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REFERENCE

Carnegie

Library of

Pittsburgii

Main

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vol. 13/14

Railway master mechanic.

New York [etc. ]

Simmons-Boardman Pub. Co.

[etc.]

Old Vol. XIII.

New Vol. V,

From January to December, 1890, Inclusive.

Mo^eJ'owep,

With Which is Incorporated Jhe Railway purchasing Agent and Supply Jrade Journal.

F. N. Lewis, Manager Business Department.

W. D. Crosman, Manager Editorial Department.

Published by the Railway Purchasing Agent Company.

" THE ROOICER.'X', " CHIC-A.C3-0.

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THE MASTER MECHANIC.

I'UDUSHZI) MONTHLY BY THE

RAILWAY PURCHASING AGENT COMPANY,

The Rookery," Chicago.
Devoted to the interests of railway motive power, equipment
and macliinery. Communications on any topics suitable to these
columns are solicited.

Prior to January 1. 1886, this journal was known as The Rail-
way Purchasiuf; Agent. It will still in ita new and wider field be
adapted to the especial wants of all who purchane or influence
the purchase of railway supplies.

(The Official Railway List is also published by this company.
See annonncement on another page.)

Subscription price. *1 "00 a year. Adverttsing rates and details
conceminK circulation piven on application to the office by mail
^r in person. Address

E. M. LEWIS. Manager.
"The Rookery." Chicago.
New York Office; 45 Broadway, Room us.

INo. 1.

Vol. 5] CHICAGO. JANUARY,

We note that there is more favorable considera-
tiou in some quarters of the so-called "special"
oils for locomotive ami car use. It is claimed
that with the decrease iu price of ordinary black
oil there has been a corresponding letting clown in
quality which, with the more exacting demands,
especially in passenger service, has shown its
effects iu hot boxes and delayed trains. As a
consequence, managers have in some cases de-
cided to use oils of a greater body, even at a ma-
terially higher price, on the general principle that
"an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of

While the bill for lubricating cars and engines
is not one of the largest items of expense in rail-
way operation, it is one in which there can be
considerable saving made by exercising greater
care in using lubricating supplies. The necessity
of constant watchfulness over the most minute
details was forcibly brought to our attention re-
cently by noticing the headlights of engines haul-
ing the trains of a western road burning at full
height in the middle of the day. No excuse based
on the condition of the weaihei could account for
such neglect, and the inference could only be
drawn that there was carelessness and consequent
unnecessary expense in oil consumption, due to
either the engine men, the round-house men, or
both.

On the other hand there is perhaps sometimes
a tendency to give the oil record an undue prom-
inence. We have heard of one road where the
engineeis were rated largely by their standing in
oil used, while but little attention was paid to the
fuel record which, of course, involves much larger
amounts. Too close a pressure towards economy
on oils may lead, in these days of heavier engines
and faster trains, to such damage of journals,
rods, and brasses as would counterbalance any
probable saving. While it is well to be as saving
as possible with lubricating materials, we must
steer carefully away from any chance of damage
to the rolling stock.

At the last meeting of the New England Club
an interesting and instructive paper on railroad
signals and signaling was read by Mr. E. H.
Soule. We regret that we cannot give space to
the paper in full, for it dealt with practice in sig-
naling and interlocking from the time when the
latter first began to receive attention in this coun-
try. This was about 1874, and the first machine
used was a Saxby i Farmer on the Pennsylvania
Railroad. The author traced the history of inter-
locking from tha' date to the present, and men-
tioned the general rules governing the practice of
interlocking. The rapid progress towards sim-
plicity of design was noted, and examples given
showing the difference in the number of levers
required now and a few years ago for the same
work. For instance, the interlocking system at
the <irand Central Depot in New York City, as
rearranged in 1887 comprised 116 levers. In 18s9
it was again rearranged, and though eleven new
switches, twenty-nine switch-locks and twelve
new signals were introduced, only 87 levers were
needed. Block signals were also described at
some length, and the various systems, manual,

electric, hydraulic, and pneumatic, were discussed.
In closing the author said that but little more
economy and efficiency of operation could be ac-
complished in the manual system of block signals,
and that the outlook for further gain is probably
in the extended use of the pneumatic system.

The movement for the establishment of a sys-
tem of joint inspection at Chicago, inaugurated at
the Western Railway Club's December meeting,
should meet with hearty favor. Mr. Peck's paper
on this subject reveals very clearly the need of the
proposed reform. He shows how, under the pres-
ent system of individual inspection, expensive and
extremely inconvenient delays of cars are of daily
occurrence, and he also shows that the inspection
itself, under the present methods, is unduly ex-
pensive, costing almost as much per car as it does
to repair the car. The club received Mr. Peck's
suggestions with favor, and he was appointed a
committee of one to call a meeting of the hesuls of
the car departments of roads entering Chicago.
This meeting has been called for January 21 at 10
!i. m. — the Western Railway Club's meeting day
— and will be held in the club rooms. A commu-
nication given elsewhere explains the working of
joint inspection at Detroit, and this, with Mi.
Peck'spaper, makes out a strongcase for the new sys-
tem. It is believed that any existing difficidties in
the way of the adoption of similar methods of in-
spection at Chicago, due to location of the numer-
ous yards, etc., can be readily overcome when
given consideration by the coming meeting. It is
to be hoped that every official interested in inspec-
tion at Chicago will make it a point to attend the
meeting and aid in the solution of a problem which
affects alike the traffic, operating and mechanical
departments.

If we are to judge by the general expression of
opinion there is not much faith in the value of
"boiler compounds" in preventing the formation
of scale as formerly. A committee of the Master
Mechanics' Association long ago condemned their
use, but many a barrel of these compounds has
since been tried as experiments by master me-
chanics. It is doubtful whether these experiments
and the failures almost invariably resulting from
thtm were necessary to prove the correctness of
the position taken by the master mechanics' com-
mittee, but it seems certain that the experience
with the boiler compounds during recent years
has made most master mechanics, who are
troubled with very bad feed water, ready to try
some other method.

Perhaps the method of water purification which
is most inviting at present is that in which
the impurities are precipitated by heat after the
water leaves the tender and before it mingles with
the water in the boiler. Tho objections to this
method in the past have generally arisen from the
fact that the water was not heated sufficiently to
deposit all the impurities, and that the suitable
and adequate means for getting rid of the precipi-
tated impurities bad not been provided. But it
seems an easier matter to overcome such objections
than to obtain purification of the water by any
other meiins. The whole question is one of great
importance to many railway companies as a large
percentage of their expenses for repairs on loco-
motives can be traced to the effects of impure
boiler water.

expense to start one, as the machinery and outfit
for a physical and chemical laboratory capable of
pursuing all ordinary investigations, would not
exceed a cost of ,§5,000. These laboratories have
made their impression upon railway practice in
the past, more especially in the line of what is
now known as routine work in testing supplies
and improving specifications; work which was
special in its nature when knowledge necessai-y to
make good specifications had not been obtained
and classified.

In the future some of their most important work
will be in the line of special investigation, and as
competition becomes keener and the necessity of
economy increases, the value of this department
will be more generally appreciated and the wonder
will be how we ever got along without them.

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Thk intelligent and efficient management of a ;
large railroad system requires so much special |
knowledge that it is sometimes a matter of wonder
that railroading should gr.jw to such enormous
proportions without the establishment of more
departments of special investigation. About fifteen
years ago the first department of physical tests in
connection with a railroad was estab ished, on the
Pennsylvania Railroad, and shortly afterward the
first railroad chemical laboratory was started on
the same road. Since that time the number of
railruad laboratories has increased slowly until at
present the total number in this countrj' is but
seven or eight. Where these have been managed
well they have proved of great value to the roads
owning them and indirectly to the other roads and
to the manufacturers. Kor is it a matter of great

By the courtesy of a large number of superin-
tendents of motive power and master mechanics
we are enabled to present to our readers herewith
a table [pages 4 and 5] giving the additions made to
the locomotive equipment of the railroads named
during the year just ended. While the returns by
no means comprise the entire number of engines
built throughout the country during that time,
still they give a clear indication of the recent con-
dition of the locomotive building trade. Several
roads, among them some important ones, have
not favored us with replies to our inquiries and
although owing to this we have official informa-
tion of only 826 engines built by the various con-
tract shops and 368 by the riiilioad companies
themselves, we have been able to obtain figures
from other sources which go to prove that the
total number of locomotives of all kinds built
in this country and Canada during 1889, not in-
cluding those exported, is about 2,100. Taking
the number of engines in service at the close of
1888 at 31), (WO, the percentage of new ones is
about 6. This is a small figure and serves to em-
phasize the statement frequently made during the
first part of the year, that the stagn.ation in this
particular line of business was greater than at any
time in the last few years. Lately, however, a
decided improvement has taken place, and judg-
ing by this and by the recent rise in the price of
steel rails, pig iron, etc., usually infallible signs,
we may fairly expect a considerable increase in
the output of the locomotive shops, (with the ex-
ception of those few that are almost always work-
ing up to their full capacity, no matter how good
or bad trade generally is,) during the current year.

As might naturally be expected the Altoona
works of the Pennsylvania have turned out a
larger number of engines (125) than those of any
other railroad company. Large as these shops are
they are inadequate to meet the demands made on
them at present, but the extensive and completely
equipped new buildings now fast nearing comple-
tion will, with the help of the older portion of the
works, be amply sufficient to satisfy all require-
ments. Meanwhile the company has been com-
pelled to contract for 25 class "R" consolidation
engines at the Baldwin shops, 15 of which were
to be finished by January 1st, and the remiynder
diu-ing the month.

We have not considered it advisable to include
in our list any rebuilt engines, for although "re-
building " is generally supposed to obviate the
necessity of purchasing new locomotives, yet the
term has such a wide range of meaning as to ren-
der it impossible to draw the line between mere
overhauling and actual reconstruction at all de-
finitely, hence the exclusion.

We are pleased to note the improvement that
has taken place in all directions with regard to
the ratio between cylinder power and adhesive
weight, few badly overcylindercd engines having
been built during the year. We attribute this de-
sirable state of affairs, in a great measure, to the
excellent report presented by the committee on
"Proportions of Locomotive Cylinders," at the
St. Paul meeting of the Master Jlechanics' Af so-
ciatiou in 1887. The seed sown then is now bear-
ing abundant fruit,

THE MASTER MECHANIC,

jANnABT, 1890.

The most noticeable fact wbicli our figures
bring out is the growing popularity of the 6-
coupled engine, chiefly of the lOwheeied type,
although the mogul has many ailhei>nts, for fast
and heavy passenger traffic. This is the more re-
markable as the tendency abroad, more especially
in England, is to revert to the two single driving
wheels for this kind of service.

Tlie compounding of locomotives has attracted
considerable attention during the year. This is
due in a great measure to three causes: first, the
importation by the Pennsylvania Railroad Com-
pany of a Webb three cylinder compound, built by
Messrs. Beyer, Peacock & Company, of Manches-
ter, Englaud; secondly, the Eiu'opean trip of the
American engineers during the past summer,
which enabled many of our rajlroad men to inves-
tigate personally the details of the various sys-
tems, and to satisfy themselves concerning their
merits and drawbacks, to an extent impossible by
any other means: and, thirdly, the prominence
given the subject by the technical press. The two
or three papers on compounding read before the
railroad clubs have elicited discussion which prove
by the inteUigence and earnestness displayed that
our more progressive master mechanics are look-
ing for better thiogs, and are not only willing but
anxious to give the compound system a searching
trial.

The Pennsylvania Railroad has not as yet made
public the results of the tests of the Webb engine,
but we believe th-it the design will not be adhered
to in the compound now under consideration at
Altoona.

The Baltimore & Ohio has already put in ser-
vice a four cylinder compound designed, built,
and patented Isy the Baldwin Works, as was noted
in our last number.

The Michigan Central has bought a compound
from the Schenectady works. This engine, which
left the shops about the middle of December, is an
exact reproduction, with the exception of those
changes absolutely required for compounding, of
the regular type of Michigan Central teu-
wheel passenger engine, which the works
named have recently been building. The
Worsdell-VonBorries system has been used, modi-
fied with respect to the stariinL' gear by Mr. A. J.
Pitkin, of the Schenectady works, who has been
granted letters patents for his imju'ovements.
A complete description and an illustration of this
engine appears on another page. There are no extra
handles to be attended to on this locomotive, over
and above those used on engines of tbe ordinary
kind, the valve controlling the admission of steam to
the 29 in. or low pressure cylinder being auto-
matic in its operation, and all the engineer has to
do in starting is to pull open the throttle, and
then to hook the valve gear back as the engine
gets into sjieed in the usual way. This is a very
valuable feature, and altigether we consider this
engine to contain the elements of success.

The addition to those we have mentioned, we
understand that Mr. Geo. B. Strong, of New York,
is working on the designs of a four cylinder com-
pound, wliich he expects to have ready in the early
spring. The Mexican Central are building a
compound, and several others are at work upon
designs, generally of the two cylinder type.
There are, of course, besides, whole troops of
inventors at work on the subject, probably see-
ing in compounding a new field for the exercise
of their talents, now that the car coupler
question has been so thoroughly attended
to. Whether the apphcation of the prin-
ciples of compounding to locomotives will
be widely made in this country remains to be
seen, but we feel confident that there is a great
future awaiting it, particularly on the Pacific slope
and those other districts remote from the coal fields,
where the price of coal reaches an almost fabu-
lous figure.

. With regard to external appearance of the loco-
motives of the year there has been further im-
provement in neatness and simplicity. Severely
plain dome casings, sand boxes and smoke stacks,
with cabs in keeping therewith, have become the
rule rather than the exception, and what our En-
glish friends have been pleased in the past to call

I tbe "ginger bread" finish of our engines ha
conspicuous by its absence. We assert ■«

as been
without
fear of contradiction that the appearance of the
I representative American built engine of to-day,
! with its somber painting and freedom from crude
and barbaric decoration, is less obtrusive and in
better taste than that of any other country.

As to the materials of construction there has
been but little change. Steel easily maintains its
place as the chief constituent of boilers, but, as
we pointed out last month, there is a decided ob-
jection to its use for stay bolts. We note an iu-
! crease in the use of babbitt metal for lining the
; journal bearings of driving and truck boxes. This
IS due to the steady increase of the static load per
wheel, rising as high as 22,000 in some cases,
rendering some soft metal lining necessary to pre-
vent heating.

The Laird guides are finding favor for all
classes of engines on account of their simplicity
and efficiency. The four bar style so long a fav-
orite is not being used so much as formerly, and
we are glad to see that on engines where this type
of guide is still retained, the old fashioned cast
iron cross head with the wrist pin in one piece
with the body, is giving place to one having a
separate iron or steel pin. Excellent as cast iron
is in its place, its employment for such an im-
portant connection as a wrist pin is not good
practice. We have seen 19 m. cylinder engines
with oast pins only 2| in. in diameter; it does not
require any very complicated calculation to prove
the mechanical iniquity of this. The two bar or
alligator guide is still much used, and answers
well on engines having large drivers, but for con-
solidation and other small wheeled engines, the
lower bar is too near the dust and dirt of the road-
way for entire satisfaction. The admirable Dean
enclosed guide is advancing in favor.

The use of solid ended bushed side rods is nat
urally increasing; some roads have gone a step
beyond and make the front end of the main rod
in the same way, while the Chicago, Burlington &
Quiucy has gone further yet in adopting a main
rod having both ends solid.

The comparatively large number of Belpaire
fire-boxes constructed will be noticed. This sys-
stem is undoubtedly the most rational method of
making a flat sided stayed fire-box that has yet
been tried, and we expect to see an increasing
number built year by year. An objection raised
to it is the large amount of space it fills up in the
cab. This is not a serious evil and can be miti-
gated by striking a large radius at the top sides
of the shell. On the Dutch roads, where this fire-
box originated, this radius is considerably larger
than we make it. The Norfolk & Western on
their new 19x24 in. cylinder 10 wheelers, besides
the Belpaire box, are using what we believe is
another invention of Mr. Belpaire's, namely, a
large screw in conjunction with the reversing
lever for the adjustment of the point of cut.off.

Among the many well designed engines built
during the j-ear, perhaps the most noticeable is
the suburban passenger locomotive of the Chicago,
Burhngton & Quincy, which has already been
mentioned in the Railway Master Mechanic. It
will be rememVered that it has six coupled driving
wheels and a pony truck under the coal bunk at
the rear end. Tlie design of this engine is char-
acterized by that boldness and freedom from the
dictates of tradition that we have become accus-
tomed to look for in the locomotives of this com-
pany. We have one serious fault to find with it,
however. We consider the interior of the cab is
too much crowded for convenience of operating,
especially that part which falls to the lot of the
fireman. The following table gives the leading
particulars of this engine, together with those of
engines which may fairly be compared with it.
The great adhesive weight of the "Q" engine, con-
sidered with reference to the mean tractive force,
ensures a prompt getting away from stations.

In concluding this brief and necessarily some-
what hurried summary of the work done during
the past twelve months, we beg to tender our
thanks to those gentlemen who have so kindly en-
abled us to make our figures reliable.

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In addition to the above reports, six firms of loco-
motive builders have favored us with the record of
the output of their shops during the year, as fol-
lows: The Schenectady Locomotive Works built
220 locomotives during the year, as follows:
Eight wheelers — 3 with 16x24 in. cylinders, 8 with
17x21 in. cyhnders, 30 with 18x24 in. cylinders,
25 with 18x26 in. cylinders, 2 with 19x24 in. cyl-
inders, making a total of 68 ei^ht wheelers; ten
wheelers— 7, 18x24 in., 14, 19x24 in.. 8, 19x26 in.,
making a total of 29 ten wheelers; twelve wheelers
— 1, 20x26 in.; moguls— 5, 17x24 in., 23, 18x24
in., 10. 19x24 in., 20, 19x26 in., making a total of
58 moguls; consolidations — 'Zl, 20x21 in.; six
wheel switchers— 14, 17x24 in., 20, 18x24 in., 2,
19x24 in., making a total of 36 six wheel switch-
ers; four wheel switchers — 1 (narrow gauge) 9x14
in., 1,16x24 in., total, 2; Forneys- 2, 17x24 in.
In addition to the foregoing these works built 1
inspection locomotive with 9x16 in. cylinders, 1
Strong locomotive with 18x24 in. cylinders and 1
compound with 20 in. and 29x24 in. cylinders.
This latter engine is described and illustrated in
this issue.

The Cooke Locomotive & Machine Co. report 54
engines built, of which 1 was a mogul with 18x24
in. cylinders, 20 were ten wheelers, 10 having ]8x
24 in. cvlinders and an equal number having 19x
24 in. cylinders, 29 were consolidation engines
with Wootteu fire-boxes and 20x24 in. cylinders,
3 were six wheeled switchers having 16x24 in. cyl-
inders and 1 was a four coupled switch engine hav-
iug pony trucks back and front and 15x22 in. cyl-
inders. Besides these locomotives this company
built 5 Rotary snow shovels in the early part of
tbe year. It is safe to say that had it not been
for the removal of this concern into its new works,
a lengthy and tedious operation, its output would
have beeu largely in excess of what it actually
was.

The Taunton Locomotive Works have built 8
engines, of which 2 were Mason "bogies" having
14x20 in. cylindeis, 3 were of the American type
with 18x24 in. cyhnders and 3 were six wheeled
switchers with 17x24 in. cylinders.

The Baldwin Locomotive Works built 836 loco-
motives during the year, 2 of which had one pair
of drivers, 296 two pairs, 35H three pairs and 180
four pairs.

The Lima Machine Works have constructed 46
Shay patent logging locomotives.

The Mount Savage Locomotive AVorks have
turned out 2 consolidation fn^^incs having 20x24
in, cylinders,

Januabt,

THE MASTER MECHANIC.

We may add that during the year the Hinckley
Locomotive Works have gone completely out of
existence, and the Grant works, of Patersou, liave
been practically closed up.

MOKALITY OF RAILWAY OFFICEISS.

One of our most widely known and respected
contemporaries has recently delivered a lay-sermon
in which he makes many wise and true remarks
upon the subject of the business and official mor-
ality of railway officers. It is a good sermon and
a timely one, and the Railway Master Mkchanic
not only appreciates the courage and good sense
which inspired and planned it, but will now and
hereafter take up the burden and proclaim in its own
style and manner, that a good conscience, a keen
sense of honor, an unsullied business character
and a high and sensitive self-respect are worth
more than money, or all that money can buy, in the
field of railway service as well as elsewliere. He
who sells for money his right to feel an honest re-
spect for the face which confronts him in the
mirror when he makes his toilet makes a mighty
poor trade. There is no service more honorable
than the railway service, and we believe that no
sei-vice contains a larger proportion of honorable
men, but there are temptations to dishonesty
everj'where, and frequent words of counsel and of
warning are not amiss. We have had on hand for
some time the materials for an article, the title of
which, "How much is there in It for Me — A Story
of Grease," indicates its general nature. Indeed
it may grow into a collection of stories before pub-
lication is finished.

During these recent Christmas days gifts have
been flying hither and thither like passing docks
of birds, and some of the railway supply dealers
have been Santa Clausing all over the country. It
takes a pretty stem moralist to condemn tlie send-
ing of a box of good cigars to the master mechanic
or the purchasing agent with whom one has
pleasant and frequent business relations. And if
the recipient does not consider too curiously why
they were sent or whether the gift will be repeated
next vear if he happens to be out of a job, he can
enjoy their flavor to the full. But if they happen
to be bad cigars the iniquity of the transaction is
unquestionable. And that they are, sometimes,
bad is, alas, too true! One, three or fourdays be-
fore tlie blessed Christmas of la89 a box
of Christmas cigais came into the office
of a master mechanic out in Ohio, on whom
we were calling at the time. Tlie present was
marked with the name of a certain oil company.
The box was of pasteboard made in -far away imi-
tation of red cedar. Our frimd made an excuse
that he was not smoking at all just then and in-
sisted that we should try the cigars. (It is only
fair to liim to say that in all other respects he
treated us most hospitably.) They were wholly
and superlativtly bad. Of the evil character of
that transaction there can be no doubt. No super-
intendent of motive power, master mechanic or
purchasing agent will sell his conscience for a
hundred cigars of that brand!

To speak seriously — the Railway Msster Me-
chanic does not set up as a spiritual guide and di-
rector of its readers. Rut when a man takes ser-
vice with a railroad company he is bound by the
simple law of honor to give to its service the best
that is in him. He takes payment for devoting
himself to its interests. More than all he owes it
to himself -to his own manhood — to do the very
best that he can in the position which he has ac-
cepted. When this is said all is said. uch a
man is incapable of being bribed. He knows
neither fear nor favor in the discharge of his duties.
His hands are clean and there are uo whisperers
at his ear. He has no fear that his superiors or
inferiors wiU lind ont something that he has done
and wants kept in the dark. Much more — he is
not afraid that his sons will leai-n he does business
on principles ■which he does not want them to
adopt.

Those who are well informed on this subject
know that money which comes by dark ways to a
man's pocket does not, in the majority of" cases,
stay there. "Easy come, easy go," is the way of it.

Poker, races and careless speculation prevent any
lasting accumulation. And not infrequently the
end comes with a crash, and, with a fly blown
reputation, the man is left without employment
and without friends. The first to forsake him will
be those who tempted him to forget his duty and
self respect. They cultivated his friendship for
what they could make out of him, and when he is
no longer in power they have no use for him.

Of course a considerable percentage of those
who are "on the make" seem to succeed by it. If
more of them saved money and lived well to the
end there would be fewer of these sinners.
Whether they are really successful or not must be
decided according to one's view of what success
really is. But there will be always in the railway
service a great number of true meu.

The tendency of the present time in freight car
constniction is, it is well known, towards greater
size and carrying capacity, cars to carry 60,000
lbs. being in growing use on a number of roads.
Added to this there is au increase in specially
large cars for lumber and furniture, though the
nominal carrying capacity may not have increased
very much as far as weight goes.

It is questionable to us how far this increase,
both in size and tonnage capacity, should be car-
ried. We are getting a structure that is more ex-
pensive to build and that will require a much
larger outlay per car mile for repairs than the
freight car of the past.

Another fact which should be remembered is
that the average load carried per loaded car does
not increase in proportion to the nominal load un-
less there is an increase in bulk capacity as well
as weight capacity. It is safe to say that on the
average western road the increase in nominal
earacity from 10 to 20 tons to the car has only re-
sulted in an actual increase in load carried to
about one-third of that amount. This is due to
the fact that with so many articles of freight the
bulk rather than the weight determines the load.
This is true, for instance, of live stock and mer-
chandise, the laUer not averaging over nine tons
as the load of a 30 to 32 foot car. This fact, to-
gether with the complications incident to heavier
and more expensive rolling stock, and with the
doubtful policy of handling freight trains of be-
yond a certain weight, should cause us to consider
the whole situation before increasing too large a
proportion of our freight car roUing stock beyond
the capacity of -10,000 lbs.

AS'

U be seen by the announcemeut of the M. C.
committee, given elsewhere in this
issue, the next convention of the car builders
will be held at Old Point Comfort, Va., Instead of at
Charleston, S. C. We think that the change will
be welcomed, although there will be disappointment
in many quarters that Lookout Mountain was not
selected. The committee has given the matter
thorough consideration, and its choice is doubtless
the wisest that could have been made under the
circumstances. It is to be hoped that arrangements
can be made to hold the master mechanics' conven-
tion at Old Point Comfort also.

We received the report of comparative tests made
between the Strong locomotive, A. G. Darwin, and
standard hard and soft coal burning engines of the
New York, Lake Erie & Western road, too late for
notice in the December R.\IL\VAY M.^STER Me-
chanic. A somewhat careful examination of the
report shows that it is to be classed with prospect-
useslssued by commercial or manufacturing estab-
lishments rather than with records of careful, accur-
ate and unbiased tests. We have had no little faith
in the Strong locomotive and hope that the company
which controls it will soon be able to carry through
a series of comparative tests which will bear investi-
gation and bring out the actual characteristics of
the engine without either fear or favor.

No ENGIME house on the North American contin-
ent or, for that matter, in Europe either, has a n

splendid roof than that at Hamilton, beneath which
the locomotives of the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Day-
ton Railroad rest themselves and are rubbed down
when their daily runs are over. The roundhouse
itself is magnificent in size, for the sun rises and sets
inside its walls. Its ventilation is perfect, for all
winds blow into and through it. But the roof is the
grandest thing about it. It is a " majo^tioal roof,
fretted with golden fire." At noon the sun hangs in
the high arch of it^dome and at night it is lighted
by constellations and by troops of fixed and wander-
ing stars. And the doors of that house are the gates
of morning and of evening.

In such a stable a breed of lough and hardy iron
horses should be developed. It does not really mat-
ter to those locomotives whether they are in the
house or on the road, so far as the weather is con-
cerned. If it rains when they are in the "roundhouse"
they stand and take it, if it snows they shiver under
it, if the blizzard howls down upon them they can
only turn their haunches to it and let the snow
wreaths sift and whirl around them. A locomotive
which has "all out doors" for its stall must be proof
against all vicissitudes of weather.

We do not publish a cut of this roundhouse because
we have no landscape artist — and because we are not
sure that it is an improvement on the old style. The
sight of those hard worked engines standing in a
drizzle of rain is not a cheerful one. We all know
that General Superintendent Neilson, Superintendent
of Motive Power Cory, and their associates in imme-
diate charge of the operation and equipment of the
road are among the very best railway men in this
country. They are not responsible for these un-
sheltered engines — this roundhouse built of horizou
walls and arching sky. If those who control the
finances of great and prosperous roads would listen
to the recommendations of those who fully compre-
hend the science of practical and economical rail-
roading such roads would not only have good round-
houses in which engines could be well taken care of,
but would also have motive power enough to do their
business without breaking the hearts of general
superintendent and master mechanic.

The pointed refererce made by President Harri-
son, in his message, to the use of improved safety
appliances on freight trains has brought the ques-
tion of legislation prominently to the front. That
congress would one day be called upon to pass mea.s-
ures compelling the use of automatic couplers and
brakes on freight trains has long been conceded, and
there have been brought forward no good arguments
to prove the undesirability of such legislation— in-
deed, there has apparently been no spirit of opposi-
tion to such legislation among leading railway men.
The mechanical officers of our railways have, after
most thorough study, experiment and discussion,
agreed upon a type of automatic couplers and a tyi)e
of automatic brakes— both possessing in theory and
in practice nearly all the characteristics that could
be wished for in such appliances — and thus the
way has been paved for legislation enforcing
the use of appliances of this nature. It is
a fortunate circumstance that, with both brakes and
couplers, legislation can specify a type without con-
ferring a monopoly of manufacture and sale, for
within the lines of these types the field is quite
broad and is already occupied by numbers of com-
peting patents. It is conceded that objections as to
the practicability of automatic brakes and couplers,
and as to the question of monopoly, are groundless;
but there remains the question of the burden which
will be thrown upon the railways by forcing them to
purchase and ajjply the automatic devices. This is
a question which must be carefully treated by fram-
ers of the expected laws; but the limit of time
which will be given in which to equip cars can be so
determined eis to make this objection more apparent
than real. There is little doubt but that legislation
enforcing the use of these safety appliances upon
freight trains will be presented to congress this
winter, and there is a probability that it will be
passed. The main point is now to secure a careful
framing of these new laws with a view to the pro-
tection of natural rights and privileges.

THE MASTER MECHANIC.

DETAILS OF LOCOMOTIVl

CONSTBUCnON DUBIHO 1889.

N-AME OF KOAD.

Type.

Sennce.

{

■s

T.>T>e.

Service.

I!
1

Remark..

■'

2
2

12 ]

20 j

2
6

! "!■

' 1

12 \

' i
^ I
8 ]

13 J

5 \\

i i'
" -I'

3
25

1 f^wheel

E»^-..

13x18
]te20

30 >

•1

413

17
11
732
*J

786

193

163

331

430
41

24
28
182

187

27
368

XSS

180

"5
16
80
19

13
2o
114

i
83
470

407

25-0
111
41

67
32-2
II

1-7
6-6

.50;0
160

4-5

10-4
21

6-4
14-6

30-8
71
•3-3

38-6
8-7
35-9

1-8

Narrow gauge

A-hland Coal t Iron Co.

Mogul

Freight

19x24

Allegheny Valley

i consol. Freight
2 6-wheel Switch

iiwheel F^fght
ti-wheel Switch
e-wheel Switch
"Bogie" !Pas.s.

liZ l^r^ght
OlO-whecl IFrelght

lir'"" IS?"'

30x24

M
•Si

16x22

ii
Si

.. .

BuffaiJcJ^r^.;::.:::;:;:;::;::::

Walschacrt valve gear

Boston i Maine

4-wheel

10 6-wheel

HMogul

^t^heel
1 8 wheel

Switch

P:^.'

Pass.

Freight ■
SwilSh

ISh

15x22
16.V24

18X24
19X24

17X22

1 1,1. - i ■ -v St. Paul

rhi;'!':;..', K .i,.,,,u/~..vsairinaW:":::

Oiicago. Rock iBlaDd i Paoiflc

Chicago i West Michigan

im.-

iSeel
Mogul

fo-'^vheel
1 6-whecl

Pai^.'

Freight

Switch

Chicago, Burlington & Quiiicy.

MoguLs and suburban have Belpaire flre-

BurUngton & Missouri Kiver in

10 Am.
10 mogul

IS:

i!r^'

1 18X34
17X24

4 have Belpaire fire-boxes.
10 have Belpaire flre-boxes.

M consol.
910-wheel

2 6-wheel
2 Forney

f'l

Freight

iiiun

Freight
3 pass.
8 switch

■li^S

III

18x24
M.X26

16x24

Cleveland. Akron & Columbus

I 10 freight

Mogul IFrelght

10-wheel j Freight

1 Am. Pa.s.s.
1 mogul Switch

i»Jel
4 10-wheel

is;:

18x34
I9S4

CaroUna Central

1 4-wheel

Switch

iSht

Am.
consol

Freight
Freight

16X24
20x34

3 10-wheel
.^.wheel

• 19X34- ■
IS

lTx24
'?x?^

•!i

On.. New Orleans & Texas PaciBc. . .

Freight
Freight

Covinfelnni: Macon

?k"r l-alL^"'

IS-wheel [Inspection
!Am. iPass.
!(Oiis..l. FniKl.l

26 i
S

Dululh A: Iron Biinge

Delaware i- Hudson Canal a.

The inspection engine has a pony truck
in front, a pair of drivers 54 in. diame-
ter, and a 4-wheeled truck behind.

3 passenger engines have Wootten fire-box.

Dilaware, Lack. & Western.

mogul

Freight

19X34

East Tenn.. Virginia 4 Georgia

Kail Brook CnalCo

Florida Uy. i Navlpition Co

11-7

5'4

20-0
68-7

8-7
86-8

30
11-3

8-4

6-6
11-5
15-6
320
11-4
166-6

9;7

5-8
19-7

30
4.7

8-8 :

6mo^f

■Switch'

TTscd for incline transfer and switching.

6 6-whecl
20 mogul

Switch
Freight

18X22

'^^■heel
1 6-wheel

Freight
Switch

"iVrii-

!^-^hcel

Pass.
Switch

18x24

Built at Aurora shops of C, B. & Q.

Hartford & Connecticut Western. . . .

lAm.

??Sf.h,

Hancock & Calumet..

ir"" iil^lnd

^«

l'6'j^
17x24
ISxJl

ill

20x24

Houston & Texas Central

IJi^heel
Am.

Pass.
Switch

Pass.

17x24
16x24

17x24

Iowa Central

.laeksonvllle Southeastern

Jacksonville. Tampa 4 Key West. . . .

Iftwheel
Am.

o'VtSS[.i
3^e._wl,eel

These engines burn wood.

Kan. nty. Memphis Ic Birmingham
Kansas City. Ft. Scott & Memphis...

Bntire system.
KentuckyCn

...*

•

I 6

Lehigh i: HudB<m Kirer

tVootten Are boxes.

(JIne passenger and 17 freight.

Lehigh Valley ::;:.,;.::::

lx)uisvllle. New Orleans 4 TexiLS....

Am.

Freight

1HX34
Oalix04

lU-tthc.l |I'aa,.

Lake Shore* Michigan Southern...

Jllchlgaa Centml

wheel

wJtol,

18x24

Che 10 passengers have shallow 9re-boxea,

THE MASTER MECHANIC.

DEIAILS OF LOCOMOTIVE CONSTRUCTION DUBINO iaS9— {Continued).

NameokHoai..

Trpe.

Service.

nil

Type.

Honmrks.

MUwauki-c. Luke Shore & Wi;steru.

' 1

10 -|

mogul
M mngul

Mailmbog.
Am.

« lo'^hcel

Proighl

Si:'

2 Freight
Freight

92
91
122

lie

88
11
40
76
209

180
160
411

70
Z665

6-4
361

200
7.5
9-3
4-7
I.I

5-6
16-8

MixicuQ Ciiitral

Tliose engin.^s liuve 100,000 lbs. on li drivers

MalneCentral

116
91

8
10

Am.

Swiloh

10x34

Mobile & Ohio

Am.

Pa«s.

16x34

New York. Phila. & Norfolk

3 ■]
10

10 -|

a-, ;

98 -

.\m.
mogul

.1 inogul

4 CI in sill

Freight

3 V-rcitrbt

18x2t

•lo^^

19x34
II

18x24

New York, On'ario & Western

One engine has Wootten iire-box.

f"JJJ^ «">*<>"<i^<tous have Wootten lire-

EDtli-e system.

consol

Freight

20x24

All have Belpaire flro-boxes

Northern Pacinc

The IO-wlieelei> are now being delivered.

Am.

Pass.

18x34

1 1

3 Am.
2 6-wheel
9 mogul
6 10-wheel

compound

KiighV'

Switch
Pass.

18x24
19x34

oi-emin Railway & Navigation Co...

aa_

IK^IOW

Pennsylvania...*.

jf^lH

1 compo'd from Messrs. Beyer. Peacock &
Sl5?^ai-!&o^af^fi"SS4,"'^'""""'^"-

Pcimsyivanitt Co.—

^^^

Pass!

20 consol.
Il^^heel
stons*!
13 e^heel

Switch

■■■■20X24'

18X24

260

460

66
11

789
2II
\^
32
49

9-6

11-9
7;T

9-4
40

■■;{::; ::^;:::,.,,,:i,:,;,f3^

J
8 )

f9-Son.o..
Mogul

Freight

19^^
18x24

Pittsburgh. Shenango & Lake Erie.

Enti e Bjstem.

ISStSS-rAV^rp'Srrysie.i-.: : ; ;

il"^lrK,Si;;;IJS';;i;il;itoi..:::

TerreH;iut.-\Imli,inai«.lis

Am.
Am.

Piss.'

Pass.

■l7x24"'
15x22

W#heel
lO-wheel
Mogul
Mogul

^t^hee.
4-wheel

Freight

ffii^S't

Freight ]

Freight

Switch

^S
18x24

1TX24

18x24
20x34

4. wheel

Switch

■iex24-

• 1

368

4 a.wheei
1 10-wheel

Switch

110

18
31

4-5
3.

Weighs82.000 lbs. Heaviestengincof type
built by Ihildwin Works 10 dale.

West Vhxinla Central & Pittsburgh.

NOTES OF THE MONTH.

In the shops of the Manhattan Elevated Railway,
New York City, work is produced at a minimum
co«t by a judicious use of jigs, templates, special ap-
pliances, etc. In turning bolls they use two sets of
gauge?, one set of standard finished sizes and the
other set of slightly larger dimensions. The latter
is used for all work which must afterwards be hard-
ened and ground, and the former is used for all
work not hardened and for grinding hardened work
to finished sizes. Connecting and parallel rods are
milled on bo'h heads and bodies instead of planed,
the only planing being the finishing cut on the end
of the main rod after the parts have been fitted to-
gether for the reception of the box. Guides are
forged out of scrap iron and are finished by milling.
They are casehardened and afterwards ground.
The standard crosshead on this road used to be built
up from a number of pieces nearly all of which were
wrought iron or steel. Their standard is now of
cast steel, which is much cheaper and reduces the
number of parts. They are using cast steel and
pressed steel to quite an extent in the place of cast
and malleable iron. The boiler fronts are now made
of pressed steel and their appearance is very neat.
An engine has just been equipped with the Woolf
valve gear, a design which only needs two eccentrics
per locomotive and in which the link is supplanted

by a block sliding in a movable guide. The road
has had no experience with this gear, but several
roads in the northwest have engines equipped with
it and good results are obtained.

In his message to congress President Harrison
asks it to require uniformity in the construction of
cars and the use of improved safety appliances on
trains. His reference to this matter is worded as
follows:

The attention of the interstate commerce commission has
been called to the urpent need of congressional legislation
for the better protection of the lives and limbs of those en.
gaged in operating the great interstate freight lines of the
country, and especially of the .yardmen and brakemen. A
petition, signed by nearly ten thousand railwa.v brakemen,
was presented to the coinmission, asking that steps might
be taken to bring about the use of automatic brakes and
couplers on freight cars. At a meeting of state railroad
commissioners and their accredited representatives, held
at Washington in March last, upon the invitation of the
interstate commerce commission, a resolution was unani-
mously adopted urging the commission "to consider what
can be done to prevent the loss of life and limb in coupling
and uncoupling freight cars and in handling the brakes of
such cars." During the year ending June M, 1S8S, over
2.000 railroad employes were killed in the senMce, and more
than 20,000 were injured. It is competent, 1 think, for con-
gress to require uniformity in construction of cars used in
' ' - - - ^ ■• - use of improved safety appli-

e will be necessary to make
earnest and intelligent begin-
It is a reproach to our civi-
lass of American workmen should in the
pursuit of a necessary and useful vocation be subjected to

ir^

iril of life and limb as great as that of a soldier i

One of the M. C. B. committees— that on mcta]
for brake shoes — has commenced its work of gather-
ing material for a report to the .June convention, in
a manner that reflects great credit upon its members.
A meeting of the committee was held in the Western
Railway Club rooms in Chicago, December 18. There
were present the full committee— (!. W. Rhodes, E.
B. Wall and B. K. Verbryck— and also the following
gentlemen, who came in response to the invitation
of the committee; Wm. Forsyth, .loel West and F.
W. Sargent, of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy;
E. C. Case, St. Louis & Hannibal Railway, H. H.
Westinghouse, Westinghouse Air Brake Company;
W. D. Sargent and Geo. M. Sargent, Congdon Brake
Shoe company; H. A. Little, Lappin Brake-Shoe
company; C. W. Roapper, Solid Steel company; C.
D. W. Gibson, Ramapo Wheel & Foundry company.
The subject of best method of testing brake shoes
was very fully discussed, and the following plan of
preliminary action was agreed to:

1. Two forms of tests will be made. One to be known as
shop tests, and the other as road tests.

" " " ■ ary shop tests will be delegated to the follow-

Prelin
ing committees, the tests to be carried (
roads named :

Q. C. Schr«yer. E. B. Thomson, W. H. Marshall, H.
Little, on the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad.

b. Mr. Driggs, N. J. Paradise, " " "

nibal Railroad.

; respectiv

the St. Louis & Han-

THE MASTER MECHANIC

Janoaby, 1890.

NEW COMPOUND LOCOMOTIVE.-MICHIGAN CENTRAL RAILWAY.

0. F. W. Sargent, Joel West, D. L. Barnes, W. D. Sar-
gent, on the Chicago, Burlington & Quinci" Railroad.

These committees will submit the result of their investi-
gations to an adjourned meeting, to be held in the month
of April, 1S90. From the various methods presented the
M. C. B. committee will select one or more with such modi-
fications as the may think best, which will be used for the
oflicial tests.

3. The following data should be observed and recorded
by the committees:

a. A careful measurement of friction under similar con-
ditions, namely, pressure, speed, area and temperature.

b. The pressure to be UJO lbs. per square inch.

c. The speed to approximate to service on downgrades,
namely. 20 miles per hour.

d. The surface of the metal tested to he 1x4 inches.

e. The rate of wear of the material represerting the
brake-shoe to be determined by one two hour test of each
metal.

/. The rate of wear of the material representing the
wheel to be carefully recorded with each two hour test.

Note.— The tests should be made as applied to steel tired
wheels, and chilled cast iron wheels, each. Any other
appear pertinent to the committees to

shall constitute the

be carried out and included

g. Road Tests.— The M. C. :
technical papers an outline c
road tests by January 1, lS.su.

The committees above mentioned have accepted
the duties conferred upon them and are preparing
for their work. The outline of road tests has not
yet been announced by the M. C. B. committee. It
is evident that at least one report to the coming
convention will embody the results of ideal com-

NEW COKPOUND LOCOMOTIVE — MICHIOAN CENTRAL
RAILWAY.

The Michigan Central recently received from the
Schenectady Locomotive Works a compound ten-
wheeled locomotive, the general appearance of
which is ^ihown by the accompanying illustration,
made from a |)hotograph of the engine. This engine
is one of a number of ten-wheeled passenger engines
built by the Schenectady Works for the road, and is
an exact duplicate of them except the few special
features which pertain to the compounding.

The engine has a 20x24 in. high pressure cylinder
on the left side, and a 2f)x24 in. low pressure cyl-
inder on the right side, the other ten-wheelers hav-
ing two 19x24 in. cylinders. The 29 in. cylinder
goes into posilion nicely, and the casing is flatted off
slightly on the outside, as otherwise it would project
beyond the bumper. Steam passes to the high pres-
sure cylinder in the usual manner, and exhausts
through a largo copper pipe extending around the
interior of the smoke box to the low pressure cylin-
der; after being used in this cylinder, it passes up
the stacks in the usual manner.

In the saddle of tlie low pressure cylinder is an
intercepting valve, which admits live steam into the
low pressure cj-linder when the engine is starting-
It is a piston valve working in a chamber whose

axis is parallel to the main cylinders. On the front
of the saddle is a small head or cover, by means of
which the interior of the intercepting valve chamber
can be examined, and on the rear is a similar head
which also carries an external oil cylinder. The
intercepting valve is attached to a piston rod which
is tecured to the piston of this oil cylinder so that
the latter will prevent too quick a motion of the
intercepting valve. The small piston rod extends
entirely through the oil cylinder, and at its outer
end is attached to the lever shown on the side of the
boiler, and by this means operated from the cab when
desired. The valve is entirely automatic in its ac-
tion, however, and under ordinary circumstances
will require no attention from the engineer.

A reducing valve is also provided by which live
steam above a certain pressure shall not be admitted
to the low pressure cylinder. In starting the engine
the action of the various parts is as follows: The steam
passes to the high pressure cylinder in the regular
way; as it passes through the high pressure cylinder
saddle, part of it is divided through the reducing
valve which is located on the back of the cylinder
saddle and close under the boiler. This valve takes
steam from the live steam passage cored in the one cy-
linder saddle, reduces it to one-half boiler pressure
and delivers it into a passage in the low pressure side
of the saddle which communicateswith the rear end
of the intercepting valve chamber. The pressure on
the end of the intercepting valve presses it forward
and thereby incloses a port through which the steam
passes to the low-pressure steam chest. There is
thus live steam at boiler pressure on the small cy-
linder and at one-half boiler pressure on the large
one. This condition of affairs continues only until
the high-pressure cylinder exhausts once when this
exhaust steam on its way to the low-pressure cylin-
der passes into the front end of the intercepting
valve chamber. It pushes the intercepting valve
back to its normal position thus closing the live
steam port at the rear end and opening the passage
at the front end through which the steam finds ac-
cess to the low-pressure steam chest.

The steam chest valves are of the Allen-Richard-
son type. The ports of the high-pressure cylinder
are 18 in. long and of the low-pressure cylinder 20
in. The outside lap is the same for both valves, H
in., but the high-pressure valve is line and line in-
side while the low-pressure valve has i in. inside
lap. The valves are operated by the regular link
motion and the cut-oflFs, etc., are the same in both
cylinders. Each steam chest has a combined safety
and relief valve tapped into it and the low-pressure
cylinder has one of these valves in each cylinder
head. Indicator plugs are fitted to each cylinder.

The boiler pressure is 180 lbs., the reducing valve is
set at 90 lbs. and the safety valves oil' the low-pres-
sure cylinder are set at about 110 lbs.

In general construction this engine is, as before
stated, identical with other ten-wheelers on the
road. The illustration will show the general feat-
ures. Some of the more important dimensions are
given below.

C.Vlird

Outside la I

Inside lap <!!.
AUenp.iit.- ,.
DririnR wh.i-l
Fuel

Drlvint' «h. . .
Total IVh'rl 1 ,,

1 working order.

. DT.OOO lbs.
.29.800 lbs.
. 126.800 lbs

Driver nxlu .iuuruaLs.
Truck wlicolf (diaiii.l.
Truck axle journals, .
Tank capaciiy. wawr
"* ' apacity, coal .

..8Wt

Weight

The operation of this engine has thus far been
very satisfactory. It handles trains promptly, has
no difficulty in starting, steams well and is success-
ful generally. At present it is running with a 4* in.
nozzle, but there is no doubt but that a larger one
will be used later on. The draft is excellent and
somewhat stronger than is really needed. It has
been running in freight service but is now doing pas-
senger work. No tests have yet been made or cards
taken, but the engine appears to be very economical
in the use of fuel.

Superintendent of Motive Power Wall of the Pitts-
burgh, Cincinnati & St. Louis has been putting in a
steam motor for handling the turntable at the Co-
lumbus roundhouse. It is substantially like the one
at Altoona.

THE MASTER MECHANIC.

THE DECEMBER CLUB MEETINGS.

THE NORTHWEST RAILROAD CLITB.

Discussion on Water Purification.
The Northwoat Raili-oii.l Cluh met at St. Paul,
December 7, and diseubsed the subjeet of '-Water
PuiiBcalion." Mr. J. O. Pattee, of the St. Paul,
Minneapolis & Manitoba, opened the subject with
the following paper:

MR. PATTEE'S PAPER ON PURIFICATION OF WATER.

The subject of suitable water for use in boilers '
! most expensive and f reijuen

t difHcul.

I users have to contend

and formation of hard incrustations or scale in our boilers.
At least 7rt per cent, of the cost of the repairs on boilers on
many roads is caused by bad water, which causes corrosion
ana "incrustation. Where the scale does not acquire a
greater thickness than :j tUof an inch on the shell of a loco-
motive boiler it is by some considered rather an advantage
as it tends to protect the boiler plates from the corrosive
action of the water, but when it becomes thick enough to
threaten the closing of the water space, or where it forms
in a considerable quantity on the sheet and tubes which
areexposed to the heat the"incrustation, it not only becomes
a serious annoyance and causes wasteful expenditure of
fuel, but is also the source of actual danger of damage to
the sheets, or of explosions, and tends greatly to shorten
the life of our tire-boxes and tubes even when no danger
exists. The heat from the fi
rapiitl'- :i'^ it r>'h'^r',vice would

thiit 1^ i.in ._!.; I i ii by circulation, its transformation be-
in^- i,-- .k scale, which is always a poor con-
duct. ! ■ 1 I I- .III tubes are overheated often to such
exi. I: n ,l: ;i. n.-rume corrugated, bhstered, burnt,
cracke,! ,iud ,.iuu luined. The formation of hard scale
when thick euougli to cause overheating of any parts of the
sheets must add materially to the unequal expansion which
is found to be one of the greatest causes of cracked sheets
and unequal strain of all parts of the boiler. We find the
formation of hard scale also interferes
tion of the boilers, rendsring it no easy
with any degree of certainty the condition of the parts,
particularly along the cylindrical portion of the boiler.

In many "localities the formation of hard scale '
that the tubes must betaken out and replaced and the crown
and other sheets cleaned as often as once in six months; in
other localities this work is done about once in IS months,
and where pure water is used the tubes and sheets run for
years without being removed. The sheets, as

t effected by scale

obstr

the side sheets at or

et; this is largely caused by their
.scsthem to the intense heat and to the
ulation caused by the crown bar and

i have been made to calculate the loss of
heat caused by the incrustation formed on the heating sur-
face. The circumstances to be considered which determine
the rate of heal trausmitted through plates covered with
scale of different kinds and thickness, either homogeneous
or otherwise, are not sufficiently well understood and are
too numerous to admit of anything likean exact calculation.
It has been estimated that l-Ib of an inch of incrustation ou
the tubes and parts of the boiler is equal to a loss of 3U per
cent, of the fuel and that the loss increases in rapid ratio
as the thickness of scale increases. Others say 1-16 of an
inch of scale is equal to a loss of 15 per cent, and that ^

an inch of scale i

r cent. This, however,

! sure in our form of boiler that the loss is great, Loth
in fuel and damage to the parts.

There are but few problems connected with boiler re-
pairs at which inventors have tried their hand to a greater
extent than the prevention of the formation of scale. Many
pateuts have been issued and numerous anti-incrustatoi
have been tried with more or less success; but before
sideling them let us consider the nature of the trouble
from some in^'redicnts found in the water used. The mere
amount of solid matter found in any water is not an indi-
cation of the litness for boiler use, for this depends en-
tirely upon the nature of the solid impurities. The presence
of 5u" grains per gallon of deliquescent salts, such as car-
bonate or chloride of soda, would not be a serious fault
with frequent blowing off; whereas an equal amount of
salts of hme without other chemicals would render it tmfit
for use.

We find the water in our streams, lakes and wells varies
greatly in the amount of solid incrustation matter contained
10 the gallon. In larger lakes it also varies greatly in diff-
erent localities; this, to, is the case with the water in the
ocean. To show you that bad water can be used in the
boilers, we will state that we already know the ocean water
to be successfully used ' ' ' ' ...

iiud the streams and lakes muchpurer than the wells. Now.
suppose we have a boiler fed from a well containing only
30 grains of solid iucrustating matter per gallon, or one
pound to 190 or 300 gallons, or, say 5 pounds to 1,000 gallons,
which would give us at least '35 or 30 pounds of this solid
matter each day. and we should have the entire surface
of the ooiler covered 3 IB in. thick in three or four weeks
unless a grcBter part of it had been removed by blowing
off frequently or washing the boiler.

The impurities held in solution in water at CO degrees
temperature are deposited in the followmg order as the

We find

must be used with

according to good authority, about 3ii parts to 1,000 of solid
matter in the average open sea. In the Baltic there are
only 6 parts, while in the Red Sea there are 43 parts, the

Black sia. 21, the Arctic ocea _..._.

nel and Mediterranean Sea, 3
specific gravity of sea water

water is 1,000. Sea water contains to one cubic foot (about
7},.' gallons), chloride of sodium, 35-1 oz. : muriate of mag-
ue'sia, 3-2; sulphate of magnesia, 2-3; sulphate of lime, 1 oz. ;
total solidSj 302 oz.. about 7-6 oz. per gallon. We speak of
this only to show that bad water can be used in boilers
successfully with extreme caution and care, particularly
when the s'olids are more soluble in hot than cold water.

Water in Lake Michigan contains about 6 or 7 grains of
solid matter per gallon, while that in the Mississippi river
above Minneapolis is S to 10 grains, an -1 the Mississippi
at Lacrosse, 10 to 13 grains. The two above are con-
sidered by many the best water in our western lakes and
rivei-s,*and are often taken as a unit when comparing
with well water. We find in many of the deep wells 40 to
W grains i>er gallon of solid incnistating matter. This
depends largely upon the location and depth of the well.
Very few wells on the western prairie have water contain-
ing less than 20 grains per gallon; in fact, any water con-
Uining less than 2a or 30 grains is considered good. We

water becomes heated and contentrated. First,
of Ume; second, sulphate of lime; third, salts of iron, as
bases or oxides, and some of those magnesia; fourth, the
silica or alumiua, usually with more or less organic matter;
fifth, chloride of sodium.

The first to be considered is the carbonate of lime. It
is quite well understood that this chemical is the same sub.
stance — chemically speaking— as selenite. chalk, marble
and lime stone. It is held in solution in fresh water by the
excess of carbonic acid, and in reality it is a sort of bicar-
bonate. By heating the water the excess of carbonic acid
is driven off and the greater part of the carbonate is pre-
cipitated. Its solubility diminishes as the temperature in-
creases ; in other words, cold water will hold in solution a
much larger quantity than hot water. It is for this reason
that in water from which the air has been expelled by heat,
carbonate of lime is found in much smaller quantities.
Carbonate of Ume is estimated to be solublj in 16 to 37
thoHsand times its volume of water at ordinary tempera-
ture, or three to five grains per gallon. This, as stated, ac-
cording to good authority, all precipitates at 390 degrees,
and therefore it is one of the greatest enemies we have. It
is being constantly precipitated as the water becomes hot
and falls by its gravity to find a resting place on the tubes
and sheets, if not held in suspension by the circulation of
the water long enough to allow us to blow it off. Its work
is constantly being done forming hard scale. Some of the
bestevidonceof this is found in the formation of hard
scale of this nature at the check valves where the water
first becomes heated upon entering the boiler, and iu some
injectors.

Sulphate of lime— a substanceof the same chemical com-
position as gypsum or plaster of paris— acts much like car-
bonate of lime, and is found in greater quantities and is
next in importance. According to good authority its great-
est solubility is at 93 degrees, where 17S grains will dis-
solve in a gallon of water. At 212 degrees 50 grains per
gallon will dissolve, and like carbonate of lime, it is com-
pletely insoluble at about 295 degrees. It is, therefore,
evident that these two salts are precipitated when a boiler
is worked at about 60 lbs. pressure, uuless some chemical
is used to make them more soluble.

Carbonate of magnesia or magnesia lime stone is the
next to consider. It is found in small quantities, and its
behavior is much like carbonate of lime and forms a hard
scale on becoming precipitated. These chemicals, after
being precipitated according to the density of the water,
the rapid or slow circulation, or the intensity of ebullition
over those parts where the water moves rapidly, are held
in suspension or carried to a more quiet part of the boiler
where they are deposited to form hard scale.

Sodas and alkalies are considered non-incrustating
solids and in a proper quantity tend greatly to grevent the
rapid formation of lime scale. Of the many chemicals used
to prevent the formation and assist in removing scale,
soda is one of the most common used and no doubt is one
of the most effective, but it must be applied in proper quan
titles or it will cause the boiler to foam. Several methods
of preventing incrustation and assisting in keeping boilers
clean have been used. We will consider them in the
lowing order.

1. Blowing off at the surface or at the base. ■ This i
be done carefully to prevent a waste of fuel; too n
blowing off is expensive. If we blow off at the base
better way is to blow off a quantity of water after the
boiler has been at rest a short time and the solids which
have been held in suspension by the circulation of the

before con- I water have settled to the lowest part of the boiler and be-
the trouble fore they become fastened to the warm sheets, or after
boiler has been fired up and before it starts on its trip,
before the water has been agitated sufficiently to carry
small particles to the surface.

2. The constiniction of the boiler so as to give free cii
lation and the introduction of agents to increase circulat
so as to hold solids in suspension until they can be washed
out or blown off. We find quite a difference in the condi-
tion of our crown sheets when no stay bars are used and
the circulation is free and rapid and there is but a small
amount of the bard scale formed during the lime the water
is in an agitated state. When the engine is set aside and
allowed to cool down, all particles held in suspension find a
resting place on the crown sheet and flues and all chemicals
which are soluable in greater quantities
in cold also are precipitated and find a n
parts of the boiler as the water cools, at
or washed out, help to form hard scale. Boilers made with
stay bars over the crown sheets are more liable to be found
badly covered with incrustation on the crown sheet, for
the reason that the circulation is greatly reUrded and the

the British Chan- Hme or sediment, which is in other cases washed to other
- "- ' -' - average parts of the boiler, finds a resting place in and about these
bars, where it is often formed into one solid mass.

3. The introduction of chemical agents to render the im-
purities in the water more soluable, to prevent them from
precipitating as quickly as the water becomes heated. I
have tried nearly all the chemicals that have been intro-
duced, of which I could learn, and all ivith about the same
result. Few of them were of much value from the fact
that in no two days the water used in a locomotive boiler
is the same. To-day we take water from a well, which has
a large amount of lime: the next place we take water from
may be a well with no lime and a large amount of soda;
the" third may be pure water (if such a thing
could bo found in the western country), so that no
chemical can be introduced in boilers to take
proper care of this great variety of water used. The in-
troduction of chemicals to remove the scale after it has
formed fn a boiler without dissolving it is dangerous, as
the scale so loosened will fall in large pieces and lodge on
highly heated surfaces and cause the sheets to burn out.

4. The introduction of a system of coonectingpipes or ap

paratus through which the feed water passes and in which
the sediment may be collected and blown off. I have tried
several devices of this kind, and while they have been sue-
cessful to a certain extent, I did not find "them capable of
collecting more than a small portion of the sediment. The
water only became heated enough to precipitate the lime to
a small extent and the only result was the saving of the ex-
pense of frequent washing. The scale formed nearly as
rapidly as with the same water before they were used.

5. Removal of scale by manual labor. This is a sure
method but inexpensive and tedious.

6. An introduction of a system of purifying or treating
waters at each well or source of supply. I think by analy-
sis and a thorough knowledge of the water at each point of
supply we may introduce chemicals or devise other plans of
purifying the water, so that when the water is thrown into
the boiler it will contain the proper chemicals, one to act
upon the other, or be by some other method purified so that
we shall know when water is taken that it will be suitable

load of sediment into oiir boilers each day.

7. The introduction of a system of reservoirs made by
damming the streams to catch the accumulation of soft
water made by the melting of the snow in the spring and
the rain fall which otherwise runs to waste; iu this way we
could secure at different points from six months^ to one
years' supply of the best of water.

Very much has been done to remedy this great evil on
many roads by a system analysis of the water from each
source of supply, thereby getting a thorough knowledge of
the quality of the water and directing all bad wells to be
abandoned and as little water taken from them as possible.
I hope soon to see something of tuis kind established in St.
Paul, either jointly with all roads or individually.

Mr. W. Mcintosh (C. & N. W.)— I can give the in-
gredients various waters contain on our line, and
I have a comparison with the Lake Michigan water
which contains 1-04 lbs. of incrustating solids in
1,000 gallons. The Mississippi river water at Wi-
nona contains 1 •2.5. The next station west that we
analyzed is Stackton, the water there contains 202
lbs. to the 1,000 gallons, or 14-53 grains to the gallon;
this is made up of carbonate of lime,
8 grains; magnesia, 5-48; trace of o.\ide of iron and
alumiuum; silica, -70, and trace of alkali chloride.
Our water along west as far as liasson, about 60 or
70 miles from Winona, is about in that same condi-
tion. Then we get up on the table land at a water
station called Claremont, where we have 21 grains to
a gallon, neary 22, and that contains 3 lbs. of incrus-
tating matter to a 1,000 gallons. Our next water
station is Owatonna and that furnishes nearly 4 lbs.,
and is considered pretty poor water for boiler use;
4 lbs. to a 1,000 gallons would be nearly 12 lbs. to a
3,000 gallon lank, which is a good deal.

Mr. Pattee— What is that made up of.

Mr. Mcintosh— The total number of grains is 34-70;
carbonate of lime, 16-97; magnesia. 9-71; sulphate of
lime, 1-40; a trace of iron and aluminum; silica, -99;
alkali chloride, 2-8.5; sulphates, 278. When we get
to Waseca we use water from Loon Lake. That an-
alyzes very nicely; it contains 1-22 lbs. to the 1,0U0
gallons, compared to 104 to the 1,000 gallons Lake
Michigan water, but that water also contains a great
deal of vegetable matter and deposits a good deal of
mud or sludge. Then we have nothing very notice-
able in water until we reach Kasota; the water there
is nearly the same as at Owatonna; that is, it con-
tains a few more grains to the gallon but not quite
so much incrustating matter. At Oshway, up on the
prairies, the water contains 7.5-29 grains to a gallon,
but only 4-22 lbs. of that in a 1,000 gallons is incrus-
tating matter. An artesian well at Sleepy Eye, con-
tains 45-97 grains to the gallon and in a 1,000 gal-
lons there is 5 lbs. of incrustating matter; it is con-
sidered rery bad water. Sleepy Eye lake analyzes
very nicely, contains 155 lbs. to a thousand gallons,
but it contains so much vegetable matter that it is
almost impossible to use it.

Mr. Pattee— Does it foam?

Mr. Mcintosh— The trouble with it is not so much
in the line of foam as in the formation of a kind of a
paste in the boiler that combines with the minerals
from other waters and which, unless it is drawn
off and cleaned out very frequently, will ultimately
form scale.

Mr. Pattee— Do you find that paste when it forms
on the crown sheet, almost impervious to water and
almost as bad on the sheet as hard scale?

Mr. Mcintosh— Quite as bad, I guess. Hard scale,
particularly scale formed of carbonate of lime, is
porous to a certain extent; I notice a sheet will
carry a good deal of it and will not burn as rapidly
as it will with a sediment of this softer mud that we
get in this western country.

Mr. Pattee— The onlyad vantage is you can wash it

ofry

Mr. Mcintosh— If wo take it in time we can. The
city of Tracy has a well, the water of which we had
analyzed recently with a view to using it, if we
could. We found it contains 112-69 grains to a gal-
lon, in other words, 9 lbs. of incrustating matter to a
thousand gallons; we are not going to use it.

Mr. Pattee — That means about a wheelbarrow
load a day.

Mr. Mcintosh— Yes. sir. Wc have the analysis of
someartesian wells through DakoUi. Huron contains
120 grains to a gallon, 628 lbs. of incrustating matter
to a 1, 000 gallons. The artesian well al Harold conUiins
102 grains to a gallon and Dierc is only -.52 lbs. of
that in a 1,000 gallons that is incrustating matter.

th:e master mechanic.

The well at Highmore, Dakota, contains a total of
103 grains to a gallon and only -91 of a pound to a
1,000 gallons of incrustating- matter. Others range
in that ratio. We have the analysis of the first well
that our company put down at Piei-re, Dakota, and
it was a bad oiu-. It contained ITS grains to the gal-
lon; 133 of ihat was sulphate of soda. It made pretty
lively work for the boj's.

iSlr. Pattee— Did you find in using that whether it
corroded the flues and the sheets?

Mr. Mcintosh— It would corrode the flues and
sheets badly. We used that water for a year; we
had a ^eat deal of difficulty with it. It foamed so
bad that it would work through the pipes, get in the
cylinder, break the cylinder heads and valves and
everything of that kind. We finally sunk a well on
the banks of the Missouri river and got splendid
water there, got right down into the gravel. It was
Missouri river water filtered through gravel.

Mr. Pattee — You found the Missouri river water
filtered through the sand very good?

Mr. Mcintosh — Yes, sir, we consider it the best
water we have got on our division, although T have
no analysis of it. I have tried some compounds and
never got any good results from them. Possibly
with carbonate of lime you might use some com-
pound if you were using that water altogether. It
would help considerably, if you commenced to use it
when you started out and cleaned the boiler and
continued its use. But further west, where we have
alkali water, I never could get any good results
from it. Take a boiler that has been running some
time and has accumulated considerable mud and put
a compound into it. and loosen off the scale, and it
will settle down among the flues and have a tendency
to collapse them. We have used some of the me-
chanical purifiers for settling this lime and other
matter before it goes into the boiler; at some places
we have had fair success with them, particularly
in the western country, where there is alkali water:
The purifier seems to have no particular effect on

Mr. Pattee— Your idea is that it does not precipi-
tate it in time?

Mr. Mcintosh — My opinion is that the water passes
too rapidly through the apparatus, and that it does
not have a long enough journey to settle this mat-
ter properly.

A member— What purifier do you refer to?

Mr. Mcintosh — We used the Smith, and in the
western country we got very good results from it.
In my opinion about the only remedy is to provide
larger boilers with ample room for the Water to cir-
culate, with good facilities to get at the different
parts to clean it out, and provide good large tenders
so that you can carry plenty of water to pass by the
stations that furnish the poorest quality. The sur-
face blow-off of the Smith or other types, I think, is
a good thing to us in an alkali country, as the scum
gathers on the surface and can be blown off.

Mr. G. N. Hunt, secretary and treasurer of the
Field Peed Water Purifier Company, here read the
following paper:

MK. HUNT'S PAPEB ON TUE PURIFICATION' OF F£ED WATER
FOK LOCOMOTIVE BOILERS-

The subject of the purificatiou of feed water for loco-
motive boilers is a large question, and with many railroad
men has become a stale question.

For thirty years the best mechanical minds of the world
have been seeking some economical solution of the prob-
lem : How sha.l we prevent incrustation in steam boilers!
I find that American master mechanics have spent years of
time and study on this question, and that ever since lSt>8 it
has been thoroughly and learnedly discussed in their public
assemblies, uul I fail to find in the printed reports of those
meetings a recommendation of any economical, feasible
plan by which feed waler may be purified. In this short
paper on the subject, I shall lay no claim to originality out-
side of the special invention for the accomplishment of this
purpose which I shall briefly describe.

The subject is divisible into three parts.

1. Incrustation, its causes, effects and cures.

2. The deposit of sediment, its effects and remedies.

3. The impurities in water which prodi
effects and remedy.

To quote from a report of the committe
Railway Master Mechanics' Association •
sary to dwell upon the fonnation of incrustation in boilers,
its causes are already so well understood that it needs no
special comment; suffice to say that, carbonates and sul-
phates of lime, and carbonate of magnesia are the prevail-
ing elements contained in the waters which form incrusta-
tion. Chloride of sodium, fine clay, alumina, and silicates
are also found, but generally in diminished quantities, so
that probably a large proportion of the difficulty would be
overcome by expelling the lime and magnesia. This can be
done by evaporation, or by chemical means, but such a pro-
cess would be too expensive as has been clearly shown in
former reports." Chemical writers tell us that 95 per cent,
of scale-producing matter in boiler waters is made up of
carbonates of line, magnesia and iron and the sulphate of
lime, and that these substances form what is known aa
"temporary hardness" in water, that is, hardness caused
by the bicarbonates of alkaline earths and which disap-
pears in boiling. The other five per cent, of hardness in
water is called "permanent hardness," caused by the
chlorides, sulphates and nitrates of the alkaline earths
which is not lessened by boiling. So it would seem that
any process thai, uses heat as a means of separating the
impurities from the water must fail to remove five per

proved by recent experi-
•ing water, it is not found
reduce the degree of hardness lower than ti or
r degrees, as the heating surfaces of a boiler are kept prac-
tically clean, when water of this degree of hardness is

The evil effects of scale being
hearers I need not dwell on tl _
quote briefly from Dr. Joseph G. Rogers: "The evil effects
of scale are due to the fact that it is relatively a non-con-
ductor of heat. Its conducting power compared with that
of iron is as 1 to 375 about; accordingly more fuel is re-
quired to heat water through the scale and flues of an in-
crusted boiler than would be required if the boiler were
clear of scale. It is readily demonstrated that scale l-lb of
an inch thick will demand the extra expenditure of about
15 per cent, more fuel. This ratio increases as the scale
grows thicker; thus when it is i^ of an inch thick 60 per
cent, more fuel is needed, etc." My subsequent reading
leads me to believe Dr. Rogers estimates high. However
that maybe, his estimates divided by two, would convince
us of evil effects demanding attention, outside of the weak-
ness of boilers thus produced tending to explosion and the
evil resulting from the presence of scale making slower
and more difficult the raising, maintaining and lowering
of steam.

To obviate these evils and purify the feed water very
many plans, good, bad or indifferent, have been devised.
The various methods thus far employed for the prevention
of scale may be divided into three general classes. First,
the use of chemicals, which will counteract the effect of
the scale forming impurities, or in other words, the u^ of

>the

tender, and third, methods for pur

mechanically after leaving the locomotive

allowed to circulate freely in the

ifying the

tender and before it

boiler.

In regard to the first method— the use of chemicals— I
will quote the words of the committee appointed by the
American Master Mechanics' Association.

" Your committee desire to say that there is probably no
subject of more importance to railroad and manufacturing
interests of the country than how to prevent the incrusta-
tion of steam boilers. It not only causes great waste of fuel
(estimated, we understand, by the French engineers at 45
per cent, of the total amount consumed) but invites boiler

powders, fluids, batteries, etc., but the majority looked
upon all such nostrums with suspicion, believing them to
be more or less injurious to the boilers. In this report, as
well as in former ones, the useof compounds for removing

before it is allowed to enter the boiler.

The chief objection to the second methoa— purifying
the feed water in the reservoirs at the stations— seems to
be the great outlay or cost necessary to do this.

One or two roads in the United States have adopted the
system, but the first outlay bars most of the railroads from
using this method.

In connection with this system, storing rain and surface
water has several times been recommended by the above
mentioned committee as perhaps the only method of getting
pure feed water for boilers. While much good might be
accomplished by a judicious and careful olacing of water
tanks along the lines where rainfall is sufficient and the
lay of Ihe land would permit, so as to get the water from
rivers and creeks and surface reservoirs; and if needful,
pipe it to the point desired to locate the tanks instead of
digging deep wells, and thus getting the hardest of water;
still the lack of sufficient rainfall in certain portions of the
west and northwest, and the first cost or outlay has pre-
vented much being accomplished in this direction ; and be-

during seasons of rain and high water it is thick with mud,
causing boilers to foam and produce incrustation.

And so we come to the third method, which, as far as
my research has led me, is the most practical and econom-
ical plan for purifying feed water, provided it is possible
to accomplish the same in that way, namely: To purify
the feed water by some mechanical device through the
action of heat after it leaves the tender and before it en-
ters into the general circulation of the boiler.

It was determined as long ago as 1868 by the committee
apppointed from the American Railway Master Mechanics'
Association to investigate the subject of the purification of
feed water that: "The only effectual way to prevent in-
crustation is to purify the water if possible before it is
allowed to enter the boiler." Their fifth annual report en-
ters into a long, detailed and exhaustive statement as to
the cost of purifying the water by the process of boiling,
assuming from the data, which may be seen in the report,
that "boiling under pressure would precinitate at least a
portion of the impurities contained in the water."

' from the beginning that the

It will be
have not departed from their first conclusions i
to purifying the water before it is taken into the boiler.

In 1874 Mr. Hudson, of the Rogers Locomotive Works,
said: " It is very important that the water should he kept
from forming the solid deposits in the boiler. There ought
to be some mechanical means for collecting these deposits
and blowing them out every hour or two."

Another prominent master mechanic said: "If any me-
chanical means can be devised to prevent this deposit
forming in boilers it should be done."

So there was and ie to-day a crying need of a mechanical
device that will economically accomplish this result.
Almost always when there is a great need in the industrial
world the need is met. The ingenuity of man finally over-
comes obstacles and proves itself equal to the emergency.
Usually, too, the solution instead of being an intricate and
complicated device, is the perfection of simplicity.

Successful inventors, like successful railroad men, are
commonly distinguished for simplicity and directness of
aim; using the very difficulties ki the case as stepping
stones to the object in view. This is notably true of the
Field feed water purifier. The apparatus is a simple one,
and uses the very same natural law which

by boiling, to obviate the diffi-

Thea

This
leaves

principle upon which it works is
water to and beyond the boiling
scale forming imi "'

ifics the water mechanically after it

nd before it enters the boiler. The

' ' ■ - healmg the feed

leieby causing all

aied." This is ac-

uplished by causing the feed w.iier lu p

located wholly within the boiler, when \\v lU.
purities are precipitated in the jiuriiur pii.^-
construction of which is such as Xo preveiii
and scale forming substances from being carried into the
boiler. The feed water from the injectors or pumps passes
nearly to the forward end of the boiler, where it goes
through the usual check valves and thence into the purifier,
the purifier being connected directly to the feed water pipes
on each side of the boiler. The check valves are raised
from the place where they are usually located, and placed
on the plane of the purifier, which is just above the fire
flues, so as to feed the water directly into the purifier.
After the water flows through the length of pipe forming
the purifier,, that is six limes lengthwise of the boiler, it
passes out of the upright pipes into the boiler. These up-
right pipes extend into the dry steam space 6 or 8 in. above
the highest water line.

The purifier is placed in the boiler, out of sight, and does
not disfigure the boiler. The horizontal pipes are com-
pletely submerged in water, and placed directly over, but
not touching, the fire flues.

The purifier is made in lengths to suit the boiler. The
outer tube or conduit is 4 in. in diameter, and made of
sheet steel rolled in circular form and riveted. Each of the
six lengths of piping is made by joining several short
lengths together by means of malleable iron flanges. In-
side of the main tubes are two other tubes somewhat
shorter and smaller than the outer one; one is about 3 in.
and the other 2 in. in diameter. These are also made of
sheet steel rolled into circular shape, but are not closed
there being a half inch slot or opening all along the bottom
of each inside tube. These tubes are also perforated to
allow the water to circulate freely between and through
the tubes. The inner tubes are held concentric with the
outer one by a small malleable iron casting at each end
which is in the form of a cross and fitted with grooves in
one face for the reception of the ends of the tubes. A long-
itudinal bolt holds them together. A wedge shape casting

le end of each fo the short sections of

pipe of which the purifier is composed,
in such manner as to assist in catching sediment; the ver-
tical face of the wedge is opposed to the flow of water.

The difficulty, however, has not been to precipitate the
scale and sediment, but to get rid of it after it has been
precipitated. A purifier of this nature must have a means
of blowing off the impurities it is designed to collect:
otherwise it would be valueless. The blowing off and
cleansing out of the purifier is accomplished in the follow-
ing manner: On the right hand side of the boiler a tee is
interposed between the check valve and transverse pipe in-
side of the boiler, which forms a portion of the purifier.
At the bottom of fiis tee is a blow-off cock or valve worked
by a connection in the cab. When the purifier is to be
blown off, this valve is opened, and the water and steam in
fiowing out, carry the impurities with it. It will be remem-
bered that the ends of the short induction pipes project
vertically into the steam space. The only water, therefore,
which will escape from the boiler during the operation of
blowing off will be that standing in the purifier at the time.
Steam will then follow. The passages are so constructed
that everything will pass to the right side, and thus pre-
vent dirt from getting into the left check valve. The check
valve on the right side is protected by the sh?pe of the in-
terior of the tee, there being a curved diaphragm inter-
posed within the tee Uj deflect all dirt from the check
valves. From the Wfcw-off valve the outflow can be piped
down outside the engine to any desired point, care being
taken that the pipes have no sharp bends and no pockets to
hold sediment.

