and the remainder will pass through
Belgian territory.
The Germ Horror.
It is hardly necessary to remark that
the fails that afflict so many of our
people have a tcntlcncy to run into
senseless extremes. For some years the
ihniight of germs, microbes, elynioiis,
embryos and other minute org.mism-.
hai kept a nervous portion of our
population in senseless dread of being
murdered by diseases that the micrn-
insms are suspected of scattering tiijim
every living thing Railway cnnipanie<
have sufTerrd <-f)Msidcrable annoyanci-
from laws p.-isHcd by diverse States in
tended to annihilate the ruflli.-in gcrni*
and to increase the annoyance im-
(.(nerl upon travelers.
.\ new and amusing manifestation of
the germ fright has lately appeared in
various parts of the coutttry. In sub-
urban and city train travel the holding
on straps for passengers standing in
the aisles has become a recognized
convenience for years. Now the germ-
ists have declared that promiscuous
holding on to these straps is as danger-
ous as promiscuous kissing, and a
movement is in healthy activity urging
people to carry along their own private
strap and hook attachment.
Removing An Island.
Calypso's Island has been moved to
South Bethlehem. Pa., by dredging it out
of the center of the Lehigh River by di-
rection of the engineering staff of t'..c
Lehigh Valley Railroad and the ma-
terial, 125,000 cubic yards of stone and
earth, have been used to till in an arch-
like curve that the right bank of the
river makes just west of South Beth-
lehem. The object of the removal of
the island is to straighten the road and
get space for four tracks in addition to
room for building sidings.
It took the working force about six
months to do the work, delay being caused
by high water during the winter months
In addition a new route had to be pro
vided for a water main which had orisji-
nally been laid through the island. This
makes the third island removed from the
river in order to carry out railroad opera
tions.
New Railway.
.\ recent press dispatch from I'oronto.
Ont., says with hardly any ceremony at
the junction of the Central Ontario and
Canadian Northern Railways, in the vi-
cinity of Trenton, the laying of steel
for the Canadian Northern Toronto-
Ottawa line was begun. .At the invitation
of Mr. George Collins, general manager
r«f the Central Ontario and the Irondalc.
Bancroft & Ottawa Railways, Mr. Clar-
ence G. Young drove the first spike, lite
first sod was turned last Novemlicr. It
is stated that Mr. Louis D. Harchfield,
purchaser for the company, has secured
options on property in .Sidney for the ex-
tension of the line to Belleville.
Old Railroad Ballads.
.\ny one of our readers who may
lie in posses.sion of old railroad ballaiU.
i.r new ones for that matter, shouM
i-ommuiiicate with Prof, John .\.
l.omax. College Station. Texas. He is
collecting Kigethcr the .most typical
folk-songs of the United States. He
lias already secured a copy of "Jerry.
Co He That Car," and others, but he
ilcsires to h.ive his collection as nearly
I r)mplele as possible. The scholarly
.ind acciimplishrd professor is work-
ing under llie auspices of Harvard
University
314
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
July, 1910.
IT IS FILLED WITH TIMELY
ARTICLES ON LOCOMOTIVE
. REPAIRS.
"Reactions" is a paper which
we publish quarterly and which
contains a special department
devoted to locomotive repairs
by the Thermit Process. It also
contains interesting articles de-
scribing large repairs on ships,
crankshafts and other heavy re-
pair work. The current issue
describes three welds recently-
made on the sternpost of U. S.
S. "Nero" at the Brooklyn
Navy Yard and the welding of
a crank shaft on the U. S. S.
"Dixie" for the torpedo boat
"Reid."
"Reactions" is profusely il-
lustrated and the current issue
is the best yet.
If you are not on our mail-
ing list, write for a copy, men-
tioning this advertisement.
90 West St., New York
4(2-436 Folsom St., Sui Fnnoiico, Calif.
108 Richmond St. W., Toronto, Ont.
SINCLAIR'S LOCOMOTIVE ENGINE
RUNNING AND MANAGEMENT
It still popular. We have it. Price $2.00
ANGUS! SINCLAIR CO.. 114 Liberty St.. N. Y.
WATTERS A.B.C.TRACK SANDERS
Only two pieces. No repaira
For sale by
J. H. WAHERS, M M. M. 6a. R.R., Augusta, 6a.
Electrification of Railways.
Mr. George Westinghouse, president of
the American Society of Mechanical En-
gineers, has prepared a paper on the "Elec-
trification of Steam Railways" which will
be read at the joint meeting of the Ameri-
can Society and the Institute of Me-
chanical Engineers (British), to be held
in Birmingham, Eng., on July 25-29. In
the opening words of Mr. Westinghouse's
address he pays this tribute to the magnifi-
cent discoveries which have been made in
the field of electricity. He says:
•■.\s an illustration of the wonders of
the laws of nature, few inventions or dis-
coveries with which we are familiar can
excel the static transformer of the elec-
trical energ\' of alternating currents of
high voltage into the equivalent energy at
a lower voltage. To have discovered how
to make an inert mass of metal capable of
transforming alternating currents of
100,000 volts into currents of any required
lower voltage with a loss of only a trifle
of the energy so transformed, would have
been to achieve enduring fame. The facts
divide this honor among a few ; the bene-
ficiaries will be tens of millions."
And in summing up at the close of his
paper he makes this prediction as to the
fiture: "The complete electrification of a
railway will necessitate a rearrangement
of ideas and practices in regard to opera-
tions. Coaling and watering places will
not be needed; passenger trains will be
diflferently composed, some classes being
of less weight ; and they will operate more
frequently, thus promoting travel; other
trains will be heavier than at present, or
will operate at higher speeds; and branch
lines, by the use of electrically fitted cars,
can be given a through service not now
enjoyed.
"The railway companies can combine
upon some co-operative plan for the
generation of electricity, thereby effecting
large savings in capital expenditures, and
can utilize their own rights of way for the
transmission of the current, not only for
the operation of trains but for many other
useful purposes. Notwithstanding the
fact that great strides have already been
made in cheapening the cost of generating
electricity by steam engines, I foresee,
from the progress made in the develop-
ment of gas and oil power, a still further
reduction in cost which will accelerate the
work of electrifying existing railways. In
conclusion, I can only repeat, and earnest-
ly recommend to the serious consideration
of railway engineers and those in author-
ity, the pressing need of determining the
system which admits of the largest ex-
tension of railway electrification and of a
prompt selection of those standards of
electrification which will render possible
a complete interchange of traffic in order
to save expense in the future and to avoid
difficulties and delays certain to arise un-
less some common understanding is ar-
rived at very shortly."
TURNTABLES
Philadelphia Turntable Co.
PHILADELPHIA, PA.
CHICAGO: ST. LOUIS:
Marquette Bldg. Commonwealth Trust Bld(.
Nichols Transfer Tables
Turntable Tractors
GEO. P. NICHOLS & BRO.
1090 Old Colony Bldg. CHICAGO
ALDON CAR REPLACERS
We set three r^ " - " ^ ' -? --■'^ ^^
all nine cars on the rails in twenty minutes. —
Extract from Wrecking Masters' Reports.
THE ALDON COMPANY
965 Monadnock Block, CHICAGO, ILL.
ESTABLISHED 1884
Sipe's
Japan Oil
Is superior to Linseed Oil
and Dryers for
All KINDS Of PAINTIIIO
In Daily Use by
All the leading Railroads
In the United States
Manufactured solely by
JAMES B. SIPE & (0.
North Side,
PITTSBURGH
RlliSSdveEiKineerini
A Practical Journal of Motive Power, Rolling Stock and Appliances
VaL XXIIL
114 Liberty Street, New York, Angnst, 1910.
No. 8
Austrian Componud Express Engine. wheels are 7 ft. % in. in diameter and ing the two side by side. The old en-
.\ class of e.xpress passenger locomo- the leading and trailing wheels are 3 ft. gine was built in 1&41 by the English
lives having a somewhat novel wheel 4H ins. in diameter. The total heating firm of Jones, Turner & Evans, of New-
arrangement has recently been designed surface is 3,147.43 sq. ft., distributed as ton, near Warrington, and the following
for the .Austrian State Railways by Herr follows, firebo.x 162.54 sq. ft., tubes are its principal dimensions, cylinders 14
K. Golsdorf. The leading and first pair 2.232.4S sq. ft., superheater 752.42 sq. ft. ins. diameter, stroke of 20 ins., coupled
LR (JOLSUOKF COMPOUND FOR Tilt .M.
K.MLWAVS.
of coupled wheel* are combined in one The grate area is 48.65 iq. ft., working wheels 5 ft. iVi ins. diameter, working
frame which is a Helmholtz truck, and pressure 220 lbs. per square inch. The pressure of boiler 95 lbs. per sq. in., to-
thc four trailing wheels arc arranxed in toul weif(ht of engine is 82 tons 10 cwt. tal hc.iting surface 660 sq. ft , grate area
a Bissel Bogie. The cylinders have diam- To depict the enormous proportions of 11 ^i sq. ft. Weight of engine in work-
eters H. P, is'A ins. and L. P. a6 ina., this fine engine, as compared with an "old ing order aij^ tons.
with a stroke of 28^^ ins. The driving timer," we reproduce a photograph show- At the time these photographs were
3it>
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
August, 1910.
taken the four-cylinder Golsdorf com-
pound had just returned from a trial run
over the Vienna-Krakan-Lemberg sec-
tion which has gradients of i in 100. The
load was 406 tons behind the tender, the
distance covered was about 963 miles,
and the speed averaged 52 to 65J4 miles
an hour over different portions of the
route. In the side view of the two en-
to accommodate a traveling crane, but
columns for supporting the crane have
not been erected, as jib cranes secured to
the main columns were found more de-
sirable. The turntable is operated by an
electric motor. There are four drop-
tables, also operated by electric motors,
two of them for driving wheels, one large
t.'ible for all wheels except the engine
port, which he delivers at the inspection
pit when the locomotive is turned over
to the inspectors. Five inspectors are
here employed, as the work must be done
thoroughly in a minimum time, so that the
hcstler can move the locomotive to the
ashpit and make room in the inspection
pit for other locomotives waiting. One
inspector examines the under part of the
.MijL)1:RX 4CYLIM1EK PASSENGER ENGINE FOR THE .\USTRI.\N ST.\TE RAILWAY
gines Herr Golsdorf is shown standing
by the leading wheel of the modern
engine.
Locomotive Terminals.
A very interesting paper on American
Locomotive Terminals was recently read
by Mr. William Forsyth before the
American Society of Mechanical Engi-
neers at the July meeting at Atlantic City.
Among other things he said:
"The most interesting example of
American engine house practice is that
in the classification yards of the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad at East Altoona, Pa. Here
the traffic from three divisions of the
road is concentrated, classified and de-
spatched. The freight tonnage passing
through this terminal is claimed to be the
largest handled by any single system of
freight yards in the world. The total
capacity of the yards is 10,500 cars.
"The engine house is in diameter and
cross-section the largest structure ever
erected for this purpose. It has an exte-
rior diameter of 395 ft. and a turntable
of 100 ft. There are 5.; stalls 90 ft.
deep. The main portion of the house is
65 ft. wide and 30 ft. high. On the outer
circle there is a lean-to 25 ft. wide and
iS ft. high. Tlie engines head in toward
this lean-to and tlie smoke-jack is located
alongside the main columns at the outer
portion of the main building. The main
portion of the house was made 30 ft. high
trucks, and another for pony truck wheels.
At one end of the coal wharf is a sand
house, where sand is dried in large
stoves and descends through a grating to
a reservoir, from which it is elevated by
compressed air to the sand bins over-
head, and flows by gravity to the engines.
Near the approach to the coal wharf are
four ashpits, each 240 ft. long, two on
each side of the wharf incline. E^ch pair
is operated by an overhead five-ton elec-
tric crane which spans four tracks, two
of them over the ashpits for ash cars.
"The work performed in an engine
house includes almost everything in con-
nection with locomotive repairs that does
not require the locomotive to be sent to
the general repair shop. No attempt will
be made to itemize these repairs. The
work which must invariably be performed
periodically consists of boiler testing
every six months ; boiler washing, from
once a week to once a month as neces-
sity arises ; staybolt testing each week ;
examination of smoke-box, draft ar-
rangements and ash pans, each week;
testing steam and air gauges each month ;
washing tenders each month ; gauging
height of pilots each week; gauging tank
water scoops each trip : testing air brakes
each trip ; draining main reservoirs each
week.
"When a locomotive arrives, the first
information the organization receives as
to work necessary is in the engineer's re-
locomotive and tender; one on each side
inspects the outside parts, such as driving
wheels, rods, steam chests, guides, cross-
heads and Walschaerts valve gear; there
are two air-brake inspectors, one to op-
erate the brake valve and inspect the fit-
tings in cab and air pump, and the other
to inspect all other parts of the air and
sanding equipment.
"All defects found by the inspectors are
entered upon regular blanks and trans-
mitted, together with the engineer's re-
port, to the gang leader in charge at the
inspection pit, who decides whether it is
necessary to send the engine to the house
or whether ihe repairs are so slight that
they can be made on the outside repair
pits in connection with the outbound
storage tracks. His decision is marked
upon the report, and upon the steam
chest of the locomotive, and the reports
are forwarded to the work distributor's
office by pneumatic tube in 45 seconds.
"At East Altoona there are sometimes
as many as 200 locomotives within the
engine house jurisdiction and it was
found necessary to inaugurate some eflS-
cient method of locating them exactly at
all times, so that men sent to make re-
pairs need have no difficulty in finding
any particular locomotive required. This
is accomplished by telephone. Each time
a locomotive moves to another locality
the engine tracer in the foreman's office
is advised as to where it came from and
August, loio.
R.MLWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
317
where it has been delivered, giving the
number, the location on the track and the
time in each case. When traffic at East
Altoona is normal the engine house must
deliver ready for service one locomotive
every five minutes during the whole 24
hours of the day, as the engines for three
divisions are here concentrated.
"For the operation of this locomotive
terminal an elaborate organization has
been worked out, based upon the prin-
ciple that none but the heads of sub-
departments shall report to or receive in-
structions from the foreman, his assist-
ant or the work distributor. The respon-
sibility of supplying material and the
supervision of the workmen are placed
directly upon these gang leaders, who are
foremen of their respective gangs.
"■Improved engine house facilities, more
system and better organization are f.ivor-
able to the ponline nt Ii.c-oitt itivi--. .nnd
cess of pooling. The reduction in boiler
pressure from 225 lbs. to 160 and 180 lbs.
has also reduced the number of boiler
failures and permitted the more continu-
ous use of locomotives which results from
the pooling system.
"On some railways where shop facil-
ities are limited, locomotives are required
to make a large mileage before they go in
for general repairs. The principal items
which send engines frequently to the shop
are worn tires, defective tubes, and, per-
haps, worn driving boxes. At some en-
gine houses all these repairs are made,
the worn tires being replaced by new
ones or by others which have been turned
at the shop. In this way such machin-
ery as rods, crossheads, guides and link
motion, are kept in service, so that pas-
senger locomotives make as high as 127,-
000 miles, and freight locomotives, 100,000
miles between eeiuml rcp-iirs. one pas-
Block Signals for Motor Cars.
The railway block signal system has
been extended to protect automobiles. At
a crossing in South Plainfield, N. J., the
Lehigh Valley Railroad has installed banjo
signals which indicate danger automatical-
ly whenever a train is approaching. These
are entirely separate from the regular
railroad signals, and are operated purely
as a safeguard for vehicles. The auto-
matic bell, which has announced trains
for years, has not been abandoned. It
rings as usual. The new device is sup-
plementary to it, and is designed particu-
larly for automobiles, which often make
such a noise of their own that the occu-
pants cannot hear other soimds.
The signal is so named because of its
shape. It has the appearance of <r ban-
jo standing straight up on its small end,
and is similar to such signals used beside
r.iilu.Tv tracks. In the center of the drum
L.NljI.\Ka. .V.Nclh.NT AMj ilObi-KN. ii
OULUaUORF BESIDE L.\ulNL IkLCK WHEEL.
this practice has become more general
for freight engines in the United .States.
As recently as in 1905 the reports on
p^ioling presented at the hitcniational
Railway CongTca indicated that |HX)ling
was not used on the majority uf railways
in the L'nited Stan* under mirinal con-
ditions of traffic. The large increase in
I traffic in proporti'm to the number of
1 Iccomotives in 1906 and subsequent years
I bat compelled most of the roads to rc-
! u>n to the pooling of freight engines and
the double-crewing of passenger engines,
and these Tnetho<ls arc now »rll estab-
lished on the majority of American rail-
ways. By improved methods the opera-
tion* of cording down, washing, and fill-
it.g with hot water may be performed in
Wis than two hours without injury to fire-
box and tube*, and this alone hai con-
tributed in a large measure to the luc-
senger locomotive making 256,000 miles
between shoppings. Passenger locomo-
tives average 120,000 miles and freight
locomotives, 95.000 miles.
"On the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy
for the last six months of 1909, pooled
freight engines made on one division as
high as 4.167 miles per month, and iiu
engines <n three divisions averaged 3,777
miles per month. On other roads pas-
senger engines double-crewed make an
average of 6.500 to 7,500 miles per month,
one road reporting for engines in express
service 418 miles per day and 12,780 miles
per month."
Small articles can be plated with brass
by dipping them in a solution of nine and
one quarter parts sulphate of copper and
an equal amount of chloride of tin dis-
solved in toft water.
IS a round opening, which is covered by
a red disk when a train approaches.
Above this is a smaller opening for illu-
mination at night. .-Xs a warning to au-
tomobiles and other vehicles, a red light
appears here at night, just as the red disk
.-ippcars below in the daytime. There are
two of the banjo.s at South Plainfield, for
vehicles going in lioth directions. The
signal stands some distance up the high
road away from the track, but is operated
by the track circuit like ordinary block
signals. It is impossible for a defect in
the mechanism to lead a vehicle into dan-
ger, because any defect sends the signal at
once to danger. It can show safety only
when the device is in perfect working
order. A signal system of this kind for
vehicles is an innovation. The Lehigh
Valley already has similar installations in
progress at other places.
3i8
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
August, 1910.
Lighting of Erecting Shops.
Bv S. H. Knapp.
The artificial ligliting of erecting shops
and machine shops so that the employees
can have light about equal to what they
get in the daytime, has been a difficult
problem. The use of heavy cranes has
made it necessary to place most, if not
all, the lights underneath the cranes. In
many instances it has been impossible to
place lamps anywhere except on the side
walls, although it is readily apparent
that with an arc or incandescent cluster
shop of one of the large railroad systems
lighted by the 34 type F, Cooper Hewitt
lamps, giving 28,900 candlcpower at a cur-
rent consumption of 13.6 kilowatts. The
dimensions of this building are 442 by 94
ft., or 41.550 sq. ft. The height of the
lamps from the floor is 50 ft, and 1,225
sq. ft. of floor surface is allowed to a
lamp.
Summing up these results show that in
the use of Cooper Hewitt lamps the man-
ufacturer can obtain a great volume of
serviceable light at a minimum expendi-
ture of electrical energy; that the source
KAILROAD ERECTING SHOP LIGHTED BY COOPER HEWITT L.AMPS.
in that position much of the light is ab-
sorbed by the walls, and consequently, in
the center of the room, the lighting is
unsatisfactory. With low Hghting from
the side walls, locomotives or high ma-
chines may hide the source of light, pro-
ducing deep shadows on the floor. Were
it possible to obtain from skylights all the
daylight required for satisfactory light-
ing, this arrangement would unquestion-
ably give the best distribution and diffu-
sion. Accordingly, if these satisfactory
conditions can be artificially duplicated by
pl.'icing the light source directly over the
machines and workmen, a better distribu-
tion and the avoidance of shadows will be
obtained.
The Cooper Hewitt lamp gives diff'u-
sion of light en account of its large lumi-
nous surface, and makes possible the sat-
isfactory illumination of a floor surface
from a much greater height than was
formerly considered possible. At the
same time the comparative length of light
source in the 50-in. tubes makes it possi-
ble for heavy cranes to pass underneath
without cau.^ing any sharply-defined shad-
ows. This, with the absence of glare,
makes it possible for the mechanic to
distinguish with accuracy details in his
work. Our illustration shows an erecting
of light may be installed at a height and
still give satisfactory floor illumination;
that shadows can be almost wholly elimi-
nated, and that a pleasing diffusion of
light, almost equal to daylight, can be
obtained. The long life of the tubes, nu-
merous installations having averaged over
7,000 hours' burning, assures an economi-
cal maintenance. Many large railroad
systems throughout the country have in-
stalled or extended this system. The
Cooper Hewitt Electric Company, is one
of the many Westinghouse interests.
Double Refraction.
In the American Museum of Natural
History in New York there is a vast
array of very interesting things to see,
but in a small room on the third floor
there is a unique collection of gems and
precious stones. In one of the show
cases there is a plate of Iceland spar,
(crystallized carbonate of lime), neatly
mounted for inspection, and behind this
is one ordinary incandescent electric
lamp constantly burning. When looked
at through the plate of Iceland spar
two very distinct images of the electric
bulb are visible. In fact there appears
to be two electric lamps glowing be-
hind the crystalline plate. The fact
that there is only one electric lamp may
instantly be ascertained by looking at
.he side or behind the plate of Iceland
spar. The appearance of two bulbs is
accounted for by what is known as
double refraction.
The explanation of this phenomenon
is that the crystal is so formed that the
enclosed particles of ether are com-
pelled to assume different densities and
consequently different elasticities in
two directions. The contained ether
has its maximum density in the direc-
tion of the axis of the crystal and has
Its minimum density in directions per-
pendicular to the axis of the crystal.
The two different degrees of elasticity
of the contained ether result in the
transmission of light at two different
velocities through the crystal, and dou-
ble refraction is the result.
In order perhaps to more fully un-
derstand the way this is brought about
one may picture a wave of light as
moving in a direction represented of
the axle of a cart wheel. The vibra-
tions of the ether particles which trans-
mit light are at right angles to the
direction of motion and are like the
spokes of the cart wheel at the end of
the axle. One might almost liken the
■ight wave to a spoked wheel sliding
along a smooth axle without turning,
and with the particles of ether vibrat-
ing up and down along the spokes. The
light wave of course h?ving no perma-
nent structure like a.xle and wheel.
On entering the Iceland spar all
those vibrations, say, in a vertical direc-
tion, find themselves checked, while
those in a horizontal direction, though
checked, are not as much retarded as
the vertical ones, and the vibrations in
all other directions are quenched. The
spokes are all knocked out of the
wheel, so to speak, except the vertical
and the horizontal ones. The vertical
spoke vibrations are retarded more
than the others and consequently lose
more of their velocity than the hori-
zontal spoke ones. The single beam of
light reaching the crystal of Iceland
spar is separated into two beams,
hence the two images of the glow lamp
behind the plate of crystal.
Tyndall tells us that "in ordinary
water there is nothing in the grooping
of the molecules to interfere with the
perfect homogeneity of the ether; but
when water crystallizes to ice, the case
is different. In a plate of ice the elas-
ticity of the ether in a direction perpen-
dicular to the surface of the freezing is
different from what it is parallel to the
surface of freezing; ice is, therefore a
double refracting substance."
Let every man be occupied, and occupied
in the highest employment of which his
nature is capable. — Sydney Smith.
August, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERIXG.
Ten-Wheel Passenger Engine for the Lehigh Valley Railroad
The Baldwin Locomotive Works
have recently completed ten freight
locomotives for the Lehigh Valley Rail-
road. These engines are of the ten-
wheel type, and are designated by the
railroad company as Class "J-55" The
locomotives of this class previously
constructed have been fitted with Ste-
phenson link motion and balanced slide
valves. In the present order the slide
valves have been retained, but Wal-
schaerts gear is applied to eight of the
locomotives, and Baker-Pilliod gear to
the remaining two.
Class J-5S has proved a highly suc-
cessful engine in general freight service
on the more level portions of the line.
The tractive force developed is 31,100
lbs., and the ratio of adhesion is ap-
proximately five. As the driving wheels
are 69 ins. in diameter, these engines
are also adapted to heavy passenger
service, and with this end in view, they
have been fitted with train signal and
steam heat equipment. These locomo-
tives use anthracite as fuel, and have
boilers of the modified W'ootten type.
The boiler barrel is composed of three
rings, and the dome is on the second
Ting. Thii places it immediately in
as intermediate supports, and divide
each rocking bar into three sections.
The bars have transverse fingers, and
alternate with the water-tubes. The
ash-pan has two hoppers, with cast iron
sliding bottoms. No dampers are fit-
ted, but there are liberal draft openings
under the mud-ring. The smoke-box
has a short extension, and the internal
arrangement is extremely simple. The
petticoat pipe is fitted to the base of
the stack, and has secured to its lower
end a wire netting basket which ex-
tends down to the exhaust nozzle. The
diaphragm plate is shallow and non-
adjustable, and is placed below the
center line of the boiler.
The cylinders are interchangeable,
irrespective of the valve motion. The
steam chest centers are placed one inch
inside the cylinder centers. On the
engines equipped w^ith Walschacrts
gear, each combining lever is pinned
to a crosshead having an inwardly pro-
jecting lug to which the valve rod is
attached. This construction avoids the
use of a rocker. The link and reverse
shaft bearings are combined in a single
steel casting, supported outside the
loadinir drivers by two plates each 10
and carries an arm placed on the center
line. This arm is connected, by a short
reach rod. with a corresponding arm
on the reverse shaft. The radius rod
is suspended back of the link, and is
down when running ahead. On the
two engines using Baker-Pilliod gear,
the cradles supporting the mechanism
are located in the same manner as the
link bearers on the Walschaerts en-
gines. The valve data and setting, on
the two designs, are as follows:
Walschaerts. Baker-Pilliod.
Outside lap i 3/16 ins. i in.
Inside clearance.... 1/32 in, o in.
Maximum travel.... 6 ins. 5 ins.
Lead (constant).... J4 in. Ji in.
The frames are of cast steel, with
single front rails of the same material.
Each rail is recessed into the main
frame and held in place by 14 horizon-
tal bolts iJ4 ins. in diameter, and also
by two keys. The main frames have
cast on them vertical lugs, to which
the guide yoke is bolted. The equaliza-
tion is arranged with yokes over the
boxes of the main and rear driving
wheels, these yokes being connected by
inverted leaf springs. Four such
springs are provided on each side. The
engine truck has a swing bolster, hung
TE.V WHEEL
I .V. IlibbiU, Superintendent of Motive Power.
nt of the cab. The fire-box has a
rtical throat and back head and a
rizontal roof sheet, and the tube
'■et i« straight, no combustion cham-
r being used. The mud-ring is
■ ced by cross-ties at two intermediate
nts, and is supported on expansion
<tes at the front and rear, and also
• the second transverse cross-tic. The
flexible ".taybolls number 538, and are
located in the sides and throat. The
rward end of the furnace crown is
ycd from two inverted T-bars hung
expansion links
The grale is composed of longitud-
• I rocking bar» and two-inrh water
tubes. The mudring cross-lies serve
PASSENGER LOCOMOTIVK I'OK THE I.IClllGH VALLEY.
Haldwin I.x)comotive \Vork«. lluildcn.
ins. deep and 1% ins. wide. These
plates are bolted in front to the guide
yoke, and at the rear to a cross-tie
placed between the first and second
pairs of drivers The guide yoke and
cross-tie are of cast steel, each made
of two sections which are strongly
spliced at the center. The yoke is
formed with •.uilahle knees to which
the guides arc bolted. The latter are
steel forgings of the two-bar type.
Castle nuts are used throughout for
bolting these members together. Our
illustration shows an engine equipped
with the Baker-Pilliod valve gear.
The reverse lever is secured to a
shaft which extends across the engine.
on three point suspension links of cast
steel. The truck transom is of the
same material, and is of most substan-
tial construction. The tender frame is
composed of i.vin. steel channels and
oak bumpers. The tank is U-shaped
with a sloping floor in the furl space.
The trucks are of the equalized pedestal
type with cast steel bolsters. .Ml truck
wheels under the engine and tender are
steel-tired.
These locomotives are admirably fit-
ted to meet the conditions existing on
the I.rhigh Valley. As the fuel used is
anthracite, a comparatively shallow
furnace will swflTice; hence it is possible
to place a Imilcr of high capacity above
320
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
August, 1910.
comparatively large driving wheels, and
so avoid the use of trailers. The ratio
of grate area to heating surface is as
I to 37, and that between heating sur-
face and cylinder volume is 282 sq. ft.
of heating surface to one cu. ft. of cylin-
der volume.
The principal dimensions are ap
pended for reference:
Cylinders. 2i x 28 ins.
\'alvcs, balanced slide.
Boiler — Type, Woolen; material, steel; diameter,
69^ ins.; thickness of sheets, 13/16 in.;
working pressure, 205 lbs.; fuel, hard coal;
staying, radial.
Fire box — Material, steel; length, i2o}i ins.:
width, 102 ins.; depth, front, 63 13/16 ins.;
back, so 13/16 ins.; thickness of sheets,
sides, H in.; back, }i in.; crown, H in.;
tube, yi in.
Water space — Front, 5 ins.; sides, 314 ins.; back,
S'/i ins.
Tubes — Material, steel; wire gauge. No. 11;
number, 363; diameter. 2 ins.; length,
15 ft. 8 ins.
Heating surface — Fire box, 200 sq. ft.; tubes,
2.962 sq. ft..; total, 3.162 sq. ft.; grate area.
8s sq. ft.
Driving wheels — Diameter, outside, 69 ins.; jour
nals, 10 X 12 ins.
Engine truck wheels — Diameter, front, 15 ins
journals, s'A x loH ins.
\Vh;el base— Driving, 13 ft. 4 ins.; total engine.
-'i It. 4 ins.; total engine and tender, 57 ft.
54 in.
Weight— On driving wheels, 157,1 so lbs.; on
truck, front, 48,400 lbs.; total engine, 205,-
550 lbs.; total engine and tenuer. abtut
355.000 lbs.
Tender— Wheels, diameter, 36 ins.; journals,
SJ4 X 10 ins.; tank capacity, 8,000 gals.; fuel
capacity, 12 tons; service, freight.
Pleased with the Erie.
The open cut tlirough the Bergen hill,
formed the subject of the frontis-
piece illustration of our July paper, and
in which was a full description of the
work. The cut has come in for high praise,
and the management of the Erie have been
highly complimented and commended b}
the trustees of the board of trade of
Ridgewood, N. J., for the great engineer-
ing achievement and for "the moral
faith and courage" shown in "taking the
risk" of building the Bergen hill open
cut at such tremendous cost. In acknowl-
edging the formal letter in which this
tribute was paid, Mr. F. D. Underwood,
president of the company, said:
"Such manifestations of approval of the
company's effort to meet the wishes of its
patrons is a refreshing surprise, and, com-
ing at a time when railroad administra-
tion is being attacked on all sides, is
especially gratifying."
Soldering Glass.
It may not be generally known that
glass can be soldered by a composition of
ninety-five parts of tin and five parts of
copper. When fused this composition
should be well stirred with a vi'ooden rod.
The addition of one part of zinc has the
effect of hardening the mi.xture. This
solder will unite and adhere to the glass
so that there is no possibility of a frac-
ture occurring on any part of the solder.
Such work is frequently resorted to in
uniting parts of glass where it is impossi-
ble to obtain a welding of the glass.
One Man As Good As Five.
We often speak of a man of many parts,
or as a man having many sides to his
character, but in the case before us, Mr.
r. M. Rainsdell. the well-known M. C. B.
view is the only direct one in the group.
With his back to the camera he faces the
junction of two mirrors placed at right
angles to each other. In the line cut the
position of the man, the mirrors and
MK. T. M. KAMSDELL, M. C. B. OF THE C. & O., LOOKED .^T FROM ALL SIDES.
of the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad, has
posed before the camera so as to give us
five distinct views of himself, and al-
though there is only one pose, we see him
as if he were groufpd round a table with
the camera are shown in plan. The pic-
ture of his back is on line No. I, in the
center of the picture. For convenience
of illustration, we have taken one line
for the total of each reflection. For
example, the reflection of our subject
on the right hand mirror reaches the
camera along line No. 2, part of this
reflection passes across between the
mirrors and reaches the surface of the
left hand mirror as a sort or secondary
reflection, which gets to the camera
along line No. 3. Similarly the direct
reflection of the man on the left hand
mirror reaches the camera on line No.
4 and the .secondary reflection of this
image passes to the right hand mirror,
and pursues its path along line No. S to
the camera.
In this way there is one direct image,
the back, two showing three-quarters
to full face, and practically two in pro-
file. With a camera and a pair of mir-
rors arranged like this a man need
never feel lonely, and can easily be sur-
rounded by a group of kindred spirits.
HOW THE PICTURES ARE TAKEN.
R.MLW.w .AND Locomotive Engineering
in his hands.
The explanation of how this clever
little piece of photographic juggling is
done is quite simple. The gentleman sits
with his back to the camera and the rear
Revolutions of Flywheels.
It should be borne in mind that there is
a limit to the speed of flywheels, a com-
mon rule being that one mile, or 5,280 ft.
a minute is the velocity beyond which it
is generally agreed that flywheels made of
cast iron should not run. The simple form
of this rule is to divide the number 1,680
by the diameter of the wheel in feet, and
the result will be the speed limit of the
flywheel, if properly constructed.
All pleasure must be bought at the price
of pain. For the true the price is paid
before you enjoy it ; for the false after
you enjoy it. — John Foster.
August, ipro.
R.AILVVAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
321
General Correspondence
Some Suggestions.
Editor ;
I am glad to see you have become an
agitator, from the fact that you have be-
gun a crusade against the chancetaker.
Some of the best hated men on any rail-
road are those who endeavor to live
strictly up to the rules. Time was when
a major portion of the engineers and con-
ductors were chancetakers and made a suc-
cess of it, practically making their reputa-
tion as good railroad men. A great many
officials want the rules lived up to, but
don't want the delays consequent upon a
strict observance of the rules and signals.
In this matter all persons should work
together, in making the system as nearly
perfect as possible. Each railroad com-
pany should print its rules in question
and answer form, so there can be no dif-
ference of opinion enter into their under-
standing by the employees. This would
eliminate the different interpretations of
the same rule by officials on different di-
visions of a large system.
A monthly periodical pertaining to
changes in power, signal systems, rules,
etc., should be published by all trunk
line systems for the benefit of all classes
of employees in the operating department.
This periodical would eliminate a great
many bulletins now necessary, and should
contain useful instructions for employers
in all departments, tending to bring out
useful suggestions from officials to the
men. and vice versa, without being per-
sonal. Signal rules and indications should
in all cases be obeyed to the letter, no
matter if the Twentieth-Century Limited
or a slow freight is involved.
We have other chancetakers besides
those handling trains, and you will find
them in the roundhouse. They will O. K.
engines with poor working injectors,
sharp wheel flanges, poor, leaky air
brakes, bad air pumps, leaky tender tanks,
poor headlight and classification signals,
dirty boilers, broken staybolts, cabs full
of steam from leaky packing of valves
and gage cocks, etc. Now, isn't the man
that runs an engine with some or all of
these conditions, naturally a chancetaker?
.Now, why not agitate for a moderniza-
'lon of the "hull bizncss" and endeavor
■'J eliminate all chancctaking? Yours for
tlic revolution. Alcustine Holtziiopf.
(If our correspondent will turn back to
the editorials in 190J and 1904 he will
find that Railway and Locomotive En-
MNcniNc has not become an agitator in
the usual sense of the word, nor is there
.1 crusade on now .-igainit any p.irticular
form of chanrrtaki-r. We w.iiit the opin-
ions of engineers and others about the
signal efficiency tests, as about other
things. On page 7, of our issue for Feb-
ruary, 1904, we referred to the men who
may be responsible for la.N discipline on
a road as chancetakers of an advanced
type. That is the man higher up. There
is laxity in all branches of railroad service,
but things are better than they were, and
they are getting better each year. Our
duty as railroad men is to help on the
good work. — Editor.]
Signal Test in a Blizzard.
Editor:
Having been a constant reader of your
valuable magazine the past eighteen years,
I have noticed some very valuable and
sensible arguments, and also have re-
ceived some valuable information on the
engine and air brake, especially the E T
equipment; also signal observance. In
the June number you invite correspond-
ence on the question of signal observance
we find these set for us we know that it
means head in and let some other train
pass us. Diverting from main line at
.\urora we run on single track on the St.
Paul line ; we are governed by rule No.
31", in a book of rules in regard to sig-
nals, which slates that no train shall pass
:i block signal, even if it shows clear, un-
less the engineer sees the block signal
drop from danger to safety himself; if he
comes along and finds block clear, he
must have a clearance card, form (a)
from operator showing block is for his
train.
On Feb. 15 I was on a passenger extra,
east, and there was a very fierce blizzard
raging that night which made it almost
impossible to observe any signal change
from danger to safety. I had an order to
meet No. 81 at Shabbona, and had to stop
and inquire from engineer if he was 81,
on account of storm. This was about
one-qunrter mile from block signal. I
then proceeded to the block signal and
K IIKip\|i MKlliol'. IIKI.OW 1-KliMUNT. NliU.
tests. I had an entry made in my record
Feb. 15, 1910, which I do not consider
a fair test, and, in my opinion, I have not
been treated justly in the case, and the
superintendent told me he would recon-
sider this decision.
Here arc the facts: I have been run-
ning an engine 15 years on the Burling-
ton, and we have three different systems
of block sigii.il o|icration on the main
line, double track, train orders are elimi-
nated, we are governed entirely by the
block signal; if clear, it gives us the right
to proceed ahead of all first-class trains
or any other class of train. We have
beading and block signals and whenever
found an extra standing behind 81 emit-
ting considerable smoke, which blew over
semaphore. I slowed down to about four
n'ilcs an hour, and had whistled for block
when, on emerging from the smoke I
found block clear. I then whistled off
( two short blasts) to notify train crew
wc had block. The operator said to me
when I interviewed him regarding this
cnsc, that he was outsiilc with a clearance
card form (a) on a hoop, but could not
see two feet ahead of him, the wind
knocked him down, and also put out his
lantern, so that he had no means of noti-
fyitiK me he had this clearance. There
Here no trains in the five blocks ahead of
322
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
August. 1910.
me, but the blizzard was so bad this night
that we had to ahiiost stop at every
block to find if block was set for us. The
trainmaster was out making a signal test,
which I do not consider was doing justice
to me or the other men he caught on the
tests he made that night. Do you know
that it pierces worse than a dagger to a
man to have such tests made under such
conditions when he is giving the best ser-
vice and devoting all of his valuable time
to studying out the different conditions
he has to contend with?
In talking over this case with the su-
perintendent, he admitted that signal
tests ought not to be made under the
above conditions which I stated to you,
and he gave me the assurance that he
would reconsider his decision. Under or-
dinary conditions we have an efficiency
test of 99 per cent., which the superin-
tendent said he was proud of. The ques-
tion is, do you consider a man is getting
a fair test or a square deal under the
above conditions? Would like to have
your opinion. G. H.,
Engineer.
[It seems to us that your superintend-
ent who knows the case fully, has prac-
tically answered your question when he
states that he will reconsider his decision.
— Editor.]
to the danger position the white light
would drop in such a way that it would
show a red light automatically.
The idea, as I can understand it, of
having a white light on the gates is to
overcome the objections of the engineers.
This device would overcome that, for
when the gate stood in an upright posi-
tion it would indicate a white light The
reflector, as I may call it, could be made
Highway Crossing Lights.
Editor :
I am sending you a sketch of a device
which I think would prove of value to
steam railroads at the present time, if it
is not a patented device ; nor do I wish to
have it patented. The drawing itself will
almost explain to you the idea. You
know at the present time railroad cross-
there he went to the Rhode Island Loco-
motive Works as sut)erintendcnt. He
advertised while at Providence to build
Mason engines and copied his styles.
While loyal to Mr. Mason and his work
I must say that Mr. Healy builds a good
locomotive. Herbert Fisher.
Taunton, Mass.
The Marlboro Again.
Editor :
In your July number I notice where
Mr. Martin from Missouri has to be
shown. The sources of my information
regarding the engine "Marlboro" were the
name on the cylinder casting and the men
who have run the engine. There were
three of the engines built at the same
works for the F. R. P., the "Lincoln"
No. 28, "Hudson" No. 30, and the
"Marlboro" No. 31- D. F. Cassidy.
Somerrille, Mass.
FIG. I. THE BLACK DIAMOND EXPRESS.
of celluloid or rubberoid or wired glass,
or some substance that would let the light
pass through, but would not break
when the gate was lowered to the danger
position. It would not cost much to have
them made, say about 25 cents apiece.
I cannot explain the advantages of this
device as I would like, but I believe the
drawing will explain itself to you. You
may publish this device if you wish.
Thom.\s Pr.\tt.
Paterson, N. J.
Lehigh Valley Trains.
Editor:
I am sending under separate cover
two views taken near Coxfon yard on
the Lehigh Valley Railroad. Fig. i
is train No. 9, known to the public as
the "Black Diamond Express." The
other. Fig. 2, is No. 38. milk train,
southbound. I hope you will be able
to find a place for them, as I think
them very good. Jas. O'Neil.
West Pitlstnii Pa.
ARRANGEMENT OF CROSSING GATES AND LIGHTS.
ing gates have a white light to indicate
danger to the public crossing the track.
My idea is to have a small plane square
of red wired glass or other material se-
curely attached to the crossing gate in
such a manner that when the gate came
Old Ten- Wheel Amoskeag.
Editor :
Regarding Mr. Merrill's query in the
July number of Railway and Locomo-
tive Engineering, I would say I very
much doubt if any photographs of Amos-
keag ten-wheelers are in existence. These
locomotives must have been built prior to
1851, as it was about that time the shops
abandoned the building of inside connect-
ed engines. As I recall the Chicago, Bur-
More About the Marlboro.
Editor :
Mr. Cassidy is without doubt correct.
If this engine was built by McKay and
Aldus at East Boston, Mass., the re-
semblance to Wm. Mason's engine is
owing to the fact that the late Mr. B. W.
Healey was in charge of the erecting shop
of Mr. Mason. He left Mr. Mason and
went to McKay and Aldus and from
FIG. 2. TR.MN 3S, SOUTHBOUND.
lington & Quincy Railroad, it had several
of these engines, the last one I saw being
No. 62, then in switching service at Cres-
ton, Iowa, in 1874. These engines were
much of the type of eight-wheel design,
built at the Amoskeag shops, though with
a somewhat longer boiler shell. The
driving wheels were about 4',2 ft. in out-
side diameter, and wide running boards
extended to the front end. The fireboxes
were small, the engines having been built
for wood burners, but were later con-
verted to coal. When this change was
made the fireboxes were provided with
the Jariett water table and smokestack,
which made them quite successful smoke
consumers. S. J. Kidder.
Xezv York, N. Y.
August, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING
32s
Slab Spliced Frame.
Editor :
The blue print which I enclose shows
a three-pieced slab spliced locomotive
frame which I believe would prove more
economical than the one piece continuous
frame that is now generally used. If any-
thing happens to this frame, all that is re-
The ninth question, "Do you believe a
man with shop experience as machinist
helper would make a better engineer.''
No ; for if a man has the right kind of
instruction when he is started as fireman,
he will be on the lookout and will acquire
knowledge that will enable him to make
any repairs possible on the road without
f
of this road under the heading "Peg Leg
Railroad" in the May issue.
I beg to advise you that after t!iirty-two
years' rest this scheme has come to life
agam. and is called the Twentieth Cen-
tury Revelation in railroading. I enclose
clippings from the Sherbrookc Daily Rec-
ord, describing the new invention, also
MARKEL'S SLAB. SPLICED LOCOMOTIVE FR.\ME.
quired to dismantle is one of the three
pieces, the longest of which is only 14 ft.,
compared with a continuous frame which
is 38 to 50 ft. long, which is verj- awkward
and expensive to handle in the average
railway shop. The slab splice with bolts
through the frame does not weaken it in
any particular, bolts can always be driven
out and replaced without reaming holes.
The bolts in this splice will never get
loose on account of their being only 4%
to 5 ins. long, which bolts can be easily
fitted to tapered reamed holes. From my
up-to-date railway shop experience, this
would be the cheapest frame to build for
modern locomotives, and I believe if pub-
lished in Railway and Locomotive En-
ciNEERiKC, will interest all those who re-
pair locomotives. Chas. Markel,
Shop Foreman, C. & N. W. Ry.
Clinton, J a.
Making Good Engineers.
Editor :
The article headed the making of good
engineers interests me and is to my mind
one of tlie most important questions con-
cerning railroad engineers today. The
first question quoted "Would you recom-
mend the best standard books on ma-
chinery for the education of engineers
and firemen to be in railway libraries or
in the homo," I would say in both, but if
in onl/ one, the home by all means.
The next question, regular fireman for
each engineer, yes, for they will be better
acquainted and take more interest in
each other. The engineers will take
more trouble to instruct his fireman than
he would if both were pooled and were
only together for a trip now and then.
A fireman will have experience with a
large number of engineers by the lime he
has worked hi^ way to promotion. I
have worked with the scoop and would
always rather have, and could always do
better work with an engineer that I was
acquainted with than I could with one
whom I did not know.
shop experience. If a fireman can be en-
couraged to do his best and let nothing
less be his standard for doing his work,
he will make a good engineer. I have had
seven years' experience as engineer and
have given the above as it has revealed
itself to me. I am a regular subscriber
to Railway and Locomotive Encineer-
illustrations and drawings, which would
perhaps be pleasing to your readers.
G. W. Robins.
Supt. and Gen. Agt.,
Lotbiniere & Megantic Ry.
Luyster, Que.
[We reproduce one of the principal il-
lustrations sent us by Mr. Robins. As
«rTH C«NTI;RY HKVEuifTrOK IN RAILROADING AND CITV TRAFFIC UHF. -OUT OF THK MUD ANI>
BNOW AND AWAY FROM ALL OBHTRUC TION
nils I.S liolir .\ HK\II MliiN .\.Mi A l<K\ < il.l ' 1 1< IN, lll'T IT HAS NnT
-MAThKlALIZEL).
INC., and am very much interested in such
articles as this one. I am an engineer of
the L. V, R, R.
NcLSOK A. Thoma'
H'mrrly, N. Y.
far as a picture goes, it i.s an altnosl ideal
conception, but it has not come to any-
thing definite so far in the railroad world.
I "fTOIl )
Old Things with New Names.
Editor :
I have been re.iding of the "Old Time
Mono-Rail" illunrated and described in
your April is»He, and also the description
Boltleu Rail Joint.
lidiior :
Enclosed please find blue print of bolt
less rail joint, which has been patented
by Mr. Frank Kelly, an employer of the
Fvnnsville & Terre Haute Railroad.
324
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
August, 1910.
I£ you can see your way to give
a little space to it in your maga-
zine, I will be very much obliged.
Please state that any further information
can be had by addressing Mr. Frank
Kelly, at the E. &. T. H. shops. Mr.
Kelly is also working on a noiseless rail-
road crossing, and he will have the blue
prints ready in a few days.
Ch.\s. H. Lutz.
Evansz'ille, hid.
[Mr. Kelly tells us that he believes his
boltless rail joint is simple, durable,
strong and inexpensive to make, that it
will securely connect rail ends without
using bolts or fish plates, and can be rap-
idly placed in position and spiked to the
tie. In the accompanying drawings. Fig.
I is a side elevation, showing the rail
joint as it will appear when ready for
traffic. A and C are the ends of the rail,
and B is the joint. These are shown dis-
tended in Figs. 2 and 3, respectively. A
cross section of the joint marked X Y is
shown in Fig. 6. Fig. i also shows the tie
plate and cross ties in position, and a brass
plate which makes an electrical bond
This plate rests at each end upon a cop-
per plate fastened to the web of the rail,
as shown in Fig. 3, and is the same width
as the web of the rail, and can be easily
slipped into position in section B, as
shown in Fig. 6. Fig. 2 is a side eleva-
plate and the slotting in the flanges of the
rail is shown. Fig. 5 illustrates a hori-
zontal cross section at S T in Fig. i.
The overlapping of the end of section B
and the end of the rail C is shown. Mr.
Kelly's boltless rail joint is intended for
electrical roads. — Editor.]
Old Class P on the P. R. R.
Editor:
Replying to the letter of Mr. Paul T.
Warner in your July issue : The Class K
engines of the Pennsylvania Railroad
were originally numbered as follows:
I
274
957
1067
3
317
958
1068
10
340
959
1069
84
341
960
1070
60
9S6
ic66
.\nd, I believe, No. 953 was also a "K."
As Mr. Warner states, some of these
engines, previous to retirement, had the
driving wheels reduced to 72 ins. diame-
ter— some were reduced to 68 ins. I have
also been told that a few had their cylin-
ders bushed to 17 ins. diameter, thus
changing them into the old Class A, "an-
thracite" engine.
Regarding the old Class P engines
enumerated by your correspondent, I
would say that engines Nos. 395, 1245 and
1246 were running quite recently, and are
Class P (second design of 1889) — i8j^
X 24-in. cylinders, 68-in. wheels, S7-in.
Belpaire boiler, 112,000 lbs. total wt.
Class P of 1892 — liYz X 24-in. cylinders,
68-in. wheels, S7-in. Belpaire boiler, 114,-
000 lbs. total wt.
Class P of 1893 — 18'/2 X 24-in. cylinders,
78-in. wheels, 57-in. Belpaire boiler, 122,-
000 lbs. total wL
Class P of 1894 — 19 X 24-in. cylinders,
80-in. wheels, 58-in. Belpaire boiler, 127,-
000 lbs. total wt.
Class P of 189s — l8J/i X 26-in. cylin-
ders, 80-in. wheels, 60-in. wagon-top Bel-
paire boiler, 134,000 lbs total wt
This last design was later known as
Class L, and many engines of the type
were built and are still running.
In order to negotiate the heavy trains
over the Alleghanies, the company has
produced a magnificent Pacific type en-
gine, known as Class K-2, a number of
which are now in service. These engines
have 24 X 26-in. cylinders, 80-in. drivers,
80-in. Belpaire boiler, Walschaerts valve
gear, and weight 270,000 lbs.
C. B. Chaney, Jr.
Brooklyn, N. Y.
Miniature Tank Engine.
Editor :
Enclosed please find photograph of a
n'iiiature tank locomotive. Some of the
/vj> 3
rfo/c ' /fff/jaCoAAe
k
DEr.\ILS OF BOLTLESS R.ML JOINT FOR ELECTRIC RO..\DS.
tion of the middle of the joint on section
B. A cross section of the end, marked
V W, is illustrated in Fig. 7. Fig. 3 is a
side elevation of the rail which fits into
section B. This rail is of ordinary con-
struction, with the exception that it has
ball and flange removed at the end, and a
copper plate is fitted on the web, where
the ball of the rail is removed, for the
purpose of electrical bonding. Fig. 4 is
a bottom view of section B, and the tie
probably still in service. In connection
with these Class P engines, it is interest-
ing to note the gradual growth of this
type. Briefly outlined, the growth in size
was as follows :
Qass P of 1883 — i8}/i X 24 ins. cylin-
ders, 68-in. wheels, S4-in. wagon-top boil-
er, 100,600 lbs. total wt.
Class P of 1889— 18V2 X 24-in. cylinders,
68-in. wheels, S4-in. Belpaire boiler, 106,-
000 lbs. total weight.
dimensions are as follows : Weight, in
working order, about 2,300 lbs. ; gauge,
.'5 ins.; length over beams, 10 ins.; height
from rail to top of stack, 41 ins. ; straight
boiler, 16 ins. diameter, wide shallow fire-
box, 14 ins. X 16 ins.; twenty-nine i-in.
flues by 35 ins. long; diameter of drivers,
13^ ins. ; cylinders, 3 ins. x 5 ins. ; boiler
pressure, 140 lbs ; side tanks, two ; total
capacity, 21 gals.; coal bunkers on back;
capacity, 75 lbs. ; fuel, blacksmith coal ;
August, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
325
majdmum speed, i8 miles an hour. Be- "The desirability of pooling engines in
ir.g a subscriber of your valued monthly, place of operating them by regularly as-
will further say this little machine is do- signed crews depends, in the writer's
ing nicely, handling a miniature train at opinion, on whether the engines are en-
Glen Parle, near Sheridan, 111. I am send- paged in passenger or freight service, and
T.\.\K LOCu.M'jIi
ing this, thmkmg possibly some of the
readers might be interested in it, as it
was designed and built by the sender.
Sheridan, III. A. T. Condon.
Western Trains.
Editor :
Enclosed find some photographs taken
by myself, which I thought would be in-
teresting in your magazine. Fig. i shows
Southern Pacific train No. 8, the "Los
.An?'-'<"= P-icco^c"- " rcndy at Oakland
Pier. CaL, to iUrt Fig. 2 is the Over-
!, arriving at the Sixteenth
.11 Oakland, Cal., San Fran-
. .^ .: !lic right, and Goat Island in
the distance. EL McBukney.
Oakland, Cal.
Handling Engine*.
At the la»t meeting of the .American
Society of Mechanical Enicineeri. Mr.
H U Vauif' ' ' !Iing
etiijinr*. in Uig
lo<-'.moiiv<-\ I in
part :
in the latter case, on the conditions which
exist
"Where traffic conditions admit of the
engine making greater mileage than can
properly be run by one crew, two crews
assigned to one engine, or three crews
to two engines, will enable the engine to
make as great a mileage as is desirable.
On account of the comparatively short
time occupied from terminal to terminal,
the crews can usually make a round trip
without holding the engine longer than is
required to handle it and prepare it for
the return trip or to await its train. By
using more than one crew to the engine,
i' is theoretically available on its return
list as soon as though it were pooled.
! 1 practice, unless pooling is carried to
■he extent of sending out any engine on
•ny train, certain engines are regularly
sed on certain trains or groups of trains,
nnd it is comparatively easy to arrange
tde crews and engines so that a reason-
able time may be allowed for repairs and
yet ample service be obtained from the
engine.
"In freight service, conditions are very
different. The time is flow and a long
time is ocriipicil from terminal to ter-
minal, so that crews may require a full
allowance of rest on arrival, or may even
have to be relieved on the road. Few, if
.Tny, of the trains run at regular hours,
and in place of following a defined sched-
ule, the demand for engines varies with
the traffic. When business is heavy en-
gines are wanted as soon as they are re-
paired and ready for service, making it
''ifficiilt, if not impossible, to select the
engines in any particular order. By pool-
ing, such difficulties may be more easily
met, especially at large terminals. When
engines are assigned, the practice usually
required by the agreement with the men
is that engines shall be prepared and
despatched in the order in which they
arrive, but if the engine is ready its use
may be retarded by the time required by
the crew for rest. In pooling, both tliese
objectionable conditions vanish. An en-
gine may be turned at once if fit for ser-
vice and thus rendered immediately avail-
able, and the movement of the men being
entirely independent of that of the en-
gines, the detention of engines at a ter-
minal can be regulated by simply increas-
ing or decreasing the number in the
pool. It is possible to obtain somewhat
greater average mileage per engine under
the pooling system, but the increase does
not e.xceed ten per cent, when traffic is
being handled smoothly and without ex-
cessive congestion and delays.
"When running successfully under the
assigned engine system, repairs are less
than when similar conditions exist with
pooled engines. A man running an en-
gine regularly keeps up the smaller de-
tails and knows what work is required at
once, and what must be looked after in
due time. His inspection reports are
more reliable than those of a man who
has had an engine for one trip only. As
he has to run the engine next trip as well,
he will handle it with greater care and
avoid any action that will cause him
trouble in the future. Men who have
been accustomed to running pooled en-
gines will not do all this at once, but
they most certainly will if assigned to an
engine for any length of time, and the
difference is noticeable in engine houses
where some engines are assigned and
>oinc are pooled.
"Engines are sometimes taken care of
by the headquarter station system, the
work required to maintain the engine in
proper condition being done at the ter-
minal desigiiatc'l as the home station,
while at the other terminal the only work
done is that necessary for the return trip.
With this arrangement, even with pooled
engines, the same crew will, if possible,
326
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
August, 1910.
make the round trip; but when they are
changed, practically as much work is re-
quired at the away station as at the
home station. The resuU is a consid-
erable increase in the cost of repairs, for
there is not, as a rule, very much differ-
ence in the cost at the home station.
"In conclusion, the writer considers that
in passenger service pooling is objection-
able under any conditions and should be
avoided if possible. In freight service,
pooling is advisable if conditions are
such that engines cannot be run with as-
signed crews, and probably on divisions
where business is so heavy that sixty en-
gines per day or over are despatched
fiom the terminal; but the writer's ex-
perience is that where assigned crews can
be used on engines, the cost of repairs,
the amount of fuel consumed, and the
class of service obtained, will all be more
satisfactory. He therefore regards pool-
ing as a practice that may be necessary
under certain conditions, but that is cer-
tainly not desirable if the alternative sys-
tem can be satisfactorilv carried out."
Underfeed Mechanical Stoker.
The Pennsylvania Lines West of Pitts-
burgh are using an underfeed mechanical
stoker designed by Mr. F. D. Crawford,
general superintendent of motive power
of that road. Referring to our illustra-
tion, the stoker engine is shown A. The
steam distribution of this engine is regu-
lated by means of the regular top head
valve gear of the Westinghouse gyi-in.
air pump, the reversing rod of which ex-
tends down through coring that is pro-
vided in the trunk type of piston, it being
necessary, of course, to offset the revers-
ing rod from the center line of the cylin-
der to register with the gland wall of the
piston. It is interesting to observe that
in using this style of valve gear inter-
changeable repair parts are available from
the railway company's standard stock sup-
ply. The trunk type of cylinder is used to
provide compactness and simplicitj'. From
the pivoted end of its connecting rod B
it is attached to the lower rocker arm on
shaft D. The upper rocker arm on shaft
D drives by means of links F, two 8-in.
plungers G, which are 13^ ins. from the
center line of the locomotive. Upon this
center line and extending forward into
the ash pan are two troughs H, which
serve to carry coal that might be forced
into them by means of plungers G, and
after rising in the trough H, spread over
upon the ordinary locomotive shaking fin-
ger grate J. These grates, J. are in
three sections; two sections extending
along the side sheets being 9^ ins. wide,
the center section having a width of 13
ins. Standard grate shaker rigging K
is applied, so that the front half of the
grates in the firebox may be agitated
while the back half remains stationary and
vice versa. Integral with the trough H
is cast two openings in which operate
auxiliary plungers, or rams, L, of decreas-
ing size, which assist in carrying the coal
forward and distributing it uniformly over
the edge of the troughs upon the shaking
finger grates. The necessary driving
mechanism for plungers L is provided by
means of arm M driven by link N, from
main shaft D. This method of driving
when taking the power from the under
side of shaft D provides a reversal of mo-
tion between plungers G and L, which re-
versal is desirable to efficiently handle the
coal through the trough H upon the
grates J.
The conveyor handles the fuel stored in
the hopper floored tender to the op-
erating plungers G of the stoker. The
conveyor is beneath the cab and under the
deck of the engine and tender, extending
from a hole d in the floor of the tender
to the hopper p in which plungers G op-
erate. As it is necessary to provide for
the vertical and lateral movement which
exists in service between the engine and
tender a flexible support Q is used for
the trough, this support is trunnioned at
a, thereby providing for vertical move-
ment, and being pivoted at b can move
laterally over the sliding plate at c. As
the pivoted point a is well back tow'ard the
rear end of the conveyor little movement
takes place over the hole in the floor of
the tender. The forward end of the
trough simply rests in proper guides on
top of the plunger hopper casting p of
the stoker, this readily takes care of the
greater movement existing at the forward
end of the conveyor trough O.
Extending back from pin R which is
driven by link F on the outside of the
two hopper castings P is connecting rod
S and S', the latter being coupled to a
rectangular plunger T, which operates un-
der the hole in the tender floor d in the
casting L'. This plunger P acts not only
as an increment loader, but also as a
crusher, to properly load the coal from
the storage pile in the tender into the back
end of the conveyor mechanism V. The
operating portions of the conveyor are
driven by links W and W, and carries
the coal forward. The equivalent of a
reverse motion is given to the fuel by T—
this by means of lever X, which is fixed
at its lower extremity e to the under-
frame of the tender. As the conveyor
mechanism V works to and fro the series
of suspended paddles Y scrape any coal
which is discharged by plunger T into
the conveyor trough O. These paddles
are provided with stops at f to prevent
them from swinging backward out of a
vertical position, at the same time, they
are entirely free to pass over the coal
when moving on a backward stroke. Pad-
dles Y are split up into a number of sec-
tions in a row on each of the rods, which
support them ; thus if in their movement
they come in contact with a large lump of
coal the only one which is in such con-
tact is held up out of its vertical scraping:
position, and in this way the efficiency of
the scrapers or paddles Y is not affected^
regardless of the irregularity in the size
of the fuel.
The necessary provision has been made
for carrying all the coal from its storage
pile on the tender into the firebox, there-
by relieving the fireman of the labor in-
volved in merely passing fuel, and the de-
sign provides for a permanent location on
the locomotive, so placed, that it will not
in any way hamper or interfere with the
fireman when it is necessary for him to
either assist the stoker by hand firing or
to fire the locomotive himself. As the
movement of all the working parts of the
machine is exceedingly slow, not exceed-
ing five strokes a minute, it is fair to as-
sume that the wear and tear will not
amount to much.
Thus iar no effort has been made to
hr.ve the stoker engine operate automatic-
ally, as is generally the practice in sta-
tionary stoking. The reason for this is-
evident for the varying conditions pre-
vailing in a locomotive operating on a
railroad does not permit of automatically
meeting the sudden changes which exist.
It is. therefore, quite necessary that the
fireman in handling this device, should"
use the same intelligence in anticipating
the change of load conditions so far as
the steam required is concerned as he
does -when hand firing the locomotive.
The operation is controlled by a globe
valve on the fireman's side of the cab,
making it possible for him to sit and ob-
serve the signals at the same time operate
the stoker.
If for any reason the conveyor should
become inoperative the stoker may be
continued in service by handling the fuel
from the tender in the usual manner and
feeding it through the deck floor into
the cast iron hoppers P, in which operate
the main plungers of stoker G, and if a
complete failure of the stoker machinery
should take place there is nothing to pre-
vent the fireman from resorting to hand
firing, spreading the coal on the grates, in
the same manner as if there were no
stoker equipment on the locomotive.
It has been demonstrated in service
trials that when the stoker is handling the
fuel or when hand firing is resorted to,
that the fuel will burn quite evenly over
the entire grate surface, and that trouble
is only brought about when an even dis-
tribution of the fuel is not provided. It
was at first felt that trouble might be ex-
perienced with the formation of clinker
upon the grate when using a device of
this character, but experience has indi-
cated that there is a slight reduction in
the amount of clinker formed by the ash,
as compared with the same fuel when
hand fired.
The design which has been gone
through with in detail in its application
to a consolidation freight locomotive indi-
August, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERLNG.
Z27
cates to one familiar with locomotive con-
struction that there is nothing involved
in the principle which does not make the
construction applicable to a firebox of any
size. For example, if it is desirable to
apply it to a narrow rirebox locomotive a
single trough oi any length required may
be used, and if it is necessary to apply the
device to a firebox wider than 70 ins., ad-
ditional troughs may be used to provide
for the increased width of the firebox.
In preparing the stoker locomotive for
a trip on the road, the fire is built up on
the grates in the same manner exactly as
\ith an ordinary hand-fired locomotive.
After the fire is burning brightly the
stoker may be started and kept in opera-
tion for the entire trip over the road. It
has not been found necessary to resort to
hand firing, even after being held a con-
siderable length of time on sidings, the
stoker doing all of the work of handling
the fuel from the time the locomotive
leaves the engine house until its arrival
relativity of things, or the proportion of
things, one to another, is a great help in
understanding what one may be trying to
comprehend. In "Gulliver's Travels"
Dean Swift shows his hero as the "Man
Mountain" to the Liliputians, and again
as the merest pigmy to the Brobdignag-
ians. Take out the traveler, and how
big the big men must have been to the
little people, and to Brobdignagia how
very tiny Liliputia must have appeared.
Sir Oliver Lodge has published a
book on the "Ether of Space." This fas-
cinating branch of physical science is
treated in an original and pleasing way
by the eminent English author. Speak-
ing of the ether, that subtle substance
which is supposed to pervade all matter
and to fill the depths of inter-stellar
space, he says: "When dealing with such
bodies as the sun, moon or stars, the
force of gravitation overpowers all other
forces, and all electric and magnetic at-
tractions sink by comparison into insig-
100 times the size of the State of Rhode
Island.
These figures perhaps look to us as the
Man Mountain did to the Liliputians, but
when it comes to the matter of relativity,
they take on a different aspect. We have
measured these colossal forces by the tiny
strands of rope with which the little peo-
ple tied down the sleeping giant Gulliver.
Last month on page 305 we mentioned
the peculiar manifestations of what is
known to scientists as specific heat.
Writing on this subject, Tyndall tells us
that one pound of iron on being heated
from o deg. to 100 degs. Cent., ex-
pands about one-eight hundredth of its
original volume. This increase of bulk is
far too small to be observed by the naked
eye in a ball less than 2 ins. in diameter,'
yet to produce this almost infinitesimal
expansion would demand an expenditure
of energy competent to raise a weight of
about eight tons a foot high. The relativ-
ity of these atomic forces in comparison
ARIttVNGEMENT OF DETAILS. CRAWFORD MECHANICAL STOKER.
upon the ash pit at the other end of the
run. The only labor required of the fire-
man being that of operating the stoker,
keeping the grates clean of ash by shak-
ing the fire, and using the hook or scraper
to spread the fuel over the firebox when
thin spots develop. The P. R. R. loco-
motive that is equipped with this stoker
has been in continuous heavy freight
'Tvice for several months past. The
iirst trips were made on the Southwest
ystem between Columbus and Dcnnison,
' )hio, a distance of 100 miles; the machin-
rry having been built and applied at the
shop^ of the company at Columbus. At
'he present time the locomotive is running
-n the Eastern division of the Northwest
^vitem, operating between Conway, Pa.,
'he Pittsburgh freight terminal yard of
'he company, and Crestline, Ohio, a dis-
'.nnce of 165 mile«, where it is hauling
full tonnage trains.
The Relativity of Thingi.
It has hren ^aid that one of the great-
est helps to any man in his life's work if
the ability to clearly distinguish between
what it important and what is not. In a
tninor sense the i»ower of conceiving the
nificance. These tremendous forces must
be transmitted by the ether, for there is
undoubtedly a connecting link of some
kind. There can be no attraction across
really empty space."
The author goes on to show the enor-
mous strain to which this tenuous medium
must be subjected in the act of holding
the earth and the moon together so that
our satellite may not fly off into space
and leave us alone and very nearly in the
dark. In order to hold the earth and
the moon together by material means
and swing ihem around their common
center of gravity, say by the use of a
steel bar, one having a diameter of 400
miles, would be the required substitute
for gravity, and such a bar would have to
have a tensile strength of thirty tons to
the square inch.
An idea of the magnitude of such a
steel bar may he had when we observe
that taking the city of Detroit as the cen-
ter, the bar would include within its cir-
cumference Toronto, Canada; Lafayette,
Ind. ; Pittsburgh, Pa, and Grand Haven,
Mich. '1 he area included would be over
125,000 s(|uare miles, and would be about
with those which in the aggregate appeal
so strongly to the imagination, causes
Tyndall to say, "The force of gravity al-
most vanishes in comparison with these
molecular forces." Here is the Man
Mountain looked upon by the Brobdig-
nagians : "The pull of the earth upon the
pound weight as a mass, is as notliing
compared with the mutual pull of its
own atoms."
Water furnishes a more striking ex-
ample of the same thing. Water expands
on both sides of 4 degs. Cent., at
which temperature it has its maximum
density. Let one pound of water be
heated from 3^^ degs. to 4J^ degs. Cent.
That is equivalent to one degree
near this citicil temperature. Its volume
at both temperatures is the same, there
has been some internal work done to the
atoms, yet with volume unchanged suf-
ficient heat has been given to the water
to raise i.jgo lbs. one foot high. If these
figures were worked out in a similar man-
ner to those given by Sir Oliver Lodge
and were presented in the colossal mag-
nitude they would assume in the aggre-
gate as world-swaying forces, we would
see that the ordinary operations of daily
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
August, 1910.
life, such as boiling water in a teakettle
or in running a modern locomotive en-
gine acquire a dignity and an importance
when seen in this new light of relativity.
Our own constant and almost unthinking
familiarity with them, has obscured the
reality and has practically deprived us of
this more extensive and wonderful view
of the forces of nature.
The Straight Tip.
Here is a couple of e.xtracts from a
letter to us written by Mr. H. VV. Griggs,
roundhouse foreman on the Chicago, Mil-
waukee & St. Paul Railway at Portage,
Wis. What he says is worth some at-
tention. Speaking of calling enginemen
he says :
"The call boys are in my opinion next
to the foreman in many ways. A good
caller is a joy to the foreman, and a poor
caller is a desperate grief. Breaking in
a caller is no quick work, and is a job
that frequently takes a month. In my of-
fice is a blue print map of the city and
the calling district, made by myself, show-
ing the house numbers at all street cor-
ners, names of the streets and wards, dis-
tance circles, etc. A directory of all en-
ginemen living in the city, whether resi-
dents or transients (about 200 men),
hangs up close by the map. The delays
laid to the callers' account have been re-
duced to a minimum, down to one case in
two years. The caller book is used for
signatures when men are called in per-
son by the caller, and for check when
called over the telephone. The use of the
caller's book has in many instances not
seemed to prevent any more delays, or
settle some delay disputes."
On the question of oil consumption Mr.
Griggs says : "It is a saying among most
enginemen and others that 'what oil is
wasted in oiling round would oil half
the engine.' With the long-spout can and
the reaching over so far to oil, makes
much of this waste, at times almost una-
voidable. However, it would seem that
an oil can that will dribble less oil would
be the thing. I have found that a two-
weeks' rough check-up of the oil and
mileage, as at present being made, has
had the effect in making the more care-
ful use of oil than the performance sheets
do, which are at the best generally quite
late in coming out. When you get engi-
neers to come in the office and ask about
how they are 'coming out so far this
month on oil,' you may look for an im-
provement before the month is up, and
not wait for the big sheet, which will
show up better when it does come."
bury to Baker street and the city. This is
a journey of a little over an hour, and on
the line are a number of favorite sub-
urban towns, such as Amersham, Harrow
and Willesden. A Pullman service has
also been introduced on the Chesham,
Chalfont Road and Pinner line. Break-
fast is served on the cars in the morning,
tea and other light refreshments in later
hours, and supper for home-returning
theatregoers at night. The average trav-
eler prefers what they call the "Wagon-
lit" system to the Pullman, if only on ac-
count of the fact that one is able to lie.
down in the daytime.
Comfort for Suburbanites.
A recent press dispatch from London
alludes to the fact that a new departure
in suburban traflSc has been introduced
by the Metropolitan Railway. It has just
been put on in their service from Ayles-
A Newr Throttle Valve.
The locomotive throttle valve, which
we illustrate, was invented by Mr. J. S.
Chambers, superintendent of motive
power of the .Atlantic Coast Line, and
has now had service tests of over three
years, during which time the resuhs are
said to have been highly satisfactory. The
apparatus combines throttle valve, throt-
tle box and stand pipe, and is unique in
many ways.
The stand pipe where the throttle stem
enters above the center line of the dr_\
pipe fits onto the elebow on the end of
the dry pipe, as shown. If the throttle
stem must enter below the center line of
the dry pipe, the elbow is cast as part
of the stand pipe.
In the type shown, no opening in the
wall of the steam dome is required for
operating the throttle valve proper, but
if in replacing another type of valve on a
locomotive already in service or for other
reasons, it is desirable to bring the op-
erating shaft through the wall of the
steam dome, the valve is made to meet
this requirement.
The stand pipe is held rigidly in the
sieam dome at the top by some form of
bolted connection, and at the bottom is
clamped to the dry pipe by a U-strap
bolt, or by two hook straps. The throt-
tle valve proper is a single balanced disk
resting on top of the stand pipe. The
valve is unseated by the upward move-
ment of the balancing piston, which slides
in a finished cylindrical seat and tele-
scopes at the top over the reduced end of
the valve. The shoulder on the valve
stem in its lowest position is just far
enough away from the shoulder on the
other side of the balancing piston to per-
mit of slight raise before touching and
beginning to force the piston upward.
This preliminary movement unseats a
small balancing valve at the top of the
main valve, thus permitting steam to en-
ter the balancing chamber under the bal-
ancing piston, and thus balances the main
valve before it is lifted for admitting
steam to the cylinders.
The lifting rod fastened at the top to
the stem of the balancing valve, extends
downward within the balancing chamber
and connects through the internal crank
with the operating shaft, which extends
rearwardly through the wall of the stand
pipe and through the back end of the
boiler. Here the operating shaft is con-
nected through the external crank to the
transmission rod, the external and inter-
rial cranks being similar and placed at
right angles. The transmission rod at its
outer end passes through the operating
screw, the latter being in turn held in
alignment by the babbitted split box
which is secured to the bracket on the
boiler. The operating screw rotates
freely upon the transmission rod, and in
doing so, travels toward the right or left
in the screw box, this latter movement
being imparted to the transmission rod.
The screw and operating handle are riv-
eted together, and travel sidewise as one
solid piece, engaging on one side, a
shoulder on the transmission rod, and on
THROTTI.E HANDLE.
the other washers so adjusted on the
outer end of the rod that there is no lost
motion, the washers being locked into
place by the jamb nut.
The handle in normal position for
closed throttle extends away from the
operator and is latched to prevent acci-
dental opening. Turning the handle
downward and backward draws the trans-
mission rod to the right, rotates the op-
erating shaft and thus opens successively
the balancing valve and throttle. The
amount of throttle opening is indicated
by the position of the handle, and is lim-
ited by a stop which stays the travel of
the handle. The length of the handle is
such as to give practically the same for-
ward and backward travel for any or-
dinary opening, as with the ordinary
throttle lever.
The part of the operating shaft within'
the boiler is surrounded by a pipe casing
which is threaded on the inner end into
a steam tight bushing in the stand pipe
wall, and on the outer end into a sleeve
that in turn is packed into the stuffing
box with metallic packing to take up un-
equal expansion. It will thus be seen that'
with closed throttle the operating shaft
is entirely unaffected by boiler pressure.
The inner end of the operating shaft and.
August, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
329
the annular space between shaft and cas-
ing are therefore free from steam pres-
sure, while the throttle is closed, unless
there is a leakage at the throttle valve,
balancing valve, or some interior connec-
tion of the stand pipe. Such leakage ad-
mits steam to the balancing chamber and
builds up pressure in the annular space
around the shaft, and in the drain cham-
ber between stuffing box and packing
gland. This leakage can be detected by
opening the test and drain cock. This
cock may also be utilized for blowing
steam through occasionally to remove any
mud that may get into the pipe.
As the balancing valve opens and pres-
sure builds up in the balancing chamber,
the outward end-thrust upon the end of
the operating shaft is distributed upon a
number of annular bearing shoulders
turned on the operating shaft and work-
ing against a babbitted bearing in the
pairs without meeting obstructions or
having to break steam joints.
No clearance is needed on top of the
throttle valve save that required for the
lift. The valve may therefore be placed
high in the dome and deliver steam into
the dry pipe with minimum moisture.
There is only one valve to open for the
admission of steam.
The Chambers valve is not subject to
the troubles that are found on account of
an unbalanced condition of the valve for
the main valve does not open until al-
most exactly balanced by the steam pres-
sure under the balancing piston. It is
evident, too. that end thrust on the op-
crating shaft cannot influence the valve
opening. The throttle handle can there-
fore be moved by a light pull, and as no
other force tends to displace the valve
further, the engineer has easy, complete
and quick control of steam admission.
shaft. This contact is maintained by an
adjustable friction ring on the outer end
of the shaft. End thrust on the operat-
ing shaft while the throttle is open jambs
the bearing shoulders and babbitt closer
together, thus tightening the seat and
lessening the possibilities of steam escape.
It is evident that with closed throttle
the removal and replacement of gland
and shaft for adjustment or inspection are
possible under steam pressure. The
Chambers valve is made by The Watson-
Stillman Co., so Church street. New York.
Railway Curves.
"A high-speed train cannot easily leave
the rails on a straight line ; Xewton's first
law of motion is agrainst it, and this same
first law says it shall leave the rail at a
curve," says the Electrical Review.
curve." says the Electrical Review. The
necessary superelevation of a sharp curve
I
packing gland. This babbitted packing
also prevents the escape of any steam
or condensation that works its way into
the back end of the operating shaft cas-
ing while the throttle is open.
The only pins used are on the ends of
the lifting rod. and these arc countersunk
at their heads, and riveted over on the
outer ends. No pin Is used to connect
the operating »haft and internal crank.
at the end of the operating shaft centers
itself in a s<]uare tapered socket in the
internal crank
The con*trurtion has been simplified
throughout with a view to minimi/ing in-
spection and repair expenses The oper-
ating levers being entirely within the
stand pipe, and the stand pipe *ct far
toward the side of the dome enables an
inspector to enter the dome or make re-
THE CII.\.\lI!i:US TllKUTTI.K \ .\L\ K.
The regrulation of a Chambers valve is
said to be so close that no special drift-
ing valve is necessary in mountainous sec
tions. Maintenance of an opening as
small as 1/64 in. is said to be practical, so
that the engineer can admit the requisite
small amount of steam to properly lubri-
cate the cylinilcrs and exactly balance the
reciprocating parts while drifting down
long hills.
The substitution of the rotary for a re-
ciprocating operating shaft is probably a
very handy arrangement. With the
Chambers valve there is no end thrust on
the operating shaft, while the throttle is
open.
The babbitt in the packing gland is not
imder pressure while the throttle is
closed, but in in steam tight contact with
the bearing shoulders on the operating
for a speed of sixty or sevcnty-rtvc miles
per hour would be so great that slow-speed
trains would tend to fall off the inside
rail. Superelevation must, therefore, be
compromised, and this means that high
speed cannot be run round such a curve
with safety, for the only safeguard is then
the flange of the wheel, and this is nut
much of a safeguard unless acting merely
to second the laws of motion, and not to
oppiise tlu-iii It is, iif (-..iirsc. open to In-
argued that on a line running fast trkins,
II !•. wiM- puhcy to llatlcn llic curves.
"Waiter," said a traveler in a railroad
restaurant, "did you say I had twenty
minutes to wait or that it was twenty
minutes to eight?" "Oi said ye had
iwiiity minutes to ate, an' that's all ye
did have. Yer train's just gone."
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
August, 1910.
Rl<S.v.EiRiiieeriifi
A FncticaJ Jonnial of Motiva Power, Rolling
Stock and Appliances.
PubUshed Monthly by
ANGUS SINCLAIR CO.
114 Liberty Street, New York,
lalephone, 984 CortUndt.
Cable Address, "Loceng," N. Y.
Glasgow, "Locoauto."
Business Department:
ANGUS SINCLAIR, D.E.. Prest. and Treas.
JAMES KENNEDY. VicePrest. and Gen. Mgr.
HARRY A. KENNEY, Secretary.
Editorial Department:
ANGUS SINCLAIR, D.E.. Editor.
GEORGE S. HODGINS. Managing Editor.
JAMES KENNEDY, Associate Editor.
iBoston Representative:
8. I. CARPENTER. 643 Old South Building,
Boston, Mass.
London Representative:
THE LOCOMOTIVE PUBLISHING CO., Ltd.,
3 Amen Comer, Paternoster Row, London, B. C.
Glasgow Representative:
A. F. SINCLAIR, 15 Manor Road. Bellahous-
ton, Glasgow.
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Second-class Mail Matter.
School for Firemen.
The Lehigh Valley Railroad has in-
.augurated an educational movement which
will be of immense value to the rail-
road and to the traveling public. It is a
school for firemen. Briefly stated, its ob-
ject is to teach firemen how to perform
their part of railroad work with the
maximum efficiency. An important fea-
ture of the scheme is the series of exam-
inations which firemen will have to pass
ibefore they can be promoted to the posi-
tion of locomotive engineer. It is the
lultimate aim of every fireman to become
an engineer. The Lehigh Valley has
made it a policy to employ as firemen,
only men who appear capable of ad-
vancing to the right side of the locomotive
and this educational plan will insure their
"biing thoroughly trained by the time they
arrive there.
A condition which makes it imperative
for the railroads to have well-trained fire-
men is the usual waste of fuel. Every
unit of heat that goes out through the
smokestack or down into the ash-pan,
instead of being used to turn water into
Steam, is money thrown away. The in-
crease in the cost of fuel in the last few
-jrears has rendered still more urgent the
necessity of getting out of coal all the
•energy there is in it. Just as there are
'many ways of wasting fuel, there are
many ways of saving it. The building of
the fire in the firebox, the firing on the
road, and the banking of the fire when
the run is interrupted or ended, are sub-
jects in which the new fireman must be
trained by those who have become ex-
perts in these matters.
.According to the plan now put into ef-
fect by the Lehigh Valley, when a man
is employed as fireman he receives a list
of questions upon which he will be ex-
amined at the end of his first year of ser-
vice. Later he will receive another se-
ries for mastery during his second year,
and then, finally, a third series for his
third year. He is not expected, however,
to work out all the problems for him-
self. Several aids have been established
for him.
.\ copy of a book on dealing with
fuel and steam economy is put into
the hands of every fireman when
ht enters the service of the com-
pany. Regular instruction in the op-
eration of air brakes is provided. The
management of the company has ap-
pointed assistant road foremen whose
special duty it will be to give instruction
in the proper and economical use of fuel.
Moreover, every fireman is invited to ap-
ply to the master mechanic, general fore-
man, road foreman of engines, and the
general air brake and fuel inspector, or to
any other ofiicia!, for information upon
any matter in connection with his work.
When he stands the examinations which
form a part of the educational scheme, tlie
fireman must make a high record to pass.
In the first two series of questions an av-
erage of 75 per cent, will be required, and
in the last series an average of 80 per
cent. He may feel sure, that no catch
questions will be put forward to puzzle
him. They will all be thoroughly prac-
tical. Here are a few examples: How
should a fire be built up before starting?
How often should fresh coal be applied
to a fire? If a hole appears in a fire
how should it be treated? — State as fully
as you can just when the blower should
be used. What is the result if the blower
ia left on too long? — In making station
stops should a fresh fire be put in at shut-
ting off or at starting? In approaching
Icng down grades how should the fire be
handled? — Should an injector be left on
continuously throughout a trip, or be put
on and shut off at intervals? What at-
tention should a fire receive when the in-
jector is working? What is a safety
valve? How does a safety valve operate?
— When and how often should the grates
be shaken? Does an engine popping af-
fect in any way the amount of coal used
per trip? — W'hat effect does the stopping
up of flues have on a fire? How can this
be overcome? — If you should open a fire
door and discover a dull or red fire, what
would you do? Why? If an engine
burns the fire at one side or at the back
end of the firebox, what is wrong? —
What is an ash-pan? Should air be ad-
p:itted to the grates through the ash-
pan? If a fire appears in an ash-pan,
what is the cause? — What is the object
of a water glass on a locomotive? — What
is a clean fire? — What is the difference
between a wide and a narrow firebox
engine ? — What is a stay bolt ? What pur-
pose does it serve? — Name all the impor-
tant parts of the air brake equipment as
applied to a locomotive? What is an
automatic brake? How is an automatic
air brake applied? How is it released? —
What is meant by "emergency" position,
or an "emergency" application? What is
the proper method for bleeding off a
brake? What is meant by "cutting out"
a brake?
A fireman is given a year to find out
by asking questions, by talking over mat-
ters with engineers and other firemen and
by other means what are the answers to
the questions. It is not, however, the mere
knowledge of the correct answer that con-
stitutes valuable information. The prac-
tical way this instruction is given on the
Lehigh Valley is of the greatest import-
ance in helping ambitious firemen to be-
come good locomotive engineers. It is
these men we want to help. Write to us
on any railroad subject that comes up.
We Want to Know — ^Write Us.
Our general correspondence columns
are open for the full and free discussion
of practically all topics relating to motive
power matters, but there are several
specific subjects, on which we want to
hear from any railroad man who knows
anything about any of them. This gen-
eral correspondence feature of our paper
is one which we have endeavored to make
of interest and service to our readers,
and the class of letters we publish are all
worth while.
Some time ago we gave an invitation to
our readers to write us on the subject of
the position of loads and empties in a
train, and we received quite a number of
communications on the subject Before
that we had the derailment of tenders up
for discussion, and the whole matter
was carefully gone over.
We are anxious to hear from our
readers on the subject of the efiiciency
test of locomotive engineers, or the ob-
servance of signals test as it is sometimes
called. We ask our readers to turn to
page 258 of our June issue and read what
we said under the heading, "The chance-
taker must go." Write in and let us
know your views. The subject is a live
one and you know something about it or
at least you can judge of our arguments.
Then there is the subject of locomotive
inspection. In our June paper, page 232,
we have a letter on the subject written by
a man who is an inspector of locomotives
himself. Let us hear from you about
how long in your opinion a good, com-
petent, conscientious locomotive inspector
August, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING
33i
should take to properly "look around" a
modem Atlantic type engine after she has
finished her day"s run.
Among the Traveling Engineers' items,
on page 275, of our July issue, we quoted
one or two questions from the paper on
"The Making of Good Engineers." We
cannot do better than quote them again
and ask for your views. The questions
will be discussed at the Traveling En-
gineers' convention, but perhaps you are
not going or will not take part in the dis-
cussion. Vou can discuss the whole matter
in our columns. Here are the questions.
"Would you recommend the best stan-
dard books on machinery for the educa-
tion of engineers and firemen to be in
railway libraries, or would it be best, in
your opinion, for each man to have these
books at his home?" Again, ""If possible
to do so, do you not believe it would be
''"'t for each engineer to have a regular
:nanr" The ninth question is, "Do
■I not believe a man with shop experi-
ence as machinist's helper would make a
better man for the position of engineer
it could be arranged with railway
panies to start them in this way, with
intention of promoting them as fast as
Mble to do so?"
. hen there is our new department de-
•d to running repairs of locomotive en-
• -i. We intend to give the latest
■■;ods of doing work, descriptions of
latest appliances and shop kinks in
■ral. VN'e would like to hear from
: on this subject. Remember that a
i appliance may be several years old
our shop, but it may be a very new
ii to someone else, and if you send us
■ketch we will have the illustration
'e. We pay for ideas sent in when
•ptcd for this department, and we are
M for a good supply.
A'e have here briefly outlined some of
topics upon which we would like to
■ ive letters to the editor, but you are
to be bound down to these alone.
ite us on any good live mechanical de-
•ment matter, perhapi you will create
iter general interest in the subject you
k of than by only taking up those
outlined. In anv case write us.
Apprenticeship Education.
'ut of the reports of conventions of
rcsenlative railway men held during
tins reason there is no more cheering note
than that which tells of the adv.ince in
••" matter of apprenticeship education.
' readers are well aware that we have
. "d the better training of railway me-
nici with all the unction that wc pos-
We have pnintrd out from time to
lime that till- ili'.r. ukIi training of young
inechanir* in ihrir ■ .,liing was indispensa-
ble to the well !)Cii « of the railway »er-
vice. We have done .ill that we could to
•id in the initruction of all who were
•tudiouf ennu((h to read the experience*
of men who have riicn to prominence In
the service and who are desirous of en-
lightening others who may wish to travel
in the same path. It is very gratifying
to learn that there are now at least twelve
of the leading railroads in America where
a systematic course of instruction is be-
ing pursued with marked success. Skilled
instructors are leading the young mechan-
ics through graduated courses to a thor-
ough knowledge of their calling, and the
results are, so far, most encouraging.
As is well known among the older rail-
way mechanics, any approach to a system-
atic course of training was hardly
dreamed of. .\ tine mechanic was m
every sense a self-made man. Most ap-
prentices had not begun to learn their
trade when their apprenticeship expired.
The foreman had no time to trouble him-
self about the embryo mechanic. He was
more anxious to get something out of the
apprentice than to put something into him.
The general result was that they mutually
despised each other. The apprentice rare-
ly took his trade seriously. He was work-
ing under compulsion, like a prisoner serv-
ing a sentence. When the foreman came
near him he was full of uneasiness, and
there was a load off his mind when the
foreman had gone about his business.
Neither were to blame. It was the utter
lack of method that made an apprentice-
ship a period of ill-requited drudgery.
The beginning of a better day is full of
hope, and doubtless the success of the
training schools already established will
induce others to follow in the same be-
nignant path. Already the important ele-
ment of natural selection is markedly ac-
tive in many of the classes. Under proper
instructions it is speedily recognized
whether the young man has made the
proper choice of a calling or not. The un-
fitted are weeded out and directed to
other fields of human endeavor. The
moral and intellectual tone of the student
apprentice is elevated. Life becomes
sweeter and higher and nobler when the
difficulties of a calling are illumined by
intelligent and kindly tuition. The bur-
den of labor lies lightly on the shoulders
of the studious youth who can call the
gathered wisdom of a proficient instructor
to his aid. To tlii'* is adilcd another im-
[lortant factor — that the amount of work
or output of the apprentice shows a
marke'l increase where there is an in-
structor. Hence the apprentices unffer the
new system arc being better paid, with
the result that instead "f being a burden
on their parents or guardians during their
apprenticeship, the young mechanics are
self-supporting fr<mi the beginning, and
when they graduate they have the proud
consciousness of knowing that they arc
fitted to take their part in the world's
work without fear or favor. Verily the
world moves onward and upward, and, iti
regard to a proper method of learning im-
portant mechanical occupations, it is high
time.
Discussion on Consolidation.
The discussion on the consolidation of
the M. M. and the M. C. B. .Associations
at last June's convention revealed the fact
that neither of the associations is a unit
for consolidation, though it is fair to
say that there is a growing feeling that
the formation of one good strong society,
embracing the existing organizations, is
desirable and will probably be brought
about in due time. There was, however,
a very clearly defined desire, expressed in
various quarters, that nothing be done
hastily or without careful consideration.
One of the speakers, a member of the
committee, referred to the advisability of
including in the new association, if such
is formed, the Traveling Engineers' and
the Air Brake Associations. There are
many instances of scientific associations
in which the work done by the different
sections is far more diverse than that
which would be performed if all these
associations should be consolidated. As
an example, there is the British Associa-
tion for the Advancement of Science in
which there is a section on biology and
one on astronomy. These subjects are
sufficiently remote as to appear as if they
might almost require separate organiza-
tions, yet their committees work along
side by side in the larger society of which
each is a section.
Whether or not the Traveling Engi-
neers' or the AW Brako .-Kssociations are
brought into the new organization, there
does not seem to be any insurmountable
obstacle, legal or otherwise, to the union
of the Master Mechanics' and the Master
Car Builders' .Associations. The union
of the two would probably give rise to a
stronger society with even greater pres-
tige than that possessed by either of them
alone. The amalgamation of the M. M.'
and the M. C. B. Association would be
the first time that the principle involved
in the larger and more purely scientific
societies had been applied in the forma-
tion of a mechanical association and to
the railroad men of the mechanical de-
partment the honor of putting it in prac-
tical working shape would belong.
There is, however, one thing for the
executive committee to do, as the matter
of union has been left for their further
consideration, and that is, as it were, to
formulate the terms of union. Neither
the Master Mechanics' nor the Master
Car Rnilders' Associations have any idea
of absorbing the other. A new society is
to be formed, and it should be officially
stated that all the members, life, active,
itpresenlativc or associate who arc in
good .standing in either the M. M. or
M. C. B. Associations at the lime the
union f>r consolidation is effected, shall
become members of the new association
without having to apply for new membcr-
.ship or to submit their claims for admis-
sions to the new association.
This was probably the intention of the
332
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
August, 1910.
joint committee who drew up the report,
but it would seem well if the executive
committee of both organizations went on
record on this matter when they come to
consider the whole question next fall.
There is nothing in the report bearing
directly on what may be called the terms
of union and it was not touched on in
the discussion. We shall be glad to hear
from any of our readers who care to
favor us with their opinion of the pro-
posed union.
Care of Lubricators.
There are not many things on a mod-
ern locomotive that get more attention
than the law allows, as the saying
goes, but among the useful appliances
which have put up with what they can
get, one may mention tlie ordinary
sight feed lubricator.
One of the best tools for a locomo-
tive engineer to use on the lubricator,
if we may so say, is a thorough knowl-
edge of its construction. The rpakers
of sight feed lubricators — the most com-
monly used now are of the bull's-
eye type— have each issued a book of
instructions, or also a card of instruc-
tions to hang up in the cab. No loco-
motive engineer should be without one
or other or both, and in addition, the
pages of our paper are open to those
who wish to state their troubles or ask
a question.
Another good way to treat a lubri-
cator is to keep it clean. There is
more or less sediment, and generally
some impurities in even the best kind
of oil, and these are apt to clog, if not
entirely obstruct the smaller and finer
passages in the instrument. A lubrica-
tion is designed for the delivery of a
certain quantity of oil in a given time,
and the adjustment required for this
purpose is exceedingly delicate, so that
its derangement should be guarded
against very carefully. In a sense, a
n:odern bull's-eye sight feed lubricator
is as much an instrument of precision
as a microscope, and the care taken to
keep it clean should be adequate. The
movement of oil through the lubricator
at all times is slow, and the deposition
of sediment or grit where change of di-
ameter in passageways exists, invites
the accumulation of foreign matter with
undesirable consequences. The pas-
sages should be frequently blown out
so that the flow shall be constant and
the seating of the valves tight.
One method of helping in the way of
cleanliness is to put a small piece of
soap in the reservoir about once in ten
days or so. After the oil has been fed
out the feed is allowed to continue so
that all the soapy water will pass out
through the sight feed chambers, it
will clean the walls, passages and
glasses, but the lubricator should be
thoroughly blown out with steam after
the soap had been used, so as to have
none remain.
A writer in the Locomotive, a small
periodical issued by the Lima Locomo-
tive works, speaking of the matter of
lubricator filling, has this to say:
"Care in filling should also be exer-
cised; only strained oil should be used
and it should be heated, observing
closely that the reservoir is quite full.
It is better to wait a few seconds be-
fore replacing the filler plug, in order
to make sure that the reservoir is abso-
lutely full, as this will prevent all mo-
mentary pulsation of oil drop on the
end of feed nipple, for the reason that a
liquid is not compressible, but air is
compressible, and if an air pocket is
careless!}' permitted to form by reason
of insufficient filling or by entering in
the form of large bubbles in cold oil,
these air pockets, being susceptible to
compression, will show the pulsations
from the cylinder, which are indicated
by the behavior of the oil drop until
the air has worked out. A lubricator
starts more readily, and operates more
perfectly, upon a solid liquid column
than one with air pockets in it, and
great care should be taken by the man-
ufacturers to avoid all possible air
pockets in the improved lubricators
Care should be taken to keep all pack-
ing nuts well set up, to prevent bleed-
ing. When finishing a run the locomo-
tive engineer should close feed valves
first and steam valve at boiler last. The
man at the throttle should bear in mind
that the steam valve should always be
opened first and closed last."
Staybolts.
It may not be generally known that
one of the farms of staybolts had
their origin in the early days of
armor plating. The heads of these
ancient staybolts were tapered and
sunk into the plate. The screwed ends
and nuts, under which large washers
were placed, were, of course, inside the
ship. When a cannon sht t struck the
plate a number of these nuts generally
fell off. .^ few blows and the bolts went
to pieces, and the plates fell off. The
method of reducing the thickness of the
bolts for some distance along the center
of the bolt was tried, and the result was
that the bolts were much more durable.
Staybolts made in this way were tried
in locomotives and were found to be less
liable to breakage than straight bolts.
Stiivbolts are still breaking, however, al-
though they are much improved in point
of material since the early days of loco-
motive construction. If the length of life
of a staybolt could be established or
closely estimated a great gain would be
made. It is safe to assume that the causes
of breakage are rarely or never what may
be called direct over-pressure. The size
of the staybolts and their nearness to
each other are calculated to resist a pres-
sure at least six times greater than they
are called upon to do.
The variety of stresses to which the
stay-bolts are subjected are doubtless the
cause of their uncertain, and sometimes,
rapid fracture. Recent experiments have
demonstrated the fact that the outer shell
of the boiler expands considerably more
than the inner sheets. This is partly
owing to the fact that the outer sheets are
usually of greater thickness than the
inner sheets and being also of greater
length a larger amount of expansion is
inevitable. The introduction of the
flexible staybolt was a marked improve-
ment. The proper use of these bolts, to-
gether with the method of drilling holes
in the ends of rigid staybolts, has done
much to lessen the danger arising from
staybolt fracture.
A systematic and thorough inspection of
the staybolts should be made at short in-
tervals. The first indication of weakness
should be promptly attended to. The
sides of the firebox and crown sheet de-
pend largely on the riveted heads of the
staybolts holding them in place, and when
these riveted portions of the staybolt
show indication of wearing away, it is
poor policy to keep on calking the wasted
portion until there is literally nothing
holding the staybolt except the threads.
Steel Passenger Cars for the P. R. R.
The Pennsylvania Railroad system lias
in service on its lines, or on order, nearly
two thousand passenger cars of all steel
construction. These cars have been ad-
ded to the company's passenger equip-
ment since June, 1906, when it was an-
nounced that all future additions to pas-
senger equipment on the Pennsylvania
system would be of all steel construction.
The Pullman company is at present con-
structing a sufficient number of steel
sleeping and parlor cars to equip the en-
tire Pennsylvania system. These cars
are now being delivered at the rate of
from 50 to 60 a month. .Already there
are in service on through trains 75 sleep-
ers, and 5 combined parlor and baggage
cars. When the present order is com-
pleted there will be in service on the
Pennsylvania system some 600 all-steel
Pullman cars.
The steel passenger cars on the Penn-
sylvania system have been called
"Dreadnaught" cars by reason of their
construction. They weigh some 118,500
lbs. as against 85,000 lbs. in the standard
vestibule wooden coach. This increase in
weight very greatly reduces the vibra-
tion of the car, thereby adding to the
comfort of passengers. The car is non-
collapsible,, its principal feature being a
central box girder 24 ins. wide by 19 ins.
deep extending throughout the entire
length of the coach. In a collision it is
expected that the girder uiU prevent
August, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
333
telescoping. The car is nreproof, as it
contains only about 125 lbs. of wood,
which is used for window frames and arm
rests in the seats.
In the steel equipment now in service,
there are 457 coaches, Z2 dining cars, 34
passenger and baggage cars, ^-^ baggage.
78 postal and 80 Pullman cars. In addi-
tion to these there are on order cr under
construction at the present time, 502 steel
coaches, 28 steel dining cars, 83 passen-
ger and baggage cars, 83 baggage, 39 pos-
tal, 28 baggage and mail, i combination
motor car, and some 520 Pullman cars.
With the 704 steel cars in use at present,
and the 1,284 cars on order, the Penn-
sylvania system will soon have available
for use a total of 1,988 steel passenger
cars.
The Polytechnic Engineer.
"The Polytechnic Engineer" is a hand-
some volume of 150 pages published an-
nually by the undergraduates of the Poly-
technic Institute of Brooklyn. Volume
No 10, which has just been issued, is a
fine sample of the printer's and binder's
art. It presents briefly the list of the
members of the corporation and oflficers
of instruction, of which there are no less
than forty-two. A list of other officers
and the various engineering societies are
also given. The contributions to the vol-
ume, of which there are eighteen, are all,
with two exceptions, the work of students
of the institute. The papers were origi
nally read before the various engineering
societies, and it is fitting that they should
now be put in this permanent form. It
would be unfair to select any particular
paper for special mention where all an
so excellent. There is a line breadth I'f
vision in the method of treatment of all
the subjects, and it is gratifying i"
observe that the young engineers who are
fortunate in having the opportunity to at
tend the classes of the institute arc awake
to their advantages, and are not aiming
at being merely narrow experts, but are
arraying themselves in the forefront of
the ranks of inquiry and invention that
are the marked features of the age in
which we live.
Hard Bearings.
A t>earinK subjected to gradually in-
creased load while running will come to
a point where the metal is said to grip.
It is well known th.it the harder the sur-
faces in contact are, the less the friction
and the higher the load required to pro-
duce gripping or cutting. This led to the
i' ' f bearings as hard as pos-
« I with absence of briltle-
1' ihe introduction f)f bronze
in bearings. I h<- jeweled bearing of a
watch is an extreme case of hardness in a
bearing, but as the load is practically nil
the brittlenest doe» not matter.
Electric Switching Locomotive.
The Hoboken Railroad, Warehouse
and Steamship Company have had in op-
eration since igo6 a sixty-ton electric
switching locomotive whose continuous
performance has caused many very fa-
vorable comments in railroad circles.
This locomotive has not only supplied
the demand most urgently made by op-
erating men that the service be perfectly
reliable, but it has been operated at a low
iraintenance cost.
Since the electric locomotive was placed
in operation four years ago there has not
been replaced a single contact on the
switch group or a contact on the master
switches or reverser. On the control ap-
paratus nothing other than two tips on
the live switch has been replaced. The
brushes that are in the motors at the
present time have been operating four-
teen months, and the master me-
chanic believes they will operate at least
six months l user without rcplacenn'nt.
100 h. p. slow speed motors ; a hand op-
erated unit switch control, and Westing-
house air brakes with a D-4 compressor.
1 he electrical equipment was furnished
by the Westinghouse Electric & Manu-
facturing Company, Pittsburgh, Pa.; the
mechanical parts, the steel cab and the
trucks were built by the Baldwin Loco-
motive Works. The Hoboken company
have stated that there never has been a
time when the locomotive refused to work
or would not do the work required of it.
It averages twelve hours a day of shunt-
ing service very nearly every day in the
year. . .
Origin of Horse Power.
Horse power measures the rate at
which work is done. One horse power
is reckoned as equivalent to raising 33,000
lbs. one foot high per minute, or 550 lbs.
a second. In measuring the work of a
horse the estimates of the most celebrated
engineers differ widely from each other.
Hnii'tnn and Watt, basing their calcula-
No trouble has been experienced with
broken brushes. Kxcept that there has
been replaced one pinion which was bro-
ken when a lock washer dropped into the
gears, no repairs on the motor have been
necessary.
The cost of inspection and cleaning has
been practically nothing. Every .Saturday
morning the man operating the locomo-
tive makes an inspection of the equipment.
With conipresserl air he blows out the
motf)r and the various parts of the con-
trol apparatus, and cleans any part that
may need it. This work is not charged
to maintenanrr, as the operator in doing
it is simply filling in his time. No extra
lime is needed f-T iiiainlcnaiire or in-
spection.
The locomotivr has a running and
starting drawbar pull of I4,.soo llis ami
30,000 Ibi , respectively, and has a normal
spee.l of \i miles an hour. It h.is (our
lions upon the work of London dray
horses working eight hours a day, esti-
mated it at 33,000 foot-lbs. per minute.
IV.'Xubisson, taking the work done by
horses in whims at Freiburg, estimated
the work at 1^1,440 fnot-lbs. working eight
hours a day. I'nder similar circum-
stances Dcsagulier's estimate was 44,000,
Smeaton"s 32,000 and Tredgold's 27,500
foot-lbs. Horse power is called nominal,
indicated or actual. Nominal is used by
manufacturers of steam engines to ex-
press the capacity of an engine or boilers.
Indicated shows the full capacity of the
cylinder in operation without deduction
for friction, and actual marks its power
as developed in (i|>eration involving ele-
ments of mean pressure upon the piston,
its velocity and a just deduction for the
friction of the engine's operation. The
original estimate of Watt is slill counted
a horse |K>wrr.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
August, loio.
Articulated Compound for the Norfolk and Western Railroad
Five articuhitcd compound locomo-
tives built by the American Locomotive
Company have recently been added
to the motive power of the Norfolk &
Western Railroad. The grade condi-
tions on some of the divisions of this
road arc severe. On the Virginia and
Ohio division between Columbus, C,
and Roanoke. Va., a distance of 449
miles, there is a steep grade compen-
sated for curves known as the Elkhorn
grade, which is on an incline of 105.6
ft. to the mile. On the main line be-
tween Norfolk and Bristol, a distance
of 408 miles, there are three heavy
grades which govern the tonnage on
the various divisions between these two
points: one of I per cent, compensated
between Walton and Christiansburg;
one of I. IS per cent, combined with
6 deg. curves between Roanoke and
Blueridge, and a third between Ellis-
ton and Christiansburg, which is 1.3
per cent, with 9 deg. curves.
tore, incorporates all those features
which they consider essential to the
efficient operation of the locomotive
under the conditions of its service. In
general, the design is somewhat smaller,
but similar to that of the enormous
engines, six of which were recently
delivered by these same builders to
the Delaware & Hudson Company.
The smaller diameter of the boiler in
the present instance, however, obviated
the necessity of following the arrange-
ment of high-pressure steam pipes em-
ployed on the Delaware & Hudson en-
gines. In the engines here illustrated,
the arrangement of the steam pipes is
the same as that most commonly em-
ployed on the articulated compound
locomotive.
Boiler tubes 24 ft. long have been
employed, the same as in the Delaware
& Hudson design. But the boiler is
not as long as that of the other engine,
and does not, therefore, have a com-
main reverse shaft as a pivot, permits
of the lateral motion of the front engine
when curving, with the least resulting
(iisturbance in the valve events.
In working order the engine here il-
lustrated has a total weight of 375,000
lbs., all of which is carried on the driv-
ing wheels, the wheel arrangement
being of the 0-8-8-0 type. With the
high-pressure cylinders 245^ ins. in di-
ameter by 30 ins. in stroke, and low-
pressure cylinders 39 ins. in diameter
and the same stroke, and with driving
wheels 56 ins. in diameter, and a boiler
Ijressure of 200 lbs., the theoretical
maximum tractive power, working com-
pound (according to the builders' for-
mula), is 85,000 lbs. With the Ameri-
can Locomotive Company's system of
compounding, which includes an inter-
cepting valve, this tractive power can
be increased about 20 per cent, by
working the engine simple. This de-
sign also provides a number of special
A. P. Lewis, Super
M.\LLET .ARTICULATED COMPOUND FOR THE NORFOLK & WESTERN,
ntendent of Motive Power. .\nicricon
Com^an;', BuilUe
By adopting the articulated com-
pound type for this service, the rail-
road officials will be able to greatly
increase the ma-\imum through train
loads over these lines. At present the
heaviest class of freight power on the
Norfolk & Western is an engine,
known cmi the road as Class M, having
cylinders 21 .x 30 ins., driving wheels
56 ins. in diameter, 200 lbs. pressure,
and a ma.ximum tractive power of
40,200 lbs. This class is rated at 600
tons on the 2 per cent. Elkhorn grade.
The Mallet engine here illustrated is
capable cf handling 1,320 tons behind
the tender on this gr; de, or more than
twice the rated tonnage of the Class M
locomotives.
Aside from the fact that the details
of the engines, as far as possible, were
required to conform to the Norfolk &
Western standards, the specifications
left the builders free to follow their
own i)ractice; and the design, there-
bustion chamber. Another modification
from the builders' former practice for
the articulated type of engines consists
of a different arrangeinent of the re-
versing gear of the low-pressure en-
gine. The reach rod to the reverse
shaft of the low-pressure valve motion
is on the center line of the engine. It
has a universal joint connection with a
downward extending arm in the center
of the main reverse shaft, which is car-
ried in bearings bolted to the high-
pressure cylinder saddle. At the for-
ward end, this reach rod connects to a
central arm of the forward reverse
shaft. This shaft is supported in bear-
ings cast integral with the brackets
supporting the links, and thus moves
with the forward engine, on a curve.
This arrangement eliminates the neces-
sity of using universal joints in the
radius bar hangers; while at the same
time the reach rod, being able to swivel
about its flexible connection with the
features which were successfully ap-
plied to the engines which were built
for the Erie and the Delaware & Hud-
son Railroads, such as the floating bal-
ance device to relieve the main boiler
bearing of excessive pressure and the
side spring buffers at the frame union.
The principal dimensions of the de-
sign are given in the following table:
Driving wlieel bases, 15 ft. 6 ins.; total, 41 ft.
Wlieel base totaL engine and tender, yz ft.
Weight, in working order, 375,000 lbs., all on
drivers; engine and tender, 433,000 lbs.
Heating surface — Tubes, 5,167 sq. ft.; firebox,
212 sq. ft.; total, 5.379 sq. ft.
Grate area, 75.3 sq. ft.
A.xles — Driving journals, main, 10 .x 12 ins.;
others, gJ/2 x 12 ins.; tender journals, main,
s;/. X 10 ins.
Boiler— Type, straight, O. D. first ring 83?^ ins.;
working pressure. 200 lbs.; fuel, bitum. coal.
Firebox — Type, wide; length, l2oJ4 ins.; width,
go '4 ins.; thickness of crown, ^ in.; tube,
Vi in.; sides, Yt in.; back, Ya in.; water
space, front, 5^ ins.; sides, 5 ins.; back,
5 ins.
Crown staying — Radial.
Tubes — Material, Spellerized steel, 367 in num-
ber: diam., 2'i ins.; length, 24 ft.; thick-
ness. No. II B. W. G.
August, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
335
irs, two
Pomps — Two 9H-in. L. hand;
18M X i.'6-in.
Piston — Rod diam., 3^4 ins.; piston packing,
cast iron rings.
Smoke stack — Diam., 20 ins. 1. D. ; top above
rail, 15 ft. 5 11/16 ins.
Tender frame — 15-in. 33-lb. center channels;
1.2-in. 25-lb. side channels.
Tank — Style, water bottom; capacity, 9,000 gals.;
fuel, 14 tons.
Valves — Type, L. P., doable ported slide; H. P.,
piston, 14 ins.; travel, L. P., 6 ins.; H. P.,
6 ins.; steam lap, H. P.. I in.; L. P., H i"-!
ex. lap, H. P. and L. P., 3. 16 in.
Wheels — Driv. diam. outside tire, 56 ins.; mate-
rial, cast iron; tender truck, diam., 33 ins.;
kind, forged steel.
Welding a Side Rod.
A very neat piece of repair work was
recently done at High Springs, Fla., in
the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad shops,
where Mr. James Day had charge of the
work. The job consisted in welding
with Thermit the back section of a loco-
motive side rod which had one of the
jaws broken off. Writing to the Gold-
sehmidt Thermit Company of New York
on the subject, Mr. Day says:
"I welded the broken jaw on again, and
after the welding operation took a light
cut off the reinforcing bars, and polished
them so as to make a very neat job.
"I have made several welds, but this
one acted differently from any I have yet
seen, .\fter tapping the crucible and al-
lowing the metal to flow into the mold,
the steel contained in the riser belched
out and left the riser empty down to the
bottom. In all mv other welds the metal
SIDE KOI) WF,I,Dtl) KV TIIKKMIT.
flowed freely and steadily into the riser
after the mold was filled, and until the
metal was all out of the crucible. I fol-
lowed out the instructions as laid down
hy your company, poured at a low point,
and had my riser at the highest point.
The mold was made of one part of good,
••harp sand and one part fire clay, while I
used wax in making the pattern. I melt-
ed the wax out and then dried the mold
with an oil healer, and brought the rod
to a good, red heat. It is this belching
that has puzzled me."
In answer to this, the Goldschmidt
Thrrniit Company pointed out that the
' ■ '■ ling of the metal in the riser could
' nl> l>e explained by the presence of
»<>me foreign matter in the mold at that
point. Thry go on to say : "It would
>»-'-m a pbiusiblc explanation that if the
II' I V <•( the ri>Tr was at all rlriKgrd up
«ui h brlrhing mixbt result, as the hydro-
Malic pressure >>f the metal flowing out
of the crucible wmild finally overcome the
retistancc below the riser. We have only
one oimilar occurrence on record, but In
that ran^ the phenomenon was di*similar."
Shay Geared Locomotive Superheater.
The Lima Locomotive and Machine
Company, of Lima, Ohio, are always
prompt in taking advantage of new ap-
pliances or methods used in locomotive
practice. The company have recently
adapted the superheater to the Shay
geared locomotives with a degree of suc-
cess that bids fair to equal if not sur-
New Ash Pan Equipment.
1 he Illinois Central has 1.400 locomo-
tives and all have been equipped with
new ash pans in conformity with the law
passed by Congress on May 30, 1908.
Managers of a number of other roads
have asked for an extension of the time
limit which expired Jan. i, so that
they may be able to comply with the law.
The smaller roads have found it some-
what difficult to shop their engines for
the purpose of applying the new ash pan,
as every unit of power has been needed
to move traffic. On these roads engines
shopped for repairs have been equipped,
leaving a number still to be equipped and
hence the application for more time.
In addition to the Illinois Central, the
Chicago & North Western, the Burling-
ton, the Chicago Rock Island and Pacific,
the Chicago & Great Western and the
Chicago & Eastern Illinois, will not ask
for more time as they have complied with
the law; but a number of others desire
an extension of time.
END VIEW OF SUPERHEATER.
pass its adaptation to any other class of
locomotive. It will be observed in the
accompanying illustrations tliat the
steam after being conveyed through the
throttle valve passes in a dry pipe lo-
cated near the right hand side of the
boiler, and after entering a header passes
through a large number 01 small pipes lo-
cated in the smoke-box. .\fter the
steam has made three circuits across the
smoke-box it is carried back to the point
nn the boiler a little ahead of the fire-
box where it passes to the three vertical
■ v!inders wliirli .-i-r placed in fr'ini i,f tlic
Progress in Railway Mechanics.
The locomotives of fifty years ago con-
tained the essential features of those of
today, the great improvements wrought
having been in constructive detail. The
modern engines possess at least four
imies as great steaming power, together
with more than tenfold weight. Compared
with a modern locomotive, the "Planet"
type of 1832 to 1836 had a weight of 7%
tons instead of 75 to 90 tons, a fire grate
area of 7 sq. ft. instead of 60 to iXJsq. ft., a
heating surface of 300 sq. ft. instead of
4.000 sq. ft. and upwards. .X most won-
derfid economy of fuel has been effected.
.\bout fifty years ago, for instance, one
railway line consumed 12,600 tons per
annum, while a few years later 3,100 tons
siirticed for a considerably greater traffic.
Li.M.\ i.uLu.Moin 1. W(JKKS sLi'i:Kiii:.\ii:i<.
cab. The pipe conveying the steam to
the cylinders is surrounded by a larper
pipe through which a portion of the fur-
nace gases pasi, and by this means the
steam reaches its highest temperature at
the point where il is admitted to the
iylin<iers, Th<-re are several advniilattrs
cormecled with this method of super
healing, ami the peculiar formation of the
Shay geared Incrmmlive readily lends it-
self to its application and it bids fair to
produce a higher degree t.f superheating
than can lie nbiaincti in any other kind
of jiicoiiioiive.
The tractive power has been increased
most enormously, and all gradients
up to one and twenty are now
readily surmounted. Ordinary speeds
have increased, yet express and special
trains run but little faster. Steel has
supirseded iron for ralK, at a present cost
of (inly half tli:it of the iron rails in 187a,
while the durability is about three times
;!•• great. (Jne ma) say that in every way
and in every direction increase of weight
iiiid power have kept pace with increase of
IrMc.—.-iddrr.ts before Hiilisli Society
( ivil Ennineers.
33f^
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
August, 1910.
Locomotive Running Repairs
III.— Impurities in \\ati;r.
It is a noteworthy circumstance that
new boilers have a greater tendency to
"priming" than boilers that have been
some time in use. Clean water and a
clean boiler are the best preventatives.
Water absolutely free from foreign ad-
mixture is not to be found. Even rain
water before it has reached the ground
is not free from impurities. Gases, dust
and other light matter mix with the
falling rain. As the water passes
through or over the earth many lor-
eign substances are added to it, and
it seems as if these impurities in-
creased in volume when the water is
converted into steam.
In the case of new or newly repaired
boilers it is safe to assume that there
is a quantity of oil or other foreign
matter in the boiler, and that priming
niaj- be expected for a few days at the
first trials of the engine. The theory
in regard to priming is that when
steam bubbles form by the action of
heat they rise to the surface of the
water. The oil or soapy matter float-
ing on the surface of the water forms
a shell or covering for the steam bub-
bles as they break through the waler.
These bubbles accumulate and form
into clusters as foam on turbulent riv-
ers. It seems incredible that bubbles
could exist with high steam pressures
acting upon them, but the rush of
steam to the throttle valve carries the
bubbles intact, and they are broken in
their passage to the cylinders, and ap-
pear as water in the exhaust.
This priming or foaming should be
distinguished from high water in the
boiler. Many young engineers have a
tendency to allow too much water in
the boiler. This overanxiety on the
side of safety, as far as avoiding the
scorching of the crown sheet is con-
cerned, has a pernicious effect on the
working of the engine. The excessive
amount of water in the boiler lends
Itself readily to the mixture of water
and steam, and the saturated or water-
laden steam affects the valves, espe-
cially the valves of the piston variety,
often causing a collapsing of the rings.
The bursting of cylinder heads is not
uncommon by this cause, as the water
confined in the steam passages by the
action of the piston if not relieved at the
valve openings may fracture the cylinder.
While the impurities incident to wa-
ter and the over supply of water to the
boiler mv not be entirely avoidable.
tlii-re .ire nnw ni;my devices in opera-
linn for purifying water. It is known
that distilled water will not prime,
rhc various water treating plants used
by many railways for removing or
minimizing the effect of foreign sub-
stances in the water has shown con-
siderable improvement in recent years,
;iMd wliile there has been much mystery
concerning the make-up of those com-
pounds, their general basis is soda, and
some of the other ingredients are extracts
of tannic substances, some of them con-
taining starch or gelatinous matter,
which is calculated to have the effect
of coating the inner surface of the
boiler with a kind of mucilaginous cov-
ering, thereby helping to prevent the
mineral particles floating on the water
from adhering to the boiler shell. Some
of these compounds are fairly effective,
the foreign substances in the water be-
ing largely kept in a muddy solution,
which can be easily blown out.
Water containing lime has a great
tendency to form a hard scale on the
boiler, and carbonate of soda has the
effect of reducing the lime to the form
of a soft solution. Caustic soda is also
much used where the compound is fed
into the feed tank. The tannic com-
pounds that are used in boiler composi-
tions are extracted from oak. chestnut,
logwood and other timbers which con-
tain tannin. The amounts used of these
compounds vary according to the
amount and kind of substances that
may be in the water. The greater the
amount of lime in the water, the great-
er is the tendency of scale forming and
adhering to the plates and flues. This
scale, which is largely carbonate of
lime, adheres with great firmness to the
metal, and forms a combination with
tlie oxide of rron or rust, and it is ex-
pressly desirable that in w.Tshing boil-
ers the boiler should not be emptied
and allowed to dry, as in this case the
atmosphere has the effect of aiding in
the formatinn of a hard crystalline
scale.
It is good practice in the first days
of an engine's working to blow out the
boiler while under steam pressure, and
at the same time admit cooler water,
not allowing the boiler to dry. The
steam pressure will greatly aid in
cleaning out oil or other impurities that
may have given rise to priming, and
the boiler should not be cooled too
quickly. If scale is once formed and
allowed to accumulate, it becomes very
difficult of removal. In locomotive
practice it i> frequently noted that lo-
comotives that run considerable dis-
tances and are supplied with water that
may differ at certain points of the road
on which they travel, are much more
easily cleaned than locomotives that
are constantly supplied with one kind
of water. This arises from the fact
tliat scale that has been formed by lime
deposits, may be removed by deposits
from water containing sand-stone de-
posits. The sand waters are softer, and
have a soluble effect on limestone scale.
It need hardly be added that the use
of strong acids in a boiler requires that
the experiment be carried out under
the most intelligent supervision. The
free use of sulphuric and other acids
may have the effect of attacking the
plates and so lead to a rapid deteriora-
tion of the boiler, but it is safe to as-
sume that the plates will not be seri-
ously attacked as long as there are any
scale formations on which the acid can
exert its energies. As we have al-
ready stated, the cleaning and soften-
ing of water is a matter on which spe-
cific rules could not be given unless
some particular water was taken as an
illustration. As a rule, water from
wells contains more impurities of an
injurious kind to boilers than water
from lakes or rivers. The self-cleans-
ing quality of water is well known.
The river Rhone is a good illustration.
It is said to contain more impurities
than the ^^'abash or Ohio rivers be-
fore it reaches the Lake of Geneva.
When the Rhone reforms at the other
end of the lake the water has become
clarified. The lesson to be learned from
this fact is of real value where there is
;in opportunity of forming a deep res-
ervoir where the mineral impurities in
water may have an opportunity of set-
tling to the bottom of the reservoir,
and leave the upper waters compara-
tively pure.
IV — W.\SHING BOILERS.
There is no more important item in
locomotive running repairs than in
the washing of boilers. Not only does
thorough washing repair the faculty
of transmitting heat into the water to
make steam, but a thorough washing
of the boiler prolongs the existence of
the boiler and also avoids much re-
pairs that would otherwise be neces-
sary. It is a remarkable fact that in
>pite of the wide knowledge that ex-
August, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
337
ists in regard to the pernicious effect of
scale accumulation in boilers, it is safe
to say that there are no boilers in use
on any railways that are as well cleaned
as they should be. The causes that
lead to this deplorable condition are
numerous. Motive power is costly, and
unless in times of business depression
there are never any locomotives to
spare. The lime for repairs is limited.
The time for washing is often at odd
and irregular periods. The operation
is usually performed by the poorer
psid class of labor. The work is
often performed at such times and
under such conditions as render a tTior-
ough supervision almost an impossibili-
ty. Even roundhouse foremen have
their physical limitations, and the work
of washing the boiler must be left to
some trusted helper while the over-
driven foreman is engaged in finer me-
chanical operations that require more
skill, but perhaps are of less impor-
tance.
It must be admitted that in spite of
the large increase in the number of
washout and inspection plugs that are
located in many parts of the boiler,
there are still large areas in the interior
of the boiler that are invisible except
to the eye of faith. This is especially
true of the parts of the boiler that are
exposed to the fiercest heat and where
the accumulation of scale and the frac-
ture of stays are generally to be found
when a reconstruction dl the firebox
becomes necessary. The shell of the
boilers and the flues are better attend-
ed to since the practice of leaving out
several flues and filling the openings
with temporary plugs became general.
The washing of the boiler should be
systematic and as thorough as condi-
■ .ns will permit. In a general way
•■ or six hundred miles is acknowl-
aed as a safe distance to run be-
.crn washings, but this distance is
iich overlapped and rarely shortened.
is a rule more honored in the breach
i^OlSaS
.\''^^ mml^
than in the observance. At many of
the leading roundhouses there is some
•yttem of bookkeeping showing the dis-
tance run between washings, and
stricter methods arc undoubtedly be-
ing introduced with gratifying results.
It need hanlly be stated that the pe-
riods between w.-kshings should be reg-
nUted by the kind of water used. In
I'lme localities it would be almost nec-
essary to wash out the boiler between
each trip, whilt in others a locomotive
might run two weeks without much
danger from lack of washing.
The most approved methods seem to
run in favor of washing the boiler with
hot water under steam pressure of at
least 100 pounds per square inch. It
is certain that hot water will more
readily remove scale. Steam pressure
is not always available, but hot water
for the purpo.se of washing can be eco-
nomically furnished in any roundhouse
where there is a pumping or stationary
boiler, and where the roundhouse is
heated by steam, a pipe with water at-
tachments niay be run parallel with
the steam pipes. We reproduce an
illustration of a simple injector appa-
ratus that has been in use for a num-
ber of years in some of the leading
roundhouses in the West. It will be
seen at a glance that the steam and wa-
ter connections are readily adaptable
to any position, and all that may be
?dded to the apparatus, as shown in
Fig. I, would be an ordinary globe
valve attached at any convenient point
on the steam pipe. The nozzle should
be reduced at the point to less than
half the diameter of the pipe, the noz-
zle being readily attached by a check
R
ffl
FIG. .
nut sufficient in depth to allow a suffi-
cient number of threads to attach both
the injector extension and the thread-
ed end of the nozzle, as shown m
Fig. 2.
In washing the boiler, it is always
desirable to remove the dome cap,
thereby insuring in nearly every class
of boiler an opportunity to reach the
crown sheet. It is absurd to imagine
that any part of the boiler, even if
sloped or arched, will take care of itself
in the matter of avoiding the tendency
to collect scale on the surface of the
plates, and especially around the
crow's feet or braces or stays, or what-
ever appliances may be used in holding
the sheets together. The liability of
the crown sheet to become encrusted
is very great, and scale, if allowed to
accumulate, becomes almost impossible
of removal. If taken early in the life
of the boiler and thoroughly and regu-
larly cleaned, the scale and sediment
can be washed into the legs or sides
of the boiler, where it can be readily
removed through plug opening*
A flexible apparatus for washing
boilers is shown in Fig. 3. It will be
noted th.it the nozzle is flexible, being
screwed into .'i ••'.■■"^■■e' •■» 1 •ml il...
end or point of the nozzle being bent,
it can be readily turned in any re-
quired direction. The handle attached
to the nozzle coupling is for the double
purpose of holding the nozzle in posi-
tion as well as for changing the direc-
tion in which the nozzle should point.
It is not necessary to enumerate the
number of openings that should be
readily attainable in the boiler and ser-
FIG. 3-
viceable in the washing of the boiler.
Their location will readily suggest
themselves, and are rarely sufficiently
numerous to afford an opportunity of
applying the apparatus on every part
of the boiler, as well as affording the
facility for applying chisels to such
portions of scale as may be impervious
to the action of the water. The appli-
cation of nozzles of various form will
readily suggest themselves, and also
the necessity for a constant changmg
of the position of the nozzle so as to
reach every point within range.
It may be added that a thorough in-
spection of the boiler after washing is
absolutely necessary. .\ popular form
of torch for this purpose is readily
made of asbestos bound with copper
wire and soaked in oil. The first in-
spection will in all likelihood, reveal
portions of scale still adhering to the
boiler or flues, and if a thorough clean-
ing of the boiler has been effected, a
final inspection should be made by the
foreman or some competent man de-
tailed by him for that purpose. It is
a false principle to permit the man
who does the washing to inspect his
own wrrk. .\ systematic record of boiler
washings shculd be kepi, not only in the
hands of the boiler washer, but in some
convenient receptacle about the engine.
The rcc|uiremeiits of locomotive service
are often of such a kind as necessitate the
removal of li.c.miotives from one part of
the railroad to amllicr. It is safe to as-
sume that when the transfer is made the
b. liter needs washing, hut there is usually
neither lime nrr inclin.ition to make any
ii.qniry in regard to the internal condition
if the boiler of the borrowed engine.
Some weeks of double service adds to
the accumulation of foreign matter with-
in the boiler, and by the time that the
1 1 nine is back in its old qu.Trti-rs a blast
1 i dynamite wmild he re«|uired to Innsen
. rk-ril.l..-.| ;,n.| an. ..-..I .I.-n,,.,!..
338
RAILWAV AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
August, 1910.
Questions Answered
TRIIM.F. VALVE FILES
5, H W S., Oelvvcin, la., writes:
Will you please tell me where triple valve
files can be purchased. I have tned a
well-known tirm, but they cannot throw
anv light on the subject. These hies are,
as 'you know, used in the repairs of triple
valve, and are a very fine file, made
square in the different widths of the
triple valve seat, and go, as I presume,
bv the different numbers of the valves.
For instance, F 29, F 36. etc. I have re-
cently been made air brake foreman here,
and this company is willing to try these
files and if I can find out who makes
them there is no doubt an order awaiting
for that party. A.-These files can be
purchased from the Westinghouse A
Brake Company, as a supply of them is
kept in stock for that purpose.
thit the plates are much hotter, and the
entry of cool air in the fire box has the
effect of causing greater contraction
just as the high temperature has produced
greater expansion. These stresses gradu-
ally tend to damage the boiler.
rLTMP REVERSING.
„ T M Fort Wayne, writes: What
causes a pump to reverse itself or n^ake
short strokes at times and work all righ
at other times?-A. This is due to the
reversing valve having an imperfect bea
ing on its seat in the valve bushing. The
worn valve and seat permits steam to get
between them tending to equalize the pres-
sure all round the reversing valve, allow -
:; it and the rod to fall of their own.
weight as the main piston starts on its
Iwnward stroke. This condition is ag-
gravated by an excess of lubrication m
The steam cylinder and at times when a
desperate situation requires an immed -
ate or temporary remedy, a small quan-
tity of grinding material, such as glass or
powdered emery sprinkled on the face
of the reversing valve, will create enough
adhesion between the valve and sea to
hold the valve until the excess of lubri-
cant works out of the bushing.
FEED V.\LVE DISORDER.
S4 J M , Fort Wayne, writes : When
the handle of the brake valve on an en-
gine here is placed in running position
after an application of the brake, the
black hand on the air gauge equalizes
with the red hand, but if the handle is
moved to release position after the ap-
plication and then to ruhning position,
the black hand stops at 70 lbs. and re-
mains there. Why does it not stay at 70
lbs when the handle is first placed in
running position ?-A. Because the sup-
ply valve piston is a very neat ht m the
bushing and the spider on the end of the
piston is not quite so neat a ht in the
supply valve bushing and the rush of air
from the feed port driving down on top
of the spider end of the piston binds or
cocks the neatly fitted end in the bush.
When the handle is first placed in release
position to charge the brake pipe, pres-
sure enters the feed valve less violently
and does not have this effect and there-
after the amount of air necessary to
charge the auxiliaries or supply leaks does
not pass through the valve with suf-
ficient rapidity or drive the piston hard
enough to bind it
of the fire passes more readily
through the upper flues. The appearance
of the fire will indicate whether the gen-
eral current of air is regular in the front
as well as in the back of the fire. If the
draft in the lower flues is the greatest, the
deflector plate should be raised, but if
the draft in the upper flues is greater the
deflector should be lowered. It will be
found that nearly all deflector plates are
fitted with a movable apron which can be
readily raised or lowered without dis-
turbing the deflector sheet. It is always
well to observe that the flues are perfectly
clear of ashes or soot before experiment-
ing with the deflector.
SCALE EFFECTS.
S, F M , Syracuse, N. Y. What ef-
fect'has the incrustation or gathering of
scale on boiler plates ?-.\. Any part o
the surface of boiler plates covered with
scale has a marked effect in the efficiency
of the part covered. Tables of tempera-
tures by the most competent -;>tho"t'^^«
aaree that in the case of boiler plates
covered with scale to the extent of one-
eighth of an inch scale has the effect
of raising the temperature more than two-
thirds. Supposing the flame and flue
temperature to be 3.000 degs. Fah.. the
maximum temperature of a clean plate
rapidly delivering heat to the water will
not exceed 400 degs.. while a plate cov-
ered with one-eighth of an inch scale
will have a maximum temperature of ogo
degs With scale it will thus be seen
STANDARD TRAIN RULES.
55 M F. H., San Jose, Cal., asks: Is
there any material difference between the
book of rules issued by the larger rail-
way systems throughout this country? 1
rm a former employee of one of the
Southwestern roads and would like to make
a comparison of the rules issued by the
larger roads.-A. The Standard Code of
Train Rules, issued by the American Rail-
way Association, is used by practica ly all
the railroads in the United States and Can-
ada Each road has probably some local
rule or rules applying to particular localities
or circumstances, but the rules governing
the movement of trains, signals, etc., arc
now alike on all roads. This secures uni-
formity of practice, so that a man leavmg
one road and securing employment on
another road has not to un-learn the cor-
rect practice he has been accustomed to.
DEFLECTION SHEET.
56 McH., Port Jervis, N. Y., asks:
How does the diaphragm or deflector
plate regulate the draft from the fire-box
through the flues ?-A. It is readily ob-
served that the air entering through
tl.e grates near the front of the
fire pas.ses through the lower flues,
while the air entering at the back
Axle Failures.
Not long ago the causes of breakage of
some street car axles was investigated by
the Goodnow Foundry Company of Fitch-
burg. Mass. Four axles developed cracks
and, under laboratory conditions, the
wheels were run, and the behavior of
the axles was closely studied.
The first axle cracked in two places in
the fillet. The second cracked all the way
round, in the fillet, and almost looked -as
if notched purposely for breaking. The
third cracked all the way round, not to a
uniform depth. The fourth cracked pretty
evenly all round, and was run until it
broke, the crack having then extended
all roimd to within Vs in. of the center.
All these axle failures were from cracks
which began on the outside in a 'A-in fillet
where the 3-in. journal joins the 3^2-in.
wheel seat The interpretation of the
facts pointed to the fillet being too sharp.
On page 334 of our August, 1909 >ssiie.
under the heading of "The Lesson of the
Sharp Corner," we gave the result of the
Boa-d of Trade inquiry in the case of a
driving wheel failure on a British rail-
way, where a change in diameter had
been made with a sharp corner. The
fillet was recommended, and axles having
the sharp corner were at once withdrawn
from service.
In this case it is interesting to observi
that although a fillet of ^-in. radiu
was used, it was not sufficient for axle
subject to alternating vibrational strain;
In the case before us, a fillet of iH mi
radius was substituted for the V4-in. fiUe
and no more breakages have taken plao
It may be mentioned that there were n
flaws or defects in the axles, and tV
chemical composition of the steel w:
quite satisfactory, so that it is fair to a
sume that the failures were due to b:
design.
May Have Been All Wrong.
\ Jersey commuter met an acquaintar
in a Hoboken car last week and asK
■•What do you think of this weather
"Detestable," was the reply. "And h,
is your wife keeping?" "Ji'St about 1
same."
August. 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
339
Air Brake Department
Conducted by G. W. Kiehm
"The Passenger Control Equipment."
The illustrations shown in this issue
are the general arrangement of the W'est-
inghouse Air Brake Company's "P. C
(passenger control) equipment, and the
two photographic views of the control
XO. 3. CONTROL VALVE, KIGHT SIDE.
valve and reservoir. .As this P. C. type
is no longer an e.xperiment but is being
applied to the heavy equipment now built,
we will illustrate this type of brake in de-
tail in future issues.
Those who have not followed air brake
matters closely during the past few years
proved brake was necessary if the trains
were to be stopped from the same speeds
in the same time and distance as they
were formerly, or rather, a brake that
would be more efficient and manifest a
greater degree of safety at high speeds
was necessary, and with this end in view
the high-speed brake was designed.
During the ne.xt ten years, or up until
1905. the high-speed brake was relied upon
to stop trains from the highest speeds at-
tainable, but a constant increase in the
weights of cars and locomotives and the
speeds attained by our limited trains made
necessary the use of special apparatus,
such as i8-in. brake cylinders and the
"L. N." passenger equipment.
The "L. N." equipment today is a very
riexible and efficient brake and answers all
purposes on cars whose weights do not
exceed 100,000 pounds, but during 1909
many passenger cars weighing up to 140,-
00c or 150,000 pounds, were constructed,
and it is here that the car builder met
with a practical difficulty.
WEbTINGHOUSE PASSENGER CONTROL APPARATUS.
may be inclined to think that some of the
brake equipments rlesigncd during recent
years must have been unnecessary or had
been prematurely placed on the market.
However, those who have followed the
development of the air brake know that
each equipment in its turn was necessary
10 provide an elhcient brake, as the weight
and speed of trains increased.
Necessity is the mother of invention,
and practically none of our modern me-
chanical wonders were invented until they
became a necessity, and the "P. C." equip-
ment i* no oxieption, because no air
brake imprnvcnuiil hat l)ccn of greater
necctfity since the introduction of the
automatic air brake itself.
In the year ifl7S a train of cars could
be stopped in .1 nasonablc <li!itance by the
use of ihc i|iii' k .iclir.ii automatic brake,
but in the year iHr;5 the wciRht »f engine
and cars and the tpecd of trains bad in-
creased to such an extent that an im-'
In order to provide for proper shoe
clearance when slack adjusters arc used
and that excessive increase of piston
ravel resulting from shoe wear can be
avoided, it is generally recognized that a
total leverage ratio of 9 to l should be
the maximum permitted.
The l8-in. cylinder will therefore pro-
vide a brake for cars whose maximum
v/eight does not exceed 127,000 lbs., but f. r
cars atiove this weight it would be neces-
sary to increase the leverage or employ a
cylinder larger than 18 ins. in diameter.
As staled before, when the car weighing
over 140,000 lbs. was built, the first propo-
sition was a 20-in. brake cylinder. This
is, of coure. objectionable from several
tiandpoinly, as it is a difficult matter lo
obL-iin a packing leather of (his si/e with
tufficienl iiniforniily lo prevent leaks, and
the piston rods and levers would be of
such si/e and weight that it would rt
quire a considerable percentage of Ibc
iT.ikuiK power de\ eloped by a light reduc-
tion to move them.
.Again the question of clearance space
for a cylinder of this size underneath a
car and the question of strains to the car
body from a cylinder of this size must
also be considered.
-A second proposition would be two
brake cylinders per car, which would also
mean two complete brake equipments
whether they were fastened to the car
body or to the trucks.
.Another suggestion would be an in-
crease in the length of the l8-in. diameter
brake cylinder to provide for a longer
piston travel to be used with an increased
leverage, and the objections to this are
apparent.
.-\nother suggestion was a clasp brake.
that is, two brake shoes on each wheel,
one on cither side, and this method would
undoubtedly provide sufHcient braking
power for 150,000 lb. car equipped with an
i8-in. brake cylinder and having a total
leverage 9 to i.
A final suggestion was the
ap|)licati(in of two brake cylin-
ders of proper size to each
^,,V truck.
'. V .Along with the actual diffi-
culty encountered in securing
adequate braking power for the
heavy car there is another
very important problem pre-
sented, and it is the increase
in the distance required to stop
the trains composed of heavy
cars.
It is generally conceded that
i.joo feet is a reasonable distance in
wbich a train of light ears shuuld be
stopped from speccjs of sixty miles per
hour, and previous to the recent Lake
Shore trials many railroad men were under
the impression that their passenger trains
iduld be stopped in ibis <li'-lance from
speeds of sixty mile-- |h r hi mi, but it was dc-
No. 3. co.M I.' 1 \ \i\i. i.Ki'T sini-:.
\eloped that ah iil the shortest stop that
could be niaile with the high speed brake
used on modern trains was about 1,700 ft.
There are iiimierous reasons why the
heavy trains of cars will run faster than
3-40
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
August, 1910.
a train of light cars, the speed, nominal
percentage of braking power, and track
conditions being equal.
One reason that is not given much
thought is the difference in brake cylinder
pressure derived from service and emer-
gency application.
When an 8-in. brake equipment is used
an emergency application will result in a
substantial gain in cylinder pressure over
that derived from the service application,
but as 16 and l8-in. brake cylinders are
used, the brake pipe remains of the same
size, and the air that enters the brake
cylinder from the brake pipe is not much
more than equal to the volume of air re-
quired to displace the brake piston.
Another manner in which the actual
brake cylinder pressure is affected is by
the increase of piston travel, due to the
emergency application when cars are in
motion. The losses in the percentage of
braking power that occur through the
foundation brake gear of heavy cars is
generally understood, and air brake men
have for some time realized that the
brake equipments in use were unable to
meet the demands upon them by modern
trains.
During the Lake Shore demonstrations
it was noted that iV-i seconds time elapsed
between the time of brake application and
brake effectiveness, even with the most
modern "L. N." passenger brake. A spe-
cial triple valve known as the "L. G. N.
was then used in an effort to develop
105 lbs. brake cylinder pressure from a
no-lb. brake pipe pressure, and in spite
of the effect of emergency piston travel.
cMne within 2 lbs. of producing the de-
sired result, but the lapse of time between
the brake application and its effectiveness
still remained at 2V2 seconds; whereupon
it was decided that in order to reduce
this time to 2 seconds, or less if possible,
the use of triple valves must be dispensed
with.
In order to meet this condition, the
Westinghouse Air Brake Company de-
signed and perfected the control valve
and "P. C." equipment. And by the use
of this equipment the aforesaid elapsed
time was reduced to two seconds, and the
stop from a speed of sixty miles per hour
Y.as actually made in 1,100 ft.
The control valve used contains the fea-
tures of the distributing valve, and sev-
eral very important features in addition,
and the use of large posts and larger
pipes make possible the prompter effect
of brake application.
From the general arrangement it will
be observed that two brake cylinders are
employed— one for service operation, both
for emergencies, which means that the
service braking power is doubled during
emergency applications. The brake can
be applied to any weight of car, and the
control valve works in harmony with
triple valves. .
The control valve contains the princi-
pal features of the distributing valve in
maintaining brake cylinder pressure
against leakage and excessive piston
travel, and a feature in addition that re-
sults in the application of the emergency
cylinder if for any reason brake pipe
pressure leaks down to a predetermined
figure.
Just how the valve accomplishes this
and its construction and operation will
be explained in future issues.
"Brakes Creeping On."
Freciuent inquiries concerning the
subject of brakes creeping on inspires
us to offer a few comments on this
matter. When the question. "What
causes the brake to creep on when the
valve handles of the H6 brake are in
running position?" is asked, the invari-
able reply is, "The same thing that
causes the old style or Ai type of brake
to creep on when the brake valve han-
dle is in running position."
Namely, this is due to brake pipe
leakage in combination with a feed
valve that will not promptly open and
supply this leakage.
The explanation is generally accepted
as satisfactory, and when either of the
disorders mentioned are corrected the
trouble on the lone engine will dis-
appear.
However, the reapplication of the
brake on the head end of a long train
after a release will also affect the engine
and tender brake, especially if they are
in good condition, and this sometimes
confuses the engineer upon the subject
of brakes creeping on.
The reapplication is sure to follow
the overcharge of the brakes on the
head end of the train, and this trouble
of brakes creeping on the engine is
generally more frequent when the H6
brake is in use.
The reason for this is that the aver-
age condition of the brake on the loco-
motive, when a triple valve and auxili-
ary reservoir are used, is such that it
usually requires a rather heavy and
rapid reduction of brake pipe pressure
to get the brake applied when desired,
and as a result the slight overcharge
fails to affect the engine brake to any
noticeable extent. The operation of
the No. 6 distributing valve does not
depend upon a fixed charge in an aux-
iliary reservoir of limited volume, and
a movement of the equalizing valve to
application position results in an appli-
cation of the brake, regardless of pis-
ton travel and cylnder leakage, while
the movement of the triple valve piston
under similar conditions does not al-
ways result in an application of the
brake. With the No. 5 distributing
valve the overcharge is not followed
by an application of the driver brake
on account of the application chamber
being open to the atmosphere while
the handles are in running position re-
gardless of the position of the equal-
izing valve, but the same variation in
brake pipe pressure is encountered after
the overcharge no matter what type of
engine brake is used.
Let us attempt to consider the sub-
ject of brakes creeping on without re-
ferring to any particular type of air
brakes as we will try to make it plain
that every automatic air brake applies
from the same cause and from that
cause only, otherwise it would not be
considered automatic.
The movements of this earth and the
planets are governed by fi.xed law, the
movement of every thing mechanical
since the creation is governed by the
same fixed law that does not vary and
we do not "expect to see water flow up
hill or rise above its own level, when
influenced by nothing other than gravi-
tation and atmospheric pressure any
more than we would expect the earth
to revolve in the opposite direction to-
morrow'.
We will not consider any movement
of the earth or planets, save as an il-
lustration and the law governing the
operation of the automatic air brake
is as positive and fixed, and is no more
likely to vary than the law which com-
pels and restrains the movement of
celestial bodies.
The law which underlies the opera-
tion of the automatic brake is the
creation of differentials of pressure.
The differential may be created with-
out necessarily resulting in an opera-
tion of the mechanism, but the mechan-
ism cannot be operated save by the
creation of the differential in pressure
and having this fixed in our mind we
will assume that by brakes "creeping"
on, we mean an automatic application,
a movement of the triple valve, or the
equalizing valve of the distributing
valve, and not a stuck or sticking
brake.