The blow off should be operated every two to four hours,
depending upon the water.

The blow off lever is easily operated by engineer in the
cab. One motion shuts the feed and opens the blow off
cock, which should be left open until steam issues from the
blow off pipe, when it should be immediately closed.

By using dry steam ouly for blow off purposes, the blow
off can be operated as easily while the locomotive is in i^io-
tion as at a standstill. An automatic blow off can be used

is also placed i

The detail points of advantage in this invention are:

1. The great length and shape of the purifier pipe, being
in an ordinary boiler 75 to 85 ft., thus enabling the purifier
to hold the water until it becomes superheated, and until
all sediment and salts have been precipitated in the pipes,
thus feeding the boiler with steam and highly heated water
as pure as water can be made by any mechanical process.

2. The series of inside tubes through such a continuous
length of pipe, presenting the greatest possible metal sur-
face for the attraction of the different solids and salts in

of the heat, are freed from the water.

3. The series of dams in each 3 ft. section of the conduit,
obs*,ruciing the dirt and grosser sediment, and preventing
its being carried forward into the boiler by the flow of

4. The cleaning of the purifier pipes by blowing back dry
steam through the conduits and forcing out through the
"blow out" all sediment and salts in the purifier pipes,
while such sediment and salts are in a moist condition.
(The six upright pipes opening into the dry steam space
enable us to do this.)

5. It prevents foaming.

6. Its simple construction. Its economy. It is easily at-
tached to the inside of a boiler and does not disfigure the

7. The salts and impurities, precipitated inside the puri-
fier, are blown out with dry steam. No water is blown out
except that at the time in the purifier pipes. This water is
forced ahead of the dry steam and thus the purifier kept
clean at all times.

8. Steam is genei'ated in these six outlets opening in the
dry s'eam space, and by supplying the boiler with steam
and highly heated water all expansion and contraction,
loose rivets and leaky tubes are done away with and there
is also a great saving of fuel.

9. The purifier being of such great length, the feed water

■I

January, 1890.

THE MASTER MECHANIC.

reaches the boiling point by the time it has passed twice
the length of the boiler and from that point until it
reaches the outlet pipes, a distance of 60 ft., the water is
increasing in temperature and the calcium bicarbonate and
the calcium sulphate, oxides of magnesia, iron and other
. salts are freed from the water and in traveling the greater
part of the purifier are precipitated and adhere in moist
condition tc these inside metal surfaces from which they
are removed by the dry steam blow off, before they have
time to harden.

The puriBer holds about 40 gallons of water and has 250
square feet of metal surface to which the salts are exposed
when freed from the water by ihe action of the heat. A
test of this device on one of the main lines of railway in
the United States for a period of six months shows a clean
boiler, no mud, no scale formation on crown sheets or
flues, or in purifier pipes. The water has been let out of
the boiler once in six weeks to two months and but little
loose sediment was found. Ordinarily, boilers have to be
washed out, once every week, on that division.

The purifier not only catches the impurities and precipi-
tates the salts, but it cleans itself of such sediment and
salts by means of the dry steam blow out, without -waste of

Prof. Chandler, of Columbia College, New York, states:
"Boiling expels the free carbonic acid and causes the sep-
aration of the carbonates of lime and magnesia, and if con-
ducted at a high temperature, under considerable pressure,
results in the almost complete precipitation of the sulphate
of lime." This transfers tlie incrustation from the locomo-
tive boiler to the inside metal surface of the purifier pipes,
intended expressly to catch it, and so arranged that the
sediment may be blown out at pleasure. The feed water
passes from a two inch feed pipe into the four inch puri-
tier pipe, hence flows much more slowly through the puri-
fier pipes, and gives opportunity for the precipitation of
the scale forming properties and the deposit ol sediment.

By using this mechanical method, the water fed to the
boiler is always practically pure and of about the same
temperature as steam.

Now the third evil, primiiiL- or fonmiiiL-, nmains. We are
not prepared to say what nsili iii^ ,i,a i, ,> would have
upon foaming when alkali i. . - - m the use of

water free from mud and ni - - ^ will usually

prevent foaming and the iliv ,. ., ,.i r .. ,i>.i reduce this
evil. "The proof of the pui.'u.i.f, i.. .u tbtAii.f; the string."

Railroad men I find very skeptical un this subject. I
guess they have had good cause for being so. I thank you
for your kind attention and can only say in closing that we
have a full sized purifier here in the room for your inspec-
tion and that we should be pleased to remove any doubts
you may have by placing a purifier, at our own expense, on
any of your roads for a lest of its merits.

Mr. Pattee— Speaking of the Smith purifier, there
is no question but that it does a certain atnount of
the work which it is intended to do. We have six
of them in service. By frequent blowing off of one
of the engines we were able to run it seven weeks
without washing it out, but at the end of that time
on examination we found that those solids which
make the hard scale which is most detrimental to
the boiler had formed nearly as fast as they had
without the purifier. It had caught the mud and
the part of the impurities which had precipitated
quickly, but the length of pipe was not sutlicient, or
in other words the water did not get sufficiently hot
while it was in the pipe, to precipitate the impuri-
ties in the water, and consequently they passed
through into the boiler. It did the work to a cer-
tain extent, but it was not quite sufficient to do the
work as we wished to have it done.

Mr. Mcintosh— I would say in regard to the Smith
purifier that the first engine that we applied it to on
the Dakota divii-ion. No. 20, is running between Red-
field and Gcttysburgh, where the water is very bad.
Since putting that on in February, 1888, after the
engine had seen six months service, she has run up
to the present time, and is still running, and there
never has been a leak in a flue or a stay bolt in her
fire-bo.< since. That is in Dakota, between the Jim
River Valley and Missouri. Other engines fully as
well equipped, running in other localities changing
from one supply to another, have not done nearly
as well. Whether it is because the water in that
section contains peculiar ingredients that cause it
to work so well on that engine, or because of some
other cause, I have not been able to ascertain yet.

President Small — Something must be done in this
western country, either by mechanical or chemical
means, to improve the condition of waters used or
we will sutler an immense expense. We have suf-
fered an immense expense and it will increase as the
business increases uuKss we can find some remedy.
While business has been light on the various roads
it has not shown up so bad, but now that the business
is increasing, the number of trains increasing, and
the size of engines increasing, and the amount of
water used is increasing we find that stopping an
engine every 100 or li5 miles to wash it out, taking
two or three hours, is an expense not ouly in regard
to the engine, but because of the delay in time and
in getting over the road. I think the master me-
chanics ought to encourage the manulacturers of
different devices by giving such devices a good fair
trial."" I do not know of any subject that is more im-
portant to railroads in the west.

THE WESTEKN RAILROAD CLUB.

Joint Inspection,

Test Laboratories.

The Western Hallway Club held its December
meeting on Tuesday, December 17, President Hickey
in the chair. Among the railway men present were:
C. A. Schroyer, G. M. Davidson and E. B. Thomp-
son, C. & N. W. Ry.; Allen Cooke, C. & E. I.: P. H.
Peck, C. & W. I. and Belt; W. Forsyth, R. D. Smith,
F. W. Sargent and G. H. Ellis. C, B. & Q.; R. K.
Verbryck, C, R. I. & P.; George Gibbs, C, M. & St.
P.; W. S. Morris, C. & W. M. and D., L. & N.; G.
Lo. Potter, Pennsylvania Company; W. H. Lewis,
C, B. & N.; W. B. Snow and Wm. Rosing, Illinois
Central; Jno. Hickey, M., L. S. & W. Ry.

The first subject for discussion, "Joint Inspection
at Chicago," was opened by Mr. P. H. Peck, of the
C. & W. I. Belt Ry., in the following paper:

JOIN

Chicago 1

become the largest railroad center of the
world, and with the extensive growth of the west and
northwest the interchange of cars between railroads at
this point has grown faster than some of our best informed
otHcials anticipated. The car movement at Chicago has
been steadily increasing each year until it is estimated that
the interchange now mounts to between 4,000 and 7,000
cars daily, and I think I am safe in saying tllat;iO per cent,
of these cars are more or less defective, require a defect
card in transferring. The limited yard room and tracks
we have in the city for this vast business makes the in-
spection of cars both expensive and deficient and keeps
a large number of cars out of service in busy times when
cars are most needed. It also causes extra i ' ' ' „, '
volviug the blocking of side tracks and the delayi"n'g of
freight, thus causing any amount of trouble to car depart
ments and complaints from our superior officers and

The only way, I think, by which we can avoid this
trouble is by establisiiing a system of joint inspection at
the different junction or points of interchange,
railroads terminate here. All through cars for th
west are transferred either by the roads bringing
to Chicago or by some transfer line. Other cars, consigned
to Chicago industries, that the roads bringing the cars into
the city have not access to, also have to be transferred by
some foreign road or transfer company, making it imposs-
ible to do this interchange transfer work with M, C. B. de-
fect cards.

All those cars are received and delivered wii
kept by the inspectors at the junctions or yards where
are received. In the month of October, 18S9, the Belt
received at nine of the largest junctions 37,292 cars
which there were notations against 9,133 cars, or 34 per
cent, of number received. The per cent, of defects
varied at the different junctions from 31
cent. ; all of these defects would have had to be carded if the
M. C. B. rules had been adhered to,and many hundred dollars
worth of repairs would have been done by foreign roads
which the owners desired to do on their own repair tracks.

I think the present system defective for the reason that
we have four transfer lines or tracks over which these cars
can be transferred to other lines, all receiving and deliv-
ering by notations kept by inspectors. A defective car
may go to a road over one line and be unloaded and billed
home over one of the other lines, but it will not be received
by its own road as the inspectors have no record of it. The
cars will then have to go back and be returned to the first
line that handled it, thus causing a long delay as the car
will have to be traced to find the first route it was trans-
ferred to, so as to pass the same inspectors.

Example:— A defective car passes from the C, M. & St.
P. to the B. & O. for South Chicago (I take these roads as
extreme north and south lines in the city) through the Air
Line, the distance traveled being about 1.5 miles through
several of the most busy tracks in the city. This car will
be unloaded and billed home over the Belt Line, (30 miles
and through four large yards) to Cragin, the junction with
the C, M. & St. P. The St. Paul inspectors at Cragin will
refuse it, as they have no record of it. It will then be sent
back to the B. & O. and routed home via the Belt, B. & O.
and Air Line, when it will be received home O. K. as these
inspectors had the record of it the first move. This car
will thus be hauled over 40 miles and switched in several
yards through an expensive territory in which to handle

irs. This is only one example out of man.\- that daily oc-

ir but I have no doubt that there are at least between 50

id 100 cars idle daily in this manner.

The expense that I wish to direct special attention to is

I the inspection ; there are too many men employed to in-
spect cars on this method. Each company now has inspec-
tors of its own at each junction. Both inspectors do the
work, but for two companies. For instance, at a
junction of two roads each company has one day and one
night man, making a total of four men. The.v will inspect
the cars together, both making the same record, but for two
companies: oue day man and one night man could keep
the same records for the two companies, just as well and
just as correctly. The cost per car for inspection for
seven of the eight junctions at Chicago for October, 'so
was from vsi cent, the lowest, to ■03« cent, the highe.it.
At one of the junctions there is joint inspection, and the
inspection there was only 017 c«nt per car, showing a sav-
ing of one half cent on the cheapest, and 013 cent on the
highest junction. I think I am safe in saying that between
35 and 40 per cent, could be saved by joint inspection and a
better senicc would be rendered; and furthermore, we
would not have so many cars out ot service.

The joint inspectors would be furnished with cards to be
used in the city, to fasten on the cars with the first record,
showing that ihe car was received by joint inspectors.
That record would take the car home over any route or
junction where cars are interchanged. Inspectors could
use their judgment about using an M. C. B. card on perish

able freight, avoiding delay when the car was safe to run.
All the joint inspecloi-s would report and receive their in-
structions from a head of that department located in the
city, after the method employed by the car service associa-

Joint inspection is working very nicely in Kansas City,
St. Louis, Cincinnati, Buffalo and Detroit, and has been a
great assistance in keeping the freight moving without un-
necessary delay.

During tje past summer I have re.-eived Ir-lters from Mr.
E. G. Fish, assistant superintemk'nt ll;innihal .S; St. Joe
Railway, Kansas City, and also fr -m .Mi ( h.u I -. .A. Cory,

M.,

for

City and Cincinnati. Both

praise of joint inspection. 1 h;

oral heads of car departments

lOf

liicago

and about all favor it but do r
I have arranged and adopted |r.,i ,- .■, i\\! the
Wabash Railway at Chandler, an. i ; i , . Miy lit-
tle trouble and very few delays own,. I'liecost

of inspection is much cheaper pir i , ,i i ..al\' -016
cent per oar against a general avri,, i i,,i"same

month. In June, with a lighter bu^ i,.^-, i i.. j. i,. i ,,| aver-
age was -039 cent and the joint ills|i,.i ;;uu .il U.ilijshcost
019 cent— one cent per car cheaper.

I find on the Belt line that the average cost per car for
inspection is too great compared with the average cost for
repairs. In January, 1889, the cost for repairs was 046
c.ent and for inspection 031 cent. In June the average cost
of repairs was -O+t cent and for inspection -039 cent. In
October repairs per car cost 033 cent and the inspection
cost -OSO cent. In the largest mouth the repairs cost only
•015 cent more per car than the inspection. In the month
of October the repairs per car cost only -007 cent more per
car than the inspection. All of which shows me that under
the rules, standards, etc., of the Master Car Builders the
repairs of cars have almost reached the lowest point of
economy. But in the present system of inspection in this
city there is large room for increased economy. To gain
this economy all heads of car departments will have to in
vite, form and adopt suitable rules to govern inspection
the same as the above named cities have.

I have no doubt but that the heads of the car departments
could call a meeting and adopt a code of rules, forms and
cards lobe used in Chicago in joint inspection, that our su
perior officers would cheerfully approve. After it is once
adopted and gets to running, we will wonder how we
managed to do this work so long without it.

Mr. D. L. Barnes— I should like to ask Mr. Peck
what parts of the car are generally found by inspec-
tion to be in need of repairs.

Mr. Peck— Generally the draw-bar. Sometimes a
bad wheel. But in our yards at Chicago the draw-
bars and their attachments produce most of the de-
fects. That is on account of heavy yard service.

Mr. Barnes— Which portion ot the draw-bar at-
tachment is found most troublesomeV

Mr. Peck— That is something I couldn't answer.
The draw-bar I ugs are perhaps the most troublesome.
I have known a car to be drawn 22 miles in this city,
broken in that way, and to cost 11 cents for repair,
and all there was broken, if I recollect right, were
two Sth bolts.

President Hickey— Do you find the draw-lugs
broken, or the bolts broken, or both?

Mr. Peck— It is generally the bolts, but sometimes
the castings are broken; the draw-bars also break
quite often.

President Hickey— Do you lind much trouble with
the springs of draw-bars^

Mr. Peck — No, not so much as we do with their
attachments.

Mr. D. L. Barnes— Do you have as much trouble
with the vertical plane standard coupler as with the
ordinary coupler?

Mr. Peck— There are not enough ot them handled
to demonstrate that, but I know that when we break
one ot the vertical plane couplers it costs us more
money than the other.

President Hickey— To avoid this trouble of delays
on account of repairs, you propost; a remedy in joint
inspection. Is that your purpose?
Mr. Peck — Yes, sir.

President Hickey— Have you formed an agree-
ment to that effect with any road?

Mr. Peck— With only one road. The Wabash
road and the Bolt Line have a joint inspector at
Chandler. There we have only two inspectors,
whereas it each road had its own inspectors there
would be tour, two for night and two for day, but as
it is we have one tor day and one for night, these
doing the work tor both companies. In one month
we received 3,131 cars there, and at the Chicago &
Grand Trunk, where there are four men, received
only 2,300 cars.

Mr. B. K. Verbryck— We have joint inspection at
Kansas City, Council Bluffs and Denver. At Kansas
City and Denver the work is very satisfactory, but I
cannot say it is at Council Bluffs; it never has been
to me, and I don't think it will ever be under the
present management. At Kansas City we have a
man who is impartial, and his inspection there has
been very satisfuctory in the way of getting cars
about from one road to the other. There la very
little delay. It is just the same at Denver. We
have had joint inspection there not quite a year. I
believe with Mr. Peck that where there is great in-
terchange of cars joint inspection is a very good
thing. Whether it would be of any advant;igc to us
here in Chicago I could not say exactly. We don't
have quite .so much interchange with the Belt road,
which runs all around Chicago, as the other roads

THE MASTER MECHANIC.

do, on account of having our own road here, but I
think if it could be arranged to have joint inspection
at points where there is a great deal of interchange
it would be a good thing and save the companies
money.

Mr. C. A. Schroyer— The conditions of our yards
will govern very largely the point of joint inspec-
tion. I know of "but one point on our lines in Chi-
cago where joint inspection could be carried on to an
advantage, and that is between the Chicago iSc North-
western and the Belt line. We could have a joint
inspection there, for the reason that both yards are
right together. I do not understand how we could
aaopt a system of joint inspection at Chicago between
all of the roads, because our yards are so situated
that we could not get a joint inspector to look over
those yards. Now, as far as ourselves and the Belt
line are concerned, we could have a joint inspector,
and 1 presume many of the other roads in Chicago
could nave with the Belt road, but there is this
thing about it, the Belt line in Chicago has but a
short distance to haul a car. It receives a car, say,
from the B. & O. to deliver to the Milwaukee road,
and it turns it over to the Milwaukee by the Belt, as
cited by Mr. Peck. Now, if that car is delivered in
bad oraer by the Milwaukee & St. Paul to the B. &
O., the inspector who receives it from the Belt Com-
pany, without knowing that it was received by them
in this condition, will reluse to accept it, and the re-
sult is that the Belt line will have to haul it back.
We have a great deal of trouble in thai way. In
order to recuce these troubles to a minimum we
have established on our road what was discussed
three years ago by the Western Kailway Club, viz.:
a red card system of curding. Our object in estab-
lishing that card was this, that we receive cars from
a great many roads around Chicago having minor
defects, but which do not render the car unlit for
service. Under our rules the inspector receiving
that car should have held it and sent to the road de-
livering it for a M. C. B. card. This would cause
the loss of some three or four days, and the result
would be that our yard would be hiled up with cars
that should have gone, and our officials at one time
issued an order to the effect that any car the defects
of which could be repaired for $o could be accepted,
considering that it was cheaper to spend $5 on that
car than to hold it standing around our yards. It
was to do away with that injustice, in which we lost
a great deal of money, that this red card system was
taken up by us, and when a car is received in bad order
at anv of" our poiuts it has one of our red cards
attached to it, slating the nature of the delect that
was on It when it was received, and requesting agents
and trainmen to return that car to the point at
which it was delivered. But frequently the fore-
man or inspector who placed that red card on the
car fails to take it off and the result is that the car
gets away from us with the card ou, and we have
bills renuered against us with this red card accom-
panying them as a voucher. We have lost more
money by that system than we ever did by the old
svstern. If some one could devise a scheme whereby
a"system of joint inspection at Chicago would be
practicable I would go into it heartily, out I cannot
understand how it can be done. I am willing to
meet any of the car men on this subject and discuss
it with them.

Mr. P. H. Peck— That was my idea exactly. I
want to gel the car men together to discuss it. A
great uiaijy limes we wait lor M. C. B. cards, but if
Ihe cai> couuiin certain perishable freight we re-
ceive them il they will run in any shape. I think we
ought to get a "system into operation here as well
as in Kansas City. Our yards are located no worse
than they are in Kansas City.

Mr. B. K. Verbryck— I do not agree with that.
The Kansas City yards are not comparatively so far
apart as they are here. Our yards are isolated. Of
course we have a good deal of interchange from the
different roads, but they are taken from our yards
by different parties. We have but very little inter-
change with the Belt line here in Chicago; at least
I never get any bills from them. I think the great-
est difficulty here in Chicago is on account of the
yards being scattered so lar apart, which would
make joint inspection very troublesome.

Mr. C. A. Schroyer— If everybody was honest these
conditions that now exist would not prevail, but
there is an inclination among our inspectors all
around Chicago and other points to beat somebody
else. The great mistake we are making, and have
always made, is that we do not inspect our own cars
rigiaiy enough. What is the result? When the
Belt line delivers a car to us they never inspect it
there, and when we deliver a car to anyone else they
don't inspect it at i.11; they all depend upon the Belt
line's inspection. The probabilities are Ihat if the
Belt line returns that car to us without a notation
or card on it our men will refuse to accept it, know-
ing very well the defect was on it when it was de-
livered. I don't say that these conditions do prevail
between the Belt line and the Chicago & North-
western, but I say there is an inclination on the part
of inspectors to allow such conditions as that to pre-
vail. There are a number of schemes that could be
devised for the interchange of cars in Chicago. The

Chicago, Burlington & Quincy deliver cars to us. I
Our yards are so close together that we can go to
them in a very few minutes to get a defect card from
them. That is also the case with the Port Wayne.
But those are the only two roads that I can think of
just now with which we could have a code of joint
inspection at all, and unless there should be a joint
inspector with subordinate officers or subordinate
foremen in each of the yards in Chicago, with a gen-
eral head, I don't see how it is possible to establish
a system of joint inspection.

Mr. P. H. Peck— That was just my point exactly.
The inspector where there were, say, four roads
would be paid by the four roads. I do not see why
that could not be done, and thus avoid the useless
hauling and switching around and breaking of cars.

President Hickey— Mr. Schroyer, you spoke of a
code of rules to govern joint inspection. Did you
mean that a set of rules was necessary to govern
joint inspection? Could not the joint inspector be
governed in every way by the M. C. B. rules?

Mr. C. A. Schroyer— I think the M. C. B. rules
would cover every point at issue if they were lived
up to, but it is impossible to do it. We should have
our yards around Chicago blocked with freight so
that it would be impossible to move. If a system of
joint inspection was established at Chicago it would
be necessary to have a code of rules based on the
master car builders' rules to work on. I do not see
wherein we should save any money on a system of
that kind. We do not pay our inspectors to in- |
spect a train of cars and then when the train is dis-
posed of to go and sit down and wait for another
train. It is the duty of the men at those points to
make those light repairs and let the car goon. I
know I won't allow one of my men to refuse a oar for
two Iths draft-bolts, neither would our officials.

Mr. W. S. Morris— In Detroit we have a joint in-
spection, and it is workijg very nicely. I cannot
say that there is any expense in the way of inspect-
ors saved to us, but we are saved a great many dis-
putes. The joint inspector is an arbitrator, so as
to speak, and whenever a controversy arises between
any two inspectors the joint inspector's decision is
final in the matter. I must say we that have very
little detention from cars.

President Hickey — Mr. Schroyer, you are success-
ful at minor points with joint inspectors, are you

Mr. C. A. Schroyer— We have only one and that
is at Council Bluffs.

President Hickey — Could not joint inspection be
worked at Milwaukee?

Mr. C. A. Schroyer— Yes, I think it could.

President Hickey— Gentlemen, at this point I think
it would be proper to discuss any disputed question un-
der the rules of the regular interchange rules of
cars. It would be well to discuss any points of con-
flict that may have arisen under the last inter-
change rules.

Mr. B. K. Verbryck — If there was any misunder-
standing in that regard it would be referred to the
arbitration committee, you know.

President Hickey — I understand, but it might be
well to discuss it here, so that others could be gov-
erned by the sense of the meeting. Mr. Schroyer,
do you know of any such disputes arising under the
last rules of interchange of cars?

Mr. Schroyer— Nothing that would be termed a
dispute. We have this difficulty which is constant-
ly arising under the M. C. B. r"les. We receive a
car from the C, B. & Q. in a damaged condition; it is
damaged to the extent that the car is unsafe for ser-
vice, and of necessity we have to take that car to
our shops to repair it. In the transit of that car it
is damaged very much beyond what it was when we
received it, and in all such cases as this we have to
stand the expense of the additional repairs on the
car over and above what has been carded for by the
C, B. & Q., or any other company delivering the
car. That is an injustice which the Master Car
Builders' rules do not provide for. In a great many
cases we take those cars as a courtesy toother roads,
and we loose a great deal of money on account of the
additional damage in getting the cars to our
shops. That is a thing that I think ought to be
covered by the Master Car Builders' rules. Very
often we take it up to the other road and sometimes
they will compensate us, and very often they won't,
and if they won't do it we" have to drop the matter
and lose on it. I presume some of the other roads
have the same difficulty. With us the difficulty in
that direction is multiplied because we have so
many roads around Chicago with our main shops
here", and there are so few other roads that have
their main shops here where they can do those
heavy repairs.

Mr. Wm. Forsyth— This matter of car inspection
is not exactly in my line, but it seems to me that it
is of a sufficient importance for us to try to do some-
th.ng more with it than to drop it here. I believa
a little more could be accomplished if a copy of Mr.
Peck's paper was sent to all superintendents of car
departments, those having charge of inspection in
Chicago, and their attention called to it, and a sug-
gestion that they call a meeting and try to organ-
ize a joint inspection for Chicago and formulate a

code of rules to govern, and I make a motion to that
effect.

Motion seconded and carried.

Mr. P. H. Peck — I am very glad to see this club
do this thing, for the reason that I am quite reliably
informed that if the heads of car departments do not
do it before long the general managers will. This is
something the car department ought to take hold of
rather than the general managers.

Mr. C. A. Schroyer— I move that Mr. Peck be ap-
pointed a committee of one to name a day and call
together ihe heads of the car departments of the
roads in Chicago for the discussion of this subject.

Seconded and can-led.

After the passage of a resolution directing the
secretary of the club to telegraph the executive com-
mittee of the M. C. B. Association that the Western
Railway Club favored changing the place of the next
M. C. B. convention from Charleston, S. C, to Chat-
tanooga, Tenn., the subject of " Testing Labora-
tories," was taken up. Mr. George W. Gibbs, of the
C, M. & St. Paul, opened this subject with the
following paper;

to-day on the above
subject. I do not wish to offer anything in the nature of a
paper, but merely to indicate the headintrs upon which, in
iny opinion, discussion may be profitably based. I have
the honor to be one of a committee to report upon this
subject to the next Master Mechanics' Associalion conven-
tion, and, although I speak entirely for myself, I am sure
the committee, as a whole, will profit greatly by what may
be said at these meetings.

The organization by railway companies of departments,
headed by specialists, for the purpose uf conducting experi-
mental work outside of the routine of mechanical work,
and tor passing upon the character of railway supplies, is
a comparatively new idea, and as yet confined to a few
only of the greater railway systems of the country. We
members of this small fraternity are in the habit of think-
ing we see great possible economies in railway operation in
such departments, but we have, perhaps, some of the nat-
tural bias of enthusiasts entering an enormous held — that
of the aggregation of professions called the " operating
department,"' and we should like to be told by those of
broad experience in railway work where our greatest field
of usefulness lies.

The head of a " department of tests and experiments,"
as it may be called, occupies a position of great difficulty, if
he did but know it; his position has not as yet been clearly
defined (and this is a point we should consider to-day) ; is
a scientific man, purely, and inexperienced in practical
work, he will almost certainly fail at first to appreciate tha
delicate nature of railway organization, will overstep the
bounds of his legitimate field and thus lose the respect and
assistance of his superior ofticei-s when they are most
needed. A man determined to at once bring everything to
a fixed ideal standard may become

• investigations
ic analysis and
thereby furnishing opinions which will command respect
and not arouse ridicule. The danger that he will be asked
to furnish solutions of each and every problem under the
sun which seems to the practical man mysterious, and,
therefore, "scientific" is not so remote as it might appear.
No logical opinion, however, which is not founded upon
exacl data is reliable. I am here treating test departments
as scientific bureaus merely, and is this not their proper
function?

The tendency of modern times is towards specialization
in every department of knowledge; a man is no longer an
all-around business man or scientist either; he lakes up a
specialty and masters it to bea success. Thus, in railroading,
the heads of departments — business men— have no lime
and are not qualified by training to attack and solve prob-
lems involving a knowledge of modern progress in the
sciences. This specialization followed to its logical conclu-
sion requires more than one expert in such a department,
and since to-day a man cannot be both an engineer and a
chemist, the question arises as to its organization. On
some roads the two fields are separate and co-ordinate, on
others one expert heads both. If the right man can be
found, one with considerable experience in the methods of
railway work, with executive ability and knowledge of
the best lines upon which to lay out an experimental inves-
tigation, it seems probable that he would divide the work
between the two sub-heads, chemical and physical, to better
advantage and put their conclusions in better practical
shape for his superior officer than could be done by either
individually. However, this is a point upon which some
difference of opinion may arise and will naturally be some-
what governed by particular circumstances. The point is,
that his reports be clear and accurate and his conclusions
based upon sufficient data.

Perhaps the first work of a department of this character,
and work where it may prove of great utility— or the re-
verse, I may add— is Ihe regulation of the character of the
supplies, establishing a standard of quality, one practically
obtainable, and atterwards seeing that the same is main-
tained. This constitutes the routine work of the depart-
ment, and the amount of worry and annoyance which may
be saved the heads of the mechanical and purchasing de-
partments, by having the contradictory claims of rival
manufacturers definitely set at rest by actual test, can be
readily appreciated.

Of course, the economic results of this poUcy are of first
impoitance; if establishing a standard of quality seriously
increases the cost of supplies, it will be necessary to prove
that the money is gotten back in other directions, which,
even when true, is an exceedingly difficult matter. But I
really believe that our experience oas been salisfaclory in
this respect, taken as a whole. In some cases we do buy
more costly material under specifications, but in others less
so. Again, the cost is not proportionately increased with
the qualit.v, for several reasons, of which may be mentioned
competition and the constant effort to improve quality to

THE MASTER MECHANIC.

cheaper processes. Then, at times,
manufaeturei*s are really able to supply cheaper goods
under specifications than without, as they know deflnitely
what is called for ;ind do not have to supply a higher grade
to.M\ri ,;i.ri i.iiiriis aue improper handling by the pur-
clias. [ ' Ills, their responsibility is confined to

ti 1 1 1 ! I . : r I ■ tests and the guarantee of service

Wr I, a.. I:. !.■, M,.:!, a department designed to handle the
great variety of subjects which are constantly arising in
progressive i-ailway management, from the position of sci-
entific experts. One branch of the subject deals with a
system of uniform tests designed to supply an accurate and
quick method of arriving at the results of practical service;
the other extends over the almost limitless field of the arts
and sciences as applicable to the modern art of railroading.

It is to be hoped that some of those present to day will
indicate to us more definitely than I have attempted to do,
facts win, h iiiuy hiivc come to their notice, either from the
irishli i) !,i !. -11 .hilt,' the workings of such departments,
tin-! the market for supplies, and, in fact,

aii,\ : I here is need for other facilities than

till-. ,.' organization under their charge, for

can, •!,- .1- .1 -.-iriiiiitic investigation into the causes of
present defects or contemplated improvements in service.

President Hickey: This is a very interesting sub-
ject. For a good many years back the Master Me-
chanic's Association has discussed it from time to
time but nothing has ever come of it. Chemical
laboratories are a very important thing, the only
sure means of determining the material to be used
for certain things around rolling stock, and their es-
tablishment is not very e.\pensive. It was thought
at one time that this club would get up something of
the kind for the benefit of the club, as it was thought

Mr. Geo. Gtbbs: As I said, I started out to indi-
cate some of the points that might be discussed.
What we want to hear is exact data as to the ex-
perience the other roads have had with testing
laboratories, the amount of force, the amount of
material they handle, the observed bettering in the
character of supplies, etc.

Mr. D. L. Barnes: I would like to ask some of the
gentlemen present it they consider the apparatus'in
the ordinary laboratory sufficiently accurate? It is
my opinion that the apparatus is good enough for all
practical purposes, and the ditfereaces are too small
to have any practical bearing.

Mr. Forsyth: I would like to speak about the
early history of testing, because 1 was connected
with probably the first railway testing room in this
country during the early years of its operation. It
was started at Altoona, in a dingy old room over the
erecting shop, and Mr. G. W. lihodes was the first
railroad engineer of tests. He was afterwards fol-
lowed there by Mr. J. W. Cloud, and for a time they
were the only ones in charge of the department. I
went there sooi; after Mr. Cloud, and the only ap-
paratus we had was an old machine operated by
nand, and that machine was used for tensile and
transverse tests for probably a year or two, perhaps
longer than that. Then came Professor Thurston's
oil testing machine, which was a small apparatus,
about as large as the electric fans now used lor ven-
tilating. We used that probably over a year, trying
to get some results from it. That was followed by
Professor Thurston's torsional machine for measur-
ing the work done In breaking a specimen. In
course of time we accumulated sufficient know-
ledge on the subject to begin to make speci-
fications, and the result of those specifica-
tions was not only a benefit to the railroads
but also to the manufacturers, for it taught them
how to make better material. That is the way it
went until quite a number of railroads now have
their testing departments. About 1S76, I think.
Doctor Dudley was put in charge of the chemical de-
partment, and he, I think, was the first railway
chemist that was employed in the United States.
If any of you want to read an interesting record of
the work done at the Altoona chemical laboratory
you will find started in the Engineeringand Railroad
Journal a aeries of papers which Mr. Dudley and
his assistants are now writing. The test rooois hav-
ing gone through this period of establishing specifica-
tions and testing materials to those requirements,
the work had virtually gotten into a state of routine,
so that the principal occupation of the engineer of
tests and the railroad chemist is simply to see
that tne material meets the requirements.
Now, of course, that is one of the most useful and
legitimate purposes of these testing laboratories, but
I think that they have a larger and equally import-
ant function in original research, ana that the mat-
ter of testing to meet specifications should be dele-
gated to an assistant, and the man in charge should
be allowed to devote a large portion of his time to
original research. The result of this routine work
that I spoke of is that we have been testing oils for
lubrication for fifteen years, and I think I can safely
say that neither the railway chemists nor engineers
of tests know very much about lubrication or the
qualities of oils u»ed in lubrication. What we want
to get at is what is the best oil which can be furn-
ished, say for one dollar, and give the most and
best lubrication. So I suggest that as one of the
subjects which the committee of the Master Car
Builders' Association on tests should emphasize in

their report, and that they recommend that the
people in charge of these laboratories begin some
further original reseach on the subject of lubricat-
ing oils. In the matter of metals— iron and steel,
I think the test rooms can be given a great deal of
credit for our knowledge of the quality of steel, and
it is largely due to them that steel has been more
generally introduced in the construction of locomo-
tives and many other railroad structures, but I
think there still remains something to be learned
about the resilience of steel and its other qualities,
because in spite of the best kiiowledge we can get on
the subject it is a fact that, although steel is recog-
nized as a superior metal to iron, some of our best
railroad men prefer for some parts to use wrought
iron. In the matter of testing machines for metals
I think very litttle further remains to be done. The
machines we use in this country I think are far
superior to those used abroad. The Riehle and the
Oleson machines are good enough for use on rail-
roads and the Emery is certainly adequate for the
most refined investigation.

Mr. C. A. Schroyer — I would like to ask a question
regarding an apparatus for testing the lubricating
qualities of oil. We have tried different kinds of
oil in our service, and one person will say to me that
he considers lard oil the best lubricant there is on
the market; another one will say that he considers a
superior grade of tallow better than lard oil, and I
have some of the "black oil" men come to mc and
show reports made by some of our scientific men
showing by comparison that the petroleum oils that
are on the market bear a ratio of 140 as against lard
oil at 100. I don't take very much stock in those re-
sults, for the reason that the machines on which
these tests are made are very unreliable. I would
like to ask Mr. Forsyth if on their apparatus they
can get the same results two or three times with the
same kind of oils.

Mr. Forsyth — We have done that repeatedly.

Mr. G. H. Ellis— We have in our laboratory what
is known as the Thurston oil tester, and we have
been making tests of every specimen of black oil that
we have received for the last year and a half. The
results that we have obtained are merely compara-
tive, that is, the machine does not show exactly how
those oils would work when in service, but we do
claim that we can tell something of the comparative
worth of oils, when we run that machine under the
same circumstances, that is, with the same person,
same pressure, s^me amount of oil used and the same
temperature. In our laboratory we make these tests,
and compare them, using lard oil as a standard. We
have had oils that go far below that, and oils that go
above that. I wish to say a word or two also in re-
gard to laboratories in general. The fact that there
are eight or ten laboratories now in good working
order organized in the country seems to be a proof
that they are of benefit to a road, and I think it has
been well pointed out to us that the work naturally
comes under two heads, routine work and original
investigation. The routine work, as has been said,
naturally comes down to mere tests which ordinary
help can do, and it can well be left to assistants.
After a laboratory has existed some time, and those
in charge of it begin to know their business, It is
very seldom that they get bad supplies. I am speak-
ing now of paints and tallows and some kinds of oils.
As regards original investigation, I would also add
that is of very great importance. It is conceded by
some railroad men that that is the most important
part of a railroad laboratory, and that the routine
work should be made subservient to that. So far as
accepting supplies is concerned, the laboratory is the
watch dog of the road.

Mr. C. A. Schroyer — I am nut yet satisfied. I do
not get the information that I am after. What I want
to know is whether, on the o.l testing machine, with
precisely the same oil, you can get the same result
twice; if you can get them twice you ought to get
them fifty times in succession with that same oil.
Now, is that machine accurate enough to give it to
you':" And in measuring the lubricating qualities of
that oil do you only measure the distance that the
pendulum is thrown around on your graduated scale
or do you show what are the heating qualities of the
oil':'

Mr. G. H. Ellis— We ought to get the same results
under the same conditions and with the same man
working. Tests have been made on the Thurston
machine showing the endurance of the oil. So far
as our tests are concerned, we do not carry them that
far. We carry our test one hour, and it'then shows
us the temperature, and it generally gets to a tem-
iwrature that is about the same. The Thurston ma-
chine is not exactly what it should be, and does not
show perhaps the best value of an oil.

Mr. F. W. Sargent — I have never made en-
durance tests, Mr. Schroyer, but I have made tests
in Comparing different bearing metals. I have had
a constant stream of oil running on the journal, used
same pressure and same speed, and have noticed a
rising temperature, and also the rising friction, as
shown by the pendulum. I have been able to dupli-
cate these results without any difficulty for different
bearing metals, and also duplicate the rising tem-
perature, for instance with the soft bearing 1 have |

made as many as four and five tests from one to two
hours at a tiue, and have found that the same point
is reached in the matter of temperature with thai
bearing— about IGO degrees— and there the coeffioielit
of friction becomes constant, and the temperature
remains the same, it may heat up rapidly
or slowly to that point, " but it will get
there, with the same speed and the same pressures.
I have been able to duplicate my results under those
conditions. But with oil tests I doubt it it can be
done, 'i'ou have no way of keeping your oil on the
journal. It files off, and it is only a matter of time
when the oil is thrown off the bearing, and then your
test is worthless as a test of endurance. We run
water through the bearing, to keep the temperature
at 100 degrees, and we give, as near as we can, the
same speed, and we run the test for an hour, giving
eight ounces of oil per hour, and we find that the co-
eflicient of friction is constant, from one end to the
other, and the difference in the amount of oil is so
slight as to scarcely be noticeable. I think that
results can be duplicated in such investigations, and
that you can get the comparative values of the dif-
ferent oils. I think the machines we have to-day
are accurate enough for practical purposes. We
have two machines— one screw machine and a
hydraulic machine. We check these two machines,
one with the other, and we find them very close to
each other, answering for any lest we want to make
on a railroad lor things received. We test all sorts
of material, the breaking strength of which varies
from 1,000 lbs. up to 200,000 lbs., and we can readily
read our results within a thousand pounds. As to
the laboratory being a check on the goods received,
it is a great check. We send out specific itions,
which have been drawn up on our own experience
and that of other people, to the makers as a guide in
furnishing us with material. Almostany dealer will
say: " We can supply you with material according
to those specifications," but we don't know whether
they can or not, and we can show from our tests
where good companies are away off from specifica-
tions. I recall an instance in regard to material that
we received from a very reliable company some time
ago. We condemned it, not on one test or two, but
on several. We do not try to find fault; we do not
try to condemn; but this material that we had re-
ceived and tested several times proved bad, and was
condemned. Sometime afterwards I saw a repre-
sentative of that firm, and he said it was the first
time he ever had had any material condemned. I
said it was the first time we had ever condemned
their material, but we couldn't keep it. They went to
work and tested some of that material, to check our
results, and they found that we were perfectly right,
and said they were glad we had sent it back. The
fact is that great many of these folks make a test of
a little of it and then don't test the rest. Our fore-
men in the shops are educated up to this point: that
they will not take any material unless they know it
has been certified by the laboratory. The result
is we weed out all the bad material before it is put
in the shop and before the shop has put any work on
it. I remember on one road that I was passing over
some time ago I saw a large number of arch-bars
piled up, that had oeen thrown off. I said: " What
are you going to do with those 'i"' " They are scrap."
"Can't you use them for anything else':"' "No,
they are cracked.'' If that road had made a simple
test they would have discovered the defect and re-
jected them.

Mr. G. M. Davidson— On our road, in addition to
the routine tests which the gentlemen have de-
scribed, we try to do more or less investigating. For
instance, the subject of paints will come up; we want
tokno.why we don't get better service from our
paints. We naturally test the paints we are buying
from time to time; but we also go out and buy other
paints and get samples of still other paints, and try
to find out the reason why some paints will give us
good service and others will not. Then take the
subject of boiler waters; we are accumulating in-
formation on that all the time, and putting ourselves
in a position where we shall be able, .sooner or later,
to take up the purification of feed water. All this
would be considered outside of routine work. We
have found that a great deal can be saved by getting
samples from different manutacturers of different
articles that are in the market, and comparing them
with our own. For instance, take dry pigments; we
sometimes find there is a vast difference in their
price and but little difference in their quality. In
that way we have been able to save a good deal of
money. Then, there are new subjects coming up
from time to time; for instance, wiinin the last two
years roads have been urged to go into the use of
teel axles tor cars. The steel axle men tell one
tory and the iron axle men tell another. On our
road we have made extensive investigations on that

bject, looked into the manufacture of steel axles

am the start, tested them in every way, and for-
mulated for our general manager all the information
ve have obtaineu on that subject. We did all this
n addition to the regular routine work which haa
already been described.

Mr. F. W. Sargent-rOn our road the laboratory
has been in existence for quite a number of years

TKE MASTER MECHANIC.

Januaby, 1890.

and most of these points were taken up a great manj-
years ago and are now an old story. In a new labor-
atory there are many new matters to be investigated,
and not much routine work. Therefore you will find
in the recent laboratories any amount of new investi-
gations in regard to paints, steel, waters, axles, etc.
They are contiually coming up. We have records
that are pretty complete on all of those points. In
regard to axles, we find our method of testing axles
by the drop the best we know of. We test the whole
axle rather than attempting to test part of it. We
have found that scrap iron axles will answer our
purpose and be just as safe as steel axles. In the
future, as the work gets more severe and the weights
are heavier, we may find it an advantage to use steel
axles. We can get iron axles cheaper than steel
axles, and we get what we consider just as good serv-
ice out of them as out of steel axles. We have heard
the laboratory side of the question; now wouldn't
it be a good idea to hear from some of the supply
men as to how they like to have their articles tested?

President Hickey— Mr. Gibbs, will you state for
the benefit of the club what apparatus should com-
prise a fair testing laboratory, aside from the chemi-
cal apparatus.

Mr. Geo. Gibbs— Whenever I see the result of a
series of tensile tests given as figured down to
pounds and two decimal places I immediately begin
to doubt the accuracy of the result. And the same
with water; if I find three decimals in the constitu-
ents, I begin to doubt. The testing machines which
are now employed in railway work are sufficiently
accurate, that is to say, they register what is pro-
duced there, but in some cases do not produce all we
want. The oil testing machine, I think, is a case in
point. The friction which is produced there is
measured to a sufficient degree of accuracy for all
practical purposes. A first-class laboratory should
have a tensile testing machine of 200,000 lbs. ca-
pacity, also a smaller one of .50,000 or 40,000 lbs., and
an oil testing machine. A machine for rapidly test-
ing a considerable number of springs is also needed.
A hundred thousand pounds machine can be
bought, I think, for about $1,000; the 40,000 lb. ma-
chine probably could be bought for $800. The spring
testing machine should not cost as much as that.

Mr. F. W. Sargent— I made a rough estimate some
time ago as to the cost of a physical and chemical
laboratory and I found it would take from $4,000 to
$-5,000 to equip one to do ordinary work. I should
think $4,000 at least would be the figure. Regard-
ing oil testing machines, it seems to me that you
cannot get accurate results on a machine designed
like the Thursteu oil testing machine. I think the
viscosimeter embodies the true principle. It records
the How of oil and it can be compared with the curve
you get from the friction machine.

Mr. D. L. Barnes — I would like to call attention to
the necessity of accurate manipulation of testing
machines. It is only within the past two years that
we have been able, for instance, accurately to test
the tensile strength of cements. It has been believed
that the strength of cements varies largely, even
under the same conditions; now, after experimentr
ing a long lime, we find that that apparent result
was entirely due to the apparatus and the manipula-
tion thereof, and that after correcting that, cements
mixed under the same conditions differ in tensile
strength only two or three per cent., whereas they
formerly showed a difference of 15 to 20 per cent.

Adjourned.

Kew England Railroad Club.

The December meeting of the New England Club
was devoted to '-Signals and Signaling.'' Mr. R. H.
Soule, of the Union Switch and Signal Company,
read a long and exhaustive historical paper on this
subject. We find it impossible to find space for this
paper and discussion in this issue. "Notes of Foreign
Travel" will be presented at the January meeting.

The following circulars of inquiry from com-
mittees of the Master Mechanics" Association have
been issued:

1. Do you consider it an advantuRe to place the flre-box
above the framoi If so, please slate your reason.

2. Do you experience any more difficulty 'u keeping mud

4 Is your rinK set level or does it drop in front! If so,
how much! If you drop in front, please state your reason
for that method of construction.

S.'Are your mud rings double riveted all around, or only

«. In placing the firebox above the frame, does it run
straight across, or drop in middle — _— !

T What depth of Hre-box would you recommend!

S. Does your firebox stand level, or do you dish your
frame toward the front end!

9. What increase of grate surface do you obtain by rais-
ing fire box above the frame!

lU. Do you experience any more trouble with driving
boxes healing with lire- box above frame!

11. Do you ha
with flre-box al
diameter of flu(

12. Do you use water bars or grates, and for what kind
of coal!

13. Do you use brick arch with fire-box above frame i

14. Please stale in a general way what advantages or
disadvantages, if any, you have derived from placing fire
box above the frame.

In answering foregoing questions, please send blue
prints and give full information.

Fked. B. Griffith.
James MvCBETH,
W. A. FosTiit,
L. F. Ltne,

Committee.
Replies to be sent to Fred. B. GrifHth, M. M., D., L. &
W. Ry., Buffalo, N. Y.

TO PREVENT CORROSIOX OF WATER TANKS.

What is the best means and the economy of preserving
locomotive tanks from corrosion ?

Have you, in repairing tanks, used any method or device
to prevent the corrosion usually observed on top sheets,
and those sheets forming the coal pit! If so, please inform
your committee of the same, and the additional cost
incurred in securing the best results; and if of a metallic
or other form of preventive, please send sketch or blue
print of same.

If members know of any means of preserving water
tanks not referred to in this circular, they are requested to
send particulars.

W. J. Robertson,
Albert Griggs,
O. Stewart,
Jerome Wheelock,
Committee.
RepUes to be sent to W. J. Robertson, Supt. M. P., C. V.

1. Are you in favor of an axle for heavy tenders with or
without end collars!

2. If in favor of an axle with end collars, please give
figures for the following dimensions : (a) Diameter of end
collar; (b) diameter of journal; (c) diameter of dust-
guard seat; (d) diameter of wheel-seat; (e) diameter of
center of axle; (f) length of end collar; (gj length of
journal; (h) length of dust-guard seat; (i) length of wheel
seat; (j) length from centre to centre of journal; (fc)
length of axle over all.

3. If in favor ot a collarless axle, please give the dimen-
sions as above, except the (a) and (/). Also kind of end
stop and manner of fixing same.

Which one of the three forms in use (given below) of
do you approve! And

form of axle between the
why!

3£

of weight on journals per square

nderstands one that,
. , . - - - .600 gallons
,000 pounds of coal. The committee desire
all the Information they can get on this subject, and to that
ned they request that your answers be not confined to the
questions in the circular.

(Signed) W. Swantson,

W. Garstang,

Jas. Maglenn,

l. r. pomeroy.

Answers should be addressed to Wm. Swanston, M. M.,

Chicago, St. Louis & Pittsburgh Railroad, Indianapolis,

THE MASTER CAR BUILDERS' ASSOCIATION - AH
NOUNCEMENT OF ANNITAL CONVENTION OF 1890.

Under the duties imposed upon the Executive Committee
by by. law No. 3, this committee announces that it has
selected Old Point Comfort, Va., as the place for holding
the next annual convention of the Master Car Builders'
Association, commencing on Tuesday, June 10th, lb90. The
headquarters of the association will be at the Hygeia
Hotel, the management of which has named a uniform
rate of » per day for all who attend the convention. The
Committee of Arrangements consists of Messrs. Wade,
Day and Demarest, but members who wish to engage rooms
in advance shou'd address Mr. F. N. Pike, manager Hy-
geia Hotel, Fortress Monroe, Va.

The Executive Committee regrets that Charleston, S. C,
the place selected at the last convention, is ineligible on
account of insufficient hotel accommodations for a fairly
well attended convention of the association, because the
committee realizes that the well-known hospitality of
Charleston would have ensured a pleasant reception to the

The committee al.so found Lookout Mountain, near Cha
tanooga, Tenn., ineligible for the same reason; when tl
new hotel, now being built at this point, is completed,
will probably be capable of accommodating the associ
tion, and although the management promises to have
opened in May. the Executive Committee thought it be
to select a place where the necessary accommodatioi
already exist.

Buffalo, N. Y., was mentioned as one of the three pla

for the Executive Committee

consider, but the subse-

quent action of the convention, restricting its choice to
Charleston and the manifest desire on the part of many
members to go South in isiio, have led the committee to
disregard Buffalo, believing that by the selection as above
announced it meets the wishes of a larger portion of the
membership than could be done by the selection of any
other place.

Mm. McWoon
, S. Lentz,

^M. FORSTTH

E. Cham

C. A. Sci

E. W. Grieves,
KiRBT, J. W. Mardex,

BisSELL, R. C. BL.tCK.4LL,

F. D. Casanave,
Executive Committee.

COMMUNICATIONS.

To the Editor of The Kailwaj' Master Mechanic:

The subject of "Joint Inspeciion" is not anew one, al-
though the " railway press'"" have but recently commenced
to discuss it. It is admitted by all well-infonned railway
men that joint inspection is the proper solution of the many
difficulties arising in the interchange of cars, at junction
and terminal points. The leading question is, which is the
best of the several systems of joint inspection now in use.
The writer has a plan in mind, and with your permission,
he would like to give it to your I'ailway readers.

It is as suitable for a large railway center like Chicago,
as it is for a small two road junction point. The best rei>-
reseutation of it may be found at Detroit, Mich., where aU
the railways centering there are regulated by it, and with
one joint inspector or arbitrator. It has been in operation
there for five years very successfully. As evidence of its
satisfaction and success, not a single dispute has arisen be-
tween any of the railways, party to the agreement, neither
has there been any complaint from the transportation or
freight department (which is saying a great deal), har-
mony prevailing between all departments and roads ever
since joint inspection went into force.

It IS operated as follows: The Master Car Builders' Asso-
ciation code of rules govern the joint inspection. The joint
inspector or arbitrator is appointed by the master car
builders of the railways interested. AU complaints
against him are referred to and dealt with by
the said master car builders. He has general
supervision over all freight car inspection, decid-
ing any disputes between the different railways. Al
though he has no authority to discharge any of the-
inspectors, he is authorized to maintain a uniform system
of inspection in the different yards, through the car fore-
men, the latter having direct charge of thej car inspectors
in their yard.

The manner of inspection is as follows : On arrival of a
train it is inspected by the men in the yard it arrives in,
who mark off any defective cars. Repairs that can be
done at once without being sent to repair shop or transfer
shed are done by the inspectors, where it will not interfere
with their duties as inspectors. The cars passed, on being
delivered, are again inspected by the receiving railway
inspectors, and if any defects are detected that the deliver-
ing railway has overlooked or neglected, the attention of
the joint inspector is called to it, and if he decides that the
repairs shall be done by the receiving railway he gives
them an "order" to charge the delivering road. In case
the joint inspector is not at hand the repairs may be done
and the broken parts kept for him to decide by and give an
order for charges.

It may be imagined that this self or first inspection will
be done carelessly and many defects passed on to the re-
ceiving road to repair, but the joint inspector's "order"
for charges against the delivering road is a check for any
neglect of this kind. These orders are sent in monthly to
the delivering road, and if the head of department
finds that the charges against his road are
greater than his against the receiving road,
he is very apt to call his car foreman
to account for it. Of course this puts each car foreman on
his mettle to keep down the charges against his road to a
minimum. The result is very close inspection on both
sides. If the defects of a car are of such a nature as to ne-
cessitate the transfer of the load, this can only be done by
order of the joint inspector; or if he is not at hand the car
foreman of the yard where defects are discovered can give
the order, subject to approval of joint inspector, the trans-
fer to be charged to the delivering road. If the defects are
detected by the receiving road and the car be-
longs to the delivering or a preceding road it can be sent
back to the delivering road for repairs, after it is trans-
ferred. The delivering road is responsible for overloaded
cars. In the interchange of car. "pass cai-ds," are used
only by the authority, and over the signature, of the joint
inspector.

A few of the advantages of this system may be men-
tioned : tirst, it takes less inspectors than when the inspec-
tors are under the joint inspector only, because the same
inspectors that do the interchange inspection, can be and
are used for local inspection, also for doing running repairs-

jANtJABY, 1890.

THE MASTKR MECHANIC.

This is not the case with the other
double inspection, which insures c
order, especially when it is some distance between deliver-
ing and receivinfr yards, or there is considerable switch-
ins to be done, which is quite often the case. Many re-
ceiving roads have to maintain a separate set of inspectors
to insure their trains leaving in good order on account of
the hard usage cars get after inspected and before leaving.
Third, cars having defects that may have been overlooked
or neglected in the first inspection, are detected and re-
paired by the reviving road, whereas in other systems the
defective car when found would be returned to the deliv-
ering road to be repaired and very likelv a dispute would
arise as to the responsibility of the defect; this is not an
uncommon occurrence not a thousand miles from Buffalo.
Fourth, the dispatch with which freight is handled; there
are no unnecessary delays, all the roads interested work-
ing as one body, under the joint inspector, to further the
general interest. No thought of undue advantage is en-

tertained.

C. B.

A car wheel dressing machine of remarkable
power and efficiency is now in Chicago, and is being
inspected by frequent delegations of railway officials.
It is the invention of Mr. G. W. Miltimore, of Ar-
lington, Vt., who has been engaged for some years
in developing the principle, and has during that
pei'iod constructed several machines, each being an
improvement upon its predecessor in power and
capacity. The tirst printed description of the new
and unique method of dressing car wheels developed
in these machines was published in the May number
of The R.\ilwav Master Mechanic for 1887.

In all the car wheel dressing machines now in use
the material which must be got rid of to true up a
wheel that has become unfit for service is removed

NATIONAL WHEEL DRESSING MACHINE.

by grinding. In the National machines this ma-
terial is melted or burned off. Instead of the emery
abrading wheels, with their comparatively slow
revolutions ana results, these machines perform
their work with metal disks revolving with high
velocities and doing their work in minutes instead
of hours.

The metal disk, which is the central feature of the
machine, is about 4 ft. in diameter, and is composed
of a soft steel tire strongly attached to a wrought iron
center. As this disk is run up to a velocity of 3,000
revolutions per minute, it is, necessarily, constructed
with great care. As a matter of fact, it is never
called upon to endure more than one-third of the
centrifugal strain which it is capable of resisting.
The shaft, bearings and all the details of the ma-
chine are carefully designed to endure this high
speed. The arrangements by which the bearings
are kept cool while the periphery of the disk has a
steady velocity of about 600 ft. per second are simple
and effective.

The disk 'is somewhat thicker than the width of
the tread of a car wheel, and its face has the outline
of the standard M. C. B. tread, except that the part
corresponding to the flange is sunk in the face in-
stead of projecting from it. In other words, it cor-
responds to the mould in which a car wheel is cast,
so that when the wheel which is to be dressed is
brought up to the disk its flange enters the corres-
ponding depression in the disk, thus bringing the
entire surface of flange and tread into contact with
the face of the disk.

In operation the car wheel is hung by its axle, in
bearings which are devised to insure exact center-
ing, in front ol the disl<, and brought up to contact

with it as soon as the disk attains its working veloc-
ity of 3,000 revolutions per minute. In this position
it revolves slowly in the same direction with the
disk. Although the surfaces merely touch each
other, the tremendous velocity of the disk develops
intense heat at the point of contact, and the metal of
the wheel is burned or melted ofl", making a veri-
table torrent of fire as the incandescent particles
stream downward from the pcint of contact between
the disk and wheel. The disk does its work with
great rapidity, although the time required to dress
a wheel depends, of course, upon the amount of ma-
terial to be removed and also upon the hardness of
the tread. The wheels shown in the diagrams re-
quired 10 and 15 minutes respectively. We have
seen a steel tired wheel, of average hardness, •
turned down in seven minutes. New chilled wheels
can be dressed to perfect roundness and given the
hard surface with great rapidity. With a new and
still larger machine, now finished and soon to be set
up, it is expected to finish a wheel in five minutes.
With two disks a pair of wheels ought to be placed,
dressed and removed in ten minutes. The machines
are designed to dress driving wheel tire, as well as
car wheels, and the saving of time in such work by
this method must be of great value. A special
value, in addition to the saving of time, is claimed
for this process on account of the singular hardness
of the surface which it leaves on tread and flange.
This surface on the finished wheel is so hard that a
file will not touch it, and there is jjositive evidence
to sustain the claim that this intensely hard "skin"
resists for a long time the wear of service, and thus
adds materially to the life of the wheel. The master
mechanic of the road on which the first wheels ever

THE MASTER MECHANIC.

Januakt, 1890.

dressed by this piocess were put into service, re-
plies under date of December 23 to an inquiry from
The Railway Master MECHAsnc as follows:

The Miltimore tire dressing machine is a wonder-
ful device, and I must acknowledge that tires turned
by this process are finished better and left in condi-
tion to give better mileage than is the case with any
other process known to me. Also the smoothing up
of the tread of cast iron wheels by this machine is
certainly of great benefit both to the life of the wheel
and the "smoothness of its running under a car.

From another source we learn that a chilled wheel
on the Canadian Pacific which had been taken from
the scrap pile and trued up in this machine was re-
cently broken up after running 14,000 miles, and it
was found that at one place in the tread the original
wear (before dressing in the machine) had extended
through the chill to the soft iron. The hard skin
left by the process had, however, resisted the wear
of 14,000 miles of service so that no flat spot was
caused, and the fact that the original wear had ex-
tended through the chill, was not discovered until
the wheel was broken up. This is a remarkable
Statement, but it is certain that the surface left by
this process is intensely hard, and the evidence so
far obtained all goes to show that it adds consider-
ably to the mileage of wheels in service. This hard
surface is produced ofl both steel-tired and chilled
by the Miltimore process.

, MAGNOLIA METAL.

In these days when greyhounds of the sea are
steadily reducing the time of passage from continent
to continent it has been learned that the most pow-
erful boilers and engines and the finest lines in de-
sign are comparatively useless for " record-break-
ing " unless the bearings of piston rods, shafts, etc.,
are of such material that heating will not result from
high speeds. In a number of recent cases voyages
have been prolonged hours, and even days, because
the builders of the machinery did not line import-
ant bearings with the very best anti-friction metals.
It has been found that the old kinds of bearing
metals, which proved successful with the pressures
and speeds of ten years ago are not adapted to the
most recent construction. New conditions have
called for a soft metal which should be much su-
perior to any of the older compositions.

To meet these requirements, Magnolia metal has
come to the front, and it is asserted that of two
modern steam ships, one having Magnolia metal in
her journals, and the other fitted with any other
bearing metal, the former will gain on the latter
from a halt knot to one knot per hour during the
voyage. It is stated, as a fact, that the speed of some
of the newest and swiftest ocean steamers has been
materially increased by substituting Magnolia metal

TIKE INDIUA'IOK CAKDS.
Shmeing work done by the National Wheel Dressing Machine.
before dressing and dotted lines after. Both wheels Midvale steel tired, 33 in. dia. Tire
before dressing, 8 ft. 83j in. after dressing; time consumed Id dressing, 10 minutes,
in. before dressing and 8 ft. s', in. after dressing; time consumed in dressing 15

[Solid Unes show
No. 1 — circumference. 8 ft.
Tire No. 2— circumference,
minutes. J

Of course such a machine requires considerable
power. The one now in Chicago is run by a 160
horse power engine. But the rapidity with which it
does its work and the increased durability which (it
now seems certain) it imparts to the wheels, make it
an important labor, time and money saving device.
In a short time a large number of wheels dressed by
this process will be running on some of our western
roads, and the value of the invention will be fully
demonstrated. It is believed that the process will
prove very valuable when applied to sheets of steel
and iron.

The National Metal Dressing Company has been
organized in Chicago, with offices in "The Rookery,''
rooms 80.5 and 807. Mr. F. M. Atkinson is vice presi.
dent and general manager.

Expiring Railroad Patents,

[Furnished by F. H. Brock, patent attorney. IW9 F. St.,
Washington, D. C. These patents are now free to be
manufactured by any one. Copies of any patent fur-

Snow plow, J. S. Munson.
Car axle, G. W. Miltimore.
Car brake, W. Nelson.

for the compositions originally put in the bearings
by the builders. The swiftest of all the ocean racers
—the City of Paris— has this metal for its bearings.
It is also stated that the adoption of this raetal by
the United States naval department has resulted in
entire freedom from hot journals, and in an appre-
ciable increase of speed. The tests made under the
supervision of this department which led to its adop-
tion by the government have been mentioned in this
paper. The following interesting item was recently
published:

The beautiful new steamship " Kaiser 'WilHam II.," of
ths North German-Lloyd line, on her first trip to this coun-
try, several weeks since, was detained two days on the
way from hot journals. On her arrival the chief engineer
caused the steamship's journal bearings to be lined with
Magnolia metal. She sailed while the great storm was
raging that wrecked so many vessels and devastated the
Jersey coast about three weeks ago, and arrived in Europe
on time without suffering from hot journals at all. The
MagnoUa metal went into her thrust bearings. This is
of the severest tests that an aQti-friciion metal could be
put to, because the "Kaiser William II. 's" journals were
badly cut up by the metal that was taken out which caused
the detention, and the Magnolia metal had to stand that
disadvantage to begin with.

Endorsements of the claims of this metal have been
given by the German government as a result of tests
made at the royal gun manufactory at Erfurt and on
the Buckau Magdeburg Railway. Robert H.Smith,
professor of engineering, Mason College, Birming-
ham, F.ng., under date of September 21, 1889, con-
cludes a report embracing between S,000 and . 4,000
tests of Magnolia metal as follows:

The general conclusion at which I have arrived from
tlM'so experiments is that Magnolia metal is a very excel-
lent uiaterial for bearings; that its special good qualities
appear more particularly when it is subjected to intense
pressure, such as could not be borne by other metals with-
out firing or melting, and that under very trying circum-
stances the Magnolia metal may be trusted to remain cool;
that is, at a temperature that does not interfere with good
working.

The results of the most recent comparative tests of

this metal made by Mr. H. G. Torrey, who for 30
years has been assayer at the U. S. mint in New
York, are given in the following report underdate of
November V:

New York, November 7, 1889.

etal Co
Ge.vtlemex— At your request 1
tion tests of journal bearing metals. Those selected were
your own Magnolia metal, taken from the stock as made
day by day, and Hoyt's genuine babbitt and the de-oxidized
genuine babbitt, the latter two supposed to be the best of
their class. The machine used was a 5 in. collar keyed on a
3 in. shaft lubricated with sperm oil, 5 in. collar running in

With light pressure and slow revolutions of shaft the
metals showed little difference but, with rapid revolutions
and heavy pressures. Magnolia metal showed great superi-

mi,

.: = . = : = :=!

iiiiiiiii

iiiiilili!

' if

. i i

hm\\\

111

l^il

=ss§ssgss

Respectfully, H. G. Tokkey.

Cn.iui.Es T.iYLOR. assistant.

Under date of November 18, 1889, R. L. Peck,
chief engineer of the steamer Owego reports a suc-
cessful trial of Magnolia metal on the low pressure
crank pin on that vessel, which is of 2-500 tons bur-
den. The crank pin is 14 in. in diameter and 16 in.
long, and had melted out a lining of Post's Zero
metal on the previous trip, which was the
first in which that metal was used. The re-
port, taken from the log record, shows that the Mag-
nolia metal succeeded perfectly under very adverse
circumstances.

In conclusion, it can be truthfully said that the
company which is offering Magnolia metal to the
railways, electric light companies and manufact-
urers of this country have from the first adopted
the policy of obtaining comparative tests wherever
possible, of welcoming the examination of and experi-
ments with the metal by well known scientific and
practical experts, and of giving the results of tests,
etc., the widest publicity.

We regret to learn of the death of Mr. William Purcell,
for many years the popular janitor of the New York Rail-
road Club. He died December 20, 18SH, of heart disease.

Mr. George H. Baker, whose method of instructing the
engineers and firemen of the "Q" system in the econom
ical use of coal and steam, has been referred to in those
columns, has been appointed master mechanic of the West-
tern Railway of Uruguay, a government road soon to be
built.

THE MASTER MECHANIC.

IMPEOVED "HEATEB" SWITCH LAMP.

heater" switch lamp, manufactured by Post &
inciunati, O., is ingeniously constructed to pre-
vent congelation of oil
in the very coldest
weather. Its distinct-
ive features are shown
in the cuts. Each of
the two tubes is continu-
ous. The longest end
■ xtends up into the
"jack" of the lamp.
.\s the greatest heat is
at that point, it will be
^el•n that as the air in
the up[>ei' end of each
tube becomes hot a cir-
culation is established.
Warm air from near the
lamp llame enters each
tube at its flaring end
to replace the hot air
nsion in the upper end of the
tube. The air which enters the short end of each
tube is sufficiently hot to warm the oil in which the
bend of the tube is submerged. It is stated, after
full tests, that this device will Keep the oil liquid
even in the worst Dakota blizzard. The arrange-
ment and position of the heat-
ing tubesissuch.that.no carbon,
it is claimed, is deposited on
them, and the tubes cannot be-
come clogged. The flaring ends
of the tubes can be turned away
from the flame, so as to prevent
the entrance of the heated air
in moderate weather. The
heater is applied to hand lan-
terns also and all kinds of train
signal lamps. In the north-
west and other regions of this
country where there are, every
winter, periods of cold so in-
tense that mercury freezes,
such a device is a necessity in
bnth lanterns and railway
yards. We are informed that
this invention has been tested
under all conditions with satis-
faction, and it has the presump-
tion in its fa\or which arises
from the fact that it is manufactured b;
and highly reputable house.

ill known

A NEW WINDOW HOLDER AND ANTI BATTLEK.

A device which should commend itself to all rail-
way men who believe that the best way to increase
passenger earnings is to study the comfort of the
traveling public has been invented by Mr. D. E,
jje„„„„ of Te--e "au*e '-d ""d '■= m"""f'u;t"red
by the Ti-iie Haute ImpiOM.mLnt I. ompan^ of that

This device which we illustrate is claimed and
appi II to b in I ffectue cure of loose windows and

This device permits the window to be opened and
fastened at any desired height. Attention is also
called to the claim that the bearing of theiubbti
tired roller against the sash enables the window to
be raised more easily and prevents the binding of
the sash in the frame, which is so vexatious.

HORIZONTAL DKILLINO AND BORING MACHINE

The accompanying illustration shows a now hoi i
zontal drilling and boring machine, as built bx the
Belts Machine Company, of Wilmington, Del This
machine. No. 2 size, and the smaller size made by
this company, are already well known to machine
tool users, and have been most favorably received
The company have lately added several improve
ments which increase the capacity and convenience
of these excellent tools. • •

The driving done has five speeds and is back
geared, giving 10 speeds in either direction to the
cast iron shell through which the steel spindle has
always a full bearing and by which it is driven. The
stool spindle is provided wibh a set of properly pro-
portioned feeds, automatic in action and instantly
connected or disconnected as desired. Both a slow
and rapid hand motion is also provided. The spindles
after being fed through its full stroke, can be left in

angle with the bed. An arbor carrying a circular
cutter is held in the centers of the lathe. The long
level IS moved hoii/ontallj to open the jaws for in-
set ting and lemoMn^ the MI ws md downwaid to

bring the screws to be slotted against the saw. The
stop screw shown governs the downward motion, and
thus regulates the depth of slot in the screw head.
The working part of the apparatus can be raised or
lowered on the platform front by means of the bolt

HORIZONTAL DRILLING AND BORING MACHINE.

vs so loose that driits ol snow will collect on the
sills in a driving snow storm. Such windows are a
menace to the health of every traveler as well as a
reproach to the officer who is responsible for the con-
dition of pa.ssenger car equipment. That no small
amount of. fuel is wasted on account of such windows
is certain, a waste which wouldtbe obviated by the
use of a device like the one illustrated.. J

position, while the feed slide is disconnected, moved
back and secured to it at another point, thus enabling
the machine to bore in length up to twice the ordinary
capacity of the machine.

The spindle is provided with a truly bored taper
hole to support one end of a boring bar while the
steady rest carries the other end. The facing head
fits on the end of the cast iron driving shell and is
driven therefrom; it in no way interferes with the
tree use of the spindle, and both can be used at the
same time; any ordinary lathe tool may be used in it,
and the amount of room needed for its swing is con-
stant and much less than in the older style, thus
allowing the table to be set up closer tu the spindle.

The long table is raised and lowered by power, and
is provided with the usual arrangement of compound
tables on top of it; those tables are adjusted with
.screws, can be firmly clamped in position, and are
provided with ample means for securing work.

The machine is especially designed for handling
a heavy duty with rapidity and accuracy, while at
the same time it presents a neat and substantial ap-
pearance. The builders will be glad to furnish at
any time additional information to those desiring it.

SCREW SLOTTINQ DEVICE.

The screw slotting device shown in our engraving
is designed to replace the expensive appliances fre-
quently used for slotting the heads of screws. It
can be attached to any ordinary hand lathe, and is
belived by its designers to be more efficient for the
purpose than any machine heretofore made. An
active boy can with this device slot from ten to fit-
teen thousand screws per day. A single bolt fastens
the platform A of this apparatus to the bed of a hand
lathe, the long lever projecting in front at a right

C. This device is made by the Brown & .Sharpe
Manufacturing Company, of Providence, K. I.

THE NEW SHOPS OF PEDBICK «t AYEB.

The firm of Pedrick & Ayer, of Philadelphia,
whose machinery is so well known to most of our
readers, have recently moved into new quarters.
The new building is located very near the old one,
and was designed specially for their work. It is
now two stories high, built in a very substantial man-
ner, and with the view of making it a four story
building in the near future. Though less than three
months in the new building, their orders have been
so numerous that the architect already has orders
for the completion of the two additional stories.

From a reference to the plans it will be seen that
the first floor, 11)0x40 ft., forms the main shop. It is
lighted by windows at each end of the room and by
two large light wells with skylights above. The
arrangement of machinery and the facilities for
handling work are excellent. The iron columns
which support the floor beams are almost without
exception supplied with cranes, as shown by dotted
circles. Two lines of main shafting are used, one
along each side of the shop, alxiut fi ft. from the wall.
The engine and boiler are located at one end of the
building in a room which is partly above and partly
below the main floor. The engine is a 12x24 in. Cor-
liss of their own build. The floor of the engine and
boiler room is made of heavy planks laid upon a
thick layer of iron slag and asphalt. A dynamo
located above the engine room on the .second floor
furnishes current for over 100 incandescent lamp-
throughout the shops.

The engine room Is partly above the main floor
and the space over it has been utilized in the mos-

THE MASTER MECHANIC

NEW SHOPS OF HEDRICK & AVER.
Planei-s; /!, Lathes; C, Boring Mills; D, Universal Milling Machines; E, Screw Cutting Machines; G, Vi

ler. Its roof or ceiling has been cov-
ered on top with a layer of clay and earth and a
blacksmith's Are placed there. The stack from the
boiler is a '20 in. sheet iron pipe inside of the chim-
ney in the corner of the building-. The products of
combustion from the forge pass out around the out-
side of the 20 in. tube. As the chimney is kept hot
by the gases from the boiler, there is always a good
draft,even when the forge tire is first lighted, so that
smoke never goes into the shop but always up the
chimney.

The second floor is at present used for lighter
work. On this floor directly above the engine room
is the patti'rn shop and ;tt the front of the building
are thi' on'.- mimI .Iinwing room. The latter are
all fini>li !n hard wood. The sanitary

arrangini : Hint, and the shop is in all

respect>v,- : v.ip, :i -ludy. There is abasement
under a small portion of the main floor near the
elevator and in it castings are stored. Two bins
with small trap doors in the main floor give storage
for cast iron and wrought iron chips.

The firm are just about to ship a large order to
the Union Paciflc road, including nearly a full line
of their railway shop tools, such as valve seat planers,
milling machines, cylinder boring machines, etc.
They have recently received so many inquiries
about link motion machines suitable for giving in-
struction that they have recently designed and built
one. It is about half size of an eight wheeler valve
gear, and is not meant to be used to take records of
all valve gears, but simply to give practice in adjust-
ing a valve gear, and everything that can be done
with a locomotive gear can be accomplished with
this. Al a reasonable cost a machine can therefore
be made which will be excellent as a means for in-
structing engineers and others about the peculiari-
ties of the link motion.

SUPPLY TRA DE NOTES.

—The Dayton Malleable Iron Works have just been
quipped with vi r.v c..iii|iletc appliances for extinguishing
fires. 'I I ■ I ow ortranized for flghiing Are,

and re^ii It is worthy of mention that

the mall . ■.< irks not only pay the men in

full for 1 1.' Ill ■.'■ drills, but also give special

rewards for i.fflrii-ii.-.v in thi-m.

— No matter how often one calls at the office of the E. D.
Albro Co., at Cincinnati, there is always something new in
the line of beautiful woods or veneers to be seen. Quite
recentlj- the company received a lot of Sau Domingo ma-

hogany, which is greatl.v superior to the growths us
found in the market. The pi'inia vera or white maho
furnished by this concern comes from the west coa
Mexico and is much finer than that obtained on the east
coast, where our supplies of this wood have generally
hitherto been found.

—The completed machine for rolling armor plate, just
finished by the Niles Tool Works for the navy yard at
Francisco, weighs *M,000 lbs., or 64,000 lbs. more than
figiired. The two largest rolls weigh Ki.dOO lbs. each,
three of the rolls were forged by the Cleveland City Forge
& Iron Co.— a work which that concern has a right to be
proud of.

-Mr. Hugh McMillan has been succeeded in the presi-
dency of the Williames System of Railroad Car Heating,
by Mr. John S. Clark of Boston. The office of the compan.v
has been removed to S9 State street of thai city.

—The Schoen Manufacturing Co., of Philadelphia, whose
business is the manufacture of articles in pressed steel for
railway equipment, have decided to move their plant to
Pittsburgh. The capital stock of the company has been
increased to *:W0,000, and they are now engaged in erects
ing fire proof iron buildings in Pittsburgh, and have made
their contracts for a complete plant on the hydraulic sys-
tem. Everything is to be first-class, and they will have
the capacity to turn out from 40 to 50 tons per day of the
articles they manufacture. Mr. C. T. Schoen, of Philadel-
phia is the president, and Mr. Henry W. Oliver, of Pitts-
burgh, vice president of the company. The works will be
located adjacent to those of the Oliver Iron & Steel Co.

—The Westinghouse Machine Company beat its record in
sales of Westinghouse engines in November, 104 engines,
comprising 39 compounds, 31 standards and 34 juniors, and
aggregating 7,180 horse power.