Very often this disorder has been
reported on an engine, sometimes the
report was merely "clean triple valve"
or "clean distributing valve," it being
taken for granted that this work if
performed would correct the evil or
remedy the disorder.
Even when brakes "creeping" on has
been reported the first move of the
repairman of the old school was to
take a hammer, chisel and a monkey
wrench and make an assault upon the
triple valve, probably the brake valve
next, and as a general result very little
if anything was accomplished, and very
often there was nothing wrong in the
first place except an ever-charged
brake pipe.
There is really nothing difficult to
' locate and very little to reason out in
August, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
341
order to locate the cause of a brake
creeping on, whether the Westing-
house, New York, Dukesmith or any
type of automatic brakes is used as
an automatic application of any of the
brake systems depends upon creating
a differential pressure between the
brake-pipe pressure and the stored vol-
ume with which to operate the brake.
Now if the disorder mentioned actu-
ally occurs on the lone engine, if we
see or know that the brake will some-
times apply while the valve handles are
in running position and there is no ap-
parent disorder we know to begin with
that from the very fact that the brake
has applied proves that brake pipe
pressure has fallen lower than the pres-
sure in the stored volume, that is,
the auxiliary reservoir, or pressure
chamber of the distributing valve.
There is no other way in which the
automatic brake can be applied, and no
matter under what conditions the auto-
matic mechanism is moved it can be
done only by the creation of this dif-
ferential in pressure.
With some of the graduated released
type of brakes for electric cars, the
differential might be created by an in-
ctease of auxiliary reservoir pressure
coming through the supplementary
reservoir, but on the railroad loco-
motive there is no passage to the
auxiliary reservoir or the pressure
chamber of the distributing valve ex-
cept from the brake pipe, consequently
the differential of pressure can occur
only by a reduction of brake pipe
pressure.
Having this idea lixed m our mind
we can readily see that regardless of
the condition of the feed valve or posi-
tion of the brake valve handle, an es-
cape of brake pipe pressure has ap-
plied the brake, and wc also know that
if slight br.ike pipe leakage can re-
duce brake pipe pressure while the
brake valve handles arc in running po-
sition, the feed valve is not main-
taining a constant pressure in the
brake pipe, and it is not only necessary
to stop the leakage, but to also have
the feed valves' erratic action cor-
rected. .And as this is the ^uni, sub-
st.iiKc and remedy for brakes creeping
on Aiih any type of air brake, the ab-
surdity of cons dering a distributing
valve in coniuition with the disorder
becomes appaicnt
On the coiiirary a movement of the
distributinK valve when influenced by
••liKlit brake pipe leakage alone, merely
ii-rvfi to prove the jcnsitivencsj of the
distributing valve, the fact that the
tliglit variation in brake |>ipr pre»Nurc
hai operated the distributing valve
proves that the moveable parts are
neatly fitted and properly lubricated.
Il it a desire to impress upon the
mind of the student that the only w.iy
in which the equalizing valve of a dis-
tributing valve, or a triple valve can
be moved to application position is by
a reduction of brake pipe pressure. Of
course the brake can be applied
through the distributing valve by
means of an independent application
or even by closing the brake valve cut
cut or double-heading cock and placing
the automatic brake valve handle in
emergency position, but those are in
no sense of the word automatic ap-
plications.
The slide valve of a triple valve be-
comes unseated and permitting a flow
01 auxiliary reservoir air to the brake
cylinder might result in a momentary
application of the brake if the leakage
from the slide valve was in excess of
the capacity of the port opening in the
retaining valve or an emergency valve
breaking or sticking open could apply
the brake, but neither could be consid-
ered an automatic application, the
movement of the piston and slide valve
in the latter case being merely inci-
dental, the actual flow of air applying to
brake in either case being as direct to the
cylinder as any application of a
straight air brake.
When we become confused and fail to
distinguish the difference between a
"sticking brake" and "brakes creeping
on," and blame the distributing valve
for causing the brake to creep on. or
blame the automatic or independent
brake valve for causing a brake to
stick, it proves condtisively that our
study of the air brake was begun at
the wrong place, that is, soinev^'here in
the middle instead of at the beginning
Going into detail on this subject
may serve a two-fold purpose, it may
also remind the student of the im-
portance and necessity of starting his air
br.ikc course at the beginning and not
ai the point which deals with defects
of the apparatus.
Attention h.'s been called to this mai-
ler in the past, and many will agree
that the correct beginning of a man's
study is of as vital consequence to him
as the fonndrition of a building is to
its superstriicmre.
It is a very common occurrence to
hear men whose duties bring them in
touch with air brake matters, answer
air brake iiuestions correctly in one
sense and yet fail to understand the
ansv*-er they give.
The question, "What is the effect of
a leaky roijiry valve in the brake
valve," is invariably answered by, "It re-
leases the brakes."
As a general thing it does, but there
are several very ordinary conditions
under which it cannot, and when the
siudcnt accepts such an indelinilc tv-
iwer to a question -.f- fom/i.nr i-on.lii
sions and gives it no further thought,
!ie will eventually recall instances in
which he was unable to state posi-
tively what caused the trouble.
In reference to brake applying due
to an o\"ercharged pressure chamber
in the distributing valve, it was stated
that there was no way of charging the
pressure chamber or an auxiliary res-
ervoir except by the way of the brake
pipe and feed grooves, and under or-
dinary conditions there is no other
way, as it is assumed that the safety
valve is in good condition at all times
an effort is being made to locate the
cause of brake sticking.
If it is not in good condition it must
be put ill perfect working order be-
fore any tests are conducted, so that
brake cylinder pressure may be re-
tained at or restricted to the desired
figure.
In cJsc a safety valve was inopera-
tive an emergency application of the
brake, during which time the valve
handle remained in emergency position
for any considerable length of time,
would allow a flow of air from the
main reservoir into the application
cylinder of the distributing valve and
consequently into the pressure cham-
ber, the equalizing valve being in
emergency position, and this would re-
sult in main reservoir pressure over-
charging the pressure chamber due to
an inoperative safety valve, and the
brake would necessarily be released by
means of the independent brake valve.
The valve would be held in release po-
sition until application cylinder and
pressure chamber pressures were re-
duced below the pressure in the brake
pipe at which time the equalizing valve
could again be moved to release posi-
tion
It is desired to mention this in con-
nection with brakes slicking or re-
maining applied when handles are re-
turned to running position, but not to
confuse it with the subject of brakes
creeping on while both valve handles
are in running position.
We would impress upon the minds
of our readers the value of learning
first, the operation, constructions, and
the duties of the different p.irts of the
air brake equipment, leaving the de-
fects that result from wear and neg-
lect for a later consideration, it is sure
to prevent many misunderstandings
and avoid numerous arguments.
Order in Learning.
The true order of learning should be.
first, what is necessary; second, what
is useful, and third, what is ornanirn-
lal, says Mrs. .Sigourney. To reverse
this arrangement is like beginning to
liiiild ;it llie top of the rilificc.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
August, igio.
Electrical Department
Running a N. H. Electric Locomotive
III.
By W. B. Kouwenhoven.
When running on direct current and ap-
proaching the alternating current zone, a
post will be noticed on the right of way
marked "Controller off." Upon reaching
this post the engineer must immediately
return the controller handle to the off
position and open the small switch on
the back of the controller. Meanwhile
his helper, or fireman, opens the direct
current main switch and closes both al-
ternating current circuit breakers. Then
the engineer presses down the button
marked "Shoes and Trolleys L^nlock," and
holds it down until the shoes leave the
third rail and fold up against the side of
the locomotive and the alternating current
trolleys rise. As soon as the trolleys
make contact with the overhead wire, the
helper starts the motor generator set and
closes the switch for charging the storage
battery. When the shoes leave the third
rail the direct current supply is cut off
and the armature of the direct current
relay falls, and as soon as the alternating
current enters the locomotive the two al-
ternating current relays immediately
raise their armatures. This completes
the control circuit and causes the change-
over switch to automatically shift from
the direct to the alternating current posi-
tion. When the changes-over have taken
place the engineer notches up his control-
ler handle again, being careful to see that
both alternating current ammeters are
reading, thus making sure that both mo-
tors are receiving power.
At Cos Cob the drawbridge is not
equipped with the overhead wire and
trains are supposed to coast over this
gap, or drift, as steam engineers would
say. Just before reaching the end of the
overhead wire, the engineer should re-
turn the controller handle to the off posi-
tion and allow the train to coast over the
bridge, notching up — again when the
overhead construction is reached on the
other side. However, an alternating cur-
rent third rail is provided in case a train
should become stalled on the bridge.
When this happens the engineer can get
his train off the bridge by drawing cur-
rent from this rail. To run under both
these conditions the helper must see that
both heater switches are closed.. Then he
must remove the wooden peg against
which the direct current main switch
rests when it is open in the down posi-
tion and close the switch in this position.
Meanwhile the engineer lowers the third
rail shoes by pressing the proper button
and signals the tower-man in charge of
the bridge to throw the current on to
the third rail. Then he should operate
the locomotive as in normal alternating
current operation, taking care, however,
to accelerate very slowly. Just before
the end of the bridge and also the end of
the third rail is reached, the engineer
should return the controller handle to the
off position, and his helper should open
the direct current main switch, replace
the wooden peg and pull the switch back
against the peg. When the shoes leave
the third rail the engineer should raise
ALTERNATING CURRENT TROLl.KV.
them by pressing the button marked
"Shoes and Trollies Unlock," and as soon
as the trolleys make contact with the
overhead wire again he should draw the
controller handle up to the proper run-
ning position.
In hauling very heavy trains two or
more electric locomotives are necessary.
When two of the electric locomotives on
the New York, New Haven & Hartford
Railroad arc double-headed they do not
operate independently, as is the case
where steam locomotives are double-
headed, but are operated as a single loco-
riotive of double the horse power, and are
controlled from the cab of the forward
locomotive by one engineer with a single
throttle or controller lever. This is simi-
lar to the ordinary multiple operation of
motor cars, such as is practiced on the
New York Subway, the Brooklyn Rapid
Transit and many other roads.
The wires which connect the two mas-
ter controllers to the unit switches or
contactors, are connected in two junction
boxes to what is known as the train line.
A junction box is located above each
master controller. The train line runs the
length of the locomotive and ends in
three connector or jumper sockets at each
end of the locomotive. The sockets are
just above the end doors of the locomo-
tive cab, and are made so that only the
proper jumper for each socket will fit it.
When double-heading two locomotives
the crews make the three juniper connec-
tions with the junipers provided for
(he purpose, and the air hose connections.
The crew of the second locomotive re-
move the reverser handle and the control-
ler plug from the master controller of
their locomotive, and see that the small
switches on the back of both master con-
trollers are open. They also place the
brake valves, on the second locomotive, in
the running position and close the cut-out
cocks under the valves by turning them to
the up position. After this has been done
the engineer of the first locomotive pro-
ceeds to test the control of the two loco-
motives, which are now operating as one,
for direct and alternating current opera-
tion in both directions. While he
notches up his controller handle his help-
er .-ind the crew of the second locomotive
watch the unit switches on their engines
to ascertain that the proper ones come
in on each notch, as was described in a
previous article on the New Haven Elec-
tric Locomotives. While running double-
header one trolley, preferably the rear
one, is used on each locomotive.
The equipment of each locomotive in-
cludes an alternating current integrating
wattmeter and a direct current integrat-
ing wattmeter. The alternating current
v/attmeter gives the amount of power
consumed while the locomotive is run-
ning in the alternating current zone, and
the other wattmeter gives the amount con-
sumed when in the direct current zone.
One of the duties of the engineer is to
note the readings of these tw'o wattmeters
twice for each run ; the first reading is
taken just before leaving the station at
Stamford, and the second after reaching
the destination at the Grand Central sta-
tion. On the return trip the readings
are taken in the reverse order. The sum
of the readings of the two meters gives
the total amount of power in kilo-wat
August. 1910.
R.\ILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
343
hours (i.ooo watt hours), used by the
electric locomotive during the run.
The N. Y.. N. H. & H. electric locomo-
tives are fitted with two systems for heat-
ing trains, one by electricit}' drawn from
the power supply and the other by steam
supplied by a small, oil-burning, tire tube
\ertical boiler within the cab. The ne-
cessity for the two heating systems is due
to the fact that their long-haul trains are
drawn beyond Stamford by steam loco-
motives and arc therefore steam heated,
while the cars on some of their local
trains remain entirely within the electric
zone, and are equipped with electric
Iieaters. .
The voltage at which the electricity,
•oth alternating and direct current, is sup-
plied to the heaters is about 600 volts, a
single pole knife switch controls the heat-
er circuits for both alternating and direct
current, and must be closed whenever
the heaters are needed. The direct cur-
rent is taken directly from the third rail
shoes, and the alternating current is sup-
plied by a small transformer which may
be connected to either or both of the
main transformers by closing the proper
two pole switches. The change-over
switch automatically arranges the con-
nections when the heaters are in service
so that they receive current in both the
alternating and direct current zones.
.\i stated in an earlier article on run-
ning these New Haven locomotives, one
of the novel features is the cooling ar-
rangement, which consists of two motor-
driven fans or blowers for forcing a cur-
rent of air through the four main motors,
the two transformers and the resistance
grids. This prevents them from becom-
ing overheated by the passage of the elec-
tric current through them and greatly in-
creases the continuous hauling capacity of
the electric engines.
Each blower or fan supplies the air
through a conduit to one motor, and the
transformer and resistance grids belong-
ing thereto. These conduits are so ar-
ranged, however, that in case of the fail-
ure of one of the fans or the motor driv-
ing it, the other fan can supply the entire
equipment. Each conduit is fitted with
two dampers, and in case of the stoppage
of a blower, both dampers on the con-
duit of the stopped blower must l)c closed,
otherwise all the air from the remaining
blower will escape through the standing
one. With both fans running under usual
rnnditions, all <l.nmpers should be open.
I li' air inlet fur r.ich fan is protected by
OuiUcrs which mint be closed when it is
anowing or r.-iining, to prevent moisture
from being carried into the machinery by
the passage of the air. During a storm
the air is drawn from the interior of the
cab, and the hrlprr should open one of
the doors on ibc Ice side of the cab to
supply air provided the storm is not too
•evere. If it is too severe to open the
door he may open one or more of the
trap doors in the floor of the cab.
If, when the locoinotive is cither run-
ning or standing, a short circuit or a
ground, or an arc or spark is formed be-
tween any two points of the equipment,
or smoke is discovered issuing from some
point or some part becomes red hot, or an
explosion occurs, or the fuses blow ; in
short, if any irregularity occurs, the en-
gineer must immediately return the con-
troller handle to the off position. If the
train is in the alternating current zone,
the engineer must also press the button
marked "Trolleys Down" and lower the
trolleys. If in the direct current zone
and an arc has formed which does not
clear itself, that is blow out and cease
when the handle is thrown to the off posi-
tion, the engineer must immediately close
a small single pole knife switch which is
mounted on tlie end of the junction bo.x
fastened to the top of the cab, just over
the master controller. There are two of
these small switches, one on each junction
box above each master controller. The
closing of this small switch closes an
emergency suit known as the short cir-
cuit switch.
The short circuit switch is electrically
operated by a solenoid, which is con-
trolled by either of the two small knife
switches. The closing of this short circuit
emergency switch makes a dead ground
on the direct current supply circuit just
inside the shoe fuses, and causes the shoe
fuses to blow instantly, cutting off the
electric power and stopping the arc. The
short circuit switch should not be left
closed for any length of time, because the
current which is drawn from the storage
batterj' to operate it, is large. To open,
the engineer not only opens this emer-
gency single pole knife switch, hut also
he must close the main battery switches.
When the arc has been cleared the engi-
neer and his helper must place 'the
wooden slippers between the shoes and
the third rail and then proceed to inves-
tigate the cause of the trouble after open-
ing the short circuit switch.
Now let us see what the engineer and
his helper can do to bring in their train
when some part of the machinery of the
locomotives brc.iks down, and the train
is out on the line. If one of the alternat-
ing current trolleys breaks or is torn off,
or the current sparks over an insulator,
or if any other mechanical or electrical
difficulty arises with the trolleys, the en-
gineer must immediately press the button
that lowers the trolleys, and at the same
time shut off the power and bring the
train to a stop. If the trolleys do not
come ilown the engineer should close the
small double pole switch on the back of
the controller; if this fails, the trolley can
be pulled <l>iwn with the wooden pole
when the train comes to a standstill. The
alternating current trolleys are held up
by spring pressure, and they arc brought
down by compresseil air and held down
by a latch. Air is admitted to the un-
locking cylinder to release the latch by
the button marked "Shoe and Trolleys
Unlock.''
-As soon as the train has been brought
to a stop and the trolleys lowered the en-
gineer apd his helpers may go on the roof
and clear away the broken trolley. .At-
tached to the roof are safety chains
which not only hold the trolleys down
when hooked, but also make a dead
groimd with them. Neither the engineer
nor his helper should ever go on the roof
unless both trolleys are lowered, and
upon reaching the roof he should snap the
nearest chain to tlie nearest trolley and
then the other chain to the other trolley.
This thoroughly safeguards him from all
danger of shock. If the latch fails to
catch and hold the broken trolley down,
it must be tied down with a rope. The
trolley must be tied down on itself, not
to the roof, and the engineer must be
careful that none of the broken parts
touch the roof. Before leaving the roof
the engineer must be sure to unhook both
safety chains. Upon reaching the interior
of the cab the engineer should close the
cut-out cock in the air line leading to the
unlock cylinder of the damaged trolley, to
prevent the latch releasing the trolley
when the button is pressed.
If some part of a trolley breaks while
running, and does not ground on the
roof of the locomotive when lowered, but
fails to latch down, and if the engineer
does not wish to lose the time necessary
to stop the train and tie down the trol-
ley, then he can keep it down by block-
ing open the electro-magnet valve of the
air cylinder that pulls down the trolley.
This keeps the cylinder full of com-
pressed air all the time, and thus holds
the trolley down.
The alternating current trolleys are
connected by a cable to which a T-connec-
tion is fastened near the No. 2 trolley'
which leads to the alternating current cir-
cuit breakers. When a trolley breaks
and grounds it must be disconnected from
the cable where it is attached to the base
of the trolley. If a ground occurs in the
cable connecting the trolleys to the T-con
nection the euK''"'^''' should go on the
roof and disconnect the grounded side of
the T-conneclion at the T, cutting the
grounded cable and a trolley out of ser-
vice. However, if the trouble occurs in
the lead from the T-connection to the
circuit breakers, both trolleys must be
lowered, the safety chains snapped on and
the engineer should call for assistance.
If, when passing from the direct to the
alternating current zone, the alternating
current trolleys fail to rise, it is probably
due to the armatures of the direct cur-
rent relay slicking up, or to the small
••witch on the back of one of the control-
lers being closed, or to the cut-out cocks
in air line leading to the unlock being
closed or 10 insuflicicnt air pressure. The
engineer and his helper should then make
a rapid inspection of the apparatus and
remedy the trouble.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
August. 1910.
Items of Personal Interest
Mr. J. Jackson has been appointed shop
foreman, Revelstoke roundhouse, on the
Canadian Pacific Railway.
Mr. D. B. Sebastian, heretofore acting
fuel agent of the Rock Island Lines, has
been appointed fuel agent of the same
roads.
Mr. J. H. Reed has been appointed
night locomotive foreman, Winnipeg
roundhouse, on the Canadian Pacific
Railway.
Mr. M. li. Towner, formerly pur-
chasing agent, 'Frisco lines, has become
president of the Southern Railway Sup-
ply Company.
Mr. H. S. Xeedham has been appointed
assistant engineer of motive power of the
Pennsylvania Lines West, vice Mr. C. D
Young, transferred.
Mr. Joseph Turpin has been appoint-
ed general traveling engineer over the
northern and Scuithcrn divi-iion^ of tht-
the Temiskaming & Northern Ontario
Railway, vice Mr. T. Ross, promoted.
Mr. A. L. Milliken, employed as loco-
motive engineer on the river division of
the New York Central, has been appointed
road foreman of engines on the same road.
Mr. E. J. Robertson has been appointed
superintendent of car department of the
Minneapolis, St. Paul & Sault Ste. Marie
Railway, vice Mr. I. G. Pool, deceased.
Mr. R, I. McD..n.-ild ha- been ap-
FL.\SH LIGHT PHOTOGR.\PH OF PROCESSION OF M.XSTER MKCIIANU S .\SSOCI.\TIOX, .\TL.\NTIC CITY, JU.NE. 191
Mr. A. W. Clarke has been appointed
fuel inspector Western Lines, Canadian
Pacific Railway, vice Mr. T. L. Roberts,
resigned.
Mr. H. S. White has been appointed
sales manager of the Detroit Seamless
Steel Tubes Company, with office at De-
troit, Mich.
Mr. T. Clegg has been appointed air
brake instructor. Western Lines, Cana-
dian Pacific Railway, vice Mr. E. D, Wal-
ton, resigned.
Chicago & Alton, with headquarters at
Bloomington. 111.
Mr. S. D. Warren, signal inspector on
the Chicago, Milwaukee & Puget Sound,
has been appointed assistant signal engi-
neer, with office at Tacoma, Wash.
Mr. M. Flannagan has been appointed
master mechanic of the Richmond divi-
sion of the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway,
with headquarters at Richmond, Va.
Mr. C. Battley has been appointed act-
ing locomotive foreman. North Bay, on
pointed traveling engineer of the south-
ern district of the Chicago & Alton,
with headquarters at Bloomington, 111.
Mr. J. D. Harris, general superinten-
dent of motive power of the Baltimore &
Ohio, has had his jurisdiction extended
over the Baltimore & Ohio Southwestern.
Mr. A. Shortt, heretofore district mas-
ter mechanic on the Canadian Pacific
Railway, at Cranbrook, B. C. has been
appointed master mechanic, with office at
Moose Jaw, Sask.
August, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
3-15
I
Mr. W. J. Andrews has been appoint-
ed shop foreman Winnipeg roundhouse,
on the Canadian Pacific Railway.
Mr. W. K. McLeod has been appointed
locomotive foreman on the Canadian Pa-
cific Railway at Calgary, Alta.. vice, Mr.
-A. H. Eager, resigned.
Mr. F. E. Long has been appointed
road foreman of engines of the Georgia
Southern & Florida Railway, with head-
quarters at Macon, Ga.
Mr. F. McFarlane has been appointed
locomotive foreman at Crow's Nest. B. C,
on the Canadian Pacific Railway, vice
Mr. A. Hall, transferred.
Mr. Don B. Sebastian, acting fuel agent
of the Rock Island Lines, has been ap-
pointed fuel agent of the same roads, with
headquarters at Chicago. 111.
Mr. C .-K. Wheaton, heretofore freight
repair foreman of the Canadian Northern
Railway at Winnipeg, has been appointed
car foreman at Edmonton, .Mta.
Mr. M. J. Carrigan has been appointed
district forem.in of the Oregon Short
Line and the Southern Pacific lines east
of Sparks, Nev., vice Mr. W. E. White,
assigned to other duties.
Mr. A. McCowan, heretofore foreman
C. P. R., Cranbrook, B. C, has been ap-
pointed general car foreman of the Ca-
nadian Northern Railway at Winnipeg,
vice Mr. J. H. Morgan, retired.
Mr. J. C. McDonald, general passenger
agent of the National Lines of Mexico,
has resigned to become assistant to J. N.
Galbraith, general manager of the
Waters-Pierce Oil Co., in Mexico.
Mr. T. A. Musgrove, heretofore car
foreman, C. P. R.. Ottawa, has been ap-
pointed freight repair foreman of the Ca-
nadian Northern Railway at Winnipeg,
vice Mr. C. A. Wheaton. transferred.
Mr. A. Hall, heretofore locomotive
foreman at Crow's Nest, B. C. on the
Canadian Pacific Railway, has been ap-
pointed locomotive foreman at .McLeod,
Alfa, vice Mr. H. .McDonald, transferred.
Mr. W Owens, formerly with the New
York .Air Brake O^mpany, has been ap-
pointed general air brake and fuel in-
spector on the Lehigh Valley Railroad,
with headquarters at South Bethlehem,
N. Y.
Mr. T. H. Goodnow has been appoint-
ed iiiastrr car huilder of the Chicago, In-
'li.i' 1 * Southern and of the Indiana
H;.r'or Belt Railroad*, with office at
Englrwf o<I, III., vice Mr. J. W. Senger,
transferred
Mr. L. R Pomeroy. assistant to the
president ff the Safety Car Heating &
' - ifig Co , of New York, has resigned
■"■ an imp' rtant position with the
:.;;.:.<. ring ami contracting firm of J. G.
'■Vhitc & Co
Mr J. F, Killceti hai been appointed
(meral mechanical foren^an of the Wash-
ington division of the Oregon Railroad
and Navigation Company, with office at
Starbuck, Wash., vice Mr. .M. E. Carri-
gan, resigned.
Mr. T. Ross, heretofore locomotive
foreman. North Bay. on the Temiskam-
ing & Northern Ontario Railway, has
been appointed acting master mechanic,
vice Mr. .\. .\llen. resigned. Office
North Bay. Ont.
Mr. A. H. Eager, heretofore locomo-
tive foreman, C. P. R., at Calgary, .\lta..
has been appointed superintendent of
shops and repair yards, of the Canadian
Northern Railway at Winnipeg, Man.
This is a new position.
Mr. J. W. Rohrer. who has been a lo-
comotive engineer on the Columbus.
Hocking Valley & Toledo, has been ap-
pointed a representative of the New
York .\ir Brake Company, with head-
quarters at Columbus, Ohio.
Professor H. M. Cottrell, for many
years director of farmers' institutes at
Kansas and Colorado agricultural col-
leges, has accepted the position of agri-
cultural commissioner of the Chicago
Rock Island & Pacific. His headquar-
ters will be in Chicago.
Mr. Robert W. Baxter has been ap-
pointed general superintendent of the
lines north of the Ohio River, on the
Illinois Central Railroad, also general
superintendent of the Indianapolis South-
ern Railroad, with headquarters at Chi-
cago. III., vice Mr. Charles L. Ewing. re-
signed.
Mr. W. E. Lowes has been appointe;!
assistant passenger agent of the Baltimore
& Ohio, with headquarters at Baltimore.
Md. Since iSg; Mr. Lowes has been gen-
eral advertising agent of the company, and
in his new position he will continue to
have charge of all advertising matters as
heretofore.
Mr. Daniel Willard, president of the
Baltimore &■ Ohio, recently announced the
creation of nn additional "assistant to the
president." and the appointment to the
post of Mr George H. Campbell, general
superintendent of the New York division
and vice-president of the Stalen Island
Rapid Transit.
Mr. Dudlev W.-iIker. formerly advertis-
ing agent of the Chicago & .Mfon Rail-
road, has rcsiciied his position with that
road in order to enter the newspaper,
magazine and outdoor general advertis-
ing agency. He has organized a company
known as Dudley Walker & Co.. with
headquarters at Chicago. III.
It is announced by Dean Goss of the
College of Engineering that the testing
plant at the university lately donated by
the Chicago & North-Western Railway
will constitute a portion of the equip-
ment of the School of Railway Engineer-
ing and .'\dminiilralion. and that when
installed it will be operated under the
immediate direction of Professor Edward
C. Schmidt, who is in charge of railway
engineering.
Mr. W. C Brown, president of the
New York Central, and Mr. Daniel L.
Cease, editor of the Railroad Trainmen's
Jfurnal, have been appointed by President
Taft as members of the commission that
will investigate employers' liability and
work-men's compensation. Senators
Hughes of Colorado and Warner of
Missouri, and Representatives Denby of
Michigan and Brantley of Georgia, also
are members of the commission. When
Congress meets in December it will in all
probability have some data on which to
frame an employers' liability act.
Mr. Edward L. Lomax. general passen-
ger and ticket agent of the Union Pa-
cific, has resigned, and has now become
passenger traffic manager of the Western
Pacific. The change will be as great a
loss to the .Associated Lines as it will be
a gain for the Western Pacific, for Mr.
Lomax is recognized as one of the ablest
passenger traffic men in America. He
has been with the Union Pacific
since 1887, when he became assistant gen-
era! passenger agent, his promotion to the
head of the department was made two
years later. Previously he had been as-
sistant general passenger agent of the
Burlington. He has been in railroad
service since 1869.
Mr. James J. Gill has been appointed
an assistant supervisor of equipment by
the Public Service Commission of the sec-
ond district. New York State. Before
his appointment Mr. Gill was road fore-
man of engines on the New York Central,
having charge of 125 locomotives and 300
engineers and firemen. He entered the
railroad service as a fireman and then
was for eleven years engineer on freight
and passenger trains of the New York
Central During that time he made air
brake and other experimental tests for
the company. In igoi he was promoted
to be traveling engineer, assuming control
of the inspection of wrecked locomotives
and learning the causes of equipment
troubles. In that connection his duties
included the investigation and testing of
new engine appliances, the instruction of
the method of operating such as were
adopted, and the preparing of work re-
ports covering general repairs made. The
division of engineering and inspection of
the public service commission, which Mr.
Gil! will enter, has supervision over the
equipment of steam railroads, particularly
motive power, and also the investigation
of accidents due to faulty equipment The
creation of the place to which Mr. Gill is
.ipl'ointed was urged by the railroad
lirntherhoods before the Legislature. Mr.
Gill j(oo<l first on the civil service list
and his appointment was rerommeiided by
the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engi-
neers.
340
RAILWAY A\D LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
August. 1910.
General Foremen's Department
The General Foremen.
Writing to Railway and Locomotive
Engi.neeri.nc on the subject of the next
convention, Mr. C. H. Voges, president of
the International Railway General Fore-
men'j Association, says: "Next May will
be the seventh year of our association's
existence and I would like to stir up
every general foreman and get him in-
terested in our movement. I am sure
every member derives a great benefit from
the association, especially in attending the
conventions, where everything connected
with our line of work is discussed and
debated. I would like to impress upon
all superintendents of motive power that
it greatly benefits their foremen to be
members of the International Railway
General Foremen's Association and that
they should do their part in persuading
their foremen to become members.
"I think we should have 300 or 400
present at the next convention in Chi-
cago. The date has not yet been de-
cided, but will be published later. Our
secretary, Mr. L. H. Bryan, is a very will-
ing and hard worker for the association
and surely deserves great credit for what
he has done.
"I agree with Jlr. Quayle, superintend-
ent of motive power, of the Chicago &
North-Western. In his remarks at the
convention he said if he was a foreman
he would mo.st certainly be a member of
this association, as he would want to be
in big company. C. H. Voces,
President I. R. G. F. A.
Superheaters.
This paper was read at one of the morn-
ing sessions of the International Railway
General Foremen's .Association recently
held at Cincinnati, by Mr. A. L. Ball, gen-
eral foreman of the C. & I. S., at Kanka-
kee, 111., on the subject of superheaters.
Mr. Ball said, in presenting this paper at
this conventicn. I had expected to furnish
considerable information on tests of super-
heaters which have been carried on during
the past year, but owing to the fact that
the railroads from which I had expected
to procure this information, not having
finished their tests, it was impossible to
secure the desired information. In
reply to my correspondence with one of
the railroads I received the following:
"We have but one locomotive fitted with
superheater, and that of the smoke-box
type, giving but a moderate degree of
superheat, in the neighborhood of 50
degrees.
"This locomotive is of the consolidation
type, has cylinders 25 by 28 ins. and car-
ries 180 lbs. steam pressure, as compared
with our regular locomotive of that type,
having cylinders 22 by 28 ins. and carrying
205 lbs. working steam pressure. Trials
on the locomotive testing plant and on the
road seem to indicate a slight superiority
for the locomotive fitted with super-
heater, but it is not sufficiently great to
enable us to say positively whether the
<;uperheater or some local condition of
the locomotive accounts for the differ-
ence.''
In the last twenty-five years steam
pressures on locomotive boilers h?ve been
gradually increased from 140 to 225 lbs.
working pressure. The result has been
that the cost of boiler repairs has been
ver>- much increased on account of the
decreased life of firebox staybolts and
flues. Superheatinof affords a convenient
means of adding heat to steam without
materially increasirg its pressure: also the
advantage to be obtained by enlarged cyl-
inders. There is no question but that con-
siderable economy is obtained by the use
ff superheated steam, preferably of re-
duced pressure, say of 160 lbs., to avoid
excessive boiler repairs. This is especially
desirable in bad water districts, and it is
possible to effect considerable economy in
this direction.
The smoke-box type of superheater
develops a low superheat of 25 to 50 degs.
Fahr. The single- loop fire-tube super-
heater, a moderate superheat of 100 to
125 degs. Fahr. The double-loop fire-
tube, a high superheat of 175; 250 degs.
Fahr. Saturated stream at 160 lbs., has
a temperature of 370 degs. : at 200 lbs., 388
degs. : and at 225. 397 degs., or an increase
in heat of about 27 degs. for practically
the entire range of pressures in locomo-
tive practice. The low degree of super-
heat as afforded by the smoke-box super-
heater adds 35 to 40 degs., which is more
than can be obtained by means of high
pressures. Moderate and high superheat,
en the other hand, affords a convenient
and practical means of adding from 100
to 250 degs. of heat.
When superheated steam has received,
say 175 degs. of additional heat after
removal from contact with the water, it
is found that 175 degs. of heat can be
extracted at a constant pressure before
it reaches the dew point. Therefore, its
expansion will partake of the properties
of gas, and the loss due to the condensa-
tion and re-evaporation of the cylinder
walls will be largely obviated.
The advantages of superheated steam
are : At high temperatures it behaves like
a gas and is, therefore, in a far more
stable condition than in the saturated
form. Considerable heat may be ex-
tracted without producing any liquefac-
tion, whereas the slightest absorption
of heat from saturated steam results in
condensation. If the superheat is high
enough to supply not only the heat ab-
sorbed by the cylinder w-alls, but also the
heat equivalent of the work done during
the expansion, then the steam will be
dry and saturated at release.
The firebox temperatures in locomo-
tives must be at least 1,800 to 2,200 degs.
The smoke-box temperatures will range
from about 550 to 700 degs. Tests made on
superheaters show a saving of 12 to 20
per cent, in fuel, and a saving in water
of 15 to 25 per cent., it being larger be-
cause more fuel is required for the pro-
duction of one pound of superheat than
for the same quantity of saturated steam.
In order to obtain 150 to 175 degs.
of superheat and over, it is necessary to
resort to the fire-tube form of super-
heater, as it is not possible by any designs
of smoke-box superheaters to get suffi-
ciently high temperatures in the smoke-
box without using a large 10 or 12-in.
flue in the bottom of the boiler, as in the
Schmidt earlier designs. The use of these
large flues have been abandoned, even by
Schmidt, on account of the extra cost of
installation and maintenance, and prac-
tically all the designs recently equipped
with the Schmidt system have used the
fire-tube style.
One disadvantage cf the smoke-box
type is that the entire extra weight is
concentrated at the front end in a line
approximating the vertical center of cylin-
ders. This means with a four-wheel
leading truck that all the e.xtra weight is
practically added to the truck. On the
other hand, the fire-tube type distributes
the weight much more uniformly.
From obser\ations made in Europe it
has been found that the Germans have
abandoned the smoke-box type in favor
of the fire-tube, chiefly on account of the
concentration of weight at the front end,
the e.xtra cost and the necessity of using
f large tube to raise the temperature of
'.he smoke-box gases. Furthermore, they
attach much importance to the greater
simplicity, ease of application ?nd dis-
mantling ; and they state that these ad-
vantages have proved of such practical
value that for all new locomotives the
fire-tube type is being used at the present
time.
While at a first glance the smoke-box
August, igio.
R.'MLWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
t\-pe may appear to possess some attractive
features, especially in the utilization of the
waste heat in the smoke-box gases, in
practice it is found impossible to obtain
more than a few degrees of superheat
without increasing the diameter of the
boiler tubes, as the temperature of the
smoke-box gases is not sufficiently high
to impart more than 25 to 35 degs. over
the normal temperature of the saturated
steam in the boiler. It is, therefore,
practically little better than a drier and
the economies in fuel and water which
may be obtained are insignificant as com-
pared with the use of superheated steam
of 200 to 250 degs.
It is probable that the trials made in
the West with the smoke-box superheat
are largely in bad water districts where,
on account of boiler foaming, an abnor-
mal amount of water is carried to the
cylinders. It is, therefore, possible that
in the East where these conditions do not
exist to the same extent, that the rela-
tive economy would be very much less.
The fire-tube form of superheater
possesses important advantages over
any type of smoke-box superheater, as it
is possible to obtain any desired practical
amount of superheat. The economy in
water and coal increases very rapidly
with the higher temperatures, and with
150 to 200 degs. of superheat, a conserva-
tive estimate of the saving in coal is 20
per cent., and in water 25 per cent
To obtain the best results the boiler
pressure can be very much decreased,
there being no theoretical or practical
economy in the use of high boiler pres-
sures, as the necessary heat added to the
steam after its removal from contact with
the water, thereby increasing the volume
with constant pressure. At the present
' the application of superheaters to
motives constitutes the most attractive
an(] practical forms of improving their
power and efficiency. The cylinders can
be enlarged to permit greater ratios of
expansion, economy of water and fuel and
the use of lighter engines, which will
develop a greater amount of horsepower
per unit of weight than is possible with
the saturated steam locomotive.
About the only additional care re-
quired in the operation of locomotives
supplied with superheaters capable of
heating the steam to high temperatures, is
wing out the flues after each trip to re-
<■ accumulations of soot and cinders.
: , however, is the regular practice
<me roads with saturated steam loco-
■ives and probably well repays the
slight extra cost on account of the better
conductive qualitiet of the tubes when
they are in a clean condition.
One of the claim* made in favor of
the smoke-box type it that it is better
tdapted for application to old locomotives
in which it is drsirahlr to reduce the pres-
sure. The prinrip.-il difference in cost is
the renewal of the tube sheet* rrqulred
with the fire-tube type, but in case the
firebox was worn out or if engines
selected for the application of super-
heaters required new firebox tube sheets
there would be practically no difference in
the cost of application.
To renew the boiler tubes requires
dismantling of the smoke-box type of
superheater, as usually constructed, but
most of the small flues can be removed,
especially those in the bottom of the boiler
in our later form of fire-tube type without
dismantling the superheating apparatus.
The superheating tubes in the smoke-box
type seem to be exposed to a great deal
more cutting action from the cinders, as
they are at right angles to the flues and
to the gases, than the fire-tube type;
which would make them very short lived.
The higher degree of superheat, the more
the diameter of the cylinders can be in-
creased over the normal dimensions and
consequently increase the starting power,
and greater ratios of expansion can be
obtained for certain types of engines with-
in the limits of suitable factor of adhesion.
The most economical results with the
fire-lube type are obtained with a super-
heat of 180 to j8o degs., with boiler
pressure of 160 lbs., the tempei.-iture of
the saturated steam is 370 degs. and the
temperature of the superheated steam at
the figures named would be 550 to 650
degs. With suitable design of piston valve
and proper lubrication no special difficulty
has been experienced in actual operation.
For a superheat of 200 degs. the in-
crease in volume is approximately 25 per
cent., so that with the same cut-off the
weight of steam required is 25 per cent
less than with saturated steam with the
same pressure. Generally the cut-off can
be decreased with superheated steam so
that additional economy is obtained by
the greater ratio of expansion, which
added to the fact that superheated steam
does not condense until it has given up all
its superheat and the point of saturation
is reached, adds still further to its
economy.
As the limits of tractive power at
medium and high speeds is 'argely a
question of the aliility of the boiler to
generate suflScient sti-am, it will be appar-
ent that a locomotive capable of develop-
ing the same tractive power with 80 per
cent of the normal consumption of fuel
will show a large increase in tractive
power assuming the same amount of coal
per hour is burned as in a saturated steam
locomotive. This increase under favor-
able conditions may amount to 30 or 33
per cent.
Fait Repair Work. C. H. & D.
Mr. W. 11. Roberts, locomotive engi-
neer on the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Day-
ton Railway, writes us of some very fast
time made in overhauling C. H. & D en-
gine No. 384, at the Imlianapolis, Ind.,
shops. Perhaps the best way of pre-
senting the information in complete
form is to quote the letter sent us by
Mr. Roberts. It is the report of Mr. F.
C. Pickard, assistant master mechanic,
sent to Mr. H. H. Hale, the master me-
chanic at Lima. He says:
'"This report covers in detail the work
and time consumed in turning out en-
gine Xo. 384. She was put on transfer
table early Monday morning, June 20, 1910,
v,as moved to back shop, ready to be
stripped 7:10 a. m., June 20, 1910; cab
taken oflf 9:20 a. m., running boards 9:50
a. m. At this time engine was completely
stripped. Begun jacking engine 10:10
a. m. ; engine truck out 10:40; all wheels
out at 1 :30 p. m. ; engine blocked 2 :30
p^m. ; cross heads and guides stripped,
cleaned and delivered to machine 3:10
p. m. ; steam chest valves, yokes, spring
rigging, brake, rigging stripped, cleaned
c'lid distributed to the departments hand-
ling the work at 5 p. m. ; wheels stripped
of boxes, eccentrics and straps, distributed
to machines, 5:30 p. m. ; driving box
brasses taken out, cleaned and taken to
lathe s :45 p. m. ; reverse lever and links
delivered to link bench 5 :s8 p. m., June
20, 1910. June 21, pedestal jaws trued
up, binders, rocker boxes refitted ; took
tumbling frame off shaft; deck bolts ex-
amined, guide bol'3 out and renewed.
June 22, 1910. — Rocker boxes repaired
and hung new guide yoke, bolts applied,
new deck bolts applied, sand box valves
repaired, guides rehung, new studs ap-
plied to expansion buckles, new studs for
fire door applied, shaker rigging and
running boards studs out, holes retapped,
studs removed, all washout holes re-
tapped and plugs renewed, eccentrics
applied. June 23, 1910.— Expansion
buckles fitted by blacksmith, running board
brackets, tumbling shaft, new bushings
;ipplicd, new bolts applied, valve seats
faced, chests closed, driving boxes fitted
and applied, eccentric straps, spring rig-
ging hung. June 24, put up cross head pis-
tf n cab brackets, deck sheets fitted wheeled
engine, all holes tapjied in boiler sheets
for fountain and checks, bell and yoke
o-erhaulcd, ringer repaired and applied,
air pui;ip applie<l, driver brake reser-
voirs, also brake rigging applied. June
25, shoes and wedges put up, engine
fammed, running Inwards applied, air
drums hung, reverse lever quadrant and
reach rod and links hung, engine pipes
reset, dome closed, throttle connected,
engine ready for boiler test June
27. — Engine tested, cab put on. lag-
ging applied, jacket applied, boiler
cocks put on. valves set, piping up cyl-
iiv'er cocks and rigging applied. June
j8tli, eccentrics keyed, rods hung and
connected, engine taken out of shop at
5:30 p. m.. June 28, 1910. June 29,
tank coupled, engine fired and steam
tests out in yard i p. m. two hours. This
report covers work of machine, black-
348
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
August, 1910.
smith, tinner, carpenter, paint and tank
departments.
Report in detail covering boiler work
en engine No. 384 is as follows :— Mon-
day, June 20, ash pan removed, front end
rigging removed, lines and cut rivets at
the back end connection of boiler. June
21, removed old back end of boiler an
applied new one. June 22, riveted back
end at connection. June 23,, stay bolts
applied throat sheet and braces to back
flue sheet, caulked seam at boiler con-
nection. June 24, flues applied, June
25, work on flues completed, ready tci
test. June 27, boiler tested, remove
and bnrst flues renewed, applied ash pan
and front end rigging.
Subjects for General Foremen, igii. .
The subject for the 1911 convention of
the general foremen's association with
the chairman of each committee are given
below. The subjects are not too numer-
ous to prevent a careful and profitable
discussion being made on each :
I — How can shop foremen best pro-
inote efficiency? F. C. Pickard chair-
man, master mechanic, C. H. & D. Ry.,
Indianapolis, Indiana.
2 — Why is it necessary to have wheel
lit, engine truck and driving wheels, lar-
ger than diameter of journals? Stephen
A. Motta chairman, general foreman Nat.
de Mex. Ry., Aguascalientes, Mexico.
3. — Shop Kinks, H. D. Kelley chair-
man, general foreman C. & N.-W. Ry.,
Chicago, 111.
4 — Methods of Shop Organization. D.
E. Barton, chairman, general foreman, lo-
comotive department, A. T. & S. F., Ry.,
Topeka, Kan.
Crosshead-Pin Grease Plug.
Editor :
I am enclosing sketch showing the
crosshead-pin grease plug, with lock nut
Illinois Central Railroad Company.
Editor :
Enclosed please lind photographs and
a blue print of an air device for clamp-
nig plain triple valves. It is too .simple
I>K\K1-: lt)K LI..\.MP1.\G IRIPLE V.-\L\ K.-^.
lo require any explanation. This device
saves considerable time, as it was for-
merly necessary to pipe each triple in
order to test it. E. L. Bowen.
McCoinb Citv. MiiDi.
Fuel Economy.
Regarding the coming convention of the
Traveling Engineers' Association an en-
gineer writes us as follows :
"For a number of years I iiave con-
tended that the waste of fuel, smoke, fire,
and cinders were caused by an imperfect-
ly constructed front end, creating imper-
fect draft and imperfect combustion, and
not the fault of the firemen, which has
been the excuse since 1903. A reference
to Traveling Engineers conventions 1902
and 1903 would be very advisable in this
case, and ask the question 'Why?'
"Twenty years ago I ran an 18 x 24-in.
cylinder, 45-ton engine with S'/i double
nozzle. Blood diamond stack, evaporating
2,000 gallons of water per ton of coal.
Later the engine was equipped with an
extension front end, straight stack 15 ins.
in diameter, high nozzle 5 ins. in diam-
That is a sample of results. At that
time I never heard of any analytical tests
i,f the gases from the front ends, but of
late years a number have been published,
which show a large percentage of carbon
monoxide (CO), very little or no carbon
Dioxide (CO.) when it should be a
maximum of 15 per cent. CO. and no CO.
.\lso the fact that the general average of
evaporation is about 1,000 gallon; per ton
of coal when it should be 3,000 gallons
per ton if — not the firemen by a long
hot. Automatic stokers have failed for
the same reason, not the defective con-
struction or operation of the stoker. In
addition, riding on a train is made a
misery from cinders and smoke, which if
consumed in the firebox would create
heat. And it can be done.
Collapsed Flue.
Some of the investigations made by
the British Board of Trade into the
cause of boiler explosions are par-
ticularly interesting as showing the
causes that conduce to these disasters.
-At Leicester. England, an explosion oc-
turred on the Midland Railway, result-
ing in the severe scalding of the en-
TRIPLE N'ALVE CL.X.MPKD lUK REP.MRS.
gineer, and the investigation showed
that the rupture of one of the flues was
caused by the action of the furnace
gases and the abrasion of particles of
fuel on the inner side of the tubes. The
fiue collapsed for a length of nearly
five feet near the smoke-box end, the
steam pressure at the time being 120
lbs. per square inch. The explosion
was so violent that the steam and
water rushed through the flues into the
firebo.x, forcing open the firebo.x door.
The thickness of the collapsed flue
was found to vary from .041 to .026 of
an inch, or less than one-fortieth of an
inch in thickness. The original thick-
ness of the tubes was No. 12. B. W. G.,
at the firebox end and No. 14. B. W. G..
at the smoke box end.
CROSSHEAD-PIN GREASE PLUG BIG I-OUR R. R.
as used on our locomotives on the Big
Four road. The device is giving perfect
satisfaction, it is the most economical
and is very easily applied to an engine.
It was gotten up at the Bellefontaine
shop. C. H. VoGES.
Bellefontaine, O.
eter. tlie evaporation about the same ;
the only trouble being a tendency to
fill up front end. That engine is to-
day equipped with the standard master
mechanics' front end 3^/2 single nozzle
and evaporates 1,000 to 1,250 gallons of
water per ton of coal.
Relief and Pensions.
T'^e Pcnpsylvania's voluntary relief de-
partment is to have a pension branch.
The plan provides that each member shall
contribute two cents a day in addition to
dues to insure a pension of $25 a month
voluntary at sixty years after thirty
years' service, and compulsory at seventy
\ ears.
August, 1910.
R.\ILWAY AXD LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
Editorial Correspondence
By Angus Sinclair
Bern, Switzerland, July 16, ipio.
We Americans are so zealous to dis-
patch business expeditiously that our
conventions for the transaction of
association business are generally
rushed through with feverish haste and
much left undone that deserves to be
performed. That comes from the prac-
tice of limiting the convention to three
days' duration. Today I am attending
the conclusion of the meetings of what
the journals call De La Huitiome Ses-
sion De I'associat'.on International du
Congres des Chemin de Fer, that is
the eighth session of the International
Railway Congress, which has lasted
twelve days.
A railway congress resembles a
number of railway conventions formed
into one with a variety of meetings, and
dealing with diverse subjects. If the
American Railway Association, the
American Railway Master Mechanics'
Association, the Master Car Builders'
Association, the American Railway
Engineering and Maintenance of Way
Association and the Traveling Engi-
neers' Associations were all to meet
together at one place, listen to an
opening address from such a person-
age as Judge Lowell, president of the
Harriman lines, and then divide up into
sections for the discussion of subjects
in which the various sections wer;
interested, that would be a railway
congress.
The Eighth International Congress
has devoted attention to nearly all sub-
jects that railway men are interested in,
and information has been brought out
which cannot fail to be of permanent
value, information calculated to break
•••' the narrow place or locality prcju-
' s that are always springing up
ir.g persons acciTstomcd to do things
in only their own way.
This has been the largest congress
■ I'l by the association, 729 delegates
ing been present, nearly every
iitry in the '\orld with railways
ng represented. At the previous
'ling, which was held in Washing-
five years ago, their were 582
'gates in attendance. Want of
«i'ice prevents mc from naming the
delegates who represented railways at
ihi* great meeting, but I think the
Icrs of Railway and Lcxomotive
.isttMiHG will Ik: interested in know-
ing who were there from the United
States and bearing other particulars
alynit railway representative*. Strangely
enough there was no delegate from
Canada, which appears doubly strange
when the other countries represented arc
considered.
A person mixing with the delegates
for a week and trying to find out their
views on the topics of interest to their
class could not fail to be impressed
with the world-wide expanse of their
various spheres of usefulness; but it
needed an examination of the register
to fully realize the widespread- interest
manifested in the eighth session of the
International Railway Congress.
The railway managers of Great
Britain and Ireland must have taken
a keen interest in the Congress, for
they sent 75 delegates, the largest list
from any one country. France came
next with 71, then Switzerland with 68.
which seemed to embrace the whole of
their leading officials. Russia sent 61
delegates, which was a large rep-
resentation. The individuals seemed
to be remarkably well selected, for they
were noted for the fluency with which
they could use different languages.
The detailed list reads: Germany, 41;
Austria-Hungary. 31: Italy, 30; Bel-
gium. 22; Spain. 20; Portugal, 19;
Sweden, 18; Holland, 18; Denmark, 12;
Turkey, 10; Norway, 6; Finland, 6;
Roumania, 5 ; Greece. 3 ; Bulgaria, 3.
Other countries besides the United
States, far away from Europe, were re-
markably well represented. India hac 19
delegates, Argentine. 13; .■\lgeria. 10: then
Japan sent 5; China, 4; Turin, 3; Eg>-pt.
2; Australia, 2; Natal, 2; Mexico, 2;
Chili 2 ; Peru, i ; Bolivia, .1 ; Paraguay, i,
and far Siam, i.
The speeches and discussions in the
meetings were confined to English.
French and German, but the talk
heard in the lobbies and in the hotels
was of an extraordinary diverse char-
acter. A large proportion of the dele-
gates were accompanied by ladies, and
many of them had children who chat-
tered most fluently in their native
tongues in a most amusing fashion.
The street cars in and around Bern
were free to the delegates and the
guests, a privilege that was highly ap-
preciated. They seemed to be crowded
all the time, especially by women and
children, and the diversity of tongues
heard gave a good idea of Babel.
Considering the distance they had ti>
travel the delegates from the Uniteil
Slates were remarkably numerous, 4K
in all, as follows: .Messrs. F. W
Allen, Erie: W. F. .Mien, American
Railway .A»s<iciali< n; W. G. Besler,
Central Railro.-id of .Vcw Jersey; F. S.
Blair, Pittsburgh. Shawmut & Northern;
r. W. Bradley. Chesapeake ft Ohio;
J. A. Brown. Interstate Commerce
Commission ; C. W. Buchholj;, Erie :
C. Peter Clark, American Railway
If you could increase
the service of the paint
on your bridges, viaducts
and other steel struc-
tures, wouldn't it mean
thousands of dollars
saved to your company ?
DIXON'S
Silica-Graphite
PAINT
has been cutting main-
tenance costs for the last
forty - five years. The
secret of service that
DIXON'S PAINT give,
is due to the inert pig-
ments that are practi-
cally indestructible.
Write for free booklet
Philosophy of Protective Palot
Joseph Dixon
Crucible Co.
JERSEY CITY, N. J.
350
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
August, 19:0.
Association; F. H. Clark, Chicago,
Burlington & Quincy ; Geo. L. Connor.
American Railway Association; D. F.
Crawford, Pennsylvania; Geo. VV.
Crichton, Pennsylvania; \V. C. Gushing.
Pennsylvania; L. J. Day, Chicago &
Alton; J. F. Deeir.s, New York Cen-
tral; Dr. P. H. Dudley, New York Cen-
tral; J. L. Eysmans, Cumberland Val-
ley; W. A. Garrett, U. S. Commerce
Commission; William Garstang, Cleve-
land, Cincinnati, Chicago & St. Louis;
Col. H. S. Hains, U. S. Commerce Com-
mission; Arthur Hale, American Rail-
way Association; W. J. Harahan, Erie;
W. E. Hoyt, New York Central; H. A.
Jaggard, Pennsylvania; M. C. Kennedy,
Cumberland Valley; W. H. Lewis, Nor-
folk & Western; E. E. Loomis, Dela-
ware, Lackawanna & Western; J. A.
McCrea, Pennsylvania; John D. N.
Macomb, Atchison, Topeka & Santa
Fe; N. D. Mahar. New Y'ork & \\est-
ern; W. Mahl, Harrinian lines; W. S.
Morris. Chesapeake & Ohio; B. C. Mul-
hern, Pittsburgh, Shawmut & Northern;
R. y.1. Patterson, Pennsylvania; A. H.
Plant, Southern; Chas. E. Schaff. New
York Central; John Sebastin. Chicago.
Rock Island & Pacific; John G. Shedd.
Illinois Central; W. M. Simpson.
Manistee & Grand Rapids; Angus Sin-
clair, Erie; A. H. Smith, New York
Central; A. Stewart, Southern; G. W.
Stevens, Chesapeake & Ohio: John C.
Stuart, Erie; Theodore Voorhees. Phil-
adelphia & Reading; W. W'. Wentz,
Chicago, Peoria & St. Louis.
There were several American busi-
ness men in attendance, among them
General Miller, of Franklin, Pa.; Will-
ard .A.. Smith, of the Railzi.'ay and En-
gineering Rez-iew; James McNaughton,
of the American Locomotive Com-
pany; Lawford H. Fry, of the Baldwin
Locomotive Works, and others.
The American delegates displayed
considerable interest in the proceed-
ings and were in evidence in the discus-
sions of the various sections. Dr. Dud-
ley, of the New York Central, having
taken a very active part, both in relation
to tiain operation and also locomotives.
He presented a summary of a paper
on high speed locomotives, prepared
by Mr. Wm. Garstang, of the Big Four
system. Messrs. J. Peter Clark and
W. J. Harahan discussed the utility of
gasoline automobiles for special rail-
way service. Mr. H. A. Jaggard, of the
Pennsylvania Railroad, took a promi-
nent part in the discussion of signals.
An exhaustive discussion on railway
statistics was participated in by Messrs.
R. M. Paterson. Theodore Voorhees,
A. H. Plant, Wm. Mahl, R. M. Pat-
terson, W. G. Besler and others. Mr.
D. F. Crawford read a paper on loco-
motives, and was actively in evidence
in various discussions. Space will not
permit me to enter into details of the
business done at this congress, but I
e.xpect to do justice to the various ques-
lion.> in future issues.
HISTORY.
The International Railway Congress
was inaugurated with a railway conven-
tion held at Brussels in 1885, pro:noted by
the Belgian government for the pur-
pose of celebrating the 50th anni-
versary of the introduction of railways.
Mr. Alfred Picard, the first president
of the permanent commission, had the
idea of forming a union of railways,
postal business and telegraphs, but this
wide scheme proved impracticable and
a purely railway organization was
formed. The influential originator of
the organization called a meeting for
1886, and there a committee of five
directors was chosen, to whom the
power of general management was
given. The following meetings have
been held up to date: ist, Brussels in
1885: 2nd, Milan in 1887; 3rd, Paris in
1889; 4th, St Petersburg in 1892; 5th,
London in 1895; 6th, Paris in 1900; 7th.
Washington in 1905, and 8th, Berne
lOio. The congress has settled down
to the holding of meetings every five
years, and the ne.xt one will be in
Bertree.
Some notes concerning Bern, the
place of meeting, may prove accept-
able.
CITY OF BERK.
The story of Switzerland bj- Linda
Hug and Richard Stead says: "Bern
presented the most perfect example of
an oligarchy. Her decided bent was
for diplomacy, and she was completely
absorbed in rule and administration,
and she had few other tastes. Trade
and industry she considers beneath her
dignity; even literary pursuits to a
great extent. The Bernese aristocrats
were politicians from birth, and the
young men had a curious society
founded for the purpose of cultivating
the diplomatic art and practicing
parliamentan,- tactics and oratory.
Thus trained in bearing and ceremonial
they acquired their much admired po-
litical aplomb. Bern was French in
fashion, in manners and in language,
and the German tongue was as little
appreciated among the Bernese patri-
cians as at the Ccurt of Frederick the
Great.
■'The constitution presents some
unique features. There was an ex-
dusiveness which has lasted in all its
ioTcc down to our own days. Three
classes of society sprang up, as
widely separated from each other as the
different castes in India. All power
was vested in the 360 reigning families,
the number of these was at length, by
death and clever manipulations, reduced
to So. and even fewer. From those
families alone were the councils se-
GOLD
Car
Heating
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MaDulactureri of
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APPARATUS
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IMPROVED
SYSTEM OF
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CAR LIGHT-
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Largest M>Buf»ctareri io ibe World •(
Car HeatiDg Appvatw
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which system automatically main-
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Main OfGce, Whitehall Building
17 BATTERY PLACE
NEW YORK
August, 191a
RAILWAY AXD LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERINa
351
RECOGNIZED
STANDARD
FLEXIBLE
STAYBOLTS
Holds firebox sheets securely
together, and accommodates
itself to the unequal expansion
of the plates.
USfD ON OV[B 1^5 UAILROADS
" Staxbolt Trouble
a Thing of the Past "
So say many of our customers
who have used the Tate Bolt
in large numbers, covering a
period of time sufficient to base
comparisons and eliminate all
"hances of doubt.
THE TATE BOLT HAS
PROVED ITSELF INDISPENS-
ABLE TO LOCOMOTIVES IN
HIGH PRESSURE SERVICE
BY RENDERING A LOWER
COST OF FIRE BOX REPAIRS
TO A GREATER MILEAGE IN
SERVICE. THEREBY IN-
CREASING THE EARNING
VALUE.
FLANNERY BOLT COMPANY
PITTSBURGH. PA.
t<it* ni rr.'k Bir.<ii>«
B. K. B ITArrOED Qtm. Kaur*'
i. EOOXBS IXAVVEBT * COMFAVT.
••Iliac A(«*ta
TiUk BmiUiM Pltuk«r«k. r*.
TOM R DATIl MMkutoI Cip*n
etO. K. ROWABD EutOTB Tamurr
W ■. VTUOW WMUn T.m.-rT
oonfowTALTH ivmj coitrAirr
lected, and to the members of those
only were the government assigned.
It male heirs were wanting, then the
seats on the council were given to the
daughters as dowries. So exclusive
was this governing body that even
Haller, the great poet, was not allowed
to enter it. The class next lower in
rank was that of the frngshabitanten
with no political rights and with not
a vestige of power in the common-
wealth. They were not allowed to
hold officerships abroad, but trade, in-
dustry and the schools and churches
were theirs. Lastly came the Ahsos-
sig€ (settlers), the proleUriat, includ-
ing the country laborers, foreigners,
refugees and commoner folk generally.
Many were their disabilities, they were
not permitted to buy houses, to have
their children baptized in the city, to
have tombstones set up over the graves
of their families. They might not
even appear in market until their bet-
ters had done their business, viz.: 11
a. m., and they were strictly forbidden
to carry baskets in the archways, in
order that these should not damage the
hooped petticoats of the patrician
ladies."
Electric Fixtures.
We have received from the Safety Car
Heating and Lighting Company, of New
York, a number of catalogue sheets show-
ing the great variety of electric light fix-
tures made by them for use in passenger
cars. The sheets contain half-tones
showing the fixtures and each has a num-
ber which is tabulated in a general index
for the purpose of facilitating the work
of ordering or duplicating parts.
.An ordinarv- observer would be as-
tonished at the variety and the elegance
of the fixtures and their adaptabilit>- to
ever}- varietj- of passenger car lighting.
No st>-Ie, and no form of ornamentation
seems to have been omitted and the large
number of separate designs shown is evi-
dence of the popularity of electricity as
applied to train lighting. The sheets are
perforated ready for attaching in a
standard catalogue holder. Write to the
company. No. 2 Rector street, for further
information on the subject.
The Baldwin Exhibit.
The Baldwin Locomotive Works
have a fine exhibit at the Buenos Aires
Exhibition. Be*ides a ten-wheel pas-
itngtr engine there is a consolidation
engine, both built for the Entre Rios
Railway Company. Argentine, and
other exhibit* from the Baldwin
Works A finely illi phlet
descriptive of the ex' <I in
Spani»h. French atnl The
pamphlet Rive* a good description of
the Baldwin Works and alts of the
Standard Steel Works at Bumham,
Pa. The exhibit shown by the steel
works consists of locomotive parts
such as cast iron steel-tired engine-
truck wheels, cast steel truck wheels,
tires, axles, springs and other parts
of locomotive work. The e.xhibit at-
tracts much attention.
Crude Asbestos.
.\sbestos rock when it comes from the
mines is in appearance much the same as
other rock. When scientifically crushed
this rock produces long, tough fibers which
are woven into cloth for asbestos theater
curtains, made into sheets of felt for roof-
ing, and treated in various ways for mak-
ing htmdreds of different fireproofing ma-
terials. In making the J.-M. asbestos
roofing, several sheets of asbestos felt
are thoroughly saturated with genuine
Trinidad Lake asphalt, well known as the
most permanent waterproofing material
there is in existence. These sheets are
then cemented firmly together with this
asphalt making one homogeneous mass.
This, then, constitutes an actual covering
of stone, which, because of its all-mineral
nature, not only offers to a building pro-
tection against fire, water, wind and
weather, but which also naturally cannot
rot, rust, melt, run or crack, and requires
no painting to preserve it. It is said to
be able to withstand the flame of a blow-
torch for an hour without being injured.
This roofiing is made by the H. W.
Johns-Manville Co., of New York, well
known as manufacturers of asbestos
products. A copy of the ver>- handsomely
illustrated catalogue, which we received
from the manufacturers, will be sent to
any of our readers inquiring for it from
the company.
E^rly Railway Signal History.
.•\ st.ition m.T>ter, one of the pioneers
of signalmen on the Darlington Railway,
placed a lighted candle in the window of
the station when it was desired to stop
the train, and left the window in darkness
if the line was clear. The first real sig-
nals were flags waved by hand ; afterward
those were placed on lofty poles and sur-.
mounted at night by lamps, with red or
white lights. In 1837 the disk signal
fixed on a pole came into use, which was
turned edgeways when the line was clear.
Gradually the semaphore, adopted in
1842, came into use, just eleven years be-
fore the block system was introduced. In
1856 a plan of interlocking the levers was
invented, but it was not until 1859 that
the first interlocking frame was set in
action at Willesden.— /.oin/oii ChronicU.
Open once the door to trouble and its
ri»its are threefold; first anticipation:
second, in actual pretence; third, in living
it over again. — H'olchmoH.
352
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING
Ausiist. 1910.
New Self Feed Rip Saw.
Messrs. J. A. Fay & Egan Co., the
well known nianiifacturers of wood-
working machinery, have asked us to in-
troduce to our readers their new No. 264
self feed rip saw and as our readers will
be interested in this class of tool, we give
a brief description below :
This saw is designed for general rip-
ping in the car shop, .ind will be found a
satisfactory tool for both light and heavy
work. The frame is a very heavy struc-
ture, cast in one piece and is absolutely
free from vibration. This machine rips
4 ins. thick with a i6-in. saw, and 8 ins.
with a 24-in. blade. It takes 19 ins. be-
tween saw and fence. By lowering tht
table and raising the feed out of the way
a timber as large as 12 ins. can be ripped.
The table is raised and lowered bv
Acetylene Signal Lamps Tested.
On the Perth .Xmboy branch, the Le-
high Valley Railroad has introduced
acetylene gas as a substitute for oil in
signal lamps. It is said that if the ex-
periment meets expectations the use of
acetylene will be extended.
German Locomotive Works.
The elegant catalogue printed on cream
laid paper and profusely illustrated, has
just been issued by the Hannoversche
Maschinenbau- Actien-Gesellschaft, Hano -
ver, Germany, and furnishes an historical
account of the establishment of these
works. It appears that in 1835 Mr. George
Egestorflf, an enterprising mechanician, be-
c^an the construction of machinery and
steam engines at Hanover-Linden, and in
F.W & EG.\N NEW SELF-FEED RIP .S.VW .\0. -'64.
worm segments and is 37^4 ins. wide and
5 ft. 6 ins. long. Tlie fence is 2^4 ins.
high and 40 in.s. long and can be instantly
moved and clamped in any position. The
mandrel pulley has an outside bearing
supported by a heavy arm bolted on the
side of the frame. The feed consists of
two large rolls above and one spur, as-
sisted by idler rollers in the table. The
driving mechanism is the strongest pos-
sible, consisting of a train of .sprocket
gears and chain regulated by three step
cone pulley. This machine is also made
as a hand feed rip saw, with a capacity
for 14 ins. thick and with the fence
beveling 45 degs.
For further particulars concerning this
tool, you are invited by 'the manufac-
turers to write for their large illustrated
circular. The address of the company is
Cincinnati, Ohio.
1 846 also took up the construction of loco-
motiTes. Dr. Strousberg, a well-known
railway contractor, bought the establish-
ment in 1868 and organized the company.
In 1873 the i.oooth locomotive had been
completed, and was awarded the first prize
at the Vienna Exhibition in that year. In
1903, the 4,000th locomotive, a four-cylin-
der balanced compound of the 4-4-0 type,
was completed, and was awarded the
"Grand Pri.x" at the Paris Exhibition.
Prizes were subsequently awarded to the
company for their locomotives exhibited
at St. Louis, and latterly at the Milan
Exposition of 1906. The total number of
locomotives manufactured by them up to
May of the present year amounts to 5.1)00.
of which 4,600 were supplied to German
railways. The outstanding feature of
their work is what may be called an ele-
gant massiveness in construction. Their
CARS, CABS, SHOPS
AND
RCUND HOUSES
require a roofing that
is unaffected by ex-
tremes of temperature
RUBEROID
ROOFING
r
Will not melt, rot, crack or
corrode. Contains no tar.
Outlaid Mttal
SPARK PROOF, CINDER PROOF,
QAS PROOF, WEATHER PROOF
Writ* for tAmplea, prlc«« and booklet If*. M.
THE STANDARD PAINT OO.
1 00 William Slr**l N*w Y«rk
Cblc*(o. Fbllidelpbli, Boiton, Kansu Oltr,
U»mphl>. Atlanta.
"HOMESTEAD"
VALVES
Are constructed upon mechanicany eor-
rect principles — they are leak pr*of under
Bteam, air or hydraulic pressures. T^e;
are practically indestructible because th«
•eats are protected from wear. Tke plug
ii balanced and held in place by pressure
when open, and when closed it is locked
on the scat by our patent wedging cam.
"Homestead" \ alvcs are the quickest acting,
simplest, most easily operated and l«nges1
IiTcd of any made.
Homestead Valves are opened wide and
closed tight by a quarter turn.
LOCOMOTIVE BLoW-OFF
Write for catalogue of Honestea^
HOMESTEAD VALVE M'F'G CO.
Brasi Foundara Works at Homastaad, Pa.
P. O. Sox 1754, PITTSBURG, PA.
DUNER
CAR CLOSETS
DUNER CO.
August. IQIO.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
353
One Year and
Eleven Months'
SERVICE
WITHOUT REP.^CKING. ON
High-Pressure Locomotives
style 300 TV.
A throttle failure is an absolute
impossibility where Cran-
dall's Throttle Valve pack-
ing is used.
IT WILL NOT BLOW OUT
Crandall Packing Co.
FAOTORT ASV GBNBRAL OITtCB
PALMYRA. NEW YOUK
BBANCBB9
Rrv York Clntlud
IM UWrtr St. • So. W>t*r Bt.
U W«rt WtiklBrtw It.
STORRS' Mica
Headlipt Chimneys
STORRS MICA COMPANY
R. R. D«pi.. 0»«co. N. Y.
most recent innovation is known as the
Lentz poppet valve gear. It resembles
the valve gearing used on the Matheson
gasoline motor. The parts are enclosed
in a cast iron case. A cam rod lifts the
poppet valves in succession and spiral
springs insure the prompt return of the
valves.
Factory Safety in Boilers.
The New York I'liblic Service Commis-
sion have publislied a report in regard to
the permissible factor of safety of loco-
motive boilers at different ages and with
seams of various construction. With butt
seams the factor of safety in boilers un-
der thirty years is set at 4. One-quarter
is added with lap and cover seams. In
the case of plain lap seams, in boilers be-
tween twenty and thirty years in service,
the factor is set at 4'/;. All boilers arc
condemned in the report that have been
in existence over forty years. It will be
understood that the factor of safety is
meant to convey the idea that a well-con-
structed boiler which could be rent apart
at a pressure of 800 lbs. per sq. in., should
lint be worked at over 200 lbs. per sq. in
\e doubt if the commissioners would
;re to stand near a forty-year-old boiler
ing tested at anything approaching one-
iilf of the 800 lbs. pressure, but the ways
:' commissions arc past finding out.
Patents.
GEO. P. WMITTLF£SF-Y
MaOUX BUILI>l>Ci WASMINOTON. O. C.
T*r»« ■•■••■akl* Paai»bl«« Baat
Smart "Smarty" Made to Smart.
One conductor's vacation took him
up into the woods, or rather near the
woods, on a farm. Being accustomed
to early rising, he practiced it while off
his run, as he could not sleep. Meet-
ing the farmer's hired man one morn-
ing, he tried to "get gay" with him.
".An early bird you are," he said. "1
reckon you get up so soon so's to be
sure the haycocks crow all right, eh?"
"Well, no," was the slow answer.
"Fact is, I come out early most every
niornin' to untie some o' the knots in
the cord wood." — Railroad Cnnduclor.
Improvements at Bristol.
Rapid progress is being made on the
new line the Pennsylvania Railroad is
building through Bristol, Pa. This work
will eliminate ten grade crossings. The
entire new line, which is a four-tracked
railroad, 2Vi miles long, will be completed
early next year. The present line through
Bristol is on a heavy curve and the new
route will be on a tangent through the
western part of the town with light
curves to the east and west. Two curves
of I deg. 20 min. and i deg. 40 min.
will be eliminated. The maximum curve
on the new line will be 45 min. The to-
tal curvature on the old line is 101 degs.
22 niins., while that on the new line will
be only 50 degs. 8 min.
In furtherance of the policy of the
Pennsylvania Railroad of eliminating all
grade crossings in new and revised con-
struction work, this change of line
through Bristol includes the building of
nine bridges over streets and public
roads, one over the Pennsylvania Canal
and three over streams. To make this
change of line will necessitate the grad-
ing of some 550,000 cubic yards of earth
and the construction of 5,000 cubic yards
of arch masonry and 12,000 cubic yards
of bridge masonry. The street bridges
will be constructed of reinforced con-
crete with solid floors. .At the present
time about 256,000 cubic yards of em-
bankment have been made and 4,000 cu-
bic yards of concrete masonry built. One
of the present tracks will be left on the
old location as an industrial side track
to reach the new factories in that part
of the city.
Die Crampton-Locomotive.
"The Crampton Locomotive" is the
iibject of an exhaustive treatise by
.Mr. F. Gaiser, and published at Neu-
■ tadt in Germany. Besides a fine por-
trait of Crampton, there arc sixty-one
illustrations, giving details of the con-
struction of the Crampton locomotive,
with descriptive text, the whole form-
ing a superb volume of more than one
hundred pages. Thomas Russell
rraniplon is peculiarly fortunate In
having a historian who takes such
pains in recording and illustrating his
work, although it seems to us, it is at
,T somewhat late date. Nevertheless
the book before us will be of special
intercit not only to the railway anti-
Muarian, but to all interested in the dc-
lelopment of the locomotive.
P. L. M. at the Brussels Exposition.
The French locomotive builders are
making a grand exhibit at the Exposition
at Brussels, Belgium. The Paris, Lyons
and Mediterranean Railway Company
have just issued a superb catalogue, illus-
trated with tinted photographs and draw-
ings, which are excellent, .\part from
the elegance and symmetry of the numer-
ous locomotives described, the luxurious
and fine taste of the French manufac-
turers are perhaps seen to best advantage
in the interior furnishing and decoration
of the passenger coaches. They are
simply gorgeous. .Among freight cars may
be mentioned some of special design for
the carriage of automobiles. The various
types of engines used on this well known
load are in evidence among the exhibits.
Failure! that Have Brought Succew.
The accidental bending of a little spring
in a Bell telephone, which prevented the
proper working of the delicate machine,
gave Mr. Bell the English patents to his
invention, says the New York World.
When he patented his invention in the
I'liiled .States Ixird Kelvin was here
354
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
August, 1910.
He happened to see one of Mr. Bell's ma-
chines, and was so struck with it that he
took one to England to introduce to his
classes. When the instrument was pro-
duced it absolutely failed to work, and
despite his master mind. Lord Kelvin had
to apologize for his inability to demon-
strate with it. The whole failure was due
to the fact that a small spring in the in-
strument had got bent during the jour-
ney from America. Had Lord Kelvin
perceived this and rectified it the instru-
ment would have worked excellently, and
the demonstration would have prevented
Mr. Bell patenting the instrument in
Great Britain.
Some twelve years ago when Richard
Laverson was a low-grade worker in a
Pittsburgh engineering shed, he hit upon
a novelty in the shape of brooch-pins. He
finished a few by hand, and they seemed
so much superior to the usual form of
brooch pin that he concluded to make a
machine to manufacture them. On this
task he spent weeks, and finally one day,
in a fit of rage, he threw a hammer at
the machine and left it in disgust. He
did not look at the machine again for
many weeks, but when he did he found it
worked. Though it refused to turn out
brooch-pins, it turned out splendid little
safety-pins of a unique pattern. These
pins have since been sold in millions all
over the United States.
Twenty-Third Annual Report.
The twenty-third annual report of the
Interstate Commerce Commission is just
issued in a volume of 338 pages. There
is much in the volume of interest to rail-
way men. Probably the most gratifying
part of the report is the large falling oflF
in the number of casualties to passengers
and employees on railways. In 1909 there
were forty-six per cent, less fatal acci-
dents on railways than in 1907. This
speaks well for the increased vigilance of
railway employees, as well as for the
rapid adoption of safety appliances. Per-
haps the most striking illustration of this
fact is to be found in the report of the
number of accidents in coupling and un-
coupling cars. In 1893, no less than 77
men among each 1,000 men employed in
the service were injured. Last year the
number was reduced to 16. Copies of the
report may be had from the Government
Printing Office, Washington, D. C.
Plain but in Good Taste.
The steel Pullman parlor cars recently
delivered to the Pennsylvania show severe
simplicity, with an elimination of decora-
tive effects heretofore so noticeable in
this class of passenger equipment. The
only ornamentation is a neat fresco de-
sign. The cars are also wider. More
than 100 steel sleeping cars are now in
use:
Gould Coupler Catalogue.
The catalogue, just off the press
which has been issued by the Gould
Coupler Company of New York, is ex-
cellent in many ways. Of its style and
makeup we need not speak, as that is
up to the standard of the company's
other work. The various parts of the
many devices made by the Gould Com-
pany are numbered, named, and illus-
trated so that ordering or reference be-
comes easy. The pages are arranged
for the introduction of supplementary
sheets.
The specialties made by the company
are Gould M. C. B. freight, pilot, ten-
der and passenger couplers; vestibules,
wide and narrow; continuous platforms
and buffers for wood sills ; continuous
platforms and buffers with steel under-
framing; steel platforms with friction
buffers; friction draft gear for passen-
ger equipment; trap door rigging, jour-
I'al boxes, malleable iron draft beams,
twin type of draft gears, tandem type
of draft gears, uncoupling brackets,
special type, malleable iron castings,
scientifically annealed; car and engine
axles, reworked wrought iron or open-
hearth steel, Gould M. C. B. couplers.
"U" type truck bolsters, car end sills,
"crown" cast steel bolsters, truck side
frames, miscellaneous castings, Gould
friction draft gear and Hartman ball-
bearing center plates and side bearings.
The capacity of the various plants
owned by this company is as follows :
steel castings plant, 250 tons a day ;
malleable iron plant, 100 tons a day ;
axle forge, 200 axles a day; storage bat-
tery plant, unlimited. They also have
in connection with their other estab-
lishments an electrical plant where axle
driven dynamos for car lighting arc
n:ade.
Tunnel Boring Machine.
A new form of tunnel boring machine
has lately been devised by Mr. Ebbley,
formerly master mechanic of the lid Do-
minion Copper mine at Globe, Ariz. Tlie in-
ventor says his device will average 25 to
50 ft. a day. No blasting is required, and
this eliminates one of the dangers and a
large part of the cost of tunneling. No
gases collect to hinder progress of the
work. Three men on a shift can operate
the machine.
The machine drills a circular hole from
S to 25 ft. in diameter. It is intended to
go through any ground that a machine
drill will work in. The track is laid and
the timbers placed as the machine pro-
ceeds. From 150 to 200 h. p. is required
to operate the borer, but the cost of this
is offset by the saving in men, powder
and time. A large hollow shaft is mount-
ed on a carrying frame running on wheels
on the track. At the head of the shaft
are radial arms carrying different drilling
"lANG'S
yy New Tool
Holder
LARGEST CUn[R BIGGEST CUTS
G. R. LANG & CO., Meadville, Pa.
ASMTOIM
POPVALVES AND GAGES
The Quality Goods that Last
The Athton Valve Co.
271 Franklin Street, Boiton. Miu.
174 Lake Street, . Chicago. III.
HUNT-SPILLER IRON
FOR LOCOMOTIVE CASTINGS
Hunt-Spiller Mfg. Corporation
W. B. LEACH, Can. Mgr A Traas.
South Ooston, yviass.
STANDARD MECHANICAL BOOKS
FOR ROAD AND SHOP MEN
BY CHAS. McSHANE.
The Locomotive Up to Date
Price, $2.50
New York and
Westinghouse Air Brakes
Price, $1.50
One Thousand Pointers for
Machinists and Engineers
Price, $1.50
All books bound in line clolb
▲GINTS WANTBD eTcrrwhcra; write tm
termi and deicrlptlre drculan. frill k*
Mat prepaid to any addrcM upoa ractlyt
•f prtca.
GRirniN &WI1NTERS
171 La Salle Street, CHICAGO
The trade of the machinist came with
the steam engine, and millwrights claimed
for a time the work now done by machin-
ists. The millwright trade is nearly as
old as the introduction of machinery and
was for years a close guild in some cities.
August, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
355
"REACTIONS"
IS
OUT AGAIN
IT IS FILLED WITH TIMELY
ARTICLES ON LOCOMOTIVE
REPAIRS.
"Reactions" is a paper which
we publish quarterly and which
contains a special department
devoted to locomotive repairs
by the Thermit Process. It also
contains interesting articles de-
scribing large repairs on ships,
crankshafts and other heavy re-
pair work. The current issue
describes three welds recently
made on the sternpost of U. S.
S. "Nero" at the Brooklyn
Xavy Yard and the welding of
a crank shaft on the U. S. S.
"Dixie" for the torpedo boat
"Reid."
"Reactions" is profusely il-
lustrated and the current issue
is the best yet.
If you are not on our mail-
ing list, write for a copy, men-
tioning this advertisement.
90 West St.. New York
iM-416 Folum St.. Baa Franelaoo, Call/.
lOS Richmond St. W., Tarooto, Ont.
SINCLAIR'S LOCOMOTIVE ENGINE
RUNNING AND MANAGEMENT
■ ••till popular. We have it. Price $2.00
ANGUS SINCLAIR CO.. 114 I ibertr St.. N. Y.
WATTERSA.B.C.TRACK SANDERS
Ofil, Iwo pi.... No rap.ir.
I .^ ..:. I.,
I n. WAntRS. AvsL M. M. Ga. R.R., Ai^eta, (a.
machines of special design for cutting
channels in the rock. There are three
complements of drills, the outer set cut-
ting the channel that determines the size
of the bore. Another set cuts a channel
in the rock or earth a foot or two inside
the line of the outer channel. A third set
cuts a still smaller ring in the rock, and
other sets may be used. Hammers pound
against the rock with smashing force as
the channels are cut, thus breaking
out the rock and earth and allowing it
to fall to the l1oor of the tunnel. A
shovel that has a reciprocating motion
with accelerated speed to the rear gathers
up the muck and throws it behind the ma-
chine. The shovel is handled by an 'air
cylinder equipped with a specially de-
signed valve gear.
Mere Matter of Speed.
The Reading Railway's lawyer was
cross-examining a negro woman who had
sworn that she saw the train hit a milk
wagon whose bandaged driver had just
testified. No, she had not heard the en-
gineer blow any whistle whatsoever.
"How near were you to the train?"
the lawyer asked her sharply.
She didn't know exactly. It might have
been so far and it might have been a
little further.
"But how far?" the lawyer persisted.
"A mile or a square or what? How long
would it have taken you to walk the dis-
tance?"
"Suh," the witness replied, haughtily,
"dat would depend entirely on ma
speed!"
The Northern Pacific Wonderland.
The Northern Pacific Railroad has
just issued two high-class publications,
one illustrative of their excellent train
service, and the other furnishing gor-
geous views with letter press descrip-
tion of the Yellowstone National Park.
To say that the two publications are
a surprise to us is putting it mildly. All
the wild wonders of that marvel of
scenic splendor arc there, the green
and golden glory of noon in the mighty
cimons — the rainbow-hued rocks rising
in many pinnacled splendor, the flash of
crystal waters, the red glory of fiery
sunsets, the sjiarkling crystals of eter-
nal snows, the muffled moonlight gild-
ing the mysteries of terraced towers
that seem reaching to infinitude. Thru
the splendid panorama of cultivated
ficlds, and the somber picturesquencss
of wooded valleys, where the light-
footed denizens of the forest roam in
primeval seclusion. It is magnificent,
and as for the train service those who
have never been in the grand North-
west cannot conceive of its perfection.
It leaves nothing to be desired. It is
the acme of luxurious delight. Thry
who trouble themselves wandering to
ll.r .,1.1 l>:oii>i, of I'.urope lilll.' know
the unrivalled magnificence that awaits
them in a trip on the Northern Pacific.
The passenger department of this road
is to be congratulated on the beauty
and excellence of these two publica-
tions.
Chemical Names.
Before chemistry had become an exact
science, substances often received their
names in curious ways. Ammonia was
said to have been so called because it was
produced in quantity by the decomposition
of animal matter near the temple of
Jupiter Ammon. Phosphorus is derived
from the Greek words meaning to bear
light. Potash was originally made by
burning plants in open iron pots and the
ashes were called pot-ashes, and after
being boiled with water and the liquid
evaporated was finally called potash.
Lunar caustic is nitrate of silver, and was
named after the moon. Quicksilver was
called mercury and was named after the
planet of that name. A very strange ori-
gin is ascribed to antimony. It is said
that at an old monastery a small quantity
of this substance on one occasion became
mixed with the food used in that institu-
tion, and that much sickness resulted to
the inmates. When the offending ele-
ment had been isolated the abbott called it
anti-monos, or that which operated against
the monks, hence antimony.
Dudgeon Catalogues.
In response to many ajiplications for
descriptive catalogues in languages
other than English, the enterprising
firm of which M. R. Dudgeon is head,
lias issued two new booklets, Nos. 9
.niid II. Booklet No. 9 is printed in
the Spanish language, and especially il-
lustrates and describes the new Uni-
versal Hydraulic Jack. Booklet No. 11
i' in French, and it also illustrates the
principle of the Universal Jack and
Pressure Pumps, as well as a number
of types in which this Jack may be ob-
tained. The illustrations in both book-
lets are numerous and excellent. The
one in Spanish is actually a text book
on the subject of the construction of
the hydraulic jack. Copies may be had
on application to Mr. Richard Dudgeon,
Broome and Columbia streets, New
York City.
Directory of Manufacturers.
The McGraw Publishing Company,
New York, have just Issued a directory
of manufacturers of and dealers in en-
gineers' and contractors' machinery and
supplies. This is the third edition of this
Directory, and is the only publication of
its kind. It extends to 136 pages, and
will be of much value not only to consult-
ing engineers and contractors, but also
to architects, bridge and structural engi-
neers an<l industrial plants all over the
world.
356
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
August. loio.
Large Stationary Engine.
The most gigantic engine was used
at the zinc mines near Friedensville. It
is fed by sixteen boilers, which give it
:i 5,000 horse power, and if it becomes
necessary the number of boilers may be
doubled. This would give the iron mon-
ster a power equal to 10,000 horses. Each
revolution of the wheel raises 17,500 gal-
lons of water, it is used as a pumping
engine, and every day its furnaces con-
sume 28 tons of coal. The flywheels
are 37 ft. in diameter, and weight 40 ton.
eacli.
American Steel Industry.
From reports issued last month it ap-
pears that the production of Bessemer
steel ingots and castings in the United
States last year was 9,330,783 tons as com-
pared with 6.116,755 tons in igo8, showing
a very substantial increase this year. The
highest production of any year w-as that
of 1906, when an output of 12,275,830 tons
was reached. It may be added that the
total value of iron and steel products ex-
ported from the United States in 1909
approached $160,000,000.
What Was the Tin For?
"Are yez lioirin' en}' niin?" said a
burly Irishman to the engineer in
charge of the steam shovel gang.
"We are that." was the reply.
"And how much do yez pay?" the
engineer was again asked.
"A dollar and seventy-five cents," he
answered.
"Faith an' Oi'm glad to hear thot.
Oi just passed the section foreman up
the line a ways and sez Oi to him:
"'Are yet hoirin' eny niin?'
" 'We are.' sez he.
" 'And how much do yez pay ?' sez Oi.
" 'It's the dollar tin,' sez he.
"'And phwats the tin fur?' sez Oi.
"'Aw, gwan.' sez he: 'gwan, ye
omothon. yez don't want to work.' " —
Railroad Conductor.
Heat Value of Coal.
It is interesting to note the heat value
of coal in comparison with other fuels.
The variation in coal samples, however,
make it impossible to fix an exact stand-
ard. The conclusions recently arrived at
by the L^nited States Geological Survey
are based upon what is known as pure
coal, or'actual coal, or unit coal, meaning-
the actual organic matter which is in-
volved in combustion, apart from other
extraneous mineral matter. The follow-
ing table furnishes a near approach to the
relative values of the most common fuels:
Bituminous coal, Easter field, 150 to
160: anthracite, 150 to 155; bituminous
coal, Mid-Continental field, 142 to 150;
lignite, black, 125 to 135: lignite, brown,
115 to 125; peat, 78 to 115; cellulose and
wood. 65 to 78. These are of course com-
parative values.
Fifty-Eight Years of Service.
Mr. Michael Kirby, a locomotive engineer
with a record of 58 years of continuous
railway service, chiefly on the Baltimore
& Ohio, has been retired on a pension. He
began as a water boy and believes he is
the only one now living who helped drive
the gold spike into the cross tie at Rose-
by's Rock, W. Va., which marked thi-
completion of the Baltimore & Ohio to the
Ohio River at Wliecling and the establisli-
nient of the lirst trunk line on the Aukt-
ican continent.
Erie Railroad Thanked.
The directors of the Second Ward As-
sociation of Nutley, N. J., have adopted
and transmitted to the Erie management
resolutions expressing appreciation of the
enterprise and liberality shown in the com-
pletion of the Bergen cut as evidencing
consideration for the comfort of the pat-
rons of the road and a desire to please
them.
They further state that the company is
therefore justified in making a moderate
increase in commutation rates, which, it
is felt, will ultimately tend to the bend''
of commuters through further improx e
ments that it will be possible to make on
the Newark branch.
Honorable Record.
Robert Witherspoon died at the age of
77 years. Mr. Witherspoon was born in
Edinburgh and came to Canada in 1885 to
work for the contractors for the construc-
tion of the Grand Trunk Railway. Mr.
Witherspoon was engineer of the first
passenger train that pulled out of Mon-
treal for Toronto on the night of October
6. 1856, and ran the trains that carried two
British Monarchs, having been engineer
of the train that conveyed the late Queen
Victoria from London to Cambridge, and
the late King Edward from ^Montreal to
Sherbrooke during his trip through
Canada in i860.
Silence Is Golden.
In a railroad office in West Philadel-
phia there is an old man and trusted clerk
of Celtic extraction who keeps his asso-
ciates in a constant state of good humor
by an unending series of witticisms, in-
terspersed occasionally with "bulls" so
glaring that even he himself has to join
in the laugh that invariably follows such
a "break" on his part, says the Philadel-
phia Times. There was some trouble on
the telephone one day recently, and Mike,
as he is called among his friends, lost
nnich of his usual good nature in his
efforts to get the gist of a message that
was being sent from another office. The
man on the other end of the wire finally
became exasperated and asked Mike if he
was losing his hearing,
"I can hear you all right until you
begin to talk," said Mike, "and then I
can't understand a word vou sav."
TURNTABLES
Philadelphia Turntable Co.
PHILADELPHIA, PA.
CHICAGO: ST. LOUIS I
Marquatle Bldg. Commonwealth Trait Bld(.
Nichols Transfer Tables
Turntable Tractors
CEO. P. NICHOLS & BRO.
1090 Old Colony BIdg. CHICAGO
ALDON CAR REPLACERS
We set three pairs of .Aluon Frogs and had
all nine cars on the rails in twenty minutes. —
Extract from Wrecking Masters' Reports.
THE ALDON COMPANY
965 Monadnock Block, CHICAGO, ILL.
ESTABLISHED 1884
Sipe's
Japan Oil
Is superior to Linseed Oil
and Dryers for
ALL KINDS Of PAINTINO
In Daily Use by
All the leading Railroads
In the United States
Manufactured (olely by
JANES B. SIPE & (0.
Nertb Side, PITTSBURGH
Rl|!K2X.veEniineeriiti
A Practical Journal of Motive Power, Rolling Stock and Appliances
VoL XXIIL
114 Liberty Street, New York, September, 1910.
No. 9
By Rail to the Himalayas. "limited" to 32 first-class passengers, Ganges. This train is composed of
Such great iiiiprovenuius liave re- the balance of the train being required handsome bogie carriages and carries
cently been made in Indian railway for the Postal service. The train leaves all classes of passengers. It is usually
travel that it is now possible for the the Victoria terminal, Bombay, as soon hauled by a four-coupled bogie express
tourist to see Mount Everest and get as the mails are on board and makes locomotive with cylinders iS'A ins. in
within 200 miles of the forbidden holy a fast and direct run to Calcutta, diameter by 26 ins. stroke and driving
city of Lhassa with no more trouble where it usually arrives early on a wheels (> ft. in diameter.
(J.Ni; or TIIK LOurS on hie IJAKJKliLl.\G.llIM.\l..\V A.N KAII-W.VV.
than that incurred in a trip 10 Switzer-
land or Italy.
For the Imperial mail service between
Bombay and Calcutta a magnificent new
"Train-de-Iuxc" is provided by the
Great Indian Prninsula and Ea<t Indian
Railways. It is entirely composed of
sleeping cars, with a restaurant, and is
Sunday morning, as 36 hours is the time
allowed for the journey.
The Him.ilayan express of the East-
ern Bengal State Railway leaves the
Scaldah terminus, Calcutta, l6:j6 o'clock
and rearlirs Damookdcah. a distance
of 116 miles. This point is the terminus
of the broad gauge on the banks of the
The Ganges is crossed on a large flat-
bottomed paddle steamer, and dinner is
served on the passage across. It is
very difficult to secure good landing
jetties, owing to the shifting character
of the sands forming the river banks.
The narrow gauge, 3 ft. 3)i ins., ter-
minus of the Eastern Bengal State
358
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
September, 1910.
Railway is at Sara Ghat, not quite op-
posite to Daniookdeah, but a little
higher up the river, and it is at this
point where the new bridge is to be
built to link up the narrow-gauge lines
and bring them into Calcutta.
The run from Sara Ghat to Siliguri,
a distance of 210 miles, is over the nar-
row-gauge rails and some verj' com-
fortable and well-fitted bogie trains
have been put on for the Himalayan
below, the Teesta River and the Bho-
tan Mountains.
There are four zig-zags or reverses
on the line, where the train first runs
into a dead-end, and is pushed back
up an incline to a higher one, to be
then taken forward on its journey;
there are also four spirals or loops, one
being shown in our frontispiece, in
which the train makes two complete
turns, only one is in the picture, gaining
ZIGZAG REVERSE AT GIABAREE.
service. These trains are worked by
six-coupled bogie engines of the State
Lines standard, with cylinders 15 x 20
ins. and drivers 4 ft. g ins. in diameter.
Siliguri is reached at 6;ll a. m., and
the "limited mail" of the Darjeeling-
Himalayan train is found awaiting the
arrival of the Calcutta express. A fur-
ther reduction of gauge takes place,
the Darjeeling-Himalayan Railwaj' be-
ing but 24 ins. Even on this limited
track, however, very roomy and com-
fortable cars have now been intro-
duced, and smooth travel is ensured
over the 51 miles up the mountains to
Darjeeling.
Our illustrations show various scenes
on this interesting little railway. The
first 7% miles to Sootana only rises
I in 281 ft., but after passing that sta-
tion the stiff grade commences and
continues at an average of i in 30 to
the summit at Ghoom, 7,407 ft. above
sea level. The rails are laid along the
side of the post road, crossing and re-
crossing it at frequent intervals to
ease the grade. The next 10 miles
from Sootana is through a magnificent
forest, then come tea gardens and cul-
tivated patches along the mountain
sides all the way up. The railway work
shops are at Tindharia. 20 miles from
Siliguri and 2.820 ft. high. Grand
views are here obtainable of the valley
Ghoom, the summit, 7,047 ft. above tlie
sea level and from this point the line
descends to Darjeeling on a grade of
I in 31 for 3 miles, tlic terminus being
6,812 ft. above sea level. Of the glories
of Darjeeling, volumes might be writ-
ten; here the journey ends and any
venturesome traveler desirous of ex-
ploring beyond the snowj- barrier of
the giant Himalayas must, for the pres-
ent, fall back on the pack horse and
pony, the high road to Thibet lies in
front of those intent on adventure and
exploration.
140 ft. in vertical rise. There are seven-
teen locomotives working on the D.-H
Ry., all four-coupled tanks, but of two
different classes. The earliest engines,
known as the A class, have cylinders
10 by 14 ins. and driving wheels 2 ft.
2 ins. in diameter spaced 4 ft. 3 ins.
apart. The engines weigh 12 tons in
working order. The B type has larger
cylinders and weighs 14
tons in working order, and
can haul a load of 50 tons
up an incline of i in 25. It
has driving wheels 2 ft. 6
ins, in diameter spaced 5
ft. 6 ins. center to center.
The limited usually consists
of two luggage vans, a
four-wheel van, mail van
and one third-class car.
The maximum speed al-
lowed for the train is 11
miles per hour ; for other
trains 10 miles per hour is
authorized.
At Kurseong, 31 miles out,
and 4.864 ft. high, the train stops an hour
to enable passengers to lunch; during
this stoppage the locomotive is at-
tended to the train. Our illustration
shows it receiving water and coal,
while the ash-pan is being emptied and
the fire cleaned. The steep ascent con-
tinues amidst the tea gardens to
How Not to Do It.
By A. O. Brookside.
Lovers of Charles Dickens will prob-
ably remember his Chapter X of "Little
Dorrit," in which he expounds the
whole science of government as how
not to do it. He humorously warns
people against the danger of being lost
in the Circumlocution office, and of
how the oflficials of that famous depart-
ment when they got hold of a piece of
business, "muddled the business, ad-
dled the business, and tossed the busi-
ness in a wet blanket." You will see, if
you pursue this simple tale, that the
mantle of that great department had
fallen on the shoulders of an otherwise
obscure individual.
Snapper Sharp was chief clerk to
Goodrich Wells, second vice-president
of the Rock Ballast & No Dust Rail-
way. Wells had charge of the purchas-
ing department of the road, and Snap-
per did things with a rush. He had
everybody on the loud pedal when
there wasn't much in sight, but showed
them down when a cloud of business
no bigger than a man's hand appeared
above the horizon. Snapper was a
4-4-2 high-speed simple, with the E T
retarding apparatus in good working
•stornxc; for water by the way.
order. Mr. Wells was a business man,
wide awake, efficient, courteous and
kind, with no frills, just a plain mister.
Snapper communicated himself, or,
rather, his atmosphere, to the office
staff, and they were all able to "size up
a man" at first sight, to their own satis-
faction, "spot a man when he shows
September, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
359
up," Snapper said a million times to the
boy in charge of the outer office rail-
ing, "and get a line on his contour, for
this collateral is more useful to me than
what he thinks he is going to do with
the boss."
A. B. Cancelli, the boy, soon became
a great adept at "collateral" and gave
Snapper lots of tips that weren't so
about men who called. One particular
man gave rise to heaps of collateral, by
LOMl-NC UOWX KKOM D.ARJEELl.NC
which we mean what the boy thought
of him, his form, his figure, his address
and business. The boy had him write
his name and the nature of his business
on form R-8-207-a. This being the of-
fice card for that purpose made and
provided. The man wrote his name,
but vaguely stated the nature of his
business as personal. Snapper hated
"personal" callers, so after the man had
been kept waiting quite a while, he was
asked to call again, which he did later
in the day. He was asked to state the
nature of his business all over again,
and if possible more definitely, but he
said he could not, and was therefore
kept waiting. Later on Snapper told
Holden Been to see him and blast out
of him some small and fragmentary
token of why he was there. Holden
Been's charge failed to e.xplode, as he
told the man to see Waters on the floor
below. The man saw Waters, who
straightway told him to go back to
Holden Been, which he did. The boy
now kept him waiting even to see
Holden. and after he saw Holden, he
was told he must wait till Mr. Sharp
was disengaged. After a long time
Snapper came out and told him Mr.
Well* was busy. The man apologized
and went away and Snapper rejoiced.
The man went to the first telephone
booth, got WelK direct on the wire and
asked him to In- godfather to his boy.
Sometime after that a man called,
just a plain mister like G. W. himself,
but hi"! htnincss turned out to he per-
sonal and private, and the fifTice formed
a flymg wedge. Wells was out of town,
but the personal and private business
man did not know it. He wax told to
wail; he did. Viewed from a "collat-
eral" point of view, he did n'>t amount
to shucks, so he waited. Snapper was
told that the no-account person was
waiting quietly, and he smiled happily.
Minutes dragged on. Snapper was sor-
ry he could not hamstring the minutes
so that they would only be able to
crawl. At length the no-account per-
son got up, said he was sorry to trouble
any one, but would the boy again see
if Mr. Wells would admit him. Snap-
per sent out word that it was impossi-
' U to disturb his chief, and
nil- man went away not
''iking over pleased. Snap-
I'lr had, one way or an-
ther, used up about
: « cnty-lhree minutes and
' iu:'it seconds of the man's
11:110. and he felt rewarded.
."^oine days after this the
■kv fell down. The man
u rote a personal letter to
' I. W. and narrated his e.x-
iK-rience. This he accom-
panied with the gratuitous
information that being the
purchasing agent of the R.
S. & T. Railroad, he had, by a lucky chance,
heard of a certain deal, the knowledge
of which had enabled him to buy so
advantageously as to save his company
$25,000 on the year's supply of a cer-
tain article, and this information was
intended for the car of his old friend
G. W., who might like to save his com-
pany some money. The person had
ncss.. Snapper tried to explain, but he
didn't. G. W., plain mister, good man
and true, saw it all at a glance. Saw
that his own idea of a line system to
facilitate business had been turned by
Snapper into a regulation in restraint
of trade. So he acted. That is why I
said the blue sky fell down. In falling
it knocked the office door railing X. L. by
W. of the main office, but hardly dis-
placed a chair, and did not move the
typewriter's flimsy paper even 1-16 of
an inch or ruffle her golden locks.
.Snapper took Holden Been's desk in
the outer office, and Holden was given
a trial as chief clerk, and the office boy
lied from "collateral'' as he would have
fled before the face of the avenging
Furies. The result of these changes is
that now when a visitor comes along
and sends in his card, he is handled so
fast that it makes his head swim. Af-
ter the man goes out, Holden Been,
wearing a dark frown, chalks on the
blackboard in plain view of the office
staff, how many scandalous seconds of
\cstibule and outer-office time has been
recorded to the detriment of the staff.
If a man is not got through in less-
than forty-five seconds, it is equivalent
to an engine failure, and the office gets
the "please explain" coupon. The only
danger now is that if you go there and'
offer to take a seat or wait they will'
want you to give them a release, and
they will tell you their drinking water
nil. JIl.M M .\V.\N K.XI'KKS.S (i.\ 111! I. 11 .S. H.Ml.W.W l.ll.WIM; L.M.CLTTA.
traveled all the way from Blakcley to
let G. W. in on the ground floor for
"Id friendslii|i's sake, but he could not
t9*t into hib office. (He did not, how-
ever give away his secret information
by letter. I
Wells di<l not like lhi<i letter, n<ir did
he prai'.r Snapper .Sharp for scoring a
I...-.|„|,.i. iM.n w.ll. ,,r.v.,l.- I.uvi
IS impure if you look in the direction
of the cooler. When Goodrich Wells
is out they post a notice on the door.
.Moral : Do not size up anything but
llic likelihood of your being wrong
;il>i>iit a man's appearance. Don't make
I lie engine failure rule Mo sharp, for in
liMl weather a man may recklessly take
. ...lasH nf w:.trr in Hie i.ffice.
36o
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
September, 1910.
Locomotives for the Carolina, Clinchfield ® Ohio Railway
The Carolina, Clinchfield & Ohio
Railway is conspicuous as a new road,
built to a high standard throughout,
and presenting a maxinuim grade,
against loaded traffic, of only 5 per
cent. The sharpest curves on the main
line are of 8 degs. The principal
source of traffic is coal, and the con-
ditions are thus favorable to handling
the heaviest class of trains. In 1909
this road received, from the Baldwin
Locomotive Works, an experimental
Mallet locomotive of the 2-6-6-2 type.
This engine weighed 342,000 lbs. and
side in the throat sheet. Filing is ac-
complished through two oval fire-
doors, placed 44 ins. apart transversely.
The boiler barrel is composed of
three rings, and the dome is placed on
the second ring, immediately above the
high pressure cylinders. The arrange-
ment of the steam piping is similar to
that used on the Mallet locomotives built
for the Southern Pacific Company. The
high pressure exhaust is conveyed for-
ward, through external horizontal pipes,
to a Baldwin reheater placed in the smoke-
box. The steam distribution is controlled
by their continued use on the part of
mads which, like the Clinchfield, have
had experience with engines so
equipped.
PACIFIC TYPE LOCOMOTIVES.
These are powerful locomotives for
passenger service, as they develop a
tractive force of 37,000 lbs. The cylin-
der volume is 14.4 cu. ft. The follow-
ing ratios should be noted: Grate area
to heating surface is as i to 76; cylin-
der volume (cu. ft.) to heating surface
(sq. ft.) is as I to 284; ratio of ad-
•
- s
!P^'* — *. ^
4 J^
■.
*
'5B ^
""11
1
1
BpiE
*I^rm...-_
f
■. ' - '".-"T^^,-
«*«,,
H. F. Staley, Master .Mech.i
ilALLKT -I
ICK Tin: CAKOLINA, ( LINCIIFIELD & OHIO.
Works, Builders.
carried 300,000 lbs. on the driving
wheels, and was rated at 4,000 tons of
cars and lading on 5 per cent, com-
pensated grades. In view of its satis-
factory performance, the railroad com-
pany ordered from the Baldwin Loco-
motive Works ten additional Mallet
locomotives of greater power. These
have recently been delivered, together
with three passenger engines of the
Pacific type.
MALLET LOCOMOTIVES.
These engines are designated as
Class M-2, and are of high capacity for
road service. The tractive force they
can exert is 77,500 lbs. The desigrt is
similar, in many respects, to that of
the experimental engine, but the de-
tails have been revised and improved
where possible. With the limited space
available in this case, a boiler of the
ordinary type, without a separable
joint and feedwater heater, is used; the
ttibe length being 21 ft. The shell
diameter, 86 ins., is unusually large,
and the boiler has wide water legs, lib-
eral tube spacing and ample heating
surface and grate area. The firebox
staying is radial, and 404 flexible stays
have been applied. These are grouped
in the outside rows in the sides and
back, in the upper corners of the sides,
and in two triangular areas on either
throughout by iS-in. piston valves,
which are duplicates of one another.
The high pressure valves provide inside
admission and the low pressure outside
admission, the ports and bushings be-
ing modified to suit. The valves are
all set with a lead of Y^ in., the steam
lap is ij^ in. and the exhaust clearance
J4 in. The by-pass valves consist of
fiat plates, which normally cover the
relief ports; this arrangement being in
accordance with the usual practice of
the builders for piston valve locomo-
tives. Walschaerts motion is used
throughout, and the gears are con-
trolled simultaneously by the Baldwin
power reverse mechanism.
The frames are of cast steel, 5 ins.
in width. The articulated connection is
effected by a single radius bar, and the
frame construction throughout is in ac-
cordance with the well-known practice
of the builders for engines of this size.
The boiler is supported on the front
frames, by a single bearer placed be-
tween the second and third pairs of
driving wheels. The front bearer car-
ries the controlling springs, and nor-
mally has a clearance of Yi in, between
the upper and lower castings, The ar-
rangement of the trucks and running
gear calls for no special comment. The
practical value of these trucks is proved
hesion, 4.13. These ratios indicate a
locomotive well adapted to handling
heavy trains on long grades. With 23
X 32-in. cylinders and 69-in. wheels, the
tractive force per pound of mean effec-
tive pressure is 230 lbs., which is high
for a passenger locomotive.
The boiler used in this design is of
the extended wagon top type, 74 ins.
in diameter at the front ring and 835/2
ins. on the wagon top. The firebox
staying is similar to that of the Mallet
type, the flexible stays numbering 386.
The fire-doors are two in number, and
they are placed 28 ins. between centers,
the width of the grate being 71^4 '"s.
Tlie tubes are set with ^-in. bridges.
The stack is of cast iron, with a wide
mouthed internal extension, and meas-
ures 21Y2 ins. in diameter at the choke.
The master mechanics' style of front
end is used, with an adjustable dia-
phragm plate in front of the nozzle.
No cinder pocket is provided with this
arrangement. The main frames are of
cast steel, 5 in. in width, and in one
piece with the rear section. The front
rails are single, and of forged iron.
Each rail is hooked and double keyed
to its corresponding main frame, and
is held in place by four vertical bolts,
I. '-4 ins. in diameter. At the point of its
connection with the cylinder saddle, the
September, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
361
frame measures 4!S ins. wide by 7 ins.
deep.
The front truck is of the swing
bolster type, and is fitted with a cast
steel saddle and three point suspension
swing links of the same material. The
wheels are steel-tired, with cast iron
centers. The rear truck is of the radial
type, with outside journals. The side
swing is taken by the spring links,
which are seated at each end, on flat
keys, and so arranged that they have a
limited amount of fore-and-aft, as well
as transverse swing. This form of
truck is simple in construction, and
has been applied by the Baldwin Loco-
motive Works to a large number of
locomotives.
The cylinders are lined with bush-
ings 5g ins. thick, and are placed 87
ins. between centers, while the steam
chest centers are 49 ins. ?part. The
valves are duplicates of those used on
the Mallet engines. They r.re arranged
for inside admission, and are set with
a lead of J-i in. The by-pass valves are
also similar to those of the Mallet lo-
comotives. The location of the steam
chests on the Pacific type engines sim-
plifies the arrangement of the steam
and e.xhaust passages, but necessitates
using rockers in connection with the
Walschaerts valve gear. The rocker
boxes are bolted to the guide yoke,
and the links are carried on longitudi-
nal bearers outside the leading driving
wheels.
The tenders of both classes are sim-
ireight tenders are carried on solid
rolled steel wheels. All truck wheels
under the locomotives and tenders
were supplied by the Standard Steel
Works Company. These engines, apart
from their constructive details, arc of
interest as representing the motive
power policy of a new line, already
prominent among the railways of the
South. The principal dimensions of
both classes of locomotives are given
in the accompanying tables.
MALl.ET EKCINE.
Cylinders, 24 ins. nml 37 x 32 ins.
X'alves, balanced piston.
Boiler. — Type, str-ii^Iit; material, steel; diam-
eter, 86 ins.; thickness of sheets, H in.;
working pressure. 300 lbs.; fuel, soft coal;
staying, radial.
Firebox. — ^^Iateri.-lI. steel; length. 117 ins.; width,
96 ins.; depth, front, 79^3 ins.; back, 76
ins.; thickness of sheets, sides, ^ in.;
back. H in.; crown, H in.; lube, J4 in.
Water Space. — Front, 6 ins.; sides, 5 ins; back,
Tubes. — Material, steel; thickness, o.ii ins.;
number, 448; di.imeter, 2J4 ins.
Heating Surface. — Firebox, 233 sq. ft.; tubes.
5. 519 sq. ft.; total, 5.752 sq. ft.; grate area,
78 sq. ft.
Driving Wheels. — Diameter, outside, 57 ins.;
journals, main, 11x13 ins. ; others, 10x13 ins.
Engine Truck Wheels. — Front and back diam-
eter, 33 ins.; journals, 6^4 x 12 ins.
Wheel Base. — Driving, 31 ft.; rigid, 10 ft. 8
ins.; total engine, 46 ft. 6 ins.; and tender.
74 ft. 1 1 ins.
Weight. — On driving wheels, 325,850 lbs.; on
truck, front, 24,600 lbs.; back, 28,200 lbs.;
total engiiu-. 378,650 lbs.; engine and
tender, about 550.000 lbs.
Tender. — Wheels, diameter. 33 ins.; journals.
6x11 ins.; tank capacity, io,ooa gals.; fuel
capacity, 15 tons; service, freight.
PACIFIC TYPE PASSENGER ENGINE.
Cylinders, 23 x 30 ins.
Valves, balanced piston.
Boiler. — Type, wagon top; material, steel,
diameter, 74 ins.; thickness of sheets, 13-16
in. and ^i in.; working pressure, 190 lbs.;
fuel, soft coal ; staying, radial.
Firebox.— Material, steel; length. io8>4 ins.;
width. 71 M ins.; depth, front, 76 ins.; back.
Weight. — On driving wheels. 152,900 lbs.; 00
truck, front, 42,750 lbs.; back, 37,400 lbs.;
total engine, 233.050 lbs.; engine and
tender, about 335,000 lbs.
Tender. — Wheels. 8; diameter, 36 ins.; jour-
nals, s'A X lu ins.; tank capacity, 8,000
gals.: fuel capacity, 14 tons; service, pas-
senger.
Progress in Locomotive Lubrication.
The Traveling Engineers' Association
at tlieir recent meeting at Niagara Falls
received a paper on the progress made
in reducing the cost of locomotive lubri-
cation. Mr. D. L. Eubank was chairman
of the committee which presented it. It
appears that in i86g Nicholas Siebert in-
vented a down drop lubricator and in
1873 John Gates of Portland, Ore., in-
vented the first up-drop sight feed lubri-
cator which was experimented with but
did not come into general use for a
number of years afterwards, and it is
asserted by one of the leading makers of
lubricators, that the first sight-feed lubri-
cator applied to a locomotive was made
by him in 1880. The lubricator was at
first a crude affair, but like other appli-
ances, improvement after improvement,
has been made.
The committee points out that one
road reports that a comparison between
two engines of same class in same service
both in first class condition, one equipped
with driving bo.x lubricators and the
other with oil cellars, both making
27,000 miles, the engine with the oil cel-
lars cost $39.60 as against $16.62 for the
engine with the driving box lubricator,
showing a saving of $22.98.
Following the introduction of grease
liar in construction, although those for
the freight engines have a greater fuel
and water capacity than the tenders
•ned with the pasncnger locomotives.
'■ he frames arc composed of 12-in.
iianncU, the crntcr silU weighing 40
lbs. per foot and the side sills 2$ lbs.
The tanks arc of the water-bottom
type. Arch bar trucks arc used, those
under the passmgcr tenders being
fitted wllh Orrl tirrd whrrU, ululr the
AI.Ml IN A. ( l.j.M mil I I)
63 int.: ihiikncM of thsdi, tiilet, H in.;
h«ck. i It, in.; crown. H in.; tube. V, in.
Water Space. — I lunl, s int.; (idei, 4 in*.; back.
Tube*. — .Mnieri.il. Meel; Ihicknett, o.ii int.;
numlier, jc?; diameter, iji in».; length.
21 ft.
Heating Surfn<r. -Firebox, iqj »q. ft.; tubei.
3,903 HI. (I.; total, 4.00s It. ft.; gr»lo aren,
54 oq "•
Driving WhrrU Oiameter, nuliide, 6g ini.:
journal', main, lo x 13 in>.; other*, 9 «
13 ln«.
Engine Triirk Wherli.— niametcr, front, 3.1 Int.;
inuinaU. '. ' i x 12 int.; diameter, back, 45
in. ; ,0,1, n.l-. H x 14 ini.
Wheel Il».e - fiMiing, ij ft.; total engine. 34
It.; total riiKine and lender, 65 ft. 10 int.
Ualdwiii Locomotive Woiki, Builders.
as a lubricant on driving box journals, it
was used as :i lubricant for crank pins by
the use of a screw plug; but while the
grease was found to be a good lubricant,
the screw plug was a very extravagant
means of applying it, as so much lubricat-
ing material was wasleil. Later the auto-
matic grease cup came into use. This cup
proved to be very successful as well as
economical. The committee know of one
of these cups hrilding H lb., which ran
362
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
September, 1910.
4,000 miles on the butt end of a main
rod of a heavy passenger engine.
They quote a committee report of the
Master Mechanics' Association as fol-
lows: "They also report that back as far
as Mav, 1855, two roads reporting on this
item of expense, one shows the average
miles run to the pint of lubricating oil
were 10.4, and to the pound of tallow
18.89 ; the other reports the average miles
to the pint of lubricating oil 14.62, and to
the pound of tallow 4i-i- This committee
also reports that in the ten year period
from 1808 to KX)8 the average weight of
locomotives (exclusive of tenders) in-
creased from 133,000 to 164,000 lbs; and
the average area to be lubricated in-
creased from 4,000 to 12.000 sq. ins.
These figures were taken from eight
roads reporting, which showed an
average increase of cost for the ten year
period of $32.42. The Traveling En-
gineers' committee, has been able to get
some information from one road which
handles a very hea\-y tonnage through a
coal-producing territory, for the six years
ending December, 1909. This road re-
ports the cost per 1,000 miles as follows :
1904 $2.65 per i.ooo miles; 1905 $2-75 per
1,000 miles; ic<o6 $2.73 per 1,000 miles;
1907 $2.78 per I.ooo miles; 1908 $2.63 per
1,000 miles; kk5Q $2.57 per 1,000 miles.
The total tractive power of the engines
on this road during the same period was
as follows: 1904 12,371.449 lbs.; 1905
12,997.919 lbs.; 1906 15,145,844 lbs.; 1907
16,843.463 lbs.; 1908 16.824.622 lbs.; 1909
17,268,241 lbs. The average tractive
power per engine in 1904 was 30,622 lbs. ;
in igog. 33.926 lbs., showing an increase
in the average tractive power of locomo-
tives of 10.8 per cent., with a reduction
in the cost for lubrication of 7 per cent,
per thousand miles.
Summarizing the progress that has
been made in reducing the cost of loco-
motive lubrication. One of the most im-
portant factors was the introduction of
the sight feed lubricator. Other things
that have followed in the line of progress
are the reclaiming of all old packing and
waste, the careful attention given to re-
novating and re-using of same, keeping a
correct record of all lubricating materials,
charging it to engineers as well as to
engines, and submitting monthly state-
ments showing the amount of oil drawn
and miles run by each engineer, which
have resulted in a reduction of the cost,
as the engineers can always be depended
on to wish to be at the head of the list,
making the most mileage at the least pos-
sible cost for engine supplies.
Another important factor is the driving
box lubricator and the use of grease on
the crank pins, by the grease being
pressed into cakes for the driving box
cellars and into sticks for the crank pin
cups; also by the reclaiming and re-use
of grease taken from cellars of engines
undergoing repairs. Tt is estimated that
with the economical handling of grease
this device has been responsible for a re-
duction of from 25 to 40 per cent in the
cost of lubrication.
The road foreman should see that a
liberal allowance is made for the service
required and should also see that the al-
lowance called for in the different
schedules is issued. He should also con-
fer freely with the engineers, furnish
them with all the information possible
with reference to lubrication and en-
courage them to make the greatest
mileage possible with the least possible
cost. ■ .• •
Where engines are pooled, the indivi-
dual supply cans have resulted in a re-
duced cost and have encouraged the en-
gineer in his efforts to make a good
showing. Another very important factor
in the progress that has been made is the
practice of one of the leading lubricating
supply companies, who, after establishing
confidence as to the merit of their ma-
terials, agreed to furnish lubrication to
the railways on a guaranteed cost per
unit of service, and to comply with the
contract requirements they employed a
force of lubricating experts who were
assigned to different sections of the
country. These experts co-operate with
the railroads in meeting the contract
obligations by conferring with the offi-
cials of the mechanical department,
watching the practices of employees
whose duty it is to care for lubricants
and lubricating devices, giving instruc-
tions as to the methods of operating them
and reporting the results of their ex-
perience as to economical methods and
devices observed by them on the different
lines of road under their supervision.
The committee did not believe it was
practicable to place the whole of the
matter of locomotive lubrication in the
hands of the traveling engineer for while
no one was better fitted to know what
should be done in the way of lubricating
a locomotive, than he, this item of ex-
pense is handled in some instances by
the mechanical department and in some
by the store departments and therefore
it was considered advisable by the com-
mittee that there should be one higher m
authoriu-. than the traveling engineer
who could more satisfactorily deal with
the whole question.
cessfuUy operate the large number of
trains which this road handles, with
the many sidings where the meeting
points must be made, is not an easy
undertaking.
N. Y. C. & St. L. Use Telephone.
The telephone has been substituted
for the telegraph in transmitting all
train orders over the Cleveland divi-
sion of the Nickel Plate from Bellevue
to Conneaut, 132 miles, the busiest di-
vision between Buffalo and Chicago.
With the exception of the twenty-five
miles between Cleveland and South Lo-
rain, and a short distance in New York
State, this telephone train dispatching
is done over a single track. To suc-
A Few Words to Ourselves.
The conclusion of the very valuable re-
port of the committee dealing with the
subject of educating firemen to become
successful engineers, deals with what the
committee refers to as a few words of
advice to ourselves as traveling engineers.
The report says: "Our duties as teachers
and advisers should never cease. We
must continue to aid every man in every
possible way to become a successful en-
gineer as long as we fill the position we
now hold. If we as traveling engineers
would teach our subordinates and aid
them to become successful engineers we
must first successfully fill the office we
now hold. It is possible that some of us
may have to burn the midnight oil very
often to keep ahead of some men in our
classes. Perhaps some of us have had oc-
casion to look up a few things in advance
to prepare ourselves to make a favorable
showing when the more modern ma-
chinery has been presented in our
territory.
"The traveUng engineer has little or no
idle time if he faithfully performs the
duties of his office, and we, as traveling
engineers, should never forget when ad-
dressing others in regard to their edu-
cation on the locomotive and the duties
expected of them that the same rule ap-
plies to ourselves. We, as teachers, can-
not afford to cease our studies if we are
to each others how to be successful, and
should always be ready for an examina-
tion ourselves if required by the officials
of the road we are serving.
"We, as traveling engineers, in order to
successfully teach and handle the men
can have no favorites. Every one should
share alike in our teachings and decisions
regardless of relationship or friendship.
Fair and impartial decisions should be
rendered in every case.
"We take it for granted that every
traveling engineer before he accepts the
position has agreed with himself that he
has come to a parting of the ways, a
peaceable and self-respecting parting
however, and we do not believe it possible
for anv one, we care not how honest he
may be, to do justice to himself or any
one else if he tries to look with one eye
at the men and with the other one at the
officials. Either one or the other of his
eyes will be badly strained in the course of
time and eventually both will become
useless."
Don't be stingy because some of your
charitv went wrong. Think how much
wasted mercy has been poured out on you.
— r. H. VtUmr.ii.
September. 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
363
General Correspondence
Low Water Alarm.
Editor :
1 have just read the article in the
July number of R.mlwav axo LocoMOnvE
E.N'CINE£S1.S'C conteruing the inspection of
boilers. I was particularly interested in
the paragraph which makes the statement
that automatic devices either to main-
tain the water supply or to act as an alarm
when proper supply is not provided, have
been proposed and given consideration,
and that such devices have been found
unreliable.
It is a well-known fact that an auto-
matic low-water alarm has received a
great deal of attention for a number of
years. We have ourselves tried every-
thing we have seen and could think of,
endeavoring to find something that would
be absolutely reliable in protecting our
company from the results of boiler ex-
plosions. The necessity has been pressed
upon us since the advent of the oil-burn-
ing locomotive which burns just as
readily when the crew is asleep as when
they are awake. We had almost given
up the idea of ever perfecting a device
that would be considered reliable, but
each explosion brought the matter again
to mind and we finally fettled our ex-
l>eriments on perfecting an apparatus that
would work on the principles of the
thermometer. Wc now think that we are
able to furnish an apparatus that is ab-
lutely reliable. We have been work-
< this for nearly a year on locomotives
id stationary plants, placing them so
•-•y would operate whenever the water
[cached the point they were set at In
our experiments we have set them at half-
glass. We have never had a failure and
e consider that the apparatus is just
;- reliable as the thermometer.
1 am enclosing blue-prints, showing the
apparatus m section, the inner cup of
which is filled with mercury and the
lower connection is connected to the
boiler at any desired height which is con-
I'lered safe This cup is surrounded with
'. .Iter, and when the boiler is filled and is
maintained .it the height of the water in
the boiler there is no circulation of wa-
ter, consequently no incrustation. As
•oon as the water in the boiler falls to
the height of the boiler connection the
water in the rup flows by gravity back
into the b<iler and steam enters. The
•team being hotter than the water, which
U somewhat cooled by exposure to the
atmosphere, expands the mercury against
' "■ diaphr.ijrni . ihi» in turn opens the
■'•am valve Mmil.ir to a governor on an
air pump and aftrr the steam is liberated
from the boiler it is, of course, available
for such purposes as we may wish to
put it to. On an oil-burning locomo-
tive the steam is then used first to blow
an alarm whistle and second there is a
connection to the steam pipe which shuts
off the supply of oil and they will re-
main closed and the whistle continue to
blow until it receives attention from the
crew, or as long as there is steam in
the boiler.
It is probable that the 260 explosions
^Mj
I>:>W \V.\TKK ,\I.ARM Ff)K LOCOMOTIVES.
averaged $10,000 each, without counting
the cost of life which is shown in your
report and which cannot be computed in
dollars and cents. Not figuring the en-
gines which were damaged, which is the
larger proportion, due to low water and
assuming that the explosions would aver-
age ttojoon each, it would represent a
money value of %2.6oo/K)0, and at $100
each for a device of this kind, would equip
JtOOj locomotives or approximately half
the locomotives in use in the United
States.
I have a report from the B. of L. E.
going to show that there were 102 deaths
caused by boiler explosions of locomo-
tives since 1896. If these men were in-
sured at the minimum amount of S1.500
each, the B. of L. E. has paid their wives
and relatives $153,000 death benefits.
I have a report from the Hartford In-
surance Company going to show that
there were 450 explosions in 1905 and
431 in 1906 and that these explosions
killed and injured 1,670 persons. Their
record on the Pacific Coast for the last
five years shows 400 boiler explosions and
1,466 persons killed and injured. These
statistics include both locomotive and sta-
tionary boilers that they have received a
report of.
The matter is, therefore, of vital im-
portance to railroads as an insurance
feature and to the people engaged in op-
erating them as a safety device. We
have applied for a patent on this appa-
ratus and have the matter up with the
Nathan Mfg. Co. as to manufacture.
You may use all or any portion of this
article, without reference to the writer
or the company, at your discretion. You
will remember me as a former club raiser
and correspondent. Safety Den'ICE.
Wants Information.
Editor :
In reply to Mr. W. H. Roberts' letter
in the .\ugust issue of Railway and
Locomotive Escineerinc as to work and
time consumed in turning out Engine
N'o. 384 of that road. The reader will
please note the most important part of
the job was left out; viz., the size of the
engine and the number of mechanics used
in turning out this engine.
I judge it to have been an 8-wheel
passenger engine and number of hours
worked 90. Now with men enough
quite an amount of work can be
done in that length of time. We should
remember this magazine goes before the
eyes of many mechanics, such as fore-
men and superintendents of motive power,
.^nd no interested foreman or master me-
chanic wants to see his shop in the rear,
so I think we are all entitled to know the
lize of the engine, number of hours and
men employed on the job.
While I was serving my time with
the Baldwin Locomotive Works, at Phil-
adelphia, Pa., we gave a lo-wheel pas-
senger engine a general overhauling, in-
cluding one new cylinder, in 80 hours.
364
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
September, 1910.
and did not consider it to be much of a
record, cither. I hope we may have a
more full report that we may take notice
of it and be governed accordingly.
L. C. BUCKHOUSE, C. & O.
Covington, Ky.
Some Portland Co.'s Old-Timers.
Editor:
Engine No. 5, the "Penobscot," was the
nally these engines were equipped with
balloon-shaped stacks, then the sunflower
or mushroom stacks became the rage,
and later they were equipped with dia-
mond stacks and burned coal.
The old "Lewiston," built for the .'An-
droscoggin Railroad in 1870, leased to the
Maine Central in 1872, was considered by
the Androscoggin boys to be a little the
slickest of anything on wheels. They
MAl.N' Ct-NTRAL NO. 5. "rEXOnSCOT." l'OUTi..\XI) CO
second engine of that name and number
on the Maine Central Railroad. It was
built by the Portland Company in 1871.
The cylinders were 15 x 24 ins. ; drivers,
5 ft. This engine was one of several of
the same model built at that time, viz. :
The second No. i ".\ndroscoggin," sec-
ond. No. 6 "Bangor," No. 10, "R. B.Dunn,"
No. IS, "A. D. Lockwood," and No. 20,
"H. N. Jose." All proved to be very
smart, and they were very pretty ma-
chines, with their brass encased cylinders.
steam chests, domes and brass boiler
bands, red driving and pony wheels, and
fancy painting.
The "Penobscot" ran on various main
line passenger trains for many years, un-
til heavier engines gradually crowded out
the lighter machines, then branch freight
runs, snow plows were her portion, and
eventually she ended her career as a
switcher, and was sold and broken up
with most of her mates in 1S94. Origi-
inders 15 x 24 ins., drives 5 ft., boiler 48
ins. She pulled freight on the hilly Farm-
mgton run for many years, and was sold
and broken up in 1894. The photograph
was taken on Maine Central crossing at
Brunswick in 1875, with the veteran of
the Lewiston branch, Charlie Nutting, in
the cab.
Portland & Ogdensburg, No. 7, "Carra-
pnin," \v;is one of the first if not the first
Moguls to run on a Maine railroad. They
tried eight-wheelers at first in freight
service, but the hills in the mountain dis-
trict were so steep they could not handle
many c'lr?. and alter Xo. 7 was tried, all
their freight engines were Moguls. She
was built by Portland Locomotive Com-
pany in 1874. Cylinders 17 x 24 ins., dri-
vers 46 ins., boiler 48 ins., weight of en-
gine 81.800 lbs., tender 55,550 lbs. when
ready for road. She was a peach on the
pull and was a very handsome engine,
resplendent with brass and fancy painting.
The Portland, Saco & Portsmouth en-
gine, No. 13, "Monsam," was a Portland
Company product of 1877. She shows a
distinct departure from Eastern practice
in shape of stack and monitor cab roof.
She was evidently built for a racer.
The old Vermont Valley engine speaks
AXDKOSCOGGIN RY. ENGINE "LEWISTON," BUILT 1870.
thought she could pull the whole State of
Maine behind her. She was built by the
Manchester Locomotive Works with cvl-
tor itself, and the Daniel Nason shows a
fine modeled, old inside-connected wood
burner. Note the six-wheel arrangement
of tender ; also mechanism between
wheels. Cuas. S. Given.
Boii-doinham. Me.
PORTLAND & OGDENSKURG NO. 7, THE ••CAKRAGAN," 1S74.
Road Kinks and Other Things.
Mr. W H. Griggs, roundhouse foreman
on the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul at
Portage, Wis., writes us about shop and
road kinks as follows:
"Watching the 'loose screw' and little
items is very often of as much importance
as looking after the more glaring cases. It
is often very handy to know just what
some simple idea will save in delays and
expense. If the steam heat between en-
gine and tender on the through passenger
September, 1910.
R.\IL\VAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING
36s
engines happens to break off, and the pipe
threads are left, it is handy to put two
steam heat hose in place of the iron pipe
to get the engine through and save chang-
ing engines.
"Hot boxes on the through passenger
engines can often be cooled at the sta-
tion and packed if the journal is not cut,
even if it takes 30 or 40 minutes rather
than pick up an engine that may give
worse trouble. A broken trailer spring
or trailer equalizer does not always call
for another engine to take the train
through.
"If the small copper pipes leading to the
pump governors breaks off one or more,
it is not necessary to leave a big train
up the coumr>- and come in light, when
plugging the pipe with wood and block-
ing down the train governor valve will do
the business until home is reached. Same
with the pip« breaking off the equalizing
reservoir.
"Changing fires. This we do with the
tire heater using fuel oil with the air-
S.\CO & PORTSMOUTH NO. 13. ".MONS.AM.'
roundhouse that happens to be
.■\lso all unnecessary whistling in
noticed,
yard and
.LLL"! L.\.MEL .M.\SOX." WITH SIX WHEEL TENDER.
Cars get side-tracked, have to be traced,
shipments of iron and bolts are generally
slow in coming. The movement of loco-
motive material which is often needed in
a hurry, would be more promptly de-
livered if these cars were given the pref-
erence, when it is known that they con-
tain locomotive material. The company's
material in 'peddler cars' often stands
.iround the yard a few days before it is
sent forward, even after the train depart-
ment is notified.
".\11 enginenien and the roundhouse
foreman are required to have their
watches inspected once a week, on the
week ending the 7th, 14th, 21st and last
of month. The watch must be the pre-
scribed standard and to run inside of 30
seconds either way during the week. The
v.atch has to be cleaned evcrv two vcars."
blast It takes about 17 minutes to
loosen a tire and about the same time to
heat and get the other one on. Can
change an engine with 6 tires in about
6 hours.
"Ke«p your ronndhouse ' and premises
clean. This house has often received
compliments along this line. The clean-
ing up at the turn table, lead tracks, wool
pile, at the doors, etc, is done by the
roundhouse force, instead of being done
b)- the section men as formerly. Same
with the ice and snow of winter.
Switches being the first thing the section
men attend to in snowy weather, the
turnable pit and tracks have to be
cleaned by the roundhouse men. In dry
weather the house and grounds are w< •
down every day from the pump. Tl
roundhouse laborers now have to unlo.i :
wood, and ties that are cut, unload sand,
load scrap and any shipments and unload
all material for the house.
"Instructions from the division super-
intendent are for the roundhouse foreman
to report any excessive speeds of pas-
senger trains through the yard passing the
blowing oflf near the station. The roar of
200 lbs. steam in even small amounts soon
becomes a nuisance.
Class "O" on the Pennsylvania Lines.
Editor:
I have scon quite a hit 01 comment
'^fir
HtWy^BL iBBpf
5^
■•^^,, ;..; ^^
..- .. ,.
- ' • • •'■=^1
Ul.U StK.MUM VALLtV tNl.l.\K WIIH WHISILK UIKELT lliU.M UulLtk.
".Much iiici'iivcnicnce is experienced at
time*. i'|"''''''"v '" cold weather KcttinK
prr.ini.f 'kli%'rv of locomotive material.
lately in Knilway and Locomotive En-
gineering, about the Pennsylvania class
"P" and class "K" locomotives. I have
366
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
September, igio.
been greatly interested in tiie illustra-
tions and discussions about them, and
hope to see more about these engines
in your paper, especially the older ones,
as they have peculiarities about them
which distinguish them from the en-
gines of other roads. I have seen but
little mention, so far, about the old
class "O" engines. The locomotives of
this class first came out in i88.!, the
same year that the "P's" appeared, but
differed from the class "P" engines in
IH;. I. V. k. K. ENGINE NO. gji6.
having but 130 lbs. boiler pressure,
while the "P's" carried 140 lbs. I am
sending you a photograph, Fig. i, of a
class "O" engine. No. 9316, built at Al-
toona shops in 1887. It has 18 x 24-in.
cylinders and 62-in. driving wheels. The
boiler is of the wagon-top pattern. The
type of stack and headlight and the
graceful outlines of the sandbo.x and
dome all give the engine a distinctly
"Pennsy" look, and older Pennsylvania
men could easily recognize her.
The engine belongs on the Cleveland
and Marietta division of the Pennsyl-
vania Lines, and has just been turned
out of the Fort Wayne shops, after a
general overhauling. Later "O" en-
gines were built having Belpaire boil-
VK,. r. 1'. i(. K. I'XCINI-: i\(/. 7.v;.5.
ers. Quite a number of "O's" with
Belpaire boilers are at present in sub-
urban service around Pittsburgh and
Allegheny on the "Lines West." In
1897 the Pennsylvania adopted a new
system of classification, the old one be-
coming inadequate. All of the eight-
wheel engines of the "A," "B," "C,"
"K," "O," "P" and "L" classes were
reclassified as "D" engines, the letter
"D" being the symbol for the 4-4-0
type in the new system. The engine
shown in the illustration is known as
class "D-ioA" on the company's books.
Engine 7393 (Fig. 2) is a standard
"H 6A" class freight locomotive. She
has 56-in. driving wheels, cylinders 22 x
26 ins., and a Belpaire boiler with wide
firebox. The engine belongs on the
main line (P., F. W. & C.) and has just
received general repairs at Fort Wayne.
I hope you will be able to publish these
photographs, as they may be of interest
to your readers.
Rob't. C. Schmid,
Draftsman, Penna. Lines.
Fort Wayne Sliof'.
The Making of Good Engineers.
l-'.ditor:
In answer to question as to making
engineers and firemen, I would say that
I would recommend that it would not be
a disadvantage to any engineer or fire-
man to have in his possession a standard
book on machinery, of all latest equip-
ment. In my opinion the books would
be read in a more careful manner at
home, for a great many men of families
would prefer this. Of course the libra-
ries are all right for young single men
and men who would prefer studying
these books from home.
shop. Shop experience is all right; at
the same time a shop man may have some
experience en line of road that he might
not get in the shop. In my opinion the
niajority of men, brought up to engineers
from the school, make good engineers if
they elevate their ambition this way. I
would be very much pleased to see this in
the September issue.
Sam Muscrove,
Chatta)W0!;a. Tcnn. Engineer Q. & C.
In my opinion it is best in all cases for
engineers to have regular firemen, as they
remain together on the same engine or
run. They become attached to ways of
one another. The two will understand
how to work to each other's advantage
and, to the interest of tlie company they
are employed by.
I have had several different firemen
from time to time and want to say that
It is best to have regular firemen in all
crises. With regular firemen you can
make a better showing in coal consump-
tion than with a new fireman. Every
trip, also, I can make better water runs
where a regular fireman is assigned to me.
If a fireman expects to make an engi-
neer cut of himself he will take an in-
terest in the engineers he might be firing
lor and also an interest in his engine. In
my opinion if he does not do this, he
cannot expect to become an engineer.
I would say, if a man who wishes to be-
come an engineer he will take an interest
in the machinery of the locomotive he
may fire and make a careful study of
handling an engine he will make as good
.T man as the helper might out of the
BIG FOUR, 4-4-2. MODEL.
Big Four Engineers, Attention.
Editor:
Being an old-time subscriber to Rail-
way AND Locomotive Engineering, I
beg to ask you to give me some de-
tails about the fine Atlantic express
locomotive built for the Cleveland, Cin-
cinnati, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad,
the Big Four, No. 361, as to the color
of the engine and of the fender.
For the locomotive, I want particu-
larly the color of the boiler and the
part where the automatic coupling is;
also the cowcatcher, engineer's cabin
and wheels. For the tender, I want the
color of the outside, as well as the
Ciller of the name panel, and also the
wheels.
L.MRA.XCK Ti
L.VNAL Al
Furthermore, you will greatly oblige
me, if it is possible, for you to send
me a photograph of the Atlantic loco-
motive. Big Four No. 361. You will find
a sketch of my model locomotive that I
want the correct colors for.
F. E. Schuyler.
Munich, Germany.
[We would be glad to have any of
our readers on the Big Four send us
the correct colors for the parts named
by our correspondent from Munich, and
we will publish them for his benefit. —
Editor.]
September, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
367
Welding with Thermit.
Editor;
I send you herewith photograph show-
ing the method of welding jaws on the
clevis end of two ten-wheel locomotive
side rods at one heat which was done at
WAY AND LOCOMOT1\-E EnXIXEERIXG. I at
once became a regular subscriber.
1 consider it 1 est to have these books
at my home, as I !ind I can concentrate
my thought and time to the reading of
the sacred pages of useful information
our Conneaul shops, using the Guld-
schmidt-Thermit compound.' Prior to
using the Thermit process for welding it
was necf-sary to make an entirely new
clevis end in case of the clevis jaw break-
ing. This added very much to the cost
and time required to make the repairs as
compared with the present method.
E. A. Miu.ES,
S. M. P. of the Nickel Plate.
Cln-tland, Ohw.
that a mail could never get at the street
corner or in the roundhouse. I believe
in a regular lircman, but I will say that
a new fireman every trip makes the best
man as fireman, for he fires for all kind^
of men, from the one that would make a
better marine engineer to the one that
uses dry steam. Ninth question I do ii' ■•
care to answer W'm. F. Ebesweix,
Engineer B. & O.
Philadelfltui. Pa.
Making of Good Engineers.
Editor :
Replying to ihr question askeil on page
275 of July issue of Rah.wav and I»ro-
MOTive EsciNKraiNC, entitled "1 he Mak-
ing of Good Engineers," I hereby winh to
expreii my views on this subject. In re-
ply to the query, "Would you recfimmend
the best siandard books on machinery for
the education of engineers ami firemen
to t>c in railw.Tv libraries'" .Answer —
I do. It was at the Riverside. Baltimore,
Marvland. drp.-irtnwnt of the Yotmg
Urn'* Christian Association where I first
bad the prestige to enjoy reading Raii^
Curious Optical Illusion.
Editor :
Some time ago I saw the following in
a daily paper :
Prof. R. W. Wood of Johns Hopkins
L'niversity some time ago descritied a
rather startling optical illusion which
any one may see with a little practice.
A lead pencil is held, point up. an inch
or two in front of a wire window
screen, with a sky background. If the
eyes are converged upon the pencil
point, the wire gauze becomes some-
what blurrc'l and of course doubled
.As the gau/.e has a regularly recurring
pattern, however, the two images can
be united, and with a little effort can be
accommodated for distinct vision of the
combined images of the mesh. As
soon as accommodation is secured the
mesh becomes perfectly sharp and ap-
pears to be nearly in the plane of the
pencil point. If now the pencil is
moved away from the eyes, which are
to be kept fixed on the screen, it ap-
parently passes through the mesh and
becomes doubled. If now the pencil be
removed entirely it will be found that
the sharp images of the combined im-
.Tgcs 01 the gauze persist, although the
eyes be moved nearer to or farther away
from the screen. Now bring the eyes
up to within si.\ or eight inches of the
plane in which the mesh appears to be
and attempt to touch it with the finger.
It is not there. The finger falls upon
empty space, the screen being in reality
a couple of inches farther off. "This,"
says Prof. Wood, "is by all means the
most startling illusion I have ever seen,
for we apparently see something occu-
pying a perfectly definite position in
space before our eyes, and yet it we at-
tempt to put our finger on it we find
that there is nothing there."
Xczc York. S. H. G.
Central American Engines.
Editor:
I am enclosing you some kodak pictures
taken in Central .America of some en-
gines and. also enclosing you some train
orders, No. 31, and two letters written
from an engineer who is running an en-
gine down in Guatemala, Central .America.
These pictures may be of some interest
to you and you may be able to place them
in next month's Railway and Locomo-
Ti\-E Engineering. After they have
served your purpose you might return
\ II W [ l« )\I ( .Ml WIN!" i\\
them to me. I noticed in this month's
magazine a great many cuts of American
type engines and some of our engines,
and these being from Central America. I
thought it might interest a great many
readers that take Railway and I/xtomo-
TiVE E.SGiNEEiiiNG. The Stamps which I
enclose are also from Central .America
368
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
September, igio.
and which are for your own personal
benefit. F. C. Reed.
Master Mechanic, Mo. Pac. Ry Sym.
McGehee, Ark.
[We print below one of the letters re-
ferred to by Mr. Reed. It is from Mr.
L. Woodworth. of Puerto Banios, Gua-
temala, C. A. It is addressed to Mr. Wm.
Reed. — Editor.]
Your very pleasant letter dated April
7 received was indeed. I was pleased
to hear from you, also to know that the
post cards and photos were of interest.
I have a number of pictures I have taken
along this road recently and will send
you a few providing they are O. K.
I note what you have to say regarding
high fills, with ten cars on top of it, for
the past two months. There is nothing
left but the wheels and the boiler. Even
the jacket was torn ofJ. She got away
on a 4'A or s per cent, grade and ran
about one-quarter to one-half mile be-
fore leaving the rails, and when she left
the rails with her train she never marked
a tie nor injured the track. Everyone
of the crew was killed.
I'll tell you how I look at a man work-
ing in any of these countries ; for in-
stance, myself. I have been with this
company about four years, and have a
regular passenger run over two divisions
— east, 102 miles; west, 94 miles, running
time. 6 hours and 20 minutes. Class of
2-6-0 ENGINE OX THE GrATEMAL.V KAII.W A\.
running trains, but they made a complete
failure, so much so that there are
only two left; but the day will
come when they will not need the
American here to teach them. I
worked for the Missouri Pacific about
seven years ago, as fireman, and I have
been on a number of other roads, in dif-
ferent parts of the United States. I did
my first running on the old Ohio South-
ern, out of Jackson. I am personally ac-
quainted with one of the oldest engineers
on the Missouri Pacific, Mr. W. S.
Bound, at present running out of Kansas
City to Omaha, Neb. He has written
me at different times to come home. Oi>
account of my neglect and not sufficient
courage I remained here, but my mind
is made up to leave here in September
and see what I can do for myself in
God's country again. I would prefer to-
work South rather than in the extreme
cold of the North, as I have not been
up against any snow for about six years.
L. Woodworth,
Locomotive Engineer.
Puerto Banios, Gauteniala. C. A.
a trip to Central America. I am sure
you would find many points of interest in
this country. It will not be long until
there will be a direct rail connection be-
tween Puerto Banios and the United
States. I have been in the mountains
for the past six days and killed a snake
9 ft. long. I have had it skinned and
intend to take it to the United States when
I go. I got two tiger kittens ; one died
on the way home, but the other is doing
fine as I am feeding him from a bottle.
I'll try to do a little railroading now.
The wrecking gang has just returned
from picking up an engine which has
been laying at the bottom of one of the
engine, Baldwin, 17 x 24 ins.; 2-6-0 type;
drivers, 48 ins.; steam pressure, 180 lbs.:
three and four coaches is the regular
train. The west division is 60 miles
mountain, with as nice a climate as any-
one could wish for. In fact, it is the best
place I have ever seen or worked at. Now
I'll give you a few reasons why I would
like to locate in some part of the United
States. One is, as soon as the natives here
can be trusted to handle an engine they
will get us out, meanwhile I am getting
older instead of younger, making it more
difficult to secure a position in the United
States when I go back. About six months
ago the company put all native brakemen
Air Jacks for Wheeling Engines.
Editor:
I am sending you blue prints and pho-
tograph of our method of wheeling mod-
ern locomotives in an old-time shop that
was built in 1865. One print shows de-
tails of the 2i-in. jacks that are used, and
the other print shows the cart used to
transfer the jacks from engine to engine.
These air jacks have in every way an-
Kiz^Sn^m^^^^^^^^^^H^H
AIK JACK PLACED FOR A LIFT.
swered the purpose for which they were
built.
They are used to wheel modern up-to-
date locomotives and do it with ease, with
air pressure of no lbs. The jacks are
used at front end of engine and 24-in.
jacks at back end are made from boiler
steel, J4 in., rounded up and fastened with
September, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
369
that tliis will interest readers of Railway
AND LocoMOTi\'E ENGINEERING, and trust-
ing it will be published,
CHAS. i^LxRKEL,
Shop Foreman C. & N. W. Ry.
Clinton, la.
Lost Articles on Railways.
The lost article departments of the rail-
roads are curiosity shops. They contain
the accumulation of years, as fully a third
of the articles left on trains are never
called for. A company has, for example,
a bushel or more of purses. They contain
very little money as a usual thing, but pic-
tures, newspaper clippings, poetry, and
samples of dress goods in abundance. The
pickpocket has been through most of these
purses, no doubt, and after hastily ex-
tracting the bills, he throws the purse on
a seat or on tlie floor. Once or twice,
however, pocketbooks containing large
sums of money and tionds worth thou-
sands have been picked up by the train
to hand an expressman a traveling bag,
directing the latter to take it to a certain
address, where he said he lived. The ad-
dress was fictitious, and the expressman
was wondering what to do with the bag
when he discovered that it contained a
live infant. The supposed father had
taken another train, so the satchel's con-
tents went to an asylum.
SIDE VIEW AND SECTION OF AIR J.\CK.
Strap and rivets, which was afterwards
bored out, making smooth fit for leather.
Our method of jacking is as follows:
Jacking bar is made from two 80-lb. rails
riveted together and held in place on en-
gine as shown by photograph. This jack-
ing bar is of such length that it allows
the wheels to be rolled out or in without
crankpins interfering with jacks when in
position. The engine is raised by jacking
up rear end about 18 ins. and then block-
ting, and then jacking from front end and
blocking used after truck is removed.
By this method modern locomotives can
be wheeled in one hour and thirty minutes.
The jacks arc r,|,cratcd by two laborers,
one man operating one jack only, and
signal given to raise or lower by ma-
chinist in charge. Air is admitted to cyl-
mdert by yi-in. globe valves, and ex-
hauited by same method. A ^^-in. check
valve is placed next to air hose connec-
tion, which will hold the air in the cylin-
der in case air hose bunts. On end of
jacking bar you will notice a mast with
chain, which is used to rai^e the jack
from floor to place blocks under the jacks
as engine is raised or lowered. Believing
men. Boxes of cigars and shoes are quite
common. Violoncellos, snare drums and
cats in boxes have been taken out by the
conductors. Some years ago, it is said, a
man stopped at New Haven long enough
Slide Valve Trouble.
Editor:
We are experiencing some difficulty in
getting the blow out of an engine, and
would be glad if you or any of your read-
ers will fathom the mystery for us.
The engine referred to was equipped
with the Allen-Richardson ported slide
valve, and for some cause the Richardson
balanced valve was substituted in the place
of the ported valve. The engine will blow
very hard when in full gear and in starting
the train the valve seems to be cocked in
some manner. After ten or fifteen revo-
lutions and when the reverse bar is cut
back, the engine stops blowing and pre-
sumably the valve seats itself. I give you
all the dimensions and would thank you
if you would advise where the trouble
lies. Steam ports, 20 x i^i ins.; exhaust
ports, 20 x 3;4 ins. ; valve travel, S'/^ ins. ;
area included within the valve packing
strip, 32.5 sq. ins. ; lap outside, % ins. ;
lap inside, none.
We tried to overcome this difficulty by
filling in the valve seat on both sides
marked A in the sketch, thinking that on
account of having changed the ported
valve to the solid valve this would de-
crease the area on the bottom of the
valves. This change helped one engine
a little, but it did no good to the other.
The rule that I have in figuring up the
prea necessary to include within the inner
edges of the same strip is as follows:
To the area of the exhaust cavity add the
area of one steam port; total area so
found is the area which should be in-
WAGON FOR tONVKYlNi. .\IK jA( K AIIUL'T SHOP
370
RAILWAY AN'D LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
SeptfinlxT. 1010.
eluded within the packing strips, which
figures out in this case thus:
1.625 width of steam port.
20 length of steatnport.
32.5 ins. area of steam port
width of exhaust cavity,
length of exhaust cavity-
(JLD MASON F.NGIX1-; I'.LILT
ins. total area of steam port
;uid exhaust cavity.
sq. ins. area, included within
packing strip.
PERSPECTIVE VIEW OF VALVE.
212.5 SQ- ins. total area of steam port
and exhaust cavity.
7.75 width between packing strips.
19 length between packing strips
147.25 sq. ins. area are included within the
inner edges of the packing
strips.
65.25 sq. ins. area lack-
ing, to be included within
the packing strips, and it
seems to me this de-
ficiency would favor the
defect. However. the
valve is giving trouble.
Can you or your readers
enlighten me as early as
possible, and oblige
A Subscriber.
C. 6- O. Slwt^s,
Covington, Ky.
[We would be pleased
to hear from any shop
men or others who have
had similar trouble, who
have remedied it, or who
can offer a solution of the
difficulty here presented
by our correspondent.
The illustrations which
he gives should aid in finding the remedy.
— ElUTOR.]
\T TAUXTO.V, .M.\SS., IN 1873.
ers. The one, Engine 217, is a Mason
engine, built in Taunton, Mass., in 1873,
before the days of air brakes and auto-
matic couplers. The only person I know
in the photograph is Mr. W. H. Delaney,
the engineer, of Sayre, Pa., now en-
gaged in running one side of trains, No.
5 and 6, between Sayre and Buffalo, with
;• modern F. B. class.
Engine 900 is one of the latest engines
and is included in an order of 15 to be
built in the System shops at Sayre, Pa.
Hoping you may find space in your val-
uable paper for these photos,
E. J. Delaney.
Athens, Pa.
Engines, Ancient and Modern.
Editor:
I am enclosing two i)liotograplis which
I think mav be of interest to vour read-
A New "Block" System.
Editor :
One of the most annoying conditions a
roundhouse foreman has to contend
with is keeping his crews straight. More
especially where he has a number of differ-
ent classes of work. Take a terminal, for
instance, same as we have here, where we
have about 218 crews, some on passen-
,uer, some on regular runs, some in regu-
lar pool, regular switch engines and extra
crews, some method must be used in order
t^ keep these crews in their places and
know- where they belong. Where this is
not done, the foreman has everybody
after him. and anyone who has never
had the experience of a roundhouse
^i: . •"
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LEHIGH X'ALLEY :-8-o, BUILT AT THE COMPANY'S SHOPS AT SAYRE, PA.
September, 1910.
R.A1L\VAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
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rn^ineers ^'^ Tiremen £n9in«<ri "firemen Iln9infe>rs Yire^en £n^inefr.s Fn'C'-ntn
L
SECTION OF CABINET FOR CONTAINING NAMES OF ENiUNE CREWS.
•oreman cannot conceive what he has to
contend with, especially at a large
terminal.
Our first method to keep a record of
out" crews was a large bulletin
or blackboard. When a man, or,
rather, a crew, came and registered,
the foreman or his clerk would mark
them up on this board in their turn;
this was done with a piece of chalk.
Crews coming in after this one would be
put up or marked up under the first one
and so r.n. .As soon as their turn came to
go out they were marked up on the out-
going bulletin board, and their names
erased from the other board. However,
this board was pie for the engineers and
firemen, in case there was anything going
on around town, such as a dance, circus,
street fair. etc. By the time you wanted
men there was none, no record of them
laying off. and simply no names on the
board, as they would come to the round-
house and erase their names, and no one
knew where they were or where they be-
longed. The method we had in finding
•hem was by checking them up on the
•gister; we could get some in this man-
' r, but some of them were so foxy they
'. riuld not register, and there was hard
ork to locate them.
I finally conceived the idea of making a
lUelin box with the block ^-ystem ;
is shows at all times where the
en are, whether out on the road or at
iitside points, laying off, suspended,
'.ck, regular run in pool or on extra list.
'n fact, there is no chance to make an
■ rror in handling the men as f.utlincd
nd as is shown r,n this print The men
■m see at all times just how they stand
. i.d do not ncol to bother the foreman
>■ U' when they will get out or turn come,
-' is a gla'.s door on cither side of
<. and the names of the men are
'■ end of the block so ihe>- can be
■. either side. This system can be
' 1! by anyone, at it is very simple
t;d well liked by all who have ever used
:i or who have %cen it used. The men
(.'innot take their name blocki out of the
case, and as the record covers all kinds The grace of God forbids we should be
and all classes of cases, everything overbold to lay rough hands
goes on all right. On any man's opinions. For opinions
W. J. Shadle, Are, ccrtes venerable properties;
General Foreman C & N. \V. Ry. .\nd those which show the most decrepi-
Clinton, la. tiide should have the gentlest handling.
Oiilfcide at V/all
«t»«»*»R, £A5?i«r,c.2w eSi"-- r..-«r €~'> r.io
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tAMI.NKI c ii.\T\ININ(; WIXUiK.S I'loi KS WITH NAMES ON KA( H hNli.
372
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
September, 1910.
Rll!!SQLEii9iieeri|iS
A Practical Jounial of Xotira Power, Bollinc
Stock and Appliances.
Fubliahed Monthly by
ANGUS SINCLAIR CO.
114 Liberty Street. Xew York.
Telephone, 984 Cortlandt.
Cable Address, "Loceng," N. Y.
Glasgow, "Locoauto.*
Business Department:
ANGUS SINCLAIR, D.E., Prest. and Treaa.
JAMES KENNEDY, Vice-Prest. and Gen. JtgT.
HABEY A. KENNEY, Secretary.
Editorial Department:
ANGUS SINCLAIR, D.E., Editor.
GEORGE S. HODGINS, Managing Editor.
JAMES KENNEDY, Associate Editor.
Boston Representative:
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The Parting of the Ways.
In the very thoughtful paper pre-
sented at the recent convention of the
Travehng Engineers' Association on
the subject of educating the fireman of
to-day to be the successful locomotive
engineer of the future, the committee
dealing with this very important sub-
ject, goes a little out of the usual rut
when in the concluding paragraphs of
the report they say: "Now a word of
advice to ourselves as traveling engin-
eers." They have dealt with the matter of
education and the systematic instruc-
tion of firemen in a broad-minded and
comprehensive way. A synopsis of
that paper is to be found in another
column of this issue. We have, how-
ever, printed the concluding para-
graphs of the report in which the
traveling engineers' committee give ad-
vice to those of their own order, as a
separate article in this issue of Rail-
way .\ND LocoMOTi\'E ENGINEERING, head-
ed, "A Few Words to Ourselves." It is
to be found on page 362.
One of the most significant points
made in this piece of advice is that
when any locomotive engineer is ap-
pointed to the position of traveling en-
gineer he has, they say, silently and
quietly come to the parting of the
ways. Not that he must give up all
feelings of sympathy for the men from
whose ranks he has come and go over
budy and bones to the company that
lias promoted him; nor can he, by the
same loyal feeling which animates him,
accept the position as a gift from the
company and yet secretly work
against them. He has silently come to
the parting of the ways and he honor-
ably accepts his responsibilities to both,
and adopts the strong, fair, impartial
middle course.
Somewhere below the surface a
man wth the old Anglo-Sa.xon love
of fair play ingrained in his very
nature, will recognize the necessity of
impartiality when he is placed so that
he must work between two interests,
for the common good. It is here that
the manly man makes good his claim to
the respect and confidence of both
sides. The thing is possible of accom-
plishment and the traveling engineers
have in this report gone on record for
fair play and a square deal. It is alike
creditable to their quick and keen ap-
preciation of the undoubted and
acknowledged difficulties that confront
them, and to their honest determination
to pla3' the game according to the rules
and conduct themselves honestly and
earnestly between company and the
men, without fear, favor or effection.
We commend the report to which we
have referred and the "advice to our-
selves" which it contains, to everj'one
of our readers from engine wiper to
president. The committee have covered
the subject ably and well, and they
have seen with unclouded eyes their
plain duty and the words they have
written is the speech of manly men.
The Railway Congress at Berne.
The International Railway Congress
which is generally held every five years,
met at Berne, Switzerland, fhis year. The
congress was well attended, railway experts
from all parts of the globe were present
and the session lasted two weeks. In
dealing with railway rails, the reports on
tracks and maintenance methods showed
that the practice of the English speaking
countries limits the length of the rail on
account of the difficulty of handling. In
the United States rails are about 33 ft.
long. In Great Britain they are about 45
ft, while on the continent lengths as high
as 72 ft. appear to have given satisfaction.
The best form of rail joint has not been
decided on and the work of the commit-
tee on that subject is to be continued.
In Great Britain engine loads are com-
monly 100 tons with axle loads of about
20 tons. In the matter of improvements
in locomotive boilers Messrs. Fowler and
Archbutt, of the Midland Railway of
England, presented a very extensive re-
port among the many on this subject that
were presented. In Railw.w and Loco-
motive Engineering for January, 1910,
page 17, April, page 151, and July, page
287, a synopsis of this paper may be
found. Superheating which has been very
e.xtensively experimented with on the
continent and on the Lancashire & York-
shire in England, from indications given
in the report, will probably become
general.
When it came to the matter of statistics
Mr. W. M. Ackworth said: "There are
no statistics of railways in operation, and
no uniform classification of working ex-
penses." Other English railway statisticians
vigorously combatted this opinion, while
representatives from the leading railways
of India and Argentina believed that ton-
mile statistics were useless unless local
conditions were known. The American
delegates supported ton-mile statistics but
admitted that they could be wrongly used.
An attempt was made to pass a resolution
to the effect that uniformity of railway
accounts on broad lines might be arrived
at and this would make the results in dif-
ferent countries comparable. It was urged
in support of this that South Africa had
been the gainer from being able to com-
pare the results of railway working with
those in the United States. The general
opinion seemed to be that owing to the
diversity of conditions, not only in dif-
ferent countries, but in the same countries
an international system of uniform rail-
way accounting even on broad lines was
not possible..
Electrification of railways received at-
tention in four reports. Mr. George
Gibbs, for America, spoke on electric
traction on existing steam railroads. He
believed that all first costs of conversion
of steam roads to electric working should
lie dealt with separately. He showed that
the Long Island road operated their elec-
tric system at a cost of 18.8 cents per car
mile, against steam traction costs of 27.95
cents. No separate report was presented
for Great Britain, but the single phase
system by which the Brighton Company's
South London lines are operated has
proved successful. The London, Brighton
and South Coast Company have now de-
cided to convert other suburban lines to
electric working.
An interesting report was presented by
Dr. Gleichmann on the preliminary work
for the introduction of electric operation
on German main lines of railway. He
showed that when it is a question of in-
troducing electric traction on large con-
nected lines an alternating system is pre-
ferable. The Swiss Federal Railways
are also contemplating the adoption of
electric traction on their international
lines. The Austrian State Railway were
reported to have the subject under con-
sideration, the proposal being to convert
2,690 miles of main line, within range of
available water powers, to the single
phase system.
It was shown that in the United States
eptember. igio.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
373
the average cost of freight carriage by
rail was below the average cost of water
transport on the continent. The lowest
rate on French waterways is r.S mills per
ton mile, against an average rate on the
New York Central of 6.4 mills, and on the
Big Four of 5 mills.
Another of the many interesting topics
was large railway stations. Other sub-
jects were motor-car and motor-rail serv-
ices, the operation of light railways, and
long railway tunnels.
The congress adjourned at noon, July
16, to reassemble at Berlin in 191:. Mr.
Franklin K. Lane, a member of the Inter-
state Commerce Commission, and Mr.
W. F. Allen, the general secretary of the
American Railway Association, were
elected members of the Permanent Inter-
national Commission. Mr. George \V.
Stevens, president of the C. & O.. and a
member of the same commission, was re-
elected. The opinion of the Americans
attracted much attention throughout the
meeting of the congress, which adopted
several American recommendations,
among them that of Mr. W. G. Besler,
vice-president and general manager of the
C R. R. of N. J., regarding car hire and
demurrage, also the recommendation of
Mr. J. M. Culp. the vice-president of the
Southern Railway, concerning perishable
freight ; and the recommendations of Mr.
H. A. Jaggard, superintendent of the
Pennsylvania, and Mr. D. F. Crawford,
superintendent of motive power of the
Pennsylvania lines west, as to large sta-
tions and the use of steel in the con-
i stniction of locomotives and rolling stock.
The American and English delegates
were successful in compelling the intro-
duction of English parliamentary practice
for the conduct of the business of the
I congress. The se^^^ion was the eighth in
the history of the congress and was at-
tended by 1,500 representatives.
The Roundness of Wheels.
In an intire-tiiiK p.'ipcr '.11 the sub-
ject of unevenly chilled and untrue car
wheels, read by Mr. T. VV. West before
the .American Society for Testing Ma-
■ -lals, the speaker pointed '.ut that an
even depth of chill in the treads of
cast iron car wheels was a VL-ry -crious
defect, and failure often takes place in
oich cases, while there would probably
ve been no failure if the chill had
'•n of uniform depth.
This leads to the consideration of
■length and it appears from experi-
' nt that takiMK two casts from the
me ladle, and .illowing one to make
■ c ordinary gray iron and the other
to chill, the lailcr has on the average
about twice the ^trcoKth of the former.
In the matter of contraction the chilled
and the gray iron from the same ladle
it was found that the two samples were
about equal.
In dealing with the roundness of
wheels Mr. West referred to some care-
ful tests that had been made on the
Lake Shore & Michigan Southern for
the purpose of ascertaining how closely
the average car wheel appro.ximated to
being a true circle. The tests were
made under the supervision of Mr. S.
K. Dickinson, assistant superintendent
of motive power of the road, and Mr.
H. E. Smith, ent;ineer of tests. Six
pairs of wheels, each of different make,
were mounted on axles and placed in a
lathe with centers lirmly pressed up.
The treads were divided into eight sec-
tions each, and the wheels were turned
by hand. A specially constructed mi-
crometer was used to detect any varia-
tion in roundness: some of them were
found to be as much as .043 in. out of
truth (that is nearly 3/64ths).
The speaker held that the results of
these experiments proved the necessity
for testing the roundness of cast iron
car wheels, and that some improvement
should be instituted for securing a
more uniform depth of chill and closer
approximation to the perfect circle. He
believed that if systematic tests of
wheels for roundness were carried out
by railroads, few wheels now made
would be passed. A cheap and easy
method of making the test for round-
ness would be by the use of an inter-
nally-turned ring placed over the tread
before boring.
While the uneven depth of chill un-
doubtedly tends to shorten the life of
the wheel, the fact that it is more or
less out of round must cause some vi-
brations and prevent the smooth run-
ning of the wheel with the result that
pounding due to irregular shape aids
in creating fractures and in any case is
hard on both wheel and rail.
Another fact shown by the experi-
ments is that the chill-mold expands
about J4 in. in diameter after the pouring
of the metal. This causes a movement
which is opposite contraction and
which, in the case of the compression
chill causes the arms to pull away from
the contracling crust of the wheel nmro
than their exi>aii'>ion can force them in-
ward. This defeats the purpose for
which the cliill-mold was designed,
viz.: that of having the arms hug the
contracting crust, which is necessary in
order to obtain an even depth of chill
and secure true roundness in wheels.
should be mixed with a suitable form of
grease. In all cases the trouble should be
attended to as soon as possible. In the case
of a driving box the wedge should be
loosened sufficiently to insure the freedom
of movement of the box in the wedges, but
not further, as the tendency of a loose
box is to increase the trouble. If cooling
the box and loosening the wedge fails to
relieve the liabilitj- to heating, the weight
on the driving bo.x should be relieved if
possible. This may be done by moving the
wheel up on a wedge placed on the rail.
This will raise the box above its usual
place. The space between the frame and
spring saddle can then be blocked, so
that when the wheel is in its normal posi-
tion on the rail there will be little weight
upon the driving box and unless the brass
cr axle is cut it will not likely heat when
relieved of weight.
In the case of heated eccentric straps
it is always safe to loosen the strap and
add one or more thin liners. The reverse
lever should be moved very cautiously
as heated eccentric straps are easily
broken, and cast iron straps should not
be cooled with water. Heated rod brasses
are very apt to close the hole in the oil
cup and care should be taken in examin-
ing the heated bearing to note that the
opening to the oil cup is clear. Most of
the larger locomotives have now hose
pipes which can be readily brought into
use and water applied to the heated bear-
ings. The rod keys may be slightly
loosened and if carefully cleaned and
lubricated the rod-brass may not give fur-
ther trouble. In oiling care should be
taken to oil the sides of all boxes and
bearings. Perhaps the principal cause of
heated driving boxes is the insufficient
packing of the cellar. Unless tightly
packed the cotton waste soon settles
away from the box and the oil is thereby
lost to the bearing. The packing in the
cellars should be examined occasionally,
and all oil cups on rods and guides and
rockers should be removed and carefully
cleaned at rcgu1:ir intervals.
Hot Bearings.
Hot bcariiiKs as may be expected oc-
cur oftcner in the dog days than in mid-
winter. The londition of the atmosphere,
however, is lu-vcr the main cause. Over-
pressure, lack of lubrication, sand or
other sub'.lani <-s In the iHraringt, and ex-
cessive speed arc among the chief causes
of heating, firaphite is generally acknowl-
edged to lie a good cooling lubricant, and
Good Records Aid the Men.
Good discipline is the principal factor of
organization, and nowhere is this fact rec-
ognized more than on the great railroads
of this country. To attain this end dif-
ferent methods have been adopted by
diflFcrcnt roads. For many years the
Lehigh Valley Railroad have dealt with
minor infractions of its rules by what are
known as "record suspensions." It is
recognized that on any large railroad sys-
tem, where thousands of men are em-
ployed, there will occur certain infrac-
tions of the rules which are not sufficiently
grave to cause dismissal, but which can-
not be passcil by without notice.
The old method was to suspend a man
for a certain perioil, thereby depriving
him of the wages which he would other-
wise earn, and this generally was a hard-
374
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
Scpteml)cr, 1910.
ship to his family. The Lehigh Valley
have therefore adopted a system of "rec-
ord suspensions" whereby no time is lost
by an employee. A suspension of one
week, two weeks, or one month, as the
case may be, is entered against his record
in the same manner as if he were actually
out of service for that time, although
actually he does not lose the time. These
records are taken into consideration when
an employee is considered for promotion.
The Lehigh Valley Railroad have found
"record suspensions" to be as efficient
as actual suspension, as it being a mat-
ter of personal pride with railroad men
to have a clear record, it was decided by
this road to further revise their system
of discipline so that, beginning July I,
1910, employees with records in which
suspensions appear would have an oppor-
tunity to clear them, . by loyal and effi-
cient service in the future, and to provide
a system whereby their future records
would receive the benefit of meritorious
service. Clear records for a stated period
are now recognized by credit allowances,
and heroic or meritorious service, whether
in or out of the usual line of duty of the
employee, are now rewarded by further
credit allowances. A definite limit to de-
merit records has been established to in-
dicate the unfitness of an employee to be
retained in the service.
Employees having a clear record for two
years prior to July i, 1910, are entitled to
cancellation of all previous demerits up to
that date. A clear record for one year
prior to July i. 1910, will cancel all demerit
records prior to Jan. i, 1905, and a
clear record for twelve consecutive
months at any time after July i, 1910, will
cancel demerit records to that date. Em-
ployees not having a clear record for one
year prior to July I, 1910, will retain
their records as entered upon the books,
but a clear record for twelve consecutive
months at any time will cancel their de-
merit record prior to Jan. i, 1905, and
a clear record for two periods of twelve
consecutive months each, will together
cancel all demerit records to July I, 1910.
The Conservation of Energy.
The subject of the conservation of
energy which is one of the most pro-
found conceptions of the physical uni-
verse ever framed by the human mind is
interesting to all students of science, but
it has in it something which peculiarly
appeals to railroad men, who in the
performance of their many duties are
constantly experimenting with and ex-
emplifying this great truth, even though
they may not be fully aware of the fact.
On page 245 of the June issue of R.^ml-
WAY AND Locomotive Engineering, one
of the editorial staflf took up the subject
of Potential Energy. In this article the
actual or kinetic form of energy was in-
cidentally treated. Energy has been de-
fined as the ability to do work, and this
energy may be either in the potential or
in the actual form. The great theory of
the conservation of energy depends prac-
tically on the truth of the statement made
by the highest scientific authorities after
exhaustive experiments, and backed by
accurate mathematical investigation, that
"Throughout the universe the sum of
these two energies is constant."
This means that it is as impossible to
create energy as it is to create matter,
but it is within the range and scope of
man's powers by various means, more or
less ingeniously contrived, he may change
energy from one form to another, and so
perform many acts for his own comfort
or pleasure which would be utterly beyond
the reach of his own unaided powers, but
notwithstanding all this, he is as unable
to destroy even the smallest fraction of
existing energy, and he is equally unable
to call into being even the merest trace of
energy not already existent.
As a rule, the transformation of energy
most easily accomplished is that from the
higher to the lower forms, as, for exam-
ple, when the flow of electric current gen-
erates heat and light in an ordinary in-
candescent lamp. The electrical form of
energy may have consumed much coal
and have been generated by the use of a
costly and delicately designed machinery
with much frictional and other losses, but
it easily runs down the scale to that form
of energy known as heat.
Faraday in 1831 discovered that when
a conducting body is made to move in
the neighborhood of a magnet, the rela-
tive motion of the two produces currents
of electricity in the conductor. This is the
fundamental principle underlying the use
of dynamic electricity as applied today. Un-
less the electricity so produced be made
to do work or become, so to speak, stored
up in the potential form, it will in time
fritter itself down to heat in the machine
and on the wire. The tendency is for the
higher form of energy to seek the lower
and when mankind takes the lower form
and endeavors to raise it to the higher, he
is only able to do so at the cost of great
mechanical loss.
An interesting view of the conservation
of energy that appeals to railway men is
that the usefulness to man of the work
done, does not come into nature's view of
the case. When you go into a railway
repair shop and see a heavy, powerful,
electrically-driven axle lathe "hogging"
cff the metal in a hot, blue, crisp, crack-
ling curl of steel, you see very forcibly
that as far as man is concerned, it is the
formation of the axle he is anxious about,
while with nature it is solely the transfor-
mation of energy and the incidental pro-
duction of heat, and in amount proportion-
al to the energy expended in turning the
axle against the cutting tool. The work-
man eventually turns the axle, the hot
chips drop and cool, and nature has lib-
erated an enormous quantity of heat.
In like manner, the hauling of a train
from New York to Chicago requires the
expenditure of a prodigious amount of
energy, changed from the potential form
in which it resides in the coal, into the
form of heat, which is, with great loss,
used to generate steam, and, finally,
through the motion of pistons, rods and
wheels, the train is made to rush from
city to city. The engine is well-lubricated
and the journals of the cars are oiled,
but there are still heat losses, and every
time the train stops the whole of its mo-
tion is arrested, and the moving energy
is dissipated in the form of heat. When
the train stops at Chicago, if one may so
say, nature has taken little notice of the
trip except to abstract heat, and from
nature's standpoint one may say that the
splendid performance of the Twen-
tieth Century Limited or the Penn-
sylvania Special has only been the trans-
formation of one form of energy into an-
other. The better the lubrication of the
train the easier it can be run, but at any
moment in its course, its motion can be
rapidly changed into heat by simply bring-
ing it to a stop. The total amount of heat
will be the same whether the heat be
generated for a few thousand feet at the
smoking brake shoes, or liberated in a
shorter distance by disastrous collision
or wreck. Nature cares not that cars
have been moved at high speed or that
the business of two great cities has been
facilitated. Nature has been concerned
with the change in the form of existing
energy, and from whatever standpoint
our magnificent train service may be
viewed, the sum total of all the energy
in this wide universe has neither been in-
creased nor diminished by the equivalent
of even one jot or tittle of the law.
Traveling Engineers' Association.
The eighteenth annual meeting of the
Traveling Engineers' Association took
place at Niagara Falls, Canada, on Aug.
16, 17, 18 and 19. .-Vmong the papers pre-
sented was one on superheat as applied
to locomotives. In it the various forms
of superheaters w-ere described and illus-
trated. The committee having this mat-
ter in hand were Mr. H. H. Haig, chair-
man, and Messrs. Max Toltz, E. Shally
and O. R. Rehmeyer.
A short paper was also presented on the
important subject, "How can the travel-
ing engineer best educate the present-day
fireman to become the successful engi-
neer of the future?" Mr. J. C. Petty was
chairman of this committee. A synopsis
of this report is given in another column.
The latest developments in air brake
equipment and their effect on train hand-
ling was another of the subjects, the paper
presented being well illustrated. Mr. E. F.
Wentworth was chairman of the air brake
equipment committee.
A paper on new valve gears as com-
pared with the Stephenson or link motion.
September, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
375
referring particularly to economy of op-
eration and maintenance and also the
necessarj- procedure in case of break-
downs. This important paper not only
took in the Walschaerts valve gear but in-
cluded the Baker-Piliod gear and the
Hobart-.MIfree gear. The chairman of
this committee was Mr. J. McManamy.
A paper on the progress made in reduc-
ing the cost of lubrication was also read
at the meeting. .A digest of this paper
will be found elsewhere in the columns of
this issue. Full economy has been very
very fully dealt with and an abstract of
the paper is to be found in another part of
this issue.
BooK Notices
The twenty-first annual report of the
"Statistics of Railways in the United
States," has just been issued by the In-
terstate Commerce Commission, and
forms a bulky volume of 1,000 pages. The
report embraces the year ending June 30,
1909, and at that dale it appears that there
were 333,645 miles of railways in opera-
tion in the United States. These figures
embrace about 79452 miles of yard tracks
and sidings. The increase in mileage
over the previous year was 8,705 miles.
The great bulk of the report is occupied
in detailing the financial operations in
connection with the railroads, and to
those interested in this feature of rail-
road work there is a degree of fulness in
the report that leaves nothing to be
desired.
The twenty-eighth volume of the "Trans-
actions of the .American Institute of
Electrical Engineers," has been issued and
the amount of matter is so voluminous
that the work appears in two parts, each
part containing over 750 pages. Of the
subjects treated it can be justly said that
there is a spirit of research encouraged
by the great and growing use of electricity
that perhaps has no parallel in the his-
tory- of our time. To advanced students
in the science of electric engineering these
volumes are of great value and should be
welcomed as a rich contribution to the
electric literature that is constantly com-
ing from the press.
Change of Office.
The publicity department of the
Prnntylvania Railroad has had an office
in New York City at 85 Cedar street.
Thii office has now been moved to the
new Pennsylvania station at Seventh
avenue and Thirty-third street. The
entrance to the offices is on the left
•ide of the corridor, coming in from
Seventh avenue. The telephone num-
ber in 7,000 Chelsea. Mr. J. W, Lee,
Jr., whose office is m the Broad itreel
ttation in Philadelphia, is chief of the
publicity deparlmrnt. Mr Ler'« rrpre«en-
Ulive in .S>w V'.rk n Mr ('.. f-l;il<.w.
Making of Successful Engineers.
Briefly, instruction is the keynote of the
paper on "How can the traveling engineer
best educate the present-day fireman to
become a successful engineer of the
future?" This paper which is the work
of a committee of five, of which Mr.
J. C. Petty was chairman, was read at the
recent meeting of the Traveling Engin-
eers' Association. The committee believe
that this object can only be accomplished
by teaching and advising the fireman un-
til he has a thorough knowledge of the
rules of the railway he serves and of the
engine he may later have to run.
It is taken for granted that any man
who accepts the position of fireman does
so with the intention of some day be-
coming a locomotive engineer, and it is
the duty of traveling engineers to exercise
great caution in the selection of men who
are to become firemen. The committee
therefore recommends a visual and physi-
cal examination for all candidates for the
position of fireman. The committee, how-
ever, disclaims all intention to create a
hardship, by conducting such examination
less rigidly than the government does in
selecting recruits for the army. Yet a
suitable test is deemed advisable.
In the matter of giving lessons on the
locomotive the committee recommends
the boiler and its attachments to be the
subject of the first lesson. The construc-
tion of the steam gauge and the meaning
of the figures on the dial should be taken
up, also pop valves and the danger from
their not working properly. The circula-
tion of water in a boiler, the bad effects
of too much water and the danger from
too little. Staybolts and the function they
perform and the load they are supposed
to carry. The draught rigging in the
smoke-box and the construction, use and
function of the various parts of the
injector.
The second lecture should be on the
inspection of the locomotive, names and
functions of parts and how to make out
reports. Defects called pounds and blows,
and the methods of locating them when
the engine is running or standing still.
The committee recommends that the en-
gineer of to-day be required to be able
to set up wedges, key rods, and do other
things such as were done by the locomo-
tive engineers '^f a former generation.
In this connection the report goes on
to say: "There w:is another old custom
with some railways where they compelled
men to have some shop experience before
they were promoted to the position of en-
gineer, which we believe would be value-
able in educating the young men of today,
if possible, to practice it at the present.
Thry were given positions as machinist
helpers, which \t:»\F them information on
the locomotive and its construction that
served them well in after year^. If young
men of tod.iy bit ween nineteen and
Iwrnly-one years of age could be given
these positions at a living salary and
afterwards transferred to road service, it
would be best for both individual and
railway company and would not be com-
pelling them to serve two apprenticeships,
as they are not eligible for road service
until they are of age."
Engine failures and how to remedy
them should be the subject of another
lesson. The men should be taught how
to remedy any trouble or breakdown in
the quickest way and to clear the main
line with the least possible delay. Valve
motion should in another lesson be taught
carefully and patiently. The report holds
that locomotive engineers have a right to
know how to set an eccentric, how the
length of the rods is obtained, the differ-
ent lengths of movement of the valve
for different cut-offs and also the setting
of the valves. The expansion of steam
should also be taught, so that a man
could trace the flow of steam from boiler
to cylinder and from cylinder to exhaust
pipe.
The committee comes out squarely for
what they call the literary study of the
locomotive. A literary knowledge of the
locomotive, they say, is within the reach
of every man who can read and under-
stand mechanical literature offered today
and it is very necessary in aiding the men
to understand the engines they will later
have to run and also to more succesfully
handle them. Continuing in the same
strain the report goes on to say : ".An-
other and one of the best methods of
educating the firemen on machinery is in
the class room. Meetings held as often
as possible are valuable and verj' neces-
sary for the education of firemen on the
locomotive. The traveling engineer
should preside over them and teach and
advise the men to the best of his ability.
A good valve model is very valuable for
these meetings.
Turbine Locomotive.
.•\n interesting experiment is Ix-ing
made with a new locomotive constructed
at the shops of the North British Loco-
motive Company at Glasgow, Scotland.
A horizontal turbine is employed to drive
a direct-current dynamo, from which
power is taken to motors attached to the
driving axles through geared wheels run-
ning in oil. .After the steam passes
through the turbine it enters a con-
denser, and after being condcnseil is
pumped through a cooling apparatus
where the blast of air, induced by the
running of the locomotive, facilitates the
cooling, and the water is conveyed into a
supply tank and pumped back into the
Ixiilrr. The supply tank is of sufficient
c.ip.irity to carry enough water to make
up for losses in condensing. A draft ap-
pliance is used in the form of a fan that
delivers air to the boiler fire. The re-
ports so far are of a satisfactory kind.
376
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE EXGIXEERIXG.
September, 1910.
Pennsylvania Railroad Shops at Trenton, N. J.
When the shops of llic- Pennsylvania
Railroad were built near Trenton, X. J.
some years ago, the location did not look
lo be a very promising one. The mead-
ows had the appearance of prairie lands,
— rank with weeds in sunmier and dismal
as the desert in winter. This is all
changci! now. The cluster of buildings
men arc piece workers, it can iic seen
that they are by the amazing speed at
which all of the machines arc moving,
'llie wheel lathes turn out 8 pair of
wheels each day of nine hours, the total
cost of the operation including trans-
ferring the wheels to and from the
lathes being ''5 rents per pair. Xot only
P.\RT \'Ii:\V OF P. R. R. SHOP.S AT TKEXTOX. N. T.
forming the repair shops seem to have
transfigured the location into one of ex-
panding beauty. The buildings form a
group of half a dozen squares of sub-
stantial steel and brick structures, faced
with gray granite, and in the commodious
spaces between the shops there are minia-
ture gardens of fiowers where the red
portulica, white alyssium and the blue
lobelia blossom into geometric grace.
The offices are elegant. The drawing
rooms are commodious, and there is an
airiness and lightness everywhere that is
refreshing.
Mr. H. H. Maxfield, the genial and
gentlemanly master mechanic belongs to
the younger school of mechanical de-
partment officers. A graduate of Stevens
Institute he super-added to his tech-
nical training a practical experience in
the central shops at Altoona, and was
placed in charge of the Trenton shops
before they were completed. There are
about 800 men employed in the shops in
connection with the repairing of locomo-
tives, and as an illustration of the
amount of work that passes through their
hands, it may be stated that their aver-
age output per month is 68 locomotives.
The time occupied by the locomo-
tive in passing through the shops is
12 days, such repairs, of course embrac-
ing a thorough overhauling of the entire
working parts of the engine necessary
after two years or more of continuous
service. The highest record made during
any month, occurred in March of the
present year when 78 locomotives were
repaired, 8 of them being furnished with
new fireboxes.
Of the equipment it may be said gener-
ally that it is of the best and is being
constantly added to as occasion requires.
One does not need to ask if the machine
has the original equipment been added to
from time to time, but we observed quite a
number of new appliances and methods that
ought to become popular in other shops.
Among these appliances is a portable
crane the mvention of Mr. Maxfield, and
which is particularly adapted for use in
.3 by 3 by Js nis. rise to a height of 9^2 f
and are joined by another heavy castini
in which there is a place for accomodat
ing and holding an arm extending 6 fi
from the center to the end at which
movable pulley is attached. This arm ex
tends 4 ft. . on the other end, where
counterbalance weight of 450 lbs. is a1
tachcd. The motive power of the cran
is derived from an air motor set on th
base of the tripod, and a steel rope con
veys the motion to the pulley. Th
chief merit of the device lies in its read
adaptation to any location. As is we
known the fitting of the driving boxe;
especially on passenger locomotives, is a
operation requiring the best mechanics
skill, and necessitates a repeated numbe
of trials of the box upon the axle. I
using a traveling crane much delay an
annoyance may be caused on account o
other work being interrupted, with th
result that the driving box is often no
fitted as well as it might be.
Even in the use of stationary ji
cranes, the wheels must necessarily be re
moved to the vicinity of the crane, where
as Mr. Maxfield's portable crane can b
lifted up by the overhead traveling cran
and placed anywhere within the range o
the regular traveling cranes.
INTERIOR VIEW" 'iF MALlII.XE £1101', P. R. R.. TRENT' iX. N. J.
the fitting of the heavy driving boxes used
on the locomotives of this division. As
will be seen in our illustration the crane
is not only portable but is self-supporting.
From a substantial cast iron base of
circular form 4',-^ ft. in diameter and 4
ins. in thickness, three angle iron braces
Of equal importance is a clever devic(
used in adjusting the return crank whicl
is attached to the main crank pin on thi
wheels of locomotives equipped with th<
Walschaerts valve gear. As is wel
known the return crank must be set al
right angles to the main crank. Quite «
September, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING
m
number of devices are in use tor this
purpose, but the Trenton contrivance is
one of the ver>- best we have ever seen.
It consist of a duplicate of the apparatus
used in moving the wheek of a locomo-
tive during the process of valvesetting.
The main driving wheels with axles and
cranks attached are placed in this
apparatus, the return crank being
held temporarily in position. A con-
necting rod is attached to the return
crank, and also to a small crosshead
adapted to move in miniature guides.
With the dead centers which are easily
obtained and their position definitely
marked, the perfect adjustment of the
return crank is a simple matter and can
be readily proved by moving the wheels
both backward and forward and marking
the position of the crosshead moved by
the return crank at each dead center.
\\Tien the adjustment is correct the bolt
holes are carefully reamed and the bolts
fitted in place or a key is fitted in the
ke>-way as the case may be, and the re-
turn crank never requires further exam-
ination.
A number of methods of construction
work are of interest as showing that the
leading spirits in the Trenton shops arc
not alone satisfied with a well-equipped
shop and established methods. Recently
they adopted a new feature in bolt mak-
ing. In forging the head of the bolt a
spherical protuberance is left on the top
of the head outside of the hexagonal
body. It resembles the carefully rounded
point of a finished bolt projecting through
a nut. When the bolt is finished and
fitted to its place in the cylinders or
braces and about to be driven into place,
k "button set" is held on the head of the
bolt and an air hammer is applied to the
button set, and with a few rapid blows
the bolt is driven, while the head of the
bolt retains its form and finish.
In the construction of crown bolts
there is a combination of operations that
embrace the cutting of the threads on
the point as well as on the neck of the
bolt, together with a formation of the
button shaped head with a notch cut be-
tween the head and the short square
portion attached to the head usually
kft for the purp<^iie of screwing the
crown bolt into place. These operations
»re simultaneously carried on, and the
-■^'•wn bolts are produced at a cost of
■ per hundred.
other ingenious method in repair
' was observable in applying hub liners
e fides of driving boxes after they
■ become worn. It is customary to
liners of hrasj or bronze and
-rly attach them with countersunk
A». In Trenton they face off a re-
'A portion of the side of the box and
e bottom of thi* recess they cut two
' dovetailed rrcrtsci and then cover-
I K the tide of the box with a suitable
appliance a quantity of molten babbitt I*
poured into the space thus prepared and
in a short time the box is ready for the
operation of facing off, on the boring mill.
The boiler testing and boiler washing
plant is, among other mechanical applian-
ces, one of the most complete of its kind
that we have seen. .\ constant supply of
hot water is maintained at 200 lbs. pres-
sure. With this powerful stream the
washing of a boiler is thoroughly done.
It may be remarked, however, that on
the eastern division of the Penn-
sylvania Railroad the water is almost free
from lime, the i-npu'-ities being cf the
are used in the repair shops at Trenton.
In all there are at present about 1,000
men employed in the shops and stores,
and extensive additions arc already being
made to the store rooms and an increase
in the size of the shops, especially the
machine shops, is already a growing
nccessitv-.
Relief Department, P. R. R.
.•\ccording to the regular monthly re-
port of the relief department of the Penn-
sylvania Railroad System, the sum of
$i77..^S6.24 was paid to members during
,.,,,.,. LSKU .\T 'I
kind' common in silurian or sandstone
deposits, and boilers supplied with such
water are comparatively easily cleaned.
The extensive store rooms are also
managed under new methods recently
evolved. In addition to the general sup-
plies of the various branches operated in
New Jersey, all of the interlocking and
signal stores used :n the East are handled
at this point, and some idea may be ob-
tained of the anmiint of supplies called
for when it is st.itrd that over $100,000
worth of maiin.il is distributed each
month to the various branches supplied.
An additional $(0,000 worth of supplies
UK TKENTOX SUUl'S Ul- TllK 1'. 1< 1
the month of May, 191a Of this amount
$120,513.10 represents the payments made
on the Lines Kast of Pittsburgh and Erie,
and $56,873.14 on the Lines West On
the Lines East of Pittsburgh and Erie in
the month of .May, the payments in bene-
fits to the families of nienihcrs who died
amounted to $42,056.25, while to members
incapacitated for work they amounted to
$78,456.85. In May, the Relief Eund of
the Pennsylvania Lines West of Pitts-
Imrgh paid out a total of $56,873.14, of
which $25,436.24 were for the families of
membcri who died, and $31,436.90 for
members unable to work.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
September. lyio.
Locomotive Running Repairs
VI. — Seti'ing Up thk Wedges.
It will readily occur to the engineer or
niechanic that in view of the fact that the
■wedges are subjected to incessant shocks
.at each stroke of the piston, and also to
^reat friction by the vertical movement
•of the driving boxes, the rapid wear of
.the wedges is inevitable, and for this rea-
son one of the wedges, generally the back
wedge, is so constructed that it may be
moved, the upward movement of the
wedge along the inclined face of the
jaw reducing the space between the
wedges, thereby affording means of main-
taining a close contact with the driving
box and so preventing a kocking or pound-
ing of the box while the engine is in
motion. It should be remembered that it
is always preferable that in setting up
the wedges the locomotive should be un-
der steam pressure, or in such heated
condition as will nearly approach to the
condition in point of temperature that is
to be expected while running. It should
be borne in mind that while the frames do
not expand to any appreciable extent,
those portions of the frames that are near
the fire are subjected to considerable at-
miospheric change, and consequently do
■vary slightly from their condition when
rthe entire frames are perfectly cool.
Previous to setting up the wedges it
■is also desirable that the crank pins should
'.be moving forward near the top center at
■wlhich point the driving bo.xes will be
"bearing hard against the front wedges or
shoes as they are frequently called.
Whatever there may be of lost motion be-
tween the driving boxes will then be lo-
cated between the movable wedge and
box, and if the wedge bolts are in good
condition it should be an easy matter to
move the wedge upwards in the jaws un-
til wredges and box are prefectly tight.
The best method of insuring the tight-
ness of the wedge is to have two pinch
"bars applied to the wheel, the bars being
pinched in opposite direction by two men.
It should be seen that the driving box
moves vertically between the wedges, and
•when the box ceases moving it may be
■taken for granted that the wedges are
tight and touching the box snugly on both
sides. The point at which the lower part
of the wedge comes in contact with the
"box should then be marked and the wedge
should then be drawn down until the box
moves freely between the wedges. The
box should move before the wedge has
been drawn down one-sixteenth of an
inch, and tbe wedge should not be drawn
down beyond this amount, care being
rtflken to observe that the box is not be-
ing jammed by the failure of tlie applica-
tion of the pinch bars to overcome the
sheer weight of the locomotive.
Particular care should then be taken
to observe the amount of lost motion
that may occur in the head of the wedge-
bolt in relation to the recess in which the
head is located. If there is much lost
motion in this space, and the wedge-bolt
is left in the position at which the pulling-
down process ceased, it may be readily
seen that the wedge will drop the amount
of space of such lost motion on account
of its weight as soon as opportunity oc-
curs by the vertical movement of the
box. To avoid this contingency it is
well to screw the wedge-bolt upwards
again the amount of the lost motion re-
ferred to. In the case of wedges where
a tap bolt passes through a slot in the
frame and engages the wedge the liability
of the wedge to move is greatly lessened,
but these slots in frames are much less
common than formerly on account of the
fact that the loss of the material has a
weakening effect on the frame. The
tightening of the jam-nuts is an opera-
tion usually requiring a special wrench
as the space inside the frames is fre-
quently of the most limited kind. The
practice of tightening the jam-nuts by the
application of a hammer and chisel is a
sure method of shortening the life of
the nut and adding to the causes of fu-
ture troubles.
After the wedges have been thus care-
fully set up on one side of the engine,
the wheels should be moved forward, if
possible, until the crank pins on the op-
posite side are on the upper centers and
the same method of tightening and
loosening of the wedges proceeded with.
The wedges should then be in a position
to maintain an equable bearing upon the
boxes for at least five or six hundred
miles of running service, unless some un-
foreseen cause produces a heating of one
or other of the driving boxes, in which
case it will be immediately necesi^ary to
loosen the wedge in order that the in-
creased size of the box caused by the
expansion superinduced by heating may
find room. When the heated box is
cooled the wedge should be promptly and
properly returned to and fixed in its place,
the mark on the pedestal serving as a
guide in a condition where the pinch
bars, perhaps, could not be brought into
operation.
Consequent, on tbe setting up of the
wedges, a slight readjustment of the con-
necting rods is always necessary. In ex-
amining the rods all that will be required.
except in the case of refitting the brasses,
will be to move the engine su that the rod
bearings may be tested in both front and
back centers. At these points the keys
should be driven sufficiently to tighten
the brasses against each other, but care
should be taken not to continue striking
the key after it has been already tightened
against the brass. Brasses that are much
worn are easily bent. After the key has
been driven it should be slightly loosened,
and it should be noted that the brass
moves easily on the crank pin. In the
event of any pronounced variation on the
different centers, it is well to try a tram
on the centers of the wheels and also on
the centers of the crank pins in order to
ascertain if the various centers correspond
exactly. If the centers tram correctly and
any variation be observed in the move-
ment of the brasses at either end, the
strap should be removed at the end where
the tightening occurs and the brass prop-
erly fitted to the bearing. As we have
already stated the matter of the tempera-
ture of the engine should be taken into
consideration. Rods that may appear to
be somewhat tight between the centers
when the locomotive is cold will likely
loosen somewhat when the engine is
heated.
It need hardly be added that the lubri-
cation of the wedges is a constant neces-
sity, and to this end many constructors
approve of drilling a hole between the
top of the driving box and the sides of
the box where the wedges are located.
This insures the admission of oil be-
tween the wedge and driving box. It is
also good practice to provide some means
for keeping dust and ashes from finding
lodgment between the wedges and driving
boxes. Plates may be fitted covering the
space on the top of the driving boxes,
such plates being kept in place by the
spring saddles. These plates should fit
easily so that they can be readily lifted to
admit the waste and oil necessary for
the lubrication of the driving boxes and
wedges.
V. — Pounding.
Tt is to be expected that in mechanism
of a kind where the moving forces act re-
ciprocally a certain amount of wear will
speedily manifest itself in what is known
as pounding. With the increase in the
size of the working parts of locomotives
this chronic defect has perceptibly less-
ened. It still, however, remains what it
has always been — one of the leading trou-
bles in locomotive running and manage-
ment. While it is, as we have said, to
September, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
379
be expected, it should not under any
condition remain unheeded. It should be
taken as a note of warning, for neglect is
almost always sure to lead to disaster.
The location of the trouble is not always
easy of discover}', and it should be looked
for with carefulness.
A good method of locating a pound,
after determining on which side of the
engine the pounding occurs, is to move
the engine until the main crank pin is on
the top quarter on the side on which the
pounding has been located, then block
the driving wheels, and admit steam to
the cylinder, and by reversing the lever
so that the steam may act alternately on
each side of the piston, the location of the
pound will likely be detected. If there
is no movement visible in the driving box
or cross-head or main rod connections, it
is safe to assume that the trouble is in the
cylinder. The trained ear will readily de-
tect the sharp, metallic sound of piston
rings, or loose follower bolts, which
should be easily distinguishable from the
duller sound of pounding on account of
the wearing, or loosening of the wearing
parts. A loose piston head may be said
to have a sound peculiarly its own, par-
taking of both sounds previously referred
to, and is usually much exaggerated in
sound in proportion to the slight amount
of lost motion that may have arisen from
the loosening of the piston on the piston
rod.
Some kinds of locomotives produce a
pounding sound when running in full gear
and care should be taken not to experi-
ment blindly with them. It will be easily
observed whether the pounding is of a con-
stant or growing kind. If the sound is
constant the trouble will likely be in the
lack of compression as the piston ap-
proaches the end of the stroke. The sud-
den release of the steam at a high pres-
sure in the cylinder rendering something
of a shock. This is particularly noticeable
when pulling a heavy load with a full
stroke of the valves. It should be re-
membered that if the valves are properly
proportioned and adjusted the compres-
sion which occurs as the piston ap-
proaches the end of the stroke should
preclude any shock or apparent pound-
ing, but the valve gearing seldom retains
its exact position for any considerable
length of time.
Pounding may be caused by the loosen-
ing of the cylinders on the frames, and
also by the piston striking the cylinder
head. When the latter condition occurs
the sound is of a loud and hard kind that
i^ readily distinKui«hablc. This condition
should be guarded against by observing
the itrikmg points usually marked on the
guide*, as therr it always a tendency
t'jwards a lengthening of the main rod
which may rulminate in a collision be-
tween the piston and cylinder head.
It is safe to assume, however, that in
most cases of pounding the trouble may
first be looked for in tlie driving boxes,
and it is often found that the condition of
the wedges in their relation to the driving
bo.xes is the cause of the pounding fre-
quently complained of in the locomotive.
It would seem that no matter how care-
fully the wedge may have been fitted when
the locomotive was constructed or re-
paired, the driving boxes will be found
sooner or later to be loose in the wedges.
The tendency among railway men to
loosen the wedges is very great. The
heating of the boxes renders the loosen-
ing of the wedges sometimes an absolute
necessity, but care should be taken to
set the wedges up to their proper position
again as soon as practicable. Many frame
fractures are due to the loosening of the
wedges, thereby allowing the shock of the
piston to strike with great force against
the pedestal jaws. These shocks or blows
are greatly increased when the wedges are
loose in the boxes, and even if no frac-
ture occurs to the frames the wear of the
wedges and boxes are very rapid when
allowed to run loosely.
It should be noted that in fitting wedges
in the machine shop it is good practice to
have the space between the wedges
slightly less at the bottom than at the top.
It is a remarkable fact that when the
weight of the engine is placed on the top
of the driving boxes there generally oc-
curs a slight contraction of the bottom
of the boxes. In the event of the wedges
being perfectly parallel to each other, it
will be found that the tendency of the
box to rock in the wedges is greater than
when the wedges are fitted somewhat
closer at the bottom than at the top. The
amount of variation need not be great.
What is generally known as a thickness of
paper will be sufficient to make up for
the contraction incident to the superim-
posed weight applied to the top of the box.
It would hardly be possible to enumer-
ate all of the causes that lead to pound-
ing. One of the common causes is in the
fitting, or rather misfitting of the driving
box brasses. When the brasses are bored
out a little too large, they are easily passed
as fitting, when in fact they are loose and
invariably develop lost motion and con-
sequent pounding almost from the be-
ginning of the service of the locomotive.
The brasses should fit lightly on the crown,
and should fit snugly on the sides. It is
good practice to clear the crown of fit-
ting marks by scraping away a portion
of the metal. It may be relied upon that
the weight upon the driving boxes will
soon bring the axle and the crown of the
brass in close contact while nothing can
ever rcnu-ily llic defect of a loosely fitted
brass, except refitting.
The irregular distribution of steam,
which may ricciir by reason of some slight
distortion of the valve gearing, will also
speedily crrale pounding on the side of
the engine where the greater amount of
steam i* being used. An excetsive
amount of lead also has a tendency to
beget pounding as the shock of the ad-
mission of steam at the point of the cen-
ter line of motion cannot have any other
effect than that of a severe blow, and the
multiplicity of such blows gradually finds a
yielding point that soon gives vocal utter-
ance to the weight of its overwork. This
gives us another reason why the valve
gearing should be constantly supervised,
as errors of any kind in the valve gearing
are among the certain causes of pound-
ing in the working parts of the engine.
A dryness of any of the working parts
of the engine will also, in addition to
superinducing a heating of the parts,
cause pounding or knocking. This is es-
pecially so in the case of the cylinders not
being sufficiently lubricated. The same
effect, in a lesser degree, will be noted if
the rod brasses or any of the driving
connections are allowed to approach a
condition of dryness. A loose crank pin
will also speedily develop into a knock-
ing sound, as also will any fracture of the
frames or deck casting or saddle or any
of the heavier braces that may be at-
tached to the frames. It may be said,
however, in a general way, that the loos-
ening of the wedges, either wilfully by
careless changing of their position, or by
reason of their wear, is the most common
cause of pounding in all locomotives.
The friction on the face of the wedges
is very great, and the holding of movable
wedges in position is a problem that has
not yet been completely solved. Wedges
that are secured by a tap bolt passing
through the pedestal jaw and securely
screwed into the wedge are more likely
to retain the wedge in position than any
single or even double system of wedge
bolts passing through the binder beneath
and sustaining the wedge without the se-
curity of a tap bolt. Both systems do
not prevent the wedge from loosening, but
both afford a better means of securely
holding the movable wedge than any sin-
gle system of sustaining the wedge, even
if secured with double jam nuts. A
thorough securing of the position of the
sliding wedge is an object of much im-
portance in lessening the running repairs
of a locomotive.
Standardization of Safety Appliance*.
.\n iniporlaiil work soon to be taken
up by (he interstate connnercc com-
mission is the standardization of safety
appliances on railroads; a law authoriz-
ing this standardization was passed at
the last session of Congress. In the
meantime and preparatory to action by
the commission, its experts and a com-
mittee representing the Master Car
Builders' Association are conferring
together. Hearings will be held which
railroad officials, leaders of the brother-
hoods and the car builders' committee will
be invited to attend.
38o
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
September, 1910.
Questions Answered
FEED VALVE DEFECT.
57. J. M.. Ft. Wayne, writes: What
ii the eflfect of a broken supply valve
piston spring in the slide valve feed or
the straight-air reducing valve? The
straight-air brake on an engine here
would not apply until reducing valves
were changed and all that was found
wrong was a broken spring. Would not
the effect of the broken spring be to al-
low main reservoir pressure to enter the
brake cylinders? — A. Yes, if the broken
spring does not interfere with the move-
ment of the supply valve piston, but in
this case it is evident that a piece of the
spring or the spring tip lodged between
the supply valve and the cap nut and held
the piston and supply valve in their closed
positions.
nVTY OF FIRE LIGHTERS.
58. .\. McX., Detroit, Mich., asks.:
What is the duty of the man who lights
up or starts a fire in a locomotive fire-
box?— A. He should first ascertain the
height of the water in the boiler. The
indication given by the gauge glass is
not sufficient, as it may be stopped up
or shut off. He should make sure of the
water by opening the lower try-cock
and observe the flow of w-ater. If the
engine is cold a good way is to take
out the stem of the lowest gauge cock,
if possible, and observe the flow of
water. Simply opening the lower try-
cock when the engine is cold may only
cause water lodged in the cock to drip
out, as the lower cock may be stopped
up. The safest course is to get a good
flow of water out of the boiler and then
one knows there is plenty inside and
it is safe to light up.
CAUSES OF UNDESIRED QUICK ACTION.
59. J. H. M., Osceola, Pa., writes:
I notice on page 295 of the July issue of
R.\iLW.\Y AND Locomotive Engineering a
number of causes of undesired quick
action of air brakes.
Will you kindly explain, through the
next issue, how the partly closed feed
groove and the very short piston travel
can cause the undesired quick action? —
A. — Y'ou win notice that the chart
referred to was printed for the purpose
of showing the contributing as well as
the primary causes of this disorder and
the feed groove in the triple valve being
partly closed by dirt contributes to un-
desired quick action in the same manner
that a "sluggish" feed valve or "loafing
on lap" does. If for any reason
whatever brake pipe pressure falls
very slowly reservoir pressure will
escape through the feed groove into
the brake pipe without moving the
triple valve piston, but if the feed
groove in a triple valve is partly closed
the pressure cannot escape as it does
through the grooves of the other triple
valves in a train of cars consequently
a movement of this triple valve
piston, against the slide valve re-
sults and communication between the
auxiliary reservoir and brake pipe is
closed while the service ports are not yet
in position to expand auxiliary pressure
into the brake cylinder, thereore, due to
a partly closed feed groove, the triple
valve has assumed the same position that
it does just previous to the time that un-
desired quick action is influenced by
a defective feed valve or the improper
use of lap position of the brake valve.
One of the reasons for calling atten-
tion to the feed groove in connection
with this disorder is that once a triple
valve works quick action during the ser-
vice application the partly closed feed
groove on the defective triple valve will
prevent its prompt recharge along with
the other brakes and upon the following
test to locate the disorder the quick
action does not occur because the
auxiliary reservoir is not fully charged.
The undesired quick action due to a
verj' short piston travel is encountered
only in passenger service when the brake
pipe pressure is no lbs. With the
high air pressure and short piston
travel a high brake cylinder pres-
sure is quickly obtained, and this fre-
quently retards the rate of expansion of
auxiliary reservoir pressure during a
brake pipe reduction to such an extent,
that sufficient differential is created be-
tween auxiliary and brake pipe pressures
to result in a compression of the graduat-
ing spring and quick action. Roughly
speaking, it is a matter of insufficient
space for auxiliary volume to expand into
in a given period of time, and it is not
merely a theory but a condition that re-
sults in undesired quick action.
WATER LE\-EL AFTER BLOWING OFF.
60. H. S., Kingston, Ont., writes : I
have often noticed that when steam is
blown off a locomotive boiler the level
of the water in the boiler goes down;
why is this? — A. Water in a boiler
with a steam pressure of say 200 lbs.
absolute pressure has a temperature of
381.7 degs. Fahr. As the pressure falls
a portion of the heat stored in the
water is liberated and turns some of
the water into steam, which is of
course blown off. At 100 lbs. absolute
pressure water is at a temperature of
327.9 degs. Fahr. That is, there has
been a fall of 53.8 degs. Fahr. between
those tw-o pressures and the heat
units, in the quantity of water af-
fected has been employed in causing
a large body of water to turn into
steam, with a consequent reduction of
water level. As soon as the water gets
down to a temperature of 212 degs.
Fahr. no more is evaporated, and the .
pressure is 14.7 lbs. absolute, or at-
mospheric. Before blowing off a boiler
it is a good plan to put on the injector
and fill up the boiler for the double
purpose of having the crown sheet well
covered when steam is off, and the intro-
duction of the comparatively cool feed
water somewhat reduces the temperature
of the water, and shortens the time taken
to blow off.
BROKU.V AIK PIPE.
61. J. M., Ft. Wayne, writes: From
reading the air brake department of
Railway and Locomotive Engineering
I am left under the impression that if
the reducing valve pipe of the H6 brake
was broken oflf from the independent
brake valve while out on the road, the
break toward the independent valve
should be plugged and the adjusting nut
of the reducing valve unscrewed to stop
the leak of air, then, when the brakes are
applied with the automatic valve, the in-
dependent valve should be placed in appli-
cation position also. Now, when the brake
is to be released the independent valve
would have to be placed in running or re-
lease position, in fact, both handles would
have to be moved when applying the brake
and both moved in order to release.
Would it not be more convenient to
plug both the broken pipe and the ex-
haust port of the independent brake
valve which would prevent the escape of
application cylinder pressure and allow
the independent valve to remain in run-
ning position all the time? — A, It might
be a litlte more convenient in handling the
brake valves, but the exhause port of the
brake valve should never be plugged when
it can be avoided because of the fact that
the plugged port may be forgotten when
proper repairs are made. The only time
that occasion for the use of the exhaust
port of the independent brake valve arises
is when the engine and train brakes are
being used alternately or in case the driv-
ing wheels should lock and slide during
an automatic application of the brake, and
if the e.xhaust port were plugged at such
a time some damage to the driving wheel
tires would likely result. The E. T.
brake, with its positive assurance of a
constant locomotive brake cylinder pres-
sure, has an ample protection against
v.-heel sliding, through the agency of the
exhaust port of the independent brake
valve, and this port should never be
plugged while dealing with the eflfect of
a broken valve pipe.
It is not our part to look hardly, nor to
look always to the character and deeds of
men, but to accept from all of them and to
hold fast that which we can prove good
and feel to be ordained for us. — Riiskin.
R.\ILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGIXEERIN'G.
Air Brake Department
Conducted by G. W. Kiehm
Braking Power Chart.
When a freight car is equipped with
an air brake the weight of the car is
determined and the foundation brake
gear is designed in a manner that when
the maximum brake cylinder pressure
developed is multiplied by and transmit-
ted through the brake gear, the resultant
pull on the eight-brake shoes will equal
a certain per cent, of the light weight of
the car. Sometimes this is taken at yo
per cent, sometimes at 80, 85 or 90 per
cent, of the car's weight, and is sometimes
ping a car with an air brake 15 to 30
per cent, less pull on the shoe than weight
of the wheel on the rait is relied upon
to provide a safe margin against wheel
sliding.
If the pull in pnunds of the shoes on
the wheels is 70 lbs. for every 100 lbs.
resting on the wheels, what is^ termed
the calculated or nominal braking power
is 70 per cent., but it makes no provision
for an ample percentage of braking
power for the car when it is loaded, and
consequently loading the car lowers the
■r:^-- LOy^Csa CaH
■/va tmihos lo^cs^ CAif
Brak/m<; Payees (oasso o/^SOl&s Cr'a/^os^ Pressure)
IW/TM STJir^OAIfO
BitJUKe.
CH.ART SHOWING WEIGHT OF CAR .\ND BRAKING POWER.
based upon a 60-lb. cylinder pressure
'.:ch is obtained with a quick action ap-
.ation, and sometimes upon a so-Ib.
... binder pressure, the maximum pressure
developed by a service application of the
brake.
Regardless of the exact percentage of
braking power or the cylinder pressure
employed, it is based upon the pounds
pull of the shoes against the wheel as
the brake is applied and the total in
:nds of the shoe against the wheels
!»M than the weight holding the
. the rail. .-Vnd under these cir-
• J it is considered that the fric-
. i.iined between the shoe and the
eel will not exceed the adhesion of the
rel to the rail.
! he wheel-sliding subject is a very
ad one, embracing rail and track con-
oitionf and the efTectivenets of other
brakes in a train of cart, but in equlp-
percentagc of braking power, as the
shoe pressure remains constant regard-
less of the load, and the heavier the
load the less percentage of braking power
available with which to stop the car.
The chart shown illustrates percentage
of braking power on the car when light
and loaded.
The chart shows that when braking
power is based on a 50-lb. cylinder pres-
sure and has a pull on the brake shoes
equal to 60 per cent of the light weight
of the car, the car weighing 40,000 lbs.
having a capacity of 110,000 lbs., the
percentage nt braking power falls to 21
per cent, when the car is two-thirds load-
ed and to t6 per cent when the car is
leaded to its capacity.
The Westinghouse Air Brake Com-
pany has recently developed what is
termed an "Empty and Load Brake" for
grade service, which provides for normal
braking power when the car is empty,
and a much higher braking power for
the car when loaded, so that the braking
effort throughout a train of any length
is almost uniform.
The chart also shows that by the use
of this brake the percentage of braking
power on the car when two-thirds loaded
is increased from 21 to 53 per cent, of
the total load, and when the car is fully
loaded the percentage of braking power
is increased from 16 to 40 per cent
The necessity for a brake of this kind is
apparent and has
been for many
years, and we
would be pleased
•.o publish a gen-
eral description
of this brake,
but the manufac-
turers do not at
the present time
wish to go into
details concerning
its construction.
The schedule U
or high pressure
control brake was
intended for this
same purpose of
providing a more
efficient brake for
heavily loaded
cars, but as the
increase in the re-
tarding effect was
derived from an
increase of brake
cylinder pressure
obtained through
an increase of brake pipe pressure it
naturally became effective on all cars in
the train.
For this reason the higher pressure
could not be employed on mixed trains
of loads and empties, the braking power
on the heavily loaded cars even with
the increase of brake pipe pressure
was but a small percentage of that
which could have been safely employed,
while the braking power on the light
car was at the same time increased to
such an extent that wheel sliding, while
not positively assured, was likely to oc-
cur if all the braking power available
were used.
The increase in braking power se-
cured by the use of the "empty and
load brake" is obtained through an in-
crease of leverage and is effective on
the loaded car, while the braking power
on the empty car remains normal.
382
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
September, 1910.
Piston Travel Chart.
This chart shows the eflfcct of varia-
tion in piston travel and also the dif-
ference in braking power on loaded and
empty cars. This has particular refer-
ence to piston travel effect, and is based
upon the calculated percentage of brak-
ing power termed nominal.
By referring to the chart it will be
seen that if a train is composed of loaded
and empty cars and there is a short pis-
ton travel on the empties and a moder-
ately long travel of say 9 ins. on loaded
cars, the difference in the percentage ot
braking power on the different cars is
somewhat startling if considered from a
viewpoint of parted trains and damaged
draw gear.
By following the lines on the chart
we see that the effect of a 13-lb. brake
pipe reduction on a loaded car with a 9-
65 or 78 per cent., depending upon the
total leverage ratio employed.
Now if a number of light cars with
short piston travel are on the rear end
of a very long train, and if the loads hav-
ing a long piston travel are ahead, after
nicely bunching the slack with straight
air, or independent brake, the effect of a
13-lb. brake pipe reduction is somewhat
problematical, but those giving the sub-
ject any thought will appreciate the situa-
tion.
A condition of this kind shows a total
possible difference of 67 per cent, of
braking power between light and loaded
cars and reversing the conditions of pis-
ton travel would reduce this difference
w-onderfuUy, as the 6-in. piston travel on
the loaded car will produce, under the
same conditions a braking power of 18
per cent, of the total weight and the
CHART SHOWINO THE BirfCBeNCC IN BRAKINQ POWER OM
LOADED AND EMPTY CABS WITH ANY GIVEN BRAKE PIPE REDUC-
TION VARYING PISTON TRAVEL AND BOTH TO AND BS PER CENT
BRAKING POWER BASED ON BO LBS. CYLINDER PRESSURE.
PISTON TRAVEL
" BRAKING POWER
lO/iOEDj; EMP- Y A /
N
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L-S9-7C» j_ 85*ai> / Z
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; ■ 70X }.f / 'six B.=
3r^£ \
~^'~ ~i± ^^ Z
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\N A
-^ I - /
^i^ V -
h i J
^^v- X ^
-39- -/- — — -/-
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dl 1-' L
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so tS 0 5
BRAKE PIPE REDUCTION
PERCE^^•/^cE of braking power
LOADED AND EMPTY CARS, DIFFERENXE Ol- KK.VKE POWER.
in. piston travel would be about ^j, lbs.
brake cylinder pressure, resulting in a
braking power o-f about 1 1 per cent. ; that
is, the pull of the shoes against the
wheels roughly speaking would be 11
per cent, in pounds of the weight holding
the wheels to the rail. This is found by
following the 13-lb. brake pipe reduction
line to the 9-in. piston travel line and
then following an imaginary horizontal
line past the brake cylinder pressure line,
which would pass at about zi lbs., and
continuing on this line to the "loaded
car" line and going directly to the bottom
of the chart from the point they cross
■ shows the percentage of braking power
developed is 11.
Following the lines in a similar manner
shows that a 13-lb. reduction on the 6-in.
piston travel results in a brake cylinder
pressure of 53 lbs., and on an empty car
the percentage of braking power will be
same 13-lb. brake pipe reduction on the
9-in. travel on the light car would result
in a braking power of 39 per cent, of the
weight of car or a difference of but 29
per cent, in braking power between light
and loaded cars after the 13-lb. reduction.
This is something that is worth consid-
ering.
Air Brake Instruction.
We take pleasure in quoting from a let-
ter written by a reader of Railway and
Locomotive Engineering the following
extracts. On the subject of air brake
instruction our correspondent, an engine
house foreman, writes, "What the round-
house men and enginemen seem to need is
more of the simple A, B, C of the brake
literature and business, and not have to
wade through so much letter-press to find
out what they want to get at," and "Tell
the men what to do if either or both gov-
ernor pipes break off and not to leave
a 60-car train on the road and come in
light." "The same can be said of many
other little pipe failures which cause de-
lays and unnecessary expense ; happily,
however, we are improving in this respect,
due to some simple e.xperiments made in
the roundhouse for the benefit of engi-
neers."
Other letters of this character and per-
sonal observations have led us to form a
definite conclusion to the effect that there
is a crying need for a more effective air
brake instruction to all men who have to
do with air brakes and road men in par-
ticular. If there was any need for an air
brake instructor five or six years ago,
how much more necessary is one now in
view of all the new air brake equipments
that have been developed during the past
five years ; or if the air brake instructor
is doing his full duty and taking care
of all his business, he must have had a
very easy time of it five years ago, assum-
ing that his territory is the same. There
has not only been an advancement in
brake design, but the railroad business
has increased, more men are employed,
trains are longer and traffic is heavier,
and it is evident that if an instructor
was kept busy in a certain territory five
years ago and that it has not been re-
duced or if no assistance has been given
him in the mean time, it is safe to say
he is not unable to cope with the situa-
tion, and it is safe to assume that the
instructor was busy five years ago as we
have never heard of one having finished
his work.
From our correspondent's reference to
demonstrations being conducted in the
engine house for the benefit of engineers,
we would infer that there is no car or
room equipped for this purpose, which
is a deplorable state of affairs. The av-
erage road man cannot receive any very
heneficial instruction in a shop, or if
it is given by a shop man and the average
shop man is not benefited to a great
extent by any instruction coming from
an engineer, because regardless of how
well they get along together, the majority
of the road men will seldom benefit from
any instruction coming from any one but
a road man. On the other hand, the
average shop man, as a general rule,
will take nothing for granted unless it
comes from a machinist or foreman.
There are, however, a great number of
railroad men, although they may not be
in the majority, who recognize an air
brake man when they come in contact
with him and accept his explanations on
air brake subjects, giving no attention to
where he came from, be it road or shop
service. It is, however, preferable for the
air brake instructor to be a road man and
the supervisor of air brakes to be a shop
man.
In spite of all the expense and difficulties
encountered, the air brake instruction and
Stptciiibcr, lyio.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
383
cxaiiiiiiaticjn is absolutely necessary and
only the instruction car or instruction room
can be fitted up in a muinier as to
make the instruction entirely com-
prehensible and profitable. Some railroad
men consider the instruction car an un-
necessary expense, some consider the in-
structors and supervisors' time as wasted
and others seen: a tritle slow to grasp
the fact that tlit-y are compelled to edu-
cate their empU'vees to a certain extent,
at least. It requires training for a man
to fill any positun, the more difficult the
work the more education is required, and
few employees are willing to educate
themselves when they imagine the com-
pany gets all the benefit from it; and if
the employee w ill not pay for his own
«ducation or training pertaining to his
own particular line of work the company
is compelled to pay for it ; and the work-
man or apprentice is not always consulted
as to whether he is to be sent to school
or to a shop for instruction, whether the
instruction is to be brought to him, or
whether the company will pay for the
material he wastes and mistakes he makes
while he is training himself. The latter
method is by far the most costly, as any
air brake repairman can testify.
In road service it may be even more
costly to allow the firemen and engineers
to educate themselves. The engineer may
rever fully learn the proper use of release
and lap positions of the brake valve or
show a proper appreciation of the ad-
vantage of the short cycle method of con-
trolling trains on grades until he has a
serious accident, and the company pays a
bill that would in many instances equip
several instruction cars. We can say that
there is constant need for air brake in-
struction, especially for the road man be-
cause with him rests the responsibility
of getting the train over the road on time,
and he must devote some of his time to
the study of the brake if his department
is to keep pact with improved shop meth-
ods in promoting the air brake art.
The reason for the statement is that
•with the improved facilities for handling
work and with competent workman prac-
tically all the .lir brake failures can be
put up to the road foreman of engines
.2nd the air brake instructor. As an illus-
tration, if the workman puts an over-
hauled air pump in practically as gund
condition a<> a new one, which every re-
pairman should be able to do, the life of
the pump certainly will depend upon the
care it receives r.n the road or while on
the engine I he pump then being re-
moved from the engine at certain periods
for inspeclioti, and repairs if necessary,
leaves very little opportunity for tracing
an air pump failure to a shop where re-
pair work i» being done properly. Of
course, it i* not intcndrd to mean that all
»hop» turn out fir«t-cla«^ work, and wc
know that in »omc engine houses the
repairman will lake a hammer and chisel
and attack an air pump while it is on the
locomotive, but this is entirely the affair
of the company that permits it. .\gain,
there is always the possibility of a tlaw
in repair parts, causing a pump failure ;
but a careful observer will note that
pump failure due to defective repair parts
are rarely if ever heard of when the pump
comes from a shop where competent
workmen are employed.
To avoid any misunderstanding, it
might be said that piston-rods do not usu-
ally get fractured if the piston-rod nuts
are removed as they should be and the
end of the rod does not snap off in service
if the rod is annealed when it is removed
from a pump. To determine the cause of
loose air or steam pistons, loose reversing
plates, bent or broken valve rods and
broken air valves, it is a good policy to
investigate shop methods, but to find the
cause of pieces being broken out of the
steam and air pistons, the cause of top
heads being broken and threads stripped
out of the reversing valve chamber, and
to closed ports in the air cylinder we look
to the engine crew and the head brake-
man for an explanation, assuming, of
course, that the hostlers or engine
watchmen are not permitted to start or
use the air pump.
If the hostler is allowed to use the air
pump the engine crew cannot always be
blamed for broken air and steam pistons,
for it is evident that those parts are
broken at the time when the pump is be-
ing run at or nearly its maximum speed
when there is no air pressure in the main
reservoir, and this seldom occurs except
when the pump is first started. It is
merely a matter of the high steam pres-
sure slamming the pistons against the
center piece hard enough to break pieces
out of them.
Similarly the engine crew is not al-
ways responsible for a broken top head,
it may have been done by the hostler or
the head brakeman ; for when the pump
is located on the left side of the boiler
it is often his duty to keep the pump mov-
ing when the oil supply gets low in the
lubricator, and many brakemeii must la-
bor under the delusion that the brass
plugs in the ends of the port holes in the
top head were placed there to indicate
the point at which a blow with the coal
maul wouM he the most effective, since
they have been told not to strike the re-
versing valve chamber cap.
Any comment upon closed ports in the
air cylinder or oiling of pumps is un-
necessary, the engineer has every right to
demand that the pump, the locomotive
and .nil appliances be kept in perfect con-
dition, and the company has the right to
insist that their property be protected. In
modern shops the brake valve, feed valve,
triple valve .iiid all air brake apparatus re-
ceive a riuid test beff>re being placed in
service, .itid when the repair work is being
done properly and the brake equipment is
receiving the daily trip inspection there is
little opportunity, indeed, for tracing air
brake troubles to the shop, .\tiother rea-
son for considering the road mans in-
struction tirst is that the lircman is there
for instruction to lit him for promotion;
likewise the brakeman; while the engineer
must keep in touch with new devices that
are coming into use; while if the repair-
man in the shop is incompetent he can
be dismissed and another employed or
some one can be trained to till the place
he has vacated.
We heartily agree with our corre-
spondent in that the shop and road man
need instruction and always will need it,
and as for the simple .\, B, C of instruc-
tion it is a ple*ure to say that the Air
Brake Association has placed on perma-
nent record and in book form a course
of air brake instruction that begins with
the straight air brake, the three-way cock
and the trigger pump, going into detail
in giving the operation, construction and
defects developed by every railroad brake
equipment that has been placed on the
market.
This course or record is being added to
annually, and it has already assumed such
proportions that very few air brake men
will be able to learn thoroughly all the
information it contains; but each subject
is taken up step by step in such a man-
ner that anyone can understand it ; in fact,
it is intended for the beginner at the be-
ginning and for the air brake expert as the
subject advances. In this connection
questions on air brake subjects are always
in order, and when sent to Railway and
Locomotive Engineekino will receive
prompt attention and be answered cor-
rectlv and in few words.
Eighty-eight Per Cent, on Time.
The Public Service Commission, second
district, has just issued the record of
passenger train operations in the State of
New York for the month of June. The
total number of trains operated over the
steam railroads of the State was 63,717,
as against 55.551 last year and 50,I2J in
1908. Of this number 88 per cent, were
on time at divisional terminals. The av-
erage delay for each late train was 21.2
minutes and for each train run 2.5 min-
utes. The principal causes of delay were
waiting for trains on other divisions, 2S.3
per cent, train work at stations, 18.5 per
cent. ; waiting for train collections with
other railroads, 1 1.5 per cent.; trains
ahead, 7.6 per cent. ; wrecks, 7.3 per
cent. ; engine failures, 6.9 per cent. ; and
meeting and passing trains, 6.4 per cent.
He yourself. Ape no greatness. Be
willing to pass for what you arc. A good
farthing is belter than a bad sovereign.
.\tTect no oddness, but dare to be right.
— .y. C'lley.
384
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
September, 1910.
Electrical Department
Running a N. H. Electric Locomotive.
IV.
By W. B. Kouwenhoven.
If, while running on the alternating-cur-
rent zone of the N. Y., N. H. & H. Rail-
road, a third-rail shoe or a support or
beam should strike an obstruction and be
broken, the engineer should bring his
train to a stop and either tie up the
broken shoe, remove it or break it off
clean, doing what will take the least time.
He should be careful in tying it up, to
make sure that there are no loose springs
or wires that will work off and cause fur-
ther trouble. If the break occurs in the
direct-current zone, the engineer not only
stops his train, but in addition he should
open the direct-current main switch, and
the blower, compressor and heater
switches. Then he must be very careful
to insert the wooden paddles or slippers
between the other shoes and the third-rail
before proceeding to clear the damaged
shoe. Neither the engineer nor his help-
er should ever use a crowbar or a coup-
ling pin when breaking off a broken shoe,
but always a tool with a wooden handle.
In fact, this is a very good rule to follow
not only when working on a third-rail
shoe, but on all parts of the electric loco-
motive and in all branches of electrical
work.
Sometimes when crossing a gap in the
third rail a set of third-rail shoes will un-
lock and rise and ride against the side
of the third rail. If this occurs and is
discovered, the helper should at once dis-
connect the control wire holding that set
of shoes down, and allow the shoes to
remain up until a place is reached where
the third rail ends on that side. Then
the helper can connect the control wire
back in place and the shoes will go down.
The shoes should be examined at the first
opportunity to make sure that the spring
that holds the shoes against the third rail
has not broken or slipped out of place.
An engineer should never enter the direct-
current zone without at least one good
shoe on either side of the locomotive.
If a current of over 2,500 amperes is
used while running on alternating cur-
rent, then either one or both alternating-
current circuit-breakers will open, and be-
fore resetting them the controller handle
must be returned to the off position by the
engineer. The circuit-breakers are reset
by hand. If a circuit-breaker opens re-
peatedly without any apparent cause, the
pair of motors which receive their cur-
rent through that circuit-breaker should
be cut out of service by shifting the mo-
tor control cut-out switch for that cir-
cuit-breaker to tlie proper position. If a
transformer gives trouble because of the
failure of the insulation or for some other
cause, or if a motor bucks or jerks, over-
heats or gives trouble the engineer should
cut the damaged transformer or motor
out of circuit, using the proper cut-out
switch.
There are two motor control cut-out
switches on each locomotive, one at each
end of the cab. Each switch controls the
circuits of one transformer and one motor
unit and has four positions as follows :
"both in," "motor out," "transformer out"
and "both out." The object of these
switches is to cut a transformer or a mu-
ter out of circuit when it or any part of
MASTER CONTROLLER OPEN.
its equipment is damaged or fails. The
circuits are so arranged that either mo-
tor unit can be supplied with current
from either or both transformers. The
motor control cut-out switch consists of
a long wooden drum on which are mount-
ed a series of copper strips that make
contact with a set of fingers. The drum
is rotated by a handle. When the handle
is in the "motor out" position the control
circuits of the motor unit at that end of
the locomotive are opened. In the "trans-
former out" position the control circuits
to the transformer taps are opened, and
in the "both out" position the circuits of
both the motor and transformer are
opened. In the "both in" position the cir-
cuits are closed. Failure of the switch to
operate satisfactorily can usually be
traced to some of the fingers making poor
contact.
Under normal conditions a New Haven
locomotive should start a train with a cur-
rent of 1.800 amperes or less per motor
unit. If a train does not start with this
amount of current, the engineer should
return the controller handle to the "off"
position, and send the conductor back to
see if all the brakes have released prop-
erly. When starting a heavy train on a
steep grade a current of 1,800 amperes
may be exceeded for a short time, but
never under any circumstances can 2,500
amperes be exceeded, because at this cur-
rent the circuit-breakers for both alter-
nating and direct current will open.
If, while running on alternating cur-
rent a motor grounds, the engineer should
cut out the motor i-.iiit to which the dam-
aged motor belongs using the control cut-
out switch for this purpose and proceed
w'ith his train using the other motor unit;
both transformers will be in use. Under
t!:ese conditions 1.800 amperes can be ex-
ceeded while accelerating. If the train
fails •r' aii.r' •::; tlie first notch the engi-
neer can pull the controller handle to the
second notch. Then if the train does not
start after the slack has been taken up,
the train is too heavy for the crippled
locomotive. On direct current with one
pair of motors cut out, 1,800 to 2,500 am-
peres may be used while accelerating.
However, the engineer should not pull the
controller handle beyond the direct-cur-
rent series position.
If, when double-heading in the direct-
current zone, it becomes necessary to cut
out a motor unit, the crews must pull the
control jumpers and then the two locomo-
tives must be operated separately, as is
the custom with steam engines. If this
occurs when running on alternating cur-
rent, the motor control cut-out govern-
ing the damaged motor should be thrown
to the "motor out" position, and then the
train can proceed under one engineer,
using both pairs of motors on the one
locomotive and the good pair on the other.
The unit switches or contactors some-
times fail to operate when on the road
after having shown up satisfactorily in the
test before leaving the terminal. This
may be due to one of the following causes
which should be investigated (i) low-air
pressure; (2) low battery voltage; (3)
plug in master controller making poor
contact, and (4) improper or poor con-
tacts or broken connections in the master
controller or in the control circuit.
If none of the switches come in when
the controller handle is notched up, the
trouble is probably due to one of the
first three causes. The engineer should
first look at the control gauge which
should register at least 70 lbs. of air
pressure. If the pressure is lower than
this and the gauge on the main reservoir
September, 1910,
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
.S85
registers 130 lbs. the trouble fs either in
the three-way cock or else in the reduc-
ing valve. If the control pressure gauge
reads 70 lbs. or more the engineer cuts
out the battery in use and throws in the
other one and presses the controller plug
to make sure that it is all, the \vay_.in..
Then he tries the bell to see if the bat-
tery current is on the controller.
If some of the unit switches come in
while others do not, the f.iult probably
lies in the master controller or its cir-
cuits. If the trouble is confined to one
side of the locomotive, that is, in the
switches that belong to one motor unit.
The best thing the engineer can do to
save time is to cut out the motor units
which are affected. If this is impossible
then he should remove the cover from the
master controller and proceed to test
the control in a manner similar to that
employed before leaving the yard. When
the notch is reached where the trouble lies,
the engineer should take a piece of wood
and press the fingers of the master con-
troller and the interlocker on the switches
to see if they make good contact. If the
trouble is slight the engineer can make
the adjustment of the tension of the
fingers himself. Or if the trouble is con-
fined to the master controller at the
head of the cab, then he can operate the
train from the other controller. If the
engineer finds it impossible to clear the
trouble after investigating all the causes
he must lower the trolleys and call for
assistance.
Sometimes a bad ground occurs in a
switch group because of a switch freezing
in, as it is called, that is. the switch
sticks due to roughness or some other
cause and fails to open when it should.
In this case cither the engineers or his
helper should pry open the switch with
.a stick of wood, being sure to open both
alternating-current circuit-breakers first.
Occasionally the current flashes or sparks
over from a unit switch to the iron frame
work supporting the switch group, with a
report like a shot, and generally clears
itself, that is, it ceases. If this is the
case it is not necessary to stop or to cut
out the group or to lose any time looking
for the trouble.
If the studs or shunts or wires on the
unit switches get loose, the switch will
get red hot and burn the insulation.
When this is discovered the power should
immediately be shut oflf, both alternating-
current circuit -breakers opened and the
loose parts tJKhtcncd up. If arcing starts
in a switch Kroup and continues, the en-
gineer should cut out the motor unit be-
longing to that side, using the motor cut-
out switch.
If the resistances ground or burn up
when operating on direct current the en-
gineer should slowly return the controller
handle to the "off" position and call for
assiitance. Thric grids do not affect the
operation '>f the locomotive in the alter-
nating-current zone, and if that can be
reached hefore the train comes to a stop
then the enigneer can proceed to his
destination.
Should the third-rail shoe- fuses blow
when making the change over from alter-
nating to direct current, at the instant
the direct current enters the locomotive,
very likely the short-circuit switch has
been forgotten and left closed. The fuses
must be replaced before proceeding. To
do this the train is brought to a stop
and the direct-current main switch and
the compressor, blower, heater and short-
circuit switches are opened. The paddles
are placed between the shoes and the third
rail. Then the engineer loosens up the
thumb-screws that hold the burned fuse
in place, removes the fuse and inserts a
new one and tightens up the thumb-screws
again. When the paddles are removed,
care should be taken that no one is in
front of the fuse-box, because the fuses
may blow when the current comes in and
spatter the hot metal about. Before put-
ting in direct-current fuses the engineer
should not only open the switches
enumerated above, but also be sure to put
the paddle between the shoes and the rail.
On alternating current both circuit-break-
ers should always be opened before re-
placing any fuse.
If the chang-over switch fails to shift
automatically when passing from the alter-
nating to the direct-current zones it may
be due (i) to low air pressure; (2) to a
weak battery; (3) to the armature of one
of the alternating-current relays sticking
up, and (4) to the direct-current main
switch being left open. If it fails when
runing in the opposite direction it may be
caused by ( i ) low air pressure ; ( 2 ) a
weak battery; (3) armature of the direct-
current relay sticking up; (4) small
switch on the back of the controller left
closed; (5; controller plug making poor
contact, and (6) cut-out cock leading to
rrolley-unlock cylinder, closed. The en-
gineer and his helper should locate the
trouble and remedy it if possible. If no
trouble is found and still the switch does
not shift, it can be shifted by hand.
Should the master controller handle
catch in one of the running positions
while the train is in motion, and cannot
be thrown to the "off" position, the engi-
neer can cut off the power by cither
pulling out the master controller plug or
opening the switch of the storage battery
in use. If the brakes fail to hold, the en-
gineer as an extreme measure can reverse
the electric locomotive to stop the train
just as his brother on the steam locomo-
tive may reverse his engine if necessary.
In order to reverse the electric locomotive,
however, the engineer must first throw the
controller handle to the "off" position, pull
the reverse handle to the backward posi-
tion and proceed to slowly notch up the
controller again. He must be very care-
ful not to use too much current which
would probably result in damage to the
machinery and complete loss of stopping
power; just as the steam engineer when
^starting must be careful not to knock out
the cylinder heads of his engine.
However, an electric locomotive or any
electric car with a two-motor equipment
can always be stopped, even if the brakes
fail to work and power is off the line by
bucking the motors. To stop a New Ha-
ven locomotive under these conditions,
throw off the power, reverse the direction
rnd, if on alternating current, pull handle
up to any one of the alternating current
running positions ; if on direct current,
pull handle to some point beyond the
direct-current shunt No. 2 position. Each
motor when connected this way that is ia
parallel for the opposite direction of ro-
tation generates current which tends to
drive the other motor in the opposite
direction, and will bring a locomotive to
a stop very quickly. It must be remem-
bered that on these New Haven electric
locomotives that the reverscr handle and
the controller haiulle interlock and that
the reverscr handle cannot be shifted un-
less the controller handle is first thrown
to the "off" position.
In case of fire starting on the locomo-
tive, sand should be used to extinguish it.
Water should never be used because of
the danger of short-circuits being forined.
Ihe engineer should cut off the power
when a fire starts and lower the alternat-
ing-current trolleys, if in the alternating-
current zone; and blow the shoe fuses if
in the direct-current zone, if the fire is
likely to prove serious.
In case of a wreck the trainmen must
caution every one to look out for the
overhead wires. The conductor should
proceed at once to the nearest tower and
notify the towerman of the wreck and
state that tracks arc blocked. The tower-
man must immediately cut off the power
on the overhead wires of the tracks af-
fected and must notify the towerman at
the other end of the section to cut off
the power from his end. The conductor
must remain at the tower until he receives
notice in writing that the power has been
turned off. The first duty of the wreck-
ing crew, upon reaching the scene of the
wreck, is to ground the overhead wires.
Care should be taken in handling the
wrecking crane that it does not come into
contact with the overhead wires. The last
duty of the wrecking crew before leaving
Ihe wreck is to remove the grounds and
notify the towerman that the line is ready
for operation.
New Line Opened.
The Chicago, Milw.iukee &• I'ugct Sound
pnd the Oregon &• Washington recently
opened the Grays Harbor Line to Cos-
mopolis, Aberdeen, and Hoquiam. The
line runs through the Chelialis Valley and
lias been under construction for two year?.
Grays Harbor cities gave a public wel-
come to Ihe first trains arriving from
Taconia.
386
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
September, 1910.
General Foremen's Department
Mechanical Department Efficiency.
Below is the address of Mr. F. C. Pick-
ard, master mechanic of the Cincinnati,
Hamilton & Dayton, at Indianapolis, Ind.,
delivered at the last convention of the
International Railway General Foremen's
Association. He said, It has been my
pleasure to watch the workings of the
General Foremen's Association since its
commencement. I have had the pleasure
of attending two of your meetings, one
in Chicago last year and this one here.
A remark was put to me yesterday by
a certain individual that he could not get
away. Whenever a man is in the position
that he cannot get away, and is holding
the position of general foreman, there
is something wrong with the man, not
the organization. They should take more
interest in these things — put forth greater
efTort to co-operate and bring about the
results that are desired by the members
of this organization.
The efficiency of the mechanical de-
partment depends upon the co-operation
of the general foreman and the subordi-
nates, also the other departments to see
that they work in perfect harmony.
One most essential thing for increasing
the efficiency of the mechanical depart-
ment is in regard to the handling of loco-
motives. The first step in connection
with the matter is attention to the time
that a locomotive is cut oflf in a yard
until it is again made ready. This calls
for an effort on the part of every fore-
man and every individual that may come
under your supervision. The roundhouse
foreman may have a job upon the engine
that requires the attention of the black-
smith foreman. You should call together
your subordinates and discuss these
things, show it to them at your staff
meetings if you have that arrangement of
organization, if not you should organize
at once.
We have a plan on our railroad by
which we call together on Monday morn-
ing every shop foreman and we discuss
the various things of interest to our de-
partment. We might say to the general
foreman, "We only turned out five en-
gines last week and we should have
turned out six. Why?" There is a rep-
resentative of the store department there.
It may be on account of the material : if it
is, he tells us about it — what efforts have
been made to get it and what results we
are going to get from that department
and what we can expect. It may be that
the blacksmith shop is at fault. Perhaps
the blacksmith lacked air ; it may be the
machine production. In that way the
discrepancies of tlie various departments
are put before the head of the department
and the best results obtained.
Another thing : You men are daily com-
ing in contact with the men under you.
Do not criticize an individual but ques-
tion him. The success of a man is
brought about by questioning him and
getting him to think. Whenever you get
him thinking you are going to get re-
sults, and he will produce the highest
efficiency that lies in his power and
ability.
.•\nother thing that is attracting at-
tention the world over is fuel economy.
We have a meeting in Chicago ne.xt
month along this line. We find in this
country that we have about 63,000 loco-
motives: If each and every individual of
the mechanical departments of the rail-
roads in this country would set about to
obtain desired results in the roundhouse
and in each department, we could save a
million tons of coal a year.
Another branch that is attracting the at-
tention of many is the apprentice sys-
tem. We inaugurated a school on our
road about si.x months ago for that pur- .
pose. When it was suggested there were
some of the men who said we did not
have the facilities, but we made them.
We took two box cars, put them together
and put windows in them, and you gentle-
men would be surprised at the results we
are getting from the apprentice boys that
started in the school six months ago.
They are all students. There should be
more students among the mechanical men.
We need the necessary material — men
of proper qualifications for promotion.
My superintendent cf motive power
called on me not long ago for a man to
fill an important position. We mentioned
one who had been with us for a long
time. I said to him : "That man can
neither read nor write but he is a good
mechanic." He is standing in his own
light. I have done everj-thing I could
to raise him up. I offered him the op-
portunity of attending this apprentice
school and he did not grasp it. That
man, when he was wasting his time
should have been burning the midnight
oil. We have all read of Gladstone w-ho
mastered the Greek language at eighty,
which fully demonstrates to us that we
are not too old to learn.
We should not dwell upon subjects over
which we have no control, or dicsuss sub-
jects before this organization that we
are not called upon to decide. I have had
men say to me a great many times: "If
we had a shop like they have at Beach
Grove or other places we could accom-
plish that thing." It is all right to tell
me about it, but the question is to do
it. We should take the things that we
have at our fingers' ends and do the best
that we possibly can. You will be sur-
prised at results. We had a wheel lathe
that was not producing results at all. By
the application of a little "kink" that we
had attached to the machine we increased
the output fifty per cent.
I recall another shop that had three
machines, a coach wheel lathe, an old type
lathe and a modern machine. The
modern mac'nine was working fifteen
hours, the coach wheel lathe was work-
ing nine and the other ten hours a day.
After we collected shop kinks and put
them on those machines, one man did
all the work, and I have seen that man
get his work all out on these three ma-
chines and drop over and assist on the
turning of car axles.
I heard a man say this morning that
he was traveling around and there were a
great many foremen in his territory who
knew nothing about this organization.
That is a matter that is worthy of the
attention of this organization. To get
together, co-operate and exchange ideas
and by so doing you can perform a won-
derful service for each individual of your
organization.
I came over here this morning to talk
to you men the same as I would talk to
the foremen in the shop over which I
have supervision. The state of your
organization is the same as the Master
Mechanics' was back in 1861. You are
just building up and beginning to per-
form the service that these men are doing
now. This organization is just m its in-
fancy. The master mechinic has devel-
oped to such a stage today that he has
to have assistance. He looks to the
general foreman for that one thing. One
of the strongest features of the mechan-
ical department today is the method that
your organization is based upon. First,
to obtain success, you must have it all
lined up so that each and every part is
governed by seme foreman ; that the
responsibility can be placed in the proper
direction. By so doing you will get the
desired results. You must not build a
fence around you so that you cannot be
approached at any time. The master
mechanic or the general foreman cannot
be the whole thing. You may have a
strong leader but he cannot do it all.
He is simply the pivot which the organi-
zation swings around. Each one of you
September, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
387
forms a tooth in the gear wheel. If one
is missing the whole thing does not run
smoothly. You should lend your able
support in carrying out the details of
your organization.
Whenever a man gets it into his head
that his shop is all right — that his or-
ganization is all right — he has the wrong
idea. He is a back number. You can
go away and stay for thirty days and
when you come back you will find some
changes. By getting together through
this organization and exchanging ideas
you will perform a wonderful service for
your brother. Unfortunately, we are a
little embarrassed. We do not get up
and say what we think. I know it is that
way with me and it is true of a great
many others. There are many here who
are far more able to discuss these mat-
ters than I am. Throw oflT this embar-
rassment and you will get some great
results from your organization. Here
may be a man who is performing an
operation much more economically than
some one else. If he will get up and
tell us about his little shop kinks he will
assist his brother over here, and vice
versa.
I am highly elated to be called upon
by you gentlemen to talk to you be-
cause I like to associate with vou. You
Our shop was built and designed by
Mr. Pulaski Leeds in 1879, and is classed
second. Last month wo had a little illus-
tration in our shop. We took in engine
on April 11, and on the 19th we removed
the engine from the shop and she went
into service on the 20th. She received
a new fire-box, new driving box also
shoes and wedges. To illustrate to you
how that was done : We built an extra
back end so as to cut her bo.x off at
throat sheet. We arc doing that for every
class of engine we have on our system.
With a locomotive of that capacity-, if it
lays around twenty days at $500 a day,
it means something to your company.
This matter was lined up in one of our
stafi meetings with the storekeeper, and
when the engine arrived on the pit, each
man had his part to look after. We had
a flat car with a new box on it and it
was placed behind the engine with one
end vacant. The other was cut off on
Tuesday morning, taken out to the turn-
table and the other put on. The jaws
were faced on Monday and the shoes and
wedges laid off on Tuesday. In order
to get out of the way of the machinist,
the blacksmith had to make two welds on
the frames. We put him at that Mon-
day evening. So you see by lining these
things up, we arrived at some wonderful
ernl foremen. You must build up and
construct your organization so that if
you drop out tomorrow there is a man
there who can take up your place and
go along. You will hear from a man once
in a while: "I am too busy; I cannot get
away.' Whenever you hear a man make
that remark, you will know there is some-
thing wrong with the man and not his
organization. I would like to see this
organization built up to the standard of
efficiency to that of the Master Me-
chanics", and I am going to do all in my
power to make it.
There are a great many general fore-
men in this vicinity who do not know of
this organization. I would like to see
it advertised and encouraged, so tliat by
the time the next meeting is called there
would be not less than 300 members, and
I think if we all put our shoulders to the
wheel and push we can get it there.
Paint Shop Scaffolding.
Editor:
The print I send you shows the scaffold
that is used to paint sides of cabs and is
held in position by hooked end over cab
window opening and the other end
fastened to the running board by handle
screw as shown. This print shows very
plainly what is wanted and will lie ap-
Wh-,1 h<rfi jt A
V -i
r.MXT SHOP SC.\110I.I)l.\<i .XPl'LIEU TO LOCOMOTl\K (..Ml.
arc filling thfi pn^nions because of your
alertness and ability. You were not the
men who dropped your hammers when
the whistle blew, but you finished your
job that you were working on and did
it well. That is what brought you here.
Another matter in connection with
your duties is to watch the dispatch of
"ur power, especially at the present
^tagcn of the mechanical departments
where we have more business than we
ran take care of. Ever)- hour that an
' ngine lays around a terminal means
■mething.
We have a system in our shops that is
known as the Index Card System. We
know each and every engine that is go-
ing over our pin, thirty, sixty or ninety
days ahead of time. Each foreman con-
sults it and sers what is necessary and
confer* with the storekeeper jo as to
have hit material rm hand.
work, which I attribute to the co-opera-
tion of departments brought about b>
staff meeting;.
You have noticed a man pick up a
certain piece of work and carry it over
to the tin shop and carry it back. Why
not move the man and the job to the
place where the work is being done and
do away with this unnecessary loss of
time going I" and fro? You have seen
shops where the benches were all lined
up in a row in front of locomotives. They
were proli.iblv working fifty to one hun-
dred m.nchiiHS and you have seen the
men go over I" this bench or that bench.
You take the time consumed in this way
and figure it into minutes and hours
and it amounts to a surprisingly larg:
sum.
Another iinp')rtant thing is attending
these merlinKs. I would like to see more
than there arc here today, especially gen-
preciated by those doing this class of
work. This scaffold was designed by Paint
Department Foreman O. Rosenberger.
Chas. Markel,
Shop 1-oreman C. & N. W. Ry. Co.
Clinton. 1,1.
Detroit Tunnel Progress.
The lirNt train to go through the new
Michigan Central tunnel at Detroit passed
under the river on July 28. The train con-
sisted of a special car, a baggage car and
an electric engine. On board were Mr.
W. K. Vamlerbill and several Michigan
Central officials. Reaching the Canadian
side a steam locomotive was substituted
for the electric one and the train started
for New York. It is expected that work
on the tunnel will be completed by Oct
I, and trains will then run regularly
through the tubes.
38S
RAILWAY AN'D LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
September, 1910.
Items of Personal Interest
Mr. C. T. r.ro-\up. locomotive super-
intendent of the Manila Railroad, at
Caloocan, Philippine Islands, has re-
signed.
Mr. T. J. Powell has been appointed
purchasing agent of the Frisco Lines, with
office in St. Louis, Mo., vice Mr. M. E.
Towner, resigned.
Mr. Frank L. O'Donnell has been ap-
pointed assistant road foreman of en-
gines on the Philadelphia division of
the Pennsylvania Railroad.
Mr. Charles F. Roberts has been ap-
pointed assistant locomotive superintend-
ent of the United Railways of Havana,
with headquarters at Havana, Cuba.
Mr. C. J. Anderson, formerly master
mechanic of the National Lines of Mex-
ico, has been appointed assistant super-
intendent of the Southern Pacific at
Mazatlan, Alexico.
Mr. F. J. Bauman, assistant supervisor
of signals of the Pennsylvania Railroad
at Harrisburg, Pa., has been appointed
supervisor of signals of the Renovo divi-
sion, at Renovo, Pa.
Mr. J. B. Canfield has been appointed
master mechanic of the Albany division
of the Boston & Albany Railroad, with
headquarters at West Springfield, Mass.,
vice Mr. A. J. Fries, promoted.
Mr. F. A. Butler has been appointed
master mechanic of the Boston division
of the Boston & Albany Railroad, with
headquarters at Beacon Park, Allston,
Mass., vice Mr. J. B. Canfield, promoted.
Mr. George H. Bussing, superin-
tendent of motive power of the Evans-
ville & Terre Haute, has resigned and
has taken a similar position with the
Buflfalo & Susquehanna at Buffalo, N.Y.
Mr. T. H. Haggerty has been ap-
pointed smoke inspector on the Chicago
terminal division of the Chicago, Rock
Island & Pacific, with office at Chi-
cago, 111., vice Mr. E. A. Lutzow, re-
signed.
Mr. C. S. Branch, formerly master me-
chanic on the Chicago, Peoria & St.
Louis, has been appointed superintendent
of the mechanical department of the same
load, with office at Jacksonville, 111. The
office of master mechanic has been abol-
ished.
Mr. W. E. Gray, formerly connected
with the St. Louis, Iron Mountain &
Southern at Little Rock, has been ap-
pointed machine shop foreman on the
Louisiana & Arkansas Railway at Stamps,
Ark. Mr. Gray succeeds Mr. J. M. Hof-
mau at the Stamps shops.
Statue of the Late A. J. Cassatt.
The new Pennsylvania Railroad station
in the city of New York was officially
declared open on -Aug. I by -Mr. James
McCrea, presiik-iU of tlie PeniKvlvania
Railroad. The ceremonies took place in
the presence of a small party of officials
and invited guests and were very simple,
the chief feature being the unveiling of a
ST.\TUE 01- .\. J. C.XSSATT.
large bronze statue of the company's late
president, A. J. Cassatt.
Mr. Samuel Rea, second vice-president,
in opening the ceremonies paid a high
tribute to the late president, and Mr. T.
De W. Cuyler presented the statue to the
board of directors of the road.
In accepting the statue Mr. McCrea
said :
"It is fitting and proper that the un-
veiling of this statue should be coincident
with the official opening of the great ter-
minal which the Pensylvania Railroad
Company has, prompted by his foresight
and courage, builded for itself in this,
.Vmerica's greatest city."
The statue occupies a conspicuous place
in the new building standing at the head
of the grand stairway at the end of the
main waiting room. The base of the
statue bears the following inscription :
Alex.^nder Johnston C.ass.«itt,
President, Pennsylvania Railroad Co.
1899 1906
^^'hose Foresight, Courage and Ability
Achieved the Extension of the Penn-
sylvania Railroad System Into
New York Citv.
Mr. O. H. Rebmeyer has been appoint-
ed to the position of road foreman of
equipment of the Iowa Central Railway,
headquarters at Oskaloosa, la., vice J. L.
IJrummell, transferred. Prior to Mr. Reb-
meyer taking this position he had been
road foreman of equipment on the Chi-
cago division of the C, R. I. & P. for the
past eight years at Blue Island.
Mr. W. J. Hatch, general air brake in-
spector on the Canadian Pacific Railway
at Montreal, Que., was elected third vice-
president of the Air Brake Association
at the last annual convention. By an er-
ror we mentioned the name of Mr. J. T.
.'^lattery as third vice-president. He was
elected to the executive committee of the
association and Mr. Hatch as third vice-
president.
Mr. G. L. Potter, third vice-president
of the Baltimore & Ohio, announced the
promotion of Mr. John C. Walber, gen-
eral superintendent of transportation on
that road, to assistant general manager.
Mr. C. W. Galloway, superintendent of
transportation, succeeds Air. Walber, and
Mr. C. C. F. Bent, general manager of the
I'altimore & Ohio Southwestern succeeds
Mr. Campbell.
Air. Stephen W. White, secretary of the
Northern Central Railway and various
other subsidiary companies of the Penn-
sylvania System, has been retired from
the service of the company in accordance
with its pension rules, which provides for
the retirement of all employees at the age
of seventy years. On the first of January,
iS/S. Mr. White entered the service of
the Pennsylvania Railroad System as as-
sistant secretary of the Northern Central
Railway and was elected the secretary of
that company Sept. 28, 1877, which posi-
tion he has occupied continuously since
tliat time.
September, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
389
Mr. J. R. Frink has been appointed
purchasing agent of the Macon, Dublin
& Savannah, with office at Macon, Ga.
Mr. Robert Snedden has been appointed
roundhouse foreman of the Evansville
& Terre Haute Railroad at Evansville,
Ind.
Mr. WilUam Hill has been appointed
roaster mechanic of the Iowa Central,
with office at Marshalltown, Iowa, vice
Mr. C. E. Gossett, resigned.
Mr. Harry Love has been appointed
master car builder of the Evansville &
Terre Haute Railroad at Evansville, Ind.,
vice Mr. S. L. Wood, promoted.
Mr, David W. Pye, formerly vice-presi-
dent of the Safety Car Heating & Lighting
Co., has resigned to become president of
the United States Heating & Lighting Co.
Mr. G. I. Evans, heretofore chief
draughtsman of the Canadian Pacific
Railway at Montreal, Que., has been ap-
pointed mechanical engineer of the road
with office at Montreal.
Mr. C. E. Fuller, superintendent of
motive power and machinery on the
Union Pacific Railroad, has, under the
new system, been appointed assistant
general manager of the road.
Mr. Geo. M. Wilson, master mechanic
of the Evansville & Terre Haute Rail-
road, has resigned to take a similar posi-
tion with the Buffalo & Susquehanna,
with headquarters at Galeton, Pa.
Mr. H. H. Boyd, heretofore electrical
engineer Western Lines, of the Canadian
Pacific at Winnipeg, has been appointed
district master mechanic at Cranbrook,
B. C., vice Mr. A. T. Shortt promoted.
Mr. Thomas O'Leary, master mechanic
on the Tucson division of the Southern
Pacific at Tucson, Ariz., has been ap-
pointed master mechanic at Los Angeles,
Cal., vice Mr. D. P. Kellogg, resigned.
Mr. J. A. Douglas, heretofore electrical
foreman of the Winnipeg locomotive
(hops, on the Canadian Pacific, has been
appointed electrical engineer Western
Lines, vice Mr. H. H. Boyd transferred.
Mr. W. C. Peterson, roundhouse fore-
man of the Southern Pacific at Yuma,
Ariz., has been appointed master mechan-
ic on the Tucson division at Tucson,
Ariz., vice Mr. Thomas O'Leary, pro-
moted.
Mr. C. H. Hogan, division superin-
tendent motive power of the New York
Central & Hudson River, at Depew, N. Y.,
hu been appointed assistant superinten-
dent motive power, with office at Albany,
N. Y.
Mr. C. E Gossett, master mechanic of
the Iowa Central at Marshalltown, Iowa,
has been appointed master mechanic of
the Minneapolis & St Louis, with office
at Minneapolis, Minn., vice Mr. J. Hill,
resigned.
Mr. T. C. IlufUon, Ma«ter Mechanic
of the Canadian Northern Quebec Rail-
way and of thr QuelM-c & Lake St.
John Railway h.t* been appointed acting
general car foreman, vice Mr. A. R.
Holtby, resigned.
Mr. Alexander B. Todd has been ap-
pointed master mechanic of the Tonopah
& Tidewater Company, which operates
the Tonopah & Tidewater Railroad and
the Bullfrog Goldfield Railroad, with of-
fice at Stagg, Cal.
Mr. George H. Bussing, superintendent
motive power of the Evansville & Terre
Haute, at Evansville, Ind., has been ap-
pointed superintendent motive power of
the Buffalo & Susquehanna Railway, with
office at Galeton, Pa.
Mr. D. P. Kellogg, formerly master
mechanic on the Tucson division of the
Southern Pacific at Tucson, Ariz., has
been appointed shop superintendent of
the general shops on the Southern Pa-
cific at Los Angeles, Cal.
Mr. L. L. Wood, formerly master car
builder of the Evansville & Terre Haute
Railroad, has been appointed superin-
tendent of motive power of the same road
with headquarters at Evansville, Ind..
vice Mr. G. H. Bussing, resigned.
Mr. John J. Mallay has been appointed
general purchasing and supply agent of
the Safety Car Heating & Lighting Co.
He will have charge of all departments
heretofore under Mr. D. W. Pye, who
severed his connection with this company.
Mr. O. H. Rehmcyer, road foreman of
equipment on tlie Chicago division of the
Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific, at Chi-
cago, has been appointed road foreman
of equipment of the Iowa Central, with
office at Oskaloosa, la., vice Mr. J. L.
Brummell, resigned.
Mr. Peter Smith, assistant road fore-
man of equipment of the Chicago, Rock
Island & Pacific at Chicago, has been
appointed road foreman of equipment on
the Terminal and Illinois divisions of the
same road, with office at Chicago, vice
Mr. O. H. Rehmeyer, resigned.
Mr. G. E. Ellis, formerly signal en-
gineer of the Chicago, Rock Island &
Pacific at Chicago and recently con-
nected with the Federal Signal Com-
pany, has been appointed signal en-
gineer of the Kansas City Terminal
Railway, with office at Kansas City.,
Mo.
Mr. A. J. I'Vics, division master me-
chanic of the Boston & Albany, at Spring-
field, Mass., has been appointed division
superintendent of motive power of the
v/estern division of the New York Cen-
tral & Hudson River, with office at De-
pew, N. Y., vice Mr. C. H. Hogan, pro-
moted.
Mr. J. L. Brummell, road foreman of
equipment of tlie Iowa Central at Os-
kaloosa, la., has been appointed rnnd
foreman of engines of the Minneapolis
& St. Louis, with office at Minneapolis,
Minn. Mo will have jurisdictinn over
trainmen, cnginemcn and all roundhouse
foremen on the Fastern division.
Mr, William H. Egnn has been appoint-
ed station master in charge of the Penn-
sylvania station at Seventh avenue and
33d street, in the city of New York, which
will be officially opened on Sept. 8, for
Long Island traffic only. Mr. Egan has
been in the employ of the Pennsylvania
for the past 26 years, entering its ser-
vice as freight brakeman in June, 1884.
Since Feb. i, 1909, he has been assistant
station master of the Hudson River divi-
sion.
Dr. .Angus Sinclair, editor of R.mlw.w
AND Locomotive Engineering, arrived
home on Aug. 28, having made an extend-
ed trip in Europe. After attending the
Railway Congress in Berne, he visited
Italy and France, but took a look at the
heathery hills of Scotland before sailing
for .America. He was accompanied by
Mrs. Sinclair, and both have returned in
the best of health and spirits.
Mr. Lewis B. Rhodes, master mechanic
of the Georgia Southern & Florida Rail-
way, has resigned from that road to ac-
cept the position of superintendent of
motive power of the Virginia Railway,
with headquarters at Princeton, W. Va.
On the eve of his departure from the
G .S. & F. he was presented with a silver
water set as a token of loving esteem
and regard from engineers, firemen, ma-
chinists, blacksmiths, boilermakers and
indeed all classes of employees in his de-
partment.
Mr. Edwin F. Atkins, of Boston, was,
at a meeting of the directors of the com-
pany, last month elected president of the
Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing
Company to succeed Mr. George West-
inghouse. Mr. Robert Mather was re-
elected chairman of the board. Mr.
.■\tkins is of the firm of E. Atkins
& Co., Boston, and has been since
the reorganization of the company a mem-
ber of the board of directors of the West-
inghouse company. Mr. Atkins, at the
earnest solicitation of the board, has ac-
cepted the presidency with the distinct
understanding that his retention of the
position is to be temporary and until the
board shall select a permanent successor.
He was born in Boston in 1850 and is
principally known as a manufacturer and
importer of Cuban sugars. He was pres-
ident of the Bay State Sugar Refining
Company in 1878-88 and has been a part-
ner in .Atkins & Co., importers of
sugars, commission merchants and bank-
ers since 1874. He was also vice-presi-
dent and director of the Union Pacific
Railway system from 1889 to 1895.
Obituary.
We have to record with feelings of the
deepest regret the death of Albert W.
Jack, formerly vice-president of the Starr
lleadlifiht Company of Rnchrtter, N. Y.
.\lr. Jack was born in i8.|i, and his dc-
I'l-ase nl the age of sixty-nine is sincerely
mourned by his many friends and ac-
quaintances.
RAILWAY AXD LOCOMOTIVE EXGINEERLXG.
September, inio.
4-6-2 for the Chicago, MilwauKee *Ei
The passenger service of the Chicago,
Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway includes
a large number of heavy trains which are
run on fast schedules. Between Chicago
and Milwaukee, a distance of 420 miles,
two of the most important passenger
trains are often composed of 13 or 14
cars, and seldom have less than 10
weighing about 508 tons. The lighter
through trains between Chicago and
Omaha, a distance of 492 miles, have 7
cars of an aggregate weight of about 372
tons. On the Chicago and Milwaukee di-
vision, 85 miles, trains of 750 tons com-
posed of 14 cars are usual and as many
as 16 cars have been run in one train.
Till within the last year, a very heavy
class of Atlantic type engine, having a
total weight in working order of 210,400
lbs. and a tractive power of 22,200 lbs.,
was used for this class of service. The
performance of the Atlantic type engine,
with these trains, considering its limita-
tions of weight and power, was very cred-
axle load as high as 57,000 lbs. That the
problenis in connection with the design
were successfully solved is evident from
a study of the principal dimensions and
ratios given below.
With an ample factor of adhesion of
4.82, these engines have a theoretical ma.xi-
mum tractive power of 31,900 lbs., which
places them among the most powerful of
recent engines of their class. Based on
the horse power curves published in the
American Locomotive Company's Bulle-
tin No. looi, the theoretical ma.ximum
horse power which they will develop is
1770. This would be developed at a piston
speed of from 700 to 1,100 ft. per minute.
With 7g-in. driving wheels and a stroke
of 28 ins. a piston speed of 1,100 ft. is
equivalent to a speed of about 55 miles
per hour. In working order this engine
has a total weight of 247,300 lbs. This
gives 7.2 horse power for every 1,000 lbs.
of weight. Compared with a number of
the most notable of recent Pacific type
St. Paul Railway
engine for the difficult service outlined
above. That they have proved success-
ful in meeting the requirements is evi-
denced by the Chicago, Milwaukee & St.
Paul Railway having recently placed an
order with the builders for 20 more loco-
motives of the same design. The cylin-
ders are 23 ins. in diameter by 28 ins. in
stroke. Steam is distributed to them by
14-in. piston valves, having a maximum
travel of 6 ins. one inch steam lap and
J^-in. exhaust clearance. The valves are
operated by the Walschaerts valve gear,
the arrangement being the same as that
previously employed by these builders on
engines of this class, and is designed to
give a constant lead of J^J in. The frames
are of cast steel, the main frames being
5 ins. wide. The trailing truck is of the
DeVoy non-radial type with inside bear-
ings.
Weight on drivers -~ tractive effort 4.93
Total heating surface -— grate area 80.7
\olume of two cylinders (cu. ft.) 13.44
Total heating surface -7- vol. cylinders.... 293
^
'1^
'•.■,«
■Mi ^
133
im
!■■■
^
■^^411^
If
-
mJi^
■--«»»«■
-.J
A. L. Manchester, Super
4-6-2 FOR THE CHICAGO,
ntendent Motive Power.
MILW.'iUKEE & ST. PAUL
itable ; but in ordering new passenger
equipment last winter, the management
of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul
Railway adopted the Pacific type engine
in order to meet the increased require-
ments of this service, and an order of 50
of this class of power was placed with the
American Locomotive Company.
These engines, the general design of
which may be seen from our illustration
are the first of this type to be used on this
road. They represent a simple design of
a powerful 4-6-2 locomotive, embodying
no new or unusual features. The de-
sign, however, is worthy of interest be-
cause of the very satisfactory balance ob-
tained between weight, power and boiler
capacity.
The specifications in regard to the
weight per driving axle were very rigid.
The maximum weight per single axle al-
lowed by the railway company was 54,000
lbs., which could not be exceeded. At
the same time as large a boiler capacity
was desired as had been provided in some
recent Pacific type locomotives having an
locomotives, the figure is somewhat
higher than the average.
The large boiler capacity which has
been provided is indicated by the ratio
between heating surface and horse power.
The boiler, which is of the type having a
conical connection sheet, has a total heat-
ing surface of 3,937 sq. ft., of which 3,658
sq. ft. is in the tubes, and the remainder
in the firebox and the arch tubes. The
design incorporates a 3-ft. combustion
chamber which makes the actual heating
surface of the boiler less than it other-
wise would be. Based on the actual heat-
ing surface, there are 2.22 sq. ft. of heat-
ing surface per horse power, which is
about the average for recent designs of
this class of engine. Taking into consid-
eration the fact that the heating surface of
the combustion chamber is more effective
than the amount of tube heating surface
vv-hich it replaces, the above ratio would
indicate a still greater boiler capacity.
These ratios are evidence of the care
with which the design has been worked
out and would indicate a very satisfactory
RAILWAY.
.'\merican Locomotive Company, Builders.
Grate area -~ vol. cylinders 3.63
Cylinder. — Type, simple piston; diam. 23 ins.,
stroke 28 ins.; tractive power, 31,900 lbs.
Wheel Base. — Driving, 14 ft.; total, 35 ft. 7 ins.;
total engine and tender. 67 ft. 5 ins.
Weight. — In working order. 247.300 lbs.; on-
drivers, 157,200 lbs.; engine and tender,
385.300 lbs.
Heating Surface. — Tubes, 3.658 sq. ft.; firebox,
250 sq. ft.; arch tubes, 29 sq. ft.; total,
3.937 sq. ft.
Grate area. 48.8 sq. ft.
Axles. — Driving journals, lo'/i x 12 ins.; engine
truck journals, diameter, 6yi ins., length,
12 ins.; trailing truck journals, diameter,
SVs ins., length, 14 ins.; tender truck jour-
nals, diameter, s'/j ins., length, ro ins.
Boiler.— -Type, Conical, Conn.; 0. D. first ring,
72 ins.; working pressure, 200 lbs.; fuel,
bituminous coal.
Firebox. — Type, wide; length, 107 1-16 ins.^
width, 5 ins.; thickness of crown, ^ in.;
tube, 14 in.; sides, ■ H in.; back, H in.;
water space, front, 4!^ ins.; sides, 4 ins.;
back, 4 ins.
Tubes. — Number, 369; diameter, 2 ins.; length,
19 ft.; gauge, .125.
Boxes. — Pump, one 8J^ ins. cross compound; 2-
reservoirs, 42 x 3iJ4 ins.
Engine Truck. — 4-wheel swing center bearing.
Trailing Truck. — DeVoy non-radial.
Tender Frame. — 13-in. steel channels.
Tank. — Style, "U" shape with gravity slides; ca-
pacity. 7,000 gals.; capacity fuel. 10 tons.
Valves. — Type, piston 14 ins.; travel, 6 ins.;
steam lap, i in.; ex. clearance, 'A in.
Setting.— H-in. lead constant.
Wheels. — Drivers, diameter, outside tire, 79 ins. :
engine truck, diameter, 36 ins.; kind, cast
steel; trailing truck, diameter 43 ins.; kind,
spoke center; tender truck, diameter 38
ins ; kind, cast steel.
September. loio.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
When
Your
Boiler
Foams
Then your cylinders
are left dry — the oil is
washed away. Perhaps
cut valves or pistons
result, but even if this
does not happen, ex-
cessive strain is put on
your engine and more
coal taken to drive it.
But it's a different
matter when you use
Dixon
Flake
Graphite
in connection with oil.
Your boiler can fuss
and foam to its heart's
content and the graph-
ite stays right on the
job. It lubricates valves
and cylinders in the
face of all conditions,
prevents cutting, saves
coal, makes it easier for
you to handle the en-
gine.
Try it and see for
yourself, sample 69 C
free.
JOSEPH DIXON
CRUCIBLE CO.
Jersey City, N. J.
Traveling Engineers' Association
Address of Mr. C. F. Richardson, President.
The past year has been a gratifying
one for this association ; good work has
been done and many new names have
been added to our membership roll. Our
nicreasing numbers mean a stronger
organization, and every new member adds
strength to our ranks. It is with co-
operation of -effort and unity of purpose
that every organized body must work if
great results arc to be realized. Results
are what the world is looking for today.
1 he good work this association has ac-
complished can be seen by following the
footsteps of many of its members, who
have advanced, step by step, to higher and
more responsible positions, and I believe
I can say without fear of contradiction
that every one of these men would, if
called upon to testify, say that they had
been materially helped through this as-
sociation, and now let next year show
twice the increase in membership that
this year has shown.
We must keep abreast of the times, if
upon our own efforts, and the more we
accomplish makes each traveling engi-
neer a more valuable official to his com-
pany. Another important matter is to
systematize our work, and I think we
should keep certain records that we may
work intelligently. I believe every trav-
eling engineer should have a record of
the draft arrangement in the front end
of every engine on his division. By hav-
ing this record, he will be able to reg-
ulate the drafting of the engines to re-
duce fuel consumption.
I am assuming that the traveling en-
gineer receives proper support from the
master mechanic in not allowing the
roundhouse people to change the draft-
ing appliances after they have been prop-
erly adjusted. It has been my observa-
tion that more fuel is wasted by reduc-
ing nozzle tips to overcome poor opera-
tion of a locomotive and neglected work
in the roundhouse, in not keeping flues
bored out, grates in good condition,
we would maintain our reputation in the valves squared, front ends tightened and
packing in good order, than can pos-
sibly be saved by the traveling engineer.
When an engine is once properly adjust-
ed to steam and be economical in coal,
if she fails for steam, the real cause of
the failure should be located instead of
reducing nozzle tips to overcome stopped-
up flues, defective grates, valves out of
square, leaky front ends and worn-out
packing, and when the traveling engi-
neer can get the proper support from
his master mechanic to have the draft
appliances let alone after they are
rightly adjusted, it will increase the effi-
ciency of the traveling engineer by al-
lowing him more time to ride with and
instruct such engine crews as are not
100 per cent, in efficiency.
Too much can hardly be said on this
subject, and I regret that I am unable
to devote more time to it. Many rail-
roads fail to get the best results from
the work of the traveling engineer, the
organization being such that he has no
eyes of the management, which we rep-
resent, and, while we look backward
with just pride Upon the good we have
done, let us in no way relinquish our
efforts, for there are still greater things
to be accomplished. The papers present-
ed and discussed at our previous annual
conventions have been helpful and in-
structive in a high degree, and we want
this present convention to be the equal
'^f any in the past.
.\t the present time all railroads are
facing an unusual condition. The in-
creased cost of operation, brought about
by increased cost of material and labor,
makes it necessary to practice the strict-
est economy, and I believe one of the
greatest opportunities for the traveling
engineers to assist in reducing the cost
of operation lies in fuel economy. This
question has a special interest for us,
and it comes directly under the supervi-
sion of the traveling engineer, and the
fiossibiiities of economy in fuel consump-
tion, together with the question of how authority over the men. He is expected
to educate the engineer and fireman to
the highest efficiency in the work, are
(|uestions drinanding serious considera-
tion by the members of this association.
The saving that can be brought about
by using low grade coal in many places
where high grade coal has been used, will
cause your general manager to wonder
why it was not done before. If you will
ludy the situation and make a reconi-
lendation showing what can be saved
to instruct and direct. An organiza-
tion of this kind I consider sadly de-
fective, and I am unable to understand
why it should be allowed to continue.
The traveling engineer should be a man
capable of instructing and directing the
men under him, and if he is not, a change
should be made at once. The engine
crews must understand that the travel-
ing enRincer is responsible for the suc-
cessful operation of the locomotives on
by making the change, it will be worth the road, and that Ihey are operating
while. Most railroad managers are look them under his supervision, and when
ir.g for subnnlinatcs who can work out Ihcir attention is called to irregular or
[plans tn rnliirr the cost of pulling a ton improper hnndling of rngines, the in-
'if freight one mile, and how much we siriiclion of the traveling engineer
■ .nn do towardi this depends entirely must be obeyed, and not referred lo the
392
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
September, 1910.
master mechanic, one hundred miles
away.
The proceedings of this association
contain much valuable information that
should interest the enginec-rs and fire-
men, and I recommend that this asso-
ciation make a special effort to put the
proceedings in the hands of these men.
I want to th.ink the members of all com-
mittees who have prepared papers. The
work they have done is a credit to them
and to the association, and I wish to em-
phasize the importance of every member
giving his assistance to the chairman of
the different committees so they may
liave abundant inaterial to work from
when preparing papers.
I want to personally thank our able
secretary for the assistance and loyal
support he has given me during the year,
and I know I express the feelings of this
convention when I say that this associa-
tion is deeply indebted to Mr. W. O.
Thompson. Now when the work of
the year is over, and the call of duty-
has been answered, I trust it will make a
milestone in the history o'f our organ-
ization that will not be forgotten, and
that great achievements may be ours in
the years to come. I believe that suc-
cess spelled in large letters will mark
the future work done by the Traveling
Engineers" Association.
Traveling Engineers' Notes.
The paper on "Fuel Economy," a synop-
sis of which appears in another column
of this issue, was read and discussed at
length at one of the morning's sessions,
important comments being offered thereon
by members of the association and others,
notably by Mr. W. C. Hayes, superintend-
ent of locomotive operation, Erie, and
Mr. D. R. McBain, mechanical superin-
tendent Lake Shore & Michigan South-
ern.
At the opening of the convention the
invocation was offered by the Rev. Mr.
Hueston, of Niagara, followed by a very
pleasing address of welcome by the Hon.
Mayor Dores. The opening address of
the president, Mr. C. F. Richardson, also
appears in another part of this paper.
The social features of the session
were automobile trips about the town
and vicinity for the benefit and entertain-
ment of the visitors, particularly the
ladies, of whom there were a large num-
ber.
On Tuesday evening, Aug. 16, a musi-
cal concert was given by the 19th Infan-
try Band of St. Catherine's, Canada. On
Wednesday evening a ball and reception
was held. On Thursday there was a
trolley trip over the famous Gorge route,
and in the evening a vaudeville entertain-
ment by first class talent, followed by an
informal dance was provided. All the
entertainments, and they were many, and
good, had been arranged for by the Rail-
way Supply Manufacturers' Association.
The discussion on new valve gears was
the topic of part of one of the morning
sessions. A recommendation by the sec-
retary, Mr. W. O. Thompson, was
adopted. It was that the Traveling
Engineers' Association appomt a com-
mittee to formulate a series of stand-
ard questions and answers to be used in
the education of firemen— or in other
words to be answered by applicants for
position as firemen on locomotives.
ELECTION OF OFFICERS.
The election of officers for the ensuing
year resulted as follows: President, Mr.
F C. Thayer, general road foreman of
engineers. Southern Railway; first vice-
president, Mr. W. C. Hayes, superintend-
ent of locomotive operation, Erie Railroad ;
second vice-president, Mr. W. H. Cor-
bett, road foreman of engines on the
Michigan Central Railroad; third vice-
president, Mr. F. T. Roesch, master me-
chanic. El Paso & Southwestern Railroad ;
treasurer, Mr. C. B. Conger, Grand Rap-
ids, Mich.; secretary, Mr. W. O. Thomp-
son, master car builder New York Cen-
tral, East Buffalo, N. Y. Executive Com-
mittee : J. McNamany, road foreman of
engineers. Fere Marquette; C. F. Rich-
ardson, assistant to general superintend-
ent of motive power, Rock Island ; M. J.
McAndrews, road foreman of engines,
Michigan Central Railroad.
The city of Chicago was selected as the
place for holding the convention in 1911.
Traveling Engineers' Subjects for 1911.
(i) Benefits derived from the use of
the brick arch, on fuel economy.
(2) The increased efficiency of loco-
motives and benefits derived from chem-
ically treated water.
(3) Value of actual demonstration
compared with that of oral instruction
in air brake operation.
(4) The lubrication of high pressure
and superheated locomotives and method
of introducing lubricant between the
surfaces. Also kind and quahty of
lubricant.
(5) Proper methods to be obser\-ed
in the efficient handling of the electric
locomotive.
(6) Latest developments and im-
provements in automatic stokers.
(7) Revision of progressive examina-
tion for firemen and new men for pro-
motion.
(8) Mallett compound in road service.
We want our readers to look over the
list of subjects given above and to write
us on any or all of the topics mentioned.
We also wish our readers would go care-
fully over the paper on educating firemen
to become successful engineers. A syn-
opsis of it appears on page 375 of this
issue. The Traveling Engineers' "words
of advice to themselves" is on page 362,
and our comments are on page 372.
GOLD
Car
Heating
8t
Lighting
Company
Mtnutacturert of
ELECTRIC,
STEAM AND
HOT WATER
APPARATUS
FOR RAILWAY CARS
IMPROVED
SYSTEM OF
ACETYLENE
CAR LIGHT-
ING
Largest Manufacturers in the World of
Car Heating Apparatus
Send for circular of our combina-
tion PRESSURE AND VAPOR
SYSTEM OF CAR HEATING,
which system automatically main-
tains about the same temperature in
the car regardless of the outside
weather conditions.
Main Office, Whitehall Building
17 BATTERY PLACE
NEW YORK
September. iQio.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
393
^
r '
ft]
FLEX
STAY
E
BLE
OLT'
•ti 4
L - .
RECOGNIZED
STANDARD
FLEXIBLE
STAYBOLTS
Holds firebox sheet? securely
together, and accommodates
itself to the unequal expansion
of the plate;.
USfD ON OVER IE5 RAILROADS
"Staybolt Trouble
a Thin^ of the Past"
.^ . -ay many of our customers
who have used the Tate f'olt
in large numbers, covering a
period of time sufficient to base
comparisons and eliminate all
chances of doubt.
THE TATE BOLT HAS
PROVED ITSELF INDISPENS-
ABLE TO LOCOMOTIVES IN
HIGH PRESSURE SERVICE
BY RENDERING A LOWER
COST OF FIRE BOX REPAIRS
TO A GREATER MILEAGE IN
SERVICE. THEREBY IN-
CREASING THE EARNING
VALUE.
FLANNERY BOLT COMPANY
PI riSbUROH, HA,
■<ut« Ml rrtek BiIMidc
a. z. D. iTArroRD. o«. iuu«<r
J. EOOEKi rumtntur * compajty.
**MlaC Aimti
mck BuiMinc. rittjbiinh. r*.
TOM >. DAVIS. lUchaniral Eipsrt
OCO. Z. HOWARD, EalUra TairlUrf
W. It WIUIOV. WMUni Tarrttorr
OOintOVWTALTH lUPPLT COMrAirT.
The "Gold Systems."
This is practically the title of a very
extensively illustrated catalogue recently
issued by the Gold Car Heating and Light-
ing Company, of 17 Battery place, New-
York. The "Gold Systems" are steam,
vapor, hot water, electric heating, acety-
lene lighting and ventilation for railway
cars. This catalogue is presented with
the intention of embodying in one vol-
ume all the various devices, fittings and
special fixtures of the Gold systems of
train heating and lighting, so that they
may be readily identified when ordering
complete outfits or repair parts. In the
early days of steam heating, all that was
considered necessary was a simple line of
radiating pipe, steam valve and trap.
This was the acme of simplicity, but as
the railways became more and more solic-
itous for the comfort of their passengers,
tegulating apparatus was provided, where
the pressure, and consequently the tem-
perature, of the radiating pipes could be
varied to a considerable extent. In the
Gold systems this is accomplished by an
improved temperature regulator, any car
being adjusted independently of the others
or the train line pressure. For those de-
siring a low degree of heat in the radi-
ating pipes, or an absence of pressure in
the body of the car, the vapor system has
been produced, in which method the ap-
paratus works with an open drip, insuring
both of the features. More recently the
combination pressure and vapor system
was evolved, whereby it is possible to op-
crate with an open drip and the lowest
temperature in the pipes or by various
pressures with the closed drip, up to that
on the train line. The hose couplings
have also received attention, and the de-
mand for larger port openings has been
met by the production of couplers having
an orifice in the gasket of l!4-in. diam-
eter, and an additional convenience has
been provided by the Universal Straight
Port Coupler, which will interlock ac-
curately with the older types and in which
the nipple and gasket can be changed in
a few moments to suit various sizes of
hose and port openings. If you are in-
terested in any of these matters write
direct to the company.
Artistic Production by P. R. R.
The Pennsylvania Railroad have issued
a colored picture of the district in which
their new Manhattan terminal is situated
and which is designed to show at a glance
the relative location of the passenger sta-
tion as regards the center of New York's
social and business activities. The rough
draft having been laid out by the officials
of the Pennsylvania, the basic or black
drawing was made with accuracy and skill
by Mr. John A. Gurd of New York. He
has reproduced the architectural charac-
teristics of each building, and placed each
one in its relative position in »he group.
The coloring was done by Mr. Hughson
Hawley. He has touched, with fidelity,
each building with its proper tone of
color. The picture measures 2 ft. 10 ins.
by 4 ft. 6 ins., and is well worthy of a
good frame and a conspicuous place in
anv business office.
J-M Metallic Packing.
J-M Metallic Packing is made of a spe-
cial foundered gray cast iron. In service it
develops a hard polished surface which
reduces friction. The packmg is made
from rings built up in segments with
ground joints. To prevent any one of
the segments from cocking or tipping and
scoring the rod, the cast iron ring is
counterbored and a bronze ring inserted.
The latter is built up in segments and
held in place by dowel pins. This inner
or bronze ring also prevents the |x>int of
one segment from being forced under the
heel of the one ahead, a condition which
invariably results in a scored rod. If you
are interested write the \V. H. Johns-
.Manvillc Company of New York.
Spark Arrester Test.
.\t the itik'iiiecring laboratory of
Purdue University test* are being made
III a spark arresting device for loco-
motives with results which arc said
to attest the efficiency of the new front
I nd construction and promise success
for the invention. In a twenty-minute
run under full steam pressure and
forced draft not one spark was seen,
Imt in the sitioke hox nearly a bushel
..f cinders w.is found. The constant and
carefully conducted experiments on the
front end. ouifht eventually to produce
iion-spark thrriwing arrangement.
Dixon's Steel Car Paint.
The Joseph Dixon Crucible Company, of
Jersey City, N. J., have just got out a very
attractive little booklet of envelope size on
their paint for steel cars. The booklet
not only goes into the merits of the Dixon
paint for this service, but illustrates a
number of different types of steel cars
fpon which Dixon's paint has given ex-
cellent service. It also contains color
chips showing the four colors in which
Dixon's silica-graphite steel car paint is
made. Anyone interestc<l in steel car
painting should send for a copy of this
l>ooklct which will be forwarded, free of
charge.
Corrugated Sheets.
The Wni. H. Wood Loco. Firebox
.->nd Tube Plate Co.. of Media. Pa., have
issued a neat liKle postal card reminder
of their factory, office and product which
ttiey are mailing to their friends. Our
readers will remember that this company
.-.re the makers of the corrugated firebox
for use in locomotives. If you desire any
iiifirmation on the subject write to the
company at Media, Pa.
394
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
September, 1910.
Fuel Economy.
A brief summary of the report of the
Traveling Engineers' Committee on Fuel
Economy, of which Mr. C. B. Summers
is chairman, must include the list of ques-
tions which the report was intended to
answer.
(A) Value of present draft appliances.
can they be improved to eiifect fuel
economy ?
(B) Firing practices, including the
prevention of black smoke.
CC) Roundhouse practices, whether it
is more economical to knock or bank fires
at terminals.
(D) Whether it is more economical to
buy cheap fuel of a low heat value or a
higher price fuel of a greater heat value.
(F) Devices and appliances for use on
engines and tenders to prevent waste en
route, etc.
In answer to the first question the com-
mittee says that with the different kinds
of fuel used for locomotives there is
without doubt a large field to work in
for drafting engines to obtain fuel
economy. They believe that the first
consideration should be given to the serv-
ice required, next to the quality of coal
furnished, and then the engine should be
drafted to use the minimum amount of
coal for furnishing the necessary amount
of steam.
There are so many conditions which
enter into the proper drafting of the lo-
comotive, to be economical in fuel con-
sumption, that to get the best results the
engine must be in good condition.
Prof. W. F. M. Goss, giving results of
his test, estimates that of the 90,000,000
tons of coal consumed by the 51,000 loco-
motives in the United States in 1906,
720,000 tons were lost through imcom-
plete combustion of the gases ; 10,080,000
tons were lost through heat of gases dis-
charged through the stack; 8,640,000 tons
were lost through cinders and sparks and
2,880,000 tons were lost through uncon-
sumed fuel in the ashes. These figures
indicate that there is considerable room
for improvement in our present draft
appliances.
While our present draft appliances are
good, still a number of roads are experi-
menting with different draft appliances,
and there is no doubt but what they can
and will be greatly improved. It has been
the experience of the committee that
where the grate area and netting was
increased fuel economy has resulted, and
we believe that there is room for fur-
ther economy along these lines.
(B) Firing practices, including the
prevention of black smoke. In order to
prevent black smoke and form the habit
of proper firing, it is necessary when em-
ploying the fireman to instruct him in
the importance of learning to fire light
and often, scattering the coal as thinly
over the grate surface as possible, open-
ing and closing the door between each
scoopful of coal and allowing sufficient
time for the gases to be expelled and con-
sumed. Explain to him that black smoke
is unconsumcd gas and a waste of fuel.
The brick arch, when heated to a high
temperature, has given good results in
preventing black smoke and in saving
fuel, but by many mechanical men it is
not considered economical on account of
the expense of its application, cost of
maintenance and prevention of easy access
to the flues. The use of the blower with
the firebox door slightly open, when the
engine is standing or drifting, is suc-
cessful in preventing black smoke to a
large extent. A very important thing in
the prevention of black smoke is to have
the engine free from leaks in the firebox
and smokebox, the boiler cleaned, all
flues open, grates working properly, ash-
pan with sufficient openings for the proper
admission of air, and the pistons and
valves not blowing. Another thing essen-
tial in reducing black smoke, as well as
to secure fuel economy, is to have the
engine crew working in harmony and co-
operation with each other at all times.
The committee finds it necessary that the
roundhouse forces should lend their best
efforts in keeping engines in proper work-
ing condition.
Referring to the third heading of the
subject — "(C) Roundhouse practices,
whether it is more economical to knock
or bank fires at terminals." The commit-
tee states that the many replies received
from the members of the association
show a difference of opinion on this sub-
ject, and it is difficult to state which prac-
tice is the best to follow. The com-
mittee believes that this matter is best
governed by local conditions. For in-
stance, where boiler troubles prevail, due
to bad water and inferior coal, it has not
been found practicable to bank fires; how-
ever, in some sections of the country it
has been found very economical to do so.