--The Consolidated Car Healing Company, of Albany,
has absorbed the Automatic Car Coupler Heating Cumpany,
of Detroit, Mich., and has acquired the ownership of the
"Peerless coupler" and other valuable appliances.

—The Buffalo Forge Company have prepared a notably
tasteful little pamphlet containing fac simile letters from
users of their blowers and fans. The letters given are
from representative firms and fully substantiate the claims
made for the Buffalo blowers and fans.

—Mr. R. B. Owens is no longer with tho the Williames
System of Railroad Car Heating— his contract of service
with that company having expired in November.

—The Cleveland Twist Drill Company has been for some
months fully settled in its new works at Lake and Kirtland
streets, Cleveland, and is having a prosperous season.
The main building is of brick. 100x35 ft. on the ground, and
is thre(t stories high. The forge and tempering shops
covers 75 x 35 ft. additional. Every corner of the building
is now occupied with machinery, etc., and it will not be
long befpro the company will have to use some of the sou

X .50 ft., which is still unoccupied. The business of the
company with the railways is steadily increasing.

—A Tripp anti-friction journal bearing was recently ex-
amined after making 65,001.' miles, and it was found that
the roller bearings showed less than 1 t>4 in. wear and were
in all respects in good condition. This bearing is reported
to be making an excelleBt record on the through car which
runs between Boston and Philadelphia, on the New York
& New England and Bound Brook route.

— The following from Mr. John A. Walker, secretary and
general manager of the Joseph Dixon Crucible Company,
will be read with interest by all who are using the "graph
ite" products which are turned out in such great quantities
at Jersey City :

The Joseph Dixon Crucible Co., Jersey City, N. J., closes
1SS9 with satisfaction. Our business has been larger in
every branch than in 18S8. Our chief new departure in
1889 has been in the large increase of equipment at our
graphite mines at Ticonderoga. We have laid the lines
there for a five years' continuous run— tearing down and
rebuilding almost everything much larger than before.
The specially large increase in the sales of graphite paint,
graphite grease, graphite oils and other graphite lubricants,
has pushed us to this. The sales of our standard and well
known Dixon stove polish, Dixon crucibles and Dixon
"American graphite" pencils have also largely increased.
Our plant now includes 5 steam engines with a total of 375
h. p. ; 9 steam boilers of HOC h, p. together, and tho use of
1.50 h. p. water power. We employ 5.50 persons, and our
pay roll averages ?4,.500 per week. We have direct connec-
tions with the telegraph companies and the Long Distance
Telephone Co. So far as we can see the prospect for 1890
is bright.

— We have received from Merchant & Co. several beauti-
ful photogravuers of the Forth Bridge, which show this
grandest of structures from several points of view.

—The Cleveland Twist Drill Co. closed its factory for the
holidays to take inventory, make repairs and rearrange
machinery to accommodate some new machines. The new
factory which was thought too big a year ago, is alread"
too full of machinery and the firm contemplates building
addition this year.

—Among recent orders booked by Riechle Bros, of ^

delphia, are one lliO,000 lbs. self adjusting railroad scale
for the Savarnah. Florida & Western Ry., and one 10-ton
Rohie patent screw jack for the Mont Alto Railroad Co.

—An exhibit of one ton of pure aluminum was shown re-
cently in the Mechanical Hall in Pittsburgh, Pa., by the
Pittsburgh Reduction Company. This is doubtless by far
the largest amount of this metal ever shown at one time in
any country. The metal was ingots, measuring six by
twelve inches and weighing about five pounds each One

got, however, weighed about 1.50 pounds. Besides this

.,..,.:. .V. showed a large variety of manufao-

metal in sheets, in
is slated that sam-
pany have been easily
;iiivai weiuing process. The cost of
largely reduced by the processes of the
company, and we (»re pow in a fair way tp find out "all that
there h in it."

hibit t

tured articles in aluminum— also
foil like gold leaf, and other foru
pies of the metal made by this n
elded by the electrical welding

Febroaky, 1890.

THE MASTER MECHANIC.

POBUSHED MONTHLY BY THE

RAILWAY PURCHASING AGENT COMPANY,

The Rookery," Chicago.
Devoted to the intereBts of railway motive power, equipment
2s suitable to these

18 known as The RaU-
t new and wider field be
purchase

Communications on i
oolnmns are solicited.

Prior to January 1, 1886, this journal
vray Purchasing Agent. It will still in
adapted to the especial wants of all v
the purchase of railway supplies.
iThe Official Railway List is also published by
another page.)
I price, $1 '00 a year. Advertising rates and details
concerning circolation given on application to the office by mail
or in person. Address

E. N. LEWLS. Manager.
"The Rookery," Chicago.
New York OmcK; 4.'> Ilrua.lwny. Kciom H".

Vol. 51 CHICAGO, FEBRUARY, 1890. INo. 2.

abnormal mass of descriptive and critical matter, j people argue that they ar
The fact that the business is now being conducted thuu enough relatiou'bet
upon simpler and sounder principles, and that the
quest for patronage is being carried on more quiet-
ly accounts, as stated above, for a large part of the
lack of a visible general interest. What is now
being done is being done on a business basis.
There is very little equipping " ou trial " at the
expense of the heating company; the sales are
actual. The business thus is really in a healthier
condition, and any quickening of action by the
railways arising from the recent terrible lessons
will result in more real progress than would have
followed in earlier days.

Eeference is often made by opponents of hook
car couplers to the fact that the hook draw- bars
put on a considerable number of Armour refrig-
erator cars were taken off in a few months. It is
insisted that in this case the couplers were taken
off because they faUed to meet the requirements
of service. It seems, however, that the air brakes
with which the same cars were equipped were
also taken off when the hook couplers were re-
moved. We have not heard anyone argue that air
brakes were a failure and that all roads should go ' ever, that if the same

t; hut there is more

the two to upset the

most beautiful theory of ventilation ever applied to

cars when the passengers get seated and begin to

kick for their rights as Americans.

A FEW POINTS ON FIRE BOXES

back to hand brakes because the Westinghouse I ^^^ company
brake was removed from a lot of Armour cars, and
yet the arguments would be just as sound as re-
gards brakes as it is in the matter of draw-bars.
When a fair proportion of the freight cars of the
country are equipped with hook couplers and air
brakes the Armour and Swift and all other re-
frigerator cars will be similarly equipp>.'l. But it

We have referred to the use by some roads of
special oils in order to meet the heavier require-
ments of the service. In some cases where terms
are made for the purchase and use of special oils
guarantees are given by the dealers that the cost
to the company by the use of such oils shall not
exceed or shall be even less than when the old
oils were employed. In order to carry out such
guarantees the contractors usually undertake more
or less supervision of the use of the oils in serv-
ice, sometimes having regular inspectors who I for by the average of our raVcha'nlcsr
travel over the line and instruct the men in the We are led to these reflections by some results
best use of the material This is a good plan and I of experiments we have lately seen in relation to
IS often productive of very good results in in- an admission both above and below the line of fire
creased economy. We would merely observe, how- : ;„ a number of engines in the same service,
were to be taken by | Here the air admission above the fire had been jn-

The question of the proper amount of air admis-
sion into the fire-boxes of bituminous coal burn-
ing locomotives either above or below the line of
fire is by no means a settled one. It would seem
that at this late day of coal burning in locomotives
we should be able to get some intelligent data as to
the results of various constructions with the dif-
ferent prominent soft coals of the country. The
fact remains, however, that in but few cases can
we obtain any records of carefully conducted ex-
periments ; and that in some records that are ob-
tainable certain important factors have not been
noted completely enough to make the findings
valuable for purposes of comparison. This com-
plaint is by no means a new one on our part, but
it really seems as if the enormous savings that are
possible should be better appreciated and striven

was carefully watched and the men were properly
wonder that a refrigerator car company found instructed. We have seen two oiling stations at

that it did not pay to be a pioneer in the hook coup-
ler field, and that it got tired of having its air brake
cars put at the head of freight trains to do all the
braking.

The brake shoe committee work alluded to in
our "Notes" of last month has not yet been fairly
undertaken. The road tests, it will be remem-
bered, were not to come until the spring months,
but the preliminary shop tests were assigned to
sub-committees for immediate work. These sub-
committees have up to date accomplished nothing;
but two of them— the C, B. & Q. and the C. & N.
W. committees — are just about commencing actual
tests. Neither of these two committees has as yet
got its testing apparatus in satisfactory shape,
although both confidently expect to have things in
full working order very soon. Both find serious
difticuliy in getting temperature records. One has
tried drilling a hole in the miniature shoes.

terminal points on the same road where coaches
supposedly received the same care in examining
and packing boxes, at one of which five times as
much oil was used in oihng a certain number of
coaches as at the other, and the men in charge
were considered careful at both points. When
watching the working of special oils in single cars
as against the oil in regular use we have often
seen a record on the ordinary oil " not exceeding
one-tenth of the amount used in general service
on the road for doing the same work.

The subject of car ventilation was pretty well
gone over at the last meeting of the Western Rail-
way Club, but, as usual when this topic is dis-
cussed, widely varying views were expressed. For
our part we do not look for anything like concert-
ed action by the railways on this matter. While

_ ___ __ ^^^^ _^^ ^^^ iu.u.„„,.it ou>/co '' '*' "^ ''^^ memory of every one who has traveled

'ng\Vriro'lTwrtirme\riVy '^an1i'"mmersi'nra°'600'' j f'^' P°'"', ventilation is the rule, yet positively

thermometer in the mercury

is, however, quickly generated in a moment or
two, and records cannot be taken; the mercury
boils out even before the shoes get a fair bearing.
It is probable that with the pressures, speeds, and
shoe dimensions prescribed by the committee no
satisfactory temperature readings can be taken

- - J"'"^'"! ''"/ instructing car oil- ereased from 1-180 of the grate surface to 1-65 by
ers when using the old standard material surpris- j ^eans of large and additional hollow stays. At
ingly favorable results, both m economy and per- the same time, by reducing somewhat the thick-
formance, might readily be reached. In special tests ness of the grate fingers without changing in any
we have seen with oils in ordmary use a remark- , way the position of the grates or the side bars,
ably small proportion of the amount of oil usually \ the air admission area through the grates was in^
used was found to be needed when its apphcatiou j creased from 1-45 to 1-27. The results were most

gratifying in increased steaming qualities of the
engines, evenness of fire and freedom from smoke
and sparks.

As in engines using the old diamond stack with
cone and netting, we obstruct the free passage of
the gases, and have to put in additional blast by
contracting the exhaust nozzles, so in other cases
we fall into the same difficulty, but at the other end
of the boiler, by not allowing openings enough
through the grates. In general terms the need for
a large amount of air for burning soft coals suc-
cessfully is being conceded more generally than
formerly, but the practical adaptation of thistnith
comes very slowly.

The engines we have been instancing as show-
ing good results from an increased air supply had
in every case the water table, and some interest-
ing records were available, showing for a number
of years the working of the engines fitted with the
water table, as compared with those having plain
boxes, but with the same boiler dimensions and
air supply and running on the same service. The
records showed that the monthly performance of
the water leg engines gave from 12 to 30 per cent,
more mileage to the ton of coal than the plain box
engines.

At the last meeting of the Western Railway Club,
while the question of washing out boilers was be-

We give elsewhere in this issue the road tests pre-
scribed by the present committee. They will be
seen to be very thouglitfully planned, and we look
for thoroughly satisfactoiy results from their em-
ployment.

BeoKNT railway accidents which have been ac-
companied by fire from the stoves and heaters
will, we trust, serve to revive the apparent flagging
of interest in steam heating of cars. This prob-
lem has received but little public treatment since
last season, partly because of the mild weather
and partly because of a quieter pursuit of business
by the steam heating companies. There was a
sort of a craze for a season or two on this subject;
the local clubs were all engrossed in it, and the
technical and daily press was overloaded with dis-
cussion of it. There speedily developed an un-
pleasant speculative characteristic among the pro

TremendoSs heat I '"'?, vf-ntilation is not by .any means always met
with. As was suggested by one of the speakers at
the club the evil is not as general nor as serious as
many seem to think. The fact of the matter is
that bad ventilation is almost always due to purely
local or incidental causes, and it is doubtful

whether a standard remedy can be supplied, (iood | ing discuss'ed,some interesting facts were developed
ventilation is possible in the ordinarily constructed ! in regard to the use of water leg, and several
car, and probable m cars fitted with any one of , members spoke of good points in its favor. The
several good devices now on the market; but general objections seemed to be the expense of the
neither ordinary nor special construction can in- device when made of copper, the liability to clog
sure anything like ideal purity of air in cars while up with sediment or scale and the cutting away by
human nature remains as it is. In other words, cinders at the turn of the table. These evils did
while one individual wears his overcoat by prefer- formerly exist in many cases, but the water leg or
ence in an atmosphere that his neighbor thinks | table can now be successfully put in of steel with

calls for shirt sleeve toilet; and while porters and
brakeman lack common horse sense as they do
to-day, we may look in vain for proper car ventila-
tiijn. We have seen — as evei-y one has — the brake-
man open more than half the deck sash on both
sides, regardless of the direction of the wind, when
some one asks for a little more air, and similarlv

iich proportions that clogging by sediment or
scale is no worse than in any other part of the
boiler; and with the softer blast that is following
the use of the straight stack and larger grate there
need be no cutting effect by cinders, especially
if sufficient air openings are supplied above the
fire. The latter, beside other advantages, prevent
close everything up tight fore and aft when asked the fire being lifted so badly when the engine is
for /(((/« more warmth ; and we have also seen the working hard or slipping, and thus the cutting
opening of one deck sash in response to the re- effect is further reduced.
- ., . quest of a visib'y sweltering individual, followed While we are not at present discussing the rela-

moters of some of the companies controlling steam instantly by the donning of coats and wraps bv a live merits of the brick arch or the water Ic" as
heating devices, and with the excessive "exploita- , half dozen of his immediate neighbors. Vcntila- promoters of combustion, it seems as if the water
tion ' following this came the publication of an I tion and heating may not be closely allied— some I leg avoided the heat storing qualities which were

THE MASTER MECHANIC,

Februaey,

quoted against the brick arch as interfering with [
proper boiler washing. Its use, which can now be '
had without some of the disadvantages which
could be urged against it formerly, will furnish a de-
flector, that very important factor in soft coal burn- !
ing, in cases where the needs of the service might
render the use of the brick arch objectionable. I

The effect of air brakes and automatic couplers
in making a modem freight car a more highly
organized and expensive structure is extending to ]
other portions of the car, particularly the draft I
rigging and the truck. j

With an efficient apparatus to control speed and
stop quickly the tendency is to run freight trains j
at speeds twice as fast as has been regarded safe
practice in previous years. The other details of
freight cars, liowever, are retained and used now,
and some of them are not suited to the new con-
dition of things. Their rapid wear and frequent
failure is pointing plainly to the necessity of fur- ]
ther improvement in the way of more substantial,
and consequently more expensive, construction.

The economy resulting from high speed freight
trains is not to be aU clear gain in freight re-
ceipts, for a portion of the increased earnings must
be expended in more durable material and better
workmanship, or that economy will not be me.in-
tained.

The sudden application of quick acticg brakes
i t high speed in mixed trains composed of cars
fitted with Unk and vertical plane couplers will
result in a more severe trial of draw bars and draft
rigging than they have had heretofore. In switch-
ing, the use of automatic couplers will lead to
quicker work and higher speeds, because the en-
gineer will not have the fear of injuring his fellow
trainmen constantly in mind, and he will not ex-
ercise the same care as when switchn: en had to
go between the cars. The caution which pro-
tected the man, and, incidentally, the car, will
now be relinquished and the couplers and their at-
tachments will suffer by it.

The draft rigging of freight cars, as is well
known, is the one part requiring most frequent re-
pairs, and the number of cars delayed for such re-
pairs is certainly on the increase, as it amoimts to
60 per cent, of all cars held in shops and on track
for repairs.

This fact has been reahzed by our car builders
for some time, but recently a number of designs
for improved draft appliances have been brought
out and several of them have been illustrated in
this journal. We may here refer to a few of the
better known designs.

Continuous draw bars have been before the rail-
road public for many years, but they do not seem to
have had the necessary qualities which secure gen-
eral adoption. In fact, their use is confined to a
comparatively few hnes. The American continu-
ous draw bar, which has been recently improved,
is, however, probably the best of its type, on ac-
count of the ease with which it can be repaired.
It has recently been applied to a large number of
new cars on several roads.

The Graham draft rigging is arranged with cast
steel followers, which extend up and into oak tim-
bers, which are secured to the center sills, thus
distributing the stresses due to pulling and buffing
between the draft timbers and center sills. This
device is now used on more than 20,000 cars and
on some prominent tnmk lines.

The Butler draw-bar attachment consists of a
square malleable iron box surrounding the draft
spring, and with malleable collars surround-
ing the tail bolt, both back and front of the
spring. The collars enter the box and form a
bearing against it before the full motion of the
spring is used up.

The Weslinghouse friction buffer uses inter-
locking sets of movable and fixed friction plates to
absorb" the initial shocks, bothof puUing and buff-
ing. The improved Westingliouse buffer has en-
dured some very satisfactory tests, and in its
present shape it is certainly a valuable improve-
-»or* on the ordinary draft rigging and should

lirove an economical one in spite of its extra cost.

Mr. Cushing, on the Union Pacific, is now putting
on his freight cars large cast iron plates on the
sides of the draft timbers, each casting consisting
of the two draw-bar stops and a top follower flange
for one side, thus getting the shearing strength
of all bolts for either puUing or buffing.

One of the Chicago roads is now using draw-bar
attachments made entirely of wrought iron, and
consisting of a plate connecting the two wrought
stops. This not only increases the resistance to
shock in either direction, but protects the sides of
the timber from the chafing action of the followers.

The Fox Pressed Steel Company have carried
this principle further yet, and have now placed on
the market pressed steel draw-bar attachments
which have the two stops formed on a side piece
which extends from the end sill to the bolster,entire-
ly replacing the draft timbers.

These are prominent examples of the numer-
ous improved draw-bar fixtures which are rapidly
coming into general use, and we must accept them
as striking evidence of the fact that the old con-
struction with draft timbers and separate cast iron
stops is unsatisfactory and entirely inadequate for
the severe requirements of modern freight service.

But these attempts to patch up and strengthen
wooden cars by the use of more cast iron, malle-
able iron, wrought iron, cast steel or pressed
steel are hut steps forward in the march toward
a larger use of wrought iron or steel in car con-
struction, where the entire uuderframe will be
made of metal beams, channels, angles and plates.
The extensive use of automatic couplers and air
brakes in freight service is thus having an unex-
pected influence in hastening the time when iron
and steel freight cars shall come into general use
in the United States.

We expect in a subsequent article to consider
the effect of high speed on our present freight
trucks, and to show how they, also, will develop

to a more suitable and substantial mechanism.

The fact that every now and then a railway
officer goes into the business of soliciting adver-
tisements from railway supply houses must be ac-
cejjted as strong proof that the advertising of rail-
way supplies is generally considered in railway
circles to be profitable to those who make and sell
them. When a general passenger agent, a pur-
chasing agent or any other railway official writes
to supply men requesting them to give his repre-
sentative tlieir advertisements it must be taken
for granted tha the considers advertising to be a
good and necessary thing. It would seem to im-
ply also that he knows that his associates and
other railway men so regard it. Else how could
he have the nerve to solicit an advertisement if he
knew that none of the men on his road and those
on other roads ever paid any attention to adver-
tisements. He would be trying to get hard cash
for a worthless consideration. He would be play-
ing a confidence game.

But while it is good to have such convincing
proof that the value of advertising to the adver-
tiser is generally recognized by railway men, there is
a rapidly growing feeling among railway supply
dealers that the kind of advertising which the rail-
road man solicits them to pay for is not just the kind
which they would choose if they felt perfectly free
to decide for themselves. The word "advertising"
has come to have a very broad meauing and is
made to include anything printed on any kind of
paper used for any purpose. To put the card of a
manufacturer of car couplers or locomotive boiler
tubes into a publication descriptive of a route for
summer travel is called "advertising." Of course
there is nothing in it — the great traveling public
who consult such books to decide what lines they
shall take or where they shall spend their vaca-
tions do not care a cojjper who makes couplers or
who makes boiler tubes. The men who buy rail-
way supplies never consult publications of that
sort for tlio names and places of manufacturers or
dealers. If one wanted to introduce a new pill he
might properly announce its name and searching

quahties in route books and time table folders,
because the great public always wants pills and is
ready to try a new brand. Pianos, sugar cured
hams, three dollar "pants," — there are a thous-
and things in which the traveling public are inter-
ested and advertisements of them on railway fold-
ers, depot maps or board fences do not strike one
as incongruous or foolish. But what railroad
supply man who is unLufiuenced by outside con-
siderations would try to get raOway trade by such
methods of advertising?

Unquestionably, when a railway official under-
takes to sohcit advertisements he has powerful
auxiliaries to help him to success. In some vague
way the supply dealer feels that unless he gives
his advertisement he wUl be out of favor with the
road and will sell it no more supplies — at least
till his offense is forgotten or forgiven. On the
other hand a beautiful hope dawns in his soul
that if he contributes as requested 'a thrill of
gratitude will run like a warm wave through the
general officers of the road and big orders will pour
in and eomfoit him. When a solicitor of adver-
ti-ements has behind him the gigantic wraith
of a great railroad, smiling approval and patron-
age on those who give him tUeir advertisements
and frowning menacingly on all who refuse, he
has a big advantage.

It is a fact that the great majority of the "ad-
vertising" schemes which are represented to
originate in railway offices have no such origin. A
direct inquiry often shows that those who come
with assertions that they are backed by this or
that railway official make false representations.
Sometimes a railway officer gives out,of friendship
and unthinkingly, an endorsement which is used
in a way and to an extent far beyond his inten-
tion. Occasionally a general passenger agent may
yield to the temptation of having some of his
special printed matter paid for by supply dealers
under the cover of "advertising." While it is
asserted now and then that some officer of a rail-
road has a personal pecuniary interest in some ad-
vertising "scheme" which depends for its success
upon his official position, we are sure that such
cases must be very rare.

That railway supply men are becoming very res-
tive under the burden of advertising that does not
advertise is certain They speak bitterly of the
cost of it and of the methods used. There has
even been talk of combination and united action
in order to protect themselves. But one cannot
help wondering whether some methods of doing
business in the railway supply field have not ten-
ded to produce the state of l.hings now com-
plained of. Perhaps there is some need of reform
— in individual cases — on both sides; and per-
haps when all railway supplies are sold strictly
on their merits there will be an end to money
making schemes of advertising which are not in-
tended to advertise.

THE LKJHTING OF CARS.

It seems strange that, even at this time, in the
age of lighting cars by electricity and gas, mana-
gers of alleged first-class railroads will allow poor-
ly lighted cars to be used in regular service. On
one of our eastern roads (and it is on eastern
roads that car lighting is badly neglected as com-
pared with western practice) running out from a
large city, there is, on a late train, one particular
car with only three single lamps. This car is about
forty feet long, has dark headlinings and its main
rafters show their full size, which helps to darken
the interior by throwing broad shadows on the
dark walls. What a comparison to the cars on an-
other road running out from the same city, which
cars have 14 single lamps. These latter'cars are
well lighted and run out of the ciiy at the same
time of night as the car on the first mentioned
road.

There is a remedy for this poor lighting. If the
first-mentioned company cannot build a new and
larger car with better facilities for hghting, it can
resort to the expedient practiced on even richer
roads, in order to use their stock to advantage;
that is, put more lamps in the old car, cut out the

Febrdary, 1890

THE MASTER MECHANIC.

useless and unsightly rafters and paint the head
linings white. Any one can judge what the result
would be.

It would seem that the passenger agents, who
always take so much interest in the traveling pub-
lic, would look into these things, for there are
other roads using poorly lighted cars besides the
one which has given rise to these remarks. These
passenger agents should endeavor to follow the
example of our westeru men in this respect, but
they always say, "More competition in the west;

hands, nor necessarily throw a serious financial
burden upon the railways — notwithstanding these
facts and figures and others so ably presented by
the commission, the conclusion is yet reached
that legislation is inadvisable at present. A com-
mission of investigation is, however, suggested.
Such a commission would have been welcome
several years ago, but the work of investigation
has already been well gone through by the me-
chanical oflicers of our railways and existing devices
shown to be practical, and the interstate commission

they have to look after such affairs more than we has made investigation, the resultsof which it gives.

do." It would appear from this statement that
there was not much to lose by not having well
lighted cars. Nevertheless, we know of a case
where a prominent eastern road took 14 season
ticket travelers from a competing road in one day,
and on one train, on account of its more luxurious
and better lighted cars. These jmssengers, in an-
swer to the question, "Why doyouleave the other
road when this is so much out of your way?" said,
"The other road is richer and can better afi'ord to
have nicer cars, so when this road caters for more
business by ofiering the inducements the other
road can as well afford to give, and doesn't, we
feel it deserves our patronage." The richer road
uses its surplus in improving its stations and mak-
ing flower gardens around them, and lets the rol-
ing stock go, while the poorer one believes in bet-
ter rolling stock, in which most of the passenger's
time is spent, while patronizing it. Of course it
is very enjoyable to have good stations and attrac-
tive grounds, but when the comfort of the passen-
gers is sacrificed to pay for them, they are not so
much appreciated. Methods of building warm,
well lighted and easy riding cars are within the
reach of managers and superintendents of rolling
stock of all roads, whether rich or poor, and should
be used.

and which, to our mind, cover the ground so thor-
oughly that further research is needless.

The attempt to establish a system of joint inspec-
tion at Chicago has not proved successful. The
matter was very fully discussed at a meeting held
on the 17th of January by representatives ot the
roads centering at Chicago, but although very strong
arguments were made for the new system it was not
agreed to. It was ti-eely conceded thai the system
was excellent and that it had worked to advantage
at other points, but with the enormous business
handled at Chicago, and the peculiar geographical
location of the various yards, the one to the other,
it was considered, by the majority of the attendants
at the meeting, that the expense would be too great.
Accordingly it was decided to attempt to gain the
same ends as would be gained by a joint inspection,
by the use of a red city card, and a committee was
appointed to design such card and to formulate rules
governing its use.

We have been furnished some interesting figures
as to coupler service on the C, B. & Q. Ry. It seems
that some 560 cars are equipped with the Janney
coupler on that road, and that during the past six
months there were only 19 failures of the draw bars
proper and 30 failures of the knuckle. This is
surely a very good showing, and it corresponds with
the service ot all .Tanney couplers on other
roads. As a suggestive contrast with the above fig-
ures we append the following statement which we
have obtained from the Burlington road, showing
the cost of maintenance of link and pin couplers on
that road for the year 18S8,viz:

Total number of links. 60.990; cost » 13.3 0.5-90

■• pins, 100,797 " 12.M6 40

Potter draw bars. 6,826; 0J8t a,090-80

i unnecessary.

Thb annual report of the inter state commerce
commission contained, as was expected, extended
treatment of the question of safety appliances on
freight trains, hut the conclusions arrivecT at by
the commission as to legislation on this subject
were not just what had been looked forward to.
The commission decided that it could not recom-
mend legislation calling for the use of automatic
couplers or brakes. This decision was reached by
the commission in the face of its own masterly
summing up of the situation which leads logically
to the conclusion that legislation is feasible.

It would be ditficult to frame a better or more
convincing argument for the compulsory use of
automatic couplers and brakes than that supplied
by the commission itself in its review of what had
been accomplished by inventive genius to check the
appalling rate of casualties to trainmen. Both
couplers and brakes were shown to have been de-
veloped to a high state of perfection; the dangers
that might well be expected to arise from the ex-
tended use of differing designs wereshowu to have
been obviated by the fact that the mechanical
officers of the railways have practically agreed
upon a type of couplers and » type of brakes; and
the pressing need of the rapid introduction of thea
safely devices was impressively revealed by the
presentation of statistics of accidents to trainmen.
These statistics showed that for the year ending
June 30, le88, there were 2,070 employes killed
and 20,148 injured. Figures were given showing
that a brakeman had only about 1 chance in 4.7 of
being allowed to die a natural death. Accurate
statistics as to the extent to whicli the old style
coupler and brake are respimsible for the dreadful
death rate above indicated are not in existence but j ment.

for the year there were 82G deaths and 6,827 in- |

juries reported to. the commission as being caused Quite recently a coupler inventor persuaded the
by the work of coupling cars; and from the data general superintendent of a road to ask the super-
at hand the commission estimates that 613 em- jniendent of motive power to examine his invention,
ployes were killed and 4,02.5 injured during the The superintendent of motive power demurred, but
year by falling from cars,which deaths and injur- finally set an hour for submitting to the operation,
les are chargeable to the use of the hand brake. ^he coupler man was halt an hour late, and when be

Despite these figures, and despite the fact that reached the office the superintendent of motive
practical devices are in the market, by the use of | power had gone out to attend to other duties. His
which they can be greatly reduced, if not prac- ; chief clerk asked the inventor to leave his coupler,

tically wiped out, and the enforced use of which ; telling him that Mr. would examine it as soon

, sir," replied the crank, "that

Recent tests in the laboratories of the C, B. & Q.
and C.&N.W. R"ys. have developed interesting facts
as to the pulling strength of hook couplers. It has
been shown that these couplers will give way, at
one point or another, at pulling strains ranging
from 67.000 to flO,000 lbs. When pulled hook with
hook the breaking strains range about 10,000 lbs.
Icjs than when pulled hook with link, the dillerence
being due to the obvious difference in leverage.
Very few tests have been made as yet, and the data
so far gathered is insufficient to base reliable con-
clusions upon. It should be noted in this connection,
however, that the breakages of hook couplers in
service arise from buffing, and not pulling strains.
Upon some prominent roads, however, the required
tensile strength of links is 90,000 and 95,000 lbs., and
it is thought not amiss to require hooks to meet the
same standard, at least during the transition period.
The makers of hook couplers anticipate no trouble
in so making their knuckles as to meet this require-

coupler has cost me a great deal ot time and work

for which I propose to be paid. If Mr. wants the

privilege of examining that coupler he must put up
some money." Being pressed to name a sum he fin-
ally said that Mr. could examine that coupler

for just one hundred dollars. The money was not
put up, but if any one wishes to pay that sum for a
half hour of ecstasy— that delirium of delight which
the railway man experiences when a "new" link
coupler (for it was a link coupler) is laid down before
him— the Railw.\y M.\ster Mechanic will open
negotiations with this thrifty genius.

NOTES OF THE MONTH.

devices would throw a monopoly in no man's I ^ possibl

As collarless axles are gaining favor it may be well
to cite an example of marked success in their use.
Two years ago collarless axles were introduced on
the New York & New England Railroad under pas-
senger cars. Since then 65 cars, coaches and bag-
gage cars and one locomotive tender have been
equipped with them. During this time no reports
have been received of the heating of the journals.
It is noticeable that there has been more end wear
on the journals under the passenger and baggage
cars than on those under the locomotive tender,
owing, perhaps, to the different style of trucks used.
Under the tender the regular diamond trucks, with
a rigid bolster, are used, which are different from
the passenger trucks in one important respect, that
is, in not having end pieces nor pedestal stay rod to
tie bar, thereby rendering the trucks less rigid and
making them more susceptible to winding or getting
out of square by the end thrust of the collarless
journals. This tender has been in regular passenger
service the past thirteen months and has made 41,666
miles. The journals are 41x8 in.; center to center of
journals, 75 in.; total length of axle, 83i in.; wheel
fit, 4i in.; outer of axle, 4J in. The journal boxes
are the M. C. B. standard with the addition of suit-
able lugs to support the endstops.

These journals were illustrated in the Railway
Master Mechanic in May, 1889. The criticism
that we at that time made was on the apparently
small oil and waste space. Small as it appeared to
be, however, we are now assured that it has been
large enough to hold enough oil and waste to keep
the journals well lubricated under 06 vehicles for
the past two years; there have been no words of
complaint of hot boxes. It may not have been
noticed by our readers that the end stops are loosely
supported by the lugs, and are free to move up and
down and laterally. They are, but they are at the
same time securely locked in, preventing them from
ever coming out while running, or even while at rest,
until the journal bearing has been removed and the
journal box lowered on the journal, when they are
free to be taken out. The usual key has been neces-
sarily left out to give more space to accommodate
the larger journal. These collarless axles are being
called "the standard" by the New York & New
England Company, and will be used as fast as the de-
mands require them.

Master Mechanic S. W. Huston, of the Cornwall
Railway, has been experimenting with a compression
cup on his rods with such satisfactory results that he
is now equipping all his engines with it, using a com-
pound grease. In one test he look one gallon of oil,
costing 37 cents per gallon, and made 1,200 miles
with it; he then put on compression cups and with
37 cents worth of compound made 4,:i00 miles, the
pins running perfectly cool. One of his large freight
engines, the main pins of which he could not keep
cool with oil, when pulling heavily, is giving no
trouble since fitted with the compression cups. Ho
finds that with the cup and compound he is saving
oil and is keeping the machinery of his engine clean,
as there is now no flying of oil.

As an instance of how little things may be readily
overlooked, even by careful master mechanics, we
may cite the case of weak pilot bars. A certain road

THE MASTER MECHANIC.

Febbuaey, 1890.

a plain bar aad the result was that the fibers ot the
metal lay in a direct line with the direction of the
pull, as shown in Fig. 1. The result was that the
end of the loop pulled out in the same manner that

finding not long ago that these bars were breaking tion, an expansible cross-head pin was favorably
badly located tbe cause in the method of manufac- 1 mentioned in a committee report and that in our is-
ture. The slot for the pin had been punched out of I sue of October, ISSS. we quite fully described and

illustrated that pin. We learn that some 2-5 engines
on the New York &- \ew England Railway that are
equipped with this pin have been working very well.
No failures have been reported in the last three
years and a half. The oldest pins have remained
intact all this time, and in fact none of the main rods
have been worked upon. In other words the main-
tenance of these rods has cost nothing and the train
of connections back to the rear wheels has been kept
up in better shape than ever before.

Among the many ingenious devices exhibited at
the Paris exposition an apparatus tor recording the
weights upon the several wheels of a locomotive at-
tracted attention. This apparatus is very fully de-
scribed and illustrated in London Engineering, but
we can give space only to an e.xplanation of the prin-
ciple upon which it is based. This principal is illus-
trated in the diagram given herewith. On a plat-
form a the object to be measured is placed; the

it would if made of a piece of wood with the grain
running similarly. Accordingly, the loop was made
by bending a i x * in. bar, which thus presented a
cross-fiber to the line of pull as shown in Fig. 2.
Tests made with the two forms showed the follow-
ing results: Punched bar, broke at 10.5,000 and at
116,.500 lbs.; looped bar broke at 1.51,000 and 169,000
lbs. The result is not in the least surprising: but
the fact remains that a simple method of relief from
an annoyance was left unsought for years.

The Lehigh Valley is about to apply quick action
air brakes to 2,.500 freight cars. This is a welcome
announcement, indicating that the progressive spirit
of western roads in regard to improved train appli-
ances is finding place in the east. The large order
of the Philadelphia & Reading for hook couplers on
4,000 new freight cars is equally significant.

Among the recent products of the Baldwin Loco-
motive Works are five locomotives for the Mexican
Central Railway. They are of the Fairlie-Mason
type — "14 wheel class D" — with cylinders 20x24 in.
and six driving wheels coupled, .50 in. in diameter,
and weigh without tender 110,8.50 lbs. This type of
engine consists of engine and tender, all upon one
frame, which permits a very deep and wide fire-box,
such as would not be possible on any other type of
locomotive. The driving wheels and pony truck are
arranged to turn on a center bearing similar to the
ordinary truck which allows easy running with little
strain on the track, and makes a perfect riding en-
gine. The steam pipe is dilTerent from the Mason
patent, and appears to be — as is often the case— an
improvement that does not improve, for where the
Mason had one joint, and that in the center bearing,
this has three under tbe boiler. The ordinary shifts
ing link is used, and the extremely short radius
makes it hard to handle even with the rack and
pinion reversing gear employed. The quadrant is
fastened at the top of the reverse lever, and forms
the rack for the wheel actuated pinion at the top of
reverse lever— which can be fastened at any point by
a set screw. It is a slow working arrangement, with
no particular apparent merit. The cabs are roomy
and have a corrugated iron roofing over the root
proper, with an air space bet ween to protect the en-
gineers and firemen from the intense heat ot the sun
in the tropical countries— a point of comfort that
many railroads might look after here at home,
where the cabs are small and poorly ventilated.
The good sized cylinders of these engines, together
with the weight on drivers of about 100,000 lbs., and
a steam pressure of 160 lbs., make them a powerful
engine for the service of the mountain roads, and if
we are rightly informed this is their standard type
ot engine. They prove to be good steamers and to
be economical in fuel.

Our readers will remember that at the Alexandria
Bay convention of the Master Mechanics' Associsi-

weight is distributed below through the standards
placed at each end and terminating in knife edges
on the ends ot the levers 6 and 6', which are sup-
ported at their centers by knife edges resting on a
solid foundation c; the inner ends ot these levers b
and d' support a disc d, and transmit the load on the
platform a through a rubber diaphragm c to a liquid /
contained in the receiver g. which is rigidly con-
nected to the foundation c. Through the upper part
ot the receiver g passes a pipe connected with the
close vessel h\ the lower part of this vessel contains
mercury into which is plunged a barometric tube I,
and the column ot mercury is forced more or less up
this tube with the weight upon the platform; this
weight can then be read off the graduated scale at-
tached to the mercurial tube. It can be readily un-
derstood how, by using a number of these platforms,
the weights upon the different wheels may be readily
ascertained.

The following note concerning some current prob-
lems in car construction now pressing for solution in
India is of interest as revealing the existence there
of difficulties similar to those which we in America
are successfully dealing with through our mechan-
ical and engineering associations. We fijid the note
in London Engineering;

A smaller form ot congress is at present sitting in
Lucknow, a sort of Master Car Builders' Association,
which has been invited to advise government on the
question ot making railway rolling stock more easily
interchangeable, both as "a whole and in detailed
parts. It it be true that the most recent type of
Northwestern Railway wagons is too wide in the
body to pass over the older systems, which are al-
ready laid with double lines that cannot now be
spread, except with an enormous expenditure on en-
larging stations, bridges, and tunnels, it is high time
that some definite limit should be put to the ambi-
dia engineering cir-

developments, such as the tubular-framed cars lately
advertised.

In India owing to the sparks thrown off by most
Indian fuels, and owing also to the amount of depre-
dation that goes on, closely covered wagons are used
tor everything but the carriage of railway and build-
ing materials. The covered wagons are necessarily
made high enough to hold cattle, horses, and even
in the emergencies of pilgrim traffic and war, men,
and owing to the risk ot fire, the ravages ot insects,
and the amenities ot the climate, the wagon bodies,
as well as their frames, are made of iron throughout.
Under these conditions it is not easy to reduce the
rates of dead load to paying load much lower than
7 to 10, and it generally runs about 3 to 4. Singu-
larly enough the present bogie stock stands at an
even worse ratio than that of the four-wheeled stock,
and there is a strong feeling in the locomotive and
carriage departments in favor of removing this re-
proach by tbe simple expedient of putting heavier
axles and wheels under the present wagons, and then
marking them tor pro tanto higher loads. This pro-
cess the roadmaster branch of the profession very
naturally resists tooth and nail, and if it be true that
even the more modern girders are only designed for
trains weighing 18 cwt. per-foot run gross, drawn by
engines and tenders averaging 27 cwt. per toot, they
do well to object to the trains ot 24 cwt. and engines
36 cwt. per foot that the locomotive department are

A method of stripping tanks employed in the shops
of the Soo line, at Minneapolis, is thus described in
the Northwestern Railroader: "A cushion is placed
over the manhole ot the tank and steam admitted
into the tank through the feed pipe to the engine.
Only enough steam to thoroughly heat the tank is
used, and, it is said, in five minutes after admitting
steam the paint commences to blister. Two men can
with this method completely clean a tank in two
hours, where formerly it required the labor ot two
men for two days. The use of lye and other chem-
icals which it is difiicult to entirely wash off, is also
avoided. The difficult ot washing off lye is espe-
cially felt around the heads ot rivets, where, in a
short time it is liable to rust and eat through the
new coat ot paint.'"

In our October issue we had a paragraph in which
we asked why railways in one part of the country
get so much more out ot their coal than do those in
other sections. A correspondent ot the Northwest-
ern Railroader offers the following in a recent issue
of that paper, by way ot answer to our questions.
His answer will be found quite suggestive:

As between locomotives on eastern and western
roads, there are several reasons why the eastern loco-
motives ought to make a great mileage per ton of
coal than those on the western. One is that the av-
erage coal coal used on eastern roads is ot a higher
evaporative quality than that of the locomotive ot
the western roads. Coals mined in Pennsylvania
and Ohio have an evaporative efficiency from 4 to B
pounds of water per pound of coal consumed under
similar conditions. Now, some of the western roads
use Pennsylvania coals, and those in the northwest
have their supply delivered at the lakes, which
necessitates the year's supply being placed
at their disposal during the summer season.
Coal exposed to the atmosphere each day depre-
ciates in value, so that by the time the la'st ot the
season's stock is to be used, the evaporating or heat
ratio has materially lessened. Another feature is
that where coals are handled many times the quan-
tity becomes less, and the value for fast burning
lowers by being crushed beyond the economical size.
Some coals, from exposure in a short time, will tritu-
rate similar to hydnited lime. This is an especial
feature of many western coals. Their hydrate
requires part of their heat during com-
bustion to drive off the moisture absorbed
from the atmosphere. Another feature is in
regard to the water which is evaporated most; and
it may be said all the mountainous roads have feed
water which does not hold in solution scale producing
salts ot any noticeable quantity, while those of the
Mississippi and Missouri V.alley hold in many cases all
that nature in its laws of solution and gravity will
permit. Though the salts in solution may not affect
the ratio of evaporation, they certainly, after separa-
tion, produce a non-conductor ot heat by depositing
upon all parts ot the heating surface as rapidly as
they are separated from their solvent. The loss of
conducting ratio is thus easily seen, and many ex-
periments under the same conditions prove that i in.
of scale shows a ratio as 40 is to 100 in the evaporat-
ing elficiency. Many of the western roads find a de-
posit of this amount in making about 14,000 miles
run. When the locomotive has formed sufficient

Febbdaet, 1890.

THE MASTER MECHANIC.

scale so as not to steam freely, the nozzle is then con-
tracted and stimulates the draft in counterbalance of
the loss caused by slow heat conversion. This then
produces a higher back pressure of the engine with
another loss without any gain. Those are a few of
the principal reasons that the western roads are
handicapped in the miles run to the ton of coal com-
pared with the eastern roads.

We would like to receive comment upon these
views from other readers — particularly from those in
the west and northwest.

In a paper on "Methods of reducing the lire loss,"'
read by C. .1. H. Woodbury before the recent meet-
ing of the American Society of Mechanical Engi-
neers, a suggestive hint is given as to the construc-
tion of yard hydrants about shops, manufactories,
etc. He said that these yard hydrants should be
placed at a distance of .50 feet from buildings, and
that they should be covered with a house which
should also contain hose, axes, bars, nozzles and
spanners. The form of house suggested is shown in
the appended cuts. It will be seen that it can be
readily thrown wide open on all sides, leaving the
water butt perfectly easy of access and bringing the
looped hose, the a.\es, etc., conveniently to hand.

I I I :

M M I I I I

l\\\\\\\^

In the course of his paper Mr. Woodbury devotes
considerable attention to automatic water sprinklers
showing that they have proved to be a most valu-
able form of fire apparatus in operation with great
efficiency, at fires where their action was unaided bv

other lire apparatus, particularly at night. In mill
fires he says: '"The average loss for an experience
of twelve years shows that in those fires where auto-
matic sprinklers formed a part of the apparatus
operating upon the fire, the average loss amounted
to only one-nineteenth of the average of all other
losses. If the difference between these two averages
represents the amount saved by the operation of
automatic sprinklers, then the total damage from
the number of fires to which automatic sprinklers
are accredited, as forming a portion of the apparatus,
has been reduced six and a quarter million dollars
by the operation of this valuable device.""

the course of a discussion on smoke stacks, that his
company was using a cast iron stack which was
standard for all engines, irrespective of the size of
cylinders. After allowing a reasonable period to
elapse since then, in order to reap the benefit of the
experience of time— the best and most impartial of
all investigators— as to the desirability of having
but one standard for this detail, we now lay before
our readers, through the courtesy of Mr. Ross Kells,
superintendent of motive power of the Erie, draw-
ings of this stack. We have also been enabled to
inquire closely into the merits uf it by watching the
behavior of engines equipped with it, when handling
trains ol varying weight and speed on the Eastern
division of the road.

As our readers are probably well aware, cast iron
is by no means a new material for smoke stacks, hav-
ing been used to a considerable extent both in this
country and abroad. The Richmond & Danville here

STANDARD SMOICE STACK.— New Yi.uk. Lake Euie & Westeiix Ra

THE MASTER MECHANIC

Febrdarv, 1890.

and the Great Xoi-thern in England are instances.
The chief interest attached to the Erie stack is,
therefore, centered in the fact of its being standard
for all engines on the entire system (including the
New York, PennsyWauia & Ohio). The Richmond
& Danville use three sizes, the diameter of the
cylinder and the length of the stroke determining
which of the three shall go on any particular engine.
The second size, or that used for 18x24 in. cylinder
engines, has almost exactly the same dimensions and
general contour as the Erie standard, the only differ-
ence worth mentioning being the 1.5 in. smallest diam-
eter of the former, against the 1.5i in. of the latter.
Complete with base, the Erie stack weighs about
47-5 pounds, and costs when ready to go on an engine
within a few cents of $11. The cost of the sheet iron
stacks with cast iron tops and bases which the "'boot
legs."— as the new stacks have been christened by the
Erie employes — have replaced, is said to be about
$23, an excess of $14. Although we have no figures at
hand at present, we think that a sheet iron stack with
a cap of half round iron, and a steel base, pressed into
shape on a machine (not flanged by hand as is usually
done, for that would, of course, increase the cost)
would run the cast iron stack very close in price.

An advantage possessed by the stack entirely of
cast iron, is that when worn out in service by the
action of the blast and the friction of the particles of
fuel passing through it, or when broken up in a
wreck, the remains may be consigned to the cupola
and melted down, thereby reducing the actual pe-
cuniary loss to a very low figure. Worn out sheet
iron, on the other hand, cannot be re-rolled, and
has a limited field of usefulness.

In manufacturing these stacks, the barrel is cast in
dry sand with a core swept up on an arbor covered
with hay rope and loam in the usual way; the base
is cast in green sand. Without the exercise of con-
siderable care on the part of the moulder, the bar-
rel is apt to be somewhat uneven and lumpy, and to
compare unfavorably with the smooth, even appear-
ance of other forms of cast iron.

The rule formulated many years ago that the di-
ameter of a smoke stack should equal that of the cy-
linder of the engine, is now very generally admit-
ted to be wrong, and there are numerous cases on
record where reducing the stack diameter has con-
verted a poor steaming engine into a good one. The
"vena contracta"" shape of the Erie stack is undoubt-
edly correct, based as it is on sound scientific princi-
ples. Our observations tend to prove that the di-
ameter is also right, or nearly so, for engines with
cylinders 18 in. in diameter and over, the volume of
steam i.«suing from the exhaust nozzles filling the
stack completely at its smallest diameter, near the
bottom, forming a piston, so to speak, which as it
moves upwards creates a partial vacuum behind it,
which is filled by the gases from the fire box. The
outward flare of the steick from the point of least di-
ameter allows the steam to expand slightly and so
prevents any sluggishness in entering the atmos-
phere at the top,or choking. Apart from the piston
action just mentioned this design in no way ii
feres with, or lessens the intensity of, the currents
'•induced" by the friction of the particles of the
steam on those of the surrounding gases in thi
smoke box, in passing from the exhaust tips to thi
stack base, and which is common to all designs.

As might be inferred from what we said above we
do not consider the sizes, more particularly the di-
ameters, of the standard suited to engines having
cylinders less than 18 in. in diameter, and we con-
clude that the carrying of two sizes of stacks would
be desirable, for if the smoke stack is too large for
the exhaust steam to completely fill, the chances are
that the nozzles will be reduced in diameter, with at-
tendant increase of back pressure in the cylinders in
order to make the engine steam.

The Erie engines, tor the most part, are fitted
with double nozzles, each inclined slightly towards
the other, so that their center lines intersect at the
smallest slack diameter. Good as the results ob-
tained are, we consider that even better would be
reached with single nozzles placed concentrically
with the stack. The objection so frequently made

rermimiiiiimpff

-?-' ji^-

E^QDiMlDlDDlDDDDDJJ,
u:ffmi tnririTi nnnnnnnn li'r^-J

b-ODDlDDDDDDDDDDOaDn

STANDARD GRATE BAR-Xk" Y.
to single nozzles, that exhaust steam from one cylin-
der is blown over into the other, increasing the back
pressure, is not well taken, and when such a condi-
tion of things is found to exist it is prima facie evi-
dence of a badly designed exhaust pipe. The Nor-
folk &: Western experiments conducted by Mr. Chas.
Blackwell prove this conclusively. We may add
that Mr. Kells has now about 4-50 of his locomotives
equipped with the stack and intends placing it on all
engines as rapidly as is consistent. This is substan-
tial testimony to its etBciency.

We also illustrate herewith the Erie grate bar,
another standard for all engines, that has recently
been introduced. This is the result of much experi-
ment while searching for a bar on which to burn
economically and successfully either bituminous or
anthracite coal. With the exception of the Elevated
engines of New York and Brooklyn, the Erie is the
only company, we believe, in the country that is
burning hard coal on a rocking cast iron flnger grate
with good results. The hitherto insurmountable
difficulty that has been met in attempting to do this
has been the burning of the bars due to the forma-
tion of clinkers. The cross section of this bar, how-
ever, is such that the clinkers, as they form, detach
themselves, and drop through into the ash pan. As
will be noticed the spaces and bridges are of the
same dimensions; allowing for the space occupied by
bearers, etc., the total air space amounts to about 4-5
per centum of the whole grate area. As stated
above, this bar is, like the stack, standard for all en-
gines, the differences in the width and length of the
fire-boxes of the various classes of engines being
made up by stationary, or dead bars, as distinguished
from those that rock. This plan has been carried
out on other roads, as for instance, the Missouri Pa-
cific, and to some extent on the Union Pacific, but
these cjpds burn bituminous coal exclusively, while
the Erie bar is adapted for both bituminous and
anthracite and in this respect is unique.

Mr. Kells is establishing gradually other interest-
ing standards, some of which we hope to illustrate

The Bead Tests of Metals for Brake Shoes.

The committee appointed by the M. C. B. Associa-
tion to report on brake shoe materials appointed
sub-committees for shop tests seme weeks ago, and
have now decided upon the nature of the road tests.
These they submit to the railway men interested in
the tests. Their circular is as follows:

& WeMEKS R.41LWAY.

metals for brake shoes invites the manufacturers to submit
samples of their shoes for the following tests:
Tests.

1. One series of tests to be made with a standard coach
fitted with four-wheel trucks, Westinghouse quick action
brake and eight wheels braked. This series lo be divided
into two Darts, one consisting of a series of tests made with
33-in. steel-tired wheels with treads turned cylindrical,
the other to be made with 33 in. chilled wheels ground
cylindrical.

2. A second series of tests will be made with a dynamo-
meter car also fitted with quick-action brake, with 33 in.
steel-tired wheels and chilled wheels turned and ground as
above, but with brakes applied to but four wheels, all on

3. The tests will be made on a level tangent at 20 and 40
miles per hour.

4. The locomotive will be equipped with the Boyer speed
recorder, an electric bell to the car, and will push the car

' ' required speed in each 1

5. Each test will be repeated six times, the car to carry
the same load in each test.

6. The brake beams will be the master car builders'
standard iron beam for 15,000 pound load, as illustrated on
plate XII, M. C. B. annual report 1SS9. The beams will be
hung from the truck frames by Sargent's adjustable
swivel hanger.

7. Brake shoes will be of the dimensions and design
given on plate XII of the M. C. B. annual report. It is im-
portant that the dimensions be accurately conformed to.
The shoes will hang one half inch from the tread of the

' ill be so adjusted that

rheel when brakes

whole surface before power is. applied. The shoes must
be furnished to the committee accurately ground or turned
to fit a 33 in. cylinder.

S. The diameters of the journals will be the same for all
tests, and the sponging and oiling of boxes will be main-
tained as uniform as possible.

9. Brake leverages and pressures will be constant with
each car for all tests. To avoid the possibility of slipping
wheels the pressure of the shoes on the wheels must not
exceed 70 per cent, of the weight of the wheels on the rails.

Aijparatus to be used in the test.

10. To accurately measure the speed, the Boyer speed
recorder will be used on the locomotive. "W hen the dy-
namometer car is used the speed recorder therein will also
be used to check the results of the Boyer speed recorder.

11. In the coach tests the length of stop will be measured
from the point of application to the center of car. The point
of application must be as nearly as possible at the same
point for each test. The figures will be taken from track
stakes placed at 50 foot intervals and properly marked.
The dynamometer car will be fitted with apparatus for re-
cording the length of each stop.

12. The pressure in the auxiliary reservoir and brake
cylinder to be recorded before and during each stop.

13. The velocity of the wind and the condition of the rail

ation in the conditions, which should be as nearly constant

14. In the case of the dynamometer car, an apparatus as
shown in Fig. 1 will be used -for measuring the friction of
the brake shoes at all times during the application of the

15. Parties intending to funi-'i -L. . -. ii.i these tests
should communicate with tti<' - i-.immittee

not later than March 1st., aiiil ;i~ . i :is possible.

If any large number of com|i. i j ,- - ^ : ir iutenlion

of furnishing shoes, it may b i,- ['..---.ti: lor tlie com-
mittee lo make modifications in tlicir |)luns on account of
the time necessarily occupied in each lest.

16. The committee reserve the right to make such addi-
tion and modifications to these 1
tion of the subject may sugBest.

. further considera-

G. W. Rhodes,

THE MASTER MECHANIC.

ForgedlWronght Iron Wheels Are Made

This Coantry"

Tbiit forgod wi-ought ii-on locomotive driving,
truck and tender wheels are being made in this
country in considerable numbers will be news — and
interesting news — to most of our readers. Without
any preliminary proclamations the management of
the Baldwin Locomotive Works undertook to devise
and make a forged wheel that should not be an im-
itation of any other wheel, but which should be at
least equal in all respects to the best of them; and
without any noise of trumpets it has accomplished

I APPARATUS FOR BRAKE SHOE TESTS.

of the Baldwin Works compels thom to use a consid-
erable number of forged wrought iron wheels. For
example, they can compete with European locomo-
tive builders for Spanish orders — but the laws of
Spain prescribe that every wheel under locomotive
and pjissenger car equipment shall have a wrought
center. Without them not t)ne of our Ameri-
can locomotives would be permitted to run on a Span-
ish i-ailway. And the specifications for locomotives
for many other countries necessitate the use of
wrought" iron wheels. In order to successfully com-
pete for such orders the Baldwin Locomotive Works
must be prepared to furnish wrought iron wheels.

But a long series of very unpleasant experiences
has shown the management that to depend upon
foreign wheel makers to supply the wheels needed
must result in a loss of business. There has never
been a certainty that wheels ordered when an order
for locomotives was taken would reach this country
in time. In a grqat many cases the wheels did notget
here in time. These vexatious conditions have been

.•Ik-iicc of the

the task. The cuts of a
wheel given herewith inc
results.

It is important that the position of the Baldwin
Locomotive Works in this matter should not be mis-
understood. Nothing is further from the design of
the managers than 'to enter the market as manufac-
turers of steel-tired wheels. They are not offering
their wheels to the railroads of this country as
against other American wheels. They are not, in
any sense, competitors with them.

The facts of the case are that the foreign business

forged wheel. It is shaped up under several small
dies and finally welded together in one operation
under a steam hammer. Careful slotting in all direc-
tions through finished wheels shows that the process
welds all the original pieces of which the hub. spokes
and rim are composed into perfect homogeneity. Yet
It is really unnecessary to say that a wheel which
the Baldwin Locomotive Works manufactures and
uses on the locomotives which it builds is a perfect
wheel in its design and construction.

steadily gr
and aniioya

dimensions, special sizes, etc., were very great
Altogether, the conditions became unbearable, and to
protect its business the management of the Baldw
Works has been literally compelled to make its ov
wrought iron wheels for orders in which such wheels
are specified.

The wheel which they make is original
struction and may be truly called an American

THE NEW SHOPS OF THE LONG ISLAND RAILEOAD.

In the early part of last November the Long Island
Railway moved into its new shops near . Jamaica, N.
Y. The accompanying plan shows the general ar-
rangement of the buildings. The roundhouse has
not yet been erected, but will be as soon as needed.
At present the roundhouse at Hunter's Point is
used.

The buildings are brick, with substantial stone
foundations and granite trimmings. From an in-
spection of the plan it will be seen that there are
two principal structures standing parallel to each
other, with a transfer table in between them. One
is the machine shop and erecting floor, and the other
the car shop. The machine shop has a monitor roof
over all of that portion of it included between the
row of posts shown in the plan and the wall adjacent
to the transfer. Above this portion of the floor two
overhead traveling power cranes, esich of 2-5 tons
capacity, will be operated. A portion of the build-
ing is used for boiler works, and next to that a track
or two is devoted to tender work, all the remainder
being devoted to the general engine work. The
machinery is well placed, and several of the heavier
machines are so placed as to be within reach of the
I traveling cranes. These cranes are now being built
1 by the Morgan Engineering Co. The machinery is
driven by a 75 h. p. Westinghouse engine.

The car shop, mill and paint shop are all in the
other large building, and are 3ell arranged for their
work. A 60 h. p. Westinghouse engine furnishes
power to the planing mill. The transfer table be-
tween these two buildings is exceptionally long— "B
ft.— and runs on four double tracks. It is designed
to take on an ordinarv coach and a short four wheel

THE MASTER MECHANIC.

FEBRnAET, 1890.

Febbdaey, 1890.

THE MASTER MECHANIC.

sary. If an aspirator device is used to draw the ait
will find its way in. Of course it does this at eve
ing and crevice in the cars. On the other hand it
tilstioD be on the plenum plan, that is, a forcing in
ing full of fresh air, it is not necessary to make a special

It there bc'^au oncniiiL' for the iuffvcss of

t go 01
a funn

ime heated

I heating is neces

5 a proper one.

face, if it be in a season of the year
jsary, so that the method of Mr. Mar-
has been mentioned that this
device does the same thinR, which is true.

The question whether it is best to suck the air out
of the car or force it in for ventilation can
be decided only in favor of forcing it in, provided
it is forced in over heated surfaces, for this reason, that
when air is forced in over heated surfaces it produces a
plenum in a car and a consequent tendency to get out On
the other hand if the aspirator system be used, there is a
sucking of the air out of a car; instead of the foul air pass-
ing out of all the crevices, the fresh air is sucked in at all
the crevices, whicli, of course, would bring upon all the
passengers near those crevices a draft of air. Aside from
this, it has the bad feature of making the outsides of the
car cold and the center of the car warm, while the plenum
system tends to throw the heated airtowards the side of the
car and the various openings.

Of course so far as dust and cinders are concerned, it is
only a matter of proper screening. It is evident to any
one that if a proper system of screening is employed,
no cinders can come in through the ventilator.

Mr. Rhodes— I suppose, Mr. President, that there
is no railroad man present who will not endorse the
paper of Mr. Creamer as to the necessity for having
good ventilation in our passenger cars. But the
question presents itself, whether the methods that
are presented to the meeting are sufficient to
remedy the evil complained of. Then again, is the
evil so general as perhaps the paper would indicate?
Has any traveling man ever selected one route in
preference to another on account of the better ven-
tilation of cars on the line selected? I think not.
I do not think the methods that have
been mentioned at this meeting are such that if we
put them in service they would produce benefit such
as we would appreciate. I wish to be understood as
directing my remarks not to closed sleepers but to
the coach equipment, with double windows and
open doors.

Mr. Sehroyer — For years we have used as a stand-
ard apparatus for healing our carsastove surrounded
by a Russia iron jacket.and our method of ventilating
cars is similar to that used by the Spear Company
for years on the Pennsylvania road. In the cars
where we have steam heat, a steam radiator is
located inside of the door where the coal box former-
ly stood. This radiator is covered with a Russia
iron jacket, having a cold air pipe leading from the
jack on the outside of the car to the lop of the rad-
iator, the air being admitted through the jack and
pipe on to tne top of the radiator, the bottom of
which is entirely open. We thus get all of the hot
air on the floor, rather than letting it out at the top
of the radiator, where it would rise at once to the
root of the car. The impure air is always around
the bottom of the car, and one of the objects of our
method is to discharge the hot air at a point where
it will displace the impure air. There are two
methods of ventilating; one is by a vacuum and the
other by pressure, and we prefer the latter. We
dispose of all the cinders and dust that come in
through the jack, for there is very little velocity to
the air as it passes the radiator, because the area of
the space is so much greater than the area of the in-
let through the jack. Cinders and dust consequent-
ly drop to the floor under the radiator and can be
swept out. It is just as ditBeult to veutilate a car
to suit everybody as it is to heat a car to suit every-
body, and we railroad men kuow that this is a
pretty hard thing to do.

Mr. Wm. Forsyth spoke at some length and from
his remarks we extract the following:

This morning as I came to town from Aurora,
I was in a chair car which had a single sash
and a Baker heater. I found that the doors
were shut and the ventilators shut, and the cars were
very badly ventilated. The car stopped once or twice, but
thei-e must have been a very large percentage of carbonic
acid in thecar when we arrived in Chicago. I spoke to the
conductor about how his Baker heater was working. He
said "You can't heat this car with the Baker heater and
leave the ventilators open, when you have the single sash.
If the car had double sash you could heat it comfortably
and leave some of the ventilatoi*s open."

I am an advocate of double sash, because a car
has such a small space, such small cubical contents for each
passenger, that we need all the heat we can get to warm
the fresh air that comes in, and have the air changed as
often as possible. I think no one should feel discouraged
about the seeming impossibility of ventilating our coaches,
until our train men have been properly instructed how to
ventilate cars with the means we have already. There is
certainly an immense amount of carelessness and indiffer-
ence in the manner in whi^h this thing is treated, and an
entire neglect to instruct the men in the proper way.
These are the three things which I would offer
as practical suggestions in the improvement of
the ventilation of our cars: First, instruc-
tions to the men who have charge of them, the brakemen ;
second, the use of good thermometers; third, the use of
double sash in the winter time.

The discussion here closed and after an intermis-
sion the president announced the next appointed
subject to be "The link and other valve

motions." Those expected to open the subject
not being present, it was continued until the
next meeting. The subject of "the use of steel
plate in car construction" was brought up for
discussion, and was also disposed of in the same
way, Mr. E. W. McK. Hughes, of the Fox Pressed
Steel Company, being requested to prepare a paper.

The President— The next subject for discussion,
gentlemen, is "the best method of washing out loco-
motive boilers when there is not suflicient time to
cool them."

Mr. Barnes— Some parties are advocating the uso
of a complete fire brick lining in the fire-box, hop-
ing thus to secure more complete combustion of the
gases. As there has been some difficulty already
experienced, probably there would be still more in-
convenience in washing boilers which were so
thoroughly lined with fire brick.

President Hickey— I am now making some ex-
periments with arch brick and its retention of heat;
also the washing out with hot water, and the effect
it has on the tire-box sheets.

Mr. Hughes — I know there is a great accumula-
tion of heat in tire brick. We ran one division of our
road (in India) for some distance almost entirely with
petroleum, using the arrangement designed by Mr.
Thomas Urquhart, and owing to the accumulation of
heat in the large amount of fire brick used we were
so delayed in washing out the engines that a large
number of them were needed on that division.

Mr. Morris — We have' experienced consider-
able ditticulty in washing out engines, on account
of the arch brick retaining so much heat. We
adopted a plan of putting the cold water
in with the hot water, before emptying the
boiler and washing out— of course, after letting the
boiler stand for perhaps eight hours. I have not as
yet experienced any troub.e in washing out my boil-
ers in that way.

Mr. Peck— The way I do, Mr. President, is to blow
the steam off as soon as the engine gets in, and just
start the cold water going in and the hot water go-
ing out. In that way it would temper the water until
it cooled it. I am strongly in favor of the water leg
in place of the brick arch. I have seen water legs
put in engines which were poor steamers, and they
were changed into good steamers.

Mr. Morris — I had some experience with the water
leg in Connecticut. While.it increased the heating
surface of the fire box, we had a great deal of trouble
keeping the water legs tight, from some cause or
other, and abandoned them for that reason and put
in the brick arch.

Mr. Harrison— We have used the brick arch and
water leg for a number of years on our road. In our
new mogul engines that we are using on the Chicago
division, we have the brick arch. It is a difficult thiug
to prevent incrustation, and it may be a question
whether in that regard the water leg is better than
the brick arch. We are using the brick arch in our
passenger engines as well as some of our freights. I
have had some experience with the side sheets
cracking, but I have had more side sheets crack
without the brick than with them. We do not, if
we are in a hurry for an engine, wait for the arch to
cool ott', but wash the boiler at once. I prefer the
water leg if it can be worked successfully, and the
incrustations be prevented accumulating in there.

Mr. Johann— In my operations I have had water
leg fire-boxes and brick arch fire-boxes. The main
objection that I had to the water leg, and the reason
why I stopped the use of them was more particular-
ly from the trouble arising from the cutting action
of the cinders as they swept past the edge of the
water leg. Cinders from the fire would in eight or
nine months cut the sheet so much that it was pretty
hard to keep it tight. That is about thj only tronble
1 have had with water legs, but that was so great
that I finally abandoned them. I consider that there
is some advantage in the use of brick arches. Re-
garding washing out, I think the most proper way to
do it is to feed cold water into the hot water in the
boiler, and when it is cool enough, take out the
hand hole plates and wash out. In that way we gen-
erally get an engine around inside of about two
hours and a half. I have never had any bad results
from that method of washing out.

Mr. Barnes — What was the material you used in
the water legs, Mr Johann? And are you sure it
was not incrustation from the inside that cut them
out rather than cinders from the outside?

Mr. Johann— The material that we bad in the wa-
ter legs was copper. I thought we had no special
beneficial results from it, and therefore I did not
attempt to renew it with steel.

Mr. Rhodes raised the point that members of the
club would speak more freely and take greater part
in the discussions, if the remarks were not to be pub-
lished verbatim in the technical papers. After
some discussion, participated in by Messrs. Hickey,
Crosman, Peck, Rhodes, Sehroyer and Forsyth.
Mr. Forsyth moved that the pres.dent appoint a
committee of five to consider the matter of the pub-
lication of the proceedings of the club; and that
such consideration should be in the direction of in-
creasing the income of the club if possible. Such

The president appointed as members of said com-
mittee, Messrs. Forsyth, Crosman, Barnes, Peck
and Sehroyer.

The meeting then adjourned until the third Tues-
day in February.

CENTRAL KAIIWAY CLUB.

DiscuBaion on ComboBtion.

At the January meeting of the Central Raihvav
Club Mr. Jas. Macbeth, master mechauicof the Wes"t
Shore, and one of the committee on combustion in
locomotives, submitted a brief report in which he
gave some results of tests made by him. We quote
from his report as follows:

In passenger service with a locomotive and seven cars,
making an average speed of 4a-88 miles per hour, the coal
consumption was 47-43 lbs. per train mile; clinker and
ashSo'Jlbs. per train mile; aud the evaporation of water
was U-SS lbs. per pound of coal. The engine had 18x44 in.
cylinders, 18 sq. ft. of grate area, 340 i in. tubes 11 ft. long,
an extension trout, and carried a boiler pi essure of 140
pounds.

In freight service with a 40 car train making an average
speed of 30 miles per hour, the coal consumption was
lObbb los. per train mile; clinker and ash 7 9« lbs. per
train mile; and the evaporation 7 to I. The engine was 10-
wheeled with 18x34 in. cylinders, 34U 3 in. tubes 13-a in.
long, IS sq. ft. grate area, extension front and 140 lbs.

The expense of fuel to railroad companies being one of
the heaviest they have to contend with, there should be
perfect combustion, in view of the rapid progress and im-
proved designs that have been made in the construction of
boilers in the past few years. In my opinion the dellciency
when modern engines do not give entire satisfaction is not
altogether in the plan or construction, but in the manner
they are handled by enginemen in charge. A good share
of enginemen seem to have the idea that necessity de-
mands main force and only this, and from this sUndpoint
they feed coal without any idea as to what part of fire re-
quires the supply. My conclusions on this are reached
from the fact that in watching the smoke stack of an
engine which has a perfect draft and burns a level Are the
emission of black smoke should last but eight or ten sec-
onds after the renewing of a fire; on the other hand, it
will be noticed an engine having all the perfect points of
combustion when not properly fired or looked after, a
gray smoke will be noticed trailing, showing engine io be-
ing fired too heavily or unevenly. The trailing of black
smoke is not ouly disagreeable in passenger service, but
an engine when crowded and fired in the manner stated,
will not steam freely nor give good results. I trust the
subject shall be continued with a view of obtaining the
very best and most economical methods of burning coal in
our locomotives.

Mr. E. A. Miller, master mechanic of the N. Y. C.
& St. L. R'y, supplemented the report by submit-
ting a comparison between engines using straight
stacks, high nozzles, and in some cases brick arch
in the fire-box, and other engines having diamond
stacks, petticoat pipe and low nozzles. He said:

I have at this date ouly two engines with arches in the
firebox, and those engines average 325 miles daily on six
tons of coal with a train of four coaches heavy loaded.
Eight wheel (35 ton) engines, with diamond stacks, pulled
30 cars of 15 tons capacity between Loraine and Uhrichs-
ville, with about 6^:j or 7 ton of coal; the same engines
with straight stack haul 35 to 38 cars, according to weather,
of 35 ton capacity, with about an average of 6,'i tons of
coal, per 100 miles, an increase of about 335 tons'per train.
Mogul engines (-'0 ton weight), with diamond stack,
hauled 45 cars of 15 ton capacity, on 7I4 tons of coal, per
100 miles; on the same track with the straight stack and
corresponding smoke box arrangement, the engines hauled
40 cars of 35 ton capacity with BV tons of coal per 100
miles, a saving of one ton in coal and handling of 335 tons
more freight per train. This, of course, is an average.
The engines have no extension fronts.

Mr. Dolbeer (Buffalo, Roch. & Pitts.) in the dis-
cussion which followed stated that on his road a
limit of lU pounds of coal per car mile tor passenger
runs and 4.30 pounds for freight trains is established
aud a premium is paid for the saving effected by en-
ginemen under this limit. One of the men had run
with an average of 2i pounds per car mile and re-
ceived the highest premium, this being the star re-
cord. The amount of coal remaining in the tank at
the end of a run is determined by measuring the
tender.

Mr. Mackenzie said that on the Nickel i'late,
while he was not in favor of extension fronts, they
knew very well they were pulling the same num-
ber of cars that the engines did in 1887, and with
increased tonnage. The comparisons of pounds of
coal consumed per car mile did not have much to do
ith the number of cars, but its application to the
innage was the most important feature to be con-
idered.

Considerable discussion was had on interchange
jles. The president announced as subjects for the
ext meeting the "Interchange Rules" and the
Wear of Steel Tires on Cars and Engines." He
appointed as a committee to prepare a report on the
latter subject, Messrs. F. B. GriHith, D. i.. & W.;

A. C. Robson, L. S. & M. S., and W. A. Foster, F.

B. C. Co.'s Railroad.

The election of officers for the ensuing year re-
sulted as follows: President, Eugene Chamberlain-

THE MASTER MECHANIC.

Februabt, 1890.

vice presideut, A. C. Robson; secretary and treas-
urer, F. B. Griffith; executive committee, T. A.
Bissell, J. D. Mcllwain, P. H. Griffin, C. A. Gould,
Peter Smith, Jas. Macbeth, C. E. Rood. W. E. Cor-
coran of the Express and Harry D. Vought of the
Courier were elected assistant

NEW ENGLAND CLUB-
Discassion on Foreign Travel.

The New England Club met in their rooms at the
United States Hotel, Boston, on January 8, Presi-
dent Richards occupying the chair. The subject
was " Notes on European Travel." The secretary
read a paper contributed by Mr. Albert J. Pitltiu,
superintendentof the Schenectady Locomotive Wrs.,
from which we extract the following:

The locomotives used abroad have beeu so fully illustra-
ted that Americans generally have a very good idea of
iheir design. The principal deparlure trom the usual
standards is the compounding, which seems to meet with
considerable favor. Some ol the proportions of these en-
gines, however, would hardly meet with approval here;
lor instance, one of the new designs is a 20 and 28 x 24
compound, having a single pair ol driving wheels T.'o ft. in
diameter, the weight on drivers being but 40,0UU lbs. We
would naturally ihink this engine over cyUndered, and
would expect it to lose about as much in slipping as would
be gained by the compounding. The engine with twelve ot
the light English cars did slip badly in starting and the
speed decreased to a marked degree on ascending grades.
Still, sufficient economy is shown in the compou nding of
the various types that this particular road is building
nothing but compounds for road traffic. Another road is
building compound passenger engines only. Wth our
modern designs of locomotive, having large boiler, and
consequently more weight on drivers, lor a given cylinder
power, there seems no reason why the principle of com-
pounding should not be successfully introduced. The crit-
icism we so frequently hear that the compounds are slow
in starting trains, seemed to have more foundation on the
fact that they slipped badly from lack of sufficientadhesion,
and consequently cannot exert their full cylinder power.

The workmanship on locomotives is laboriously per
feet, much time being spent in finishing and polishing
parts that for ordinary service were better painted. Many
of the designs seem to have been made with little idea of
cost of construction, and, as is well known, the working
parts are very inconvenient to get at for any little repai
necessary to be made on the road.
are the exception rather than the
generally are well designed for

L with a marked degree of
through the various sh^ps one is imt
perionty of our modern design (
' > you find I '

repaix's, howc
I the locomotives
ice, and perform
looking

sed

decreas-

> that compare at
our best builders. This is
due largely, no doubt to our depending so entirely on tools
in reducing the cost of production
ing the amount of wages paid the

Mr. John Co^jhlan, master car builder of the Bos-
ton, Revere Beach & Lynn Railroad, also gave notes
of his travels from which we extract the following:
After landing at Liverpool we went to examine the first,

■ rs. The two latter classes had

to make the darkness visible,
; second class cars were fairly upholstered,
! third class cars bad merely a piece of carpet tacked on
! seats, which were the solt side of a pine board. We
o exauitoed the two grades of first class cars. We found
accommodations on board for attending to the calls of
.ure, which seems to be one of the greatest discomforts
traveling in Great Britain. After seeing all that we de-
Kd we went to the Lancashire Railroad. They use a con-
uous brake almost entirely, but have no hand brake,
e Midland uses a hand brake on the platform with a
ew and a vertical shaft connected with a lever acting

:lhe

i would run a hundred per cent, better than
class French cars did, judging from our experi-
. ihL-y were also very poorly lighted. The first
4 are somewhat belter. We went to the Saint La-
on, and from there to the railway department of
iition. We spent eight days at the exhibition.

11.4m . I ,1- no smoke coming from the smoke

&ra iiL' to the employment of the force

Ui,i . mspected. We found the boiler

\v,i- . li-.-ssure. The air was heated to 150

dt-L I ,1- lip through the smoke ilue where the

two upT.ik._s <uinlniiLd together and then forcing one cur-
rent of air over the lire and two through the ash pit below.
Not a particle of smoke could be seen and I wondered whi
we could not use some such sistcm as that on the railroads
in our own country.

Mr. J. A. Coleman, Providence, R. 1., was the
next speaker. We give an abstract of his remarks
as follows:

Arriving on the other side, one of the things
which first struck me and which I will always
remember is the excellence of the road beds and
the avoidance of curves, but the first time I ever
experienced anything like real comfort and luxury in for-
eign travel was in ls74 between Vienna and St. Peters-
burg on a trip from Egipt to Kussia. However, they
have nothing in Europe to match the comfort of railroad
travel in this country. 1 lived in Prance some seven years
and found them very slow in iutroducing even sued ac-
commodations as sleeping cars, and I have paid seven dol-
lars for a berth for an eighteen hours' ride from Paris to
Marseilles. My idea of real suffering is_ to travel night
and day ■ ■■ •

to the English first class. The seats of our cars are not as
comfortable as many of those on the European railways.