A number of tests were made by one
member of the committee on a road hav-
ing about 1,000 engines in daily service,
75 per cent, of which had banked fires at
terminals for twelve hours. It was found
that there was a saving of fuel of about
$700 per day or $200,000 per year by
banking the fires. It is their conclu-
sion that the length of time the engine
is out of service and the local conditions
governing on each division will determine
H-hich method is the most economical
to pursue.
(D) Whether it is more economical
to buy cheap fuel of a low heat value or
a higher price fuel of a greater heat
value.
The answer depends upon locality,
length of time the engines are under
steam, using fuel and not performing
work, class of service to be handled and
I urchase price of coal. As to location,
if the characteristics of the road are such
that the engine is required to work at
CARS, CABS, SHOPS
AND
ROUND HOUSES
requires a roofing that
is unaffected by ex-
tremes of temperature
RUBEROID
ROOFING
Will not melt, rot, crack or
corrode. Contains no tar.
Outlasts Metal
SPARK PROOF, CINDER PROOF.
QASKROCF, WEATHERPROOF
Writ.' for sampU-s, pricet ami biKiklet No 96.
THE STANDARD PAINT CO.
100 William Street New York
Chicago, rhiladelphia, Boston. Kansas City,
Memphis, Atlanta.
"HOMESTEAD"
VALVES
Are constructed upon mechanically cor-
rect principles — they are leak proof under
steam, air or hydraulic pressures. They
are practically indestructible because the
seats are protected from wear. The plug
is balanced and held in place by pressure
when open, and when closed it is locked
on the seat by our patent wedging cam.
"Homestead" Valves are the quickest acting,
simplest, most easily operated and largest
lived of any made.
Homestead Valves are opened wide and
closed tight by a quarter turn.
LOCOMOTIVE BLOW-OFF
Write for catalogue of Homestead Goods.
HOMESTEAD VALVE M'PG CO.
Brats Founders Worlcs at Homestead, Pa.
P. O. Box 1764, PITTSBURG, PA.
DUNER
CAR CLOSETS
DUNER CO.
September. 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
395
"lANG'S
V New Tool
Holder
lARGtSI CUnER BIGCBT (UTS
G.R.LANG6C0., Meadville.Pa.
OIM
POP VALVES AND GAGES
The Quality Goods that Last
The A>hlon Valve Co.
271 Franklin Street. Boston. M»>.
174 Lake Street. . Chicago, III.
HUNT-SPILLER IRON
FOR LOCOMOTIVE CASTINGS
Hunt'Spiiler Mfg. Corporation
W. B. LEACH, C*n. Mgr. & Trass.
SoLjtH Boston, /Vlass.
STANDARD MECHANICAL BOOKS
FOR ROAD AND SHOP MEN
BY CHAS. McSHANE.
The Locomotive Up to Date
Price, $2.50
New York and
Westinghouse Air Brakes
Price, SI.SO
One Thousand Pointers for
Machinists and Engineers
Price, SI.SO
All bMks ksoad la lias cislh
AGENTS WANTED cnrywhere; write
for Icrnu anil detcrlptive circulari. Will
be «cni prcpai'l to any addrcta upon
receipt of price.
GRirrilN & WlfNTERS
171 Lm S«lle Street, CHICAGO
Willie, ac'-"iii|i,iiii>:<l by bis (atlicr, wai
vifiting a circus and menagerie for the
firtt time. "Oh, papa," the b'ly exclaimed,
II they paited before an elephant, "look
at the big cow with her horn* in her
mouth ratint{ h.iy with her tail !"
ma.xinium capacity the greater part of the
time, it may be cheaper to buy a higher
priced coal of a greater heat value.
Where a large amount of coal is used
while the engine is idle, it is evident that
the cheapest fuel, so long as it has the
steaming qualities, is the best fuel to use.
In cases where the class of freight to be
handled is high and the competition for
passenger traffic keen, it is necessary to
use coal of sufficient heat value to pre-
vent detentions, even though the cost of
fuel may exceed that which would give
satisfaction under ordinary conditions.
It is more economical to have an occa-
sional engine failure on account of poor
coal than it is to pay $75 to $100 a day
more for coal on one division. On the
average division from 600 to 1,000 tons
of coal are consumed per day. If the
price of coal is advanced 10 cents a ton,
the cost is increased from $75 to $100 per
day. Therefore, it is a question of how
many engine failures a road can afford
to have for $75 to $100 a day, due to
burning an inferior grade of coal. An
average freight engine does not work to
its full capacity more than 25 per cent,
of the time on an average division, and
if the grade of coal is good enough to
maintain the ma.ximuni steam pressure
during this time the committee believes
the right grade of coal has been selected
in the way of economy. If the better
grade of coal is selected at the higher
price, there will be 75 per cent, of the time
when the coal would not be needed and
a great deal of it is wasted through the
pop valve and in other ways, which dem-
onstrates that the cheaper grade of coal
that will get the train over the maxiinum
grade is the most economical to be used.
(E) Devices and appliances for use on
engines and tenders to prevent waste
en route, etc.
There are quite a number of devices
and appliances used on engines and
tenders to prevent waste en route, such as
!:hields over tank valves, side boards and
racks. One of the best devices which we
have seen of this kind is a hood extend-
ing about twenty-four inches toward the
center of the tender. These arc not ad-
vocated for tenders in passenger service,
as it is claimed they make the tender top-
heavy. One of the best methods of pre-
venting waste of coal is to have the
coal docks spaced so that there will be
no occasion for overloading the tenders in
order to make coal stations. Consider-
able attention should be given to the lost
motion between engine and tender, so
coal will not be jarred oflF while running.
The springs and tender trucks should also
receive careful attention to prevent coal
being jarred off. An angle-plate placed
at the right siilr of tender at the gangway
prevents coal from working out of the
uangway.
The enorinoin saving which would rc-
iiilt in slopping the many and various
^mall coal I'imcs is almost licyond belief.
Joint Railway Commission.
The governments of the United States
and of Canada have been considering the
advisability of establishing a joint railway
commission, for the control of freight and
passengers carried from one country to
another. Mr. M. A. Knapp, chairman
of the Interstate Commerce Commission,
and Mr. J. F. Mabee, chairman of the
Canadian Railway Commission, have been
directed by their respective governments
to confer on the subject and to report as
to the feasability of the project. The
formation of such a commission is be-
lieved to be desirable in both countries
and if reported on favorably by the com-
missioners it would probably be effected
by a treaty between the United States
and Canada or it might be created by
concurrent legislation, by Congress and
the Canadian House of Commons.
Tank Valve Handle.
We have received from Mr. C. L.
Meister, mechanical engineer of the
Atlantic Coast Line Railway, a blue
print of a tank valve handle which is
"m'tjii
CAM HANDLE 1"0K TANK VAl.VK.
designed to give ample lift to the
valve and at the same time prevent its
being accidentally pulled out of the
valve case.
The valve itself is an ordinary but-
terfly valve and the unseating is done
by the movement of a cam handle
which gives a lift of i^i ins. The
valve stem guide at the top and the
valve stem are made so as to prevent
further lift. The valve stem has a
boss on it which strikes the top of the
guide at the point of maximum lift.
The valve can be ground in without
lemoving the case.
39(5
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
September, 1910.
Light of Day on the Right of Way.
We have just received from the Com-
mercial Acetylene Company of New
York a very fine descriptive catalogue of
their standard locomotive headlight equip-
ment. This catalogue they describe as
booklet "H." The equipment consists es-
sentially of a steel cylinder, 12 x 36 ins.,
weighing 180 lbs., and containing 225 cu.
ft. of commercial acetylene, attached to
running board or other convenient place
en the locomotive. There is a regulating
valve which reduces the pressure in
the cylinder to a usable or burn-
ing pressure. There is, of course,
a gauge which indicates the quan-
tity of gas in the storage cylinder, and
small steel tubing for conveying the gas
to the headlight. If desired this tubing
may be led to the marker, or classification
lights, and to the cab lights. No special
style of headlight or lamp is required.
Oil lamps and headlights can be con-
verted to the use of Commercial Acety-
lene, though the company say that the best
results are secured by using their head-
lights, which are made purposely fur the
use of this kind of gas. The storage cylin-
ders are packed with asbestos discs satu-
rated with acetone, which is a liquid re-
sembling wood alcohol. This at ten at-
mospheres, or 150 lbs. pressure, absorbs
twenty-five times its own volume of the
gas at normal temperature, increasing the
storage capacity ten fold. Large storage
capacity is thus secured and there is no
free gas in the cylinder. The method em-
ployed in charging the storage cylinders
is the same as is used on other gas sys-
tems. They may be charged from a yard
line. If used on locomotives that do not
reach cliarging stations the cylinders may
be detached and shipped to charging plant.
The catalogue is very fully an,d very care-
fully illustrated and the descriptive letter
press clear and concise. If you want to
know anything about the mechanism,
maintenance or the performance of the
Acetylene headlight, write to the com-
pany, at 80 Broadway. New York.
The same company have also issued
booklet C, which is a descriptive and il-
lustrated catalogue of their standard
railway car lighting equipment. This
shows the same system of storage in
tanks under the cars. The tanks are, of
course, larger than the locomotive ones
and the lamps fixtures, brackets, etc., for
inside the cars are the same as those used
on any of the car lighting systems. The
same system of charging the tanks may
be used as with the headlights. If you
want either or both of these catalogues
or would like other information on the
subject write direct to the company.
Hotel Southern having been selected as
headquarter, members and others attend-
ing this meeting are requested to make
early application for reservations by ad-
dressing Mr. Henry C. Lewis, hotel
manager.
The programme contains an attractive
and interesting list of subjects and queries
for discussion which are fully up to the
high standard established and held by this
association for so many years. Attention
is called to the three essays to be pre-
sented at this meeting by gentlemen of
long and varied experience and whose
unquestioned ability to handle their
respective subjects in a logical and intel-
ligent manner gives assurance that the
sessions will be exceptionally interesting
and instructive. All foremen and assist-
ant foremen of railway paint shops,
steam and electric in the United States
and Canada, and others interested in
the work of this association, are very
cordially invited to be present. There
are five subjects to be taken up, four
queries, and three essays. The essays
are, first, "Is it economy to keep a prac-
tical painter in roundhouses to look after
things generally." Second, "Inert pig-
ments— their use and abuse" and third
"An ideal railway car paint shop, em-
bracing construction conveniences and
shop location."
M. C. and L. P. Association.
The forty-first annual convention of
the Master Car and Locomotive Painters'
Association will be held at St. Louis, Mo.,
Sept. 13, 14, IS and 16, 1910. The
Speed Indicators.
A report current in the daily press
says : Passenger engines on the Baltimore
& Ohio are being equipped with speed in-
dicators, so that engineers will have no
excuse for exceeding established limits.
Attached to the device is a paper chart,
the registry on which shows the speed on
every point of a division. This goes to
the superintendent after a run is made,
and thus he has before him daily a record
of the speed at which trains are run in
his territory.
If this is true it will help the engineers,
especially if the idea is to get at the
truth, they will welcome the installation
of speed indicators as a good thing. The
reason for this is that the indicators will
also show the delays along the line. A
locomotive engineer of our acquaintance
used to say that he got over the road bet-
ter when the general superintendent's car
was attached to the flyer, for the simple
reason that news of this fact was quietly
telegraphed ahead and every station agent
became very quick and very alert when
the G. S. was on hand ; and as for station
baggagemen, you wouldn't know them.
They hit the stopping point of the bag-
gage car door in a way that was wonder-
ful to see and in went the trunks before
you could say "Jack Robinson." The
train was a car heavier, but the deten-
tions were light. The indicators show de-
lays that the engineer is not responsible
for, and the G. S. used to wonder why it
was not done that wav everv dav.
One Year and
Eleven Months'
SERVICE
WITHOUT REPACKING, ON
High-Pressure Locomotives
style 3O0 TV.
A throttle failure is an absolute
impossibility where Cran-
dall's Throttle Valve pack-
ing is used.
IT WILL NOT BLOW OUT
Crandall Packing Co.
FACTORY AND GENERAL OFFICB
PALMYRA, • NEW YORK
BRANCHES
New 7ork Cleveland
136 Liberty St. 9 So. Water St.
Chicago
52 West Washington St.
STORRS' Mica
Headlight Chimneys
To the Railroad — An economy
To the Engineman — A
STORRS MICA COMPANY
R. R. Depl., Owego, N. Y.
Patents.
GEO. P. WHITTLESEY
McQILL BUILDINQ
Tarn* Reasonable
WASHINQTON, D. C.
Paraphla< Sanl
September. 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
397
lOCOMOTIVE
FRAMES WELDED
IN TWELVE
HOURS OR LESS
No Dismantling of Engines
The Thermit Process per-
mits of welding locomotive
frames at less expense and
with less trouble than is pos-
sible by any other method.
Aside from the fact that
there is no dismantling or
tearing down, the welds are
made without generating any
uncomfortable heat to pre-
vent your working around
the engine. The heat is
all confined to where it is
wanted.
All welds are REIN-
FORCED to prevent future
breakage.
Process equally valuable
for repairing wheel centres,
mud rings, connecting rods,
shafts, gear wheels, etc.
In general use by all
the leading railroads of the
country.
Write for Pamphlet Xo. 25,
B and for "Reactions," the
Thermit Oiiartcrlv.
90 West St.. New York
t«t-41< roiMm St.. B«a FruciHo. CtUt.
IM Elehmoad Bt. W., Tenat4, Oat.
Agricultural Specials.
The Houston & Texas Central, fol-
lowing the example of other lines, have
sent out an experimental farmers' de-
monstration train with the usual
number of lecturers and exhibits. The
venture will cost the company about
S5.700.
On some roads this work has gone
beyond the experimental stage, notably
on the Pennsylvania and on the Erie.
Through the greater prosperity of the
farmer incidental to larger yields, and
more scientific methods, the tonnage of
Ti road can be materially increased and
the Pennsylvania and the Erie have bene-
fitted from it in no small way both as
regards the carriage of vegetables and
fruit.
SINCLAIR'S LOCOMOTIVE ENGINE
RUNNING AND MANAGEMENT
{••till popular. We have it. Price $2.00
AMCUS SINCLAIR CO.. 114 1 ibtrir 3i.. N. Y.
WAHERS I.B.C.TRACK SANDERS
Only two pi*<««. No rvpair*
1. 1. WAn[RS. A<a. M M (rf R R . Afl^Bti. 61
Good Crops This Fall.
It is reported that after a three-days'
tour of the corn country, tributary to the
Wabash, Mr. F. A. Delano, president of
the road, says that in his opinion the
scare about the wheat and corn crop be-
ing burned is over. "General rains have
changed conditions wonderfully and we
think the prospects now are for close
to a bumper crop. Altogether the farmer
will be a prosperous individual this fall."
Railroad Volapuk.
The elderly matron with the bundles,
who was journeying to a point in Wis-
consin and occupied a seat near the
middle of the car, had fallen asleep.
On the seat in front of her sat a little
boy. The brakeman opened the door
of the car and called out the name of
the station the train was approaching.
The elderly woman roused herself
with a jerk.
"Where are we, Bobby?" she asked.
"I don't know, grandma," answered
the little boy.
"Didn't the brakeman say something
just now?'
"No. He just stuck his head inside
the door and sneezed."
"Help me with these things, Bobby,"
she exclaimed hurriedly. "This is Osh-
kosh. It's where we get off." — Youth's
Companion.
Bridge or Tube.
Mr. W. J. Wilgus, president of the .\m-
sfcrdam Corporation of New York, made
an inspection and study of sundry trans-
portation matters at Portland, Ore. Mr.
Theodore E. Knowlton, an associate of
Mr. Wilgus, is, at the invitation of Mr.
C. K. Henry, to further study local condi-
tions and submit a report as to cost,
feasibility, etc., of a tube under the Wil-
liamctte River. A controversy is pend-
ing as to whether the stream shall be
bridged or a double compartment tube
built for street car traffic only. Mr.
Knowlton will make his report to Mr.
Wilgus and then a final report will be
made up as to the feasibility of the whole
propositirn.
Mr. Henry is an earnest advocate of the
lube, and Mr. Wilgus is on record in an
opinion th.it it will be preferable to a
bridge bec.imc of the elimination of many
'li^advantaKe-. of the latter, especially as
to annual rost of maintenance, operation,
depreciation and delays, and in harbor
traffic as well as risks of accident. The
iiilje will probably lie ilecided on.
Change of Date.
We have received a notice issued by
the Imperial Russian Technical Society
that the International Exhibition of Elec-
tricity applied to the railways, which
was to have been opened in .August, 1910,
has been postponed till the 15th of
.\pril, 191 1, in order to adapt it to
the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Rus-
sian railways. The programme of the
e-xhibition and the rules for the ex-
hibitors remain unaltered. New terms
are fixed as follows: Inquiries are ac-
cepted from the 15th to the 28th of Feb-
ruary, 191 1 ; exhibits are accepted from
the 15th to the 28th of March, 1911. and
from the loth to the 23d of .\pril, 191 1.
The exhibition opens from the 15th to
the 28th of .\pril, 191 1, and closes from
the isth to the 28th of July, 191 1.
Western Pacific Opens Line.
The first through passenger train over
the Western Pacific, between the coast
and Salt Lake City, was a special from San
I'rancisco. It made the run in 36^ hours
which will be the time for the regular
service for 30 to 60 days when the time
probably will be shortened. Those who
have been over the line say that there
is marked diversity in the beauties of
nature spread out in a lavish way at vari-
ous points, along the Feather River there
being between 80 and 90 miles of pic-
turesque canyon scenery and in the Sac-
ramento Valley there is a stretch of 200
miles as level as a floor running almost
at a tangent into Oakland.
Steel Passenger Car Shops.
Large shops for building steel pas-
senger cars arc to be established by
Mr. Charles M. Schwab, president of
the Bethlehem Steel Company, at Wil-
mington, Del., at the Harland & Hol-
lingsworlh plant, of which Mr. Schwab
has had possession for several years.
The raw steel will, of course, be made
at Bethlehem, Pa., and the shops are
to be equipped with the highest class
facilities.
Fewer Idle Cars.
A recent press dispatch from Chicago
states: A leading traffic authority says
.\ugust shows a decreased surplus of cars
throughout the country despite business
contraction, because agricultural tonnage
398
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
September, igio.
is very heavy and a strong demand for
box cars from many grain sections of the
West will continue for several weeks. Oc-
tober traffic will bring back surplus in-
creases and sliortage decreases except for
prospective heavy coal traffic.
Angularity of the Main Rod.
If a locomotive be placed with one
side having the crankpin on the back dead
center, then the crosshead pin will be at
the back limit of its stroke in the guides,
and when the crank pin is on the front
dead center the crosshead pin will be at
the forward limit of its stroke; the piston
also will reach the ends of its stroke at
the same instant. Now if the butt end of
the main rod is taken off the crank pin
and the center of the butt end of the main
rod be put on the center of the a.xle, then
the crosshead pin will be in the exact
center of the stroke, and the piston also.
If the crosshead be secured in this center
position and the butt end be raised or
lowered until the center of the hole in-
tersects the crank-pin circle it will travel
on an arc having the radius of the main
rod. It will not travel on the vertical
center line through the axle, and will
therefore intersect the crank-pin circle at
some two points, top and bottom, ahead
of that vertical center line. These two
points give the position of the crank pin
near the top and bottom centers, when the
crosshead and piston are in the exact cen-
ter of the stroke.
If the crank pin be placed on the verti-
cal center line through the axle, top or
bottom, the butt end would not go on the
crank pin, but would have to be pulled
back, and would pull the crosshead and
piston back to a point behind the center
of their stroke, and when the engine is in
motion the crosshead and piston must
always be in that position when the crank
pin is on the top and bottom centers.
Therefore the piston must travel twice
the longer portion of its stroke while the
crank pin makes the front half of its revo-
lution, and travels twice the shorter por-
tion of its stroke while the crank pin
makes the back half of its revolution.
Now, as the driving wheels revolve at a
uniform speed, being compelled to do so
by the weight of engine and train, the time
occupied by the crank pin during these
two half revolutions must be equal, and
the time occupied by the crosshead in
making the two front, or longer, part-trav-
els, is equal to the time occupied in mak-
ing the two back, or shorter, part-travels,
and therefore the speed of the crosshead
and piston must be greater in the forward
part of the stroke to make a greater dis-
tance in equal time. If we now divide
the piston stroke equally it is plain that
the forward half is passed over in less
time than the back half.
As the wheels and eccentrics revolve at
a uniform speed, the valves would do the
same, but they must be given a differential
speed in the forward and back movement
to correspond to the differential movement
of the piston in order to produce equal
cut-off in different times, therefore we
have to modify their motion accordingly.
The saddle pin location, which is offset
to produce equal half travels, can be so
adjusted as to give the equal cut-offs
required.
Tunnel Through the Andes.
Argentina and Chile are connected
by railway. Between the two South
American countries rises the huge wall
of the Andes, with peaks from 18,000
to 23.000 ft. above sea level.
A railway from Buenos Ayres. touch-
ing Mercedes, St. Louis and La Paz.
towns in the interior of Argentina,
runs to Mendoza at the eastern foot of
the Andes and climbs thence up a river
valley with one huge loop and many
curves a full hundred miles to the sum-
mit of the pass. Thence the Chilean
end of the line descends b}' the San
Rosa River valley to Valparaiso.
British methods and mach!ner5- were
used in driving the Andean tunnel, and
the engineering problems presented
were of unusual interest. In length the
tunnel is not remarkable. The great
Alpine tunnels are much longer. While
the Andean tunnel is about three miles
in length, the St. Gothard is over nine,
the Mont Cenis nearly eight, and the
Simplon about twelve. The Arlburg of
Austria is nearly six and a half miles
long, and the Gravenholz of Norway is
about three and a third miles. The
Hoosac tunnel is four and three-quar-
ter miles, and the Tequixquiat drainage
tunnel of Mexico is six miles long.
None of these tunnels, however, were
driven at such an elevation as the An-
dean tunnel, which is nearly 10,500 ft.
above sea level. The only railway tun-
nels at such a height are some on the
line leading from the coast of Peru
across the crest of the Andes into Bra-
zil and Bolivia. The Oroya Railway
from Lima crosses the Andes by a pass
at an elevation of more than 15.500 ft.,
and the railway from Mollendo to Lake
Titicaca crosses the mountains at an
elevation of more than 14.700 ft., and
reaches the lake at an elevation of over
12.500 ft.
Heavy Train.
A monster train of loaded coal cars,
over a mile and a quarter in length, was
hauled over the middle division of the
Pennsylvania Railroad between Altoona
and Harrisburg a few days ago. The
train was made up of 120 steel cars, all
of 100,000 pounds capacitj-.
A year ago a model H-8 engine hauled
105 loaded cars over this division and at
that time the performance was regarded
as remarkable.
TURNTABLES
Philadelphia Turntable Co.
PHILADELPHIA, PA.
CHICAGO: ST. LOUIS:
Marauette Bld(. CommoDweklth Trud Bld(.
Nichols Transfer Tables
Turntable Tractors
GEO. P. NICHOLS & BRO.
1090 Old Colony Bldg. CHICAGO
ALDON CAR REPLACERS
We set three pairs of Aldcn Frogs and had
all nine cars on the rails in twenty minutes. —
Extract from Jf'reckir.g Masters' Reforts.
THE ALDON COMPANY
965 Monadnock Block, CHICAGO, ILL.
ESTABLISHED 1884
Sipe's
Japan Oil
Is superior to Linseed Oil
and Dryers for
AIL KINDS Of PAINTING
In Daily Use by
All the leading Railroads
In the United States
Manufactured tolety by
lAMtS B. SIPE & (0.
North Side. PITTSBURGH
RilK^iveEisineerin)
A Practical Journal of Motive Power, Roiling Stock and Appliances
V«L XXIIL
114 Uberty Street, New York, October, 1910.
No. 10
The Tait Suburban Car.
A very large traffic is dealt with by the
Victorian Railway Commissioners on
their suburban lines at Melbourne. Aus-
tralia. The number of suburban passen-
gers carried on these lines during the
year ended June jO, 1909, was 74,541^51,
and the revenue derived therefrom,
£746.844. About 1,300 suburban trains
and 150.000 pasengers arrive and leave
Chicago. This car was very fully illus-
trated and described in our March, 1906,
issue, page 126. As a result of his ob-
servations the car shown in our illustra-
tions, was designed to meet the require-
ments of the Melbourne suburban traffic.
Mr. Tait was formerly manager of trans-
portation on the Canadian Pacific Railway.
The suburban carriage hitherto in use
at Melbourne is of the ordinary cross-
vacant seats in other compartments.
In order that the seating accommoda-
tions would not be diminished by this
passage-way, the cars have been made
about I ft wider, and this has necessi-
tated the use of sliding doors, as there
would not be sufficient clearance of other
trains on double tracks or of structures
if swinging doors were used. Apart from
this consideration, however, sliding doors
I kAii< ijk "^iAH 3l.itOKltAJ<i LAR.t f)l\ Itir. ^iviuttiA.Hi ouVfcK.'i <iih.s
i-ic ■ cnirai i ' :i;in.il every day.
When Mr •, iIk- chairman
of the Virt' ly Commission
wai in Europe and America, three year*
igo, he inspected varioui type* of tubur-
' ' then in use, including thoie
t been conitructed for ler-
■■ ' •Tg-Altona line and the
tide door cart run-
' Central Railway at
c<iiii|i.irlnicnt non-corridor type with
•.Hiiiis'iMi} doors for each compartment.
1 he iniprovcmcnti introduced by Mr.
Tail are the provision of a passage-way
and the substitution of sliding doors for
the swinging doors. The object of the
passage-way is to permit of passengers
distributing thrmtelves throughout the
car, thus obviating the overcrowding uf
one rr-mpartmcnl when there may be
are considered to be an ailv.'itici^c, as
they do away with noise, eliminating an
element of danger, and reduce the ex-
pense now contingent on the opening and
closing of swinging doors, but, what is
more important, in the event of the electri-
fication of the Melbourne suburban lines,
the possible quick acceleration from sta-
tions will not be lost owing to trains
havmg to be started slowly to permit of
400
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
October, 1910.
the swinging doors being closed and
fastened. In this connection it may be
mentioned that it is intended that pass-
engers shall open and close the sliding
doors themselves, and that this will per-
mit of some reduction in the station plat-
form staff being effected. It may also be
mentioned that apart from the locomotive
driver and fireman onlv one other man, a
Each car comfortably seats 92 passengers,
two on each seat on one side of the
passage-way, and three on each seat on
the other side, and six on the seat at
each end of the car.
A feature of these cars is that being one
foot wider, which brings the bodies out
to the full width of the footboards of the
cars hitherto used, and in line approxi-
are of embossed steel of Australian manu-
facture, suitably painted and grained. The
body framing and pillars are of teak, and
Australian cedar and maple have been
used in the linings, mouldings, etc., of the
interior. The seats are upholstered in
Australian green leather. In the design
and finish of the interior all sharp angles
and corners or other receptacles for dust
PLAN OF THE TAIT SUBURBAN CAR, VICTORIAN GOVERNMENT RAILWAYS.
guard who travels in the compartment
provided for the purpose at the extreme
rear end of the train, is employed on the
Melbourne suburban trains. The pro-
vision of a passage-way and of a door on
each side of the car for each pair of
seats combines the advantage of the
American car or of a corridor car, in
mately with the nosing of the platforms,
and with the floors being designedly low,
no footboards are required, and there is
only one step, about 10 ins. deep, between
the car floor and the station platform.
The end of the guard's van compartment
has been made elliptical in shape, with a
view to it being used as a motor com-
enabling passengers to distribute them- partment in the event of electrification,
selves, with the added advantage of
quick ingress and egress of passengers af-
forded by the European ordinary cross-
compartment cars, with side doors for
each compartment.
The new cars are ;~ it. 4'; ins. long
and a wide landing for the guard has
been provided in the doorway of this
compartment. It has not been considered
available to provide moveable sashes at
those windows past which the doors slide
owing to the possibility of injury to pass-
INTERIOR OF FIRST CL.\SS COMP
over the bodies, and are divided into
three large compartments, separated by
partitions fitted with sliding doors and
glass panels, so that passengers can see
from one compartment into the other.
These partitions prevent too much
draught through the car, and provide sub-
divisions as required for smokers, etc.
ARTMEXT. TAIT SUBURBAN CARS.
engers' arms or hands in the event of the
doors being incautiously opened, but
ample provision has been made for venti-
lation. Steel has been used largely in the
construction of the bodies, and the under-
frames and bogies are entirely of steel.
The whole of the external panelling is of
steel, and the interior ceilings and panels
and dirt have been avoided. The lighting
is by Pintsch gas with incandescent
mantles. Although steel has been used so
largely and the cars are a foot wider,
they will not weigh as much per passenger
scat as the suburban cars of the same
length hitherto used.
The extreme ends of each carriage are
furnished with large sepia bromide photo-
graphs illustrating various Victorian
tourist resorts. A complete train of these
cars was put into service on one of the
Melbourne suburban lines on Jan. 6, and
has met with the general approbation of
both the public and the railway staff. With
the exception of a few minor alterations,
which experience of these cars may show
to be advisable, the commissioners will
probably adopt the "Taif car for their
Melbourne suburban service.
Analysis — Chemical and Otherwise.
In a paper recently read before the
Central Railway Club, Mr. E. M.
Tewkesbury, general superintendent of
the South Buffalo Railway, discussed
"Analysis — Chemical and Otherwise."
Following an outline of the early de-
velopments of the great agencies of
transportation, he presented in con-
densed form some of the figures cover-
ing the last two decades in the United
States. He said:
"At first thought, one would hardly
realize the necessity of a chemical anal-
ysis of the material entering into
track, bridges, locomotives, cars, etc., but
when we consider that in the last twen-
ty-five years the increase in the size of
our engines and cars places upon our
tracks and bridges, as well as upon the
locomotives and cars themselves a bur-
den that must attract the attention of
those responsible for the safety of the
property and the human freight carried
over these roads, it is then that we ap-
preciate the need of assistance from an-
alytical science."
Mr. Tewkesbury insisted that great
advancement is being made in correct-
October, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINKEKINX.
401
ing rail failures due to piping. Experi-
ments have been made with good re-
sults by the use of an alloy of ferro-
titanium in the Bessemer steel rail. To
test load wear, as well as side wear, due
to curvature, the speaker stated that his
road is putting down a mile of track for
this purpose, in which a 90-lb. section
of ferro-titanium rails are laid on oak
ties, hook shoulder tie plates, the Abbott
joint plate and stone ballast, on about
a I per cent, grade, varying from a tan-
gent to 12 degs. 26 min. As heavy traf-
fic will pass over it the wear will be
subject to all tests except that of high
speed. Benefits derived from analysis, hi.
said, may be traced through every depart-
ment. Material used in car building
where nearly everything is of steel is
carefully analyzed, and the protection
which is the maximum protection to be
gained is one of the big problems.
What will be satisfactory in one sec-
tion will not do in another, and some-
thing is still needed which will give the
correct results over an entire railroad
system.
As to the matter of analysis "other-
wise," Mr. Tewkesbury showed that the
qualifications of men may be deter
mined. There is, he held, a scarcity ot
men capable of being made superinten-
dents of car shops and this serves as a
hint to general foremen and others to
analyze themselves and acquire the one
thing that they may find they lack.
Explosion of Coal Dust.
The author of Bulletin No. 425, Geo-
logical Survey, is Mr. George S. Rice,
chief mining engineer of the Bureau
of Mines. In it he goes fully into one
of the most serious and perplexing
problems that the coal mines have had
tr. contend with in the last few years;
ious, threatening and deadly to the
miner than firedamp. In a dry mine,
dust accumulates everywhere, and the
blast from the ignition and combustion
of bituminous dust may traverse miles
of rooms and entries and wreck struc-
tures at the entrance r-^i the rr.'ir.c
method of ; -cventmg coal dust explo-
sions?'
"Experiments at Pittsburgh indicate
that under ordinary conditions the dust
must be from coal having at least about
10 per cent, of volatile combustible
••"^■ter, though in certain foreign ex-
I.MKKIDK 1)1 StCO.NU l.L.\bS LD.MP.XKT.ME.NT i.MT SL1!LK1!.\.\ t.\l
"The coal dust question in this coun-
try," continues Mr. Rice, "cannot be
said to have awakened widespread in-
terest among mining men until the
terrible disaster of 1907, which re-
sulted in the death of 648 men. In
response to a demand by those inter-
ested in coal mining throughout the
country. Congress, in 1908. made an
pppropriation lUr the investigation of
mine explosions. The United States
Geological Survey was charged with
perimcnts it is claimed explosions were
obtained with charcoal dust. Where
there is a large amount of dry coal dust,
a humid atmosphere has little effect
on ignition of dust or propagation of an
explosion. A long continuance of the
humid conditions renders the coal dust
moist and inert, but the presence of
moisture in the air at the moment of
explosion is not sufficient to prevent
an explosion. Probably with a low
dust density, the rcaltive humidity of
K\ I I k|M|< \ IKVV 1)1 I IU>1 ( I \-
\l.l;l Vc.K, \I(I<)MI.\N (;o\ LUNMINT K.MI.W.WS.
that It the explosion of bituminous coal
dust. In the introduction Mr. Rice
»»yi: "Only within comparative few
the inventigation. A testing station
was at onrr decided upon and wai es-
tnhlithed at Pittiburgh, Pa. Tests made
years hat the dry du«t of bituminous there were so convincing that the quet-
and lignitic coal been generally rccog- tion of the day no longer it 'Will coal
nized A% an »-.|.|o»ivr .iprtii in..rr in«t<l- <l<i«t explode?' but 'Wh.it i« llir lir«t
the air would be an important factor
in tending to prevent the initiation of
an explosion. However, the great pur-
pose of artificially moistening mine air
i; that it may serve as n vehicle for
..irrving water to the dust."
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
October, 1910.
Electric Turbine Locomotive Built at Glasgow
Eleclric-Turbo Engine.
This long, strange-looking locomotive,
with smoke stack in the rear, cooler pipes
in front, and the locomotive engineer and
fireman in between, has just made its ap-
pearance in Glasgow, and has attracted
widespread attention in railway circles.
The steam is produced in its boiler, but
instead of turning the driving wheels, it
works a turbine which drives a dynamo,
thus generating electricity for actuating
the motors. The nominal power of the
engine is equal to about 1,000 h. p. The
locomotive not being dependent on live
rail nor wires can travel over any rail-
way. It has been called the electric-
turbo locomotive.
Not long ago Mr. Hugh Reid, in his
presidential address to the Glasgow
Engineering Society, thus describes the
steam turbine electric machine which is
otherwise spoken of as the Reid-Ramsay
locomotive. Steam is generated in a
boiler of the ordinary locomotive type,
which is fitted with a superheater, coal
and water being carried in side bunkers
and tanks. Steam from the boiler is lead
to a turbine of the impulse type, running
at a speed of 3,000 r. p. m., to which is
directly coupled a continuous-current
variable voltage dynamo This dynamo
tion is free from oil, and can be drawn
from the' hot well and forced into the
boiler as required. The water ev;ii>orated
by the boiler is therefore returned again
to the boiler, and is practically simply the
\ chicle used in the cycle of change where
the energy residing in the coal is made to
do the work of turning the wheels and so
moving the engine and train.
The condensation of the exhaust slcani
deprives the locomotive of the blast uhicli
stimulates the fire in ordinary locomo-
tives. The forced draught is in this case
provided by the use of a small turbine
driven fan. This fan is placed witlini the
cooler which pro'duces a circulation of
air in the electric generators. The fan,
therefore, draws cold air into the cooler
and delivers warm air to the fire.
The whole locomotive is mounted on
a strong underframe, and is carried on
two 8-wheel compound trucks, so bviilt as
to curve easily. The machine is in-
tended for express passenger main line
work, and is really a traveling electric
power house on wheels.
In concluding this description of the
novel locomotive, we may quote Mr. Reid
where he says, "Most of the component
parts of this steam turbine electric loco-
motive have already proved themselves
organization in comparison with any ar-
rangement involving the use of expensive
electrical apparatus."
The engine has undergone preliminary
trials on the Caledonian and on the North
British Railways. One of our illustrations
is made from a photograph sent to us
by Mr. John Macintosh, locomotive
superintendent of the Caledonian Rail-
way, and the other one from Mr. A. R,
Bell, of London.
English Running Shed Practice.
At the recent meeting of the Institu-
tion of Mechanical Engineers in Bir-
mingham, England, which was attended
by the many members of the Ameri-
can Society of Mechanical Engineers
who were guests of the British society,
a very interesting paper on English
running shed practice was read by Mr.
C. W. Paget, general superintendent
of the Midland Railway at Derby.
Among other things he said, concern-
ing the running shed buildings, they are
(.f two types, those in which the roads
are laid parallel, usually called straight
sheds, and those in which the roads
radiate from a center turntable, called
round sheds. The straight sheds are
economical in first cost and mainten-
^'si
^l;-:
— -
ELECTRO-TURBO ENGINE OR ELECTRIC POWER HOIISE ON WHEELS.
supplies current and pressures varying
from 200 to 600 volts to four series-wound
traction motors, the armatures of which
are on the four main or driving axles of
the locomotive. The exhaust steam from
the turbine is condensed and eventually
flows into the hot well carried on the
• engine.
As the steam turbine requires no in-
ternal lubrication, the water of condensa-
effective and efficient in other applica-
tions, and the novelty lies in the combina-
tion of the different elements of which
the locomotive is composed. It is only
when the attempt is made to substitute
an electric for a steam locomotive that
we realize at what a very moderate first
cost the steam locomotive can now be
produced in up-to-date establishments
with modern machinery and scientific
;mce, but unless they are of the type
known as "through sheds" they are
awkward to work; the latter class are
necessarily draughty. The center turn-
table type, though more expensive to
build, possesses considerable advantages
in working because engines can be eas-
ily got in and out without moving oth-
ers. The radial arrangement of the pits
also lends itself better to lighting and
October, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
403
convenience of getting about. There is
plenty of room towards the end of the
pits for fitters to work at the bench
between two engines, and the work of
washing out boilers, flushing out pits
snd general cleaning can be done with-
out inconvenience. To set against these
advantages there is the objection that
when the turntable requires lifting for
repairs it throws all the pits served by it
out of use while the repairs arc going on.
Attached to every shed of any size are
sheer-legs capable of lifting one end of
an engine so tli.it the wheels and axle-
boxes mav hv rciniivid lur cN.iniina-
allows of adequate illumination at rea-
sonable cost at the points required.
Two considerations chiefly govern the
successful lighting of a shed, these be-
ing that the boilers of the engines
should be well lighted, and also that
sufficient illumination should be shown
on the motion work, the latter object
being the more difficult problem.
Washing out is usually done with
cold water, and mains with a good head
of water are laid having hydrants at
convenient places. Washing out with
liot water, though very desirable, is not
:.t present in trcnoral use An onarino is
thermostatic valve the temperature of
the wash-out water is maintained at 140
degs. Fahr., which is as high a temper-
ature as can be conveniently handled by
the men. When the washing out has
been completed, and all the plugs and
mud-hole doors have been put back, the
hose is shifted on to another line of pip-
ing and the boiler filled up from the
filling tank with water at not less than
180 degs. Fahr.
Few English railways have adopted
water softening extensively, though sev-
eral use it on a limited scale. The soft-
eners in u<e may be divided into two
ELKtTROTLRBO LOCO.Mi)TI\E, IKONT END TO THE LEFT IN THE PICTUKE.
tion or repairs. These legs were made
almost universally at one time of wood,
and of the tripod type, the single leg
on one side of the rails being of extra
strength and carrying the lifting gear.
The disadvantage of this type, <>i which
many are still in existence, is, tliat now
that so many engines have extended cabs
the legs have to be of great height in
order to allow of the trailing wheels
being taken out, as the cab top has not
room to rise between the frame of the
legs. This difficulty was sometimes
overcc»me by forming the top of the
legt of bow-shaped iron castings, whilst
two wooden struts were placed on
either side. The most modern con-
struction is, however, to use a frame-
work of steel joists, the top cross-gir-
ders and gussets leaving sufficient head
loom for any contingency.
As the greater part of the cleaning of
locomotives has to be performed dur-
ing the night, the question of the light-
ing of locomotive sheds has received
considerable attention on many rail-
ways. In the majority of cases where
gas is available it is employed, as elec-
tric light, until the recent development
with metallic filament lamps, has only
been economical where arc lamps are
used, and such large units of light arc
not required. In properly lighted
shedn gx* t« iisii.-.IIv riiiflivrd, and this
brought in with about 60 lbs. of steam
still in the boiler, and by means of a
flexible metallic hose-pipe, a connection
is made between the blow-off cock on
the engine and the blow-off line of pip-
ing to the tanks which contain the hot
water for washing out and filling. The
engine is then blown oflf, and the water
and steam pass away to a separator on
the top of the tank containing the
washing-out water. The water falls
down through a coke filter-bed, which
arrests any scale, into the tank, and
the steam passes away through a pipe
to a chamber on the top of the tank
which contains the filling water, where
i' meets pure cold water from the main
water supply. This water is heated up
by the steam and falls into the tank.
When the engine has been fully
blown off, which occupies from ten to
twenty minutes, according to the size
of the boiler, the blow-off hose is dis-
connected and an armored hose wash-
out pipe is connected to another line of
piping through which the water from
the wash-out lank is pumped, and the
engine is washed out in the usual man-
ner A Duplex Worlhinglon pump,
capable of delivering 450 gallons a min-
ute, is used for pumping the wash-out
water, and this is automatically con
trolled sri as to give a pressure of 60
II, s ,,..r s,,„ ,r,- uul> Itv in.-.,.,, of tlw
groups, namely, continuous-flow soft-
eners and intermittent-type softeners.
In all softeners the chemical treatment
is the same. The water is treated with
a caustic alkali, usually milk of lime
or lime water, which, by combining
with the free and half-combined car-
bonic acid and decomposing magnesium
salts precipitates the calcium c.irbon-
atc and magnesia, and by the further
r.ddition of soda-ash and remaining cal-
cium salts are decomposed and the re-
moval of the scale-forming matter is
completed. In the continuous-How
plants the chemicals are added to the
water during its flow through the soft-
ener, and the precipitate is either col-
lected on sloping plates arranged so as
to divide the water into a scries of
shallow layers in which settlement takes
place rajiiiliy, Tliesc |ilanls occupy the least
ground, and the water loses very little
head; they are best suited for w.iters
which do not vary much in composition,
such as those derived from deep wells
or springs. In the intermittent-type
plants the chemical treatment takes
place in tanks in which a large volume
of water is thoroughly mixed with the
chemicals and allowed to remain quies-
cent until the precipitate has settled
out and clear water can be drawn off,
.1 contmuous supply being obtained by
iisiii>( luii or niiirr tanks
404
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOIIVE ENGINEERING.
October, 1910.
The Oxy-Acetylene Blow-Pipe.
By J. F. Springer.
One of the most wonderful advances in
the industrial world is in connection with
the new process of burning a stream of
mixed oxygen and acetylene. There are
two tanks, one containing oxygen under
strong pressure; the other containing
acetylene, under a mild pressure, and the
generating mechanism. Tubes from these
tanks run to a tip or nozzle, the oxygen
entering along the axis and the acetylene
through four radial orifices. Pressures
and dimensions are so arranged that 128
parts of oxygen enter to 100 parts of
acetylene. These mix in the nozzle. As
the stream comes forth, it is ignited and
a wonderfully hot flame is the result.
The whole flame is rather large. It
really consists of two parts. The highest
temperature is reached in the little inner
flame next the nozzle. This is a brilliant
white and is supposed to develop at its
tip the wonderfully high temperature of
5000 degs. Fahr. With this tiny little
flame, the wonderful "welding" operations
are performed. The outer flame has its
use. It is a protective covering.
When it is desired to make a weld, the
following procedure is typical. The two
edges are beveled off each at an angle
of about 45 degs., thus making a V-
shaped groove of 90 degs. The tip of the
little white flame with its high tempera-
ture is now applied to melt the metal of
the sides at the bottom of the groove.
This molten metal is filled in to form this
part of the joint. The metal further up
is now melted, or rendered plastic, and
new metal is added from a rod. The
flame melts the metal of the rod just as
if it were a stick of sealing wax. The
groove is filled little by little. The heat-
ing of the sides is for the purpose of se-
curing attachment for the new metal. As
the filling goes on, the metal should be
mechanically treated with a light hammer
or otherwise. When all is completed, we
have a single piece of metal. The joint
is new material, and should ordinarily be
identical with the old.
It might be thought by many that there
is no need for such an excessive tempera-
ture. A little consideration will, how-
ever, make this clearer. The flame is a
very small affair, usually much smaller
than the metal in the immediate vicinity.
Consequently, there is a great loss of heat
by conduction and radiation. The flame
makes up for this loss by its excessive
temperature. The temperature to which
the metal is raised is ordinarily less than
half of 6000 degs. Fahr.
Because of the way the union is effected,
a great many more metals can be welded
than was possible by the blacksmith's
methods. Cast iron can be united to cast
iron. Cast steel can be joined to rolled
steel. Steel and bronze can be welded.
Further, because of the ease with which
metal may be melted, the oxy-acetylene
torch may be used as a "putting-on" tool.
Suppose, a tooth to be broken off
a gear wheel. By heating the surface of
the fracture and then adding on new
metal a solid knob can be readily built
up. This may then be machined to exact
shape. We thus reclaim from the scrap
pile the whole gear wheel. Suppose a
lug to have been broken off a cast-
ing or to be missing because of careless-
ness in molding. The missing part
can be built up entirely or we can weld
the piece on. In the latter case, we may
use the broken-off piece, cast a new one
or forge one, as the case may require. We
can build up a part made of different
metal. For example, it has been found de-
sirable to construct a certain style of
rear axle, on an automobile, partly of
bronze and partly of steel. The two steel
tubes may be united by the oxy-acetylene
process to the bronze center piece.
A casting may have a crack in it, or
develop a blow-hole. These defects are
sufficient to send it to the scrap pile. The
operator of the new process readily fills
up the crack or blow-hole and saves the
casting. In a certain industry, large cast
kettles, weighing about 18,000 lbs. each.
CAST STEEL CROSS-HEAD WELDED
ALONG WHITE LINE.
are employed in such a way that they
sometimes develop cracks of a foot or
two in length. As the metal is 2 or 3
ins. thick, this is an excellent test of the
process. The process, as introduced by
the Davis-Bournonville Co., 90 West
street, New York, has successfully met
this test and has effected a complete re-
pair where the crack was about 2 ft. long.
When one considers that metal expands
when heated and contracts when cooled,
one can readily understand that difficul-
ties will arise. When the large kettle has
been turned upside down and the crack
repaired by chipping it out to form the
V-groove, we must get ready to offset
the excessive loss of heat that is to be
expected on account of the thickness of
the metal and the great opportunity for
radiation. A charcoal fire is usually built
underneath the crack for the purpose of
heating the adjacent metal. This will have
the effect of reducing the loss of heat from
the flame. But when a part of the work
is highly heated by the fire, we have to
look out for new cracks when cooling.
Also, there is a tendency of the new metal
and the old to part company. These mat-
ters require care and skill in operating.
The difficulties are being understood and
met by the fast accumulating stock of ex-
perience. When just the right propor-
tions of oxygen and acetylene are flowing
out of the nozzle, the little flame will be
very perfect in form with a rounded tip.
The operator judges with his eye. If too
much acetylene is coming through, steel
or iron will be carbonized. If too little,
they will be oxidized. Either is bad, but,
it is so easy to tell when all is right.
As to the probable cause of the high
temperature, we may say, acetylene is
an explosive gas. When it explodes, heat
is set free. In part, it is composed of car-
bon. At a high temperature, carbon is
very eager for oxygen. And so it comes
about that the carbon liberated by the ex-
plosion immediately unites with the oxy-
gen flowing along from the nozzle. We
say immediately, but that is not quite cor-
rect, because after the explosion the
highly heated carbon seems to flow along
alone for a very short distance. While it
flows alone and at a high temperature, 11
shines with brilliant whiteness. In a very
short time it unites with the oxygen
This union generates heat. We have heat
from the explosion and heat from the
union. The whole of this action is con-
centrated within the length of the tiny
inner flame. Hence, the extremely high
temperature.
This result is probably due to the
fact that not enough oxygen is permitted
to flow from the nozzle to completely burn
the acetylene. It is ultimately all burnt
in the outer flame. The explosion
and this first combustion occur with
marvelous rapidity, and this is probably
the great reason for such an extraordinary
concentration of heat.
A large gear wheel weighing about 15
tons developed a fracture across the rim.
This was successfully filled in. The
oxy-acetylene torch built up one of
the teeth 5 ins. deep and 22 ins. wide.
Another interesting case was that a
piston-rod 12 x 10 ins. was made 18 ins.
long. How to effect such additions eco-
nomically generally depend on the circum-
stances. Thus, it might seem more eco-
nomical to cast or forge the portion of the
piston-rod to be added and then to weld it
on to the old portion than to build the
whole by the torch alone. The applica-
tion of these methods to railway work is
fast being developed. We are told that
it has been found possible to repair an
old firebox by welding in new half door
sheets and new side sheets. Care has to
be exercised here because of the con-
traction subsequent to the high tempera-
ture necessary.
October, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING
40s
General Correspondence
Repairs to Turntable.
Editor:
The attached print will possibly be
of interest to readers of Railway and
LocoMOTiTE Engineeking, as it has been
most successful and is still in use at the
old Chicago & North Western Railway
roundhouse at Clinton, la.
The print shows how a 60-ft. cast iron
turntable was repaired in 1899 when the
L. P., H in. From this it is evident that
as the two valves are on one rod the
L. P. must have J-g in. more lead than
the H. P., however set. Our cor-
respondent does not say what kind of
work the engines are said to be more
satisfactory in when set % in. blind H.
P. and line and line L. P. Such set-
ting is equivalent to a decrease in the
inside clearance to % in. H. P. and 14
the valve has too much travel and opens
the exhaust port. I have found this to
be the case where reach rods were too
long. A Subscriber,
Bristol, Fa. V. & S. W. Shops.
Big Engineer on Small Road.
Editor:
I am enclosing a photograph taken a
few days ago, of Spellman's performing
REPAIRS MADE TO CRACKED LOCOMOTIVE TURNTABLE.
heaviest engine turned on it weighed 212,-
000 lbs., and the table is still in use turning
engines that weigh 280,000 lbs., and it
shows no weakness whatever as far as
the cracks are concerned. This table
was repaired under the direction of
Mr. H. T. Bentley, now assistant super-
intendent of motive power and machin-
ery, when he was general foreman at
the Clinton shops. The print, I think,
gives full details and no further ex-
planation is necessary.
Chas. Markel,
Shop Foreman.
Clinton, la.
in. L. P. If the engine will work
when so set without showing a loss on
the indicator card from increased back
pressure the valves should be altered
accordingly so as to give lead H. P.
o, L. P. % in., lap H. P. H in., L. P.,
J4 in., inside clearance H P ^ in., L. P.,
J4 in., and the results should be care-
fully compared with the original per-
formance. If the work is done .it <Iow
bears already for a ride on the minia-
ture steam railroad at Cqntoocook
River Park. The picture may interest
some of your readers this way, as the
engineer, "Cobbie" Webster, whose
avoirdupois tips 250 lbs., is standing
back of the "'dog-on" engine. He is a
veteran Concord railroad engineer, and
feels as proud hauling a load of passen-
Kcrs .Tround tlie Knoll belt line .I'i he
Setting of Tandem Piston Valves.
Editor:
We have a class of engines here
known as the Santa Fe type tandem
compound ; piston valve, cylinders 19 and
32 X 32 ins., 225 lbs. working pressure ;
234,580 lbs. on the drivers. There has
arisen quite a controversy relative to
the proper manner in which to set the
valves. I claim that the proper meth-
od is to set the high pressure line and
line, thus giving the low pressure l/i
of an inch lead. There are a number,
however, who claim that the low pres-
sure valves should be set line and
line, claiming that when the valves are
set in this manner that the engines give
much more »atl»factory service.
M. O. Stewart,
Division Foreman.
La* Vegas, N. M.
[We have ascertained that the orig-
inal setting of these valves wat: Travel,
6 ins.; lead H. P., 0; L. P., 'A in.; lap
H. P, li in : L. P., J4 in.; inside clear-
ance of negative iniide lap H. P., % in.;
speeds, say below 10 miles an hour,
possibly this change might produce
somewhat better results, but at higher
speeds there would be a loss which
might be greater. — Editor.]
Valve Trouble.
Editor :
I notice on page 369 in your Sep-
tember p.Tpcr that our friend on the
C. 4 O. at Covington, Ky., is in trouble
with a slide valve. If he will place the
engine to it will blow, and then raise the
steam chest on that side he will fmd thai
did thirty years ago on a glaring Mc-
Kay and Aldus when throwing wood
speeding around Suncook Loop.
The screen on the car, behind the
dog, protects the children from sparks
or cinders, while an ingenious pipe ex-
tension, not shown, is attached to the
stack to carry smoke high above. Dur-
ing the exhibition here one of the
growlers viciously attacked the lady
trainer, badly lacerating her neck and
arm. The l)ear was promptly despatched
to his last hunting ground.
Concord, N. 11. SunscRinni.
4o6
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
October, 1910.
Scenes on the C. & O. gine will pull, as they are loaded now.
Editor : and work the engine properly on one and
Enclosed please find an instantaneous three-quarters of valve oil, and see how he
photograph of Chesapeake & Ohio gets along. Let him shut off lubricator
train No. 3 at full speed, entering Charles- tight while standing still and throttle
C. & O. TRAIN 3, H.\NDLED BY ENGINE NO.
ton, W. Va. The train is hauled by a
Pacific type engine, No. 161. Also en-
closed you will find a picture of the
standard rock ballast roadway of the
C. & O. These pictures were taken on
my recent vacation in West Virginia.
Having been a constant reader of, and
subscriber to your valuable magazine, I
take pleasure in sending these to you.
Will you kindly publish them.
Indianapolis, hid. C. W. Gorsuch.
Locomotive Lubrication.
Editor :
After reading the article on reduced
locomotive lubrication in your September
magazine, I would like to ask what is
good lubrication of a locomotive? Is it
good policy to cut down oil supply to
valves, to the point that the reverse lever
jerks a man out of the front cab window
when he wants to cut her back or drop
her a notch? Or when he shuts off steam
the cylinders groan and the valves instead
of cutting off square are badly out. Re-
gardless of what oil experts may say, I
claim that if valves are in good con-
dition, the man that runs a locomotive, if
he knows his business and keeps water
at the proper level in boiler, knows more
about when his locomotive is getting the
proper lubrication than any of these ex-
perts who never rode a locomotive. The
way a reverse lever handles is the best
oil expert in the country.
Further, while six drops a minute will
lubricate some engines it will not do so
with others. Let some of these experts
on oil take a trip of 16 hours over the
road and pull the last pound that the en-
valve leaking, and see how nicely she will
squeal and how the valves will sound
when she starts out. Too many of our oil
records are made in office chairs, with
engineers on the road buying, stealing,
bribing, etc., oil, tallow or graphite.
While it is true that some remarkable
records on oil can be made with a light
rication. What oil is saved is taken out
of the coal pile, the fireman's hide and
the machinery of the engine.
The proper way to lubricate with
grease I have yet to see. With the grease
plug you have all the pressure at one time
and none at the other, and how often do
you see the brass cutting around pins and
when you take plug out find grease still
in cup. Grease, to feed properly, should
have a slight yet steady pressure on it.
With the spring cup it feeds all right
while grease is cool but as soon as the
pin warms up, away goes all the grease,
too much pressure. As to engine oil,
how much engine oil should be used? Are
the oil holes put on for fun or are they
tor use? Now take a consolidation en-
gine. Oil the wedges, the wheel hubs,
fill the four guide cups, the piston rod
cups, put two table spoonsful of oil in the
tight eccentric cups, oil the links and all
the motion work, knuckle pin joints front
end of main rods, don't put any on the
engine truck, and sec how much oil is
left in a spout spring can, such as is
usually furnished by railroad companies.
It generally takes it all, and this is about
the usual supply of oil for the whole trip.
Now what have you to oil engine on road
V, itli ?
Two spout cans full of oil for a trip
of 150 miles should be allowed, and none
would be wasted, the motion work would
last longer and the guides and cross-
heads would not need lining and babbit-
ing so often. The engine would not be
in the shop, i.mt of service so often. I
ST.\ND.\RD ROCK BALLAST TRACK, C. &
engine, or train running with a light
throttle, etc. Try the same with the
modern consolidation with 22x30 in.
cylinders, with high pressure steam, with
full throttle and reverse lever cut back
cm quadrant where she ought to work,
and will work if valves have proper lub-
don't believe in waste of oil or of any-
thing in any service, but I do believe in
enough and not in the penny-wise and
pound-foolish way of doing business.
Keep the valve square and the balance
strips tight, grind in the other valves so
they won't leak, keep the other parts of
October. 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
407
the machinery in good order and give
oil enough to keep it so, and engines will
be out on the road making money instead
of in shop for repairs.
E. Rose.
Loco. Engineer.
moment it is called the instantaneous cen-
ter of revolution. — Editor.)
Absolute and Relative Motion.
Editor :
I am writing to j-ou to ask your de-
cision on a subject of contention here at
the shops. One part>- contends that the
crosshead (likewise the piston) on a lo-
comotive has only one motion, a forward
one always; for this reason, that as the
crosshead is directly connected to the
crankpin by means of the main rod, and,
as the line of travel of the crankpin is
always forward on account of its eccen-
tricity, likewise the line of travel of the
crosshead. Is it not correct that the cen-
ter of revolution of the driving wheel is
at the point of contact with the rail, and
not at the axle?
The second party contends that the
crosshead has both a forward and a
backward motion, as in a stationary en-
gine not realizing, perhaps, that the cen-
ter of revolution in a stationary engine
fl>'wheel is at the shaft. Is not the di-
ameter of the driving wheel the radius of
the circle of revolution?
The first party, therefore, asserts that
at the admission of steam to the cylinder
the cylinder is driven forward ; the pis-
ton, meanwhile, momentarily remaining
stationary up to the completion of the
stroke, after which the piston is carried
ahe&d again. This the second party
denies. Consta.vt Reader.
Chicago, III.
[This is practically a case of relative
and absolute motion. The first party is
right in thinking that the crosshead has
a forward motion only. So it has with
reference to the track, but it has a back-
ward and forward motion as far as the
guides, yoke, cylinders, etc., are con-
cerned, and the second party is right on
that point. Suppose you have an engine
with 2 ft stroke and a 5 ft. driving
wheel. The engine runs forward at the
rate of 15.7 ft. for every revolution of
the driving wheel, and this is equal to
the forward and the back stroke of the
piston. For one 2- ft stroke the engine
moves over 7.86 ft., and on the forward
stroke the crosshead moves 9.86 ft ahead,
and on the back stroke the crosshead
moves ahead 5.86 ft Take the average
and you will fmd it comes '>ut all right.
In 100 revolutions the engine will have
(one ahead 786 ft, and counting by for-
ward and backward strokes, you will find
SO X 986 added to 50 x 5.86 will just make
786 ft.
You are right about the wheel and rail
being the center of revolution o( the
driver, but a< it change* from moment to
Sand Blast Apparatus.
Editor :
The print I send you shows a home-
made sand-blast apparatus that is used to
sand-blast locomotive tenders, and the
work accomplished by this machine in the
hands of two laborers is surprising. The
tender to be worked on is placed outdoors
in an open space and the dust from sand
is not noticed by the operator of the ma-
chine. The apparatus is made of an old
main air drum with four additional 2 in.
flues extending from head to head to sup-
port the pressure on the heads. .^ 3 in.
stop-cock is screwed in flange on top head
of drum and into this cock is screwed the
e.xtra sand tank, which is filled while the
n;achine is emptying the main reservoir,
SHOP S\.\I) BL.\ST MACHINE.
and when empty the air is released and
stop-cock opened, allowing extra sand in
tank to empty into the main reservoir.
By this method the machine is kept al-
most const.intly in operation. The print
gives full details as to piping, etc.
CtiAs. Markel,
Shop Foreman, C. & N. W. Ry.
Ctinlon, la.
The Making of Engineeri.
Editor:
In recent issues you ask several quc.s
tiont and request your readers to give
their views <>ti the subjects.
First, in rrg.ird to books on machin-
ery. Have them in railway libraries,
Y. M. C. A.'s, etc., if possible, but h.ivr
them at home by all means, and then
study them after you get them there.
I do not think it would be good policy
for a railway company to furnish them
free of charge either, for in ninety-nine
cases out of a hundred they would not
be appreciated. If you have to buy
them, and if you are the "right sort,"
you will think more of them.
Second, as to a regular fireman or
not? A regular fireman, by all means.
.■\ regular engine also if you can get
her. The regular man knows just what
to e.xpect in regard to carrying his fire,
when and where to start and stop fir-
ing, and he can save great quantities
of coal over the extra man, who in the
great majority of cases, does not know
just where this man shuts off. or the
next man opens up, or just wh;tt he
can expect the engine to do, so his only
alternative is to "keep her loaded" and
take no chances. Then there are other
considerations, j'our regular fireman, as
a rule, takes considerable pride in "his"
engine, he keeps everything at hand
and ready if you are wanted in a hurry.
He is careful of his flues, doesn't let
her choke under the arch or let a pile
of ashes accumulate on the dead grate
so as to chill her flues and start them
leaking, keeps his eyes and ears open,
and if thing.s doesn't seem right says
so, and so on indefinite!)'.
Third, giving prospective fireman
shop experience. Yes, by all means let
him come up through the round-house
or shop, for a multitude of reasons. The
first one would be that a term in tl'c
round-house, with the dirty work,
would keep anyone out of the service
unless he was determined to make an
engineer of himself, and would prac-
tically eliminate what may be called the
"ornamental" fireman. Among other
things, he has probably learned to
liandle a scoop, has a slight idea how
1" burn coal, and if he strikes the right
kind of engine crew to "learn the road"
\\ith, ho ought not to have to make
many trips on probation.
In cases of breakdown the knowl-
edge of machinery gained in the shop
will be invaluable to him. After he
has served his lime at the scoop and
stands for promotion, the mechanical
examination will have no terror.s for
him, and it will be no stumbling blr)ck
In explain "why" these things must be
('one. Most important of all, he will
Ik- able to inspect an engine thoroughly
,ind make an intelligent work report.
.Mlogether his shop experience will give
liini a knowledge of the machine he is
limning, which is practically impossible
I'l gain in any other way. Men trained
1:1 thi<i way ought to make "engineers,"
not what your worthy editor-in-chief
(Jills "starters and stoppers."
Blui Grass.
Engineer on the B. & O.
l.f.rimgloH, Ky
4o8
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
October, 1910.
Welding with Crude Oil.
Editor
The frame of engine No. 425 broke
just ahead of the front jaw, on both the
top and bottom rails of frame Fig. i. I
wish to state that this engine is of the
consolidation type and weighs approxi-
in about the center of the burner, which
formed a syphon, the air rushing through
drawing the oil. Heat was started about
9 o'clock a. m., and at about 10:20 a. m.
the frames were heated sufficiently to
make a nice weld, which was done by
bunching bars on side, all being in read-
FIG. I— FRAME OF ENGINE, NO. 425, SHOWING BREAKS.
mately 90 tons. The old frame being 4^
ins. square, but after considering the
matter we thought it advisable to maV:e
the frame heavier at the weld, and for
this reason a blank piece Fig. 2 was got
out S ins. square, and it was necessary
to get out this blank piece we deemed it
advisable to do away with one of the
welds. We therefore cut the old frame
off in the center of the front jaw. Fig.
3. Where the old frame was cut off it
was dressed and belled out very care-
fully and neatly.
A templet was made of the old frame
where it was belled out, and the blank
frame was made the male, and fitted to
the templet very carefully, 3/16 of an
inch being allowed for shrinkage. The
blank frame was squared up in machine
shop and finished so that there would be
no work on it after weld was made. The
frame was made i in. longer than it
should be when finished. This was the
allowance for welding. A like amount
was taken off the front end of the new
frame, so as to allow it to center up into
its proper position. A wedge was made
to drive in between front end of frame
and cylinders to taper up from nothing to
I in. in thickness, about 8 ins. long. The
frame was bolted up with "U" bolts and
a jack was placed under pedestal to hold
same in place, after which we built a
crude furnace with fire brick around the
frame, leaving a space for welding in the
furnace aj^ins. each way, with the ex-
ception of a place for the weld 6 ins. long.
It took us about two hours to build this
furnace.
After the furnace was completed we
started our heat. Nothing was used but
crude oil and air. The burner being a home-
made affair, with two J4-in. pipes con-
nected to it, the air being in one pipe and
the oil in the other pipe. These holes
were connected by drilling down through
the burner, the air entering one hole and
the oil in the other, both holes meeting
iness and the before-mentioned wedge
between the frame and cylinder, and an
ordinary ram butting up from back end
of engine on frame. After the men
FIG. 2— NEW PIECE MADE AND WELDED
IN PLACE.
started the weld a nice weld was made.
In about twenty minutes and same was
dressed off, completed, squared and ready
for the only pair of wheels that was
sition. As I said before, it was only
necessary to drop one pair of wheels, and
it was one of our heaviest engines. I
wish to state when trams were tried after
frames were cold, no difference could be
detected from what same was originally.
We have one of our engines ; namely,
engine No. 427, welded in the same man-
ner over a year ago. It has since then
not given us any trouble. Trusting this
information will be of some value to the
readers of your magazine,
Cincinnati, O. B. F. Harris.
Gen'l Foreman, C. H. & D. Ry.
Several Sorts of Things.
Editor:
I am writing you to give you an idea
of how we do some things at our round-
house at Portage, Wis., on the Chicago,
Milwaukee & St. Paul. Among other
things are the duties of engine dis-
patchers. They have to see that the
fire is maintained on arrival, blow the
engine down at clinker pit with both
injectors working, and fill up. Dampers
and ash pans are closed after fire is
knocked out or cleaned. They see that
the turntable is lined up and prop smoke
jack up to clear. They try the
air and injectors. They note water
height in the gauge glass and try the
gauge cocks. Our rule is that injectors
are not to be worked after fire is out
unless absolutely necessary. Machinist
also examines the air, tests signal,
drains water out of reservoirs, examines
and cleans triples, measures coupler
heights, examines safety appliances, etc.
In the matter of coal consumption,
the more simple performance sheets
showing the amount of coal consumed
in hauling lOO tons one mile, appeals to
the men the best and quickest. The
engines running out of this point are
keeping up well by a good showing.
yJH£R£. WCDGE IS
-- ClOiB. tVELD
FIG. 3.— FRAME CUT THROUGH JAWS AND FRONT PART REMOVED.
dropped at i a. m. same date. I think
this was a remarkable job at our place,
because had we gone to the trouble of
taking frame down it would have cost in
the neighborhood of $100, whereas it did
not cost over $25 to do this job by weld-
ing frame while it was in its natural po-
Few of the compound engines are now
at this point. In the matter of coal the
compound, according to test of 19OS,
seemed to show up some 24 per cent.
the best. Cost average, 5.5 cents per 100
tons hauled one mile. No superheaters
have been tried as yet.
October, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
409
A few stokers are being used of the
reciprocating plunger kind. Some of
the firemen are doing good work with
them, some are not. Sometimes we find
the plunger in the fire box, mostly
owing to too much steam being turned
on at the start. Some complaints have
been made that the stoker does not put
the coal in the corners of the fire box.
The removal of the stoker to knock out
the fire causes a little more work for
the house men. Experiments are now
being made with the stokers on five
engines, which are showing up better.
The drop bottom and slide bottom
and a few side rake pans are used. The
drop bottom seems to give the better
service. While the former frequently
drops away a little from the outlet seat,
the latter warps at times and gets
clogged with cinders, and freezes up or
fills with ice and snow in the winter,
as also the drop bottom ash pans do
for that matter. All require constant
watching, and need frequent adjusting.
We have less trouble with flue work
V'ith the river water. The leaking flues
were getting better on the previously
used power, and are being improved on
the present power. The engines with
the large combustion chamber give the
least work of any.
H. W. Griccs.
Roundhouse Foreman C. .^L & St. P.
Portage, Wis.
The Wine Ash Pan.
Editor :
In designing this ash pan to conform
to the recent Federal law, the designer
took into consideration the numerous
fires which occur from losing cinders
along the right of way, and endeavored
to design a pan which would prevent the
losing of cinders, and thereby eliminate
the fires and other troubles occurring
from this cause. It was also desired to
have a pan which would not require
machined or accurately adjusted parts.
The air admission passages are so ar-
ranged as to prevent the escape of ashes
through them, and are so placed as to
supply the air at a point within the pan
where it will be evenly distributed over
the under side of the grate. These pas-
sages are also located a sufficient dis-
tance from the mud ring to prevent cold
air creeping up alongside the firebox.
The hoppers are separate from the
main body of the pan, and arc held there-
to by key bolts, so that when it is nec-
essary for a workman to go into the pan
the keys can be easily knocked out and
the hoppers dropped down. The dis-
charge doors dump by gravity and are
made considerably larger than the bot-
tom end of the hoppers in order to allow
for irregularities in the workman-
ship and warping or buckling of
the hoppers and doors. The edges
• re flanged upward and around the
bottom end of the hopper, and
stand off therefrom about }^ in. in
such a way as to form an ash seal. It
has been found in practice that the finer
ashes will settle to the bottom and pack
in the space between the door and hopper
sufficiently to prevent the entrance of air.
successful arrangement for thawing out
the doors of other designs is equally ap-
plicable to this design. The operating
arrangement is such that in its closed
position the crank arms are past the dead
center, and any tendency of the doors
to open is resisted in this way. There is
THE WINE SEL1--CLEANING ASUPAN, .\. C. L.
If desired the injector overflow may be
discharged into the pan, which, on ac-
count of the upward flanges around the
bottom ends of the hoppers, will form an
air-tight seal. The flanges serve the pur-
pose of preventing the escape of ashes
and cinders through the space between
the door and hopper. By the flanges ex-
tending upward about 2^ ins. from the
ii-
END VIEW OF WINE ASHPAN.
bottom end of the hoppers it will be ob-
served that the upper edge of the flanges
will have to move downward this dis-
tance before the ashes could escape over
the top. Thus it will be seen that any
reasonable wear in the pivotal connec-
tion? will not effect the proper closing
of the doors. It will also be noted that
after the operating rigging has been once
adjusted to the proper opening and clos-
ing of the doors there is never any need
of readjustment. From the form of the
supporting arms of the doors it is pos-
sible to allow this door to drop closer to
the track than with other designs of
doors. The arms being in the form of
gusset plates, stiffen the doors against
longitudin.il strains, such as would
occur shoiilil the engine be backed up
after dumping the ashes and before the
doors had been closed, due to scraping
down the pile of ashes on the track.
In cold climates where the doors are
apt to t>ecome frozen up in winter, any
also a latch which is a safety device to
prevent the arrangement from unlocking,
The operating arrangement is so de-
signed as to give maximum leverage on
starting to open the doors.
Over three hundred of these pans are
in use on the Atlantic Coast Line Rail-
road, and are giving excellent results.
Some of these pans have been in con-
stant service since August, 1908. The ac-
companying drawings show the design
used as standard by the A. C. L., and will
give an idea of the mechanical construc-
tion and operation of the pan.
W. E. Wine.
Draughtsman, A. C. L.
Wilmington, N. C.
Smokeless Firing With Oil.
Having carefuly read and devoted
some study in an attempt to digest the
subjects contained in all of the latest
works on locomotive engineering, the
writer is now perusing the pages of one
of the best books on the subject, called
DETAIL OI" HOPPER DdOR A. C. L.
ASHPAN.
"The Locomotive Catechism," being the
27th edition and published in 1908. On
page 774, lines tS and 22, the fifth and
sixth questions read as follows:
Q. Does oil permit smokeless firing?
A. No; because it docs not perfectly
vaporize; the residuum causes smoke ami
soot; further, conditions change so
410
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
October, 1910.
often that perfect combustion cannot
be maintained.
Q. Is oil firing easy?
A. From the physical point of view,
yes; from that of wear and tear on the
nerves, no; for the fireman has to keep
his eye on the gauge and his hand on
the oil throttle at all times.
The writer has had no e.xperience in
firing oil in Russia or in the United
States, but has been fortunate enough
to serve a little over three j-ears firing
liquid fuel in locomotive service in a
sister republic, and cannot agree with
the above. That an expert fireman has
his hand on the oil throttle and eyes
on the gauge at all times I do not be-
lieve. He does not do it a fourth of
the time. I am convinced a fireman
would have to acknowledge that the
water glass and the smoke stack would
have something of a monopoly in such
instances. With oil, the proper tem-
perature, and the necessary air pres-
sure on it, burner adjusted to meet the
requirements of the service, atomizer
supph-ing the right kind and quantity
of steam, the expert fireman pays little
attention to the steam gauge and oil
throttle, be the road ever so undulat-
ing, and the majoritj' of roadbeds cer
tainlj- are in this republic.
Every few seconds a glance at the
water gauge, now and then a glance at
the steam and air gauges, and the fire-
man's ej-es are looking ahead with the
smoke stack clearly within his vision
He sees almost every foot of the track
as the train moves on, notes all the
signals, switch-points and targets. His
ears are open and he hears and notes
every clink of the engine, but the stack
is the thing he's watching. That's the
fireman's gauge. It is now between
him and the clear blue skj-. Not a parti-
cle of smoke. Look back over the
train — no smoke. That engine must be
burning smokeless oil. Not at all; it's
the same old, black, stick\- chapapote
The expert fireman knows that per-
fect combustion of oil fuel is smokeless,
and if it is otherwise it indicates to
him that something is wrong. It may be
temperature of oil or pressure of air.
flues leaking, improper draft, adjust-
ment of front end, flues or front end
filled up with sand, brick work down.
etc., but smoke on an oil burner is a
sure indication of poor management
somewhere, positivelj' reducing the B.
t u.'s of heat and playing havoc with
the condition of the flues and flue sheet.
An engine requires sand, but feed it to
her as one would relish the use of salt.
Sand won't wear out the flues, much
less cut the heads off of the crown
bolts. But what would you think of
a man who ate so much that he could
not digest it, and then took a dose of
salts to scour things up? Why then
apply such an unskilled method to a
locomotive? Her anatomy is similar,
requires to be clean and in working
order to be efficient; and such a condi-
tion cannot be maintained by smoking
an oil burner.
Soot, which is a non-conductor of
lie.it, will be deposited in the flues. The
flue-sheet will become honeycombed
and in many instances the entrance or
mouth of many of the flues become par-
tially or entirelj' closed, reducing the
flue-heating surface sometimes by one-
third and depriving the engine of the
maximum and equal distribution of
draft on the fire. It is quite true that
no oil burner can be worked down in
the corner for a time by smoking her
to keep the steam pressure up, then
using sand and pulling the Johnson-bar
out of the corner before the water has
fallen out of the bottom of the glass.
UH nam iostoi uun tb
:_^ ._ OLD COW"! wujja
« '•lA.Mm^.B.Kmi,
.\1'\ ERTISI.N'G I.\ :S4a.
Sent by .Mr. .A. R. Boles. Engineer. X. V.,
X. H. & H.
Such a method, however, maj' be classi-
fied under the heading of abuse, cer-
tainly not locomotive engineering, and
we wonder why the flues in an oil
burner don't last two years. The smoke
simply indicates so much oil going oui
cf the stack unconsumed, and the sand
in the bottom of the box is nearer the
top. On looking over his diary the
writer finds that during the term here-
tofore mentioned he spent a little over
one year in freight service and some-
what over two in passenger, firing
twenty-three assigned engines, viz., 5 the
first year, 16 the two following years, and
2 during a part of the fourth year, em-
bracing 8 classes. They were: 8 and
lo-wheeler, mogul and consolidation,
equipped with all kinds and shapes
01 burners and fire-box arrangements,
including the Booth-Wade, Baldwin,
Von Baden-Ingles, M. C. R., a burner
on the principle of the Johnson and
other outside mixers. Price and other
inside mixers, combined out and in-
side mixer with automatic triple feed
spray, extremely simple and durable,
certainly a twenty-first century burner.
Hammel furnace, Baldwin, Heintzel-
nian-Camp, back and front end arrange-
ments, air spraj-s, direct and indirect
heaters with and without superheaters,
etc., mostly everything except the Ras-
soe-Rovekin.
The freight division was 120 and the
passenger 180 miles, with grades of I,
ii<, 2j4> 3 and 4 per cent, the longest,
I IX per cent., being about 10 miles; 2^4
per cent, about 20. 3 per cent. 32 and 4
per cent about 6 miles long. To use
Pat's expression. "Plenty of (h) ills
: iid (h) oilers," and a snake could not
xce! in the number and degrees of the
; irves. However, there is no beauty
■1; :: straight line, and it can be stated
ii;ere certainly was something doing
pd some bad feelings being nursed if
, r y smoke puffed out of those engines,
[ articularly so on the regular ones, and
we are on earth to state that our ner\-es
are not worn out nor eyesight ruined.
:.nd I could pin a hairspring in a watch
V ith the same old ease as in days gone
t } Therefore a fireman must not get it
: • his head that because the steam is
; ing to blow the pop off and the
- >ke is floating back in beautiful
:i? over the train that tfe is hitting
. e ball. He will simply have to
-..ock out both or he will never get to
r.rst base.
It requires only a few weeks' careful
practice to successfully manipulate the
atomizer and firing throttle without
looking at either. Did a fireman ever
>ee an engineer take hold of the brake-
valve handle and watch it to see how much
air he let out? No. The engineer was
looking ahead or hanging his head out
of the window during such operation.
Why? Experience has taught him the
amount of reduction to make without
looking at either the brake-valve or
gauge. So experience teaches the fire-
man to know by the manipulation of the
atomizer and firing throttle and by the
manner in which the engine responds
to both as indicated bj- the stack and
gauge that his oil burning equipment
is doing business. The acquisition of
such knowledge, the ever-careful watch-
fulness exercised in knowing that each
part is in and kept in proper working
order and that the elements are of the
proper pressure and temperature is
where the fireman's work comes in; and
if he allows himself to become careless
about these things there will come a
time when he will just sweat blood. The
writer during his earlier oil-firing days
4
October, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
411
has been caught by being over confi-
dent. Sailed along on level track. Fine!
Came onto the foot of the grade. She
began to go back. Another kilometer
uphill, 140 lbs. of steam. I tell you it
is then that the engineer and fireman
get their heads together, open their
hearts to each other, and pay compli-
ments that would make one's dead
mother-in-law quake within those saint-
ed walls of Mother Earth.
Much depends on the oil-burning equip-
ment and its capability of working ef-
ficiently and economically the kind and
quality of oil used. The writer spent
the best part of his lay-over days, ten
per month during two years, perfecting
an oil-burning equipment for locomo-
tive and stationary boilers, and in part-
nership with a French mechanical and
civil engineer who was e.xpert in gas
work, attempted to construct a system
whereby the oil would be converted into
gas on reaching the fire-box, and suc-
ceeded. There is nothing that so suc-
ceeds like success, but the consumption
of oil was at a ratio of 2.87 to I in favor
of the straight oil, and verily, there is
nothing that makes a man feel so badly as
a failure. However, much valuable
knowledge was acquired, and the writer
would be pleased to learn of some one
interested and with means who would
care to go on where he and his pal left
off. Not that he considers success
along these lines obtainable, but you
know birds of a feather are wont to
flock together. Whoever heard of a
bird flocking all by itself except Lord
Dundreary? Undaunted, the writer
considered that it was up to him to
turn the failure into success. Having
at hand a high-pressure air compressor,
experimental furnace the form and
shape of that of a locomotive with all
other necessary paraphernalia, copies of
all patents granted, results of experi-
mental tests made with liquid fuel in
the United States by the leading rail-
ways, institutions and United States
Naval Department, the completion of
an oil-burning equipment has been ob-
tained, one giving the most sanguine
lesults at an expenditure of somewhat
over $3,000, nearly all saved out of a fire-
man's wages in a little over three years.
Brother engineer, don't go into tlic
inventing business unless you have a
t.-.ste for it, that you can well afford
the expenditure, for you may start with
$500 to do the deed and you have only
started when that sum is gone. That
you arc positively sure you have a mar-
ket, for, as a rule, general managers and
motive power superintendents don't
care to adopt the economical thing. The
old tried and true that Christopher
Columbus brought over to America does
very well and for obvious reasons. An
oil burning equipment installed on a
locomotive that will perform the func-
tions, give the results which the re-
quirements of modern railroading de-
mands must possess certain characteris-
tics. Whatever the stationary or per-
manent parts are, the working parts
must be few and simple. One move-
ment of the lever adjusts the fire, with-
out resort to the use of any auxiliary
valves or levers. The movement of an-
other lever adjusts the draft. The tem-
perature of the oil and pressure of air
must be controlled automatically. The
enable him to become a successful en-
gineer. If firemen were allowed the privi-
lege to work in the shops as machinists'
helpers or fitters' helpers, it would enable
them to become not only good all-round
mechanics, but it would furnish them with
the necessary education and e.xperience
essential to the making of them first-class
engineers. Hoping to see other opinions
on the subject, John Whe.\le.
Sutherland, Sask., Canada.
0\ ER THE l-CGl RIVER, JAPAN.
oil must be separated from foreign
matter and heated at a minimum cost,
being delivered into the fire-box at a
temperature which will insure perfect
alomization and vaporization. The
burner and furnace must harmonize, and
so work together that all residuum is
consumed within the walls of the fire-
box. No control can be had over the
quantity of gas generated from the oil,
but the air supply must be so controlled
as to furnish to the hydrocarbon gases
that are distilled from the oil the neces-
sary amount of oxygen, and when the
temperature of the fire-box is up to the
ignition point of the gases the result
will be immediate diffusion and perfect,
smokeless combustion. The oil supply
must be atomized in the smallest quan-
tity that will produce the greatest heat,
and the temperature and weight of the
oil supply must be such that the great-
est quantity of gas would be generated
simultaneously with adequate means of
enabling the air to obtain access to it
without any injurious effects of cooling.
A Voice From Mexico.
City of Mexico, Mexico.
Telephone Train Dispatching.
In discussing the change from telegraph
to telephone Mr. J. D. Jones, chief dis-
patcher of the Lehigh Valley Railroad,
said : "One of the greatest savings is in
time in 'raising' the operator at the other
end of the line. The dispatcher on duty
at Cleveland is equipped just as is the
exchange operator in a large business
house. The only difference is that while
the operator in a business house is giving
you a connection with some one in Cleve-
land, the dispatcher there is talking di-
Making of Good Engineers.
Editor:
I notice in your valuable magazine an
article which I firmly believe is of the
utmost importance, viz., "The Making
of Good Engineers." I am very pleased
to see at last someone alive to the
fact that firemen need some mechani-
cal experience other than everlastingly
handling the scoop. I would like to
refer to question No. 9, expressing my
opinion, that giving an overworked
fireman shop experience, would be the
most profitable method both for firemen
and railway companies that I know of, to
OLD FRENCH DREDGES AT COLON.
rcctly with one or 30 or more agents
between Bellevue and Conneaut. There
is a telephone at every 'blind siding.'
Each conductor carries a key and may at
once get into communication with the dis-
patcher. The lineman may go out with
a box and a fishpole arrangement and by
throwing one end of a weighted wire over
the telephone wire he can get the dis-
patcher's office anywhere and give any
necessary information to headquarters.
Labor is discovered to be the grand
conqueror, enriching and building up
nations more surely than the proudeit
battles. — Channing.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
October, 1910.
Train Dispatching by Telephone
There is a steady and growing tendency
on the part of many of our important rail-
roads to change their system of train
dispatching from the old-fashioned tele-
graph to the modernized telephone. Re-
cent data compiled by the Block Signal
and Train Control Board of the Inter-
state Commerce Commission, says that
295 railroads in the United States are
dispatching trains by telephone over
26,344 miles of line. On approximately
20,000 miles of this, the selective system
sion in any way. As will be seen
from our illustration, the moving
parts consist of a ratchet wheel to
which is fastened a contact; this
wheel is stepped around by means
of a pawl at the top. This pawl and a
corresponding one on the under side
of the ratchet wheel are connected di-
rectly to the armatures of the magnets
and, therefore, as long as the magnets
operate the pawls must move.
The contact fastened to the ratchet
THE MASTER REV I'UK TELEPHONE TR.-MN UISIWTCHING.
of telephone train dispatching is em-
ployed. One of the most ingenious me-
chanisms for this purpose is the Western
Electric selector.
This selector is a high-speed, individual
call mechanism and by its use any one
of say so stations can be called separately
or all can be called at the same time. The
selector consists of two electro-magnets
or relays which are connected in series
across the line. These are of a very high
impedance and the number which can be
bridged across a telephone circuit without
affecting transmission is practically un-
limited. These magnets are mounted in
a brass frame-work on the front of which
the moving parts of the mechanism are
fastened ; the armatures of the two mag-
nets are at the bottom of the selector.
The circuit in all cases is metallic and
the selector sets are so arranged that
each one receives the same amount
of current. This is accomplished by
means of tapering resistancers. The
high impedance of the selector magneto
permits as many of these as may be de-
sired to be connected across the circuit
without affecting the telephone transmis-
wheel is adjustable so that one form of
selector is supplied at all stations. The
position of this contact with reference
to the ratchet wheel and to the station-
ary contact determines which station
shall be called. The selector is nor-
mally operated on the central energj-
principle, that is, the battery for step-
ping it around as well as the battery
for ringing the bell is in the dis-
patcher's office.
The method of calling up a station is
as follows: In front of the dispatcher
are a number of keys, one for each sta-
tion on the line. Each one sends out a
number of rapid direct current impulses
on the line when it is operated. The
number of impulses which are sent out
can be regulated by adjustable cams on
the rear of the key, and each is adjusted
for the particular station desired. The
impulses are made by a contact and
spring which steps up and down over
the teeth of a ratchet wheel on the key.
The latest form of dispatcher's key, how-
ever, is of the master key style. In other
words the dispatcher has only one ring-
ing key for all his way-stations, and he
calls the proper ones by adjusting a point-
er on a dial and operating the ringing
key. This does away with the necessity
for one individual key for each selector.
The first impulse which one of these
keys sends out is a long impulse, the
first tooth being three or four times the
width of the ordinary tooth. This im-
pulse operates the magnet shown on
the right hand of the selector, which
is a slow acting relay; it pulls up the
armature of this magnet, which in
turn causes the- two pawls to engage
with the ratchet wheel. The remaining
quick impulses which the key sends out
operate the magnet on the left side of
the selector but do not affect the slow
acting magnet, which remains held up.
It is really a brake and holds the
ratchet wheel, preventing any backward
motion. The quick impulses work the
pawl which appears at the top of the
selector and step the ratchet wheel
around the proper number of teeth, at
which point the two contacts make,
and the bell in the station is rung. The
operation of the selector bell at any way
station automatically sends a distinctive
signal out on the telephone circuit. This
is familiarly known as the "answer-back,"
and serves to inform the dispatcher
that the bell he called actually rang. It
is one of the features peculiar to the tele-
phone method of dispatching.
The remainder of the revolution of
the key, after the signaling impulses
are complete, keeps the contact closed
and, therefore, keeps battery on the
line during a period of about five sec-
onds. As long as this battery is on the
line, the bell at the way station rings.
By installing a simple strap key, the
dispatcher can hold this down and
make the way station bell ring as long
as !u pleases, this strap key merely
SELECTOR AND BELL IN ST.\TION
C.XBINET.
taking the place of the key contacts
and keeping the circuit closed.
The selector requires approximately
three seconds to call the thirtieth sta-
tion on the line, and any one of the first
ten stations will be called in one second
October, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
413
or less. The selectors which we are
describing are equipped for fifty sta-
tions, which would cover the majority
of train dispatching districts.
As we pointed out before the selector
is wired across the circuit. Retardation
coils are employed to choke back any
lightning which may get past the pro-
tectors at a station. A variable re-
sistance is required at each selector,
since each must receive approximately
I
^
DISP.^TCHERS INDniDLAL KEY, SET
FOR STATION 7.
the same current and voltage, and if
this were not used, the high voltage
near the dispatcher would give the sta-
tions adjacent to his office much more
current than they should obtain.
There are on each selector two con-
tacts. One is the station signal con-
tact, which rings the bell at the station
when the train dispatcher wishes to call
the operator, and the other is a time
signal contact which is operated by a
special key in the dispatcher's cabinet
and which makes contacts on all se-
lectors simultaneously, along the line.
The dispatcher can, therefore, with this
key give all the way stations along his
division a time signal whenever he may
so desire. This permits of the calling
£11 the stations at once on particular oc-
casions. No special knowledge of the
mechanism is required of dispatcher or
operator as with the telegraph. The
dispatcher not only pronounces all the
words but spells the important ones as
well as, "Train No. 42, F-o-r-t-y-T-w-o,
meet No. S'. F-i-f-t-y-0-n-c, at Kings-
land, K-i-n-g-»-l-a-n-d." The operator's
repetition of the message is checked be-
fore the O. K. in given.
be done in the way of giving the fire-
man and the engineer proper tools to
work with. I am sorry to say that
these are not given to them by the ma-
jority of roads, for the reason, possibly,
that competition in mechanical lines has
become very strong and mechanical de-
partments have been experimenting to
see how poorly they could keep up the
power, in order to curtail expenses; I
am afraid the companies have paid for
it in another form.
"In order to derive any benefit in fuel
economy we must have a machine that
is operated economically, and is in good
condition. What I mean by good condi-
tion is tight boilers, steam pipes, cylin-
der packing, valves and valve square.
1 am sorry to say that there are a great
many valves in this country today that
are not square.
"Probably these conditions are
brought about by the curse of cooling
locomotives. The practice looks good
on paper but does not show up very
well in dollars and cents, as I see it.
I may be somewhat prejudiced against
pooling, but I am one of those men
who want to see the mechanical depart-
ments of the railroads brought up to the
very highest standard, as they should
be. We are putting up today with very
poor mechanical skill. Automobile
stack unconsumed, ashes, etc., and about
the same amount was wasted in building
tires and blowing off steam.
"I am a crank on the waste of steam.
Waste is very hard to regulate on a
large locomotive which has a large heat-
ing service. We might have better skill
in the way of firemen if the labor on the
engines was not so hard; consequently,
we have to take today physical strength
as against skill.
"It may be said, too, that some of the
waste of fuel can be attributed to the
right-hand side of the engine by not
working the engine up to a shorter 'cut-
off or otherwise taking advantage of
the situation. It seems to me the pool-
ing service and the conditions of to-
day have discouraged the man on the
right side of the cab to such an extent
that he has lost all heart and pride in
doing his work economically. Conse-
quently, such men want more money
for their work, or for putting up with
the conditions that they have to face to-
day, and you cannot blame them very
much for it. I am inclined to think that
if the railroads would make better con-
ditions for the men so that they could
live with some degree of comfort, such
strong demands as have been known for
more pay would not be made periodic-
ally.
Pud Economy.
In discussing the paper on "Fuel
Economy" recently read by Mr. E. M.
Tewkesbury before the Central Railway
Club in BufTalo, Mr. William Owens,
fuel inspector of the Lehigh Valley, dis-
cussed the subject very thoroughly. He
said; "There has been reference to ed-
ucating firemen in the saving of fuel,
which is very good, but a great deal can
lilt .SELEtTUK— ONt ul UlLbL AT tN l.KV .M A IIU.N.
builders, supply concerns, etc., arc get-
ting the talent which should be on the
railroads. .Statistics of 1908, as 1 heard
them explained a few days ago, show
about 90,000,000 tons of coal were used
that year, and about 10,000,000 by rea-
son of incomplete combustion, waste of
gases going out through the locomotive
Heat the Great Mover,
Every intelligent railway man is like-
ly to be interested in everything con-
nected with the production and appli-
cation of heat. A person is very ig-
nf)rant or devoid of observing faculties
if he is nut aware that heat is the actu-
ating force that moves trains.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
October, 1910.
RlllsSS^Envneerin)
A Practical Journal of Motive Power, Rolling
Stock and Appliances.
Published Monthly by
ANGUS SINCLAIR CO.
114 Liberty Street. New \.)rk.
Telephone, 984 Cortlandt.
Cable Address, "Locsng," N. Y.
Glasgow, "Locoauto."
Business Department:
AKGUS SINCLAIR, D.E., Prest. and Treas.
JAMES KENNEDY. Vice-Prest. and Gen. Mgl.
HABRY A. KENNEY, Secretary.
Editorial Department;
ANGUS SINCLAIR. D.E.. Editor.
GEORGE S. HODGINS. Managing Editor.
JAMES KENNEDY, Associate Editor.
Boston Representative:
S. I. CARPENTER, 643 Old South Building,
Boston, Mass.
London Representative:
THE LOCOMOTIVE PUBLISHING CO., Ltd.,
3 Amen Comer, Paternoster Row, London, E. 0.
Glasgow Representative:
A. F, SINCLAIR, IS Manor Road, Bellaheus-
ton, Glasgow.
SUBSCRIPTION PRICE.
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Second-class Mail Matter.
Signal Apprentices.
The increasing demand for greater
safety and facility in railroad operation
has caused the Pennsylvania Railroad to
institute a new plan of training men to
maintain and operate signals. Accord-
ingly, there have just been appointed four
signal apprentices : Messrs. Jacob Bright,
graduate of Lehigh, 1910; L. J. Phillips,
graduate of Sheffield Scientific School,
Yale 1910; A. W. Fisher, 1910 graduate
of Pennsylvania State College, and A. H.
Tasker, graduate of Yale, 1910, Sheffield
Scientific School. The officers of the
divisions of the Lines East of Pittsburgh
have started signal schools where ex-
perienced signalmen give instruction to
the division signal employees in regard
to the proper operation and maintenance
of the different signal and interlocking
appliances.
The importance of this step is indicated
by the fact that, whereas, in 1902 there
were but 7,891 interlocking functions in
operation on the Lines East of Pitts-
burgh in 1908 this number was 20.725,
having just about tripled, in a period of
six years. These 20,725 functions are
operated by 8,792 levers. A total of 12,-
408 signals are in service, covering 3,385
miles of road, or over 70 per cent, of
mileage.
Signal apprentices are to serve a three
years' course. The first year will be
spent on the mechanical part of the work
with the repair and construction gangs,
the second year in the office of the su-
pervisor of signals, and the third year
on outside work on electric and electro-
pneumatic appliances.
Progress in Steam Economy.
For many years after the steam en-
gine was employed to perform useful
work, very little attention was given
to (luestions of its economical use, for
the people interested in developing the
engine considered the most important
business was the building of an en-
gine that could be depended upon to
work day after day and month after
month without failure. Reliability was
of greater importance than steam sav-
ing. A breakdown or any kind of fail-
ure that would keep the engine idle
for days was often a calamity. Steam
saving, which could be effected only
by increasing the mechanism and aug-
menting the number of actuative parts,
seemed to be a certain means of in-
creasing the number of engine failures,
so it is not surprising that the pioneer
engineers devoted little attention to
steam saving.
But years passed on and as the mech-
anism of the steam engine was grad-
ually improved and breakdowns seldom
troubled steam users, the demand for
reduction of the coal bills overcame all
other considerations and competition
arose among engine builders and de-
signers. With the pioneer steam en-
gines no attempt was made at using
the steam expansively and there was
much difference of opinion concerning
the value of expanding the steam while
doing work as late as the beginning of
the locomotive era. When lap was
first applied to the slide valves of a lo-
comotive engine and the result was
found to be a free-running engine that
did the work with less coal than any of
the others, the improvement was by
many of the motive power men attrib-
uted to the early opening of the ex-
haust. It took experience, experiment
.-md scientific observation to demon-
strate the plain facts about steam en-
gineering that every intelligent en-
gineer now regards as matters of com-
monplace knowledge.
The fundamental purpose of all suc-
cessful improvers of the steam en-
gine has been to convert as much as
possible of the heat energy of the steam
that passes from the boiler, into the me-
chanical energy available for perform-
ing mechanical work. The philosophi-
cal engineers who succeeded the pure-
ly practical pioneers have insisted that
the developed principles of thermo-
dynamics applied directly to steam en-
gineering shows that the higher the
temperature of the steam when it en-
ters the cylinder and the lower it
reaches before exhaust occurs the
greater will be the efficiency of the en-
gine, if the reduction of temperature
has been caused by the conversion of
heat into useful work. The engine that
will best perform this function, trans-
forming the energy of heat into useful
work, will in the end prove most ef-
ficient.
The theory stated is doubtless sound
but great difficulties have been encoun-
tered in carrying it into practice. Loco-
motive improvers have adhered very
closely to a certain sound principle in
steam engineering, and generation after
generation have moved in cycles, work-
ing on the problem of admitting steam
quickly into the cylinders at near boiler
pressure, cutting it off at the shortest
point consistent with the work to be
done, and expanding it as low as prac-
ticable before opening the exhaust.
That is, they do their best to provide
for the maximum of expansion in the
ordinary cylinders. Surprise has often
been expressed that the maximum of
steam expansion has failed to produce
an economical engine. We believe that
too little attention has been given to
the discoveries of the Clark and of Isher-
wood on the behavior of steam in the
cylinders. Very careful and exhaustive
experiments made on locomotives by
Clark led him to the conclusion that
"expansive working is expensive work-
ing," the cylinder condensation wast-
ing more heat than that gained by ex-
panding the steam.
The discoveries made by both the en-
gineers named were to the effect that
the cylinder of a steam engine acted
alternately as a condenser and as a
boiler, condensing a portion of the
steam during admission and re-evapor-
ating the resulting water of condensa-
tion during the period of expansion and
exhausts. This is due to the inter-
action of the metal of which the cylin-
ders are made, and is inevitable with
material that forms a good conductor
of heat. When the steam becomes wa-
ter in the cylinder it loses its power to
perform mechanical work; therefore
the steam that condenses, through in-
teraction of the cylinder metal repre-
sents so much loss of power. A portion
of the steam that condenses becomes
spray and helps to dampen the steam
entering the cylinder, vitiating its ca-
pacity for doing work.
The truth of this statement was slow-
ly forced upon the minds of locomotive
designers and builders and gave rise to
a sentiment in favor of compound loco-
motives. It was reasoned that should
a given volume of steam be expanded
through two cylinders instead of through
one there would not be the ex-
tremes of temperature that caused cyl-
inder condensation. This seemed to be
sound logic and it was supported by
figures that seemed above falsehood,
October, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
41S
and so the scniiment in favor of com-
pound locomotives flourished for a time
till sad experience proved that rushing
?way from one evil the locomotive en-
gii.ecnng WDrld fell into a mire of un-
loresicii evils.
.\bout the time that the sentiment in
favor of compound locomotives began
to look backward Mr. Schmidt, a Ger-
man engineer, advanced the idea of
mitigating the effects of cylinder con-
densation by us iig supcrlieated steam,
froptsils to d.i that had been made
repeatedly and superheating had been
introduced largely into stationary en-
gine practice and marine service, but
very few attempts had been made to
apply superheaters to locomotives, as
those had not been successful. Mr.
Schmidt appears to have engaged in the
solution of the problem in a highly in-
telligent and scientific manner, for he
developed his superheater in stationar>'
engine boilers where it was conducted
through the experimental stages before
being applied to locomotives. The re-
sult was that it proved a success from
the first day it was applied to a loco-
motive on the Prussian State Railways.
That success is responsible for the nu-
merous steam superheaters that are
nnding their way to American loco-
motives. The indications are that this
method of preventing the enormous
heat losses due to cylinder condensa-
tion is the most satisfactory advance
towards steam economy made since
Ji-mes Watt introduced his separate
■ ndenser.
Small and Large Fireboxes.
We have often wondered why our
locomotive designers and master me-
chanics have paid so little attention to
the teaching of the experience and ex-
periments of D. K. Clark, who con-
ducted wonderfully thorough investiga-
tions regarding the operation of loco-
motives many years ago. The discover-
ies he made were published in his well-
known book, "Railway Machinery,"
which was a safe reference for several
generations of railway engineers, but its
injunctions seem to be a dead letter
among the men who arc most pain-
fully in need of its precepts.
Clark devoted much careful attention
to combustion of coal in the locomotive
firebox and a famous deduction from
his observations in that line reads:
"There may be too much grate area
for economical evaporatir)n, but there
cannot be too little, to long at the re-
quired rate of combustion per square
foot of grate does not exceed the limit
imposed by physical conditions." The
meaning intended to be conveyed by
these words wan that the smaller the
grate the better, so long .is the neces-
sary amr>unt of coal could be burned
upon it. What Clark recommended was
an intentely hot fire that would burn
up the volatile gases which contain the
most valuable heat-producing properties
of the fuel. It would be easy enough to
carry this principle of heat concentra-
tion to the excess of intensifying the
draft so that loss would result from
spark throwing, but we believe the ten-
dency of most of our locomotive de-
signers has been to make the grate area
so large that heat losses result from
low firebox temperature. We have re-
peatedly known of cases where railway
companies have improved the steaming
qualities of certain locomotives by us-
ing dead grates to reduce the grate
area. The improvement in steaming or
in the ([uantity of coal burned were so
marked that no person doubted that the
grate area as originally provided was
altogether too large. A current belief
holds that large firebox area is a pe-
culiar advantage in steam making and
that belief, no doubt, influences design-
ers to make the firebox as large as
practicable, but we believe that this
supposed advantage is largely over-
estimated.
We have been moved to discuss this
subject owing to remarks made at the
Railway General Foremen's Conven-
tion, where wide fireboxes received very
hard knocks from several of the mem-
bers. If this form of firebox does not
promote economical combustion, there
is no good cause for its use, for the
weight of reliable evidence makes it
out to be much more expensive to keep
in order than narrow fireboxes. It
seems to us that a thorough investiga-
tion of the relative merits of fairly
small and of very large fireboxes would
bring out information worth knowing.
The Ton-Mile-Per-Hour.
.•\t the recent meeting of the Inter-
national Railway Fuel Association held
in Chicago a very interesting paper was
presented dealing with "Methods of
supervision, instruction and encourage-
ment in locomotive operation to secure
the greatest efficiency in fuel consump-
tion." The committee was composed
of Messrs. D. Meadows, chairman; W
C. Hayes and J. McManamy. Com-
menting on the paper when it came up
for discussion, Mr. Meadows said:
"This paper which I read a short
time ago brought out a pretty good
discussion. I should like to say a
word or two regarding the performance
sheet, one statement in regard to which
was criticised somewhat severely. That
if what we are looking for. I noticed
that there has not been a single speak-
er that has agreed with the committee
when they stated that an "engine-mile."
or a thousand-ton-mile performance
sheet was of no value. There are quite
a number of roads in the United States,
loads running out of Chicago, where I
c.nn safely say a performance sheet on
an engine-mile basis or a thousand-ton-
mile basis is useless. There are roads,
I stated, running from Chicago east,
where they pull all classes of freight,
from stock to scrap iron, and those
trains are handled with a vastly wide
margin of tonnage. Dead freight will
start out with possibly 3,000 tons and
will consume ten hours in passing over
the division. The next engineer starts
out with a train of perishables, timed
to reach the eastern terminal at a cer-
tain time. He starts out with possibly
1,500 tons, one-half of the tonnage that
the other engineer has. He passes over
the road in possibly four hours. Will
the engine-mileage basis show anything
on that performance? I cannot see it.
If it was computed on a ton-mile-pcr-hour
basis you will get somewhere near the
mark."
"On these roads that I have men-
tioned the engineers run this class of
freright indiscriminately. They run, first
in, first out. John Brown will come
down to-day with a 3,000-ton dead
freight train; he may come down next
trip with 1,200 tons. The conditions
on these roads are so peculiar that it is
absolutely necesary to run the trains
in that way. The train of perishable
fieight may leave Chicago carded to ar-
rive at Buffalo or some other point in
the east at a certain time, to make a cer-
tain connection. Should that train be
delayed along the road at some of the
terminals after leaving Chicago, the en-
gineer must reduce the time regardless
of his fuel showing. Years ago we used
to look closely on some roads at fuel
consumption. The result was some of
our trains did not get over the road.
On some of the roads the fast freight
movement is looked after just as closely
as the passenger service. It is easy to
compare passenger trains on a mileage
basis, or thousand-ton-mile basis, but
where there is such a wide difference
prevailing in freight I believe the com-
mittee was justified in the statements
that it made."
The theory of the ton-mile-pcr-hour
was very fully set forth in Railway and
Locomotive Encineeking for January,
1910, page X2. In the case cited by Mr.
Meadows, assistant master mechanic on
the Michigan Central at St. Thomas,
Ont. One of the trains weighs 3,000
tons and goes over the division in ten
hours, while a train of what Rudyard
Kipling calls "costly-perishablc-fragile-
immcdiate," weighing 1,500 tons and oc-
cupying four hours to get over the same
road. Assuming the division to be TOO
miles long, the heavy freight makes
300,000 ton-miles and the light freight
makes 150,000 ton-miles, and if the fuel
consumption of the light, fast train even
equalled that of the heavy, slow one
the light train would appear to have
burned more coal in doing less work
than the heavy, slow train.
4i6
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
October, 1910.
When viewed on the ton-niile-per-
hour basis, it turns out that the light
train made 37,500 ton-miles-per-hour, as
against 30,000 ton-miles-per-hour made
by the heavy train. The total coal
burned on the trip by each engine when
divided by the ton-miles-per-hour made
by each train, gives a figure which rep-
resents in pounds of coal, if you like,
the amount required to produce a ton-
mile-per-hour for each train. The ton-
mile-per-hour is a thing which varies,
probably in some reasonable ratio with
the coal burned, but the simple ton-mile
does not vary, whether the miles are
covered quickly or slowly or whether
there is much or little coal burned.
We are in favor of the ton-mile-per-
hour for use on the performance sheet,
but we would like to hear from our
readers what they think about it. If
there is any flaw in the reasoning, where
is it? If there is anything wrong with
the ton-mile-per-hour, what is it?
Ice, Water and Steam.
"As cold as ice" is a very common
form of speech, but that turns out to
be only a very vague expression, for
the simple reason that ice may have
the temperature of just freezing water,
viz., 32 degs. Fahr., or it may have any
temperature down to the intense cold
of interstellar space, which is the
absolute zero of temperatures, such as
would be experienced on the moon's
surface. Suppose we have ice just
ready to melt, or at 32 degs. Fahr., and
we apply just enough heat to melt I
lb. Science has found that the quantity
of heat necessary to accomplish this
result is 143 thermal units. Each such
unit or each B. T. U. (British thermal
unit) is the quantity of heat required
to raise I lb. of pure water through i
deg. as measured on the Fahrenheit
thermometer. One thermal unit ex-
presed in mechanical form is equal to
the raising of 778.2 lbs. I ft. high.
It is evident from this that to melt i
lb. of ice at 32 degs. Fahr., an expendi-
ture of 111,282 foot-pounds of energy
must take place. This is equivalent to
the raising of I ton 55.641 ft. high. We
now have i lb. of pure, cold water, with
an actual tem.perature of 32 degs. Fahr..
and just as cold as the ice had been
but now liquid, instead of being solid.
The whole of this expenditure of heat
has been used up in changing the phj'si-
cal condition of the substance before
us. Tyndall calls this the doing of
internal work, and the usual, though
hardly accurate way of saying that the
heat has become latent is employed to
mean that 143 B. T. U. were required for
this work.
The next step in the process is to
bring the cold water to the boil. The
boiling of water appears to be a very
simple thing; so it is if you have a con-
venient gas stove and a bright little
aluminum kettle. Suppose you put this
pint of pure water into the kettle and
turn on and light the gas under it.
Very soon the water begins to warm
up. If you put a suitable thermometer
into the water you can see the mercury
rise as the water gets hotter. Under
these circumstances this i lb. of water
will have to be raised through 180 degs.
or up to 212 degs. Fahr. before it will
boil.
The amount of heat required to raise
I lb. of water through i deg. Fahr. is, as
we said before, equal to the raising of
778.2 lbs avoirdupois a distance of i ft.
high, against the force of gravity. Now if
X lb. of water is brought from 32 to 212
degs. Fahr., that is, through 180 degs., it
follows that the mechanical energy ex-
pended is equivalent to 778.2 x 180:=
140,076 foot-pounds. This equals the
raising of I ton through a distance of
70.038 ft.
The continued boiling of the water
does not show any rise in temperature
on the thermometer, though the blue
flame below the kettle burns steadily
and we know it is delivering heat at the
same rate as formerly. Experiment has
proved that in order to boil this kettle
dry with its I lb. of water, as much heat
must be delivered to it as would raise
965 lbs. of water through i deg. Fahr.,
and as each one of these is a B. T. U. we
have no difficulty in calculating the me-
chanical equivalent of the heat required
to turn this I lb. of water at 212 degs.
Fahr. into steam at the same tempera-
ture. It is 778.2 X .965 = 750.963 foot-
pounds. This latter figure means that
boiling the kettle dr}% after you have
the water at 212 degs. Fahr., is equiv-
alent to the raising of i ton 375.4815 ft.
high. The significance of these figures
is that in order to boil off i lb. of water
at 212 degs. Fahr., or, in other words,
to turn I lb. of boiling water into
steam, requires more than 5.36 times as
much heat as it takes to raise I lb. of
freezing water up to the boiling point
at the ordinary pressure of the atmos-
phere, with the lid of the kettle open.
In this case the 965 thermal units ex-
pended in turning water into steam from
and at 212 degs. Fahr. is called the
latent heat of steam, but the work done
is in changing the liquid (water) into
the gas (steam), each at the same tem-
perature.
Reviewing the transformations which
ice and water have passed through, we
find that I lb. of ice at 32 degs. Fahr.
received 143 thermal units to effect
the change from ice to water. This
was equivalent to 111,282 foot-pounds or
amounted to the lifting of i ton, 55.641
ft. The raising of the cold water at
32 degs. Fahr. to the hot water at 212
degs. Fahr. required the expenditure
of 180 thermal units or 140,076 foot-
pounds, and this is equivalent to the
raising of i ton a height of 70.038 ft.
The transformation of the hot water
at 212 degs. Fahr. to steam at the same
temperature was effected by supplying
96s thermal units, this being equal to
750,963 foot-pounds or i ton raised
375.4815 ft. A further review of the
case reveals the fact that the total num-
ber of thermal units required to change
ice at 32 degs. Fahr. to steam at 212
degs. Fahr. amounted to 1,288 B. T. U.
These, if brought to foot-pounds by
multiplying them by the mechanical
equivalent of heat, 778.2, we will have
the total number of 1,002,321 foot-
pounds, and this is equivalent to the
raising of I ton 501.1605 ft. high. This
amount of energy, if suitably expended,
would be capable of raising one of the
ordinary two-truck, open street cars,
such as run in New York, to a height of
37,123 ft. above the rails.
So far we have been considering the
boiling of water, or the generation of
steam at the ordinary atmospheric
pressure of 14.7 lbs. When the steam
which is driven off from the water ac-
cumulates in a closed vessel in free
communication with the water, a new
condition is introduced. Water does
not then boil at 212 degs. Fahr. When
raised to a pressure of 195 lbs., as shown
on the steam gauge, it has a temperature
of 386 degs. Fahr. and about 1,200
B. T. U. have been required to produce
the generation of steam, which is now
174 degs. Fahr. above the atmospheric
boiling point of water. At the top of
Mount Blanc in Switzerland, which is
three miles high, water will boil at
about 153 degs. Fahr., which is a tem-
perature at which the white of an egg
will not harden, and the egg may be
boiled for hours without result. If the
Alpine climber go higher he will find that
the water may boil so easily that it is im-
possible even to cook an egg.
BooR Notice
Kent's Mechanical Engineers' Pocket-
book, new edition revised and greatly
enlarged. Published by John Wiley &
Sons, New York, 1910. Price $5 net.
The eighth edition of this valuable work
has just been completed. The Mechanical
Engineers' Pocket-Book was first issued in
1895, The new edition is now ready for
sale. It has been largely rewritten and
entirely reset, and contains about 1,500
pages, or 340 more than the seventh edi-
tion, despite all efforts to condense the
material into the smallest possible space.
Much new material has been added in
nearly every chapter, and the latest infor-
mation on the most advanced engineering
practice has been included. The book is
one of the most comprehensive of its kind
that we know of.
October, ipro.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
Simple 2-8-2 for the Oregon Railroad Navigation Co.
The Baldwin Locomotive Works have
recently completed, for the Oregon
Railroad & Navigation Co. a heavy
Mikado or 2-8-2 type of locomotive,
shown in our illustration. This engine
exerts a tractive force of 45,300 lbs. and
is in service on a difficult piece of track
having grades of 95 ft. to the mile com-
and is backed with netting to aid in
breaking up the sparks. The stack is
cast iron, with an internal extension
and a diameter of 1854 ins. at the choke.
A cinder pocket is provided. The gen-
eral arrangement of the grates and front
end shows similarity to the designs
adopted by the Chicago. Burlington &
The pedestal binders are designed in
accordance with the Collins patent.
This binder fits into slots cut in the
lower ends of the pedestals and is pre-
vented irom dropping out by washers
which rest on lips formed on the outside
of the pedestal jaws. Double nuts held
in place by cotters are screwed on each
m
JLI.
f
m^
i
1 —
440
i -mm
■T""
»:.a
iMJ'^Sm
ipsa
^ ^'i^.:U^
i^^
Ji
« # V ^:.«# ai^
I
ntendent of Men
s. FOR TIIK OKKi
Power.
).\ K.MLKO.M) & .\.\\l(;.\TIOX CO.
bined with compensated curves of 10
degs.. The fuel used is lignite. The
Oregon Railroad & Navigation Co. uses
locomotives designed in accordance with
Harriman or Associated Lines stand-
ards; a large number of standard de-
tails have been embodied in this en-
gine. Several important changes have
been made, however, such as the use
of the Walschaerts valve gear instead of
the Stephenson, and the substitution of
a radial stayed boiler for one of the
crown-bar type.
The boiler is built with a straight
top, while the throat, back head and
roof sheets arc inclined. The barrel
(cams have butt joints of the diamond
type on the top center line, and the
plates are welded at the ends of the
seams. Flexible stay bolts to the num-
ber of 400 are placed in the outer rows
in the sides and back of the fire-box,
and in the upper corner of the throat.
The fire-door opening is formed by
flanging both sheets outwanl .'ind rivet-
ing them directly together.
The grate is composed of l.ibic bars
having narrow draft openings to suit
the fuel. The bars are arranged to
shake in four sections, and the drop
plates are placed in the rear of the
furnace. The ash-pan has two hop-
pers and is fitted with drop bottoms.
A brick arch is provided and it is sup-
ported on four %-\n. water tubes. The
front is extended and contains a linirle
norle of moderate height. The dia-
phragm plate is in rear of the nozzle.
Quincy Railroad for lignite burning lo-
comotives.
The cylinders are designed in ac-
cordance with Associated Lines prac-
tice. They arc cast from a 25-in. pat-
tern and bushed down to 23^^ ins. diam-
eter. The steam distribution is con-
troled by 12-in. piston valves, which
are set with a constant lead of 54 'i-
The motion is transmitted from the
combining lever to the valve rod
through a specially designed cross-head
having offset lugs. This arrangement
end of the binder. With this arrange-
ment the usual form of wedge adjust-
ment can be placed on the frame cen-
ter line, as is not the case with a bin-
der consisting of a distance piece and
separate tension bolt. The equalization
system in this locomotive is divided be-
tween the second and third pairs of
driving wheels. The front truck is of
the usual center bearing type, while the
rear truck has outside journals and
jointed spring hangers. The springs
are rigidly seated on the boxes, while
i,-fi=
Ti-r
i-
e
DF.TAIL OF PKl>ESTAI. IIINIJKK, (1. I< \ .N
was adopted since the steam chest cen-
ters are placed 4^i ins. inside the cylin-
der centers. The present plan is a sat-
isfactory method of avoiding the use of
rockers. The valve gears are controlled
by the Baldwin power reverse mechan-
ism.
The frames have separate rear sec-
tions and double front rails, the main
and rear sections being of cast steel,
while the front rails are of forged iron.
the hangers take the side swing. All
the driving tires arc flanged.
The tender is of the Associated Lines
standard type, with <),ooo-gallon water
bottom tank. The tender wheels and
front engine truck wheels are of forged
,ind rolled steel, and were manuf.icturcr
by the Standard Steel Works Co, of
Philadelphia. The suitability of the
Mikado type for heavy freight service,
rsprcially where low grade furls are
4i8
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
October, 1910.
burned, is indicated by the increasing
use of these engines, especially on
Western lines. It has been fully proved
that lignite can be used successfully in
locomotive work, and the present en-
gine embodies in its construction fea-
tures which have proved satisfactory in
practice. Some of the principal dimen-
sions are appended for reference:
Cylinder, 23 J^ ins. x 30 ins.
Valve, balanced piston.
Boiler — Diameter, 82 ins.; thickness of sheets,
H in.; working pressure, 180 lbs.; fuel, lig-
nite; staying, radial.
Fire Box — Material, steel; lengh, 120 ins.; width,
84 ins.; depth, front, 87 'A ins.; back, 74
Thickness of sheets — Sides, H in.; back, ^i in.;
crown, H in.; tube, '/i in.
Water Space — 5 ins. all around.
Tubes — Material, iron; thickness, 0.125 in.; num-
ber, 495; diameter, 2 ins.; length, 20 ft. 6
ins.
Heating Surface — Fire box, 235 sq, ft.; tubes,
5,292 sq. ft.; firebrick tubes, 54 sq. ft.; total,
.■i.SSP sq. ft.; grate area, 70 sq. ft.
Driving Wheels — Diameter, outside, 57 ins.;
journals, main, lo'S ins. x 12 ins.; others.
back, 36 ins.
Wheel Base— Dr:
34 ft. 8 ins.
7 ins.
Weight— On dri
truck, fronti
journals. 8 ins. x 14 ins.
zing, 16 ft. o in.; total engine,
total engine and tender, 64 ft.
ing wheels
04,450 lbs.; on
, on truck, back,
34,550 lbs.; total engine. 263,100 lbs.; total
engine and tender, about 425,000 lbs.
Tender — Tank capacity, 9,000 gals. ; fuel ca-
pacity. JO tons; service, freight.
Permanent Front End Fixtures.
At the Traveling Engineers' Convention
recently held at Niagara Falls, the sub-
ject of fuel economy was very fully dis-
cussed. The subject had been placed be-
fore the members in the form of five
questions, the first of which was, "Value
of present draught appliances ; can they be
improved so as to eflfect fuel economy?"
Mr. F. P. Roesch, master mechanic on the
El Paso & South Western System, at
Douglas, Ariz., spoke on the question just
quoted, and not only brought out some
new points, but commented very inter-
estingly on the several important phases
of the matter. We give Mr. Roesch's re-
marks as follows ;
The subject of fuel economy is one so
broad that you can attack it from any
angle and make an impression, as well as
eflfect an economy. It was for this reason
that, as chairman of the committee on sub-
jects, I requested the committee to divide
the paper under five headings, and as I felt
that by dividing the subject we might be
able to call out a better discussion and
perhaps get some new ideas. The com-
mittee, as you will notice, have handled
their subject in a very able manner, and
deserve our thorougli commendation.
They have, however, as was perfectly
proper, left several items open for dis-
cussion, realizing that no one man, or
no one committee, could cover a subject
as broad as this from every point of
view.
I do not care to dwell on all the dif-
ferent heads covered by this paper, but
simply to make a few remarks on the
first heading : i. c., "The value of present
draft appliances and can they be improved
to effect fuel economy?" And, under
this head, I wish to say that, in my opin-
ion, the present Master Mechanics' stand-
ard front end, while a step in the right
direction, is yet far from being perfect.
The Master Mechanics' standard front
end was designed primarily to afford an
equal distribution of draft over the entire
grate surface, and at the same time pre-
vent the emission of large sparks from the
stack. While there is no question but
what the front end as recommended by
the Master Mechanics' Association full-
fills the above requirements, it yet con-
tains a feature that makes it, in my opin-
ion, undesirable and uneconomical.
I refer to the fact that none of the ad-
justments are permanent. I have no
doubt that quite a number of you will
take issue with me on this matter, as
every traveling engineer, as well as engi-
neer, has an inborn longing, or hankering,
to monkey with the adjustment of the
front end, in order to see if he cannot
improve the steaming qualities of the
engine. It is this very feature that, in
my opinion, should be eliminated. A fire-
man firing the engine, or the engineer
running the engine, knowing that the
draft appliances are capable of adjust-
ment to suit his whims and fancies, is
too apt to place the burden of poor steam-
ing on the front end adjustment, instead
of at the wooden end of the scoop, or
some other part of the locomotive, where
it properly belongs.
There is no reason why the front end
cannot be designed in which the draft ap-
pliances are permanent fixtures, and a
locomotive so designed and so fitted, after
once being proved a steamer, does not
steam on a certain trip, the trouble must
be either in the fuel, the manner in which
the engine is fired, the manner in which
the engine is handled by the engineer, or
caused by some defect about the valves
or cylinders, whereby steam is wasted. If
we know the front end is right and cannot
get out of order, we will look for the real
trouble instead of spending time and
money altering the front end, and wasting
coal every trip while doing so.
With an adjustable front end, the
engineer or fireman can tell you that the
engine is not burning the fire level, while
the fact is that the fireman is probably
not firing level. With a permanently ad-
justed front end, the fireman will soon
realize that the fault lies with him. There
is no question but that the Master Me-
chanics' front end met the requirements
at the time the tests were conducted, and
also gave us invaluable information in re-
gard to the proper lines to follow in fu-
ture experiments, but this committee
would not have the temerity to say that
the results they found must be accepted
as final for all time ; that they had reached
the omega of experimentation, and that
further tests were useless.
At that time engines haWng a front
end diameter of 80 ins. or over, as ob-
tains at present, were rare ; therefore,
the front end as recommended was no
doubt the best that could be devised to
meet the conditions. But times have
changed, as well as the size of engines,
and we now find that owing to the in-
creasing height of locomotives, we can
no longer apply the height of stack, as
recommended, above the smoke arch ;
therefore, we must extend it downward,
or, in other words, put it inside of the
arch. Now assuming that the draft is
created by induced current, we find quite
a similarity in the action of the steam
expelled from the nozzle, to the action
of the steam expelled from the steam-
nozzle of the injector, and as it is possible
to produce an injector that will operate
satisfactorily under varying steam pres-
sures, it should be possible to so adjust
a front end as to eliminate all desire to
raise the petticoat or lower the draft
plates, etc.
In some recent tests conducted by the
Pennsylvania Railroad, it was proved
conclusively that the adjustable petticoat
pipe, as well as the adjustable diaphragm,
were unnecessary. Although the primary
object sought in the above tests was a
front end that was practically self-clean-
ing, yet the end obtained was, in my opin-
ion, far more valuable, as it proved con-
clusively that it was possible to design a
front end in which all adjustments were
permanent ; a front end that not only em-
bodied all the good features of the
Master Mechanics' front end, but also
one that almost eliminated all possi-
bilities of derangement, and at the same
time proved equally as economical in fuel
consumption. If the Pennsylvania Rail-
road have found this to be possible on
certain types of engines, and other rail-
roads have found it possible on engines
where necessity compels them to use the
inside extension, there is no reason why
the same idea cannot be applied to all
locomotives. It is simply a matter of
careful experiment to obtain the neces-
sary ratios.
We have all heard all kinds of argu-
ments in regard to the utility, or neces-
sity, of the adjustable draft or petticoat
pipe, and there have been just as many
different opinions as there were speakers.
Has the thought never occurred to you
that if the draft of a locomotive depended
to such a large extent on the fractional
adjustment of a petticoat pipe, that there
would be more unanimity in regard to it.
Yet we hear one man condemn it, he
throws it on the back of the tank as a
useless appendage — the vermiform ap-
pendix of the locomotive, we might say:
— while another thinks it such a good
thing that he uses three of them. I
must confess that I belong in the former
class, and consider the adjustable petti-
coat pipe as a vermiform appendix ; a
survival of necessity in the time of the
October, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
419
diamond stack, but something that lost
its usefulness with the advent of the ex-
tension front end. Let us therefore fol-
low the medical profession, and "cut it
out" It is simply a fruitful source of
trouble and expense, prolific of engine
failures. The more movable or loose
parts you have in a front end. the more
you increase the liability of one of them
tc get out of adjustment when least de-
sired; so let us get away from loose parts
and go to something permanent. I fully
believe that the time is not far off when all
front ends will be adjusted in the draft-
ing room on a drawing board, instead of
in the roundhouse. I believe a low
nozzle stand, a permanently set. inside
extension, possibly formed as an integral
part of the stack, together with a solid
non-adjustable deflector plate, will and
should constitute the entire front end
draft appliances of the future locomotive.
the center of the wheel, or in other
words level up connecting rod F. This
is easily done, as the stand carrying
this pin is capable of vertical adjust-
ment. The length of the connecting
rod F is next adjusted to equal the dis-
tance between center of the wheel and
the zero mark on the guide scale.
The return crank pin is now moved
any distance away from the center of
the axle, and the wheels are revolved.
The movement or throw of the return
crank is at once indicated on the guide
scale. Suppose the required throw was
6 ins. and the first experimental move-
ment of the return crank pin by the op-
erator was far enough away from the
:ix1p renter to produce a travel of 8 in^..
lighting of lamps on the approach of
trains has been in operation for several
years, a test of an ordinary lamp has
just been completed. This lamp was put
in operation on Aug. i, 1906, and the
filament burnt out on Aug. S, 1910, after
continuous service of over four years.
This lamp was lighted and extinguished,
automatically. 73,200 times. It was a 2
c. p.. It volt lamp, and was purchased
at an automatic supply store. It was in
operation on automatic signal No. 94, at
Elkridge, Md., and it is thought that the
performance of this lamp is well worth
recording, it never having failed to light
up during its period of service. The auto-
matic lighting of lamps on automatic
signals in this territory on the B. & O.
Apparatus for Setting Return Cranks.
A very ingenious time-saver which
does accurate work with a minimum of
labor, is to be seen in the Trenton, N. J.,
shops of the Pennsylvania Railroad,
over which Mr. H. H. Maxfield, the
master mechanic, presides. The ma-
chine is securing the throw of the re-
turn crank qn an engine having the
VValschaerts valve gear. Our illustra-
tions show that the machine is a home-
made one and is not very expensive or
difficult to set up.
It consists principally of a frame or
stand in which the driving wheels of a
locomotive are placed and revolved by
the operation of a small electric motor.
There is also a crosshead guide scale
rigidly attached to the main frame of
the machine and a pin travels under the
scale with needle point on top of scale
so that the movement of the pin may be
■ curately gauged.
The method of using the machine is
riefly as follows: The length of the
■ turn crank must first be accurately
necked up from the blue print which
'imes from the drawing office. If the
■turn crank is of the correct length
i.e wheels may be rolled into the ma-
line. When the wheels are in place
hey are supported on rollers B. B (the
■ mgcd rollers A, A, are intended for
ingclcss tires). All these rollers are
Irivcn by the electric motor on spindle
..irked D, and they arc raised and
'Wered by the movement of the eye-
-It C.
When the whccU arc in position the
■•heel counter balance is in the lowest
• '.(ition and the crank pin is on what
' called its top quarter, a leaden
• weight i« let down over the
I<in and this when held in place
'fisl» to balance up the wheel so that
•)ie work on the motor will be lighter.
1 he next operation is to adjust the
rosshead guide pin E lo the height of
(CounfeK ^ ■
am ^
Guide Sale
M.VCHINE USEU IN SETTING RETURN CRANKS.
this would be shown on the guide scale
and by reducing the throw the exact
travel could easily be had. Then the
return crank is secured in that position
and the work is done. The use of this
irgenious machine permits accurate
work to be done easily and promptly,
as it settles the position of the return
crank pin and proves it to be right,
while the wheels are in the hand* of the
operator in the shop.
operates in c6nj unction with the normal
danger system of signaling, but the light-
ing system can also be applied with the
normal clear system of signaling.
Every heart that has beat strong and
ohecrfully has left a hopeful impulse be-
hind it in the world, and bettered the tra-
dition of mankind. — R. L. SUventon.
Good Lamp Performance.
On the Baltimore & Ohio Railrnail.
•here ihr svMcm f>f automatic elecirir
Rise! to work! If the knowledge is
real, employ it, wrestle with nature ; test
the strength of thy theories; see if they
will support the trial; act I — Aloysius.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
October, 1910.
Locomotive Running Repairs
VII. Grinding Valves and Cocks.
It is a good rule to establish, tliat at
the time that boilers are washed out the
check valves should be examined, and the
caps removed, and pains taken to observe
that the passages in the checks are per-
fectly clear, and that the joints are prop-
erly adapted to the seats. In is particu-
larly noticeable that in boiler washing,
scale and other impurities are very apt
to become located in the check valves, and
if allowed to remain, not only will the
valves begin to leak, but they will at
once affect the free working of the in-
jectors.
Should the check valves require re-
grinding, it will readily be found that
finely powdered grindstone mixed with
soap till it has the consistency of paste,
will be of better service than emery and
oil. The peculiar hardness of emery
renders it very apt to cut even the hardest
brass. Even with pulverized sandstone
of the finest kind it is necessary after a
few half turns to lift the parts away
from each other slightly in order that the
wet material may continue to flow freely
between. In the event of the faces being
cut, it is best to reduce the surfaces to as
nearly a fit as possible by smooth filing
before beginning the grinding operation.
When the two surfaces are apparently
ground to a fit, they should be thoroughly
dried with cotton waste, and then rubbed
together tightly until the surfaces are
polished. Should any unpolished parts
remain visible, the grinding should be
repeated, and the re-polishing continued
until a complete fit is made.
The same remarks apply in a general
way to blow-off cocks and others of the
lesser boiler mountings. In the care of
the blow-off cock it is advisable to re-
move the cock from the boiler, and in the
absence of any specially designed appa-
ratus, the plug may be readily held in the
vise by the large end, and the shell may
be ground on the plug, taking care as
usual, to lift the shell a little away from
the plug after each half-turn, continuing
the operation for ten or twelve talf-turns.
Both shell and plug should then be care-
fully cleaned and rubbed together. The
bearing will readily show itself by lines
of contact, and on these lines the paste
should be applied, and the rubbing con-
tinued until the entire length of the plug
and shell show an equal bearing. An ap-
plication of beeswax and tallow will
greatly aid in the free working of the plug
in the cock.
It may be added that in some of the
best equipped shops there are now clever
devices that reduce the amount of manual
labor in grinding cocks, the most effective
being appliances where the plugs are held
firmly while the shells are attached to
.mechanism making a partial revolution,
and are lifted at short intervals by an
eccentric contrivance from beneath, a
spring meanwhile bearing lightly on the
top of the shell. An extensive apparatus
of this kind is in operation at the Burn-
side shops of the Illinois Central Rail-
road, at Chicago, and the results are said
to be of the most satisfactory kind.
The refitting and the readjustment of
the safety valves are operations that are
to be anticipated among the necessities of
locomotive service. Impurities in the
water are apt to be caught on the oc-
casion of the shutting of the valves. The
springs vary in their tension on account
of the heating and cooling to which they
are subjected, the tendency being that
after a few weeks' service the point of
pressure at which the valves will open
and allow the steam to blow off will de-
crease, rendering a readjustment neces-
sary. Coincident with a contemplated
change in the tension of the safety valve
springs, it is well to be assured that the
steam gauge has not also undergone
some change in the recording of the
steam pressure. One is as likely to run
into error as the other, and the brief
time taken in testing a steam gauge
is time well spent preparatory to the
readjustment of the safety valve
springs.
In the safety valves there are usuallj'
two small holes drilled in the upper sur-
face of the valve, into which a two
pronged fork, with attached handle like
a boring brace, can be readily applied and
the grinding proceeded with as in the
case of a check or angle valve, care be-
ing taken that the valve should be lifted
at short intervals. Drying and polishing
w-ill readily show the nature and extent
of the bearing. If much grinding is re-
quired to fit the joint, the tendency to
form a shoulder on the valve is very
great, especially when the coarser kind
of emery is used, but protuberances may
readily be removed by filing without the
necessity of reducing the shoulder in the
lathe.
In adjusting the safety valves, care
should he taken that the valve stem does
not press against the sides of the hole in
the spring cap. The holes in the cap
should be large enough to admit of some
slight variation from the exact center
without the possibility of the stem rub-
bing against the sides, any pressure of
this kind readily affecting the opening
and shutting of the valve. In adjusting
the pressure on the safety valves it is
well that the valves should not be both
set at exactly the same pressure. A
variation not exceeding five pounds,
many roads make it two or three, is
advisable, as it is not necessary
that both valves should open un-
less in cases of rapid increase
in steam pressure. All steam escaping
from the safety valves is a waste of
energy, and on the opening of the first
valve, set to the lower pressure, the ex-
perienced engineer knows to put the in-
jector in operation or open the furnace
door or institute some other method of
utilizing the overplus energy, or diminish-
ing the fuel consumption, which is always
a vital as well as a burning question in
the economical use of steam as a motive
power. In the setting of the safety valves
at a varied pressure it is also an item of
economy to set the best working valve
where a difference is discernable, at the
lightest pressure. It will be readily
noted that both valves rarely close with
the same degree of rapidity, and the quick
closing valve is, of course, the more
economical.
With regard to the gauge cocks, many
clever devices have been tried to facili-
tate the self-grinding idea, which would
be an excellent improvement if it worked
as well in practice as in theory. Their
tendency to leak is very great, as they
are constantly being used by the care-
ful engineer and fireman, and scale or
other impurities readily lodge between
the joints of the stem and seat. In
many roundhouses a supply of gauge
cocks is kept on hand, and in the period
of boiler washing, or on other oc-
casions, when the boiler is partially
cooled, the gauge cocks that may be
leaking can be quickly exchanged, and
the refitting of the valves performed
under favorable conditions.
VIII. Injector and Lubricator
Troubles.
There is much more likelihood in
troubles arising with the injector con-
nections than there is about the in-
jector itself. The pipes leading to
and from the injector should never
be smaller in size than the in-
jector connection. Nearly all injectors
used on locomotives are known as the
lifting type. In order that the injector
may be conveniently reached in the cab
of the locomotive it is usually placed
higher than the water in the tank, and
October, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
+21
consequently the water must be lifted the
amount of difference between the surface
of the water and the injector opening.
In order to lift the water, a vacuum is
produced in the pipe leading from the
tank to the injector, by admitting steam
into the injector and allowing it to pass
through into the overflow pipe. The in-
terior of the injector is so constructed that
the steam finds its way into the overflow
pipe much more readily than it does into
the pipe leading to the tank. The air in
the pipe leading to the tank is induced
to mix with the steam and pass out at
the overflow pipe, while the weight of the
atmosphere on the surface of the water
in the tank forces the water into the
vacuum thus produced. The joints form-
ing the connection between the injector
and the tank should be of the most se-
cure kind, as a leak in this pipe will
greatly diminish, if it does not altogether
stop the operation of the injector. In
some experiments where injectors are
placed below the level of the water in
the tank the improvement in the working
of the injector is of a marked kind.
In all injector troubles the failure of
the water to reach the injector is the
most common, and if there is water in the
tank and the surface be not frozen, as
it may readily be in winter, the trouble
will likely be by reason of a leak in the
suction pipe or by clogging of the strain-
ers. A heated suction pipe also often re-
fuses to supply water in sufficient quantity
for the effective use of the injector. In
cases where the injector lifts the water
and fails to force it into the boiler, the
trouble should be readily evident by the
behavior of the injector. If the steam
should blow back into the tank it will
either be caused by reason of the overflow
valve being partly closed, thereby prevent-
ing a ready escape for the combined
steam and water which is necessary until
the mixture of the two bodies have ac-
cumulated sufficient momentum to pass
through the check valve opening into the
boiler, or it may be caused by the stick-
ing of the check valve which, though rare-
ly the case, sometimes happens in instances
where impurities in the water tend to
form solutions that are particularly ad-
hesive in their nature, acting like glue in
joining the check valve to the valve seat.
A slight tap on the check will sometimes
relieve a sticking valve.
Some simple remedies there are that
may be temporarily effective as in the case
of clogged strainers or obstructions in
the suction pipe. In such cases the over-
flow valve should be closed and the
steam blown back through the suction
pipe into the tank. This may clear the
pipe but the tank and the strainer should
be cleaned as speedily as possible, at the
tendency to accumulate impurities in the
tank is very great, and nearly all strainers
in use in locomotive tanks not only col-
lect impurities but hold them at the en-
trance of the suction pipe where detached
particles sooner or later find their way
through and so increase the chances of
injector troubles.
As is well known, the degree of per-
fection to which the mechanism of the in-
jector has attained has been the result of
very extensive and careful experiments,
the taper openings compressing the mix-
ture of steam and water faciliating and
reducing the current in one direction and
retarding or entirely checking it in an-
other, are not subject to improvement by
changes in their relation to each other,
therefore the repairing of injectors should
be intrusted only to the most proficient
mechanics — specialists familiar with the
parts. Specialists do not spring like
Athene fully armed from the brow of
Jove, but acquire their knowledge by long
and careful practical experience. Parts
furnished by the original constructors are
usually nearer perfection in detail than
rough and ready substitutes, and the
trained mechanic will prefer their use
when a replacing of worn parts is
necessar>'. Much may be saved by a sys-
tematic cleaning of injectors, especially
where deposits of carbonate of lime are
formed. Injectors may be readily cleared
of all incrustations by immersing them in
a bath of benzine or diluted muriatic
acid, the mixture being ten or twelve
parts of water to one of acid.
In taking an injector apart it will often
be found that the joints have acquired a
degree of tightness which almost renders
them liable to distortion by reason of the
force required to loosen the joints. In
such cases it will be found that slightly
heating the joints aids greatly in their
liability to slacken, as brass expands rapid-
ly in heating. In many shops a supply of
injectors, cleaned, repaired and tested,
are usually kept on hand, so that when
an injector is reported to be defective it
can be disconnected and another put in its
place, thus avoiding delay and allowing
the skilled mechanics to examine the in-
jector under favorable conditions and
with proper tools at hand. The practice
of striking injectors with hammers and
other hardened tools is a very objection-
able one. The blows rarely have the
effect of dislodging any obstruction in the
chambers or tubes of the injectors, while
the fine appearance of the injector is ir-
retrirv.iMv destroyed
Lubricators.
The almost universal application of
lubricators to the locomotive is one of
the most useful attachments ever applied
to the steam engine. Like the injector,
its perfection has not been the work of
a day. A constant supply of oil to the
running parts of an engine accurately
gauged to the requirements of the service
vas something almost beyond mere hu-
man possibility of accomplishment. The
application of steam or compressed air io
the oil was an important step, culminating
in the introduction of a series of force
pumps supplying a positive and regular
supply of oil, which had hitherto been im-
possible to the parts where the back-
pressure of steam interfered with the free
and constant flow of the lubricant Obstruc-
tions, of course, may interfere with the
flow of oil at any time, and if from any
cause the appliance ceases to perform its
functions, the best method is in the case
of the common lubricator to open the bot-
tom cocks and allow a full pressure of
steam to blow through. If the trouble
continues, the glass tubes should be re-
moved and the small feeders carefully
examined, when it will likely be found
that the small openings have been choked
with some substance easily removed. If
the openings are perfectly clear, the top
chamber should be removed, when the
feed pipes may be readily observed. Their
liability to break or become stopped up
is not great, but it is possible, and they
should be occasionally cleared and tested.
The quality of the oil is also of consider-
able importance in the working of the
lubricator, as well as in the lubrication of
the machinery and it is generally
discovered that the cheapest lubricant is
nearly always the worst.
Questions Answered
DRIVEK BRAKE RUBBING WHEEL.
62. R. K., Indianapolis, Ind., writes:
How can you keep the brake shoes
from rubbing continuously on the tires
with cam-driver brakes? A. — The con-
tinuous rubbing of these brake shoes is
generally caused by the shoe not be-
ing properly balanced as it is suspended
by a pin in the hanger. A piece of
heavy bent iron wire or a small bent
iron rod placed between the shoe and
the hanger will keep the point of the
shoe away from the wheel and not in
the least interfere with the application
of brakes.
END IM.AV OF DVNAMO SHAFT.
63. G. B. S., Three Forks, Mont.,
writes as follows : In a baggage car con-
taining a dynamo for train lighting, which
has a shaft placed lengthwise of the car.
When the car is maintaining an even speed
of forty miles an hour on level track dy-
namo running, will the shaft be carried in
its bearings the same as when train is
standing, or will it crowd the rear bearing
causing hub friction? If so, how much
with 3Jj-in. shaft, 8 ft. long, bearings 6
in. long, shaft and attached weighing 850
lbs. ?— .A. The shaft will rotate in its
bearings just as if the train was at rest.
A good proof of this is a passenger seated
in a car traveling at high speed. The
passenger does not feel any tendency to
move forward or back. If, however, the
422
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
October, 1910.
train slackens suddenly he will be thrown
forward and when a start is made if the
acceleration is rapid he will be thrown
against the back of the seat. So it is with
the shaft. Change of train velocity will
make the shaft crowd to one end or the
other but the bearings are so designed
as to take care of this movement and
when the shaft is rotating rapidly under
the influence of the motor there is always
a certain magnetic attraction between the
armature and the field coils which tends
to keep the shaft from showing any end
play.
I.E.^KY ROT.^RY VALVE.
64. K. N., Wheeling. W. Va.,
writes. — What is the proper thing to be
done in case an engine equipped with
the H 6 brake is out on the road and
the independent brake valve rotary
starts leaking so badly that the brake
shoes keep dragging on the wheels?
A. — In case the brake applying is due
to a leak past the rotary valve and seat
or through the pipe bracket gasket of
the independent brake valve, the first
thing to do would be to unscrew the
regulating nut of the reducing valve so
that air pressure would be cut off from
the independent valve, afterward a long
stick should be whittled off at the end
so that it can be forced into the ex-
haust port of the independent valve for
the purpose of preventing the escape of
application cylinder pressure when the
brakes are applied. The reason the plug
should be in the form of a long stick is
so that it can be removed instantly
should the driving wheels pick up and
slide during an application of the brake,
and also tliat it will be seen and re-
moved when the proper repairs are
made in the shop.
BRIDGE IN EXHAUST NOZZLE.
65. C. F. G., Horace, Kan., asks wliich
is the best way to put in a bridge in a
nozzle to give the best results. Would
you put it in parallel to the rails
or parallel to the ties?. A.— It
makes no difference how you put the
bridge in. A bridge in an exhaust nozzle
is not a good thing. If the nozzle has to
be made smaller it ought to be bushed
or a smaller tip applied. The bridge
splits the jet of steam, and may throw it
so that part will not get out of the stack
direct, but may hit the top of the smoke
box, and so partly spoil the draught. '
BREAKAGE OP WALSCHAERTS VALVE GEAR.
66. R. McR., Memphis, Tenn., writes;
Is it necessary or advisable to uncouple
the valve-rod in the event of any breakage
of any part of the Walschaerts valve gear?
— A. There is no need of disconnecting
the valve rod. as is the case in breakages
of the Stephenson valve gear. All that is
necessary is to disconnect the radius rod
from the combination lever and suspend
the loosened end of the radius rod by a
chain or otherwise to the valve crosshead.
Blocks of wood should be placed in the
link so that the link would be supported
in a central position on the link block.
The valve should also be centrally blocked.
The disconnecting of any other part will
depend largely on the nature of the break-
age. As a rule, breakages of the Wal-
schaerts valve gearing are extremely rare.