I think the difference between our American system and
the European is that over there everything is done for the
roadbed, but the running gear of the cars does not receive
the same attention, and they are so constructed that they
must have a straight road or they would not run. Take
one of their trains and put it on our road and you could
not go at anything like reasonable speed and keep the train
on the track.

Mr. Firth, who has spent several years in Russia
and Germany, made some remarks in response to the
call of the president. He said:

The railways of Russia are fortunate because in the
early days they had American engineers to build their
principal railway, who installed a system which is prac-
tically American, and they still adhere more or less to your
admirable construction of railway carriages, by which the
passenger can go from one end of the train to the other.
They also have their sleeping ear arrangements, but they
do have four classes of cars. They have made such intro-
duction of all classes of locomotives and rolling stock from
France, Germany and England that when I left there about
five or six years ago they had a very mixed class of rail-
I way rolling stock. In Russia we have your American
Baldwin locomotive and the Grant locomotives. We have
stuck to the direct action between the eccentric and the
valve,to great advantage in the mechanical working of the
locomotive itself. Russia began to build for itself exten-
sively about 10 or 12 years ago, and I think their deaigns of
locomotives have a larger heating surface than you gentle-
men use. This has a direct bearing on economy in the use
of fuel. Russia to-day has good schools and is educating
its young men in all that belongs to technology, and among
other subjects they have got hold of the construction of
railways and the construction of railway rolling stock.
In short, in my opinion, nowhere but in European Russia,
and in America, can be found the nearest approach to ab-
solute comfort in railway travel.

Mr. McFethries spoke of the Russsian railways as
follows:

While I was in Russia the government ordered
the passenger (jars to be changed to have a
free passage through the center of the trains. I happened
to be on the Moscow & Nishni Novgorod road at the time,
and we had to change a great many cars ovtr which were
built in Germany and England, and I think they approach
the nearest to American passenger cars of anything in Eu-
rope. They have sleeping cars for the second and third
class, and I have built some myself for the second class in
which the back lifted up and formed the npper berth and
the two seats drew out and made a lower berth.

COMMUNICATIONS-

"Baker" Heater Explosions.

Chicago, Jan. 32, 1890.
To the E.iitor of the Railway Master Mechanic:

I notice that several recent explosions and fires in cars
have been charged up to the "Baker" heater. One item in
particular which I find in one of the railway papers, I will

WoKK OF THE Car Stove.— The bu:
wrecked at Sidney o

vasdu

le Baker heater

ised by a broken switch

I sleeping cars left the tracks and piled

Union Pacific,

s. The derail-

bag-

cross fashion. There were
cars in the train, one containing storage mail and the c
working mail, and the Baker heaters in both cars '
' ' ' fire scattered in every dii

broken and t

The wreck
or three minutes after the derailment. Most
all of the mail in the storage mail car was saved, but much
of the mail in the local or working mail car, as well as ex*
press and baggage, was destroyed. The burning of five
out of the seven cars composing the train will involve a
loss of $tiO,OOU.

I wish to have it understood that the heater causing the
destruction above noted is the old style Baker heater and
not the "perfected" nor the "fireproof" Baker heater.
With either of the latter the throwing out of coals is an im-
possibility.

Car heaters should be as absolutely free from fire throw-
ing and from explosion as it is possible to construct them.
The safe in the express company's car is made proof against
fire, and burglars— both to be kept out. Fire, by the same
provisions, can as surely be kept in a car heater.

Flexible steel, '4 inch thick, thoroughly riveted, or weld
ed into one solid, seamless piece, is the material to form a
safe for the fire, as well as safe for valuables. The neces.
sary openings for feeding the fuel, admitting air for its
combustion, and cleaning its ashes, can be readily provided
without lessening the tire-retaining qualities. Such a car
heater is made and put on the market by my company, the
Baker "fire proof heater. It has been in use in 300 cars
during the last three winters. The first of these steel heat,
ers were constructed specially for hard coal. We are now
making them to burn, (without clogging) soft coal, wood,
or any kind of fuel.

To prevent the possibilities of the heater itself, or of any
per-son, being injured by an explosion, we provide one
weak spot in the heater— a detached portion, or safety vent,
which is a hollow spheroidal bulb. It is jointless, cast in a
single piece, and with a top so thin and weak that it is sure
to blow off at a fixed pressure, and that far below the point
that would even strain the joints, much less burst the
heater di*um— the weakest portion of the Baker heater. A

new vent is readily screwed in, by hand, to replace the
broken vent.

No car heater has heretofore been made to successfully
control its own fire. It is completely accomplished in the
"fire proof" heater as follows: The regulator diaphragm,
the portion that is moved by the expansion of the hot water
in the pipes, and which gives the required motion to the
draught door, is of corrugated steel, the same as used for
steam pressure gauges, only, in this, case a duplicate cop.
per diaphragm is placed on each side of the steel one, for
protection against rust.

In order to allow the fire to create any given pressure
within the heater, and, consequantly. any desired degree of
heat, it is required of the attendant to simply hook a spiral
resisting spring into any one of several holes in the lever
operating the draught door, over each of which holes are
the figures 10, 20, 30. 40, 50, which denote the pressure of
hot water to be canned in the heater.

The generator coil in this heater is made of double the
quantity of pipe the old style Baker heater contains, and is
thus given the increased power that is required for the cars
now built (which are much larger than those for which my
original heater was intended,) besides giving a surplus of
heat to be used for the much needed ventilation of the cars.

Without saying anything further, I leave the intelligent
readers of the Master Mechanic to draw each his own
conclusion as to the desirableness of a car heater thus con-
structed. My main point is to make it understood, that my
present "perfected" and "fire-proof" heaters must not be
confounded with the old style Baker heater.
W. C. Bakek,

President The Baker Heater Co.

Are Present Valves Economical^

Adrian, Mi.
To the Kditor of The Railway Master Mechanic:

I have been much interested ii
to compound locomotives, and valve gear, valves, etc., in
your paper lately.

It seems to be conceded that the D valves and Unk mo-
tion are not economical when working at points of cut-off
less than about one fourth of piston stroke. Is not this fact
owing largely to the very small opening and very gradual
closing of the steam port, combined with the early release
and great compression, all three occuring at very short
cut-offs?

Is not a large clearance as much a factor of loss in a
locomotive as in a stationary engine J

In short, if a valve could be constructed that could be
used with the link commonly in use, that would insure an
opening for steam admission of nearly the whole port area,
when working at, say one-tenth piston stroke, and that
would close quickly, and thus secure a high initial press-
ure, and at the same time release the steam only in time to
empty the cylinder in time to prevent back pressure; and
that would keep the exhaust wide open most of the stroke,
only closing in time to get suflflcient cushion— would not
such a valve with clearance as small as can be made, and
release and compression controlled at pleasure give us
what is really needed^

If we had a valve that would shorten the point of cut off
automatically if the wheels slip or speed increases running
down hill, and that would delay the point of cut off when
speed is reduced for any cause, as on a grade or with
heavier load, v/e would have a valve that would be much
easier to handle an engine with when switching, and
which would move an engine very slowly with an open
throttle. Would not an ordinary American locomotive
using very high pressure steam and such a valve, be as
economical as the compound locomotive^ I got up a valve
as described above and put it on a stationary engine mak-
ing 300 revolutions per minute, which made an excellent
card. I corresponded with some mas er mechanics about
it, but most of them thought the D valve all right. Onc^
however, invited me to visit him, and he was so wel,
pleased with my valve that an agreement was made to put
it in use; but his death closed the matter then. Late dis-
cussions have aroused interest in the matter, and I am open
to correspondence with any master mechanic who desires
to know more about my experiments.

J. C. LiNNELL.

[The objections to the steam distribution effected
by the common link and the D valve, as outlined by
our correspondent, are substantially correct, but
though these imperfections are present it must not be
inferred that their removal would banish all barriers
which now stand in the way of obtaining the great-
est economy in the use of steam. Large clearance,
great compression, small port opening, etc., are all
objectionable, but even if they are remedied without
introducing complicated mechanism, the condensa-
tion of steam in the cylinders would limit the num-

FEBBnABY, 1890.

THE MASTER MECHANIC.

ber of expansions which could be economically em-
ployed to about four. It is the evils of cylinder con-
densation which the compound locomotive is, among
other things, expected to partially overcome. We
fear, from the last paragraph of our correspondent's
communication, that he is attempting altogether too
much with his valve. There is very little call for a
valve which will automatically control the steam dis-
tribution on a locomotive. An engineequipped with
such valves and using a very high boiler pressure
would not show the same economy, for the reason
that the higher the boiler pressure and the earlier
the cut-off in a single expansion locomotive the
greater the percentage of loss from cylinder conden-
sation, while in the compound the advantages of high
pressure and a large number of expansions can be
obtained with far less loss from cylinder condensa-
tloji.— Ed. Railway Master Mechanic]

, Jas. s, IS90.

Oaki.am., C
Tu the E<lltur of thi- Riiilway Master Mechanic:

I have just read a letter in your December issue written
by Mr. Guy Knox in relation to railway shops and their
management. I would s>iy in reference to railway com-
panies doing nothing but running repairs on their locomo-
tives and sending their hettvi- work to contract shops, and
buying everything of private concerns, that such a policy
is simply erroneous. I claim,— basing my claim upon a
long experience — that fl.'i per cent, of the railways would be
in the bands of receivers in less than twelve months, if
such a policy were followed.

f railway shops

conducted

•No.'

say yea— tl

in those shops with s

c at the head — a busit

: here in California or in the southern coun-

been employed by railway companies that

. their locomotiv

be overhauled to the I

NEW HOLLOW CHISEL MORTISING MACHINE,
bidders, but after a short experiment in this direction they
soon changed their policy, for the stockholders found there
was no dividend declared because contract shops and rail-
way supply houses had eaten it up.

When you send a locomotive for overhauling to a con-
tract shop. It is the proprietor's cry, to rush her in, and
chase her out, and the pass-words are, "let that go," "that
will do,'" etc. When this engine comes out with a streak
of black paint it is an "overhauled engine'' "don'tcherknow.''
It may suit disciples of Mr. Knox to show such an engine to
the general manager and say, "Ah I see that engine; I had
it repaired at Sweat, Hard &Co's. at a cost of one half less
than we ourselves could do it for.*' Of course the general
manager smiles and passes the Havana : but should he keep
a record of that engine for one year, and compare it with one
that is overhauled at home at a cost, say tive-eighths greatTer,
he will come to the conclusion that his master mechanic is
playing a losing game. I claim from a long experience in
locomotive shops, that railway companies can do overhaul-
ing 2.5 per cent, cheaper than any kind of a contract con-
cern can do it for them; and, that where a plant is large
enough, there is no reason why the railway companies
should not be able to build as good (and as cheap in the
long run) a locomotive as most eastern factories are build-
ing.

Most of the locomotives that are sent from the factories
to-day are thrown together and after six or eight months
of service are ready to be shipped ; and if you notice their
record after a thorough overhauling in a lirst class railway
shop, you will find that they are good for two or three
years of hard service. Again, wlien they are brorglit in,
their machinery is in all probability in better condition
than during their first six months of service from the fac-
tory.

If contract shops and private concerns can make money
in supplying axle springs, rails and a thousand other things
to railway companies there is no reason why, if a railway
company has the same tools and labor with which to pro-
duce the same articles, they are not losing money by buy-
ing them from outside parties.

I shall come to a conclusion by saying that Mr. Knox pro-
bably bases his whole theory on an incident which he re-
lates, in which he saw a man in a railway shop take five
days to turn off a pair of drivers at a cost of Hi 50. Wei

the master mechanic who had charge of the shop was no
fitted for his calling. Let Mr. Knox come to Californii
and we will show him how to turn out drivers at a cos
of ?3'.50. Yours truly.

W. D. Hoi.i.ANi..

A NEW HOLLOW CHISEL MOETISINO MACHINE

Hollow chisel mortising machines are not new,
but they are not yet in such general use, but that a
lively interest centers about their curious operation
of " boring a square hole," as their work is aptly,
though incorrectly, termed. The novelty of these
machines consists in the peculiar formation of the
chisel, which, as shown in our engraving, is square,
and is Tilted with an auger made to revolve inside of
it. The end of the auger projects slightly beyond
the edges of the chisel, and when presented to the
timber it bores a round hole— the chisel following it
and simultaneously squaring out the four corners
and sides. It will be readily understood that mor-
tises of any length and width may be cut by forming
a succession of square holes running into each
other.

Our illustration shows an extra heavy machine of
this class. It is of a new design and will be found
useful for mortising in hard woods used in car build-
ing. We believe that hollow chisel mortising ma-
chines have hitherto been made by one or two firms
only, but the Berry & Orton Company, whose ma-
chine we illustrate, are now seeking for a share of
the business of supplying the demand for them — a
demand that is destined to be much larger than at
present, as the merits of these peculiar machines be-
come better known. In placing this machine on the
market the Berry & Orton Company have made it a
study, both in the design and arrangement of parts,
to make it the most complete hollow chisel mor-
tiser ever offered. They claim the following point

THE MASTER MECHANIC.

Febsuabt, 1890.

AUTOiMATIC COAL CHCTE

UOALINtl LUUU.MC

of superiority over machines of other manufacture:
"A much stronger, more substantial machine, and
one less liable to get out of order; longer belts,
which are more accessible, being all outside the
framing of the machine; the driving power for forc-
ing the chisel into the wood is placed as nearly the
center of the chisel as possible, which is from 6 in.
to 10 in. nearer than on other machines; the support-
ing of the timber to be acted upon is directly back
of the table and is in a direct line of the chisel; the
framing of the machine is such that the thrust while
making the mortise is taken both above and below
the chisel, hence the soring of the machine is re-
duced to the minimum, and the chisel, after being
forced into the wood, is drawn with much moie ease
and less liability to break than when the strain is
taken entirely below the chisel; a double set of stops
is supplied for regulating the position of mortises
vertically; it is a much cheaper and more durable
machine."

The weight of the machine illustrated is 5,600
lbs. Its countershaft has tight and loose pulleys—
which are 12 in. diameter, and 6 in. face— and should
made SOO revolutions per minute. The Berry &
Ortoii Co., Philadelphia, Pa., are the makers.

ADTOMAnC COAL CHUTES FOE COALINO LOCOMOTIVES.

That the use of some kind of chute tor coaling lo-
comotives is in the long run much more economical
than the old methods of shoveling direct, and using
crane and derrick, is probably admitted by all rail-
way companies at the present time, although some
of them adhere to the past and hesitate before the
immediate outlay necessary for improvements. How-
ever, year by year more and more chutes are being
erected, and the crane and derrick are being grad-
ually relegated to some better use.

Nowadays as the fast trains scour the country,
wlien the locomotive finds it necessary to refill the
coal tank, it pulls up in its swift course by the side
of one of these coal chute build ings. Scarcely have the
wheels ceased to revolve, when the chute throws out

from one of its numerous mouths or pockets a tor-
rent or shower of coai. One second before the locomo-
tive's tank was nearly empty,now it is heaped up with
the black fuel, and the locomotive takes flight again
with scarcely a break in its rapid progress. This is
a very different process from that involved in taking
coal from a derrick and crane, where the train has
to wait many minutes while the tank is being tilled.
This economy of time is a very important point in
these latter days, when every road is straining to
make better time,and when twenty min utes or half an
hour saved every day on each train going over the
line is by no means a small item in point of expense.

However, in other respects the chute saves money,
and no small amount. At least half the labor will
handle the same amount of coal with the chute that
is required to handle it by the crane and derrick , or
by shoveling, and by many roads the decrease in ex-
pense is claimed to be more. When these facts are
taken squarely into consideration it will be seen that
no railroad can really afford to put off the erection
of suitable chutes.

Of all the chutes now in operation, the Burnett &
Clifton is bidding fair to grow into almost general
use, if it has not already that position. It has at-
tained its popularity by reason of its rapidity and
ease of operation, its convenience and by its cheap-
ness of construction compared with many, although
not all other systems. Such roads as the C, R. I. &
P., the A., T. & S. F. and the Union Pacific are
using nothing else. The Union Pacific have put up
over.400 pockets upon this plan during the past two
years. The Rock Island, after several year's trial,
equipped all of its new lines in Kansas and the west
with it. Many other roads, among them the C. &
N. W., the Illinois Central, the Rio Grande, the O.
& M., after trying nearly all other devices, such as
the dumping car, the crane and derrick, the Kerr,
etc., have come to this as the best, the safest, the
quickest and the most convenient.

The noticeable points in this chute arc as follows:
The apron, or spout, which carries the coal to the

tender when swung down is more easily handled
than in other chutes, because of its being balanced
on its hinge by arms extending to the rear and coun-
terweigh ted, and because of the fact that the motion
of the apron automatically releases, opens, holds
open and shuts the inside door or gate. This inside
door or gate sustains the pressure of the coal
in the pocket until the apron has been swung down
by the fireman on the tender. When the apron gets
down with its lip projecting into and over the tank
of the locomotive, it automatically operates the in-
side door, as stated above, by its arms in the rear.
These automatic movements of the inside door, at
precisely the right time without being touched by
hand, are a great con%'enience and effect a large sav-
ing of time, and, together with the ease of handling
the apron, make it possible to coal a locomotive of-
ten in less than 20 seconds, the total time that the
engine stands still. The users of the chute say it
works perfectly and does not get out of order. Those
interested in the chute, it may be proper to add,
have taken pains to have the buildings constructed
in a proper manner, and the iron work made with
sufficient strength and in nice shape.

Working drawings of this style of chute were
given in our issue of .June, 1889. The illustration
shown herewith is taken from a photograph of a
40-pocket double chute lately completed for the C,
R. I. & P. Railway Company at Eldon, Iowa, by
Williams, White & Co., of Moline, 111., the builders,

ho also control the patents.

The midwinter (February) Century is notable among
other things for the final instalment of the Lincoln biog-
raphy. The chapters include the 'Capture of Jefferson
Davis," "The End of Rebellion," and "Lincoln's Fame."
Two poems on Lincoln follow the close of the life (one by
Stuart Sterne and the other by Jas. T. McKay), and sup-
plementary papers on the "Pursuit and Capture of Jeffer-
son Davis," by General Wilson, who commanded the Union
cavalry, and by Wm. P. Stedman, of Company B, who was
an eye-witness. In the "Open Letter" department is an
anecdote of Jefferson Davis, showing his indignation at
the proposition to use concealed explosives in the coaling
stations of the United States navy. There are comments
aUo in the "Open Letters" on the Lincoln History, one of
which defines McClellan's political position. • • '

Februabt, 1890.

THE MASTKR MECHANIC.

note there is given a very interesting unpublished corres-
pondence between Edward Everett and President Lincoln
on the addresses delivered by the two orators at Gettys-
burg, The Lincoln life has run through forty numbers of
■jhe Century Maganzie.

NEW BAND SAW.

The Egan Company, of Cincinaati, have lately
brought out a now line of band scroll saws, rariging
from the smallest to the very heaviest, the latter
suitable for the heaviest and hardest work. These
saws are all made from new patterns and are beauti-
ful in design and possess many valuable conveniences
and improvements. The machine we illustrate is
their heavy band scroll saw.

The wheels are 38 in. in diamel^er, made solid and
turned perfectly true and covered with rubber bands
made especially to order and in such a manner as to
insure their remaining on the wheel until worn out,
if properly handled. The wheel is perfectly balanced,
making a very reliable and true-running wheel,
which is a great point on a band saw, preventing the

stantly made to suit the saw by adjusting the weight.
The patent roller guides are made on an improved
plan, one set to support the saw below the table and
one set above the table. They are attached to the
adjustable guide bar and raised and lowered by a
counterweight provided for the purpose.

The patent tilting device for throwing the upper
wheel and bo-\ to an angle, so as to lead the saw
blade to any path on the wheel, is very simple and
reliable.

The machine has a patent belt .shifter and brake
combined, fitted to the machine so that the belt can
be run at any point of the pulley, while the brake
acts gently, stopping the saw in the quickest nossible
time. Further particulars will be furnished by the
manufacturers, the Egan Co., 216 to 236 West Front
street, Cincinnati, Ohio.

A NEW "HEAT STORAGE" SYSTEM OF CAR HEATING.

The equipment, now in progress, of trains on the
Norfolk & Western and the Shenandoah Valley

ambed.

NEW BAND S.WV.

breaking of saws, and allowing the very finest saw I roads with the system of car heating embraced in

blades to be used to advantage. the v)atents owned by the Morton Safety Heating

The table is of iron, planed perfectly true and pro- Company, of 112 East Fayette street. Baltimore, Md..

vided with a new locking device for holding the ta- ' brings another Kichmond into the field of car heat-

ble at the desired angle and the blade running true
to the center of the cut.

The column is very heavy and cast hollow, com-
bining strength with neatness of design. The top of
the column is planed true to receive the patented
sliding bearing for the upper wheel shaft. This
bearing is raised and lowered by a hand wheel and
screw. The lever which gives the tension to the saw
supports the screw. A change of tension can be in-

ing by steam. The Morton system is quite unlike
any of the others in its chief features. It puts a
"register" into each end of the car, hut these
registers, instead of being a series of iron pipes, are
each a single block of terra cotta. and the steam
pipes along the sides of the car are of the same mate-
rial. The terra cotta blocks are in cast iron cases
of an ornamental design and similar in size and gen-
eral appearance to an ordinary house register. The

steam heating pipes within the car are about 34 in.
in diameter and are protected by a sheet iron wrap-
ping which secures them against accidental break-
age.

The terra cotta registers are provided with a num-
ber of passages all leading from the point where
steam enters the registers to the point where it
Or they may be described as "honey-
so that the steam on entering from the
train pipe is difl'used through the many passages in.
side the block, and thus rapidly heats the latter and
enables it to radiate heat into the car. The steam
passage of the pipes inside the car is comparatively
small, leaving a considerable thickness of terra cotta
to receive and retain heat from the steam which
passes through it. Suitable devices are employed to
prevent the accumulation of condensed water in the
pipes and registers.

Every one knows the comfort of a heated brick
under one's feet during a ride over country roads on
a sharp, winrtv winter's day, and how long the brick
keeps warm in spite of frost and wind. It is well
known, too, that porcelain, soapstone, terra cotta or
brick are used for stoves all over Europe, because of
the slow and equable radiation of heat by those sub-
stances, and the comfort and economy resulting from
tbeir use. The Morton system is an ingenious modi,
fication of the hot brick which made winter stage
coaching tolerable to our grandfathers, to meet the
conditions of modern railway travel and the demand
tor absolute comfort on the part of the travelers of
to-day.

Two important claims of superiority are made for
this sjst«m. One is, that by admitting steam for a
few minutes before a train starts, and also at stations
where the longer stops are made, it is unnecessary in
any ordinary winter weather to call on the boiler for
steam to heat the train while the engine is working.
The heat quickly stored in the registers and radiat
ing pipes while the train is at rest is slowly and
evenly given out during the run. Most of the steam
used to "heat up" would otherwise blow off and be
wasted.

The second claim is, that this system, with reason-
ably careful supervision, will prevent the serious dis-
comfort of over-heating in moderate weather. A
metal pipe quickly becomes as hot as the steam
which passes through it— a heat which cannot be
less than 212 degrees. This, especially in cool but
not cold weather, is too much heat, and makes pas-
sengers uncomfortable. But it should not be difll-
cult to arrest the heating of the terra cotta registers
and pipes before they become .so much heated.

As regards safety to life and property in case of
accident, etc., this system has the merits of the other
methods of heating trains by steam now in use. Its
operation on the roads named will be watched with
much interest bv railroad men.

PERSONAL.

Mr. Wn

Stroudley, the well known locomotive suiierin
tcndent of t he London, Brighton & South Coast Railway Co.,
England, died in Paris, France, December 20 last. He
was born at Oxford in !«), and although without any
early educational advantages soon pushed his way into the
front ranks of his profession. After holding several im
portant positions, he entered the service of the above
named company in ISTO, as the head of the mechanical de-
partment, and in the IS years elapsini? between then and
his untimely death, practically revolutionized the motive
power and rolling stock of that road generally, making
them second to none in fJreat Britain. He was well known
by reputation in this country, and those American engi-
neers who have visited him at the Brighton shops and had
the opportunity of seeing his work will join with us in say-
ing that when William Stroudley died a great engineer
passed away.

Horatio Allen, the well known civil engineer, under
whose direction the first locomotive brought to America
was built and run, died at his home in Montrose, N. J., on
January 7.
I Mr. T. S. Lloyd has been appointed master mechanic of
I the Cincinnati division of the Cheaspeake & Ohio.
I Mr. Geo. F. Wilson has been appointed general master
mechanic of theC. K. I,& P., vice Mr. T. B. Twombly re-
signed. Mr. Harry Monkhouse becomes assistant general

THE MASTER MECHANIC-

Febbuaky, 1890.

Mr. John R. Tilley, who for several years past has repre-
sented British builders of machinery and steam engines at
Demarara, British Guiana, has severed his British and
Scotch engine connections and has become the resident
agent of the Westinghouse Machine Company, of Pitts-
burgh, for Demerara and the British West Indies. Mr.
Tilley is a very able engineer.

Mr. J. S. Patterson has been made master mechanic of
the Columbus, Hocking Valley and Toledo, in charge of
motive power and cars. Master Mechanic Hutchins and
Master Car Builder Rockafleld have resigned.

Mr. E. Bronner has been appointed master car-builder of
the Michigan Centr.al

It is reported that Mr. H. Tandy, superintendent of mo-
tive power of the New York, Ontario & Western, has re-
signed.

An apparatus for measuring and registering the
vertical oscillations of locomotives will not be with"
out interest to our readers. Such an apparatus was
exhibited at the Paris exposition by the Western
Railway Company of France, and we give illustra-
tions of two forms of it, together with diagrams show-
ing the form of record produced by them. The ap-
paratus registers the vertical oscillations of the foot
plate of the locomotive relative to the leading axle
boxes, or in other words, the vertical play of the
spring, and has been in use by the railway named
since 1879. From an account of these devices appear-
ing in London Engineering, we abstract the follow-
ing descriptive note:

Fig. 1 shows an arrangement in which a connection
to the axle box imparts an oscillatory movement to
an arm which is connected by a rod to a carrier slid-

ing on a horizontal bar, this carrier being provided
with a marking point which bears upon a thin zinc
plate coiled on the drum shown, this plate being
coated with a protective varnish which is scratched
off by the point. The oscillations of the arm which
actuates the marking point also imparts, by means
of the ratchet and gear shown, a rotary and also a
slow longitudinal movement to the drum carrying
the zinc plate. Another marking point, s, actuated
by a rod leading to the footplate, serves to mark by
hand on the zinc plate tbe time of passing each kilo-
meter post. After their removal from the drum the
zinc plates are submitted to the action of acid, when
the parts from which the protective varnish has been
scratched off are etched away and an engraved plate
obtained from which a print can he taken.

NEW RIG FOR COPYING WAY-BILLS.

In the other apparatus, shown by Fig. 2, the record
is obtained upon a disc instead of a cylinder, and this
disc has a regular movement imparted to it by clock-
work instead of being moved intermittently at each
oscillation of the spring. It consists, as will he seen,
of a lever L connected at one end to one of the lead-
ing spring boxes, and at the other giving motion to
a marking style ( which presses against the var-
nished zinc disc D, this disk being mounted on a
shaft which is driven by clockwork. A piece of india-
rubber coiled on the shaft of the disc with a slight
tension compensates for the slight variations of re-
sistance to which the clockwork is subjected in con-
sequence of the friction of the style (. Another style
s, actuated by hand from the footplate, serves to
mark the passing of the kilometer posts.

The form of record produced by these two devices
is shown in fac ^inii'" '^''" nnner record is from

design No. 2. Tbe speed of the disc being constant,
the distances between the kilometer marks on the
margin afford an indication of the speeds at which
the different parts of the run were made. In the
lower record, produced by design No. 1 the upper
line gives the record made by the deflections of the
spring, while the lower shows the record of the pass-
ing of the kilometer posts.

These devices are interesting and suggestive, but
we doubt if mechanical engineers on this side of the
Vtlantic would be satisfied with such crude appara-
tus, especially with the first described design. The
lecord, too, would be far from satisfactory to them,
in point of neatness and definition. Judging from
the long period that these devices have been used,
however— ten years as it appears— they must provide
fairly serviceable records. We are not informed as
to the object of ascertaining the extent of the verti-
cal oscillations but presume that the condition of the
springs, and possibly the perfection of the counter-
balancing, are sought to be observed. A very rough
idea of the condition of the track might be also ob-
tained with the apparatus; and,as is intimated above,
a fair sort of a speed recorder is supplied by it.

A NEW EIO FOE COPYING WAY-BILLS.

Almost without exception railroad offices and
counting-rooms throughout the country, with a large
amount of correspondence to be copied, have great
difficulty in properly dampening the copying pads
used in the press. The above device, manufactured
by Samuel C.Tatum & Co., of Cincinnati, O., is made
to meet this trouble, and as may be seen from the
cut, is very simple and easily kept in order. The
tank, which is 12x24 in. and 5 in. deep, will hold
several hundred pads at a time, and by rapidly run-
ning them through the wringer, the excess of mois-
ture is quickly withdrawn, and the pads can be put
between the leaves of the letter or way-bill copying
book without fear of getting a blurred copy.

Those in railroad ofllces who are familiar only
with the usual ill-smelling tub (which everyone
heartily wishes he could kick out of the room) and
sloppy floor underneath, with a loose-jointed wooden
wringer attached, will readily appreciate this new
rig, which is already in practical every day use by
the railroad people.

BUFFALO STEEL PBESSUEE BLOWEES.

The annexed engraving illustrates a Buffalo steel
pressure blower on a recently perfected pattern of
adjustable bed with countershaft. It is designed
and constructed with special reference to high pres-
sure duty, such as supplying blast for cupola furn-
a?es, forge fires and sand blast machines, also for
forcing air long distances.

By means of a tightening screw the blower may
be moved upon the bed while running at full speed,
tLiking up any slack, giving both belts a uniform ten-
sion which is regulated at the will of the operator.
This is a very important pMnt in preventing the in-
convenience and loss incurred by a stoppage during
heat when blowers are used for cupola purposes. A
decided saving by the use of the bed is gained in the
wear and tear of bolts, for a simple turn or two of
the nut on the end of the adjusting screw and re-
tightening of the holding down bolts takes but a
moment or two and accomplishes the same end as
relacing of the belts, which is usually put off until
the belt will run no longer on account of too much
slack.

Special attention should be directed to pressure
blower belts on account of the high rate of speed at
which they must necessarily run; and absolutely
perfect alignment of the countershaft with the
blower is essential in order to secure smooth run-
ning and even tracking, and to avoid undue wear of
belts by slipping.

A telescopic mouth piece is employed in order
that the blast piping may not be disarranged in mov-

Febsdaby, 1890.

THE MASTER MECHANIC.

BUFFALO STEEL PREShUKK

ing the blower on the bed, while sufficient length is
afforded to the countershaft so that tight and loose
pulleys can be "sed for the main driving belt. A
self - oiling device fitted to the countershaft
enables it to be run at high speeds for
long stretches with perfect immunity, it is claimed,
from heating or cutting.

A distinguishing feature of these blowers is the
solid case, the peripheral portion of the shell being
cast in one solid piece, dispensing entirely with the
objectionable "putty joint.'" Being thus practically
one piece, bearings are always, even under the hard-
est service, in perfect alignment vertically and lat-
erally with the rest of the machine, thus making it
superior in items of durability, smooth running and
economy of power. The journals are long and heavy,
in the standard ratio of length to diameter of H to 1,
and have cap bearings secured by bolts screwed in
the lower half of the bearing and held in place by
lock nuts. With this construction any wear can be
at once taken up, and it is claimed that it is impos-
sible for bearing to rattle loose. These machines
are made by the Buffalo Forge Company, Buffalo,
N. Y.

A HEW RECOKDINO PEESSUEE GAUGE*

lu designing the recording pressure gauge here-
with illustrated, the object was to produce an in-
strument which would be fundamentally simple and
consequently reliable, and which could be placed
upon the market at a moderate cost.

Fig. 1 represents the instrument complete and
ready for application. Fig. 2 shows the pressure
tube with the inking pointer attached; the front of
case, dial and cover of clock being removed. The
pressure tube A^ is of flattened cross-section and
bent into appro.ximately a sinusoidal form. A flex-
ible strip B, of same metal as the tube, is secured at
the ends and along the bends as shown in Fig. 2.

The bent tube may be considered as a series of
Bourdon springs placed end to end.

Pressure applied to the tube produces a tendency
to straighten each bend, or collectively, to elongate
the whole. This tendency to lengthen the tube is
resisted by the flexible strip B and thereby convert-
ed into a multiplied lateral motion. The inking
pointer is attached directly to the end of the pressure
tube, as shown in Fig. 2, from which it will be seen
that the usual mechanism and multiplying devices
are dispensed with, since the motion of the tube
itself is positive and of sufficient range. The special
advantage of this is evident, considering, that in all
other pressure gauges, the movement of the tube or

American Society of Mechanical

iaphragm is small, and requires a syst
im to multiply the motion many tin
available for indicating purposes. Tl

1 of mechan-
before it is
;e multiply-

ing devices must be delicately constructed and
properly cared for, and ^ven under the most favor-
able conditions they are liable, at any moment, to
be a source of error.

In the instrument illustrated, the tube is designed
for a range of 180 lbs. per square inch; for other
ranges its sensitiveness may be varied at will, by
changing its proportions, as length, shape of cross-
section, or thickness. The printed charts for receiv-
ing the record make one revolution in 24 hours, and
are provided with radial arcs and concentric circles,
the divisiO'is on the radial arcs corresponding to
differences in pressure; while those on the concentric
circles correspond to the hours of the day and night.

During the past year and a half, several of the in-
struments have been in operation upon the steam
boilers at Stevens Institute and have given perfectly
satisfactory results.

In regard to making the tubes alike, it will be well to
state that there has been no difficulty in producing a
number in which the deflections were equal for equal
pressures, and which have been directly applied to a
standard chart, without adjustment. It will be
readily seen, that, in case there should be slight dif-
ferences in the deflections, such differences may be
allowed for, by raising or lowering the tube with

reference to the dial. This is equivalent to shorten-
ing or lengthening the deflections along the radial
arcs. For an indicating instrument it is only neces-
sary to provide a graduated arc for the end of the
tube to move over.

It is evident that the instrument is adapted for a
vacuum as well as for a pressure gauge, and it
naturally follows that, if sufficiently sensitive, it will
serve as a barometer, and measure changes of at-
mospheric pressure.

The model herewith exhibited for this purpose,
was made by electro-deposition of nickel upon a piece

of solder of the proper form; the solder being after-
ward melted out in oil. The walls of this tul)e are
1-.500 in. -hick. When this tube is exhausted -of air
and sealed, as shown, it gives a deflection of about
3* inches for an external change of pressure of one
atmosphere.

Another application of th^pressure tube is in the
recording thermometer.

The tube may be filled with a very expansible
liquid, such as alcohol, and sealed. Variations in
temperature produce expansion of the inclosed
liquid, which, in turn, gives deflections of the tube
to correspond.

These deflsclions may be used to record directly.

THE MASTER MECHANIC.

February, 1890.

without multiplyiD? devices, as shovm in one of the
models.

The tubes of the pressure gauges to be inspected
hafe been made bj' the writer at Stevens Institute,
for the purpose of thoroughly testing the novel form.
The results have been perfectly satisfactory and our
recent experience in manufacturing has demon-
strated the pt)ssibility of duplicating the tubes in
quantities for a standard chart.

ELECTRIC MOTOR CAR HAULAGE.

The electric haulage system of the Jeffrey Manu-
facturing Company, of Columbus, O., possesses
many features of interest. The illustration given
herewith represents its motor car in operation. The
motor on this machine is of the same type as is used
by the .Jeffrey Company on its mining machine, and i
is arranged with a reverse rigging which consists of
a brush holder carrying four brushes, two being in |
contact when the car runs forward, the other two
when running in the opposite direction. The main
frame, rectangular in shape, is made of cast iron.
The car wheels are fitted with soft steel tires. The
motor is located in the center of the frame and trans-
mits power from the armature shaft through a suc-
cession of straight gears to the axles. The car is ar-
ranged with draw-bars and pilots on each end.

The speed of these motors varies according to the
work they are to perform. Some of these motor cars
running in coal mines haul loads over as high grades
as 4* per cent, with perfect ease at the 8i miles per
hour. The machinery being compact and occupying
but little space, the operator is brought near the
parts it is necessary to handle in order to operate the
car. The operator is able to turn on the current
with one hand, and at the same time to handle the
brushes or the brake. Power is conveyed to the
motor by means of a trolley, running on a trolley line,
invented by D. N. Osyor, owned and built by the Jeff-
rey Company. The trolley line is known as the "all
metal" system, and is one that does not require a
ground or rail return. The motor cars carry their
own lights, which is quite an advantage in coal
mines, and they can be handled as easily, safely and
quickly as any steam locomotive.

The Cyclone Snow Plow at Work.

The Cyclone snow plow has at last had a chance to
show what it can do with snow drifts. Plenty of
good hard work vas supplied to it by the Central
Pacific blockade, and we learn direct from the scene
of operation— on the Salt Lake, Truckee and Hum-
boldt divisions— that it rose to the occasion in a man-
ner highly gratifying to its owners and to the offi-
cials of the railway. It has been at work for the last
ten days on the divisions named, passing through
snow banks 10 to 1-5 ft. deep, and throwing the snow
a distance of from 100 to 2-50 ft. from the track. The
owners of the Cyclone plow have waited long for
snow, and should feel gratified that the first test of
the worth of their device has been -so remarkably
severe and that the result has proved so favorable.

SUPPLY TRADE NOTES.

—The new works and offices of the Ajax Metal Co., at
4«, «, .W, and 52 Richmond street, Philadelphia, Pa., are
spacious and convenient. The casting room is 2.5x333 feet,
and between 14,000 and 15,000 lbs. of Ajax metal castings are
being turned out daily. The finishing room and the space
devoted to ingot metal embrace 50x75 feet. The remaining
space fronting Richmond street— 50x100 feet— is used as a
test and exhibition room by the Ajax Lead Coating Com-
pany. The Ajax Metal Company has beeu a prosperous
concern under the business management of Mr. Hendrick-
son and the metallurgical skill and experience of Mr.
Klamer, and it is now a very large concern with abundant
capacity for production, and a large and steadily increasing
demand for its products.

There is a large demand in New South Wales for loco
motives on the government railways for renewals and ad-
ditions to stock, and it is currently reported that the au-
thorities are prepared to give an order for 100 locomotives,
be deUvered in three years, the first one not later than
July, 1 S91, on the understanding that the cost of gettin -

them made in

securing them elsewhere

—Mr. Daniel E. Hegbin of Ellenwood, Kan., is reported
to have entered suit, against the Atchison, Topeka & Santa
Fe Raihvay for iT8,450 in payment of royalty on the cattle
chutes used by that company on their entire system, on
which he claims a patent.

The Eureka Cast Steel Company announces that its
new plant for crucible steel castings is in successful opera
tion. We have seen a number of samples of this product
and their excellence as regards tensile strength, uniform
solidity, etc., was very evident. The company appreciates
the present and prospective importance of the car coupler
business and offers to furnish crucible cast steel knuckles
for the M. C. B. standard draw bars, with a guarantee
that they will be equal in all respects to wrought iron forg
They promise to deliver castings made from crucible
steel process in from three to five days from the receipt of
the patterns. A recent test by Fairbanks & Co. of six bars
is crucible product gave the following results :

Area

•

Limit of

Elongation

elasticity

"»i"-

39 579

36-3

•174

63.506

40.918

26-4

•523

•676

The officers of the company are: Amos Gartside, presi-
dent and treasurer; H. B. Faunce, secretary; Wm. B.
Reaney, manager. The office and works are at Lamokin,
Pa.

— Just what it means for an engine to be self-contained
and shipped completely erected, tested and ready to put
into operation is not always appreciatPd until practically
illustrated. A recent occurrence at the Baldwin Locomo-
tive Works proves this in a forcible way. The Hamilton
street shop of that works has been operated for several
years past (24 hours a day) by a Westinghouse 300 h. p.
standard engine, which is one of a dozen or more of the
same kind in use in this extensive establishment. They
have recently been replacing their larger engines with
Westinghouse compounds for the purpose of gaining the
greater economy due to the use of the latter. They re-
cently had occasion to make a change from the 300 h. p.
standard Westinghouse to a 350 h. p. Westinghouse com-
pound, without stopping the works. The standard engine
ran the shop up until 6 o'clock, p. m., when it was stopped,
disconnected and removed from the foundation; the 350 h.
p. compound was put in its place, connected up, pipes run,
and was in operation at 3:30 a.m. This is probablv as
quick a change as was ever made with engines of such a
size. That this is only possible with a self-contained en-
gine, which can be completely erected and tested in the
shop in which it is built, is evident, and even with the ad-
vantages offered by such an engine for quick erection, it is
a smart job of work to perform in such a limited time. It
is somewhat doubtful whether or not it could be performed
at all by any concern, unless it, like the Baldwin Locomo.
I live Works, has been able to make a record for itself of

complete in seven days after the
receipt of

—The Cape Fear & Cincinnati Railway Company has
placed orders for 10 locomotives, 10 passenger coaches,
four mail and baggage cars, and one manager's car. The
Elmore box lid and the Hin?on coupler have been specified
for all this equipment. The company has also ordered '200
freight cars, six caboose cars, 20 coal cars and .50 flat cars,
all of which have the Elmore box lid.

—Mr. E. A. Curtis, manager of the E.more Box Lid Co.,
of 57 Board of Trade building, Chicago, has been meeting
with much success in inl reducing the Elmore car journal
box lid. The present oflicers of the coupler are C. L.
Trego, president and treasurer; Chas. M. Farrum, secre-
tary, and E. A. Curtis, Manager.

-The Pittsburgh Reduction Company, of which Mr. Al-
fred E. Hunt is president, now leads the world in produc-
ing pure aluminum, and Mr. Hunt and his associates have in-
vestigated the nature and qualities of this metal more thor-
oughly than has ever been done before. At present the
monthly production of the works is 1500 lbs. of the metal,
nearly all of which is 98 per cent. pure. During December
2S00 lbs. were shipped, and at present the orders for it are
more than double the producing capacity of the works.
The company is now greatly enlarging its plant, and
has purchased two dynamos of 135,000 watts each,
three 308 h. p. Babcock & Wilcox boilers and two '200
h. p. Westinghouse compound engines. When this new
equipment is in place the output of aluminum will be about
one ton per week. The office of the company is at 95 Fifth
avenue, and the works at 33d and Smallman streets, Pitts-
burgh.

— Hussey, Binns & Co. have a tract of 15 acres at Jean
ette, 20 miles from Pittsburgh, and are building extensive
works on it. The rolling mill is "225x90; the shovel mill
building, 275x90; and the warehouse, 200x80 feet. The

belt.

— The Tripp Manufacturing Company, 34 India Wharf.
Boston, the sole manufacturers of Tripp's an ti friction
journal Dearing, Tripp's metallic packing, and Tripp's
balance piston valve, have established a large factory for
the manufacture of electric, cable and horse car trucks
complete, equipped with their celebrated bearings.

—A public test of the Johnston electric train signal was
given on the Boston, Revere Beach & Lynn road January
•23. Among those present were two of the Massachusetts
railroad commissioners and representative officers of near
ly all the roads centering in Boston. The tests seem to
have been successful in every respect, and it was the gen-
eral opinion of those present that the devices covered by
the Johnston patents constitute a simple, durable and ef-
fective system of train signaling. Besides the coupling
between cars, a distinctive feature of the Johnston system
is the introduction of the principle of the push button for
closing the circuit. An insulated electric conductor hangs
in the place of the ordinary bell rope, and has at intervals
of a few feet hermetically closed globes of rubber which
contain the contact metallic surfaces. There being no
opening in the rubber bulb, no dirt or moisture can enter,
and a slight squeezing of the bulb causes electric air connec
tion which rings the bell in the engineer's cab. The ar-

t'EBRDART, 1890.

THE MASTER MECHANIC.

or coupling etc., are ingeniously simple.
The advantages of such a system are so great tbal all roads
should be prompt to test one which has so many good
features. The office of the Johnston Electric Train Signal
Co. is at 0:^0 Atlantic avenue, Boston, Mass.

—The Chicago Malleable Iron Co. has secured the con-
tract for making the 8,000 Van Dorston draw-bars that are
g->ing on the 4,00U Philadelphia &, Heading cai-s building at
the Pullman works. The Sharon Steel Casting Co. have
the contract for making the knuckles for these couplers.

—The American Fire Proof Sleel Car Co. have pur-
chased 700 acres of land in the suburbs of Chicago, and
will erect a large plant for the manufacture of tire-uroof
steel cars. The buildings will be erected as soon as [x>ssi-
ble. The plans are already complete. T. W. Harvey, the
Chicago lumberman, is largely interested.

— We hear the Piutsch gas lighted cars talked about with
strong approval by passengers between New York and Bos-
ton. They do not always know the name of the light, but
they reoiomber very clearly that they could read or play
whist without the least straining of the eyes— and some
even go so far as to speak well of the railroad company for
putting in such a light. For the average traveler to speak
well of a railroad company means a good deal I The pro-
cess of charging the tanks with gas, where the Pintsch sys-
tem is put in as the company desires to have it, is simple
and rapid. To charge the tanks of a car requires about
Ave minutes, and it is done at the station, so that do switch-
ing is necessary.

—The announcement of the organization of the firm of
Coolbaugh, MoMunn & Pomeroy, has been received with
more than ordinary interest because two members of the
firm are among the best known railway supply men, and
also because of the importance of the interests repre
sented by the new concern. Mr. F. W. Coolbaugh has for
some years been the general sales agent of the Boies steel
wheel, and has fought his way to the front in the ceaseless
battle of competition. He has also, during the last year,
been doing effective work in introducing the Frost Dry Car-
buretter system of lighting, as applied to cars, etc. Mr.
S. W. McMunn is universally known through his former
connection with the American Brake Company, the Dow-
ling coupler, the Butler draw-bar attachment, and more
recently with the Martin anti-fire system of car heatiug.
Mr. L. R. Pomeroy is secretary and treasurer of the Sub-
burban Rapid Transit Company, New York, and is an
expert in all the details of office business. His careful
studies of all matters relating to i-aihvay motive power and
rolling stocK promise to make him a high authority on those
subjects. The new firm are special agents for Carnegie,
Phipps & Co., general sales agents for the Boies steel
wheel, and general eastern agents for the Frost Dry Car-
buretter system of lighting. The office of the firm is at 4.5
Broadway, New York.

— The Brown & Sharpe Manufacturing Company, of
Providence, R. I., send us an illustrated supplement to
their catalogue. The catalogue is, as as our readers
know, made in pocket size, for the sake of convenience,
and in order to present larger illustrations of some of their
machines and tools this 1 rger supplement is issued. The
illustrations are of remarkable excellence. The excellent
plan has been adopted of placing opposite the illustrations
of the machines cuts showing operations indicating the
lines of work in which the machines are used. The cata-
logue is mailed on application, and the supplement on re-

—The Magnolia Anti-Friction Metal Company, 74 Court-
land street. New York, has had a beautiful waltz written
for it, in Europe, and dedicated to it. entitled, " Magnolia
Valse." Any one who desires a copy of the waltz, may
obtain it, by writing to the Magnolia Company and inclos
ing 3 cents for postage

— Mr. Thomas B. Inness announces under date of Janu-
ary I, 1890, that he has dissolved the firm of Thomas B-
Inness & Co., for the purposeof connecting himself with
the American Car and Equipment Company, of 10 Wall
street, New York. He will be pleased to supply his friends
with such information as they desire, regarding railroud
equipment, etc., as formerly, and submit estimates for the
American Car and Equipment Company, on equipment
and supplies.

—The Van Dorston Cushioned Car Coupler Equipment
Company is considerably less than a year old, but it has
dosed a contract for s,000 couplers to be delivered within
the next three or four months. These couplers are to be
put on the 4,000 freight cars now being built at Pullman—
a fact which shows very conclusively that this coupler has
b3en selected as its standard by the Philadelphia & Read-
ing Railroad Company. This company has been testing
the Van Doi-ston cushioned coupler for nearly a year.
Perhaps no road in the country has a more complete assort-
ment of sharp cur\-es, grades, sag^ and hog backs on which
to test an M. C. B. coupler than the Philadelphia & Read-

ing, and all these— or at least the worst of them— were
used in testing the Van Dorston. Of the tW or more of
these couplers which have been on this road in all kinds of
service for some ten months not one has broken, either In
knuckle or draw bar. The company claims that the cush.
ions of hard rubber inserted between the knuckle and its
bearings against the draw head will enable the knuckle to
endure the severest trials of mixed service. That the re-
sults of the Philadelphia & Reading tests sustain this
claim is shown by the action of the road in buying 8,000 of
them

-The following full and clear descripti:n of vulcanized
fibre and its qualities is from a circular recently issued by
the Vulcanized Fibre Company, of Wilmington, Del.— the
New York office of which is'at 14 Dey street, New York ;

Vulcanized fibre consists of vegetable fibre reduced to a
pulp, and then subjected to powerful chemical treatment,
whereby the original properties of the fibre are entirely
changed, and anew material is produced, of great strength,
elasticity and durability, which is applicable in some form
to almost every every branch of mechanical industry. It is
absolutely insoluble in all ordinary solvents, and is not in-
jured by contaiit with alcohol, ether, ammonia, turpentine,
naptha, benzine, petroleum, or any of the animal, vegetable
or mineral oils. It absorbs water, either hot or cold, but it
is not injured thereby, except that it swells when wet. and
resumes its original size when dried. It is made of two
classes, hard or flexible, as desired, according to the uses
for which the goods are intended. The hard fibre closely
resembles horn in its consistency, is exceedingly tough and
strong, resisting an enormous compressive strain, s ""
taining its elasticity under all ordinary temperatures,
flexible fibre has the appeai-ance of a very close graineo
sole leather, and is used for a great variety of purposes.

The

—The Concord (N. H.) horse railroad which has voted to
adopt electricity has contracted with the Tripp Manfg. Co.,
of Boston, for the celebrated Tripp Anti-Friction Journal
Bearings, which will be furaished with trucks complete.
These bearings are proving very successful on various
roads and are rapidly coming into general use. The severe
tests given these bearirgs have occasioned a great deal of
discussion and their durability is no lunger considered ex-
perimental.

—Under its alert and careful management the interests
of the Railway Signal Lamp & Lantern Uo have attained
a magnitude which renders it impossible for it to remain
in its present quarters at lOU Beekman st., New York, and
it will move into far more commodious offices and shops
about May 1. The new building is now being erected at
■*47 West .Wd St., New York. It is to be six stories and a
basement, and will be devoted entirely to the business of
the company. The building is 135 by 25 feet, with an "L"
75 by 25 feet, and it will accommodate about 300 hands.
The arrangements for power and for receiving and shipping
material are very perfect.

—The Minnesota Iron Car Company, of Duluth, are now
turning out from three to five cars per day, the workman-
ship on and general appearance of the cars being excellent.
The company have just shipped some cars to the C, A. &
C. R'y., which are the Iron Car Company's standard M foot
box cars, tiU,000 lbs. capacity. The body of the car does
not differ from any first-class box car, the sills being made
of tubes instead of wood. These cars, from 1,000 to 3,000
lbs. lighter than wooden cars, have a capacity from 5,000
to 15,000 lbs. greater.- [Northwestern Railroader.

Edward Lewis, superintendent of bridges and buildings
of the Allegheny Valley Railroad, died suddenly at Ken-
nerdell on that line January 13, 1890. while being conveyed
in a special train to his home at South Oil City. He was
bora at Penn's Manor, Berk's county, Pennsylvania, April
11, 18;U. He learned his trade as a bridge builder while in
the employ of the firm of Piper &, Shiffler, who constructed
the bridges on the Philadelphia & Erie Railway. For
many years he was in the employ of the Keystone Bridge
Company, leaving that firm in 1S70 to become superintend
ent of bridges and buildings on the O. C. & A. R. R. R.
In 1875 he assumed the same position on the Allegheny
Valley Railroad, which he retained until his death. He
had long been recognized as an authority on bridges, and
his work bears witness to his thoroughness and integrity.

THE OFFICIAL, RAILWAY LIST.
Change! for the Month of January. 1890

Al,l.E0iiASv V.u.LEY.-Edwaid Lewis, superintendent of
biidges and buildings, deceased.

Baltimohe & Ouio SoiTinvEsTEKX, (Formerly Cincin-
nati, Washington & Baltimore. )—E. K. Bacon elected
president; W. W. Peabody to be eeneral manager; \V. E.
Jones, treasurer; Chas. Lowe, secretary; I. G. Rawn to be
general superintendent.

Boston & Maine.— Frank Jones elected president, vice
Geo. C. Lord, resigned.

Bi Ri.isoTON & MissoiRi RivER.— E. Bignell to be super-
intendent Northern division, vice D. E. Thompson, resign-
ed: A. B. Smith to be assistant general freight agent, vice
G. H. Crosby, promoted.

Central or Geokoia.— D. D. Curran to be superinlen

dent Savannah .t Western division, vice W. J. Huylow re-
signed.

Chesapeake & Ohio.— T. S. Lloyd to be master mechan-
ic Cincinnati division, at Covington, Ky.; J. T. Harahun,
general manager, resigned.

CnicAoo & Atlaxiic— C. L. Mayne to bo sui)orintend
ent.

Chicago & Eastern Illinois.— D. J. Mackey elected
president vice H. H. Porter, resigned.

CiiRAOO, BiRLiSGTON & QlixcY.— E. M. Herr. superin-
tendent St. Louis division, transferred to Galesburg divis
ion, vice A. F. Hilton, resigned.

CuiCAuo, Milwaukee & St. Pail.- J. B. Cable to be
superintendent Iowa and Minnesota divisions vice E. H.
Graves, deceased; D. L. Bush superintendent Hastings
aitd Dakota division. W. Irwin superintendent southern

St. Pa

MiN

Clarke, general trafBc manager, rei
Cleveland, Cincinnati, Cmci

Ewan, superintendent Indianapolis
Cincinnati, Saginaw & Ma

& Oma

-F. B.

igned.

3o & St. Loiis.— John
division, resigned.

(formerly Toledo,

Saginaw & Mackinaw.) — J. T. Gardner to be general i
ager; A. W. Wright elected president; P. H. Ketcham,
vice president; F. W. Salsbury to be general freight agent,
at East Saginaw.

Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton.— N. R. Adriance to
be assistant general freight agent, at Cincinnati.

Cbicaoo, Rock Islano & Pacific-Gco. F. Wilson to
be general master mechanic vice T. B. Twombly, resigned.
Harry Monkhouse appointed assistant general master me-
chanic and assistant master car builder of lines west of the
Missouri river, with headquarters at Horton, Kan. J. H.
Blair appointed trainmaster at Kansas Cit.v, vice Z. Hamer,
resigned.

Con -MBUS, Hocking Valley & Toledo.— L G. Hutchins,
master mechanic, and J. M. Rockafleld, master ear builder,
resigned ; J. S. Patterson to be master mechanic in charge
motive power and car departments.

Denver, Texas & Fobt Worth.— W. H. Holcomb to be
vice president.

DtLUTH, South Shore & Atlantic— H. J. Payne to be
chief engineer; C. H. Cavis to be consulting engineer.

Elmira, Cortland & Northern.— C. W. Williams to be
general freight and passenger agent, vice G. F. iiandolph,
resigned.

Fitchburg. — H. S. Marcy elected president.

Hannibal & St. Joseph. -W. B. Throop to be chief en-

Iowa Central.— T. P. Barry to be assistant general pas-
senger agent, vice A. Dwelle, resigned.

Illinois Central.— W. D. Hurlbut to be assistant gen-
eral freight agent Illinois lines.

Lake Shore & Michigan Southern.— J. E. Childs, as-
sistant general manager, resigned.

Louisville & Nashville.— J. Geddes, superintendent
Nashville division, resigned; C. A. Davies to be assistant
superintendent, at Birmingham, vice B. F. Dickson, pro-

MoNTEREv & GcLF.^ohn Grace to be superintendent
Linares division, at Monterey.

Michigan Central.— E. Bronnerto be master car builder,
at West Detroit; G. W. Comstock to be assistant superin-
tendent.

MiNNEAPOLLs & St. Louis —R. G. Brown, auditor, de
ceased ; C. M. Pratt to be general passenger and ticket
agent, vice C. H. Holdridge, resigned.

Milwaukee, Lake Shore & Western.— E. Vliet to be
general passenger agent.

Missouri Pacific — J. C. Lincoln to be assistant general
freight agent, at St. Louis, vice W. C. Stith, resigned.

Me-xican National.— N. E. Brown to be superintendent
southern division, vice H. Yonge, resigned. T. D. Kline
to be general manager, vice J. F. O'Brien, resigned.

York, Ontario & Wettern.— H. Tandy superin-
ive power, resigned ; E. MinshuU, master me-
harge of department; J. E. Childs to be gen-
eral manager.

Mobile & Ohio.- G. W. King to be general passenger
agent.

New York, Lake Erie & Western. -J. Duel and H. B.
Chamberlain to be assistant superintendentats BulTalo and
New York.

New York & New England.— C. N. Chevalier to be

superintendent western division; Phelps to be sup

erintendent Hartford division; G. F. Randolph to be gen-
eral freight agent, vice Joseph Shinn resigned.

New York Central & Hud.son River.-F. A. Harring-
ton to be superintendent Mohawk & Hudson division: J.
freight accounts vice J. F.
«' '■ '■•"-tt, resigned, as

tendent r

Northern Pacific— H. H. Scobell, assistant superin-
tendent of telegraph, deceased. W. Pearce to be purchasing
agent, vice J. H. Ames, resigned; J. Hill to be superintend-
ent bridges Rocky MounUin division, vice H. W. Laughlin,

Ohio & Mississippi. — John Wells to be assistant to presi-
dent.

Ohio, Indiana & Western.— A. G. Weils to be general
superintendent; W. Kearney to be general master me-
chanic, vice J. King, resigned.

Ohio Southern.— T. A. Rittenhouse to be cashier and
purchasing agent.

Pennsylvania Compant,— G. M. Farley to be assistant
engineer west of Pittsburgh j J. Steward to be assistant
superintendent block and signal system, at Pittsburgh.

Pennsylvania, Pouohkeepsie & Boston.— A. H. Catlin
to be general traffic manager.

Pittsburgh & Western.— H. U. Boughton to be divi
sion superintendent.

Rk iLMoND & Danville— W. G. Oakman to be first vice

THE MASTER MECHANIC.

Februaby, 1890.

president, vice T. M. R. Talcolt, resigned; A. B. Andrews
lo be second vice president, at Kaleifru, N. C. ; J. W. John-
ston to be third vice pi-esiclent, ;it Kirminsbam, Ala.

R.IMK. W.VTERTOWX & Ogdexsblkg.— J. H. ML-Ewen to
be superintendent western division, vice E. Vdu Etten

Una GuASDE & Eagle Pass.— Superintendent VV. L. Gid-
deus to be general manager; C. Lang, general freight snd
coal agent, resigned.

St. PAfi. & DcLUTU. — Vice President and General Man-
ager E- L. Dadlev deceased ; G. F. Copeland to be superin-
Iccideut, G. \V. "Bull to be general freight, and oassen-
ger a^'eiil vice A. B. l^lough to be general manager.

Si-'LTH Cauiilin \.— D. C.Allen, general passenger und
ticket agent, resigned ; J. H. Averill, superintendent, re-
signed.

[xniAXAPOLis -Vice President J. G.

rxinN Pa* iFn .— A. J Maiulerson to be superintendent
Iowa divisiou vice W. H. Burns, appointed assistant gen-
oral superintendent; Frauds Cope, general freight ami
passenger agent mountain division, deceased; W. V. New
lin to be assistant general freight agent; W. H. Hurlburt
to be assistant geueral passenger agent, at San Francisco;
H. .^. Johnson to be geueral freight agent Union Pacific-
Fc. Wayne & Denver consolidation; C. F. Meek to be as
sistant general manager Colorado division; W. H. Ken-
nedy to be principal assistant engineer, at Portland, Ore.

VA1.LEV.— Thos. W. King elected president; Wm. Thorn-
burgh to be general agent and assistant to president ; J. T.
Johnson to be geueral superintendent ; J. B. Caveu general
freight and passenger agent vice A. K. Carran, resigned;
J. Bartol, auditor vice W. B, Porter appointed secretary

chasing agent, Geo. Hiles, Milwaukee; vice president, W.
G. Collins, Minneapolis; geueral superintendent, Jamea
Hiles, Dexterville, Wis.; secretary, auditor and traffic
manager, C. O. Baker; general freight agent, I. H. Ger
uiond ; general passenger agent, A. E. Geruicr; master me-
chanic, G. M. Dillon ; headquarters of operating officers at
Dexterville, Wis.

Queen & Ckescext. — A. Clark to be superintendent New
Orleans Sc Northeastern division, vice E. L. Tyler, re
signed; R. Carroll to be general manager, vice J. C. Gault,
resigned; Controller C. C. Harvey to be general traffic
manager.

Wabaso.— J. D. Lund to be first assistant general freight
agent, vice S. B. Knight, promoted to be general freight
agent; Vice President J. F. How resigned duties of treas
urer; F. L. O'Leary to be treasurer.

West Skoke.— A. E. Ketchum to be superintendent.

BEALS RAILWAY BRAKE COMPANY.

Locomotive Brakes.

THOMAS B. ATKINS, President.
53 Broadway, - New York City.

CONSOLIDATED CAR HEATING CO.,

HAVING ACQL^RED ALL RIGHTS AND PROPERTIES OF THE

-^)f SEWALL, McELROY AND OTHER COMPANIES r^

OFFERS THE MOST COMPLETE AND APPROVED SYSTEMS FOR HEATING BY

HOT WATER, DIRECT STEAM OR STORAGE.

ALSO _ THE NEW

PERFECTED RETURN SYSTEM.

FULL INFORMATION "p- APPLICATION to the General offices, ALBANY, NEW YORK.

Branch Offices: Chicago, 616 Phenix Bldg. New York, 15 Cortlandt St. Coaticooke, P. Q., Canada.

^Tlio IBTXxrton JStools. Gslic Oo-,

SlI ^J""^ ^^^ BUILDERS AND TRANSPORTERS OF LIVE STOCK.

General Office, 191 Washington Street. Eoston, Mass. | 12 & 41 Live Stock Exchange, Kansas City, Ho.

Chicag ' Office. 169 Jackson Street, Chicago, 111. | 39 Exchange Street, Portland, He., and at Works, Wichita.

-T^

^^-^ vz WILL u:e!T3e eailboai cohpakies to I

Correspondence Solicited.

CROSBY STEAM GAGE & VALVE GO,,

CROSBV POP SAFEn VALVE S WAFER RELIEF VALVE;
The most durable and effective Valves made
CROSBV IMPROVED STEAM PRESSURE GAGE; always accurate.

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London Office. 75 Queen Victori:i St.

I BALTIMORE <& OHIO R. R.

MiiE'-ilia a Ccnic'.o'.o SorTico :f Vcs'.ltQ'.ol Irpre:: Tiili: totxcon

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THE "BESSEMER" STEEL SWITCH LAMP.

THE "ACME" BURNER CAR LAMP.

.viJK ii 11-: j{i>:;^i'.

^ All B. 80. Trains "Tu^"^ Easts West run via Washington. n||||ggjj Qj^p COUPLER I

Cor.w'' ■, I -i!!;,i..|i.r«. ! SUITE 518 THE ROOKERY.

I Cor. Hi. -. . ' '.. tMh.iii. II,

J. E. FOBSYTH, General Manager. L„^ adams TwV7st.,ake co.,

' I'll!,..,!,,, UK 1 Eiistern .1115 Broadway,
CHICAGO. I '""J*"-'"'- 1 nfH„.: , New York.

March, 1890.

THE RAILW^AY MASTER MECHANIC.

PUliLISHEO MONTHLY BY THE

RAILWAY PURCHASING AGENT COMPANY,

The Rookery," Chicago.
Devoted to the Interefltfl of railway motive power, equipment
and machinery. Communications on any topics suitable to these
columns are aolicited.

Prior to January 1, 1886, this jonrnal was known as The Rail-
way Purchaslnn Acent. It will still inltanewand wider field be
adapted to the especial wants of all who purchase or influence
the purchase of railway supplies.

(The Official Railway List Is also published by this company.
See announcement on another paue.)

Sabscription price, $rou a year. Advertising rates and details
concernfne circulation piven on application to the office by mail
ress ^^ ^^ LEWIS, Mnnager.

"The Rooki-ry, ' Chicago.
New Yohk OFFirK: 4.i nmmUvay. Room H.<.

Vol. 5| CHICAGO, MARCH, 1890. |No. 3.

Thkke is a bureau of misiuformation located
somewhere in New EnglauJ which is disseminat-
ing an immense number of imaginary facts about
hook couplers. One who passes under the influ-
ence of this agency comes to almost believe that
a hook coupler is too weak to resist a strong wind
or a piercing glance, and that the shadow of a
cast iron Safford draw-bar is mightier than a solid
knuckle of tempered steel. Some — if not more —
of the stories which are current along New En-
gland's stern and rock-bound coast should be sub-
jected to a bigger discount than the law allows iu
any part of the country.

roads — members who are authorized to cast the
votes of the roads they represent- the standard.
adopted by the votes of these members should be
considered as standards which the roads should
bb bound to observe, and he asserted his belief
that formal action thus taken i* binding on the
roads to use the standard thus selected as far as
practicable. Mr. Lauder's remark that these
standards are not binding but simply possess a
moral binding force, had called out Mr. Marden's
remarks, and Mr. Lauder is correct. But Mr.
Lauder is, we believe, as strong an advocate of
rigid adherence to standards as Mr. Mardeu, and
may we not hope that continued puinted references
to the matter, such as those made by the two gen-
tlemen we have quoted, will result iu a merging of
the moral obligation into a legiil obligation to
strictly observe standards that have been formally
adopted by formally accredited representatives of
the railways?

When the railroads of tliis country adopt a
method of keeping accounts by whicli the supply
department gets credit (or supplying the best ma-
terial, instead of the cheapest, their net receipts
■will be a good deal larger than they are now. If
those who are responsible for the quality and
quantity of the supplies of a railroad were required
to make detailed reports covering a term of three
or even five years it could be clearly seen whether
or not they were profitable servants. This method
would be much fairer to every man concerned
than that of yearly reports. And it would greatly
lessen the annual percentage of operating expenses.

Wherever there is competition the road having
well lighted cars will get the most passenger t ratfic.
The American people are great readers as well as
gi-eat travelers and do not take willingly to the
idleness and vacant twirhng of thumbs "which a
badly lighted car compels them to. A traveler be-
tween New York and Chicago in midwinter has
fully twelve waking hours of artificial light in the
30 hours or less of his trip. To compel him to
■waste those hours because his car is only half
lighted is an outrage. And the time which fre-
quent travelers are thus compelled to waste
amounts to months and even years.

Ik those who buy oil for car lamps understand
their busiues.s and act honestly a properly con-
structed lamp is not an element of danger in case
of an accident to the train. If, however, the buyer
of oil is careless, or if he is too "smart" and insists
on paying less for the oil than it is fairly worth,
then he may come to have the roasting alive of
some of his fellow human creatures on his con-
Science. The oil which the best modern car lamps
are designed to bum is not as- inflammable as are
the paints, varnishes and finishings of car interiors
— or, at least, are not as liable to cause the burn-
ing up of a car in case of accident. Jf the oil
lamps have been the chief factors in consuming
cars and passengers it is because some one bought
cheap oil. One or two car lamp manufacturers
are now making lamps which really light cars, and
these lamps will roast no passengers if the pur-
chasing agent does his duty.

We are gUd to hear such positive expression of
view concerning the use of M. C. B. standards as
was voiced by Mr. Marden at the New England
club meeting last month. He said that since the
reorganization of the association and the appoint-
ment of representative members by the various

In another column a correspondent furnishes
some suggestions on steam distribution iu com-
pound locomotives which will be of interest to
those studying the subject. The diagrams here
produced are, of course, purely theoretical, but
this is by no means objectionable if it is borne in
mind that they are necessarily modified some-
what in practice. For some reasons we would
prefer to construct theoretical diagrams in which
the cranks were at right angles, but this involves
a much greater amount of labor, and is in every
way more difficult. Such diagrams as produced
by our coiTespondent can be studied with profit
in designing the valve gear of compound locomo-
tives. .\ complete set of them, if carefully con-
structed, will show just about what to expect in
the distribution of work between the two cylin-
ders, the amount of compression in the "high
pressure cylinder and the amount of valuable
work done by the steam. Such figures are rela-
tive rather than actual values, and should be so
treated. From them can be derived facts which
will be of value in determining the manner in
which the equalization of cylinder powers is to be
obtained, and the way undue compression is to be
avoided, especially in the high pressure cylinder,
and some light will be thrown on the problem of
the ratio between cyUnder and receiver volumes.
More can be done in this direction than in deter-
mining the actual economy of the engioe. In the
latter the subject of cyMnder condensatirn enters
so largely that experiment, only, can determine
the result.

In repairs to the various clasees of rolling stock,
as well as in new work, it is important that all
patterns of castings, either iron or brass, should
be carefully numbered, so that the numbers of the
particular pieces wanted can be given, as well as
the names. It often happens that in repair work
much delay arises from want of attention to this
matter. We have a case in mind where rod
brasses were desired for a certain class of engines
to be used in an engine already in shop. It hap-
pened that though the class of engine quoted in
the requisition was the right one, there had been
some changes made in the pattern in question, of
which the person ordering was not fully aware.
Coiisequently a different brass was sent from that
desired, and it was not until a third attempt was
made that the right one was finally obtained;
thus there was caused both delay to the work in.
the shop and expense in shipping material on the
road back and forth. This could have been
avoided if the various patterns had been property
numbered and tlie jierson ordering given a list of
the various numbers and styles.

This class of delay and consequent expense
arises from a cause we have often referred to in
the past, i. e., the constant pressure upon the
heads of the operating departments to keep up
with tiie rush of the ordinary daily routine, leav-
ing them but little time to attend to efforts to reach
higher system and better designs, or to engage in
original research. This condition is not, of
course, the best for the service, but it unquestion-
ably exists on many lines.

In no direction, perhaps, is this lack of the

proper system more clearly shown than in the
matter of detailed drawings for the various classes
of railroad stock. While a road may have settled
upon general standards, yet email changes are
found necessary from time to time in manyof the de-
tails, and it is important that all interested should
be notified as soon as possible that such changes
have been made, and every branch shop should
be furnished promptly with drawings showing the
same. When this is not done much confusion
may arise, causing delay to the work and extra
expense in making repairs and often resulting in
too large a supply of the various parts. In short,
one of the cheapest classes of expenditure in rail-
way work is that devoted to a well directed
draughting force, so that all new standards can be
made known to all promptly and the old blue-
prints or tracings canceled or recalled.

TIIK 1>KVEI,<

In our last number we discussed the improve-
ments in freight draft appliances, showing the
tendency to the use of more iron in that detail
and the gradual disappearance of wood. We ven-
tured to predict that the effect of the use of air
brakes and automatic couplers would result iu the
use of iron or steel for the whole underframe of
freight cars.

The freight truck has already advanced toward
the iron stage so far that the only remaining part
which is made of wood is the bolster, and that is
now heavily reinforced by iron either in the form
of truss rods or by plates J x8 in., laid edgeways
between oak planks, forming a composite beam.
But while the truck has thus been made stronger
and more enduring, the old diamond form is re-
tained, and the design generally has not been im-
proved to the e,\tent demanded by the change in
the conditions of its service. The diamond truck
is too rigid for high speed. The four wheels are
connected together in a manner which does not
admit of flexibility. The unsatisfactory wear of
diamond trucks under passenger engine tanks
shows the effect of higli speed upon them, for they
rapidly go to pieces and continually require re-
pairs. The injurious effect of such a structure
upon the track, when moving at a high velocity,
is not so easily seen, nor can it be shown, but we
can readily understand that the hammering which
breaks the truck to pieces must have its reflex in-
fluence upon the track. The important difference
between freight and passenger trains has been
that of speed, and this element has devel-
oped the various details which are affected by
speed, so that the passenger tnick is now well
adapted to its severe service.

The freight car must now go through the same
evolution, and it will gradually approach the pass-
enger car in essential construction, and, in fact,
some parts are now virtually the same for both
kinds of cars. The couplers and axles can now be
made interchangeable; and the freight truck should
be built more on the principlp of the passenger
truck. The main difference in the two is the use of
pedestals in passenger trucks, wliich allow the
boxes to move freely in them. In lb84 the M. C.
B. committee on a standard truck recommended a
pedestal truck and presented a design for a
steel side frame containing the two pedestals,
bracket for cross frame, bracket for brake
beam liangers, and the truck side bearing,
all in one solid piece. The report stated that " it
was important that a truck for heavy loads and
high speeds should allow a free vertical motion of
the journal box so that the shocks produced by
the wheel striking joints and frogs are not com-
municated directly to the truck frame." The
wheels should have a free movement independent
of each other, and this introduces another element
of passenger practice, namely, the use of equal-
izers.

The kind of truck in general design which we
advocate and which we think will soon be found
to be the most economical is well illustrated by
the plan presented by Mr. Hughes at the last
meeting of the Western Eailway Club. This
truck possesses all the desirable elements we have

THE RAILWAY MASTER MECHANIC.

Makch, 1890.

mentioned, while it has the advantage of less
weight than the ordinary diamond trnck, and we i
believe it can be bought for very little more than
the cost of the old form.

Taking up now some of the smaller details we
will consider first the wheels and axles: The
natural improvement in the wheel, making it more
Buitable for high speed, is tie increase in diam-
eter. Cast iron wheels will be used because they
have been used for many years in passenger serv-
ice, and are found satisfactory, and because the
railroads cannot afford to buy anything else. But
wheel makers hesitate to guarantee a cast wheel
having a larger diameter than U6 in., and that
seemo to be the limit. Cast wheels of this size
have been used for some time in freight service
on the Illinois Central Railroad, and it is the
standard diameter of their freight wheel. It is
possible that other roads may find an advantage
in increasing the size of wheel from 33 to 86 in.

The form of journal which has proved best in
passenger service is that without an outside collar,
and the collarless journal will be found best
suited to fast freight trains. There are a number
of simple stop arrangements which are independ-
ent of the useless wedges, and that detail can
now be safely and profitably dispensed with.

We will not venture on a discussion of the
vexed question of rigid and swing bolsters for
freight trucks, but to be consistent with our gen-
eral argument we must say that the swing motion
is now universally used on passenger trucks and
therefore will be most likely to come into use on
the modern high speed freight truck. It must be
observed, however, that freight cars are subject to
much more severe treatment both in switching and
in the complete train on ihe road than a passen-
ger car and the parts forming the connection be-
tween the body and the truck should have an ad-
ditional element of strength to resist rough usage.
The center plates and side bearings now require
special attention and they should be considered
related, in a measure, to each other. Two dis-
tinct and opposite principles have been used in
the design of freight center plates, one the ball
joint, depending upon the side bearings for stabi
lity, the other the broad flat plate with a flai
edged ring of large diameter sufficient to support
the car body, horizontally, without the aid of
side bearings. The first is that usually employed
on passenger cars; the latter is used on the freight
equipment of some of the largest lines in the east.
There is this difference in the first kind in passen-
ger and freight cars, viz: In passenger cars the
side bearings are always in contact and carry a
portion of the load, while the freight side bear-
ings are usually I to ^ in. apart under the empty
cars. As the side bearings of long Pullman and
dining cars have as much weight on them as those
on a loaded 60,000 lbs. freight car, and the mo-
tion of the truck on a curve with respect to the
car body is much greater on the long car,
it would seem to be a safe practice to allow
the side bearings of freight cars to be in
contact and to carry a portion of the load.
This practice would also be more admissable
when the freight truck is made with pedestals and
equalizers, for then thfre is no objection to the
car body and truck bolster being virtually one
piece, so far as side motion is concerned. The
advantages of pressed steel for center plates are
becoming so well recognized that thousands of
them are already in use in the United States, and
it would be a fortunate thing if one or two stand-
and forms could be adopted by the M. C. B. Asso-
ciation. The committee on the subjectof pressed
steel in car constiuction should recommend for
adoption two standard forms of freight center
plates, one of the ball and socket shape; the other
of the flat plate with annular bearings.