GAUGE GLASS AND WATER LEVEL.
67.B. R. T., Los Angeles, Cal., writes:
Is the movement of water in the gauge
glass of a locomotive an infallible sign
of the true water level in the boiler? — A.
No, it is not an infallible sign because
something may be wrong and yet let the
water move. If the opening into the
boiler at the bottom of the glass is closed
or stopped up, the water will remain at
a constant level, and this level will be, of
course, utterly unreliable as an indication
of the true level of water in the boiler.
If the top valve is closed or the top pas-
sage is stopped up or even clogged, a
quick stop of the engine may take some
of the water out of the gauge glass, and
later on some of it will flow back, and
slight fluctuations may be noticed in the
glass, but the movement will be compara-
tively slow, and the height of the water
in the glass will be utterly unreliable.
Safety and good practice demand that the
glass water gauge and the gauge cocks as
well be frequently blown out and the
gauge glass level tested by the flow from
the cocks.
SPEED OF GRINDSTONE.
68. C. K., Santa Maria, Cal., asks:
What is the proper speed that a grind-
stone should revolve at that the best re-
sults may be obtained ?^ — A. This depends
largely on the size of the grindstone.
When the speed is sufficient to make the
water fly in drops or small streams on the
surface, it should give satisfactory results.
In the case of a grindstone three feet in
diameter, about ninety revolutions per
minute will be found to be very service-
able. This will give a surface velocity of
nearly 850 ft. per minute, which would
be a fair standard for any other size of
stone.
FAILURE OF THROTTLE PACKING.
69. R. K., Indianapolis, Ind., writes:
If the packing should blow out of the
throttle stuffing box what would you
do? A.- — If the packing gave out when
there was a high pressure on the boiler
the quickest and best thing to do would
be to cover up or wrap up the stuffing
box with overalls or sacking or some-
thing which would prevent the danger
of being scalded with hot steam and get
off main line into first convenient siding,
blow down steam pressure and repack.
SUBDUING NOISE.
70. J. L. M., Saratoga, N. Y., in a long
descriptive letter asks us : What is the best
method of subduing the noise of the
Eanies brake ejector and safety valves
of a locomotive? — A. The solving of this
problem occupied the brightest minds of
the New York Elevated Railroad for
many years. In the early 8o's they pro-
vided the locomotives with small cylindri-
cal receptacles with a capacity of about
two cu. ft., filled with glass beads. This
gave some, but not much, relief. After
several years a method of inserting a
number of small pipes about one-quarter
of an inch in diameter in the receptacle
was tried with better results.
BLOWER PIPE DISCONNECTED.
71. R. K., Indianapolis, Ind., asks:
If the blower should become discon-
nected how would you create a draught
on the fire? A. — If the air pump ex-
haust was piped to go up the smoke
stack you might make a slight leak in
the air-brake system just enough to
keep the pump going long enough to
stimulate the fire as much as might be
necessary.
Proceedings of Fuel Association.
Tlie proceedings of the second an-
nual convention of the International
Railway Fuel Association held at Chi-
cago in May of the present year has
ji:st been published and forms a volume
f'f over one hundred pages. In point of
importance of the subjects discussed
and the general high standard of value
r,f the facts and opinions brought out
in the various debates, the volume is
of exceptional value and should be in
the hands of all w-ho are interested in
the supervision and encouragement in
locomotive operation to secure greater
efficiency in fuel consumption. In this
connection the paper read by Mr. D.
Meadows was received with much
favor. Some striking remarks were
made by Mr. Meadows on the ton-
niile, the method adopted by the
committee of which Mr. Meadows was
chairman being to send out a series of
questions to the officers of a number
nf the leading railroads, and the re-
plies were condensed by the commit-
tee and presented in brief form. Major
TTine, of the Union Pacific-Southern
Pacific, gave a very able address on
the subject, which appears in full in
this volume. A copy of the revised
constitution and by-laws is appended
to tlie volume. Those desiring copies
should apply to the secretary, Jilr. D.
B. Sebastian, 703 La Salle street station,
Chicago, 111.
The intimate mixing of hydrocarbon
gas with the oxygen of the air produces
an explosive combustion that gives the
power for driving a gas engine.
October, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
423
Air BraKe Department
Conducted by G. W. Kiehm
Brake Pipe Pressure Charts.
The two charts printed in this issue
'■ ill serve to illustrate the difficulty en-
>untered in forcing compressed air in-
iw and with drawing it from the brake
pipe on a long train of cars. It is gen-
erally supposed that if one end of the
brake pipe is opened to the atmosphere
the pressure will fall very rapidly
throughout the train, but this first chart
shows that with no triple valves as-
sisting in the brake pipe reduction the
brake pipe pressure can be withdrawn
from the 100 car train about as quickly
AP^^S ^.^^
ion which requires a certain amount of
time, and added to this is the pipe fric-
tion encountered when there is but one
opening from which the air pressure
can be expanded.
By referring to the charts it will be
seen that the fall of pressure on the
first car is very rapid, being to 39 lbs.
ill the first five seconds, while the pres-
sure back of the 40th car had not been
disturbed. Fifteen seconds after the
movement of the brake valve handle
the brake pipe pressure on the first car
had fallen 43 lbs. and on the looth c:ir
tests, and is absolutely accurate and re-
liable, and Mr. W. V. Turner is pleased
to state the fact that those charts were
i;ot made by the hand of man.
I-IR.ST CIl.NRT BRAKE PIPE PRI SSIKl., POINDS PER SECOND.
ith the valve handle in service position
u» it can in the emergency position.
The time that would be required to
KCt the rear brakes in a 100 car train
[plied with an emergency application,
: the triple valves did nnt assist in
making the reduction is shown, as well
as the necessity for the quick service
feature in applying brakes. It will also
'■ observed that enlarging the exhaust
[cning of a brake valve could not
isten the application of the rear brakes
' a train, a^ the f-ill of pressure is
hown with one end of the pipe prac-
'^'"ally wide open.
Withdrawing the compressed air
from the brake pipe Is a matter of ex-
panding a certain volume of compress-
I pound, and it will also be noted that
this difference of 42 lbs. pressure be-
tween the 1st and looth car remained
for 40 seconds, or to state it differ-
ently, at the end of 40 seconds' time
from brake valve movement the brake
pipe pressure on the first car was 17
lbs. and on the looth car 58 lbs.
The second chart requires no further
comment or any explanation, it shows
the brake pipe pressure on the ist, 15th
30th, SOth, 75th and lOoth cars of the
train from which the first chart was nb-
laincd.
The charts were, of course, obtained
by the use of the chronograph, which is
electrically attached to register simul-
l.ineously the various prcusurr* during
Brakes Sticking.
What may here be said concerning
"stuck" brakes or brakes "sticking," has
no reference whatever to the term
"brakes creeping on," that is, the brake
applying when both valve handles of
the H 6 brake or the valve handles of
any brake valves are in running posi-
tion, but what is said will have par-
ticular reference to the
No. 6 distributing valve
with the quick action cap.
The automatic operation
of the distributing valve,
like a triple valve, depends
entirely upon the creation
of differentials in pressure
upon the opposite sides of
the equalizing valve pis-
ton, and once having suc-
ceeded in applying the
brake or moving the equal-
izing valve by lowering
brake pipe pressure below
tliat in the storage cham-
ber, it is evident that if the
brake is to be released
with the automatic brake
valve the condition must
be reversed, that is, the
brake pipe pressure must
be built up beyond that
which has remained in the
pressure chamber or this
pressure must be reduced
below the pressure re-
maining in the brake pipe
after the application.
,g ,ao ^' '*• °^ course, under-
stood that this differential
in pressure can be created
under certain conditions without result-
ing in any movement of valves or the
release of brakes, but the brake can not
be released automatically unless the re-
quired differential Is obtained.
By automatically releasing is meant
the application cylinder pressure escap-
ing through the exhaust cavity of the
e(|uallzlng valve or In the case of a
triple valve the brake cylinder pressure
escaping through the exhaust cavity of
the slide valve.
It Is also understood that there are
many causes for a brake refusing to rr-
liasc. .Soiiirtiiiies brakes will remain ap-
plied regardless of any action of the dis-
trlluitiiig valve or a triple valve, as In the
event of levers in the foundation br.ike
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
October, 1910.
gear catching somewhere and holding
the shoes against the wheels or a brake
may not release due to a hand brake be-
ing set or due to a retaining valve be-
ing turned up or closed with dirt.
There are therefore, several things
that must be observed in cases of
brakes failing to release, before there is
any effort made to determine whether
or not the differential in pressure neces-
sary to release the brake, has been
created, and in the event of the brake
failing to release on a locomotive hav-
ing the No. 6 distributing valve, the
handles of both brake valves being in
running position, we have the advan-
tage here of being able to note by the
hand on the cylinder gauge whether
brake cylinder pressure has fallen or
escaped and if it has and the shoes do
not fall away from the wheels or if a
piston does not return to the end of its
stroke an examination of the brake rig-
ging, fulcrum castings or a test of the
lelease spring is necessary to loc.nte the
to the application cylinder or in the ap-
plication cylinder pipe.
If the brake can be released by means
of the independent brake valve but can-
not be with the automatic brake valve,
it will be noted that application
cylinder pressure does not escape at the
automatic brake valve and the red hand
on the cylinder gauge does not fall and
it is evident that for some reason the
equalizing valve has not moved to re-
lease position or that there is some ob-
struction in the small ports of the dis-
tributing valve or in the release pipe
that is preventing the escape of appli-
cation cylinder air.
To find out whether the brake re-
maining applied is due to an obstruction
in the release pipe, the quickest method
is to disconnect the release pipe at the
union connection near the distributing
valve, and if application cylinder pres-
sure then escapes and the brake releases
it indicates that the equalizing valve has
moved to release position and that there
Sif'^/rc PiPc y^AO/v£- - 7^/fi^ \^j.y£-s. Car Out
SECOND CHART.
trouble ; but if the pressure does not
escape from the brake cylinders when
the handles are placed in their running
positions it is necessary to investigate
the amounts of air pressure employed
and the automatic action of the dis-
tributing valve.
It would first be necessary to know
that the brake can be released by means
of the independent brake valve, if it
cannot we would know that either the
application piston has "stuck" in appli-
cation position, possibly on lap position,
or that pressure cannot be exhausted
from the application cylinder, due to
some obstruction in the ports leading
is some obstruction in the release pipe
or in the branch between the brake
valves, possibly in the body of either
one of the brake valves.
If no pressure escapes as the release
pipe is disconnected and as the brake
still remains applied, it is evident that
there is an obstruction in the exhaust
ports of the equalizing valve preventing
the escape of application cylinder pres-
sure or the equalizing valve and piston
cannot be moved to release position,
and an examination of the distributing
valve is necessary in either case.
In the stopped up release pipe the
same eflfect as a stopped up port in the
retaining valve of a car brake is en-
countered, and the equalizing valve fails
to move to release position from the
same causes that a triple valve fails to,
and with an unobstructed exhaust port we
could at this time expect to find a stuck
equalizing valve or a stuck and badly
leaking packing ring on the equalizing
piston that would permit the pressure
chamber to charge without moving the
equalizing valve.
Again the equalizing piston may not
be moved to release position because of
a partial stoppage which does not al-
low the increased brake pipe pressure
to become effective on the equalizing
valve or because the pressure chamber
has become charged to a pressure that
is higher than the adjustment of the
brake pipe feed valve.
The foregoing test to determine the
cause of a brake sticking would be con-
sidered as a shop or roundhouse test,
or it might be observed to some extent
while on a side track, but when hauling
a train of cars there is no time to in-
vestigate the cause of brakes sticking,
the idea is to get released by some
method as quickly as possible and at
the same time keep the train in motion.
If the brake on an engine applies and
releases promptly when influenced by
light brake pipe reductions, and if prop-
er pressures are maintained there can
be but very little opportunity for the
engine brake to stick after coupling to
the train, but should this occur there
are some other actions of the distribut-
ing valve which should be noted at the
same time the brake will not release,
and a close observance will lead to an
immediate discovery of the reason of
failure to release.
If after an application of the brake
the engine brake cannot be released
with either brake valve the stop cock
h\ the distributing valve supply pipe
would be closed and the brake cylinder
hose disconnected or a union fitting
loosened in order to bleed the pressure
from the cylinders.
This is meant for a time when the
cylinder hand shows a high pressure,
but if the shoes are merely dragging on
the wheels and there is a low brake
cylinder pressure regardless as to
whether the gauge shows it or not, it is
an indication that the application piston
has moved to lap position before brake
cylinder pressure was entirely ex-
hausted.
This could occur only through a com-
bination of defects seldom encountered.
If there is excessive frictiotial re-
sistance to the application pistons
movement in connection with a release
pipe restricted in the opening to such
nn extent that brake cylinder pressure
can fall faster than application cylinder
pressure the application piston may as-
sume lap position near the end of the
October, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
425
release, trapping a light brake cylinder
pressure.
Again leakage from the brake
cylinders into the application cylinder
in conjunction with slide valve friction
may produce the same effect, bnt in
cither case a light application from thi^
independent brake valve, followed by
a prompt movement to release position,
will eflEect a release of the engine brake.
It is assumed that the brake can be
applied and released by means of either
brake valve when an engine leaves the
roundhouse, and this being known by
the engineer it might be discovered
that the engine brake cannot be re-
leased when an attempt is made to al-
ternate the engine and train brakes upon
descending grades or if the engine
brake cannot be released by means of
the independent brake valve while the
train brakes are applied the engineer is
confronted with a situation that requires
immediate attention.
This trouble is the result of wrongly
connected air pipes. The application
cylinder pipe will be found connected
to the distributing valve at the point the
release pipe should be, and the en-
gineer should realize that such is the
case, as it is not likely that the applica-
tion cylinder pipe could become entire-
ly closed during a trip.
When this disorder is noticed under
the circumstances mentioned, a union
connection in the release pipe branch
between the brake valves should be
loosened, and if the pipes are crossed
a leak will start here and the engine
brake will release, the union should
then be disconnected and the inde-
pendent brake valve used in connection
with the automatic brake valve in ap-
plying the brakes until such a time that
the pipes can be properly connected
without causing any delay. If this
trouble of crossed application cylinder
and release pipes is not discovered until
a time when the driving wheels were
to pick up and slide during application
of the train brakes some damaged driv-
ing wheel tires would result. The only
way the engine brake could be released
is along with the train brakes, unless
the engineer was to instantly realize
what was wrong and close the stop
cock under the brake valve and place
the automatic brake valve in running
position, however, the only people who
can think that fast and as accurately
during emergencies arc dime novel
heroes, and the flat wheels, due to im-
proper piping, are up to the engine
house for an explanation.
Under ordinary conditions, if the
brake could be released with the inde-
pendent valve and could not be re-
leased with the automatic there would
be no course left open but to release with
the independent valve and keep the
train in motion, and when the oppor-
tunity preiented itself the drain plug
could be removed from the pressure
chamber of the distributing v.ilvc
leservoir, and if it is possible to move
the equalizing valve to release position
it will occur when the brake p're is
charged with the pressure chamber
open to the atmosphere. This proceed-
ing would prevent any further applica-
tion of the automatic brake and the in-
dependent valve would be used to op-
crate the engine brake.
If the brake was operating perfectly
during all service brake pipe reductions
and occasion for using the brake valve
in emergency position occurred and the
brake valve remained in this position
for any length of time, should the brake
refuse to release when the valve handle
was returned to release and running
positions, it would indicate that the
pressure chamber of the distributing
valve had become overcharged wliile
the handle was in emergency position.
The brake should then be released by
means of the indefcndent brake valve,
and in a short time an equilibrium of
pressure will be restored.
An action of this kind is made pos-
sible by an inoperative safety v.ilve or
when the safety valve is apparently set
at 68 lbs.
An incorrect air gauge and a sluggish
feed valve would also aggravate this
trouble, which originates from the flow
of air from the main reservoir to the
application cylinder of the distributing
valve. If the pressure chamber became
charged to a higher pressure than the
feed valve was adjusted to maintain in
the brake pipe the equalizing valve would
not move to release position until brake
pipe pressure was increased or pressure
chamber pressure lowered.
If at such a time, due to a variation
in the gauges, the pressure chamber
were to contain about 72 lbs. pressure
and the cylinder gauge were to show
but 68 lbs., and if the brake pipe actual-
ly contained say 68 lbs. and the gauge
were to show 70 lbs., it is evident that
the equalizing valve would not move to
release position, but a quick movement
of the automatic brake valve to release
and back to running position will ef-
fect a release of the engine brake, but
if the pressure chamber were to become
charged to main reservoir pressure be-
cause of an inopera(ivc safety valve the
brake would have to be released with the
independent valve.
If after an emergency application of
the brake, cither from the train or from
the brake valve, should the brake on the
engine fail to rclea.sc when a release was
attempted, but instead a heavy blow slioul'l
occur at the distributing valve exhaust
port and continue until the car brakes
have reapplied, it would indicate that
brake pipe pressure was escaping by the
way of quick action cylinder cap.
This would be caused by the slide vnlvr
remaining in its open petition after a
quick action application, and if tapping
the cap lightly would not reseat it, the
angle cock on the rear of the tender
should be closed and the brake pipe dis-
connected from the distributing valve and
plugged or a blind gasket inserted in the
union, as there is no stop cock located in
the brake pipe branch, and cutting out the
distributing valve in the regular way
would not alter the situation.
The reader will distinguish the dif-
ference between this effect and ordin-
ary leakage from the e.\haust port of
the distributing valve, and in the event
of more than one brake sticking, or
rather if a number of brakes are stick-
ing in any part of the train, it would
not be reasonable to expect it to be
caused by a triple valve, but rather an
investigation as to main reservoir pres-
sure, volume, pump capacity, leakage,
and the manipulation of the brake valve
is in order, and the ability to get air
back into the brake pipe and maintain
the pressure must be known at all
limes, regardless as to whether brakes
rre sticking or not.
Of course an emergency valve in a
triple valve remaining open could cause
other brakes to apply, but by creating a
brake pipe leak only.
In case of a number of brakes on the
head end of a train applying after a
release the distributing valve will also
be affected and a quick movement of
the automatic brake valve to release
and back to running position is the
proper method of releasing them, pro-
vided of course, that there is an excess
pressure stored in the main reservoir.
Accident Record Three Months 1910.
According to accident bulletin No. 35,
issued recently by the Interstate Com-
merce Commission, 1,100 persons were
killed and 21,232 injured by the the steam
railroads of the United States in January,
February and March, 1910.
This is an increase of 466 killed and
6,110 injured as compared with the same
period last year. These figures deal only
with employees on duty and passengers.
There were nineteen killed on electric
railways and 669 injured.
The number of casualties is unfortu-
nately made greater by two great disas-
ters—an avalanche in the State of Wash-
ington and a derailment in Iowa — both
in March. In these two disasters 141
persons were killed and fifty-two injured.
Inferior Handwriting.
The indications arc tli.it railway train
service is becoming s.ifcr year by year,
yet there is much to he desired in the
prevention of accidents. Mistakes in or-
ders continue to be the cause of many
fat.nlitirs. Two fertile causes of fatal
accidents receive too little attention
from ofTicials. They are inferior tele-
graph operators and illegible handwrit-
ing.
426
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
October. 1910.
Electrical Department
Air Compressor Governor.
By W. B. KOUVVENHOVEN.
The air compressor on a steam locomo
tive is supplied with a governor yet
compressor motor. In the arrangement
for preventing one compressor doing all
the work, instead of the governor closing
the two contacts for cutting in the com-
many cases it may run practically all the pressor; it closes two contacts which en
time. With the compressor on an elec-
tric motor car, however, the case is dif-
ferent. It is supposed to cut in automat-
ically when the pressure falls to a certain
value, say 120 lbs., and run until the
too Vott Co-mfL
ergize an electro-magnet valve with cur-
rent from the storage batteries which
supply the low voltage current to the
motor control apparatus, and at the same
time energize a wire in the train line.
The magnet when en-
ergized opens a valve in
a second cylinder, con-
taining a piston, and ad-
mits air from the air line
to the lower side of the
piston. This raises the
piston until it touches or
meets with two contacts
and closes the circuit be-
tween them, and cuts in
the compressor motor.
Simultaneously the elec-
tro-magnet valves on the
other cars in the train
are energized through
the wire in the train line,
and cut in the compres-
sor motors on all the
cars at the same time.
With this system, if
the governor on any
pressure is brought up to say 130 lbs. and car in the train happens to be set a little
PIPING AND WIRING FOR ELECTRIC GOVERNOR
then automatically cut out. The motor
car compressor is not built for continuous
duty and cannot run all the time. One
difficulty that arises in the operation of
electric motor trains not met with in steam
practice is that if all the governors on
the cars that make up an electric train are
not set to cut in at exactly the same pres-
sure, then the compressor whose gover-
nor is set lower than the others will cut
in first and be overworked. That this
is a fact is apparent to the passenger
who understands what the continuous
steady "chug, chug" of the compressor of
the car he is riding on means. This
causes very rapid deterioration of the
motor and compressor.
This difficulty is met by making two
additions to the ordinary governor. The
ordinary or simple governor consists of a
cylinder fitted with a piston above which
is admitted the air pressure from the
train line. Below the piston in the bottom
of the cylinder is a spring which holds
the piston against the pressure of the air.
When the pressure falls in the train line.
the pressure in the cylinder also falls and
the spring shoves up the piston until it
closes two contacts in the 600 volt com-
pressor circuit and starts or cuts in the
lower than the others, the compressor on
that car will not be overworked, because
all the compressors on the train will cut
in together.
tlirough which compressed air passes, dries
very rapidly.
The Emery Lubricator is probably the
best method for maintaining the leather
washers on an air brake equipment and
on the unit s%vitch apparatus in good con-
dition. This form of lubricator supplies
the necessary amount of grease to keep
the leather soft and pliable all the time.
Ihey must, however, have been thorough-
ly greased when the car was overhauled.
Ihis lubricator is manufactured by the
Wcstinghouse Company and is supplied
with their multiple unit equipments on
tkctric motor cars. It is placed in the
]>ipt line leading from the control reser-
voir to the unit switches. The Emery
Lubricator in form reminds one of an
inverted T-pipe connection. A stick of
graphite is placed in the vertical part
of the T and is fed down by spring pres-
sure into the horizontal part. The air on
its way from the control reservoir to the
multiple unit switches passes through the
horizontal part of the inverted T, and
in doing so is forced to pass close around
the stick of graphite, picking up the small
particles of graphite and carrying them
along with it. These small particles of
graphite are sufficient to keep the leathers
soft and completely prevents their drying
and cracking. The rate at which the
graphite stick is fed down into the air
space can be easily adjusted. This lubri-
cator affords a very simple, efficient and
The Emery Lubricator.
By W. B. K0UWENH0\'EN.
Any one who has had to do with air
pumps or electrically driven cars know?
the difficulty of keeping the leather wash-
ers or leathers, as they are generally
called, soft and pliable and in condition
to hold their suction. All railway men
who are connected with the shops of a
railroad, either steam or electric, know
the importance of keeping the leather
w-ashers in the air brake equipment and
those in the multiple unit switch equip-
ment soft and pliable. Unless they are
kept greased they are sure to dry out.
crack and give trouble.
One way of taking care of them was to
soak them with grease when the car was
overhauled, and trust that they would not
dry out before the next time the car
came to the repair shop. If the time be-
tween visits to the repair shop is short,
such a method may be satisfactory, but
this is seldom the case. Leather when
used in air pumps and in apparatus
MOTOR CONTROL CUTOUT, OPEN CASES.
ine.xpensive method of keeping the leather
washers and valves in good condition.
There are no parts to get out of order
and the only attention required is to in-
sert a new graphite stick when the old
one is used up.
Telephone Instead of Bell Cord.
In order to reduce whistling and hand
or lamp signals, the Pennsylvania is work-
ing on a new plan. A train was equip-
ped with two telephones, with wires be-
tween the engineer and the train caboose.
These telephones were placed in reach
of the engineer and the men occupying
the caboose.
October. 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
4^
General Foremen's Department
General Foremen's Proceedings.
The proceedings of the International
Railway General Foremen's Associa-
tion has just come from the press. It
contains the lull te.xt of the papers
read at the sixth annual convention
held last May at Cincinnati. It also
contains the discussions thereon, the
list of officers elected and the full list
of active, associate and honorary mem-
bers. The list of subjects for 191 1 is
given below and we desire here to say
that we will be glad to have the views
of any of our readers on the subjects
chosen. The full expression of opinion
and the information which can be
brought out in the columns of our pa-
per may very materially help in the
preparation of papers for the 1911 con-
vention.
Subject No. I. — "How Can Shop Fore-
men Best Promote Efficiency?" F. C.
Pickard, chairman, M. M., C. H. & D.
Railway, Indianapolis, Ind. Subject
No. 2. — "Why Is It Necessary to have
Wheel Fit, Engine Truck and Driving
Wheels Larger than Diameter of Jour-
nal?" Stephen A. Motta, chairman,
general foreman Nationale de Mexico
Railway, Aguascalientis, Mex. Subject
No. 3.— "Shop Kinks," H. D. Kelley,
chairman, general foreman C. & N. W.
Railway, Chicago, III. Subject No. 4. —
"Method of Shop Organization," D. E.
Barton, chairman, general foreman L.
D., A. T & S. F. Railway. Topeka.
Kan.
Location of Water Delivery.
.Some light was thrown on the impor-
tant subject of the location of the point
of water delivery in a locomotive boiler
by a paper read by Mr. .\. F. Bradford,
general foreman of the Big Four at Ur-
bana. III. Among other things Mr.
Bradford said :
"The location of the point of water de-
livery in a boiler has until recently been
little thought of, and only until the check
valve was placed above the water line was
(here much discussion on this subject.
One place where I think the water should
never enter the boiler is near the firebox,
as (his is the hottest part of the boiler,
and the forcing of cold water against the
extremely hot surfaces would cause con-
siderable damage, resulting in cracked
theeti. At the present time many roads
are experimenting with (he method of in-
jecting the water into the boiler above
(he water line, the injected water being
•prayed in, and by the time it reaches the
water line it ik hot. It it readily seen
that by this method there will be no
trouble with flues on account of forcing
the cold water in against them, but, will
the boiler steam as well and operate as
economically as where the water is fed
in below the water line? Some say the
engines steam better, and also that it is
more economical. As for steaming, I
cannot say, but I should think that the
steam would be of poorer quality, and also
that more economy is gained by placing
the feed water inlet below the water line
on the side of the boiler back of the flue
sheet.
"By feeding the water in below the
water line a better quality of steam would
be obtained ; for if the cold water were
sprayed in the steam, it would make the
steam wet or of poor quality and dryness
of steam is quite a factor in the operation
of a locomotive. Even if the spray is not
placed close to the steam dome, it is
plainly visible that the steam would not
be of the same quality as if no water were
mixed with it. Another, and more im-
portant, result is the short duration of the
staybolts and the flues, due to the water
being put into the boiler at such a low
temperature when the boiler is forced to
its greatest efficiency, and has led to a
vast number of experiments as to the
best point of delivery to obtain a saving
in fuel, and to eliminate flue, staybolt and
sheet failures.
"If it were possible to feed an ordinary
locomotive boiler with an injector with
water under high temperature, it would
not, in my opinion, signify much as to
what point the water was delivered into
the boiler; but as it is not possible to
get satisfactory work out of an injector
with water at a temperature much above
100 degs. Fahr., it is best, I believe, to
deliver water at a point as far removed
from the firebox as it is possible to have
it, and also to deliver it at a point high
up, if not on top of the boiler. The old
Cand generally accepted) practice of in-
troducing the feed water into the boiler
below the high-water level, still prevails
in the niajority of cases, although in some
cases the water is introduced into the
steam space of the boiler, particularly
where check valves of the Phillips pat-
tern are used, on top of the boiler."
In the paper on the same subject, writ-
ten by Mr. C. W. Seddon, superintendent
of motive power of the Duluth, Missabe
Sc Northern at Proctor, Minn., the writer
went into the subject very thoroughly.
We give a few extracts, as follows :
"It is a well-known fact that where
cold water mixes with hot water, the old
water will fall and settle to the bottom of
the lowest point of a boiler ; which in a
locomotive would be around the water leg
and bottom flues. Now with the old
method, the custom is to deliver the water
in a locomotive boiler in a 2-in. solid
volume, the boiler check being located in
the front course of the boiler, about mid-
way up, so that when the engine is work-
ing hard, using both injectors, there are
two solid streanis of cold water being
forced into the boiler, mixing with the
hot water already therein. What is the
result ? The only possible thing that can
happen to this cold water is to settle
around tlie water leg and bottom of tubes,
cooling this part of the boiler. This
variation in temperature is bound to con-
tract the sheets and tubes, causing them
to leak, and in many cases causing the
side sheets to crack and staybolts to
break. Is it not reasonable to suppose
that if this feed water is heated to the
same temperature as the water in the
boiler, that a great deal of flue and fire-
box trouble can be eliminated?"
Speaking of two engines which would
not steam, Mr. Seddon said he came to
the conclusion that the feed water deliv-
ery had a good deal to do with it. He
experimented accordingly. He says:
"We first connected an elbow to the
boiler check on the inside of the boiler
and carried the feed water as near to the
surface of the water level in the boiler
as possible, before discharging it. After
trying this wc found we were able to
make about two round trips without en-
gines failing. Previously that had failed
in one. This experiment proved conclu-
sively that there was an improvement and
that the trouble was due to feed water
conditions. I then decided that (if what
we had done was an improvement) to de-
liver the water into the steam space in a
spray. To do this 1 placed on each side
a copper pipe, connected to the boiler
check, extending about 18 ins. inside, with
J^-in. holes drilled on the upper side, so
as to keep the water in suspension as
long as possible, allowing the feed water
to absorb heal from high pressure steam
before mingling with other water in the
boiler. After supplying feed water in
this manner, the boiler trouble on these
engines entirely ceased, and from that day
to this we have not had a minute's delay
charged against these engines, on account
of tube or Iwjiler trouble. Later on we
had another engine giving trouble from
tubes leaking, and in order to further
demonstrate what could be done, I de-
cided to change the feed water arrange-
428
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
October, 1910.
ment and deliver it to the boiler in the
same manner as in the other cases. Af-
ter the engine came in leaking badly, we
made the change and sent the engrine out
without permitting the boilermaker to go
inside to make repairs, the engine going
out in the same condition as when she
came in. The result was the tubes im-
mediately dried up, and from that time
until the engine went into the shop, some
six months later, we never found it neces-
sary to send a boilermaker into this en-
gine's firebox. This convinced me beyond
any doubt that the old way of water de-
livery was entirely wrong, and I imme-
diately ordered all our locomotives to
have feed water delivery tubes applied in
the manner described. This order was
put into eflFect about July, 1907, and in
the spring of 1908 we had all of our en-
gines so equipped."
The few extracts which we have given
from these two excellent papers serve to
show the importance of the subject. We
would like to hear from any of our read-
ers who have had any experience with
the effect of the location of the point of
feed water deliverv.
The Cleaning of Ash Pans.
At the recent General Foremen's
Convention at Cincinnati, the discussion
which followed the reading of the pa-
per on the method used by the Great
Northern to clean ash pans to comply
with the Interstate Commerce Law was
direct and to the point. Dealing with
the time required, Mr. C. W. Moats,
round house foreman on the Pittsburgh
& Lake Erie at Beaver Falls, Pa., said:
"When it comes to the question of
the time it takes to clean ash pans,
my experience is that it takes longer
to thaw them out than to clean them.
The hostler can clean three fires while
the ash pit man is cleaning the hopper.
It all depends on the condition of the
. engine. We wet the ashes down and
in the winter time we have to take them
out. We have all kinds of trouble with
whitewashing the engines, as we call it.
The engines are covered with fine white
ashes, and our main object is to pre-
vent this by wetting down the ashes.
With the hopper bottom the most dif-
ficult problem is to get it open. In
really cold weather the ashes become
solid and it takes considerable ham-
mering to get them out. We have spent
an hour and a half getting the ash
pan open and cleaning it, but in good
weather we clean the whole fire and fix
the engine up in 15 minutes."
One of the members, giving his ex-
perience on this point, said: "During
the last year I made quite a study of
these requirements, and I believe I re-
alized what the railroads are up against.
In the first place, they must recognize
the law. They have got to meet condi-
tions. I do not know what the propor-
tion is, but perhaps 25 per cent, of the
engines in this country have the narrow,
shallow pans, and there are a great
many inconveniences. One of the most
vital things is draughting the engine. If
you use a different method from the
ordinary damper, it will destroy the air.
I believe, because of this condition, we
have not been required to meet it as the
law intended we should. One person
asked me what he could do with the
draughting of the engine. If you have a
7 or 8 or 9-in. ash pan you cannot de-
stroy much of that space by lowering
the ash pan and taking air under the
mud ring. Two of the most essential
things to be considered are time and
the draughting of the engines. A gen-
tleman spoke of the pan freezing up
and the time required to clean it. I
have not found a condition but it is
possible to meet it in 15 seconds."
Mr. J. E. Buckingham, master me-
chanic of the Union Stock Yards Com-
pany at Chicago, said: "Although we
are a small terminal road, we have to
take into consideration the dropping of
fire. W'e work for the packing-house
and stock yards and there is more or
less hay in the cars there, which makes
it necessary for us to keep our dam-
pers down. We have drilled holes in
the ash pans and have covered them with
netting. We have a damper in the fire-
box. We do not clean our ash pans on
the road, but only as they come in on
the pit. We have a i%-in. bushing
that we have adopted, placed in the
side sheet, about four rows above the
mud ring, running down over the back
axle. We put in four nipples each way.
We find it thoroughly cleans out the
pan. The Union Pacific have adopted
that system and they run theirs out of
the side sheet above the running board.
They clean them the same way on the
shallow pans. Our pans are about 15
ins. deep."
Handling Men.
Many very pertinent remarks were
made at the recent convention of the In-
ternational Railway General Foremen's
Association as the various topics came up
for discussion, .^mong these may be
quoted a few words by Mr. J. A. Bayden,
general foreman of the Erie Railroad at
Cleveland, Ohio. He said :
"In handling men. the general- foreman
should watch the language used by the
foremen among their men. We hold a
meeting with the representatives of each
one of our departments the first Monday
of every month. It is held in my office.
All foremen are barred. These repre-
sentatives get the grievances of all the
men if they have any. Our first question
is what they have for the betterment of
the service. After we have gone through
that we ask each individual what personal
grievance he may have, and it would sur-
prise you to know what we get through
these meetings. They are well worth
holding. Sometimes a fellow will come
in with a big story about some foreman.
Lots of times it amounts to a great deal,
and part of the time it is a waste of time
to investigate. We do not have any
unions, and I think that the way we
handle men is satisfactory to the men."
Mr. T. H. Ogden, president of the asso-
ciation, at this meeting said : "The idea
that Brother Boyden has started is a
topic that we need to pay more attention
to than to some new invention or process.
We have got to get next to our men, or
they are going to get away from us.
Some of our foremen are not acting in
harmony with their men, and they lose
prestige by the manner in which they ad-
dress them. We ought to take up in our
conventions the different methods of
handling men. Anything that will bring
them together."
N. Y. C. Shops at Coming, N. Y.
One of the most thoroughly equipped
roundhouses of recent construction has
just been completed by the New York
Central at Corning, N. Y. It is situated
in a picturesque valley among the hills
near the city of Corning, N. Y. The
main building is a semi-circular struc-
ture of substantial and elegant design,
the walls being of brick resting on mas-
sive blocks of gray granite, the supporting
columns and roof girders being of steel.
There are thirty stalls capable of ac-
commodating the largest locomotives with
ample passageways at either end, the en-
tire flooring and pits being solidly ce-
mented. Six of the pits are furnished
v.-ith drop pits into which driving wheels
and trucks may be expeditiously lowered,
and the locomotives moved backwards a
sufficient distance to admit of the removal
of the wheels. This section of the round-
house extends a distance of more than
20 ft. outwards from the main line
of the building, and turning tables are
placed at the end at each of the six pits
on which the wheels maj' be readily
moved to a track leading under a covered
way to the adjoining machine shop.
It may be stated that during the re-
moval of wheels or trucks, the trouble
arising from the moving of the locomotive
a considerable distance, occasioning as it
might do, the escape of smoke and gases
into the building, is provided for by an
extension of the smoke jacks in the roof
of the building whereby the smokestacks
are kept enclosed in the extended jack.
This, however, is only one of the lesser
improvements enhancing, as it does, the
general efficiency and consequent comfort
of the men engaged in the roundhouse.
Near the base of each of the columns of
the building there is attached a number
of valves and other devices. Two of
these are attached to steam pipes having
a constant pressure of no lbs. Two
October, 1910.
R.\IL\VAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
429
others are attached to pipes leading to the
compressed air reservoir, the pressure be-
ing at 100 lbs. There is also an electric
light attachment in a neat cabinet This
is for the convenience of the mechanics
and others who can readily attach a coil
of electric wire and proceed with an in-
candescent bulb to any part of the loco-
motive requiring their attention.
To the columns are also attached a
very complete system of pipes and valves
comprising a boiler emptying, washing,
and filling system. When the locomotive
arrives in the roundhouse for the purpose
of having the boiler washed out, a con-
nection is made with the boiler to one
of these pipes and the water is rapidly
sucked out of the boiler and conveyed
through a filtering apparatus into a tank
from which the boilers are refilled. As
soon as the boiler is emptied and the wash
plugs removed, a new connection is made
to another system of piping, and a stream
and encircle the entire inner substructure
of the building. There are also several
large openings in the pits into which the
hot air is injected so that the round-
housemen at Corning can contemplate the
coming winter with equanimity.
About 120 locomotives, 65 of which are
freight engines, are regularly attended
to at Corning. The coaling appliances
consist of two alternating buckets work-
ing in a steel and concrete tower. The
action of the buckets is simple and auto-
matic. The descending bucket on nearing
the bottom of the shaft opens the coal
chute and the bucket is filled from the
supply bin. On raising the bucket, the
chute is securely closed and on reaching
the top of the tower the emptying into the
locomotive tank is also automatic. Two
men manage the entire mechanism, one
man running the motor and the other
attending to the regulating of the supply
of coal. A sand furnace is also at hand.
and pumps all of the latest and best de-
signs, the entire equipment forming al-
together a model modern house
There are quarters fitted up as an
hospital which is supplied with medical
requisites for the sick and injured, and
with telephone connection to two local
medical men.
We had the pleasure of meeting Mr.
John Howard, the superintendent of mo-
tive power, who has given much personal
attention to perfecting the details of the
new roundhouses, and we were glad to
It-arn that his plans embrace the beautify-
ing of the grounds, which are already so
v/ell adapted to this treatment by loca-
tion. In a short time the buildings will
be surrounded in a way not common to
roundhouses. Mr. Howard has been pe-
culiarly fortunate in choosing assistants
v.'orthy of the new establishment. Mr.
G. B. Walsh, general foreman, and Mr.
D. Stimson, are familiar with the con-
of water at no degs. Fahr. and 100 lbs.
pressure is turned into the boiler. After
a thorough and systematic washing and
inspection, still another attachment is
made with a hot water tank where a
constant supply of water at 212 degs. Fahr.
is maintained. The heating of this water
i$ a matter of little cost, as we have
already stated the hot water from the
boilers is, after being cleared of impuri-
ties, retained in this tank, and but little
of the original heat is lost.
In addition to these appliances there is
a portable fuel kindling apparatus com-
bining a strong jet of compressed air
and crude oil. A jet from the kindling
r achine is let loose upon the coal in the
fire box and the white flames are filling
the flues, and the s.ifcty valves are trem-
bling into activity in a few minutes. The
fire-proof oil hose and other appliances
are all carefully safeguarded, and all com-
bine to render the washing of a l)oi!er a
matter of brief and easy accomplishment.
This reminds us of the healing ap-
pliance* which are of the warm air kind,
and a suction apparatus conveys the dried
sand in pipes to suitable attachments
over the three inspection (.its. These
pits are cemented, and are over 4 ft.
deep and about 90 ft long. Every loco-
motive coming in or out of the round-
house passes over one or other of these
pits, and is thoroughly inspected.
Proceeding to the machine shop under
the covered way, we find a very select
and complete assortment of machines
suited for roundhouse work embracing one
wheel lathe, one slotter, two planers, one
shaper, a hydraulic press, and pipe and
f'.ue cutting machines, five lathes and two
drill presses, bolt cutting machines and
boring mills, and emery wheels. These
machines arc driven by two electric
motors of thirty horse power each. There
are also two forges and a very complete
copper and fin smithy.
In the adjacent power house there are
two high speed horizontal steam engines
of 150 h. p. each. There is also a com-
pressor with a capacity of i.ftoo ft. per
minute, betide* an assortment of dynamos
il;.MNc.. .\. V.
struction of every detail of the works, and
in their hands, the skilled mechanics, of
which there are already about 150 em-
ployed, will give a good account of them-
selves and maintain a high standard of
efficiency in the running reports of the
hundreds of locomotives that call in at
Corning. The works are an important
addition to the thriving city, and many
new buildings arc already being erected
in the vicinity.
Theory Practice.
There has always been undue im-
portance attached to the ability to im-
p.irt technical instruction. In the col-
leges where book learning concerning
engineering matters is given tn young
men, the ability to teach that line of
knowledge is valued much higher than
the ability to give instruction in man-
ual, operations; yet the ability to in-
struct in the practical mechanic art*
is much more rare than the ability to
explain the theory of the same.
•430
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
October, 1910.
Heavy Pacific for the Vandalia.
Until recently an Atlantic type loco-
motive having a total weight of 185,000
lbs., and a weight on drivers of 107,500
lbs., cylinders 21 x 26 ins., and a maximum
tractive power of 24,650 lbs., has been
the standard class of passenger locomo-
tive used on the Vandalia Line. Dur-
ing the past few years, liowever, the re-
quirements in passenger service have
increased to such an extent that a heav-
ier class of power than can be provided
in the Atlantic type of locomotive is
now needed to handle certain of their
trains. In consequence, in ordering
new passenger equipment from the
American Locomotive Company in
December, 1909, the officials of the
Vandalia Line purchased four heavy
Pacific type locomotives. Prior to the
advent of these engines the Vandalia
was one of the few important roads in
the country on which the Pacific type
against east-bound traffic is accom-
plished by a series of short, easy as-
cents over rolling country with long
stretches of practically level track in
between. Practically the only grade of
,iny consequence against east-bound
traffic lies between Reelsville and Al-
meda, where in a distance of approxi-
mately 8 miles the total rise is 216 ft.,
giving an average gradient of 0.503 per
cent. Going in the other direction, the
grade conditions are still easier, there
being several long, easy slopes in
favor of westward traffic. When the
engines were first put in service it was
necessary to make some minor
changes in the front-end arrangement,
which was the Vandalia standard.
.-\fter that the engines steamed freely
and no trouble was experienced.
From a table furnished by the rail-
way showing some typical runs made
by one of these engines it is apparent
t:ve Company for the Pennsylvania
Railroad, the use of which on the Van-
dalia road was practically prohibited
by the limit of 55,000 lbs. for the al-
lowable load per driving axle. The
principal difference between the two
designs are a reduction of the boiler
pressure from 210 to 200 lbs., and the
use of a smaller boiler and firebox, the
boiler of the Vandalia locomotives be-
ing 765.2 ins. in diameter outside at the
first ring, while this dimension in the
Pennsylvania locomotives is 79^^ ins.
Tile boilers of both locomotives are of
the straight-top type, and the tubes in
each case are 21 ft. long. In regard to
the firebox, that of the engines here
illustrated is 1085^ ins. long by 7554
ins. wide, having a grate area of 56}^
sq. ft., while that of the Pennsylvania
locomotive is in ins. long by 80^4 ins.
wide, and has a grate area of 61 8/10
sq. ft. These modifications in design
W. C. .\rp. Superintendent of Motive Power.
locomotive had not been adopted for
at least the most difficult passenger
service.
The engines which we here illustrate
have been in service for two months on
the St. Louis division. Although de-
signed for fourteen-car trains, they
have not so far had to handle more
than twelve cars to a train. Officials
of the road say that the work with
some twelve-car trains has been very
satisfactory and no difficulty is antici-
pated in the more severe conditions en-
countered in the winter. In their re-
port the officials make particular men-
tion of the easy riding qualities of the
engines, stating that they ride very
smoothly at 60 miles per hour and up-
ward. The engines operate under easy
grade and curvature conditions. There
are several portions of the road of from
three to ten miles long where the
curves are numerous; but the sharpest
curve on the division is only 3 degs.
48 mins.
As to the grades, the profile shows
that the total rise between St. Louis
and Summit, a distance of 217.8 miles,
is only 474 ft. This rise which is
SIMPLE F.VCIFIC TYPE P.\SSENGER ENGINES FOR THE \'.\ND.\LI.\.
.American Tx)Comotivc Conipanv. Builders.
result in a reduction of 14,000 lbs. in
the total weight of the locomotive.
Cylinder, type, simple piston valve, diameter 24
that tile engines had no difficulty in
iiiaiiitaiiiing the train schedules. An
examination of the figures for the coal
consumption indicates that the engine
was not pushed to the limit of its
capacity on any of the runs. The high-
est rate of coal consumption per square
foot of grate area per hour (which was
calculated from the data furnished by
the railroad company) is only 74.5 lbs.
The figures for the total amount of coal
used per trip, in view of the tonnage
and speed maintained, are also very
creditable.
Although the engines incorporate no
new or unusual features, they form an
excellent exainple of a straightfor-
ward, well-proportioned design care-
fully worked out to ineet the particular
conditions of service. That the engines
are well adapted to meet these require-
ments is shown by the train records
in the table referred to above. The
design is entirely new and follows in
general the builders' standard practice.
.\s far as the cylinders and running
gear are concerned, it is practically
identical with the engines of the same
type built by the American Locomo-
ins.; stroke 26 ins.; tractive power, 31,800
lbs. est.
Wheel base, driving, 13 ft. 10 ins.; total, .15 ft.
2^ ins.; total, engine and tender, 66 ft.
5 ins.
W'eight, in working order, 256.000 lbs.; on dri-
vers, 162,000 lbs.; engine and tender, 401,-
..00 lbs
Heating surface — Tubes, 4,195 sq. ft.; arch
tubes, 194 sq. ft.; total, 4,389 sq. ft.
Grate area, 56 K sq. ft.
Driving journals, main, lo'/i x 14 lbs.; others, 10
.X 14 ins.; engine truck journals, diameter,
6'/2 X 12 ins.; trailing truck journals, diam-
eter. 8 ins.; tender truck journals, diameter,
5'/= ins.; length, 10 ins.
Boiler, type, straight top, O. D. first ring, 76J4;
working pressure, 200 lbs.
Firebox, type, wide; length, 108!^ ins.; width,
7%'4 ins.; thickness of crown, H in.; tube,
'4; sides. H, in.; back, H in.; water space,
front, 4J4 ins.; sides, 4V2 ins.; back,
4, ■'4 ins.
'i '.ibes. Total 383; diameter, 2 ins.; length, 21 ft.
o in.; gauge. No. 11 B. W. G.
Brake, ptimp. No. 11 on left hand side, one
reservoir. 2oJ^ x 114 ins.; other reservoir,
24 14 X 48 ins.
Engine truck. 4-wheel center bearing.
Trailing truclc, radial with outside journals.
Tender frame, 10 ins. and 12 ins. steel channels.
Tank, style, water bottom; capacity, 7,500 gals.
12 tons.
\'alves. type. Wilson piston, 14 ins. diameter;
travel, 6^ ins.; steam lap, 1 J4 ins; exhaust
clearance, ]/i in.
Setting — 1-16 in. forward gear; 7-16 in. lead
back gear; % in. lead middle gear to
equalize at 6^2 cut off.
Wheels — Driving diameter outside tire, 80 ins.;
material, cast steel; enpine truck, _ diameter,
36 ins.; kind, spoke center; trailing truck,
diameter. 55 ins.; kind, spoke.
October, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
431
Items of Personal Interest
Mr. H. P. Abbey has been appointed
purchasing agent of the Missouri, Okla-
homa &. Gulf, with office at Muskogee,
Okla.
Mr. C. C. Anthony has been appointed
purchasing agent of the Denver, North-
western & Pacific, with office at Den-
ver, Colo.
Mr. C. M. Stansbury has been ap-
pointed master mechanic of the Ocean
Shore Railway, with office at San Fran-
cisco, Cal.
Mr. H. J. Riddle has been appointed
assistant road foreman of engines on
the V'andalia Railroad, with headquarters
at Terre Haute, Ind.
Mr. C. A. Brandt has been appointed
mechanical engineer of the Cleveland,
Cincinnati, Chicago & St Louis, with
office at Indianapolis, Ind.
Mr. H. L Jace has been appointed mas-
ter mechanic of the South Dakota Cen-
tral, with office at Sioux Falls, S. D., vice
Mr. C A. Swan, resigned.
Mr. J. H. Guess, general purchasing
agent of the National Railways of Mex-
ico City, has had his jurisdiction extended
over the Pan-American Railroad.
Mr. A. H. Brown has been appointed
assistant road foreman of engines on the
Illinois division of the Baltimore & Ohio
Southwestern. This is a new office.
Mr. J. £. McLean has been appointed
master mechanic of the Kansas City
Southern, with office at Pittsburgh,
Kan., succeeding Mr. G. S. Hunter.
Mr. C. Harder has been appointed
mechanical engineer of the Kansas City
Southern, with office at Pittsburgh,
Kan., succeeding Mr. R. L. Langtim.
Mr. B. W. Vcnamon, has been appointed
dirtrict car inspector on the Northern dis-
trict of the Rock Island Lines at Cedar
Rapids, la., vice Mr. C. E Priest, pro-
moted.
Mr. J. L. Cunningham has been ap-
pointed master mechanic on the New
York, Philadelphia & Norfolk at Cape
Charles City. Va.. vice Mr. G. W. Rus-
■dl, promoted.
Mr. G. W. Russell, master mechanic of
the New York, Philadelphia & Norfolk
>t Cape Charles City, Va., has been ap-
pointed general equipment inspector on
the tame road.
Mr. Percy R. Flanagan has been ap-
pointed general agent of the Chicago
Great Western Railroad, with headquar-
leri at Spokane, Wash., vice Mr. W. E.
Pbickney, resigned.
Mr. J. C. Brown, formerly traveling
engineer on the Cotton Belt, has resigned
to accept the position of railroad me-
chanical expert with the Pierce-Fordyce
Oil Association of Texas,
Mr. E F. Tegtmeyer has been appoint-
ed master mechanic of the Nebraska and
Colorado divisions of the Rock Island
Lines, with office at Goodland, Kan., vice
Mr. D. H. Speakman, resigned.
Mr. S. A. Rogers has been appointed
road foreman of engines of the Balti-
more & Ohio Southwestern, with office
at Seymour, Ind., vice Mr. Richard Mal-
len, appointed trainmaster at Seymour.
Mr. Chas. Drury, general foreman of
the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe, at
Albuquerque, New Mexico, has been ap-
pointed division master mechanic at Ar-
kansas Citj', Kas., vice Mr. W. J. Hill,
transferred.
Mr. C. E Priest, district car inspector
on the Northern district of the Rock
Island lines at Cedar Rapids, la., has been
appointed car foreman, with office at Inver
Grove, la., vice Mr. A. ^L Grain, assigned
to other duties.
Mr. W. J. Hill, formerly division mas-
ter mechanic of the Atchison, Topeka &
Santa Fe Railway at Arkansas City, Kaa,
has been appointed division master me-
chanic at Amarillo, Tex., vice Mr. J. R.
Cook, resigned. .
Mr. W. A. Buckbee, formerly road
foreman of engines on the Rutland Rail-
road, at Rutland, Vt., has resigned his
position to accept services with the Loco-
motive Superheater Company, 30 Church
street. New York.
Mr. O. E. Stump, who has been a loco-
motive engineer for a number of years
on the Kansas City Southern Railway,
has accepted the position of traveling en-
gineer on the same road, with jurisdiction
from Mcna to Port Arthur.
Mr. J. Snowden Bell, one of the lead-
ing patent attornos of New York, an-
nounces the association of Mr. Edward
A. Wright in his practice of the law
pertaining to p.itents. The offices of
the new firm arc in the Singer Build-
ing, No. 149 Broadway, New York.
Among our personal notices last month
we stated that Mr. William Hilt suc-
ceeded Mr. C. E Gossett as master me-
chanic of the Iowa Central. By an error
the name w.is siicllcd with li instead of
G. It is Mr. William Gill who has be-
come the Iowa Central master mechanic at
Marshalltown, Iowa.
Mr. F. D. Wynne, who has been
chief clerk and secretary to Mr. Fair-
fax Harrison, former vice-president of
the Southern, now president of the Chi-
cago, Indianapolis & Louisville, has
been appointed purchasing agent of the
Southern. Mr. H. B. Spencer takes the
office on the Southern vacated by Mr.
Harrison.
The following officers of the Chesa-
peake & Ohio have had their authority
extended over the Chesapeake & Ohio of
Indiana: Mr. J. F. Walsh, general super-
intendent of motive power; Mr. T. M.
Ramsdell, master car builder ; Mr. Charles
Stephens, signal engineer, and Mr. J. M.
Staten, general inspector of bridges, all
with offices at Richmond, Va.
Mr. Lucius Tuttle has resigned the
presidency of the Boston & Maine Rail-
road, Mr. Charles S. Mellen, president
of the New York, New Haven & Hart-
ford Railroad, succeeds him. The retire-
ment from office of the man who for
seventeen years had been at the head of
the great railway system of northern New
England took place at the regular month-
ly meeting of the board of directors of
the Boston & Maine. Mr. Tuttle retires
because of ill health and because he also
believes the New Haven company should
assume the direct responsibility of the
administration of the Boston & Maine.
Mr. Thomas Fraser has been appointed
traveling engineer on the St. Louis
Southwestern system, with headquarters
at Tyler, Tex., vice Mr. J. C. Brown,
resigned. Mr. Fraser is a Canadian by
birth, and hails from the Capital City of
the Dominion. The general opinion of
Mr. Fraser was aptly put by a brother
member of his lodge. "There is not a
better man in the world than Tom Fraser.
We of the B. & L. E. are proud of him.
\Vc know he will make good. He has
never failed yet, and the Cotton Belt is
fortunate in securing his services. Of
course we arc honored by having a man
who merits the position."
Mr. Charles H. Mogan has been ap-
pointed assi^nt superintendent of mo-
tive power of the New York Central at
Albany to succeed Mr. D. R. McBain,
who has gone to the Lake Shore. Mr.
Hogan has for a number of years beeo
division superintendent of motive power
at Depew and previously was master me-
chanic of the shops there. He has come
up from the foot plate, having gained
prominence years ago for the courage
and capacity with which he has made
fast runs on the Empire State Express
432
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
October, 1910.
with engine 999. He is noted for his
modest, thoughtful mind and practical
ideas, and his promotion has been one of
the most popular on the road.
The committee of the New York Rail-
way Club appointed at the first meeting
of the season to nominate candidates for
oflBcers- for the ensuing year, presented the
following ticket: For president, Mr. H.
S. Hayward, superintendent of motive
power of the Pennsylvania, Jersey City ;
for vice-presidents, Mr. Frank Hedley,
vice-president and general manager of the
Interborough Rapid Transit; Mr. W. J.
Harahan, assistant to the president of the
Erie ; Mr. E. Chamberlin, chairman
freight car repair pool of the New York
Central Lines ; for executive member, Mr.
George Wildin, mechanical superinten-
dent of the New Haven ; for member of
Finance Committee, Mr. Charles Shults.
Mr. Edward H. Barnes, of Atlanta, Ga.,
has been appointed representative of the
Southern district for S. F. Bowser & Co.,
Inc., manufacturers of oil storage sys-
tems, Ft. Wayne, Ind. Mr. Barnes has
been in the railroad supply business for
many years, and was recently associated
with the Bass Foundry and Machine
Co., Ft. Wayne, Ind. While in their em-
ploy he looked after their railroad inter-
ests, and is well known to a large circle
of supply men and railroad officials.
Previous to his engagement in this line
he was for many years employed in the
operating department of the Southern
Railway. He is a man of broad experi-
ence in railroad work, and his many
friends will undoubtedly be interested in
his success with the Bowser Company.
Obituary.
Mr. Charles Talbot Porter, honorary
member of the American Society of Me-
chanical Engineers, died on Aug. 28
at his home in Montclair, N. J., at the
age of 81. Mr. Porter was the recipient
last year of the John Fritz medal for his
work in advancing the knowledge of steam
engineering and in improvements in engine
construction. Among his many claims to
distinction in his profession, it was said
that he was the first to recognize the ad-
vantages to be derived from making a
crank shaft rotate at high speed whereby
the weight of the motor per horse-power
is reduced. It is from the development
of this thought that we have the modern
design of motor for self-propelled vehicles
and for the aeroplane. Mr. Porter was
born in 1829 and has been out of active
professional work since 1890. In 1867 he
installed the only high speed engine ex-
hibited at the French Exhibition.
old New England family. He epjoyed
the ordinary advantages of education
and early developed the marked me-
chanical tastes and talents which dis-
tinguished his business career. He
came to this country with his parents
when a lad, and almost from youth up
he has been employed with the various
railroads. He was for many years mas-
ter mechanic and superintendent of
the Ashland Coal and Iron Railway
and also master mechanic and super-
intendent of motive power of E. T. &
Va. Railroad at Atlanta, Ga., and more
recently he was superintendent of
South Carolina Railroad at Charleston,
S. C.
G. J. De Vilbiss, superintendent of
motive power of the Hocking Valley
Railway, Laurence C. Engler, road fore-
man of engines, and George Milbourne,
engineer, were killed in the wreck of
passenger train No. 33, north bound, on
that road near Lemoyne, about eleven
miles south of Toledo, on Sept. 12.
Blacksmiths' Convention.
The eighteenth annual convention of the
International Railroad Master Black-
smiths' Association was held in Detroit,
Mich., last August with President George
W. Kelley in the chair, and with a very
large number of members in attendance.
Papers on tools were read and also the
making of formers ; frame welding, the
oxy-acetylene welding process, spring
making, casehardening and several other
subjects, all of which were fully dis-
cussed.
At the close of the session the follow-
ing officers were elected for the ensuing
year : Messrs. John Conners, A. & W.
P. R. R., Montgomery, Ala., president;
F. F. Hoeffle, L. & N. R. R., Louisville,
Ky., first vice-president ; J. T. McSween-
ey, B. & O. R. R., Baltimore, Md., second
vice-president; A. L. Woodworth, C. H.
& D. R. R., Lima, Ohio, secretary and
treasurer, and G. H. Williams, Boston,
Mass.
The next place of meeting will be at
Toledo, Boston or Denver.
It is with feelings of sorrow that
we are called upon to chronicle the
death of E. M. Roberts, of Ashland,
Ky. He was a railroad man of many
years' standing. Mr. Roberts was born
in Wales and was descended from an
Railroad Testing Department.
The New York Railroad Club opened
its fall and winter season by listening to
a paper on the "Testing Department of a
Railroad Company," by Mr. H. S. Hinck-
ley, engineer of tests on the New York,
New Haven & Hartford Railroad. The
paper dealt with the testing department,
the establishment and maintenance of
which, he said, in itself showed that mon-
ey can be saved by maintaining such a
department. It was only recently that
this department had been considered of
any value to secure possible economy of
operation. Today a live railroad without
such a department is a rarity. Primarily,
it works hand in hand with the purchas-
ing department, and in this connection
he said:
"The basis of all the work of an ana-
lytical and testing laboratory is the prepa-
ration of the specifications for the ma-
terial. In this class of work it is of the
utmost importance for the buyer to bear
in mind that nothing should be embodied
in the specifications that will tend to in-
crease the cost to an amount over a price
at which a satisfactory grade can be
bought in the open market There are
many manuufacturers and contractors by
whom the word 'specification' is uttered
with a feeling of irony. They consider
specifications unnecessary, discriminating,
and very frequently unfair. The engineer-
ing profession alone is responsible for
this feeling, for the reason that so many
specifications have been prepared without
proper regard for the interests of the
manufacturer or contractor, and are in-
tended to conserve only the interests of
the buyers."
Admitting that many classes of material
are bought more economically on a guar-
antee basis, the speaker said he was un-
able to see its value "if it is everybody's
business to see that the guarantee is ful-
filled." Citing as instances rubber goods
and paints as among supplies that may be
so bought. Mr. Hinckley said that in the
manufacture of these materials "there are
perhaps secret tricks of the trade which
give to a particular brand its own
characteristic, and a chemist may never
be able to reveal just what treatment is
given outside of mixing together various
quantities of the separate ingredients
which he is able to discover.
"Testing departments on the railroads
of this country are small compared to
what they should be. He believed that
the department should be independent of
mechanical or engineering departments,
for the best results are secured only by
giving freedom to the department of tests.
"The department should show up defec-
tive material, not only at the factory and
mill, but after the material has reached
its destination and been applied in service.
The department should follow up the
service of material and apparatus applied
to locomotives and cars, or bridges and
buildings. It should be free to state
plainly wherein one device or another was
not economical, although possibly that de-
vice might be in the opinion of the mo-
tive power department or the chief en-
gineer, the best for the purpose."
Mr. Hinckley urged as a measure of
economy that testing departments should
be given full charge of the fuel supply of
railroads, the inspection of bridge ma-
terial, new equipment, etc., owing to the
many advantages and benefits which he
thought might be so obtained. He also
stated that a testing department with its
laboratory records can prevent lawsuits.
October, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
C. & O. Shops at Huntington, W. Va.
By L, \V. Householder.
The Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad Co.
have recently changed their shops at
Huntington, W. Va., from line shaft,
driven by reciprocating engines to elec-
tric drive, thereby availing themselves of
the greater fle.xibility and efficiency of
the electric drive in addition to effecting a
saving in space and in operating ex-
penses. The shops were formerly ope-
rated from four independent stations
equipped with locomotive boilers and re-
ciprocating engines belted to line shafts
in the different shops and also to one TH
arc machine which supplied power to a
few open arc lamps about the shops and
roundhouse.
The new powerhouse is an all-turbine
station, the only reciprocating machinery
besides the boiler feed pumps being 2
two-stage air compressors. TheSe supply
compressed air at 100 lbs. pressure for
driven direct from the main turbine shaft.
The 750-kw. turbine is connected to a
Westinghouse-Le Blanc jet condenser and
the circulating and rotary air pumps which
are driven by a 7S-h. p. induction motor.
The injection water is cooled by a natural
draft-cooling tower. This arrangement
maintains a vacuum of 27 to 28 ins.
The boiler equipment consists of five
275 h. p. water-tube boilers which are
equipped with shaking grates and are
hand fired. Ashes are shoveled from the
;sh pits into cars and conveyed to a
dump. The smoke-stack is reinforced
concrete, 200 ft. high, and is provided
with a damper regulator. Bituminous
coal is used and it is delivered in rail-
road cars on a trestle just outside of the
boiler-room and is dumped into coal bunk-
ers and conveyed through chutes to a
point within easy reach of the fireman.
The condensing and boiler feed water is
supplied from a pumping station outside
of the shops. The feed water is punipcii
VIEW OF POWER PLANT. C. ft O. SHOPS, iILNTI.N(JT(
the pneumatic drills, hammers and hoists
about the shops.
The turbine equipment consists of I
two-bearing, overhung, non-condensing
turbine, speed 3,600 r. p. m., connected to
a 25-kw., 125-volt direct-connected ex-
citer; I four-bearing, three-unit, ico-kw.
set, consisting of I non-condensing tur-
bine, speed 3,600 r. p. m. ; i three-phase,
60-cycle, 480-volt, loo-kw. generator and
I foiir-kw., i2S-volt, direct-connected ex-
citer ; I three-bearing, four-stage con-
densing turbine, speed 1,800 r. p m., con-
nected to a 7SO-kw., three-phase, 60-cycle
generator All of these turbines are
equipp^'d with oil pumps geared direct to
the main sh.ift of the turbine, and the
hearing* are fitted with oil rings. The
7V>-kw. and 100-kw. turbine* are equipped
with cross-head mechanical valve gear.
from an open feed-water heater to the
Itoilers by two duplex pumps. The piping
is so arranged that the feed water may
be pumped direct from the hot well of
the cooling tower. The engine-room is
spanned by a T/i-ion hand crane.
The switchboard is a stand.ird General
Electric board, consisting of eight dull-
finished slate panels, two machine panel',
two exciter panels, four three-circuit
feeder panels and one half panel on which
a voltage regulator is mounted. The in
slriimcnts are of the General Electri'
manrlard switchboard type.
About 1,000 h. p. of General Electric in
duction motors are distributed throughout
the planing mill, tin shop*, pipe shop*, ma
rhiiir »hn|), boiler shop and roimdhoiisr.
ranRing from 15 to ion h p. e,ich. These
.TC ii^rd In drive the flifferenf tool*. *ii( li
When
Your
Boiler
Foams
Then your cylinders
are left dry — the oil is
washed away. Perhaps
cut valves or pistons
result, but even if this
does not happen, ex-
cessive strain is put on
your engine and more
coal taken to drive it.
But it's a different
matter when you use
Dixon
Flake
Graphite
in connection with oil.
Your boiler can fuss
and foam to its heart's
content and the graph-
ite stays right on the
job. It lubricates valves
and cylinders in the
face of all conditions,
prevents cutting, saves
coal, makes it easier for
you to handle the en-
gine.
Try it and sec for
yourself, sample 69 C
free.
JOSEPH DIXON
CRUCIBLE CO.
Jersey City, N. J.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
October, 1910.
GOLD
Car
Heating
Lighting
Company
Manufacturer! of
ELECTRIC,
STEAM AND
HOT WATER
APPARATUS
FOR RAILWAY CARS
IMPROVED
SYSTEM OF
ACETYLENE
CAR LIGHT-
ING
Largest Manufacturers in the World of
Car Heating Apparatus
Send for circular of our combina-
tion PRESSURE AND VAPOR
SYSTEM OF CAR HEATING,
which system automatically main-
tains about the same temperature in
the car regardless of the outside
weather conditions.
Main Office, Whitehall Building
17 BATTERY PLACE
NEW YORK
as band saws, wood planer, lathes, circle
saws, drill presses, boring mills, shapers,
metal puncher and rolls. Most of the mo-
tors are belt driven. The large planers,
turning lathes, drill presses and boring
mills are equipped with individual motor
drive. The planing mill is equipped with
a sawdust and shaving eliminator driven
by a loo-h. p. induction motor which con-
veys the shavings through tubes into the
furnace under the boilers. The station
for charging storage batteries for signals
and passenger coaches is equipped with a
motor generator set. The dismantling
shop is spanned by a 120-ton, four-hook
electric crane, and equipped with four
variable speed induction motors of the
slip-ring type.
The buildings are heated by the ex-
haust steam from the two air compressors,
boiler-feed pumps, 25-kw. and loo-kw.
turbines, and the condensation from the
system is pumped into the boiler feed-
water heater. This arrangement puts a
back pressure on the exhaust header of
from 4 to 8 lbs.
The changes made in this plant brought
about a considerable saving in coal, due
to the lower steam consumption and in
part by the obliteration of large shafting
and belting losses. A saving in the labor
required to operate the plant was also ef-
fected. This was due partly to improved
methods of handling coal and ash and
partly to the few men required to oper-
ate a turbine station. Besides the saving
in coal and labor, this change has in-
creased the capacity of the shops.
During the month of April the shops
turned out 34 locomotives, this being the
largest number ever repaired in one
month. The electric drive has also in-
creased what may be called the flexibility
of the shops, any section can be operated
independently of the rest. There is power
all the time and the shops are better
lighted so workmen can work at night
with greater satisfaction.
Saunders' Sons' Catalogue.
We have received an illustrated and
descriptive catalogue from D. Saun-
ders' Sons, Inc., of Yonkers, N. Y. This
well-known firm make special machines
for pipe mills, tapping and drilling ma-
chines, hand stocks and dies for pipe
taps, reamers tongs, hand pipe cutters,
pipe vises, etc., for steam fitters' use.
In presenting this catalogue and
price list the manufacturers say that
they desire to call attention of the
public to the fact their machines for
working wrought iron and steel pipe
are made from carefuly-studied designs
which are fully able to stand up to the
exacting conditions of modern railroad
shop work as well as in other establish-
ments where this sort of work is done.
The catalogue contains 130 pages,
has a good index, and the illustrations
and letter press describing the various
tools is full and clear and free from
intricate technicalities. The variety of
tools made by this firm is very exten-
sive and there is not an operation con-
nected with the threading and jointing
of pipes which has not been "covered"
by the Saunders' machines. Write to
them direct at Atherton street, Yon-
kers, N. Y., if you would like to have
their comprehensive catalogue and
price list, and they will send you one
free of charge.
Heroic Engineer.
Engineer Frank Stewart, of the Colo-
rado Midland, is a hero. Bandits at-
tempted to rob the train that Frank
was pulling and he inflicted a fatal
wound on the chief robber by means
of a rock aimed with deadly accuracy.
It was a primitive sort of weapon, but
it did not miss fire and its eflfect relieved
a crowd of passengers and the train-
men from brutal treatment at the hands
of violent ruffians. Long may Frank
follow the peaceful calling to which he
is a credit, and may he never again be
called upon to display his valor on
train robbers.
Wireless Telephoning in England.
Wireless telephoning from a moving
train was accomplished on Tuesday-
week for the first time with complete
success on a stretch of railway line
four miles in length between Horley
and Three Bridges, on the Brighton
Railway. Mr. Henry von Kramer, the
inventor, who conducted the experi-
ment, is an electrical engineer, trained
at Munich, and now engaged in busi-
ness at Birmingham. For four years
he has been working out the system
in his private workshop. For the pur-
pose of the experiment a double line of
wire was laid along the sleepers be-
rween Horley and Three Bridges. One
telephone apparatus was placed in the
brake-van of the 2:03 p. m. train from
London Bridge, the other was in the
signal box at Three Bridges. As the
train entered the circuit at Horley, Mr.
von Kramer placed the receivers to
his ears and conversation took place
while the train was running at forty miles
an hour. A railway official then took
the telephone, and, talking to an in-
spector at Three Bridges, asked him to
repeat the message. This was satis-
f=.ctorily done. And the inventor then
had another succesful conversation.
The fact which distinguishes Mr. von
Kramer's system from any other pre-
viously tried in England or America is
that there is no contact by brush be-
tween the moving train and the sta-
tionary wires. The electric impulses
travel between the "bridge" on the
carriage and ground wires through an
open-air space of eighteen inches. —
English Mechanic and World of Science.
October, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
435
RECOGNIZED
STANDARD
FLEXIBLE
STAYBOLTS
Holds firebox sheets securely
together, and accommodates
itself to the unequal expansion
of the plates.
USED ON OVER 165 RAILROADS
"Staybolt Trouble
a THin^ of the Past"
So say many of our customers
who have used the Tate Bolt
in large numberi. covering a
period of time sufficient to base
comparisons and eliminate all
chances of doubt.
THE TATE BOLT HAS
PROVED ITSELF INDISPENS-
ABLE TO LOCOMOTIVES IN
HIGH PRESSURE SERVICE
BY RENDERING A LOWER
COST OF FIRE BOX REPAIRS
TO A GREATER MILEAGE IN
SERVICE. THEREBY IN-
CREASING THE EARNING
VALUE.
PUNNERY BOLT COMPANY
PITTSBUROH. PA.
Suj'.* 124 Tr.rk Bollilinc
BCD ITArrORD On. Utn^ft
I. KOOEU rXAWXEBT k COMPAVT,
(•IJiac A(«Bti
rrtek BniMinc. PltUburvh. Pa.
TOM « DAVIi. lUchaBlc&l Eipwt
OCO. E. HOWAKD. Cutmn TtrrlUry
W K. WILSOV. W.tt.m T^rrtUir
OOmOVVTALTH IVPPLY COMPAaT,
SontbAftJUm T«rrlU,rT
Pattern Shop Tool.
On this page wc illustrate J. .-K. Fay &
Egan Co.'s No. 195 hand planer and
jointer, which will be found a most serv-
iceable tool for pattern work in car shops.
This machine is said to accomplish per-
fectly any work to which it may be ap-
plied in the pattern shop, such as planing
straight or out of wind, cornering, cham-
fering, beading, grooving, rabbeting, gain-
ing and making plain, convex and concave
glue joints. The hand wheel at the left end
of the machine is an attachment for
■"angling" the front table to give the
desired draft on pattern work, and this
issued, containing fine illustrations of
the various types of locomotives con-
structed at the works, beginning with
the locomotives built by Mr. L. W.
Gunther in 18+2. This locomotive has
a very strong resemblance to Stephen-
son's "Rocket," but the departure to a
particularly different type is soon man-
ifested, and various forms of locomo-
tives appear equipped with the Wal-
schaerts valve gear about 1870. Some
of these appear with massive eccentrics
outside of the driving wheels. The
latest variety shows locomotives
equipped with double boilers or a steam
NO. 195 HAND PL.^NER AND JOINER.
is a feature which appeals strongly to
pattern makers.
The machine is made in three sizes, 20,
24 and 30-in. %vidths. The tables are
planed and perfectly finished, giving a
large true surface to properly guide what-
ever material is being worked. They are
each vertically adjustable on four in-
clines, each of which has an independent
adjustment for aligning the tables. A
ratchet lever is also provided whereby
both tables can be quickly drawn away
from the head, giving an opening of 7
ins. An extending arm is attached to the
front table to support material when be-
ing rabbeted. The fence can be adjusted
to any point across the width of the
table and set to any angle from vertical
III 45 degs., and it can be securely Idcked
when set. The column is substantially
made, and is well proportioned. It is
cast in one piece, the journal bearings
being embodied in this casting. For fur-
ther information regarding this machine,
you are invited by the manufacturers to
write for large illustrated circular. The
address of the manufacturers is Cincin-
nati, Ohio.
receptacle set over the usual form of
boiler. A fine view of the works
shows that they are situated in an ad-
mirable locality in the open country.
Celebration at Vienna Works.
The Locomotive Works at Vienna,
known at the Actien-Gcscllschafl dcr
I.ocomotiv-Fabrik in Wicncr-Ncu-
stadt. have just celebrated the comple-
tion of their S.ooolh locomotive. In
ronncction with the celebration a sou-
venir catalogue of 60 paRCS haj been
Graphite Lubrication.
The Joseph Dixon Crucible Com-
pany of Jersey City sends us the fol-
lowing item as of probable interest to
our readers: "A certain manufacturer
had an order for a machine that in-
cluded three hollow gun-metal rollers,
one weighing 1386 lbs., the other two
weighing 752 lbs. apiece. These rollers
arc heated by gas to a temperature of
about 700 degs., and it was found that
any oil or grease would bake and cut
the journals in a very short time. In
this predicament is was suggested that
the builders of this machine use
graphite on the rollers. This was done
and a suggestion was made for the use
of Dixon's Flake Graphite, and some
months later the makers wrote the
Dixon Company;
"The method of applying the graphite
to the journals is very simple, the
channels for conveying the lubricant
to the journals are cut in the boxes
about ii in. wide and 14 in. deep, one
on top and one at a little above and on
each quarter. Besides this, a spiral
groove of the same dimensions is cut
for about two turns, commencing at
about I in. from the other end of the
box and near the bottom. These
grooves arc half round in section. Into
436
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
October, 1910.
the top straight groove, a 'A-'m. pipe
hole is drilled and tapped, a piece of
yi-in. pipe screwed into this with a re-
ducing socket on the top end to i^-in.
pipe, a lJ4-'n. nipple with a i54-'n. cap
complete the cup. A piece of 3/16-in.
round steel with one end on the jour-
nal and the other end up near the
top of the cup. The journals take
about a dessert spoonful of graphite
every day to each journal, the machine
attendant occasionally removing the
cap from the cup, churning down a
little of the graphite with the 3/16-in.
rod."
McKeen Motor Car.
The Pennsylvania Railroad have just
received one of the gasoline McKeen
motor cars, built at Omaha by a com-
pany which the late E. H. Harriman
lines, feeders and intcrurban steam roads
belonging to the Union Pacific Railroad.
The exterior lines of the design are
somewhat similar to an inverted boat, the
car having a wedge-shaped front end and
semi-circular rear end, with semi-elliptic
roof and round windows, which resemble
port holes. The car is an all-steel struc-
ture on two four-wheel trucks. The side
entrance is also a distinguishing feature.
The standard car is 55 ft. long, of which
the engine room and operator's compart-
ment occupies 12 ft. at the front end,
thus leaving about 42 ft. for passengers.
This has a total seating capacity for sev-
enty-five persons. The seats have built-
up veneered wood frames, upholstered in
leather, and will accommodate three per-
sons each. The semi-circular seat at the
rear of the car has a seating capacity of
ten persons. The standard 5S-foot car
•JHE McKEEN MOTOR CAR ON THE NORTHERN PACIFIC.
caused to be organized. This car is of
steel, accommodates 70 passengers, weighs
34 tons and is capable of making 60 miles
an hour. It will be operated on some
one of the company's minor divisions. One
of the same kind of cars has been running
on the Smyrna division.
The McKeen gasoline motor car was
designed for steam branch line and inter-
urban railroad service. It is also being
used with success as an adjunct to steam
1^ 1^
is equipped with a 6-cylinder 200 h. p. gas-
oline engine, which readily developed 250
h. p. at four hundred revolutions per min-
ute on water brake test. The engine is
mounted on the front truck and is inde-
pendent of the car body, which relieves the
latter of vibration.
By numerous tests it has been proved
that the wedge-shaped car surpasses thu
square or rounded end car in that it
lessens the resistance and therefore costs
ELE\'ATION AND PLAN OF THE McKEEN .MUluR CAR.
service out of main terminals. The first
motor car was completed in March, 1905,
under the direction of Mr. W. R. McKeen,
Jr., then superintendent of motive power
of the Union Pacific Railroad. The con-
ception of the gasoline railway motor cars
had its origin in the desirability of a light,
economical, and, at the same time, re-
liable means of transportation for branch
less to operate. In fact, by accurate data
obtained from a test, it was shown that it
takes 40 per cent, more gasoline to run a
car with blunt front end, at high speeds.
The McKeen motor car is quite similar
to a racing yacht. In proof of the effi-
cacy of the wedge-shaped front end the
McKeen Company say that in a drifting
tpst made with Motor Car No. 18 on a 6-
Learn Wireless 6 R. R. Telegraphy
!-Ucjrlage of fully 10.000 Operators on ac-
count nf 8-hour law and extensive "wireleBO*'
tlc-velitinnents. We operate under direct
supiTvlsInn of Telegraph Offlclala and posi-
tively place all students, when quallfled.
Write for catalogue. NAT'L TOLEGBAPH
INST.. Cincinnati. Philadelphia. Memphla,
Davenport, la.; Columbia. S. C. ; Portland,
The Armstrong
Automatic Drill Drift
IS DRIFT AND HAMMER COMBINED.
^ww WJwaL^j
The handle or driver is always
ready to strike a blow as the
spring automatically throws it
back into position.
LEATE8 ONE HAND FREE TO
SAVE THE TOOL.
Special Circular mailed on Request.
ARMSTRONG BROS. TOOL COMPANY
N. Francisco Ave., CHICAGO, U. S. A.
ASHTOIM
POPVALVES AND GAGES
The Quality Goods that Last
The Ashton Valve Co.
271 Franklin Street, Boston, Mala.
174 Lake Street, . CbicaKO, HI.
HUNT-SPILLER IRON
FOR LOCOMOTIVE CASTINGS
Hunt-Spiller Mfg. Corporation
W. B. LEACH, Cen. Wgr. A Traas.
South Boston, /Vlass.
STANDARD MECHANICAL BOOKS
FOR ROAD AND SHOP MEN
BY CHAS. MoSHANE.
The Locomotive Up to Date
Price, $2.50
New York and
Westinghouse Air Brakes
Price, $1.50
One Thousand Pointers for
Machinists and Engineers
Price, $1.50
All books bound In fine cloth
AGENTS WANTED everywhere; write
for terms and descriptive circulars. Will
be sent prepaid to any address upon
receipt of price.
GRirrilN & WirSTBRS
171 La Salle SIreef, CHICAGO
October. 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERINd.
437
One Year and
Eleven Months'
SERVICE
WITHOUT REPACKING, OK
High-Pressure Locomotives
style 300 TV.»—
A throttle failure is an absolute
impossibility where Cran-
dall's Throttle Valve pack-
ing is used.
IT WILL NOT BLOW OUT
Crandall Packing Co.
I-M-lMRV SNTP ORNKRAl. "Km K
PALMYRA, . New YORK
BRANCHES
N.W Y..rk CleTflan)
I3e Ubfrlj .SI. SOS Saperior Ave . N. W.
BofltoD I'lttKbargb
I» Hl(t> 81. 1:110 Kr«uin Bid*.
.W! WmhlnKlon Hlv.l.
STORRS' Mica
Headlight Chimneys
1, .1- H..!-...l Ar ..«.v
I.,lUl.r«.nr,r..r, A . ..,.-t,.<t,r,
STORRS MICA COMPANY
R R D.pl.. Ow.fo. N. Y.
Patents.
OHO. P. WMITTLhSI-Y
mile gradient and where all conditions
were equal, the car with the wedge-shaped
end started at the top of the hill at a
speed of forty miles per hour, and at
the bottom of the hill had developed a
speed of fifty miles per hour, making the
trip in nine minutes. The car with the
blunt end started at the top of the hill
at the same speed, but it was necessary
to clutch in the engine and use power
i'^ miles from the station, and it took
thirteen minutes to make the same dis-
tance.
The round window used in this car
is air-tight, water-tight and dust-proof;
the window sash is made of aluminum,
hinged at the top, and when not in use
can be swung overhead, giving a full
opening. The chief advantage of the
round windows is the gain in strength
and safety of the car framing, as it
permits the utilization of the car side
as a combination plate and trussed
girder. The side entrance is an inno-
vation in car structure, which adds to
the comfort of the traveling public. It
permits a stronger car frame, does
away with the accumulation of ice and
snow on the car steps and there is no
longer any need of the step-box. In
a rear-end collision the side entrance
'■pens a way of escape for passengers,
-.vliich is not possible with the end ves-
tibuled car. It also aids handling of
passengers, for it allows them to en-
ter and distribute both ways through
the car. The upper deck and old
style sash ventilators in the clear-
story have been dispensed with and ad-
equate ventilation is secured by means
of roof ventilators, which exhaust the
air by suction from the inside of the
car, fresh air being taken in from the
top of the car in front and delivered
to interior of car at the floor line. A
complete change of air can be secured
every four minutes.
Superheated Steam.
Superheated steam is generated by
the addition of heat to saturated steam
which is constantly at the dew point
ready to revert into water. The behav-
ior of superheated steam is similar to
that of gases ; it is a very bad con-
ductor of heat, and has the special pe-
culiarity of being able to lose a certain
amount of heat without becoming sat-
urated or wet steam. The thermal ca-
pacity of steam is only 0.48, therefore
very little heat is required to superheat
steam; but as the steam loses its heat
as quickly as it acquires it, every pas-
sage conveying superheated steam roust
be well covered with non-conducting
material. This, of course, does not ap-
ply to pipes located in a smoke box or
other place where the surrounding heat
is greater than that of the steam.
Although there is some loss when
using superheated steam on account of
heat radiation, it is very much smaller
because the loss of heat from super-
heated steam has lower calorific value
than the latent heat of saturated steam.
Horizontal Cylinder Borers.
The Barrett Machine Tool Company of
Meadville, Pa., have issued a very compre-
hensive catalogue showing the various
forms and styles of the horizontal cylin-
der boring machines manufactured by
them. The catalogue is well illustrated,
having a series of excellent half-tones
with the descriptive letter press concern-
ing each, on the same page. There arc
twenty-four of those tools shown, sfmii-
motor-driven and others with the ordinary
belt drive. The range and variety of the
work done by the Barrett boring ma-
chines is truly remarkable, and the list ol
railroad and other users of these tools,
given at the back of the catalogue, .ihows
how extensively the company's product is
known. Write direct to the makers if you
would like to get a copy.
New J.-M. Officers.
Owing to the increase of business in
the vicinity of Atlanta, Ga., and Rochester,
N. v., the H. W. Johns-Manville Co., of
New York, have recently opened a new
office in each of these cities. The Atlanta
office is located in the Empire Building, in
charge of .Mr. W. F. Johns, who has been
traveling that territory for the company
for a number of years, and the Rochester
office is located at 725 Chamber of Com-
merce, in charge of Mr. H. P. Domine,
formerly with the Buffalo Branch of the
company.
mttitUL Buii.niNO
J»rm» ■••••aabU
WASMINOTON. O. C.
Paaivlilal IIsbI
To strive at all, involves a victory (ivcr
sloth. inertness and indifference. —
Dickens.
The "P.C." Brake Equipment.
The Westinghouse Air Brake Com-
pany, of Pittsburgh, Pa., have issued a
pamphlet explanatory of their "P.C."
or passenger control brake equip-
ment for use on heavy passenger
cars, etc. The company points out that
the advent of all steel coaches, dining,
sleeping, observation and private cars
of extreme weight, and the attempt to
brake these cars as previously done at
once revealed some new conditions.
The braking power of the latest single
cylinder 18 ins. was inadequate even
when multiplied by a leverage of 9 to I,
the maximum permissible with the
standard equipment. To use a larger
brake cylinder was not only impracti-
cable for simple reasons pertaining to
manufacture, but undesirable because
involving concentration of excessive
weight and very heavy braking effort
;l one point beneath the car.
The "PC" passenger control equip-
ment marks the latest development in
the art of braking heavy passenger
trains. This equipment differs from
the standard passenger brake in that
438
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
October, 1910.
two brake cylinders are employed, one
for service and both for emergency,
multiplied through the same leverage
system. A "passenger control" valve,
identical for all weights and classes of
passenger cars, performs automatically
the functions of the triple valve, and,
in addition, provides other new and sub-
stantial features of value. The usual
details, which always go with passenger
brakes, complete the equipment.
This new apparatus was designed fun-
damentally to provide an adequate brake
for the heaviest passenger cars now
operated or which may be built. At
the present time car weights have ex-
ceeded the capacity of the latest single
cylinder arrangement, and the "PC"
equipment not only obviates the neces-
sity of applying two single cylinder
schedules per car, but has been made
to correct certain factors and conditions
inherent with the standard brake de-
sign and which tend to reduce brake
efficiency to an important degree, when
applied to heavy cars.
parts being extremely simple and dur-
able.
Briefly described, the device consists
of a suitable base with the lock ar-
ranged to engage with and lock the
switch lever in the closed position. A
cover is connected to the switch lever
and moved with it. The cover fits over
the lock when the switch is closed and
fully protects it from dust, dirt, etc.
A keeper is provided for locking the
lever in the closed position in case the
lock proper is broken. This keeper assists
in holding the lever in the closed position.
The perspective view shows the auto-
matic switch-lock with the Odenkirk
switch-stand and lever in the closed po-
sition. The end view shows the lock as
it is in the inside of the case. This lock
is so arranged that it will work with the
New Century, the Automatic, or the
Odenkirk switch-stands.
Automatic Switch-Locks.
This device relates to improvements
in switch-locks and has for its object
Hanna Stokers for the Q. & C.
The Cincinnati, New Orleans and
Texas Pacific, more commonly called the
Queen and Crescent Route, of which Mr.
J. P. McCuen is superintendent of mo-
tive power, have recently placed an order
for twelve antomatic stokers of Hanna
to provide means whereby a switch
may be easily operated and locked, and
to provide a guard which is connected
to and operated with the switch lever
and which is adapted to fit over the
locks to protect them from dust,
dirt, snow and rain. A further object
SCHROYER'S AUTOMATIC SWITCH LOCK.
type. These will shortly be installed and
later some valuable information will be
forthcoming as to their performance,
which will, no doubt, very materially aid
the standing committee of the Master
Mechanics' Association, which has the
matter of mechanical stokers in charge.
DETAILS OF THE LOCK.
is to make a switch-lock in which the
parts may be easily removed and new
ones substituted in case of breakage, all
Descriptive Pamphlet.
The Pennsylvania Railroad Station in
New York, it is announced in an official
pamphlet distributed by the company, has
been finished. "The New York Improve-
ment and Tunnel Extension of the Penn-
sylvania Railroad" is the title of the of-
ficial booklet. It contains 23 photographs
illustrating both the interior and the ex-
terior of the station at Seventh avenue
and 33d street, as well as views of the
tunnels, the interior of one of the tubes,
the approaches thereto and a picture of
the "Pennsylvania Type" electric locomo-
tive. The company's pamphlet contains
«
AROUND
THE
RAILROAD
SHOPS"
This is the title of a series
of articles dealing with loco-
motive repairs published in
"REACTIONS," a quarterly
paper which is sent free of
charge to interested parties
in the United States, Canada
and Mexico. The third quarter
of this paper for 1910 has just
been issued and contains ar-
ticles of exceptional interest to
railway mechanical men on the
welding of locomotive frames,
driving wheel spokes, connect-
ing rods and mud rings.
When writing for copies,
please mention this advertise-
ment.
W. C. CTTNTZ, Generid Miuiaeer.
90 West St., New York
M2-48e Folaom St., Su Fruiaiico, OalU.
108 Bichmond 6t. W., Ttronto, Oat.
SINCLAIR'S LOCOMOTIVE ENGINE
RUNNING AND MANAGEMENT
lastill popular. We have it. Price $2.00
ANGUS SINCLAIR CO.. 114 Liberty St.. N. Y.
WATTERS A.B.C.TRACK SANDERS
Only two piece*. No repair*
For sale by
1. H. WAHERS, AssL M. M. Ga. R.R., Augusta, Ga.
October. 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
439
CARS, GABS, SHOPS
ROUNDHOUSES
requires a roofing that
is unaffected by ex-
tremes of temperature
RUBEROiD
ROOFING
Will not melt, rot, crack or
corrode. Contains no tar.
Outlattt Metal
SPARK PROOF, CINDER PROOF,
QAS J-ROOF, WEATHER PROOF
Write f..r sninplrs. prlcoB and l>.w>l;ld No 9«.
THE STANDARD PAINT CO.
100 WUIIam St/sat New York
Chicago. PWlirtplphli. Boston. Kansas City,
St. Paul, Denver.
"HOMESTEAD"
VALVES
Are constructed upon mechanically cor-
rect principles — they are leak proof under
tteam. air or hydraulic pressures. They
are practically indestructible because the
■eats are protected from wear. The plug
is balancea and held in place by pressure
when open, and when closed it is locked
on the seat by our patent weieinR cam.
"Homestead" Valves are the quickest acting,
•implest. most easily operated and largest
lived of any made.
Homestead Valves are ofwrned wide and
closed tight by a quarter turn.
I.OCOMf>l \\\. III.OW-OFF
Writr for rA\.,\.v':r ut llornfstcad Good*.
HOMESTEAD VALVE MTG CO.
Bran Fsundari Worki at Hamaataad. Pa.
P. O. •o«l7t4. pnr8Hl^((G,PA.
CAR CLOSETS
OUNER CO.
the history of the work. This history is
inscribed on two tablets which have been
placed on the sides of the main entrance
of the station on Seventh avenue. At
the head of the stairway leading from the
arcade to the general waiting room there
stands the statue of the late A. J. Cassatt.
who was the president of the company at
the time when the whole tunnel scheme
was worked out. He was. as the pamph-
let says, the dominant personality in the
Pennsylvania Railroad tunnel and station
project.
Large Interlocking Plant.
It is stated that the Indiana railroad
commission has approved plans and specifi-
cations for a very extensive interlocking
system of signals. The structure is to be
erected on the Indiana-Illinois state line,
and will be used by a number of railroads,
including the Michigan ' Central, Chicago
Terminal, Chicago Junction, Kensington
& Eastern, Erie, Monon, Nickel Plate,
Indiana Harbor Belt, and the Wabash.
serve a double purpose. Travelers will
be shown w^orld famous scenery through
which they are passing, but cannot see
during the night, and at the same time
the C. P. R. and the Dominion of Can-
ada will be given a big advertisement.
It is also intended that the pictures
shall be reproduced in the principle cen-
ters of Great Britain aiTd the United
States, as well as other countries, illus-
trating the daylight rides in particular
and showing Canada's greatness. The
proposition was made bj' the Edison
company, which has had a kinetograph
out on the road since last June getting
the necessary pictures.
Office and Store Moved.
The L. S. .Starrelt Company, of .Athol,
Mass., announce that their Chicago store
is now permanently located in new and
larger quarters at No. 17 North Jeffer-
son Street. Their friends are cordially
invited to call and inspect the complete
stock of fine mechanical tools made by
them and also to see the much better
facilities which have been provided for
giving the trade prompt and efficient ser-
vice.
A New Light Alloy.
A new metallic alloy which appears
to combine strength and lightness in
a remarkable degree has been invented
in Germany. It has been
named Ruebel bronze, after
its inventor. The main in-
gredient is magnesium, to
which certain proportions of
zinc, copper and aluminum
are added. Rcubel bronze
is a fine-grained, homogene-
ous alloy of considerable
strength and low specific
gravity. This combined
strength and lightness
should make it a valuable
material in the construction
of airships and aeroplanes. s
It has been calculated that
if the metal wr)rk of the Zeppelin air-
ship had been of Rucbcl bronze it would
have weighed 3'/j "f 4 'on* 1'"^""
Motor-Driven Air Compressor.
A good example of the simplicity, con-
venience and efficiency of electric motor
drive, is the application shown in our il-
lustration. It is a 50 h. p. alternating cur-
rent Westinghouse type, "MS" mill motor,
direct connected to a two-stage air com-
pressor. The compressor has a 14-in. low
pressure, and a 9-in. high pressure air
cylinder; an 1 1 -in. stroke and is fitted
with a mechanical valve. This valve,
which is connected with the high pres-
sure cylinder by means of a H-in. pipe,
stops the compression when the air has
reached a pressure of 85 lbs. The air
is used in operating the interlocking
switches in the yards of the Union Rail-
road, near Bessemer, Pa.; the riveters,
drills, etc., used on the repair tracks,
and for testing tlie air brakes on the
cars. The compressor runs twenty-four
hours every day; during this time the
switches are in operation continuously,
and the repair men work ten hours a
day. During the summer time, box cars
are painted with a pneumatic sprayer. It
Moving Pictures on Moving Trains.
It is said that in the near future the
'.inadian Pacific will give consideration
tr. the use of moving pictures in a special
theater car on it* trans-continenlal
trains in the prairie provinccH and in
I'.rltinh Chimbia.
It is intended that these pniiins sh:ill
KITOU liKIVKN ,\ll< COMPUI-.SSOK.
lakes fifteen minutes to paint a car by
this method. The Westinghouse motor
runs at 725 r. p. m. on a three phase,
2.t-cycle, 440 volt alternating current. The
compressor runs at 175 r. p. m. We
arc informed by the makers that Mr.
A. F. Coulter, general foreman of the
Union Railroatl. has staled that the
equipment has been in conliiuious opera-
tion for six months with no more atten-
tion than an occasional cleaning and
oilimj.
440
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
October, 1910.
Fast Time on the P. R. R.
Locomotive No. 732, a new type of the
Pennsylvania, designed to reduce running
time of express trains between Camden
and Atlantic City to 50 minutes, recently
covered 4J4 miles in zYi minutes between
Egg Harbor and Abescon, a rate of 108
miles an hour. The train it hauled was
made up of twelve heavy steel cars. The
new engine appears to be bearing out the
claims of traffic managers that the 57
miles from Camden to the shore, can be
made in 50 minutes instead of 56 minutes
in perfect safety.. When the so-minute
schedule goes into effect the train will
run at 69J4 miles an hour.
Rotary Snow Plows.
With the fall season the railroad man's
thoughts turn to the approach of winter
and in order to guide these thoughts in
the right direction the American Locomo-
tive Company have issued Bulletin No.
lOOS which deals with the rotary snow
plows as manufactured by them. The bul-
letin is well illustrated, showing the snow
plow in detail with and without its cover-
ing, also the details of the flanges, of the
plow itself and the form, with cylinders,
boilers, carriers, etc. Many of the illus-
trations show the rotary hard at work in
deep snow and the letterpress gives a great
deal of information about the work of
these plows on various roads.
The American Locomotive Company
will be happy to send this bulletin to any-
body who is desirous of obtaining infor-
mation concerning the best method of
keeping a railroad open during the severe
winter.
Westinghouse Publication No. 9015.
The title of this bulletin is "Brake Op-
eration and Manipulation in General
Freight Service," and is by Mr. W. V.
Turner, chief engineer of the Westing-
house Air Brake Company. Portions of
this paper were read and discussed at the
second session of the Air Brake conven-
tion. The Westinghouse Company have
issued the paper in question, it having
been presented originally before the West-
ern Railway Club in Chicago on Sept. 21,
1909. It is not only a very interesting
paper, but it is instructive in its review
of some of the causes and conditions
which produce shocks and break-in-twos.
Railroad Unions Urge a Raise in Rates.
A mass meeting of representatives of
four of the leading brotherhoods of rail-
way men employed on roads running to
New York met in the Amsterdam Opera
House on Sept. 25, and adopted resolu-
tions urging the Interstate Commerce
Commission to increase freight rates.
Over 3,000 delegates were present and
the proceedings were of the most en-
thusiastic kind. Grand Chief Warren S.
Stone, of the Brotherhood of Locomotive
Engineers, delivered an able address on
"Self Preservation," and in the course of
his remarks insisted that the proper place
to settle questions affecting labor was at
the ballot box. Whatever the political
affiliations of the delegates might be, they
should not let party lines blind them to
their true interests. Mr. Stone stated
that the movement was not in any sense
a political one. A series of questions will
be prepared and presented to candidates
for office so that their position will be
clearly defined. Mr. Stone presented
some startling figures in regard to the
methods of middle men and retail mer-
chants generally, placing the cause of high
prices on many commodities on freight
rates. Such statements were grossly
misleading, the freight rates in America
being the lowest in the world, and the
the need of an increase a justifiable ne-
cessity.
Mr. Denis McCarthy, a retired locomo-
tive engineer, from Providence, R. I.,
ably supplemented Mr. Stone's address,
and from a lengthy experience gave many
illustrations of the decrease of the pur-
chasing power of money. Mr. McCarthy
pointed out very clearly that much of our
economical and industrial troubles were
not owing so much to high prices as to
low wages and the unequal distribution
of the burdens of labor.
Mr. A. R. Garretson, president of the
Conductors, stated that if it is reasonably
shown in the hearing before the Inter-
state Commerce Commission that the rail-
roads cannot earn returns on the present
value of their property, so as to give
good service, equal with safety appliances,
and pay proper wages, (hey should be al-
lowed to put into effect such increases
as would meet these necessities.
The resolution will be presented to
President Taft, the Interstate Commerce
Commission, and all railroad and law
making bodies, embodying the statement
that 350,000 railway men, represented at
the meeting, propose to continue to in-
sist from their employers higher wages,
more favorable working conditions,
shorter hours and adequate com-
pensation for their membership injured
or killed in the service, and that
they are not unmindful of the
fact that in order to secure their benefits
the employers must be accorded sufficient
earning power to meet these demands.
The investor has the right to protection
and consideration as well as the employee.
The committee will proceed to Wash-
ington at an early date and present the
memorial to the proper authorities.
Life, with all its pains and pleasures, is
largely what we make it by our thought.
— Dresser.
In learning true knowledge we also
learn our own ignorance, and the vastness,
the complexity and the mystery of nature.
— Kingsley.
TURNTABLES
Philadelphia Turntable Co.
PHILADELPHIA, PA.
CHICAGO : ST. LOUIS :
Marquette Bide Commanwealth Trust Bide
Nichols Transfer Tables
Turntable Tractors
GEO. P. NICHOLS & BRO.
1090 Old Colony Bldg. CHICAGO
ALDON CAR REPLACERS
We set three pairs of Aldon Frogs and bad
11 nine cars on the rails in twenty minutes
Extract from Wrecking Masters' Reports.
THE ALDON COMPANY
965 Monadnock Block, CHICAGO, ILL.
ESTABLISHED 1884
Sipe's
Japan Oil
Is superior to Linseed Oil
and Dryers for
All KINDS Of PAINTINO
In Daily Use by
All the leading Railroads
In the United States
Manufactured solely by
JAMfS B. m & (0.
North Side, PITTSBURGH
K^o [ocomative EllslllCCrinS
A Practical Journal of Motive Power, Rolling Stock and Appliances
Vol xxiil
114 Uberty Street, New York. November. 1910.
No. II
The St. Gothard Railway.
Forming a connecting link for the
railways of Western Germany, North-
ern and Eastern France, and through
them for the immense volume of travel
from the United States and England,
with the lines of Italy and the South,
and traversing a region of unsurpassed
crds are not available. In 1820 the
Swiss Federal Government constructed
a postroad over the pass and this was
followed by the St. Gothard Railway.
The latter great work was commenced
in 1872 and completed in 1882. The
great tunnel from Goschenen on the
Swiss side to Airolo on the Italian side
ft. above sea level, the line runs round
the town partly in tunnel, touches the
Inke side and makes a long detour to
avoid the well-known Rigi, then follow-
ing the shore of Lake Zug it reaches
Goldau, from whence a gradual ascent
with grades of i in 100 brings it to Erst-
feld, a village beautifully situated
s^is^
T^f^'^^kf^ -' A^'^*'^^^^.
r.
j^^^Q
^^B^^^^^^BBHIPBBi^^^^^^^^
beauty and grandeur, is the Gothard-
bahn. The use of the St. Gothard Past
for communication between Switzerland
and Italy d.ites from the thirteenth cen-
tury when Albert von Stade, a monk,
published an account that it was possi-
ble to reach Lucerne from Bellinzona
in three days. An earlier knowledge
of the roate doubtless existed, but rec-
is in Itself a gigantic achievement, be-
ing 9J4 miles long. Mr. Louis Favre, the
engineer, unfortunately never witnessed
the completion of the tunnel. Death
overtook him while inspecting its prog-
ress.
Lraving the handsome central sta-
tion at Lucerne, the northern terminus
of ilic railway, at an elevation of 1,437
among grand Alpine scenery, .58 miles
from Lucerne.
At Erstfeld the mountain climb be-
gins, the train entering the wild and
narrow gorge along which rushes the
foaming river Reuss. This torrent is
crossed and recrosted several times by
the road and it rapMly ascends the
mountains over gradM of 1 in j8 and
+43
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
November, 1910.
1 in 40. Tunnels are here close to-
gether; 21 in all are passed through be-
fore Goschenen is reached, including some
wonderful spirals wherein the train
makes complete circles or portions of
TWO LEVELS NEAR WANEN.
turns within the rugged mountain side.
At Wassen the line winds round loops
to get a gradual ascent, and three
lengths of the same railway are in
view at the same time, one below the
other. At Goschenen all trains stop,
the lamps are lighted in the cars, and
preparations made on the locomotives
for the long run through the great tun-
nel under the St. Gothard Pass and the
Kastelhorn, which rises 6,076 ft. above
the center.
The grade of the tunnel ascends at
I in 172 for about two-thirds of its
length and southward, after which it de-
scends at I in 500 to the Airolo en-
trance, 3,754 ft. above sea level. The
tunnel is double tracked throughout and
has lamps burning day and night, placed
at regular intervals and numbered.
From Airolo down to Bellinzona 40
miles, the inclines are very steep,
reaching their maximum between Giorn-
ico and Bodio at i in 37, and numerous
tunnels are passed, some being spirals
as on the other side of the mountain
barrier. Past Bellinzona the line rises
again on a grade of i in 38 to cross
another mountain by means of the
Monte Cenere tunnel, after which it
runs down via Lugano to the southern
terminus at Chiasso, close to the Ital-
ian frontier. The entire length of the
line from Lucerne and Zug to Chiasso
and Locarno measures 172 miles and is
divided into three sections. Exclusive
of the tunnels there are 1,384 structures
along the system, 324 being bridges and
viaducts. Journeying over
this road the traveler can-
not help but admire the pre-
cision and determination
displayed by the engineers
entrusted with the work.
The locomotive and passen-
ger rolling stock is of the
most up-to-date character,
and every comfort is af-
forded to travelers.
Skirting the lake of the
four cantons, as Lake Lu-
cerne is called, the road
gradually ascends to Kuss
nacht, then to Immensee,
passing the spot where
Gessler was shot by an ar-
row from the bow of Will-
iam Tell, there being a
monument erected on the
lake side to commemorate
the event. From Immen-
see, still following the
shores of the lake, the line
passes many places of in-
terest, including the ancient
town of Schwyz, from
which Switzerland takes its
name, on to Fluelen, which
is at the head of the lake.
This was formerly the ter-
minus of the railway, Lu-
cerne being reached by
steamboat. From here the railway
follows the valley of the Reuss,
through the town of Altdorf, after pass-
ing which the grander scenery com-
mences, and the mountains loom on
cither side. The valley narrows with a
stream. Once in the St. Gothard tun-
nel, the traveler can ride for from 18
to 20 minutes and arrive at Airolo and
out into the daylight again, or he can
take the alternative and go by coach
over the historic pass and spend from
three to five hours on the journey.
Previous to the completion of the rail-
way, upwards of sixty thousand trav-
elers annually passed over the latter
route. In passing through the tunnel
it is interesting to know that one goes
under the village of Andermatt, 1,000 ft.
above. The grade in the tunnel rises
from both ends to the highest point,
3,750 ft. above sea level. There are two
tracks through it, the width being 26
ft. and the height 20 ft. Work was
carried on from both sides of the
mountain, an average of 2,500 men be-
ing employed daily, and on Feb. 29,
1880, communication was opened
between the two ends. It is es-
timated that 2,000,000 lbs. of dynamite
were used in blasting, and 3,800,000
lbs. of oil were consumed for illuminat-
ing purposes. Since 1899 the tunnel
has been artificially ventilated by the
Saccardo system, the power being ob-
tained from a mountain stream.
Although still in Switzerland when
one arrives at the Airolo end of the tun-
nel, everything has changed, the archi-
tecture, costumes and people are all
Italian; even the station is a "stazione"
instead of a "bahnhof." The scenery
on the south side is quite as beautiful
as that on the north, circular tunnels
and bewildering precipices are rather
more frequent. Leaving Airolo the
railway crosses the Ticino and passes
through the narrow Stalvedro Pass and
on through the Dazio, Freggio and
Prato tunnels, the two latter being cir-
cular ones, then crosses the Polmengo
RUNNING SHED AT LUCERNE, SWITZERLAND.
gorge and the rails in many places are bridge, through the tunnel of the same
laid along narrow precipices. At Am- name, and finally crosses the Ceresa
steg at the foot of the Bristenstock, a before reaching Faido, the capital of
series of seventeen tunnels are pissed the Ticino valley. Leaving here one
through, also a succession of bridges travels through the Biaschiha Gorge to
are crossed, three being over one Giornico, where a halt for a fresh sup-
November, ifjio.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
443
ply of water is made. The speed of all
trains on the down grade is limited to
60 kilometers per hour, and a speed in-
dicator on the footplate enables the
driver to adjust the air brakes and keep
to the United States, while engaged in
tunning a locomotive, took special studies
in chemistry in Iowa University. He has
been engaged in literary and editorial
work since 1883, and is now editor and
TWO CyLI.NDER COMPOUND ON THE ST, GOTIIARD KAil WAV.
to exactly the required speed. At
Brasca the mountain scenery is less
prominent, cultivation is more evident,
and continues so on to Bellinzona and
the Italian lakes. Charmed by the
wild fastnesses of the St. Gothard, one
feels that it gives to the memory a
magnificent view of the wonders of Na-
ture's grandeur and of man's ingenuity.
Chambers Journal on Angus Sinclair.
About a year ago Dr. Andrew Car-
negie delivered a most interesting ad-
dress at Peebles, Scotland, on the occa-
sion of the jubilee of a great institute
founded by William Chambers in 1859.
The Chambers have done immense ser-
vice in the cause of popular education in
Scotland. FJr. Carnegie sent a copy of
this addres-, to our Chief, who, in ac-
knowledging its receipt, told particulars
of benefits he had derived from the
Chamt>er» publication. A recent issue of
Chambers Journal contains communica-
tions concerning the help that the Jour-
nal had l)een to many people who were
striving to help themselves. Among them
is the letter which Dr. Sinclair wrote to
Dr. Carnegie, and introduced thus:
The first letter suggested by Mr. Car-
negie's address is from Mr. .Angus Sin-
clair, who in his career presents another
object-lesson on the linc^ nf the ad-
dress. Mr. Angus was born at Horfar,
Scotland, but was reared in I-aurence-
kirk, where his father had removed fol-
lowing the construction of the Aberdeen
Railway. He worked as telegraph cUrk,
•hop apprentice, fireman and ctiRtne
driver, a«.hr rtlatrt, and after he went
proprietor of a monthly periodical, R.ml-
WAY AND Locomotive Enxineerinc. He
has published hooks on "Locomotive En-
gine Runniiii;," "Twentieth Century Lo-
comotives," "Combustion in
Locomotive Fire-Bo.xes,"
"Combustion and Smoke-
Prevention," and "Develop-
ment of the Locomotive."
A Mallet articulated com-
pound locomotive, built for
the Eric Railroad, is named
"Angus Sinclair." Two
years ago Purdue Univer
sity conferred the degree of
Doctor ijf Engineering upon
Angus Sinclair.
Railway and Loccmotivk
Enginef.ri.sc,
114 Liberty Street,
New York, Feb. 3, 1910.
"My Dear Mr. Carnegie:
I have received so much en-
joyment from reading your
address on William Cham-
bers that I regard it as my
duty to tell you somcthinK
about how much I have
been personally indebted to
Chambers.
"1 began work as ticket
and li.lcgraph clerk at
LaurciK-ckirk Station when
I was only thirteen year
old, h.iving received a ver>
defective education. Two
years later I went to be
iclrgr;i[ih clerk fur the
superintendent at Arbroath, with the
agreement that I ihould be worked
through the shops, .\fter about a
year I entered the boiler shops as an
apprentice, then the machine-shop, with
lots of breaks to do office work. The first
boiler-shop work I did was carrying a
tool-box for Willie Laurie, a celebrated
firebo.x patcher. I remember on the first
morning when I was assigned to the
boiler-shops the men lounging about the
gate waiting for the bell to ring began
discussing the alluring subject of what
they liked best to drink. All sorts oi
mixtures were discussed, when Laurie's
preference was asked. 'Well, men,' he
said, 'when I have my option I prefer a
glass of whisky mixed with another glass
of whisky.'
"That was my first mentor, and, curi-
ously enough, he exercised a wonderfully
good influence upon me. When we
emerged from the first firebox we
worked in he asked, 'How many fire-bars
are in that box?' Of course I could not
tell, and he made mc guess, jeering at
my poor estimate.
"That was the beginning. Every job
we worked on he had some questions to
ask — the number of stay-bolts, the size
of the different parts, etc., till I was
forced to observe all kinds of details as a
sort of self-protection. The habit of ob-
serving things grew upon me, and I have
found it very helpful.
"My connection with the oflfice brought
me into contact with officials whom I be-
locomotive
.SIhKIMj lllh lAMOUS IIOKK.
lieved to be perfect in engineering knowl-
edge. "How can I come to know theories
of engineering?' — that became a burning
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
November, 1910.
question. There was an old dominie in
Arbroath who kept a night class for
teaching sailors navigation. To him I
went, and he wished to enroll me in his
navigation class. I steadily refused, and
he conceived the idea that instruction in
moral philosophy would help me. The re-
sult was that 1 devoted two winters to
the study of Dugald Stewart's 'Outlines
of Moral Philosophy.' At the time I was
getting discouraged over Dugald Stewart
I found a copy of Chambers' 'Informa-
tion for the People.' I went at once to
the public library and examined the back
numbers. Then I managed to subscribe
for it. I began trying to study an hour
every evening; but that was beyond per-
sistence, and I finally settled down to
twenty minutes every night, whicii was
kept up for years. After 'a time I went
firing, and was fearfully overworked, but
I kept up my study of Chambers, and
Clark's 'Railway Machinery,' which had
also come into my possession.. I have
come in after being out more than twenty
hours on the engine and when washing
and preparing for bed did my twenty
minutes of study. So you see I have
good reason for thanking William Cham-
bers and his brother for part of the cap-
ital that raised me from the footboard to
the editor's chair.
"I am ashamed of my long screed, but
I look upon it as a testimony to the
friend whose life-story you have told so
well.
"Your old friend,
"Angus Sincl.air."
Engines for the St. Louis South-Western
Supersensitive Thermometer.
An electrical thermometer which is
very sensitive to slight fluctuations of
The Baldwin Locomotive Works have
recently delivered sixteen freight locomo-
tives to the St. Louis Southwestern Rail-
way. These engines arc divided into two
classes, si.\ being of the ten-wheel type,
and the remaining ten of the consolida-
tion type. The latter are the heaviest en-
gines thus far supplied to this road by the
builders, and are similar to ten locomo-
tives built for the same company in 1909.
The success of the Walschaerts valve gear
may be judged from the fact that all the
locomotives comprising the present order
are fitted with this style of motion.
TEN-WHEEL LOCO.MOTIVES.
These engines exert a tractive force of
33,800 lbs., and as the weight on the
driving wheels is 147,050 lbs., the ratio of
adhesion is 4.35. The locomotives should,
therefore, be able to exert full tractive
force under ordinary conditions of service.
The boiler is of the extended wagon top
type, with a long firebox placed above
the frames. The barrel is composed of
two rings ; the first ring is tapered, with a
butt seam on the top center line, while the
dome is placed on the second ring. The
firebox has a vertical throat and back
head, and is radially stayed. A total of
310 flexible stay bolts are placed in the
upper corners of the sides and throat, and
the top row in the back head. A feature
of this boiler is the liberal spacing of the
ti'.bes, which are set with i in. bridges.
While this arrangement apparently re-
stricts the tube heating surface, it pro-
motes circulation. In the same way, while
the grate area appears small when com-
pared to that of many other boilers of the
ranged to shake in two sections, with a
drop plate at the rear. The ash pan is
sell-dumping, with two hoppers and cast
iron bottoms. It has draft openings in
the front and sides. The front end has a
short extension. The spark arrester con-
sists of a perforated plate, and the ad-
justable diaphragm is placed back of the
nozzle. The stack is tapered, with a di-
ameter of 14^ ins. at the choke.
The steam distribution is controlled by
balanced slide valves, driven by a simple
arrangement of Walschaerts motion. The
valves are set with a maximum travel of
6>4 ins., and a constant lead of J4 '"• A
cast steel brace, which spans the frames
between the first and second pairs of driv-
ing wheels, supports both the link and re-
verse shaft bearings. The valve rods are
supported by brackets bolted to the top
guide bars, and are pinned directly to the
combining levers. This arrangement
places practically all parts of the gear in
the same vertical plane.
The driving tires are all flanged on this
locomotive, and the truck has a rigid cen-
ter. The truck bolster, side frames and
Center plate are of steel, cast in one piece.
1 he main engine frames are also of cast
steel, with double front rails of forged
iron. The frames are supported, at the
back end, on inverted leaf springs, which
are suspended from the yokes placed over
the rear driving boxes.
A feature included in the equipment of
these engines is an arrangement of pip-
ing for washing sand off the rails back
of the rear driving wheels. The pipes are
connected to a cock, conveniently placed
i-'ii a level with tlie middle gauge cock.
T. E. Aduu, Superintendent of Motive Power.
temperature has been put out by a Ger-
man company for medical use to deter-
mine the degrees of fever. It consists
of a coil of platinum wire enclosed in a
quartz glass tube, through which a cur-
rent is passed from a four-volt storage
battery.
4-6-0 KOR THE ST. LIU'IS .SOUTH WESTERN'.
same nominal capacity, the firebo.x is deep
and of ample volume, and it possesses a
large amount of heating surface. This
form of firebox has given satisfactory re-
sults on the heavy engines of the St. Louis
Southwestern.
The grates are of the rocking type, ar-
Loco
Works. Builders.
The resistance of a train is materially in-
creased when hauling it over sanded rails.
By the use of this simple arrangement
train resistance is not increased, while the
full tractive force of the engine can be
developed on a slippery rail. The tender
has a U-shaped tank, and the frame is of
Kovember, igio.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
445
cast steel, in one piece. The trucks are
of the equalized tj-pe. with bolster, side
frames and center plate combined in a
single steel casting. The engine and ten-
der truck wheels are of forged and rolled
steel, and were manufactured by the
Standard Steel Works Company.
COXSOLID.MIOX TYPE U>COMOTr\TS.
These engines were built, as far as pos-
sible, to the same specification as the ten-
wheelers, and the two clashes have many
features in common. The consolidation
type develops a tractive force of 44.800
lbs., and is suitable for heavy and compar-
atively slow service. A description of
Heating Surface. — Firebox, joo sq. ft.; tubes
2310 sq. t't.; total, 2,510 sq. ft.; grate area,
32.7 sq. It.
Driving Wheels. — Diameter, inside, 62 ins.
Wheel Base. — Driving, 13 ft. 2 ins., total en-
gine, 24 ft. : tender, 56 ft. 4 ins.
Weight. — On driving wheels, 147,050 lbs.; on
truck, front, 35. 300 lbs.; total engine,
182,3^ lbs.; tender, about, 330,000 lbs.
Tender. — -Tank capacity, 7,000 gals.; fuel, 15
tons; service, freight.
CONSOI4DATEO TYPE.
Cylinders. 22 x 30 ins. ; valve, balance slide.
Boiler. — T>-pe, straight: material, steel; diam-
eter, 78 ins.; thickness of sheets, ^ and
13/16 in.; working pressure, 200 lbs.
Firebox. — Material, steel; length, 1201/16 ins.;
width, 3QJ4 ins.; depth, front, 83 ins.; back,
80 ins.: thickness of sheets, sides. H in.;
back. H in.: crown. H in.; tube, 9/16 in.
Water Space. — Front. 5 ins. ; sides. 4 ins. ; back,
4 ins.
Tubes. — Material, steel; wire gauge, No. 11;
number, 346; diameter, 2 ins.; length 14
ft. iM ins.
advantage. The school is also equipped
with a library, as well as a miniature
railroad with a perfect block signal sys-
tem. In addition to learning telegraphy,
the students are taught the duties of sta-
tion agents in order that they may be pre-
pared to take charge of stations imme-
diately upon graduation.
In view of the use of the telephone in
train dispatching on the Pennsylvania
Railroad, the latest innovation at the Bed-
ford school is a course in dispatching
trains by telephone. This road now uses
the telephone on a number of branch lines
as well as the low grade freight line.
2-0-8 FOR THE ST. LOUIS SOUTH-WESTER.N.
T. E. Adams. Superintendent of Motive Power.
Baldwin Locomotive Works. Builders.
these engines would be largely a repeti-
tion of what has been said above. .Atten-
tion may be called to the fact that, while
the boilers are straight topped, the di-
mensions in a number of important par-
ticulars are identical with those of the
ten-wheelers. For example, the fire-boxes
are so nearly alike that the grates are
interchangeable, except for a slight dif-
ference in the shaker rigging.
The c>'linders of the consolidation loco-
motives are duplicates of those used on
similar engines equipped with the Stephen-
son link motion. The location of the
steam chests, therefore, necessitates the
use of rockers, whose bearings are bolted
to the guide yoke. The valves have the
same setting as those used on the ten-
wheel engines The tenders used with
these two classes are practically alike, ex-
cept that, in the case of the consolidation
engines, the tank rapacity is increased
from 7.000 to 8,000 gallons.
TIK WRtn. TTrL
r^lindrri. 11 X i( inf : rilve. balancH ilMc.
Boiler. — Type, extended waion top: malerUI,
■tcel: diameter. 73 tn«- : thtrknett of sheets,
H X tl/16 in.; workinK pret«ure. joo Ibft.
rireb'<x. — Matrrial, steel: leniih. 1301/16 Ins.;
width, J9'4 ms.: depth, front, 75ji ins.:
hack, 7 J ins.; Ihiekncss of sheett. sides, K
in.; back, H in.; crown, H in ; tabe, 9/16
in.
Water Space — Front, s ins.; tides, 4 ins.; back,
4 Ins.
Tuhe«. — Material, slerl wire gauge. No. 11;
numbtr, lis; diamrter, a ins.; length, 14
ft. it< hn.
Heating Surface. — Firebox, 224 sq. ft.; tubes,
2.537 sq. ft.; total, 2,761 sq. ft.; grate area,
32.7 s<). ft.
Driving Wheels. — Diameter, outside. 55 ins.
Wheel Base. — Driving. 16 ft.; total engine, 24
ft. 6 ins.: tender. 57 ft. jyi ins.
Wcight.^On driving wheels. 173,000 lbs.; on
truck, front, 33.000 lbs.; total engine,
195.000 lbs.; tender, about, 360.0^ lbs.
Tender. — Tank capacity, 8,000 gals.; fuel, 15
tons: service, freight.
School of Telegraphy.
The Pennsylvania Railroad has put
forth an effort to increase interest in the
telegraph school at Bedford, Pa. It is
the broadest distribution of a pamphlet
describing the work which is being done
by that institution. The number of stu-
dents enrolled, up to Sept. I of this year,
was 243. of which number 151 have grad-
uated and are now employed as telegra-
phers, and the railroad expects to in-
crease this number materially by its cam-
paign
Tho students at the Bedford school are
taught practical railroading. The regu-
lar railroad telegraph wires arc run
through the school and train orders and
telegrams arc received and transmitted
in the same w.iy as is done in regular
prartirc. An automatic sending machine,
with a transmitter that can be set at any
sprnl. has been installed in the .school.
1 his machine is used to teach the stu-
dents to receive messages, and as it trans-
mits at a uniform speed, it is of great
In the pamphlet which the company has
just issued it is announced that the school
of telegraphy was established for the pur-
pose of educating young men to become
telegraph or telephone operators, and, to
make it as easy as possible, only a nom-
inal fee is charged. Students graduate in
from 6 to 8 months, and, as the pamphlet
states, "all graduates are given positions
on the Pennsylvania Railroad, with the
assurance that if they are faithful in the
discharge of their duties they will have
steady employment, and will be placed in
line for promotion to higher positions."
Fast Running.
The Michigan Central Railroad has
long iK-en noted for making real fast runs
with passenger trains — not runs merely
made on paper. On September 27 one of
tliC passenger trains on this road ran I.I3
miles in <)2 seconds.
The train which made the run is known
as "No. ,1," is made up of eight coatches,
and is drawn by one of the new Atlantic-
Pacific type of locomotives.
Part of the distance in that run was
negotiated at the rale of 98.5 miles an
hour.
The portion of the road over which
these fast runs are made lies in the long
level stretches between St. Thomas and
Windsor, Out.
446
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
November, 1910.
P. R. R. Floating Equipment.
In order to facilitate the handling of
dressed meats, provisions and other
perishable freight in New York Harbor
the Pennsylvania Railroad has inau-
gurated a refrigerator barge service.
This innovation was adopted after much
experimenting as to the best method of
handling this kind of traffic where it is
impracticable to make delivery in the
original car and where the company
must furnish protection against heat in
summer and cold in winter. Ordinarily
this protection has been afforded by re-
frigerator cars. The situation at the
cutting the teeth in the rims of two
wheels 88'/< ins. in diameter to replace
two worn-out gear wheels on a wheel
lathe. The lathe had seen long service
but with the exception of the worn and
broken gear teeth the lathe was other-
wise serviceable. There were 175 tcetli
in the rims, and no indexing machine
could cope with a wheel of such dimen-
sions. Mr. E. H. Sweeley, the general
foreman, devised the means used for
bolting the two new rims together
and marking off a pentagon di-
\ided the spaces into thirty-five equal
parts. The rims were carefully leveled
REFRIGERATOR B.\RGE USED EV PENNSYLV..\NI.^ R.\ILRO.\D.
port of New York, however, diflfers
from other Atlantic ports in the fact
that steamships have no rail connec-
tions at their piers, and freight must be
delivered by floats. It was to supply
this need that the Pennsylvania Rail-
road inaugurated its refrigerator barge
service. Our illustration shows one of
the P. R. R. floating equipment.
L. I. Shops at Richmond Hill.
A visit to the shbps of the I.ong
Island Railroad at Richmond Hill, L. I,,
reveals the fact that there are some
clever mechanics there. In locomo-
tive repair shops generally everybody
is so busy in a sustained effort to at-
tend to that which must be attended to
that there is literally no time to think
of hew and better methods. Mr. G. C.
Bishop, the superintendent of motive
power, has the good' sense to encour-
age the inventive faculty of those un-
der his supervision, and the result is
Very gratifying.
SLOTTER CUTS' TEETH.
• Our attention wai first called to the un-
usual spectacle of a small slotting niachii'e
on temporary trestles and held in posi-
tion by brackets in which the rims
moved. A fixed marker attached to the
slotter indicated where each succeed-
ing center punch mark should be set
at, and the work proceeded with a de-
gree of rapidity and accuracy that could
not be surpassed. A few strokes of a
smooth file and the teeth looked as if
they had been formed from a fixed cen-
ter in a large machine. Sixteen studs
attach the geared rims to the lathe and
the machine is as good as new.
liORINC OUT ECCENTRICS.
In the boring out of eccentrics, after
the bolts are fitted holding the two
straps together they are placed on the
boring mill and held in position by
three adjustable knees, and are bored
and faced above and below without re-
moval. The brass bushings for the
straps are turned out of a hollow cast-
ing and after being cut in two are
shrunk into position in the straps. The
steel straps and bushings are all inter-
changeable. Attaching the straps and
boriiig and facing occupy less than forty
minutes.
I'ISTON AND V.-\LVE ROD PACKING.
Piston and valve rod packing were
being turned off at the rate of 150 com-
plete sets a day. The portions of metal
were placed on a suitable mandrel, the
outer end of which was threaded, the
nut being small enough to admit the
pieces of metallic packing to pass over
the nut, the packing being held in place
by a horseshoe-shaped steel washer. A
broad-faced tool with a projecting an-
gle on its outer edge and a few revolu-
tions of the lathe were sufficient to per-
fect the packing rings with the proper
bend on the outer piece. The nut was
loosened and the slidable washer re-
moved and the three or four pieces of
packing were in rapid rotation being
added to the growing pile.
The planing of rod brasses at perfect
right angles was not, as usual, left to
the haphazard chance of the rough
edges of the castings. A revolving jig
with four double sets of steel pins held
the brasses in the exact positions, and
the finished faces were planed absolute-
ly true.
The exact boring of cylinders, tires
and other work is brought to perfection
by the use of a micrometer on the end
of a steel rod. Over the pointer of the
micrometer there is a removable steel
sheath of a certain known thickness.
This hardened sheath is not liable to
wear from contact with other metallic
substances, and when the exact point of
adjustment of the cut is attained the
sheath is removed until its further ser-
vices is required.
THE BLACKSMITH SHOP.
We cannot close our brief notes with-
out some reference to the blacksmith's
shop. Mr. C. A. Slinker, the foreman
blacksmith, is a master in metal. His
bulldozers are turning out excellent
work. The eccentric jaws, and brake
rod ends, and shaking grate lever sock-
ets, and ej'e bolts, and castle nuts, and
cylinder cocks, and fire hooks, and oth-
er work have the elegant finish of cast-
ings, and we hope to have an early op-
portunity of furnishing illustrations in
the pages of Railway and Locomotive
Engineering of soine of the work that
these ingenious devices produce.
Conventions for Atlantic City.
The joint meeting of the executive
committees of the Master Mechanics and
the Master Car Builders' Associations re-
cently met in Washington to decide upon
the place of meeting for the railway as-
sociations next June. Atlantic City was
decided upon as the meeting place, and
Young's pier will be where the exhibits
will be placed and where the sessions of
the societies will be held. Saratoga made
an unsuccessful bid for the conventions.
The conventions have steadily grown iti
numbers attending, and the space for ex-
hibits must necessarily be vejrjy .large.
XGvember, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
447
General Correspondence
Valve Trouble.
Editor :
In the September issue of your valuable
paper the question was asked as to what
ailed a blowing valve and in the October
issue of Railway and Locomotive Engi-
neering, page 405, some good brother at-
tempted to explain what the difficulty was.
If this gentleman will consult the ques-
tion again, he will tind that it was stated
that the valve had 5^i ins. travel. Now
in order for the valve to uncover the
steam port fully it would be necessary
for the valve to travel 2 times the sum of
the lap and lead.
tH X 2 = 3% ins. width of steam port
and ?^X2=i^4 ins. outside of lap of
valve, and 5 ins. is the total travel of
valve.
It is true that the valve over travels
'A in., however, it would be necessary
for the valve to have 8 ins. travel in order
to have the exhaust port uncovered. The
valve travel in this case has been looked
into thoroughly and it is equal in forward
and backward motion, the reach rod being
the proper length. I thank the brother
for his information, but he has another
guess coming. Subscriber,
Covington, Ky.
Slide Valve Trouble.
Editor:
In September issue of Railway and
Locomotive Engineering a subscriber,
C. & O. Shops. Covington, Ky., states that
they are experiencing trouble in placing
<he cause of a blow in slide valve, and to
which you add a footnote saying you will
be pleased to hear from anyone who can
explain cause of trouble. Before doing
so it will be necessary for you to give
correct dimensions of valve, as same given
in cut allows the valve 2% inches steam
Jap, the width of valve being given as
14J4 inches. Perhaps this should have read
11 J4 inches, which would allow %-inch
lap. J. H, Low.
, Medicine Hoi, Alia.
(We will be pleased to have our sub-
scriber from Covington, Ky., say if sizes
given' in our September p.i[)or arc correct.
Our illustration was ma'lc from sketch
sent us. — Editor.]
Slide Valve Trouble.
F.dilor:
Referring to slide valve tronble in your
September isstie, we once h.nd an engine
that act'd the' same way and she had the
'AHen-Rifhardson ported valve.' I meas-
"ured the back end of valve rod aiid found
'it lower when rocker arm was on center.
than tlie stuthng box in steam chest. My
belief was that when in full gear the valve
rod would come down still lower, clamp
the valve in the yoke and raise the edge
of the valve off its seat, and after steam
got under the valve it would help to
hold it up. In starting full gear she
would blow very hard. By hooking her
up 3 or 4 notches she would not blow so
bad, and by hitting the valve rod with a
block of wood the valve would drop to
the seat and blow would cease. Nothing
was done to this engine ; only a block of
wood was driven in the front of the guard
seat and later she went to another divi-
sion F. O. Hillman.
R. H. Foreman, C, G.-W.
Red Wing, Minn.
iiing iy2 miles per day. This engine
has made 530 miles to one pint of cyl-
inder oil, including the lubrication of
the air pump. If you know of a record
that will beat this let me hear from
you. As soon as my patents are al-
lowed I will put the device on the mar-
ket. Yours truly.
J. H, W.^TTERS,
Ass't M. M. Georgia Railroad.
AugHsta, Ca.
Locomotive Lubricating Device.
Editor:
I know you are always interested in
something new; therefore I send you
this little item. I have recently de-
signed a little device and applied it to
the lubricating system of a locomotive
which revolutionizes the present prac-
tice. As you are aware, the past rec-
Making of Good Engineers.
It has been said that any man can
do a job with good tools, but it takes
a mechanic to do a good job with poor
tools. Perhaps this is the reason why
the Traveling Engineers' Association
is working so hard on the subject. Some
of the tools are "awful" — reasons, re-
trenchments, monthly allotment sys-
tem, shortage of power, etc. Education
is what we all need and the companies
or persons operating the railroads
should recognize this fact, besides the
Traveling Engineers, and take steps
toward establishing the proper schools
for this purpose. When one rides one
TO CYLINDER
OUTLINIC SKF.TCH OF
ords for cylinder lubrication undci)
present methods average in freight ser-
vice from 60 to 90 miles to one pint,
and in passenger service from 90 to
140 miles, varying somewhat according
lo the diameter of the cylinder.
Tl>e oil frnm the lubricator is passed
ihrniigh superheating pipes which are lo-
cai'il in the front such as shown in sketch,
I Iw icmp<T.itiire of the oil is raised above
th.il of the saturated sleam and is carried
in suspension liy the steam resiiIliiiK in
perfect lubrication.
With my nrranffement I have just
fonvpleled « test on a locomotive run-
FROM
LUBRICATOR
TO CYLINDER
WATTERS <1ir, Ili:.\'ll,K.
of the present-day freight "hogs" it is
easy to sec why it is hard to obtain
the material from which to make good
engineers. Who is desirous of taking
a job at manual labor, shoveling from
ten. to twenty tons of coal per day of
possibly sixteen hours and after eight
or ten hours (not rest) "off duty," go
right at it again, in the meantime ab-
sorbing an education relative to the
business with a view to becoming an
mginccr?
Since the 16-hour or "bird law" went
into effect the officials say the men be-
long to tHdm after eii^ht or ten hours
448
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
November, 1910.
off duty, as the case may be. Every
man should take pride in educating
himself in the line of business which
he follows for a livelihood. The prin-
cipal question seems to be that of get-
ting men husky enough to meet the
manual requirements and have enough
gray matter to absorb enough knowl-
edge of the "hog" to pass the neces-
sary examinations. More inducements
are offered to men to become trainmen.
The pay is almost as good, no hard
labor, comfortable caboose, not one-
half as much to learn before being ca-
pable of being promoted. The Travel-
ing Engineers on each individual sys-
tem should compile a series of ques-
tions and answers relative to the work,
as required by the company employing
them, for the education of the men
over whom they have authority. Are
there any better men for this purpose
than some of them, like Mr. C. B. Con-
ger, who have had e.xperience? Is
there anything better, more education,
to the point or more easily understood
than Mr. Conger's writings?
There should be talent enough on
each large system to do the work of
producing the necessary educational
matter for the system according to
their rules. To educate the men to
make use of the "low grade" coal spok-
en of in the president's message or ad-
dress is a horse of another color. Some
one should be educated to draft the lo-
comotives, so that the "low grade" coal
will remain on the fire long enough to
give up its heat before passing out of
the smokestack. Enough coal is wasted
ky never touching the fire to buy
enough oil to oil the engine indefinite-'
ly. Mine owners in loading "run of
mine" coal usually seize the opportun-
ity to clean up the "gob" or work oflf a
lot of "bug dust" for good money,
producing what an official once called
"not poor coal but fine coal." Of
course, a fireman must be educated to
fire this good coal — the engineer how to
haul maximum tonnage without "hang-
ing up" and with a "due regard to econ-
omy in the use of fuel, etc."
One of the best educational mediums
which I have so far found and can rec-
ommend to the T. E. A. is Railway
AND Locomotive Engineering. The
question of vital importance to some
hundred odd thousand of engineers and
firemen is the making of good officials.
So many men with "paper records,"
"pull," "hold on the company through
accident," ability to "bulldoze," as well
as "soft soap." The men get the posi-
tions where life is made a misery for
the subordinates who are compelled to
take their orders or abuse. However,
we have many officials who are gen-
tlemen in every sense of the term,
thank the Lord. Let the millenium
come. Augustine Holtzkopf.
Wheeling, W. Va.
Reseating Safety Valves.
Editor :
The print I send you shows our method
of reseating safety valves without taking
them from boiler. This method does first-
class work and we have no occasion to
remove safety valves until they are worn
the value which a positive signal would
be to the inexperienced train crew is in-
estimable. The front end of an engine
is now taken up with headlight, classifi-
cation lamps, flag-staflfs and marker
stands. Where is there room for more?
Simply by placing or arranging these ap-
APP.\R.\TUS rSED FOR RF.SK.VTING StVFETV VAL\'ES
out. The facing and reseating tools are
held central by brass nut, as shown in
section, and a few turns of each tool com-
pletes the work. This tool will interest
any one who is removing safety valves
for reseating.
Chas. Maskel,
Shop Foreman, C. & N. W. Ry.
Clinton, la.
Identification and Schedule Fulfilled
Signals.
Editor:
Much has appeared in print in the sun-
dry railway magazines and journals dur-
ing the past three years, pro and con,
relative to the necessity of identification
and schedule fulfilled signals. While
all writers on the subject are in unison
as to the place of location for a identifi-
cation signal or indicator, viz. : That it
should be carried on the front end of a
train, which would be on the front end
of the engine. There is much diversity
of opinion as regards the location and
kind of signal which would prove of value
as a schedule fulfilled signal or signals,
especially so in the case of trains consisting
of, or composed of sections. There is no
question but that the engineer would pre-
fer a positive signal to a negative one,
likewise an experienced train crew, and
pliances so that their greatest utility and
benefit to the service will be derived. The
writer has heard of the remark of a
brother engineer, which was to the effect,
"That to place a headlight in front of
the numberplate or just above it spoils
the appearance or beauty of the engine,"
but does it spoil the beauty of the light?
Headlights on modern engines are
placed too high, and a little experiment-
ing on the part of the unbeliever will
prove the correctness of this assertion.
Locate the headlight in front of where
the number plate now is, or a little above
it, according to the height of the boiler,
and a much better light is thrown ahead
upon the track. Switch points, targets,
etc., are the more clearly seen and at a
greater distance, and the light penetrates
the darkness a greater rail distance, en-
hancing its value. Therein the beauty
lies. Take a bull's-eye lantern into the
darkness, hold it above the head, then
at the waist; objects are plainer and at
a greater distance with the lamp in the
latter position. It's no optical illusion,
simply the result of a natural law.
Therefore an engineer cannot see as well
with a headlight located above his direct
line of vision, as he can with the one
which is placed below it. We then place
the headlight in front of the smoke-box
where it gives the best results.
November, igia
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
449
In so doing we must try to please our
confreres and therefore must not rob the
engine of her beauty nor symmetrical ap-
pearance, so we place, in a sense, a
dummy headlight where the headlight
ought to be. to preserve her beauty, and
make its length as great as beauty will
permit, with a ground or painted white
glass in front, over which the numbers
of, or letters indicating the kind of train
are attached. The numerals and letters
for such being kept, while not in use, in
a section or compartment at the back of
the dummy. On each side apertures with
glasses are provided for the number of
the engine and the dummy is lighted with
an electric lamp, gas burner, or oil gauge
lamp. The classification lamp and flags,
the latter can be made of tin painted, if
preferable, and kept with the numerals
and letters when not in use, on
each side of the dummy and on the
same plane. We can now at a glance read
the kind and number of the train or both,
number of engine and classification sig-
nals if any. There is no chance nor ex-
cuse for a mistake, except where engi-
neers and train crews might take a figure
3 for a 5 or 8, or a figure s for a 6 or
vice versa. The numerals can be made
from 5 to 8 ins. in height, and if such
mistakes are possible make use of those
numerals and letters as cannot be mis-
taken such as I, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, and o. X
could ncft be taken for anything but x by
a man who was awake. Sketches illus-
trate the foregoing. The writer holds
caveats issued under the regulations of
the International Patent Convention
which will be allowed to expire. You.
therefore, are at liberty to make use of
the above described device. A Christ-
mas present for the needy ; small favors
thankfully received, larger ones in pro-
portion.
Now for the schedule fulfilled signal.
Rule 19 of the revised code of 1906 says,
"That markers shall be carried, showing
by night a green light to the front and
sides and red to the rear, and by day
green flags at the rear end of a train.
Referring to the code, a section is a part
of a train, but it carries markers indicat-
ing it to be the rear end of the train, not
the rear end of a section. Rule 19 was
not changed when sections became fash-
ionable: correctly the markers should in-
dicate the rear end of the leading section
or sections and not the rear end of the
train. It is not consistent that we should
here cite different opinions based upon
an hypothesis regarding the intention of
this or that rule in the code. The vocab-
ulary of the English language is suffi-
ciently large that both the wording and
intention of all rules be the same. There-
fore should markers showing by night,
red to the rear and whitr to the front
and sides, ground or p-tintrd rLisscs being
used to show a dull white, with the num-
ber of the section attached over the glasses
to the front or sides, indicating the num-
ber of the section ; and by day, white
flags, made of tin painted and with num-
ber of the section stenciled thereon, car-
ried at the rear end of the leading section
or sections, and the regular marker of
green and red carried to indicate the rear
of such a train composed or consisting of
sections and fulfilling a schedule, a much
needed and necessary want would be
filled.
\\Tien meeting trains, where masking the
headlight is practiced, the dummy or train
indicator is of great value to the train
crew and particularly so to the engine
crew. Its light is entirely different from
all other signals, and with the numerals
or letters indicating the kind and class of
train, it cannot be mistaken for any other
signal than that which it indicates. And
in passing or meeting moving trains,
where the headlight almost blinds the crew
of the opposing train or trains, the use
of the dummy and the position of the
other signals ensures to all concerned that
clearness of reading such signals with that
ease and certainty, absolutely necessary
in the operation of modern railway trains.
In the case of a regular or extra train,
iiot consisting of sections, the dummy
headlight or train indicator and markers
provide two distinct schedule fulfilled and
Fast Repair Work.
Editor ;
In connection with article on page 386
of your valuable paper relative to quick
v/ork on C. H. & D. locomotive No. 384
and request from our mutual friend of the
C. & O. in connection with handling of
this, let me say, first of importance in
connection with the handling of locomo-
tive shops, it must be borne in mind by
officers in connection therewith that they
are upon the ground to serve a duty.
The principal is to furnish to the trans-
portation department locomotives for the
greatest use they can possibly have with
the least mechanical delay at terminals.
With this in view we endeavor, at our
larger terminals, to cut it down to the
r:inimum. In order to do this we must
have the closest co-operation of all con-
cerned, from our highest official down to
our least roundhouse employee.
At this terminal there is called to or-
der a meeting, in my office, ever>- Monday
at ID a. m. We have a form which shows
dispatch of power, and any unusual delay
is taken up and discussed thoroughly by
the foremen of various departments to
see where we can better the condition. It
may be for a great many reasons that the
engine was delayed longer than necessary
in the roundhouse. Important informa-
PROPOSED .ARR.A.VfJK.MENT OF LOCOMOTIVE SIGN.M.S.
positive signals, likewise with a train con-
sisting of sections, a crew would know
when the last section was met or passed.
The markers or signals on the rear end
acting as a check on those of the front
end.
Experienced railroaders prefer the
Double Order System, so let's have it in
something more than on paper, and it is
up to. not only brotherhood organizations,
but fraternal societies as well, to see to
it, th.nt their members individually and col-
lectively are given means for such pro-
tection. It's as good, if not better, than
more life insurance, especially from the
careful and thoughtful engineman's point
of view. Question !
W. Allan Onri.i.
Aparladn lUO.
City of Mtxico, Mtxico.
tion as to increasing the efficiency of the
department is brought about in this man-
ner. With the same view the back shop
engines are handled accordingly. We fig-
ure that every hour an engine is lying
around the terminal that the company is
being deprived of an earning unit. The
handling of the engine of which we speak
is no uncommon occurrence with our or-
ganization. We handle this matter month
in and month out.
The solicitation of one of your repre-
sentatives, which happens to be one of
our engineers, thought it would be of in-
terest to some readers of your paper on
prompt handling of such matters and I
see that it has been quoted. Engme 384
has ao X 2(> in. cylinders; has 314 3-in
flues 14 ft. long; is of the lowheel type
with drivers $7 '"»• outside of tires.
450
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
November, 1910.
weighing 127,700 lbs. on drivers and
24,300 lbs. on truck; tender 116,052 lbs.
At this point I would call the attention
of readers of my remarks before General
Foremen's Association, page 386 of your
September issue, which relate to this
subject. We build an extra back end of
boiler, including firebox that joins the
boiler at the throat sheet, this being so
arranged by the boiler department that
it will be ready for application about the
third day that the engine is in the shop,
therefore avoiding all this delay of lying
around, and putting engine in service
more promptly. We also have shoes and
wedges and driving boxes for this class
of engine on hand before the engine is
taken into the shop, and you will see
by this method it is very easy to keep
your engines in service and do a large
amount of work upon locomotives of
this description in a very short time.
Personally I attribute the prompt han-
dling of this matter to the system of
cards which we have on file in the general
foreman's office. We know each engine
that is going to occupy the pit in the back
shop three months before she is due.
Our roundhouse foreman, traveling en-
gineer, engine inspectors, boiler inspector
file in this card system reports covering the
work that will be required by the loco-
motive two and three months before she
is ready for the back shop. The store-
keeper consults these at different inter-
vals and sees that he has material on
hand for making such repairs. This waj'
we do not get any surplus material on
hand, only that which is required for the
repairs to locomotives in the back shop,
■and our work is handled promptly. The
system is worthy of investigation.
F. C. PlCK.\RD,
Master Mechanic C. H. & D.
Indianapolis, hid.
Big Four Engine 361.
Editor:
I notice in the September number a
request for information regarding Big
Four Atlantic type locomotive No.
361. I take it that our German friend
is not familiar with American prac-
.tice with regard to painting engines —
nearly everything black. The smoke-
;box, pilot, coupler and wheel centers
are a dull black; the remainder of the
boiler, tender and cab a gloss black;
wheel rims, light gray; name of the
road and striping on tender, gold.
.' Although not a Big Four man, I was,
nevertheless, quite familiar with this
engine, as I used to see her often.
'She was built, with two similar en-
gines, at the Brooks Works of the
American Locomotive Company, and
was originally intended for service on
the Peoria & Eastern division, and was
known as No. 574. A good half-tone
■and description of locomotive No. 574
.appeared in R.mlwav and Locomotive
Engineering for December, 1903, page
547. For some reason the three loco-
motives were transferred to the Big
Four proper and No. 574 became No.
361. Several years ago, when the Big
Four equipment was relettered to "New
York Central Lines," No. 361 again re-
ceived a new number, and it is now
known as No. 6928, class I-62-a. The
model of the engine shown by Mr.
Schuyler is a fairly good representation
of the engine, although the pilot details
are lacking.
I regret that an error was made in
giving the new class of the old class
"O" Pennsylvania engine, described on
page 366 of the September number. It
should read D-8a instead of D-ioa.
The D-ioa locomotives are larger and
have Belpaire boilers.
Robert C. Schmid.
I-cvt ]J'avnc. IitJ.
Chicago, July 31, 1910, the subject be-
ing a new safety derail signal, the sim-
plicity and ingeniousness of which
caused the meeting to unanimously pass
a vote of confidence and support there-
in. The subject was introduced by my-
self, being the inventor of the new de-
rail signal. The description is as fol-
lows:
My automatic protective signal for de-
rail at railroad interlocking plants, which
shows position of derail at night, is com-
posed of a fixed white or other suitable
color light and shield, light showing
white automaticallv when track is clear
Position of Pivot Point.
Editor :
In sending question to you re 2-6-2
class engine I found when too late to re-
call letter that I hadn't given you suffi-
cient information about same. The ques-
tion I would like answered is:
A 2-6-2 class engine weighs 60 tons,
pony trucks front and rear, 6 wheels
coupled drivers. The main drivers carry
16 tons weight, which is one ton more
than leading or trailing drivers, whose
weights are the same, 15 tons on each.
Pony trucks have equal w-eights, 7 tons
on each. Compensated throughout. Total
wheel base, 28 ft; rigid wheel base, 14 ft.
How would you proportion your com-
pensating holds to give these weights?
F. Williams.
Sydney, Nezv South JVales.
[In answering this question, as you
have stated it, several things have to be
assumed, as you have not given them. We
will suppose the length of the equalizer is
4 ft. and that at present the pivot is ex-
actly in the center of the equalizer. Take,
for example, the leading and the center
wheel. The front equalizer gives 15 tons
to the leading wheel and 15}/^ tons to the
rear wheel. Working out this problem
our way involves solving a simultaneous
equation, which it is not necessary to give
here. ..The result, however, is that in or-
der to produce equal weights on the
wheels it is necessary to move the pivot
of the equalizer away from the center
wheeji a distance of a little over 25/32
of an inch. This is a thirty-second more
than .J4 in. The fraction as worked out
in decimals is 0.78699. The approximate
distance would be about 25/32 of an inch,
full. — Editor.]
OERAtL ROOl
DERAJl. SET
DERAIL SIGNAL.
and covered by shield in which the dan-
ger color shows when derail is set. Two
colors may be used in the shield when
white is not used for clear. The shield is
secured to the derail rod or bar and moves
automatically with the movement of de-
rail. The lamp is an ordinary bullseye
light, kerosene burner, secured on short
wood or cement post set in ground, show-
ing in front of an approaching train. This
light does not displace or take the office of
the regular interlocking plant signals, but
is an additional signal which does not
require a long distance movement or con-
nection. C. J. Teare,
Loco. Engr. Div. 96, B. of L. E.
Chicago, III.
Nev7 Style of Main Rod, C. & N. W.
Editor:
1 am sending you a blue print of a new
style main rod that does away with straps,
bolts, set screws and flanged brasses ma-
chined in shaper, then hand fitted after
Signal for Derail.
ROU BRASS, C. & -N.W.
being planed. The first cost of this new
Editor: style of rod is less than the present style,
A: matter of particular interest was which is expensive to make and is con-
introduced at the Brotherhood of Loco- tinually breaking straps, flanges on brasses
motive Engineers' union meeting in and causing great damage. The present
November, igio.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
451
style is very- expensive as to renewals such
as straps, bolts, brasses, etc.
The filling blocks and wedge as shown
are cast steel made from patterns allow-
ing enough stock to finish up. All work is
done in jigs, which makes all parts dupli-
cate of one another, and the cost is not
excessive. The two filling blocks that
hold the brasses are made in one piece
by simply planing on both sides; then
placed on a boring mill they are bored and
counterbored for brass fit, then planed on
both ends. When planing top and bottom
for rod fit it cuts itself in halves. These
two filling blocks will last for years, as
there is no wear on them. The only part
that requires renewing is the brass, which
is quickly made, as it is lathe work, and
six of them can be turned up while shap-
ing one of the old style flanged brasses.
To make this brass, it is bored out to fit
crank pin, then placed on mandrel and
turned up to fit bored out hole in filling
blocks, then planed top and bottom to fit
opening in rod, which prevents the brass
from turning.
This style of brass has no flanges to
to frozen pipes, closed tank valves, tank
hose with collapsed linings, screens filled
with ballast or burst pipes and low
water in tank.
2. Steam failing to reach injector in
sufficient quantities due to partly closed
valves or valves having the ends ofl and
lying over passageway. On very rare
occasions an obstruction may get into
these pipes, such as rivet heads or waste,
especially after the boiler has undergone
heavy repairs.
3. Overflow pipe stopped by ice, or coal
and ashes when the pipes. empty into ash
pans.
4. .-Kny leak in the feed-pipe to the in-
jector will cause defective vacuum to be
formed. The closer to the injector the
more serious. Pipes not lining up prop-
erly or collars pulled loose from pipes.
These collars do not show large cracks
when pipe is disconnected, but develop
when in place and under stress of the
unions.
5. Dirt in inlet valves or valves cor-
roded and galled or stem bent by use of
improper tools. This defect allows steam
NF.W STYLE MAIN ROIX C, & N.-W.! R.
break oflF and is Vi-in. thicker than the
present brass we use, which means longer
life and better service. It also has 33 sq.
in».more bearing surface than the present
brass. The front end brass on this rod
has round turned up brass in place of the
present brass, which is all shaper and
hand work. I believe this bit of informa-
tion will be of interest to your readers.
W. J. Shadle,
General Foreman, C. & N. W. Ry.
Clinton, la.
. Injectors, Their Defects and Remedies.
Editor : /
Injector troubles attending those jiijec-
lorj of lifting type can be' divided into
■two cU»v!»t<iviiL: Not lifting water and
lifting water, but failing to delirer it to
.boiler.
Defects oousiag failures of first class,
and most ronmionly met with, are as
S follows :
- I. Water (allinx to reach injector due
to flow directly back on top of the water
from the feed-pipe.
6. At times cracks will develop in the
injector body under the steam nozzle,
and allow steam to enter into the the
feed water and destroy vacuum. This
defect is a tricky one, as an injector may
work with a low steam pressure and fail
with a high pressure of steam, which
forces more steam into feed water than
the low pressure did.
7. The outsidi notzlc will work o(T the
steam nozzle and fall down over the small
f' rming jet hnlcs, causing steam to blow
back into the tank just as a brokern over-
flow valve will.
X On rare occasions I have seen the
ciul break off the steam ram and be held
ir. place in the steam nozzle, while the
luindle was forced out, permitting str.im in
t-rcat quantities to flow out of the over-
flow pipe and back to the tank.
In treating the ftrst set of defects the
r'ine»ly in obviom ; remove the obstruc-
tion. A word might be dropped here in
reference to tank hose linings. In exam-
ining the hose have them in such a posi-
tion that a light, such as a small piece of
waste on a wire, may be run through them
from end to end, affording the repairman
a good chance to examine them. Wash-
ers or gaskets, with insufficient opening,
might also be mentioned.
Burst pipes may be patched up by
tightly bandaging a piece of gum on the
crack with rope or wire until a terminal
ii reached.
Pipes not lining up properly at joints
may be temporarily repaired by wrapping
the joint with lamp wick or string, so as
to make a joint which will be slightly
expansive and tend to fill the larger space
where the pipe gaps. A cracked collar
also can be wrapped with string when the
pipe is disconnected ; then when coupled
the nut will pull the string tight into the
crack.
Dirt may be removed from inlet valves
and galled valves moved by closing over-
flow valve, removing tank hose and flow-
ing stream back through feed pipe. In
doing this, open and close steam ram
rapidly. If you hear a sharp report, as
of a firearm, you may be certain there is
no dirt present. On some classes of injec-
tors, such as the Simplex, a small plug
cock in the body of the injector allows the
inlet valve to be cut out. This reduces
the amount of water discharged, however,
and if an injector can be made to work
with it cut out, it is not bad practice to
cut the valve in while the injector is not
working, and try to wash out the foreign
matter.
The remaining defects need special tools
and an experienced man to remedy. The
only thing a man along the road can do
in event of these defects arising is to
close his water and steam valves and use
the other injector.
Bad boiler checks do not interfere so
much with the later types of injectors
as they did, although a bad boiler check,
a steam nozzle leaking through its seat
in the injector body, or a steam ram
leaking through its seat on the nozzle,
will make an injector of these late types
slow to prime.
Injectors failing to force water may be
caused by any of the following defects :
(1) A partial cutting off of the water or
steam supply. (2) Line check valve in
injector broken or stuck. (3) Insuthcient
lift in boiler check. (4) Obstruction in
delivery pipe. (5) Obstruction in deliv-
,cry pr combining tnhes ,of injector. (6)
GjmbininR tube worn at smallest diame-
ter by ailion of steam, water and for-
eign mattir. This defect causes injector
to waste water at overflow when a part
is entering boiler. (7) , In renewing
steam noz/les, .sraLi arc often reamed out
in the V«ly atul faced, off the nozzle,
..allowing the nozric to too closely ap-
proach the combining tubes.
452
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
November, 1910.
These first two defects may be remedied
on the road sometimes, as may the fourth
one. Partially closed steam valves and
tank valves opened and screens cleaned
may be done by any one.
Line check valves may be opened when
stuck by closing the overflow valve at the
same time the injector handle is pulled
out. Some injectors have lubricating
plugs for emergency cases of this kind
placed just over the feed-pipe connection.
To use this, remove the plug from the
injector, which will cause a strong draft
into the hole and carry the oil well into
the injector; then replace the plug. In
replacing plug be careful, as sometimes
the steam flies out in good supply as soon
as the vacuum commences to form in in-
jector. The remaining defects call for
experienced aid.
In reference to the last two defects it
would be well for the repairman to closely
acquaint himself with the dimensions of
the tubes of their different class of injec-
tors. Also learn the distance from end
of delivery tube to seat of steam nozzle.
In case there is any deviation from stand-
ard measurements this can be remedied
by having a liner of the desired thickness
turned up and placed on the injector
steam nozzle seat where it screws into the
injector. In diameter this liner should
be the same as the nozzle on the outside,
and on the inside just large enough to
snugly pass the threaded portion. Care
should be exercised to prevent the liner
dropping out of place and preventing the
nozzle seating properly on the barrel.
S. S. O.
Uarrishurg, Pa.
Test for Loose Wheels.
An accident due to a loose wheel on
the London. Brighton and South Coast
Railway has of course been investigated
by the railway department of the Board
of Trade, Col. Von Donop presiding. It
appears that the only records of simi-
lar accidents were on the Great Western,
and in the report of the L., -B.
and S. C. accident, the precautions
now taken by the Great Western Railway
are referred to by way of giving an ex-
ample of what very careful and high-
grade shop practice is.
The Great Western people, after press-
ing a wheel on the axle, make a practice
of applying a back test pressure of 50
tons on all wheels fitted up in the shops.
They also have a tape record of the pres-
sure during the whole process, which
makes an automatic record, and thus any
variation or fluctuation in the constant
pressure applied is easily discernible.
The so ton back pressure is applied to see
if the wheel can be started after finally
home on its seat. The London, Brighton
and South Coast Railway have adopted
the back pressure test for wheels since the
accident.
Observations on Disconnecting.
Bv F. P. RoESCH.
We are all more or less the slaves of
precedent; a custom once established,
regardless of the cause that called it
into being, becomes in the course of
time sacred, gospel law — a law per-
I-.aps that carries with it no other pen-
alty for violation but universal con-
demnation, but none the less one that
but few have the temerity to gainsay.
The origin of the law may be obscured
in the dim and mystic past; the reason
for its existence may rest upon no
firmer foundation than the expressed
opinion of some long since dead and
forgotten individuals; but the opinion
as expressed by constant repetition
gains strength and volume, like a snow-
ball rolling down hill, until it becomes
accepted as an uncontrovertible fact,
and as such becomes a law. In the in-
fancy of railroading, before the strength
of material was calculated to the nicety
and exactness that it is at the present,
or before the mechanically dependable
material of to-day was obtainable, the
failure of the various parts that enter
into the construction of the locomotive
was of such frequency that successful
disconnecting of the parts that would
enable a man to bring his engine to
the terminal under her own steam, with
part of the train, and eliminate all pos-
sibility of further damage, became al-
most an exact science. Every success-
ful method of disconnecting was dis-
cussed, written up, commented on, un-
til it became established as correct prac-
tice and the proper thing to do under
the circumstances.
Some of the methods still obtain and
can still be claimed as good practice ;
some others have been stationary while
the locomotive has been going through
a period of evolution. Our disconnect-
ing practice, through respect for the
sacredness of old established laws, has
not in all cases kept pace with the
march of progress. Only in cases
where the enlargement of parts or re-
vised construction compelled it was any
deviation from established practice
made, and even then the violation of
the old law was approached in fear and
trembling and the experimentor felt as
if the sword of Damocles was sus-
pended above his head until repeated
successful ventures proved the correct-
ness of his views.
Time was, and not so long ago,
either, when the engineer who did not
disconnect his main rod in all cases
where the valve stem was disconnected
might just as well call for his time on
arrival ; he was almost sure to be dis-
charged any\vay, not for any real or
fancied damage to the cylinders, but
for violation of established precedent.
Times have changed, however, with the
advent of the i,ooo-lb. main rod; and
yet it took years to break away from
this practice, and then only because ne-
cessity compelled it.
.•\mong the hoary and time-honored
laws that still maintain an all-unwar-
ranted existence none looms more
prominent than the disconnection of
side rods, and it is to lead up to this
particular subject that this long pre-
amble has been written.
The old law reads, "In case of fail-
ure of a side rod the corresponding:
section on the opposite side should be
removed also."
Law No. 2 reads, "In case of a failure
of main connection on an engine hav-
ing three or more connected drivers, all
side rods on both sides should be re-
moved and the engine brought in with
the main rods up only."
Law Xo. 3 reads : "In case the main
crank pin breaks oflf close to the wheel,
all side rods should come down on both
sides and the engine brought in with but
one main rod up."
The question that will at once arise
in an investigating mind is, "Why?"
Take law Xo. i, for instance, "in case
nf a broken side rod the corresponding
rod should come down also." This is
undoubtedly good practice, where the
side rod involved is the front or back
section on a consolidation locomotive,
or the side rod on an 8-wheel engine,
but even in the latter case the question
will arise, is it necessary and is it good
practice? While there is no question
as to the correctness of the practice,
as applied to front and back sections
on consolidation locomotives, and ordi-
narily on 8-wheel locomotives, yet there
may be times when it might be well to
deviate from the established practice
in case of an 8-wheel engine. The haul-
ing capacity of every locomotive is gov-
erned largely by the adhesion of the
drivers, the ratio of adhesion or trac-
tive power being usually as 4 is to I, or
4.5 is to I. In other words, for every
pound of tractive power developed in the
cylinders we have from four to four and
one-half pounds of adhesive weight to
hold the drivers to the rail and prevent
the engine from slipping.
Take now an 8-wheel engine with a
broken side rod where both side rods
are disconnected and only the main
rods left up. In this case our ratio of
adhesion to tractive power would prob-
ably be ai! 2 is to I, and, consequently,
it would be almost impossible to hold
the engine to the rail or prevent slip-
ping; therefore, if the engine was cou-
pled to a passenger train hea\'y enough
so that it required considerable effort
on the part of the engine to start it,
the probabilities are that with an en-
gine disconnected in this manner the
train could not be handled at all, and
yet. if instead of a broken side rod the
November. loio.
R.\IL\VAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
453
engine broke a valve stem so that one
side CI the engine was inoperative, the
engineer would have no hesitation in
to'ing to handle the train with his en-
gine on one side, and no doubt he could
handle it successfully. In this case, if
the engine was disconnected in the old
manner — that is, both side rods taken
down — the probabilities are that it would
be necessarj- to send lor another en-
gine to handle the train. For this
reason, would it not be better to dis-
coimect the main rod on the same
side where the side rod was broken
and leave the side rod up on the other
side, thus virtually putting the engine
on one side and thereby leaving it its
total ratio of adhesion so as to elimi-
nate all possibility of slipping?
Considering Law No. 2, "failure of
main connection," there are some types
of engines, notably switch engines,
which have the main rod connected to
the rear pair of drivers and the eccen-
trics on the intermediate pair. In case
of failure of a main connection of an
engine of this type, if the corresponding
side rod on the opposite side were
taken down also, the engine would be
totally disabled. This also applies to
some types of consolidation engines
where the main rod is connected to one
pair of wheels, while the eccentrics are
mounted on the a.xle of the preceding
pair, and in this case, same as the one
above mentioned, in case of the failure
of the main connection on one side it
would be necessary to take down all
side rods on both sides according to
the old methods of disconnecting, which
would totally disable this engine just
the same as the previous one. While
there cannot be such serious objection
to the old methods of disconnecting in
case of an 8-wheel engine, yet we be-
lieve that in modern practice different
methods "^hould be employed, as, for
instance, in case of the failure of the
main connection on any type of engine
where the main rods are connected to
one pair of wheels and the eccentrics
are mounted on another axle, instead of
totally disabling the engine by discon-
necting all side rods, the side rods
should be removed only from the side
where the main connection is broken,
but, in addition to this, the main rod
should be taken down on that side also.
This would put the engine on one side,
and not only enable it to handle itself, but
to handle about one-half of its usual
rating.
Again, take the case of a broken main
connection on an ordinary mogul or
lo-wheel or consolidation engine, where
the eccentrics arc mounted on the same
axle to which the main rods are con-
nected. In Ihik case, if the main connec-
tion on one side broke, established cui-
tom would have you remove all tide
rods from b<'th sides, bringing the en-
gine in with the main drivers only. If
this were on a consolidation engine, we
question whether the engine would
handle itself with but the main drivers
operative, as in this case the ratio of
adhesion to tractive power would be
as I to I, and, consequetntly, the main
wheel would simply slip instead of
propelling the engine. A lo-wheel en-
gine disconnected in this manner would
necessarily have to give up its train,
whereas, if on a passenger train and dis-
connected by the new method, it could
handle its train to the terminal and pos-
sibly make running time.
Considering Law No. 3, "in case of a
broken main crank pin close to the
wheel," this, under the old method,
would mean take down all side rods on
both sides and bring the engine in with
one main rod up only. In case of any-
thing larger than an 8-wheeI engine
it is question whether the engine would
handle itself or not, and even if it did
handle itself, which would only be pos-
sible on a level road, it could not han-
dle any portion of its train. In our
opinion, therefore, the proper method
of disconnecting would be to take
down the main rod and all side rods on
the disabled side, leaving the main rod
and all side rods up on the good side.
This would not only enable the engine
to handle itself, but if on a passenger
train to handle the passenger train, and
if on a freight train to handle about one-
half of its rating. Another point in favor
of the new method of disconnecting is
that on nearly all modern engines larger
than the 8-wheel type it is necessary to
disconnect the back end of the main rod
before the side rods can be taken down;
therefore, under the old method, after
the side rods were taken down, it would
be necessary to connect the back ends
fif the main rod up again. This would
involve a possibility of getting liners
mixed up, thereby lengthening or
shortening the main rod so that in ad-
dition to the broken side rod or crank
pin, as the case might be, you would
probably have a broken cylinder head,
if nnt a broken cylinder.
We fully realize that objections will
he heard from all sides against the pro-
I osfd method of disconnecting, some of
tlie objections being that with one main
rod up only and all the side rods up on
llic same side there would be a possi-
l,ility of some of the drivers slipping,
•.o as to throw the rods in strain, break-
iiiK cither the rods or the crank pins.
A moment's thought, however, should
ronvincc anyone that the wheels will
ri'.t slip going down hill when the en-
^Miie is drifting, and cannot slip when
working steam, for the simple reason
that, as stated before, the ratio of ad-
hr<iion to tractive power is usually as
.| or 4 5 is to I when both main rods
of the engine are connected. With only
one side of the engine up the ratio of
adhesion would be more than double;
consequently, the one cylinder would
not develop enough power under any
circumstances to slip the drivers. Cases
will no doubt be cited where damage
was done by leaving the side rods up
on one side and disconnecting same on
the other. .\ careful investigation of
these cases would no doubt develop
the fact, however, that in all such in-
stances either both main rods were left
up or else the main rod was left up on
one side and the side rods on the other.
In view of the ever-increasing dimen-
sions of locomotives, with a correspond-
ing increased difhculty in handling
heavy rods, we can see no reason why
we should not depart from the old-time
methods and adopt methods more in
line with modern railroading. The sub-
ject is now' open for discussion.
Inventions That Are Not Pushed,
When any new invention or process has
been brought out people in the regions
of modern civilization strive to improve
it in every way they can think of. The
various peoples from whom we inherited
the germs civilization were deeper
steeped in a spirit of contentment than
we are, and they did not harass them-
selves to better things that served their
turn in a modest manner.
Take steel making, for instance. The
natives of India made Wootz steel two
thousand years before Huntsman, the
reputed inventor of cast steel, was born.
The Indian blacksmiths made their cast
steel in small lumps by a very crude
process, but their product was the steel
from which the famous Damascus swords
were made; so its quality was seldom ex-
celled. These Indian blacksmiths are
making their steel by the old process to-
day, but the output is so limited that rail-
way companies in Hindustan cannot get
enough native steel to supply their ma-
chine shops with cutting tools.
Then take butter making. This useful
article of diet was first made in Syria
and was discovered by accident. A sheik
noted for the number of his flocks and
herds preferred milk to the juice of the
grape as a beverage, and he had a supply
of milk carried in goat-skins. The
jolting of the camels churned the milk
and the resulting thick substance was at
first thrown away, but by degrees the
people found that the thick stuflf had mer-
its all its own, and butter had come into
use. The Syrians — Arabs — have not im-
proved on that process of making butter,
which in those parts continues to be more
of a liquid than a solid.
Most of our readers are no doubt fa-
miliar with Lamb's story of how the
Chinese learned to cook roast pig. But
that is a ridiculous story, illustrating
habits of primitive people.
454
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
November, 1910.
Mallet Compound Made of Simples.
The Chicago Great Western Railroad
have recently built a Mallet articulated
compound engine, and have used one of
their F-3 or prairie type (2-6-2) for
the rear or high pressure unit of the
combination. The front unit was built
by the Baldwin Locomotive Works, and
the details were made interchangeable
with those of the rear section as far as
possible. The engine was converted in
the Oelwein shops of the road, where
mate component particles of matter have
a fixed size and shape known as an atom.
Recent discoveries indicate that the atom,
small as it is, is susceptible of division.
The atom is such an infinitely small en-
tity that the strongest magnifying appar-
atus has failed to show its form, but one
of the most amazing demonstrations of
science is the capacity that certain sub-
stances have for divisibility. Some in-
stances are worthy of mention.
A chip of marble may be broken and
having all the appearances of solid
gold.
The microscope has revealed the ex-
istence of animals a million of which
would not occupy more space than a grain
of sand. Yet these animalculae have limbs
and organs and display all the appear-
ances due to vitality. How shall we con-
ceive the smallness of the tubes through
which their life fluids circulate?
MALLET COMPOUND ON C. & G. W.
Mr. G. M, Crownover is the master
mechanic.
The boiler extension consists of a feed-
water heater. The tender has an 8,000-
gallon tank, the tender having been built
at the Oelwein shops. We are informed
that the converted engine is showing con-
siderable economy, vi'ith largely increased
power, and it is likely that other similar
conversions will be made, as the increas-
ing business of the company is making
larger demands upon the mechanical de-
partment. We are indebted to the
courtesy of Mr. J. G. Neufifer, superin-
tendent of motive power of the road, for
the photograph from which our illustra-
tion is made and for the information con-
cerning the conversion of the engine.
Some of the dimensions of the engine
are appended for reference :
Heating Surface. — Firebo.x, 154 sq. ft.; tubes,
total, 5.078 sq. ft.
' IS. diameter, 16 ft.
crushed to fine powder. The smallest par-
ticle of this powder discernible to the
naked eye when examined under a micro-
scope is seen to be a block having all the
qualities of the original marble.
The thinnest part of a soap bubble just
before it bursts was shown by Newton
not to exceed 2,soo,oooth part of one inch
in thickness. Yet it is evident that the
ultimate particles of water must be of
much less diameter.
The gold beater's art shows extraordi-
Single Driver for China.
.\ rather unusual type of express loco-
motive has recently been constructed for
the Shanghai-Nanking Railway of China
by Messrs. Kerr, Stuart & Co., of Stoke-
on-Trent, England. In consequence of
exceptional requirements to meet the in-
creased traffic brought about by the Nan-
king Exhibition the engineers specified
very urgent delivery, and the order was
completed within record time. The first
engine was in steam within 47 days from
the receipt of order.
The design of these engines is excep-
tional, as can be seen from our illustra-
tion, so far as Chinese railways are con-
cerned, and the proportions are so re-
markable as to constitute a novelty even
for the 4-2-2 type. An inspection of the
picture would scarcely indicate that the
driving wheels are "-ft. in diameter, as
the great height of the boiler center, and
the total height tend to dwarf them into
comparative insignificance. The leading
dimensions are : cylinders, 18 by 26 ins. ;
diameter of wheels, bogie 3 ft. 6 ins.,
driving 7 ft., trailing 4 ft. 9 ins. ; boiler —
length of barrel 12 ft. ioj4 ins., diameter
4 ft. gyi ins., height of center above rails
o ft., working pressure 180 lbs. There
ed water heater
I ins. long.
X 96 ins.
Number of Tubes. 33
Number of Tubes', fe
diameter, 8 ft. i
Firebox. — Inside, 74
Grate area, 49.3 sq.
Steam pressure, 200 lbs.
Cylinders.— High pressure, 21 s
pressure, 35 x 28 ins.
Size of Journals. — Main, 9J4 x
9 X 12 ins.; radial truck, 7 x
truck, 6 X 12 ins.; tender.
Rigid wheel base, front unit, 11
unit. 11 ft. 4 ins.; total
33 ft. 3 ins.
Weight. — On drivers, back, 135,000 lbs.; front,
130.000 lbs.; on front truck, 20,000 lbs.;
rear, 30.000 lbs.
Total wheel base, 80 ft. eyi ins.
Total weight of engine and tender. — Empty,
367.500 lbs.; loaded, 466,000 lbs.
Tractive power, 52,100 lbs.
Capacity of Tender. — Water, 8,coo gals.; coal,
16 tons.
Total length of e:
Height from top
II ins.
k
^
ppppplpll
fci^^^ift^i^biil^
._.._.
-^1
12 ins.; others,
12 ins.; engine
ft. 7 ins.; back
'ing wheel base.
ngine and tender, 90 ft.
of rail to top of stack, 14 ft.
SINGLE DRI\'ER ENGINE FOR CHIN.\.
Wonderful Instances of Durability.
Chemistry and physical science have
long enunciated the theory that the ulti-
nary examples of how finely gold can be
divided. The gold beater produces leaves
so thin that there are 382,000 in a pile one
inch thick. In making the gilt silver wire
used in embroidery, a rod of silver is
covered with a small proportion of gold
and then drawn out into a fine wire in
which the gold retains the same propor-
tion to the silver as at first. A portion of
this wire, on which the gold is only the
432,ooo,ooo,oootli part of an ounce, may
be seen by a microscope to be covered
with a continuous coating of the metal
are 188 tubes; heating surface — firebox,
182.61 sq. ft. ; tubes, 1,467.39 sq. ft. ; total,
1,650 sq. ft.; grate area, 28 sq. ft.; weight
of engine in working order, 56 tons I
cwt., and of tender 42 tons 13 cwt, the
tender having a capacity for 7 tons of
coal and 3,500 gallons of water. The
wheel-base of the engine alone is 25 ft.
2 ins., and of engine and tender 48 ft. 9
ins., the total length over couplers being
57 ft. 3H iris., and the height to chimney
cap IS ft. ; the extreme width over steps
is 9 ft. 1054 ins. . : 1 .1, , .
November, igia
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
•455
Westinghouse Companies Exhibits.
BR.\KE EXHIBIT
The principal exhibit of the Westing-
house Traction Brake Company at the
American Street and Interurban Rail-
way Association was an exhibition
rack representing the complete equip-
ment of a ID-car subway or elevated
train of motor and trailer cars, furnished
with the latest electro-pneumatic brake
system and Westinghouse governor
synchronizing system for distributing the
labor of supplying the compressed air
equally among all compressors in the
train. The electric control of the brakes
is so superimposed upon the pneumatic
apparatus that, while the brakes are be-
ing operated electrically, the pneumatic
brake proper remains fully charged and
ready for immediate application should
power go off the line or other accident
canse the electric control to become in-
operative. This feature has been charac-
teristic of all electro-pneumatic brake sys-
tems to a greater or less degree ; but in
the above electro-pneumatic equipment
the electric control has also been extend-
ed to the emergency features of the
brake, so that an emergency application
originating at the brake valve, or at any
other point in the train, is transmitted
electrically, therefore the brakes on each
car apply instantly and to full pressure.
At the same time, the pneumatic emer-
gency features are kept equal in efficiency
to the most advanced type of purely
pneumatic emergency brake.
The demonstration rack was accom-
panied by two illuminated charts showing
corves of stops as actually made with the
old-style pneumtic brake of ten years
ago and the stops now made with the
new electro-pneumatic brake. Another
demonstration equipment represented the
complete equipment of a five-car train fit-
ted with the company's type ".A MM" au-
tomatic brake equipment for interurban
service, operating cither in single cars or
trains.
There was also an exhibit including a
panel of six electric pump governors for
services ranging from ordinary city car
service to high-voltage, heavy-duty in-
stallations, like the New York, New
Haven & Hartford and the St. Oair tun-
nel electric locomotives. Other exhibits
included the Westinghouse automatic car
and air coupler and the American auto-
matic brake slack adjuster, made by the
American Brake Company, St. Louis, Mo.
rLECTRIC EXHIBIT.
The Westinghouse Electric & Manu-
facturing Company had on exhibition a
complete working outfit of its new type
"HL" multiple unit control, for street and
interurban lines, connected to two 40-hp.
railway n^otors, whjch were loaded by
Pro»»y brakes. Doe of these irotors is
the familiar type No. 101-B-3 40-hp., non-
Interpole motor; the other is a type No.
307 40-hp. inferpole motor. A large num
ber of detail parts of the control appara-
tus was also shown. A type K-34 drum
t}-pe controller for operating four 75-hp.
motors was part of the exhibition.
The standard railway motors displayed
included the No. 303-A loo-hp. motor
for high-speed interurban service ; Nos.
305 and 306 motors, rated at 50-hp. and
60-hp. respectively, for lighter cars ; and
No. 321 90-hp. motor, for 1200-volt service.
Of particular interest were the No. loi-
B-2 motor parts, including shaft, bearing
housing, field coils, brush holders, etc.
Many of these parts were cut in sections
so that the good points of their construc-
tion could be more readily appreciated.
The noted No. 3 motor, now 20 years
old, was also on view. A welded sheet
steel gear case showed one of the com-
ing possibilities for reducing the weight
of cquipnicnts. The Westinghouse single-
phase system w.Ts represented by the
vacuum. This condenser was shown
with the top half of the turbine, for
operating same, removed, and with the
revolving part of the water and air
rumps placed on the outside of the
casing, showing in detail the construction
cf the different parts of this piece of ap-
paratus.
LAMP E.\HIBIT.
The Westinghouse Lamp Company had
on e.xhibition one of each size of their
no-volt wire type tungsten lamps. These
lamps were burning on two large orna-
mental iron fi.xturcs mounted in the ex-
hibit. This company had another exhibit
of lamps, which consisted of all types,
sizes and voltages of lamps for railway
work, and included lamps with both
tungsten and metalized filaments.
The following ofiicers of the com-
panies were in attendance: Westinghouse
Air Brake Company — Messrs. A. L.
VVK.sll.MWIol SK ( u.MP.WIES' F.XIIIIIIT.
No. 135 motor, which has a capacity of
75-hp. when operated on 25 cycles and
90-hp. when operated on 15 cycles. This
is the motor used by the New York, New
Haven & Hartford Railroad Company.
The Boston & Maine Railroad also has
recently decided to electrify the Hoosac
Tunnel with the same system. The rest
r f the exhibit included a complete line of
material ; A.C. and D.C. motors for shop
m.icliinery ; transformers and incandes-
i cut lamps, etc. :
MACHINE EXHIBIT. _
The Westinghouse Machine Company
showed a Wcstinghouse-Leblanc con-
denser with air and circulating pumps
dirrrt-iconnected to a 15-hp. Wcsting-
}■'■': r steam turbine. The capacity of this
liir iiir is 7,200 His. jteart per hour with
-'■ 'l<"gs coolJnR water, proflnrinif 28 ins
Humphrey, general manager ; Jos. R. El-
licott, eastern manager ; E. A. Craig,
southeastern manager ; W. S. Bartholo-
mew, western manager ; E. L. Adreon,
southwestern manager; W. B. Turner,
chief engineer.
Westinghouse Electric & Manufactur-
ing Company — Messrs. L. A. Osborne,
2d vice-president ; S. L. Nicholson, sales
manager; C. S. Cook, manager railway
and lighting sales; G. B. Griffin, manager
detail and supply sales; J. C. McQuiston,
manager department of publicity. The
exhibit was in charge of W. Barnes, Jr.,
of the department of publicity.
Westinghouse Machine Company —
Mfssrs. E. H. Sniffin, sales manager; L.
L, Hrinsmadc, eastern manager; H. Van
Blarron, tnanager Pittsburgh diarirt ; II
f . I.ongwell, consulting engineer.
456
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
November, loio.
Rit!s;s%v.Eii9iieerii6
A Fnctioti JToonua of XotiT* Fomr, Rollins
Stock and Appliancos.
Pulili»hed Monthly by
ANGUS SINCLAIR CO.
114 Liberty Street, New York.
TclsphoB*, 914 Cortltndt.
Cable AddreM, "Locong," N. T.
Glasgow, "Loooanto."
ButinOM Department;
ANGUS SINCLAIE, D.E., Pre»t. and Tr»a».
JAMES KENNIDT. Vke-Prert. and Gen. M«T.
HAHBY A. KENITEY, Seorttaiy.
Editorial Department:
ANGUS SINCLAIR, B.E., Editor.
GEORGE S. H0DGIN8, Manajin* Editor.
JAMES KENNEDT, AMOoiata Editor.
Boston KepreiontatiTO:
S. I. CARPENTER, 64S Old South Baildiac,
Boaton, Masa.
London RepresentatlTe;
THE LOCOMOTIVE PUBLISHINO 00., Ltd.,
I Amen Comer, PatemoBter Row, London, E. 0.
Olaacow RepreaentattTS: „ ,, .
A. r. SINCLAIR, 1» Manor Road, BellaboM-
toB, Glasgow.
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Please tif< prompt natice vhen your paper
fails t» reach you regularly.
Entered »t the Post Office, New York, as
Second-class Hail Matter.
First Aid to the Ambitious.
All our readers know the aims and
objects of Railway and Locomotive
Engineering and they also know of
the work accomplished among railroad
men in the presentation of useful and
helpful information given to the best
of our ability in readable form. We
have an Air Brake Department which
is up to the highest standard in every
way. We have an Electrical Depart-
ment in which the practical side of
operation and tests of railway electri-
cal apparatus has been a marked fea-
ture. Our General Foremen's Depart-
ment contains matter of interest not
only to general foremen but to all fore-
men and to those who have to do with
railroad shops and round houses.
There is another department which
will begin in the January, 191 1, issue. We
have called it the ''First Aid to the Ambi-
tious." It contains a series of ques-
tions such as any one of our large
trunk line railways uses as a basis for
an examination for promotion. We
give the answers to these questions and
we intend to so conduct this depart-
ment that it will be what its name
implies. The careful study of the an-
swers given will materially assist those
who are ambitious to get on in their
chosen calling. Questions relating to sim-
ple physical science will also be handled
in this department, and it is believed that
they will tend to help in the understand-
ing of the whole subject. Dr. Sinclair
will give .special attention to this new
and helpful department.
We wish to say to our readers that
our correspondence columns are open
to all our readers. We want your
views on current railroad topics and
we want "shop kinks" and we will pay
for them.
Standing Shoulder to Shoulder.
In the October issue of Railway and
LocoMOTi\'E Engineering we presented
a report of the meeting of the four
leading brotherhoods of railway men
which was held in New York City on
Sept. 25. As we stated, nearly 3,000
delegates were present, and the meet-
ing has generally been characterized
as the most momentous since the es-
tablishment of the various unions of
railway employees. It embodied the
first outspoken declaration that the in-
terest of the employers and employees
are identical, and it was the first time
that these thoroughly organized unions
have ever united to support the rail-
way companies in asking from the gov-
ernment fairer and more liberal treat-
ment in the matter of transportation
rates.
The spirit of fairness which charac-
terized the stirring addresses of the
various speakers showed how carefully
the subject had been considered in all
its bearings, and the unanimity of ap-
proval with which the lucid arguments
were received showed that the speakers
reflected the matured thought of the
delegates present. It was in many ways
a new departure among railway men.
It is an evidence that the time has
come when that vast body of men en-
gaged in the railway service realize
that their interests are one and are
prepared to stand shoulder to shoulder
with their employers. It is also evident
that in the strenuous activity essential
to the performance of their multiplex
duties as railway men they have over-
looked the important matter of giving
some time and attention to the science
of government. The industrial rev-
olution which the introduction of trans-
portation by the steam engine has pro-
duced was not brought about without
much heroic self-sacrifice and much
work of a kind that can never be over-
paid. The rewards in some instances
have been great, but never in any sense
out of proportion to the benefits be-
stowed on the work accomplished. It
will be generally admitted that it should
be the duty of a just and equitable
government to foster and advance the
interests of these great enterprises so
that the good work of projecting rail-
ways into every available portion of
our great land should go on and that
the men engaged in the hazardous oc-
cupation should be properly and fully
rewarded, as is becoming to their im-
portant position as a contributing fac-
tor to our national prosperity.
The delegates represented more than
350,000 railroad men employed east of
the Mississippi River, and it is not an
overestimate to state that they, in a
large measure, represented at least
2,000,000 voters who are more or less
dependent for a livelihood on the rail-
road companies. The deliberations took
the form of a memorial to the President
of the United States, the Interstate
Commerce Commission and all other
National and State lawmaking bodies.
A set of strong resolutions was pre-
pared supporting the proposal of the
railroad companies that they be permit-
ted to make a reasonable increase in
rates, as in their opinion the rates for
transportation now permitted are too
low to enable the companies to make a
fair profit, pay fair wages, or to con-
tinue to provide high-class service to
the public. There will be no kind of
political agitation, but candidates for
office will be requested to answer ques-
tions concerning their attitude on the
matter involved.
We are confident that the problem
now taken up by the railway men them-
selves will be thoroughly considered
and that some substantial good will
come of it. Wages are not advancing
in the same ratio as the price of com-
modities, and there is a crying need for
a general increase of wages, not alone
among the members of the four leading
brotherhoods, but also among every
class of railway worker and none more
so than those engaged in the various
sections of the mechanical department.
Dispatching by Telephone.
The Grand Trunk Railway System
have recently placed in commission on
their Northern Division in Ontario,
Canada, two telephone train dispatch-
ing circuits. One of these is between
North Parkdale Jet, and Burlington
Jet. via Allandale, a distance of 145
miles, and another circuit between Al-
landale and Nipissing Jet., a distance
of 165 miles. Train dispatchers on each
of these circuits work at Allandale.
On the circuit between North Park-
dale Jet. and Burlington Jet, there are
twenty-one way stations, and on the
circuit between Allandale and Nipissing
Jet, there are twenty way stations.
These circuits are constructed of No. g
gauge hard-drawn copper wire, trans-
posed at intervals of every half mill
through the open country and as much
more frequently as is necessary in the
vicinity of high voltage power lines, in
order to avoid inductive influences and
to render the telephone circuits abso-
lutely quiet. The station equipment
consists of a swinging arm transmitter
November, 191a
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
457
and head band receiver for each way
station, thus giving the operator the
free use of his head, hands and body
while using the telephone; the appar-
atus is swung to one side out of the
way while not in use.
The train dispatching office is
equipped with a selector system for
calling offices and the duration of the
ring in each way station is controlled
by the dispatcher, who plainly hears
the ring through his receiver. Any of-
fice on the line can be signalled within
eight seconds and as the signal bell in
each office consists of a 4-in. gong
there is little doubt that the operator
on duty will hear his call, even though
he may be outside of the office and at
a distance from it. The dispatcher has
absolute control of the circuits and way
stations must obtain his co-operation
when desiring to communicate with one
another.
The telephone is considered as being
superior to the telegraph as a medium
for dispatching trains, both as a factor
of safety and saving of time. By tele-
phone each station and numeral is first
pronounced and then spelled out letter
by letter by the dispatcher for verifi-
cation when an order is issued, and re-
peated in like manner by the receiving
operator, while by telegraph stations
the numerals can only be spelled out
in Morse characters.
During the past three years the tele-
phone has made rapid strides on trunk
line railways in the United States and
Canada for train dispatching purposes
and today over thirty thousand miles of
railway is being so dispatched. While
the expense for constructing and equip-
ping telephone circuits greatly exceeds
that of constructing telegraph lines, the
railways have obtained so much better
results with the telephone that they
feel justified in spending the money.
We understand that it is the intention
of the Grand Trunk Railway System to
extend the use of the telephone over
its more important lines in the near
future. The new system has met with
the immediate favor of the dispatchers
and operators, the transmission being
so excellent that the work is being
transacted in fully 50 per cent. less
time and in a more personal and satis-
factory manner than is possible with the
telegraph.
The Brick Arch.
The experiments made by Mr. F. F.
Gaines, superintendent of mfitivc power of
the Central of Georgia Railroad, which
we print on another page, will be read
with much interest by thousands of men
rnKaged in the mrchaniral departments of
railways It is an important contribution
to the railway literature of our time in
reijard. nril only 10 econ'^my in fuel and
in boiler ronttruction and repair, but alio
to the <>iill more important subject of
smoke abatement, which has come to be a
burning question, especially in the larger
cities. Many of our readers are doubtless
aware that there is tiow a complete city
department in Chicago, of which Commis-
sioner Bird is the head, devoted to the
question of the abatement of smoke in
that city. In Philadelphia steps are being
taken in a similar direction. Property
owners claim that the smoke from the in-
creasing traffic of locomotives has dimin-
ished the value of property, and in cer-
tain localities has produced an almost
tenantless quarter in that city. The
reports of interested politicians are
apt to be exaggerated, but when we see
legal enactments enforced in Washington
compelling the burning of coke in locomo-
tives within the city limits, and lawsuits
being instituted in the vicinity of New
\ork for alleged damages by the smoke of
locomotives, it is useless to ignore the fact
that there is a strong national movement
looking towards a better clearing of the
atmosphere of the smoke emitted from
locomotive smokestacks.
In regard to the brick arch, we have
long held the opinion that while the ex-
periments on the smoke boxes of locomo-
tives have been conducted with an intelli-
gence and a zeal that have been altogether
admirable, and with most gratifying re-
sults, more might have been done in the
way of experiments on the firebox. The
complete prevention of smoke in the burn-
ing of coal is a physical impossibility. The
reduction to a minimum of the amount
of smoke is not only possible but is grad-
ually, although slowly, being accom-
plished.
We had opportunities of observing the
successful work on the Boston & Maine
Railroad looking towards smoke preven-
tion. The furnace fires are so skilfully
managed that on approaching Boston and
other large cities there is no smoke visible.
The care and attention that is given to
the use of the brick arch in the locomotive
fireboxes on that road doubtless has much
tc do with the result, but we are of opin-
ion that the fine training of the firemen
has also added much to the result.
It should be noted that the cost of the
brick arch is much less than might be
anticipated. On the railroad that we have
referred to the cost of material and con-
struction of the arch does not exceed five
dollars the period of service of the arch
being measured by the mileage made by
the locc. motive. In the case of the heavier
freight engines the limit is 6,000 miles. In
the rave of the passenger locomotives the
distance run is extended to 6,500 miles.
This service extends to a period of be-
tween thirty and forty days, 50 that each
locomotive will require from nine to
twelvi- new brick arches each year. The
arch lias grown in favor since its introduc-
tion into the locomotives of the Boston &
Providence hy Mr. George Griggs fifty
years ago.
BoiUng of Water Under Pressure.
In describing the boiling point of water
some of the older text books on physical
science used this form of expression :
"Water boils when the tension of its
vapor equals the superincumbent atmos-
pheric pressure." Put in this general
form the definition is not easily under-
stood, but a simple experiment may be
made by any one with suitable appara-
tus, which will fully explain the meaning
of the scientific language.
To perform the experiment a very frail
vessel may be used. A cylinder of tin
will suit the purpose, but the tin walls
should be quite thin, and in the upper
end of the vessel a stop cock should be
placed. A little water introduced into the
vessel may be boiled over a spirit lamp,
and steam issuing from the open stop
cock will prove that the space above the
water in the vessel is filled with steam at
atmospheric pressure, viz. : 14.7 lbs. If
the stop cock be shut the steam in the
space above the water becomes impris-
oned. If now the spirit lamp be removed
and cold water be poured over the thin-
walled tin cylinder, the steam in the space
above the water will be condensed and a
partial vacuum formed within the vessel.
The internal pressure will fall below that
of the atmosphere and the required
demonstration may be found by observing
that the thin walls of the vessel are
crushed in.
In commenting on this experiment Tyn-
dall points out that with an atmos-
pheric pressure of 14.7 lbs., resting on
every square inch of the surface of water
boiled in an open kettle, it is very wonder-
ful to see how so exceedingly frail a
thing as a bubble of steam can exist at
all on the surface of boiling water. The
reason is that the steam inside the bubble
has exactly the same pressure as that
exerted by the atmosphere outside it, and
by the exact and even balance of these
two pressures the fragile film which forms
the walls of the bubble is not injured.
If the steam pressure inside the bubble
exceeded the atmospheric pressure by
ever so little the bubble would explode
or burst outwards. If the external pres-
sure of the atmosphere predominated by
the merest fraction of an ounce the bub-
ble would be crushed in and broken. The
exact balancing of these opposing forces
leaves the bubble intact.
Going a step further we may find that
the same law holds good whether the ex-
ternal pressure applied to bubble is pro-
duced by the presence of air, steam or
water. If we boil water in a strong ves-
sel closed at the top, so that steam will
accumulate even wlien so low a pressure
as $■^ lbs. has been produced by the
imprisoned steam, bubbles will not form
until they are hot enough to sustain an
internal pressure of 20 lbs. That is 14.7
added to 5.3 lbs. The pressure on the
outside of the bubble will of course be
4S8
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
November, 1910.
exactly 20 lbs., or else the film of the
bubble would be destroyed. The bubble
may easily be broken and probably does
break by striking a side of the vessel, or
by contact with tlie eddies caused in the
circulation of tlie boiling water, but the
bubble is not broken by unequal pres-
sure inside and out. It could not have
formed in the water at all unless its in-
ternal pressure had equaled that applied
by the surrounding water, which was de-
termined by the steam above.
In order to produce a bubble of steam
having an internal pressure of 20 lbs.
absolute, or above vacuum, a temperature
of 227.9 degs. Fahr. is necessary. Thus
a 5.3 lb. gauge pressure of steam requires
a rise in temperature of 15.9 degs. Fahr.
above the usual 212 degs. Fahr. at which
water boils in an open vessel. At a gauge
pressure of 103 degs. Fahr., or 115 degs.
absolute, the temperature required is 337.8
degs Fahr., or a rise of 125.8 degs. Fahr.
above the normal boiling point. On wa-
ter boiled in a locomotive which shows
a guage pressure of 203 lbs., or about that
carried on many of our modern engines,
steam bubbles cannot form until the water
has been heated up to 387.7 degs Fahr.,
and this is 175.7 degs. Fahr. higher than
the boiling point of water open to the air.
In all these examples the same law ap-
plies, and the true boiling point of water
is that at which the inside and outside
pressures on the walls of the bubble of
steam are equal. The text book defini-
tion uses the word atmosphere, but in its
wider application it means the pressure
applied at the surface of the liquid, and
this determines the pressure below the
surface of the water. The bubble may
be broken by the uprush of other bubbles
in a free steamer, but its destruction is
not due to the inequality of pressure with-
in it and upon it.
The Equity of the Derail.
In our correspondence columns this
month a reader of Railw.w and Locomo-
TH'E Engineering sends us a communica-
tion concerning an invention of his which
gives a day and night indication of the
position of a derail, and this invention
he tells us was endorsed at the union
meeting of the Brotherhood of Locomo-
tive Engineers. The rail is generally laid
so that the wheels on one side which have
been compelled to leave the track shall
traverse a trough containing sand, the ob-
ject being to cause a brake application to
be more effective, and also to bump the
leading portion of the train over the ties
and so stop it in order that a worse calam-
ity may not befall the train. A derail at the
entrance to a swing bridge may halt a
train very effectively by the moral effect
of its presence or it may also bring a train
to rest when derailed before the rear por-
tion, containing passengers, is thrown
into the river. The question of signaling
a derail is one to which nearly all signal
engineers would probably give a negative
answer and would say that with a dan-
ger signal in evidence, an indication on a
derail would not be necessary. Our cor-
respondent has, however, a right to his
view of the matter.
A locomotive engineer with a derail
open in front of him so that the train will
infallibly leave the track is in the presence
of a most powerful agent for compelling
respect for the stop signal given. No one
will deny that, and probably no one would,
from a theoretical standpoint, would say
that the object in view by those who put the
derail in the track was not eminently right
and proper. A stop before an open swing
bridge is imperative and the derail merely
automatically and mechanically interposes
a severe penalty for the infraction of the
rule.
On the other hand a derailed train in
motion is a dangerous thing. Even if no
lives be lost the engine and rolling stock
suffer, the roadway is damaged and the
line more or less effectively blocked for
some time. In certain cases injury to
persons may result or even loss of life
may take place. Terror is aroused in the
minds of everyone on the train who is
conscious of the derailment, and grave
discomfort, if nothing worse, takes place.
It is a nice point in equity or general
fair play, as we may say, whether or
not travelers should be subjected to the
discomfort and possible danger involved
in the use of the derail. Innocent people
may be frightened or hurt for the sin
of a man they cannot control.
For our own part we believe that the
general average locomotive engineer is a
careful man, anxious to do his duty
faithfully, and that in nine cases out of
ten he does hot require the drastic penalty
of derailment to make him comprehend
the seriousness of a situation he may be
called on to face. The derail is a good
thing to catch a chancetaker, but we do
not believe that the rank and file of loco-
motive engineers belong to this class of
railroad men. We are all making prog-
ress, and the chancetaker is not finding
the modern properly operated railway
a good place to do business.
If we must have the derail, the effort
of our correspondent to clearly indicate
its position is a good one. but some-
thing better can no doubt be de-
vised which will be equally effective.
In these days of progress, as we have in-
dicated, where sensible men are taking
thought of their responsibilities as locomo-
tive engineers and who want to do the
right thing, and are trying to do the right
thing to the best of their abilities, the
situation needs revision.
A good, workable, reliable and efficient
stop signal will eventually be substituted
for the derail. Such things have been in-
vented and have been tried.
On subway and elevated railroads,
where snow and ice do not interfere with
the operation of stop signals, they are in
use. Efficient devices which set the
brakes in emergency, and on electrically
propelled trains cut off the power, are in
daily use, and be it said to the honcr of
the men running those trains the stop
mechanism is rarely called into action. The
moral effect of the stop signal is as good
as the derail, and the effect, when it does
operate is not nearly so dangerous. Our
hopeful prophecy is that the growing feel-
ing which we see pervading all ranks of
railroad men — the desire to make Ameri-
can railroads the safest in the world — will
in time completely eliminate the chance-
taker, and in time the derail will make
way for the effective, efficient and harm-
less stop signal.
We would like to have an expression
of opinion from engineemen on the de-
rail question. What do j'ou think of the
derail; is it necessary? In this issue we
have a good article from Mr. F. P.
Roesch, on Disconnecting. What do you
think of his methods? Mr. F. F. Gains
uses a hollow arch and combustion
chamber on the Central of Georgia Rail-
road. What do vou think of that?
Booh Notices
Conservation of Men. An Address to
the Operating Men of the Chicago and
Northwestern Railway on the Preven-
tion of Accidents. By Ralph C. Rich-
ards, go pages. Paper cover.
i\Ir. Richards presents in a forceful and
logical way many convincing reasons why
it is better to cause a delay than to cause
an accident. He recounts a number and
variety of startling incidents of actual oc-
currence, many of which might have been
avoided had a greater degree of care been
exercised. The address would well re-
pay a perusal by every man in the me-
chanical as well as in the operating de-
partment, and we are hopeful that some
means may be taken to circulate the ad-
dress freely among railway men.
Rules and Formul.e, with Suggestions
Pertaining to Good Practice. Endorsed
and adopted by the International Mas-
ter Boilermakers' Association. 65 pages.
Cloth. Price, $1. Published by the As-
sociation, 95 Liberty street, New York.
This little book contains much of the
best obtainable matter in regard to the
designing and inspecting of steam boilers,
generators and other receptacles adapted
for internal pressure. The work was en-
dorsed at the annual meeting of the As-
sociation held at Louisville, and is the
result of the labors of an efficient and
painstaking committee, of which Mr.
Charles P. Patrick, a well-known boiler
expert, was chairman. The section on
staybolting flat surfaces with screw stays
is especially interesting. Comparisons are
made between different types of boilers
and rules, and much valuable matter is
presented in a concise and handy form.
November, igio.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
459
Combustion Chamber and Hollow Arch, on the Central of Georgia
ihe viiuc ui a pariicular ;i>le l'I brick
arch and a combustion chamber is re-
ceiving verj- close attention on the Cen-
tral of Georgia Railroad Mr. F. F.
Gaines, superintendent of motive power
of the road, has designed a boiler with a
long firebox and has made a combustion
chamber in it by building up a brick arch
a short distance in front of the flue sheet.
The whole arrangement is very clearly
drawn in our illustration. Speaking of
..ttaintd its prosier ciiJ and did improve
combustion, and proved very economical
in the burning of fuel. Further, the life
of the tubes was greatly prolonged, and
in no case during the life of the tubes was
there nearly as much trouble given as in
the ordinary type of engine.
"The Wootten type of boiler has been
for years standard on the Philadelphia
& Reading Railway, and very justifiably
so from the results obtained. Other
placf, It is almost impossible to prevent
having a large number of seams on ac-
count of the junction of the different
plates coming at the throat of the com-
bustion chamber. Where the brick arch
is used it is necessary, about once a week,
to draw the fire and allow the arch to
cool ; put a man behind the arch to shovel
out the accumulation of cinders to pre-
vent stopping up the flues.
"Knowing the desirable features of the
LONG FIREBOX WITH llOI.I.nW I!KI( K .\RCH AND COMBUSTION CHAMBER.
the hollow arch and combustion chamber
boiler Mr. Gaines says :
"Several years' experience in the an-
thracite district of Pennsylvania caused
me to become quite familiar with the
combustion chamber, both the original, as
applied to the Wootten type of firebox,
and the modified form as used to some
extent without the brick wall. While
there were mechanical objections to this
device, there is no question but that it
roads have used it somewhat in a more
or less modified form, and within the last
few years several roads have been ap-
plying it to engines using bituminous coal
as a fuel. .■Ks far as I have been able to
ascertain, the results have been uniform-
ly successful.
"The form of firebox with combustion
chamber as heretofore constructed has
several mechanical defects which render
it more or less objectionable. In the first
combustion chamber as regards saving
of fuel, diminution of smoke, longer life
of flues and better steaming engine, I
made a very careful study of the whole
matter to see what could be done to get
the advantages of the design in question
and eliminate the objections. With this
end in view I finally evolved the idea of
building a boiler with an abnormally long
firebox, and partitioning off sufficient
space at the front end, by a vertical brick
-COAL A
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brick wrll anil proviilon for mixing hnl air
. h iirii(inal boiler unchar>c<l and no brick arch. Total healing turfare, i.oii.jt) to. fl.
..,,,. wide firebox and WadeNicholaon hollow arch. Total beating surface, J.ijo tq. 11.
, . . _ , i». Uit wiitiuui brick arch. ToUl healing iurface, J.»Jo m]. fl.
If) — Engine 1719 out on teal of C'oala Not. 1 and ]. arrnunt of arch burnt out and no material on hand to repair.
460
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING
November, 1910.
wall, to form a combustion chamber, thus
allowing me to put an ordinary spark
hopper in the bottom of same for the
withdrawal of sparks. I believed that the
admission of heated air at a point near
the top of the bridge would be of advan-
tage in approximating complete combus-
tion. To accomplish this the brick wall
in question was made hollow-, with pas-
sages through it so that air might enter
from the outside, go through the wall it-
self, which, being hot from the high tem-
perture of the firebox, would also heat the
air and turn it loose to mix with the
gases at top of bridge, the idea being that
they would mix and burn during their
passage from that point to the flues.
"This design eliminates the trouble in-
volved in removing sparks which gather
in the combustion chamber and stop up
the flues. It also admits highly heated air
at the most desirable point for complete
combustion. It also protects the flues
from any cold air, no matter at what point
in the fire there happens to be a hole.
"The grate area of the new firebox was
made identically the same as that of our
22 X 30-inch class consolidations, which
are free steamers and economical on fuel.
The combustion chamber was made
shorter than would have been used if the
boiler had been designed new for the en-
gine. It was necessary, however, to de-
sign a back end that would go on the old
boiler and suit the running gear of the
present engine, which somewhat modified
the design from what would have been
considered best practice. Nevertheless,
this engine has now been in service some
fifteen months, and so far we have yet to
have the first trouble from leaking flues,
although the engine is running in a dis-
trict where other engines are giving us
trouble more or less all of the time, and
where the average life of a set of flues is
about 30,000 miles. It has been found
that this engine will steam with grades
of fuel that other engines cannot use, and
this arrangement appears to be of advan-
tage in utilizing low'-grade fuels, and
would probably prove very stisfactory in
burning lignite.
"This engine, No. 1014, so far has made
37,832 miles, and apparently the flues are
in as good condition as the day they were
applied. The engine will soon be due for
general overhauling, but it is not the in-
tention at that time to do any work what-
ever on the flues.
"It has also been found that whatever
small amount of sparks accumulate in the
combustion chamber can readily be re-
moved through the spark hopper at the
bottom, but as a matter of fact the
amount of sparks carried over the bridge
wall is very small. This is probably due,
in the first place, to the use of a large
nozzle, 6'< inches, the modified mild ex-
haust not lifting anything but the small-
est particles over the bridge. As these
small particles are lifted over the bridge,
such as are combustible are probably
burned before they strike the flues, and
the only sparks that are found in the
combustion chamber or front end are
very fine particles of slate, and very few
of these. It has also been noticed by all
who have ridden on this engine when
working, that the amount of smoke emit-
ted is noticeably less than on the other
engines. The fuel consumption has been
considerably less, and the engine in ev-
ery way has proved extremely satisfac-
tory.
"A resume of test of the first engine
equipped is given on the preceding page. In
this test the train was composed entirely
of cars of company coal of 100,000 lbs.
capacity, and the same train was used
throughout the whole series of tests, thus
eliminating any error from difference in
class of work or weights used during the
test. Three grades of coal were used,
and they are designated as A, B and C,
from three different mines, and the aver-
age of all is summarized. Engine 1014 is
the engine with the combustion chamber ;
engine 1020 is a sister engine, of the same
class, but with the original boiler not
equipped with a brick arch; engine 1719
is an engine of better design, wide fire-
box, with Wade-Nicholson hollow brick
arch ; engine 1715 is the same class as the
1719, but without the arch. The show-
ing over the other engines made by the
1014 was very stisfactory and substantial.
In making the tests all coal used was
weighed and put up in sacks.
South in the center of New York City
without a change of cars. Judge Elbert
H. Gary, president of the United States
Steel Corporation and a director of the
Southern Railway Company, made an ad-
dress in which he told of his great confi-
dence in President Finley and of his high
opinion of the organization of the South-
ern Railway, and predicted a great future
for the Southern. — IVasliington Herald.
P. R. R. Tunnels Inspected.
Mr. W. W. Finley, president of the
Southern, accompanied by a large party
of officials of the Southern Railway Com-
pany and affiliated lines throughout the
Southeastern States, spent a recent after-
noon inspecting the tunnel system and
New York passenger station of the Penn-
sylvania Railroad, which will be the New
Y'ork terminal of the si.x through pas-
senger trains operated by the Southern
Railway between New York and the
South. The visit of the Southern offi-
cials was made on the invitation of Second
Vice-President Samuel Rea, of the Penn-
sylvania. After thoroughly inspecting the
great station, the party was taken by spe-
cial train and was carried through the
tunnels leading to the Jersey side and
Long Island. Preceding the inspection
trip President Finley entertained the visit-
ing representatives at luncheon.
Though quite informal, the luncheon
was marked by a speech by President
Finley, in which he expressed high ap-
preciation of the courtesy of the Penn-
sylvania Railway officers in affording this
opportunity for the inspection, and he
also paid tribute to the great achievement
of the Pennsylvania Railway Company in
providing facilities by which the Southern
Railway will be enabled for the first time
to land passengers from all parts of the
Mallet Compound for the C. & O.
The Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad Com-
pany have recently placed an order with
the American Locomotive Company for
twenty-four Mallet Compound locomo-
tives of the 2-6-6-2 type of wheel arrange-
ment. In July last, this road received a
Mallet compound locomotive of this type
of wheel arrangement from these builders.
This locomotive was purchased for trial
purposes, and upon its successful service
the present order was contingent. It goes
without saying, therefore, that the per-
formance of the experimental locomotive
here illustrated has fully met the expecta-
tions of the railroad officials. This engine
has been used in regular road service for
which the new lot is also intended. Their
purchase indicates the growing tendency
in this country toward the adoption of the
Mallet type as a road engine for heavy
freight service.
This locomotive was put in service on
the division betw-een Handley and Alle-
gheny. From the former place to Ronce-
verte. a distance of 106 miles, it is a con-
tinuous easy up-grade varying from a
minimum of 2^ ft. to the mile to a maxi-
mum of 21 ft. to the mile. The average
grade from Thurmond, 38 miles east of
Handley to Ronceverte, being 19 ft to the
mile. From this last point to .-Mlegheny,
the summit of the division, there is a 13
mile grade, 30 ft. to the mile.
Prior to the advent of this Mallet loco-
motive, a consolidation type of locomotive
having a total weight of 190.3CO lbs.,
weight on driving wheels of 169,600 lbs.,
cylinders 22 x 28 ins., and a theoretical
maximum tractive power of 41.120 lbs.,
had handled the freight traffic over this
division. The rating of this class of en-
gine was 1,800 tons from Handley to
Ronceverte, from which point a pusher
was required to assist in handling this
tonnage up the 0.57 per cent, grade to
.•\llegheny. Passing the summit, the road
runs down the other side of the hill into
Clifton Forge, 16 miles of this distance
being on an incline of 60 ft. to the mile.
In ordering heavier equipment, it was
the purpose of the Chesapeake & Ohio offi-
cials, not so much to dispense with the
pusher service on the 0.57 per cent, grade
on the w-estern slope of the hill, but to in-
crease the maximum train load over the
division. It was a question between the
adoption of the Mikado, or 2-8-2 type, or
the Mallet, for this service. In the former
type, a locomotive suitable for the track
November, 191a
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
461
conditions capable of handling 2,250 tons
between Handley & Ronceverte could have
been provided, but it would have required
the assistance of a helper to handle this
tonnage on the grade between the latter
point and Allegheny. The Mallet, on the
other hand, offered the opportunity of in-
troducing a class of engine capable of
handling 3,000 tons without the aid of a
pusher over the summit of the division.
It was, moreover, thought that because of
the economy in fuel consumption due to
compounding, the Mallet locomotive could
handle its tonnage on less coal than the
2-8-2 type would take to liaul the 2.250
tons.
The locomotive which we here illustrate
was designed to haul 3.000 tons at a speed
of 15 miles an hour on the grade of 21 ft.
to the mile, and at 12 miles an hour on
the grade of 30 ft. to the mile combined
with a minimum curve of 5 dcgs. 45 min.
of 26' i ins. Ordinarily, where the firebox
is carried over the driving wheels the bot-
tom tube is only from 19 to 20 ins. above
the top of the grate. At the same time the
boiler tubes are 24 ft. long, which length
is not e.xccptional. .^mple water space of
about 9 ins. on both bottom and sides is
allowed between the combustion chamber
and the shell to which the combustion
chamber is stayed by radial stay bolts.
Another departure from previous prac-
tice in Mallet locomotives of the 2-6-6-2
type of wheel arrangement is the use of
the builders' latest style of outside bearing
radial trailing truck, simitar in design to
that successfully applied to a number of
their recent pacific type locomotives. In
practically all previous articulated com-
pound locomotives of this type of wheel
arrangement built by this company, both
the leading and trailing trucks have been
of the radial swinging bolster type with
Wheel Base. — Driving. lo fi.; total, 48 ft. 3 ins.;
total, engine and tender, 80 it.
Weight. — In working order, 392,000 lbs.; on
ilrivers, 324,000 lbs.; engine and tender,
555,200 lbs.
Heating Surface. — Tubes, 5,646 sq. ft.; firebox.
344 sq. ft.; arch tubes, 23 s<i. it.; total,
6,013 sq. ft.
Grate Area. — 72.2 sq. ft.
.\xles. — Driving journals, g}i x 13 ins.; others,
9 x 13 ins. engine truck journals, diameter,
5!S ins.; length, 10 ins.; trailing truck jour-
nals, diameter, 7j^ ins.; length, 14 ins.;
tender truck journals, sVi ins.; length.
Boiler. — Type, conical; O. D. first ring, S}si ins.;
working pressure, 225 lbs.; fuel, bitum. coal.
Firebox. — Type, wide; length, 108H 'is.; width,
96J^ ins.; thickness of crown, 7/16 in.; tube,
9/16 in.: sides, 7/16 in.; back, H in.; water
space, front, 5 ins.; sides, 4'A ins.; back.
4H ins.
Crown Staying. — Radial.
Tubes. — Numt«r, 401; diameter, 2^ ins.; length,
24 ft.; gauge. No. 10 and No. 11 B. W. G.
Brake. — Pumps, two 8^4 .in. cross comp. : reser-
voirs, one 28^4 X 84 ins.; one 22 !i x 66 ins.
Tender Frame. — i3.in. steel channels.
Tank. — Style, water bottom; capacity, 9,000 gals.;
capacity fuel, 15 tons.
\alvcs.— Type. H. P. piston; L. P. double
ported slide 1>T»; travel, H. P., 6 ins.; L. P.,
6 ins.; steam lap, H. P., i in.; L. P., U in.;
ex. lap, H. P., 3/16 in. lead, 5/16 in. ex. d.;
L. P., 3/16 in. lead. 5/16 in. ex. cl.
- — '•»^^- - .
Aim-.^ .A /m!^JS-i
0
fl^^^-^^^^^S^^^p^
r .•XkTKrr.ATKD CO.MPOL'.VD FOR TIIF. CIIES.\Pi:.\KF.
ui Motive Power.
Locomotive Company, UuilJcrs.
uncompensated. The traffic consists of
hauling steel hopper cars loaded with coal
from Thurmond to Clifton Forge, and re-
turning with the empties.
In service the Mallet has exceeded its
estimated capacity, and has handled alone
iAl92 tons east over the division. With a
load behind tender of 3.033 tons made up
of 45 steel hopper coal cars, speeds of 20,
22 and 24 miles an hour have been main-
tained on the grades up the river between
Thurmond and Ronceverte, It has made
the run over the division, 1 14 miles, in 5
hours and 37 minutes, including the time
necessary to turn the engine, the actual
running time being 4 hours and 57
minutes.
As far as the design is crmccrned. one
of the principal features of interest lies
in the boiler construction. The boiler in-
corporate? a combustion chamber of f>Vt
ft. long. This course was added in order
to increase the length of the boiler so as
10 bring the firebox back of the rear driv-
ing wheels, thereby making it possible to
obtain a good depth of throat sheet, with-
out increasing the length of the boiler
tubes to an excessive .imount. .As a re-
sult. th<- depth of till- tliro.it sheet is
183/16 ins, giving .i distance between the
top of the grate and the lowest boiler tube
journals inside of the wheels. The type
of trailing truck here used gives a wider
supporting base at the rear of the loco-
motive, :iiid tends to add to its stability.
The leading truck is of the same design
as that applied by these builders to pthcr
locomotives of the same wheel arrange-
ment.
That portion of the weight of the engine
which i« carried by the frame of the front
system is supported by two sliding bear-
ings, both of which are normally under
load. In accordance with the builders'
practice in the articulated locomotives
where both sliding bearings support
weight, the "trim" bolts connecting the
upper mils of the front frame with the
lower r.iils of the rear frame are provitlcd
with .1 spring under the nut at the lower
end 111 order to relieve any excessive loail
which would otherwise be on the rear
bearings because of the inequalities in the
level of the track or similar conditions.
Oiitsi'li- of the features particularly men-
tionol, the design in general follows the
buil'Icrs' standard practice. The general
fratiirrs are shown in our illustration,
and the general specifications are given in
the .Tppended table.
rytindrri. tt and ]s int.; ilroke. 32 ini.
Tractive power, Sj.ooo lb«.
Setting.— H. P., cut off. 87 per cent.; L. P.. cut-
on, 90 per cent.
Wheels. — Driving, diameter outside tire, 56 ins.
Definition of Force.
Professor Balfour Stewart, F.R.S., at
one time professor of physics at Victoria
University, Manchester, Eng.. thus de-
fined force. "Now what is it that sets
in motion anything that was previously
at rest? Or what is it that brings to rest
a thing that was previously in motion?
It is force that does this. It is force that
sets a body in motion, and it is force
(only applied in the opposite direction)
that brings it to rest. Nay, more, if it
requires a strong force to set a body in
motion, it retitiircs also a strong
force to bring it to rest. You can set
2 cricket ball in motion by the blow of
your hand, and you can also stop it by a
blow, but a massive body like a railway
train needs a strong force to slop.it. That
which is easy to start is easy to stop ;
that which is difficult to start is difficult
to stop. You see now that force acts not
only when it sets a body in motion, but
as truly when it brings it to rest. In fact,
that wliirli changes the slate of a body
is called force, whether that state be one
of rest or of motion.
462
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
November, 1910.
Locomotive Running Repairs
IX. Leaky Steam Pipe Joints.
Among the troubles that are to be ex-
pected in locomotive operation there are
very few more certain of appearing in
due time than leaky steam pipe joints
and leaky flues. The one seems to fol-
low the other, as if there was some co-
relation between the separate parts. The
cause and effect of these troubles are
not far to seek. In the case of the steam
pipes, the changes of temperature and the
varying pressures to which they are con-
stantly subjected are not only a severe
strain on the bolts holding the pipe joints
in place, but the pipes and rings are
structurally affected by the sheer pres-
sure of the bolts, and in time the lugs of
the steam pipes will bend slightly where
the continuing pressure of the bolts occur.
The occasional tightening of the bolts in-
creases the slight distortion of the rings,
and by and by the tightening of the bolts
will fail to stop the leaking of the joint,
for the reason that the pressure of the
bolts will be largely on that portion of
the rings adjacent to the lugs, while it
will sometimes be found impossible to
stop the leaking by the mere processes of
pulling and hammering.
When this occurs it is csutomary to
send for the machinist who originally fit-
ted up the pipes, so that he may have the
opportunity of being an eye-witness to his
alleged incompetency, and walk back to
his bench through a valley of humiliation,
resolving in a blindly bewildered way to
be a better mechanic. It need hardly be
said that the machinist is entirely blame-
less. If the steam pipes were tight at
their first trial of steam pressure his work
was the work of a master.
It will speedily be observed that when
a steam pipe joint is leaking, especially if
the escaping steam is blowing toward the
flues, the effect on the fire is of a dis-
turbing and dampening kind. A certain
number of flues cease to be of any ser-
vice; the blast of escaping steam, if it be
of any considerable volume, will be much
stronger than the strongest kind of draft
that passes through the flues ; conse-
quently, the number of flues affected cease
to be operative. The train of evils
culminate in the leaking of the flues.
It is not unusual at this period of de-
cadence to send for some overworked
boilermaker, when some official, clothed
in temporary authority and with an image
of importance sitting on his frowning
forehead, delivers a short, sharp lecture
that is calculated to do the boilermaker
good. The boilermaker knows better ; but
he is accustomed to loud noises, and they
pass in at one ear and out at the other.
it should be borne in mind, however,
that the original fitting of the steam pipes
is a matter of considerable importance in
the reliability of the joints during their
period of service. The faces of the joints
should be adjusted to stand as nearly par-
allel to each other as possible. Slight
variations in the castings should not be
permitted to affect the exact squaring of
the joints. Concave bearings and convex
rings afford a considerable degree of flex-
ible adaptability, but it is observed that
the tendency of the joints to leak is much
greater in the case of these fittings where
there is an obliquity in the relation of the
joints, the leak almost invariably oc-
curring in that portion of the joint where
the adjoining castings may be furthest
apart from each other.
It will also be found that rings that are
comparatively thin have a greater ten-
dency to leak than those that are of more
substantial dimensions. In ordinary prac-
tice the rings should at least be one inch
in thickness. Even the quality of the
metal composing the rings is of some con-
sequence in the reliability of the joints,
the harder brass or bronze being more
likely to resist the bending pressure of
the bolts than the softer and more ductile
alloys.
When the tendency to leak in the steam
pipe joints has become persistently
chronic it is good practice to take the
earliest opportunity to refit the joints.
With proper tools in the hands of an ex-
perienced workman the operation is not
nearly as serious as it looks. The time
occupied in facing the rings in the lathe
is time well spent ; and it should be noted
before taking the steam pipe joints
apart whether there are any marked va-
riations in the relation of the joints to
each other, as a portion of the face of the
bearing on the steam pipe should be re-
moved in order to more properly adjust
the bearings to square with each other.
This, of course, may necessitate the use
of a thicker ring in refitting of the joint.
It should not be expected that the job
of refitting can be well accomplished
while the locomotive is in a heated con-
dition. All good work requires that it
should be performed under good physical
conditions, and the most skilled workmen
are generally very susceptible to extreme
conditions. A careful refitting of the
steam pipe joints will in the end be much
more conducive to good railway en-
gineering than any amount of repeated
efforts to compel joints to remain tight
with the application of roundhouse
wrenches.
In the fitting or grinding of a »teani
pipe joint the general practice is to have
cylindrical blocks of wood from four to
six inches in length, one end of the block
being slightly tapered and fitted so that
it will bind itself in the ring without pro-
jecting through the ring. On the other
end of the block a cross piece of wood
may be attached, which may serve as a
handle for turning the ring during the
grinding process. The application of
emery and oil will speedily clean the
joint, when the ring and bearing should
be carefully dried and rubbed together.
The polished parts will show the exact
extent of the bearing, and in instances
where the bearing shows on two or more
separated spots an application of the
beveled cutting tool used in forming con-
vex bearings will save time and labor in
grinding. In fact, the grinding of steam
pipe joints need occupy but little time if
the rings and bearings are properly fitted
to each other.
In the fitting up of new steam pipes it
may be worth while to observe that there
is very seldom the amount of care taken
that there might be in marking off the
exact line of the face of the bearing. It
is just as important to draw a line care-
fully around the entire fitting projection
on the steam pipe as it is to mark off the
fitting space of the saddle before begrin-
ning to remove the superfluous metal.
The steam pipe should be hoisted into po-
sition with the T-head properly bolted
into place. A flat piece of wood, repre-
senting the thickness of the ring, should
be placed between the two castings and
the pipe held in place by a clamp or other
temporary attachment. The bottom of
the pipe should also be centrally blocked
in regard to its relation to the opening in
the saddle, and it is good practice to chalk
the edges of the bearing strips on the
pipes and with hermaphrodite calipers
draw a line as nearly as possible all
around the part of the pipe to be planed
cff. This will insure a good beginning
and avoid the troubles that naturally arise
in all mechanical contrivances where skew
bevels are permitted to show their dis-
torted faces. If the faces of the joints
are square to each other, and carefully
fitted and securely bolted, this is as good
as can be, and the work of which the me-
chanic need never be ashamed.
Look out not in;
Look on — not back;
Loop up — not down,
And lend a hand.
—E. E. Hale.
November, 191a
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
463
I
Questions Answered
Sl-PERHE.\TEO STE-\M.
-z. R. L. B., Chicago, writes : I be-
long to a club that discusses practical
railroad questions, and I have noticed
that much difference ot opinion prevails
concerning the advantage of using super-
heated steam and of the temperature best
conducive to economy. Some of the
members say that unless an engine has
200 degrees of superheat it is useless;
others hold that economy results from
any superheat above 50 degrees. What
do you say? — A. The utility of super-
heated steam depends on circumstances.
We have known in marine service that
about 50 degrees of superheat effected
decided economy; but those having re-
liable experience with locomotives using
superheated steam say that a temperature
lower than 130 degrees of superheat will
not be felt in fuel saving.
OIL IN \V.\TER IN BOILER.
73. C. C S., Palestine, Te.x., writes:
Is there an>thing in ordinary signal oil
that will cause the water in a boiler to
foam if the oil should get into the engine
tank or boiler? — \. — We may say that as
a general principle it is the safest way to
keep all oil out of a boiler if you do not
want to be troubled with foaming. Min-
eral oils are as a rule not as bad as ani-
mal oils, but none are desirable. The
cause of foaming is the difficulty experi-
enced in mechanically breaking the film
which surrounds the bubbles of steam as
they form. The pressure will not break
them; it is generally done mechanically
by the uprush of other bubbles or the
eddies of the water or by striking against
the sides of the boiler or the throttle
valve. If they are heard to break great
quantities are carried over with the
steam and when broken are water. Read
article in another column of this issue on
the boiling of water under pressure.
WIOSCLV CONNECTED AIB PIPES.
74. A. B . Youngstown. writes : Please
say that if the application cylinder
and release pipes of the H 6 brake are
crossed or wrongly connected it is not
usually discovered until some trouble
along the road results from it and that
the shop is responsible, when, then, should
this disorder first be noticed? A. — Dur-
ing the daily trip inspectioa On the sub-
ject of roundhouse inspection of the E.
T. locomotive brake, the air brake de-
partment, page 445 of the October, 1909,
issue contains the following: "The
gauge should then be connected to
the brake pipe hose and with the auto-
matic brake valve in train brake release
position, the test gauge, both hands of
the large air gauge and the black hanil
on the cylinder gauge should register the
tame pressure, the brake pipe pressure
should then be drawn down a few pounds
and the handle placed in running posi-
tion, the brake should remain applied."
If the brake does not remain applied
under the conditions mentioned the air
brake inspection would be continued until
it was known that there was no leakage
from the pressure chamber to the atmos-
phere or from the brake valve into the
brake pipe or from the application cylin-
der or application cylinder pipe, then if
the brake released after the manipulation
described, application cylinder pressure es-
caping at the automatic brake valve
exhaust port it would indicate that
either the application cylinder and re-
lease pipes were crossed, or that the
graduating valve in the distributing
valve was leaking. To ascertain which
part is at fault without tracing the
pipes, reduce brake pipe pressure be-
low the point of equalization, say, to 45
lbs. if the feed valve is set at 70 lbs.,
then close the brake valve cut-out-cock
and return brake valve handle to running
position. If the brake then remains ap-
plied it indicates a leaky graduating
valve, but if it releases, with application
cylinder pressure escaping at the brake
valve e.xhaust port it means that the ap-
plication cylinder and release pipes are
wrongly connected.
TEMPER.\TURE OF STE.\M.
75. L. L. G., Meadville, Pa., writes :
When I wish to know the temperature of
steam at any pressure I turn up the
steam tables in your valuable book,
"Twentieth Century Locomotives," as the
information is reliable, but sometimes I
wish to know the temperature of steam
in places where no steam tables are at
hand. Can you give me an easy rule for
figuring the temperature of steam? — A.
One formula that is simple and correct
enough for all practical purposes is t :=
temperature in degrees Fahr. ; p = gauge
pressure in pounds per square inch.
/ (p— 100)
Then t = l4X % P+198—
Take 200 lbs. pressure, we have p = 200.
The square root of 200 is 14.15; this
multiplied by I4:=I98.I, and 19S.1 plus
198=391.1; 396.1 minus pressure minus
100 divided by 11=9.1 or 200 minus 100
= 100, which divided by 11=9.1; then
Tf/i I minus 9. i = 387 degrees, the tem-
perature of the steam at 200 pounds.
FIRST TUBULAR BOILEJI LOCOMOTIVE.
7'V "Firemaxi," .St. Paul, Minn., writes:
We had a discussion in the lodge last
wri'k about locomotive questions, and one
<,i the members said that the early cn-
ginrt had a round furnace without flues.
.No one knew when tubes first came into
use Can you enlighten us? — A. Tube-
le?^ boilers were never used in America
for locomotivt Tlir first native loco-
motive was Cooper's "Tom Thumb,"
which had tubes made of gun barrels.
Stephenson's "Rocket," built for the
Liverpool and Manchester Railway, was
the first foreign locomotive equipped with
boiler tubes. Particulars can be found in
Sinclair's "Development of the Locomo-
tive Engine."
WEAR OF FLANGE.
77. J. B. R., Elkhart, Ind., writes: An
engine only a short time out of the shop
has begun to cut one of the back driving
wheel flanges, and there has been a good
deal of talk over the matter in the round-
liouse. What, in your opinion, is the
cause of such rapid flange wear at one
point? — A. Cases of this kind are usu-
ally caused by a weakening of the springs
at some point. The height of the engine
at the point near the flange showing
rapid wear should be noted and compared
with the height that the engine stands
from the other driving boxes, and any
variation should be rectified. If the en-
gine is level it would be well to look for
the cause in the dimensions of the driv-
ing bo.xes or wedges on hub liners, if any.
.\s a rule, the cause is on account of the
engine being lower at some point, the ex-
tra flange wear always occurring at the
low point.
WEAR ON WHEELS.
78. E. G., Sherbrooke, Que., writes:
What thickness of flange is allowed to run
on steel-tired engine and tender truck
wheels with 4}^ x 8 ins. journals. — A.
.\bout 1% in, is usual practice. 2. What
thickness of flange is allowed to run on
cast iron wheels with 5 x 9 in. journals. —
.'\. Cast iron wheel defects, such as sharp,
worn, shelled out, etc., are specified with
limiting gauges in the M. C. B, Code of
Rules governing the condition of and re-
pairs to freight cars. For a copy apply
to Mr. J. W. Taylor, secretary M. C. B.
Association, Old Colony Building, Chi-
cago. Thtre is a nominal charge on the
book.
BANK AND LEVEL FIRING.
79. "Fireman." St. Paul, Minn.,
writes : Some time ago there was some
discussion in the railroad papers about
the merits of what was called bank firing
as compared with level firing. I under-
stood that some of the leading railroad
systems in the East intended to experi-
ment on a testing plant with the two
forms of firing, but the thing seems to
have dropped out of sight. Can you tell
anything about it ? — .\. The tests re-
ferred to were made by the Pennsylvania
Railroad, as reported on to the Master
Mechanics' Convention of 1909. Par-
ticulars can be found on page 103 of the
annual report for that year. It was
proved clearly that level firing was most
efficient
464
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
November, 1910.
SOLUTION FOR CLEANING BRASS.
80. R. McR., Kingston, Pa., writes: I
was looking over several annual vol-
umes of your magazine ; as I recall it you
gave a solution for cleaning and bright-
ening brass castings. I am unable to find
it and would esteem it a favor if you
would republish the particulars in regard
to the solution. — A. There are a variety
of mixtures used in cleaning brass, the
most common in the case of cleaning
rough brass castings being a mi.xture of
sulphuric acid and water, two parts of
each, to which is added one part of nitric
acid. The sulphuric acid and water should
be mixed together first and allowed to
cool. The nitric acid may then be added.
The castings should not be allowed to
remain in this strong solution but should
be dipped rapidly and repeatedly until
they are clean and bright. They should
be rinsed in water and dried in sawdust.
In the case of cleaning and brightening
finished work, such as oil cups, injectors,
lubricators and the like, it is usual to
make a still stronger solution, consisting
of three parts sulphuric acid, two parts
of nitric acid and adding a handful of
salt to each quart of the solution. A so-
lution of this kind should be held in a
vitrified or glazed receptacle. The articles
should be dipped and withdrawn at once
and cleaned in water.
THERMOMETER SCALES.
81. C. L. F., Cincinnati, C, writes;
The practice is becoming so common of
giving centrigrade readings of tempera-
ture that a simple method of converting
one from another would be convenient.
Could you give me such a rule ? — A. To
change a temperature given by Fahren-
heit scale to centigrade scale, subtract 32°
from Fahrenheit degrees and multiply the
remainder by 5-9; the product will be the
centrifugal degrees. To change a tem-
perature given by the centigrade scale
into Fahrenheit figures multiply the cen-
tigrade degrees by 9-5, and add 32 to the
product.
TUBE HEATING SURFACE.
82. F. M. IM. L., St. Louis, Mo.,
writes: Will you kindly advise me
whether the external surface of tubes
is used in figuring tube heating surface?
Although Kent, page 196 in the 1906
edition, says the surface in contact with
the gases, inner, is to be taken in case
of locomotive flue tube, I have under-
stood it is the builders' practice to take
the external surface. This also makes
my figures agree with data given in
proportions of "Twentieth Century Lo-
comotives" by the Angus Sinclair Co.
— A. You are right, the outer surface
of the tube is taken in computing the
heating surface of the tubes in the loco-
motive boiler. That is the surface
which radiates the heat to the water.
THE VIRTUE OF STICKING.
83. ".Ambition," Buffalo, N. Y., writes :
My highest ambition is to be a locomotive
engineer, and I am depending upon you
to help me into the road that will lead
to that position. When I left school I
went into a brass foundry as an appren-
tice, but three months' experience among
the dirt and gas made me quit. Then I
went into a grocery store, which was
cleaner, but had no future, so I found a
job as waiter in a restaurant. From that
I went to be a car conductor, and here I
am, with my eye on our engineer's job.
Please put me in the line for getting
there. — A. We would answer this man
in the words of Josh Billings, when he
said ; "Konsider the postage stamp, my
son. Its usefulness konsists in its abil-
ity to stick to one thing until it gets
there."
M.\TTER AND MOTION.
84. C. A., Thayerville, Md., writes : I
work in a shop where I have to help, on
all sorts of work, but I am picking up
skill on machine work and I will be able
to bloom out as a regular machinist some
time. I am ambitious to learn the tech-
nical part of the business and I am writ-
ing to ask if you will recommend suitable
books for a lad who has to paddle his
own canoe. — A. Try "Machine Shop
Arithmetic," sold in this office for 50
cents. After that try a school book on
the general laws of matter and motion.
This oflSce will supply that, too.
WASH-OUT PLUGS.
85. C. C. G., Montreal, Que., asks
what is a good thing to put on wash-out
plugs as you screw them in so that they
will readily come out again next wash
day. Oil is no good. — A. Black lead and
tallow was the old-fashioned recipe and
it never failed ; but to-day, when a rail-
road man hardly knows what tallow looks
like. Dixon's Graphite Paste is the thing.
Write the firm for information. Their
address is Joseph Dixon Crucible Com-
pany, Jersey City, N. J.
INSIDE VALVE LAP.
86. B. C, Minneapolis, ]\Iinn., writes:
When studying a valve motion I have
never been able to find out any advantage
from giving a valve inside lap. Can you
tell me any advantage that comes from
the practice? — A. The purpose of inside
lap is to delay the release of steam so
that increased work may be obtained
from expansion. When the piston speed is
high the effect of delaying steam release
is to increase back pressure. Our expe-
rience with the steam engine indicator
convinces us that inside lap is a detri-
ment unless in very slow-working loco-
motives.
OILS, GREASES AND LUBRICANTS.
87. C. C. S., Palestine, Tex., writes :
The information I desired on oils, greases
and lubricants was, etc., etc., etc. — A.
We would advise you to write to F. S.
Bowser & Co., of Fort Wayne, Ind. Tell
them who you are and what you want
and why and they will be able to give you
full information on the qualities and tests
of oils.
UNEVEN WEAR OF RUBBING SURFACE.
88. "Machinist," Des Moines, la.,
writes : Can you explain why it is that
crank pins and eccentrics wear more on
one spot than they do on the other parts
of the rubbing surface? — A. These parts
wear most at the places where the work
puts on the greatest stresses.
Gift to University.
The General Electric Company of Sche-
nectady and New York have recently pre-
sented the University of Illinois . with a
recording steam meter, a device which has
been in successful use as a means of de-
termining the quantity of steam passing
through any pipe to which it may be at-
tached. The gift was transmitted on be-
half of the General Electric Company by
its sales manager, Mr. F. G. Vaughen, to
Professor Ernst J. Berg in charge of the
Department of Electrical Engineering.
This is the second magnificent gift that
the General Electric Company have made
the University of Illinois during the past
year, the first consisting of a loo-kilowatt
Curtis steam turbo-generator, which now
constitutes a part of the equipment of the
Department of Electrical Engineering.
Fuel Association.
We have received word from Mr. D.
E. Sebastian, secretary of the Interna-
tional Railway Fuel Association, that by-
order of the excutive committee the
third annual convention of this associa-
tion will be held in Chattanooga, TeniL,
on May 15, 191 1. It will be a four-day
session. The headquarters of the asso-
ciation will be at the Hotel Patten, where
the meeting will be held. The officers of
this association are : Mr. W. C. Hayes,
president, Erie Railroad, New Y^ork, N.
Y. ; Mr. S. L. Yerkes, first vice-president.
Queen & Crescent System, Lexington,
Ky. ; Mr. T. Duff, Smith, second vice-
president. Grand Trunk Pacific Railway,
Winnipeg, Can. ; Mr. D. E. Sebastian,
secretary, C. R. I. & P. Railway, 703 La
Salle Station, Chicago ; Mr. J. McMan-
amy, treasurer, Pere Marquette R. R.,
Grand Rapids, Mich.
The velocity of steam is found by the
well-known rule relating to falling
bodies. The velocity of steam is as the
velocity of a body falling from a height
equal to the column of steam represented
by the steam pressure.
Xovember. loio.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
4&5
Air Brake Department
Conducted by G. W. Kiehm
Calculating Air Pressures.
Judging from the questions asked on
the subject it is evident that, as the
student of the air brake learns its op-
erations and construction, he becomes
interested in the calculation of air
pressures.
As nothing concerning this subject
has appeared in these columns re-
cently, the following will deal with a
few simple calculations to determine
approximately the amount of free air
required to charge a reservoir to dif-
ferent gauge pressures, to determine
the pressure that will result from an
equalization when compressed air is
admitted from a reservoir into another
air-tight chamber, and the pressures
that would result from admitting but
a portion of the compressed air from the
reservoir to the air-tight chamber.
Those calculations, which are only
approximate for reasons that will be
explained later, will, however, enable
the student to get a fair idea and fig-
ure very closely the time required to
charge a main reservoir and the brake
pipe on a train of cars, the amount of
free air the pump will be required to
compress, the brake cylinder pressure
resulting from an equalization of aux-
iliary reservoir pressure, or that pres-
sure resulting from a light eduction
from various brake pipe and reservoir
pressures.
The calculations are necessarily
somewhat different, but the flow, action
and value of compressed air is prac-
tically the same under all conditions,
and in this connection the terms pres-
rare and volume are most frequently
used, pressure is merely a condition,
volume is relied upon to do eflFective
work, and a reservoir containing l,6oo
cu. ins. of compressed air at 70 lbs.
pressure is capable of creating a force
of 2,soo lbs. on an 8-in brake cylinder
piston, while a reservoir of 10 cu. ins.
containing 500 lbs. pressure per sq.
in. would likely fail to displace the piston.
That the calculations are somewhat
uncertain is due in a measure to the
variation of the temperature of the
compressed air during compression
an expansion. In compressing air,
forcing the fine particulars of air to-
gether creates a friction, the friction
generates heat, and the heat tends to
expand the compressed air. While be-
ing unable to expand it into a greater
•pace it consequently increases the
pressure per square inch in the limited
•pace into which it is compretted.
The degree of heat encountered in
compressing air is spoken of as the
natural heat of compression, although
artificially heating a reservoir full of
compressed air increases the pressure
because of the tendency of the heat
to expand it, while actually expand-
ing it into another vessel lowers the
temperature, or rather expanding the
compressed air into another vessel
cools it ; cooling it contacts it, conse-
quently lowering the pressure per
square inch ; cooling it artificially would
also lower the pressure.
Ignoring entirely the variations due
to any changes of temperature and as-
suming that we have a reservoir of
60.000 cu. ins. capacity filled with com-
pressed air at 70 lbs. per sq. in., and
ins. of free air, or 300,000 -h 172S = 175
cu. ft.
To do this the gYi-in. pump at a
speed of 120 strokes, or 60 cycles, per
minute would compress about 28 cu.
ft. of free air per minute against a
pressure of 70 lbs., and to compress
175 ft. would require about 175 -;- 28
^ 6.25, or 6;4 minutes. The ll-in. air
pump under about the same condi-
tions can compress 45 cu. ft. of free
air per minute and would require
175 -^ 45 = 4, or a little less than four
minutes.
To compress air to 90 lbs. requires
about 7 atmospheres, to compress no
lbs. requires over 8 atmospheres and
to compress 140 lbs. over 10 atmos-
pheres.
II B ■ M to n B B B » B ■> fc
VARI.VTION IN BRAKE CYLINDER PRESSURE FOR VARIOUS REDUCTIONS.
wish to find how many cubic inches
of free air it contains, it is only neces-
sary to know the number of atmos-
pheres it contains and to multiply the
capacity of the reservoir into cubic
inches by the number of atmospheres.
Atmospheric pressure, 14.7 lbs., is re-
ferred to as one atmosphere; 14.71 or
15 lbs. gauge pressure, as two atmos-
pheres; 30 lbs. gauge pressure is
therefore 45 lbs, absolute pressure, and
in 70 ll>». pressure there is contained
almost fi atmospheres, and as the res-
ervoir contained one atmosphere be-
fore the compressor was started, the
compressor would only be compelled
to coni[iress about 5 atmospheres or S
times the reservoir's capacity in cubic
inches to raise the pressure to 70 lbs.
per sq. in.; 60,000 X S = 300,000 cu.
To note the time it takes the pump
to compress air from 70 to too lbs.
pressure and from 100 to 130 lbs.
would apparently contradict the fore-
going, but any marked difference in
the time is due to the capacity of the
pump and leakage. Compressed air es-
caping from an opening represents
more free air when at a high pressure
than when at a low pressure, and there
is on every stroke of the pump a
small amoimt of space in the end of
the cylinder from which the com-
pressed air cannot be forced into the
main reservoir, and thus on the following
stroke is free to expand in the cylinder,
and the amount of free air in this space
increases with the increase of pres-
sure.
The .name i» true of packing ring and
466
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
November, 1910.
air valve leakage. Very often a pump
is in such condition that it will com-
press air to 100 lbs. pressure if given
time enough, and fail entirely to com-
press air to 130 or 140 lbs. pressure.
Suppose now that we have a reser-
voir of 60,000 cu. ins. capacity filled
with air pressure at 100 lbs per square
inch and wish to know at about what
figure it will equalize if admitted to
a train of say 50 cars. Assuming that
there are a number of lo-in. equip-
ments among them, and at a rough
estimate the brake pipe and auxiliary
reservoir on each car has an average
capacity of 3,000 cu. ins. In this sim-
ple calculation it is only necessary to
multiply the capacity of the reservoir
in cubic inches by the pressure, which
would give a result that is termed cu-
bic-inch pounds.
If the brake pipe and auxiliary reser-
voir on each car has a capacity of 3,000
cu. ins. the space to be filled with com-
pressed air is 3,000 X 5° = 150,000
cu. ins., and the number of cubic-inch
pounds contained in the main reservoir
divided by the total space in cubic
inches to be occupied by the com-
pressed air will give the number of
pounds pressure per square inch that
it will equalize at, the entire calcula-
tion would be 60,000 X 100 = 6,000,000
cu.-in. pounds, 3,000 X 50 = 150,000
cu. ins. in the brake pipe, 150,000 -|-
60,000 =: 210,000 cu. ins. total reser-
voir and brake pipe space, 6,000,000
-7- 210,000 =: 28 lbs. gauge pressure, in
which atmospheric pressure is not
taken into consideration, as the brake
pipe and auxiliaries contained atmos-
pheric pressure before air was admitted
to them from the main reservoir.
If the brake pipe and auxiliaries on
a train of this kind contained 50 lbs.
pressure after an application of the
brake and it is desired to know at
about what pressure the main reser-
voir at 100 lbs. will equalize with it,
it would then be necessary to also re-
duce the brake pipe pressure and vol-
ume to cubic-inch pounds, and divide
the total cubic-inch pounds by the to-
tal space to be filled as before. 60,000
X 100 = 6,000,000 reservoir cu.-in. lbs,
150,000 X 50 = 7,500,000 cu.-in. lbs.
in brake pipe, 60,000 + 150,000 =
210,000 total inches space to be filled,
6,000,000 + 7,500,000 = 13,500,000 cu.-
in. lbs, in all, 13,500,000 -^ 210,000 =
64 lbs. gauge pressure at equalization.
The most frequent inquiry is con-
cerning the number of pounds brake
cylinder pressure that results at differ-
ent piston travels from various brake
pipe reductions. To find the pressure
that will be developed in a brake cyl-
inder at different piston travels or from
any manipulations of the brake valve
an air gauge is attached to the brake
cylinder, the piston travel changed as
desired, and a gauge attached to the
brake pipe or auxiliary reservoir will
show accurately the brake cylinder
pressure developed, while a calcula-
tion in figures is only approximate
owing to losses that occur during the
movement of the triple valve piston
and brake piston. However, a cal-
culation will answer for practical pur-
poses, and if we wish to find the brake
cylinder pressure that will result from
;i full service application or equaliza-
tion of auxiliary reservoir and brake
cylinder volumes in a lo-in. brake cyl-
inder from a 70-lb. brake pipe pressure,
it is first necessary to understand that
the brake piston must be moved and
the space in the cylinder created and
filled with a an atmospheric pressure
before an air gauge would register any
pressure, or, rather, if the piston were
drawn out by some other source and
admitting no atmosphere, a vacuum
would result which must be destroyed
by atmosphere ; therefore atmospheric
pressure must be considered in this
calculation and the auxiliary reservoir
containing 3,030 cu. ins. at 70 lbs. gauge
pressure would contain 70 -j- 14.7 lbs.
atmospheric pressure, or 85 lbs. abso-
lute pressure, which, multiplied by 3,030
cu. ins., would be 3,030 X 85 = 257,550
cu. in. lbs. The space to be filled is
found by squaring the diameter of the
cylinder and multiplying by the deci-
mal fraction .7854, 10 X 10 = 100 X
.7854 = 78.54 sq. ins. area; at 8 ins.
piston travel we have 78-54 X 8 =
628 cu. ins. space to be filled when the
piston is out. Now, assuming that
the space between the cylinder head
and follower plate, the port through
the head and the space in the triple
valve that contains atmospheric pres-
sure before the application, to be 100
cu ins., we have 628 -[- 100 = 728 cu.
ins. brake cylinder space to be filled
and the cubic-inch pounds wherewith
to fill it is 257,550 -|- 1,500; the latter
is the atmQspheric pressure in cubic-
inch pounds in the space mentioned,
or 100 cu. ins. X i4-7 = i.SOO -f 257,550
=259,050 cu.-in. lbs. in all.
After the application the entire
space filled with compressed air is
3,030 + 628 -f- 100 = 3,758 cu. ins.,
259,050 H- 3,758 = 6g lbs. absolute pres-
sure, or about 54 lbs. gauge pressure.
An air gauge attached to the brake
cylinder would likely show about 50
lbs. As no notice is taken in this cal-
culation of any losses that occur, the
losses will be referred to in the fol-
lowing.
Suppose that the brake pipe reduc-
tion was but 10 lbs. and we wish to
know how much brake cylinder pres-
sure should piston travel 8 ins.
With a lo-lb. reduction, 10 lbs. of
compressed air will leave from each
cubic inch of the reservoir's capacity.
3030 X 10 = 30,300 cu.-in. lbs., and
from the space previously mentioned
and estimated at 100 cu. ins., 100 X
14.7 = 1,500 additional cu.-in. lbs,
30,300 -}- 1,500 = 31,800 cu.-in. lbs., and
the space to be filled 628 + 100 = 728
cu. ins., 31,800 H- 728 = 42 lbs. abso-
lute pressure or 42 — 15 = 27 lbs.
gauge pressure.
Now, we know that the first 10 lb.
reduction of brake pipe pressure will
not result in 27 lbs. gauge pressure in
the brake cylinder, and the calculation
of the equalization of both pressures
indicates a loss of about 4 lbs. in ac-
tual practice; that is, the calculation
shows that 54 lbs. should be the point
of equalization, and an air gauge at-
tached to the brake cylinder would no
doubt show about 50 lbs., and the same
loss would naturally occur during the
lo-lb. reduction, so that 27 lbs. less 4
lbs. would indicate that a lo-lb. reduc-
tion would develop about 23 lbs. brake
cylinder pressure.
It might possibly develop less, should
the packing leather allow any of the
incoming pressure to pass it before be-
ing set firmly against the wall of the
cylinder. The first 10 lb. reduction
must force the piston out and fill the
space vacated, leaving the second 10
lb. reduction to do more effective work,
as it would not suffer any loss from the
cause mentioned and should equalize
the brake cylinder and auxiliary reser-
voir pressures.
The losses which make the result
rather uncertain are slight, and are
due to the fact that some of the
auxiliary reservoir pressure escapes
through the feed groove into the brake
pipe as the triple valve piston starts
to move, and as it is moved to appli-
cation position the space vacated en-
larges the auxiliary reservoir volume
slightly and the expansion would
lower the pressure.
There is also a loss through the
brake cylinder leakage groove as the
piston is displayed and there is also a
natural loss due to the expansion of
auxiliary reservoir pressure during the
application which lowers the tempera-
ture, consequently the pressure.
In the distributing valve of the E. T.
equipment those losses, although
slight, are not so noticeable ; the first
reduction does not suffer the losses
cited above to such an extent, as the
application cylinder is filled with at-
mospheric pressure before the appli-
cation, and the application piston does not
vacate so much space in proportion to the
8-in. brake piston travel; therefore, the
first 10 lb. reduction from the distribut-
ing valve reservoir results in about 25
lbs. brake cylinder pressure, and results
in about 25^ lbs. brake cylinder pres-
sure for every pound of brake pipe re-
duction.
November, igio.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
467
Electrical Department
Motor Trains on Long Island Road.
By W. B. Kouwenhovem.
The Long Island Railroad, one of the
many roads owned by the Penn-
s>lvania Railroad, has just inaugurated
its electric motor car service through the
Pennsylvania tunnels under the East
River to the latter's great terminal in
New York Citj-. The motor cars that
the Long Island Railroad is using for
this service are equipped with the West-
inghouse Electric Pneumatic Multiple
Control System. The control is of the
automatic or auxiliary type and is similar
to that used on the Brooklyn Rapid
Transit elevated lines, the New York
subway and many other roads. It, how-
ever, possesses several new and interest-
ing features. In this system of control
the motorman simply turns on and off
the power, the automatic feature attends
to the notching up and entirely regulates
the rate of acceleration of the train.
The motor control apparatus on each
motor car can be divided into two sep-
arate parts, namely, the main motor con-
trol equipment and the master or auxil-
iary control equipment. The main motor
control carries the electric current at
600 volts from the third rail to the motors
and comprises the two motors, the switch
group, the resistance grids, line switch,
reverser, main switch, four third rail
shoes with their fuses, and a system of
supply mains, properly protected by fuses,
including a line called the bus line, which
runs the length of the car and ends in
jumper sockets. The auxiliary or master
control carries a current at 14 volts sup-
plied by storage batteries and includes the
two master controllers, the train line run-
ning the length of the car and ending in
jumper sockets, line relay, series limit
switch, two storage batteries, the interlock
switches and the electro-magnet valves
for actuating the main control. With the
exception of the main switch all the ap-
paratus belonging to the main motor con-
trol is located underneath the car floor,
while all the master control apparatus ex-
cept the train line, the electro-magnet
valves and the interlocks are to be found
in the car. The main switch, the limit
twitch and the line relay are mounted on
a switchboard located in one of the two
cabs provided for the motorman. The
Long Island trains are usually made up
of motor can with trailer cari, at they
are called, sandwiched in between. A
trailer car is one that has no motor equip-
ment. On the trailer cars the only equip-
ment i« that necessary to continue the bus
and tram lines throughout the length of
the train, and consists of a bus line with
its jumper sockets and a train line with its
sockets.
The main motor control and the auxil-
iar>- control are joined together at the
switch group by the electro-magnet valves
which control the admission of com-
pressed air to the cylinders operating the
switches of the switch group, and by the
interlocks which automatically control the
order in which the switches close. When
the motorman advances the master con-
troller handle he energizes certain wires
in the train line. These wires in turn
energize certain electro-magnet valves
which close the corresponding switches
of the switch group by admitting com-
pressed air to the proper cylinders. When
a switch closes it also closes its interlock,
which is simply a small switch, whose
closing excites the electro-magnet valve
of the switch next in order and closes
that switch. The compressed air, which
is supplied by the control reservoir, is
really the link which joins the 14-volt
auxiliar>- control system to the 600-volt
main motor control system.
The current for the main motors at 600
volts is collected from the third rail by
four third-rail shoes, two being mounted on
each truck. From the shoes the current
passes through the shoe fuses, which are
also mounted on the trucks and are of the
cartridge type; to a main or wire which
connects to the bus line wire through the
bus line fuse, which is a piece of copper
ribbon with a hole in the center to reduce
it to the proper cross-section. Then the
current goes through the main switch,
which is a three-blade, single-pole, quick-
break knife switch mounted on the switch
board, through the main fuse, which is
also a copper ribbon, to the line switch,
and from there through the switch group
and resistances to the motors and then to
the track for the return circuit.
The line switch, like the switches of
the switch group, is operated by an electro-
magnet, and has an air cylinder with pis-
ton and piston rod, but it differs from
them, as it has two sets of contacts
which form a double break in the circuit,
that is, it breaks the circuit in two places
simultaneously. The switch carries the
entire current for both motors and is
oprned and closed by a small switch in
the motorman's cab called the line switch
cut-out twitch.
The twitch group consittt of 12 lep-
aralr twitches usually spoken of as unit
switches, which are all mounted together
on .1 common frame. Each unit switch
has an air cylinder with its piston and
piston rod and electro-magnet valve for
controlling the admission of compressed
air to the cylinder. A compressed air
chamber is mounted on the back of the
frame supporting the unit switches. The
switch contacts which handle the 600-volt
electric current are two "L" shaped pieces
of hard-drawn copper, one of which is
stationary while the other is movable
and is bolted at the piston rod. When the
electro-magnet valve of one of the unit
switches is energized and compressed air
is admitted to the cylinder, the piston is
forced up and contact is first made on
the tips of the L-shaped pieces. As the
switch closes there is a rolling or sliding
motion between the contacts until the
switch finally closes on the heel of the
■■L"-shaped contacts under full air pres-
sure. This produces a positive closing of
the switch and gives very good contact
Back of each switch is a powerful blow-
out coil. These blow-out coils depend
for their action upon the fact that when
an electric spark is formed in front of a
magnet the magnetism coming from the
magnet will blow away the spark, that is,
tend to blov^ it out. If the magnet is a
very powerful one the electric spark will
be instantly extinguished, just as any one
can blow out a match. The blow-out
coil is simply a powerful electro-magnet
which carries the current that passes
through the unit switch and is placed in
such a position that its magnetism is most
effective for blowing out the spark which
is formed between the two contacts when
they open. The normal position of the
unit switches is open and if for any rea-
son either the storage battery current,
which energizes the electro-magnet valves
or the compressed air should fail the
switches will immediately open and cut
off the 600-volt current from the motors.
Each switch group also includes two
overload trips or circuit breakers, one at
each end, one being for each motor. These
overload trips are worked by the mag-
netic pull exerted by the blow-out coil at
each end of the group. One of these
blow-out coils and its unit switch are in
each motor circuit and therefore each
trip is set for the current of one motor.
These trips are so constructed that when
the motor current exceeds the proper
value an iron plunger is drawn in by
the magnetism produced by the excessive
current in the blow-out coil and held
locked there. The drawing in of this
plunger opens the storage battery circuit
of the electro-magnet valves of the unit
switches and of the line switch alio, thui
468
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
Novemter, 1910.
causing them to open and cut off the cur-
rent of both motors. The overload trip
is held in until reset by the motorman
closing the overload trip reset switch in
his cab, with the master controller han-
dle in the off position.
The interlock switches, which form a
part of the master or auxiliary control
system, are also attached to the unit
switches of the switch group, and there-
fore when a unit switch closes it also
closes its interlock. The interlock switches
are simply small light switches having
spring contact fingers that are connected
in the circuit with the electro-magnet
valves of the unit switches, and it is
through their closing that the automatic
action is obtained. On a steam locomo-
tive the engineer opens his throttle a few
notches at a time until it is wide open
and his train running ahead at a good
speed, but on a Long Island electric
motor train, when the motorman wishes
to start the train he has only three speeds
at his command, slow speed, half speed
and full speed. If he puts the controller
handle on the first notch, the first unit
switch will close and the train will start
with all the resistance in series with the
motors, and the control will remain in
this position. But if he moves the han-
dle to the full speed position at the start,
the first unit switch will close as before
and the train will start ahead with all
the resistances in circuit again. When
the first unit switch closes, however, it
also closes its interlock ; this completes
the circuit for the electro-magnet valve of
the next unit switch in order, and that
closes, cutting out some resistance. The
second unit switch also closes its inter-
lock, which completes the circuit for the
third switch in line, and in this way it
continues until all the switches have
closed and the power is full on. The last
switch, of course, has no interlock, there
being no more unit switches to close. It is
through these interlocks that the auto-
matic notching up is obtained. If the
motorman desires, he can arrest the prog-
ress at the half speed notch as mentioned
above.
From the switch group the current for
one motor passes through the series limit
switch before it reaches the motor. An
engineer on a steam locomotive knows
that if he opens his throttle in a series of
notches, one following the other in rapid
succession, that the drivers will spin
around and lose their grip on the rails.
The very same thing would happen on
a Long Island Railroad motor train if
the unit switches were allowed to close
one right after the other in rapid suc-
cession. The rate at which they close
and therefore the rate of acceleration is
entirely controlled by the series limit
switch. This switch is mounted on the
switchboard, and consists of a magnet
made up of a few turns of heavy copper
wire which carries the current for one
motor, as stated. Inside the coil is a plun-
ger, to the lower end of which it at-
tached a copper disc which normally rests
upon two contacts. When the motor cur-
rent exceeds the limit for which the
switch is set it lifts the plunger, raises
the disk, and opens the circuit between
the two contacts. These two contacts are
m the batterj' circuit leading to the mag-
net valves of the unit switch group, and
no more switches can close as long as
the disk is held up; however, the switches
already closed remain closed. When the
motor current falls the disk is released
and closes the circuit again, thereby al-
lowing the next unit switch to close.
When a train starts, and at each succes-
sive notch, there is a rise of the motor
current above the value for which the
limit switch is set, causing it to raise its
plunger and retain it for from a few sec-
onds to a few minutes, depending upon
the weight of the train, the grade, and
similar factors. .\s the speed increases
the motors themselves reduce the cur-
rent until it falls below the value of the
limit switch, causing the plunger to fall
and complete the circuit again, allowing
the next unit switch to close. In this
manner the closing of each unit switch
is retarded until it is the proper time for
it to close. Thus the series limit switch
takes the notching up of the control, en-
tirely out of the hands of the motorman.
and does it more regularly and in a
m.uch better manner than the motorman
himself could do it.
The current on its way from the
switch group to the motors passes
through the resistance grids. There are
14 resistance grids, and each grid is made
up of 2g cast iron plates or grids which
are mounted in a frame. The two motors
are of the regular railway tj'pe. The di-
rection in which the motors revolve and
train runs is controlled by the reverser,
which consists of a movable switch
mounted on a rod betw-een two cylinders.
The admission of compressed air to each
cylinder is controlled by a separate mag-
net valve so arranged that only one can
be excited at a time. Wires from the
armatures and fields of the main motors
are connected to two sets of fingers, these
fingers make contact with metal strips
mounted on the movable part and so make
the proper connections for forward and
backward travel. The rod is continued
through one cylinder, and on its extreme
end is mounted an interlock which locks
the reverser with the switches of the
switch group and prevents the closing of
any switch in the group unless the re-
verser is in either one extreme position
or the other.
There are two master controllers, one
in each cab.' The master controller serves
to actuate the control and consists of
a movable drum against which spring
fingers press. When the drum is rotated
to either side by the motorman the spring
which holds the drum in its central posi-
tion is compressed and tends to return
the drum to that position. Two pipes-
Itad the wires to each master controller^
the one contains the wires of the train
line, and the other contains the wires-
leading to the three small knife switches-
and to the emergency train brake magnet
valve. All are located in the cab. These
knife switches are the line switch cut-
out switch, the overload trip reset switch,
and the brake cut-out switch. When the
Ime switch cut-out switch is open all the
line switches on the train are open, and
the operation of the switch group can be
tested without starting the train because
no current can come through the open
line switches. When the train is in opera-
tion this switch must always be closed.
The overload trip reset switch is a small
knife switch held open by a spring. This
sw'itch should never be closed unless the
controller handle is in the off position,
and then if held closed for a couple of
seconds it will reset any overload trip
that may have opened due to an ex-
cessive current through a motor. This
switch should never be kept closed. The
third switch, the brake cut-out switch,
must always be closed when the control
is in use because it turns on the storage
battery current for all the electro-magnet
valves.
There are seven notches and two stops
on the face of each master controller,
three notches and a stop on each side of
the central notch. The central notch is
tlie brake position of the handle, the first
notch is the off position in which the
handle must be placed whenever it is
necessary to reset an overload trip, the
second notch is the slow speed position,
the third notch is the half speed or
series running position, and the stop or
fourth notch is the full speed or multiple
running position. The connections of the
brake cut-out switch, which as stated,
must always be closed in order to operate
the control, and the emergency train brake
magnet valve, inside the master controller
are such that if the controller handle
is permitted to come to the central or
brake position while the train is in opera-
tion the emergency brake valve magnet
will be energized and will open the train
brake relay valve which exhausts air
from the train line and produces an emer-
gency application of the brakes, and at
the same time opens the storage battery
circuit, opening the unit switches and the
line sw'itch and cutting off the electric
power. This action of the control corre-
sponds to the dead man's handle of the
New York subway and Manhattan elevated
trains. The controller handle must
never be permitted to come to its central
position unless the brake cut-out switch is
first opened, and then the operation of the
controller handle in either direction has
no effect whatever on the unit switches,
because the storage battery current is cut
off. The train can be operated from
any master controller, but only one must
ever be used at a time.
November, lyio.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
General Foremen's Department
Ash Pans.
In the course of an extended tour the
writer recenth- found the subject of ash
pans occupying absorbing interest There
are now a great many ash pans in use de-
signed to meet the requirements of the
Federal law. As far as we could make
out, the Talmage ash pan meets the legal
enactments concerning ash pans as close-
ly as any on the market. That pan re-
ceived favorable mention at the General
Foremen's Convention. Items of the
report read :
Mr. Voges, C, C. C. St St L. Ry.— We
are using the Talmage ash pans on the
Big Four, and we have experimented
with them a great deal. In the first place,
the valve of the cock we placed in hori-
zontal position, but now it is vertical, and
we placed a small hole where the pipe
leads into the ash pan to get the mud out,
and in case in the winter time it freezes
up. A gentleman spoke about placing
netting on the side of the ash pan; we
have done that and found it a good thing.
Our boiler-maker makes a little opening
on the side and we place a little foot-
hoard. On the large power I should
judge it is j'/i ins., or something like
tiiat. The man does not have to stand on
the side of the firebox.
I believe there are all kinds of devices
out for cleaning ash pans, but as far as
I can see the Talmage has given very
great satisfaction. Like anything else, it
has to be watched closely. This little
opening on the side of the ash pan is a
very good thing. It gets the air through.
With the small power and the narrow
f.rebox we have an opening on the side,
and just clean them out .■Xt the Beech
Grove shop ihey filled the ash pan with
bricks and cleaned it out in 15 or 20 sec-
onds.
Mr. Beland, Frisco Ry.— On the road I
<ame from we have the Talmage drop
bottom '•Me. It is different from any I
ever s.-iw. The slides are independent to
the ash pan proper. A frame is made
that fastens on the side of the engine
frame, independent of the ash pan. The
ash pan is just over the slide apparatus
that goes arr>und a ba.<ie s'A ins. wide.
The slides work underneath. We find it
very successful, only in cold weather it
will free/e up. The drop-bottom pan is
the mo*i successful. Fastened together
with a tiirnbuckle, so adjusted that in
ca»e the pan warps the turnbuckle will
close out.
President Ogden.— We have three
Vind« We have an eight-inch pan and
*!»< a blow off pipe. We blow them out.
That complies with the law, but it is not
successful in all cases. If they get
choked up you have to take them apart.
With the slide ash pan the construction
is all right if kept in order. Around the
lottom the cTsing is hollow and it is quite
.: job to keep the pipes connected. I be-
lieve we have a good ash pan. They are
tight on the bottom and we get our draft
from the netting on the ash pan. There
are wings perforated full of holes that
we close. We have some little trouble
from fire. Of course, in a dry country
like Kansas it is pretty hard to get a pan
that will answer all purposes and prevent
fire. We have one we sometimes blow
out the firebox door. We should get the
idea of an ash pan that is practical for all
purposes and one that will comply with
the law. We have not done it yet in all
cases. We have done it, but I do not
think it is satisfactory to the heads of
our departments. It is crude in a way,
and I know our superior officers are anx-
ious to get something more up-to-date
and simple. The trouble with our pas-
senger engines on long runs is that they
get a clinker from the draft that comes
in and they cannot stop to clean the ash
pans. We have one that is used in the
summer time ; before they come in the
station they turn the water on and try
to kill the fire to dampen the dust There
is too much of it, and we ought to be
able to get something different from what
we now have in the ash pan.
Equity and Common Sense.
.\mong the many thoughful utterances
at the last meeting of the International
Railway General Foremen's Association
some remarks of Mr. W. L. Kellogg are
worth considering. Mr. Kellogg is super-
intendent of motive power of the Cin-
cinnati. Hamilton & Dayton. He spoke
in part as follows. "Foremen ordinarily
come from the ranks of their craft and
are representative men. It is true that
when elevated to the position of foreman
their dignity should be added to, an<I
their loyally to their employer should be
manifest in their actions. This need not.
however, raise an insuperable barrier be-
tween (lie foreman so promoted and the
craft. Nothing speaks so ill for the fu-
ture "■iiirrss of a newly crcateil foreman
as to lose the good will and respect of his
men. I n do this he need not remain one
of the boys, SO to speak; in fact, the con-
fidence uhich his superiors placed in him
in ell v.iiing him to the positinn carries
with it. to his associates, a certain amount
of respect, which in their hearts they feel.
although they may not make voluble ex-
pression of same. He need not hold
himself aloof from the men, but on the
other hand should join with them insofar
as possible in expressions of thought on
matters concerning their welfare and
the welfare of their employers. It
perhaps would have been better had
I reversed the order, for such must
always be the case; the employee can
only prosper with his employer. No em-
ployer can long continue to benefit his
employees, unless he himself is prosper-
ing. A foreman, as a rule, is better in-
formed on matters pertaining to the wel-
fare of the employer than are the men.
Intelligent co-operation between foreman
and men spells success by the shortest
method possible.
"In this day of advancement and en-
lightenment it is difficult to get men to
exert themselves in blind effort. Everyone
works toward a goal, be that goal what it
may, and I firmly believe that much of
the unfortunate agitation which is pres-
ently sweeping wide over our country is
due to the fact that our men are forced
up to their tasks in blind effort, to pro-
duce so many pieces of this or that article,
with little or no idea of what the results
of their labor are, or what the component
parts of material they work upon consist
of, or to what future use they will be
put. The workman's goal is one ex-
pressed in dollars and cents, with which
he is compensated for their production.
He has little of interest to turn his
thoughts to. except the increase of his
earning capacity. He has little or no love
for his work or interest in his profession
and no attachment for his shop or pride
in his organization and falls an easy prey
to the agitator who talks to him of the
one goal he knows.
"I believe it is the duty of you gentle-
men present in your staff meetings to im-
press this thought upon your subordinate
foremen and advise them by every means
possible to instill into their men a knowl-
edge of their work, an interest in their
output, a pride in their shop and the
organization with which they arc con-
nected. Nothing is so difficult to combat
as the lack of intelligence, and the most
<lifficult man we have to handle is the
man who, made valuable by his ability to
do some one thing well, has grown lop-
sided in his intellect and believes that his
ability as a workman or mechanic leaves
himself equally able to legislate for him-
self and his fellow employees in matters
economic and politic.
"You all have in your employ broad-
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
November, 1910.
minded workmen, developed both in their
arts and craft and at the same time con-
versant with their other surroundings.
With these men you have little to contend
with. Their daily duties are performed
systematically and regularly and matters
pertaining to their business affairs can
be handled amicably and equitably. Un-
fortunately these men are not ordinarily
selected by their associates as their lead-
ers and representatives when the question
of shop rules or wage schedules are to be
discussed. All too frequently you are
called upon to receive committees who
you well know are not made up of the
best men qualified to handle such matters
for their associates. Often the commit-
tee represents the radical element, who,
after having enjoyed the benefits of their
labors for a period and knowing of the
whys or wherefores of their occupation,
nothing of whether their employers are
enjoying a profitable business or not, and
having no other idea than personal ad-
vancement, regardless of equity, cannot
be made to appreciate the unfortunate
position in which you yourselves are
placed when obliged to decline their re-
quests or demands. I do not mean by
this that the private affairs of your com-
pany should be scattered broadcast among
your employees, but it is right that they
should know something of the business
in which their energies are expended.
Your foreman has lost his most valuable
asset if he is not able to keep in suffi-
ciently close touch with his men to act
as their counselor or adviser and exert
his influence at all times toward peace and
harmony, counseling the men to uniform
activity and energj-, pointing out to them
the possibilities of their future success
through the success of their employers,
encouraging them in habits of temperance
and morality, the establishment of savings
accounts and the building of homes, coun-
seling them when selecting representa-
tives and leaders to pick conservative
men, men qualified to appear for them
when meeting their superior officers on
matters of mutual interest. In this coun-
try, our mixture of races, with their vary-
ing habits and creeds, producing an envi-
able rivalry, harmonized and properly
guided as necessity arose, has made us
the great nation that we are. Our great-
est law is equity, our greatest learning
common sense. We are as a nation, an
organization of organizations, extending
down to the individual, and of which your
shops are a well defined part. Let this
simple law and learning ever be your
guide."
Squaring the Circle.
By George S. Hodgins.
If you turn to the pages of any good
engineering pocket book such as Kent's
and look up the circle, you will find that
the area of a circle is found by squaring
the diameter, that is, multiplying the
diameter by itself, and then multiplying
the product by a constant. When put in
the form of an equation, the area,
A=d'X.78s4. This much is clear enough
and simple enough, but the reason for it
does not appear.
If you turn to the pages in your
engineering pocket book dealing with the
solution of triangles you will find that
the area of any triangle whose base and
perpendicular height is known, is found
by multiplying the height and the base
together and dividing the product by 2,
or in other words, take the perpendicular
height and multiply it by half the width
of the base and the product will be the
equal to the circumference of the circle,
and that the height of each triangle is
equal to the radius of the circle.
Now the area of each triangle if found
and added together would practically be
the area of the circle, but as each triangle
has a base too minute to measure ac-
curately, we are compelled to resort to a
process of summing up which will apply
to the case. The height of each triangle
ii the radius, and the sum of all the bases
is the circumference of the circle, but
when the circle is made into a series of
the most minute triangles, the rule for
finding the area of the series becomes,
DEVELOPMENT OF THE CIRCLE L\
area of the triangle. Here are the two
formulas, one for obtaining the area of a
circle, and the other gives the area of a
triangle where the base and perpendicular
are known. By applying the rule for
the triangle to that of the circle, the deri-
vation of, or the reason for the formula
for the circle will become apparent.
Suppose }'0u cut a circle out of say,
thin fine leather like that of a kid glove,
you have material less stiff than paper,
and capable of being bent without tear-
ing. Now suppose you cut the fine leather
circle into a series of small triangles
with the apex of each triangle at the
center of the circle and the circumference
of the circle forming the bases of the
triangles. This can be done by cutting
the triangles to within a hair's breath of
the outside of the circle and when all the
triangles have been cut the leather can
be laid on the table with what was the
circumference in a long straight line and
each triangle standing up from it like a
series of very sharp saw teeth. This may
be called a sort of development of the
circle, or a transformation of the circle
into a series of triangles.
The actual cutting up of the leather in
this way into so many minute triangles
would be a difficult and tedious process
as a matter of fact, but it forms
a picture in the mind and is a good
illustration for our purpose. After you
have cut the leather circle into a very
minute series, suppose it to be a thousand
times more accurate with very many
more triangles and proceed to apply the
triangle rule to the series of little
triangles standing on the long straight
edge that once was the circumference.
You do not know the exact length of the
base of each of the little triangles, but
you know that the sum of them all is
TO A SERIES OF SM.\LL TRI.^XGLES.
total area equals radius multiplied by half
the circumference, or stated as a formula,
A=rXJ4c.
In this formula we may substitute the
idea of the diameter for the radius as it
suits our purpose better, and of course
the diameter being simply twice as long
as the radius, it follows that the part of
the diameter which equals the radius is
represented as diameter divided by 2, or
d
T= —
2
We have then this new formula in
which we use the diameter idea, instead
of the radius, the statement
d c dXc
A=--— X— or A—
22 4
but it so happens that the circumference
is really made up of the diameter multi-
plied by the constant 3.1416 and if we
substitute again in the formula so as
again to introduce the diameter idea, for
measurement in any circle; we have the
formula
d dX3i4i6 d=X3i4i6
.■\=— X or A=
4 I 4
It is easy to see that the next step in
the process is to cancel out the figures as
far as possible and we get the formula
for the circle which we found in Kent's
pocket book, and which is
A=d=X.7854
Thus by the application of the general
principle for the solution of triangles
with base and height known, we have
been able to trace one of the methods of
reasoning by which the area of the circle
has been worked out for practical every
day purposes.
November, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
471
The First Canadian Railway.
What is said to have been the first
railway in Canada was between Laprairie
and St. Johns, Que., and it replaced a
stage coach line. The charter was ob-
tained in 1S32, and it provided for a road
16 miles long. The authorized capital of
this new enterprise, known as The
Champlain and St. Lawrence Railroad,
was i50,ooo. This was in fact a capital-
ization of a little over £3,000 a mile.
Work was commenced in April, 183S, and
the line was opened in July, 1836, horses
at first being used to haul the cars. The
rails were strips of wood covered with
thin plates of metal, sometimes called
strap rails, but later on replaced with iron
rails of more modem pattern.
What the early passenger trains looked
like is shown by our illustration, which
is a reproduction of a picture now in the
Grand Trunk board room at Montreal.
We obtained the illustration and the data
from the Railway and Marine World.
.\n advertisement in The Montreal Trans-
cript of those old days announced that
"The Champlain and St. Lawrence Rd.
Co., in connection with the steamboat
Princess Victoria, will continue to run as
follows: Steamer from Montreal pre-
cisely: 9.30 a. m., 3 p. m. Cars from
Laprairie, 10.30 a. m., 4 p. m., by locomo-
tive." Then followed the time of the re-
turn trips and the times of the Sunday
service. The fare for the return trip on
the same day was 7s. 6d. ; single fare, 5s. ;
children half price.
This advertisement appeared after the
railway had been in operation only a few
months. In the same issue of The
Transcript appeared the following news
paragraph, 'which shows how early the
new line developed freight traffic: "A
number of American speculators have
been engaged in this city for the last two
weeks buying wheat and salt for the
American market. The steamer Princess
Victoria has already brought 35,000 bush-
els of wheat and 20,000 bushels of salt to
Laprairie to be taken to St. Johns via the
-aid road."
The political troubles, sometimes called
road from the St. Lawrence River, oppo-
site Montrtal, on the right bank, at St.
Lambert, to the frontier of the United
States, there to connect with a line run-
ning to Portland, Me. In 1847 the line
from Montreal to Lachine was opened ;
in 1850 the line to Portland was opened
as far as Richmond, Que., and a charter
was granted to build a branch from Rich-
mond to Point Levis, opposite Quebec.
In 1852 the St. Johns-Laprairie line was
built to St. Lambert, which became the
general junction point, and eight years
later it became the southern terminus of
the Victoria tubular bridge, built by Rob-
ert Stephenson and A. M. Ross. These
early railways are to-day parts of the
Grand Trunk Railway system.
Colors of Mother of PearL
In our July paper, page 287, we had
some observations on the colors of thin
plates, the plate being a very thin film
of oil or turpentine spreading out over
water or over a wet surface. The plate
or film eventual!}' becomes so thin that
the rainbow tints of colored light which
go to make up what we call white light,
actually interfere with one another and
by destroying some of the ingredients
of white light reveal the remaining
constituents in the form of beautiful
irridescent colors.
The colors of mother of pearl are
produced in very much the same way
and arc the result of the interference of
the colored rays of light, which are
really waves of different lengths. The
mother of pearl when viewed under
the microscope is found to be made
up of numberless little ridges like
minute file marks, but running in more
or less curved contour lines. These
tiny ridpcs arc less in height than the
waves of light and the phenomenon of
"interference" takes place with the re-
sult that some of the waves which
make white light arc destroyed and the
others show clearly in the full glow of
color. The fact that mother of pearl
is structurally a series of ridges may
be proved by making a sealing wax
Track Premiums on the P. R. R.
The Pennsylvania Railroad distributes
annually the sum of $5,400, in premiums
to those whose divisions have been kept
in the most perfect condition during the
year. The premiums for 1910, six in
number, were distributed at Harrisburg
at the close of the first day of the general
manager's thirty-eighth annual track in-
spection trip. A committee of mainte-
nance of way officers goes over the line
every few weeks during the year in a car
attached to one of the regular high speed
trains. Two glasses full of water are
placed on the sills of two rear windows
of the car, and every spill is counted
against the man on whose section the spill
occurs. An instrument is also used which
has been designed to register every vibra-
tion of the car, either vertically or hori-
zontally. The smaller the amount of vi-
bration, the better the track.
The Special Main Line Track Inspec-
tion Committee for the year 1909-10 con-
sisted of Messrs. J. T. Richards, Chief en-
gineer maintenance of way, chairman ;
Messrs. L. R. Zollinger, engineer mainte-
nance of way; H. A. Jaggard, superin-
tendent of the Elmira division; J. B.
Raker, superintendent Philadelphia ter-
minal division ; and E. B. John, superin-
tendent Delaware division.
Xearly all young trainmen interest
themselves in the construction and oper-
ation of the air brake. Railway and
Locomotive Ekgineerinc encourages that
tendency towards self-help, by maintaining
an excellent air-brake department, but it
cannot publish a treatise on brakes every
month or two, and so recommendations
are given to read the best permanent liter-
ature on the subject. In this connection
we ought to mention the ".■\ir-Brake
Catechism," by C. B. Conger. Any person
uho studies that book thoroughly need
fear no question or problem connected
with air brakes.
We understand that several railway
supply men are in the habit of annually
making a present of a year's subscription
niGAN RIN.MNd BKTWKKN l.,\l'F( M UIF. AND
SL'M.MER OF i8j6.
QUE..
the rebellion of 1837-38, hampered rail- cast of the surface of the shell and the
way expaniion, and very little was done minute ri'l»{c» being of course repro-
until 1845, when a charter was granted duced the wax shows all the glistening
to the St. Lawrence and Atlantic Ry. colors which gives to the mother of
Company, authorizing them to build a pearl its bright, lustrous appearance. ceive.
t(i Railway and I,o<-omotive Engineer-
ing. Several recipients of this courtesy
wlimn we have met say the paper is the
most welcome Christmas present they re-
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
November, 1910.
Items of Personal Interest
Mr. \\ . F. Lowe has been appointed
road foreman of engines of the Alabama
Great Southern.
Mr. A. H. Stebbins has been appointed
superintendent of the Barre Railroad,
with office at Barre, Vt.
Mr. F. \V. Stanyan has been appointed
general manager of the Barre Railroad,
with office at Montpelier, Vt.
Mr. P. J. Hannifin has been appointed
road foreman of engines on the Roches-
ter division of the Erie Railroad.
Mr. J. J. Dewey, master mechanic of
the Erie at Jersey City shops, has re-
signed to go into other business.
Mr. D. F. Farrell has been appointed
purchasing agent of the Detroit &
Charlevoix, with office at Detroit, Mich.
Mr. F. E. Marsh, assistant mechanic of
the Pennsylvania at Trenton, has been
transferred to the machine shops at Al-
toona.
Mr. A. R. Duncan, superintendent of
car service for the Cincinnati, Hamilton
& Dayton, has resigned to engage in other
business.
Mr. John W. Storrs has been appointed
consulting engineer of the Montpelier &
Wells River Railroad, with offices at
Concord, N. H.
Mr. W. W. Abbott has been appointed
superintendent of the Auburn division of
the Lehigh Valley Railroad, vice Mr. C.
J. Shea, transferred.
Mr. J. A. Burke has been appointed road
foreman of engines of the Atchison To-
peka & Santa Fe Railroad, with headquar-
ters at Amarillo, Tex.
Mr. F. H. Murray has been appointed
master mechanic of the Erie Railroad,
with office at Port Jervis, N. Y., vice Mr.
C. James, transferred.
Mr. J. F. Schwaiger has been appointed
road foreman of engines on the Eastern
district of the Wyoming division of the
Union Pacific Railroad.
Mr. M. C. Roach has been appointed
superintendent of the New York division
of the Lehigh Valley Railroad, vice Mr.
W. W. Abbott, transferred.
Mr. C. James, master mechanic on the
Erie at Port Jervis, N. Y., has been
transferred to Jersey City, on the Erie,
vice Mr. J. J. Dewey, resigned.
Mr. P. G. Leonard has been appointed
road foreman of engines of the Hocking
Valley, with office at Columbus, Ohio,
vice Mr. L. C. Engler, deceased.
Mr. Geo. Whiteley has been promoted
from road foreman of engines to district
master mechanic. District i, Saskatoon
division, Canadian Pacific Railway.
Mr. C. J. Shea has been appointed
superintendent of the Wyoming division
of the Lehigh Valley Railroad, vice Mr.
N. L. Moon, assigned to other duties.
Mr. J. J. Dewey, master mechanic of
the New York division and branches of
the Erie Railroad, at Jersey City, N. J.,
has resigned to go into other business.
Mr. L. L. Park, of Schenectady, has
been appointed superintendent of appren-
tices of the .American Locomotive Com-
pany, vice Mr. George L. Sprague, re-
signed.
Mr. A. M. Gracie has been appointed
foreman of the car department of the
Northern Central at the Elmira, N. Y.,
shops, vice Mr. J. W. Hawthorne, de-
ceased.
Mr. E. L. Burdick, general foreman of
the locomotive department of the Wabash
at Forest, 111., has resigned to become as-
sistant engineer of tests of the Santa Fe
at Topeka.
Mr. Fred H. Murray, general foreman
of the Jersey City shops of the Eric, has
been promoted to be master mechanic at
Port Jervis, N. Y., vice Mr. C. James,
transferred.
Mr. C. A. Kothe, assistant general fore-
man of the Southside Jersey City shops of
the Erie, has been appointed general
foreman of the Bergen shops, on the
same road.
Mr. C. H. Norton, general foreman of
the Bergen round house on the Erie, has
been appointed general foreman of the
Jersey City shops, vice Mr. F. H. Mur-
ray, promoted.
Mr. Garret \niet has been appointed
master mechanic of the western division
of the Grand Trunk, at Battle Creek,
Mich., to succeed W. Hamilton, who re-
cently resigned.
Mr. W. A. Yanda has been appointed
machine foreman on the Northern dis-
trict of the Rock Island lines, with office
at Cedar Rapids, la., vice Mr. P. F.
Low. resigned.
Mr. Thomas Tait, Chairman of the
Victorian Railway Commissioners, has,
according to a Melbourne, Australia,
cable, dated Sept. 21, resigned and will
return to Canada.
Mr. J. Beaumont has been appointed
signal engineer of the Chicago Great
Western Railroad, with office at Chicago,
vice Mr. W. H. Fenley, resigned to en-
gage in other business.
Mr. F. A. Chase, formerly general
mechanical inspector of the Chicago,
Burlington & Quincy, has retired from
active service after almost 61 years of
railway and mechanical work.
Mr. J. P. McMurra;', road foreman of
engines of the Atchison Topeka & Santa
Fe Railroad, has been transferred from the
Colorado to the Western division, with
headquarters at Newton, Kan.
Mr. M. A. Kinney, master mechanic of
the Hocking Valley at Columbus, Ohio,
I'.as been appointed superintendent of mo-
tive power, with office at Columbus, vice
Mr. G. J. De Vilbiss, deceased.
Mr. H. F. Wardwell has been appoint-
ed superintendent of power and equip-
ment of the Chicago & Western Indiana
and the Belt Railway Company of Chi-
cago, with office at Chicago, 111.
Mr. C. M. Stone has been appointed
machine foreman on the Terminal and
Illinois divisions of the Rock Island
lines, with office at Chicago, vice Mr. W.
Marks, assigned to other duties.
Mr. C. A. Blood, freight traffic man-
ager of the Lehigh Valley, is receiving
congratulations on having won the golf
championship in a contest with some of
the higher officials of the company.
Mr. E. Norton, road foreman of engines
of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Rail-
road, has been transferred from the West-
ern division to the Colorado division,
with headquarters at La Junta, Col.
Mr. P. H. Wilhelm, lately associated
with the American Steel & Wire Com-
pan.v, has become connected with the Bos-
ton Woven Hose & Rubber Company in
the capacity of general railroad represen-
tative.
Mr. D. W. Mahoney, Saskatoon, Saslt,
Canada, has been appointed road fore-
man of engines, with jurisdiction over
the fourth and fifth districts, Canadian
Northern Railway, with headquarters at
Saskatoon.
Mr. Garrett Vliet. assistant master
mechanic of the Grand Trunk, Portland,
Me., has been appointed master mechanic
of the western division, with office at
Battle Creek, Mkh., vice Mr. W. Hamil-
ton, resigned.
Mr. Frederick M. Weld, master me-
chanic of the Chicago, South Bend &
Northern Indiana, has resigned to take
the position of master mechanic of the
Birmingham Railway, Light & Power Co.,
of Birmingham. Ala.
Mr. C. C. Hubbell, auditor of disburse-
ments of the Delaware, Lackawanna &
Western at New Y'ork, has been appoint-
ed purchasing agent, with office at New
York, vice Mr. George F. Wilson, re-
signed on account of ill health.
Mr. F. A. Bushnell, purchasing agent of
the Spokane. Portland & Seattle and the
.■\storia & Columbia River, at Portland,
Ore., has been appointed purchasing agent
November. 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
473
of the Oregon Trunk, the Oregon Elec-
tric and the United Railways Co.
Mr. Paul L. Grove, assistant master
mechanic at the .■\ltoona shops of the
Pennsylvania Railroad, has been appoint-
ed assistant engineer of motive power of
the Buffalo division, with office at Buf-
falo, N. Y., vice Mr. C. L. Mcllvaine,
promoted.
Mr. C. L. Mcllvaine, assistant engineer
of motive power of the Buffalo division
of the Pennsylvania Railroad, at Buffalo,
N. Y., has been appointed assistant en-
gineer of the Erie division of the Penn-
sylvania Railroad and the Northern Cen-
tral, with office at Williamsport, Pa., vice
Mr. J. L. Cunningham, promoted.
Mr. Geo. A. Holden, roundhouse fore-
man at Michigan City, Ind., for the Mich-
igan Central, has recently been promoted
to general foreman of the locomotive de-
partment on the same road and trans-
ferred to Grayling, Mich., vice Mr. E. A.
Keeler, transferred. He will have charge
of engines and engine crews at that point
Mr. C. H. Peterson, hitherto con-
nected with the Chicago office of the
Baldwin Locomotive Works and the
Standard Steel Works Company, has
been appointed southwestern representa-
tive of these companies, with offices at
914 Security Building, St. Louis, Mo.
Mr. Edward B. Halsey. who has been in
charge of the St. Louis office, has been
transferred to the sales department of
the Philadelphia office.
Mr. E. Stutz, vice-president and gen-
eral manager of the Goldschmidt Ther-
mit Company, has retired from the di-
rection of the company's affairs, which
now comes under the management of
Mr. William C. Cuntz. Mr. Cuntz
brings to his position a thorough
knowledge of the steel business and a
wide acquaintance with the railway and
street railway officials of the country,
having been connected for eighteen
years with the Pennsylvania Steel Com-
pany.
Mr. C. T. Allis, for years an engineer
on the Memphis Route and one of the
subscribers to the first number of The
Locomotive Engineek, has given up rail-
roading and is now secretary and general
manager of the Roberts Lumber Com-
pany, of Pitkin, La. Mr. Allis is located
a little away from crowded lines of
travel, but the high fortune that has come
to him has not made him proud and he
will be glad to take any of his old friends
out for a spin on his new automobile.