We expect that the freight truck of the future
will be made principally of pressed steel, with
pedestals and equalizers, and that possibly freight
and passenger trucks may be interchangeable. A
standard form should be accepted, and then a
thousand trucks ordered by wire could be deliv-
ered in 10 days. Tliis is the perfection to which
we should aim in that piece of machinery which
is more numerous than any other on our rail-

roads — the freight truck. The present crude form
and poor workmanship on trucks would then sur-
prise us all.

I HAT HOOK COITLEKS HAVE DONE OM THE KOAD.

Never in the history of the introduction of aut-
omatic car couplers have we had presented such
complete statistics as to service as those of which
we present a tabular abstract in this issue. These
figures are not truly conclusive ; they may perhaps
be said to be not truly comprehensive; but they
do give us what has long been wanted — an act-
ual record of service of a considerable number of
couplers and a showing wherein service has devel-
oped weakness. They cover the work of 67,643
Janney couplers, and a service from July 10, 188S,
to February 1, lo'JO, as reported to McConway &
Torley, the makers of that coupler. Separate
recoids of the failures of the draw-bar proper and
of the knuckle are included in these figures.
The larger number of failures occurred in the
knuckle. This fact was already well known, but
the exact figures will be of interest — while 1697
knuckle failures are reported, 1111 failures of the
draw-bars are recorded, the percentages of the total
number of couplers in service being 2-5 and
1.64 respectively. It might be said that these
percentages are not absolute for the time given
because the full number of 67,643 couplers were
not of course in service during the entire 19
months; but an investigation has shown that the
average service was 12 months and thus we have
these percentages fairly standing as the measure
of failures in one year's service.

Of the knuckie failures most were found
to be in the upper lug. In the draw-bar failures
the guard arm gieatly led all other parts, the
split backs (that portion of the head lying between
the two lugs) coming next. The small number
of failures of the lugs of the draw-bar proper will
probably surprise most of our readers. For fur-
ther details we refer our readers to the tabular
records.

Many lines of interesting thought are opened
up by these figures, but we have not now
space to dwell more fully upon them.
We must, however, point out the sig-
nificance of the fact that we have actual records
showing that of nearly 70,000 couplers in service
only about 4 per cent, are shown to have broken
in any manner. The vertical plane coupler could
hardly need better indorsement at this stage. An-
other fact, of timely significance, is that only 48
out of the 67,6l3 in service met with failure in the
tail of the knuckle. No information as to why the
tails failed accompanies these figures, but we may
with reason assume that most of the failures arose
from excessive pulling strains although compressive
strains might, under certain conditions, throw the
tail of the knuckle with such force against the
back of the head as to break the tail. With this
assumption we might be given some basis for ques-
tioning the conclusive value of the results of re-
cent laboratory pulling tests of hook couplers. But
as in these pulling tests the failures occuired at
several other points beside the tail of the knuckle
the percentage of knuckle tail failures in service —
about seven one-hundreclths of one per cent.
— must be for the time taken simply
for what it is worth, and as bearing only in a
suggestive manner — a strongly suggestive man-
ner, liowever, — upon the results of the labora-
tory tests.

'i'he chief significance of the figures now given
is tliat the record of failures is so remarkably small,
and that by far the larger part of the failures arise
from a detail of the design which we may hope to
be purely temporary, viz: the cutting out of the
knuckle to permit of couphng with the old link
coupler — a feature which need be maintained only
during the tr.insition period prior to the full adop-
tion of the standard vertical plane type.

These figures will occasion general surprise —
they are much more favorable than had been an-
ticipated. They are accurate as far as they go;
but, the question will be asked, how far do they
go? In answer, we will say that there is every
reason to believe them to practically cover
every failure, Under the terms of sale, the

self interest of the purchasing companies im-
pels a full report of all failures, for the coupler
company replaces every defective draw-bar and
supplies one new coupler for every two broken
ones. No stronger incentive could be had than
this to the reporting of every failure. Even if some
of the failures are not recorded the number must
be small, in the nature of things— not large
enough to affect the totals and percentages here
given.

WHEEL GUARANTEES.

The New England railroad club always turns
out something pretty good at its monthly meet-
ings, but at its last meeting ideas of unusual
value and importance were brought out. Theie is
perhaps no more important subject now vexing
the railways than this question of wheel guaran-
tees. But as far as we can learn (he responsibility
for the present unsatisfactory status of affairs
rests mainly with the railways themselves. The
subject has been gone over thoroughly and a plan
of action adopted, joint committees of master me-
chanics, master car builders and wheel makers
having produced a form of contract and guarantee
which has been made virtually a "standard" by
the Master Car Builders' Association. But like
many other •'standards" it is not observed. The
strict observance of the standard form of contract
and guarantee would sound the death knell of the
"cneap wheel" and this fact alone should impel
its immediate and continued use. The pressing
need of the exclusive use of high class wheels is
well understood. It is a matter of life and death
as well as dollars and cents and is of correspond-
ingly imperative importance. But there is per-
haps no further need for dwelling on this feature
of the matter just now. for the force of nearly all
that might be said is already conceded. It may
be well, however, to dwell shortly upon a feature
of the contract to which the wheel makers with
excellent show of reason take exception.

The form of guarantee adopted by the joint
conference committee of the Bailway Master Me-
chanics,' the Master Car Builders' and the Wheel
Makers' Associations, was very carefully drawn
up and has been approved by all the parties inter-
ested. Its weak point, however, is the difficulty of
enforcing it. It involves a careful, and sometimes
a complicated, keeping of accounts by the railroad
companies for a long time. In a very large pro-
portion of cases the problem is still further com-
plicated by the presence of the intermediate car
builder. The railroad company contracts for a
certain number of cars. The car builder contracts
for the wheels, and, having no special responsi-
bility in the matter, if the wheels are not speci-
fied he procures them wherever he can get them
at lowest cost without much regard to quali-
ty. If the wheels are to be subjected to the tests
prescribed by the joint conference committee, it
is found no difficult matter for any wheel-maker to
meet them. Thus the tests are no positive indi-
cation of quality, and no preference is given by
either the car builder or the railroad company for
wheels which far exceed the tests prescribed over
those which just pass them. If the latter are a few
cents cheaper, the cents determine the contract
rather than the tests.

No doubt the acceptance of wheels on a physi-
cal test, and the demand for a specified guar-
antee, are theoretically steps in the right diiection.
But it is not likely that they will, of themselves,
ever thoroughly accomplish the end aimed at.
Laws are made for the lawless, and rigid forms of
specification and guarantee are required for those
who need to be bound by penalties or stimulated
by rewardfi. Good citizens need no severe laws,
and good men do not need bonds. The best guar-
antee is character.

This is all that the wheel-maker asks of the
railroad companies, — that his character as a man,
and as a manufacturer, should have its just weight.
When his work is put to the test of service, the
quality of the material he uses, aud the excellence
of his v/orkmanship will very soon be determined.
1 Let him be judged accordingly. If his work seems
to fail, let it be tested, and if it has failed through
1 any fault, under his control, hold him to a strict

THE RAIL^VAY MASTER MECHANIC.

account; but if it has failed through any fault of
the service, hold the railroad company responsi-
ble.

This is the spirit of the resolutions recently
adopted by the Wheel Makers' Association, and
which we give in another column. It is simple,
reasonable and just. Its adoption in practice will
secure for the railroads the best wheels that can
be made, and at the least cost of time and ma-
chinerj-. AVheu a wheel is scrapped and a doubt
exists as to who is responsible for its failure,
amine into its material and workmanship. If they
meet the highest standard which experience
demanded, it is manifestly unfair to impeach the
character of the maker by holding him responsible
for matters beyond his control. If they do not it
is just as unfair that the railroad company should
pay for poor material and defective work.

As for instance, a wheel is scrapped for "sharp
Hange. " If, on breaking it up, it is found to have
a good deep chill at the root of the flange, it is
much more likely that the failure was due to
the construction of the truck, or the pairing of the
wheels, or the condition of the track, than to the
quality of the wheel. Or, if it has failed from a
"cracked bracket" or "shelled out spot," and on
breaking it up it lakes more than the live blows
required by the specilications to break it in two,
and then does not break through the ciacked
bracket but at some other iioiut, or if the shelled
out spot shows a deep clean chill with discolored
fracture, it is much more likely that the dam-
age was done by the heating of the brake, or by
sliding of the wheel, than by anything within
tbe control of the maker. Or, on the other side,
if a wheel is thrown out for "flat spots" and it is
found on breaking it up that tbe chill was too
light, then it is fair to presume that the defect
was not altogether due to sliding or the action of
the brake. Yet tbe railroad companies, without
any examination into causes of failure, liold the
wheel maker responsible for cracked brackets and
shelled out treads, but not for wheels 'flattened,
ignoring the fact that the same cause will produce
dififerent results under different circumstances.

A wheel hard enough on the tread to wear well
will probably crack in the bracket or shell out on
the tread, whilst a soft or light chill, which will
not in ordinary service wear well, will become flat
by the same action of the brake. Yet the maker
of the good and serviceable wheel is condemned
for his work, and the maker of the poor wheel is
not. There is occasion, we believe for a thorough
consideration of this feature of the contract.

In the discussion before the New England Club
Mr. Shirn biought out another point, one relating
to settlements for wheel service. The cost of re-
moving and putting on wheels is an important
element in determining the cost of wheel service
on the mileage basis. Mr. Shinn's estimate of
§'2-5() as tbe average expense of changing a pair
of wheels is probably not too large (Mr. Lauder
placed it at §3), in view of the fact that some
wheels are put in at junction points, ami others at
stations where men and wheels have to be sent at
considerable expense. It would be interesting to
know just whatthe average actual expense of such
changing really is, and we understand that there
is a plan now under consideration by which the
required figures can be gotten at. Several roads in
the east and in the west will, if the plan matures,
keep accurate account of the cost of putting on a
hundred wheels, as the orders come in for them.
We should think that by taking a consecutive hun-
dred on each of several roads all the conditions
under which wheels are changed would be met —
that is, some of the hundred would be put in at the
shops, some atstations and others between stations.

There is a great deal in this subject of wheel
guarantees, and we trust that the renewed interest
now being manifested in it will not be allowed to
flag until the "standard" that has been adopted
by the Master Car Builders' Association is fully
perfected nor until tliat standard is rigidly ob-
served.

We do not suppose that any one who is at all ac-
quainted with Superintendent Bonzano, of the Phil-
adelphia & Reading, ever believed for a moment

that he had issued an ordei- concerning the beard;
ot the employes of that company. He is spoken of
by those who know him as one of the brightest and
most successful of the younger generation of railway
officers, and his record, made in holh troublous and
peaceful times, is an enviable one. As we write the
announcement is made of his promotion to the posi-
tion of assistant general superintendent of the Phil-
adelphia & Reading system. This is a sullicient
answer to any attack upon his ability or good name.
He is not the kind of a man to make a fuss about
whiskers.

But it any railway superintendent, general mana-
ger or president ever does issue such an order our
esteemed contemporary, the Car Builder, will be
deeply grieved. It has interposed the a^gris of its
protection between the beards of the railway em-
ployes of this country and the ruthless tyrants who
might, could, would or should order them to be
shaved or trimmed.

"Clip, if you must, every hair

... . . y head,

But spare, oh spare my beard," he said.

It has elevated its banner, and the inscription
thereon is " Whiskers."' It is defiant— not to say
truculent.

" For whoso doth these boots displace
Must meet Bombastes face to face.
And who our beards or %vhisl(ers blames.
Shall be called several naughty names."

We like to see such a subject handled in that way
—by our contemporary. That The Railway Mas-
ter Mechanic would never have done a thing like
that we admit. But we watch, with deep interest,
the progress which our contemporary is making in
becoming a Terror. And may we not hope to see
other and even frequent manifestations of that dar-
ing spirit which, impatient of the delay which an
attempt to get at the real facts of a case would cause,
bulges ahead and smashes things?

As to the intelligence, ability and independent
manhood of the employes of the Philadelphia &
Reading: to intimate that they are below the em-
ployes of other roads in these respects is the
merest flimflam and whansdoodle. The train-
men of that road are courteous and intelligent
in a high degree, and we notice that the engine men
not only make time, but manage to avoid accidents
to an extent that is very satisfactory to the traveling
public.

Erratum.— In our issue of February in the article
on fire boxes we inadvertently gave the wrong fig-
ures as to the increase of air admission area through
the grates. The increase, instead of being " 1-4.5 to
1-27,"' should have been stated as "from 27 per cent,
to 30 per cent."

NOTES OF THE MONTH.

In the Valley Falls shops of the New York, Provi-
dence & Boston Railroad they have plaster casts
made of tire sections, taken at intervals and pre-
served, thus making a very convenient method of
recording tire rfear.

A company down in Boston has been trying to
bottle up heat in cars designed for carrying potatoes,
fruit, etc. The scheme is to load the car, which has
double walls filled in with tan bark, double doors,
etc., and then put in a portable stove and heat up
the inside of the car and its contents to a pretty high
temperature, after which the stove is taken out, the
doors sealed tight and the car started toward its
destination. The results of this attempt to "can"
caloric as a housewife cans peaches do not seem to
have been very encouraging. As the trainman said
of a certain method of heating passenger cars " it
works first-rate it the weather doesn"t get too cold.""
When the thermometer gets down to 10 or 20 degrees
below zero no overcoat of wood and lining of tan
bark will keep the frost out of a car. A western
blizzard spitting frozen mercury and howling over,
under and around a car would take every particle of

heat out of it in a few hours even if its walls were
two or three feet in thickness. But of all cities in
this country Boston is prolific in absurd and impos-
sible inventions.

A yellow pencil is better than any other for cor-
recting or marking blue prints. Red is too trying
to the eyes.

A novelty in flat cars is used about the Valley
Falls shops of the New York, Providence & Boston
Railroad. It is about the usual length, and over the
trucks :s of the standard height. But dropping
down between the trucks the floor is justa few inches
from the top of the rail. This has proven of great
advantage in the loading of heavy materials and
machinery, and transferring switching houses, etc.,
which have to be loaded from the ground.

An English firm has just completed one of five lo-
comotive boilers which are of great interest as being
among the largest ever constructed. The total
length of each boiler is approximately 20 ft. .5 in.;
the mean diameter of the shell is 6 ft.; the internal
fire-box measures 6 ft. 3 in. by -5 ft. o in. by 5 ft. 10
in.; they are fitted with 2-54 2} in. tubes. The total
heating surface is about 1723 sq. ft., and the working
pressure is KiO lbs.

The Boston Belting Company has a very handy
method of handling its electrotypes. Most of those
used by the company are about 2x2* ins. in size, and
each one is put into a wooden box into which it will
just slip. On the box the number or description of
the electrotype can be plainly written, and there is
plenty of room for the address if one is to be mailed.
The boxes can be bought very cheaply.

The records of some of the locomotives in regular
service on the New York, Providence & Boston Rail-
way are very interesting, and we desire to call at-
tention to the admirable showing of engine No. 19.
This engine was built in April, 1886, by the Rhode
Island Locomotive Works, and has been in continu-
ous service on passenger trains ever since, averaging
44 stops to every 100 miles run. The general dimen-
sions are; Cylinder, 17x24: wheels, 62 in.; total
weight of engine in running order, 9,5,000 lbs.,t>.5,-
000 lbs. of which is on the drivers. The tires when
w were 2* in. thick, and after a mileage of 111,327
les the tires were turned and reduced to 2 9-lli in.,
showing a reduction of .5-16 in., or 22,268 miles for
every 1-16 in. of tire wear. The repairs of these 111,-
327 miles amounted to 00228 cents per mile. This
includes a proportion of superintendency, and all
items charged to general locomotive repairs. No
driver brakes were used, and it is estimated a bettor
record on tires of at least 50,000 miles could have
been made had the engine been equipped with driver
brakes and Ross-Meehan shoe. The miles run to one
ton of coal, 44 91-100. Pounds of coal per mile,
49 79-100. Miles run to a pint of lubricating oil,
2.i 11-100. Miles run to a pint of cylinder oil, 49 38-100.
We think this record is remarkable when we take
into account the crooked line over which trains were
worked.

Superintendent of Motive Power Henney, of the
New York & New England road, has succeded in
making an alloy composed of ingot copper and lead
The mixture contains about 20 per cent, of lead and
the product has every appearance of a genuine alloy.
Mr. Henney hiis been using it in locomotive driving
boxes for some months, and is entirely satisfied with
its action. Not one of these bearings in service has
heated in the least. Owing to the great difference
between the melting points of these metals the pro-
duction of a genuine alloy of copper and lead ha-s
been generally regarded as impracticable.

The location of the road tests of brake shoes to bo
made by the M. C. B. committee on best metal for
brake shoes has been decided upon. The manage-
ment of the C. R. I. & P. have offered the use of
their South Chicago branch for the tests and the
offer has been gratefully accepted. The piece of

THE RAIL^VAY MASTER MECHANIC.

track is level and straight and admirably suited to
ine purpose. The Rock Island management are to
be commended for their courtesy and tor the interest
in scientific research which the extension of that
courtesy implies.

It is reported that the Pennsylvania Railroad will
fit its entire passeng3r equipment with steam heat
next season.

Very few visitors to railway shops have any idea
of the number of distinct occupations with which
the numerous workmen seen are busied. Indeed, we
doubt if many of the shop officials and hands them-
selves realize how many trades and vocations are
represented among their co-workers. The following
list of actual workers at the shops of a large east-
ern road, copied from a blank of that road, will prove
not only interesting but surprising to a good many
of our readers:

WORKING BV THE MONTH.

Carpenters.
Pinning mill.

Master mechanics.
Foreman car repaJ
General foremen.
Draughtamen.
Engineer c' *— -

Clerks.
Timekeepers.
Storekeepers.
Messengers.

! Macbinists.
g I Boiler makers
g Blacksmiths.
5 i Hammer shop
§ I Car repairtTS.
g 1 Car builders.

L Car cleaners.

WOBKIS

Air brake inspectors and

pairers.
Axle turners.

f Blacksmiths.
I Boiler makers.
Copper and tin
Car builders.

"l Foundry.

I Pattern -sliop.
Piiinters.
Laborers.

Cut cleanei-s.
■Watchmen.
Pipe fitters an
Gas makers.

£ I Moulders.
a 1 Painters.
< Pattern mi

^h pit c
BlacCm

Shifting conductors.
Water tank repairers.
iScale repairers.
(Test Dept. assistant.
BT THE nor».

Copper and tin shop.

Car repair shop, pnssen-

Car repair shop, freight.
Engine cleaners.

Hammersmen.
Hammersmen helpers.

Hammer boys.

Heaters.

Hostlers.

1 I Machine shop.

Bolt makers.
Bolt cutters.
Bricklayers, masons and

Bricklayers, masons and

Coppersmiths.

Copuersmitlis' helpers.

Callers.

Coal and wood heavers.

Carpenters.

" T inspectors, passenger.

r inspector:

Car cleaners.
Car oilers.
DriUers.
Dynamo

f Cleaners.

I Dumpers.
Engine -i Preparers

Electro replater.

Flue cleaners.

Foundrymen { Moulder*.

Macbin

I'Machine hands, planing

iPipe «
.Pipe t
]Pipe t

Sheet ii on workers' li

Spting maker helpen
lender truck repaire

Uph..lstereis.

Wipers (see engine cleanei '.

Gang foremen of-! Engine
I, Rod "el

Here are 143 different classes of employes recog-
nized on the wages sheet. There are not 143 differ-
ent trades, for, as will be seen, there are blacksmiths,
blacksmiths' apprentices and foremen of blacksmiths,
and so on, yet after allowing for these duplications
the number of distinct trades represented is notable.

A recent dispatch states that the general shops of
the Burlington road have been located at Lincoln,
Neb.; that work will commence upon them this
spring; that from 1,000 to 1,500 men will bo em-
ployed in the works when completed, and that the
sum of $275,000 has been appropriated by the com-
pany for the construction of these shops. We learn

that the dispatch rather anticipates the facts and
that probably not more than 200 or 2-50 men will be
employed at these shops for some time, and that they
will not be the main shops, at least for the present.
The locomotive shops ai-e to be first built and will be
modeled somewhat upon those at West Burlington,
la., owned by the same road. They will be located
just west of the town of Lincoln. The amount appro-
priated is as stated.

Fifteen notable locomotives are now being built
for the Philadelphia & Reading Railroad at the
Baldwin Locomotive Works. They are among the
heaviest that have been turned out in this country.
They are 10-wheelers and have 64 in. boilers with
Wootten fire-boxes, 20x24 in. cylinders, and .5 ft. driv-
ing wheels. We understand that they are not fitted
with extension fronts. They are intended for fast
freight service and heavy passenger service. We
understand that they are quite similar to the Erie
10-wheelers which have been making such a good
record, and which were built by the same company.

Among the remarkable examples of bold engineer-
ing in the great sugar refinery of Claus Spreckels, at
Philadelphia, Pa., one of the most unique is the
hanging or aerial steam engine foundations. The
engines used in the establishment are distributed
practically all over the buildings, a large proportion
of them being on upper floors. Some of these en-
gines are bolted to iron beams or girders on second
and third stories of the building, and are consequent-
ly innocent of all foundation. Some of these engines
ran noiselessly and satisfactorily, while others pro-
duced more or less vibration and rattle. To correct
the latter the engineers simplv suspended founda-
tions from the bottoms of the engines, so that in look-
ing at them from the lower floors, they were literally
hanging in the air.

The Mississippi legislature has memorialized con-
gress to enact a law compelling the use of automatic
couplers and brakes on freight cars engaged in inter-
state commerce.

Several railroads have from time to time stopped
wiping their engines from motives of economy. We
have always felt that this was a poor policy, but,
from the results of recent inquiry, we must concede
that there may be times when it can with temporary
advantage be adopted. The engines alway.s, of
course, get very dirty and filthy looking when they
are not wiped, but we are assured by one gentleman,
who was some time ago compelled to adopt this
measure of economy, that the destruction to the ma-
chinery is not what might be anticipated. This
gentleman is now wiping all his engines, but assures
us that he would not hesitate under the same condi-
tions that existed when he stopped wiping engines
to again omit that feature of care.

Something over two years ago we gave illustra-
tions and a very full description of the shops of the
Worcester division of the New York, Providence &
Boston Railway, located at Valley Falls, R. I., a
short distance out from Providence. We had occa-
sion then to be quite enthusiastic over the systeijs
and neatness visible at every turn in these model
shops; and a second visit made there recently indi
cates that there has been no let-down in the high
standard then maintained. These shops are under
the charge of Mr. Albert Griggs, master mechanic,
and are conveniently located for the purpose, and
are marvels of neatness and capable organization.
On one side is to be found the paint shop, supply de-
partment, and the oflSce and drafting rooms. Just
across, and separated by a transfer table, ai'e to be
seen the machine, blacksmith, and wood-working
shops. On entering the machine shop, our attention
was at once arrested by the old time general neatness
pervading the place, and the admirable plan of ar-
rangements. With exceptional light, the tools are
well grouped and selected with care. It is a very
difficulty matter in a shop of moderate pretensions
to guard against locking up capital in special ma-
chines wnich are only used at intervals, and to select

such tools as will expeditiously and cheaply turn
out the work demanded, and at the same time be
available for diversi fled uses. This shop is excep-
tional in this respect, and worthy of study. Here
are to be seen the air brake school, and a model tool
room, and adjacent thereto a wash room. This
room is ample in siae for the purposes intended, pro-
vided with a lavatory including hot and cold water^
and a locke* for each man. We noticed a great
many handy rigs, kinks, etc., and we were much im-
pressed with the various short cuts which were the
outgrowth of intelligence and experience. The
wood-working shop and drying room are ample;
commodious and well arranged, and the method of
classifying patterns is in keeping with the other ad-
mirable systems in use. Over the engine room is
located the bath room for the use of the
workmen and at other points are located
conveniences for the use of employes. Where
there is such thought and care for the com-
fort of workmen, it is not surprising that good re-
sults are manifest. This road follows a river from
Worcester to Providence, and along its banks are
located a great many mills, making one continuous
chain of towns which overlap each other. Following
as it does the river, it makes a very crooked road.
There is hardly two miles of straight track in the
whole 30 miles. This road is up to date in all of its
appointments, its passenger trains being equipped
with steam heat, the Westinghouse quick acting
brake, and the Westinghouse train signal. It is
using exclusively the Crosby chime whistle, so that
the unearthly screeching of the ordinary type of
whistle is unknown among these hills, and in its
stead is the musical chord of three notes which is
pleasing to the ear, and capable pf being heard a
great distance.

Besponsibility for Cars Damaged on Private Tracks.

Among some recent decisions of the M. C. B.
arbitration committee one rendered February 14, on
a question of responsibility for cars damaged on
private tracks is of especial interest. The cases were
those of the Kansas City Belt Ry. Co. vs. "other
lines'' and are stated as follows:

In December, 1SS9, the superintendent of the Kansas
City Belt Railway Co. submitted the following facts and
asked for the decisions of the arbitration committee in the
three cases named below, having in view the fact that the
K, C. B. U. R. Co was handling these cars for other lines
on a switching charge.

a. "A lumber company, doing business on the line of the
Belt Railway or a switch put in by the Belt Railway Co.
on the lumber company's grounds, and on which the lum-
ber company pays an annual rental for the use thereof, un-
der a five years' contract, cut a hole in the end of a car In
order to unload the lumber it contained."

b. "Another lumber company, operating a track under

against

carried off."

c. "The third case is that of the Argentine Sand Co.,
who own their own tracks. The Belt Railway has simply
a connection with them and places the cars on their tracks,
where the Argentine Sand Co. switches them around by
hand and team. In making a switch a few days ago in this
manner they allowed a car to come up so hard £
other one that a draw-head was broken short c

"The question is, who is responsible for these
under Rule 27, the company delivering us the cars to the
place on these tracks, or this company.''

The decision on these cases is as follows:

"The principle of the rules of interchange is, that
parties causing damage to other parties' rolling
stock are responsible for that damage, and Rule No.
27 only prescribes what parties shall make the set-
tlement with the parties in whose hands the cars
were when the damage occurred.

"The opinion of the committee is that all three of
the cases cited occurred upon private tracks as con-
templated by Rule 27, and that therefore the com-
pany for which the switching service was done in
each of these cases should assume the settlement
with the parties in whose hands the cars were dam-
aged, it being understood by the committee that all
these cases occurred since September 1, 1889."

The committee adds that it will recommend to the
convention in June, 1890, to omit the exception now
contained in Rule 27, and to leave the rule as it was
before the revision of 1889.

THE RAILWAY MASTER MECHANIC.

INDICATING AS OLD COLONY LOCOMOTIVE.

Locomotive 14S of the Old Colony Railroad, cue of
Ml-. J. N. Lauder's standard 18x24 in. locomotives
designed to carry 17-5 lbs. of steam, was selected early
in November, 1889, for the purpose of subjecting it
to au exhaustive test. This engine was new and had
been run sufficiently long to be in good condition in
every respect. The work of indicating the engine
was given to Mr. F. W. Dean, who went very thor-
oughly into all the details that should be observed
in gaining accurate information as to the economy
of a locomotive. Upward of 700 cards were taken,
from which we are enabled, by Mr. Dean's courtesy,

to select those that we give. The indicator rig with
which the cards were taken, was designed by Mr.
Dean.

The indicator gear used was, as will be seen
by our engravings, of the pantagraph type,
and gave complete satisfaction. It is rigid, accurate
in its reduction, and allows the use of the shortest
possible cord. It must be accurately made, but can
be placed in position in the most careless manner.
The pantagraph is of such a nature that its correct-
ness of indication is not in the least degree affected
by vertical or forward and backward displacement
of the supporting stand.

Our engraving shows its construction so clearly

M. K. P.. Front,
M. E. P., Back.
H. P. of Engine,
Throttle, wide.
Spring, lOO.

Revs, per Mil
Cut-off, 4"4 ii

Nov, 7, north.
No. 42, Rt, Cyl,
Steam, 1.57.
Cut-off, 4 '4 in.
Revs, per Min,,

Throttle wide oper
M,E, P,, Front, 39
M, E, P„ Back, as-;
H. P. of Engine, 3!);
Spring, 100,

M. E, P„ Front, 18-7
M, E. P,, Back, -iir,.
H. P. of Engine, 4S.5.
Throttle, wide.
Spring, 100

Cut-off, 7;, in.
Revs, per Min.,

M, E, P., Front, e»-i.
M. E. P., Back, (i2-7.
H. P. of whole Engine,
Throttle, wide. .
Spring, 100.

that but little description is necessary. The points
A, B and C must be in a straight line, and links .1 E
and B D must be parallel and likewise the links VB
and FG. These conditions will be always fulfilled
no matter what may be the position of the crosshead,
and they cannot be destroyed by lifting up the stand
or by shoving it forward or backward. Now it is
necessary to have Ci) equal to B D. The link OJi'
can connect the other links at any convenient posi-
tion, either above or below the point B. It must
only be parallel and equal to V E. The path fol-
lowed by C will be reproduced on a smaller scale by
^—reversed when A is above B and not reversed
when A is below B. In the latter case the point E

uth.

Nov,
No, 7, left Cy
Steam, llil.
Cut-off, 7'.. in
Revs, per Mil

Nov, 7, north.
No. 41, Rt. Cyl,
Steam, 1.57,
Revs, per Min.,
Cut-off, 73-> in.

No. 22, left Cyl
Steam, 16.3.
Cut-off, lOV in.

E, P,

Front

.57-4,

E,P.

P. of Eneine

.574,

Throttle

wide.

ring, 100,

M, E. P,, Front, 94'5.
M. E, P,, Back, 9.3-7.
H, P. of Engine, 321.

Throttle wide open.
M, E, P,, Front, 433.
M, E, P., Back, 44-5.
H. P. of Engine, 7iM.
Spring, 100,

.M, E, i
M. E. P., Back, 7C
H. P. of Engine. ^
Throttle, \ open.
Spring, 100.

INDICATOR CARDS TAKEN FROM AN OLD COLONY STANDARD IS x 24 LOCOMOTIVE.

THK RAIL^VAY MASTER MKCHANIC.

is between C and D. The scale of reduction depends
upon the ratio of .1 J? to B C, and this ratio cannot
be destroyed after once having been established.

The indicators which were used in the tests re-
ferred to were Thompson's, made by the American
Steam Gauge Company, Boston, and they were very
satisfactory. One was used on each cylinder, and
they were so placed that the } in. pipes from the
cylinders, though long, were well drained. The
pipes were well protected from the air by being
heavily wrapped with felt and canvas, the latter be-
ing painted after being in place. The indicator was
also heavily wrapped with felt. On the left side
there was a steam gauge showing the pressure in the
steam chest, and on the right there was a Schaffer
& Budenberg counter connected with the indicator
gear. This counter could be used when wanted, and
did not operate at any other time. It could be in-

the

otion when care is
taken in designing. The proportions employed in
this case must have been exceptionally good. The
admission and expansion lines are excellent, the
back pressure at a minimum, and the area lost by
compression smaller than usual. Incidentally, these
diagrams illustrate the effect of speed upon the area
of the cards. It will be seen that there are quite a
numljer of those illustrated in which the cut-off is
4i in. Taking the one in which the speed was the
lowest, and comparing it with those taken at higher
speeds, we find the area of the latter is in an inverse
ratio to the speed. This area is lost on both sides of
the card, for the admission and expansion lines are
lower and the compression line higher.

The work is in each case very well distributed be-
tween the two ends of the cylinder, being almost
equally good at all cut-otTs. It would be interesting

following resolutions passed unanimously at the re-
cent New York annual meeting of the Association of
Manufacturers of Chilled Car Wheels will he of in-
terest:

Ratolvcd, That this association accepts with satisfaction
the action of the Railway Master Mechanics' and of the Mas-
ter Car Builders' associations, upon the report of the joint
conference committee on "Specifications and Guarantees
for Chilled Cast Iron Car Wheels," with the understanding
expressed in the follow preamble and resolutions :

Preamble — Whereas, the wheel maker has no cnntrol
over the conditions of railroad service; and, whereas, such
conditions vary materially on different roads :

Therefore^ Resolved— \. That in all mileage or time
guarantees, the wheel maker ought to be held responsible
only for wheels which fail through faults of material or
workmanship.

■3. That when wheels are taken out of service, on account
of sharp Banges, flat spots, comby or shelled out treads, or
for cracked brackets or plates and it is found, on breaking
up the wheels, that the depth and character of the chill,
and the strength and character of the metal in the plates,
are up to the standard specifications adopted by the joint
conference committee of the Railway Master Me

i were i

stantly thrown into or out of action, and thus the
number of revolutions in any number of seconds
could be determined with only a very_slight error.

There was a person at each cylinder, and an ob-
server in the cab who signaled tor diagrams every
two minutes, when he also took observations.

Progressive steam pressure trials w&ve made with
the object of determining the economy due to in-
cresising the pressure, but there is little or no evi-
dence of any gain. Two round tr
l40 1bs.,two with 160 lbs., and
two with 17-5 lbs. Perhaps it the
trials had been extended there
would have been convincing evi-
dence. The actual water used
per indicated horse power per
hour was for south bound trips
about 30 lbs., and for north
bound trips about 24 lbs., while
for round trips it was about 27
lbs. It is not entirely clear why
the south bound trips were more
extravagant in the use of water
per 1 h. p. than the north bound
trips, but thedifference was per-
sistent throughout the trials
which lasted seven days.

The greatest observed speed
was 376 revolutions per minute,
equivalent to a mile in 46 7-10
seconds, or at 77 1-10 miles per
hour, while a speed above 70
miles per hour was a rate reach-
ed every day.

Specimen indicator diagrams,
which can be indefinitely dup-
licated from those taken, are
herewith illustrated. Probably
no cards as good as these have
ever been taken frem a link mo-
tion engine. They are instruc-
ve,for tb ey show how much can

INDICATOR RIG^OLD COLONY RAILWAY.

clearance size of ports lap and travel of valves, and
the principal dimensions of the link motion, but this
information is not at hand at this writing.

-Position of the Wheel

new of the current discussion on the speoifica-
and guarantee for chilled cast iron wheels, the

service and not to the quality of the wheels, and that the
wheel maker ought not to be cilled upon in such cases to
pay for or replace any such wheels.

The boiler illustrated in the accompanying cut was
designed by the Rhode Island Locomotive Works to
withstand a working pressure of ISO lbs. per square

LOCOMOTIVE.- OLD COLONY

Makoh, 1890.

THE RAILVSrAY MASTER MECHANIC.

LOCOMOTIVE BOILER FOR HIGH PRESSURES.-RHODE ISLAND LOCOMOTIVE WORKS.

the

, a pressure which is considerably in excess of
iverage practice. While it presents no features

hich are a wide departure from present customs, it

ill be seen to be very

refully designed. The
boiler is 56 in. in diameter at the first course and 68!
in. diameter at the wagon top. The shell is 9-16 in.
thick, and the longitudinal seams are butt joints
with a wide welt strip 7-16 in. thick on the inside

and a narrower one of the same thickness on the
outside. A detail of this seam is shown in sectioo
and plan above the boiler. The roundabout seams
are double riveted. The dome is securely fastened
to the shell by flanging the shell up into the dome a

shown. In addition to the flanging of the sheets
there is a 5i.\J in. ring riveted on the inside of the
shell. It is not unusual to use this ring when the
dome is placed upon the shell ahead of the flre-bo-t,
but when the stays from the crown bars enter the
dome, the ring is often thought to be unnecessary.
In a boiler intended to carry high pressures, how-
ever, it adds considerably to the strength at a point
where it is needed.

The crown is supported by -SJxJ in. crown bars and
I in. crown bolts placed about 44 in. centers. The
stay bolts are J in. diameter except the hollow stays
through which air is admitted above the fire, and
the three upper rows which are 1 in. As is well
known, these latter, when of the same diameter as the
remainder, break more often than any others. To
more fully protect the top rows of staybolts along
the sides of the box from breaking, long stay rods
extend across the boiler just above the crown. These
are shown in both the longitudinal and transverse sec-
tions.

The water space at the sides and front of the box
enlarges toward the top. At the sides the water
space is 3 in. at the bottom, 3* in. at the curve in the
spjice, and nearly -5* in. at the top, thus assisting cir-
culation materially. The firebrick arch is supported
upon 2 in. water tubes located as shown. The back
head and front tube sheet are braced with tee iron
from which braces extend to the shell. No stays ex-
tend the whole length of the boiler from tube sheet
to hack head. The back head has additional stiffen-
ing in the shape of a 6 in. liner.

The grate area of this boiler is 1841 sq. ft. and tho
total heating surface 1,446 sq. ft., of which 1,270 is
tube surface and the remainder, 176 sq. ft., is fire-box'

CircaUrB of Inquiry— Bailway Hsiter Mechanics' Aaiociation.

The following circulars have been issued by
the committees appointed at the last master me-
chanics' convention to investigate the ''Relative
Value of Steel and Iron Axles'' and the "Efficiency
of the Link as Compared with Other Valve Mo-
tions:"'

To the American Railway Master Mechanics' Association :
XTLEMEX— Your committee on "Relative Value of
Steel and Iron Axles" respectfully submit the following
questions:

What, in your opinion, would be the safe limit of di-
ameter for driving axles;

Weight i>er .Journal
1 i2.000 1

Steei i 111,000 V

20.000 I
12.0001

ngine truck axles.

Weight per Journal.

iiioooi

For tender and i

3 i'Zi

■ I uiooo !

: wear of steel and iron axle

2. Please give the relat
journals per .5U,0(J0 miles run.

3. Please give the relative wear of journal bearings on
steel and iron axles per .">0,(HKi miles.

4. Have you bad any steel axles break under locomotives
or cars ; It so, were they crucible, open hearth or Besse-
mer! Please give mileage to time of fracture.

it. In your practice do you liud steel driving axles to run
any longer without turning t lian iron i Please give number

of miles run between turnings. Steel

Iron ....

Tno.-. Sniw,

Committee.
Replies to be sent to Mr. John Macken^tie, superintendent
of motive power. New York, Chicago & St. Louis Railway,
Cleveland, O. Axots Sintlaik,

Secretary.

EFFIi IKM V OF THE LINK .\S COMPAKEn WITH OTHER

To the American Kailnn M ,

Oentlemen:— ThtTMi ,,,
meeting of the asso, i r
as Compared with i>i i
formation that you \vi 1
and olhervalve motiwtjs wiiii

1. Results of tests made >
link wit.h other valve motions

2. Indicator diagrams taken from engines

■isociation :
xi general
I the Link

iew of comparing t

THE RAILWAY MASTER MECHANIC.

Makch, 1890.

equipped with the link and other valve motions. Give dia-
meter and stroke of cylinder, lap, lead and ti'avel of valve,
and size of steam and exhaust ports.

8. Cost of fitting up new, and maintenance, as compared
with the link motion.

4. Blue prints or drawings of valve motions.

.5. Have the results demonstrated that the motions
tested were so tar superior to the link that you would
equip locomotives with them in preference to the link J If
so. please give your reasons for so doing; if otherwise,
state objections.

Any information regarding form of valve motions, other
than the link, that you deem interesting, the committee
will be pleased to rece"ive. It is to be hoped that you may
be enabled to comply with this request, as a creditable and
reliable report on so import int a subject is very much to be
desired. You will increase the obligation by forwarding
the information at your earliest convenience.
J.IMES M. Boox, "i

D.IVID CI..1

H. Tandv,

■ Committee.

Answers should be addressed to Mr. James M. Boot
West Shore Railway, Frankfort, N. Y.

Angus Siscl.iih, Secretary.

THE JAHNEY COUPLEE IS SERVICE.— ITS BECOBD.

McConway, Torley & Co., the makers of the Jan-
ney coupler, have carefully collected the records of
breakages of that coupler with the purpose of ascer-
taining definitely just how many failures their de-
vice was sustaining and of just what nature those
failures were. The fio-ures thus gathered are very
surprising and will be welcomed by the believers in
the M. C. B. standard vertical hook counler as sub-
stantiating the position they have taken. We append
a tabular summary of these figures by which it will
be seen that of the 67,000 and odd couplers that are
in service only about 4 per cent, failed. The period
of service covered by these figures is from July 10,
1888, to Feb. 1, 1S90. An averaging of the time of
service of these couplers shows it to be about 12
months, which indicates that the number of break-
ages reported may with perfect fairness be taken as
the record of one year's service. The figures were
obtained by means of reports made to McConway,
Torley & Co. upon the blank shown herewith, the
report as to the nature of the breakage being made
clear and unmistakable by the sketching in ot the
broken part ot knuckle, body or lock as the case
might be, as indicated on the blank that we have
sketched in. As the coupler company sells its wares
under agreement to replace defective bodies, and to
give one knuckle for every two broken ones, it will
be seen that there is every reason to assume that
every failure was reported to the coupler company.
Some brief comment upon the showing here made
may be found in our editorial column.

Upper lug otr

" chipped

■■ cracked —

Lower lug off

'■ chippe<l

Both lugs ofr

■• •'■ bricked

Upper lug off. lower chipped.
Lower " '" upper chipped

rail off

Miscellaneous

i\ 0086
1 0048

67.Ma
67.64:1 I
6J.6t3

67-M3 95H

67,M3 oan

67.0431 OOai

D FFCT

«»

S.^

A ff

c' Tl

325
29

0048

Bncket k 1
lT ' "^

671643

Bracketoff

End of barrel split oft

Draft bolt pulied through.

MisceUaueous.

THE IMPBOVED WESTINOHOTJSE FEICTION BUFFER.

In our issue of January, 1889, we illustrated the
Westinghouse friction buffer, a novel departure in
draft rigging. The e.xperience of that buffer in
service led to improvements which are shown in the
engravings that we now present. The idea of this
device, it will be remembered, was to increase the
capacity of the draft gear for absorbing the severe
buffing and pulling strains to which cars are sub-
jected in service. The operation of the improved
apparatus may be briefly described as follows, refer-
ring to Figs. I, 2 and 3: When the drawhead A is
pressed back, the first inch of its motion compresses

THE McCONWAY * TORLET CO.

Becord of Janney freight coupler, received from . .

...... Station. Consigr^edly • ^JJI^/^- '

. . . . Memo. No Inspected by

No. ..

Knuckle— Upper lug off..

'U-half replaced

Marked,

Coupler.

Reo'd.

Kec-d.

Date.

Knuckle pin.
Locking pin.

Clevis. .

initial spring C, driving back the wedge block
0, thereby forcing apart the wedge plates JT and
compressing the interlocked sets of friction plates P
and P. Any further inward movement of the draw-
head results In lorcing the tightly compressed fric-
tion plates P together in a vertical direction, at the
same time compressing the main draft spring. Thus
the mechanical work done by the above parts, which
are inclosed in the buffer body B, is transmitted to
the main straps E, and they again transmit the
thrust to the end sill. When the draw-head is sub-
jected to a pull, the operation is the same as the
above and with the same result. Draw rods J J tie

nuiii.a

Fni. 4 — Showing various Positions of Westinghouse Buf

fer in Action,
the buffer at one end ot the car to the buffer at the
other end, forming also a continuous draw-bar. A
thrust or a pull on the draw-head will therefore pass
through an elastic medium and be distributed very
generally throughout the car.

The capacity of the apparatus is stated to be as
follows, as determined by averaging several tests
made on both Riehle and Olsen testing machines:

Lbs.

Resistance due to initial spring 13,00fl

" friction 37.44.i

draft spring 18,000

Total resistance 68,445

Foot lbs.

Work done in compressing friction buffer 8.38fi

Work done in compressing present ordinary draft
spring, 6x8 inches, Hi inch motion, and 18.000 lbs. ca-
pacity 1,314

Ratio of work done in compressing buffer to work done
in compressing ordiaary draft spring ^"^ -> 6*46

In Pig. 4 we show the various positions of the
parts of the apparatus when under compression,
and when being pulled, thus giving an accurate idea
of the sequence of action ot the two springs and the
friction plates, it being understood that the initial
spring is in this figure concealed from view by the
friction plates.

This apparatus was exhibited to railway men dur-
ing the paat month at Chicago, Cleveland, Buffalo
and New York, a train of 23 Pennsylvania cars
equipped with it being manipulated by being
bunched and pulled out by two heavy engines, and
by cutting the train in two and bumping the two
parts together at varying speeds. These various
manipulations satisfied the on-lookers that the fric-

March, 1890.

THE RAIL^VAY MASTER MECHANIC.

tion buffer does the work required of it in a satis-
fsictory manner, and that the shocks were effectively
absorbed. The improved apparatus is, we under-
stand, to be placed upon seven more Pennsylvania
cars — making 30 for that road; 12 Chicago, Burling-
ton & Quincy cars; 10 Chicago, Milwauke & St. Paul
cars, and 34 Old Colony ca rs. It will thus have an
excellent opportunity to demonstrate its worth in
daily service, under widely varying conditions. As
our readers will remember it is manufactured by the
Union Switch and Signal Co., Swissvale, Fa.

COMMUNICATIONS.

Car Inspection and Carding The System Employed on the

Chicago & Northwestern Railway.
To the EdUur of the Kailway MusUt Mechanic:

The subject of car inspection and carding is now under
discussion by the Western Railway Club, and perhaps our
system on the Chicago & Northwestern Railway used at
the South Branch and Wood Street stations, will be of
some interest, and a description of it in your paper will
not be out of place.

At our South Branch station we receive cars from sixteen
roads. Upon the arrival of a train from a connecting line,
immediately after their engine has cut loose and before our
engine handles the train, two inspectors, one on each side,
slowly and carefully examine the cars. As a guide to our
own inspectors at the South Branch and Wood Street yards,
and to instantly determine the particular man who in-
spected a certain part of any car, the head day car inspec-
tor, having completed his inspection of a car, chalks
his inspection mark "A" and date on one corner of the car;
his assistant chalks on his side of car at the corner "B''
and the date; the head night inspector "C" and date and
his assistant ^^D" and date.

No record is kept of cars in good order and with parts
all standard. It car A should have some defect which did
not render it unsafe to vuxi or unsafe to trainmen, or some
part not standard to car for which there was a master car
builders' card on car, the head inspector allows the car to
go forward and makes an entry in his inspection book
showing date, car number, initials, road received from, de-
fects or wrong parts for which the master car builders'
card was placed on, and immediately after such defects
states what road issued the card, giving date and signa-
ture on card, and if same shows at what station the card
was placed on car it is noted down. For example, car A
is received from the L. S. & M. S. Railway at South
Branch, loaded for a point on our line, with one draw bar
for which there is a L. S. & M. S. Kailway master car
builders' card attached to the cross-tie. The head inspec-
tor enters report of car on his book thus: "Date, February
'JO, 1890. From Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railway,
one wrong draw-bar. Lake Shore & Michigan Southern
Ry., Master Car Builders' Card, Sandusky, O.. Feb. i.
IS'JO, John Smith," and allows the car t« go forward. This
method of recording foreign master car builders' cards and
defects for which they were placed on car enables us, if the
card should be lost oft the car or destroyed while the car
was in our possession, to procure a duplicate of same i r to
answer any and all questions at any time relating thereto.

If carB is received from the Michigan Central Railway
with a wrong drawbar for which there is a Michigan Cen-
tral master car builders' card attached to cross-tie, and in
addition to this there is one intermediate sill cut from flange
of wheel, the inspector Alls out our memorandum freight dis
patch card, or "red card," as shown in the follomng form,
and attaches it to.cross-tie of car:

CHICAGO & NORTHWESTERN RAILWAY CO.
Reoelvod from JfWilffiin Ctntral H. It. Co.
at South Brandt Date Februai-y /•*"'.

Car No. B with the following

defect*:.... One <nt<rm«dlate«i'U cut from wheet fange

.IToad Street.. ..withoui

iitiuned above. ThiH card I

The car is then allowed to go forward with this card at- '
tached, which shows inspectors along our line the condition |
the car was received from the Michigan Central Ry. and '
the point at which received. The inspector (R. Wharton
in this case), then makes an entry in his book: "Date, Feb-
ruary '30, 1S90. Car B ore wrong draw-bar. Michigan Cen-
tral Ry. master car builders' card. Detroit. Feb. 10, IS'JO,
John Brown." " One intermediate sill cut from wheel
flange." " Memorandum card put on."

If car B was loaded with perishable, time or some class I spection.

THE IMPROVED WESTIXt
of freight not desirable to transfer, and had a broken fol-
lower plate or broken brass or some detect which rendered
the car unsafe to run, if su(;h defect could be repaired by
the inspector, he makes the repair and if not sends it to our
repair yard, where repairs are made if possible and the car
allowed to go forward. In this latter case the inspector
makes the additional entry in his book : "Repair one fol-
lower plate and one brass," the whole entry then reading:
"Date, February 20, 1890, car B, one wrong draw bar,
Michigan Central Railway master car builders' card, Octo-
ber 10, 1890, John Brown." "One intermediate sill cut
from wheel flange." "Memorandum card put on."' Repair
one follower and one brass."

If car C is received, loaded, and has two or three sills
broken, the inspector marks car "Not to go," and the car is
sent to the transfer track and the contents transferred.
The cai is then sent home. The inspector makes entry in
his book : "Date, February "JO, 1890, car C, three sills
broken, not to go." My office is located about two miles
fjom the South Branch yard, but has telephone communi-
cation with that point, and in case the inspector is doubtful
about any point, he calls up on the "phone, and stating the
case, is advised of the disposition to make of the car.

The night car inspectors relieve the day men at « ::W p. m.
each day, and look after all unHnished business and con-
duct it as outlined above, except in doubtful cases, which
are given over to the day man, who in turn relieves the
night men at 0:30 each morning, and he, reporting the
doubtful points over the 'phone, is advised as before stated.
Cars are liable to more or less damage in yard switching,
and after each train is made up the inspector makes another
examination, and if any car has been damaged it is set out
and repaired unless repairs can be made while car ia in

Cars are received off our line at our Wood street yard;
the ins|)ectors at that point have inspection marks
head day car inspector. "I
night car inspector and "t
same as in South Branch
our line and after the engii

handled by the yard engine, the inspectors exam
the South Bra

iuve inspection maras, "c lor
for his assistant. "G" for head
for his assistant, and are used

t loose and before being

I same manner as outlined

HOUSE FRICTION BUFFER.

Car A is now received back in this train and, ib samecOT
dition as originally received from the L-.te Shore A^MicBlU
gan Southern Railway. The inspector notes thao the mass,
ter car builders' card covers the case, and the car harir.^
received^no damage while in our possession is allowed tog«,
home without taking any note or check of same. Should^
question at any time arise ia regard to this car, our record I
shows all possible informafon on the subject, for had the
card been lost oft the car while in our possession, or if any
part had been broken, when car was received back off the:
road, we would have taken a record against same

CarBi

' received back off i

line, and if it has i

oeived no further damage the inspector lakes our memo-
randum card off car and allows it to go back to the Michi-
gan Central Railway. If this car should have been dam-
aged while in our possession, the inspector chalks on the
side of the car, "Hold for repairs, one broken side door."
The car is then put on our repair track, repairs made,
metnorandum card taken off and car allowed to go home

Car D is received back off our lino and is loaded with
perishable freight destined to some point on a connocting
line. We break a draw bar, and having none standard to
car, put in something that will carry the car safely ana
pla.e our master car builders' card on the cross-tie for the
wrong draw bar. It is often the case that a perishable load
13 received off our line, destined as car D, and has defects
which do not render the car unsafe to run. In such case
the inspa-tor does not detain the car for repairs, but puts,
master car builders' card on for the defects and allovvs car
to go forward.

In our switching yard at Wood street, some cars are more
or less damaged and, as in our South Branch inspection,
when the tram is made up the inspector once more ex-
amines the cars and any that were damaged in switching
are marked for repairs and entry made in his book of same.

This system gives us a clear, comprehensive and reliable
record of a car from the time it was received from some
connecting line at South Branch until it left our yard goinr
home. The car may be damaged after leaving our yard,
while in transit to connecting line, however, and returned'
to us for repairs. In such case, when it is received bavJk
the South Branch inspector sends the car to our repair '
yard and rejiairs are made. He also makes an eutry in his

THE RAILWAY MASTER MECHANIC.

Masoh,

KigU Pressure i\
Cylinder i \

^^"""^^a^^s!""-^

1 /:
?

100

788 "T
Cu€oa-80%. \

1 C«»offSO%-

1 Terminal Pressure Srrbs.

K^,

J^::::::t:::::-:.

;.T ■^''r^jr ^^ — —

i/r'

F G

■

C30 \

\ Cutofl-80%.

Recei.-erIVe,,ure

Cutofrso%.

Xerminol Pressure GS lbs.
1590 ^^-^^.^^^

,., V

- Cutoff-iO%.
^~-~.,^,^^^ XeruiinalPr

e SO lbs.

Receiver Pressure
136 lbs.

t 00-80%.

1684 ^

X-

8-13 \
Cutoir40%-\

Cufoff80%.
Xerniiual Pressure 33 lbs. ^bs.

res T-

[ \

1 CSS \

\ \

Keo

"'oOlbs!"'"'^*

Cutoff40%-
Xer.ninal Pressure 38 lb

9. AbS.

Cut„ir.ioo/o.

\ 803

^"^-^

,^,.

book showing same. It is an occasional case that when a
car, which we receive from a connecting line with some
defect and allow to go forward, as with car B, gets back to
the owning road, they would have no record of the sill be-
ing cut from the wheel flange and would return it for re-
pairs. We then attach our bad order card of the following

C. & N.-W. R'f CO.
Received this car BAD ORDER.
Prom Michigan Cent. Ry. - Date 2-20-*90.

Car Nu. B Defecuas noted

One Iniermtdiate sill cut from \J0licel JUiTme

Signature, R. WHARTON.

The car is then returned home and inspector notes same
in his book. Should our own car be delivered to a con-
necting line in good order with load for some point on that
line, and is received back with broken parts, it is returned
for repairs or held until a master car builders' card is pro-
cured from the road responsible for the defect; entry is
made in the inspection book at the time the car is received
and shows therein whether the car was returned for re-
pairs or held for the card.

All inspection books are sent to my office each morning
and the previous day's work is entered in ink in record books
which are labeled as follows; "Out Freight," in which all
defective cars that \vere allowed to go forward are entered ;
"Not to Go," in which all cars transferred on account of
bad order and being unsafe to run are entered ; "Not to Go,
Returned," in which all cars returned to connecting lines
as being unsafe to run on account of bad order or cars re-
turned for i-epairs are entered; "In Freight," in
which are entered all foreign cars received from
our line with defects for which we are responsi-
ble, also all foreign cars damaged while in our South
Branch or Wood Street yards, or while in transit to a con-
necting line which the connecting line returned us for re-
pairs; "C. & N. W." in which all Chicago & Northwestern
cars which are to be repaired are entered.

This is a brief outline of our system which has been in
force at these stations for the past twelve years (the
memorandum dispatch or "red" card we have used for the
past two years). The system answers every purpose and
with the introduction of our memorandum freight dispatch
card, works without the slightest friction, answers every
possible question at anytime, and, at our yards, cannot be
improved upon as near as we can determine.

K. Wharton.

Steam DiBtribntion in Compound Locomotives-

BUFFALO, N. Y., Feb. 20, 1890.
To the Editor of the Bailway Master Meclmnic:

Possibly there are some among your readers who are de-
sirous of becoming better acquainted with the subject
"Steam Distribution in Compound Engines," but who are
impeded in their attempts to oblain even a theoretical
knowledge of it by the absence of any collection of reliable
data

Something can be learned by the construction of imagin-
ary indicator diagrams, assuming different proportions of
cylinders, etc., and using the isothermal expansion line,
which is easily drawn, and gives a sufficiently correct idea
of steam distribution. For the benefit of those who are not
familiar with the method of drawing this line the follow-
ing diagram and explanation are appended :

W k — t — f — ^ — ^ — T"^

■mis. ^i. ^^J^

STEAM DISTRIBUTION IN COMPOUND LOCOMOTIVES.

It is a well-known tact, that if a certain ij\iantity of any
gas be maintained at a uniform temperature its pressure
™il depend upon its volume. If it be allowed to expand to
twice its volume it will have but one-half its original pres-
sure. If it be compressed to one-half of its original
volume its pressure will be doubled, the one change being
exactly proportional to the other. Upon this law the con-
struction of theisothermal{equal temperature) line is based.

In Fig. 1 let AB be supposed to represent the length of
stroke of a steam engine, and A H the cylinder clearance.
D H, which forms one end of the diagram, is scaled to
pounds pressure, and V /, the vacuum line, is drawn at a
distance of 15 pounds, by the scale on D J3", below A B (the

Makch, 1890.

THE RAIL\VAY MASTER MECHANIC.

line of atmospheric pressure), and parallel to it. At V
tliere is neither pressure nor volume. Along the line
1' 7 there is volume but no pressure. On VD there is
pressure but no volume. Any point taken in the space
above VI and to the right of VD will denote a certain
pressure and a certain volume according to its position.
D F is assumed to be the line of steam admission, and C the
point of ca^off. C K is drawn perpendicular to .1 B, and
diagonals are drawn from V to points taken at random on
the line C F, cutting the line C K. Onlj- so much of these
lines are shown in Fig. 1 as will define their intersections
with C K and C F. Perpendicular and horizontal lines are
drawn from these points of intersection, and the curve CT
is drawn through the meeting points. This is the isother-
mal line, which would be the correct curve for denoting the
rate of expansion of a gas if it did not change in tempera-
ture during its expansion. As there is always a reduction
of temperature during the process, the true theoretical, or
adiabatic, line falls a little below the isothermal at T.

The exhaust port opens as the piston nears the termina-
tion of its strolte and the steam escapes. This is shown by
the curve A' B. The length of the line T I denotes the ter-
minal pressure, and is the measure of the steam used for
one stroke. It is taken in terms of absolute pressure, as
it is called, being measured from the vacuum line, not the
atmospheric.

The exhaust port closing as the piston reaches the point
X on the return stroke, a certain quantity of steam is re-
tained in the cylinder and is subject to compression as the
piston finishes its movement from ^ to A. If we draw the
diagonal T' O through the point A and erect the perpendic-
ular line A' O its length applied to the scale on the line D H
will give the pressure in the clearance space at the termin-
ation of the stroke. If it is desired to know how much of
the clearance space would be filled by the volume of steam
H ^ at the pressure X O, if it were still further com-
pressed to the initial pressure, the diagonal V E is drawn,
and the lines U and r R. That is to say, the steam re-
tained by compression will be sufficient to fill the clearance
space at initial pressure for the distance D R, and when
the valve opens the volume of steam admitted is denoted
by R C instead of D C.

No allowance is here made for wire drawing during
admission or for back pressure during exhaust. In prac-
tice the steam line would drop during admission, and the
exhaust line would be somewhat higher than it is repre-
sented. These points, nnth rome others, are omUfed to
avoid complication and confusion. There are some lessons
which can be learned without taking them into account,
and any one conversant with indicator diagrams can make
the proper allowance.

Compound engines are built in various ways. In some
the steam passes directly from the high pressure to the low
pressure cylinder. In this case the pistons of the two cy-
linders must move simultaneously. Sometimes they are so
built that the steam is discharged into an intermediate ves-
sel called a "receiver" as it leaves the high pressure cylin-
der, passing from it to the low pressure cylinder. In
this form the pistons of the cylinders may move together
or at different times, the two engines working in the latter
case on separate cranks, which may be set VtO degrees
apart, as with the locomotive, or at any other angle. One
form of marine engine has one high pressure and two low
pressure cylinders, working three cranks set 120 degrees
apart. This form of engine gives a very smooth, steady
motion.

In the locomotive the simplest arrangement for com-
pounding consists in the use of a large cylinder on one side,
a small one on the other and operating cranks set at
right angles as usual. A receiver is a necessity in this case,
as the high pressure cylinder exhau.sts its steam while the
valve of the low pressure cylinder is closed, and a reser-
voir must be provided to retain the steam during tlie inter-
val of lime between the time of exhaust of one cylinder and
the time of admission of the other.

The receiver in the locomotive usually consists of a large
copper pipe passing around the interior of the smoke box.
The steam it receives is always wet, and is dried to some
extent during its passage through it by its exposure
to the hot gases of the smoke-box. It would seem that if
the receiver were made up of a numberof small pipes so as
to present a greater surface for the absorption of heat,
with the same sectional area for the passage of the steam,
that it would be advantageous, for the heat of the smoke-
box gases is an unmitigated waste, and any portion of it
which can be retrieved and converted into work is a clear

For the purpose of illustration we will suppose an engine
with a receiver, the two pistons having the same time of
movement, and we will proceed to construct diagrams at
various points of cutoff, and observe the peculiarities of
steam distribution.

We will suppose the engine to be proportioned as follows :

Ratio of high to low pressure cylinder, 1 to 23^'.

Recei\-er equal in capacity to high pressure cylinder.

Clearance in either cylinder, 10 per cent.

Slide valves cutting off by their own lap, with neither lap
nor clearance on the exhaust side.

According to these data. Figs. 2, 3, and 4 have been
drawn. In each of these figures the cutoff point of the
high-pressure cylinder is the same, SO per cent. The cut-
off point of the low-pressure cylinder is in Fig. 2, SO per
cent., in Fig, 3, 50 per cent., and in Fig. 4, 40 per cent.

In order to show the respective volumes of the two cylin-
ders, the diagrams are drawn as though the cylinder area
was the same, the difference being in the length of the

The cut off point of the high pressure cylinder being set
off, the expansion curve is drawn. (Fig. 2.) On the upper
line of the low pressure diagram, AX is setoff, = HI,,
and the cut-off point B established. Letting fall a perpen-
dicular line from A, a diagonal is drawn»-om Z7 to iJ, cut-
ting it at ('. This is supposed to be indicative of the pres-
sure at the time of cut-off in the low-pressure cylinder,
the pressure being the same for the instant in the other
cylinder and the receiver. The line D £ is drawn in the
receiver space, at the height of the point C, denoting that
the receiver Ib filled with a volume of steam of the pies-
sure C. As the piston has not finished its stroke, steam is
compressed into the receiver from the high-pressure cylin-
der, until its exhaust port is closed. For convenience the
high pressure piston movement is laid off in the receiver
space. T G represents the distance traveled up to time of
low-pressure cut off, and F H, the distance it travels up to
time of closure of exhaust port. To find the increase of
pressure in receiver, erect perpendiculars HI, F J, and
draw diagonal from T through K. The intersection J
gives the desired pressure. A horizontal line through J, if
carried to the scale line R I', would cut it just above 00
lbs. A check 3/, is made at this point.

A cylinder full of high pressure steam is now exhausted
into the receiver, and it is required to know the resultant
pressure. A horizontal linedrawn from the pointof terminal
pressure P, will cut the line XO at P, and a diagonal from
il to P will cut P D at Q. This is the new receiver pres-
sure. The steam retained in the clearance space of the
low pressure cylinder brought'to receiver pressure and
added to the volume increases it to S. When the steam is
admitted to the low pressure cylinder, its pressure drops
to W, in filling the clearance space.

The stroke of the low pressure piston now begins, and
the high pressure piston begins its return stroke. One al-
lows expansion, the other produces compression. To as-

. thei

of c

piston must be subtracted from that of the other. It is
represented by the line W Y. If the point C was correctly
assumed, a diagonal drawn from 1* to 1' will cut the per-
pendicular line W at X, on the same level as C. If it does
not, the point C must be changed, and the process above
described repeated. Being assured that the line ir Y is
correctly placed, it is divided into a number of equal parts,
and diagonals dra%vn from 1", cutting ir X. The travel of
the low pressure piston to the cut-off point is divided into
the same number of equal parts, and cross-marks made
from them and the diagonals. Through these the steam
admission line is drawn. The expansion line is located by
diagonals from J', cutting a perpendicular let fall from B,

The exhaust line of the high pressure diagram iscci-t
laid out from the points between It' and X. The compres-
sion line is so short in Fig. 2 that it can be drawn by hand.
When it is longer, it can be laid out by drawing diagonals
from I' to spaces in the line /./. Their intersections with
/ K will locate the compression line by transferring the
spacing of J / to the compression space.

The figures upon the diagrams denote their proportionate
area. A considerable drop in pressure is observable be-
tween the two cylinders in Fig. 2, the terminal high pres-
sure being 130 lbs, the initial low pressure, S-S lbs. This
loss is not regained, and the effect produced is less than if
the pressures were kept together, as will be seen later on.

Figs. 3 and 4 show the effect of an earlier cut-off upon
the low pressure cylinder. In Fig. 4 the receiver pressure
is even higher than the high pressure terminal, dropping
so as to agree with it when the valve opens and allows the
iow pressure clearance space to be filled. Comparison of
the three sets of diagrams illustrates how shortening the
cut-off of the low pressure side increases, instead of dimin-
ishing, the amount of work done by it. Between Figs. 2 and
4 the area of the high pressure diagram is diminished by
half. The excessive compression in Fig. 4 will also be

In Fig .1, the high-pressure clearance is 1.5 per cent., the
high-pressure cut-off 40 per cent., and the low pressure
cut - off 80 per cent. Here there is again a consider-
able amount of "drop" between the two cylinders.
The high-pressure diagram is much larger tfian the low-
pressure. In Fig. fi, the cut-off in each cylinder is 40 per
cent. The terminal pressureof one cylinder and the initial
pressure of the other approximate closely. The greater

part of the work is thrown, however, onto the low-pressure
cylinder. It would appear, then, that when there are two
reverse levers, so that the cylinders can be handled sepa-
rately, hooking back either lever increases the proportional
amount of work done by its cylinder, and there is a strong
probability that an engine can be so proportioned that both
sides can be operated by means of a single reverse lever,
and a close equality in the work done by the respective
cylinders preserved for all points of cut off.

Comparing Figs. 2 and 5, wesee that shortening the high-
pressure cut-off has not materially affected the amount of
work done by that cylinder, but the area of the low-pressure
diagram No. 5 is less than one half that of No. 2.

A comparison of Figs. 2 and (i, will give an idea of what
may be expected if only one reverse lever is used. It will
be seen that the low-pressure cylinder leads in the amount
of work done, in both diagrams, and the proportion is nearly
the same between the high and low-pressure cards in both
cases. It is fair to suppose that the single reverse lever
would answer a good purpose for points of cut off between
those shown, but for shorter ones there would be excessive
compression in the high-pressure cylinder unless the clear-
ance were made still greater.

In Figs. 2, 3 and 4 and again in Figs. 5 and 6, the point of
high-pressure cut off being the same in each set, the termi-
nal pressure of the low-pressure cylinder varies but little.
In tact, " hooking back " this cylinder appears to have but
little effect except to increase the proportion of work done
by it, and to increase the back-pressure of the other side.

If we new tabulate the areas and terminal pressures of
the respective diagrams, we will be able to form some idea
of their relative showing of economy in using steam.
Roughly speaking, the areas of the cards may be taken to
represent useful effect produced and the terminal pressures,
the cost of producing it.

.,.„„. . „ Terminal

„,„ „ H- P- Cyl. L. P. Cyl. Tot-l. Ptessures.

*lg. - ,88 1,472 •* 2fi0 nl

FiK-S 650 UW 2.-1W S

|!Ki 387 l,a8<l 2,073 60

F'.K-? 843 708 1„5,51 32

Fiff-8 5S8 892 1.4.50 28

(The terminal pressures are mea-sured from the vacuum line.)
Dividing the totals by the terminal pressures, we get an
idea of the relative economy. That is to say, one pound of
steam at terminal pressure, has produced in

Fl|.2aneffeotof 35.85

tSl 41-15

|g| , 41-40

Fig;* •■■ •■■■^'■"^^■■.^^■■:;;::.'.v::::::;:;;;;;:;; M'S

This shows the effect of " drop," or the loss of pressure

about 5 per cent. There is almost always some loss of this
kind, partly from friction of the steam in the passages.

Where is the gain from compounding; It cannot be
shown in a diagram, but experience has demonstrated most
conclusively that there is one of considerable amount.
There is a slight gain in the manner in which the force of
the cteam is applied, which counts for something. If the
whole force of ISO lbs. of steam were applied to the low-
pressure piston, it is evident that a great strain would be
brought upon the engine, much greater than when it is
used successively in the two cylinders; and by the time the
crank had passed far enough over center to give the piston
a good purchase upon it, steam would be cut off and the
pressure would drop. So a great part of the force of the.
steam would be used in straining the machinery, not in pro-
ducing any useful effect. In Fig. 2 of the examples here
shown, both cylinders, working at SO per cent, cut-off, only
use a quantity of steam which would constitute a 2« per
cent, cut-off if used in the low-pressure cylinder alone. It
is weU known that this is as short an admission as can be
economically used in a single cyUnder, and as short as can
be pioduccd by ordinary valve mechanism, unlesss a separ-
ate admission valve or a cut off valve is resorted to.

The greatest gain is from the saving in cylinder conden-
sation, a subject on which there is too much to be said to
allow it to be touched upon at this time. What has been
written here is only meant to suggest the way of working
out the problems which occur in the study of the subject.
Each different proportion of one cylinder to the other, or to
the receiver, must be worked out by itself. There is no
denying the fact that the introduction of the imnciple of
compounding into locomotive designs will effect a great re-
duction in the amount of fuel used, and that the compound
locomotive is the locomotive of the future.

If we turn to marine practice what do we find; History
show-s a steady increase in the steam pressures employed,
and since the introduction of compounding a steady pro-
gress, both in economy of fuel and in reduction of the
weight of the machinery, as compared with the power pro-
duced. In the '40'8 five to seven pounds was the
usual pressure: by IStX) comjiound engines were in use at a
pressureof '25 to 40 pounds: in the "Us the pressure was
45 to 60 pounds, the average piston speed about 375 feet per
minute and the consumption of coal a little over two
pounds per horse power per hour: by 1SS0.82 the pros-

THE RAIL^VAY MASTER MECHANIC.

sure had risen to about 30 pounds, pistoQ speed to 450-475
feet and coal consumption had been reduced to 1-S3 pounds
per horse power per hour. Double cylinder compounds
have been superseded by triple cylinders, and even four
cylinder engines have been built. Triple expansion en.
^nes are now in use with steam pressures as high as 16.5
pounds and piston speeds of SOO to 1.000 feet per minute,
giving a fuel economy of 30 per cent, as compared with
double expansion engines working at about 80 pounds pres-
sure, and, say, half the above piston speed.

The combined weight of engine boilers and water in
modern marine practice is much less than it was when
the old single cylinder engines were in use. Triple expan-
sion engines have been built which weigh — engine,
boiler and water— as low as 140 pounds per indicated
borse power. In view of these facts is it not apparent
that the subject of compounding locomotives is worthy
of atttention ! Respectfully yours,

Geo. B. Sxow

Taghconic Asks Some Qaestions-

1 have noticed that some straight chimnies on locomo-
Uives of late construction are made of one thickness of iron
or steel, neatly secured to a plain saddle and have a ring,
of half round iron, at the top, the whole being neat in ap.
pearance, light in weight, cheap in first cost, and efficient

Others are made of two thicknesses of plate iron with an
air space between them, the outside plate being covered
with Russia or planished iron, and surmounted by a heavy
casting, adding cost and weight which give no return.
As one not posted in such matters I would. ask which is
the better, and why;

A question which will probably be presented to the clubs

ffor discussion, having often been discussed privately among

tthe club men, is this : " Is a radical change in the form and

nra)portion of the oil box advisable;" Answer from some

cofpertsis, "Yes, if the advantage gained will warrant

aiiachange." Others say, " maintain the standards." '

Lltiis not well to depart from the standards to suit every

( igtti-ce, yet a too strict adherence to the adopted stand-

a, ifo\»vould. in some cases, prevent progress.

iJMifcubut a few years since the adoption of the M. C. B.
axl t^ .wtich is now being replaced by a larger one for
hea >» s«r*i.'ce. If, Bellamy-like, we look backward'a few
years' ■*'*^ St:' many axles in use with a journalS.'j by 4
or5ic 't'iJ.^s. ;^-lrt,hese dimensions had been taken for a
standa ^-^ wjtat iwuld have been the condition of things to
day; t >etveral new forms of journals, and journal bear-
ings, art ' it- ' use, with excellent results, though hampered
more or li iss by old tocms and dimensions.

Manyattea pts have b«eja made to use grease for lubri-
cation of car jo umals. They have failed for want of a
suitable oil box; while with a suitable box good results
would no doubt hi "'e followed.

The American oL ' box with waste packing beneath the
journal, took its ge neral form by accident, and from this
form there has been . 'ittle change in fifty years.

The foreign box, foi * some reason--sald to be economy-
was made to lubricate \ 'ith grea«e, which grease is so made
up as to be pasty in any temperature, neither liquifying in
warm nor becoming solid in cold weather.
Why not change our bo> and give good grease a trial;

As the agitation of the subject of chimney sizes seems
to be bringing forth good fruit it cannot be an evil tree.

-Allow me to say tba». there >s of necessity no relation
between the cylinder and the chimney as to size.

The chimney and the-b'uist pipe together form an ejector,
and the areas of the two parts should bear certain proper,
tions to each other. GoKi results will be found when the
proportions are as 12 to 1.

The cylinder, the grate, and the boiler have nothing to
do with the question except through the blast pipe.

After the steam has pa«e.id through the first 18 or 20
lim hes of the chimney the wor k of the ejector is completed,
:and if the chimney is tapered outward from that point, a
rslight improvement will be found.

THE TIMMS JOURNAL BOX,

THE HMMS JOtJKNAL BOX.

The accompanying illustrations show the Timms
journal box as made to conform to the M. C. B.
standards. It is readily applied to the M. C. B.
standard truck without alterations and takes the M.
C . B. brass without change.

The three leading features of this box are the end
stop, the dustguard and the close lid. Thepnd stop
will be seen by reference to Fig. 1 to consist of a
bracket shaped casting held in place between the
wedge and the top of the box and engaging the two
lugs on the inner top of the box.

Chicago Joint Defect Card.
/An adjourned meeting of representatives of rail-
•nva>3 centering in Chicago was held at the rooms of
ItheOTestern Railway Club on February 18, P. H.
B'eck in the chair, nine roads being represented
TTihe oommittee appointed at the first meeting to
design a card and draw up rules covering same
reported a card similar to the C. & N. W. red card
deseribed elsewhere. The report was thoroughly
discussed, and was in the main favorably received.
Several details, however, could not be agreed upon,
and the matter was referred back to the committee
with instructions to report at a meeting to be held
Da March IS, at 10 a. m.

Fig. 2.

The dustguard, shown in position in Fig. 1 and in
enlarged detail in Fig. 2, is made of wood and is so
constructed as to exclude dust and prevent the leak-
age of oil* It consists of a yoke shaped piece of
wood fitting beneath the journal and extending up
on each side of it to the top of the box. A second
piece fits in over the journal and between the upward
extending arms of the first piece and is held In place
by a spring as shown. The inclined surfaces of the

guard serve to "wipe" the oil in and prevent it from
working out upon the wheels.

The lid is made of pressed st^el and hinged to the
box in the ordinary way. The box is so constructed
as to allow the lid to close within its walls, making
the box dust proof at this point. The lid is kept
tightly closed by the spring shown.

This box will receive the collarless axle as readily
as the collared axles. Journals of the following di-
meusions are readily applied, viz: with collar, 4Jx8,
4x7, 3ix7; without collar, 4ix8i, 4x7, SfxSJ.

This box cannot with propriety be said to be longer
in the experimental stage; it has demonstrated its
worth very fully in practical service. It is claimed
for it that it saves 50 per cent, in oil and brass over
the common box, and the records of the service we
have seen, seem to substantiate this claim. We know
of one heavy private car which has been equipped
with it for nearly two years; the waste has never
been changed and there has never been a hot box on
this car. Some months ago two pair of wheels were
removed on a Chicago, St. Louis & Pittsburgh
coach after having been in use three years; the jour-
nals were worn to 3| in. diameter, that being the
limit allowed on that road before removal, but the
journal was as perfect as could be desired, both jour-
nal and brass being worn evenly and perfectly
straight. The end stop and dustguaM were found to be
in good condition and were worn very little. A ca-
boose on the same road was fitted up experimentally,
one set of trucks being fitted with the Timms oil box
and the other set of trucks with the ordinary box.
Five and one-half months thereafter, after the car
had made a mileage of 12,037 miles, the bearings
were examined, and the brasses in the ordinary
boxes had lost 65 ounces of metal each, while the
brasses in the Timms boxes had lost but U ounces
each. During the five and one-half months of ser-
vice the Timms boxes were oiled but once; the other
boxes were oiled at the usual intervals after the first
oiling. As the result of this test several more ca-
booses were entirely equipped.

On a C. W. & B. baggage car fitted with the
Timms end stop in connection with the M. C. B. oil
box the brasses were found to have lost only 3*
ounces after a mileage of 22,600 miles. A brass un-
der a C. W. & B. locomotive tender, after nine
months' service without the end stop, was found to
have made a mileage of 22,.500 miles and to have lost
28 ounces on each brass, or 14 pounds to the tender.
Brasses under the same tender having the same
mileage, but used with the Timms end stop, had a
loss of eight ounces from each brass, or four pounds

Mabch, 1890.

THE RAIL^VAY MASTER MECHANIC.

CONVENIENT SMALL SHOP-SPOKAKE FALLS & NORTHERN RAILWAY

to the tender, showing a difference of 10 pounds in
favor of the end stop. The president's car on the
West Va. Central equipped with the Timnis boxes
eamc new out of the shop and was run 40 miles in 42
minutes without a hot box. These are only a few
instances in which this box has demonstrated its re-
markable merit.

As will be seen by some of the instances cited
above the end stop alone is of great value, but the
combination of the dust proof lid, end stop and dust-
guard supplies a box which should command favor-
able attention. The Timms Coupler Company. Col-
umbus, O., are the manufacturers of these devices,
the cost of which is very little in excess of that of
ordinary boxes.

The small shop shown in our engraving has jus
been placed in running order by the Spokane Pall;
& Northern Ry. It is located at Spokane Falls
Wash., and was designed by, and is under the charge
of,C. H. Prescott, master mechanic of the road. The
plant is small but the road has only four moguls now
in service, with two standard American passenger
engines now building (all Baldwins) and not very
much room is needed as yet. The location ot the
machinery is shown in the engraving; there is yet
space for a tire lathe boiing machine and a wheel
press which Mr. Prescott hopes to have. The
building is a frame structure, boxed or ceiled up on
inside and its walls are packed with saw dust. The
roof has a one foot in 10 pitch and is covered with
tar telt and gravel. It pitches to the front and rear
on the engine house and machine shop and to the
side over the engine room, store room and smith
shop. One end of each roof beam rests on the wall
and the other on a center post, and the beams are
tied from end to end, being well braced. Thus the
floor is obstructed very little on account of posts.
The pits have stone concrete bottoms. There is
room en the ground for an extension of the half cir-
cle for the engine house as required.

The building is well lighted with windows and
skylights as shown. In its construction simplicity

and strength were the main points observed and in
rrangement Mr. Prescott thinks, and with good
reason too, that a high degree of convenience was
obtained.

PENDEYS THEOTTLE VALVE FOE LOCOMOTIVES.

The Cornish or double beat valve of Watthaslong
been almost universally used on American locomo-
tives. The difficulty with this form of valve is to
make it steam light, which is seldom or never done,
the work being laborious and tedious and therefore
costly. Should the perfection of workmanship be
such that the valve is tight when cold, yet when
heated by the stoam the difference of expansion be-

valve ojwns very close to the surface of the water in'
the boiler, which is a fruitful source of "priming,'"
and works great injury to the pistons and slide
valves. To prevent this in a certain measure "baffle
plates" attached to the stand pipes are resorti^d to, to
catch the water and throw it down again, but they
are far from being a cure, as an examination of the

Fig 2.
tween the valve body and valve stem will cause the
lower valve to be lifted from its seat, causing a leak
from the time it is first put into use, and from the
abrading action of the steam under high pressure it
soon becomes worse until an overhaul become sneces-
sary. Another fault of this valve is that the lower

valves will clearly show, t
one that is invariably at fault. The designs of valves
shown in Figs. 1 and 2 are intended to overcome the
above difficulties, and at the same time perfect the
balancing. They show the Pendry valve, made by
W. Allen Pendry, Detroit, Mich.

Fig. 1 shows the device on a dry pipe having the
usual goose-neck form. The valve differs from the
ordinary type, in that the lower vaive is closed and
formed into a plunger, the upper one only being used
to admit steam. The plunger has ports f through it
10 admit steam or air pressure to the cylinder in

THE RAIL^VAY MASTER MECHANIC.

March, 1890.

which it works. Its operation is as follows: When
the throttle lever is pulled out the rod G is lifted
and also lever D, which carries with it the small
valve a, its stem c, and eduction valve c', thus ad-
mitting Fteam at a, and closing eduction valve c'.
The steam now BUs cylinder d through the passage
around stem c, and everts an upward force on plun-
ger, B, equal to the downward or seating pressure
on main valve, ^-1, thus putting the whole valve very
nearly in equilibrium. A further motion of the
throttle lever opens valve A to any desired distance,
a reverse movement of the levers lowers lower vahe
3, .stem c and valve c', exhausting the steam rapidly
from the chamber d through ports Jf, and allowing
main valve, .1, to tall to its seat. The valve c' re-
mains open, and while running with valve closed,
should the engine be now reversed, the extra pres
sure in the dry pipe is relieved as it operates to lift
valve, A^ because it enters through ports / under the
plunger iJ, thus nullifying the plunger, and unbal
ancing valve 4; the pressure in the pipe in this in
stance .icting only to operate valve A the same a-, i
common check or safety valve between the pipe ;ui 1
the boiler and which opens by the collapsing sprnij
F, which can be set to any pressure.

Locomotive engineers adopted the heavy "goose
neck"' form of casting because the style of valve used
demanded it, although the loss by friction due to the
steam having to pass this right angle bend, particu
larly when working full throttle, was well known to
them.

Salionary and marine engineers have for many
years conceded that the "straight way" form of
valves had great advantages over all others and have
used them to the exclusion of all other kinds. The
form of valve shown in Fig. 2 is a "straight way"
locomotive throttle valve, the action being the same
as described in Fig. 1, the steam passing around the
plunger and its chamber as shown by the arrows.
This not only makes a lighter and more symmetrical
form but also reduces the friction incident to the
flow of steam through a right angle bend, as shown
in Fig. 1. The eduction valve in Fig. 2 differs from
that slfown in Fig. 1, but its action is the same. The
small hole F permits the escape of water of conden-
sation, and in this form of eduction valve allows a
straight reduction of pressure so that it can be
opened easily.

The Chicago & Grand Trunk and Detroit, Grand
Haven & Milwaukee have 1-50 of these valves on
their engines, some of which have been in constant
use for four years without a leak. The superintend-
ent of motive power and machinery of these roads
says they are just as tight as when first put on. and
we understand that all engines are equipped with
them as fast as they come in for repairs.

The following letter gives his opinion:

"tn answer to your enquiry about your throttle valves:
After two years' service it has proved itself admirably ad-
apted for locomotive uses, and I can thoroughly recommend
it. It has altogether stopped the trouble we had with leaky
throttles and when it requires grinding in it is a very sim-
ple matter, as it has only one face.

Yours truly.
H. RoBEKTM, Mechanical Sup't."

Mr. Roberts says that he puts on the straight way
valve altogether and has had no reason to change
his opinion since this letter was written.

Eipiring Eailro8d Patents, Febrnary, 1890.

(Furnished by F. H. Brock, patent attorney, tWJ F. s
Washington, D. C. These patents are now free to be ma
ufactred by any one. Copies of any patent furnished I
Mr. Brock at 15 cents.]

Lock for freight car doors, W. S. Brewster.

Car truck, W. Youmans.

Combined seat and desk for railway cars, W. C. Huffma

Snow plow, VV. Walker.

Railway tank feeder. A. Grochan.

Car Spring, G. Franklin.

Freight car, B. P Lamason.

Safety car truck, B. P. Lamason.

Railroad gate, J. Beamisdarfer.

Straightening railroad rails, L. J. Todd.

Railway track lifter, A. H. Arnot.

Safety hatch for cars, R. Listen.

Railway dust preventer, J, Welby.

Railway crossing, G. Elliott.

Rail joint, W. R. Clark.

THE STEEL TRUSS CAR WHEEL.

The steel truss car wheel, shown in our engrav-
ings, is offered by its makers as a wheel superior in
strength, lightness, durability and economy. Its
construction is well shown in the cuts. The wheel
.FUffJ. is composed of three princi-

pal parts, consisting of the
tire, .1, and two discs of cast
steel, -C, iJ, bearing sections
of the hub, C, C. The tire is
piOMded with a bevelled re-
taining ring, and the disc with
shoulders on their rim, 6, h,
(Fig 3) corresponding on the
inside with the shape of the
B I I Vb K' ooves in the tire, and form-

^ I 1^ mg on the outside the jieces-

^^ ■ "^ sary bearing surfaces to sup-

port the outer edges of the
tire The plan followed in
joining the tire and discs to-
gether is as follows: The tire
IS hist heated and shrunk on
the discs as shown in Figs. 1
and 3, which leaves a space of
_ . I about seven-eighths of an
■«■ inch between the inside shoul-
n dels of the hub sections. The
C B clamping shoulder of the
n discs are then forced into the
fl retaining ring of the tire un
JH der hydraulic pressure of

- B^ '''°'° ^ *" ^^ *°°*' ""''' *'"'
j] ^^ inside shoulderr of hub sec-
tions meet as shown in Figs.
2 and 4, thus forming an ab-
solute truss. After the wheel
is together, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4, four bolts are
inserted around the hub to prevent the springing of
the discs at center or hub, before the wheel is
pressed on the axle.

The inclined form of the groove in the retaining
ring on the tire, and the corresponding inclination

of the clamping shoulders on the disc, when forced
together by hydraulic pressure makes a connection
between the tire and center which will, it is claimed,
prevent slipping of the tire under the most severe
brake pressure that can be applied. In case of acci-
dental breakage of the tire, the retaining ring will
hold the broken section in place, and prevent further
damage.
The thickness of the disc proper is one-half inch,

and of the hub U inches. The wheels are applied to
the axles undera pressure of from 70 to "JO tons. The
tires are guaranteed for 260,000 miles.

An especial blaim for this wheel is that it is spe-
cially adapted on account of its elasticity, great

strength and absolutt_' ?aft_'ty. for r^ervict- on tine
coaches, locomotives tenders and fast freight, refrig-
erator, or palace stock cars. The wheel is made by
the Steel Truss Car Wheel Co.. room 408, Mermod
& Jaccard Building, St. Louis, Mo.

PERSOrJAU

Mr. G. R. Joughins has been appointed master me-
chanic of the Norfolk Southern road, having "charge of
rolling and floating equ pment." His office is at Berkley,
Va. Mr. Jouffhins was formerly masl3r mechanic of the
Erie & Huron Railway.

We regret exceedingly to learn of the death of Mr. Henry
Snyder, general manager of the Union Switch & Signal
Company. Mr. Snyder was a gentleman very highly
esteemed, not only in commercial circles, but among rail-
way men, with whom he had had dealings for years.
Thoroughly capable as a business man, well equipped with
technical information, and possessed of a hearty and genial
disposition, it was always a pleasure to meet him, either in
a business way or socially. His loss will be be deeply felt.

Mr. Wm. H. Turner, superintendent of the New York
division of the New York, New Haven & Hartford, died
January 31, of heart failure, after a short attack of pneu-
monia. Mr. Turner's career as a railway man was inter-
esting. At the age of IS be entered the freight office of the
Norwich & Worcester, at Worcester, under his brother, C.
S- Turner, agent. Here be gained a thorough knowledge
not only of station and yard work hut of transportation as
well, as he was often sent on the road in charge of trains.
His brother being called to the Worcester & Nashua (of
which he afterward became president) William was ap-
pointed agent, taking his instructions from P. St. M. An-
drews, to whom, in later years, he was to give instructions
as general superientendent. From this position he was, in
1871, appointed superintendent of the Portland &; Roches-
ter road. Four years later was made superintendent of
what IS now the Air Line division of the N. Y. N. H. & H.
R. R. In '77 he again entered the service of the Norwich
& Worcester (which in the meantime had become a division
of the New York & New England) as agent of their boat
line, the Norwich & New York Transportation Co., at New
York. When the N. Y. & N. E. passed into the hands of
receiver Clark, he called Mr. Turner to the superintendency
of the eastern (and most important) division, to check the
demoralization of the employes, to secure safe and prompt
movement of passengers, restore confidence in the road
and at the same time to enforce the most rigid econor y in
his department. The appointment proved to have been
well made and in six months Mr. Turner was promoted to
the office of general superintendent. The subsequent
change in the condition, reputation and prospects of the
property was very largely due to his conservatism, strict
economy, the attention he gave to the comfort and safety
of the travelling public, and to the harmony and loyalty lie
established in all grades of the employes. He left the N.
Y. &N. E. May 1, 1887, at the call of Mr. Clark, then pres-
ident of the N. Y. N. H. & H., to take charge of its New
York division, betv/een New York and New Haven; the
busiest and most important piece of track in New England.
To this position also Mr. Turner's ability proved equal, but
a never resting application to his duties, and his strong
sense of responsibility, so wore upon him as undoubtedly
to hasten his death. Mr. Turner's early life and training
on a New Hampshire farm showed itself in his splendid
constitution, manly bearing, self-reliance and sturdy com-
mon sense. While beloved by his associates in official
station, he was scarcely less popular with his men. His
character was an inspiration to those who knew him best,
and the true greatness of this man among men lives on in

We regret to learn that Mr. Chas. Blackwell has left the
railroad service, being now with Shoenberger & Company,
ihe well known Pittsburgh iron and steel firm. Mr. Black-
well had been of late with the Toledo, St. Louis & Kansas

THK RAIL^VAY MASTER MECHANIC.

City Ry. as assistant superinl«DdeDt. but is better kaown
through his long connection with the mechanical depart-
ments of the Central of Georgia, Norfolk & Western and
other roads. The mercantile world gains an able man by
this change.

The railroad service loses another good offlcer in the re-
tirement of Mr. H. Tandy, who last month resigned the
position of superintendent of motive power of the New
York, Ontario & Western, and who has become assistant
superintendent of the Brooks Locomotive Works.

Mr. George Hackney, superintendent of motive power of
the Chicago, Santa Fe & California, has resigned, and the
jurisdiction iif Mr. Harvey Middleton, superintendent of
motive power of the Atchison, Topeka .& Santa Fo, has
been extended to include Mr. Hackney's late duties.

We learn that Mr. W. T. Small, superintendent of mo
tive power of the Northern Pacific is seriously ill with a
complication of pleurisy and pneumonia. His many friends
are hoping anxiously for an improvement in his condition.

THE FEBRUARY CLUB MEETINGS.

THE NORTHWEST RAILBOAD ULTJB.

on Axles for Heavy Tenders.

The following paper was read at the February
meeting of the Northwest Club by Mr. W. H. Lewis,
of the C, B. & X. We are compelled to omit the dis-
cussion.

At the last meeting of the Northwest Railroad Club, the
circular of the committee of the Master Mechanic's Asso-
ciation on the subject of axles for heavy tenders, was dis-
cussed informally; and it was thought desirable to present
this as a subject for discussion at this meeting, and I was
requested to introduce the same. I will therefore endeavor
to elucidate my preference of the proper form and propor-
tions for same.

We will tirst consider that an axle for this purpose is ex-
pected to bear, which, according to the explanations of the
committee, should be for a tender with a water capacity of
3,80U gallons, and 16,000 lbs. of coal. The weight would be
as follows :

Water, lbs 29,480

Coal ; 15,000

Dight weight of tender 28,500

Total 73,980

DtHluct weightof wheals and axles t).4U0

Weight on axles 6T.580

We find the total weight carried is somewhat less than
that of cars of 6i->,U00 capacity, and we will therefore assume
that the general dimensions adopted by the M. C. B. Asso-
ciation for cars of that capacity are ample.

Our company has 15 locomotives with tenders of the ca-
pacity and weight given above, that are being carried on
an M. C. B. standard axle, size 3;'iX* in. journal.

The question was asked at our lasr meeting, why is it
necessary to increase the length of journal from 7 toS in
I will endeavor to answer this; and to make the matter
plain, will call your attention to the laws of friction, as fol-
lows; The measure of friction is independent of the ex-
tent of surface in contact, the pressure and the conditions
and character of the surface being the same It is also
independent of the velocity of continuous motion.

Experiments have been made with different metals and
with pressure increasing up to the limit of abrasion, which
show that the above are not universally true. Even if the
pressure producing abrasion is not reached, it may oe so in-
tense as to force out the lubrication and produce abrasion
and heating.

It has been demonstrated by practice that the measure of
contact should not exceed a pressure of 300 lbs. per sq. in
of bearing. For the weight of heavy tender given above
with a journal .3;\' in., the weight per sq. in. is 301 lbs.,
while with a 4xS bearing with an area of bearing surface of
3-2 sq. in. the pressure is 26375 lbs.

Ib view of the fact that the M. C. B. Association has
adopted an axle for 60,000 lbs. capacity cars. I would
recommend that we conform as nearly as possible to that
design, with the exception of the diameter of journal, dust
guard and collar, which I would recommend to be 4 in., 4?^
in. and 4,Th in. respectively. This would in no way inter-
fere with the inlerchangeability of either new or old stand-
ard, if desired, with the exception of a slight difference in
the bearing when used in place of the 40,000 lbs. capacity
standard axle.

Experience has demonstrated that the strength of a 4 in.
diameter journal is ample, and, according to "Trautwine, "
is capable of sustaining a load of '201 tons with a
fulcrum of 6 in., or 199 tons with a fulcrum of V2 in. ;
or, in other words, the factor of safety is 25, which
is very largely in excess of any requirements in practice.

In this connection I wish to call your attention to the
slight ratio of increased pressure between a ful-
crum of & and 12 in. Many master mechanics
have opposed the increase of the length of jour-
nals from 7 to ^ in. on account of what they
termed the increased leverage of the journal, 'i'et we see
from the above figures that the decrease in the breaking
power was only four tons or 4 per cent, of the total, which,
reduced to the actual increase of bearings from 7 to "S
inches, represents a small increase in this direction.

I will therefore recommend that the dimensims asked
for in the circular of the committee of the Master
Mechanics' Association be as follows:

1. Are you in favor of an axle for heavy tenders with or
without end collars f A. With collars.

2. If in favor of an axle with end collars, please give fig-
ures for the foUowinET dimensions;

A. Diameter of end collar. A. i}^ in.

B. Diameter of journal. A. 4 in.

C. Diameter of dust guard seat. A. iJi in.

D. Diameter of wheel seat. A. 5\ in.

E. Diameter of center of axle. A. 4."< in.

F. Length of end collar. A. % in.

G. Length of journal. A. t> in.

H. Length of dust guard seat. A. 2 in.

I. Length of wheel seat. A. 7'4 in.

J. Length from center to center of journal. 6 ft. 3

K. Length of axle over aU. A. 7 ft. '4 in.

3. If in favor of the collarless axle, please give
mensions as above except the A and F. Also kind
stop and manner of fixing the same.

4. Which one of the three forms in use of form (
r>etween the wheels do you approve? And why;

What is the limit of journals per square inch of cc
^. 300 pounds.

THE WESTERN RAILWAY CLUB

Diacassion

Steel in Car Construction.

At the February meeting of the Western Railway
Club Mr. E. W. McK. Hughes read the following
paper on

THE USE OF SOLID PRESSED STEEL IN CAK COXSTIUTCTIOX.

fulfillment of my promise made at the last meeting, in

liable (

.he various points which have a d
nency on car construction, as well i
ligns for that purpose.

construction can only be effected and
made successful provided it fulfils three main conditions;
In the first place, greater simplicity in construction than
previously; in the second, greater economy either in manu-
facture or maintenance, or in both; add to these, decreased
weight, increased strength, and a reduction in parts mak
ing up the whole. I do not know of any invention of late
years that so meets with all the requirements to achieve
success as pressed steel in locomotive and car construction.
A solid pressed steel plate is produced complete and perfect
of sufficient rigidity, transversely and longi-
s to do away with the use of angle irons, and
le weight and cost of manufacture.

snger and freight truck dia-
composed of very few parts.

ludinally, so
thus reduce t
Take for e:
grams before us. They

and of one single material, which possess complete
geneity, and uniform strength throughout, the quality of
which is guaranteed by the shape it is pressed into. These
trucks, therefore, cannot but be more serviceable, while
they possess much strength and endurance in service. The
system also possesses the recommendation of enabling the
various parts to be replaced in facsimile an indefinite num-
ber of times with the certainty of perfect intercbangability,
thus reducing the labor in erection at the first start, and
subsequent labor in maintenance and repairs. Besides
this there is the additional advantage, that, in the case
of injury by wreckage, the parts are capable of being re
stored to their original form at a small cost; and if so badly
injured as to be past repair they are valuable scrap.

Having alluded briefly to a few of the many advantages
to be gained in these productions, I will next proceed to
describe by the aid of diagrams and models, the different
styles of trucks for passenger and freight service. Com-
paring them with the hitherto built trucks with channel
bars, angle irons, truss rods and bolts augmented with cast
iron, malleable castings and wood, a great contrast is
afforded by the simple, elegant and uniform shapes of the
Dressed steel trucks.

I will now proceed to notice the practical and commercial
considerations bearing on the subject of pressed steel. One
of the most important desiderata in connection with car
construction in these days of low tariff rates is lightness.
Pressed steel goes direct to this point, as it reduces dead
weight to be hauled. I cannot better demonstrate this argu-
ment than by reference to actual forms now in the room , I
mean these center plates. They vary in weight according to
design.as do the original cast plates they replace. In sample
No. 1 we have a pair of steel plates weighing '27 lbs., which
have been used to replace cast metal plates weighing i:i»
lbs. ; sample No. 2, weigh 45 lbs. and replace I6'2i.. lbs.

All these samples will carry the heaviest cars in service,
so I will take the first alluded to, which gives a saving of
•222 lbs per car, or a total saving per train of 30 cars of no
less than 6060 lbs. saved by the use of this small portion of
a car.

Going further, and taking a whole truck, we will see t
advantage gained in weight. The passenger truck, d
gram No. Ill, weighs 73:3a lbs. I would take the average
weight of an ordinary 4-wheel passenger truck of the pres-
ent day at about si'^6 lbs., giving an advantage to the
pressed steel truck of about 947 lbs., or a total saving in
dead weight to be hauled in a train of six cars of abju
11,364 lbs.

We next come to the freight trucks. The truck shown
in diagram No. 16 is designed to replace an ordinary rigid
bolster truck of the diamond t.vpe. It weighs 4600 lbs
against a composite built truck of rigid bolster form whic
may be taken at 5200 lbs., which would give a car mounte
on steel trucks the advantage in weight of 1'200 lbs., or on
a train of 30 cars, .36,000 lbs.

Diagram No. 146 illustrates a novel form of freight truck
We have nothing to compare it with, unless we take a pas
senger truck, for in this case we are offering for freigh
service a truck that might, and will, carrv a passenger
coach. The object aimed at in this truck has been to re
heve it of the severe concussions that are delivered on the
truck with a journal box rigid in the frame. This point is
attained, as will be seen by placing the springs in the side
frames and conveying the load through them to the jour
nals direct, by the introduction of equalizers.

This truck can be built either with or without end sills
We may compare it for weight without ends, 10 a diamond
truck. It is estimated to weigh 5115 lbs., and the weight
of a diamond truck to carry the same load (00,000 lbs.) may
be taken at 52(6 lbs. Thus we have 90 lbs. in favor of the

steel truck which is carrying equalizers weighing 280 lbs.
In other words, we have a truck for freight service in
which are conUined portions that at the present time only
ist in passenger service, and yet the weight is less by 90-
s. than the ordinary rigid bolster diamond truck.
Economy in maintenance is arrived at by the use of
pressed steel in car construction. A standard design hav-
ing been fixed upon, each part can be produced an indefip
ite number of times with perfect exactitude. Spare pans

therefore be held, and i

ments effected without

delay. This is a very valuable point in the use of such ma-
terial, and the further we get to a standard throughout the
country, the more valuable will be the use of our pressed
steel forms. Another important feature in these trucks is
their elasticity, which no other form possesses to such an
extent. A frame having a high degree of elasticity cannot
possibl.v destroy itself, as a rigid built one will. We can-
not have action without reaction and when a shock is im-
parted to a pressed steel truck, the blow is distributed uni-
formly throughout the frame, and owing to the high elas-
ticity of the whole, each part takes its own share, and thus
relieves the jar. In a rigid frame however, such a shock
would naturally cause far greater deterioration than in the
more elastic frame.

If the whole train is made up of such elastic trucks, it is
capable, after receiving a shock, of giving it back again.

nder such circimistances little
have closely watched the effects of elastii
ing 1 "

bad roads and have been
astonished at the ease with which they worked.

Wrought steel has worked a marked change in the con-
struction of ships, bridges, and the buildings we live in,
and I trust 1 have so far suciM^ded in demonstrating that
solid pressed steel is about to make a practical improve
ment in car construction.

The paper was verj' fully discussed.

A brief talk on valve motions followed, the Wil.son,
Grime and Clark motions being explained. The
committee on puhlie^tion of proceedings reported rec-
ommending that reports be withheld from the pre"?
that the verbatum notes be revised by the secretar
and submitted to the speakers for approval, and
published exclusively in the club I'rocecdings.
Action was deferred until the March meeting. At
the next meeting the club will discuss "The inter

THE RAILV/AY MASTER MECHANIC.

March, 1890.

change ™le3,'" and "The best method of balancing
tie reciprocating parts of locomotives."

ITEW EHGLABD EAUBOAD CLUB.

on Car Wheel Contracts.

The New England Railroad Club met in Boston,
Wednesday evening, February I'J, President Rich-
ards occupying the chair. He announced as the sub-
ject for discussion "The Master Car Builders' Asso-
ciation Form of Contract for Chilled Car Wheels."
Mr. .Tohn N. Lauder of the Old Colony Railroad
opened the subject. From his remarks we extract
the following:

The subject which has been presented for discussion
to-nii,'ht, I think is a matter of a jrood deal of impor-
tance to the railroads of the country. It was agi-
tated and talked up pretty thoroughly two or three
years ago by the wheel makers and the "representative
associations of the railroads. Action was taken at
that time, but there never has been, to my know-
ledge, any organized effort to put into effect any
of the principles discussed and agreed upon at that
time, as a good system of contract for car wheels.
The reputable wheel makers several years ago
formed an association to devise ways and means, as [
understand, to protect themselves in some degree
against what might be called illegitimate wheel manu-
facture. It is a fact well known by railroads Ibat a
Jirst-class wheel made by a reputable manufacturer
costs in the neighborhood of $10, and cannot be pro-
cured for much less with proper material and work-
manship put into it. We also know that wheels have
"been sold to some railroads at prices very much be-
low that, very much below what would produce a
safe and good wheel. Now the problem is how to
protect the railroads and the honest manufacturers
of wheels against these cheap productions. You may
tie the car builder up as tight as you please with
specifications, but unless you actually specify the
make of the wheel it will do very little good.

Now the Manufacturers' Association, in order to
have a full understanding of the matter and to get
the experience and judgment of the railroad men,
or in other words the wheel users, called upon the
two national organizations, the Master Mechanics'
Association and the Master Car Builders' Associa-
tion, to appoint committees to meet with the wheel
manufacturers, to see if they could formulate some
plan by which both parties could be protected
against these cheap wheels. They finally
formulated a system of specificat.ons and
costs of wheels and a form of contract that it was
Tielieved would be just to the wheel makers and the
railroads, and at the same time furnish an incentive
to The makers to produce a better wheel.

This report was adopted by the Master Me-
chanics' Association and Master Car Builders'
Association. Why, since then, there has not
been an effort to push this matter by the wheel mak-
ers, I cannot say. Its adoption by letter ballot makes
it one of the standards adopted by the Master Car
Builders' Association. A standard adopted by that
association is not binding on any railroad, but it has
amoral binding force which ought to be regarded,
and purchasing agents would do well to consider this
matter carefully, and I think they would come to the
same conclusion that the mechanical men have come

I think the railroads would receive benefit by mak-
ing contracts under this system which I have pre-
sented, and they would get belter wheels; the system
would give the wheel makers an incentive to make
the best wheel they could, even if the price they got
for the wheel was very near the cost price. If they
make a wheel that exceeds the guaranteed mileage
they get paid above that mileage, according to the
excess; so they have an inducement to construct a
wheel that will make a large mileage. The objec-
tion may be made that it is an easy matter to get a
wheel that will give a large mileage, but such a
wheel may be very unsafe to run. That matter is
provided for by the system of tests which are in-
tended to go with this form of contract.

As to methods of settlement, I think this system
provides the simplest possible way of settling with
the wheel maker. For instance, you contract for a
wheel tor $10, and the maker guarantees .50,000
miles; now, if the wheel has made 60,000 miles when
it is scrapped, you simply credit to the maker the
extra 10,000 miles; if it has made 45,000 miles you
charge him with 5,000 miles. A large mileage is
profitable to the railroad, because it saves detention
of cars in changing wheels; it costs, perhaps, $3 to
shift a pair of wheels.

Mr* Lauder here read a paper prepared by
Mr. W. W. Snow, a prominent wheel maker, from
which we extract the following:

We refrard the omission of wheels removed be-
cause of sharp flanges from the list of those for which the
maker is not responsible, as very severe, and we think
there is apt to be much controversy on this point. A very
large proportion of sharp flanges is due to other causes
than the quality of the chill on the \vheel. At a recent
meeting of the Wheel Manufacturers' Association the Mas-

terCar Builders' report was under consideration, and it was
recommended by that association that where wheels are re-
moved for sharp flanges the flange should be bronen. and
if the fracture shows a good bright chill itshall be evidence
that the flange wear was produced by other causes than
those for which the wheel maker is respansible.

Referring to the proposed settlement, we would suggest
that the form or table given on page S(j of the master car
builders' annual report is somewhat misleading. This
table represents the comparative value of, or difference be-
tween, high and low priced wheels. It is not a table by
which settlements can be made, as it places no value on the
old wheel. To place the matter in its proper light we would
suggest a careful consideration of the relation of the scrap
value of a wheel to the price of a new wheel. We find
there are two items of value in a wheel. One is the scrap
value, which must always be recognized in the new wheel
as well as in the old ; this value is always about 4.5 per cent.
' ",he new wheel. The other item of value is

thes

iof t

To illustrate s

Cost of wheel

S^rup value. 45 per <

Service value

This surface value — $5o0— is guaranteed to equal t;

the user to be 1

It is quite evident that this 9 1-fi cents per 1,000 miles of
service should be the basis of settlement for a wheel cost-
ing $10, and the table as presented in the report should be
adjusted to the facts as already shown.

METHOD OF COJIPCTIXH COST OF WHEEL SERVICE, AS SUG-
GESTED HV TUE WUEEL MAKERS' ASSOCIATION.

In adjusting the price at which a scrap wheel should be
charged back to the maker, either for the purpose of charg-
ing the short mileage or crediting the excess over the
guaranty, it is understood that 45 per cent, of the price at
which the wheel is sold would represent its value as old
material, and 55 per cent, would represent the actual cost
to the railroad company.

Now, suppose, for illustration, that a 33 in. passenger
car wheel, weighing from 550 to 5fiO lbs., and guaranteed
for 60,000 miles service, is sold for $11. When that wheel
is scrapped, 55 per cent, of its first cost, or $605, is charged
back to the maker. As an offset to this charge the maker
receives a credit for the service that the wheel has per-
formed. On the foregoing basis of price the rate of ci-edit
is ascertained by dividing $605. the actual cost of the wheel
to the railroad company, by 60,000, the guaranteed mileage
—making 10 083 cents per 1,000 mile of service. At this
rate, if the wheel made but 50,000 miles, the maker's credit
would be 50 times 100S3 cents, or $504. As the wheel cost
the railroad company $6-05, according to the terms of the
Id have to pay the difference "

tween $6 05 and $5 W, the

of service performed,

Any excess of mileage that the railroad company had to
pay the -wheel maker would be computed on the same basis.

Mr. Marden — I believe that the best wheel that a
company can buy is the cheapest wheel for it to use,
and if it actually costs $10 to make a good wheel I
don't believe that a railroad company which buys
one for .$8 is going to get a good wheel.
I can hardly agree with Mr. Lauder as to the stand-
ards adopted by the association. Since the reorgani-
zation of the Master Car Builders' Association and
the appointment of representative members by the
different roads, who are authorized to cast the votes
of the roads they represent — I believe when such
votes are cast, or when a letter ballot is taken, and a
standard adopted, it really should be binding, and I
believe it is binding on the roads to use that stand-
ard, as far as practicable, on the rolling stock they
own. I hardly believe in admitting that a s'andard
adopted by the Master Car Builders' Association
ought not to be binding.

Mr. Shinn— I think one point has not been brought
out sufficiently, and that is the real cost of changing
wheels. We have to consider not only the actual
expense of making the change by the woi'kmen, but
also the cost of bringing a car with a bad wheel
back to the shop, which may be a hundred miles
distant, and the detention of the car, sometimes for
days and perhaps for weeks, say at an expense of .50

nts per day to the railroad company. Now, if the

'erage expense of changing a wheel is $:J'.50 to any
company, that $250 is a fixed charge and cannot be
left out of the account.

Mr. Lauder— I don't think we need trouble our-
selves very much in regard to the matter of the cost
of changing wheels; it is a thing that will regulate
itself.

Mr. Adams — It would be a benefit to the railroads
if we could drive the cheap wheels out of the mar-
ket, and the makers out of the bussness. The fact
that steel wheels run so much longer than iron ones,
and do not have to be changed so often, as well as
being so much safer, is a strong argument in their
favor. It is a very poor steel wheel that will not
make 7.5,000 to 100,000 miles before it requires turn-
ing, and we have a good many in our cars that have
gone 1-50,000 miles without turning, and a number
that have gone over 200,000 miles. I think it is
doubtful if the system proposed for buying wheels
will come into general use.

Mr. Nye— If a wheel maker agrees to furnish a
wheel 33 inches in diameter, weighing 600 pounds,
and guarantees it to run 50,000 miles, and it runs
49,000 miles, he should have pay for the mileage
it has made, and you can sell your wheel for what it
is worth; but the roads says it wants anew wheel
Iti place of the old one, which I think is very unjust;

it ought to pay for the work that the wheel
has done on "the road. I believe that the
mileage that a wheel does not make under the
guaranty should be charged to the maker, and the
mileage that it makes in excess of that guaranteed
should be credited to him.

Adjourned.

The subject for discussion next month will be,
"Freight car couplers."

The advantages of steam heat over the (
stove for heating cars has been strongly shown up
by a notable series of accidents occurring within re-
cent months. We may cite a few instances to illus-
trate this, the accidents referred to being of recent
date: A Chesapeake & Ohio vestible train was
wrecked and 10 persons were killed and about a score
injured. As the cars in this train were heated by
steam, fire did not break out, and a terrible holo-
caust was thus undoubtedly avoided, because it was
several hours hefoi-e the p'assengers were extricated
from th<_' uiir,,. A I . > , nt railroad accident at Pitts-
burgh, l':i - :; man being burned to death
by the tin ■, ,1 the wreck. A Northern
Pacific [>:i>-. [ Li ■yi'ii \\a^ badly wrecked and the
baggage car caut;hl lire; fortunately the psissengers
were pulled out before being burned. A Union
Pacific train was wrecked and two mail cars
and the baggage cars burned, the sleepers being also
badly bur. all. la Mii-- case, also, the passengers
weregott. (1 (•■ a n i lu i,> save them from the hor'
lorsof l>ui; _ aie but a few of the recent
oocurrcar. - .: - , . ^oiag to show the need of
steam heat ••u (.;; i,:.--,!i-er trains. The Chesapeake
& Ohio accidciil tliat wc spoke of, sad as it was,
would undoubtedly been even more horrible had it
not been that it was heated with steam, the cars be-
ing equipped with the apparatus of the Consolidated
Car Heating Co.

SUPPLY TRADE NOTES.

—The Adams and Wesllake Company have in connection
with their other business begun the manufacture of brass
bedsteads at their works, bounded by Ontario, Franklin,
Ontario and Market streets, Chicago. They will produce
a superior quality of work, adopting throughout the En-
glish sysLtm of construction and finish, employing expert
English mechanics trained to the business, and importing
the necessary material direct from Europe. Their bed-
steads, they announce, will be superior to any hitherto pro-
duced by American manufacturers, and in point of finish
as well as mechanical excellence will be guaranteed to be
the equal of any ever imported. They are prepared to ex-
hibit samples showing the character of thpir work, and
will shortly be able to supply catalogues of designs and

—Jenkins Bros, aunounce a considerable reduction in the
prices of their well known valves.

—The Tripp Manufacturing Co., of Boston, who are the
sole manufacturers of the celebrated Tripp anti-friction
bearings and Tripp's metallic packing have removed to 180
Summer street, where they have elegant offices. Their
rapidly increasing business necessitated the change.

—The American Sieel Car Wheel Company, of Boston,
have removed to new quarters, now occupying offices in
New England Building, No. ISO Summer street.

—The number of Hale & Kilburn car seats of the latest
design now in use is very close to 30,000. The success of
this seat has been simply remarkable.

—The Billings & Spencer Company, of Hartford, Conn.,
now makes U7 different styles of wrenches, besides drop
forgings in almost endless variety and of the highest finish.

—The Standard Car. Coupling Company is supplying im-
proved Dowling couplers for the New York Central, Mer-
chants' Dispatch and Eastman heated freight cars, amount
ing to IGOO cars altogether.

—The Adams Express Company has arranged to operate
Burton horse cars on the Pennsylvania Hues between New
York and Chicago, in passenger train service. Twenty-
five cars to be used in this service are being built by the
Burton Car Company at Wichita, Kan.

—The Deoxidized Metal Company, of Bridgeport, Conn.,
has a very large and profitable business in furnishing "di-
gesters" for wood pulp paper mills. The de-oxidized metal
rings which it casts for these digesters are lU feet in dia-
meter. It has tfie entire control of this business. The
company, however, does not neglect the car journal bear-
ing field and its car brasses are making excellent records.

—A train of 15 Eastman heated cars recently made the
trip from St. Paul to Boston, loaded with potatoes. During
part of the journey the cars passed through a region in
which the temperature was '20 degrees below zero. The
Eastman apparatus, however, maintained a uniform heat
within the cars of about 50 degrees, and the potatoes
reached Boston in perfect order. Over 1500 of these cara

THE RAILV^AY MASTKR MECHANIC

are now running, and their absolute reliability has been
proven in hundreds of instances.

— The Springfield Emery Wheel Manufacturing Company
has opened occupied a new and almost limitless field in the
the use of emery wheels for shop work. Perhaps no manufac
turing concern in the country has brought out so many new
and useful machines during the last five years as have been
designed and built by this concern. Several special ma
chines made by this company have been illustrated in the
Kailway Mast2k Mechanic, but those were only a few of
the many which have been designed and successfully applied
to special uses. The company expects to occupy its new
shops at Bridgeport, Conn., before May 1. Its quarters at
Springfield, Mass., have long been over crowded.

—The Adams & Westlake Co., of Chicago, have issued a
circular calling attention of those who use steel guard lan-
terns the advantages of one-piece and one piece bottom Ian.
terns instead of the old three-piece top patterns. In the
one-piece lanterns the tops and bottoms are drawn from a
single piece of heavy tin plate. They also point out the ad-
vantage of using lanterns in which the ears to which the
bail is attached are a part of two of the upright guards and
not separate pieces ; and they urge that a regard for ali
these points will reduce the consumption of lanterns and
insure a smaller annual outlay.

—The Chicago and West Michigan is determined not to
be outdone in comfort and elegance for its passenger travel ;
it has just placed an order for six new coaches, for which
are specified " the new Scarritt" seat. This is the same
equipment which the 0. & A., Big Four and I. & G. N.
have recently ordered.

— George Westinghouse, jr., and C. H. .Tackson. president
and vice president of the Standard Car Heating and Ven-
tilating Company, of Pittsburgh, have become directors
and large shareholders in the Consolidated Car-Heating
Company, of Albany. The interests of the Pittsburgh
company are thus consolidated with the Albany company,
which, by the arrangement, greatly extends the field of its
operations and becomes the owner of an additional number
of valuable patents and improved devices for heating and
ventilating railway cars and lighting such cars by elect-
ricity. Automatic regulation of heat, which will obviate
the complaints of the variable temperature of steam heated
cars, is also secured by an attachment to the air-brake
cylinder with which all cars are alreaay equipped. Sev-
eral of the features of the heating systems of the Standard
company have lately had considerable trial upon the Penn-
sylvania and Baltimore & Ohio roads with favorable

—The Link Belt Machinery Company issue an handsome
catalogue, giving illustrations and description of the vari
ous forms of link belts made by them and also the many
uses to which their belts are put in handling material in
bulk and in packages.

—The Pond Machine Tool Company, through its selling
agents. Manning, Maxwell & Moore, ll:i Liberty street.
New York, has received an order from the ordnance de-
partment of the United States government for 10 large
lathes, for the work of turning, boring and finishing guns
of S tola ins. caliber. The contract amounts to #247,S00.
The time of delivery extends over a period of about three
years, which enables the Pond Machine Tool Company to
Uko care of its regular work promptly, and does uot ma-
terially reduce the production of its shops for regular rail-
road and machine shop trade.

—The Hubbard car seat cushions, made by the American
Car Seat Co., 300 to 3()fi Deaborn street, Chicago, are of
notable excellence in point of spring action and durability.
The delicacy and perfix-tion of elasticity of these seats has
been known for some time, but the objection against their
use has been their high cost. The company has, however,
by improved machinery, overcome this objection and can
hereafter furnish the cushions at prices that will be satis-
factory to those desiring a superior article.

—David Russell has been made superintendent and H.
Tandy assistant superintendent of the Brooks Locomotive
Works, at Dunkirk. Mr. Russell was formerly assistant
superintendent. Mr. Tandy recently resigned the position
of superintendent of motive power of the New York, On-
tario & Western to connect himself with the Brooks Works.

—The stockholders of the Illinois Steel Company met at
the offices of the company in the Rookery building on the
13th instant and elected Jay C. Morse president. The old
board of directors, executive committee and officers were
re-elected with the exception of the treasurer and secretary
and assistant secretary, both of whom declined office. Their
places were filled by the choice of J. C. Stirling as acting
treasurer and B. W. Perkins as acting secretary-. The com-
pany gives out the following report : The total value of
finished product shipped in the eight months of 1SN9 after
its organization was J15,275,.V39 ; the company received a
total of 2,(>»S,6S8 tons of raw material and shipped over .tOO,-
000 tons of finished products ; the toul pay-roll amounted
to $3,660,SS7, and the purchases of miscellaneous stores and

nted

fiO:!.

supplies of all kit
received SS,554 cars of material and shipped 40,y.'i4 i
there were employed directly at all the works on an a
age per day S,3I!0 men, besides the employment given
rectly to an additional force in the production of coke,
iron ore, limestone and other materials.

THE OFFICIAL RAILWAY LIST,

Changes for the Month of February, 1890.

Alamama MiiiLANU.- H. Miller to be general freight
agent, at Birmingham; C. M.Craig to be chief engineer,
viC3 H. A. Schwanecke resigned.

Atchisox, Toi'EKA & Santa Fe.— Geo. Hackney super-
tendent of machinery lines east Missouri river, resigned ;
jurisdiction of Harvey Middleton extended to cover Chi-

Ballimore & Ouio.— Geo. T. Jarvis to be superintend-
ent Ohio division, vice R. T. Devries, resigned.

Baltimore & Ohio Soithwestekx.— John E. Rose to be
superintendent; O. P. McCarty to be general passenger
agent, vice C. K. Lord.

BrRLlSGTiis & MissocRl Rivek.— E. F. Highland to be
assistant superintendent Cheyenne line, vice J. R. Phelan,
appointed superintendent Black Hills division.

Chicago & Alton.— D. Bowes to be general western
passenger agent, at St. Louis, vice S. H. Hunt, deceased;

A. Hilton to be general agent at St. Louis, vice Bowes,
pi-omoted.

Chicago & Eastern Illinois and Mackev System.—
The following changes took place March 1 : Vice president
and general manager O. S. Lyford, of Chicago & Eastern
Illinois and Chicago & Indiana Coal, relieved of duties of
general manager. George (J. Kimball, second vice presi-
dent of same roads, resigned and position abolished.
George W. Saul appointed general manager of both sys-
tems, with "headquarters at Chicago. D. R. Patterson,
general superintendent C. & E I., made general superin-
tendent of both systems. S. H. Spooner, general attorney
for Chicago & Eastern Illinois and Chicago &. Indiana Coal
resigned, and W. H Lyford, promoted to the position, with
title of general solicitor for all lines in the combination.
S. H. Miller, chief engineer; E. P. Dawley, assistant en-
gineer, and James Strong, general roadmaster of the Chi-
cago & Eastern Illinois and Chicago & Indiana Coal re-
signed. an<J the positions consolidated into one, to be filled
bv F. H. Baldwin, with title of chief engineer and superin-
tendent of maintenance. W. G. Brimson, trainmaster of
Chicago & Eastern Illinois, resigned and office abolished,
the duties of W. S. Page, superintendent of transporlation
of the Chicago & Indiana Coal R., extended to cover Mr.
Brimson's duties. P. W. Drew, superintendent of tele-
graph of Chicago & Eastern Illinois and Chicago & Indiana
Coal, resigned and position abolished. The duties will be
performed by F. H. Van Etten, chief train dispatcher of
the Chicago "& Eastern Illinois, and J. E. Mathers, chief
train dispatcher of the Chicago & Indiana Coal R. G.J.
Grammar, traffic manager of Peoria, Decatur & Evans-
ville, becomes traffic manager of ali roads in the combina-
tion with headquarters at EvansviUe. H. A. Rubidge,
secretary and auditor of Chicago &, Eastern Illinois and
Chicago & Indiana Coal, is made secretary and auditor for
the consolidated system. Title of freight traffic manager P.
Davis, of the Porter roads, changed to general freight
agent of same part of new system. E. O. Hopkins, general
freight and passenger agent of Peoria, Decatur &, Evans-
viUe, transferred to general freight agent of same road and
EvansviUe & Terre Haute and EvansviUe & Indianapolis

ST Michigan, Detroit, Lansing & Noii-
inaw Valley fc St. Loiis.-J. B. MuUi-
kcn, vice president and general manager, resigned; C. M.
Heald to be general manager. ■

Chicago & Northwestern.- E. F. Potter to be chief
engineer Dakota Central division; H. R. Sanborn to be
superintendent bridges and buildings above division, vice
Potter promoted .

Chicago, si Th i ,v i: . -\- City.— J. Berliogett, ap-
pointed supirir, ' ■ II Miines and St, Joseph divi-
sions, vice \V i: - M il ; O. Cornelsen to be chief
train dispaich' i; : n promoted.

Chicago, Mm ,i i-i .\ St. Paul.— John E. McClure,
western passenger air.iil, at Denver, deceased.

Central ok Georgia.— John C. Calhoun elected vice
president.

Central New England & Western. -F. M. Rand to
be auditor and division superintendent, vice R. P. Martin,
resigned.

Clevelanii, Cincinnati, Chicago & St. Loiis.— Robert
Blee, general superintendent, resigned.

Georgia PAriFu.- H. C. Ansley to be auditor, vice J. E.
Starke, resigned.

Git.vNii TarNK. John Burton tobegeneral freight agent,
vice Thomas Tandy, deceased.

Hot ScRiNfj.s.- L. D. Richardson to be superintendent
and general freight and passenger agent.

Illinois Central.— John Dunn to be assistant to presi-
dent; N. D. Wiggins to be assistant superintendent Louisi-
ana division, at New Orleans.

Iowa Central.— Russell Sage elected president, vice A-

B. Stickney, resigned.

Little Miami.— Frank J. Jones elected to succeed Henrv
Hanna as president.

LniiLviLLE, New Alranv & Chicago.— J. O. Ewan to
be superintendent of transportation, vice E. L. Ryder,
resigned.

Manhattan Elevateil— Robert I. Sloan, chief engineer,
resigned, to take similar position with Chicago South Side
Rapid Transit Company.

Mexican Central.— H. A. Vaughan to be superintendent
Guadalajara division, vice C. E. Halbert, deceased.

CnicA

division superin-

I manager i

L. Martin I

to other

Minneapolis, St.
Kellie to act as assisi
duties, office al
vice M. P. Hawkins.

New VouK Central & Hudson River.-J. C. Wolf to
be auditor fi-eiglu accounts, vice J. F. Fairlamb, promoted
t.. succeed \V, K, ( lillett, resigned, as auditor; H. W. Webb
to be third vice president; Theodore Voorhees to be general
superintendent, vice John M. Toucey, made general man-
ager.

New York & Northern.- H. H. Vreeland to be super-
intendent.

YOR

-O. M. Shepard

1. snepard
perintendent New York division, vice W. H. Tur-
ner, deceased; office of general superintendent abolished.

New York, Pennsylvania & Ohio.^I. T. Wann to be
auditor and Earl Tupper to be secretary, vice Thos. War-
nock, deceased.

New York, Ontario & Western.— G. W. West to be
superintendent motive power, vice H. Tandy, resigned; J.
Burton, general manager, resigned.

Northern Pacific— F. W. Gilbert to be superintendent
Coeur d'Alene division; A.S.Morton to be auditor dis-
bursements, vice W. G. Pearce, appointed purchasing

Norfolk Southern.— G. R. Joughins to be master me-
chanic, in charge of rolling and floating equipment, at
Berkley, Va.

North and South of Chicago, (formerly St. Louis &
Chicago).— Now officered as follows: G. L. Hoyt, presi-
dent; C. H. Bosworth, Springfield, vice president; J. W.
Calhoun, secretary.

Ohio, Indiana & Western.-
mechanic, vice W. F. Kearney, deceased.

Philadelphia & Reading.— M. P.
ant general superintendent; G. D. Whitcomb to be super-
intendent Philadelphia & New York division ; F. W. Stone
to be assistant general freight agent; H. C. Tucker to be
general western agent, at Chicago, vice H. S. Snyder, re-

Pennsylvania Company. — James McCrea to be second
vice president of Pennsylvania lines west of the Ohio river
in place of William Thaw, deceased. Joseph Wood ap-
pointed general manager in place of James McCrea, and E.
B. Taylor to be general superintendent of transportation,
vice Joseph Wood. Charles Watts to succeed Mr. Taylor
as general superintendent.

Pennsylvania, Poughkeepsie & Boston.— Auditor E.
J. Fallon assumed duties of general freight and passenger
agent, vice A. M. Holden, resigned.

Pittsburgh, Port Wayne & Chicago. — Thomas Butler
to be master mechanic Crestline shops.

Redondo. — W. P. Clinton appoint*jd
vice J. W. HUl.

Richmond & Danville.— V
general manager in addition 1

Rio Grande Western.— L. J. Guinn to be trainmaster
and superintendent of telegraph, at Salt Lake City.

Savannah, Americus &. MoNTtiOMERY. — E. S. Goodman
to be general freight and passenger agent.

St. Louis, Arkansas & Texas.— D. Miller to be general
traffic manager; E. W. La Beaume to be general passen-

fer agent ; L. P. Day to be general freight agent ; S. C.
obnson to be general auditor, at St. Louis.
St. Louis & San Francisco.— John O'Day, vice presi-
dent and general counsel, resigned.

SE.1TTLE, Lake Shore & Eastern.— J. R. McDonald,
president, resigned ; A. S. Dunham appointed managing

Southern Pacific. —E. Hawley to be assistant general
traffic manager, headquarters at New York City; J. E.
Lindberg to be superintendent Shasta division vice A. F.
George, resigned.

TEXARKANA& FoRT SMITH (formerly K C^T. AGulf).
—This road is now officered as follows: W. L. Whitaker,
president; Wm. Buchanan, vice president; L. L. Keller,
general superintendent; J. H. Smelser, secretary; T. H.
Garrett, general freight and passenger agent; J. A. Buch-
anan, audfitor; H. M. Whitaker, general attorney; offices,
Texarkana, Tex.

Toledo & South Haven.— Now officered as follows: R.
B. Dobson, New York, president; C. J. Monroe, vice presi-
dent; John Ihling, Lawton, general manager; W. G. Snow,
New York, secretary.

Texas & Pacific— Leroy Trice to be division superin-
tendent.

Terre Haute & Peoria. -W. G. Van Buskirk to be mas
tcr mechanic at Paris, III., vice F. Young, resigned.

Warash.— H. Dunlai) to be superintendent bridges and
buildings, vice J. B. Mitchell, resigned; J. Hewitt, master
mecnanic, Detroit division, resigned.

Western New York & Pennsylvania. -J. E. Shields
to be assistant to president .

BUSINESS NOTICES.

ll) Slaiulnrd Nciilt-

A Creditable Showing
Testing Macuin
At the Centennial Expos
ighest a

RiEUL

on In ISrti this firm received
ard for the Railroad Track Scale they
exhibited.

" It appeared to the judges that their construction
offered the greatest guarantee of durability com-
bined with accuracy."

Time has proved the correctness of their verdict, foHhe
most durable Track Scales to be found arc those of Riehle
Brothers.

THE FlAIL^VAY MASTER MECHANIC.

" Peraeverenlia omnia vinoil "' thej- thoroughly believe
in, and it has carried them successfully through the severest
competition and opposition.

Flattering Exdor^semests. Such endorsements as the
following should command attention and respect, and give
confidence to all purchasers of Scales:

"We selected your Scales as the best after careful con-
sideration.' The I. P. MoKKis Compaxv,
W, C. P. Thomas, Secretary.

" We have used Riehle Bros.' make of Scales for twenty
years. We have two of their Track Scales, one of 60 tons
and one of 90 tons— are giving satisfaction.'*
The Wm. Cramp & Soxs Ship and Engine Blug. Co.,
Henry W. Cramp. Secretary.

' Your Railroad Track and other Scales have given us
:ire satisfaction." Phcenix Irox Co.,

David Reeves, President.

' Vour Railroad Track Scales for accuracy and sensitive-
ss have no superior at these works."

Cambria Iron Co.,
John Fulton, Superintendent.

) mistake in selecting your Track
,te and durable."

Betts Machine Co..
A. Betts, President.
' Very satisfactory."

HINSON GAR COUPLER GO ,

SUITE 518 THE ROOKERY.

J. E. FORSYTH, General Manager.
CHICACO.

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ALSO:kTHE NEW

PERFECTED RETURN SYSTEM.

FULL INFORMATION "p- APPLICATION to a^e Gen^ai office.^ ALBANY, NEW YORK.

Branch Offices: Chicago, 616 Phenix Bldg. New York, 15 Cortlandt St.

Tlno :^-uLrtoi3. Stools. Oetr Oo.y

CAR BUILDERS AND TRANSPORTERS OF LIVE STOCK.

General Office, 194 Washington Street, Boston, Mass. | 12 ft 44 Live Stock Exchange, Kansas City, Ho.

Ohieagj Office,

, Chicago, 111.

39 Exchange Street, Portland, He., and at Works, Wichita.

J?E WttL LICENSE LiHEOAI JOlfPilflES TO BUttD iOT OPEEATB CA2S TOIES OUE PilEUIS ON LIBESAl TEEIIS.
espondence Solicited. GEO. D. BURTON, Treasurer, BOSTON, MASS-

THE TRIPP METALLIC PACKING.

THE BEST IN THE WORLD.

This is the only scientific packing ever Invented for packing
rods or stems against steam, water or air. It is geomet-
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THE RAILWAY MASTER MECHANIC.

PAIJ^WAY JVIASJPJ5 JVEFCPAJIIC.

WALTER D. CROSMAN,

Manager Editorial Department.
EDWIN N, LEWIS,

Manager Business Department.

MONTHLY BV THE
RAILWAY PURCHASING AGENT COMPANY,

Devoted to the interestM of railway motive power, equipment
and machinery. Communications on any topics suitable to these
columns are solicited.

Prior to January 1, 1886. this jonnial was known as The Rail-
way Purchasing Attent. It will still in its new and wider field be
adapted to the especial wants of all who purchase or infli
the purchase of railway supplies.

Subscription price, $rno a year. AdvertlsInK rates and details
concerning circulation Kivei

THE RAILWAY MASTER MECHANIC.

The Kookery. Cliicugu.
New Vokk Office: 45 Bioudwuy, Room 1«.
The Offlclat Ttailirav List i» fmliliehed by Ihh company.

Vol. 5. 1 CHICAGO, APRIL, 189J. INo.

TiiK ftcijuittal of Kngiueer Twombly and Fire-
man La Cloche, who were imlictetl for murder in
the Rock Island collision case, cannot be taken as
satisfying. There was somewhat contlictiug testi-
mony as to the throwing of the semaphore signal
in time, but the train was ahead of time and run-
ning at a wrongful speed and altogether the verdict
appears to represent a miscarriage of justice.
There is little helpful to the traveler in the
thought that the responsibility for his safe keeping
is permitted to be held so lightly.

Those who are offering improved methods of
car lighting should never forget that success de-
pends upon the amount of light produced, rather
than on the method of its production. Electricity,
for example, will not illuminate a car any more
brightly than three old fashioned lamps unless
enough burners are used to give an increasei'
amount of light. As poorly lighted a car as one
ever rode in was lighted by electric incandescent
burners. There were not enough of them — the
candle power of each was very low and the glass
bulbs were dim with dirt.

But it must be borne in mind that rail-
way men, particularly trainmen, station agents,
operators, etc., are charged with the gravest duties,
the momentary neglect of even apparently slight
details of which may, and frequently does, cause
serious disaster. A perfectly unclouded brain and
stroiig nerves are essentials in the safe direction
and immediate control of train movements, and
the whole range of wine-bibbers — from the ver-
iest tyro in elbow crooking to the oldest soaker,
knows that these essentials are destroyed by
liquor. A drink clears the head and steadies the
nerve only when placed in a stomach weakened
by previous drinking. If one is wedded to his
rum and resents the infringement upon his divine
rights as an individual, alleged to lie in such or-
ders as that of the Eock Island Railway, let him
leave railroading and take up some avocation in
which an occasional (or more likely perennial)
lapse from a state of perfect self-control will not
endanger life and property.

mitted the train to start with the air cut off from
the rear cars. The very best coupler in existence
will occasionally fail, and similar negligence would
cause an accident. No state board of railway
commissioners can afford to "slop over," but the
New York board has certainly done that very

tl.l„,r •'

Thkre is hardly room for a doubt that Chicago
will hold a Worlds Fair in 1898. And it is equally
certain that it will be made a world's wonder- an
exhibition of the nineteenth century, new and old
world civilization— a suitable closing of a century
which has given birth to more wonderful and use-
ful discoveries and inventions than all the eighteen
centuries which preceded it. No doubt there
will be a section devoted to railway material,
equipment and supplies, and it can easily be made
the grandest, most interesting and most instruc-
tive department of the display. What can be done
in this direction was indicated by the railway ex-
position in this city in 18;3. Rut during the ten
years which will have elapsed great improvements
have been made along all the lines referred to,
and also in 1893, there will be, no doubt, a very
large contribution to this section from foreign
countries. There should be no delay in perfecting
an organization to make this department of the
World's Fair what it can and ought to be. The
mistakes and weaknesses of the exposition of 1883
can be easily avoided. There are plenty of men
engaged in the manufacture of railway equipment
and supplies who have intellectual, moral and ex-
ecutive ability needed to make the railway depart-
ment of the World's Fair what it should be.

The fatal Englewood disaster has caused the
Eock Is'and management to issue a circular an-
nouncing that men known to be in the habit of
becoming intoxicated will not be employed; that
present employes known to frequent drinking
places must stop the practice, and if known to be-
come intoxicated either on or off duty, they will
be discharged, and that any one discharged for
intoxication will not be re-employed. Of course
the cry of "interference with personal liberties"
will go up from various classes of toddy-loving

TiiE New England Railroad Club's discussion
of the car coupling question has rather astonished
the rest of the country. The "tacts" and figures
presented at the meeting are entirely at variance
■with those met with in other parts of the country;
and the theories offered being based upon these
alleged facts are not acceptable elsewhere than in
the confines of New England. The club and its
membership are of a notably high class and the
tone of its last meeting is as inexplicable as is the
result of the vote of trainmen. While New Eng-
land roads cling to the link and pin many roads
elsewhere are rapidly adding to their equipment
of M. C. B. couideis; and while something over a
thousand New England employes vote against the
M. C. B. coupler some fifteen or twenty thousand
employes elsewhere are working to get the M. C. B.
coupler generally adopted. It has been well
known that considerable opposition to the hook
coupler existed in New England, but it was hardly
expected that that opposition would rear its horrid
front so prominently as this. The propositions
advanced at the meeting in question hardly merit
more than the brief notice we have here given
them— they have been met and refuted time and
again, and are dead issues. Jf the New England
rop.ds would drop their dead issues and take
up a live one in the shape of a strong movement
in favor of more careful handling of cars at ter-
minals they might greatly advance the car coup-
ling problem. The New England Club has for
once made a mistake. "Of this there is no manner
of doubt, no possible probable shadow of doubt,
no sort of a doubt whatever."

The outward manifestation of the interest which
railway men have taken in the compound locomo-
tive is evidently less than it was some months
ago. That this is not due to a real lack of interest
we are quite sure, and it can doubtless be attri-
buted to the disposition to await developments
from the workings of those engines now in opera-
tion in this country.

As many of our readers already know there are
three compound locomotives which have within
the last year been operated in this country, two of
which are of American build. Thus far they have
thrown but little light upon the many interesting
problems connected with the compounding of loco-
motives. But a brief reference to each of these
engines and tlieir work may not be amiss at this
time.

The Webb compound locomotive which the
Pennsylvania Railroad purchased in England was
the first of the three to be put in service. Being
a compound and of English design it attracted
much attention. As might be expected, however.
It has not met with general favor. The arrange-
ment of cylinders and the absence of parallel rods

The remarks of the New York state board of
railroad commissioners, in its report on the disaster
on the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern road near
Hamburg, N. Y., on the Cowell coupler will stri:
a large numberof railway men as being exceedingly
unjust. To inspect a single coupler and then
declare that "such couplers are in the highest
degree dangerous" does not speak well for the
fairness or judicial temperance of the board— to
say nothing of the light in which the utterance
places its mechanical knowledge. The Cowell
coupler would never have come into use as it has
if it were "in the highest degree dangerous." The
men and the roads which have selected it do not
adopt devices which can in fairness be so charac-
terized. If the Cowell coupler in the case in hand

have made the engine very weak in certain por-
tions of the stroke and this, together with the lack
of equalization and consequent hard riding and
the lack of conveniences for the men, have made
it unpopular. As a compound, however, its record
has shown considerable economy, if we would
judge from the rumors afloat. No official records
have been made public by the Pennsylvania Eail-
road and the exact results of its operation are
therefore known to a few persons only. In the
case of this particular engine this is a matter of
little moment, for the design is wholly unsuited to
American practice, and the only value of the tests
would be to know the advantage of the primipU
of compounding, and this has already been dem-
onstrated in Europe. It is doubtful, however, if
the results of operation there are strictly compara-
tive with any data obtainable on American roads
where the single expansion engines are of such
entirely different construction.

The second engine employing the compound
principle, which appeared last year, was built by
the Baldwin Locomotive Works under their pat-
ents, and put upon the Baltimore &Ohio Eailroad.
This engine was an exact duplicate of other eight-
wheeled engines on that road, except those parts
!ar affected by the compounding. The engine has four
ke j cylinders, two high and two low pressure. All the

cylinders are outside the frames', the 12 in. high
pressure cylinders being placed directly above the
20 in. low pressure ones, and the two pistons con-
nected to the same crosshead. The steam distri-
bution in the high and low pressure cylinders on
the one side was controlled by a single piston
valve. The mechanical details of this engine were
very nicely worked out, and everything is compact
and presents a good appearance. The chief diffi-
culties likely to be experienced with any such de-
sign as this lie in the steam distribution and the
, , , , . arrangement of steam passages. Live steam pass-

was brolien and therefore uncoupled, that is no ! ing through the piston valve, thence to the h p
more than might and does happen to any kind of j cylinder, back to the valve, then to the I. p. cylin.
fi°"r*;i;„ J'J^°*V "P?T";^''^-^" ^"""^ "'■''.'"^ der, and finally to the valve again, necessitates

liiving very tortuous and cramped steam passages;
and as in some cnses there can be but about i in.

then the board has no right to singly out the
Cowell for condemnation. In any event the fail-
ure of the two couplers to hold "together was not
in any proper sense of the term the "cause" of
the accident. Couplers of all types. Miller, Cowell
and M. C. B. get out of order and allow trains
to part almost every day, but with the air
brakes in order no damage results. In the case
under consideration the "cause" of the accident
was the gross carelessness of the employes who
failed to make the coupling secure after they had

.- _ ._ .^ — ^„,.j„.ug oc^uic iwi,ci Liicj iiau ijjg nuicu it mignt receive in passing turougti a re-
had warning of their imperfection, and who per- ceiver in the smoke-box. The manner of attacU-

of cast iron between two passages in which the
steam is at widely different temperatures, it fol-
lows that much condensation might be expected,
The cramped condition of the passages is apt to
result in wire drawing of the steam, especially
when it is exhausted from the low pressure cylin-
der, as its volume has then become so great. The
steam in this engine loses the benefit of any dry-
ing which it might receive in passing through j

THE RAILVv^AY MASTER MECHANIC.

ing the two pistons to the one crosshead, whUe
not verv objectionable as long as the powers de-
veloped in the two cylinders are the same, pos-
sesses decided disadvantages when the powers are
unequal, as then the tendency is to snap off the
piston rods at the shoulder of "the taper fit in the
crosshead. The weight of the reciprocating parts
is increased probably about 50 per cent., and this
leads to large disturbing forces, not only in the
reciprocating parts but also in the balance in the
driving wheels.

The results obtained from this engine, as in tlie
case of the Webb engine, have been kept private,
and very little has been heard from the engine
lately. It is to be hoped that the results will
finally be made public, as the data thus placed at
the disposal of those interested in the compound,
as carefuUy conducted tests, would probably indi-
cate pretty clearly the effect of that arrangement
of passages, and might give some valuably hints as
to the exact amountof condensation to be expected
and the value of a receiver in the smoke-box.

Th third and by far the most important of these
engines under consideration is the one built by the
Schenectady Locomotive Works and now running
on the Michigan Central Railroad. This engine
being of the two cyhnder type, and in all respects
a duplicate of others on the road except the cylin-
der arrangement, is especially interesting. This
engine has no objectionable features in its general
design, and those proportions which pertain to
compounding are very good. In the engine as it
first left the shop there were naturally some imper-
fections of steam distribution, some of which have
since been corrected. The compression, especially
in the high pressure cyhnder, was very great, and
was relieved* by cutting out the valve until it now
has ji in. inside clearance. The clearance space
of the h. p. cylinder was also enlarged, and the
receiver capacity increased, tending to materially
improve the condition of affairs in the h. p. cyhn-
der. Tests of this engine have recently been
made, but as the information furnished the pub-
lic lias been of a very incomplete nature, it is not
known how exhaustive the tests have been, nor
how economical theengine has proved to be. Any
decided saving in fuel which this engine may show
will be of special interest, from the fact that in
effecting this economy it must in so doing compete
with some of the most economical express engines
in the country. In the report made. public a few
miscellaneous diagrams have been presented, and
the results of three runs of the compound and three
trips of a single expansion of the same class. On
examination the data famished for these runs does
not appear conclusive. It demonstrates that there
is a decided saving in favor of the compound, but
just how much that is yet remains to be proved.
The first comparative run resulted in the single
engine using practically 13i per cent, more of coal
and water than the compound did. These results
appear quite logical, for, under the circumstances,
one would expect the evaporative power of the two
boilers would be the same, and that any saving in
water due to a better use of tlie steam aud the re-
duction of cylinder condensation would cause an
equal percentage of economy of fuel. In the next
two runs the results are very contradictory; in one
the pfrcentage of saving in coal is nearly twice
that of the reduction of water consumption, and in
the other the case is just reversed, and the saving
of water is far greater than that of coal. From
such a limited number of comparative runs giving
contradictory results, it is impossible to judge cor-
rectly as to the exact economy of the engine. We
feel quite confident, however, thatexcellent as this
engine may be, neither it nor any other compound
locomotive designed in the light of present knowl-
edge will ever save 2.5 per cent, of the fuel burned
by the common lO-wheeled engines on the Michi-
gan Central road, though this performance has
been claimed as a possibility for it by a recent
writer.

Two things which seem to be particularly desir-
able to settle in compounding are the relation be-
tween the cutoffs ill the high aud low pressure
cylinders and the volume of the receiver. It may
be confidently stated that the larger the latter,
within the jiractical limits fixed by the construc-

tion, the better it is, providing that the steam is
kept veiy hot while in the receiver. Experience
in Europe in regard to the relation of cutoffs
seems to be all in one direction, and that is that
the cut-off in the 1. p. cylinder should be later than
in the h. p. cylinder.

There is no compound at present running on
which a series of exhaustive and intelligen'ly con-
ducted tests would prove of more value than on
the Michigan Central engine. Within the next six
months there will probably be two more engines
of equal importance running, one in New England
and the other in the west. It may therefore be
safely concluded that by the close of 1890 there
will be considerable data at hand by which to
judge of the value of this type in American ser-

THE rOSITI

FIKK-BOXES.

One of the most interesting and timely subjects
on which a report is to be presented at the next
master mechanics' convention is that of the ad-
vantages and disadvantages of placing the fire-
box above the frames of the engine.

It is now 38 years since the eminent English
engineer Clark "published as his opinion, based on
extended experiment, the statement that the gi-ate
area of a locomotive boiler should be made as
small as possiblr, provided the rate of combustion
"does not exceed the limits imposed by physical
conditions." As this statement in an incomplete
form has been made use of time and again to ex-
cuse the insufficient size of the grates foundin
many locomotives, it is in order to enquire what
the limits imposed by physical conditions are.
In marine practice it is considered that to ensure
complete combustion not more than 15 lbs. of coal
should be burned on a square foot of grate surface
per indicated horse power per hour. For the pur-
pose of comparison let us see how this rate would
apply to locomotive work. Suppose an engine to
be indicating 800 horse power, and to be burning
4 lbs. of coal for each horse power per hour. The
total amount of fuel consumed in the time speci-
fied would be

800X4 = 3,200 lbs.
and the requisite grate area

«||»=213 sq.ft.

As locomotives having only 20 sq. ft., and even
less, grate area in their boilers are frequently
called upon to do the above work, day after day,
it follows that the rate of combustion is

^-'^X 15=160 lbs.
■2i)

of coal per square foot of grate per hour.

The enormous difference between the rates of
15 and 160 for marine and locomotive work re-
spectively, shows clearly how difficult a matter it
is to apply the same degrees of comparison to the
two kinds of service, and why it is grossly unfair
to put the locomotive boiler down as wasteful aud
extravagant when it labors under the great disad-
vantage of being forced far beyond the limits of
economy.

As the rate of combustion in the majority of the
engines with which Clark experimented was un-
der 100 lbs., it will be seen that his statement
regarding the size of grates must always be quali-
fied by the words with which he concluded and
which we have quoted.

In endeavoring to reduce the rate of combus-
tion to a reasonable figure, say 100 to 120 lbs. per
hour, the obvious plan is to increase the grate sur-
face. The frames of locomotives in this country
are usually placed about 42 in. apart; this dimen-
sion limits the width of the fire box, if placed be-
tween the frames, to about 33 in. If the box is deep
and has to go down between the axles of the main
and back drivers, the length will be about 6 ft. 8 in.
It is not advisable to go beyond this, as by so do-
ing the length of the coupling rods becomes ex-
cessive. The sizes given would form a grate hav-
ing an area of a trifle over 11 sq. ft. To get more
length some designers run the fire-box up over the
back axle, a plan first employed by Cudworth, the
width remaining as before. The new 10-wheelers

of the Louisville, New Albany & Chicago are built
, in this way. This disposal of the box admits of a
large grate surface, but is open to objections, espe-
cially when the barrel of the boiler is of large
diameter, a cross section having that contracted
appearance, at the grate liue and for some distance
above it, that Mr. Forney has aptly likened to a
tightly laced woman. What we regard as the better
method is to lift the tire-box entirely clear of the
frames and thereby gain the H in. or so in width
that are lost with the other style of box.

The wide fire-box above the frames, long
I used for anthracite, is now rapidly becoming
I popular for bituminous coal burning boilers, and
we have yet to hear a single regret that has fol-
lowed its adoption. The Schenectady Locomo-
tive Works' catalogue warmly recommends its use,
and gives figures showing substantial economy as
results. The New York Central, one of the most
conservative roads in the country in respect to mo-
tive power, is using the wide box on the new lOx
26 in. "Moguls;" the Michigan Central, the Illi-
nois Central and a host of our roads are having
their new engines built that way. Particular at-
tention should be paid to getting a sufficient depth of
leg to the boiler; 20 in. appears to be about the
minimum dimension compatible with entire satis-
faction. This is on the supposition thai the top
of the grate bars is on a level with the same point
on the mud ring, and there is really no reason
why the grates in any engine should go higher
than this. With a box shallower than 20 in. there
is difficulty in carrying a suffisiently heavy fire at
the front end, without encroaching on the flues.
This is especially true of the hard coal boilers, as
an anthracite fire is far more susceptible to the
chilling effects cf an in-rush of cold air than a
bituminous, as many firemen have ascertained to
their sorrow.

With large wheeled engines, where the center
line of the boiler can only be raised to a certain
height determined by the available head room in
tunnels and elsewhere, it becomes necessary,
therefore, to drop the top rail of the frame down
in order to secure a sufficient depth of box. This
makes the frame more costly both to forge and to
machine, but it is a very pound-foolish policy to
hesitate on that account when the desired end can
not be attained by any other means.

There are three points raised against the wide
box, one of which is the alteration in the driving
spring gear rendered imperative, the second, the
difficulty in getting atttie shell aud tire-box sheets
at the mud ring for the purpose of caulking, and
third, the height above the rails to which the cen-
ter line of boiler must be raised ordinarily. The
first of these constitutes a valid objection. The
spring gear must be somewhat more complicated,
expensive and harder to get at for repairing. Bail-
road men must decide for themselves, individu-
ally, whether t!ie advantages of a reduced rate of
combustion in the fhape of fuel economy are off-
set by the difficulties with the spring gear just
enumerated. Oar own experience has led us to
form the opinion that with large boilers there is
but one answer to the question, and that is a nega-
tive — that the net gain to be derived from the
wide box is great enough to compensate for a sub-
stantial increase in the cost of construction and
maintenance of the springs and their attachments.
With small boilers, however, which do not have
to be unduly forced to jierform their duties, any
gain in fuel economy is so slight as hardly to war-
rant a deviation in design from the deep box be-
tween the frames.

As we have always held that a mud ring should
be double riveted, no matter what its position
with relation to the engiue frames might bo, and as a
ring made in this way rarely gives trouble by leak-
ing, if honest work is done on it, the difficulty of
caulking the plates at this point is of no moment.
Eespecting the height of the boiler above the
rails, a high pitched engine is usually an easy rid-
ing one. This is easily accounted for. The
nearer a line drawn from the center of gravity of
a locomotive to the rail passes to the spring, the
more readily will the spring absorb the shocks
communicated to the wheels by inequalities in the
roadway, and the less will these shocks be trans-

Apkil, 1890.