Mr. J. W. Wyatt has been appointed
road foreman of engines on the first
district of the Cincinnati, New Orleans
& Texas P.icific Railway. Mr. Wyatt
has been running an engine on this
road for the past sixteen years, and has
been chairman of the local committee
of adjustment of Division 603, B. of
L. E., and member of the G. C. of A.
for the past five years. The members
of his division regret very much to
lose him as an active member, but con-
gratulate the railroad officials on the
appointment, and all join in wishing
him success and advancement to higher
positions.
Mr. James T. Brady, for many years
superintendent of shops of the New
York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad
at New Haven, Conn., has been trans-
ferred to the e.xtensive new shops of the
company at Readville, Mass. Mr. Brady
is one of the most thoroughly accom-
plished railway men in New England.
He learned the machinist's trade with the
Petty Machine Company over forty years
ago, and was for many years in the employ
of the New York & New England Rail-
way Company. When the road became
merged into the New Haven system Mr.
Brady was placed in charge of the com-
pany's principal shops at New Haven. He
is very popular among the younger me-
chanics, whom he encourages in many
ways, especially in the personal superin-
tendence of their theoretical as well as
practical education. He is a great be-
liever in railroad literature, and in spite
of his growing duties he manages to keep
thoroughly abreast of the times in all that
pertains to the mechanical appliances
used on railways.
Obituary.
It is with feelings of profound regret
that we have to record the death of an old
and valued friend, Henry S. Bryan. He
died at the advanced age of 74. Mr.
Bryan was born Sept. 7, 1836, at Caze-
novia, N. Y. He received his education
at the G. W. Seminary, at Lima, N. Y.,
and at the O. C. Seminary at Cazenovia,
N. Y. In 1856, at the age of 23 years, he
entered the railway work, his first posi-
tion being that of machinist in the Chi-
cago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway
shops, at Milwaukee ; from December,
1863, to September, 1865, he was foreman
of the machine shops of the Galena divi-
sion of the Chicago & Northwestern Rail-
way, Chicago; from October, 1865. to
February, 1866, he worked as machinist
for the Chicago, Rock Island & Pa-
cific Railway, at Chicago. lie filled
other positions in the mechanical dc
partment of several of our lending rail-
ways, and from April, i88<>, to September,
1889, he was a member of the business
firm of I'.ryan Elmer & Sloane. and from
September, 1889, to .April, 1800, in the firm
Bryan & Elmer, dealing in railway male-
rial and supplies, with headquarters at St.
Paul. In April, 1890, Mr. Bryan came to
Two Harbors and from that time until
IQ04 servrd as master mechanic of the
Duluth & Iron Range. In that latter year
he w.Ts promoted to the office of super-
intendent of motive power, which position
he held up to the time of his death. Dur-
ing the twenty years of his life in Two
Harbors .Mr. Bryan had ever been promi-
nent in the affairs of the village and city.
He served the public in many capaci-
ties, among them being president of the
village for three years. He was president
of the public library during the first five
years of its existence. He served three
years as president of the school board and
three years as president of the old Com-
mercial Club. His son, Mr. Luther H.
Bryan, is general foreman of locomotive
repairs on the Duluth & Iron Range Rail-
road, and he is also secretary of the Inter-
national Railway General Foremen's As-
sociation.
.Archibald C. Robson, formerly master
car builder of the Lake Shore &
Michigan Southern at Buffalo, N. Y.,
died at his home in Buffalo on Oct.
6 of heart disease. Mr. Robson was
born on Feb. 19, 1830, at Langholm,
Dunifrieshire, Scotland. He began rail-
way work in December, 1854, as a car-
penter on the Buffalo & State Line, re-
maining in that position until the road
became a part of the Lake Shore & Michi-
gan Southern. From May, 1868, to June,
1872, he was appointed division master car
builder of the same road and was later
promoted to master car builder.
C. D. Jameson, who recently resigned
as master mechanic of the western di-
vision of the Grand Trunk at Battle
Creek on account of ill health, died last
week in Montreal.
We regret to announce the death on
Saturday, October 22, in Buffalo, N. Y.,
of the railroad representative of Messrs.
Manning, Maxwell & Moore ; Charles E,
Randall. Mr. Randall was sixty-nine
years old. On account of the death of
his father he was obliged to go to work
at the age of fourteen, at which time he
became an apprentice in the Taunton
Locomotive Works. At the age of
twenty-five he had become chief engineer
on a steamboat. A few years later he
was employed by the Hartford Steam
Boiler Works in Fast Boston, where he
was employed until 1879. On June I,
1881, he entered the employ of The Han-
cock Inspirator Company as mechanical
engineer and salesman and has been con-
nected with them since that time. When
Manning, Maxwell & Moore, Inc., pur-
chased the Hancock Inspirator in 1000,
Mr. Randall then became associated with
this well-known firm, and has represented
its allied industries. The Ashcroff M.inu-
facturing Company, The Consolidated
."Safety Valve Company, The Haydrn &
Derby Manufacturing Company and The
Hancock Inspirator Company.
Robert Potts, who until his rrtirriiient
from active service seven years ago was
master car builder of the Michigan Cen-
tral at St. Thomas, Ont., in which capacity
he served for nearly 25 years, died re-
cently, aged 71 years.
474
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
November, it)ia
Shockless Jarring Molding Machine.
Our half-tone engraving illustrates a
"shockless" jar ramming molding machine
invented by Mr. Wilfred Lewis, president
of the Tabor Manufacturing Company of
Philadelphia. Jar ramming machines for
molding have been largely used, and they
have done very well for light work, but
when applied to the immense castings now
called for, the shocks imparted to the
foundation had serious effects upon floors
and buildings in the vicinity of the ma-
chine. On this subject Mr. Lewis re-
marked in a paper read before the Ameri-
can Society of Mechanical Engineers last
spring :
"The earthquake from a loaded table
weighing 65,000 lbs., dropping two or three
inches upon an anvil bedded in the ground
chine is arranged to operate at any stroke
from I in. to 4 ins. in length, and this
can be adjusted while the machine is
running.
What Mr. Lewis did was to invent a
machine that relieved the foundation of
the jarring action. The following de-
scription of the improved machine is con-
densed from an article that appeared in
The Foundry:
"This machine consists of a jarring
table cast integral with the cylinder,
mounted upon a cylindrical anvil, which
SHOCKLESS JARRING MOULDING MACIIINIC.
can well be imagined. Not only would it
undo the work done by the machine, but
a large area of the floor space in the
vicinity would become useless and office
buildings at a considerable distance might
vibrate in sympathy. In this instance a
comparatively small jarring machine of
a well-known type, with anvil mounted on
wooden cribbing, had caused more or less
annoyance to the occupants of office build-
ings in the neighborhood, and the machine
described was designed to avoid any
further trouble of the same character."
Our illustration shows one of the I.'j
in. jarring machines with 4 ft. x 6 ft.
table, set up ready for service in a suitable
pit, the valve levers and operating mech-
anism being carried in a stand in a con-
venient position nearby. The connection
from this stand to the machine is through
the medium of a flexible hose. The ma-
in turn is guided by a cylindrical base and
rests upon supporting springs calculated
to give the anvil a substantial velocity
while the table is falling. The movement
employed in this machine to overcome the
shock is best defined as 'libratory,' which
denotes 'countervailing forces opposing
each other.' It will be noted that
the supporting springs beneath the anvil
carry the entire load of the anvil,
table and mold, and they do this under
static conditions, and also while the table
is rising. However, when the table
reaches the upward limit of its travel, and
when the air is exhausted to let it drop,
the anvil is suddenly relieved of the air
pressure which supported the table, and
the springs beneath the anvil expand and
accelerate its upward movement while the
table is falling. As a result, the momen-
tum of the falling table and load is sub-
When
Your
Boiler
Foams
Then your cylinders
are left dry — the oil is
washed away. Perhaps
cut valves or pistons
result, but even if this
does not happen, ex-
cessive strain is put on
your engine and more
coal taken to drive it.
But it's a different
matter when you use
Dixon
Flake
Graphite
in connection with oil.
Your boiler can fuss
and foam to its heart's
content and the graph-
ite stays right on the
job. It lubricates valves
and cylinders in the
face of all conditions,
prevents cutting, saves
coal, makes it easier for
you to handle the en-
gine.
Try it and see for
yourself, sample 69 C
free.
JOSEPH DIXON
CRUCIBLE CO.
Jersey City, N. J.
November, loio.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
475
¥
^- '■'
■\
T^
1
T
JjE )
FLE
[^Sblei
STA
!.•;■■ ■ ■
_ r
if'
^L^
I
1
ReCOGNIZED
STANDARD
FLEXIBLE
STAYBOLTS
Htolds firebox sheets securely
together, and accommodates
itself to the unequal expansion
of the plates.
USED ON OVER 170 RAILROADS
••Staybolt Trouble
a Thing of the Past"
So say many of our customers
who have used the Tate Bolt
in large numbers, covering a
period of time sufficient to base
comparisons and eliminate all
chances of douht.
THE TATE BOLT HAS
PROVED ITSELF INDISPENS-
ABLE TO LOCOMOTIVES IN
HIGH PRESSURE SERVICE
BY RENDERING A LOWER
COST OF FIRE BOX REPAIRS
TO A GREATER MILEAGE IN
SERVICE, THEREBY IN-
CREASING THE EARNING
VALUE.
FIANNERY BOLT COiyiPANT
PITTSBURGH. PA.
(ult* ill rrtok Balldlnc
B. E. D rrArroKD. om. ii>iur«r
I. EOOERB rUlMVESr 4 COMFAXT,
»»lUat Aontt
rrtek Balldinc, Pittibuirh. Pa.
TOM B. DA7U. MMbiBloal Exmrt
OZO Z HOWABD. Eutarn Tarrltarr
W. M. WII.SOB, Waitara Tarrttary
OOln<0»WTAI.TH SUPPLY COMPAVT.
SAQthflajUm TtrTltnrr
stantially equal to the momentum of the
rising anvil at the instant of impact.
These moments neutralize each other, and
the table is brought to rest without shock
or jar as completely as if it had dropped
upon an anvil of infinite weight. To ac-
complish this, the springs beneath the
anvil have a very long compression, so
that their loss in supporting power, as
the anvil arises, will not materially affect
its velocity.
"Ordinarily, the springs are sufficient to
give the desired momentum to the anvil,
but in large machines, where the consump-
tion of air is an important item, it is
advantageous to utilize the air discharged
from the jarring cylinder in augmenting
the momentum of the anvil. This is ac-
complished by making an additional port
in the operating valve, which connects the
jarring cylinder and anvil cylinder while
the table is falling. When the operating
valve is again shifted to lift the table,
the valve is opened to exhaust and the
anvil is, therefore, free to drop.
"Ordinarily, supporting springs under
about 8 ins. compression are used to
carry the full load, and with a 4-inch
stroke on the table, the anvil movement
would probably not exceed 2 ins., while
ordinarily it would be very much less.
The maximum variation in floor load
would, therefore, not exceed 25 per cent,
of the total load resting upon the sup-
porting springs, and this variation is so
gradual that it does not partake of the
nature of a shock. At the moment of
impact the supporting springs simply
cease to expand and therefore cease to
reduce the load on the foundation. Fol-
lowing this they again compress and
gradually increase the load on the foun-
dation by a comparatively small percent-
age of the total load carried.
"Tliis machine is built by the Tabor
Mfg. Co., molding machine manufactur-
ers, Philadelphia.
"Several of these machines arc already
in use and arc giving the highest satis-
faction. .Any of our readers visiting the
Baldwin l.ncnmotive Works can see them
in operation in the foundry."
Ditched.
,'\s a philosophic passenger afterwards
remarked, "It is the unexpected that al
ways happens." The train had been
speeding along hour after hour, through
russet meadows and picturesque wood-
lands marked by reddening maples anri
fringc'l by glowing shumack, attractive
scenes tlmt kept the passengers gazing
upon the beauties of the Indian summer.
The train kept speeding on without jar
or jolt over a track that seemed perfect,
when without the least warning the
whecK f>f the car I was riding on dropped
up<>n the tics, and there ensued the never
to be forgotten jolting, rolling and jerk-
ink that car wheels produce when plung
ing over tie'" and broken nlone.
When the tumult began a passenger
stood up and shouted at the top of his
voice: "What in hell's the matter?" repeat-
ing the unanswered query several times.
1 knew what was the matter, but had no
leisure to explain, and just dropped upon
the floor and grasped the frame of my
sent and held on, taking the jolts as
rigidly as possible. Hat racks, hand bag-
gage, seat cushions, splintered head lin-
ing and miscellaneous articles began to
tly about, and I found the seat frame af-
forded comfortable protection from the
missiles that damaged some exposed
limbs.
The tumult could not have lasted half
a minute, but it seemed a long time till
the end came by the car turning over
with a terrific jolt. At that instant, the
man who had shouted so vociferously
"What's the matter?" was shot through
the window like a huge torpedo. Most
of the people who had been on the up-
per side came down in heaps when the
car turned over. I was on the lower
side, and settled sotfly upon the head lin-
ing when the car came to rest.
I had been in a similar accident once
before and knew, not only what to do, but
kept my attention upon what the other
passengers were doing. Most of them
stood up or sat without holding fast to
the seats, so that they were thrown about
by the plunging and jolting of the car.
Then a mass of human beings seemed to
drop from the higher to the lower level
when the car went over. Many of them
were badly bruised through being pitched
about, pains that might have been avoided
had they dropped upon the floor and
clung to the seat frames.
It is difficult instructing persons how to
do in case of the derailment of a train they
are riding in, but sound advice is to drop
upon the floor, preferably in the aisle or
cling to the seat frame. The impulse to
stand up and howl should be restrained.
In a former derailment accident that I
experienced a woman on the seat oppo-
site to me stood up and proceeded to
scream. I shouted to her to sit down
on the floor, but she paid no attention,
and when the car fell over on its side
she was projected upon 'me like a pile-
rlriver weight. .She was nearly as big as
a cow, and the impact of her body almost
finishe<l my career. A. S.
Explanation Necessary.
"The simplest proposition," said Sena-
tor Beveridge in a recent address, "must
be sent out with the utmost care in the
wording, or misunderstanding, dissent,
even anger, may result.
While a train was leaving Cincinnati a
man stuck his head far out of the win-
dow.
"'Keep your head in there,' a station
altendaiit shouted in warning, 'or it wilt
111- knocked oflf.'
"'Kntrrkcd tiff?' shouted (he passenger.
'Knockeil off, eh? Well, it won't he
knocked off by anybody the size of you." '*
■4/6
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
November, 1910.
Detroit Seamless Tubes.
Below is an item taken from a recent
issue of the Detroit Free Press. The
business success of the Detroit Seamless
Tubes Co. is a matter for congratulation,
not only among the officers of the com-
pany, but also among their many friends
throughout the country :
"That more business is coming to De-
troit industrial concerns than was ex-
pected is demonstrated by the remarkable
record lately made by the Detroit Seam-
less Steel Tubes Company, one of the
largest mills of the kind in the country.
"A few months ago a complete reorgan-
ization of the administrative force from
the superintendent down took place.
Since that time there has been an in-
creasing output and every previous record
lias been broken in all departments. The
rate of increase runs from 10 to 25 per
cent., and the owners feel as though they
are making a record that is extraordi-
narily great at a time when the automobile
business is slack and has a natural ten-
dency to decrease the demand for their
products.
"The reorganization began with the ap-
pointing of Mr. W. H. Lantz, of Detroit,
as superintendent. He was for many
years one of the force of the American
Car & Foundry Company plant, of this
city, which he left to accept a position
in the South, from which he has but lately
returned.
"The other new appointees are Mr.
William Imhoff, head of the cold drawing
department, secured from Shelby, C, as
was also his assistant, Mr. Robert Ihler;
Mr. James Thompson, Detroit, superin-
tendent of rolling mills ; Mr. Charles
Koelbel, Chicago, night foreman of the
cold drawing department ; Mr. Thomas
W. Smythe, Detroit, general foreman)
Mr. William Sythes, Detroit, night super-
intendent."
Presence of Mind.
"Hallo!" exclaimed a London coster-
monger on meeting an acquaintance. "Wot
damages did you get for bein' in that
motor 'bus accident?"
" 'Eavy ones, my boy," was the reply,
accompanied by a grin. I got i20 for
myself and £20 for the missus."
"The missus! Was she hurt, too?"
"No, but I 'ad the presence of mind to
fetch her one over th' 'ead 'fore we was
rescued."
Among recent oil furnace contracts
taken by Walter Macleon & Co., of Cin-
cinnati, Ohio, are a large plate-heating
furnace for the J. Baum Safe Company,
of Cincinnati ; complete furnace equip-
ment for the Southern Motor Works,
Nashville, Tenn., and a complete furnace
equipment for the W. H. Clore Manu-
facturing Company, Washington, Ind.
Life of Steel Cars.
At a recent meeting of the New York
Railroad Club, Mr. William Marshall, of
Newark, N. J., president of the Anglo-
American Varnish Co., said ;
"The metal car is here to stay,
and has been here long enough to
demonstrate that it can be protected
by suitable paint. With regard to its
protection, he had found it wisest to ob-
tain statements from the master painters
of the leading railway systems. Re-
plies received to' a series of questions
disclosed almost complete unanimity of
opinion that all parts should be sand-
blasted before receiving any application
of material as a priming coat. Also the
further necessity of giving careful and
close attention to unseen parts, such as
lapping joints where metal is placed
against metal, or metal against wood,
and which should be thoroughly painted
with a red lead jute before riveting.
Hidden parts which are not to be sur-
faced and varnished should be given not
less than two or three coats of the best
protective paint obtainable. The life of
a car will depend entirely upon such pro-
tection. These priming coats should have
less oil than for wood, owing to the
smaller porosity of metal.
"As to the appearance and durability
of steel cars in comparison with those of
wood, four years' experience on one sys-
tem with 200 such cars had not shown
any material difiference in general sur-
face. Wherever there is the slightest
opening of joints moisture is sure to creep
in and corrosion follow.
"As the metal freight car has shown
superiority over wood, the passenger car
will undoubtedly do the same. Steel
cars retain the luster of varnish longer
than those of wood. Disintegration of
metal cars dates from the time that the
car leaves the sand-blast house, and con-
tinues until it becomes necessary to re-
move and repaint it in five and one-half
or six years.
"Personal views greatly differ, in the
light of present experience, as to the cost
and making of repairs by reason of side-
wiping, collisions and wrecks, but the
consensus of opinion is that steel cars
offering greater resistance in accidents,
consequently the number of times they
will have to be repaired will be reduced.
An accident that would put a wooden car
out of commission will hardly make an
impression on one of steel.
"It is believed by a majority that ulti-
mately it will be found that the life of the
steel car will exceed that of the wooden
car one-third, provided it has the proper
care and attention. From an economical
standpoint, the greater first cost of steel
cars will be compensated for in economy
of maintenance and the longer time such
cars are out of the shop and more service
per mile they give are factors in the case.
GOLD
Car
Heating
Lighting
Company
Maaufacturcrt of
ELECTRIC.
STEAM AND
HOT WATER
APPARATUS
FOR RAILWAY CARS
IMPROVED
SYSTEM OF
ACETYLENE
CAR LIGHT-
ING
Largest Manufacturers in the World of
Car Heating Apparatus
Send for circular of our combina-
tion PRESSURE AND VAPOR
SYSTEM OF CAR HEATING,
which system automatically main-
tains about the same temperature in
the car regardless of the outside
weather conditions.
Main Office, Whitehall Building
17 BATTERY PLACE
NEW YORK
Kovember, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
[xtracts from Our Mail
WHAT Some of Our
Readers Have to Say
Most Information :
I take a number of different
railroad jcumals. but find that I
get more information from RAIL-
WAY AND LOCOMOTIVE EN-
GINEERING than any of the
others.
T. H. & B. Railway.
Hamilton. Ont., Can.
M. J. HAYES,
Shop Foreman.
He Missed One:
You knew It is an old saying
that "We never miss the water 'till
the well goes dry," and so it is
with your valuable journal, which
I have missed very much.
W. MONTGOMERY,
Div. Master Mechanic.
C. R. R. of N. J.
Lakehurst. N. J.
A Voice from Australia:
Being a subscriber to your jour-
nal for many years, I beg to ten-
der my meed of praise for the valu-
able information ccntained in every
issue. I am delighted with your
practical and comprehensive meth-
ods of dealing with Railway diffi-
culties. I always keep back copies
by me for reference, being a night
officer in charge of a busy locomo-
tive depot. I find your journal of
great assistance.
R. J. KEMPTON.
Seymour. Victoria, Australia.
TO ADVERTISERS
IT HAS PAID OTHERS IT
WILL PAY YOU!
Cylinder and Valve Chamber Borer.
In the past it has been the practice to
bore locomotive cylinders in machines
having a li.xed distance between the table
and the boring bar, and this distance was
so small that it was necessary to clamp
the cylinder in a cradle or other special
device designed for the purpose, the cylin-
der being held in extremely unstabled
equilibrium. The setting of the machines
have been requiring as much, if not more
time than the actual boring of the cylin-
der and its piston valve ports.
To obviate these objections the Niles-
Bement-Pond Company, of New York,
designed and constructed a new line of
locomotive cylinder and piston valve
chamber boring machines, which we illus-
trate in this issue, the machines having
sufficient height between the top of the
tance from center of boring bar to table
is 30 ins. The maximum distance is 51
ins. Facing heads are provided with tool
slides having compound motion and auto-
matic star feed. They are clamped to
end of the sleeve with the boring bar.
The minimum distance between facing
heads is 20 ins. The maximum distance
is 60 ins. Boring heads of various sires
can be provided to meet any requirement.
The drive is by means of a powerful
motor directly geared through reversing
controller; the adjustment of table and
fast traverse to the bar are obtained from
the same motor. These machines have
completely revolutionized all former
methods of boring locomotive cylinders
and piston valve chambers by chucking
cylinders on the flat side, thus reducing
to a minimum all possible chances of the
The following Representa-
tive Railway Supply Manufac-
turers have used our columns
continually for twenty years,
or more.
ACME ICACHINERY CO.
THE AJAX METAL CO.
ASMSTRONO BROS TOOL CO.
BALDWIN LOCOMOTIVE WORKS.
CHAPMAlf JACK CO.
CLEVELAND CITY FORGE Ic IROM CO.
CLEVELAND TWIST DRILL CO.
DAYTON MALLEABLE XROS 00.
RICHARD DUDOEOK.
JOS DIXON CRUCIBLE CO.
FALLS HOLLOW 8TATB0LT 00.
GALENA SIGNAL OIL CO.
GOULD COUPLES CO.
H. O. KAMMETT.
XEVKINS BROS
LOWO li ALSTATTER CO
m'conway 4 torley co.
nat:onal malleable castijios co.
natha.s mfo co
H K PORTER li CO.
RLE MFO CO.
SAFETY CAR HEATIMG * LIGHTIWO CO.
WM SELLERS k 00 . mC.
WATSOK STILLMAH CO
WESTINOHOUHE AIR BRAKE CO.
Wrhm tor Rmtm Omrd
R!>Ll^»En^neerins
NEW YORK
tYI.IM>KK .\M) I'lSTON XALVE CU.V.MUEK ISOKKK.
talile .«nil the lioring bar to enable the cylin-
der to be chucked with its fiat side on the
horizontal table. Only a few minutes is
thus required to chuck the cylinder,
thereby reducing by about one-half the
cost of machining these awkward castings.
The machine, which the makers refer
to as the Bcmcnt locomotive cylinder
and valve chamber boring machine, will
bore and face Iwth ends simultaneously
of cylinders up to 60 ins. in length. The
boring bar is a steel forging 7 '"'• '"
diameter, it has a continuous traverse
of II ft. by hand, fast traverse in cither
direction, and six automatic reversible
bf.rinK feeds. For boring the interrupted
ports of piston valves the feeds arc ac-
tuated by a screw instead of a rack, the
feedn being engaged, changed or reversed
by rnnvrnienlly placed levers. The main
t.ib!.- is supportrfl nn four large elevating
..rrcws. the nuts of which arc revolved
by hand or power. The cross table
measures 54 by 7a ins., and has a longi-
tudinal traverse of 18 ins. and a cross
traverse of 30 ins The minimum di»-
sctting slipping. These machines win
favor as soon as seen and have been ex-
tensively adopted by the leading locomo-
tive and railroad shops, such as the New
York Central and the various shops of
the American I.ocumotive Company.
Canadian Exaggeration Met.
"Where I come from," said the first,
"we have a salmon river that rises in
some boiling springs, .^s the salmon
climb uii the river they gradually get accli-
mated to the heat of the water and don't
mind it. In fact, when we fish in the
highest reaches of the stream we catch
»ur salmon ready boile<l."
■T dfm't doubt that," said the second
Canadian, calmly. "Down my way there's
a curious salmon river, too. It rises in
some tin mines. As the fi.sh work up they
meet the suspended ore in gradually in-
creasing quantities. They get quite min-
eralized if they keep on upstream, so that,
if we fish at the heail of the river, we catch
our salmon ready tinned, and all we have
to do is to pack and ship them to market,"
4/3
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING
November, 1910.
New Drive for Flatwist Drills.
The questions connected with using
and driving twist drills forged or
twisted from flat bars of high-speed
steel are probably receiving more at-
tention from mechanics at the present
time than any others connected with
the use of tools. Although attempts
to solve the problem of drive have been
numerous, and complicated chucks have
been designed to hold and drive the
rough end of the flat bar of steel, the
shank ends of the bars have been spir-
ally twisted and machined to form
taper shanks fitting regular taper sock-
ets; more or less cumbersome taper
shanks have been soldered or riveted
to the shank ends of the flat twist drills
but none of these methods have finally
settled the matter.
The Cleveland Twist Drill Company,
of Cleveland, Ohio, have recently ap-
plied for patents on a new device for
driving flat taper shanks that are tap-
ered both on the llat sides and round
edges. These shanks are regularly fur-
nished on that company's "Paragon"
flat twist drills and are driven by
sleeves or sockets internally equipped
with flat taper holes accurately fitting
the shanks and externally tapered to fit
standard taper sockets or spindles. In
the case of large diameter flat twisi
drills having No. 6 sh.-mks this drive
^ iini
r [Mi
■ III
:1
FIG. 2. Sn.XNK COLLET ,\ND SPINDLE.
was found to have certain disadvan-
tages, as it made necessary the use of
cumbersome extension reducing sockets
to adapt the large shanks to the drill
press spindles which seldom Jiave a tap-
er hole larger than No. 6. To overcome
tliib dirticulty as well as to provide addi-
tional driving strength is the two-fulU
object of the new device.
To this end both the No. 5 and No. 6
"Paragon" shanks have been redesigned
the same length as regular taper
shanks, the taper on the round edges
being regular Morse taper as formerly.
When, therefore, this modified shank is
Fir,. I. THE "PAKM.Oy- COLLET.
inserted directly in the spindle the up-
per end of the shank is received and
driven by the flat slot in the spindle
just as is the tang of an ordinary taper
shank drill. This alone would consti-
tute a strong and practical drive but for
the lack of support the shank would
have on its two flat sides at the lower
end of the spindle. To provide against
Ihe possibilities of vibration and wear
between the shank and spindle, and to
furnish a powerful additional drive at
the lower end of the shank where its
cross sectional area is greatest, a new
.nnd original type of socket, called the
"Paragon" Collet, has been evolved.
As shown in Fig. I the collet con-
sists of two lugs L, L projecting up-
ward from a flattened disk through
«hich is cut a rectangular hole to re-
ceive the "Paragon" shank. The lugs
have rounded outside surfaces ground to
standard taper and flat inner surfaces
tapered to fit the flat taper shank. The
groove G is provided to receive the
point of a drift key in case the collet
should stick in the spindle. When the
collet is on the shank the combina-
tion is practically an interchangeable
taper shank with unusually long tang.
Fig. 2 shows the shank, collet, and
spindle, in combination. The addition-
al drive is provided by means of an ex-
tension E projecting upward, in the
case of vertical drilling, from the cir-
cular base of the collet. This projec-
tion mortises into a slot cut across the
end of the spindle conforming to the
standard slots now being put in the
spindles of heavy-duty drill presses by
several well-known manufacturers.
That this tongue-and-gro ve drive at
«
AROUND
THE
RAILROAD
SHOPS"
This is the title of a series
of articles dealing with loco-
motive repairs published in
"REACTIONS," a quarterly
paper which is sent free of
charge to interested parties
in the United States, Canada
and Mexico. The third quarter
of this paper for 1910 has just
been issued and contains ar-
ticles of exceptional interest to
railway mechanical men on the
welding of locomotive frames,
driving wheel spokes, connect-
ing rods and mud rings.
When writing for copies,
|)Iease mention this advertise-
ment.
W. C. CUNTZ, General Manager,
90 West St., New York
M2-4Se Folaom St., Ban TiilbMk», 0*iU,
108 Richmond Bt, W., Tannto, Oat.
SINCLAIR'S LOCOMOTIVE ENGINE
RUNNING AND MANAGEMENT
Isstill popular. We have it. Price $2.00
ANGUS SINCLAIR CO.. 114 Liberty Si.. N. Y.
WAITERS A.B.C.TRACK SANDERS
Only two pieces. No repair*
For sale by
I. H. WAnCRS, AssL M. H. Ga. R.R., Augusta, 6a.
November, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
479
One Year and
Eleven Months'
SERVICE
WITHOUT REPACKING. OM
High-Pressure Locomotives
style 300 TV.
A throttle failure is an absolute
impossibility where Cran-
dall's Throttle Valve pack-
ing is used.
IT WILL NOT BLOW OUT
Crandall Packing Co.
FAlTiillV A.ND OB.SEBAI, OFFICE
PALMYRA. . NEW YORK
BRANCnES
N-w York n»T«lan(I
IM IJbertj 8t. SOS Soptrlor Are.. H. W.
Boston IMtt»bargh
I* nifh 8t. 1310 Kpcdiq BIdg.
rjilciio
MO W»hlnclon BItcI.
STORRS' Mica
Headlight Chimneys
STORRS MICA COMPANY
R. R. D«pl.. Ow«(a. N. Y.
the large end of the shank is very much
stronger than any drive on the tang
could possibly be is made evident by a
single glance at the figure. The col-
lets without this extension will fit any
?pindle or socket and the company in-
forms us that these will be furnished to
railways whose spindles are not fitted
with slots, when this requirement is
plainly specified, but they will, of
course, not have the additional driving
strength otherwise afforded. With the
extension tliey make what would seem
to be an almost ideally perfect drive for
the largest sizes of flat twist drills.
Patents.
QUO. p. WHITTLEiSEY
MaOIU. BUIUIINU WASHINOTON. D. C.
at various Pennsylvania railroad stations
throughout the State of Pennsylvania in
order that road supervisors and others
might operate them.
High Destiny.
It used to be a matter of sentiment in
nearly all Scottish households for the
eldest son of a family to be destined for
the ministr\-. The highest ambition of
nearly every matron was to see her son
"wag his head in a pulpit." Sentiment
has sadly changed of late years. The
writer was talking one day with Mrs.
Kidd, wile of a Scotch railway inspector,
about her growing sons. She was proud
of their ability and remarked: "There's
Jamie, the oldest, learning to be a me-
chanic in the railway shop; Tom, the sec-
ond laddie, is learning to be a grocer, and
Jack is working in the goods office."
■What about Willie, the youngest, Mrs.
Kidd?" "Wcel, we're no verra sure about
Willie. He's no verra bright, but wc
were thinking he might do for a minister."
Association of Interests.
Quite recently an association of inter-
ests in the manufacture and sale of ma-
chinery and machine tools has been an-
nounced by the Gisholt Machine Company
and Joseph T. Ryerson & Son. This an-
nouncement is of particular interest as
representing the establishment of a rela-
tionship which is understood to be inti-
mate between one of the leading machine
tool builders and one of the strongest
general machinery organizations in the
country. In furtherance of the plans
formulated by the interests thus combined
extensive additions will be immediately
made to the Gisholt plant at Madison,
Wis., which will greatly increase the out-
put and scope of that company and permit
ct a development which the association of
these two concerns would seem to
prophesy.
T*ra* BeaaanabI*
Pamplilal Aaal
P. R. R. for "Good Roads."
In an endeavor to stimulate interest in
tlie "Good Roads" movement in the
States through which the road runs, the
Pennsylvania Railroad has issued a
pamphlet entitled, "Good Roads at Low
Cost." Tliis booklet is being given a
wide distribution in the country districts
throughout Pennsylvania Railroad terri-
tory. "Good Roads at Low Cost" was
written for the Pennsylvania Railroad by
Mr. D. Ward King, who is an acknowl-
edged expert on road making. He is the
author of a pamphlet distributed by the
Department of Agriculture some time ago.
While the management of the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad have for some time been
keenly interested in the subject of good
roads, in the past year tluy have re-
double<l their efforts in this direction.
Meetings of agents have been held at dif-
ferent points, while the general manager's
laff has also taken up the subject of
improving the roads radiating from the
( onip.'iny's stations.
Ilic (ompany has had Mr. King, the
invcnic r of the split log drag, deliver lec-
tures at various stations in the Slate of
Pennsylvania. The split log drag, which
can lie made by any one following the
dirri lions given in the pamphlet issued by
the r.iilroad. has been used with good
((Tnt in many parts of the country. A
niHiit.ir of these drags have been placed
The McKeen Motor Car.
The McKeen motor car appears to be
attaining great popularity, especially in
the West, and it appears that every new
car acts as a convincing argument in fa-
vor of new orders. Within a month the
following cars have been delivered :
One 70-foot, Southern Pacific Com-
pany, No. 45.
One 70-foot, Chicago Great Western
Railroad Company, No. 1001.
One 70-foot, Rock Island Lines, No.
9023.
This makes a total of 88 "McKeen"
cars in daily service in the United States
and Mexico.
Gives Up Demurrage Bureau.
The Lchifih N'alley Railroad have an-
nounced their withdiawal from the car
demurrage bureaus in their territory.
They will handle demurrage affairs
through their own organization after No-
vember I. By this new arrangement the
company will be better able to prevent the
delay incident to the holding of cars, and
will expedite traffic in such a manner as
to benefit the railroad, the shippers, and
the public in general. The same action
has been taken l>y other large roads.
The car demurrage bureau was formed
some twenty years ago. The principal
object was to minimize the detention of
cars by shippers and consignees as well
as 10 insure ecpial Ireatmcnt of shippers
by all the companies. The bureau's (unc-
tion has been to keep track of the cars
placed for loading and unloading and
held beyond the alloltcfl time, to hasten
the release of these cars, and to deter-
mine upon the amount due to the rail-
roads in the form of demurrage charges
for unnccesnary detention. A rode sam
48o
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
November. 1510.
tioned by the Interstate Commerce Com-
mission, has made the joint bureaus
unnecessary.
The Humane Stock Car.
The Pennsylvania Railroad had an
exhibit at the first international hu-
mane conference in America, which was
recently held in Washington. The most
important feature of the exhibit was a
miniature model of the car, so made that
the interior could be inspected. This
model is 5 ft. long and a little over i ft.
wide ; it is I ft. 7 ins. high. The model
and the other exhibits show in detail the
method used for the protection of stock
against injury in transit.
The Pennsylvania Railroad is also dis-
tributing pamphlets giving a history of
the development of their standard steel
underframe live-stock car. This pamphlet
is being sent broadcast and contains il-
lustrations of the interior of the car,
the stock may come in contact have been
rounded or chamfered. Hay racks within
the car extend from end to end, thus per-
mitting feeding in transit. The hay-rack
bars at points of attachment are rein-
forced with a wooden facing strip to pre-
vent horses, when tied to them, from
pulling away from the racks.
The two bottom lining slats on the
sides of the car are spaced I in. apart
to keep the legs of hogs and sheep from
sticking through while lying down. The
side doors are equipped with guides or
throws so that in the winter, when ma-
nure freezes against the door, the latter
can be thrown out at the bottom from
the side of the car and moved, thus elim-
inating the hammering to loosen, which
frightens the stock. These "throws" also
hold the doors tightly to the sides and
bottom of the car, thereby preventing the
legs of sheep or hogs from slipping
through when leaning against the doors.
••HUM.\NE" LIVE STOCK C.\R 0\ THE P. R. R.
showing how all sharp corners have been
eliminated.
The experiments which the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad have been making in the
construction of this live-stock car have
been going on for some thirty years, and
the equipment which is now being exhib-
ited at the humane conference has been
examined by railroad men, veterinarians,
live-stock shippers and societies for the
prevention of cruelty to animals, and has
been pronounced a most admirable car
for the transportation of live stock.
The class "Kf" stock car is built of
oak, on a steel underframe. giving a solid
floor and a rigid body. There is no sag-
ging in the floor to cause the stock to
lose their equilibrium at every jerk of
the train. The floor is rough, in order to
afford a firm foothold for animals.
All bolt heads and nuts exposed on the
inside of the standard stock car have been
rounded or countersunk; all edges on
side doors and interior walls with which
The new car has end sliding doors and
handholds on bottom of carlins in order
that attendants mav enter.
Allurements and Discouragements.
The humorist of 1 he Houghton Line
remarks: "If you want to get up a rous-
ing reform meeting, just send each man
a personal invitation and mention that he
may be called upon to make a speech.
"If you want to have empty benches,
tell him he may be called upon to make
a contribution.
"We have tried both."
The chief of this clan has a hired girl
whose name is Ingobar, a Norweigian
appellation. There is a chronic strained
relation between that girl and Mrs. Flynn,
who visits the house every week to do
washing. Mrs. Flj-nn, like many other
Irishwomen, hates strange names and
wildly makes a shout at some of them.
Ingobar she invariably calls Incubator.
CARS, CABS, SHOPS
AND
ROUND HOUSES
requires a roofing that
is unaffected by ex-
tremes of temperature
RUBEROID
ROOFING
il
lUEllt'd
, 8. Pit
JIBce
Will not melt, rot, crack or
corrode. Contains no tar.
Outlattt Metal
SPARK PROOF, CINDER PROOF,
QAS PROOF, WEATHER PROOF
Write for samples, prices and booklet So M.
THE STANDARD PAINT CO.
100 William Street New York
Chicago, Philadelphia. Boston. Kansas City,
"HOMESTEAD"
VALVES
Are constructed upon mechanically cor-
rect principles — thev are leak proof under
steam, air or hydraulic pressures. They
are practically indestructible because the
seats are protected from wear. The plug
IS balanced and held in place by pressure
when open, and when closed it is locked
pn tie seat by our patent wedging cam.
'Homestead" Valves are the quickest acting,
simplest, most easily operated and largest
iK^ed of any made.
Homestead Valves are oprened wide and
closed tight by a quarter turn.
HOMESTEAD
OFF
LOCOMOTRE BLOW-OFF
Write for catalogue of Homestead Goods.
HOMESTEAD VALVE M'F'G 60.
Br«»» Founders Works at Homestead, Pa.
P. O. Boxl7S4, PITTSBURG, PA.
DUNER
CAR CLOSETS
DUNER CO.
November. loio.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
481
TURNTABLES
Philadelphia Turntable Co.
PHILADELPHIA, PA.
Nichols Transfer Tables
Turntable Tractors
GEO. P. NICHOLS & BRO.
1090 Old Colony Bldg. CHICAGO
ALDON CAR REPLACERS
We act three pairs of Aldon Frog* and had
ill nine cars on the rails in twenty minutes. —
Extract from Wrtckint hlasterj' Reports.
THE ALDON COMPANY
965 Monadnock Block, CHICAGO, ILL.
ESTABLISHED 1884
Sipe's
Japan Oil
Is superior to Linseed Oil
and Dryers for
ALL KINDS Of PAINIIIIO
In Daily Use by
All the leading Railroads
In the United States
Manufactured solcljr by
JAMfS B. SIPf & (0.
N«rtb suit. PinSBUROH
Difference in Brake Equipments.
In order that there may be no mis-
understanding concerning the use and
intent of late VVestinghouse brake
equipments for railroad service. We
desire to state that the E.T. brake,
the P.C. equipment and the "empty
and load" brake are designed for use
on three entirely diflferent classes of
motive power and rolling stock.
The E.T. (engine and tender) is a
locomotive brake equipment.
The P.C. (passenger control) is an
improved brake for passenger cars.
The "empty and load" brake is for
freight cars.
Each brake is a separate and dis-
tinct type and a decided improvement
upon the brake it supersedes.
The E.T. brake is actually the first
efficient automatic brake for a locomo-
tive, it being the first to guarantee the
development of a positive amount of
brake cylinder pressure as a result
of predetermined brake-pipe reductions
and to maintain this pressure against
leakage, then in order to maintain the
efficiency of the brake it is only nec-
essary to keep the foundation brake
gear in a condition to transmit the
cylinder efTcct to the brake shoes.
At a nicctinp of the Air Brake Asso-
ciation a member stated that in a sec-
tion of the country he passed through
some of the engine crews understood
the symb^'l E.T. to mean the "East
Tennessee" brake, while others con-
tended tliat E.T. stood either for "End
of Trouble" or "Every Time."
The P.C. equipment is the practical
solution of the problem of providing a
heavy passenger car with an efficient
brake.
In order to keep the total leverage
within a prescribed limit which is nec-
essary some modern passenger cars
would require a brake cylinder of 20
ins. or more in diameter, and while it
is for such weights of cars that the
brake was designed, some railroad men
were quick to sec the advantage of
(•ne brake cylinder for service opera-
tions and two for emergencies and
have adopted the brake for all weights
of passenger cars.
There are no triple valves used with
this brake and a control valve contains
the brake cylinder pressure maintain-
ing feature of the distributing valve of
the FT. brake.
The "empty and load" brake is in-
trndrd to furnish an efficient brake for
a heavily loaded freight car, one brake
cylinder bring in use when the car is
emply. two if the car is loaded or in
rase the second one is desired during
an emergency stop, and brake-pipe
(ire^sure remains the same regardless of
the number of cylinders used.
Ry mean* of this arrangement the
Irr.iking power is increased on the
loaded car only, while the braking
power on the empty car remains nor-
mal, and this cannot be accomplished
with the Schedule U or high pres-
sure control brake.
Missed the Cat, but —
The lodger's pet aversion was cats,
and he cherished a special grudge against
a feline which sometimes shared his
meals without his consent.
Just as he was preparing for bed he
caught sight of a suspicious hump under
the counterpane.
"The brute I" he muttered, and his eyes
glared murder as he reached for one of
the ten-pound dumbbells with which he
was wont to toy with each morning.
Stealthily he approached the bed. Then
thud!
And one of the items on his next
week's bill was : "To one hot water bot-
tle, $1.25.
Water Line Indicator.
.Among the rules concerning boilers is-
sued by the International Master Boiler
Makers' Association is the following,
which ought to be strictly observed by
every boiler owner :
"The highest point of crown sheet of
locomotive type of boilers, also the high-
est point exposed to the flame of other
types of boilers, should be indicated by a
conspicuous mark on every boiler, as well
as a high and low water mark. The wa-
ter at all times must be kept between
these two points. The proper working
water level shall be designated by the
words 'Water Level,' in letters not less
than j4-inch long. They may be cast on
a flexible plate, which should be perma-
nently attached to the boiler proper, and
all water-gauges should be set by this
water-line indicator."
Using River Tunnels.
Michigan Central passenger trains are
now running through the tunnels under
the Detroit River between Detroit and
Windsor. The first one through was the
eastbound Wolverine Express. The value
of the tunnel will cmne into evidence dur-
ing the winter when the river is full of
ice. At such times none of the delays
known in ferrying trains across will occur.
While there has been an impression in
certain quarters that a reduction would be
made in the time of fast trains nothing
has been said about it officially.
who
and
The best thing for anyone to say
has nothing to say is to say nothing,
stick to it. — McLaughlin.
Kind words are the brightest flowers of
earth's existence; they make a very para-
dise of the humblest home that the world
can ^hnw— .Standard.
482
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
November, 1 910.
Holding Down Dust.
For long \vc have had hard road, soft
road, thorny road and rock road, now
we are going to have sweet road. The
road-makers of New Jersey, who have
been trying many experiments with ma-
terial to make roads dustless, have
brought into service the sweet, sticky by-
product of the great beet sugar refin-
eries. This substance has been tried on
the country roads in the West and the
claim is made that a couple of applica-
tions a year, well rolled down, will keep
the roads dustless and in fairly good con-
dition and will be cheaper than oil. If
there is not enough of the sugar — molas-
ses— syrup by-product in this country
large quantities can be brought here from
Porto Rico. Such treatment might make
a verj' sweet road for a time, but it is
doubtful if it would stand the wear and
tear of traffic in this State.
Her Turn.
A certain lady one Sunday induced her
husband, who was not a regular church-
goer, to accompany her to evening ser-
vice. During the sermon he fell asleep,
snoring at first softly, and at length so
noisily that the good lady was con-
strained to give him a sharp nudge in the
hope of rousing him. To her consterna-
tion, however, as he slowly awakened, he
exclaimed in a loud voice, "Let me
alone ! Get up and light the fire yourself
— it's your turn."
Safety Heating and Lighting News.
The first issue of this publication has
reached our desk and it has filled us with
enxy. We have always been able to ap-
preciate real art in illustrations and have
fumed not a little that our illustrations
were far short of our ideals ; but we do
not think that the publishers of The
Safety Heating and Lighting Xezvs will
have any reason for groaning in spirit
over their engravings. We certainly be-
lieve that their illustrations are absolutely
the finest we have ever seen in an en-
gineering publication. This new addition
to technical journals is published by the
Safet)' Car Heating & Lighting Company,
New York. People interested ought to
apply for the new paper without delay be-
fore the issue is exhausted.
Lehigh Orders 40 All-Steel Cars.
.•\n order for forty all-steel vestibule
passenger coaches has been placed with
the Pullman Company by the Lehigh Val-
ley. They are to be delivered in March
and .\pril of next year and will be put
into service at once. The need of the
new equipment has grown out of the in-
creased traffic on the Lehigh, several new
trains having been added in the last few
months. In the future the company will
follow the policy of having all its new
passenger cars of fireproof construction.
Bringing the Game Home Alive.
Sandy went to the wilds in Central Af-
rica and found a job on a rubber planta-
tion. Having heard of Col. Roosevelt's
success as a hunter of big game, he bor-
rowed a gun one day and started out to
kill something. A little later his com-
panion spied in the distance Sandy run-
ning at full speed for home, with a huge
lion behind him, gaining at every step.
"Quick! Quick! Jock !" he cried. "Open
the door. I'm bringing him home alive.''
New V. P. and G. M. for K. C. S.
Mr. J. E. Muhlfeld, formerly general su-
perintendent of motive power of the Balti-
more & Ohio, and since leaving that road
engaged in special mechanical expert
work for several roads, has been appointed
vice-president and general manager of
the Kansas City Southern, with head-
quarters in Kansas City. He succeeds Mr.
William Coughlin. who had the title of
general manager and recently resigned.
Mr. Muhlfeld will be in charge of trans-
portation, maintenance of way and equip-
ment, and the engineering and purchas-
ing departments.
The McConway Wheel.
The McConway Wheel is the title of a
most interesting pamphlet recently got out
by the McConway & Torley Company, of
Pittsburgh, Pa. The McConway wheel is
steel tired of the built-up t)T)e; the wheel
center is a steel casting, the hub is cast
iron, and the tire is of the usual rolled
steel type. There is no machine work on
the tire except such rough turning as
may be necessarj- to make it round ; and
for the wheel centers, only a small amount
of grinding and rough turning is re-
quired. There are no bolts, and the tire
is neither fused nor shrunk on, it cannot
come oflf by reason of expansion, and will
net turn on the center. Separation of the
two members, for the renewal of the tire,
is effected by cutting the tire in two
places, whereupon the structure falls
apart, leaving the center ready for the
immediate application of a new tire. The
application of the new tire can be done by
unskilled labor and requires no special
machinery ; all that is required is a foun-
dry cupola and lifting appliances capable
of handling units of the weight of a car
wheel. This means that any ordinarily
equipped foundrj- can give the required
facilities for the work. The first wheels
of this type were assembled with the use
cf a portable cupola, melting one ton per
hour. The construction of wheel is most
interesting and in a future issue we expect
to describe and illustrate it in detail. In
the meantime those interested should apply
for a copy of the pamphlet.
LeaLiTi Wireless 6 R. R. Telegraphy
Sbortage of Jolly 10.000 Oper«tor» on ac-
count of 8-hoor law and eitenslve "wlreleM"
developmenta. We operate under direct
Boperrlslon of Telegraph OfBclala and po«l-
tlTely place all students, when qualUled.
Write for catalogue. NAT-L TELEGRAPH
INST.. ClDClonatl. Philadelphia. Memphis,
Darenport. la.; Columbia. S. C. ; PorUan*,
Ore. _^_^
MTOIM
POPVALVES AND GAGES
The Quality Goods that Last
The Aihton Valve Co.
271 Franklin Street. Beaton. Mass.
174 Lake Street. . Chicaso. III.
HUNT-SPILLER IRON
FOR LOCOMOTIVE CASTINGS
Hunt-Spiller Mfg. Corporation
W. B. LEACH, Can. Mgr. & Traas.
South Boston. /Vlass.
STANDARD MECHANICAL BOOKS
FOR ROAD AND SHOP MEN
BY CHAS. McSHANE.
The Locomotive Up to Date
Price, $2.50
New York and
Westinghouse Air Brakes
Price, $1.50
One Thousand Pointers fw
Machinists and Engineers
Price, $l.SO
All baaka baand la llaa datk
AGENTS WANTED everywhere; write
for terms and descriptive circulars. Will
be sent prepaid to any address upon
receipt of price.
GRirrilN &WIINTBRS
171 La Salle Street, CHICAGO
Model Locomotives and Castings
Walschaerts Valve Gear Model $15.00
Ser.d i cents in sti.^lf>5 tor ca,tal:^>.e ani circ-Jar
A. S. CAMPBELL
557 Hendrix St. Brooklyn, N. Y.
In character, in manners, in style, in all
things, the stipreme excellence is sim-
plicity.— Longfellou:
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE
ENGINEERING : $2 A YEAR
Rl|l%2X.veEi8ineerin)
A Practical Journal of Motive Power, Rolling Stock and Appliances
VoL XXIIL
114 Uberty Street. New York, December, 1910.
No. 12
Heavy 2-6-8-0 Mallet for the Erie.
Our frontispiece illustration this month
shows a very interesting engine, which
we may call a composite design made up
of a regular Erie consolidation engine
and a new unit designed by the Baldwin
Locomotive Works. The arrangement is
such that the consolidation part of the
ci'ginc is in the rear and the new unit
lbs.; heating surface, 3,403 sq. ft.;
grate aren, 49.5 sq. ft ; driving wheel
base, IS ft. 8 ins.; total wheel base, 24
ft. 4 ins. ; weight on driving-wheels,
187,000 lbs.; weight, total engine, 208,000
lbs.
The new unit has three pairs of driv-
ing wheels, which carry appro.ximately
135,000 lbs. The leading truck of the
with the usual practice of the builders.
The low pressure steam distribution is
controlled by 15-inch piston valves, and
the by-pass valves are of the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad style, with flat plates
over the relief ports. The low pressure
cylinders are 35 x 30 ins.
The original locomotive was equipped
with Stephenson valve motion, and the
■ Ml'iil .vn ON TIIK ¥U\V R.MI.RO.M). I<l"\l( INll
iKIi ,I.\ \].].\ : s n I NCIM",
IS in front The resultinc combination
ii not two consolidation engines, but has
the 2-6-8-0 wheel arrangement. The
added unit was built from entirely new
material, the final work of uniting the
two sections being completed by the rail-
road company. The engine altered was
originally '.f the Rric's H-22 class,
with principal dimensions as follows:
Cylinders, 22 x 30 int.; driving-wheels,
57 ins. diameter; boiler, straight type.
80 int. diameter; iteam pressure, 200
origin.'il engine has been placed ahead
of the low pressure cylinders. A suit-
ably deigned steel casting, placed un-
der the original cylinders and bolted
to the lower frame rails, supports the
hinge pin. This is embraced by a cast
steel railius-bar which is bolted to the
rear end of the forward frames The
low pressure cylinders are supported
on either side of a steel box-casting,
which constitutes p.nrt of the forw.ird
framing and !■ arranged in accordance
same style of gear is applied to the new
unit. The high and low pressure mo-
tions arc controlled simultaneously by
the Baldwin power reversing mechan-
ism. The smoke box of the original
boiler is utilized as a combustion
chamber in the new combination, and
contains a rehcatcr through which the
high pressure exhaust steam passes.
This rehcati-r is arranged precisely like
a Baldwin superheater. The main part
of the new boiler section it used as a
484
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING
December, 1910.
feed-water heater, and is traversed by
422 tubes, 2 ins. in diameter and 7 ft.
long. The pipe connection from the
reheater to the smoke box passes
through a flue 11 ins. in diameter which
is placed in the center of the water
heater. This arrangement keeps the
steam, as far as possible, from any cool-
ing influences.
The heating surface provided in the
water heater amounts to 1,548 ft.
The weight of the boiler is trans-
ferred to the front frames through two
waist bearers, both of which are nor-
mally under load. The equalization of
the front group of wheels is continuous,
as the three pairs of drivers are equal-
ized with the leading truck. The total
wheel-base of the rebuilt locomotive is
46 ft. 8 ins. The tender is of the Van-
derbilt or cylindrical type. The en-
gine is an excellent example of this
method of combination by which a
greatly enlarged power capacity can be
had with a comparatively small outlay
for new material.
Mallet for the Frisco System.
There were seven engines of this de-
sign built for the Frisco Lines, five of
which will be put into service on the
Kansas Citj', Fort Scott & Memphis
Railway, and two on the St. Louis & San
Francisco Railroad of the above system.
The total order for equipment also in-
cluded twelve consolidation locomotives
for the New Orleans, Texas & Mexico
Railroad. These latter engines which
have a total weight in working order of
222,000 lbs., and the weight on drivers
on the same grade at ten miles an hour.
The maximum grade on which they will
operate is 2.3 per cent, and on this grade
they are expected to haul 1,230 tons at a
speed of five miles an hour, or to make
a speed of ten miles an hour on the same
grade, with 1,000 tons. They are de-
signed to pass through curves of a mini-
mum of ten degs.
Aside from the fact that they are the
first locomotives of the 2-8-8-2 type, of
wheel arrangement constructed by this
company, the most interesting feature of
the design lies in the new arrangement
of steam pipes to the high pressure cylin-
ders. These pipes are in two sections,
one being inside the boiler and connect-
ing to a T-head, which in turn is con-
nected to the throttle pipe. The applica-
tion of this arrangement was possible be-
cause of the use of a combustion chamber
in the boiler, which allows space be-
tween tubes and the shell of the boiler
for the introduction of pipes. The out-
side section of the high pressure steam
pipe consists of a copper pipe fitted with
an elbow at either end, and has a ball
joint connection with the lower end of
the inside pipe, and also with the cylin-
ders. The construction is such that the
outside section can be removed without
in any way disturbing the inside pipe.
This arrangement has several impor-
tant advantages. It simplifies construc-
tion by obviating the necessity for using
the special design of cast steel dome em-
ployed in previous engines of the Mallet
type where the high pressure steam
pipes are on the outside of the boiler.
Besides being located inside the boiler,
the steam pipes do not, in any way, in-
X. Y. Following the practice pursued in
a number of recent engines of the Mallet
type built by this company, the reach rod
to the valve gear of the forward engines
is located on the center line of the en-
gines, and is connected by a universal
joint to a downward-extending arm in
the center of the main reverse shaft
Some of the principal dimensions are
given below :
Wheel base— Driving, 15 ft. 6 ins.; total, 56 it.
8 ins.; total, engine and tender, 85 ft. 6}4
ins.
Engine and tender 567,600 lbs.
Ueating surface — Tubes, 4817.1 sq. ft.; firebox,
315.7 sq. ft.; arch tubes, 29 sq. ft.; total,
5161.8 sq. ft.
Grate area, 75.4 sq. ft.
Boiler — Type, conical; O. D. first ring. 18H '"s.;
working pressure, 200 lbs.; fuel, bitum.
coal.
Firebox — Type, wide; length, 120;j ins.; width,
901^ ins.; thickness of crown, H in.; tube,
'/i in.; sides, H in.; back, Jj in.; water
space, front, 5 ins.; sides, 5 ins.; back, 5
Crown staying, radial.
Tubes — Number, 34J; diameter, 2Ji ins.; length,
24 ft. 0 in.; gauge, Ko. 11 B. W. G.
Air pump, No. 6 duplex.
Engine truck, 2 wb. radial center bearing.
Trailing truck, radial with inside journal.
Piston rod, diameter, 4 ins.
Smoke stack — Diameter, 18 ins.; top above rail,
15 ft. 9 5-16 ins.
Tender frame, 13 ins. steel channel.
Tank — Capacity, 8,000 gallons; capacity fuel, 10
tons.
Valves — Type, h. p. piston, 14 ins.; 1. p., double
pTortal slide; travel, h. p., 6 ins.; 1. p.. 6 ins.;
steam lap, h. p., 1 in.; I. p., % in.; ex-
lap, h. p., 5-16 in.; 1. p., 5-16 in.
Setting, h. and 1. p., 3-16 in.
Wheels — Driving diameter outside tire, 57 ins.;
engine truck, diameter, 30 ins.; kind, spoke
center; trailing truck, diameter, 30 ins.;
kind, spoke center; tender truck, diameter,
3i ins.; kind, standard.
Notes on the Oroya Railroad.
By J. H. Maysilles.
{Abstracts taken from "Loco.")
It was my privilege several years ago-
to assemble some locomotives in South
America. This paper is written from
G. A. Hancock, Gi
M.-\LLET ARTICIXATED COMPOUND FOR THE FRISCO SV.^TEM.
neral Superintendent of Motive Power. Araeric;
Locomotive Company, Builders.
is 198,000 lbs. The cylinders are 26 x 30
ins., and the locomotives have a theoreti-
cal maximum tractive power of 45,150
lbs. These are a straightforward design
of the consolidation tj'pe, except that they
are equipped with superheaters of the
sideheader type.
The Mallet locomotives, one of which
we illustrate, are intended for pusher
service. They are designed to handle
1,950 tons on a 1}/^ per cent, grade at a
speed of five miles an hour and 1,600 tons
terfere with the engineer's view ahead.
In cases where, because of the length
and size of the boiler, the ordinary ar-
rangement of outside steam pipes ob-
structs the outlook of the engineer, this
arrangement, therefore, offers a satisfac-
tory solution of the difficulty. One en-
gine of this order is equipped with the
Street locomotive stoker. Information
concerning this design of stoker can
probably be secured from Mr. Clement
F. Street, P. O. Box 192, Schenectady,
notes and photographs made during the
trip. The locomotives required sixty-
one days from New York to Callao via
Cape Horn. ^ly trip was so timed that
I arrived one day ahead of them, hav-
ing gone via Panama in fifteen days.
About 8oo miles south of Panama is
the northern coast of Peru, where the
Peruvian desert begins, and which ex-
tends for nearly a thousand miles further
along the coast In parts of this desert
it has not rained within the memory of
December, 19lOl
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
485
man. At the south it terminates in the
well-watered valley of the Rimae, at
whose mouth is the citj- of Callao, the
principal seaport of Peru, with a popula-
tion of 30,000. At a distance of nine miles
from Callao on the banks of the same
river is the city of Lima, with a popula-
tion of 140,000.
The Central Railroad of Peru, better
known to the outside world as the Oroya
Railroad, leaves the port of Callao at 9
ft. above sea level, and in 106 miles
reaches an elevation of 15,665 ft, or near-
ly three miles, where it passes through a
tunnel five-eighths of a mile long, under
the summit of Monte Meiggs, 2,000 ft.
higher. The road ends at La Oroya, 138
miles from Callao, and 12,200 ft above
the sea.
At San Bartolome, 48 miles from Cal-
lao, and at an elevation of 5,000 ft., be-
gins an extensive system of switchbacks
for the purpose of gaining elevation and
avoiding steeper grades than 4!/^ per
cent, whicli is the maximum allowed by
law, and safety, too, for that matter.
From here to Galera tunnel is a distance
of 56;^ miles ; there are eighteen switch-
backs and 58 tunnels, the latter having an
aggregate of about fi\-e miles.
A few miles from San Bartolome is
the famous Verrugas bridge, spanning a
rocky ravine 580 ft. wide. The first
bridge was made at Phoenixville, Pa.,
and built in 1873, and swept away by a
flood in 1889. It rested on three piers
of hollow wrought-iron columns. The
base of the middle pier was 50 ft square,
and its height above the foundation was
252 ft. At the time of its construction
it was, perhaps, the highest and one of
the longest bridges in the world.
This bridge was replaced in 1891 by a
much heavier one, of the cantilever type,
built by the American Bridge Company.
It is 585 ft long and 300 ft. from top of.
rail to bottom of the ravine, and, having
no pier in the middle of the ravine, pre-
cludes the possibility of being washed
away by another flood.
This section of road presents more
wonderful feats of engineering, perhaps,
than any other of equal length in the
world. Besides the Verrugas bridge, the
Infemillo bridge is of interest on ac-
count of its being suspended between the
high rock walls of a gorge, each end
resting at the mouth of a tunnel. The
bridge is probably 200 ft. long and 90 ft
above the stream below. In one instance
three tunnels may be seen on the side of
the mountain, one above the other. At
Chicia the road makes a horseshoe, hav-
ing a turntable at the switchback at each
end ; from one end of the lower to the
corresponding end of the upper is a dis-
tance of 6 miles by rail, and an eleva-
tion of 1.400 ft is gained with practically
no advance whatever. Here one may
ihoot a rifle ball across five tracks.
Finally, at an altitude of iS/J6s ft, the
Galera tunnel i* reached, which passes
under Monte Meiggs 17,575 ft above the
sea, and named after Henrj- Meiggs, the
.\merican who built the famous road.
From this point there is a short branch
road to Morococha, which reaches an alti-
tude of 16.006 ft, and is said to be the
highest railroad in the world.
Galera is the highest pass over the An-
des mountains at any point, and is prob-
pbly the highest inhabited point on the
globe, where families actually live and
pursue their daily toil year after year.
.\t this high altitude there are no snakes,
fish nor cats, although dogs are quite
numerous. There are a few toads, which
nil - , i;rrl"g.\s bridge ...
the natives fear worse than we do snakes.
The air is rare and chilly, even in the
bright sunshine, though it is only twelve
degrees south of the equator. Mercury
in a barometer stands at 16.5 ins. instead
of 30 ins., as at the sea level, and records
an atmospheric pressure of 8.1 lbs. per
sq. in. instead of 14.7. Water boils at
i93J^ degs. F., and to cook beans it is
necessary to have a steam-tight kettle
with a safety valve. Eggs require seven
minutes to boil instead of three, as at sea
level.
At this high altitude the rare at-
mosphere causes rapid heart action, and
most persons are attacked by an ailment
called soroche. It begins with a severe
headache and nausea at the stomach and
Lists from a few days to a week. An-
other American and myself made the trip
ever the mountains together. As we went
by a freight train, the evening of the first
day brought us to Matucanna, at an alti-
tude of 8,000 ft Here we were delayed
feveral days on account of a landslide.
The evening before resuming our jour-
ney we met a German mining engineer,
who kindly suggested that, as we were to
cross the summit the following day, we
should take a dose of arsenic, at the same
time assuring us that it was perfectly
safe to do so. We finally consented and
went to a small mud hut, called a bolica,
or drug store, where a few bottles were
kept on a shelf. I noted carefully that
there was no surprise or hesitancy on the
part of the druggist when asked for the
arsenic, and I assumed that it was not
an unsual request He poured one drop
of the liquid in each wine glass and then
filled it with water. I contemplated the
dose until Mr. German drank his, Mr.
American his, and then I followed suit
The next day we crossed the summit,
and, e.xcept for a feeling of weakness, I
felt no ill eflfects ; but before night my
companion was tucked away in bed with
a severe case of soroche.
At the eastern end of Galera tunnel
may be seen drifts which mark the hne
cf perpetual snow. The conductor was
kind enough to hold the
train two minutes to al-
low me to take a pic-
ture of this. The station
building is so small as to
be entirely hidden by the
tender of the engine.
The tracks in the tunnel
are always wet from the
melting snow. On good
authority it is stated
that engines sometimes
enter the tunnel and,
having used up the sup-
ply of sand, the drivers
begin slipping and the
engine is pulled back-
wards out of the tunnel
by the weight of the
train while the reverse
lever is in the forward
motion and the engineer unconscious of
the backward motion until daylight ap-
pears over the tender instead of on the
track ahead.
Sixty-ton engines are used on the road,
?nd a freight train consists of four cars
of fifteen tons capacity each. Steam
brakes are used, with hand brakes on
freight cars, while vacuum brakes are
used on passenger engines and cars. One
brakeman is required for each car and
there are no cabooses. Passenger trains
run twice a week in each direction, and
eleven hours are required to cover the
138 miles. Freight trains require two
days in ascent and one in the descent
Trains do not run at night, excepting
when detained on the road. About "5
per cent of the railroad trainmen are
native Peruvians. Engineers and conduc-
tors receive salaries equivalent to about
$70 to $90 per month ; firemen and brake-
nien from $35 to $50 and common la-
borers 25 to 50 cents per day. Passen-
gers pay a fare of 5% cents per mile, first
class, and 3!^ cents second class on pas-
senger trains ; they may also ride on
freight cars when there is room, by pay-
ing a first-class fare. Only small pieces
cf hand baggage arc carried free. As a
precautionary measure, in the interests of
safety, a hand car precedes each passen-
ger train by five minutes on the steepest
and most dangerous down grades.
Some years ago engine No. 13 had
been in several bad wrecks, and, on ac-
486
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
December, 1910.
count of superstition, the regular en-
gineer refused to run the engine. Finally
another engineer consented to make a
jingle trip to accommodate the master
mechanic. On that trip he lost his life.
The engine's number was promptly
changed to 25, the next number in order,
and there has since been no No. 13 on
the road.
La Oroya is a town of about 1,000 na-
tive population, including a number of
Chinese merchants, and is situated on the
eastern slope of the Andes mountains at
the junction of two rivers forming one
of the headwaters of the Amazon and
hemmed in on two sides by high hills.
A bird's-eye view of a part of the town
was taken from a cliflf at the edge of a
bill 1,800 ft. above. There is the round-
house, car sheds, freight house, station of
the Central Railway and the hotel and
corral. To the right is the station
of the Cerro de Pasco Railway, for which
company the new engines were built.
Two of the engines were assembled in
the car shed of the Central Railway,
near the roundhouse,
and the remainder in a
new shed of the Cerro
de Pasco Railway, after-
ward built in the "Y"
at the lower end of the
yard.
In assembling the en-
gines, the principal tools
used were such as are
usually supplied with
them when leaving the
works; but we were for-
tunate in having a sup-
ply of bridge timbers,
crossties, several track
jacks, a rivet forge and
a few hand tools of Ger-
man manufacture that were purchased
in Lima.
The ten men employed in erecting the
engines were mostly of that class called
"hobo mechanics." There were two
American engineers, previously employed
in "The States," under contract to run
the engines and to break in others that
might be foimd in the country; one
American tramp engineer, one German
"car knocker," one German stoker, one
Polish stoker, one Martinique machinist,
one Peruvian marine boilermaker, one
Peruvian machinist-helper and a Peru-
vian soldier who served as a watchman.
There were also a number of native la-
borers to assist in handling the material.
They were all full of the manana or "to-
morrow" spirit.
In handling the boiler and cylinders of
a locomotive the car containing the cyl-
inders was placed in position, and by
means of ties, bridge-timbers and jacks
the cylinders were elevated to position and
the car run out; the car containing the
boiler was then run in and the boiler tim-
bered up in like manner, and by means
of jacks the cylinders is'erc lowered, one
side at a time, about 6 ins. The boiler
was elevated in like manner by raising
one end of a timber at a time that
amount and following with blocks. The
ties under the cylinders were then put on
rollers and shoved under the boiler and
the cylinders bolted fast. The frames
were put on two ties, and by greasing
the rails they were shoved beneath the
boiler and cylinders and by means of the
track jacks raised into position and
bolted fast. The engine as assembled
thus far was about high enough to roll
the driving wheels under with boxes in
position and then lowered by means of
the jacks and by removing 6 ins. of
blocking from one end, a timber at a
tmie. The operation was slow and every
move had to be examined to insure safe-
ty. On one occasion a runaway engine
backed into the shop at a slow speed and
hit a boiler on timbers, whose mud ring
was 5 ft. from the rails, and precipitated
it into the pit. Fortunately no one was
liurt and the boiler suffered little dam-
AT TIIE SNOW LINE IN THE AXDE.=
age. The heavy steel cab roof was one
of the most difficult parts to get into po-
sition. The shed-roof truss, being light,
and the rope and tackle not strong
enough to lift it with safety, a crib of
ties was built under it around the back
of the boiler, a part of the weight being
carried by jacks. The sides and ends
being then bolted, the crib was removed.
The smokestack was of heavy cast iron
and raised into position by rolling it up
an inclined plane. The tendency of the
workmen was to want to build the en-
gines from the top downward. Once
having a boiler in position, and being ab-
sent for a short time, I returned finding
the headlight and bell stand the first
parts assembled. On numerous occasions
a laborer was seen standing on the turn-
table trj'ing to push it around. When
the first engine was ready for trial it was
found that the mud ring leaked. The
firebox being between the frames, the
boilermaker insisted that the boiler would
have to be removed to get at it, and
when my back was turned began taking
out the cylinder bolts with that end in
view. 1 had to caulk the ring myself to
mnvince him that it could be done. Per-
haps I should state that there were two
tyiies of engines in the lot; one class was
consolidation, with narrow firebox, and
tlie other mogul, with wide firebox.
The day the first engine was finished
we had a little celebration, and one of
the mistakes of my life was in placing
'Old Glory" in front of the "White and
Red Bars" of Peru. Peruvian blood is
cjuickly warmed up at such apparent dis-
respect to the flag of the country. I
learned also that it is an insult to place
a foreign flag on the right side of a build-
mg as one stands facing it.
The building of a house in this sec-
tion was an interesting operation. They
are built without any foundation and
composed of clay or mud mixed with ex-
celsior, straw, burlap and any other ma-
terial that could be found to act as a bin-
der. The blocks composing the wall were
made by tramping the mud into moulds,
which could be removed after a few
hours. The openings for the windows
and doors were afterwards cut with an
axe and the casings put in. The roof was
of corrugated iron.
The railroad laws of Peru are regarded
as severe when compared with those of
our country. An act of carelessness by
a trainman causing death is punished by
a long term of years in the peni-
tentiary.
Years ago revolutions were frequent in
(his part of the world. One was expect-
ed at every presidential election at least
On one occasion a party of revolution-
ists was about to capture a supply train.
The engineer, a German, crossed the ec-
centric blades on one side of the engine
and fled with the government troops. The
revolutionist engineer was unable to run
the engine or to find the cause of the
trouble, and this caused a sufficient delay
so that reinforcements arrived and cap-
lured his party.
There is a custom in Peru and other
parts of South America of planting a
cross marking the spot of every acciden-
tal death. One such cross was erected
to the memory of Juan Marin, killed
June 25, 1903. He tried to climb
over the end of a runaway flat car to get
at the brakes and accidentally fell across
the rail
When the Cerro de Pasco Railway was
built it proved disastrous to the business
of transporting silver ore by means of
llamas, and the owners of these herds
sought revenge by various means, such as
piling obstructions on the tracks, tamper-
ing with switches, etc, but perhaps one
of the most unique tricks was that of re-
moving the packing from journal boxes,
filling them with stones and replacing
enough packing to avoid suspicion. The
oily waste removed served as fuel in a
country where there is no timber and
coal costs 20 to $45 a ton.
December. 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
487
General Correspondence
Very Large and Very Small.
Editor:
Enclosed you will uiid two photo-
graphs of locomotives on the Pennsyl-
vania Lines which will likely be of in-
terest to readers of Rmlv .w and Lo-
COMorn-E En'gineerinc should you be
able to publish them. Engine 7109, Fig.
1, is unique in Several ways, as I believe
it is the oldest, the smallest, and the
only locomotive with a diamond stack
in actual service at present on the
Pennsylvania system. It is known as
Class A-29. and was built at the Fort
Wayne shops of the Pittsburgh, Fort
Wayne & Chicago Railway in 1877. The
engfine has 48-m. driving wheels, cylin-
ders l.S X 22 ins., and weighs 46,120 lbs.
On account of its short wheelbase
(7 feet) this little locomotive is very
useful for handling dead engines and
cars on turntables, and this is doubtless
the only reason it is kept in service.
The locomotive shown in Fig. 2 rep-
resents the other extreme on the
"Pennsy." It is one of the heaviest
passenger locomotives ever built. It
weighs 270,000 lbs., or about six times
?s much as the little fellow. The driv-
ing wheels are 80 ins. in diameter, and
the cylinders are 24 x 26-in. stroke.
The boiler is of the Belpaire pattern,
so commonly used on the Pennsylva-
nia, and has a wide firebox. The valves
are of the piston type, and are actuated
Juniatta sliops. Altoona, Pa., this year.
I'hey are replacing engines of the 4-4-2
type (classes E-2, E-2a, and E-2b) on
the heavier passenger trains, which are
mainly composed of all steel coaches.
Robert C. Schmid,
Draughtsman Penna. Lines.
Fort IVayiie, hid.
our employers saw that we were each
taking a personal interest in their busi-
ness, and looking after that particular
part assigned to us as if it were our
own, would it not serve to bring us
more closely together, and cause them
to look more carefully after our per-
sonal interests.'
I l<;. I \.\l<\> KXCIINF. I'
We Also Can Help.
Editor;
While we are considering tlie high
cost of living, and making notes of
MOUtKN *(,i ON 1111. !■. 1. VV. i.
by Walichacrts valve gear. Thii en-
gine. No. 7313, Class K-2, is at preient
handling heavy fast passenger trains
on the Western division of the P., F.
W. tc C. between Fori Wayne and
Chicago. She is one of several loco-
motives of the 4-6-2 type built at the
every increase in our ex])enscs, would
it not be well for us to take a glance
at ihe expense account of those who
employ us, and see if wc could in any
way lessen their expenses, so as to
make them better able to treat with us
in liiir new wage scale each year. If
I-. W. & C. BUILT 1877.
We all know that the railroad com-
panies are under a very heavy expense,
and that the cost of material has in-
creased during the last few years very
largely. Each country and State has
made laws restricting railroad rights,
and adding to their expenses until it
has almost stopped railroad improve-
ments. A large portion of our popoula-
tion will only see their bad points, and
pre always ready to advertise their
faults to the world, hut never mention
any good thing that they may do.
We know that it is very essential to
our welfare that our company make
siiflicicnt profit to declare dividends
for those who have money invested in
our road, or else they will withdraw
their money and look for better invest-
ments.
Now, if we would give bur engines a
closer inspection at the beginning of
each trip, and not depend so largely on
the paid inspector, who has not had the
lime to even look at our machines, we
might find a loose nut or bolt that
would save a few cents. We might pick
up that old air hose, the grease cup
top, the lantern some one dropped,
save n few shovels of coal each trip,
take care of that lump of pin grease
that was over, and not throw it in the
box with the coal and dirt, where it is
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
December, 1910.
wasted; have that oil can, or torch, sol-
dered instead of throwing it away and
drawing a new one, and many little
things too numerous to mention. All
these things would save many dollars
to the company, and if not openly no-
ticed by them, would give us the proud
satisfaction of knowing that we had
done well our part by those who em-
ployed us. Let us start an agitation
along these lines and see how far it will
go; it surely can do no harm, and may
result in much good to both parties.
I would like to hear from others of
your readers on this subject.
O. P. Angei.o,
Loco. Engineer, Div. 317.
Alexandria, Va.
connected on the disabled side. Should
the engine stop on center, the valves can
be moved enough on the disabled side
to admit enough steam to get her off
the center much quicker than by pinch-
ing.
Fred Nihoof.
]l'lutc Sulphur Sf rings, IV. Va.
Disconnecting Rods.
Editor:
Observations on disconnecting in your
November issue, by Mr. F. P. Roech,
are timely, and I think a discussion
along that line from actual experience
will be beneficial to many of us. From
what I can gather from Mr. Roech's
discussion, he has never tried the plan
he suggests. However, I can see no
reason why his way wouldn't work. I
will give you a case of actual practice
in the way of disconnecting.
Mr. Roech says fifteen years ago
your time check would have been
handed you even had you made a suc-
cess of it. I was riding on an engine
as a "passenger," a consolidation or
2-8-0 type, backing up light, descending
a grade about 30 feet to the mile, run-
ning about 2.S miles an hour. The re-
verse bar gave quite a jerk, and a ter-
rible racket commenced underneath.
We stopped as soon as we could with-
out reversing. But after getting to a
standstill we found the forward motion
eccentric strap gone. Nothing left of
that motion but the eccentric rod hang-
ing to the top of the link. We took
the eccentric rod off, disconnected the
link lifter, let the link down to ride
on the link block. We did not take
down the back-up eccentric, did not
disconnect the valve stem or the main-
rod. We covered the ports on the
disabled side, clamped the valve stem,
opened the cylinder cocks and went to
our destination 9 miles distant. Delay,
28 minutes.
There was nothing injured, more
than the original break, but a "machin-
ist," looking at the way the engine had
been disconnected, remarked that he
didn't see why she didn't tear herself
to pieces. However, she didn't, and
how could she? Now, we will say, sup-
pose it had been the other or back-up
eccentric strap. Take the broken parts
down as before and disconnect the for-
ward motion from the top of the link
and connect it to the bottom of the
link and let swing. In a case like this
your main rod is up and valve stem
Delivery of Baldwin Engines.
Editor;
During the early part of February, of
the present year, 1 left Philadelphia, Pa.,
as messenger and engineer, in charge of
one, the first, of twelve Mallet articu-
lated compounds, designed for road ser-
vice, built by the Baldwin Locomotive
Works for the Southern Pacific Company
( G. H. & S. A. division) to be delivered
to the purchasers at Houston, Tex.
Tliese engines are of the same general
design and construction as the road ser-
vice Mallet articulated compounds built
by the Baldwin Locomotive Works
for the Great Northern Railway about
four years ago, which was, as I
recall it, the pioneer attempt at using
this construction for a terminal-to-ter-
minal service engine, and which has,
probably, proved to be more successful
than was ever even imagined by its ear-
lier advocates.
About the only distinctive additional
feature embodied in the design and con-
struction of the Mallets delivered to the
Southern Pacific Company, as compared
with those furnished to the Great North-
ern, is the application of the Vauclain
superheater, which, of course, greatly in-
creases their efficiency, both in the matter
of tractive effort and fuel economy.
There is absolutely no doubt but that
the salient features of this type of loco-
motive, particularly since the application
of the Vauclain superheater, have passed
far beyond the experimental stage, and
will soon become mechanical standards,
well known alike by designers and en-
ginemen, wherever conditions will per-
mit the weight necessitated by the de-
sign. It, therefore, behooves enginemen
of the present day to "wise up" to Mal-
lets and be ready for them "on call."
On the recommendation of the writer
these engines, after making a preliminary
light break-in trip, were immediately
placed in the Southern Pacific fast coast
freight service between Houston and El
Paso, Tex., where, between Houston and
Del Rio, a distance of 505 miles, they
handled trains of 2,500 tons, on a prac-
tically level grade, at an average speed
of twenty miles per hour. The fuel con-
sumption on this performance was about
twenty gallons of fuel oil, or equal to ap-
proximately 238 lbs. of run of mine coal,
per mile. It will no doubt be of interest
to mention that a great deal of switching
was done with these engines, the work of
which proved to be much easier, and
more pleasant in every way, for the en-
gine crew, than is the case with many of
the larger engines of the present day.
This is, of course, accounted for by the
use of a special pneumatic reversing
gear, with which all of these engines are
equipped, the operation of which is very
simple, and there is little or no chance
for getting out of order.
Before my departure from the South-
ern Pacific Railroad the enginemen of
that .system, who are as fine and as true
a lot of men as the sun ever shone on,
were highly pleased with this new equip-
ment, and had sensibly concluded that all
of the mystery which, to the uninitiated,
is supposed to surround the Mallet cdVn-
pound, had suddenly disappeared.
Our sojourn, of two and one-half
months, in and near Houston during the
time these engines were being delivered
and tried, was most enjoyable for many
reasons. Here is the scene of the fa-
mous battle of Santa Anna, where,
"On Fame's eternal camping ground
Their silent tents are spread,
While glory guards with solemn round
The bivouac of the dead."
It was my pleasure to attend the seventy-
third anniversary of this battle, which
was celebrated there on Sunday, May 1.
It was also a great pleasure to be as-
sociated both in a social and business
way with such friends as Mr. J. J. Ryan,
superintendent of machinery; Mr. Frank
Galvin, master mechanic, and Mr. J. J.
Powers, general foreman, the courtesies
shown by all of whom contributed not a
little to the enjoyment of the visit.
On returning to headquarters, at Phil-
adelphia, we were instructed to accom-
pany to Douglas, Ga., a delivery of six
18 X 24-in. 10-wheel (4-6-0) type passen-
ger engines built for the Georgia &
Florida Railway for medium passenger
service on a comparatively level road.
During the first part of July we de-
livered to the Atlanta, Birmingham & At-
lantic Railroad, at Fitzgerald, Ga., two
locomotives of the Mikado (2-8-2) type.
These are probably the largest simple lo-
comotives that have ever, as yet, been
used in the South, the principal dimen-
sions of which are as follows : Tractive
effort, 50,800 lbs. ; total weight of engine,
260,000 lbs.; weight, on drivers, 200,000
lbs. ; weight, engine and tender, 400,000
lbs. ; diameter of cylinders, 25 ins. ; pis-
ton stroke, 32 ins. ; steam pressure, 170
lbs. ; tank capacity, water, 7,000 gals. ;
tank capacity, coal, 14 tons. The steam
distribution is controlled by specially de-
signed balance valves operated by Baker-
Pilloid valve gear. The performance of
these engines, from the very start, was
little short of phenomenal.
The month of August was spent on the
Grand Trunk Railway, at Detroit, Mich.,
delivering five Pacific (4-6-2) type loco-
motives built for that company's fast pas-
senger service between Chicago, 111., and
Battle Creek, Mich.
December, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
489
At this writing we are most pleasantly
occupied in the deliver}- of twenty-five
consolidation (2-8-0) engines to the
Louisville & Nashville Railroad, at Louis-
ville, Ky. Louisville is the gateway to
and the metropolis of the South, and
must be visited leisurely to be appre-
ciated. The Louisville & Nashville Rail-
road is, without a doubt, the most valu-
able railroad property in the South, and
bids fair to rival the most valuable in
the country. Mr. Theo. H. Curtis, who
is also president of the M. C. B. .Associa-
tion, is superintendent of machinery, in
charge of all matters pertaining to mo-
tive power and mechanical equipment.
Mr. H. C. May is master mechanic of
their main shop, which is located at
Louisville, Ky., and which, in equipment
and efficiency of management, is second
to none in the country.
Geo. H. J.\ckson,
Traveling Engineer,
Baldwin Locomotive Works.
South Louisz-ille, Ky.
A Clever Design of Gauge.
At the urgent request of a corre-
spondent of ours from Crewe, Va., we
reproduce an old letter from Mr. M.
BInUd loatlher^
TOP VIEW OK C.\UGES.
H. Shepard, of the New York Central
Lines. The original letter and en-
gravings appeared in Railway and Lo-
comotive Encineeri.vc for November,
1903, and are to be found on page 509
of that issue. The method given be-
low is for getting the proper lift of air
valves of the QJ-j-in. Wcstinghouse air
pump. The letter was as follows:
Editor:
These gauges, which I claim to have
originxted, and arc illustrated here-
with, are two in number, and are used
ADJL'STINr, CMCr. IN f .\SK CAVITY.
in correcting the air valve lift in 9!/i-in.
and 11-in. Wctttnghoute air pumps.
In the 11-in. pump it may be necessary
to change the dimensions of the gauge
somewhat, but so long as the staff B
of the gauge is the required lift of
the air valve longer than the width of
the gauge A this docs not matter. The
gauge can be made in a variety of
J(^4 £«M. Knt.
GAUGE REVERSED GETTI.VG LIFT OF
Vj\LVE.
ways. I have illustrated the form
which seems to be the most simple to
make. .Xs indicated by the drawings,
the gauge is made of two plates of
steel, .\. riveted together so as to bring
a pressure on the staflf B, and prevent
it from being moved by accident.
The larger of the two gauges is used
in regulating the lift of lower receiv-
ing or discharge valve, and is described
as follows: The air valve cage D is
removed from the cylinder of the
pump. The gauge is inserted in the
cavity from which the cage was re-
moved, .T? shown in the drawing, and
the staff of the gauge pressed firmly
against the valve stop, bringing the body
of the gauge at the same time against
ADJUSTING LIIT IH- \.\r,VE.
the bottom face of the cylinder. The
gauge is then removed and placed on
the air valve cage with the valve in
position. The valve is filed off until
the points of the gauge resting on the
flange of cage will permit the head of
the valve to just touch the staff of the
gauge, as shown in the drawing. It
will be found that the valve has the
required lift, 3/32 of an inch. Thus
it will be seen that the use of this
gauge 'Incs awav with all measuring in
adjusting the lift of the air valves.
The smaller gauge is used in regu-
lating the lift of the upper receiving
or rlischarge valves and the same prin-
ciple is involved in tliis gauge as in
the other, and it is used in a similar
manner. The chamber cap is removed,
the gauge placed on the cap, as shown
in the drawing, pressing the staff firm-
ly down on the valve stop. The gauge
is then removed, placed on the cylin-
der, as shown in the drawing, filing
away until the head just touches the
staff of the gauge, while tlie gauge is
held lirmly against the face of the cyl-
H^ ■
ADJUSTING THE GAUGE,
inder. Care should be taken that the
gauge is not shifted after adjusting to
chamber cap.
The small projection which is usual-
ly found worn out on the valve stop
should be removed. The interference
of this projection is overcome in ad-
justing the gauge, however, by having
the end of the staff hollowed out as
shown. This gauge docs away with
rule or scale measuring and the possi-
ble errors of such method. We have
used the gauge for some time past, and
have had excellent results.
M. H. Shepard,
Foreman Air Pump Repairs,
N. Y. C. & H. R. R. R.
U'csl .■llhaiiy. N. )'., A'oi'. .?. IQO^.
The Equity of the Derail.
Editor:
In your November issue you ask for
the opinion of enginemen on the sub-
ject of derails, whether necessary or
not. .Mthough not an cnginenian, I
have had a few years' experience in
another department, and beg to ad-
dress a few remarks on the subject.
Are derails necessary? They are.
It is evident from the article that the
idea from which the derail evolved has
been overlooked in favor of the basic
principle. The original idea was to
stop runaway cars, and the intention
never was to derail a train with loco-
motive attached and having train un-
der control. I have yet to find a de-
rail that was placed with this intention.
My experience has all been West of
Chicago. East of that point, with in-
terlocking plants and towers, some
may have been placed with a different
intention.
The statement that a sound, reliable
and cflicient stop signal may replace
the derail, sounds rather broad. A
stop signal will never stop a runaway
car, and this I maintain is their use
and the idea which brought then) info
being. The knowledge that a derail
is in the track may act as a deterrent
to a chancctaker who would overrun
a signal, but it was never placed there
with that purpose in view. Were this
490
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
December, 1910.
so, the cure would be as acute as the
result of the disease. The derail is
essentially a safeguard to the engineer
as well as to the traveling public and
trainmen. Let us take the places at
which they may be found and analyze
them, seeing if this is not so.
Firstly, At a swing bridge, as stated
in the article. I am acquainted with
several hundred miles of Middle West
and Western tracks in this country,
and have yet to find one in this posi-
tion; in fact, could quote where there
are patent rerailcrs to rerail cars and
avoid danger to the bridge, rather than
the reverse.
Secondly, At a grade crossing of two
railroads. Here it may be used to de-
rail trains, and probably would be
where one train is already using the
crossing. But the first principle which
caused its use was to prevent a runa-
way car from striking a train on the
crossing. Acting in conjunction with
the signal, it must necessarily derail an
engine overrunning the signal, but was
not placed with that intention.
Thirdly, At the end of a side track
or yard. I have never known one
placed in this position to derail trains,
but they are placed because there is a
grade, and as a prevention of runaway
cars getting on to the main line..
Fourthly, At a coal chute. This is
probably the best instance we have of
why a derail is placed in the track.
The track is not in constant use, and
the only object is to prevent cars that
have got away on decline to run
through switches and get out on main
line.
Fifthly, Mine spurs. These are gen-
erally constructed at a grade, and are
sometimes miles in length, owing to
mines being located in mountains and
hills. With these runaway tracks are
coming into use and replacing the de-
rail, but where there are derails it is
to prevent cars from getting away to
the main line.
I believe that this will make my point
clear that the derail is a safeguard and
not a deterrent against careless run-
ning; also that it is necessary. Truly,
it should have a signal to show its po-
sition, where it is not piped to switch
stand, as I have known cases with a
lifting derail where the switch was
thrown and the derail not, with the
usual result. Yours truly,
C. Clay,
Roadmaster's Office, A., T. & S. F.
East das Vegas, N. M.
Air Pump Crane.
Editor:
Attached drawing shows air pump
crane made from pipe and other ma-
terial which can be handled and put in
place by two men, and makes a very
safe and reliable crane, and will be
found very useful in any roundhouse
when taking down or applying the
heaviest air pump. This crane, you will
see, is supported by two feet overlap-
ping the hand rail on the boiler, and
held in place by two pins. On top of
of superheat are usually worth more than
the next 50 degs., although, of course,
100 degs. superheat will result in better
economy than ,50 degs. ; it does not mean
that 100 degs. of superheat will save
twice the fuel that 50 degs. will.
5' 6-
HANDY AIR PUMP CRA^•E FOR SHOP USE.
this is bolted a rail yi x 2}^ ins. x 5 ft.,
on which runs the j-oke and wheel. To
support this rail from floor there are
two pieces of l'/4-in. pipe into which is
inserted two pieces of round iron, which
have a series of holes to allow for ad-
justment up and down for different
heights of engines. This crane was
suggested by Pipe Fitter Com. Haun, and
it is a verj' useful one.
Chas. Markel,
Shop Foreman, C. & N.-W. Ry.
Clinton, la.
Superheated Steam.
Editor :
We note in your answer to "R. L. B."
of Chicago, in your November issue, the
statement that those having reliable ex-
perience with locomotives using super-
heated steam say that a temperature
lower that 150 degs. of superheat will
not be felt in fuel saving. This is di-
rectly contrary to the result of using
superheat in the marine service, as you
note, and is also contrary to our experi-
ence in the stationarj' work on land,
where we have made several thousand in-
stallations. .^11 of our experience goes
to show that the drj'ing out of the mois-
ture in the steam effects a considerable
saving in itself, and that the first 50 degs.
In discussing the various designs of lo-
comotive superheaters with builders and
operators, we have arrived at the con-
clusion that it is the t>-pe of superheater
usually used which necessitates the high
degree of superheat before any fuel sav-
ing results. In most types of locomotive
superheaters the arrangement of the heat-
ing surface of the boiler is altered to
make room for the superheater, the re-
sult being that the efficiency of the boiler
is interfered with to a certain extent, and
it is necessarj- that the superheat offset
this difference in efficiency by increasing
the economy of the engine before any net
saving is accomplished.
It is our firm belief that a waste heat
superheater in a locomotive, so ar-
ranged that the heating surface of the
boiler is not interfered with, and there-
fore its efficiency remaining the same,
would show exactly as good results as
superheaters in marine practice; for in-
stance, with 50 degs. superheat. Several
railway men, with whom we have dis-
cussed this proposition, and who have
had extended experience with locomotive
superheaters of the flue fire t>-pe, are
strongly inclined to agree with us.
Power SPEaALTY Company.
John T. Munro.
New York, N. Y.
December, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
491
Lubricator Trouble.
Editor:
A very particular incident came under
my notice a few weeks ago, and I should
like to know what you and the readers of
Railwav and Locomotive Engineeking
think about it. An engine came in off a
long run, 165 miles; she was fitted up
with a 20A Detroit lubricator; the driver
shot off the throttle valve, opened the
cylinder cocks, shut off the valve for the
Westinghouse pump and opened the
cylinder cock for pump. The fireman
shut off the feed valves first, then water
valve, then the top steam valve, and last
die valve on turret The steam for in-
jectors, Westinghouse pump, and lubrica-
tor, likewise the blower, are taken from
die turret.
After about fifteen minutes the driver
came back to examine the drain plug on
the lubricator, as it had been leaking a
bit on the journey. After slacking it off
and letting the water out of the lubrica-
tor, he loosened the filling plug. After
all the water was out he took out the
drain plug to examine it, went to the side
of engine to clean it, and finding nothing
wrong went back to replace it with the
intention of opening the steam valves to
btow it out, but before he got the plug
in, it blew out oil, water and some steam,
he getting badly scalded.
Now what made this lubricator ex-
plode, as it were, after the drain plug had
been out over a minute or more and the
filling plug quite slack? I was a witness
to the above and can vouch for every
word being correct. I hope some of your
readers can throw some light on the sub-
ject The lubricator was clean, as it had
been blown out only about seven days
before. F. A. Monckland.
Maryborough, Queensland, Australia.
[Any of our readers who can help Mr.
Monckland by offering an explanation of
this occurrence is welcome to do so
through our columns. We would like to
have the experience of our readers. —
Editor.]
Bright Side Obscured.
Editor:
In looking over conditions of motive
power — that is, general conditions — all
through the country, one cannot help
but see that instead of conditions get-
ting better for the men who operate
them they are getting worse. When
engines go to the shop for a general
overhauling it seems to be the policy
•f some to get them out again regard-
less of how the work is done, instead of
seeing how good a job could be done.
If it did show up a little higher repair
bill, it would be the cheaper in the
long run.
Is it any wonder then that the en-
finemen are losing all interest in their
work, which one hears so much about
nowadays? If engines had been main-
tained tins way a few years back a
howl would have gone up that could
have been heard from one end of the
road to the other, and men would have
refused to run them, but now anything
goes as long as all the wheels are
there.
Can you expect an engine crew to be
interested in an engine Nvhich looks as
if it had come out of I don't know
what? It is almost impossible for a
man to wear any kind of decent clothes
— that is, if he takes any pride in his
personal appearance off duty, going
and coming from work. Nobody will
be as careful in oiling a dirty engine
as he would a clean one, and here is
one way some oil can be saved. But
don't try to make too big a valve oil
record, as you are saving cents and
throwing dollars away in coal.
Does it pay in dollars and cents to
have the men lose all interest in their
work, except the money they can get
out of it? Men who were Al a few
years ago have got into the same rut
as the rest, and don't care for anything
just so long as the engine hangs to-
gether till they get in. Who is to
blame tor all this? If a little more
care was exercised in making working
conditions better and a little more com-
fortable for the men who ride the head
end of the train it would pay big re-
turns to the companies.
Sioux City, la. F. C. Sandbag.
think much of the idea, if 1 am correctly
informed. Constant Re.vder.
Taunton. Mass.
Old Mason Engine.
Editor ;
It is possible that quite a few persons
never heard of the locomotive built by
the late Mr. William Mason of Taun-
ton, known as the Boardman engine,
Slide Valve Trouble.
Editor:
In reading a letter by Subscriber,
"C. & O. Shops — the Slide Valve Trou-
bles," in your September number, 1
would advise him to examine his piston
rings, that is, the packing rings of
his pistons. I once ran an engine fitted
with the .■\nierican Company balance
rings. She was in the pooling swim,
but I always got her; in fact, she was
my regular engine. The boys who
used to get her used to say "cuss words"
not fit for print, about old A and
his scrap heap, and his valves blowing.
They would book them to get the "old
fellow" (of course that was myself) in
trouble, because I was afraid that had
been done. Valves were tight; noth-
ing wrong, but some alterations had
to be made, and the top rubbing plate
would be raised or lowered on the
balance rings, but she was the same.
One of the other boys had a sister en-
gine, and she caught the same disease,
or complaint. The doctors, after care-
ful operations, etc., gave her up, too.
One night he came in, and as he had
some trouble with knocking in one of
his cylinders, booked his rings to be
examined. The rings, or the pieces,
were taken out and new ones put in,
and the engine was all right. Then
they tried my engine piston rings; they
were not broken, but were worn very
thin. New ones were put in, and no
more trouble was experienced. Since
then I got hold of an engine in freight
service that was taken off the passen-
F.ARI.Y MASON F.NGINK TAKI-N FROM <>I.I> I I TIT KIIIAP.
with Mr. Boardman's patent attached to
the locomotive boiler.
The enclosed picture, copied from an
old letter he.nd, gives some idea of it
The engines were not a success. Two
hlew lip and the other was altered, and
i^ now in regular service on the Boston &
.Maine Railroad. Mr. Mason did not
gcr service, ran her for some time, but
as her valves had been overhauled just
previous to my getting her, she started
to blow through; but it was after you
had pulled the lever back near the cen-
ter when running with light steam.
One of the bfiys had her out one day
that I happened to be off, but I was at
492
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
December, 1910.
the shop or running slied when he came
in at niglit, and he wanted to find out
which side was in fault. We set her in
full front gear. There was a blow up the
funnel, but no steam out of the opposite
cylinder cock. I put tlie lever in full back
gear. Another roar up the funnel; no
steam out of the front cock. Which-
ever cock or port was closed with the
valve was tight ; only the roar up the
funnel; and with the cocks shut there
were four different roars, showing her
piston rings were at fault. Perhaps if
"Subscriber" will get his piston rings
examined it might fix him up. Hope
none of my readers will laugh, but pis-
ton rings and balance valve blows are
sometimes very puzzling.
QUEEXSL.^NDER.
Australia.
C. & O. Valve Trouble.
Editor:
Reading over tlie September number
of R.MLW.w .\ND Locomotive Engineer-
ing, I see our C. & O. friend is having
some valve trouble, which we had our-
selves, just the same as they are having.
He will find that he has his valve over-
balanced. If he drills about three l^-in.
holes in the top of the valve, he will get
along until he can make two new
valves and reduce his balance strips
from 19 to 18-}4 ins. and from 7'4 to 7
ins. This valve will not then give him
any trouble by lifting off the valve seat
and blowing. He will not have to in-
struct the engineer to carry that block
of wood to pound his valve down
when he starts his train. The 143^4 ins.
should read 111^ ins.
P. J. Connors.
Bessemer Shop, Greenville, Pa.
Engine Tows a Boat.
Editor:
The many uses to which a locomo-
tive is put is exemplified in tlie fol-
lowing: On Sunday, Nov, 6, 1910, I was
running engine 60S, a B. & O. eight-
wheel engine, for the American Bridge
Company, who are reconstructing the
Schuylkill river drawbridge. About
4.30 p. m. the tug Madiera came down
the river towing the steamer Aaragan
of New York. In order to get through
the draw it was necessary for the tug
to make a "fly" of the steamer, as the
space between draw and bridge proper
was too narrow.
In making the "fly" the tug made for
the west shore of the river opposite
the plant of the Pennsylvania Reduc-
tion Company to clear for the steamer.
In doing this the tug grounded on the
bank. After several unsuccessful at-
tempts it was found useless to make
any further efforts, as the tide was go-
ing out. !Mr. Reynolds, the superin-
tendent of the American Bridge Com-
pany, had the drav; closed, and the 605
was put to use by running a long line
from the stern of the tug to the rear of
the tender. When all was ready he
gave the proceed signal, and a short,
steady pull of the old 605 again placed
"Mr. Tug" in the proper channel. In
the meantime the steamer was drifting
down the river. If space will permit,
kindly have this record placed on
pages of Railway and Locomotive En-
gineering. Wm. F. Eberwein.
Philadelphia.
The Tie-Plate.
Editor •
I write to say I am a resident of Se-
dalia. Mo., and I have invented a new
and improved tie-plate, of which the
following is a brief descripton, which
may be of interest to your readers.
The invention relates to metallic tie-
plates, and has in view such an appliance
as forms a seat for the rail and engages
over the base flanges, the plate extending
down at each side of the tie and to the
,\K\V Fuk.\I OV TIE PL.\TE.
under side thereof, and incasing the tie
for a portion of its length under the rail,
the plate being preferably constructed of
two sections, the sections divided from
each other longitudinally of the rail at
the top and transversely of the rail at
the bottom. The illustration makes this
clear, I think. My invention is now
patented. • Louis Lebovitz.
Sedalia, Mo. Machinist.
Washing Out Main Reservoir.
Editor :
All railroad companies wash their boil-
ers at a regular period, to get good re-
sults, prevent foaming, etc. Very good
practice indeed. Now tell me why in
these advanced times they do not place a
plug on the top and bottom of the main
air drum and wash the drum out at
regular intervals and drain off the water
that may accumulate in it.
Here is one case out of a score I wish
to draw your attention to. I had a cer-
tain 8-wheel passenger engine on a work
train lying in the siding for orders. I
thought I would drain the main drum, as
every time I used the brake valve the
exhaust air was damp. I got under this
engine, and opened the drain cock. It
was stopped up. I took a monkey
wrench and took a brass bushing out ;
still no air or water would run. I got
a long slender stick 8 ins. long and ran
it up into the drum, still no signs, so I
got a longer stick, 12 ins. or a trifle over,
and for 9 minutes it was constantly
passed through the main drum to help
the stream flowing out. I was unable to
clean out this paste on the road.
This drum was robbed of over half
its storage capacity, and the air in the
train line contained more or less moisture
and dirt. To my mind, this kind of
thing causes break-in-two's, due to bad
working triple valves. I think if main
drums were washed and drained in the
shops, we would have more space in
main drums to store air for braking
trains. This causes a big percentage of
tlie trouble in many cases. Let us
he:ir from you or others who have had
iin experience like mine.
Loco. Engineer.
West Philadelphia, Pa.
Round House Chat.
Editor :
I want to tell you how we are getting
along on the Chicago, Milwaukee & St.
Paul Railway at my station, Portage,
Wis. Considerable trouble was experi-
enced with the grease cellars two years
ago with the advent of the new hea\'y
power, also some this spring. These are
now all wearing good to bearing. While
many of the grease cellars are not run-
ning as long as is claimed they should,
they are doing much better than for-
merly. A few back end of main rods run
hot occasionally, but it seemed that a
close inspection of the back driving box
wedges and keeping them set up pre-
vent much of the heating, aside from
saving much crosshead and knucklepin
work.
Rods and straps are examined every
three months. Apparent flaws are in-
spected with the magnifying glass, and
the flaw covered with a thin coating
of moist whiting, which, if a real flaw,
soon shows by the oil working out.
Concerning cylinder-packing some of
•the late engines had cut the
ends of the cylinder packing rings
down to less than Ys in. thick in a few
trips, owing possibly to a different grade
of cylinder metal, these after one or
two renewals are coming down fairly
well. An extra half-pint of valve oil for
a week relieved the trouble very much.
The dowel to keep the rings from mov-
ing does not seem to give as good re-
sults as the free ring. An easier and
cheaper way to make the rings is to leave
them eccentric in and out circles, leaving
one side about ]\ in. thicker and cutting
the ring at the thin part, giving the best
results. Piston packing is giving much
better service than a year of two ago, by
keeping the swab on the rod, and a little
oil does much to stop the excessive wear.
Sunday work is kept to the lowest min-
imum possible, but in a roundhouse it
cannot always be as little as we would
December, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
493
like it to be. One machinist, one handy-
man, and one wiper or laborer change
oflE Sundays when they can be spared.
However, when it is cleaning-up day on
the road, Saturday and Sunday, the
roundhouse gets the most work on Sun-
day, making this day often the busiest
day of the week. The Y. M. C. A. Rail-
way department fills a necessary place
among the employes, as the testimony of
the higher railway officials at the St.
Louis convention in May, 1909, showed.
Money for this movement is money well
spent, that does bring in returns after
the manner of "casting thy bread upon
the waters." The reading room and
baths, etc., are practically a necessary
adjunct There is no branch here, but
a branch of the State work is being
started downtown. H. \V. Grigcs,
Roundhouse Foreman.
Portage, Wis.
stead cf small oil holes. These engines
with their mates reflect great credit on
their designer, Mr. T. X. Ely, chief of
motive power of the Pennsylvania.
H. G. BOUTELL.
lyasliington. D. C.
(he ■'K-2" class, recently built for passen-
ger service by the Pennsylvania lines.
ITiis photograph was taken at Sewickley,
Pa., and so far as I know believe these
P. R. R. "Class A-Anthracite."
Editor:
The accompanying photograph shows
a type of passenger locomotive once
very common on the Pennsylvania
Lines, but of late years many have been
retired from service, so that only a few,
remain. The engine was built at the
Altoona shops of the road in 1888 for
passenger service, and under the old
classification was known as "Class A--
anthracite," later chanced to Class
cr..\SS .\..\NTIlR.sriTi:.
D-7-a. The engine had drivers 62 ins.
in diameter and 17 x 24-in. cylinders,
while the firebox was long and shallow
for burning hard coal. Like all the pas-
senger engines built for the road at that
time, the engine had wheel-covers over
the drivers, but these were removed a
number of years ago. Many features
peculiar to Pennsylvania engines will
at once be noticed, among them the
standard 18-in. stack with cap, the
beautifully rounded dome casing and
sand box, rounded edge to smokebox,
and the headlight.
This particular engine was sold a
number of years ago to a small road
near this city and her original number
removed, but she probably ran on the
old Philadelphia, Wilmington & Balti-
more Railroacl. The cabs were novel
in arrangement; many small features,
such as good steps and hand-holds,
were provided, and last, but not least,
good oil cupf on the link motion, in-
Mallet Engines and Other Power.
Editor :
I am taking the liberty of sending
you a clipping which appeared in the
New York Evening Post for Nov. 10,
in which it is stated:
"An inspection of the Union and South-
ern Pacific lines certainly makes the East-
ern roads begin to look out of date.
That applies to the way business is
handled, as well as to the equipment.
For example, the Pennsylvania does
not own a single Mallet locomotive,
and the Baltimore & Ohio has one,
bought in 1904. On the Harriman roads
powerful locomotives of that type are
not only used to haul all freight over
heavy grades, but they are used about
the yards as pushers."
It seems to me somcw-hat strange.
If the I'ennsylvania needed Mallet
compounds they certainly would have
bought tlicm before this late day. I
understand that the B. & O. loaned
theirs for testing purposes, but do not
know any of the results. On the
other hand, the P. R. R. have some
smart consolidation engines, one of
which hauled 120 loaded steel freight
cars from Altoona to Harrisburg with-
out assistance, on Aug. 25, 1910. The
number of the engine was 1221, type
ri-8-B; weight of train, 14,132 tons, and
4.440 ft long.
Another thing, they have very few
Pacific type engines. Most of their
trains are handled by Atlantic type en-
i;incs, and who can say that they do
not do their work, and do it well? Mr.
Gibbs, general superintendent of mo-
tive power, is a smart man, and I have
no doubt that he knows what he is
about. As for Mallets in New Eng-
land, the question arises. .Are the
grades heavy enough to demand them?
I doubt it, for New England is a flat
country. If Mr. Loree had stated the
motive power was in poor condition I
should have heartily agreed with him,
but New England is not alone in this
trouble. Roads west of Chicago are
in the same mess. As near as I can see,
the sooner the railroads begin to pay
more attention to their motive power
and e<iuipment and a little less to
stocks and legislatures, then we will
have some railroading and dividends.
ClIAS. E. FiSIIER.
/Inn Arbor, Mich.
HE.\VY P. R. R. ENGINE.
engines are the heaviest ever built for
passenger service on any line, excepting
the Mallet compounds.
D. W. Kettering.
Pittsburgh, Pa.
Heavy P. R. R. Engine.
r,.litr.r:
I'lidor separate cover I am sending ynti
a photograph of locomotive No. 7515 of
Injector Troubles.
Editor:
I would be thankful if you, or any of
your readers, would answer the following
questions: First, concerning a Monitor
lifting injector. If the line check casing
does not seat on the delivery nozzle,
allowing a leak by delivery nozzle, how
will it affect the operation of injector?
If the intermediate and condensing nozzle
does not fit closely in the body (front
and back part), how will it affect the
working of the injector? What is the
best way to determine whether a steam
valve, jet valve or boiler check is leak-
ing?
Second, What is the best way to deter-
mine a leaky steam valve, priming valve
or boiler check with a Nathan non-
lifting ejector?
Third, old type Nathan triple sight-
feed lubricator. This lubricator is in
engine room with just one feed in use
(the air pump feed) connected to a large
water pump. After the lubricator is
well blown out and refilled with station-
ary engine cylinder oil, the feed may
work awhile, but very slowly; sometimes
ii will stop feeding before the oil is half
gone and at other times it may work till
reservoir is empty. Water ccdlccts in the
sight glass soon enough, but when the
lubricator stops working no oil will come
cut of the feed nozzle. The reducing
plug seems to be the right size, also the
steam pipe to lubricator. When this
lubricator was installed two feeds were
used. i. e., air pump feed and left cylin-
der feed.
Fourth. Nathan triple sight-feed
lubricator, class "1899." What is wrong
with lubricator acting as follows: With
reservoir full of oil, with steam and
water valves open, shut water valve, open
waste cock until some water runs out,
then close water cock and open water
valve, after which the lubricator will feed
a few drops on opening the regulating
valve. I'inally no oil will issue from feed
494
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
December, 1910.
nozzle (lliis defect was just in one of the
cylinder feeds, whether the engine was
working steam or not, the other two feeds
worked O. K.). If the steam chest oil
plug has too large or too small a hole,
how will it affect the working of the
lubricator? E. W. Eckeht.
Belle Plaine, la.
Engines at the Brussels Exhibition
How It Is in Buenos Aires.
Editor:
Yours of Aug. 17, with Railway and
LocoMOTrv'E Engineering, also books,
arrived O. K. Down here they are cele-
brating the centenary of their existence
af a republic by holding a miniature
World's Fair. Most of the countries arc
represented by locomotives, etc. With
exception of Baldwins, whose engines
are shown as supplied to customers, they
are a gaudy bunch ; paint, varnish, emery,
etc., has been dealt out without stint,
and they look to a man from Mexico like
a pulque shop on feast days. Slab frames
and underhung springs predominate.
Valves are usually located inside, so as
tc keep them warm and incidentally the
Mechanico who has to face them.
Boxes are brass, wedges wrought
iron, case hardened, and if shoes are
used they are of the same material.
Detroit lubricator seems to be winning,
and Sellers injectors have also patrons.
Vacuum brakes are used on the major-
ity of roads. Enginemen are mostly made
here, but there are a few imported under
contract. The majority would not grade
very high in Mexico, as that country,
owing to heavy grades and curves, has
developed possibly a higher percentage
of really high-class men than most.
Thanking you for sending books so
promptly. Wm. Reed,
Ferro Carril Sud.
Salleres, Buenos Aires.
No World's Fair for New York.
No city on this continent could man-
age a world's fair so well as New York,
but New York has no ambition to draw
crowds to witness such an extra attrac-
tion. International exhibitions are
nearly always got up by parties who
expect much gain from the shows, but
New York as a city has no ambition in
that direction.
Some parties started an agitation
lately in favor of holding a world's fair
in New York in 1913 to commemorate
its 300th anniversary, but they were
promptly informed that New York
would promote nothing of the kind.
Coney Island freaks are sad, but they
must grin and bear the decision.
The management of the Boston & Maine
Railroad have applied to the Railroad
Commission for permission to issue 106,-
637 additional shares of common stock.
President Mellen explains that $11,720,700
is needed to carry out authorized im-
provements on the system.
From the tine collection of various
types of Belgian, French, German and
Italian locomotives at the Brussels
Exhibition, we illustrate in this issue
four interesting examples.
A powerful 2-10-0, four cylinder sim-
ple locomotive built by the Societe
Anonyme des Forges Usines et Fon-
deries, Haine Saint Pierre, for the Bel-
gian State Railways. This engine is
shown in Fig. 1, and has the following
ti"n, llicrc being only one vulve mo-
tion on each side, acting direct on the
valves of the outside cylinders, which
have tail rods extending to the front
and connected by means of rocking
arms to the inside cylinder valve rods.
The reversing gear is of the Flamme-
Rongy type, steam actuated. The cou-
pled driving wheels are of 6 ft. 6 ins.
diameter. The boiler is of almost sim-
ilar dimensions to that of the Decapod,
FIG. 1. 2-10-0 FOR THE l;I.I.in \X
.1 I" K XTLWAYS.
leading dimensions: Four cylinders,
each \9H by 26 ins., operated by piston
valves actuated by a modified Walsch-
aerts gear; diameter of ten cou-
pled wheels 4 ft. 9 ins.; total wheel-
base, 33 ft. 2J4 ins. The boiler is fitted
with a superheater, and has a total
heating surface of 2,563.65 sq. ft., with
a grate area of 53.82 sq. ft.; the work-
ing pressure is 199 lbs. per sq. in. The
engine has a total
weight in working order
of 98 tons, 8 cwt.. 3
qrs., and a tractive ef-
fort of about 45,635 lbs.
Another remarkable
machine built for the
Belgian State Railways
is the pacific type ex-
press locomotive de-
signed by M. J. B.
Flamme, the chief me-
c h a n i c a 1 engineer.
There has been a need
for more powerful
engines to work the ex-
press service on the line from Brussels
(north) to Verviers and Herbesthal,
and M. Flamme accordingly designed
this pacific type shown in Fig. 2,
with four high - pressure cylinders
and a Schmidt superheater. The
leading particulars are as follows: The
four cylinders are each 19 ins. in di-
ameter, with a stroke of 26 ins., piston
valves actuated by Walschaerts mo-
previously mentioned. It has a maxi-
mum interior diameter of 5 ft. llj^
ins. and has a working pressure of
199 lbs. per sq. in., there being four
safety valves of the Wilson type ar-
ranged in pairs. The boiler contains
230 tubes 16 ft. 5 ins. long by 2 ins. in
diameter, in addition to 31 superheater
tubes of 5 ins. diameter. The heating
surface is: Firebox, 201.30 sq. ft.;
CYLINDER MADE
PROF. STUMPF'S PRINCIPLE.
tubes, 2,368.12 sq. ft.; total, 2,569.42 sq.
ft., with a grate area of 53.82 sq. ft.
The superheater surface is 692.14 sq. ft.
The weight of the engine alone, is,
light, about 90j/$ tons, and in working
order about 10034 tons, of which S6}4
tons rest on the coupled wheels. The
tender has a capacity for 5,280 gallons
of water and 7 tons of coal. The trac-
tive power exerted by these huge ma-
December, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
495
chines 15 33.550 lbs., and they develop
nbout 2,000 h. p. as a maximum.
A new type of four cylinder com-
pound express locomotive for the
Xorthern Railway of France is note-
worthy (see Fig. 3). It has a rather
unusual wheel arrangement. 4-4-4, the
which 34 ions 2 cwt. 3 qrs. rest on the
coupled wheels; weight of tender with
4,230 gallons of water, 41 tons 16 cwt.
3 qrs.
Among the German examples is a
large 0-S-O goods locomotive (Fig. 4),
built bv the Vulcan Locomotive Works
•460 rOR THE BELGI.\N STATIC R.\U.\V.-\YS.
large wide lircbtix requiring for its effi-
cient support a four-wheel bogie under
the foot-plate. The firebox is quite
exceptional apart from its external di-
mensions, for it contains a number of
water tubes and is extended into a com-
bustion chamber, this chamber giv-
ing a heating surface of more than
1,000 sq. ft., irrespective of the Serve
tubes in the boiler, of which there arc
136, and each is 14 ft. S'/i ins. long
and 2}i ins. diameter. Another feature
IS the high boiler pressure, 256 lbs. per
sq. in. Below arc given the leading
dimensions: High-pressure cylinder?.
13J< by 25}i ins. stroke; low pressure
cylinder>. 22Js by 25>)j ins. stroke; d;
ameter of bogie wheels, leading and
trailing, 2 ft. 11 ins., and of coupU'I
driving wheels, 6 ft. 8H ins. Total
wheelbase of engine, 32 ft. 8 ins.;
boiler, diameter, 5 ft. i'A ins.; height
of center above rails, 9 ft. 2}i ins.
of Stettin, for the Prussian State Rail-
ways. Though similar in general de-
sign, the engine. No. 4841, differs from
tion will serve to explain its leading
features. The object of departing
from the ordinary type of steam cylin-
der, with its steam and exhaust ports
controlled by a D-slide or piston valve,
is to do away with the condensation of
steam within the cylinder, which re-
sults from the alternate admission of
live or hot steam, and the exhaust of
comparatively cold steam through the
same set of ports in rapid succession.
In Professor Stumpf's system the cyl-
inder is made with its length of bore
practically SO per cent, longer than is
usual, and the piston a is of unusual
shape, its bearing surface against the
cylinder wall being within a fraction
of one-half of the total length of the
cylinder barrel. This is clearly shown
at one end of its stroke. Two sets of
piston rings are fitted to this trunk
piston, and the intermediate portion of
the piston is provided with an annular
ring which bears lightly against the cyl-
inder wall. Admission of steam is pro-
vided for through ports bb in the end
covers of the cylinder. In the engine
illustrated this is controlled by lift
iMI'iilNll I-()R I I
others of the same type in respect to
several details, and notably as regards
4. OflO lOK THE I'RUS.SIAN STATE RAILWAYS.
firebox, water tubes the cylinders, which arc constructed on
the principle introduced by Professor
Stumpf, 'if Charlottenburg. One of
the cylinders is shown in section in
our diagram (Fig. 5). A brief descrip-
Heating 'uriacc
and combintion chamber, 1,033.35 sq
ft.; tubes 2,373.60 sq. ft.; grate area,
38.1 sq. ft.; weight of engine in work-
ing order. 75 tons 19 cwt. 3 qrs. of
valves of the Lentz type. There is no
valve controlling the exhaust. As the
piston travels under the pressure of
the steam admission, it passes from one
end of the cylinder to the other in the
ordinary course, and shortly before
reaching the other end of its stroke it
uncovers a scries of openings made
around the center line of the cylinder's
length, shown at cc, tliese openings
leading to the exhaust and blast pipes.
Thus the steam passes in one direction
only throughout its course of effective
work, entering the cylinder at one end
and emerging at the center; and it is
found that this system of operation
prevents those abrupt changes of tem-
perature in the cylinder walls which
are so fruitful in condensation.
The engine is equipped with the
.Schmidt superheater and an efficient
^park arrester within the smokebox,
and has the following leading dimen-
sions; Cylinders, 23.^ by 26 Ins.; di-
ameter of coupled wheels, 4 ft. 5% ins.
496
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
December, 1910.
Exhibition on Wheels.
The Xorthern Pacific has recently got
lip wliat may very reasonably be called
an exhibition on wheels. It is in fact a
fine passenger car mounted on six wheel
trucks. It is laden with evidence of the
productivity and varied resources of the
States through which the road runs. It
is. not a new plan for this railway to send
cut such a car, for several years ago the
Northern Pacific equipped a similar car
which was on exhibition at the World's
Fair in Chicago. This car afterwards made
numerous tours advertising the Northwest.
However, the new car which starts out
at this time is of latest model, scvcnty-
of outdoor life on the farms along the
Northern Pacific.
Protecting the Steel Car.
The steel freight and passenger cars
have come to stay, and one of the most
serious problems in the maintenance of
these cars is the protection from rust
by some kind of paint. The Joseph
Dixon Crucible Company of Jersey
City, N. J., seem to have solved this
problem in a very satisfactory way —
the Dixon silica-graphite paint, as
made by them in four s.hades.
The best vehicle for pigments is
something like a dark slate, but any
and all of these are made with the sili-
ca-graphite mixture. This paint lends
itself most readily to stenciling. The
mixture of graphite and silica is anala-
gous to an alloy of gold; the silica in-
creases the wearing quality of the
graphite, which is in itself almost an
ideal coating. Probably the best way
to get a good idea of the whole subject
is to write to the company for a small
pamphlet which they have just issued,
in which the matter of protective paints
for steel cars, bridges, etc., is very
clearly set forth. Samples of the col-
ors are shown on four strips pasted in
SrECI.-\L C.\R TO SHOW XO
five feet long, lighted by electricity and
acetylene gas, equipped with extra wide
windows, and all other details of an up-
to-date passenger coach.
The arrival of this car is an event long
to be remembered in the smaller towns.
The exhibit car is pushed in on the siding
and thrown open to the inspection of
those who would in no other way see the
products of the soil from such a wide
range of territory as that lying between
the Great Lakes and the Pacific Ocean
The fertile wheat and corn fields of
Minnesota and North Dakota, the farms,
orchards and gardens of Montana, Idaho.
Washington and Oregon, have all con-
tributed their share to the grand display.
A great many of the exhibits in the car
were secured from the Minnesota, North
Dakota and Montana State Fairs, from
the Dry Farming Congress recently held
at Spokane, and from numerous county
fairs in Washington and other States.
Tlie itinerary of the car is being care-
fully worked out with a view to exhibit-
ing it in those sections of the Eastern
and Southern States from which thou-
sands annually migrate to the Great
Northwest.
The exhibit shows how productive are
the fields lying along the "Scenic High-
way Through the Land of Fortune."
The car is accompanied by representa-
tives of the passenger and immigration
departments of the road, and by a lec-
turer who gives illustrated addresses.
Literature is also liberally distributed.
While chief interest in the car is among
the farming class, yet the car stops in the
smaller towns to show those who labor
at trades and in factories the advantages
RTIIWESTERX PRODUCT?: RUN BV THE
boiled linseed oil. Probably nine out
of ten protective paints are linseed oil
paints. This vehicle is strongly adhe-
sive and dries in a tough, elastic film.
Linseed oil might be used without the
addition of a pigment but for the fact
that, by itself, it is not wholly imper-
vious to moisture. A pigment also
lends "body," assists the paint film in
withstanding: beatina; rain and hail
NORTHERN PACIFIC R.MLWAY.
the pamphlet, and the manufacturers
say that test samples will be supplied
to those who wish to give the Dixon
protective car paint a trial. The pam-
phlet is well illustrated, and is well
worthy of careful perusal.
Southern Pacific Shops at Empalme.
The new general shops of the Sud-
Pacilico de Mexico are located at Em-
SOUTHERX PACIFIC SllOPi AT EMPALME.
Storms, and helps to protect the oil
against the destructive influences that
affect it.
The shades placed on the market by
this well-known company are olive
green, dark red. black, and what they
call Dixon's natural color, which is
palme, Sonora, at the junction of this
railroad and the Sonora Railway. About
five years ago, at the time construction
of the Cananea, Yaqui Railroad was
started at a junction with the Sonora
Railway, five miles east of Guaymas, the
present site of Empalme (Spanish for
December, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
497
junction), it was a waste covered with
cactus, with not a single improvement
except the bare lines of an old railroad.
To-day there is a shop plant that is as
up-to-date as any other west of the
Kockv Mountains, and a modern .■\mer-
buildings are exceptionally well lighted,
and, to eliminate the disagreeable feature
of the strong sunlight, factory ribbed
glass is used throughout.
Particular attention has been given to
labor nil. I ii-n,--<:(vit!e .ievi.-e?. Cranes,
lean town site with hrst-class quarters to
take care of the company's employees.
This rapid growth was due to the ag-
gressiveness of Mr. Epes Randolph, who
has been instrumental in the laying out and
construction of the Southern Pacific road
through Western Mexico, and who de-
serves practically all the credit for the
load and the fine shops at Empalme.
Plans for the shop and construction
were started about three years ago. The
first building erected was the twenty-
tight stall roundhouse, which was con-
structed of stone obtained from the com-
pany's quarry 2.'i kilometers from Em-
palme. This construction proved that the
rest of the buildings could be erected
more economically from concrete, and
plans were made accordingly. A test of
the soil showed that it would either be
necessary to put in large spread concrete
footing under the piers carrying the
large buildings with traveling crane loads
or to drive concrete piles. The latter
plan was adopted.
The shops arc complete in every re-
spect, being built to take care of locomo-
tives, passenger and freight cars, repair-
ing an' - ■ ■ ' ' ' re niso equipped
as a : •, making them,
to a I. ; ;iorting. Among
the features ot tins complete plant arc
machine and erecting shops, boiler and
blacksmith shop, material shed, belt shop,
flue shop, foundry, pattern shop, car and
paint shop< and mill. Work is about to
begin on the erection of the dry lumber
storage building and a dry kiln. Special
attention has been paid to light. All
push-car tracks, turntables, floor air
jacks, air hoists, etc., have been provided
wherever considered practicable, and a
telephone system, connecting all shops,
offices, stores, etc., is installed. A general
fire-alarm system, with fire-alarm boxes
the shop fire department, thus insuring
piping in good condition that will, stand
high pressure in case of fire, and elim-
inating the dangerous practice of allow-
ing general service and other taps to be
connected to the fire line, which is al-
ways bursting when a good pressure is
called for. The coal storage has a ca-
; acity of ten thousand tons, the coal be-
ing dumped from an elevated trestle
uventy-two feet high.
The shops are electrically driven
throughout, power being furnished from
a central power station, which is a hand-
some reinforced contrete building 88 ft.
V. ide and io6 ft. long. This building is
'livided longitudinally by a wall extend-
ing its full length, separating the engine
nd the boiler rooms. The engine-room
' or is about 5 ft. above the boiler-room
oor, which provides for a basement to
^commodate condenser, air pumps, hot
■. ell, boiler washing, general service, hy-
iraulic and fire pumps, steam and exhaust
eadcrs and all piping. In the power
1 'Use there are two Westinghouse 200
i \v., three-wire, 250-volt D.C. engine
type generators, direct connected to re-
ciprocating engines.
There are about 200 Westinghouse t>'pe
"8" motors, from i to 50 h.p., operating
the various wood and iron-working ma-
chinery in the diflferent departments. Our
illustration clearly indicates the suitability
of electric motors for railroad shop use.
The machines are all direct driven and
the necessity of overhead belts and line
shafting is precluded. By means of the
mt\
--- 1, ^j-p
l.SIKKIOK OF K.MI'.M.Mi; SIIDI'.^^ OF SOITHKKN l'.\< IFM
located at suitable places about the shops
and connecting with the power-house, is
provided for. An independent fire line
willi hydrants has brrn installed, .-ind is
used only in case of fire or fire drill by
adju.stable speed motors that are used the
speed control of the different machines is
extremely flexible, and hence a consid-
erable gain in the productive capacity of
the machines is made.
498
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
December, 1910.
Ri>LlssS%v.Eii$iiieeriiS
4 FnctlOKl ^oonud tf KotlT* Fowtr, SolUoc
Stock uid AppliaJicu.
Pablithtd KonthJj )>7
ANGUS SINCLAIR CO.
114 Liberty Strret, New York.
T«2«phon«, 984 Cortlandt.
CabU Addnu, "Loc*ii(," H. T.
Olasrow, "Locoauto."
Budiiess l>«partm«Dt :
AMOTTS SINCLAIR, B.E.. Pwit. and Treaa.
JAICES KXKNXDT. Vice-Preat. and Gea. M»T.
HABET A. KEMHST, Seoratary.
Editorial Dapartmant:
ANGUS 8INCLAI&, D.E., Editor.
GEOBOE B. HODOniS, Kanasinc Editor,
7AKES EEITKEDT, Aaaoaiata Editor.
Boatoa BepraiantatiTo:
8, L OABPEirTEB, 649 Old Soath Buildisc,
Boaton, Xaaa.
London BapreaontatiTa:
THE LOCOMOTIVE PtTBLISHUfO 00., Ltd.,
t Aman Conor, Patoraoitor Baw, LoadoB, E. 0.
Olaarow BoproaantatiTO:
A. F. SIKCLAJB, 11 Hanor Boad, Bollahtua-
tel, Glaarov.
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Aid to the Ambitious.
Since the beginning of the publica-
tion of Railway and Locomotive En-
gineering it has been the constant aim
of the publishers to keep abreast of the
most advanced thought as manifested
in the constant improvement in the
mechanical appliances used on rail-
ways. It would be idle to imagine
that an educational magazine could be
reduced to the mechanical status of a
barrel organ, and go on repeating the
same measured monotone year after
year and yet retain its hold on popular
favor. New mechanical devices and
new methods of applying mechanical
forces require new illustrations and
descriptions. The popular favor which
has never failed us is the best proof
that our work has been appreciated.
As was to be expected, we have had
imitators and followers in the same
field, and we esteem it a high compli-
ment to observe that the promoters of
these publications have invariably
striven to adopt one or other of our
departmental features as some reason
for their existence. Our leading arti-
cles are frequently copied in their en-
tirety. We have no fault to find with
this. The truth cannot be too widely
known, as long as it concerns the wel-
fare of any important section of the
community.
It is not our purpose, however, to
boast of our accomplishments. If any
mechanical journal in the world today
could rest on accomplishment alone, we
could. The world's work, however, is
not accomplished by those who look
backward, but by those who look for-
ward. We believe that the true part
of our work in the field of mechanical
educational journalism lies in taking
up the new problems that arise, and
from the vantage ground of our experi-
ence in doing what we can to solve
these problems and record the solution so
that otliers, younger perhaps, may reap
some advantage from our pages in the
work which they have chosen.
In the furtherance of this object we
have been favored by many friends
who have furnished us with copies of
the various books and pamphlets is-
sued by the leading railway companies
containing the questions which will be
submitted to the railway men who are
necessarily expected to answer these
questions, and so show a proper famil-
iarity with the occupations in which
they are engaged, besides exhibiting
some good reason why they should
consider themselves available in the
case of an opportunity for promotioiL
In furnishing the answers to these
questions we consider ourselves en-
gaged in a laudable work. Previous
publications of this kind have met the
approval of the highest authorities, and
have been warmlj' received by the am-
bitious railway men.
Some there are who may imagine
that persons of this kind should become
learned only by experience. Therein
they err. Experience is of slow and of-
ten of bitter growth. Railway men will
not be trusted in charge of intricate
mechanical devices in operation unless
they are already familiar with the de-
tails of the construction and operation
of such devices, and the question nat-
urally arises, by what means are rail-
way men to obtain this knowledge?
We recall many instances of young
railway men endeavoring to gather in-
formation from their elders, and the re-
sults were not gratifying. The kind-
lier spirit grows among workingmen
as the years roll on, but their own ex-
acting duties preclude the possibility
of telling all they know to the un-
initiated.
"Reading maketh a full man, and
study an exact man," and a careful pe-
rusal and study of the questions and
answers, the first instalment of which
will appear in our January, 1911, issue,
will qualify any intelligent railway
man to pass the examinations to which
we have referred. It is almost need-
less to state that we have particularly
in mind the younger railway men, but
there will be much in the new depart-
ment that will be of particular interest
and value to the most experienced en-
gineer or mechanic, or, indeed, any
man of the widest experience in the
railway mechanical service.
Our facilities for procuring informa-
tion on the latest devices are of the
best. We are in close touch with the
most accomplished inventors and man-
ufacturers. Our mental horizon is not
clouded by ignorance nor warped by
prejudice. Whatever we have been able
to do in the past strengthens us for
the tasks of the future. We know that
we will be pardoned in confessing that
we have some confidence in ourselves,
of feeling and knowing that while we are
not perfect we press toward the mark. In
this spirit we enter upon our new task
with the beginning of the new year, in the
hope and assurance that the railway
men, particularly those engaged in the
mechanical departments, will appreciate
our efforts to present something worthy
of their attention and to prove our
claim that we can furnish not only the
first but the best aid to the ambitious
railway man.
The Law of the Inverse Square.
If an ordinary railroad man was asked
why the reflector of a locomotive head-
light was made like a deep cavern of silver
which completely envelops the source of
light, he would probably say that the shape
of the reflector was to concentrate the
light and throw it ahead so that none of
it should be lost. This is quite true, but
there are one or two very interesting facts
connected with the diffusion of light and
the properties of the curve which forms
the contour of the reflector, which it is
worth while to consider.
In the first place it is a matter of com-
mon knowledge that as you go farther
away from an object it becomes less dis-
tinct and ultimately fades from view.
The object also appears to become smaller
as one recedes from it. A very familiar
example is this: If you can read a news-
paper comfortably one foot away from a
candle, you will find the paper more in-
distinct at two feet distance. At three
feet it will be much more indistinct and
at four feet it will require close scrutiny
to read the small type.on the paper. Here
is evidence that the intensity of light
diminishes the farther it travels from its
source.
A lighted candle on a table pours forth
luminous rays in all directions and the
walls of the room, if equally distant from
the candle, will all receive the same
amount of light. The object of using the
headlight reflector is practically to cause
the light which uselessly falls on three of
the walls to be reflected upon the one
December, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
499
which it is desired to illuminate. The
diminishing power of the candle light as
one moves away from it is controlled by a
natural law.
For example, if a board 1 ft. square,
and therefore having 1 sq. ft. of surface,
be placed at a distance of 1 foot from the
candle, it will be capable of obscuring a
board 2 ft square, or containing 4 sq. ft.
area, at a distance of 2 ft from the candle.
At 3 ft distance the first board would
obscure a square having a length of 3 ft
on a side, or containing 9 sq. ft. of sur-
face. At 4 ft.distance, 16 sq. ft. would be
in shadow, and at 5 ft., an area of 25 sq.
ft would be darkened. It is evident from
these facts that the intensity of light di-
minishes four times at twice the dis-
tance, or the light on the 4-ft. board is
only one-quarter as bright on the 1 sq. ft
board, and on the 9 sq. ft board it is only
1/9 as bright as on the first Thus the
intensity of light is said to var>' inversely
as the square of the distance — inversely
meaning that as the distance increases,
the light diminishes, and vice versa.
Looked at in another way one may say
that if a pot of white paint will color
1 certain area so as to make it snow white,
that same pot of paint when spread over
four times the area will be only one-quar-
ter as white ; in fact, it may look a trifle
gray. If spread over nine times the area
It will be a very thin poor white, and on
an area sixteen times as large it will
hardly show up as good white at all. Here
then in rough and ready way is the law
of the inverse square.
This is the way the direct light from
a locomotive headlamp is thrown, and
the idea in using the particular form of
reflector is to collect the light which radi-
ates in all other directions and throw it
ahead on the track where it is needed.
The direct light from a headlamp may
be disregarded for all practical purposes,
as it is the light which comes out of the
headlamp without having touched the re-
flector at all. It is a feeble light to
begin with, and obeying the law of the
inverse square it is practically lost a short
distance ahead. The reflected light, how-
ever, comes out in a much more concen-
trated beam of light. It is, of course, a
cone of light, but its divergence is very
small. Theoretically it would be a solid
cylinder of light if the flame was no bigger
than a pin's head and placed exactly in
the focus of the parabolic reflector, A»
a matter of fact it is not possible to get
a sourer of light of suflicient intensity
and small enough to be placed so as to
be all at the focus. The oil flame is ar-
ranged around the focus, not in it ; the
electric arc and the Ka* flame are partly
in and partly out r,f the focus and »o
throw a more concentrated beam ahead,
hut the ilighf diveruence of the issuing
beam cannot be wholly eliminated.
The beam of light concentrated into
practically a cylindrical form does not
lose its intensit)' as it proceeds outward,
and barring the slight absorption by the
atmosphere, it penetrates to a great dis-
tance, with but little dimming of its power.
In other words, the reflector enables the
light to depart from the natural law of
diffusion, which is that of the inverse
square, and projects it forward as a very
slightly divergent pencil of rays, which
illuminates the track ahead with steady
brilliancy. L'nder these circumstances
objects are more clearly and quickly
seen, bathed in the concentrated light
from the reflector than they would be
if viewed in the scattering and feeble
rays of direct light
The law of the inverse square is a
very common one in nature ; radiant heat
obeys this law, the force of gravitation is
under its sway, the expansion of steam
conforms to it, and the propagation of
sound in air is governed by it The burn-
ing of a quantity of gunpowder in free
air gives a flash and a puff of smoke, and
may be likened to the direct light from the
headlight of which we have been speaking.
The reflected light ignoring the law of
inverse square is like the same powder-
charge, exploded in a coast defence gun,
which being concentrated, drives its pro-
jectile a long way out to sea.
Real Observing Habits.
We are acquainted with no class who
can profit more from habits of exact
observation than railway trainmen.
The man who mentally absorbs the
meaning of things that come before his
eyes is likely to be much more success-
ful than persons who retain no exact
impression of what they see. Here are
some very sagacious notes on the sub-
ject by Ruth Cameron, a correspondent
of the New York Globe:
The person who takes in and under-
stands all that he looks at is going to
get a heap more out of life than the
person who lets almost everything "go
in one eye and out the other."
Know your own business first, of
course, but if you are any good at all
you ought to have enough energy left
over to take some interest in what the
other fellow is doing and how he does
it. Some people can sec a thing done
forty times and not have any idea how
it is done. Other people can see the
same thing done once and know exact-
ly how il''5 ihjne and be able to do it
themsclvs Of course that's due part-
ly to an inborn ability that New Eng-
landers call "knack," but also partly
to a cultivated habit of observation and
wide-awakeness.
This is what happened in a big news-
paper office: The telephone girl who
presided at the oflfice switchboard was
taken suddenly ill. The switchboard
wan in a prominent part of the office.
Some dozens of reporters and a half
dozen office boys had daily hung over
her desk and watched and listened as
she pressed the magic keys and an-
swered the call of the little red and
white lights.
Of all these only one office boy had
learned, from watching her, to operate
that switchboard. He had had no more
opportunity to see how the thing was
done than the rest, but he had improved
his opportunity. He was at once in-
stalled, and succeeded so well that
when the telephone girl decided not to
come back he was permanently pro-
moted.
I found one of my girl friends the
other day deftly fashioning a marvelous
bow for her hat, as if to the manner
born. "Gracious!" I said. "I didn't
know you ever studied millinery." "I
didn't," she answered. "I just watched
the girls when I had a bow made up at
the store." She had "watched," you
see, what I had merely looked at
I was sitting on the front seat of a
suburban car the other day — the kind
that whizzes along so recklessly that
you can feel your heart coming up into
your throat most of the time.
"What wo-would ha-happen if the
m-motornian should faint?" I gasped to
my companion as we struck a curve at
something that felt very much like sixty
miles an hour. "Wouldn't we all be
killed?" "I'd stop the car," she re-
sponded calmly. I've watched just
what they do to start it and stop it,
and I'm sure I could." I couldn't.
Could you?
And yet we've probably sat on the
front seat of the car as many times as
she has, and had as much chance to
see how it was done.
Thinking of more important things,
you say disdainfully: Tell me truly,
arc most of the dreamings that keep
you from seeing and taking in what
happened around you really as valuable
as a habit of observation would be?
Women Blacksmiths.
Five hundred women blacksmith*
are idle in Cradley Heath, England,
because they will not agree to work
fur the next six months for four or
five shillings a week, says the Youth's
Companion. The women, who operate
forges in their own homes, arc engaged
in making chains. Their wages have
been so low that a commission, after
an investigation extending over seven
months, decided that they should be
increased, although the old rate might
continue for six months if the women
would consent. About half the women
agreed to work for the old pay. The
rest have been locked out.
500
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
December, 1910.
Bad Steaming.
A grntifyiiig sign of the times among
roundhouse men is the fact that we
do not hear so much of bad steaming
in locomotives as formerly. The
amount of ignorance which e.xisted in
regard to the causes that led to the
defect would be difficult to overesti-
mate. Instead of making a systematic
search for the trouble and, if possible,
rectifying it, the locomotive became
stamped with a character similar to
that of certain individuals who are
known to possess sundry moral and
intellectual defects, but nobody takes
time to make a sustained effort to set
them right. In the case of the bad
steaming locomotive, the experiments
that have been so sucessfuUy carried
on in regard to the appliances used in
the smoke-bo.K or front end of the loco-
motive have brought about the im-
proved condition in regard to steaming.
As a general rule, defects in steaming
are now discovered and remedied with
a degree of promptitude that leaves
little to be desired. The careful ex-
periments on the part of locomotive
designers have brought the parts to a
degree of symmetry and proportion so
nearly perfect that a readjustment of
any particular part is comparatively
easy.
Defects in steaming may now be
promptly looked for in the smoke-box
attachments. It should be seen that
the exhaust pipe and nozzle are se-
curely held in place, and that the ex-
haust nozzle is set exactly in line with
the center of the smokestack. The di-
ameter of the nozzle should be such as
to allow the exhausted steam to fill
the smokestack as completely as possi-
ble. An exhaust jet failing to fill the
stack fails to produce the vacuum nec-
essary for furnishing a strong and
equable draught on the fire. A jet ex-
panding beyond he limits of the
smokestack, although less pernicious,
has a disturbing effect on the fire,
with a corresponding shortcoming in
the generation of steam.
The same remarks apply with equal
force to the adjustment of the petti-
coat pipe, if such forms part of the
smoke-box equipment, and it should be
borne in mind that it does not follow
that even with the most exact degree
of careful designing in the original con-
struction these appliances w-ill con-
tinue to retain their just alignment for
any considerable length of time. The
variations in temperature and the in-
cessant though intermittent blasts on
the heated fastenings tend to distor-
tion of the parts, and the divergence
from their correct positions cannot be
discovered by a mere casual glance. It
does not take much time to level the
engine and drop a plumb line in the
smokestack, when any variation from
the true adjustment will be readily re-
vealed.
The diaphragm or deflector plate, al-
though not so readily moved as the
petticoat pipe, is also of particular im-
portance in its adjustment. If set too
low the draught will be stronger in the
lower flues, and if high set the draught
will be more marked in the upper flues.
It is desirable that the draught should
be as equable as possible, and if the
equalization of the draught is main-
tained and the parts in the smoke-box
kept in their proper position, little re-
mains to be done other than that the
netting should be kept free from ob-
structions, which accumulate rapidlj'.
It may be added that leaks either
from the steam pipes, or from the outer
air, by reason of a defective joint in
the front casting, or smoke-box door,
or smokestack base, all contribute in
causing a marked defect in the steam-
ing qualities of the locomotive, and
when any of these are discovered they
should not be set down as organic de-
fects in -construction, but should be
looked upon sensibly as the natural re-
sults of the strenuous seiriee which
these parts of the complex mechanism
are constantly called upon to bear, and
the defects should be promptly and in-
telligently remedied.
Employers' Liability and Relief Depart-
ments.
At the last regular meeting of the
New York Railroad Club Mr. Joseph
N. Redfern, superintendent of the relief
department of the Chicago, Burlington
& Quincy, presented a paper on the
subject of "Employers' Liability and
Railroad Relief Departments." The pa-
per contained much information con-
cerning the admirable work of the de-
partment with which Mr. Redfern is
identified, and some information not
only concerning the activity of his road,
but referred to similar work on others.
Speaking of these departments, he said:
"There are six railroad systems in
the United States operating relief de-
partments, the general features of
which are similar. The roads in the
order of their establishment are: Bal-
timore & Ohio, 1S80; Pennsylvania lines
ea.5t of Pittsburgh. 1886; Philadelphia
& Reading, 1888; Chicago, Burlington
& Quincy, 1889; Pennsylvania lines west
of Pittsburgh, 1889; Atlantic Coast
Line, 1899. These roads employ about
400.000 men — nearly one-quarter of the
railroad employees in the L'nited States.
About 275.000 of them, or 70 per cent.,
are members of these relief depart-
ments. The members are contributing
to the funds annually about $4,000,000,
and the companies are contributing a
like amount in cash and facilities. There
is being paid to the members and their
families about $4,000,000 a year, and
to date about $50,000,000 has been paid
in benefits, over one-half of which is on
account of sickness."
Mr. Redfern pointed out the neces-
sary distinction between what is called
"Employers' Liability" and "Work-
men's Compensation," the broad dis-
tinction being that in the case of the
workmen's compensation the payment
for injury or death is compulsory on
the employer, and must be accepted by
the workman or his heirs-at-law. The
employers' liability insists upon pay-
ment in all cases of injun,-, but instead
of the automatic compensation, it pro-
poses that the right to sue for damages
shall be retained, and that the em-
ployer shall be denied the defense of
the fellow-servant assumption of risk
and contributor}' negligence.
This brings us face to face with that
piece of English common law, import-
ed into this country before the Revolu-
tion, and at a time when industries were
small, and each workman had personal
knowledge of the disposition and char-
acteristics of all the other workmen in
the factory in which he was employed.
The fellow-servant idea has long ago
been outgrown ; modern conditions
have rendered it not onl}' useless as an
equitable rule of law, but it has
worked much hardship in the majority
of cases where it has been applied. We
must remember that for quite a num-
ber of }-ears it has been a dead letter
in Great Britain, while it has been re-
tained here.
Mr. Redfern continued by saying:
"There does not seem to be any sound
reason for compelling an employer to
paj- damages to an employee who
breaks a leg because he accidentally
stubs his toe on the stairs of his em-
ployer, which were not defective, or
because of a defective sole in his shoe;
if an employer can by law be com-
pelled to pay damages in such cases,
could the emploj'er be compelled to
pay damages for similar injuries in-
flicted while the employee was on his
way to his w'ork, but not on the prem-
ises of his employer? There would be
as much reason for the latter as the
former. If the employer may legally
be compelled to pay damages for all
injuries sustained by his emploj-ees.
may we not expect the next step to be
legislation compelling the employer to
pay when his employees are disabled
from what are called occupational dis-
eases? And it would then naturally fol-
low that after a while all diseases would
be construed to come within the term
occupational diseases, so that the em-
ployer would probably be compelled to
pay whenever an employee was physi-
cally incapacitated for work. And then
another step might be expected — that
is, the employer to be compelled to pay
pensions and something for the mainte-
December, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING
501
nance of the dependents of his em-
ployees, irrespective of the cause of
death. But why should the employer
do all this? The fact that Germany
and France and England, and other
foreign countries carry on paternalistic
work is no reason why we should fol-
low in their steps in this respect any
more than we should follow in their
steps as regards wages paid em-
ployees."
We do not ag^ree with Mr. Redfern
in his question as to why we should
not do as Great Britain and other na-
tions do. The law works well there
and in other countries. Our concern
ought not to be whether we lead or
whether we follow. Our duty is to
find out what is the fair, equitable and
humane policy for us to pursue.
There is one thing that stands out
clearly in all discussions of this kind,
and that is, the fellow-servant rule is
a block to progress in the way of
equitable adjustment of the question of
liability or compensation. If there is
cne subject upon which R.\il\vay and
Locomotive E.ncineering has pursued
a steady and consistent policy, it is in
its unwavering advocacy of the com-
plete retirement of the fellow-seri'ant
rule, and it has done this as a matter
of justice to the thousands of working-
men throughout the country who are
now affected by this harsh rule.
Relief departments on railways are
good, the work done by them is ex-
cellent, and no one who studies the
question can fail to appreciate the mu-
tual good will and the team play be-
tween corporation and employees
which the existence of such a depart-
ment indicates. But the relief depart-
ment is a voluntary arrangement, and
though it works smoothly and in the
interests of both parties, it is not the
law of the land. There can ultimately
be no substitute for rights guaranteed
by law, and whether we in this country
adopt an employers' liability law or
a workmen's compensation act, we
must finally secure a constitutional
enactment from which the fellow-ser-
vant rule shall have as entirely disap-
peared as if it had never been.
The Velocity of Steam.
The velocity of steam escaping under
pressure is known to be very great, though
few are aware that even under a mod-
erate pressure of, say, ao or 30 lbs. to the
square inch, it is, generally speaking, equal
to that of a projectile fired from a can-
non. A notable example of the high
velocity of escaping steam is that of a
steam whistle in which a jet of steam
little thicker than ordinary writing paper
produces a sound that can be heard fur-
ther than the loudest thunder. I'he
writer has often heard a railroad whistle
18 to ao miles away, while thunder is sel-
dom heard over 10 or 13 miles. Every en-
gineer knows how little his safety valve
lifts, while the whole current of steam
required to run his engine escapes there-
from, and how small a leak in a valve
will cause his engine to "creep," provided
his piston packing is tight.
To understand the reason of the very
high velocity of steam or other gaseous
bodies on escaping from under pressure,
we have to consider that such velocity is
as their pressure and the square root of
their density inversely. Thus at a given
pressure, if we double the density of the
mass, we reduce by one-half the height
of a column that would produce such
given pressure, and the velocity due to
any head or height of fall being as the
square root of such head or height, it
follows that increasing the density with
a given pressure, reduces the velocity and
contrariwise reducing the density with a
given pressure increases the velocity.
It is understood that it is the height
of column that determines the velocity in
all cases, the density, with a given height,
not affecting such velocity.
Now, the velocity of steam under a
given pressure is in a like ratio as that
of any dense body, and for a like reason,
and to calculate such velocity it is most
convenient, first, to ascertain the ratio of
the density of steam at the given pres-
sure above atmospheric pressure as com-
pared with water. Tables giving such rel-
ative density will be found in almost any
work on steam engineering. This data
once obtained, next calculate therefrom
the height of a column of steam, consid-
ering it to be homogenous or of equal
density throughout, that would give (by
its weight) such given pressure. To as-
certain such height of column we must
calculate the height of a column of warer,
calling the weight of such (2.304 ft. in
height) equal to I lb., that would give the
required pressure, and the height of thi.i
water column multiplied by the ratio of
the density of steam at the given pressure
to that of water, gives the homogeuous
steam that would give (by its weight) the
required pressure, and eight times the
square root, if such height in feet is the
required velocity in feet per second.
Practically the results do not agree ex-
actly with the above rule. There is some
waste of power from friction at the point
of discharge. If the discharge pipe is
short, its length being no more than its
diameter and properly enlarged inside,
there will l>c but .little loss of power,
wherc.TS, if the steam escapes through a
pipe of considerable length, the steam will
expand very considerably in passing in
length, and while thus expanding exerts
a back pressure on that back of it, thus
retarding the velocity of that just enter-
ing the pipe and rendering the flow of
steam correspondingly less.
Anyone who will calculate by the above
rule the size of a circular orifice that will
give vent to 30 horse power of steam at a
pressure of 90 lbs. to the square inch, will
find its diameter to be less than three-
eighths of an inch, and to vent 120 horse
power, such orifice would be less than
three-quarters of an inch, and to vent 480
horse power it would be less than one and
a half inches.
Book Notice.
Mark Enderby, Engineer. By Robert
R IIoflFman. Published by .\. C. Mc-
Clurg & Co., Chicago. Cloth. With
four illustrations in oil. Price, $1.50.
The author of this book is a railway
man of very considerable practical and
literary ability and experience. The lit-
eran.- quality is given to very few rail-
road men. Their strenuous physical life
gives little or no leisure for perfecting
the art of expression, which does not
come even to the most gifted without
much care and continued effort. The
book before us is a remarkable proof of
this fact. The author has seen railroad-
ing in all its phases from the luxurious
elegance of managerial meetings to the
maddening misery of midnight disasters.
The scenes and incidents are those of the
early days of railroading in the West and
Southwest, and the author must be cred-
ited with the collection of a number and
variety of stirring stories of rough ad-
ventures among a class of men where the
primal instincts were unchecked by law
or unchastened by kindness. .■Xs a con-
tribution to the railroad literature of our
time, it is interesting as the work of
one who has been part of that of which
he writes. The shortcomings of the
work, from a literary standpoint, are not
far to seek. An a connected tale or novel
it is utterly deficient in the essential
requisites of unity of action and logical
sequence. The character drawing lacks
individuality. The men have a family
resemblance to each other utterly at vari-
ance with the men of real life. The wo-
men arc merely hinted at, or if seen at
all, are, like Niobe, all tears, which is not
a characteristic of Western women. The
work would have shown to better ad-
vantage in the form of a number of sep-
arate short stories something akin to
Kipling's "Plain Talcs of the Hills." In
a word, while the author has collected
material for an excellent book, he has
failed in construction, as a builder who
has the materials on hand, but whose
plans arc still in embryo. This defect in
mental vision is also seen in the descrip-
tions of natural phenomena. What
glimpses the rc.idcr gets of the pano-
ramic splendors of the West are like
winks here and there. There is promise
of better things in the book, however,
and with the skill which comes from ex-
perience and perhaps with that leisure
which is essential to literary perfection,
wc may hear again from this author to
better purpose and more pronounced
effect.
502
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
December, 1910.
A Practical Low Water Test on Overheated Crownsheet
A short time ago the Atchison, Topeka
& Santa Fe, of which Mr. W. F. Buck is
superintendent of motive power, made a
very practical test of the effect of low
water on the crown sheet of a Jacobs-
Shupert firebox. This form of box was
very fully illustrated and described in the
columns of Railw.w and Locomotive
INTERSTATE COMMERCE COMMISSION
INSPECTOR LOOKING AT GAUGES.
Engineering for August, 1909, page 357,
and the effort to explode this firebox is
as interesting as it is instructive.
A boiler with the Jacobs-Shupert sec-
tional firebox was placed in a large field
and an oil tank nearby supplied the fuel.
On the back head of the boiler a line was
painted corresponding to the crown sheet.
The usual water glass was in place, but
for the test a second one was applied, so
placed that, with a scale behind it, the
inspector could tell exactly how far below
the crown sheet the water had fallen. A
telescope placed behind a tree and pro-
tected with ties enabled the Interstate
Commerce Commission representative to
read the steam gauges and observe the
exact height of the water in the lower
water gauge glass.
One of our illustrations shows the
engineer of tests in what a military man
might call his "bomb-proof casemate."
The necessary protection was afforded by
a radially stayed firebox placed on one
side, carried on a flat car and shored up
with two stout timbers, one to each cor-
ner. In this protecting box were tele-
scopes for taking steam gauge and water
readings. Pyrometers for indicating the
heat of the bare crow-n sheet plates were
placed in the protecting shield. The ap-
paratus and the assistant are not shown
in the illustration.
The boiler was fired up in the usual
manner, the pops being set for a pressure
of 225 lbs. When the pops and steam
gauges had shown that the limiting pres-
sure had been reached, the blow-off cock
on the boiler was opened by one of the
operators in the shield, the oil fire being
kept up steadily. The water level was
lowered at the rate of 1210 lbs. per minute
until a point 4 ins. below the highest part
of the crown sheet was reached, and the
blow-off cock was then closed. In this
condition the boiler remained for 10 min-
utes with fire unabated. Under these
conditions the pops were blowing off and
the water level went down 6 ins. below
the highest point on the crown sheet by
the end of the test. The average steam
pressure during the test was 230 lbs.
When the 10 minutes during which the
ciown sheet was bare had elapsed the
fire was extinguished and water at a
temperature of 60 degs. Fahr. was pumped
i.", until the water level had risen to two-
thirds of the regular water glass, or
practically to normal water level again.
Just before the cold water was pumped
in a reading of pyrometers showed the
front part of the crown sheet to have sus-
tained a temperature of 112S degs. Fahr.,
and the rear portion 1065 degs., Fahr.
The crown sheet had heated up gradually
at an average rate of 67 degs. Fahr. per
minute. The steam from the pops, after
the crown sheet was bare, indicated that
the crown sheet was getting hot. Toward
the end of the test, when practically the
whole of the crown sheet was bare and a
large amount of hot metal exposed, the
of the box. The leaks from these open-
ings were so very small that they would
not be considered of any consequence in
ordinary service. The opening of these
sheets was due to the form of construc-
tion of the stay sheets.
At the moment the cold water was in-
troduced into the boiler the pressure fell
a few pounds. Eight and a half minutes
after the pumps were started the water
was level with the top of the crown sheet
and the steam pressure showed 215 lbs.
When the test had been concluded the box
was examined by a number of experts,
but no evidence of deformation of the
plates was found.
The most important lesson of this
test, of course, is the proof that the
prevailing belief is a fallacy, that cold
water pumped upon hot sheets would
cause a boiler explosion. The same
thing has been demonstrated several
times. About 1870, upon the advice of
Mr. Francis Stevens, of Hoboken, N. J.,
the LTnited States Government con-
ducted a series of tests of boilers in
which high pressure and intense tem-
perature was employed until the boil-
ers exploded. No bad effects resulted
from pumping cold water upon hot sheets.
The Pennsylvania Railroad Company
also carried out exhausive experiments
to show the effect of intense pressure
on boilers and the damage done by
AKK WCEMEXT OF BOILER AND SHIELD FOR OPERATORS.
steam from the pop valves was consider-
ably superheated.
Two minutes after the crown sheet was
bare the firebox showed the effects of
expansion due to the heating of the crown
sheet. Some very slight openings ap-
peared in the stay sheets near the middle
pumping water upon red-hot sheets.
When excessive pressure was em-
ployed on boilers full of water they
exploded; when cold water was
pumped upon red-hot sheets, the sheets
contracted and leaked, but no explo-
sion resulted.
December, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
503
Vice-President Stuart on Government
Attitude to Railroads.
At the hearing of railroad officials
before the Interstate Commerce Commis-
sion concerning railroad rates. Mr. John
C Stuart, vice-president of the Erie, ex-
pressed some wholesome truths regarding
railroad rates, wages and regulation. He
made the important point that Govern-
ment has control of five features of cpera-
any other business concern is obliged
to do.
Assuming that the present Commerce
Commission should grant the increased
rates desired by the railroads, it may re-
store to some extent confidence which the
people have formerly had in railroad
securities, but there is no guaranty that a
changed personnel in the commission
would take the same view of a later re-
quest. Furthermore, the railroads as
J.^COBS SCItUPERT ROILF.R RF..\DY FOR LOW W.ATF.R TEST.
tion, but shirks r«sponsibility for estab-
lishing credit.
In the course of an interview with a
representative of the IVall Street News
Mr. Stuart gave the following summary
of conditions as they exist : Either di-
rectly or indirectly through the medium
of the State or Federal Government, the
following features of the railroad business
are controlled in whole or in part : first,
financing; second, number of men to
be employed ; third, operation ; fourth,
maintenance, and fifth, making nf rates.
The only features of the railroad business
that are not ccntrolled arc the establish-
ment of credit and the power to make or
induce people to invest in r.iilroad securi-
ties. Any experienced business man will
admit that no private business can be car-
ried on successfully under such conditions.
The sale of securities and maintaining of
credit cannot be accomplished through this
same medium of legislation, or at least
it has not as yet.
Bated on the control and requirements
mentioned abrivc railroads are obliged to
extend their lines, make improvements and
furnith better facilities and better serrvice,
all of which requires money. When that
money is needed it is necessary for a rail-
road to go into the money market and
submit collateral to justify the loan, as
supplicants do not stand before the com-
missidn in the same light as any other
citizen I r corporation. To some extent,
based on the language of the law, the com
mission stands more in the position of
counsel for the prosecution than as an
impartial body without prejudice.
The fact that the burden of proof rests
upon the railroad eliminates the impartial
attitude which should prevail. The rail-
road employes presented certain demands
for increased wages before the Meditation
Board, hut it was not necessary for them
to submit the burden of proof, while the
railroads, on the other hand, in their
efforts to reimburse their treasury for thi
higher costs of labor, supplies and mate-
rials are obliged to funiish burden of
prorf as to necessity. Inasmuch as the
Government has control of the five fea-
tures of railroad operation, it is illogical
f- expert that the railroads can raise
money for improvements and maintain
their credit unless the Government assists
in this also by permitting the increase in
rates. I believe in proper control, but the
scheme is imperfect and unfinished. The
principles of successful business as applied
tf. railroads at present clearly indicate
that the latter are today operating tmder
conditions which might be called a busi-
ness paradox.
Unsuspected Heat Losses.
Moisture should not he paid for as coal,
remarks a writer in the Erie Emfloyef
Magasine. If 50,000 tons of coal contained
only one per cent, of moisture above
normal, it would mean 500 tons of water
to be evaporated before the coal would
be effective, and at the low price of $1 to
?2 per ton it would mean $500 to $1,000
per week, or $26,000 to $52,000 per year.
Don't block the way. The ash is the
material that blocks the way of the air.
If the percentage of ash is high it will
rapidly fill up the firebox and the larger
the quantity of ash the more difficult for
the air to come through evenly and in
sufficient quantities. In 50,000 tons of
bituminous coal the ash will probably
average 10%, which would equal 5,000
tons. If 10% was normal and each per
cent, above considered as a loss and pur-
chased on that basis, and if the percent-
age of ash was only equaling 12 per cent.,
2 per cent, above normal would in 50,000
tons amount to 1,000 tons, which at the
low price of from $1 to $2 per ton would
amount to from $1,000 to $2,000 per
week, or $52,000 to $104,000 per year.
If the ash contains iron and lime and
sulphur in sufficient quantities they will
fuse in the firebox and run down through
the fire, blocking the air and enclosing
some of the carbon of the coal, which is
thrown away with the ashes. Also a
great deal of carbon is being lost in the
cleaning of the fires.
In a test recently made at eighteen
points on the Erie Railroad on ninety-
five samples of ashes taken from the ash
pits, an average of 33 per cent, of carbon
BOILER SHOWINO CONTOUR OF CROWN
SHEET AM> LOW W.STER f.Al'GF,.
was contained in the ashes. This loss fig-
ured out equals a loss of over $3,000 per
week. If only the percentage of this
could be burned it would make a consid-
erable saving. The matter of coal saving
is very carefully looked after on the
Erie Railroad and good results are making
their appearance.
504
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
December, 1910.
Locomotive Running Repairs
X — Setting and Repairing Flues.
In the running repairs of all locomo-
tives the original setting of the flues can-
not be gone about with too much care,
especially with a view to note that all scale
and sediment are thoroughly removed,
both from the inside of the flue sheet as
well as from the flue holes. It should
also be observed that all flue holes are
perfectly round and free from angular
indentations, and all ragged edges should
be removed, both from the inside and
outside of the flue holes. The tendency
to slightly injure the flue holes while re-
moving the worn flues is very great, more
especially where the older method, still
in vogue in many shops, of cutting out
the flues with chisels is still practised.
The abrasions or indentations made by
chisels, carelessly handled, are a sure
means of paving the way for future leaks
that are almost impossible of remedy. A
chisel mark scarcely visible to the eye or
touch increases in dimensions by the
action of the impurities in the water, and
the trouble grows with a provokingly
mysterious persistence.
A fillet, which need not be large, but
which should be as nearly symmetrically
perfect as possible, should be made on
the inside as well as on the outside of the
flue holes. Where copper ferrules are
used they should be annealed. Hammer-
ing hardens copper and greatly reduces
its expansibility. The ends of the flues
should not only be carefully swedged, but
they should be thoroughly cleaned, as in
rolling and expanding the flues, if the
scale is left on the outer side of the flue,
the process of expanding the flue has the
effect of cracking the thin scale and the
cracked or separated broken particles of
scale, after indenting the flue sheet, gradu-
ally crumble into crystilline particles and
open the way for the leaks that are sure
to follow. The flues and ferrules should
be a neat fit, and the copper should be of
a substantial kind, that known as 40 lbs.
being preferable to the lighter materials.
It is good practice also to have the fer-
rules so constructed in point of length
that they will project into the boiler not
less than a quarter of an inch and not
more than half an inch inside the inner
edge of the flue sheet, the longer distance
being preferable for the reason that scale
or sediment will not adhere to copper, the
projecting copper thus acting as a partial
safeguard both to the flue and flue sheet.
The copper ferrule should be set in
flush with the outer edge of the flue sheet,
and the flue should project from three-
sixteenths to a quarter of an inch outside
of the flue sheet. The common rule is
that the amount projecting should be at
least one-and-a-half times the thickness
oi the flue. This will leave sufficient
metal to form the bead. When the flues
are clinched and held in position, a man-
drel may be used to set them out firmly
to the copper. The expander may then
br. driven into each flue and further
tightened into place. The standard bell-
ing tool should then be used to turn the
bead. This will leave the end of the tube
turned back towards the flue sheet at an
angle of about 30 degs., and the projection
should be beaded from this particular
position and not driven backwards in a
promiscuous manner with a hammer. It
will be noted that hammering the ends of
the flues, unless skilfully done, has the
effect of producing small cracks in the
projections, which readily catch and retain
small particles of burning coal and gradu-
ally extend the fracture and open the way
for the eventual leak.
The rolling out of the flues should then
be begun at the two upper corners. The
centre flues should then be rolled, and
then the remaining bottom flues. In this
way the pressure is equally distributed,
and is preferable to beginning at the right
or left side, which may create unequal
strains on the flue sheet and adjoining
stay bolts. The beading should then be
accomplished by the standard beading
tool. It should be borne in mind that in
expanding flues the sole purpose is to
t:ghten the tube in the hole in the flue
sheet. Expanding if persisted in will
stretch the opening and weaken the lim-
ited space between the flues. The
experienced mechanic will readily know
when the blows on the tapering pin of the
expander are sounding against solid metal.
The hammering and rolling should then
cease. The same remarks apply to the
use of an expander.
Some of the leading boiler makers ap-
prove of testing the boiler before the
beading of the flues is proceeded with.
The boiler is filled with warm water in
the usual way, and a pressure of at least
twenty-five per cent, above the working
pressure is applied. Tliis afifords an op-
portunity of a general test of the boiler,
as well as a special test of the flues. It
is good practice to roll the flues tightly
again after the beading process is com-
pleted, as the beading of the flues has a
tendency to loosen the inner bearings of
seme of the flues.
The general practice in the front flue
sheet is to bell out only a scattering por-
tion of the flues, more for the purpose of
partially bracing the boiler longitudinally
than preventing the tendency to burn off.
The heat in the front end is comparatively
low, but while there is no danger in burn-
ing off the ends of the flues, it should be
remembered that in some cases of boiler
explosions the flues have been entirely
pulled out of the front flue sheet, whereas
if the flfies had been properly belled out
and beaded the rupture might have been
averted.
In smaller running repairs, except in
cases of emergency, all work on flues
should be done when the boiler has had
time to cool, and after being washed out
All loose and leaking tubes should be
tightened by the use of the expander, and
the beads properly reset. The caulking of
flues is a mere temporary makeshift. It
can be readily understood that a leak can-
not occur in the bead of the flue. The
weakness is deeper and can only be
thoroughly tightened by the use of the ex-
pander. At the same time the expander
must be used with much care on flues that
are old and have been frequently ex-
panded. The frequent use of the beading
tool has also its dangers, as the hardened
metal becomes more brittle by repeated
pressures and portions of the bead will
break off, exposing the end of the flue,
and so hastening the _decay of the joint.
It is also important that the flues should
be kept tight. A few leaky flues have a
most pernicious effect on the flues over
which the water may pass. Not only does
it hasten the coming of other leaks, but
it also hastens the crystallizing process
to which all metals are subjected by the
action of fire and water on the same sur-
face. Wood fires are occasionally re-
sorted to as a means for drying up small
leaks. This make-believe practice should
be abandoned altogether.
It need hardly be said that the careful
use of tools is always necessary. The
improper use of the beading tool w'ill read-
ily destroy a flue sheet by cutting into the
metal, and the excessive use of the
expander will rend the flue longitudinally
and also induce the beginning of cracks
in the flue sheet, especially in the limited
spaces between the flues. Care should
also be taken in opening any flues that
may be closed. In examining the flues
the hanging of a torch in the smokestack
is a simple scheme for inducing a draught
through the flues. A light in the firebox
will readily show the flues that are closed.
In the open flues the flame of the torch
will readily turn into the flue, the closed
flues will not draw in the flame. Round-
houses that are furnished with compressed
December, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
505
air have a ready method of cleaning flues
with air hose connections to which a
suitable nozzle is attached. It is often
found, however, that the air pressure
alone is not sufficient to clean out a flue
in which case an auger should be used
and the air hose afterward.
In the case of a flue bursting while the
locomotive is in operation, metal plugs
are usually provided for such emergen-
cies, but in their absence a wooden plug
will' serve in place of one of iron. The
steam pressure should be lowered and
if the flue can be reached from the fire-
box door the metal or wooden plug can
be driven tightly into the end of the
bursted flue, almost every locomotive be-
ing furnished with appliances for reach-
ing the flue and driving home the plug.
The wooden plug will not burn inside of
the flue, but it should not be depended
upon longer than is necessary- for the lo-
comotive to reach the nearest repair shop.
The same may be said of an iron plug,
as their tendency to loosen after coohng
is very great.
In closing it might be remarked that the
size of the exhaust nozzle is an important
factor in the matter of leaky flues. The
smaller the exhaust nozzle the stronger
the blast of air will be that passes through
the fire, and hence the portion of the flues
that project through the flue sheet
towards the firebox becomes heated to a
greater degree than the flue sheet itself.
The result is that when the engine is
entirely cooled it will be found that, the
flues in the lower part of the boiler— that is.
those nearest to the fire-have a tendency
to loosen from the overheating referred
to In locomotive construction there are
exact dimensions in regard to the size of
exhaust nozzles based upon ver>- careful
experiments, but as locomotive service is
apt to be of a variable kind, there is a
tendency to experiment with the size of
the opening or exhaust nozzle, and these
experiments are rarely or ever of a bene-
ficial kind. It is generally found that a
slight gain in one direction is apt to incur
larger losses in some other, so that it is
often wise to let well enough alone.
Questions Answered
PUMP GOVERNOR TROUBLE.
89. W. F. B., Rocky Mount, writes : On
an engine equipped with the No. S E. T.
brake, if the automatic brake valve
handle is placed in lap or service po-
sition, the pump will not go to work
and pump main reservoir pressure
above 90 lbs., but if the brake valve
handle is placed in emergency position
the pump will start and compress air in
the main reservoir to 130 lbs. Would
you kindly tell me what could cause
this?— A.: As the excess pressure head
of the governor is controlling the
pump when the valve handle is on lap
position, it is evident that for some
reason the pressure under the, dia-
phragms and in the operating pipe is
being maintained, but is cut off as soon
as the valve handle is moved to emer-
gency position. This could be due to
a cut or scratches on the face of the
rotary valve of the automatic brake
valve' at the end of the small groove
at the lower end of port .f. These cuts
or scratches have the effect of lengthen-
ing the groove, and are usually caused
by the use of grinding material in the
hands of an ine.\perienced workman.
Under these conditions, moving the
valve handle to emergency position
would move the lengthened groove en-
tirely out of range of the port p, which
would allow the pump to start and
com.press air until stopped by the max-
imum pressure head. It is also possi-
ble for this trouble to occur, due to a
combination of disorders, such as a
partly closed relief port in the governor,
slight leakage through or past the dia-
phragm valve, leakage due to the valve
being a trifle too short from reseating
or grinding. Under such conditions the
governor piston would hold the steam
valve closed while the handle is on lap
or in service position, as pressures on
both sides of the diaphragms are nearly
equal, but as soon as the brake valve
handle is moved to emergency position,
main reservoir pressure rushing into
the feed valve pipe would increase the
pressure above the diaphragms, seat the
diaphragm valve, and allow the gov-
ernor to start the pump.
often results from setting a wide firebox
on top of the frames. A high center of
gravity gives an easier riding engine and
it not so hard on track. Look over the
chapter in Dr. Sinclair's "Development of
the Locomotive Engine," and in chapter
x.xvii you will see some very curious at-
tempts to keep the center line low in the
early days of locomotive building. In some
cases the axle of large wheels was car-
ried through the boiler, involving costly
construction for the sake of gaining what
the builders then believed to be important.
Xow-a-days convenience and facility of
construction are aimed at and the high
boiler center is not only convenient, but
it is very satisfactory.
C.\P.\CITY OF T.\NK.
92. C. U. J., Central City, Ky., writes :
A tank 5 ft. S ins. in diameter and 6 ft.
high. How much oil will it hold? How
much oil per inch will it hold?— A.: It
will hold 1,034 gallons. It holds 14.36
gallons to one inch of depth. Where
can I purchase a book that would
give me this information? — A.: You
can buy Kent's Mechanical Engineers'
Pocket Book from us. This is an ex-
cellent book, and has all the rules and
formulas and information a mechanical
engineer, foreman, etc., would ever
want. See the notice of this book in
Railw.w and Locomotive Engineering
for October, page 416.
SLOPING OF BACKHEAD AND THROAT SHEET.
90 J L. C, Manitoba, writes : I would
feel verv much obliged if you would en-
hghten me as to the advantage of the
sloping face plate and throat sheet in
nearly all locomotives in this country.—
A The sloping of the face plate of a
locomotive boiler is generally done for the
purpose of gaining room in the cab, and
the engincmcn can more easily see and
speak to one another where the back head
is sloped than they can where the boiler
comes out straight and flush with the
back of the cab. The sloping of the
throat sheet is usually done for the pur-
pose of obtaining some advantage in the
matter of supporting the front part of the
mud ring. It is not the universal prac-
tice but sometimes it is more convenient,
to slope the throat sheet than to keep it
vertical. Where it is sloped, it usually
gives opportunity for widening the water
space from the bottom up and so facili-
tates the free circulation of water.
HIGH BOILER CENTER.
91. J. L. G., Winnipeg, asks why is a
high boiler center better than a low one.
Ml the railroads seem to believe in a high
boiler center.-A. The high boiler center
is largely a matter of convenience, and
LAPPING HOLES.
93. J. W. P., Kansas Citv", Kan.,
writes: In lapping holes we have sev-
eral plans here, but the results are not
as good as we would wish. What is
the best method of lapping out a hole
so that it will be straight and true?—
A.: The methods of lapping are gener-
ally correct, but the conditions are not
always so. The first requisite is that
the lap should fill the hole. If the lap
is loose, it is almost impossible to pre-
vent what is known as bellmouthing.
The snug fitting will naturally bear on
the high spots, and with the applica-
tion of emery and oil rub off, or, at
least reduce, the spots. Lead laps that
nt well produce the best results. The
laps should be long enough to reach
through the hole, and the lathe should
not be in motion while the work is be-
ing placed in position on the lap. The
emery and oil should be placed near
the center of the hole, as the motion of
the lathe and a slight backward and
forward motion of the work will have
the effect of working the emery towards
the outer edges of the hole.
HEATING MACHINE SHOP
94. J. S. S.. Worcester, Mass., writes:
In heating a machine shop is it advisa-
ble to use steam at the same pressure
as in the stationary boiler, which is be-
tween 60 and 70 lbs., or is it more eco-
506
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEEEUNG.
December, 1910.
noinical to use the steam at a lower
pressure? — A.: It is much more eco-
nomical to use steam at a low pressure,
and for this reason the exhaust steam
from a stationary engine is sufficient to
heat a small machine shop. The pres-
sure need not exceed 5 or 6 lbs. Higher
pressures are not only more expensive,
but in extensive piping the safety di-
minishes as the pressure increases.
DEFECTIVE BRAKE VALVE.
95. E. W. E., Belle Plaine, la., asks : If
the equalizing discharge piston in the
engineers' brake valve does not make
a tight joint on the lower body gasket
when making a brake pipe reduction,
what effect will it have? — A.: The ef-
fect depends upon the condition of the
equalizing piston packing ring. If the
ring leaks, the defective gasket will per-
mit brake pipe pressure to enter the
equalizing reservoir during a service re-
duction, and with a long train the
amount of brake pipe reduction would
vary because equalizing reservoir pres-
sure would not remain constant. If a
10-lb. reduction were made in the
equalization reservoir pressure, this
leak would increase equalizing reser-
voir pressure while brake pipe pres-
sure was being discharged, and when
the brake pipe exhaust port closes the
brake pipe reduction may be but 7 or 8
lbs., as a result of the 10-lb. reduction
in equalizing reservoir pressure. TTie
extent to which the reduction would be
affected depends upon the amount of
leakage past the gasket and the brake
pipe volume.
FEED VALVE REPAIRS.
96. E. W. E., Belle Plaine, la., asks:
How could you repair a leaky supply
valve in the slide valve feed valve?
Would you use a face plate for truing
up the valve? How would you true
up the seat? Should the valve be
ground or scraped to a bearing? Should
oil be used or should they be rubbed to-
gether dry? — A.: About the quickest
and most accurate way to make the re-
pairs is to use a small fine flat file the
width of the valve seat and having two
safe edges, to file the seat, then hold
the finger on the file inside of the
bushing to keep the file flat on the seat.
When this is done make the center
punch mark in the center of the back
of the supply valve, insert a sharp-
pointed hook in the mark and rub the
valve over a fine file until it shows a
full bearing surface; then rub the valve
over the seat in the same manner and
scrape off the high spots until a perfect
bearing is obtained. By this time the
valve and seat will be highly polished
and have a "hard" finish; the hook
keeps the side valve from tilting on the
seat. Almost every repair man uses a
different method, and it is seldom that
two valves will be trued up in the
same identical manner; the method de-
pends upon the condition of the valve
and seat after filing, and with a little
practice you can almost file them to
an air tight bearing. Whether the
valve should be rubbed on the seat
with oil or dry is a matter of choice,
and the valve can be ground or
scraped; scraping is more accurate and
quicker, but grinding material can be
used advantageously at the same time;
for instance, should the valve bear a
trifle hard on one side, the use of the
scraper might remove too much metal
and transfer the bearing to the other
side, while the least bit of grinding ma-
terial on the high side would bring an
even bearing all around. Touching the
dry face of the supply valve in flour of
emery and rubbing it over the seat
will show the parts of the surface in
contact. The entire operation requires
but a few minutes' time; therefore, the
use of the surface strip or face plate is
a waste of time and energy.
the distributing valve has a quick action
cylinder cap, close the stop cocks in the
brake cylinder pipes also.
PRESSURE IN FEED VALVE PIPE.
97. K. N., Wheeling, W. Va., asks:
Referring to the H 6 brake valve, if the
brake pipe pressure is 70 lbs., what is the
pressure in the feed valve pipe when the
brake valve handle is in release position?
What is the pressure in the feed valve pipe
when the valve handle is on lap position?
— A. : When the handle is in release po-
sition the pressure in the feed valve pipe
will be 70 lbs., provided that there is no
leakage past the supply valve or the regu-
lating valve of the feed valve in excess of
the volume of air escaping from the warn-
ing port. On lap position the feed valve
pipe, if free from leakage, will contain
main reservoir pressure because of a con-
nection through port j in the brake valve
rotary; however, this supply is not in any
considerable volume, and if the handle is
crowded back pretty well against the
shoulder between lap and holding posi-
tions, or if there is considerable lost mo-
tion between the valve handle and rotary
ke}', or between the key and the rotary
valve, or if the handle latch and notch
are worn somewhat the flow into the
feed valve pipe, from the main reser-
voir is likely to be cut off entirely.
CUTTING OUT BRAKE.
98. K. N., Wheeling, W. Va., asks:
To support certain remarks made during
a controversy, would you kindly
state what you consider the proper
method of cutting out the en-
gine and tender brake on an en-
gine equipped with the Westinghouse
No. 6 E. T. brake?— A.: Close the stop
cock in the distributing valve supply pipe
if the plain cylinder cap is used, but if
A Good Locomotive Engineer.
Gilbert Newbold is road foreman of
engines on a trunk line, and has many
locomotive engineers under his super-
vision. He has made a special study of
the characteristics necessary to make
a good locomotive engineer and has sent
us the following notes :
In hiring firemen who will make your
locomotive engineers, know that they are
strong, healthy young men, not liable to
plead sick in bad weather or when busi-
ness is rushing.
He ought to have a good common
school education and be able to read and
write readily, with sufficient acquaint-
ance with handwriting to read orders
quickly without making mistakes.
Natural quick perception is necessary
to enable him to understand the mechan-
i.im of the engine, and to decide on the
best way to work the engine to produce
the best results with the least possible
expense for fuel, oil and repairs.
A good engineer is courageous without
being reckless. Courage is needed to
face dangerous situations without nerv-
ousness, to move him to do the right
thing coolly when emergencies arise.
The faculty of concentrating the mind
on the work is of the greatest importance
to a locomotive engineer. The tendency
to what is called, "mental wool gather-
ing" has led many a locomotive engineer
to grief.
Good eyesight is essential to enable an
engineer to read signals and to detect
any signs of danger.
Good judgment is a quality that con-
tributes more than anything else to the
making of a successful engineer. If it
was possible to test a man for possession
of good judgment, it would be the most
valuable test he could be subjected to,
but that is beyond the sphere of the ex-
amination class. Noting his perform-
ance on the engine is the only way to
prove the judgment of an engineer.
A good engineer always co-operates
with the fireman, feeds the boiler accord-
ing to the demand for steam, but favors
the fireman as much as possible during
difficult parts of the trip. He knows
exactly what to do when any emergency
arises and does the right thing without
fuss or excitement. That capability is
brought about by the man keeping possi-
bilities in mind so that he is never over-
taken by the unexpected. We once knew
an engineer who shut off, applied the
brakes, reversed the engine and jumped
off, all in five seconds, before he realized
that he had mistaken the shot of a hunter
for a detonating signal. That was a case
of being too ready to deal with an
emergency.
December, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
507
Air Brake Department
Conducted by G. W. Kiehm
Calculating Air Pressures.
(^Continued from page 466.)
The capacity of the au.xiliary reser-
voir is found in the same manner that
the capacity of the brake cylinder is,
squaring the diameter and multiplying
by the decimal .7854 and multiplying
the product by the length of the reser-
voir in inches.
This, of course, refers to outside
measurements and an allowance must
be made for the flange and the thick-
ness of the metal.
The reservoirs used in freight serv-
ice are somewhat irregular, but the ca-
pacity of one can be found by filling
one with water and weighing it, and
weighing it when empty and subtract-
ing to find the difference in weight,
which will be the weight of the water.
At an ordinary temperature a pound of
water will occupy about 27Vi cu. ins.
of space.
The simple methods of calculation
given to determine the brake cylinder
pressure resulting from light reduc-
tions, or from a reduction not heavy
enough to result in an equalization of
pressure, hold good whether the brake
pipe pressure is 70, 90 or no lbs., as a
reduction of 20 lbs. from a no-lb.
brake pipe pressure results in prac-
tically the same cylinder pressure as a
ao-lb. reduction from a 70-lb. brake
pipe pressure.
When the brake is used in quick ac-
tion or emergency position, brake pipe
pressure also enters the brake cylin-
der and a 60-Ib. pressure is developed
from a 70-Ib. brake pipe pressure, and
often a question arises as to what per
cent of the pressure in the brake cylin-
der entered from the brake pipe.
Using the same brake cylinder and
auxiliary reservoir capacities we find
that as both chambers have equalized
at 60-Ib pressure, the auxiliary reser-
voir has lost from 70 to 60 lbs., or 10
lbs. of its original pressure, or 10 lbs.
from each inch of its capacity, and that
the brake cylinder contains 728 cu. ins.
X 75 — 54.600 cu.-in. lbs., the figure
75 being absolute pressure 6c -|- I£
atmospheric. Of the 54.600 cu.-in. lbs.
3,030 X 10 or 30,300 cu.-in. lbs. came
from the auxiliary reservoir, 54,600 —
30,joo = 24,300 coming from the brake,
pipe 24,300 -^ 728 = 33 lbs. absolute
or 33 — 15 = 18 lbs. gauge pressure,
that entered from the brake pipe.
This calculation applied to an 8-in.
freight equipment shows a somewhat
different result, as the auxiliary reser-
voir coiitiiins but about 1,020 cu. ins.
space, and the entire brake cylinder
space at 8 ins. piston travel is 450 cu.
ins.
In this case the amount of air that
left the auxiliary reservoir is 1,620 X
10 = 16,200 cu.-in. lbs., 33,750 — 16,200
— 17,550 lbs. coming from the brake
pipe.; 17,550 -^ 450 = 39 lbs. absolute
or 24 lbs. gauge pressure coming from
the brake pipe into the brake cylinder
during the quick action application.
The calculations are all upon the
same principle and any difference in
results is due to the relation the vol-
umes bear to each other, the larger
brake cylinder having a tendency to
absorb more brake pipe air during
emergency applications, and the greater
its expansion is the lower the resultant
pressure will be.
In connection with this subject we
take pleasure in printing a diagram
prepared by Mr. W. V. Turner. The
iliary reservoir pressures used in rail-
ro.ij service.
.■\s indicated on the chart, the ver-
tical lines show brake pipe reduction
in pounds, the horizontal lines brake
cylinder and auxiliary reservoir pres-
sure in pounds, and it will be observed
that those figures "run together" as
those pressures do as a result of equali-
zation.
Where the diagonal lines cross or
where the auxiliary reservoir lines
cross the piston travel lines are the point
of equalization of auxiliary reservoir
and the brake cylinder pressure. On a
direct line to the left in the margin
will be found the number of pounds
pressure that will result, and on a di-
rect line from this point to the bottom
of the chart will be found the number
of pounds brake pipe reduction neces-
sary to accomplish the equalization.
Thus by following the 70-lb. auxiliary
line to the 3-in. piston travel line we
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\\HIATinN IN BRAKK
diagram is self-explanatory to the ad-
vanced student, but for the benefit of
the beginner in the study of air brakes
it may be well to supplement the dia-
gram with a brief explanation.
This diagram or chart is intended to
show the number of pounds brake cyl-
inder pressure that will result from any
service reduction of brake pipe pres-
sure for different lengths of piston
travel.
It shows the number of pounds
brake cylinder pressure that will re-
sult from an equalization of pressures
for the different lengths of piston
travel from the three standard aux-
CYI.INDER PRESSURE I-OR V.SKIOII.S REDUCTIONS.
find that an equalization of auxiliary
and brake cylinder pressure results in
61 lbs. pressure, and by following the
vertical line from this point to the bot-
tom of the chart we find it Ivas required
but a 9-lb. brake pipe reduction to re-
sult in equalization.
To find the number of pounds pres-
sure that result from equalization at
proper piston travel we follow the 70-
lb. line to the 8-in. piston travel line.
The horizontal lines show that the point
of equalization is at 52 lbs. and the ver-
tical lines show that the brake pipe re-
duction required is 18 lbs. However,
it will be noticed that the note reads:
508
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
December, 1910.
"Results obtained in practice will be
from 2 to 3 lbs. lower than indicated
by the chart on account of leakage,
etc."
To find the pressure resulting from
equalization of auxiliary and brake cyl-
inder pressures where the former is
no lbs. and the latter 8 ins. we fol-
low the iio-Ib. line to the 8-in. line
and find the result is 83 lbs. cylinder
and auxiliary pressure and the reduc-
tion necessary to accomplish tliis 27
pounds.
Now, to find the brake cylinder pres-
sure resulting from light reductions ;
as an example, to find the pressure in
a cylinder with 8 ins. piston travel
after a lo-lb. reduction in brake pipe
pressure, following up the lO-lb. "brake
reduction line" to where it crosses the
8-in, line shows the cylinder pressure
to be about 22j4 lbs. as indicated by
"cylinder pressures" in the margin.
This we know is regardless of
whether the original auxiliary pressure
was 70, 90 or no lbs.
In order that the beginner will not
be confused let us follow the lo-lb. re-
duction line to the point at which it
crosses the 3-in. piston travel line. This
is at about 70-lb. pressure line and may
for a moment look inconsistent, but a
second glance shows that a 9-lb. reduc-
tion results in equalization; therefore
a lo-lb. reduction would be wasting i
lb. of air, or rather after passing the
point of equalization the brake pipe
reduction lines are disregarded; there-
fore as we see by the chart that the
70-lb. auxiliary pressure equalizes with
cylinder with 9 ins. piston travel at 50
lbs. and requires a 20-lb. reduction of
brake pipe pressure to accomplish this,
we do not look on this chart in an ef-
fort to find the result of a 22 or 25-lb.
reduction on this brake.
The chart is by no means a novelty
alone, but it contains some valuable
information; as an example, in follow-
ing the 5-lb. brake pipe reduction line
and glancing first between the abso-
lute and gauge pressure lines it will
be seen that the S-lb. brake pipe re-
duction develops less than gauge pres-
sure in the cylinders having II and 12-
piston travels, but results in a 29-lb.
cylinder pressure if the piston travel
is but 3 ins. and gives 15 lbs. cylinder
pressure if the travel is 7 ins.
It may be well again to remind the
beginner that these results obtained
are practically the same whether the
initial auxiliary reservoir pressure is
70, 90 or no lbs.
Blow At Distributing Valve Exhaust
Port.
A leak of air issuing from the exhaust
port of any of the valves of a brake
equipment is usually referred to as a
"blow," and by the expression it is meant
that compressed air is leaking from the
point mentioned in sufiicient volume to
attract attention at a time there should
be no escape of air.
The blow of air coming from the ex-
haust port of a valve at a time the brake
is not applying or releasing, is taken to
mean that the part at fault contains a
valve having an imperfect wearing sur-
face, a defective gasket, a flaw or break
in a casting, or possibly an improperly
fitted bushing.
When a blow occurs at the exhaust
lort of the No. 6 distributing valve hav-
ing the quick action cap, it may be com-
ing from either the application or ex-
haust valve, from the cylinder cap gasket,
from the slide valve in the quick action
cap, from the distributing valve gasket
or from a defective casting.
A defect in a casting is very unusual,
and is generally found before the valve
gets into service, and a leak into the
brake cylinder port through a defective
distributing valve gasket will nearly al-
ways show a leak to the atmosphere
also, and when the leak to the atmos-
phere is tightened the leak into the cylin-
der port will also cease, except in the
event of the gasket being broken between
the brake pipe and brake cylinder ports,
which is so unusual that it can be dis-
regarded for practical purposes. The or-
dinary causes of the blow at the exhaust
port are, a leaky application valve, a
leaky exhaust valve, a leaky emergene\
valve or a leaky cylinder cap gasket.
and in order to determine where the
leak is from a test should be made be-
fore the valve is removed or taken apart.
If the application valve is leaking it
would show 3t the distributing valve ex-
haust port while the brake is not applied,
that is while the application piston is in
release position, then after the brake is
applied the volume of leakage will con-
tinue to escape at the exhaust port, due
to increasing brake cylinder pressure
above application cylinder pressure un-
less brake cylinder leakage was equal
to or in excess of the leakage past the
application valve. If tlie exhaust valve
is leaking there will be no blow at the
exhaust port while the brake is not ap-
plied, but a blow would start immedi-
ately upon the application and continue
until the pressure was released from the
brake cylinders.
If the quick action slide valve or
emergency valve or the cylinder cap gas-
ket was leaking air into the brake cylin-
der port it would in either case be a
brake pipe leak, and would show at the
exhaust port, while the brake was re-
leased, and in the case of a leaky ap-
plication valve, it would increase brake
cylinder pressure above application cylin-
der pressure when the brake is applied
and cause a blow at the exhaust port
while brake pipe pressure remained at
a higher figure than application cylinder
and brake cylinder pressures, provided
that brake cylinder leakage is not equal
to or in excess of the volume of leakage
through the defective part.
In dealing with the effect of a leak
into the brake cylinders it will be noted
tliat an increase of application cylinder
pressure forces the application portion of
the distributing valve into a position to
■idmit air pressure to the brake cylin-
ders, and during the operation a spring
is compressed and as soon as the pres-
sures are equal the spring forces the valve
to lap position. At this time a fall in
application cylinder pressure causes a
blow or escape of air at the exhaust port,
provided brake cylinder pressure does not
e.«cape elsewhere, and naturally an in-
crease of brake cylinder pressure from
Xo. 6 DISTRIBUTIXG VALVE QUICK
ACTION CYLINDER CAP.
some other source, application cylinder
pressure remaining constant, would have
the same effect of forcing the application
piston, to which the exhaust valve is
attached, toward release position tmtil
the e.xhaust port opens sufficiently to per-
mit air pressure to escape from the brake
cylinders as fast as it is leaking into
them and, application cylinder pressure
remaining constant, the leak at the ex-
haust port represents the volume of leak-
age into the brake cylinders in excess of
that leaking from the cylinders to the
atmosphere through other sources.
Referring to this blow of air means
either a constant or intermittent escape
of air while the brake is either applied
or released, but a light blow occurring
at the distributing valve exhaust port just
before the brake applies and ceases im-
mediately as the brake does apply and
shows no leakage w'hatever at any other
time indicates that application cylinder
December, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
509
pressure is escaping past the packing
leather and ring on the application piston.
This escape of application cylinder pres-
sure is similar to the escape o£ brake cylin-
der pressure past a leaky packing leather
that seases as scon as the leather has set
out firmly against the wall of the cylinder,
but the leaky leather and ring on the ap-
plication piston results in an intermin-
gling of application cylinder and brake
cylinder pressures as the valves move to
application position. This leak at the ex-
haust port usually shows when the inde-
pendent valve is placed in slow applica-
tion position and its effect on the auto-
matic application is a lower brake cylin-
der pressure developed during service ap-
plications.
Another blow that occurs at the dis-
tributing valve exhaust port that is not
due to any ordinary leakage is the effect
of a stuck open emergency valve or a
broken graduating spring. This blow, of
course, comes after a quick action appli-
cation of the brake, and a few seconds
after the release of the head brakes on
the train the blow issues or rather con-
tinues from the exhaust port in sufficient
volume to reapply the brakes. The ef-
fect encountered is identical with the bro-
ken or stuck open emergency valve or the
stuck emergency piston in a triple valve,
and the two last mentioned leaks from
the exhaust port should not be confused
with the ordinary leakage caused by worn
valves or defective gaskets. Assuming,
then, that we have what is termed a
blow at the exhaust port of the distribut-
ing valve, and wish to make a test to
locate the source of it, it will first be ob-
served as to whether the blow exists dur-
ing the time the brake is applied or while
it is released or whether .it exists at all
times.
If the blow exists only while the brake
is applied, it indicates that the exhaust
valve is leaking. If there is a blow after
the brake has released, it indicates a leak
from the application valve or from the
emergency valve or from the cylinder
cap gasket.
To determine whether the leak is past
the application valve from the main reser-
voir or from the brake pipe past the
emergency valve or cylinder cap gasket,
the stop cock in the distributing valve
supply pipe should be closed, and if the
leak stops after a few seconds' time has
elapsed, it indicates that the application
valve is at fault.
If the blow continues after the stop
cock has been closed, it indicates that
either the emergency valve or cylinder
cap gasket are leaking, and in order to
make any repairs the quick action cap
mast be removed in either case save in
the event of a piece of dirt lodging on
the valve seat, which could be loosened
and blown off by tapping the cap lightly.
This test applies where one of the parts
mentioned is at fault, but not exactly to
a case where a combination of disorders
exist
In this test, to locate the source of a
blow that exists while the distributing
valve is in release position, it is evident
that both the stop cock and the applica-
tion valve may be leaking, and following
the test given, would make it appear that
the leak was from the brake pipe, and
again the application valve might be
worn in a manner that it would leak
when on lap position and show no leak-
age when in release position, and if either
defect were encountered it would natur-
ally complicate matters somewhat ; there-
fore, in order to be positive as to where
the blow originates, more than one test
MR
NO. 6. DISTRIIiLIING \AI.\i:.
should be made before any parts arc re-
moved. If there is a blow at the exhaust
port only at a time the brake is applied,
which would indicate a leaky exhaust
valve, a leak should be started in the
brake cylinder pipes before the distribut-
ing valve is removed for repairs, and in
case the blow at the exhaust port ceases
as soon as a cylinder leak occurs and be-
gins again as soon as the leak is tight-
ened, it shows that instead of a leaky ex-
haust valve the application valve is worn
in the manner previously described, that
is, leaking when on lap position and show-
ing no leak when in release position,
which would build brake cylinder pressure
up higher than application cylinder pres-
sure and force the piston and exhaust
valve far enough toward release position
to exhaust the amount of application
valve leakage that is entering the brake
cylinders.
In the other test to distinguish the
source of a leak at the e.xhaust port while
the brake is released, if after closing the
stop cock in the supply pipe, should the
blow at the exhaust port continue, indi-
cating that the blow was from the brake
pipe, before removing any parts the dis-
tributing valve should again be cut in
and all the brake pipe pressure with-
drawn with the brake valve in service po-
sition, then the engine brake should be
released with the independent brake valve
and if the blow at the distributing valve
e.xhaust port were to continue under
those conditions, it could not be from
the brake pipe pressure which has been
withdrawn, but rather the entire action
would be due to both a leaky application
valve and a leaky
stop cock in the
distributing valve
supply pipe.
To the student
the foregoing
might appear a
trifle complicated,
but it is merely a
matter of observ-
ing the results of
the tests as pre-
scribed, and if a
leaky exhaust
valve is indicated,
make a further
test by creating
brake cylinder
leakage, and in the
other test, if a leak
from the brake
pipe is indicated,
test for a leaky
application valve
and leaky stop
cock also, it being
understood that
the pressure is
pumped up and
pump working
EMERGENCY POSITION. d u r i n g all tests,
and that the application cylinder and
pipe connections are free from leakage
so that application cylinder pressure will
remain constant during the tests.
It might, of course, be possible to allow
a blow at the exhaust port to go unno-
ticed until such time as both the exhaust
and application valves started to leak; in
fact, it might be neglected until the emer-
gency valve should start to leaking with
them, and at such a time a test would
not be very misleading, as there would
be no part of the distributing valve that
did not require attention, but the test given
will suffice for all practical purposes.
The blow at the exhaust port should
be given attention as soon as it occurs,
and the cause should be removed, so
there will be no effect, for if a leak were
to start from the brake pipe into the
brake cylinders, and it were given no at-
tention, the effect might under certain
conditions become somewhat undesirable.
510
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
December, 1910.
A leak through the quick-action parts
would allow brake pipe pressure to es-
cape at the exhaust port until the brake
was applied ; then if the reduction was
continued until the point of equalization
between brake pipe and brake cylinder
pressures has been passed, the flow of air
would be reversed, main reservoir pres-
sure passing through the brake cylinders
past a defective gasket, or past a defective
cylinder check valve if the equalizing
valve was at full stroke, would enter the
brake pipe.
Leakage past the check valve under or-
dinary conditions can get no further than
the seat of the emergency valve until
brake pipe pressure has been reduced to
a figure lower than pressure chamber air,
plus the tension of the graduating spring
and the friction of the slide valves, at
which time the quick-action port would be
opened and the leakage would enter the
brake pipe.
The leakage through the cylinder cap
gasket, however, would permit a constant-
ly maintained brake cylinder pressure to
enter the brake pipe as soon as brake pipe
presssure fell lower than brake cylinder
pressure.
With a neatly fitted brake valve pack-
ing ring, this leak into the brake pipe
would unseat the equalizing discharge
valve and cause a blow at the brake pipe
exhaust port, and if the ring leaked slight-
ly so that the equalizing reservoir could
be charged as fast as the brake pipe was
being supplied, there would be no blow
at the brake valve exhaust, but instead an
increase of brake pipe pressure, that
might release some of the brakes in the
train, and whether this would do so would
depend upon the engine brake cylinder
pressure developed, the volume of leak-
age into the brake pipe, the volume of
leakage from the brake pipe, the volume
contained in the brake pipe, the amount
of brake pipe reduction, the length of
time the brakes are applied, and the con-
dition of the car brakes themselves.
For instance, if a locomotive brake cyl-
inder pressure of 68 or 75 lbs. was being
maintained after an emergency applica-
tion that had developed but 58 or 60 lbs.
car brake cylinder pressure, the leak
from the brake cylinders would imme-
diately start building up brake pipe
pressure, releasing brakes at a time they
were most needed, provided the equaliz-
ing piston packing ring in the brake valve
was not a perfectly airtight fit, as men-
tioned before.
If a locomotive brake cylinder pressure
of .SO lbs. was developed during a full
service reduction and brake pipe pressure
should be drawn down to, say, 45 lbs.,
during this time, there is no doubt but
that, owing to car brake cylinder leakage,
many of the auxiliary reservoirs would
contain but about 45 lbs. shortly after the
reduction, or be equal with brake pipe
pressure, and a leak from the locomotive
brake cylinder pressure of 50 lbs. into the
brake pipe would immediately build up
brake pipe pressure, releasing the brakes
on which auxiliary reservoir pressure had
reduced, but, as in the former case, it is
assumed that brake pipe pressure is in-
creased instead of the brake valve equal-
izing piston being unseated, and it is
needless to say that if brake pipe leakage
was equal to or in excess of the amount
of leakage into the brake pipe, the pres-
sure could not be increased, regardless of
any other conditions.
While calling attention to this effect, it
may be well to repeat that if the cause is
first removed there can be no effect;
therefore the importance of paying atten-
tion to the small matters in due season.
In this particular instance it will be
noted that the leak into the brake cylin-
ders will escape at the distributing valve
exhaust port when from the brake pipe,
but when the check valve leaks into the
brake pipe it cannot be detected by the
action of the brake until after the effect;
therefore it is evident that a test for a
leaky check valve should be conducted
occasionally, and one that will answer
for the purpose is, w'ith the pressure
pumped up and all other parts of the
equipment in good condition withdraw
brake pipe pressure with the automatic
brake valve in service position ; if all the
pressure cannot be withdrawn, the handle
should be placed on lap position and an
angle cock opened, and the brake valve,
being known to be free from leakage, the
amount of air escaping from the hose at-
tached to the open angle cock represents
back leakage from the check valve.
Should there be no leakage from the
open hose coupling, or if the brake pipe
pressure can be entirely withdrawn with
the brake valve, the check valve can be
considered tight.
If while reducing brake pipe pressure
from 50 lbs. to zero it is observed that
brake cylinder pressure is falling, which
would be shown by the cylinder gauge, it
would indicate that pressure chamber and
consequently application cylinder air is
leaking past the equalizing valve packing
ring and cylinder cap gasket into the
brake pipe, it being understood that the
application cylinder cover gasket and ap-
plication cylinder pipes are tight.
Shown Up by the Test Rack.
An occurrence that will emphasize the
necessity of using the triple valve test
rack has recently come to our notice. A
triple valve has been removed from a
freight car in order to be cleaned and
tested, as a year had elapsed since the
triple valve had been cleaned, and when
being tested it was found that the valve
would not pass the service port capacity
test. In an effort to open the service
port the slide valve bushing was forced
out of the body, and it was found that
there was no service port in the casting.
In fact, there never had been one in that
body. Dates stamped on the flange of
the body showed it to have been in ser-
vice in the year of 1907.
No doubt this triple valve frequently
worked in the service applications
with other triple valves under favorable
conditions by expanding auxiliary reser-
voir pressure through the emergency port
and past the loosely fitted emergency pis-
ton, but it is safe to say that it did not
do this under all conditions, and there is
no doubt that this valve was responsible
for many a case of "dynamiting" or train
parting.
There are many defects of triple valves
that cannot be detected unless by the use
of the test rack, and this instance should
not fail to convince the most skeptical re-
pairman of the old school of the absolute
necessity for the use of triple valve test
racks.
Impossibilities that George Westing-
house Has Overcome.
George Westinghouse is the greatest
inventor of this age. He is always in-
venting something that would make
any other man famous, but he keeps on
in a modest way without boasting of
what was coming, and everything he pro-
duces is a success. Commenting on some
Westinghouse inventions, the New York
Tribune says :
"George Westinghouse has been
overcoming obstacles all his life. Dur-
ing the last three years there have been
more obstacles than usual. But, as An-
drew Carnegie is reported to have said :
"George Westinghouse is a genius; you
can't keep him down."
"Forty-two years ago they said it
was 'impossible' to stop a railroad train
with air. But he did it.
"Force natural gas through hundreds
of miles of pipe, regulate its flow, safely
Supply the homes and aid the industries
of Pittsburgh, with cheap and invisible
fuel? 'Impossible!' But he did it.
"Build great gas engines that would
work as smoothly as watches and could
be connected direct to the dynamo
shafts? 'Impossible!' But he did it
"Use the alternating current for
transmitting electricity over long dis-
tances, supplying light and power to
homes, halls, stores, factories, railroad
trains? 'Impossible!' But he did it.
"Build dynamos that would harness
Niagara? 'Impossible!' But he did it.
And several other 'impossible' thingfs.
Probably that is why he never seems
to be disturbed when anybody tells
him that this or that is 'impossible' to
accomplish by engineering.
"There at the works the men know
that he can do what he starts out to do.
Even years ago they had this saying:
'When the boss is on the job all we
have to do is to hand him the tools.'"
December, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING
511
Electrical Department
Operating a Long Island Railroad
Motor Train.
By \V. B. KouwENHovEj;.
On the Long Island Railroad, as well
ai on all other railroads, there are certain
places where slow speed is necessary.
This is especially true in leaving ter-
minals and in passing over switches.
When slow speed is required on a Long
Island Railroad motor train the engineer
may retain the controller handle in the
switching position. However, it should
not be permitted to remain in this posi-
LONG ISLAND MOTOR TRAIN.
tion any longer than is absolutely neces-
sary, because of the amount of electric
power lost in the resistance grids, all of
which are in circuit at this notch. There
is also present the danger that one or
more of the grids will become overheated
and bum out.
The rate of acceleration of a Long Island
motor train is determined by the limit
switch, as explained in last month's issue
of RAawAV AND Locomotive Enxijjeeb-
iKa But if the motorman desires to, he
can retard the rate of acceleration, and
use a rate that is much slower than that
proyided by the limit switch. Under no
conditions, however, can the motorman
increase the rate of acceleration to one
higher than that permitted by the switch.
To produce a slow rate of acceleration
the motorman first advances the controller
handk to the switching position and re-
tains it there until the train is moving
steadily ahead. Then he advances it to
the half sp<>ed position, and instead of
retaining it there, as in normal operation,
he hnlds it there only Ions; enough to
allow the next unit switch to close. When
this has happened he immediately returns
it to the off switching position. The unit
twitches that are closed remain closed,
and no more can close until the handle
is again advanced to the half-speed posi-
tion The motorman by repeating this
performance can notch the control up one
unit switch at a time until the half-speed
position is reached, if necessary. The in-
crease in speed which immediately follows
the closing of each switch tells the motor-
man that the switch has closed and that
he must at once return the controller
handle to the switching position if he
wishes to continue the sIqw rate of
acceleration.
The train can be run backward simply
by moving the controller handle to the
left of the central or brake position, but
the motorman should never do this when
the train is in motion except in cases of
extreme danger, or when the brakes have
failed. The best braking effort is ob-
tained with the handle in the reverse
switching position. If the motorman
advances the controller handle further
than this position the result is that there
is usually a rush of current, sufficient to
Mow the fuses, cut off the electric power
and bring the braking effort to an end.
If, however, circumstances should ever
arise where both the air brakes and the
electric current in the third rail fail
simultaneously, the train can be brought
to an emergency stop by bucking the
motors, as it is called.
To bring an electric motor train when
in motion to a stop by bucking the mo-
tors, all that is necessary is to throw the
controller handle to the full multiple
running position for travel in the opposite
direction. This will cause the motors to
act as generators and will produce a very
powerful retarding action. This action
depends upon the fact that, broadly speak-
ing, any direct current generator can be
changed into a direct current motor by
simply supplying it with current at the
prnpiT voltage and, vice versa, any direct
current motor if driven will act as a
direct current generator. Now all rail-
way motors are almost without exception
of the direct current series motor type.
[By the term series it is to be understood
that the current which passes through
the motor passes first through the arma-
ture and then through the field winding';,
or vice versa. In other words, the same
current flows through both in turn.] In
order to make a direct current series
motor act as a generator two things are
neces«ary: one, that it be turned by some
outside force, and the other that its field
connections be reversed. When the
motor* on a train are supplied with cur-
rent from the third rail they turn and
drive the train ahead, and a certain
amount of energy is stored in the train,
due to its weight and speed. When the
current is cut off the train is still in
motion, and part of the energ>- that is
stored up in it now goes to turn the
motors. Under ordinary conditions when
the motorman has returned the controller
handle to the off position the motors
simply turn. The turning force is there,
but their connections are not reversed;
therefore, they turn idly around.
But when under abnormal conditions
the motorman has thrown the controller
handle to the full speed parallel-running
position for motion in the opposite direc-
tion, not only is the driving force there,
but the field connections are now re-
versed and both motors act as generators.
The motors are in parallel, and each is
generating power in the form of electric
current. There is no place for the power
cf one motor to go except into the other
motor. So each motor is generating
power and driving it into its fellow, and
as the connections are reversed the power
generated tends to drive each motor in
the opposite direction. Tlie result is that
both motors stop and stop rather sud-
denly. It can best be compared to two
steers locking horns with each other, be-
cause for all practical purposes the two
motors are simply locked together, one
fighting against the other. Any electric
car, whether trolley, elevated or subway,
that has for its equipment two direct
current series motors can be brought to
a stop by this method when the brakes
and the power fail. The motorman on
CONTUOL CUTOI'l- SWITCH.
the Long Island Railroad should remem-
ber that this method of bringing a train
to a stop and that of reversing with the
current on should never be used except
in cases of emergency.
The motorman should not use the over-
load reset switch unless one or more of
the overload trips belonging to the switch
512
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
December, 1910.
groups on the train have opened, and then
he should not use the switch repeatedly.
It one of the trips on a car continually
opens it is probably a sign that there is
trouble in the motor to which the switch
belongs. In this case the motorman
should go to the car on which the trip
is located and by lifting up the proper seat
cushion gain access to the control cut-out
switch. He should set the control cut-
out switch first so as to cut out motor
number one. If, however, the overload
trip still continues to operate, he should
cut motor number one back into circuit
and cut out motor number two. If the
trip still continues to open he must throw
the cut-out switch to the "both motors
out position." With a motor on any car
in the train out of service the motorman
nust never advance the master controller
handle beyond the half-speed position.
If after the motorman has completed
his inspection of the train and received
the conductor's signal to go ahead, or if
when leaving a station along the road the
train fails to start when the motorman
advances the controller handle to the
switching or one of the running positions,
the failure to start may be traced to one
or more of the following causes : The
first thing that the motorman must find
out is if there is power in the third rail.
This test is made by closing one of the
switches on the switchboard which con-
trols the lights in the car; if these light
It indicates that the electric power is on.
Another way is to observe any train that
may be within sight and ascertain, if
possible, whether they are moved by
power or not. If there is no current in
the third rail the motorman must return
the controller handle to the off position
3nd wait until the lights light, indicating
that the power is on again, before trj'ing
to proceed. If other trains in the vicinity
have power, and there is no power on the
train in question, then the motorman
should inspect the main fuses and the shoe
fuses and replace any that may have
blown.
If there is no current in the operating
car it may be caused by either a blown
main fuse or a blown line relay fuse. If
the other cars in the train have current,
and the train is standing so that the third
rail shoes of the operating car are not
touching the rail, and there is no current
in the operating car, the trouble may be
traced to a blown bus line fuse or a de-
fective jumper between the first and
second cars of the train. The motorman
should first look at the fuses and if they
are all right he should see if pushing the
jumper connection any further into its
sockets will do any good, because the
jumper may have worked loose. If
pushing will not help, then he should
replace the jumper with a jumper from
between two other cars on the train. It is
preferable to use the jumper connecting
the last two cars for this purpose. The
defective jumper should be replaced at
the caliest opportunity. If both the
jumper and the fuse are all right and
still there is no current in the operating
car, the motorman must investigate the
main fuse and the line relay fuse. To
find out if either one of these have blown,
the motorman must call the conductor to
his assistance, and ask him to watch the
line relay on the switchboard while he
(the motorman) moves the controller
handle back and forth between the switch-
ing position and the off position; mean-
while the conductor watches the relay to
see if it raises its armature or not.
Failure of the relay to act indicates that
either the relay fuse or the main fuse has
blown and the motorman must replace the
blown fuse before the power can enter the
control equipment on the operating car.
If the control of the first car operates
while that of the others in the train do
not, the trouble can usually be traced to
the train line jumper connecting the first
and second cars together. The motorman
should bring the train to a stop and re-
place the jumper with a spare jumper or
with a jumper taken from between the
rear cars of the train. If the auxiliary
control on any car in the train fails to
work, while the operation of the others
i< satisfactory, the trouble is very likely
caused by low battery voltage, or else
poor contact at the battery switches of
the car in question. The first act of the
m.otorman, after bringing the train to a
stop, should be to reverse the battery
switches— that is, to cut out the battery in
use and cut in the other one. At the
same time he should examine the parts
of the switches to see if they are clean
and make good contact, and if necessary
he may spring the switch clips a little
closer together with a pair of pliers in
order to improve the contact.
If the train operates in a jerky fashion,
and if the action of the auxiliary control
does not always follow the position of the
controller handle— that is, if there is no
response of the auxiliary control when the
motorman holds the controller handle at
certain positions— the trouble is probably
caused by poor contact inside the master
controller drum itself. Before starting
to investigate this trouble the motorman
must open the line switch, cut-out switch
and the brake cut-out switch located
in his cab. The first opens all the
line switches throughout the train, and
the second cuts off the battery current
and the dead man's handle feature of the
control. After opening the two switches
he must remove the controller handle
from the controller and then the
front of the master controller case. Now
he has access to the drum and the
fingers which press upon it. He must
replace the handle in position and move
it backward and forward, at the same time
watching the fingers to see if they bear
properly on the drum, and testing the
contact pressure between the two by lift-
ing the fingers. In this way a poor
contact can be easily located and the
motorman can increase the tension to the
proper amount by tightening up the
screws. When he has completed this ad-
justment he should replace the cover,
close the switches again and proceed. If
after removing the controller drum cover
he cannot find the trouble, or if it proves
too serious for him to attempt to fix, then
he should operate the train from the
master controller of one of the other cars.
If fire occurs in the motor equipment
of any car in the train while in motion
the motorman must be immediately sig-
naled to bring the train to a stop and
notified of the extent of the trouble.
Upon ascertaining that fire has broken
out in the equipment, the motorman must
open the brake cut-out switch and bring
the controller handle to the central or
brake position. The opening of the brake
cut-out switch cuts off the storage battery
current throughout the train and this
should at the same time open all the unit
switches. If this fails to stop the electric
spark or arc which is causing the fire,
then the main switch of the car where the
fire is must be opened. If this does not
stop the arc, then the arc is caused by a
short circuit in the wiring somewhere be-
tween the shoes and the switch, and the
train crew must immediately pull the
jumpers from both ends of the car and
insert the wooden paddles that are to be
found on each motor car platform be-
tween the shoes and the third rail. This
cuts off the electric power completely, and
the fire can then be easily extinguished by
the use of the fire extinguisher provided
for this purpose. After the fire is out the
motorman must cut the car out of service
by throw-ing the motor control cut-out
switch of the car to the out posi-
tion before proceeding, and if thought
necessary the shoe fuses may be removed
in order to prevent a recurrence of the-
short circuit. If fire or smoke is noticed
issuing from any of the light or heater
circuits on a car the train hand must im-
mediately open the switches on the switch-
board that control that circuit and cut
off the current before turning the ex-
tinguisher on the fire. It must always
be remembered that if water is thrown on
a fire when the electric current is on that
the water is very likely to form new
short circuits between the wires that will
only increase the fire, and instead of the
vater putting it out, only makes it worse.
Throwing water on an electric circuit
while the current is on and which is on
fire is very similar to throwing water on
blazing oil.
If a third-rail shoe strikes an obstruc-
tion or breaks in such a manner as to
interfere with the further movement of
the train, the motorman must either re-
move the broken shoe or tie it up before
proceeding with the train.
December, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
513
Consolidation Type for the Western Maryland Railway
The Baldwin Locomotive Works
have recently completed six heavy
consolidation type locomotives for the
Western Maryland Railway. This road
is an important coal carrier, and it
traverses a mountainous country where
grades and curves are frequent. Heavy
freight traffic is handled principally by
consolidation locomotives, and the fol-
lowing table presents the leading di-
mensions of the new engines, compared
with two previous examples of the
same type, furnished by the same
builders:
These figures illustrate the present
tendency to increase the diameter of
the driving wheels, and augment the
steaming capacity in proportion to the
theoretical tractive force. The design
of 1905 develops a higher tractive force
than that of 1907, and is but little in-
ferior, in this respect, to the latest en-
gines. The more recent locomotives,
however, have a larger relative boiler
capacity and higher ratio of adhesion
than the first design, and should there-
fore be able to handle their tonnage at
hiRhir ip.Hc!, nml with inoro certainty
with the railway company's practice,
with a high single nozzle and cinder
pocket. The stack has an internal ex-
tension, and is 20 ins. in diameter at
the choke. The grate has drop plates
at the front and back, and the ash pan
cast steel knees, .\dditional cast steel
details include steam chest bodies, cyl-
inder heads, driving wheel centers and
driving boxes. Tlie wheel centers have
bronze hub liners. The tires are all
flanged, except those on the main
r>ate
1905..
1907..
1910..
Steam
Cylinders Drivers Pressur
22 ins. X 28 ins. 51 ins. 200
22 ins. X 30 ins. 57 ins. 200
24 ins. X 30 ins. 60 ins. 200
t'.raic Healing Weight on Total Tractive
: .\rea Surface Drivers Weight Force lbs.
37.2 2,614 164,000 179,500 45,000
52.5 3,013 182,000 200,000 43.300
54 3,466 199,550 223,950 48.700
is self dumping, with double hoppers
and sliding bottoms. The mud ring is
supported in front, by a cast steel
frame brace, and at the back by a verti-
cal expansion plate.
The steam distribution is controlled
by balanced slide valves, driven by
Walschncrts motion. The valves are
set with a lead of 5/16 in., they have
an outside lap of % in., and are line
an^ line on their exhaust edges. There
is ample room, in this engine, for a
satisfactory arrangement of valve gear,
with long eccentric and radius rods.
The links are placed outside the second
pair "! driicrs. and are suppnrtod on
drivers. The engine truck wheels are
of forged and rolled steel.
The main frames are of cast steel,
5 ins. wide, and they have double front
rails of forged iron, 45-2 ins. wide. The
pedestal binders are lugged and bolted
to the lower ends of the pedestals. The
equalization system is broken between
the second and third pairs of drivers.
The frames are supported, at the rear,
on inverted leaf springs, and these are
suspended from yokes placed over the
back driving boxes.
For an engine of this size, the cab is
roomy, with two large windows on
e.ncli side and futintrs convcnicntlv ar-
C. .M. Ir
M.-ii'
rONSOLIIi\Tli).\ K.SCINK
Power and Car Department.
IIIK I UK WKSTKK.N M.\l< VI..\NM).
UalJ»
W..,!,-, lUnl.lcrs.
under adverse rail and weather condi-
tions.
The new engines have straight
topped boilers, the diameter at the
front being 82 ins. An interesting fea-
ture of this boiler is the dome, which
is 29% int. in diameter, and is formed
of a single piece of flanged steel. This
construction is entirely satisfactory for
the shallow domes necessary on large,
high pitched boilers. One of the new
Western Maryland locomotives, the
boiler center line is placed 9 ft. 9 ins.
above the rail, and the clearance Iimit<i
are such that but little room is allowed
(or the boiler mountings.
The front end is fitted, in accordance
cast steel bearers. These carry the re-
verse shaft bearings also, and arc
bolted in front to the guide yoke, and
at the back to a cast steel frame brace.
The radius rods arc suspended back of
the links, and are down when in for-
ward gear. The valves are driven
from long crossheads, which are sup-
ported on brackets bolted to the upper
gtndc bars. By means of ofTset lugs,
these crossheads transfer the motion
from the plane of the link to that of
the valve center, without the use of
rockers.
The guides arc of the Laird type, and
.-irc of forged steel, as is also the guide
yoke. The latter is made in one piece,
and is secured lo the engine frames by
ranged. The injectors are placed cross-
wise on the back-head, while the checks
are in the usual position near the front
end of the barrel. Two air-pumps are
provided, and are placed right aii<l left
ahead of the firebox. Air is stored in
three main reservoirs, two being hung
under the running boards, while the
third is placed inside the frames and
between the second and third driving
wheels.
The tender frame is composed of
12-in. steel channels. The trucks are
of the arch bar type, with cast steel
bolsters and chilled cast iron wheels.
The l.mk has a wafer bottom, and car-
ries 7,000 gallons of water and 12 tons
of coal.
514
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
December, 1910.
.\dditional particulars are given in
the accompanying table, and our illus-
tration gives a good idea of the gen-
eral appearance of the engines.
Cylinders. 24 x 30 ins.
Valve, balanced slide.
Boiler. — Type, Btraight; material, steel; diameter,
82 ins.; thickness of sheets 13/16 in.;
working pressure, 200 lbs.; fuel, soft coal;
sta>inR. radial.
Firebox. — Material, steel; length. Ill ins.;
width, 70 ins.; depth, front, 75fi ir.s.;
back, 66^ ins.; thickness of sheets, sides,
H in.; back, H in.; crown, H in.; tube,
Ml in.
Water Space — Front, 4Ji ins.; sides and back,
4 ins.
Tubes. — Material, steel; wire gau^e, No. 11;
number. 338; diameter, 2J4 ins.; length,
16 ft. 0 ins.
Heating Surface. — Firebox, 187 sq. ft.; tubes,
3,279 sq. ft.; total. 3,466 sq. ft; grate area,
S4 sq. ft.
Driving Wheels. — Diameter, outside, 60 ins.
Engine Truck Wheels. — Diameter, front 33 ins.;
journals, 6 x ID ins.
Wheel Base. — Driving, 16 x 0 ins.; total engine,
25 X 0 ins.; total engine and tender, 58 x
11^ ins.
Weight.— On driving wheels, 199,550 lbs.; on
truck, front, 24,400 lbs.; total engine, 223,-
950 lbs.: total engine and tender, about
355,000 lbs.
Westinghouse Invention Will Dispense
with Steel Springs.
Some time ago we mentioned that
George Westinghouse had invented a
system of air springs for automobiles
which were likely to do away with the
necessity of pneumatic tires. These
springs have been in use on several au-
tomobiles for eight months and the ex-
perience gained seems to indicate that
air springs may in course of time come
to be used on all vehicles, including
railway cars.
In describing his latest invention, as
applied to one of his automobiles, to a
correspondent of the New York Trib-
une, Mr. Westinghouse said: "You see
this automobile is, with two exceptions,
of the conventional style. The excep-
tions are, first, that it has no springs
in the sense that the word 'springs' is
usually understood, the springs having
been removed and these four brass cyl-
inders, two in front and two behind,
having taken their places. The second
exception is that the car has solid rub-
ber tires instead of pneumatic tubes.
"Now, if you get closer you will see
that what appears to you to be a single
cylinder are really two cylinders, or
concentric tubes, an upper one attached
at the top to the chassis frame, and a
lower one attached at the bottom to
the axle. The inner cylinder or tube
telescopes into the outer; the outer tel-
escopes over the inner. These outer
tubes are mud guards. Inside of each
are three other tubes arranged for sim-
ilar telescopic action, and with annular
spaces between them. These spaces
are connected by a series of openings,
with a central chamber.
"Inside this central chamber is a
standpipe. The annular spaces are al-
ways filled with oil. These chambers
and spaces are charged with air and
oil. The standpipe fixes the lowest
permissible oil level. Rings at the ends
of the telescoping tubes act as pistons
and cause a portion of the oil to flow
in and out of the central chamber
through ports at the lower end. There
is also a self-adjusting packing, which
prevents the escape of oil. But this
packing is not absolutely air-tight, be-
cause it must be properly lubricated.
A minute quantity of oil is allowed to
escape past the piston for purposes of
lubrication, and it finds its way to the
bottom of the annular chamber.
"In the bottom of the central cham-
ber is the heart of the invention, a little
pump which, while the car is running,
takes the oil which has collected in the
way I have just told you and restores
it to the spaces and chambers where
the main body of oil seals the air and
prevents its escape.
"When the car is running the pistons
are constantly working up and down
in their respective annular chambers,
keeping the oil in circulation. Besides
this, the air pressure is always main-
tained because the packing is thor-
oughly sealed with oil.
"Now, what we have here is a spring
suspension that can be accurately ad-
justed to suit the load. Mind you, this
is a shockless spring, not an auxiliary
to an ordinary steel spring. You see,
if we partly fill the cylinders with oil
the volume of air is, of course, re-
duced. For every inch of telescopic
action the air is compressed by a
greater percentage of its original vol-
ume; consequently the resistance in-
creases more rapidly than would be
the case were the oil absent. With a
given initial pressure of air the spring
will support a corresponding load be-
fore it begins to compress. The air
pressure, you see, determines the initial
tension on the spring."
"Is the application of the air spring
to be limited to automobiles?"
"No, indeed. It can be made of any
desired size and power. The discov-
er3', if you choose to call it so, is fun-
dainental in its nature and application.
I believe the influence of the air spring
on current practice, not only in the
automobile industry, but in every
branch of engineering, involving the
use of powerful, reliable elastic springs,
will be so far-reaching that the con-
ception and working out of this vital
detail will be ultimately regarded as one
of the most important inventions with
which my name is associated."
total number of casualties to 2,650. This
figure is made up of 766 killed and 19,-
884 injured, being an increase of 178 in
the number killed and 2,547 in the num-
ber injured.
The bulletin, which completes the pub-
lication of accident records for nine
years, shows the casualties for the year
to be 3,804 killed, and 82,374 injured.
P'or the same period of a year ago there
were 2,791 killed and 63,920 injured,
which shows an increase of 1,013 killed,
and 18,454 injured.
There were 5,861 collisions during the
year ending June 30, 1910, causing the
death of 433 persons and injuring 7^65
persons, with a damage to the property
of the railroad companies of $4,629,279,
being an increase of 1,450 in the number
of collisions, with an increase of 91 in
the number of persons killed and an in-
crease of 2,370 in the number of persons
injured. There were 5,910 derailments
during the year ending June 30, 1910, an
increase of 659, and there were 34 per-
sons killed in derailments and 4,814 in-
jured, an increase of 79 in the number
killed and 676 in the number injured.
Accident Bulletin No. 36.
According to accident bulletin No. 36,
issued by the Interstate Commerce Com-
mission, it appears that the number of
persons killed in train accidents during
April, May and June of this year was
137, and 2,641 were injured. This is an
increase of 38 killed and 525 injured.
Accidents of other kinds increase the
Encouraging Apprentices.
British educational authorities were ex-
tremely slow in recognizing the rights of
the industrial classes in higher education,
but a very great change has been made in
the last decade, particularly in ScotlantL
It used to be that all education above the
three R's was arranged for the exclusive
benefit of what was called the learned
professions. Nowadays college authori-
ties are striving to give industrial appren-
ticeship the benefit of technical and scien-
tific education.
A practice is growing up about Glasgow
to give working apprentices the benefit of
a college education. Nearly one hundred
of the leading firms in and near Glasgow
have expressed their willingness to allow
to a selected number of their apprentices
facilities for carrying out a scheme of
college study conjoined with practical
work. Many of these firms are willing to
recognize, wholly or partially, the time
spent in college as part of the apprentice-
ship period, but such recognition in each
case is of course contingent upon satis-
factory reports being received from the
college.
The Cock Sure Scientist.
A veteran editor has remarked that
a young scientific writer could always
be detected by his repeated use of the
positive adverbs, while the veteran,
schooled by experience to acknowledge
the universality of error, made frequent
use of the modifying clause, and fre-
quently introduced the element of un-
certainty in his statements. The young
scientific investigator frequently under-
takes experiments with foregone con-
clusions concerning the results, and the
work done is generally worthless.
December, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
515
Items of Personal Interest
Mr. Kenneth Seaver has been ap-
pointed chief engfineer of the Harbi-
son-W'alker Refractories Company.
Mr. J. D. Muis has been appointed act-
ing locomotive foreman on the Canadian
Pacific at Red Deer. Alta, vice Mr. J. G.
Xorquay, on leave of absence.
Mr. G. E. Geer has been appointed train-
master of the Western division of the
Chicago Great Western, with headquar-
ters at Qarion, Iowa.
Mr. B. M. Angwin has been appointed
master car builder of the Birmingham
Southern, with office at Pratt City, Ala.,
vice Mr. J. X. Collins, deceased.
Mr. S. T. Harris has been appointed
foreman of car shops on the Birmingham
Southern, with office at Pratt City, Ala.,
vice Mr. X. W. Howell, resigned.
Mr. G. M. Gray has been appointed
superintendent of motive power of the
Bessemer & Lake Erie Railroad, vice
Mr. Gilbert assigned to other duties.
Mr. C T. Ripley and Mr. B. Hoffman
have been appointed assistant engineers
of tests of the .Atchison, Topeka & Santa
Fe, both with offices at Topeka, Kans.
Mt. J. L. Butler, master mechanic on
the White River division of the St. Louis,
Iron Mountain & Southern at Cotter,
Ark., has been transferred to Crane, Mo.
Mr. G. W. CundifT has been appointed
road foreman of engines on the Mobile
& Ohio, with headquarters at Jackson,
Tenn.. vice Mr. F. E Patton, promoted.
Mr. G. Motta has been appointed loco-
motive foreman at Moose Jaw, Sask.,
on the Canadian Pacific Railway, vice
Mr. R. Ives, resigned on account of ill
health.
Mr. J. Baumont has been appointed
signal engineer of the Chicago Great
Western at Chicago, vice Mr. W. H.
Fenley, resigned to engage in other
business.
Mr. J. W. Wyatt has been appointed
road foreman of engines on the first dis-
trict of the Cincinnati. New Orleans &
Texas Pacific, with headquarters at Lud-
low, Ky.
Mr. C. L. Shattuck has been appoint-
ed general foreman of the Danville, Ky.,
shops of the Cincinnati, Sew Orleans &
Texas Pacific vice Mr. H. B. Hayes,
transferred.
Mr. R. G. Smock, secretary of the St
Paul ft Des Moines, will hereafter
have charge of the purchase of all mate-
rial and tupplirt for that road, vice Mr.
W. J. Soudcr, resigned.
Mr. E. J. Murphy, heretofore assistant
locomotive foreman at Toronto, Ont, on
the Canadian Pacific Railway, has been
appointed locomotive forman at that point,
vice Mr. W. J. Brown, transferred.
Mr. F. E. Patton, formerly road fore-
man of engines on the Mobile & Ohio,
has been appointed master mechanic on
the Southern Railroad in Mississippi,
with headquarters at Columbus, Miss.
Mr. J. R. Magarvey, heretofore man-
ager of the Brooks works of the Amer-
ican Locomotive Company, has been
appointed manager of the Schenectady
plant, vice Mr. W. L. Reid, promoted.
As a token of the esteem in which he
is held by the members of the Masonic
association at Dunkirk, he was presented
with a handsomely engrossed book by
the members, the presentation being made
in the club house of the Masonic
building.
Mr. D. S. Taylor, heretofore locomotive
foreman at Havelock, Ont., has been ap-
pointed night locomotive foreman at
London, Ont., on the Canadian Pacific
Railway, vice Mr. C. Wheeler, transferred.
Mr. James Gibson, heretofore locomo-
tive foreman at Belleville, Ont., has been
appointed assistant master mechanic on
.the Grand Trunk Railway at Deering.
Portland, Me., vice Mr. G. Vilet, pro-
moted.
Mr. C. Wheeler, heretofore night loco-
motive foreman at London, Ont., on the
Canadian Pacific Railway, has been ap-
pointed assistant locomotive foreman at
Toronto. Ont., vice Mr. E. J. Murphy,
promoted.
Mr. H. B. Hayes, general foreman of
the Danville. Ky., shops of the Cincinnati,
Xew Orleans & Texas Pacific, has been
transferred to the Chattanooga shops of
the same company, vice Mr. J. Quigley,
promoted.
Mr. D. E. Sullivan, master mechanic
of the Union Pacific at Evanston, Wyo.,
and Mr. P. A. Beck, supervisor of
bridges and buildings, at Ogdcn, LTtah,
have h.id their offices removed to Green
River, Wyo.
Mr. Edwin Schenck, Jr.. assistant
master mechanic of the Pennsylvania
Railroad at Meadows. N. J., has been
appointed assistant master mechanic at
the Trenton shops, vice Mr. F. E
Marsh, promoted.
Mr. E. B. Gilbert, having resigned
the office of superintendent of motive
power of the Bessemer 8c Lake Erie
Railroad, has been appointed special
agent of the motive power department
of the same road.
Mr. Frederick A. Delano, president
of the Wabash Railroad Company, re-
cently addressed the students and fac-
ulty oi the college of engineering of
the University of Illinois on the sub-
ject of "The Railway as a Profession."
Mr. W. L. Reid. manager of trie
Schenectady plant of the American Lo-
comotive Company, has been appointed
general works manager. His jurisdic-
tion has been extended over all the
plants operated by this company.
Mr. W. J. Brown, heretofore locomotive
foreman at Toronto, Ont., on the Can-
adian Pacific Railway, has been ap-
pointed locomotive foreman at Havelock,
Ont., vice Mr. D. S. Taylor, transferred to
London, Ont.
Mr. C J. Stewart, formerly master
mechanic on the Central New England
Railway, has accepted the position of
master mechanic on the New York Cen-
tral & Hudson River Railroad, with head-
quarters at Waterbury, Conn.
Mr. Joseph Quigley, formerly general
foreman of the Chattanooga shops of the
Cincinnati, New Orleans & Texas Pacific,
has been appointed master mechanic of
the same road at Birmingham, Ala., vice
Mr. W. H. Dooley, promoted.
Mr. A. W. Wheatley, heretofore man-
ager of the Montreal, Can., shops of
the American Locomotive Company,
has been transferred to Dunkirk, N. Y.,
as manager of the Brooks works, vice
Mr. J. R. Margarvcy, transferred.
Mr. J. B. Randall, who has been for
many years a most successful locomotive
engineer on the Louisville, Henderson
& St. Louis Railroad, has been appointed
assistant master mechanic on that road,
with headquarters at Louisville, Ky.
Mr. Wm. Garstang, superintendent of
motive power of the Cleveland, Cincin-
nati, Chicago & St Louis, at Indian-
apolis, Ind., has been appointed also
superintendent of motive power of the
Cincinnati Northern, with office at
Indianapolis. Ind.
Mr. W. H. Wallace, traveling engineer
on the Indianapolis division of Cincin-
nati, Hamilton & Dayton, has been ap-
pointed assistant trainmaster.
Mr. W. H. Dooley, master mechanic of
the Alabama Great Southern at Birming-
ham, Ala., has been appointed superin-
tendent of motive power of that road
and of the Cincinnati, New Orleans &
Texas Parific, with office at Ludlow, Ky.,
vice Mr. J. P. McCuen, retired on account
of ill health.
Mr. G. Vilct, heretofore assistant master
mechanic on the Grand Trunk Railway
at Deering, Portland, Me., has been ap-
pointed master mechanic of the Western
516
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
December, 1910.
division of the same road, with headquar-
ters at Battle Creek, Mich., vice Mr. W.
Hamilton, resigned.
Mr. Oscar Townsend, assistant general
freight agent of the Chicago Great West-
ern, Pittsburgh, Pa., has been transferred
to St. Paul and Minneapolis, Minn., suc-
ceeding Mr. G. F. Thomas, resigned to
engage in other business. Mr. Townsend
has offices at 368 Robert street, St. Paul,
and room 217, Metropolitan Life Building,
Minneapolis, Minn.
Mr. J. L. Brummel, formerly road
foreman of engines on the Iowa Central,
has been appointed road foreman of
engines on the Minneapolis & St. Louis
Railway, with headquarters at Minne-
apolis, Minn., with jurisdiction over
trainmen, engineers and roundhouse
foremen on an Eastern division.
Mr. Linvin L. Woods, master car
builder of the Evansville & Terre
Haute, the Evansville & Indianapolis,
and the Evansville Belt Line, has been
promoted to be superintendent of mo-
tive power, vice Mr. E. H. Bussing,
who recently resigned to enter the ser-
vice of the Buffalo & Susquehanna.
Mr. L. L. Wood, formerly general fore-
man of shops of the Evansville & Terre
Haute and of the Evansville & Indian-
apolis, and since -August, acting superin-
tendent of motive power, has been
appointed superintendent of motive power
of these roads, with office at Evansville,
Ind., vice Mr. G. H. Bussing resigned.
Mr. E. Stiitz, formerly vice-president
and general manager of the Gold-
schmidt Thermit Company of New
York, has retired, and the aflfairs of the
company will henceforth be conducted
by Mr. William C. Cuntz as general
manager and treasurer. Dr. F. H.
Hirschland has been elected vice-presi-
dent of the company.
Mr. J. H. Cummings, traveling freight
agent on the Chicago Great Western,
Lincoln, Neb., has had his office trans-
ferred to 1512 Farnam street. Omaha.
Neb., and the office of Mr. George F.
Daniels, commercial agent of the same
road at St. Louis, Mo., has been moved
from Room 243. Frisco Building, to Room
326, Pierce Building, St. Louis, Mo.
Mr. F. H. Clark, general superin-
tendent of motive power of the Chi-
cago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad,
recently delivered an address before
the students and faculty of the College
of Engineering of the University of
Illinois. His subject was "Problems of
the Motive Power Department." Mr.
Clark is a graduate of the University
of Illinois, with the class of 1890.
Mr. Walter Brinton, Superintendent
of the manganese steel department of
the Taylor Iron & Steel company's
plant at High Bridge, N. J., since 189S,
has resigned, and has accepted a posi-
tion as consulting engineer for the Ed-
gar Allen .'\nierican Manganese Steel
Company, who are manufacturing man-
ganese steel at Chicago Heights, 111.,
and at New Castle, Del. Mr. Brinton's
headquarters will be at the New Castle
plant.
At a recent meeting of the directors
of the Galena Signal Co., of Franklin,
Pa., the resignation of Mr. J. C. Sibley
as chairman of the board, was accepted.
General Miller being elected to the va-
cancy, and Mr. Samuel A. Megeath,
president, in place of General Miller.
The office of first vice-president and
general manager previously held by Mr.
Megeath is now filled by Mr. L. J.
Drake and Mr. C. C. Steinbrenner was
elected second vice-president to succeed
Mr. Drake.
Mr. Frank R. Goehler has been ap-
pointed railroad representative of the
Falls Hollow Staybolt Co., with office
at 1143 Marquette Building, Chicago,
111. Mr. Goehler was formerly con-
nected for some four years with the
purchasing department of the A., T. &
S. F. at Chicago, resigning to accept a
position as factory business manager
with the Buda Company, at their
works at Harvey, 111. He is a young
man of wide business acquaintance,
among whom he enjoys a most excel-
lent reputation, which, with his genial
disposition, should make him exceed-
ingly popular and successful in his new
line of work.
Mr. John I. Rogers has opened a New
York office in the City Investing building
at 165 Broadway, and now uses it as his
main office. He is making a specialty
of forging by the steam hammer, the drop
hammer and the hydraulic press; of
special rolling, such as railway tires and
rolled wheels ; of the use and manufac-
ture of alloy steels, of machine shops and
power plants and of general iron and
steel works engineering. Mr. Rogers re-
signed from the Midvale Steel Company
of Philadelphia about a year ago to take
up professional practice, and since that
time has been engaged in consultation
work and design along the above lines.
ty-five years, until the management of
the latter road passed into the hands
of the Erie. He was subsequently mas-
ter mechanic of the Central New Eng-
land and the Delaware & Hudson. He
served the American Locomotive Com-
pany in various capacities almost from
its organization; and up to the time of
his last illness was active in the works
of the New Jersey Board of Railroad
Commissioners. He was a past master
of Falls City Lodge, No. 82, F. and
A, M., a member of the New York
Railroad Club, and an honorary mem-
ber of the American Railway Master
Mechanics' .A.ssociation. Besides his
widow and an unmarried daughter, Mr.
Ennis leaves five sons, all of whom,
like himself, have adopted the profes-
sion of engineering.
Obituary.
George F. Hall, a locomotive engi-
neer, for forty years in the service of
the New York Central, and to whose
credit some of the fastest runs with the
Wolverine and Empire State expresses
were recorded, died recently at his
home in Rochester.
Erie Experiments with New Car.
A test of the new Edison-Beach stor-
age battery car, and the Klaxon warning
signal as a substitute for compressed air
signals on electric lines, took place Satur-
day afternoon, Nov. 19, in the presence
of a party of Erie Railroad officials and
others interested in the experiment. The
trip was from the West Orange station
of the Erie to Forest Hills, about four
and one-half miles, the highest grade
point being one and seven-tenth per cent,
to the mile. The car ran with great
smoothness, although the road bed was
only in fair condition. The Klaxon
horn, which is a mechanically actuated
diaphragm run by a small electric motor,
proved an ideal warning signal, and was
considered as a marked improvement in
warning signals by those on board the
car.
The party included the president of the
Erie, Mr. F. D. L'nderwood, First Vice-
President Mr. John C. Stuart of the Erie ;
Mr. A. F. DuPont, Wilmington, Del.;
ff rnier Congressman Charles E. Little-
field, New Y'ork; Mr. G. W. Covin, of
H. B. HoUins & Co., New \''ork; Mr.
W. C. Brown, Washington, D. C. ; Mr.
Robert H. Davis, general manager of the
Munsey publications; Dr. Angus Sinclair,
editor of Railway and Locomoti\'e En-
gineering ; representatives of the Beach
and Lovell-McConnell companies, the
latter being the manufacturers of the
Klaxon, and Mr. M. R. Hutchinson, the
inventor of the Klaxon. No effort at
speed was made, the purpose of the trip
being the demonstration of the practic-
ability of the equipment.
Wm. C. Ennis, recently died at his
home in New Y'ork City. He was sixty-
si.x years of age. In his youth he
was apprenticed to the machinist trade
in the old Danforth Locomotive
Works, afterward working for various
railways until the building of the New
Jersey Midland, when he became its
master mechanic, serving it and its
successor, the Susquehanna, for twen-
Telephone Train Dispatching.
Two more telephone circuits for train
dispatching, Toronto to London, 115
miles, and an additional 114 miles, Lon-
don to St. Thomas, Port Burwell and
St. Marys, are to be installed on the
Canadian Pacific. W'hen this work is
completed this road will have 2,130
miles operated entirely in this manner.
December, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
General Foremen's Department
Storm Door Annex on Wheels. Kind Words Pay.
By Ch.\rles M.arkel. Some foremen and others in charge of
The enclosed photograph, I believe, men act on the belief that the best way
will interest readers of R.mlw.w .\nd to increase output of work is to keep
Locomotive Engixeerisc, as the idea their tongue lash constantly in use, which
i
T
- ^
i\ \\ III I I ~ Willi
can be used to advantage at a number
of shops where the conditions are
the same as they are at the Clinton
shops on the C. & K.-W., or any old
time shop that will not allow the flues
to be taken from the boiler on modern
engines without large doors being open
in front of engine in cold and stormy
weather.
This idea originated with the foreman
boilermaker, Mr. Fuller, and is as fol-
lows: Fig. 1 shows car built to fit in
shop door frame when shop doors are
open, and is of sufficient length to tak'-
the longest flues. This photograph
shows car with set of flues ready to be
placed in front "f engine. Fig. 2
shows the large doors open and car
of flues in place, nlUiwing the men to
work with comfort and plenty of room
without shop becoming cold, f-'ig. 3
shows interior view of car in place, and
Fig. 4 shows set of flues removed from
car by team.stcr to be taken to rattler
and there to be welded.
Since these photographs were taken
we have put a large window sash in
top of car, which lets in plenty of light
when car is in place. Before this car
was built the large shop doors had to
be wide open in all kinds of weather
when fluc.^ were bring removed or ap-
plied, and you can imagine the com-
plaints of the shop employees in winter
weather.
is a very great mistake of the kind that
promotes eye service. Faultfinding ought
to be indulged in as little as possible,
while wor(N (if praise should not be
Wide Fireboxes.
Mr. Kolley read the following paper at
the last meeting of the General Fore-
men's .Association. It was written by
H. O. Olson, Foreman Machine Shop,
D. & I. R. R.R. Co., Two Harbors, Minn.,
at the last meeting of the General Fore-
men's Association :
In writing a paper on this subject,
there are many things to be considered,
such as saving of fuel, cost of repairs,
the conditions under which the engines
are to be worked and size of engine.
When comparing the two types of fire-
boxes it is of the utmost importance that
the locomotives shall be used under the
same conditions and be the same size ; but
as a general rule, the engines with the
wide firebox are much heavier and are
expected to handle a greater tonnage.
Long before locomotives had reached
tlieir present enormous size and power it
was found that the old style of narrow
t-.rebox would not give sufficient grate
area for what was supposed to be the
eronomical combustion of fuel. The idea
was formerly held that the higher rates of
evaporation were obtained with slower
rates of combustion and with larger
latios of heating surface compared to
grate area. It was not considered
ccnnoniical to burn coal at a higher rate
MI \ I l;( ii ■, II Ih I' I
Stinted Kind words circulated freely
when tliey arc deserved, will do more to
accelerate production than all else.
of combustion than 7.S lbs. per hour per
s(|uarc foot of grate surface. That this
idea is no longer universal is shown
518
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
De'.ember, 1910.
from the tact that narrow fireboxes burn-
ing 180 lbs. of coal per square foot of
grate area are considered economical by
some. This is made possible on account
of being able to maintain a deep fire in
the deep narrow fireboxes, so that there
is little chance for excess of air to get
through the bed of fuel and decrease the
efficiency of combustion. But there is no
doubt in my mind that a wide firebox
gives better results in fuel economy than
the narrow on account of the greater
grate area compared with the heating
surface that can be had with the narrow,
providing the wide firebox is deep
enough so that a good body of fire can
be maintained at all times. A wide fire-
box of the same depth in front as the
toboggan firebox, or not less than 36
ins. under the flues is not an impos-
sibility and would probably give better
results from a firing standpoint and also
cost less to keep in repair ; but if the
wide firebox is too shallow it may not be
economical in fuel on account of holes
being torn in the fire and too much cold
air admitted, reducing the temperature of
the gases and interfering with proper
combustion, .^nd in this case there is no
question but that the cost of repairs is
greater, caused by the thin fire allowing
the cold air to come in contact with the
flues and side sheets, causing leaks and
cracks, due to the variation in expansion
and contraction.
As a general rule, engines with wide
fireboxes are much heavier and handle a
larger tonnage, which apparently in-
creases the cost of repairs. This should
be considered in comparing the wide with
although they have shown better fuel
economy. This saving of fuel will more
than pay for the extra expense of repairs,
especially if the cost is figured on the
ton-niilc li.'isi-;.
same contour of tires as was recently
adopted by the M. C. B. Association.
The other subject is the best con-
struction of locomotive frames. Mr.
II. T. Rentley, assistant superintendent
FIG. 3. INTKRIOR VIEW SIHIWING CAVITY IN DOOR FOR FLUES.
Important Circulars.
Two very important circulars have
been sent out recently by the commit-
tees of the Master Mechanics' Associa-
tion. One of the subjects is the con-
tour of tires of which Mr. W. C. A.
of motive power and machinery of the
Chicago & North Western Railway at
Chicago, 111., is chairman. There are
twenty-seven questions asked, and there
are twelve illustrations of frame splices.
Shop practice is asked for and also sug-
gestions are in order. It is likely that
the work of these two committees will
elicit a great deal of valuable and use-
full information on the subjects dealt
with by them.
Duralumin.
An aluminum alloy has been produced
containing over 90 per cent, of aluminum,
which may prove a useful metal to employ
in various railway appliances. It has a
specific gravity of about 2.8 as compared
with 8.9 in copper. The melting point is
about 1202 degs. F., while copper melts
at 1930 degs. F. This material, which
has been given the name of "duralumin,"
can be rolled, forged, and drawn when
hot or cold. For motor-car work, for
flying machines, and for high-speed ma-
rine craft it is expected to be found very
useful.
FIG. 4. STORM DOOR WITH OLD FLUF.S BEING REMO\-ED TO RATTLER.
the narrow fireboxes, and therefore the
repairs and also the fuel should be figured
on the tonnage basis.
On the Duluth & Iron Range road we
have engines with the narrow and en-
gines with the wide firebox, and the en-
gines with the wide firebox have required
more repairs than those with the narrow,
Menry, superintendent of motive power
on the Pennsylvania Lines at Colum-
bus, Ohio, is chairman. Seven ques-
tions are asked and it is to be hoped
prompt and comprehensive replies will
be sent in. The object is to report on
the advisability of adopting for engine
trucks, driving and trailing wheels, the
The Potter's Wheel.
The potter's wheel was the forerun-
ner of the hand lathe, and was one of
the first revolving contrivances in-
vented. The Egyptians classed it
among the inventions of the gods, and
claimed that Num the creator fash-
ioned man upon it.
December, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
519
PRCVCNT
AIR BRAKE
TROUBLES
You may have hail
some trouble in past
winters with the air
break system. The
delicate triple valves
especially are apt to
"cut up" a little unless
efficiently lubricated.
Dixon's Graphite
Triple Valve
Grease
will keep the triples in "pink
of condition" throughout the
winter with one application.
It does not stiffen even in the
coldest weather, and result in
emergency action of the brakes
when service applications arc
wanted. It is used and recom-
mended by railroad men on
some of the biggest lines in the
country.
r.ooklct frei-
Vertical Grinding Planer.
This machine has recently been im-
proved in design by the makers, and has
been called by them the Springfield
Brandes Vertical Grinding Planer. It has
also been improved in its general con-
struction, as well as in its details, being a
very much heavier and more substan-
tial tool than has ever been made by
this company for this class of grinding,
the weight of the machine being 8,000
lbs.
The machine shown in our illustra-
tion has a capacity to grind 12 ins.
wide, 12 ins. high by 4 ft. long, and can
be made of longer capacity if desired.
The wheel head and spindle are of par-
ticularly heavy design, the spindle be-
ing of large diameter and mounted in
exceptionally long bearings. They are
provided with a ball thrust on the un-
der side, and equipped with a ball bear-
ing spring take-up on the upper part
of the bearing to prevent back lash
when the wheel is running off the work.
The driving pulley is mounted upon an
independent bearing relieving the spin-
dle of all strain of the belt. The wheel
is 16 ins. in diameter, mounted in a
chuck, which permits of easily chang-
;>.nd it is equipped with a micrometer
dial, back of the hand-wheel to facili-
tate the setting, getting sizes, etc. This
tool, here ilustrated, is arranged for
hand feed only, but can be made with
a power feed if desired. This vertical
planer is equipped with a pump to sup-
ply lubricant to the wheel, which can
be applied either through the spindle
or from the outside, and when applied
through the spindle, the water is forced
against a deflector on the under side of
the spindle, so as to force it to the
periphery of the wheel, which is a very
essential feature in grinding narrow or
Sl'Kl.NiJl-lliLlI liH.X.Sl'K.s \I.Klll.\L (..kl.NUlNu l'l..\.N l.K.
JERSEY CITY
N. J.
Ing the wheels, and is also well pro-
tected by guards to insure against acci-
dents in case of damage to the wheel.
Further than this, this machine pos-
sesses all the advantages, so far as stiff-
ness and rigidity arc concerned, that are
possessed in the modern planer, and.
as may be seen in our illustration, the
guard around the table is made in sec-
tions on the front side, so as to per-
mit of being easily removed. The table
drive of this machine is of the general
planer construction, except that in this
case the power is transmitted through
a worm and worm-gear on the rear of
the machine, direct to a large and sub-
stantial screw which runs in a long nut
lo insure long life and giving an
absolutely smooth action to the table.
The machine is arranged with a hand
fi rd for moving the wheel to the work.
interrupted surfaces. The photograph
of the machine shows two rear legs,
but it is the maker's intention in the
future to make this one solid leg.
New One On Him.
A youth from Calhoun County, 111.,
which has nothing but steamboat trans-
portation, came over to Elsberry, Mo., the
other day to catch a Burlington train to
St. Louis. He had never seen a train, and
when the Hannibal local came rolling in
he stood there gaping, watched it hiss and
steam, and finally pull out.
"1 thought you were goin' to St.
Louis on that train?" shouted the sta-
tion agent, thrusting his head through
the window.
"I was," answered the youth, "but they
ilidnt put down no gangplank."— St. Louis
I'osl-IUsfialch.
52U
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
December, 1910.
Using Railway Motor Cars.
The McKeon Motor Car Company of
Omaha have been giving good evidence
that the style of car turned out by them
if gaining in popularity. Mr. W. R.
McKeen, Jr., the president and general
manager of the company, recently in-
formed us that a 70-ft. motor car for the
Rock Island lines had not long ago
been delivered, and was en route to
Waurika, Okla. Two of these cars
have recently been ordered by the
Denver, Laramie & Northwestern,
and the Woodstock & Sycamore
Traction Co. ask for another gas-
oline car. When all are in serv-
ice this will make the 93d McKeen
car now in service in the United States
and Mexico. An illustrated account of
these useful boat-shaped motor cars
appeared in R.\ilwav and Locomotive
Encixeerixg for October, 1910, page 436.
Universal Remedies.
People who have charge of boilers in
districts where hard feed water causes
trouble from scale, should they happen
to be in Chicago, will be interested in
making a visit to the chemical department
of the Dearborn Drug & Chemical Works,
located in the McCormick building. The
gentlemen connected with these works
have formed ideas concerning the proper
method of treating impurities in feed
water. The story is told of a visitor to
one part of Scotland who, learning that
the nearest doctor resided fifteen miles
away, asked his host, "What do you do
when a person gets sick and the doctor
so far away?" "We give him a drink of
whiskey." "And if a drink of whiskey
does not help him?" "We give him an-
other drink." "But if all the drinks you
can give fail to help him?" "Then we
decide he is not worth helping and let
him die."
That universal remedy is of the charac-
ter that has generally been used in treat-
ing bad feed water, and it is not surprising
that railway companies have come to
discredit treatment asserted to be eflfect-
ual in neutralizing all kinds of impuri-
ties. The Dearborn Drug & Cheinical
Works treat each case of water impurity
according to the scale forming or corro-
sive material present. The result is that they
are meeting with great success, as leaky
flues, cracked firebox sheets and general
boiler repairs are materially reduced on
the roads where their system is in opera-
tion. If care is taken in having boilers
properly washed out in connection with
the Dearborn Drug & Chemical Com-
pany's treatment, tlie railway people are
safe to use any water found on their lines.
tive. This publication is most valua-
ble to all those who have to do with
this class of locomotives, and it afford-,
information for the student in locomo-
tive engineering.
Following a general description and
definition of what a Mallet articulated
engine is and how it is constructed,
the intercepting valve used on this
form of compound is taken up and
fully illustrated and described. The
operation of this valve is given in de-
tail, and is illustrated in a series ft
what have been called "ghost" pic-
tures, which are most effective.
The power reversing gear made by
this company is explained and illus-
trated, also the by-pass valves, the
vacuum and j-elief valves, the flexible
points and the adjustment of the align-
ment of the front engine frames. The
subject of break-downs is briefly
touched on, and a summary of rules
for operating are on the concluding
pages. Altogether, Bulletin 1006 is a
very comprehensive and valuable
treatise on the subject, and ought to
be in the hands of those who have to
take care or run the American Loco-
motive Company's Mallet compounds.
Worse Than Bigotry.
"What is the charge?" demanded the
magistrate, as a verdant-looking cul-
prit was brought in.
"Bigotry," your honor. "He married
three wives."
"Ofiicer," remarked the magistrate
sternly, "what's the use of all this edu-
cation, all these evening schools, all
the technical classes an' what not?
Please remember in any future like
case, that a man who has married three
wives has not committed bigotry, but
trigonometry. Proceed."
Business Very Good.
The Barrett Machine Tool Company,
of Meadville, Pa., have no complaint to
make about business being dull. Their
erecting shop floor is covered with bor-
ing mills of various sizes, the specialty
for which this establishment is noted.
Some of the horizontal cylinder boring
mills ready for delivery display as fine
mechanical construction work as we have
ever examined. One huge machine, weigh-
ing 36 tons, has lately been made for the
Fairbanks-Morse Company. It contains
a variety of manipulation features that
must materially increase the work-finish-
ing capacity of the tool.
Manual of the Mallet.
The American Locomotive Company
have just issued their bulletin No.
1006. It is the manual of the .Ameri-
can .Articulated Compound Locomo-
From what we have seen of college
graduates in railway service, we think
they give off little wave from the vol-
ume of sound, but we are far from en-
dorsing the assertion of Superintendent
of Public Works Schaeffer of Pennsyl-
vania, who said that "education today
consists of football, baseball, evening
balls and highballs."
RECOGNIZED
STANDARD
FLEXIBLE
STAYBOLTS
Holds firebox sheets securely
together, and accommodates
itself to the unequal expansion
of the plates.
USED ON OVER 170 RAILROADS
"Starbolt Trouble
a Thini^ of the Past"
So say many of our customers
who have used the Tate Bolt
in large numbers, covering a
period of time sufficient to base
compa'-isons and eliminate all
chances of doubt.
THE TATE BOLT HAS
PROVED ITSELF INDISPENS-
ABLE TO LOCOMOTIVES IN
HIGH PRESSURE SERVICE
BY RENDERING A LOWER
COST OF FIRE BOX REPAIRS
TO A GREATER MILEAGE IN
SERVICE, THEREBY IN-
CREASING THE EARNING
VALUE.
FLANNERY BOLT COMPANY
PITTSBURGH, PA.
Boite S28 Flick Bslldill*
B. E. D. GTAFFOKS, G«n. Hini^r
J. &06EBS FXAITNIRY & COMPAlfT,
SelliDf Assnti
nick Building, Pittiburgh, P*.
TOM R, DAVIS. Kecbuucal Expert
OEO. E. HOWARD, EMtern Territory
W. U. WILSON, Weitem Territory
O0ia(0NWEAI.TH SXrPPLT COMPAirr,
Soutbe&itern Territory
December, 1910.
R,\ILWAY AXD LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
521
GOLD
Car
Heating
Lighting
Company
MuuiiUurtrt •!
ELECTRIC,
STEAM AND
HOT WATER
APPARATUS
FOR RAILWAY CARS
IMPROVED
SYSTEM OF
ACETYLENE
CAR LIGHT-
ING
LwgeU Mutuiaciuteii in ihc Wotld of
Cu Heatiag Appuatui
Send for circular of our combina-
tion PRESSURE AND VAPOR
SYSTEM OF CAR HEATING,
which lystem automatically main-
tains about the same temperature in
the car regardless of the outside
weather conditions.
Main Office. Whitehall Building
17 BATTERY PLACE
NEW YORK
Welding Rails by Thermit.
The Goldschmidt Thermit Company
has issued an elegant sixteen-page
pamphlet describing and illustrating
the welding of rails by the Thermit
process. The progress made in the
remarknble discovery of the fusing
of aluminum and iron oxide is further
enhanced by its adaptability to the
characteristics of the metal upon which
it is used. In the case of steel rails, it
is now an easy matter to weld the rails
together so that the metal at the joint
will be of the same hardness as the
metal of the rail, thus insuring an
equality of wear. A marked advance
has also been made in the rapidity with
which the superfluous metal surround-
ing the weld may be removed. .^ blow
pipe is used in roughly cutting off the
metal, and a specially designed rail
grinder speedily perfects the surface.
It is interesting to note the degree of
elegance in finish with which rails of
different sizes may be welded together.
Apply lor copies of the parrrphlet to the
main office of the company at 90 West
street, New York.
requisite of the air brake department,
and is almost as necessary as the en-
gine that runs the shop. It saves time,
labor and money. Write for the folder
if you want to get an idea what the
handv little tool is like.
Asking a Great Favor.
It was after a railway supply men's
banquet that some congenial spirits re-
solved to make a night of it and made
good, .^bout 3 a. m. four friends
emerged on Seventy-third street from
a taxicab and rang the bell of a brown-
stone front house. A window was
raised and a lady demanded, "What do
you want?"
".\re you Mrs. Brown?" was asked.
"Yes, I am Mrs. Brown; what can I
do for you?"
"We would be ever so much obliged,
Mrs. Brown, if you would come down
and pick out Mr. Brown."
Twentieth Century Outfit.
This is an equipment which is well
worth finding out about. It is ex-
plained and illustrated in a folder re-
cently got out by the Buker & Car
Manufacturing Company of Rochester,
N. Y. If you write the company they
will be happy to send you the folder
on the subject. In the first place, this
machine will mount air brake, signal or
steam hose. It cuts clamp bolts on
old hose, and separates metal fixtures,
both nipple and coupling. It performs
four operations, and all the work is
done on the same bedplate. In mount-
ing new hose there is a close fitting
clamp that supports the entire length
of the hose, thus preventing buckling,
or any injury, to the fiber of the hose —
iK.th coupling and nipple being forced to
their places at the same time, and
quicker than we can tell it.
This tool is, in fact, practically a
Pattern Shop Band Saw.
The pattern shop tool shown in our
illustration is made by J. A. Fay &
Egan Company, of Cincinnati, Ohio.
The fact that the manufacturers de-
signed this Xo. 50 band saw for use in
shops having a considerable amount of
plain or intricate scroll sawing to do
makes it especially adapted to the pat-
tern shop, where this kind of work is
turned out daily.
For pattern shop work the machine
is arranged so that the table has a
tilting device having micrometer ad-
justment, which enables the operator to
quickly place the table at any angle up
to 45 degs. to the right and 10 degs. to
the left. This device is said to combine
BAM' >\U' 1 ' 'K I'AriKKN .^lliHr.
quick and accurate angling of the table,
which will be found of great importance
to the pattern maker.
The most important feature in the
construction of this machine is the
straining device, which is known as the
Fay & Egan patent knife-edge balance.
The upper wheel is hung solely on a
knife-edge, and the tension on the blade
is given by a compound lever arrange-
ment. This is a perfect device for
straining the blade. Its action under
all conditions is instantaneous; it en-
ables the machine to run at a high rate,
with no danger of breaking the blade,
no matter how fine it is.
Many other features which have con-
tributed to the favor accorded to this
machine by pattern shop men are fully
described in a large illustrated circular
issued by the company, for which you
are invited to write.
522
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
December, 1910.
Starrett Tools.
Catalogue No. 19 issued by the L. S.
Starrett Company, of Atliol, Mass., is
just off the press. It is of convenient
size and contains 274 pages, and within
that compass there are 350 illustrations
showing an almost bewildering variety
of small tools. As the book contains 42
pages more than the previous catalogue it
stands to reason that the number of tools
made by this well-known concern has
been considerably increased. Among the
handy appliances for shop work which
may be mentioned by way of showing the
increase referred to there are shrink rules,
key seat rules, metric ; combination build-
ers' tool, double square, vernier calipers,
micrometers in several sizes, micrometer
attachment, protractor, fillet or radius
gage, metric ; micrometer depth gage,
metric ; depth gages, hack saw frame,
for instruction in mechanical drawing, de-
scriptive geometry and shop work.
Ground was broken July 22, 1909, and the
completed structure turned over to the
University June 15, 1910. The main build-
ing contains 25,000 sq. ft. of floor space.
It can accommodate at one time 400 stu-
dents in drawing, and has locker accom-
modations for 1200 students. The lecture
room seats 300 and there are two class
rooms, each having a capacity of 60 stu-
dents. The shops cover 43,000 sq. ft. of
ground and are capable of accommodating
a group of 350 students at one time. The
machines, tools, benches, lockers, in fact,
all the details of the equipment, are mod-
ern, while many of the special features
are unique. The buildings as a whole con-
stitute what is probably the largest and
most completely equipped plant for the in-
struction of students in shop practice and
drawing in this country and
represent the accumulated ex-
perience of twentj'-five years at
this university. Angus Sinclair
received the honorary degree of
Doctor of Engineering at this
university some years ago.
screw slotting saws, scriber, new size B
extension plyers, ratchet wrench, scraper.
The catalogue also gives prices, and in
ordering the simple catalogue number is
all that is required. There is, however, a
condensed description of each tool, so that
the possession of this catalogue puts the
reader in touch with the latest and most
modern small tools for fitters, machinists
and others. Write direct to the company
if you would like to have a copy, as the
distribution of the catalogue is gratis.
His Distinguishing Mark.
One day a big city bank re-
ceived the following message
from one of its country cor-
respondents: "Pay twenty-five
dollars to John Smith, who
will call to-day," says Success.
The cashier's curiosity became
suspicious when a cabman as-
sisted into the bank a drunken
"fare," who shouted that he
was John Smith, and wanted
some money. Two clerks
pushed, pulled and piloted the
boisterous individual into a
private room away from the
sight and hearing of the reg-
ular depositors. The cashier
wired the country bank :
"Man claiming to be John
Smith is here. Highly intoxi-
Shall we await identification?"
answer read: "Identification
complete. Pay the money."
Extension Work at Purdue.
Last month a very interesting ceremony
took place at Purdue University at La-
fayette, Ind. It was the dedication of the
new buildings for the department of prac-
tical mechanics. They provide facilities
Working Hot Metal.
The Ajax Manufacturing Company
of Cleveland, Ohio, have recently issued
a reference book and catalogue of the
Ajax hot metal working machines. The
book, which contains 96 pages, is pro-
fusely illustrated, and shows rivet and
bolt headers, axle upsetting machines,
bolt heading, upsetting and forging ma-
chines, bulldozers, standard and new-
high-speed hot sawing and burring ma-
chines, universal forging machines, hot
pressed nut machines, taper forging
rolls and reclaiming tools. With each
of the illustrations is a short descrip-
Do You Know
Him?
If the Thermit Man hasn't
called at your shops, let us
send him. He will show
you how^ to weld locomo-
tive frames and return the
engine to service in twelve
hours or less. He will also
show you a f ew^ kinks about
repairing mud rings, con-
necting rods, driving wheel
spokes and cross heads.
He'll show you how to do
this work without creating
any uncomfortable heat and
without dismantling the
engine.
Write for Pamphlet .\o. 25-B
WILLIAM C, CTJNTZ, Gen. Ugr.
90 West St., New York
432-436 Folsom St., San Francisco. Cal.
103 Eichmond St. W., Toronto, Ont.
SINCLAIR'S LOCOMOTIVE ENGINE
RUNNING AND MANAGEMENT
Uatill popular. We have it. Price $2.00
ANGUS SINCLAIR CO.. 114 Liberty St.. N. Y.
WAHERS «.B.C. TRACK SANDERS
Only two piece*. No repair!
For sale by
1. H. WAITERS, AssL M. M. Ga. R.R., Aitpsta, 6<i.
December, 1910.
R.\ILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
523
One Year and
Eleven Months'
SERVICE
WTTHOUT REPACKING, OH
High-Pressure Locomotives
SlyleraOO^TV.
A throttle failure is an absolute
impossibility where Cran-
daU's Throttle Valve pack-
ing is used.
IT. WILL NOT BLOW OUT
Crandall Packing Co.
FACTORT AND OENBRAI. OFFICE
PALMYRA. • NEW YORK
BBANCBE8
Nur York C1«Telu4
IM IJIwrtj 8t. SOS Sapcrlor Art.. N. W.
Boaton Plttiborcb
1» Blch St. 1310 Kmoid Bid*.
Cblciico
BM Wuhlncton Bird.
I
STORRS' Mica
Headlight Chimneys
STORRS MICA COMPANY
R. R D«p(.. O-.fo. N. Y.
Patents.
GEO. P. WHITTLESEY
MaOILi. BUILDINO WAAMINaiON. D. C.
T*rai* B««Maabl« Paa*kl*l •••I
tive paragraph, and adjoining the . view
of each machine is a marvelous display
of the work which each of the machines
can do. The variety of product is
seemingly without limit. These hot
metal working machines are very sub-
stantially built, they are compact, and
are designed to stand up to the heavy
work which is expected of them. Write
to the company for a copy of the cata-
logue and reference book if you are in-
terested in knowing what can be done
with this class of machincrv.
fore us. Write to the Westinghouse,
Church, Kerr & Co. of New York if
you would like to obtain a copy of the
book they have issued on the subject.
Opening American Museum of Safety.
The formal exercises in connection
with the permanent exhibition of safety
devices of the American Museum of
Safety, were held last month at the Au-
ditorium of the Engineering Societies'
Building, Mr. Philip T. Dodge, pre-
siding. The Museum of Safety is the
fourteenth similar organization of which
there are twelve in Europe, and one in
Canada. The object of the Museum is
the conservation of human life, by means
of a permanent exhibit of the best, and
most practicable safety devices for mak-
ing safe the dangerous parts of machines
.ind processes. It is a clearing house for
the prevention of accidents, of which the
-Museum asserts 50 per cent, are un-
necessary. In commendation of this new
ccnservation movement, the President of
the United States, sent this greeting:
"The White House,
"Washington, Nov. 9, 1910.
"My Dear Sir : I write to express my
interest in the work which the American
Museum of Safety proposes to do in fos-
tering the development and adoption of
appliances to conserve human life. The
whole civilized world is stirred with
anxiety and hope for the adoption of
those safety devices which will prevent
the loss of life and limb in industrial pur-
suits, and I do not know any method
of bringing about the use of such safety
devices more effectively than in ex-
hibitions of them in many varieties in
such a museum as yours.
"Very sincerely yours,
"(Signed) Wm. H. Taft.'
New York Passenger Terminal, P. R. R.
The Westinghouse, Church, Kerr &
Company of New York have issued a
neat little book on the New York pas-
senger terminal and improvements of
the Pennsylvania and Long Island rail-
roads. This book contains an account
of the general scheme, but is more par-
ticularly concerned with the work per-
formed by this company in the great
terminal. The book is welt illustrated,
63 pages, and not a single detail is
omitted. The project of connecting
New York with the New Jersey shore
hy a subaqueous tunnel was adopted in
l'X)2, and now the finished work is be-
Railway Business Association.
The Railway Business Association held
their second annual meeting just before
Thanksgiving Day. It was a most suc-
cessful affair, about 800 railroad men,
bankers, publicists, etc., were present.
The following officers were elected for
the ensuing year: President, Mr. George
A. Post, of the Standard Coupler Co.;
vice-presidents, Mr. H. H. Westinghouse,
of the Westinghouse Air Brake Co. ; Mr.
O. H. Cutler, of the .\merican Brake
Shoe and Foundry Co.; Mr. W. H. Mar-
shall, president of the .American Locomo-
tive Co. ; Mr. E. S. S. Keith, of the Keith
Car & Manufacturing Co. ; Mr. A. H.
Mulliken, of Pettibone, MuUiken & Co.;
Mr. O. P. Letchworth, of the Pratt &
Letchworth Co. ; Mr. A. M. Kittredge,
of the Barney & Smith Car Co. ; treas-
urer, Mr. Charles A. Moore, of Manning,
Maxwell & Moore.
New Steel Suburban Cars.
The first lot of all steel suburban
coaches built for the Pennsylvania Rail-
road Company have just been received.
These cars have been sent to New York,
where they will be used in the suburban
service out of the new Pennsylvania sta-
tion. These suburban coaches are 54 ft.
long, seating eighty-two people. By
means of special designs which have been
used the weight of the car has been ma-
terially lessened, as compared with the
wooden coaches, the latter carrying 1,510
lbs. of dead weight for each passenger,
while the new steel suburban coach car-
ries only 1,078 lbs. of dead weight per
passenger. The suburban coaches have
vestibule ends and are made entirely fire-
proof. Heavy steel girders running
from end to end are calculated to resist
shock in collision. The cars are lighted
by electricity, and are fitted with green
plush cushion seats.
The Pennsylvania Railroad system will
shortly have available for use on its
lines east and west of Pittsburgh and
Erie 1,988 solid steel passenger cars.
This includes some 600 Pullman parlor
and sleeping cars, as well as a large num-
ber of suburban coaches, such as the
company's shops are just beginning to
turn out.
Trust Busting.
"A Constant Reader" of Railway and
Locomotive Enginewinc, one who claims
to have been one of the first sub-
scribers, has written to the editor
complaining that we must be on the
wrong side of ihe fence, for he had never
seen in the paper a single article "calcu-
lated to vanquish the trusts that are
524
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
December, 1910.
fattening on the vitals of the .\nicrican
people." We admit that "trust-busting"
has not been considered in our time, for
so much of our time has been fully occu-
pied cogitating on things of an engineer-
ing, mechanical and purely railway oper-
ating character, for the instruction or
amusement of our readers, that we
have left the abuse of accumulated
capital to the literary and story-telling
magazines. Many of these publications
have great difficulty in finding subjects
for sensational articles, and we dislike to
embarrass them by taking away any part
of their thunder.
As trust-busters have always devoted
a large part of their abuse to railroad
property, we feel that they have been
making indiscriminate assaults on the in-
terests from which most of our readers
make their living. The lies and exaggera-
tions of the trust-busters are making it
hard for railroad companies to obtain suf-
ficient income to pay their employes and
to carry out needed improvements ; a
result that puts these would-be reform-
ers among the worst enemies — enemies
that are bringing disaster and depression
upon all business enterprises.
Record of Recent Construction.
Record No. 67 has just been issued
by the Baldwin Locomotive Company,
and contains fourteen fine illustrations
of locomotives for passenger service,
with accompanying letterpress descrip-
tions. The designs include several
v.'heel arrangements, and cover a wide
range in weight and capacity. The
rapid introduction of superheating ap-
paratus in locomotives is shown by the
fact that seven of the fourteen locomo-
tives shown are equipped with super-
heaters. It is another proof, if proof
were necessary, that superheated steam
increases the capacity of a locomotive.
The fact that eleven of these represen-
tative types of locomotives are equipped
with the Walschaerts valve gear also
shows that this type of gearing is rap-
idly gaining favor. This feature is a
marked one in the smaller as well as
in the larger class of locomotives, the
advantage in the latter type being gen-
erally conceded. In the matter of
valves, nine are of the balanced piston
type, while five are of the older type.
Fertile Facts.
We recently read some very severe
strictures made by a college professor
upon people who learned facts without
acquiring knowledge of how to use
them for practical purposes. We have
the greatest respect for the processes
that make knowledge power, but we
consider it is carrying the utilitarian
spirit too far to discourage people from
learning facts entirely for the satisfac-
tion that the possession of knowledge
gives.
The tendency of the day is to spe-
cialize all lines of investigation, but wo
do not think there is any harm in
people learning something of fields
that cannot be thoroughly explored ex-
cept by savants who devote most of
their time to a particular region of re-
search. Thus, the geologist digs into
the realms of rocks; the biologist into
conditions relating to the phenomena
of life; the astronomer into stellar
masses and motions; the mathemati-
cian into the relations of space and
number; the chemist pursues his atoms
and elements of nature with their com-
binations, while the physical investi-
gator and engineer pursue facts in the
fields of thermal, optical, electrical and
other phenomena. That being the case,
there is no reason why intelligent and
ambitious persons should not acquire
conservative knowledge of all the sci-
ences that have been cultivated and de-
veloped by the human intellect.
The system of things which we call
nature is too vast and varied to be
studied first-hand by any single mind.
.As knowledge extends there is always
a tendency to subdivide the field of
investigation, its various parts being
taken up by diflferent individuals, and
thus receiving a greater amount of at-
tention than could possibly be bestowed
on them if each investigator aimed at
the mastery of the whole.
Peat Fuel.
There is on the surface of the earth a
tremendous quantity of peat fuel which is
largely used for domestic purposes in
various districts, but has failed when tried
for furnace use. Many attempts have
been made to burn peat under boilers, to
put it into a form resembling coal by
mixing it with adhesive substances, press-
ing the mi.xture into briquettes. Tlie
difficulty with these briquettes has been
that the peat having an affinity for mois-
ture absorbed water until a large propor-
tion of the heat in the fuel was wasted
evaporating its water.
A German engineer named Franke has
lately invented a method for preventing
the peat from absorbing moisture which
promises to render peat fuel a success.
Having squeezed peat mixed with ten
per cent, of coke into the form of
briquettes in a hydraulic press they are
dipped into a glazing waterproof com-
pound that prevents them from absorb-
ing water.
The inventor is at present engaged in
setting up a large experimental plant for
the production of "Franketts" in Berlin.
The importance of this fuel, both for
furnace work and for domestic fires, will
be the more readily realized when one
remembers that peat fuel is comparatively
smokeless, and that what smoke it pro-
duces is free from injurious gases.
CARS, CABS, SHOPS
AND
ROUND HOUSES
requires a roofing that
is unaffected by ex-
tremes of temperature
RUBEROID
ROOFING
iReglst'd
10. S. Pat
lOfflce.
Will not melt, rot, crack or
corrode. Contains no tar.
Oatlattt Metal
SPARK PROOF, CINDER PROOF,
QAS PROOF, WEATHER PROOF
Write for samples, prices and booklet No 96.
THE STANDARD PAINT CO.
100 William Street New York
"HOMESTEAD"
VALVES
Are constructed upon mechanically cor-
rect principles — they are leak proof under
steam, air or hydraulic pressures. They
are practically indestructible because the
seats are protected from wear. The plug
is balanced and held in place by pressure
when open, and when closed it is locked
on the seat by our patent wedging cam.
"Homestead" Valves are the quickest acting,
simplest, most easily operated and largest
li^'ed o f any made.
Homestead Valves are opened wide and
closed tight by a quarter turn.
LOCOMOTIVE BLOW-OFF
Write for catalogue of Homestead Goods.
HOMESTEAD VALVE M'F'G CO.
Braia Founders Work* at Homestead, Pa.
P. O. Box 1754, PITTSBURG, PA.
DUNER
CAR CLOSETS
DUNER CO.
December, 1910.
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
525
TURNTABLES
Philadelphia Turntable Co.
PHILADELPHIA, PA.
CHICAGO: ST. LOUIS:
Marquette Bld>. Coromonweilth Tniat Bld(
Nichols Transfer Tables
Turntable Tractors
GEO. P. NICHOLS & BRO.
1090 Old Colony Bldg. CHICAGO
ALDON CAR REPLACERS
We M-t thrfe pa:-- .. nd had
«U nine cars on the rails in twenty minute*. —
Extraci from lyrecking ilasltri' Rtportl.
THE ALDON COMPANY
965 Monadnock Block, CHICAGO, ILL.
ESTABLISHED 1884
Sipe's
Japan Oil
Is superior to Linseed Oil
and Dryers for
ALL KIUDS Of PAINIlliO
In Daily Use by
All the leading Railroads
In the United States
Manufsclurad toleljr hj
JAMfS B. SIPf & (0.
N*r1b SIdt.
pirrsBUROH
Value of Carefulness.'
W'e have frequently heard the state-
ment made that a tirst-class locomotive
engineer is worth more than double
the wages of an inferior and careless
man handling an engine. Nearly every
roundhouse foreman can testify to the
correctness of the above allegation,
but it is frequently troublesome to
make out a bill of particulars. Knowl-
edge of his business is essential in
making a first-class engineer, but a
spirit of carelessness or recklessness
combined with laziness may render
knowledge of little value. One of the
worst accidents to an engine that the
writer ever saw was due to an engineer
thinking he might manage to run eight
or ten miles with one side rod. He was
perfectly familiar with the rule requir-
ing the rods on both sides to be taken
down when one side rod was disabled,
but he was a natural chance taker, the
result being that crank pins were torn
off, one driving wheel fractured, and
the cylinder smashed beyond repair.
When remonstrated with about causing
the damage, the engineer excused him-
self on the plea of bad luck.
In a series of dynamometer car tests
made by one of our leading railways to
ascertain the magnitude of shocks im-
parted to draft gear in the handling of
heavy freight trains it was found that
with a careful and skillful engineer the
strongest tensile strains seldom ex-
ceeded 50,000 lbs., while the buffing
shocks seldom exceeded 80,000 lbs.
With a less skillful or more careless
engineer the shocks were increased to
about 70,000 and 150,000 lbs., respective-
ly. The difference represents what
might be material increase in the cost
of repairs to draft gear.
Jack and Jacks.
The announcement is made that the
Duff Manufacturing Company, of Pitts-
burgli, the well-known makers of jacks,
great and small; track jacks, lowering
jacks, differential screw jacks, oil-well
jacks and other varieties of jacks, have
added another jack to their list. Tliey
have secured control of the business of
William Fongic, Washington, Pa., and
will make the Fongie jack, the only one
needed to make the Duflf people's pyra-
mid of jacks complete.
The Blacksmith at Work.
All observant railway men are famil-
iar with the blacksmith at work, but
few of them understand the meaning
of the various taps of his h.-.mmer when
assisted by a helper. With his left
hand he moves and turns the hot iron,
tapping all the time with the hammer
held in hii right hand, while the helper
is striking heavy blows with a sledge.
The character and position of the
strokes imparted by the blacksmith's
hammer mean as much to his assistant
as the signal given by switchmen
means to the engineer.
When the blacksmith gives the anvil
quick, light blows, it is a signal for the
helper to strike quicker. When the
blacksmith, on the other hand, strikes
slow, heavy blows, it indicates to his
helper to use his sledge in a similar
fashion.
The blacksmith's lielper is supposed
to strike the work in the middle of the
width of the anvil. When this re-
quires to be varied, the blacksmith in-
dicates with his hammer where the
sledge blows are to fall. If the sledge
is required to have a lateral motion
while descending, the blacksmith indi-
cates the required action by blows with
the hand hammer delivered in the
proper direction.
When the blacksmith delivers a heavy
blow upon the work and an intermedi-
r.te light blow upon the anvil, it means
that heavy sledge blows are required.
If there arc two helpers, the black-
smith strikes a blow between each
helper's sledge hammer blow, the ob-
ject being to denote where the sledge
blows are to fall. An emphatic blow
struck by the blacksmith on the anvil
means stop.
Train Did Not Stop.
They were on their wedding tour and
imagined that every civility given them
related to their new condition of servi-
tude.
Having stopped oflf at a way station,
the bridegroom was approached by the
station master, who asked ; "Are you go-
ing to take the next train?"
"It's none of your business," retorted
the bridegroom, indignantly, as he guided
the bride up the platform, where they
condoled with each other over the im-
pertinence of some of the natives.
Onward came the train, its vapor curl-
ing from afar. It was the last to their
destination that day — an express. Nearer
and nearer it came at full speed, then in
a moment it whizzed past and was gone.
"Why in thunder didn't that train
stop?" yelled the bridegroom.
" Cos you said 'twarn't none of my biz-
ness. I has to signal if that train's to
stop."
Railway Business Association Second
Annual Dinner.
Within the short two years of its exist-
ence the Railway Ilusincss Association has
leaped into international importance and
is exercising extraordinarily beneficent
influence as a medium of conciliation be-
tween railway interests and public senti-
ment. To say that Mr. George A. Post is
president of the association and exerts
526
RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING.
December, 1910.
the strongest influence in its manage-
ment is to assure our readers that suc-
cess of the most pronounced character
would attend all its operations.
The second annual dinner of the asso-
ciation was held in the Waldorf-Astoria
Hotel, New York, on November 22, at
which the most distinguished body of
general business and railway men took
part that has ever came together under
one roof. They met under a banner in-
scribed : "From apprehension to security,
via mediation, tact, reciprocity, co-opera-
tion, conservatism." An address was
made by President Post, who acted as
toastmaster in his usual masterly man-
ner. Daniel Willard, president of the
Baltimore & Ohio Railroad; Chairman
Knapp, of the Interstate Commerce
Commission; John Clafiin, the famous
wholesale merchant, and Thomas A. Daly
delivered excellent addresses. The spirit
of the speeches were the sentiments ex-
pressed in the mottoes on the banner.
President Willard's address was
strongly inspired by sentiments of har-
mony between railroad companies and
their patrons. He was not opposed to
the policy of government supervision of
railroads. On the contrary, he felt con-
vinced that under all circumstances it is
for the best interests of all the railroads
as well as the public that there should be
effective government regulation.
Arguing that if costs of railroad opera-
tion continue to go up, an increase of
rates becomes imperative as the only
means wherewith to meet the situation.
Mr. Willard said that as such increase
must have the approval of the commis-
sion it operated to place the credit of the
railroads in the hands of the commission ;
for credit will depend upon net earnings,
and net earnings will be dependent upon
the rates received, which, in turn, rests
with the commission.
Mr. Willard urged that the railroads
should treat all alike while giving full
and proper consideration to the rights
of the security holders, to give fair con-
sideration also to the rights and feelings
of the shipper, and keep out of politics.
He also suggested that they consider each
new proposal for legislative restriction
with studied freedom from any spirit of
retaliation, holding their official repre-
sentatives strictly accountable for adopt-
ing no new restriction which is not ur-
gently needed
Chairman Knapp began : President and
gentlemen of the association for the pre-
vention of cruelty to railroads, and went
on with an interesting address that lasted
one hour and seven minutes.
"The freedom of a person to move
about," he said, "is at the very root of
the problem of individual liberty. The
roads must be kept open on equal terms
to all, and the street was the foundation
of the State. Now, in the midst of rapid
changes the railroad has taken the place
of the street."
He said that if the country was to
grow and prosper the necessity existed for
returns on three things — on railway in-
vestments "of such amount and so well
assured as to attract the necessary capi-
tal to improve existing roads and con-
struct thousands of miles of new lines in
fruitful districts now destitute of any
means of transportation, the payment of
liberal wages to an adequate number of
competent men not only to insure increas-
ing skill and reliability, but also because
of the great influence of railway wages
upon compensation of labor in private em-
ployment," and "the betterment of exist-
ing lines without unnecessary increase in
capitalization."
Mr. John Claflin, President of the H.
B. Claflin Company and of the United
Dry Goods Companies, said :
"The railroads now have reached a
point where it seems difficult for them to
continue to increase their gross reve-
nue materially without very great ex-
penditures for betterments and for exten-
sions. Under ordinary conditions the
money to pay for such extensions and
sale of bonds bearing a moderate rate of
interest. At the present time, however,
investors are asking larger returns on
their capital than in the near past, and
certain investors, especially those who
handle only the choicest of American
securities, are inclined to be indifferent to
the offerings of American railroads, be-
cause they are doubtful, in view of the
recent advances in wages, whether or not
the railroads now have a safe margin of
profit which will enable them to pay in-
terest on all their fixed obligations and to
continue reasonable disbursements to
their shareholders."
Value of Enthusiasm.
Enthusiasm has always been the ruling
passion of men and women who have at-
tained greatness. No one has ever moved
the heart of the world who has not been
touched by this divine fire. It makes all
the difference between a half heart and a
whole heart, between signal defeat and
splendid victory. The young man who
hopes to succeed today must be smitten
with this master passion or his life will
be a comparative failure. The one-tal-
ented who has fallen in love with his
work, who is enthusiastic over his voca-
tion, will accomplish infinitely more in
life than the ten-talented who has not
been touched by this heavenly spark.
Did Not Have to Wait.
"If I am not home from the smoker
by eleven o'clock," said Jim Blank, a
well-known railway supply man, to his
wife, "don't wait for me, dear."
"I shan't wait," she replied. "If you
are not home by that hour I'll come
for you." Jim was home in good time.
Model Locomotives and Castings
Walschaerts Valve Gear Model $15.00
A. S. CAMPBELL
557 Hendrix St. Brooklyn, N. Y.
MTTOIM
POP VALVES AND GAGES
The Quality Goods that Last
The Ashton Valve Co.
271 Franklin Street. Boiton, M«M.
174 Lake Street. Chicaso. III.
HUNT-SPILLER IRON
FOR LOCOMOTIVE CASTINGS
Hunt-Splller Mfg. Corporation
W. B. LEACH, Can. Mgr. A Trea*.
South Boston, /Vlass.
STANDARD MECHANICAL BOOKS
FOR ROAD AND SHOP MEN
BY CHAS. McSHANE.
The Locomotive Up to Date
Price, $2.50
New York and
Westinghouse Air Brakes
Price, $1.50
One Thousand Pointers for
Machinists and Engineers
Price, $1.30
All beoks b^nnd In fine cloth
AGENTS WANTED everywhere; write
for terms and descriptive circulars. Will
be sent prepaid to any address upon
receipt of price.
GRirrilN &WIINTERS
171 La Salle Street, CHICAGO
JUST A WORD
Look at Page 3 of the
Advertising Section
of this Issue
Read and Reflect
i jl lliil !i iiii nil ir II III iiii ii III ir
3 1812 04298 5557
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