THE RAILWAY MASTER MECHANIC.

ruitted to the framing to the engine. As there is,
we believe, no authentic instance on record of an
engine toppling over, purely on account of being
top heavj, we fail to see that the objection some-
times made, that it is inadvisable to raise the cen-
ter line of a boiler more than, say, 7 ft. 6 in. from
the track, is well taken.

The weight of the fire-box and shell, when stand-
ard, above the frames is usually transferred there-
to partly by means of cross braces, studded to the
mud ring, back head or throat sheet, and partly
by heavy wrought iron suspension links. Means
should also be provided, either in the shape of
diagonal cross braces or their equivalent, to resist
the tendency of the fire-box to "work" laterally,
which is always present in varying degrees, but
which is most pronounced when an engine is tak-
ing a curve. This is a feature which, overlooked or
neglected, as it sometimes is, subjects the sus-
pension links and their connections to severe side
bending stresses which rack the whole back part
of the engine to a prejudicial exteut. The pins
holding the upper end of the links are often forged
in one piece with the "pads" which take the studs
securing them to the shell plates. Another, and
in many respects a better, way, is where a heavy
iron or steel casting having a pocket on the out-
side into which the upper end of the suspension
Jink enters, takes the place of the wrought pad.
The pocket provides a bearing for the link pin at
each end of its length and so distributes the pres-
sure more uniformly throughout.

THE LAKE SIIOKE

The Lake Shore accident causing the death of
six persons and the serious injury of seventeen
more is peculiar in that there seems to be no par-
ticular lesson to be drawn from it — that is, it was
simply the direct result of unmitigated negligence.
The devices with which the train was equipped,
the rules under which the train was operated, the
conditions under which the train was running —
all were good, regular, normal, until the conduc-
tor, when a very ordinary accident happened,
neglected, openly and with direct disregard of the
most elementary knowledge wuich his long train-
ing had given him, to take the one needful, simple
step which would have made all practically right
again. There is no occasion to moralize on this
case — the one offense responsible for the disaster
was committed deliberately by a man with his eyes
wide open to the danger of his position. The
man flatly failed to exercise the proper judgment
in a case where almost any other, with a tenth
part of his experience and knowledge of railroad-
ing, would have done the right thing.

As most of our readers know by the daily press
reports, the tram — composed of eleven cars —
parted just back of the sixth car, by reason of
some defect of the coujjlings. The parting broke
the air-brake hose, and both portions of the train
came to a standstill through the action of the auto-
matic brake. Thifi happened at Dunkirk, and an
inspector located there brought a new hose, which
was refused by the conductor, who did not want to
take the time to put it on. The air cock at the rear
of the sixth car was closed by order of the con-
ductor, and the train proceeded. When nearing
Buffalo the train again parted, and when this was
discovered the brakes were applied upon the for-
ward section by some one operating the conduc-
tor's valve. As it was quickly seen that the rear I
section would collide with the first, the engineer I
was signaled to pull ahead, but he could not release
the brakes to get away for the conductor's valve
was still open. Theciash followed.

The conductor made his first grave error in re-
fusing to put on the new hose and proceeding with
his five heavy rear cars shut off from the air. His
next error was in not notifying either the rear
brakeman or the Pullman conductor that air was
cut off from their end of the train, and his next
in not stationing some one al the doubtful coupling
to watch for a second parting. As we have inti-
mated, little can be said of his conduct — it was
too obviously heedless and wrongful to permit of
trying to impress any lesson upon his mind.

The New York Railroad Commissioners have
very properly severely censured the conductor;
they also censure the engineer for pulling out with
a train so disabled by lack of braking power. Tlie
coroner's jury held the conductor personally re-
sponsible, and censured the Lake Sbore manage-
ment for not insisting upon a clear understanding
of all their rules. It is insisted by some that the
management is involved in the blame for so
dealing with its employes that the latter feel that
"making time" is of more importance tlian any-
thing else. The best code of rules in the world
maybe rendered nugatory by the manner in which
they are enforced by those in authority. Train-
men sometimes are compelled to read "between
the lines." Then if an accident happens they
have to suffer, while those whose iniiueuce has
really encouraged them to put speed before safety
shield themselves by the letter of the rules, and
go free.

The fact that Mr. J. N. Lauder, superintendent
of rolliug stock of the Old Colony road, has been
preparing to test the principle of compounding
on one of his standard passenger locomotives, has
awakened much interest among railway men.
Several months ago Mr. Lauder decided* to take
this step, and he secured the services of Mr. F.
W. Dean to work out the details involved in his
plans. In his standard locomotives, Mr. Lauder
has probably come as near to the limit of econom-
ical service as any one in this country — so far at
least as the American type is concerned, and a
comparative test on his road will therefore be of
the greatest value in determining the relative
economy of compoimdiug. In order to make the
tests strictly and fairly comparative, Mr. Lauder
simply changes one of his standard engines into
a compound. The high pressure cylinder is 2Ux
24 — the low pressure 28x21 inches — the high
pressure cylinder is steam jacketed, and the pipe
leading to the low pressure cylinder passes through
the smoke arch, and is specially protected against
condensation before it enters the arch. High
pressure steam can be admitted ( through a redue-
mg valve) to the low pressure cj'linder at starting
or whenever desired. Instead of an automatic ar-
rangement by which the compound action must
begin when the drivers have made part of a revo-
lution, this feature is controlled by the engineer,
who can use direct steam in both cjdinders at any
time, and for as long as he pleases.

We gave in the March Eailwav Master Me-
chanic several very interesting indicator cards,
taken by Mr. Dean from one of the Old Colony
locomotives. The engine from which these cards
were taken, is, in all respects, except the appa-
ratus forcompouuding, the counterpart of the new
compound engine. In order to have a perfectly
satisfactory basis for comparisons, Mr. Dean has
spent many weeks in making tests of the simple
engine. These tests have embraced all the ele-
ments and conditious of service, and have been
made with the greatest possible care and accuracy.
When the new compound engine goes into serv-
ice a similar series, equally thorough, of tests
will be made, and the comparisons will show con-
clusively what effect compounding has on the
economy of service. The boiler pressure of the
compound locomotive will be 200 lbs., or 25 lbs.
higher than that of the engine with which its per-
formance will be compared. It will probably be
two or three mouths before any definite results of
the comparative tests can be announced.

As wii.r, be seen from a circular published on an-
other page, the plan of holding the next meeting of
the Railway Master Mechanics" Association at Look-
out Mountain has been abandoned, and a letter bal-
lot has been called for to choose a new place of meet-
ing. While many of our southern friends will be
dis!ip|x)inted at this action the majority of those who
habitually attend the annual meetings are, unques-
tionably, gratified. They have felt that, at thebest.
the hotel in which it was proposed to hold the con-
vention at Lookout Mountain could not be in suBicient-
ly smooth running order by June 17 to make so large a
party of guests comfortable. And the feeling that

the two June conventions should be held either at
the same place or at points near each other is very
general. The result of the letter ballot has not been
announced, but it is practically settled that Old
I'oint Comfort will be chosen.

It is quite desirable that some method of selecting
the places of meeting be adopted by which the sober
judgment of the members shall determine the ques-
tion. This could, probably, be best accomplished by
letter ballot— the places to be voted on to be pro-
posed at one of the sessions of the annual convention.
In this way all the places which desired to invite the
association could do so, and the members, affer due
deliberation, could indicate their choice uuinllu-
enced by the excitements which inevitably attend a
vote taken at one of the sessions. And it might bo
well, in addition, to leave the Bnal decision, after tbe
members had indicated their profercnLvs by letter
ballot, with a committee.

NOTES OF THE MONTH.

Though great advances have been made in the use
of emery wheels around shops, there still seems to be
too much of a tendency in some places to depend very
largely upon files for finishing surfaces. The aiapta-
tion of emery wheels is almost endless for polishing
and finishing the smaller parts of machinery. By
a flat table through which the top of the emery
wheel appears — similar to the bad of a circular saw
— all manner of plane surfaces may be easily finished,
while by a system of rests at the side of the wheel
any variety of angle work may be done. The use of
permanent guide fixtures connected with emery
wheels is much more satisfactory than depending
entirely upon the hand and eye as we see done in
many cases.

A very neat arrangement for keeping drawings
when not in use can be seen in the drawing office of
the American Steam Brake Company at St- Louis.
In the vault adjoining the room, two partitions of
wood * in. thick have been erected, one placed i in.
from the back wall of the vault, and the second
spaced 21 in. in front of the first. These partitions
e.Ktend to the ceiling and are thus equal in area to
the end of the vault. Each partition is completely
perforated with 2 in. holes which are spaced Sin.
from center to center, and through these are inserted
2-in. paper tubes 21 in. long which are glued to the
partitions. These tubes form excellent receptacles
for drawings, either tracings or blue prints. Dust
cannot enter them from the rear and the front end of
each tube is closed by a plug that fits the tube nicely
and has a collar on it which prevents it being pushed
too tar in the tube and which tends to more certainly
exclude the dust. On the face of each plug is the
number of the tube, the number of the drawings
which belong in that tube, and a small hook on which
can be hung the check of the man taking drawings
from it. One person is given charge of the draw-
ings and the checks, and all drawings must pass
through his bauds as they as they are taken from or
returned to the tubes. In this particular case there
are 1,113.5 tubes. The arrangement is one of the best
that has come under our notice and in all probability
can be adapted to store more drawings in a limited
space than any other method, besides keeping them
cleaner. When the tubes finally become dusty the
dust can be blown through them into the i in. air
space at the back, where it will fall to the lloor.

The paper on "Aluminum," read at the last meet-
ing of the Society of Mining Engineers by Alfred K.
Hunt, .John W. Langley and Chas. M. Hall, throws
all needed light upon that metal, and should put an
end to the incorrect representations concerning it
which have been so common in the "scientific and
mechanical*' (';■) columns of the daily press. There
is no longer any excuse for the assertion that alumi-
num is ;is strong as steel and only one-third as heavy,
and all the visionary statements concerning the
future uses of the metal which have been based on
that incorrect belief. Aluminum as now produced
in large quantities is of ns to W9 per cent, purity. Its
specific gravity in castings, absolutely pure, is2'-58.

THE RAILV/AY MASTER MECHANIC.

April, 1890.

In its commercial form — that is of about 95 per cent,
purity, its specific gravity in castings is 28. A cubic
foot of cast aluminum weighs (in round numbers) 1-59
lbs., while a cubic foot of wrought iron weighs 486
lbs., and of soft steel 490 lbs. A cubic inch of alumi-
num weighs a little less than 1-10 lb.; cast aluminum
has a tensile strength of about 1.5,000 lbs., but
when rolled it shows a large increase — sometimes as
high as 26,000 lbs. In other words, its tensile
strength when cast is about that of cast iron, and
when rolled less than half that of ordinary steel. It
melts at about 1,200 degrees, and is malleable at be-
tween 200 and 300 degrees.

What is believed to be the largest solid cutter ever
made has just been turned out by the Cleveland
Twist Drill Co., of which Mr. J. D. Co.\, Jr., is the
manager. It is a " Spiral profiling "' cutter, 17
inches long, -5 inches in diameter, with a 2 inch hole,
and weighed, in the rough, 102 pounds. It was
made " from the solid " and, as completed, is a per-
fect tool in every respect, without flaw or blemish.

Mr. F. D. Adams, of the Boston & Albany, has de-
signed a dump gravel car which has a capacity of
nine cubic yards, or about twice that of the ordinary
dumpcar. It is expected to make up trains of 2-5
or 30 cars of this style so that each train load will
represent about 2-50 cubic yards, whereas, with 40
cars of the other kind but 160 cubic yards were car-
ried. This car can be handled by one man, and can
be dumped at a sharper angle than the others, so as
to avoid shoveling. It also throws the load entirely
clear of the cars, and can be dumped and brought
back in its former position in less than two minutes.
The cars are equipped with air brakes, permitting
high train speed.

Some idea of the activity at the Altoona and other
shops of the Pennsylvania Railroad may be gained
from the fact that duriug the past year there were
built at these shops 149 locomotives, 6.5 passenger
cars, 16 baggage and mail cars, 3,002 freight cars, 3
refrigerator cars, and 320 cabin and maintenance of
way cars.

The Chicago, Burlington & Quincy sub-committee
in charge of shop tests of brake shoe metals has got-
ten its testing apparatus in satisfactory shape, and
the work of systematically testing the miniature
shoes made by the various companies is in full prog-
ress. No final announcement has yet been made as
to the road tests which are to be held in April on
the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railway, near
Chicago.

The Kansas City, Ft. Scott & Memphis road is one
of the latest to take up solid rear-end main rods.
Superintendent of Motive Power McCrum of that
road having specified them in a lot of new eight-
wheelers. He has used solid end parallel rods for
some time, and is convinced that adjustment is no
more necessary at the back end of the main rod than
at the ends of the parallel rods.

The Chicago, Burlington & Quincy has ordered
6,750 sets of Westinghouse automatic air brakes for
use in freight service. This pretty good sized straw,
together with those noted recently concerning heavy
orders for automatic car couplers, shows which way
the wind is blowing with reference to the general
adoption of safety appliances in freight service.

The report noted in our last that the Pennsylvania
Railroad was to equip its entire passenger equipment
with steam heat this season was premature. We un-
derstand that the company will simply somewhat ex-
tend its experiments with the return system of steam
heating which it has been developing for two seasons
back.

Superintendent of Motive Power McCrum, of the
Kansas City, Fort Scott & Memphis, has, after pro-
longed experiments, designed a novel form of ex-

haust pipe that is giving good results. It produces
a slightly larger exhaust and reduces the tearing of
the fire. It is a high pipe with a single nozzle, the
latter being 4!i in., with an 18 in. cylinder, and 4i in.
with a 19 in. cylinder. It is described as follows by
an exchange:

As viewed from the front the pipe is about the
same shape as the average high pipe with a single
nozzle. The side elevation, however, shows a wide
departure from common practice. Beginning at the
bottom with the same ai-ea of pipe as the opening in
the cylinder saddle, the area is increased until at
about thecenterof length of the pipe it is from th
and one-quarter to three and one-half times that
the bottom. From this point of widest area, the
pipe is reduced to about the usual dimensions at the
nozzle. For openings in the saddle, 5i in. square
for each exhaust, the size of the pipe at its largest
part is about 23x12 in., outside dimensions

In the new Union Pacific shops at Cheyenne an
electric crane will be placed over the erecting ftoor.
Electric lights will be used in these shops as well as
in the new Denver shops and the present Omaha
shops. The transfer table at Denver will be operated
by electricity. Among new designs of equipment
on this road are a 60,000 lb. ore car with side chutes;
a transitWeeding stock car; and 17x24 six-wheeled
switchers with 52 in. wagon top boilers, -50 in. driv-
ing wheels, a total weight of 85,000 lbs., and a wheel
base of 10 ft., and an extension front and straight
stack, unusually large boilers and extensive heating
surface; the first of 15 large consolidations built for
this company by the Cooke Works has been delivered
— these engines have 22x28 cylinders, 6 ft.- boilers,
and weigh 138,000 lbs. on the drivers, and have a
total weight of 153,000 lbs; 32 other engines have
been ordered from the Rome Works— of these, 10 are
six-wheeled switch engines, with 18x26 cylinders,
five are 19x24 10-wheelers, and 17 are 20x24 10-
wheelers.

The ordinary hand lantern serves to illustrate in a
small way the changes that have taken place in
railway operation. The old lantern was a compara-
tively clumsy arrangement made largely by hand and
needing a nice adjustment of the wicks and constant
picking to give a fair light. Now we have a lighter
article, often with a wire or skeleton frame at the
bottom so the light will be thrown better on the
ground, and by improved process of manufacture,
made stronger and cheaper. The old double tubes
for candle wicking have been replaced by the flat
burner with aratchet, thus rendering the light more
even and easier to regulate, while the globe, having
initials of the road pressed, instead of cut, into the
glass, has further added to the decrease in cost.
The cost of lanterns, for instance, does not form a
large proportion of the expense of operating a road,
but is one of many items in which material reduc-
tions have been made, thus decreasing the total
operating expenses.

In the drawing office of the Union Pacific motive
power department at Omaha, blue prints have for
several years been taken between two plates of
heavy glass instead of between one plate and
a cushion, as is generally done.. This method
of taking prints is found to possess several ad-
vantages, one of which is found in the fact
that if prints must be taken in stormy weather,
there is no cushion to retain moisture. If the
inner surface of the glass becomes wet at the
edges they can be quickly dried and the dampness
prevented from spreading. The second plate of glass,
though perhaps no better than a cushion when
the latter is new and in perfect condition, has
the advantage of always remaining in as good
condition as on the first day it was used. As
mounted at Omaha the lower glass lies upon
a board backing with an intermediate layer of
felt or blanketing to prevent the glass from
being easily broken. The upper glass, which is of
the same dimensions as the lower one, lies upon the
lower one with nothing to retain it in position but its
own weight.

.mple apparatus for determining the moisture
im is described in the course of an article on
trials in the last number of "The Locomo-
As described, and as shown in the illustra-
the apparatus
consists of a com-
imon steelyards and
a large tin pail,
about which a lay-
er of cotton wool,
an inch and a half or two inches
thick, is wound, and secured by
an outer layer of cloth,
around which several turns of string
are tightly wound. The empty pail
is made to weigh some exact number
of pounds by placing one or two nuts
or other bits of iron in it. Ten
pounds of water are next weighed into it, and the
weight on the steelyards is then pushed along one
pound. Steam is then blown into the pail until the
steelyards once more balance. In this way we know,
with considerable precision, just when one pound of
steam has been added to the water. The tempera-
ture of the water in the pail is taken both im-
mediately before and immediately after the steam
has been passed into it, care being taker, especially
in measuring the higher temperature, to stir the
water well with the thermometer, and to leave the
thermometer in it long enough for the quicksilver
to reach the same temperature as the water in which
it is plunged. The rise in temperature so obtained
gives us a means of determining the percentage of

BGILEB FOR THE EBIE TEN WH££L£E8.

Our readers will be interested in the description
and illustration which we are enabled to give of the
boiler of the excellent ten-wheelers recently built by
the Baldwin Locomotive Works for the New York,
Lake Erie & Western Railway.

The boiler constitutes one of the especial features of
these engines. The great length of the fire-box in pro-
portion to the barrel is particularly noticeable. As ex-
perience indicates that fire-box heating surface is
considerably more efficient than that in the tubes,
we regard this as a good feature and attribute to it
the free steaming for which these engines have es-
tablished a reputation. The depth of the leg is open
to criticism; the 15t in. might advantageously have
been increased, more especially as hard coal is burned
and no brick arch is used. The arrangement of the
plates forming the fire-box shell is one which is be-
ing much used at present, and forms a simple and
workmanlike method of construction. The grad-
ually increasing water spaces at the sides of the box
guarantee a good circulation and a long life to the
stay bolts. It will be noticed that although a "wag-
on top 'boiler ,the back portion is cylindrical and with-
out the objectionable flat surfaces on the sides which
until recently have usually characterized this type
and which required heavy cross staying and bracing.
The tapered course of the barrel is an oblique cone
and a section taken at right angles to its center line
is a perfect circle. This design calls for warm com-
mendation as it removes a feature of American loco-
motive boiler practice which has justly been termed
a mechanical abortion. As will be seen from the en-
graving the horizontal seams in the barrel have
butt joints within, and outside straps, six rows of
rivets being used. The mud ring is single riveted,
although a double row or machine finished corners
would have been desirable on account of the position
immediately over the frames, making the shell and -
fire-box plates almost inaccessible for caulking,
should it be required. Ample provision is made for
washing out. We may add that the Erie standard
grate bar, illustrated in the February MASTER ME-
CHANIC, is used.

As the crown is supplemented by radial stays, the
dome is placed ahead of the fire-box, the course on
which it is placed forming a portion of the wagon
top. This construction tends to cause free steaming,
for the radial stays give a more unobstructed crown
sheet than when crown bars are used and the third
course of the boiler being the same diameter as the
wagon top makes the steam space larger than usual.
The position of the dome is such that the steam is
not drawn from the boiler at the point of most vio-
lent ebullition, and it therefore should be drier than
usual.

THE RAIL^AAAY MASTER MECHANIC-

! OiX-

!-Httl^tHliiR!-!4-l4H.il4l4l
iJ.J.feiLLiiliJja.uMJJiilJL

-€r^

Diiimit

Thi.-ki

Water space, sides and l>ack 3 in.

Water spacr*. Ii-ont 4 in.

Grate cttuipany"^ stylo (8ee Master Mechanic for Feb.)

Steam pressure 160 lbs.

Heating surface, lubes, (about) 1,884 sq. ft.

Locomotive Slide Valves.

Early valves were of the slide pattern (plain D)
and had "hook gear". Some of the early engines
had the eccentric outside the journals and wheels

It wasnot long before independent cut-off valves
were tried; Rogers having started on this problem
about 1)^3.

Many of the engines of J848 had independent cut-
off valves, such as are now coming into fashion again.

In 1852 Baldwin produced a variable cut-off with
a riding cut-off valve, fitting almost tight U) the
main valve below and to the sides of the chest.

.lames first employed the link motion in 1832, and
the Stephensons used it at once in England, but it
was not adopted in this country until 1849.

The introduction of the link in this country was
violently opposed. Rogers used the suspended link
in 1849 and the shifting link in 18-50; this latter hav-
ing the lifting shaft below the link; but the front
axles of some ten wheeled engines coming in the
way of the rocking shaft he put the shaft above the
link. As early as IS-H there was used by Rogers a
combination of independent graduated cut-off valve
with the link. Hudson made curved eccentric rods
to clear the axles of some ten wheeled engines. In
1886 Uhry & Luttgens applied a supplementary cam
motion to the link in order to give greater steam

HOILEK FOR THE ERIE TEN-WHEELERS.

port opening and retard the exhaust, without affect-
ing the compression.

At first, counter weights were used for balancing
the weight of the shifting link; but afterwards leaf
springs were used, and then helical and volute.

Baldwin introduced what is called the half sti-oke
cut-off, in which the chest is separated into an upper
and a lower part by a plate on which a separate cut-
off valve rode.

About 1868 the B)-istol roller slide valve was in-
troduced; the pressure of the slide being taken by
anti-friction rollers; but it was abandoned after ex-
tensive trial.

About 1882 the Allen valve was put in; both bal-
anced and unbalanced. As now balanced by Rich-
ardson, it is doing good service. Its peculiarity
consists in a supplementary port cored out in the
valve itself, so as to admit steam into the steam port
both inside and outside the lip, thus requiring but
one-half the valve travel needed where steam is let
in only at the outer edge of the lip.

Shrinkage Allowance Gauge and Table-

We append a table governing the use of a shrink-
age allowance gauge which is used with great ad-
vantage on the New York, Chicago & St. Louis Rail-
road, of which Mr. Jno. Mackenzie is superintendent
of motive power. The table and gauge explain
themselves, but we may explain the method of using
by stating that the inside of the tire is made the di-
ameter of the center, less the thickness of the shrink-
age gauge upon which the diameter of centers are
marked. For illustration, centers from 59 to 65 in.
are made to the one shrinkage gauge, i. e., if the
center is 59 in. exact, the bored diameter of the tire
would be 58 94-100 in., or No. 16 Birmingham wire
gauge; and if the center is 65 in., the bored diame-
ter would be 64 93-100 in., or No. 16 Birmingham
wire gauge, the difference in shrinkage of these two
sizes being so slight that the one shrinkage gauge is
used; and so it may be said throughout the lists of
all gauges.

rEEL TIKE— X. V. C. i ST. L. 1(.

23ffr
■nr.

Determine tbickneseof

of on t^K: also stamp di-
anteter of "center on
jopposit* side— sec draw-

THE RAIL^VAY MASTER MECHANIC.

A USEFUL SPRING TESTER GAUGE.
A TJSEFTTL SPRING TESTER GAUGE.

In the testing laboratorj- of the Chicago & North-
western Railway, at the "West Chicago shops, a
spring tester gauge is used that saves a great deal of
time and fussing. It was designed by Mr. E. B.
Thompson, chief draughtsman of the Chicago &
Northwestern Railway, to whom we are indebted for
the drawingsfor which we have made our engravings.
Our large engraving shows the gauge as applied to
the 60,000 lbs. Olsen spring tester in the Northwest-
ern's laboratory. Our small engraving gives the de-
tails of Mr. Thompson's ingenious little labor saver.

Referring to the large engraving, it will be seen
that a scale is attached to the top plate by means of
a bracket and moves up and down with the top plate.
The bracket bears a. pointer and another pointer is
attached to the frame of the machine. An indicator
is bcrr.e on the end of a round rod which is so ad-
justed and secured by a thumb screw to the bottom
plate that the distance between the top of the block
and the bottom of the top plate will be
shown on the scale. Should a different
height of block be used, or no block, the
indicator is always to be set so the scale will
show whatever height there may be between the
surfaces which come in contact with the spring to be
tested.

As the plunger raises the bottom plate and the
spring compresses enough to overcome the weights,
the top plate raises in proportion, carrying the scale
with it. When the pointer of the bracket is in line
with the pointer in the frame the reading is taken.

The indicator will always show the height of the
spring, even if the pointer in the bracket and in the
frame ai-e not together, because if the top plate
raises and thus increases the height of the spring it
carries the scale with it.

The pointer on the frame enables one to sec when
the arm of the scale or the line of its knife edges
I is horizontal, rather than judge it by the eye.

The top plate has a movement of about two inches
and stands, when the weights are on the floor, about
an inch below the pointer in the frame.

By the use of this device a great deal of annoying
measuring is avoided, as may well be imagined.

Inside Connected Locomotives.

Builders upon the American side of the Atlantic
early became convinced that inside connected en-
gines, that is, those having cranked axles, were more
expensive to build and to keep in repair, than those
with outside cylinders, and required more skill in
counter-balancing; besides being no steadier and no
faster.

The Slockbridge of 1842 had outside cylinders; but
a pair of trailing wheels behind the driving axle
took off considerable of the adhesion. Campbell, in
1836, patented the use of two pairs of drivers con-
nected by a side rod or parallel rod; and in 1844 this
was put into use by Rogers, and became known as
the American type. The same Rogers engine which
first had this arrangement is also claimed to have
been the first to have an equalizing beam between
the driving wheel and the truck.

Outside cylinders were first bolted to the smoke
box, which could be done well because the cylinders
were inclined downwards. But with horizontal cyl-
inders it was necessary to extend the smoke-box
down and give it a base, generally of rectangular
outline with a reinforcing piece around its front
edges inside. Inside cylinders were fastened to the
smoke-box and frames, by means of two castings
which fitted the lower cylindrical side of the smoke-
box and were bolted together Ih the middle. Later,
the smoke-box was given a rectangular downward
projection with a cast iron bottom and a distance
piece; and the cylinders were bolted to the sides of
this projection and to the frames. This developed
a design which added a east iron bottom to the

THE RAIL'WAY MASTER MECHANIC.

ESI

1 rrp^i^X

BLOWKK VALVE-MANHATTAN ELEVATED RAILWAY.
smoke-box. Next the bo.x was kept cylindrical and

a heavy bed casting was bolted to its lower side; hav-
ing passages for the steam and exhaust pipes cored
in it; the cylinders being bolted to its sides. This
was followed by the plan now in general use, of
making the saddles in halves bolted to the bottom of
the cylindrical smoke box on the topand together in
the center, each casting being made in one piece
with the cylinder on that side.

By 186-5 horizontal cylinders were the rule.

BLOWEE VALVE -MANHATT4N ELEVATED KAILWAY.

The peculiar nature of the
roads in New York has le(
of the blower valve which i
companying cuts, the object

service on the elevated
to the design and use
e illustrate intheac-
sought being rapidity

of manipulation. With stations only about one-quart-
er of a mile apart, the necessity for using the blower
valve during a portion of the trip, soon demonstrates
the valvo operated by a screw to be a nuisance, for it
takes too long to open or shut it. Hence the need of
one such as we illustrate. Here the valve is operated
by a lever and can instantly be opened wide or closed.
The valve itself is a shell about two-thirds of a cyl-
inder in section, with a port cut in it, and fitted with
a small bridge for the attachment of the valve stem.
The steam enters through the top of the valve case
as it stands in the cut, and the pressure therefore
tends to keep the valve tight against the lower half
of the cylindrical chamber in which it slides, there-
by preventing leakage. The end of the valve stem
is slotted on opposite sides and dropped over the
bridge in the valve. This design has been in use
for some time now and has given excellent satisfac-
tion, having entirely superseded the old form of
valve.

Expiring Railway Patents, March, 1890.

[Furnished bj- F. H. Brock, imtent attorney, IWy F. St.,
Washington, U. I',. These patents are now free to be man
ufactred by any one. Copies of anv patent furnished by
Mr. Brock at 15 cents.J

Railway car, i:«,3.i9, H. Buck.

Car roof, 13«,.W9, J. C. Wands.

Car ventilator, 136,.t02, C. C. Oerhardt.

Locomotive, 136,729, W. S. Hudson.

Locomotive cylinder cock, 13tj,724, C. H. Hopkins,

Lococomotive exhaust nozzle. i:i«,6I9, G. W. Richardson.

Locomotive relief valve, i:Jt),«ls, G. W. Richardson.

Handcar, 136,R.W, D. M. Hunt.

Snow-plow, 136,709, T. A- Davies.

Car replaeer, 137,863, H. Voth.

" Berryman.

Car wheel, 137,286, Wakefield i

NOVEL FLAT CAK— N. Y., P. & B. EY.

In our last issue we spoke of a novelty in Bat cars
that was used about the Valley Falls shops of the
New Y'ork, Providence & Boston Railroad. We give
an illustration of this car herewith from which a
more exact idea of its construction may be obtained.
It is about the usual length, and over the trucks is of
the standard height. But it will be noticed that
dropping down between the trucks the floor is just a
few inches from the top of the rail. This car has
proven of great advantage in the loading of heavy
materials and machinery, and transferring switch-
ing houses, etc., which have to be loaded from the
ground.

EEICSSONS METHODS OF WOEK,

Ericsson's strange life and wonderful work com-
mand the interest of every man of a mechanical
turn of mind. To every such man the following ac-
count of his methods of work will, we are sure, prove
notonly interesting but inspiring. The article, which
we find in the American Machinist, was written by
Prof. C. W. MacCord, who writes apparently as one
who had personal acquaintanceat some time with the
inner professional life of the great inventor. For the
tac similes of Ericsson's sketches we are also indebted
to the American Machinist:

In many of the notices relating to Capt. Ericsson,
which appeared in various periodicals soon after his
death, he was spoken of as passing the most of his
time "in his workshop, surrounded by his models
and his tools." The picture thus presented to the
mind is that of a mechanic of inventive turn, but de-
fective imagination, working by tentative methods,
and mainly busied in constructing Experimental
models.

On account of the haste necessarily attending the
production of such notices, it would be unreasonable
to expect perfect accuracy in all particulars; but by
no chance could anything be farther from the truth
than this; for he possessed in its fullest development
that imaginative power which enables the designer
mentally to see, with perfect distinctness, the form and
proportions of whatever he wishes to have made;
and was the last man on earth to have need of a
model, either to convince him that a scheme would
work, or to show him how a machine would look.
The popular idea of a "working model.'' as the first
step toward a construction on a practical scale, was
in his case exactly reversed; models to be sure he did
have, and very beautiful ones too; but they were
made after the machines were built, and by the most
skillful workmen he could find. When applying for
a patent he would frequently order two models, one
of which was sent to Washington, while he retained
the other — not for his own gratification, since he re-
garded such things as mere toys — but because they
were of use in explaining his designs to others. Let
the reader then imagine a large, comfortable, neatly
furnished room, with three windows facing the north;
at the western end a fireplace (for stoves he would
have none); in front of the eastern window a table,
upon which were placed his drawing board, and a
few well worn but well made instruments, and he
will have a tolerably correct idea of the "workshop
and the tools" of John Ericsson. And of the models,
too, so far as his surroundings were concerned; for
none of them were ever kept here, with one tempo-
rary exception.

The captain's accomplishments as a draftsman
were phenomenal. His beautiful maps early won
him great distinction in his native country, and the
exquisite finish of colored drawings made later on
amply attested his mastery of the brush. But dur-
ing the last thirty years of his life he did not take
the time to put his lines in ink; to use his own
words, "I do not make drawings any more; I only
make marks." They were not, however, mere gen-

-N. Y., P. & B.

NOVEL FLAT CAR
TheIow.\ Hol.se has just passed a bill requiring
railways to equip their engines and cars with auto-
matic couplers and brakes. All new cars and all old
cars fitted with new draw-bars must have automatic
couplings; after January 1, 18'J-5, no Iowa road can use
any cars of its own not so equipped: after January 1,
IS92, all locomotives must be equipped with driver
brakes; after January 1, 1893, all trains must have a
sufficient number of cars equipped with power brakes

to give control of the train to the engineer; penalties ' 'he lines were such
are provided for non-compliance to this law, but the I upon' 'a'"heet orii

railways are left free to
lives that are not equipped as
The bill is exi>ecled to pass th

eral schemes intended to give his assistants an idea
of what was to be worked up, but were in reality
drawings, coranletc in detail, with outlines firmly
penciled, often "shaded here and there to bring out
the form of certain parts more distinctly, and accu-
rately laid out to scale; so that, if time pressed, any
part could be at once traced and the work put in
hand, which was often done, even when finished
drawings in ink were subsequently made by his aids.
And if crowded for space he not hesitate to super-
pose one view upon another', always provided that
not to be confounded with each
e would often put much more
"marks" than could be done

I cars or locomo- I when it was copied. Some idea of the dexterity

ired by the law. j with which he manipulated the few instruments

ate also. which composed his later outfit may be formed from

I the fact that the portfolio of this work, executed

THE RAILV^AY MASTER MECHANIC.

during the last six months of his seventieth year,
contained 48 double elephant sheets. It is true that
the captain devoted more hours per day to his work
than most men do or can, and there is no doubt that
his mental store of precedents, gathered during his
long previous practice, enabled him to dispense with
many computations; but, on the other hand, he con-
ducted an extensive correspondence, he contributed
articles to scientific journals, he was much engaged
in abstract physical speculations; when all is said,
then the fact remains that he produced working
drawings with a rapidity probably never surpassed,
if, indeed, ever even approached. It is not to be un-
derstood that his assistants were all employed solely
as copyists; there was plenty of other work for them
to do, for which he furnished the groundwork in the
form of rough and ready sketches and verbal in-
structions: but the proportion of this was far less
than is common among constructing engineers, for

quent-e was that he drilled his staff to a high degree
of efficiency, so that, with his own mighty shoulder
at the wheel, it is probable that, when he was busiest,
so much work was never before accomplished with so
small a retinue at headquarters. He also insisted
rigorously upon having his plans followed to the let-
ter; his drawings were complete to the smallest de-
tail, and he would tolerate no deviation; in which he
was clearly right, since the whole responsibility
rested upon him. He argued that if an inch were
given in this dii-ection. an ell would be taken, and
the result would be endless confusion and uncer-
tainty. An amusing incident, illustrating his per-
tinacity on this point, occurred during the building
of one of the larger monitors. His outside superin-
tendent of this work— a very presuming and con-
ceited individual — came one day with a beaming
countenance to report concerning the engine bulk-
heads. The rate of progress was quite satisfactory.

FAC SIMILES OF SliETCHES BY ERICSSON.

which reason the world at large, however well in-
formed as to the number, variety and magnitude of
the things he accomplished, has not and never can
have any adequate idea of the prodigious amount of
labor which he personally per-formed. Much of this
labor he might have saved himself, but he did it
from preference. He loved and thoroughly enjoyed
the work, for one thing, but besides, he was fastid-
ious in regard to details, of which his arrangement
was masterly; in working them out he displayed an
inexhaustible fertility, as well as a marked origi-
nality, by which his designs are strongly character-
ized.

On putting one of these sheets into the hands of
an assistant. Captain Ericsson invariably accompa-
nied it by explanations which were very models in
every way — brief, lucid, and complete. Not a single
point was overlooked, and he was not satisfied until
It was clearly understood. But it must be compre-
hended then and there, and it must be remembered,
too; once a plan was delivered, he had an intense
aversion to repeating the explanation. The same
qualities characterized his instructions to those
whom he employed to superintend the construction
of work in progress; and it hardly need be said that
so finished a draftsman was minutely critical as to
the execution of plans made for him". The conse-

but he could not refrain from stating, with a self-
satisfied air, that he had had the rivets headed up
with a button-set, as he thought that made a better
finish. -'Ah, indeed!"' said the captain, "how many
have you put inV" The superintendent pointed out
on the di-awing how far. he had gone. "And they
look well, do they?" continued Ericsson, to which of
course he received an eager and emphatic response
in the affirmative. "Very well; now to-morrow you
will be good enough to have them all cut out, and
replaced by others riveted up with the hand-ham-
mer, with a conical finish, according to the draw-
ing." And this unexpected instruction the crest-
fallen man was obliged to execute.

The power of forming a clear mental picture of a
proposed structure, which all designers must pessess
in a greater or less degree, would seem in Ericsson to
have been abnormal. With nothing to guide him
but a sketch upon a small'scale, much of it often
free-hand, he would furnish full-size detail drawings
with astonishing rapidity. And what was more re-
markable, it apparently mattered little to him
whether they were made in sequence or not; he
would send out first whatever was most needed in the
shop. If the pattern makers were running short of
work he would supply plans for castings, but on a
hint that the blacksmiths were idle he would put

wrought-iron work in hand. Etch piece, too, was
complete when he sent it out, and his mastery of de-
tail was seen in the fact that, even when working in
this seemingly disconnected way, he allowed nothing
to look like an afterthought. It often happened that
here a bracket on a cylinder, there a squared collar
on a rock-shaft, puzzled the workmen, who could dis-
cover no use for it, but in the end it invariably
proved to have a very evident use, and the parts
fitted to it harmonized with the rest of the machine,
making the whole structure neat, compact and well-
balanced. Thus half an engine might be well under
way before the other half was planned, a general
drawing of the whole not appearing until the parts
were to be assembled in the erectlng-shop; and it
was this peculiarity in Ericsson's method of work
that accounts, in part at least, for the rapidity with
which projects under his supervision were pushed
to completion. And it was a peculiarity in which
he had nothing to fear from rivalry; to secure in this
way not only freedom from error in the various
members, but also the due relations of form and pro-
portion between them, demands a persistence and
also a clearness of mental vision, for which we may
seek elsewhere in vain.

Now it may be urged that this is not the best way
to attain the best results; that it is desirable to have
the whole design so far complete before the construc-
tion is begun, that a general plan can be furnished
for the guidance of the shop superintendent, who,
thus knowing what parts are to be fitted to each
other, and the relations and functions of all, can di-
rect the work more intelligently, and with greater
confidence. This is in. many cases very true, of which
Ericsson was perfectly well aware, and he adopted
that course upon occasion.

Thus, in the years immediately preceding the out-
break of the civil war, numerous applications were
made in this and other countries for licenses to man-
ufacture the "Domestic Caloric" engine. The proc-
ees of blue-printing was then unknown, and the
multiplication of tracings became excessively labori-
ous; accordingly, a complete set of plans, general
and detail, was made for each of the two sizes of
that engine most extensively used; these were litho-
graphed, and a copy of each set was forwarded, with
the license, to every new applicant. So, again, when
the whole of a small engine or piece of mechanism
could be advantageously worked out at once, it
would be done; but the course first indicated was
his usual one in executing larger or more compli-
cated designs. It is not, however, by any means to
be inferred that in all cases a single sketch was made
to answer all purposes. When haste was not too
urgent, he would in the evenings cover sheets and
half sheets of foolscap with supplementary sketches
of minor parts, accompanied by notes, comments and
calculations; graphic memoranda, which often he
alone could use, and not at all such as he would fui--
nish for the guidance of an assistant. In relation to
these calculations, it may be said that one factor of
his rapidity in designing details lay in his aversion
to over-refined formulit. Quick to distinguish be-
tween essentials and non-essentials, he saw that the
effect of the "practical coefficient" was substantially
to obliterate the minute elements sometimes found
in formula? whose abstract correctness he did not
pretend to question; and these he would neglect ac-
cordingly. Again, his mind by nature inclined
strongly to geometrical in preference to analytical
reasoning, and he largely employed graphic methods
as the more expeditious, while still giving results of
sufficient accuracy for his practical purposes.

Of experimental engines, particularly those actu-
ated by hot air, Captain Ericsson made a great num-
ber; but these were in no sense models. It is easy
to see that of two different arrangements, one may
be the better in respects and for reasons which can
be determined only by competitive trial upon a rea-
sonable working scale, and for a considerable time.
Having thus tested one arrangement to his satisfac-
tion, the captain displayed a singular facility in
transforming it into another by alteration of details,
without affecting the unity of design apparent in the
engine as a whole. It was not the question whether
the one or the other would work, but which would
be practically the better; that decided, and not be-
fore, he would be ready for the model and the patent.

He exhibited also an equally remarkable ingenuity,
as well as marvelous fertility, in devising the endless
variety of mechanical movements which were em-
ployed in these and other engines. Many of these
are" of striking beauty, and all are characterized by
the simplicity of the meaus used to attain the re-
quired result; in this field he took the greatest de-
light, and it was here that his pride in originality
was most clearly shown; if the end in view were one
which had been reached by others in any way, it
would seem that the knowledge of that fact was to
him a sufficient reason for seeking a new one. Here,
too, he gloried in his mastery of geometric and
kinematic principles— no deduction or discussion of
equations, no juggling with signs and symbols led
him by tortuous paths to a formula that must yet be
translated into the graphic tongue; to watch him
was a liberal education in this branch— a few rapid
twirls of the compasses, a few swift strokes with
the pencil, and with incredible speed his scheme was

THE RAIL^VAY MASTER MECHANIC.

set out, his point was reached, and as lif once de-
clared in round set terms, "What I cannot prove bj-
geometry, I will not prove at all."'

In this also he recognized the futility of over re-
finement, and the fact that close approximation is
often practically as good as absolute theoretical ex-
actness. He saw more clearly than many the diffi-
culty of securing in the actual running, particularly
of heat engines, the precise conditions upon which
the constructioh of a movement was based; or at
least he treated it with greater deference. The
effects of the necessary freedom in fitting of rapidly
moving parts; the effects of wear in altering dis-
tances of keying up; the unknown and usually over-
looked effects of expansion upon the relations of var-
ious members, which makes a hot engine different
from a cold one; these and like things, which might
conspire to derange the niceties of a precise move-
ment, were duly considered. Then the proportion that
a given deviation would bear to the general result
being taken into account, the practical side'of his
nature asserted itself; he planned engines, not for
the mere gratification of his mathematical instincts,
but to run, under ordinary working conditions; and
he was not the man to retain an avoidable complica-
tion for the sake of an inappreciated advantage.

In nothing, however, was the supremacy of Erics-
son so absolute as In the simultaneous management
of several different projects; for he possessed in me-
chanical matters a mental power anologous to that of
Philidor and Paul Morphy in relation to the game
of ches,s. Those celebrated players certainly did not
conduct a number of games at once by simply remem-
bering, in the usual sense of that word, the various
moves which they and their opponents made; nor is
it conceivable that any mere mnemonic effort could
have enabled the captain to carry in mind, as he did,
not only the details, but the dimensions of several
engines in stages of progress. It was apparently a
matter of perfect Indifference to him upon which he
was engaged; with surprising facility he would drop
one and furnish for another any required part, thus
advancing the work upon all with equal rapidity,
and this without sacrificing in any one of them
either the unitv or the prculiarity of its own special
design. Not that he would trust to his memory, al-
though on these points it was almost never at fault,
in relation to those parts which were to be fitted
to each other, being far too cautious for that; about
such things he was accustomed to say, "'You have no
right to think, you must know." And, accurate as
were both his work and his memory, he avowed that
"the easiest thing a man could plan was a mistake,"
and took especial pains to detect as well as to avoid
errors; he never would send out a tracing without
testing it by comparison with its associated drawings.
Memory, however, could not have been the chief
factor in these remarkable feats, which can hardly
be accounted for otherwise than by supposing that
there existed in the minds of the chess players, and
the designer, persistent as well as vivid mental pic-
tures of the various boards and different engines.

It will be perceived, then, that Captain Ericsson
for the most part aimed at the greatest possible ex-
pedition in completing any given piece of work, and
adopted methods which were most conducive to
that end. Some of his most important projects were
carried out under circumstances requiring urgent
haste; thus, the imagination shrinks from consider-
ing what might have been the consequences had the
Monitors not been begun until a complete set of
plans had been elaborated; and again, in relation to
the Spanish gunboats, it is to be recollected that
wars are ended too soon in these days of rapid motion
to admit of any such dilatory modes of precedure.

But when such pressure was not exerted from
without by the very conditions of the case, there
was ordinarily an equal pressure from within. What
was in hand today must give place to something
else to-morrow; he worked continuously, not
only because he liked to, but because he
could not help it. And his selection of his
method was not due to vanity onaccountof his trans-
cendent ability in using it, nor yet to mere impa-
tience of delay, which is a failing In many lesser
minds; it was due to the thoughts of projects yet to
be accomplished, that filled his teeming brain and
pressed forward to realization in their turn. The
sluggish stream of the meadows may be content to
await the formation of the placid mill-pond, whence
stores of power may be drawn at leisure; but the im-
perial mind of Ericsson was like the rushing tor-
rent of hia own Swedish mountains, which, im-
pelled by the resistless force of perennial springs, no
obstacle can retard.

The bill introduced by Mr. Flower, of Now York,
in the house of representatives, to compel the use of
automatic couplers and air brakes on all the railways
of the country after November 1, 18!fJ, should not
pass, for it does not give sufficient time in which to
meet its requirements. We favor national legisla-
tion on this subject, but nothing of the radical na-
ture of this bill.

STANDARD TANK, FALL BKOOK COAL COMPAN?.

The general form and leading dimensions o' the phia.
standard tank of the Fall Brook (..'oal Company's j The shop equipment is not remarkable, except for the
lines, of which Mr. William A. Foster is superin- | to'a' absence of cranes. The draughting room, pattern
tendent of machinery, are shown in the accompany- j ^'"'l' """* "'°°'' working department are above the machine
ing cut. This tank has been found very valuable ^^°}''
for consolidation engines pulling heavv trains, on ac- ! . ^'"= '"'l"' '"? """^ ^"^ ^"'^^^ ^^"^ "'•« ''" " ""•»'' »>""''•

count of their large water and coal capacity. When i s.frh.'/^.flr'Th '" n "'"^"'"V""^- I'f f'""'^ "'""S
" ,,,,.,. I Spring street. The smith shop contains eight forges and a

full of water and with an average load of coal, these i s„all steam hammer. The foundrv, which
tanks weigh 40 tons, there being 17 tons of water is near the boiler room,
and S tons of coal. i Most of the locomotives belonging to this road are wood

The tank is built wide enough to project half an burners. Some few, however, burn soft coal. Some of
inch over the frame on each side; this renders re- ">^ ^^O'' hurning engines have the extension front end.

pairs to tank easy and leaves no place to catch coal.
It will be noticed that the space between the legs in
front is made wide so as to carry more coal in front.
In building the tanks no caulking is done except
when the angle irons butt together. A strip of to
building paper 3 in. wide is placed between the plates
leaving a narrow strip outside the plates; when the
plates are riveted together the edges cut the paper
off flush with the outside edge. Since using this
method of construction Mr. Foster has had no trouble
whatever with leaky tanks.

A 4 in. cast iron pipe, flanged on both ends, is i
placed in the center of the tank, about 4 ft. from the
back end; this keeps the top of the tank free from
water which may flow over when filling, and also
serves as a good stay between the top and bottom of
the tank.

The M. C. B. standard axle, oil box, brass and key
for 60,00<l lbs. cars are used in the trucks of these
tanks.

COMMUNICATIONS-

To thu El

The Shops of the South Carolina Hallway.

lit.ir of the Bailwaj Master .Mwliiinic:

AlKEX, S. C. March 8, 1890.

As your paper has from time to time described railway

shops in different parts of the country, it occurs to me that

a brief description of those of the South Carolina Railway

Company might perhaps be of interest to some of your

The South Carolina road is of interest mainly from the
fact that it was the first railway in the United States built
from the first to be operated by locomotives. It was for
this road that the late Horatio Allen, in 18:i0, designed his
double truck locomotive, which was built the following
year at the West Point Foundry, Cold Spring, N. Y. At
present the road operates 346 miles of 4 ft. in. gauge

track, and has 441 locomotives and i*:« cars.

The shops, which are in charge of Master of Machinery
J. H. Agnew, are located in CharlcsKin, S. C. The ma-
chine shop, which is a long rectangular brick building, ex-
tends along Meeting street, the entrance being on Spring
street. Immediately to the right of entrance is the master
mechanic's office, adjoining which is the store-room. .
the further end of the shop is the cngine-ro-jm, wtiich co
tains a single eccentric horizontal engine, an independent
cut off beam engine, built in issi by Harlan & Hollings-
worth, Wilmington. Del., and a fire pump. The boiler room
adjoins the engine room, and is built out at right angles to
the shop. It contains a large return flue, wagon {op boiler,
fed by Sellers' injectors. Both the toolroom and the erect-
i ng shop are built at right angles to the machine shop. The

The New England Club and the M. C B. Coupler

Til Ihc Editor of the Uailwav Masti-i ,Mcchiini<-:

I have read with a great deal of interest the reports of
the discussion on car couplers by the New England Club.
As I have, on another occasion, said, my admiration and
respect for the M. C. B. Association and its membership
is almost unbounded. I look on the master car builders as
a very superior class of men. The association has done a
wonderful world of good. The devotion of its members to
the best interests of the railroad companies they represent
is worthy of all praise. Still I must confess I was— I am
disappointed, yes, grieved and surprised, at what was said
at the last meeting of the New England Club, made up
largely of members of the M. C. B. Association.

But Mr. Editor: I remember I was born, and grew to
lihysical manhood, in New England. I remember how I
too used to think that all the world did indeed revolve
around the New England metropolis. Forty-two years of
a citizenship in this great west— while it may not have
changed my physical make up, has given to my mental a
little more liberalization, to say the least. I have learned
that there are brains outside of New England.

But seriously: What would the New England Club have
us do' Does it think that this great American people arc
still and see its young men cut down by the thou-
sands yearly, while the master car builders take up and
discuss this question of safety couplers again for an-
other ten years; Is there any assurance that they would
not oppose every progressive step, unless indeed it first
had its birth in New England ;

No, no. The terrible facts are now before the public.
Railways must use the best known appliances or they must
and will .be held responsible. While the writer appreciates
the gravity of the situation and the importance of making
no mistake in choosing these safety appliances because of
the great expense, yet when he realizes that not less than
6,000 of our strongest and best young men must yearly sac-
rifice either life or limb to the old link and pin coupling
and hand brakes, so long as they are allowed to remain in
use, he has no hesitation in saying that they must go, and
if his efforts are successful legislatures will say that they
need not stand long as to the "order of their going" either.

Humanity is on our side. We know that the right will
prevail. If the M. C. B. coupler in its present form and
make is not the one that will prevent this inhuman work
done by coupling cars, we know that there are brains
enough in the Master Car Buildei-s" Association to change
and perfect it so that it will. It matters not to the public
or to the writer whose or what typo of coupler is eventu-
ally used. But we do demand that some one must be used
that will lessen this fearful butchery.

It avails nothing to say that it is more dangerous to

link and pin draw-bars. We expect this to be so, and be
cause it is so is the very strongest argument that the change,
when once decided upon, shall be made in the shortest pos-
sible time. If the New England Club wants votes from
trainmen, I can furnish them. I have the documenu that
s|)eak for from l.i,000 to ao.Oim of these men who are every
day pulling pins and twisting brakes, and paying not less
than a quarter of million of their hard earned dollars an-
nually to their brothers who are injured and killed in do-
ing this work; and that say they want to see the M. C. B.
coupler tried now that Is decided upon as standard.

With the history of the action of the Master Car Build-
ers' in adopting a standard automatic coupler, and the sut>-
sequent work of the roads in approving of this action before
t it, what court is there but would hold a road liable for in-
I- I juries received in coupling cais that had not the standard
couplerson— a reasonable lime having elapsed for making

It does strike an outsider as being a little laic for a mem-
ber of the M. C. B. Association to accuse the committee on
car couplers of using undue means. No matter what the
different members of that committee thought, their rc|iort
came before the convention, and there was no minority re-

THE RAIL^WAY MASTER MECHANIC.

BRAKE ARRANGEMENT FOR A CONSOLIDATION ENGINE WITH CLOSE WHEEL SPACES.

port. That report was adopted by a two-thirds vole. Then,
after 90 days the managers approved of this same vote by
over a two-thirds letter ballot. There was ample time in
that 90 days for consideration and investigation. There
have been two conventions since. No master car builder,
eitner for himself or at the request of the management of
the road he represents, has seen fit to make any move on
the floor of the convention to disturb that action.

Taking it for granted that all was done in good faith, I
am now trying to get state legislatures and congress to re-
quire by law the use of such safety standards as the roads
through their own agents and representatives adopt, and
what is more, I have every reason to believe that it will be

Braking a Consolidation with i

L S. Co

Wheel I

New Yoiik, March 15, 1890.
To the Editor of tlie Kiiilway Master Mechanic:

1 send you an illustration of a brake built by the Beals
Railway Brake Company for a consolidation engine with
close wneel spaces.

It will be remembered that at the master mechanics'
convention, last year, the driver brake committee recom-
mended that for locomotives a "sque-;ze" brake (i. e. two
shoes to a wheel) be used wherever practicable, and they
also demonstrated, by experiments at Burlington, that a
squeeze brake had 4.5 per cent, more stopping power than a
one shoe "spread" or "pull" brake. These results are given
on i)agett8 of their annual report. Such an immense ad-
vantage in the stopping ability of a brake was alone enough
to justify their recommendation; but I apprehend it was
not the only reason that controlled their choice. Brake en-
gineering is beginning to be a little better understood
amongst master mechanics, and they no longer judge a
brake by its power to slide the wheels. There is a demand
for a higher grade 'of efficiency growing up, which is en-
forced by the increased weight, higher jiressure and speed
of our modem engines. Light is also breaking in on the
effect of the driver brake in lessening or increasing shocks,
und the power that a weak orinefBcient driver brake has to
aggravate this evil Is now more clearly perceived.

The necessity of having the engine up to the highest
grade of efficiency (which is understood to be 80 percent,
of the wheel weight) is gradually being established. Such
an engine as the one illustrated, designed originally for the
Ontario & Western Railroad, weighs, together with its ten-
der, 88 tons— fiO tons on the engine and 2S on the tender.
To properly control such an engine as this with SO per cent,
of wheel weight in brake shoe pressure, requires a 70 ton
brake, or 48 tons upon the engine and 33 tons upon the ten-
der. On the engine there are eight wheels, and to distri-
bute 4.S tons equally uiJOn eight wheels requires tons to a
wheel. But no brake engineer would jiut any such pres-
sure as that upon one shoe, upon one side of a wheel. It is
therefore impossible to approach maximum efiflciency with
a one shoe brake; and this is the second reason why the
master mechanics recommended the two shoe or "squeeze' '
brake; because it solves this difficulty by the use of two
shois with 3 tons upon each shoe; the wheel being
"squeezed" between them, the pressures are made to neu-
tralize themselves and there is no strain upon the journals
or frames.

The brake illustrated is a good example of a squeeze
brake, because in a consolidation engine the necessity of
making the wheel-base as short as i)ossible causes the

wheels to be crowded together, and the difficulty of getting
two brake-shoes into a 3 inch wheel space is here solved in
a satisfactory manner by the use of an "S" lever, which
carries both shoes. The arrangement of the shoes in the
rear wheel space, where there is more room, shows the
normal style of the brake on all engines where there is
room for it. The brake cylinder at the back of the rear
wheel is constructed to give a piston area of 160 sq. in.,
which at 1.5 lbs. pressure gives exactly 13 tons at the end
of the piston rod. The strain of this 13 tons would all
come upon the framing of the engine were it not for the
ingenious arrangement of the cylinder itself. It will be
observed that its position enables it to become a fulcrum
for the rear shoe, and an anchorage also for the fulcrum of
the tender-brake lever, and these two strains act in the
same direction on the cylinder rearward, and their united
strain completely balances the thrust of the cylinder for-
ward, caused by the 13 tons of pressure upon the piston.
At the same time a part of this opposing strain is made to
do the duty of working the tender brake, so that no extra
brake cylinder and fastenings are needed for the opera-
tion of the tender brake. And another excellent feature is
also secured, namely, the certainty of its acting in unison
with the engine brake. This is as it should be. Engine
and tender are practicall.y one vehicle, and the coupling
between them ought never to be subjected to the strain
caused by a divided brake power. A close scrutiny will
show that not onl.v are all the shoe pressures balanced,
but that the strain of the rock arms is also balanced upon
the space bars, so that the brackets which attach them to
the frame of the engine have no strain upon them more
than the weight of the apparatus. The pull rods have
each an equal strain of 3 tons; not one of them has more
than another. The brake is vei-y readily adapted to all
classes of engines and can take any number of wheels in
series, as it does not require brake beams ; it is perfectly
equalized and elastic; its shoes are interchangeable, and
can be removed and replaced in a moment with the fingers,
no tools being needed, as there is no pin, bolt or key. The
brake operates equally well with air or steam, and can be
operated in unison with the train brake.

James Howard.

English and American Cars Compared.

To the Editor of the Railway Master Mechanic:

I noticed some months ago some interesting data in the
Railroad Gazette, furnished by Mr. F. W. Webb, on the
weight and capacity of the standard London & Northwest-
ern equipment. A leisure moment now comiug to me I
have prepared a table showing corresponding data concern-
ing American cars, together with a table making direct
comparisons, which will. I think, prove interesting to your
readers. Table No. 1 comprises Mr. Webb's data; table
No. 2 gives my data, and table No. H my comparison.

It will be seen that the English cars are lighter per capi-
ta than American ones. This statement bears out those
made by many travelers in England and on the continent.
These tables may be interesting for Mr. Dorsey to read
and perhaps he could gain some unprejudiced information
on the subject.

Of course, there are no complaints to be made on the
weights and capacity of American equipment, for the great
difference in the l^f thod of railroading governs the cou
struclion and style of rolling stock, but there is still food
for reflection in this subject. There are many more points
in the details of construction of English cars to be copied.

than have already been, which would be of great benefit to
the American car. The light running gear is quite notice-
able on the English car. The journal box guide or pedestal
is very simple and inexpensive: it is punched out of a %
in. steel plate and bolted to the truck side sill or wheel
piece, and Is without the usual American pedestal tie bar
and stay rod. The long, (> ft., half elliptic springs are at-
tached to the truck frame and journal box in a most simple
manner, and altogether the truck presents a striking con-
trast to the complicated American one. There is one
point, however, to be improved upon, and that Is the un-
usual lateral motion. Outside of this defect, the English
carriage is a very comfortable riding one. The method of
heating is a little crude, but that fact does not necessarily
enter into this discussion, as the construction of the car
has but little to do with the proper method of heating it in
this age of steam heat, which, by the way, is a most adapt-
able system for the English car.

I must confess that I was a trifle prejudiced against the
English carriage until I saw one, and was agreeably sur-
prised with the comfort one could have in them. By the
judicious use of a couple of shillings, a whole compartment
with a lavatory attachment can be secured from London to
Liverpool. The disagreeable feeling of being " locked in "
vanishes at once, and you are compelled to admire the lock-
ing in system, as it plays an important part in the securing

The firm ot Carnegie, Phipps & Co. (limited), is
well-known to railway men as a producer of steel
rails, but it has not been an active or generallj' rec-
ognized competitor in the manufacture and sale ol
other lines of railway supplies. It has now, how-
ever, entered the field as a manufacturer ot locomO'
tive boiler and fire-box steels. The selection of the
recently organized firm of Coolbaugh, McMunn &
Pomefoy by the concern as its general agents has
doubtless caused, or at least hastened, its entrance
into the railway supply field. The members of this
new firm have had both experience and success in
this field, and they would naturally look to it as an
inviting one in their new business relations.

In order that those interested might see for them-
selves how thoroughly Carnegie, Phipps & Co. are
equipped for making steels for locomotive boilers and
6 re-bo.tes, and jcdge whether the steels produced
are of the quality required in railway service, in-
vitations were recently sent out by Messrs. Cool-
baugh, McMunn & Pomeroy to a number of eastern
railway officials to visit as guests the Homestead
Steel 'Works, near Pittsburgh. In the party which
left .Tersey City in a special car the evening of March
fith were the following officers connected with the
operating, motive power and supply departments of

Lcneral superintendent B. & O. lines and
! Philadelphia; R. C. Blackall, superin-
wcrand machinery D. & H. C. Co. ; J. W.
iiL' agent D. & H. C. Co. ; Chas. Graham,
n,,L. &W. R.; W. H. Lewis, division
.■ D., L. & W. R. ; A. E. Fllley, purchasing
Rapid Transit Company of New York;

April, 1890.

THE RAIL^VAY MASTER MECHANIC-

ENGLISH AND AMERICAN CARS COMPARED.

! 1.— PiSSEXGEK COiCHES— LOSDOS & NORTUWESTEUX RaII

1 Description of
1 cumage.

Length
32 ft.

!"■

42 ft.

Sf,ain.

7ft.9iu.

7 ft. Kin.

8 ft.

Number of
compartments.

4 flrst class.
4 iavatories.
1 lugsngo.
four.

IS:"-

1 iiiggagc.
seven.

1 iu'ggagi-.

Length of
cumpai'tments

Carriage capacity.

Weight of coach.

1 |42ft., first oluss

7 ft. 4 in.

IkVli.

7. ft. 9'., in.
7 ft. 4 in.

4 ft. 10 in.

5 ft. 10>., iu.

28 passengers.

iTons.C,n.Lhs.

f _39,200,hs.^

23,6.50 lbs.

! 11 17 3
f 23,775 lbs.

carriage.
32 ft., flrst class

■J '32 ft. composite

■

70 passengers.

r^^r-

3ll,-J50 1lis.

•| carriuie:

IX 2 2

Table 2.— Os tde Avebage Amekican Fikst Class

KOAI..

j Deeoiiption of

"^^ot"'

Number of 1 Length of
compartments, compartments

Carrying capaeily.

Weight of coach.

] '60ft.4wh.truclt

60 ft,
50 ft.
60 ft.
60 ft.

9 ft. 8 in.
Oft. 8 In.

1 flrst class. ) 45 ft. 9 in.
I first class. 49 ft.

28 passengers.

(Xi,000

1 PBHorcar.

., • '50 ft. 4 wh. truck

58,000

1 flrst class. 40 ft.
1 baggage. 19 ft.

iHls. 1 59f..
1 lavatory. 1

Lft.4...eom-

48 passengers.

SClS.

' "s.;si.r»

72 passengers

64.000
32 tons.

I )ws; pissengerirrespectlve of class.

1 Carriage

Capacity.

Weight of carriage. | Weight per passenger.

Length of carriage.

No. of wheels.

28
24

39.200 1 1400
23,6)0 I 985-3
23.775 1.99-3
36.250 517-8
36.250 1 00O-4

4.5 ff.
35 fc!
45 ft'

•"■•'I

TotaK.^..^.

216

159,125 ' 736 5

205 ft.

promotions. As many of our i-eaders will, sooner oi-
later, visit the Homestead Works and meet these
gentlemen, we give the names of those who took-
charge of and treated with distinguished hospitality
I the party referred to: Mr. W. L. Abbott, chairman;
H. M. Curry, vice chairman: Otis H. Childs, secre-
tary; W. P. Palmer,- general sales agent; E. H.
Utley, general freight agent Carnegie, Phipps &
Company, Limited, and Carnegie Brothers, Limited;
Chas. L. Taylor, superintendent of orders; Ed.H.
Kenyon, general inspector; J. A. Potter, superin-
tendent Homestead Steel Works; W. E. Corey, su-
perintendent plate mill; E.F. Wood, assistant super
inlendent plate mill; T. Berg, chief draughtsman.

An Interesting Freight Handling Plant.

There has recently been placed in the warehouse
of the Southern Pacific Railway Company, at New
Orleans, La., a most complete and efficient freight
handling plant, designed especially for handling
barrels of sugar, bogheads, etc. The outfit consists
of four endless elevators, arranged to take the bar-
rel from the receiving floor to the floor above, either
for storage or delivery.

Each elevator consists of two continuous strands of
heavy link - belting with attachments, carrying
curved arms which conform to the contour of the
barrels. These arms as the belt travels upward
catch the barrels as they are rolled into position on
skidway properly placed, and carry them to the

28
60

-2

64.000
64,000

66 ft.
66 ft .

Total...

■im

2.52,000

1,211-5

254 ft.

:i2

Train based on uur
Wm. A. Foster, superintendent motive power Fall Brook
Coal Company: W. L. Hoftecker, superintendent motive
power C. R. of N. J. ; G. W. West, superintendent motive
power N. Y., O. & \V. R. ; Chas. A. Draper, purchasing
agent N. Y., O. & VV. R. ; W. C. Ennis, m-aster mechanic N.
Y., S. & W. R. ; LaMott Ames, superintendent of motive
power B C. R. ; E. T. D. Myers, Jr., general agent Rich
mond Locomotive Works.

On reaching Pittsburgh the party wsis taken charge
of by representatives of Carnegie, Phipps & Co.
Munh.ill, where the Homestead Works are situated,
was reached about IU o'clock a. m., and the next few
hours were filled to the brim with most interesting
and profitable sight-seeing. The arrangement of
the different parts of the works is such that one can
follow the details of the processes from the molting
furnaces to the inspection and test departments
with the greatest ease. And one, visiting these
works, realizes vividly how imperfect and unsatis-
factory any written description of such machinery
and process is, compared with the sight of them. To
read of a set of rolls which will take in an ingot 4 ft.
x4 ft. (i in. and weighing 2-5 tons and reduce it to a
slab 11 by 3 in. in section, or of a shear which, with
a pressure of .S,()00tons, cuts a section 48 by 24 inches,
is vaguely interesting, but to see these tremendous
engines at work is a startling experience, the vivid
remembrance of which is inetTaceable. And having
followed the processes— from the eight open hearth
furnaces which, altogether, can pour 2.">0 tons of
melted Bleel per day into the ingot molds to the mill
in which the ingots are rolled into slabs, then to the
shears by which the slabs are clipped and trimmed,
then to the plate mill where the reheated slabs arc
rolled to any thickness and width desired from
S of an inch to 3 inches thick, and up to !) ft. Sin.
wide and of weights up to six tons, and having
paused at every step of this wonderful progress to
look at the colossal cranes which lift and carry these
weights and shapes of steel and the vast engines
which give the tremendous mills their power— to
one who has followed these processes from beginning
to end a common rust discolored steel plate in anj
hardware store becomes, thereafter, an object of

genuine interest andanawakenerof wonderful mem
ories. And it is a fair question, whether one who i:
in charge of railway shops and rolling stock is com
pletely educated and fitted for his position if he has
never seen such processes.

It is only in the railway field that the boiler and
fire-box steels produced at the Homestead works are
comparatively little known. In other fields these
steels have long been prominent, and it is because of
the high reputation which they have attained — espe-
cially in the naval department of the United States
government— that they are confidently ofl'ered to
meet the requirements of locomotive service. For
some years the boiler steel produced at these works
has been largely used in the navy, and in the cruisers
now being built it is specified almost exclusively.
Kvery one knows that the tests prescribed by the
department of the navy for such steel are most ac-
curate, careful and severe. A boiler steel which
meets the government tests is equal to any service.
In the earlier contracts filled by these works a con-
siderable percentage of the plates was rejected. But
the high tests which had to be met were an educa-
tion ; the percentage of condemned plates grew
steadily less, so that, at present, it is insignificant.
.•Vnd in learning to produce, regularly and uniformly,
steel plates which meet the requirements of the
naval department, it is believed that the manage-
ment of the Homestead Works have become able to
make steel which is thoroughly .suitable for locomo-
tives. There could be no better school— and a day's
visit at the works will satisfy one that the scholars
have been apt. Every plate must run a gauntlet of
inspections and final approval means that it has en-
dured successfully a series of rigid tests in which all
its qualities have been judged.

While those in charge of Carnegie, Phipps &
Company's interests and the various departments,
into which the works referred to in this article are
divided, are by no means juvenile, still they are all
comparatively young men. Most of them have
reached their present positions through

floor above, and there thc\ are dcln i cl lUnnntK
ally onto skidwais,iithen lolling aw.ij in /n pi n,c
to the bat rels which follow Thcie isscaiccli an^
limit to the capacity of this kind of elevator, as the
carrying arms may be placed close together so
that oven should it be necessary to run the eleva-
tors slowly, the different arms make their appear-
ance with such regularity and frequency that the
only difficulty is in getting the barrels assembled
quickly enough to tax the full capacity of the hoist.

The elevators are each provided with a friction
brake which gives complete control over their oper-
ation. The entire plant is driven by an extensive
manila rope transmission, which dispenses with line
shafts. It transmits ]>owci- not only through the en-
tire length of the building, but across Bienville
street and into the adjoining building, furnishing
power to other elevators of the same kind. The con-
ditions of this drive, covering a distance of some 400
feeft, could scarcely be met by any other form of
transmission, and by no other form whatever with-
out much greater expense.

The engineers who planned and erected the whole
plant, the Link-Belt Machinery Company, of Chi-
cago, have put up numerous plants of similar de-
scription, which offer the best solution of the freight
handling problem.

rHE RAILWAY MASTER MECHANIC.

A NEW STORAGE BATTEBT CAB.

During the past month the village of Pullman,
near Chicago, has been the scene of many interest-
ing exhibits of the operation of an electric car oper-
ated by the storage battery. The car has been run
over a piece of track built by the Pullman company
for experimental purposes, and full of very sharp
curves. During some of the tests made these curves
were not the only obstacle to free running for por-
tions of the track were covered half an inch deep
with mud. The car has easily met every call made
upon it to overcome these severe conditions, and has
easily speeded up to the point where the shortness
of the tangents called a halt on the score of safety.
The speed is under admirable control, being readily
graduated at any point from 25 miles per hour down.
The car picks up its motion quickly, yet so very
gradually as to give no jump or shock whatever;
and il has been started and stopped in a measured
distance of one inch. This particular car has 84
cells, weighing about 4,800 lbs.; although in future
cars fewer cells will bi used. The ear weighs lo,-
1)00 lbs.

The battery used is the well-known Detroit bat-
tery. The motor mechanism is that of Mr. A. A.
Ingraham, and will be remembered by many of oui-
eastern readers as being operated some time ago in
Brooklyn for si.x months, the Detroit batteries be- |
ing also there used. The method of transmitting I
power to the driving wheel is novel, and possesses
many points that commend themselves to the me- |
chanic. The armature shaft is geared to a counter |
shaft, which latter carries a frictiou wheel which |
engages with an annular ring cast on the inner sjde
of the car wheels, the ring being of the same diame-
ter as the car wheel. A novel feature lies in the
bringing of the car wheels to the friction wheel which
ia carried between them, instead of bringing the
friction wheel to the car wheels. This is accom-
plished in a vei'y simple mannei-, and, as the move-
ment of the car wheels toward the friction wheel is
but slight in extent — scarcely observable to the eye
—no troubles of the nature that might be antici-
pated are encountered. The whole apparatus is very
simple, and is operated in a simple manner; when
the driver applies the brakes the current is auto-
matically cut ofT. The motor proper, of ordinary

form, is of 7i horse power. The entire mechanism,

motor and all, is hung from the trucks. Mr. Ingra-

ham proposes in future gears to abolish the counter
shaft and carry his friction wheel directly on the
armature shaft.

The batteries used are, as stated, the Detroit bat-
teries, so well known as the product of the Woodward

Electrical Company, but which are now controlled

by the Storage B.ittery Motor Company of Chicago.

It is claimed for these batteries that with an efficient

gear, such as that used now at Pullman, the cost of

power, when 100 cars are used, is something less than

Sil per day per car, and that each charge of the cells

will carry the car for from 60 to 100 miles. The

plates in these cells are formed in the following way,

which, as will be seen, d^^ers essentially from all

other processes of making plates for storage bat-
teries: A mould of the requisite size— say 10 inches

high, 10 inches wide, and 10 inches long— is tilled

with large crystals of common salt. Molten lead is

then poured into the mould. The metal will of

course readily penetrate the spaces between the

crystals, which are embedded in the molten mass.

When the lead cools it is sawed into disks of the de-
sired thickness, and the plates are placed in water

to dissolve the salt. When this process has been

completed the plates are full of irregular cavities of

the form of the salt crystals. The active material,

oxide of lead, commonly known as red lead or

minium, is introduced into the cavities. It will be j An'T'csn Eailway Master Mechanics' Asaociatii

readily seen that as the irregular spaces which had | Location of t he Jane Convention.

been occupied by the salt are larger inside than out-
side, the active material cannot drop out. The

plates are shaped and connected in the usual way,

and the positive and negative electrodes are insul-
ated from each other by hard rubber dividers. The

closed end of the divider is put at the bottom, thus

'.ach plate is independently supported by two forks.

l10i;iiLE HEAI

The closed end of the divider holds the lowei' edge of
the plate about an inch above the bottom of the jar.
In this way the possibility of short circuiting by the
accumulation of matter on the bottom of the jar is
prevented.

The special adaptability of this battery for traction
purposes is explained thus by its makers:

"1. The plates possess great solidity, a feature
whica makes it possible for the cell to withstand the
hard usage it is liable to encounter on railroads,
street cars, etc.

"2. The positive plates do not buckle, and the cell
gives no trouble whatever.

•'3. The plates are constructed of porous lead
the pores, which are tilled with the active material
are of a wedge-shaped form so that it is quite im
possible for the parts to be shaken out by the vibra-
tion or jolting of the car.

'"4. These cells will withstand the high rates of
discharge for which they are often called upon in
starting the cars or ascending steep grades."

The purchase of the control of this battery by the
Storage Battery Motor Co. involves the removal of
the business to Chicago. The latter company has
secured works at Hermosa, six miles out from Chi-
cago on the C. M. & St. P., and will occupy them
June 1. The Detroit worKs which have a capacity
of 500 c ills per day will continue in operation until
the Chicago works get fairly running. The Chicago
works will have a capacity of 1,000 cells per day; and
will also engage in the manufacture of dynamos,
motors, etc., and push an electric car lighting sys-
tem which we hope to soon describe. The otficers of
the Storage Battery Motor Co. are as follows: F. E.
Hinckley, president; G. H. Gale, vice-president; G.
M. Greenebaum, treasurer; H. T. West, secretary;
F. G. Holton, general manager.

The executive committee of the Master Mechao-
cs' Association issues the following circular con-
lerning the location of the June convention:

We regret to ledrn that the Lookout Mountain Hotel

Ctiattanooga, where \

..•iiled to hold (

far enough advanced toward (

pleiion to justify us in depending upon it to furnish

necessary accooimodation for the convention. As

Comfort. Va.. %vhere the master ear builders'
will meet, and which will be attended by many of our me
bers, we believe it to be desirable to give the members t
opportunity to vote on a new place of meeting.

Orlando Stew.irt,
Angus Sincl.ur,

Execntive committee.
Slips for votes are sent out with the above circular,
and an early announcement of the result may be
expected.

DODBLE HEAD BOBINO AND TUENING MILL.

The illustration of the 37 in. double head boring
and turning mill given herewith, shows a tool which
has proved to be very useful in railroad and locomo-
tive shops. The company producing it, the Bridge-
port Machine Tool Works of Bridgeport, Conn.,
built one of I'uCse machines to order, not expecting
particularly to ever have occasion to build another,
but the design met with such favor that the com-
pany is now building fully as many of this kind as of
the single head design.

The capacity of this mill is 37 in. in diameter and
33 in. in height. The table is 364 in. in diameter, is
powerfully geared, and has 20 changes of speed.
The teeth on both table and pinion are accurately
planed. The feeds are automatic, and range from
1-32 to I of an inch horizontally, and from 1-4S to 1 of
an inch in angular and vertical dii'ections. Each
head feeds iiidependently of the other. The heads
can be set at any angle, and carry the tool bars which
have a movement of 18 inches. The countershaft
has three pulleys 16 in. in diameter, for three inch
belt, and should run 1.30 and 185 revolutions, both
forward. The tool weighs 7,000 lbs.

A commission house in New York City which deals en-
tirely in supplies for three or four foreign railways recent-
ly ordered a copy of the Official Railway List "because it
contains the advertisements of so many manufacturers of
railway supplies." The List for 1890 will be even more
complete in this respect than any previous edition.

THE RAIL\VAY MASTER MECHANIC.

THE FONTAOre AUTOMATIC TIME SIGNAL.

Mr. Eugene Fontaine, of Toledo, has invented and
had erected on the Toledo division of the Michigan
Central railway a device for which there is a decided
want — one that will show to the engineer how long a
time has elapsed since ihe passage of the previous
train. It does not supply a block but it does atford
great help to the engineer. This signal has been in
daily operation now for -5* months without a single
failure and without any need of repair developing
itself. A similar signal at Spuyten Duyvil on the
New York Central, has been in operation since Janu-
ary 29, over 200 trains per day passing it, with an
equally good record.

The device consists of a dial borne on a post, the
hands on the dial indicating, up to 20 minutes, the
lapse of time after the passage of a train. The hands
ai'e operated by clockwork, set in motion by mechan-
ism operated by the tread of the locomotive depress-
ing a lever by the side of the rail. The shock of the
impact of the tread on this lever is completely ab-
sorbed; and only one shock is received from each
train, as the lever is kept from quickly rising to its
normal position— slightly above the level of the rail
head— by a very ingenious device. The operation of
the whole apparatus is about as follows : The wheel
tread depresses one end of a lever, wtjich is ful-
crumed in an iron bo.>c, the initial shock being ab-
sorbed by a spiral spring; as the other end rises it
pulls up a piston in a dash-pot filled with glycerine;
it is the resistance of the glycerine in this dash-pot
to the return of the piston which keeps the lever be-
neath the rail head practically during the passage of
the train; attached to the inner end of the lever is a
spring arm which, in rising, pulls up a wire rope
which, passing under a wheel, operates a rock shaft
ari-angement in the bottom of the hollow post, which
in turn pushes upward a vertical rod; as this rod
moves upward it raises a lever which in turn pushes
upward a rack bar, the teeth of which engage in a
gear on a horizontal shaft bearing a clock spring.
The revolution of this shaft winds the spring, and at
the same time causes the dial hand to fall to zero,
when the spring commences to unwind and operates
clockwork, which carries the hand gradually to the
20-minute mark. We hope to soon more clearly de-
scribe this device with the aid of illustrations.

On March 18 this signal was shown to a party of
gentlemen, who were taken down from Detroit by
special engine and private car, kindly furnished by
the Michigan Central management.

Among those present were: Robert Miller, assis-
tant general superintendent; D. S. Sutherland, divi-
sion superintendent; E. E. Torrey, superintendent
of telegraph; F. J. Brown, chief train dispatcher;
.1. .1. Ross, chief line repairer, and John E. Smith,
depot master Detroit station, all of the Michigan
Central Railroad; Hon. John T. Rich, state railroad
commissioner of Michigan, and C. B. Conger, me-
chanical superintendent same department; Hon.
George H. Lothrop, Detroit; Adolph Barthell. attor-
ney, Detroit; the following directors of the Fon-
taine Safety Signal Co., of Detroit: Joseph Taylor
and W. K. Anderson, of the Michigan Car Company;
John D. Norton, president First National bank, Pon-
liac, Mich.; D. R. Shaw, banking and lumber, De-
troit, Mich.; C. A.Beardsley, real estate and capital-
ist, Detroit; Russell B. Owen and Eugene Fontaine;
also representatives of the Railway Review and the
Railway Master Mech.ojic. The device was
operated to the satisfaction of all those present,
especial commendation being given to that feature
of the device which keeps the lever down after the
first impact.

called automatic car couplers from which railroad com-
panies were lo select some pattern for use on their respec-
tive roads. Mr. McPhereon called to his aid the services
of many ol the managers and mechanical superintendents
of Michigan, and there is no doubt that each coupler
selected met with the approval of some practical railroad
men. Except by the representatives of some couplers not
in the list, I have never heard the wisdom of the selections
made questioned, considered in the light of the experience
then possessed. The experience of four yeare has, how-
ever, demonstrated, thai few if any of them are of practical
value for the purpose for which they were intended — to
preserve the lives and limbs of train men. The reason of
their failure is too well known to alt of you to require ex-
planation here. One thing may, however, be stated ; that
is, they lack uniformity, without which, any number of
couplers, however perfect in themselves, must fail when
put into service. On January 1, next, the law of this state
requires all freight care to be equipped with automatic
couplers. If the railroad companies go on and comply liter-
ally with the law, but select from different types of coup-
tere, nothing will really have been accomplished toward
reducing the casualties resulting from the coupling of cars ;
and, in the opinion of many, the danger has been actually
increased. The action of a majority of the master car
builders in adopting a particular type of coupler which,
while coupling with each other, is not conhned to:a partic-
ular kind of which some syndicate has a monopoly, and the
action of so many of the leading roads in adopting this type,
leads to the hope that through this action early uniformity
is promised, while competition and experience may be re-
lied upon to remedy any defect which their general use
may show them to possess. For the reasons stated you
are respectfully requested to advise me of your reasons
why all of the following named couplers should not be
withdrawn from the list of those from which companies
may select. This will leave only two now standing as ap-
proved, the Janney and Dowlins, both of the master car
builders' typo. There is no reason why others of this type
should not be approved, and the withdrawal of the accom-
panying list will leave the field clear for the approval of
any new devices presented under the provisions of the
coupler act of 1SS~. Also, if this action is taken, is there
any reason why all railroad companies shall not be required
to equip their cars with this type of coupler as fast as the
cars go to the shops for repair or as new ones are built !

This is an important question which it is hoped each one
of you will consider, and advise this office on or before
April 1 of your conclusions. Those making no reply will be
presumed to favor the action outlined above.

The follo%ving is the list of couplers hereinbefore re-
ferred to:

AIKMAN COUPLER-P. a. AlKM.iN, Detroit, Mich.

BLOCKER— JouN A. Blockek, Chicago, III.

MARIvS-C. E. M.VHKS, Flint, Mich.

PERKY— VV. V. Pekrv, Chicago, III.

AMES— Ames CiKCorpLlxoCOMPANv, Philadelphia, Pa.

THE COWELL— Cleveland, Ohio.

McCKEE^J.VMES McCkee, Lansing, Mich.
Very respectfully youre.

NEW STEEL LANTERN.

Automatic Conplera in Michigan.

On March 1 Railroad Commissioner Rich, of Mich-
igan, issued the following circular, which fully ex-
plains itself. We understand that the replies have
been of such a nature that the action for. shadowed
in the circular will bo taken very soon by the com-
missioner, when the M. C. B. type of coupler will be
the only one authorized in the state:
To General Managers and Superintendents of Michigan

Railroads :

Gentlemen— Id 1886 my predecessor, Hon. William Mc-
Pbersoo, under the provision of law, selected seven so-

We herewith give an illustration of a new steel
lantern, manufactured by the Railroad Signal Lamp
and Lantern Company, of New York, which, because
of its ingenuity of construction, as well as ils
strength and durability, will, we think, be of inter-
est to railroad men.

Tlie entire frame of the lantern is made of steel.
The ring guards are cut from one piece and are
continuous, and
the upright
guards are also of
one piece, extend-
ing from top to
base of lantern.
The guards are
notched and wov-
en together, the
body hook being
burred on a steel
ring and indepen-
dent of the up-
right guards, af-
fording complete
protection to the
oil cup. The ring
guards being
formed with their
la'Tow edge to
ihe frame, form
great resistance
to any lateral blow, and at the same time cast no
shadow and shut off no light.

The manufacturers claim great saving of expense
to railroads in the use of this lantern, first, from its
great strength and durability and second, from there
being no tipped or soldered joints to come apart,
shop repairs being thus done away with entirely.

IMPROVED FACE PLATE JAWS.

Valuable improvements in the face-plate jaws pro-
duced by the Cushmau Chuck Company, of Hart-
ford, Ct., have been made, the details of which are
shown in our engraving. By providing recesses at
each end for nuts, the jaws can be used on face-plates
or plates hnving T slots, and can then, of course.

by loosening
the bolts.
At the same
holes
are drilled
and tapped
in the body
of the jaw,
by which it
can b e at-
tached to the plate in the old w.-iy (as shown by the
dotted lines) if desired. The jaws are reversible on
the plate; the sliding jaws are reversible in the
blocks, and the screws are also reversible, being
squared for the wrench at both ends. The sliding
jaws have parallel grooves the entire length, and
the bearir.g of the screws in them also extend their
entire length. Four of these jaws attached to the
face-plate of a lathe, or to the table of a boring
mill, or drill press, etc., make an excellent substi-
tute for the chuck, especially for the larger sizesot
chucks, t o

adapted t o

face-plates 30 in. to 40 in. diameter, the 12 in. for
larger plates and for the heaviest work. The jaws
may be put on and taken off the plate very easily,
one man doing the work alone, without the use of
tackle of any kind, a great advantage over the
handling of a large chuck. The Cushman Chuck
Co., of Hartford, Conn., can give further informa-

PERSONAL.

Mr. Albert Griggs, who has succeeded Mr. J. B. Henney
as superintendent of motive power of the New York &
New England road, has been for many years master me-
chanic of the Providence & Worcester road, and has made
a good record in that position. His shops at Valley Falls,
R. I., have been much spoken of for their convenience of
arrangement and their remarkable t

The resignation of Mr. J. B. Henney. superintendent of
motive power of the New York ..t New England, was a sur-
prise to all his very large number of friends. Mr. Henney
is recognized as one of the ablest of those occupying simi-
lar positions in this country. He has successfully filled
such positions in both the west and the east, and has made
a record which he has a right to be proud of. He is in the
prime of life, has had a wide experience, and is in all re"
spects fitted to successfully meet large and important re.
sponsibilities in bis profession.

Mr. E. V. Sedg^vick has been appointed master mechanic
of the Mexican National, with headquarters at San Luis
Potosi. Mexico.

Mr. J. M. Lowry, consulting engineer of the mechanical
department of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul road,
died March 4 at his Milwaukee home.

Mr. James Mackenzie, general foreman of the »vestcrn
d ivision of the Hannibal ,.<c St. Joseph road, died in Chi-
cago on the isth instant of neuralgia of the stomach, aged
en years. At the time of his death he was on his way to
visit his son. Mr. John Mackenzie, superintendent of mo-
tive power of the New York, Chicago & St. Louis road.
Mr. Mackenzie was an excellent draughtsman and a thor-
ough mechanic, and during his business career had charge

THE RAIL^VAY MASTER MECHANIC-

of a number of important machine manufacturing shops in
the west. In ls-S'2 he resigned his position of master me-
chanic of the Kaw ralley division of the Kansas Pacific,
one that be had tilled for a number of years, but which his
failing health obliged him to relinquish. His associates
presented him at the time with a line gold watch, which he
afterward constantly carried. After a period of rest and
travel Ue again resumed active work, accepting the posi-
tion that he held at the time of his death. Mr. Mackenzie
was known as an upright citizen, kind to the men in his
employ, always possessing their confidence and highly
respected in the community in which he lived. His re-
mains were interred in the family burying place at Adrian,
Michigan.

M. C. J. Ranahan has been appointed master mechanic
of the Louisville Southern.

Mr. John Hewitt has been appointed to succeed Mr. J.
Evans, resigned, as master mechanic of the Oregon Rail-
way and Xavigation Company. Mr. Hewitt was formerly
on the Wabash.

It is reported that Mr. H. S. Bryan, formerly of the
Chicago, Burlington & Northern, and later in the railway
supply business, has been made master mechanic of the
Duluth & Iron Range Railway.

Mr. Arthur Crandall, long known in Chicago and to the
northwestern trade, as a representative of the Dunham
Manufacturing Co., has taken the position of secretary of
that concern with headquarters at the Chicago office,
rooms 703 to 707 Phenix Bldg.

THE MARCH CLUB MEETINGS.

THE NOETHWEST RAILROAD ULUB
Discussion on Journal Brasses.

The Northwest Railroad Club held its regular
monthly meeting in St. Paul, March 8, and discussed
" Journal Brasses, " the subject being opened by G.
L. Warren. He read a brief paper in which he gave
the results of some tests which he had made. The
following is the part of the paper which related to
the tests:

The experiments were made with two materials
for journals: one, Norway iron, and the other, ma-
chinery steel. The bearings, four in number, we
will class for convenience as A, B, C and D. A was
composed of six parts by weight of copper and one of
tin. B was composed of eight parts by weight of
copper and one of tin. C was composed of one part
by weight of copper, two of antimony and :;4 of tin.
Each of these mixtures were refined. D was com-
posed of eight parts by weight of lead, and one of
antimony. The pressures per square inch were 100
lbs., 200 lbs. and 300 lbs. respectively.

AT 100 LBS.

Steel Oiled. Iron Oiled. Steel Dr>'. Iron Dry.

A -OBKo -00447 -0147 '0109

B OOaiO 00467 OlOa -0131

C -OlMUO -00300 -0102 -0175

D -am' -txtiao -ooa; -oi69

AT 200 LBS.

A -OW:!- -00)81 0130 -0131

B -003911 -005K; -Ol.-SJ -0142

C -0OS36 -0tM37 • -0135 OlSJ

D -00.-181 -00459 -Ol:n 0175

AT 300 LBS.

A -00473 -00574 -IS* -1150

c'.'.'.'.V.'.'.V.'.r.'.' -00481 -00409 -I'sflll -1370

1) -nam -00.500 1420 -W20

The coetlicient given by Moran for brass upon
wrought iron is -054, while those used for the fric-
tion on ordinary cars are from 6i to IH lbs. per ton.
Experiments by Penn showed that brass upon iron
abraded at 075 lbs. per square inch pressure, while
at 975 lbs. per square inch it sat fast and babbitt
metal rolled out at 1,600 lbs. per square inch.

Mr. G. N. Sceets— The tests in practical service
have proven that the solid bearing on different
railroads once seated to the journal and firmly
secured has given the least friction and makes a dif-
ference of one car in twenty in a train; that is, an
engine can pull one more car after a bearing has got
down to a smooth solid surface, that it can upon
filled bearing. Soft lead will wear the journal much
more rapidly than brass. An antimonial filling
comes nearer to having the least coefficient tor two
reasons. First, that it is hard enough to overcome
the wearing etTect of the soft metal on the journal.
It fills up the crevices that will naturally be in the
iron; it fills up the thread that is natural on a jour-
nal after being'turned and then gives you, after the
filling has worn down to the brass, an absolutely
smooth surface for the journal and thus reduces the
coefficient of fraction to the minimum. A test, such

as described, would not give you the results to be
arrived at in actual service, from the fact that you
do not allow for any lateral motion at all, and there
is a friction in actual service that you cannot obtain
in a test of this kind; so that the test as you make it
here would not be a i*eliable test on which to base
any true opinion as to the road service or actual ser-
vice on a train. As regards the best amalgam of
metal, that is almost an immaterial point, whether
it be 6 to 1, or 7 to 1, or 8 to 1 that you use; above 8
to 1 your metal would probably be too soft and would
wear loo rapidly and would come nearer the same
coeflicient of friction that your hard babbitt would;
and I claim that a 7 or 8 to 1 or phosphor bronze
bearing properly made, lined with a thin lead lining,
sufficient to give you a filling for the spaces that will
occur in any journal, gives a nice surface, and that
the jourcal as soon as it is worn down to the brass,
will give better service, will make less friction, will
last longer and will give better results in every way,
than any other bearing you can make. If you
get a bearing too hard, the result is that the
constant jar from crossings and frogs is liable to
break it. In the driving box it does not cut much
of a figure from the fact that it is in such a position
that it cannot break until it gets thin. The reason
people want the hard metal is because it is suscepti-
ble of a high polish. When once that has been ac-
complished, the surface obtained from it is almost
without comparison. It is hard to compare anything
with it, because they last so long that the time they
are put on is forgotten. Thereare very many differ-
ent ideas in regard to what constitutes the best
bearing. It seems like flying in the face of
fate to attempt to say what would be the best.
One man w-ill tell you that he prefers a filled bear-
ing because it is not so liable to heat; he gets his
cars over the road in better shape. He will admit
that the wear on the journal is a great deal more^
but that does not cut any figure in the case. The
transportation departments wants to get their trains
over the road in time, and if they can only have a
bearing that will reduce the heating to the mini-
mum, they can not stop to figure the wearing on the
journals. They do not figure that a journal costj
fifteen times what a bearing would cost and when
once worn out it can not be replaced quite so readily
as a beari^ig can. I prefer the solid bearing with
a lead lining not to exceed i inch, and after that has
been worn out you have got the solid brass to work
on. The mileage that you will obtain from that
brass, unless it should have to be removed, on ac-
count of changing wheels, will more than compensate
you for the difference in price. Then again, after the
bearing has become worn out in service, it is worth
more as scrap, a great deal, than the ordinary shell.
If a shell becomes heated it is lost to you. You lose
the filling and you lose the life of the shell, and at
the same time you lose a portion of it that can never
be regained because it goes into the waste and is
thrown out at the side of the track. When a solid
one gets heated it can be replaced, and put back in
another journal as soon as cool and will go to
work all right. A good many say they do
not like to use a solid bearing, having in mind
always the idea that they have got to use it without
a lining; but I claim that a solid bearing with a lead
lining is far better than any other one. I use
85 of lead and 15 of antimony for my own use.
The idea of that is to give you a -lead that will
not squee-/.e out with the weight that is put upon
it. With a soft lead lining in a 60,000- lb. car your
lead will squeeze out at the sides, and the journal
will get heated. The brass is first bored, and ground
out so that the surface is perfectly smooth. It is
then put into an acid bath and then into a tin bath.
After coming out of the tin bath it is put on a warm
mandrel and lined. The lining becomes as much a
part of the brass as any part of it. The first lead
lining was cut from a sheet, and was put in with
pressure without any tinning, relying on the weight
of the car to retain it in place. With the two sur-
faces separated you could lift the brass up and knock
it out. The lead lining was at first just as cfficieut
as if it had been tinned over, but after they got to
running the heavy cars it wouldn't do; it grinds
right out.

Mr. Whitaker— I would like to ask whether or not
there are any of the members present who can give
information from the use of the soft metal bearings
Do the journals reduce in size below the M. C. B.
standard before they have got an ordinary mile-
age out of themy If we can get an average life out of
the a.tle in miles I do not see that there is any very
serious objection to them.

Mr. Pattee — I was in a foundry recently where
they were casting car journal bearings, filling them
with a composition of 4* of Omaha lead to one of
antimony, and they claimed to get very good results
from it. They allowed the shell to be cut away so
that the filling was about the same thickness at the
end of the brass as at the center. If the metal had
been soft there was nothing to prevent it from
squeezing out at the ends and cutting away the col-
lar, but they told me that they no trouble. They
were using a great number of them. They said they
made the material hard enough to hold its form.
They claimed that they were running the cars at a
cost of about 14 cents per thousand miles for oil, pas-
senger and freight both. I asked them to what
extent the journals were being worn, and they
admitted that they were being worn considerably;
but as Mr. Sceets explained, the ability to get them
over the road compensated for the wear of the jour-
nals. I saw in the scrap axle pile though, that the
fillets were very badly cut out.

Mr. .Sceets — Isn't it a fact that whenever the fillets
are found worn it is generally caused by a journal
becoming heated and running too long after it be-
came heated, the brasses grinding the fillet out? It
does not talve long to grind out a fillet after it gets
cherry red. I think UO per cent, of the broken jour-
nals are directly traceable to becoming heated and
being cooled off too quickly with cold water. But
there is a lining that could be put in that would be
all right. I made some journal bearings for a car
that was being tested on the Chicago & Northwest-
ern and put a genuine babbitt lining in them and they
loaded the car with 40,000 pounds and ran it six
round trips between Milwaukee and Chicago and it
had not worn enough to show that it had been run.
That was a refrigerator car.

Mr. Praser — In the journal boxes we cast
a rib of this metal on each side of the
center of the journal, with a small strip across the
ends; this permits oil in the center of the brass. I
run an engine truck brass from March, 1888, until
October, 1S89, on one engine. That was one that I
kept a record of, and it did not get down to the brass
in that time. The babbitt projects 3 16 at first.

Mr. Sceets — If you will take an engine truck brass,
dovetail a slot clear through it and put in an antimo-
nial rib with just sufficient lead in it to hold it to-
gether inside, a set of engine truck brasses ought to
last five years, in lact they will never wear out unless
they should wear out from the action on top. You
might run them on an iron or steel surface if you
liked.

Mr. Birber— We are using a filled brass on the N.
P. Ry. We are like all the rest of you, we like a
solid brass best I think. It preserves the journals
and keeps the waste cleaner; allows the oil to fiow
more readily through the waste. We find more
sediment in the waste from a filled brasj. The tilled
brass also wears away the journal. There is no
question about that.

Mr. Barber — We have not been using the filled
brass to any extent until the last five or six months.
We are keeping a record of them and we expect as
soon as the year is up to get some record of them.
We have about 6,000 of the Hopkins, so that we shall
get at the facts pretty closely.

Mr. Ward— Have any of you had any experience
with putting a fillet on both emls of the journal in
place of just huvmij imi.- lilli'i next the wheel? I
find that it worU'~ with lr» itonhli- and that we have
less heating fruiii ii iliaii w. wnuld have with only
one fillet on the iii-uli- n( ili'' juunial.

running that way about
etter and are less liable
to cause hot boxes. I don't think there is any ques-
tion that the filled or brass shell with a soft metal
filling, will run with less liability to heat. But it
wears the journal faster and if it gets heated you
have got nothing for scrap, and the journal is very
apt to he injured.

Mr. Fraser— That depends upon Ih" fni-m o( yonr
shell. I never have seen a case Willi , n n, , h , l ,| m-
solid brass where it cut off or brc.l,. . ! , ^,. . nd

of the journal. It always goes in i i .. i ... n, ur
the center. 1 never have seen a i.m.na, r,n ,„,l the
fillet on til.' 11, -111. n. ..1 I
but 1 liai - - . i: m;.'.,, - 1
of soil in. ' |i , 1 1 . -..

had a V..|> l.a.l 1.: al

melted uuL Lin-re was iitil li i iil' In sustain the load at
all. 'i'here were twoor llii.. i il.- in the center,
opposite to the outside sin ll, ami ih.. mcnnent the
sol t metal was gone the l.ia~- laok.- right in two
and it would cut the journal evri'v Ume.

At the next meeting of the club the subject for
discussion will be " Brasses— Car, Driving and Rod,'" ,
to be introduced by Mr. J. L. Greatsinger, of the Du-
luth & Iron Range Raili-oad.

tiut from the action
. old Thayer brass
the soft metal was

THB RAIL^VAY MASTER MECHANIC.

THE WESTERN KAILWAY CLUB. I

Discussion on Chicago Joint Defect Card— Publication of j
Proceedings, and the H. C. B- Interchange Rales-

At the March meeting of tlie Western Hail way
Club the first subject discussed was the I'eport of
coramittee on joint caid, published in our last issue.
No agreement could bo had upon the report and it
was, after prolonged discussion, laid over till the
April meeting.

The report of the special committee on publication
of proceedings was next considered. On motion of
Mr. Rhodes the report as a whole was accepted.
The committee's report was then discussed section j
by section, Messrs. Forsyth, Barr, Rhodes, E. N.
Ijewis, Verbryck, Barnes, Peck and others taking I
part in the discussion. Several amendments were
made and the report was finally adopted in the fol-
lowing form:

I. That the |ire!<eiit method of selling to the railway and
technii-al piip.-rs tiMii^*rripts of the stenographer's notes of
our dis.ius-i ius. aii.l of supplying the newspapers with
copies .if p.ip. rs iv.1,1, ije discontinued.

•J. Thut th'* v.triniis r.iihvay and technical papers be re-
quested t.i s;iv.' iin ;i,o,uiit of the discussions, prior to the

a. Tliat tiir siTi.i.iiv revise 'the stenographers's report,
and semi a |ir.»i ^ii i lie same to any member requesiins it,
to allov, tii^ p. r^Mii.ii revision of his remarks; and that the
secretary b.> am h. 1 1 ■.li to eliminate any personal remarks
or eritin^iii-. mi |i it. i.t.d devices; and that failing to re-
ceive sii.ii I. >,i~; ,h^ rrierred to the secretary shall pub-
lish the |ir,.. , , iiii-, ,1, reported on the Monday succeeding

4. That the prueecdiugs be sent free as heretofore to
members of the club and to advertisers, but that the urice
to others shall be $1 per year. The proceedings may, how-
ever, be given in exchange for other technical publications,
and such publications received in exchange shall ba placed
on file in the club room for the use of the members.

.=). The increased work to be thrown upon the secretary
by the adoption of this plan should receive compensation,
the amouol of which we would refer to "'

i; V ■■ r.iieipates that the adoption of the

foivL - lit in an increase of advertising in

the 'I - and also in a revenue from subscrip-

tion- - but the details of soliciting sub-

scrii'ii ! - I ' : ' -'-ineuts we would recommend to be
referred to uie staiiuuig committee on publication.

The next subject, the proposed changes in inter-
change' rules, was opened with the reading of the fol-
lowing suggestions by Mr. O. W. Rhodes:

riKirOSED CB.VXllES IX THE IXTEHCU.VXGE RULES —SCGC.ESTED

Rule 13. Add to the rule a paragraph similar to the last
one of rule 2.% namely, " No percentage to be added for
either material or labor except as provided for in rule lU."
Tue prices for both material and labor in rules 1'2 and 2.~) are
based on cost. This being the fact, if it is right to add 10
per cent, in one case, it should also be added in the other,
uiid thus preserve a uniformity in the conception of the
rules.

Kule 'iT. Insert " by fire" on the fourth line after the
words '• damaged*' or *' destroyed." The rule will then
read: '•»»••♦♦♦ when damaged by tire or
destroyed by fire upon a private track • ♦ • » • ♦.•'
When this rule was first adopted it was intended to cover
lire cases only. This distinction has been omitted of late,
and it is now possible for a swiu:hing road to claim ex
cinption from responsibility under the broad head of
"damaged car," i. e., brasses stolen on a private track,
draft rigging damaged, siding damaged, etc., etc.

Rule 29. In the second paragraph of the rule strike out
the following clause ; " Should one of the parties refuse, or
' aformuiion, the committee shall

outlined for No. ll». would, in part, auHw i i : t -

questions. The use of M. C. B. standards in : i i. h-
original construction has been tacitly anii at. ,t n, i.Mrn
some railroads for some years past and we are oi the npiii-
iou the time is now ripe to make it one of the rules of the
association. Prior to the association's present stand on the
draw-bar question, a favorite way of showing the evils of
each line having its own standard bar, ivaw to tabiihiti- tlie
number of different di*aw bars a ihiHiiLli .ii,.. \..a- .1.11-..!

to carry for its foreign cars. Unl'^- - i- i-

is taken on this matter the mem b, I -

Snd that in place of carrying Jn

nted." This i

fact that th.
an ODiniou i
subscribed

pear among t

fail to fur

: of last year, which required
> agree to abide by the decision
vould consider the
important in view of the
ij time be called upon for
parties, one only having
railroad and individual
. s, though they do no. ap-
s. If, however, it is not
thought advisable tu liave this requirement, at least strike
out the clause we have named, and leave it to the judgment
of the committee whether it can •' decide iuleiligenily"'
on such one sided evidence as some member may see fit to
refer to them.
New rule. In its proper place, probably after rule 1.5 and

Kule It;.— In repairing damaged cars, M. C. B. standards
may lie used, when of design and dimensions that do not
mar or impair the strength of the car, in lieu of the parts
forming its original construction.

The M. C. B. automatic draw-bar of any recognized
mauufacture may be used, providing it conforms strictly lo
the lines adopted by the association, and also provioing
that not less than 35,000 cars are in successful service
equipped with the druw-bar.

Kule 1.5.— On the sixth line insert in parenthesis after
the words "originally used," "[except as provided in r^le
ItiJ new standard parts may, however, be used if agreed

The question is frequently asked, what can wo do to con-
tribute to more uniformity in car construction, what steps
can we take to introduce the standard
more generally, and what is the advantage to railroad
panics of the M. C ~ " '

as U

tmiv.,'':'-, ':';

:\:': ''■

'. B. lines is
vi!l be well,

L'. 11, ,-,.i,|,ierVi.

they u-t.nl t ,■

bein-ir,li-n,inre,l

cermin coiid'iUou

■' ■' ' "^ 1 n :■ t. ts to pay uiori

n. .1 by one firm, made so carelessly
iiltle with each other, and others th.ii
v.irv from the lines in imiwrtanl it.ii
,-theM.C. B. lines it is possible, t,,
of wear, to render the coupler an insei

There has been some talk of it
tem, and as the Western Hailwa
to advocate such a plan, a malu
might be useful. So far as our ^
were allured into advocatingthe
opposed to it now. We wish to be
The Central Railway Club hav.

troducinsr a two card
' Club was one of the
red opuin.n from the

under consideratioi
suchacard would faillo be recognized ami soon havenn val
ue unless carrying with it some obligation. It is tlierclore
proposed to use a red card fo- old defects, and that this
card shall be authority for any railroad company to make
the reiniirs, not aptiinst the railroad applying the card, but
ajrain-t til- ,,■:,, I .t the car. Why deceive ourselves by
nieai - ' titi; Under such a rule any railroad

mti,\ , I : . 1 and bill against the owner of the car
fni - I- be considers it essential to repair.

If is 1 1: - \-, t, ,i ,- ..', aiii, il we might much belter insert a new

ding old defects on foreign
repairs of which are essential to the safety of
trainmen and the running of the car, shall make the re-
pairs and bill against the owner of the car." 1 need scarce
ly add we would oppose such a rule. Tlie i. i-an s ,i:, ,i.i
be made, but the compsny making them -
them. Some, however, advocate the use ..t , -
that carries no obligation. At best this w. . ; . _ ,■
temporary relief and would soon be of as :t ,. ,,i,,,, ,,,
our paper currency, if it carried no obligation witti it, 11
we are to accept a car with old^efects,whenacard carrying
no obligations with it says they are old, why is it not much
simpler to accept it without any card{

In conclusion I think the association should take some
steps towards securing a more complete list of subscribers
10 the rules.

After considerable discussion the recommendations
as to rule 12, the new rule 16, rule 1-5, rule 27 and
rule 29 were adopted.

Mr. R. D. Smith suggested that there was a word
left out in rule 10, next to the last line; the word
'* bolsters." "Railroad companies shall not be liable
for the replacement of broken bolsters or draft
spri ngs. " He moved that it is the sense of this meet-
ing that the rule be made to read, '* Broken truck
bolster springs or draft springs." Seconded and

The discussion on interchange rules here closed,
and as it was late the discussion on the second sub
ject, " The Best Methods of Counterbalancing the
Reciprocating Parts of Locomotives," was, on mo-
tion, deferred until the next regular meeting of the
club, iind the meeting adjourned.

NEW ENOLAHD CLUB.

Discnssion on Freight Car Couplers.

At the opening of the New England Club discus-
sion on car couplers the secretary read the following
circular, which had been issued by the executive
committee of the club and sent lo the managers and
superintendents of the various railroads in New Eng-
land, tor the purpose of obtaining the opinions of the
men who use the different couplings, as to which is
the best and safest:

New ExoLAXii K.iilroad Clcb. i
BosTox, February 3.';, IsSKt. i
To the freight train and yard men of Railroad :

The New England liailroad Club has assigned asthe sub-
ject for discussion at its monthly meeting in March next,
"Freight Car Couplers." This subject, which has occupied
the minds of railroad managers for several years and is
still unsettled, has now attained a new interest from thtt
fact that the president of the United Slates, in his message
to the present congress, has called itsallcnlion to this mat
ler, and legislation is proposed, mahing il compulsory on the
railroad companies to adopt and use, within a given period,
an automalic freight car coupler.

As this proposed legislation is ba-sed entirely upon the
object of lessening the danger to employes engaged in
handling cars, we deem il fair that these men should be
given an opportunity to express their ideas as lo the form
of coupler which best combines uniformity, automatic
action and safety.

With this view the New England Railroad Club pro.

salt'st ami uest coupler, ilie nianageineiit ot yourroad has
kindly consented to forward your replies to the under-
signed. Please sign your names in the form below, under
the type nf coupler which .vou recommend.

FiiAScis M. CcKTis, Secretary.

.\ MM t,, 11 hundred and forty-eight votes were re-
' response to the above circular, distributed
: In favor of the .Salford coupler, 1,230;

I iiini ,. iiT; old fashioned link and pin, 113; Boston
Automatic, M); Gould, 21); Miller, 2r, Marks,.5; Dowl-
ing, 2; Cowell, 1. •

Mr. F. D. Adams was called upon by the president

to open the discussion of the subject.

"^Ii ''iain- ,\ f. n ; ■ :t ' - ,1.1. the Amescouplor

naively; several

■ - t, , Miy and the Van-

" ,1 I i.,m Hfi .- .-.imi-i,,,! A,t-, ii. Throughths

uu-slul tiUK o of Us uiiiljul;., tuiel 11 did not prove tO

be as successful as was anticipated, but 1 believe it
is one of the best couplerp ever made; it is, however,
being entirely abandoned. We have used the Saf-
(oi-d lor a great many years, and we have watched

1 if - 1.1 .St- of the M. C. B. type with much interest.

tin order last fall to the inspectors on the
■ '■ i til. of our road to report every broken coupler
Miiinl, I'hree hundred and thirty-seven of the Jan-
iiey tyiic were reported broken in 60 days. At that
time we were receiving perhaps .501) cars pur day,
and delivering SOO, and in that lot I don't think over

2 per cent, had a vertical type coupler. The break-
age seemed to us enormous, and strengthened our
determination to use the Safford. In building some
new cars, more recently, we consulted with some
other roads in regard to couplers, and were strongly
urged to use the vertical book, but we have not yet
seen it for our interest to do so, but have rather in-
sisted upon the Safford automatic. I notice that
those who advocate the use of the vertical hook so

itti-.-" " tin I'.-hi,-;. vtifiti r..,t.i, I", it !t,-l,,i,e.-. Thev

-■ ■ , ■ , i , , , Mupler to

peiieu le. puL un lii.il eoupier, il u,.uiu bankrupt

them in llic iicxl live years, uulcab il is improved so
as to diminish the breakage. I understand that on
the lines of the Pennsylvania road west of Pitts-
burgh 1,000 cars have been put into service recently
wiUi the common pin and link bar, and -500 more are
being built, and -500 more in contemplation, all ot
which are to be fitted with the same coupler. Yet

■uled

vhen it wt
vho are m

e vertical hook
.Missouri Pacific,
iih the pin and

I iilhe

ith

the same enii|i,, i . -m. , i ii. :i,,,.|ii nin of the vertical
hook by the .U,i»iei Car liuiiuei.- .-Vosociation. The
Atchison, Topeka i. Santa Fe road adopted the ver-
tical coupler and they have abandoned it, and are
replacing it with the SatTord automatic. It has been
generally reported and believed that when the Mas-

Car Bi
hook, the
mously in fa^
the eight me

Association adopted the vertical
10 committee ot nine wore unani-
it, but thai is not the fact. Of
s |ireseiil four only were in favor of

.11. ,.. t,- ,.|, :...-. T; i.i It, and it was only
- iiiodilication that

t ..port of thecom-

""" '- -■ ib'i 11 wassimplylo

after a lo..:
those oppt.
miitee, upi

bring the imiLlef beluie iiie at-suciation lor aclion.
1 believe the Safford bar is the safest coupler that
has been introduced, and there are ten times as
many of them in existence as of any other type.
Unilormily is better than variety in a matter ot this
kind, and conduces to the safety of the men who
handle it. It is said that the vertical type is an
automatic Coupler absolutely. I do not think it is;
you have to set the knuckle every time, or it will
"break olT, and a new one costs $-5; a new Safford bar
cau be bought for that price.

Mr. Marden— I have not been a believer in the
master car builders" type ot coupler. 1 realize the

safely co

ud the

fact that we need !

sooner all cars are equippi

belter; the expenses of repairs will then diminish.

The claim has been made that it all cars were

«.... - Ii. ; -t. ,..!-_ ,..,1 we would have no fur-

tli. ... ,..11. I do not accept that

slat :, , ,- I.;., .' Iielieve that any material

til, It tiiti i. Iitt.i . ii.tii.iy enough to make the
knuckles of, is sti'ong emiiigh to bear the shocks it
receives. Wo have had 100 cars equipped with the
.\I. C. 15. coupler, and they have been out of service
more tlian halt the time on account ot being disabled
by broken draw-bars, and when we add to that the
expense ot repairing and ot taking them to the
shop, it has proved rather a cosily experiment. 1
do iiol think that the majority ot the roads who are
using that coupler to-day would say that it is just
what they need, if they expressed an honest opinion,
but they would say it was a very expensive coupler
for roads to use to any great extent. We are equip-
ping cars that we are now building and repairing

THE RAILV/AY MASTER MECHANIC.

with what is known as the Perry coupler, an auto-
matic coupler which we have used for several years.
There is no cue who would he more ^lad than I would
be to see a good automatic coupler come to the front,
something that would please the train men and save
them from broken and crushed hands, and 1 be-
lieve the roads are now waiting for some coupler to
be presented which will obviate the dangers that
attend the couplers we are now using.

Mr. Shinn — Three years ago I had occasion to
make some tests of couplers, and I found that a blow
of about one-third of tie number of foot pound? re-
quired to break a malleable iron or cast steel
knuckle would put a permanent set in the knuckle
and render it useless if two of the same kind came
together. If they sometimes receive a blow suffi-
cient to cause a fractui-e, they must more frequently
receive the lighter blow which will cause the per-
manent set, sufficient in many cases to prevent the
coupling of the cars when two of this kind come
together. In investigating this subject before I
made the tests, I visited a number of railroads in
the country where tests of vertical plane couplers had
been made where I found the scrap pile told a won-
derful story regarding these couplers; I found there
were knuckles made of all descriptions of metal, in-
cluding malleable iron, cast steel of the best makes,
and some others, and they all had broken under con-
ditions to which they were exposed, and my conclu-
sion was that that occurred either through a fault in
the form, want of sufficient metal, or want of strength
in the metal itself, and railroads could not atford to be
equipped with that sort of coupler, unless better ma-
terial could be found, or the lines increased so as to
give a much larger body of metal. I think the day
will come when a better metal will be had than is
now being used for that purpose, and I think then
the danger of permanent set will disappear and the
percentage of breakage will decrease.

Mr. Getman— Where cars have been kept together
and equipped with this coupler, the number of
breakages has been very much less than with those
where they have been mixed up with cars equipped
with all sorts of couplers.

Mr. Lauder — Assuming that the statistics that we
get from different quarters are approximately cor-
rect, it seems that there is a vast difference between
the breakages reported by different roads, and I
think it is plain how that difference comes about, t
think, as a rule, it will be found that the roads which
have taken hold of the vertical plane coupler, and
equipped any considerable number of cars with it,
have put this coupler on to a special class of cars, as
stock cars, fruit cars, etc., where the trains are made
up perhaps with the products of the west, beyond
the Mississippi or Missouri river, and run to New
York or Boston without really being uncoupled; and
under those circumstances the breakages of any
coupler, especially a hook coupler, would be very
slight, buton theother hands the roads that report a
very large percentage of breakages are those on which
the couplers are put to the test of switching, and
that is what drives the couplers to pieces. I assume
that if the vertical plane coupler ever becomes uni-
versal in its use, the breakages will very largely
increase over what is now reported by the roads
having the greatest number of them, because then
they will not only be put on to special lines of cars,
but on to cars engaged in local business, and will
have to receive their full quota of shocks from the
switching of cars, especially at terminal points; but
there will be this difference, that they will be sub-
ject to shocks by knocking them together with coup-
lers of their own type, while now they are knocked
around by couplers of other types, which is mani-
festly bad for the hook. There is no question that
vertical plane couplers, as used on the Old Colony
road, the Boston & Albany, or the Fitchburg road,
are subjected to a more severe usage, occasioning a
greater percentage of breakages, than they would
be if only that kind of coupler was in service. I can
see nothing but disaster to the vertical plane coupler
if it shall be adopted universally and put into our
local service. I don't think that coupler has had any
fair test of its endurance on the roads which have
put it on large numbers of cars, because, as I said
before, it has been applied to special lines of cars
running in solid trains, where there was very little
switching done.

Mr. Coghlan— The trouble with the hook coupler
is the de^ct in its mechanical construction, and no
piece of mechanism constructed in that way could
endure one-quarter of the shocks to which a freigiit
car is subjected, carelessly handled as it often is
bv train men in the yard. It does not matter of
w"hat metal it is made, but if made in this form it
will bend, and if it does not bend it will break, and
as soon as it is bent its efficiency is lost. Any piece
of mechanism that has a hinge will break and wear,
and that is especially true in the freight car coupler,
and a severe shock will bend or break the knuckle.

The discussion closed at this point and a lengthy
paper upon "Freight Car Couplers," prepared by
John M. Ford, was read bv Mr. Adams, and from it
the following extracts are taken:

There have been two or three years of trial ofthis type of
coupler (that adopted by the M. C. B. Association), uud it

i there f

has been developed under as favorable
strong personal attachment could offer; and still the many
failures have not been averted. It seems hardly wise to
continue the development of a type composed of intricate
parts, which must be made exact in order to work well, in
fact to work at all, and which are already proving very
weak aad troublesome. The Master (Jar Builders' Associa-
tion, in adopting a type, practically adopted wind. The
adoption of a t.vpe is not the adoption ' " " ' "

type is as capable of as many forms and shapes
parts to the coupler, or the ingenuity of man can uevise.
At present there ai-e many couplers of the M. C. B. type,
so called, the parts of no two of which fit each other. Con-
tinuing on in this line, how long will it be before there
will be as many kinds of the M. C. B. vertical plane type
of a coupler in form, length and shape as there are now of
the link and pin type! Cars are held to-day for parts
broken in the Janney, Gould and other couplers of this
type, and they must be held until these parts are piocured
from points hundreds and perhaps a thousand miles away.
Delays of this kind should be overcome by a standard,which
would in a large measure stop the famine for cars at many
points during the busy seasons of the year.

Is it not a well-known fact that the indiscriminate adop-
tion and use of automatic couplers, so-called, has largely
increased the danger of running freight car trains? It cer-
tainly is desirable to secure a perfectly automatic freight
car coupler, but unfortunately that coupler has not as yet
been produced. It is seldom you can find, in our vicinit.y,
one ol these so-called automatic couplers that will couple
with its own kind without being obliged to go between the
cars to adjust the parts, it being a rare occurrence to find
all the parts in working condition. It is therefore certain
that at the present time it would be unwise to force rail-
roads to adopt a coupler with so many vital defects as are
shown to exist in all the so-called automatic couplers, in-
cluding the M. O. B. vertical plane type.

The officers for the ensuing year were duly elected
as follows: President, George Richards; vice presi-
dent, Orlando Stewart; secretary and treasurer, F.
M. Curtis; executive committee, George Richards,
ex-olficio, F. D. Adams, J. N. Lauder, AlbertGriggs,
.1. W. Marden, L. M. Butler, F. M. Tworably, John
Coghlan; finance committee, Geo. Richards, ex-
otticio, Charles Richardson, Isaac N. Keith, Daniel
S. Page, A. G. Barber, Osgood Bradley, Joel Hills,
George H. Wightman.

The subject for the next meeting will be locomo-
tive boilers.

SUPPLY TRA'DE notes.

—A great saving in draft rigging repairs is effected by

le use of the malleable iron Butler drawbar attachment.
The Butler Drawbar Attachment Company challenge any
other device to show as good a record as theirs, and state
that within the past year there have been more orders
placed for the Butler attachment for new equipment than
for an.y other patented device of the kind.

—The Steel Tubular Car Company, of Bradford, Pa., has
bought 3,000 acres of land in Tana valley, between Brad-
ford and the New York state line, and the erection of
shops will be begun as soon as possible. The company
will build fl re-proof, indestructible, steel tubular cars.

—The St. Louis, Alton & Terra Haute Railway have
just put their Belleville and Pinkney viUe oCBces in hand-
some shape, the Scarritt Furuiture Company of St. Louis
doing the furnishing.

—The Eames Vacuum Brake Company announce that
they have perfected an improved compressed air brake for
passenger and freight cars.and are now prepared to demon-
strate its superior merits over any other brake extant. The
brake is quick acting, automatic and interchimgeabl; with
the Westinghouse brake. The locomotive equipment Ihey
claim to be decidedly superior to any other in the market.
They ask specially to call the attention of railroad com-
panies contemplating the equipment of freight cars with
power brakes, and request that before making contracts
elsewhere they will Investigate their device.

-Mr. A. W. Van Dorston informs us that we were in
error in announcing that the contract went to the Sharon
Steel Casting Company for the steel knuckles for the 8,000
Van Dorston couplers ordered by the Philadelphia & Read-
ing. The contract went to the Standard Steel Casting
Company, of Thurlow, Pa., which firm is turning the
knuckles out at the rate of 100 a day.

—At the shops of William Sellers & Co., of Philadelphia,
they have a number of cranes in process of construction of
various sizes and weights, some of them driven by electric
motors, which are placeii In the cage and travel with the
crane. The crane which they have recently put up over
their erecting floor is driven in this way, and works in an
entirely satisfactory manner. Among the other large tools
to be seen on the floors are some exceptionally large and
heavy planers; a iS In. lathe, 43 ft. S In. long, and an angle
shear to cut angle iron 8xs in. A lathe has also just been
completed which Is to go to the new shops of the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad at Altoona, which is something entirely
new. It is to be used for facing off rock shaft arms. It is
fitted with mechanism which reverses the lathe at any de-
sired point, giving it an oscillating motion, the backward
movement being four times as fast as the forward or cutting

motion. The lathe will make any part of a complete revo-
lution desired, or can be used In the ordinary manner, I. e.,

— Since it went Into service this season and up to March
1, the Jull snow plow dug out 713 miles of drifts, from 2
to :30 ft. in depth. In the deepest drifts the snow had to be
broken down for the plow to operate on. It released 10 pas-
senger trains, several of which had been lying nine days in
the snow. During all this service it is stated that the step
which supports the augur never even became heated.

—The Servls tie plate is now being made with a larger
and heavier plate, with an extra flange in the center, for
use on roads operating heavy rolling stock and hauling
largest loads. These plates are now going on many miles
of new track, their economical value being recognized alike
by contractors and general managers.

—The specifications for the Chicago West Side Elevated
Railway locomotives call for United States metallic pack-
ing on piston rods and valve stem. Allen & Richardson
balance valve, Kruop steel driving tires. Boles truck
wheels, French springs, Lappin brake shoes. Mason re-
ducing valves, Eames vacuum brakes. The car specifica-
tions call for Cleveland City Forge and Iron Company turn-
buckles, Globe ventilators, Mlller-Janney combination
drawbar, Eames vacuum brakes, Lappin brake shoes,
Chase combination bolster springs, and F. D. Adams drip-
less journal box. In view of the fact that the company has
selected so many first-class supplies it is strange that it did
not adopt an improved lamp for lighting its cars. The
name of the concern whose lamps are specified awakens
memories of cars halt lighted, aching eyes an^ wasted

—The Link Belt Machine Co., of Chicago, favor their
friends with a very useful and convenient steel pocket foot
rule which folds up into a length of 4i.j inches. It tits
snugly into a leather case, the whole affair being less bulky
in the vest pocket than an ordinary lead pencil.

—The U. S. Enameling Co., of New Brighton, Pa., has
been organized to carry on the business started in that
place by the Star Enameling Co. Mr. E. H. Martin, gen-
eral superintendent of the old company, occupies the same
position in the new concern. Mr. E. A. Eames is the west-
ern representative of the company, with office in the
Phenix Building, Chicago. The station signs, etc., made
by the process controlled by this concern are much superior
to anything else of the kind.

— The Dunham Manufacturing Co., dealers In railroad
equipment, have, together with the National Hollow
Brake Beam Co., moved to their new and commodious
quarters, 703 to 707 Phenix Building, Chicago, 111. This
change has been rendered necessary by the growing busi-
ness of both these companies, and the new location will
give them about double the space hitherto occupied at 310
and 311 Phenix Bldg., in addition to aflordingsuperior light
and ventilation.

— The Rue Mfg. Co., which has recently moved its shops
into new quarters in a new building, now has things in
very good shape— Mr. F. H. Colvin, who Is at the head of
the concern, evidently taking considerable pride in his
special tools and appliances for doing the work on the in-
jectors which they make. The work Is nearly or quite all
of brass, and there are a considerable number of external
and internal threads to be cut on the body of the injector,
and the parts which fit into it. Plugs and receivers are
provided for keeping these to a uniform size, and in every
case taps are made with an extension below the thread,
which is just a nice working fit in the hole to be tapped.
This insures not only that the hole shall be the proper size,
but that the thread shall also be true with the hole and
not cut deeper on one side than the other, as Is apt to be
the case In tapping brass. The principle of having inserted
teeth in taps, adjustable for size, is followed out as far as
possible, and the same Is true of the dies. Mr. F. H. Col-
vin devotes his time principally to thedevising and making
of tools and fixtures, with which the work is done, and
many of them are quite ingenious. A number of Pox
lathes are used, and the method of cutting the threads on
the end of the brass piece called the nut, which engages
with the hob, is different from that usually employed. In-
stead of having hobs and bobbing it out, it is done with a
single cutter, which is keyed into a boring bar, and the
piece being clamped to the tool rest in the proper position,
and the lathe geared up to cut a screw of the desired
pitch, the operation is then the same as cutting a thread in
the lathe in the ordinary manner. The distance which the
cutter projects from the center of the bar is, of course,
equal to the radius of the lead screw, so that the proper
curvature is obtained.— [American Machinist.

— An article on emery wheels in the March Journal of
the Franklin Instituteby T. Dunkin Paret, president of the
Tanite Company of Stroudsburg, Pa., is worthy of special
mcn'ior, not only because of the very large amount of prac-
tical information on the subject which it contains, but also
because of the good taste which It shows. Although the

THE RAILV^AY MASTER MECHANIC.

writer is an active competitor with many other manufact-
urers of emery wheels, that fact is almost entirely kept out
of sight in his article. It would be a good thing if the "sup-
ply men" who read papers or make addresses before rail-
way clubs would catch the spirit of this article.

— A business new to St. Louis and of national importance
has been inaugurated in the car chair and seat line within
the past few years, built up by the Scarritt Furniture Com-
pany. A specialty has been made of this branch of railroad
work and the arm now maintains the largest plant of this
character in the world. Their recently added mammoth
five story building increases their capacity so that they can
better supply their fast increasing trade, which comes
from England, Mexico, Chili, Brazil, Cuba and Australia,
and from the best and greatest systems of railroads in this
country. The Scarritt Furniture Company's New York
ofBce is at 14.5 Broadway, with M. N. Forney; the Chicago
office is at 513 and 514 Phenix building, and the St. Louis
office is at 412 and 414 North Fourth street.

—The Boyden Brake Company has secured the services
of Mr. F. A. Stinard to represent it on the road. Mr. Stin-
ard is a member of both the Master Mechanics' and Master
Car Builders Associations and has had many years of ex-
perience in locomotive and car departments. He has, also,
an extens've acquaintance in the railway field and will, it
is believed, make a good record in his present business.

— Owing to a temporary dearth of important news some
of the Chicago newspapers recently made a great outcry
about an alleged violation of municipal ordinances by the
Safety Car Heating & Lighting Company in establishing a
plant for making Pintsch gas in the city. As the work
was done under the supervision of Mr. Jacob Johann, who
is personally known to most of the readersof Tuc Railw.iy
M.vsTEH Meciuxic, it is bardly necessary to say that in-
vestigation shows thit permission was obtained in advance
for erecting the building and every care was taken to avoid
all causes of offence. Some citizen with sensitive nostrils
has complained that a bad smell proceeds from the works-
The odor is simply that of petroleum, an odor which per-
vades entire counties in Pennsylvania, Ohio and other oil
producing districts and the people accept it joyfully. Over
that part of Chicago in which the Pintsch works are situ-
ated the smells from Bridgeport slaughter houses and fer-
tilizer factories come with every south wind in tidal waves
—and for a fuss to be made over an occasional whiff of
clean and useful petroleum seems a small business. It is
alleged also that the Safety Company crossed the streets
without' permission. What Mr. Johann did was to put un-
der ground a .'4 in. pipe— which could hardly weaken the
foundation of Chicago or affect the safety of travel on its
streets.

—The Timms journal-box, illustrated in our March issue,
has been improved by the substitution of a pressed steel
box-lid for the one then shown, and by removing the brass
face plate on the end stop; the wearing face of the end
stop is now simply chilled, which answers every purpose
and must reduce the cost.

The Homestead Steel Works of Carnegie, Phipps & Com-
pany, Limited, are situated on the south bank of the Mo
nongahela river, some nine miles above Pittsburgh, and on
the lines of the Monongahela division of the Pennsylvania
Railroad, and the Pittsburgh, McKeesport & 'youghio-
gheny Railroad, the latter being one of the railroads com-
prising the Vauderbilt system. The property consists of
some S9 acres, of which the works proper occupy about 50
acres of level ground, having a river frontage of some
3,10U feet.

The Bessemer department of these works comprises a
converting mill WJsri ft., in which are located six melting
cupolas and two five-ton converters; a blooming mill, 178
ft., 6 in., x73 ft., in which are located soaking pits, a pow-
erful blooming train and hydraulic crane for handling in-
gots, etc; also structural mills, .'Bx'J3 in., located in the
same building, which is &>ixM ft., having three wings 80
ft. deep. In this building is also located a 10 in. train for
rolling spring steel, rivet rods. etc. The two structural
mills are devoted exclusively to rolling steel beams, chan-
nels, angles, and tees. The Bessemer department is fully
equipped with engine houses, boiler houses, mixing house,
etc., and all appliances for economical handling of mate-
In the open hearth department are the open hearth fur-
naces; the plate train and finishing machinery are housed
in the same building. This is OBT ft. long and is built en-
tirely of iron and steel. The main building, containing
the open hearth plant and the plate mill proper, is 501 ft.
long and S6 ft. wide in the main span, with a 45 ft. lean to
on each side. The inspecting and marking-out department
is '373x43 ft., and the shearing department is l>7xs(; ft.

The open hearth furnaces are eight in number; anew
building is now nearly completed, however, which will
contain eight more open hearth furnaces. This building is
about 40Ox'2O() ft. The furnaces all use natural gas as a
fuel, the stacks being placed at the back, and the checker

work in the flues preheating the air. Charging is done
from the general floor level. These furnaces are arranged
in pairs, with casting pits between each pair. Ncs. 'J, 3
and 4 are opposite Nos. 7, and 5, respectivel.v. Between
the pairs of furnaces are the hydraulic ladle cranes, which
are directly on the center line of thebuilding* and on either
sideof the cranes are semi-circular pits, capable of taking
four sets of moulds. Each pair of furnaces are attended
at pits by two seven-ton and two 30-tou hydraulic cranes,
which command the furnace itself^ the casting and ladle
pits, and the narrow gauge tracks over which the ingot
moulds are removed and the product of the furnace is car-
ried to the mill.

At one end of the open-hearth department is a small
steel foundry, with core-room, etc., where special steel
castings for use at the works are made. The capacity of
the open-hearth plant amounts to 7,500 tons of ingots per
month. This output will be doubled when the new plant,
above referred to, is completed.

The slabbing mill building is of steel and iron, 300 ft.
long and I'iO ft. wide, with a 35 ft. lean to for boilers.
Eight heating furnaces with vertical pits li ft. in diameter
and 7 ft. deep, with circular covers, are arranged in pairs
in the northern end of the building. Two 35 ton hydraulic
cranes, swung by rack and pinion, and titled with a sim-
ple hydraulic tackle for gripping ingots, charge and draw
these furnaces.

The slabbing train itself is a universal mill. The ver-
tical rolls are of steel *J0 in. in diameter, and are driven .50
revolutions per minute, by a pair of 30x.>4 in. reversing
engines, running lOU revolutions per minute. And the hori-
zontal rolls are 33 in. in diameter, and are driven by a pair
of 40x.t4 reversing engines. This train has already dealt
with 4SX48 ingots, weighing 3S,00U lbs., and is capable of
taking a '25 ton ingot, 48x54 in., and rolling to a section 11x3
inches. Tables carry the ingot from the roll train to the
shear. Tables on both sides of the rolls are run by a pair
of upright 10x13 in. reversing engines, and the shear table
by a pair of horizontal SxlO reversing engines. The shear
power is hydraulic and operated by the descent of the up-
per knife, with a pressure of 4,000 lbs. per square inch
(given by two pressure pumps, with 05 in. steam cylinder,
10 in. water cylinder, and 8 ft. stroke) ; the shear develops
somewhat over 3,000 tons power, and is capable of shear-
ing a 48x'24 in. section. A general pressure throughout the

inch is supplied by two duplex

the "lean to" are six batteries of four each, of boil-
ers 44J-2 in. diameter, and 36 ft. in. long, supplying the
steam pressure of 130 lbs.

Besides the two cranes for handling ingots at the pits,
there are in the mill two 16-ton and seven 5 ton slab cranes.

Aside from the ponderous machinery of the roll-train,
and the great power and simplicity of design of the hy-
draulic shear, what is particularly striking about the mill
is its admirable arrangement and the shipping facilities
and the very small number of men required to run it. All

slabs from thii

to the plate mil

The capacity of the slabbing mill is 10,000 tons per month

Ingots were formerly roughed rolled and finished in the
plate mill, but are now roughed in the universal mill, to
slabs, which are brought by small cars directly to the fur-
naces of the plate miU. Three heating furnaces, 25 ft. by
6 ft. V in., are located on each side of the plate mill, charg-
ing, and drawing being done by special hydraulic cranes,
controlled ^y one man who is carried about on a seat sus-
pended from the jib. Re-heated slabs are placed by these
cranes on a table of live rollers, which carry them to the
mill. The mill is three-high, the top and bottom rolls
being 119 in. long and 32 in. in diameter, and the middle
roll 119 in. long and 32 in. in diameter, making 50 revolu-
tions per minute. A 42x54 horizontal engine drives the
roll train, and screwing down is done by means of a small
vertical engine, friction clutches and worm gearing. From
the rolls the finished plates come slowly down a roller table
363 ft. long and 5 ft. Ij'i in. wide, driven by a line shaft and
bevel gearing. An overhead traveling crane runs the full
length of the table, so that the plate can be removed at any
point, turned over for the inspector, or shifted to any part
of the table or floor as may be desired. On this the plates
are allowed to cool, air having free access below the rollers.
The plates are inspected above and below, and stamped as
to quality, dimensions, etc., and carefully laid out for
shearing. The inspector examines the stamping and
marks and stamps test pieces. From the table the plates
are rolled on castors to the shears. The castors are small
rolls, supported on vertical shafts which are held in holes
in the floor. The shearing is done bv three shears, each
with a knife 135 in. long, and tivo with 36 in. knives.

The shipping department is supplied with 16 cranes,
which place the plates directly on cars on switches of the
Pennsylvania Railroad system.

Steam power at 100 lbs. pressure is supplied by four bat-
teries of four boilers each. Each boiler is 44 in. in diameter
by 34 ft. 4in. long, with two 16 in. flues; draught being pro-
vided by two wrought iron stacks 135 ft. high. Two duplex
pumps feed the boilers, and two pressure pumps with an 18
in. accumulator supply the hydraulic pressure of 500 lbs.
per square inch.

The plate mill has rolled plates from 3 in. thick, 115 in.
wide down to % in. thick and 117 in. wide, and can handle
plates as high as six tons in weight. Its capacity is 5,000
net tons per month.

In connection with the plate mill is a special set of rolls
for bending plates and beams, capable of bending the lar-
gest plate that can be rolled in the mill. This department
is completely equipped with testing ai>paratus, etc. A very
complete chemical laboratory and machine and blacksmith
apartments are also attached to these works.

The yard service of the works includes three standard
gauge engines and six narrow gauge engines of various
sizes. There are nine miles of railroad track in the works.
In addition to a number of band and hydraulic cranes in
the various shipping departments there are four 10,000 lb.
and two 5,000 lb. Yale & Towne locomotive cranes.

The works are in charge of a general superintendent.
Each mill or department has its particular superintendent,
under whom, in turn, are his various clerks and foremen.
The mills are run night and day.

The yearly pay rolls amount to, ap|)roximat«ly, f2.000,000,
the number of men employed being 3,.500.

THE OFFICIAL RAILWAY LIST.
Changes for the Uonth of March, 1890.

Ancohtes, Spokane & E.*s-
Northern.)— L. C. Roberts to t
intendent of construction.

AtciHsox, Tofeka A Saxta Fe.— C. W. Costello to be
superintendent of Kansas City division, at Ft. Worth, la.,
vice C. L. Nichols, resigned.

Atlanta & Floiuda.— Cecil (Jabbett resigned as gen-
"^ I be general superinten-

Tnomas Garrett 1

Ati,.(

Co A

Lin

> be general i

Sol. Haas resigned

made traffic commissioner Associated Roads

Bai.timuke & Oiiia.— F. S. Gannon
ger Philadel|)hia & New York branch.

B Ai.TiMdiiE & Ohio Soitiiwestekn.— Edward Evans to
be division master mechanic.

Canadian Pacific— Thos. Tait to be general superin
tendent Ontario & Atlantic division, vice T. A. Mcliinnon
appointed master of transportation of entire system.

H. R. Dill to be superintendent

ce Levi Hege, resigned ; J. H.

stem, vice J. M. Phillips,

■-'---of receipts, ' ~

of main stem dii

Store.v to be trainmaster :

resigned; M. S. Freeman, t

E. Mims, resigned; C. F. Thomas to be master mbclianic,'

at Macon, Ga., vice D. M. Gugel.

" & Onio.— F. I. Cabell to be engineer main-

T. C. Eggleston, resigned, and office of

"""'3 to be superintendent

Dill resigned; W. P.

manager; J. C. Loomis,

, resigned.

tenance of \
assistant abolished;
Huntington division, vice H. R
Walker, Jr., to be freight traffic
superintendent Cincinnati divisio:

Chic.ioo, Milwaukee & St. Pai-l.- J. M. Lowry, con-
sulting engineer mechanical department, deceased. G. T.
Hartigan to be superintendent Dubuque division, viceC
A Goodnow transferred to Council Bluffs division to suc-
ceed R. N. Cambpell, resigned.

CnicAoo, St. Pal-l & Kansas Citv.— J. I. Banks to be
superintendent bridges and buildings, vice C. H. Egeers
resigned.

CuicAGO, St. Louis & PiTTsniuon.— C. M. Bennett to
be superintendent western division, vice Chas. Watts,
promoted; F. G. Darlington to be superintendent eaatern
division, vice Bennett, transferred, W. B. Leeds to succeed
Henry L. Miller as superintendent southern division.

CiNciNN.vTi & M0SK1NGU.M Vallet.— C. H. Walton to
be superintendent vice F. G. Darlington transferred.

Cincinnati, Sanduskv & Clevel.vnd.— President John
S. Parlow, deceased.

Cleveland, Cincinnati, CnicAOO & St. Locis.— J. A.
Barnard to be assistant general manager, at Indianapolis;
E. A. Peck to be general superintendent, at Indianapolis;
office of assistant general superintendent abolished; W. F.
Turrefl, superintendent motive power, to have headquar-
ters at Indianapolis; C. J. Stedwell, superintendent Cincin-
nati and Cleveland divisions, to have headquarters at
Cleveland. T. H. Noonan to be assistant general freight
agent, at Chicago, in charge of east-bound business; Ed-
ward S. Washburn to be freight tnifflc maiiat'or; Ohio, In-
diana »& Western R. to be Peoria A . I- .11 A (, \v,'iis to
be superintendent, at Indiaiiaii - 1 1: \ . .unes &
Chicago road to be Cairo divisi"!. .1 , 1,, be as-

sistant general freight and pa-- ._ , ii.irge of

Cairo division; Ford Woods to hi i-s- ,, 1: _. 1,. !,,i freight
agent and H. M. Bronson assistant gcni-ral passenger
agent Peoria division.

Denver & Rio Grande.— A. P. Sells to be assistant gen-
eral freight agent, vice C. F. Zimmerman, resigned ; Alex.
Struthers to be master mechanic in charge of machinery
and car department at Grand Junction, Col. ; B. H. De
Remer to be master mechanic second division, at Lead-
viUe, vice A. Struthers. transferred.

DuLcrn & Iron Range.— Geo. C. Kimball to be vice
•yan
s, Mich.
iinuRG.— J. W. Richards to be auditt
, vice J. D. Giaque, resigned.
uoA SocTUERN.- J. R. Parrott appointed receiver.
1 Central.— A. F. Banks, general freight agent, to
Be manager; R. A. Dugan to be purchasing agent,
alltown, Iowa.

-"NviLi.E, Tampa & Ki:y West.— Superintendent J.
M '1 I ' -.1 ij' i (1 I' II .. ■[ position assumed by C O.

Henry

freight i

W. F. Black,
Xohthwestern.- Newl
al manager, appointed

JNTUCKV Union.— J. T. Harahan to be general manager ;
Hegc to lie general superintendent.
.11- iiii Nii> I iiiLEANs & Te.xas.— G. D. Lawrence
- ' ' ' nt New Orleans division, vice A. A.

-C. J. Ranahan appointed master

MAMnrrvN Ki.evated.— John Waterhousc to bo chief
ciiu-i ■ ■ ■ 1; [ ■^loan, resigned.

-M ' i. ! Kr Dodge. — General Roadmaster J. W.

.M. .\l

-Ml • -■■ : M —E. V. Sedgwick to be master me-

<-li.u,,. . ,1; ,-^.ia l„..,-,rotosi.

Ml :\i' i\ I'lNTKAL.- Jurisdiction of R.E. Comfort,super-
intendcnt of fourth division, extended to Calera; J. J. Sul-
livan to be trainmaster from Juarez to Chihuahua; Mr.
Howell to be trainmaster from Chichuahua to Jimulco; S.
R. Comfort to be trainmaster from Jimulco to Calera; E.

THE RAIL^WAY MASTER MECHANIC.

I four mont
MlcniGAX C'EXTRAL.— James Shields, roadmaster, de-

MissorRi Palific— N. T. Spoor to be wood, tie and tim-
ber agent, vice D. M. Wood, resisned.

New YoiiK & New Exglaxd— Albert Griggs to be super-
intendent of motive power, vice J. B. Henney.

New Yokk & Nokthern. — W. D. Davies general freight
aprent, resigned; L. M. Allen appointed assistant general
freight agent.

New York, Lake Erie & Western-.— H. Foster to be
supervisor of signals; C. W. Buchholz to be civil engineer;
office of engineer of bridges and buildings abolished ; W.
J. Murphy, general superintendent, resigned.

New York, New Havex & HiKTFORi).— Lucius Tuttle to
be general manager; J. S.Lane, roadmaster Hartford di-
vision, resigned.

New York, Suscjiehaxxa & Westerx.— John P. Rafler-
ty, secretary and treasurer, elected vice president.

New York, Oxtario & Westerx.— J. M. Ludington to
be assistant superintendent.

New York, Providence & BosTOX.-A. Griggs, master
mechanic Worcester division, resigned ; jurisdiction of L.
M. Butler extended over entire line.

New Me.\ho & Arizona axd Soxora.^T. A. Naugle to
be general freight and passenger agent, vice B. H. Wil-
kins, resigned.

Northern Pacific— J. A. Nadeau assistant superin-
tendent Pacific division, to be general agent at Seattle,
vice T. H. Tyndale, resigned, in addition to other duties.

Oregox Railway & Navigatiox Co.— John Hewitt to be
master mechanic, vice J. Evans, resigned.

Peobia, Decatur & Evaxsville.— R. B. Starbuck to be
superintendent.

Pexxstlvania, PorGHKEEPSiE& Boston.- H. H. Kings-
ton to be general maaager, vice S. C. Stanton, resigned;
George Gage to be master mechanic; C. E. Mack to be
general freight and passenger agent, vice E. J. Fallon, re-
signed; general offices of company removed to 411 Walnut
street, Philadelphia.

Philaiieli'hia & Readixg.— C. J. McDougall to be as-
sistant to general superintendent.

PlTTsm-KGli, Fort Watxe & CniCAGO.— C. E. Walton to
be trainmaster western division, vice C. H. Walton, pro-
moted; G. A. Franks to be chief train dispatcher, at Fort
Wayne.

PiTTsiiiRGH & Lake Erie.— Elliott Holbrook, general
superintendent and chief engineer, resigned.

PoRTL.KXO & WiLLiAMETTE Vai.i.et.— Rlchard Koehlor
to be general manager, Portland, Ore.

SouTHERX Pacific— D. Hawley to be assistant general
traffic manager, at New York City.

RicnMoxD & Daxville.— W. H. Green, general superin-
tendent, to be assistant general manager.

St. Loris, Arkansas & Texas.— W. T. Smetten to be di-
vision superintendent vice T. W. Kennon, resigned.

St. Loils & Sax Francisco.— John O'Da.v, vice presi-
dent and general counsel, resigned; E. P. Vining to be as-
sistant general manager, in charge of traffic.

Sax Frascisco & North Pacific— J. F. Bergin to be
president, vice James Mervyn Donahue, deceased.

Toledo, St. Locis & Kansas City.- S. W. Merrill to be
roadmaster St. Louis division, vice C. L Miller, resigned.

Uxiox Pacific— R. Baxter, assistant superintendent
Wyoming division, to be superintendent of division, vice
W. L. Ryder appointed superintendent of Idaho division ;
F. L. Corwin to be assistant superintendent Wyoming di-

s'D. — John S. Harden,

-Warren G. Elliott elected

Hlgll Approval.

Messrs. Riehle Bros. ;

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is giving the best of satisfaction. Werecently had it tested
and found it correct. Yours truly,
Hexrt Disstoxs & Sons, (Incorporated).

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Tickets on sale everywhere, and see that they read C. H.
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Track— Trackmen an'l Sidings— stations— suops
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Mav,

THE RAILAVAY MASTER MECHANIC.

WALTER D. CROSMAN, Manager Editon;.! Department.
EDWIN N. LEWIS, Manager Business Department.

PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THE
RAILWAY PURCHASING AGENT COMPANY,

Devoted to the interests of railway motive power, equipment
and macltinerj". Communications on any topics suitable to these
colnmns are solicited.

Prlorlo January 1, 1886, this journal was known as The Rail-
way Purchasing Agent. It will still in its newand wider field be
adapted to the especial wants of all who purchase or infiuence
the purchase of railway supplies.

8ul)8cription price, $l'f"Oa year. AdTcrtising rates and details
concerning circulation Riven on application to the office by mall
or In person. Address

THE KAILWAV .MASTER MECHANIC.

The Honkeiy, Cliioajfo, III.

New York 'Office: 45 Broadway. Bourn 148.
The Offlctal Kailicav LM is puhttBhed by IhU company.

Vol.

CHICAGO, MAY, 1890. |No. 5.

Thk nnuouiicement given in auother column
that the master mechanic's convention is to be
lielil at Old Point Comfort, Va., whtre the master
car builders had already decided to hold their con-
vention, will be, we are sure, welcomed by a large
majority of our readers. There is every reason
why these conventions should be held at the same
point, and while the time may not yet be rine for
liolding them simultaneously, with different sec-
tions, or chapters holding their sessions in differ-
ent halls at the same time, yet until this concentra-
tion of work can be obtained, it is to the interest of
both conventions that they meet at the same place.
The supei-iuteudeucy or actual control of both the
car and locomotive departments is coming to be
vested so generally in the hands of one individual,
that it is a burden to him to be compelled to at-
leiiu botn conventions when they are held at re-
mote points, as it seemed they would be this year
up to the time it was definitely settled that the
master mechanics would not go to Chattanooga.

We hear a gocd deal of growling and some
profanity among master mechanics and master
car builders about the frequency with which cer-
tiiin railway papers are asking for their opinions
about this, that and the other matter, by "circular
letters " with from one to half a dozen questions.
Some of the more plain spoken of these officials des-
ignate these repeated requests for answers to inter-
rogatories as "infernal impudence," 'We must say
that some of these letters of inquiry come pretty
near being cheeky. They seem a good deal like
hysterical elutcbings after notoriety. Railway
officers, as a rule, are good uatured and dislike to
refuse such requests, but there is a limit to their
good nature, and a frequent repetition of these
calls make them tired. If this business of asking
everybody to send in his experiences, practices
and opinions for publication continues to increase
as it has done during the past few months we
may, ere long, have the questions "Where, in
your opinion, was Moses when the light went out "
and "How's your liver" propounded to all th-
it and shining lights of the railway world.
" Master Mechanic would, of course,

ditiou of train men. He has ridden this hobby
with all the energy that lies within him, and has
-j very probably made some enemies in so doing, but
; he has done his work disinterestedly, and in his
agitation of the questions relating to car coupling,
S car braking, and the giving of train men rest on
j the Sabbath day, he has always been consistently
j in the right. We made brief mention last mouth
j of the fact that this law had been passed and gave
[ a short outline of its teiTus. We now give the law
in full, not that we approve of state legislation on
this subject, for our readers are well aware that we
prefer action from the national legislature, but be-
cause we wish to place before our readers the
words of a law which we consider to be very fairly
drawn in the interest of both the train men and
those who employ them.

In another column will be found a letter from
Mr. F. W. Dean, in which he informs us that the
compound locomotive now being designed by him
for the Old Colony Railroad will work as a com-
pound at all times, except just at the moment of
starting, and the change from the compound to
uon-comjjound, and vice versa at that time, will
be entirely automatic. This is, in our opinion,
just as it should be. The locomotive should not
have another handle or lever, to be operated by
the engineer if it is possible to avoid it; and then
again, if the compound locomotive is designed so
that when the maximum power is developed in the
high pressure cylinder, a corresponding amountof
work can be obtained out of the low pressure cyl-
inder, it will be found that the total cylinder pow-
er of the engine will be as well adapted for all the
varying amount of work which the engine is called
upon to do, as is the common locomotive to-day.
The necessary maximum cylindtr power can be
obtained without working the engine as a non-
compound, except for the one revolution at the
time of starting, .\nother advantage also presents
itself in making the intercepting valve automatic,
and that lies in the fact that the benefit of com-
pounding will be obtained at all times, and there
is no possibility of the engine being improperly
handled in this respect, so that, in every way con-
sidered, the automatic arrangement is to be pre-
ferred if it does not involve too great complica-
tions.

dent, spoke very earnestly^upon the field of work
which the association had before it or which it
should seek. We give a portion of Mr. Haines' re-
marks in this issue, and refer to them here for the
purpose of directing attention particularly to his
propositions as to the relations that should exist
between the Time Convention and the mechanical
associations. Mr. Haines' idea appears to be,
briefly stated, that the mechanical associations
having passed upon the mechanical merits of
methods or appliances the General Time Conven-
tion should be charged with the duty of ensuring
the adoption of tho.se methods or appliances, after
approval, of course.

There is certainly something of this kind need-
ed. Take the case of couplers and brakes, for in-
stance. The Master Car Builders' Association has
done its work — investigated the problems connect-
ed with these two appliances and agreed upon the
principles that should be observed in their con-
struction; but ihat is as far as they can go, de-
spite the representative membership principle now
embodied in the M. C. li. organization, and which
is interpreted by some as meaning obligatory
adoption of agreed-upon standards.l lAn associa-
tion of general managers, like the General Time
Convention, could wiih eminent propriety take up
such a case, where left by the M, C. li. Associa-
tion, and, considering the latter association's con-
clusions as settling it in its mechanical aspect,
proceed to a consideration of the question as to
whether the value of such devices warrants the
expense attendant upon their adoption, A live,
active association of managers engaged on such
problems could gieatly advance railway mechani-
cal practice and hasten the adoption of approved
standards of practice and construction.

Mr. Haines' suggestions on the question of disci-
pline in railway service are timely, and thoroughly
sound. They are so well worded that we here simply
direct attention to them.commeuding them especial-
ly to the employes, who we are sure will, upon care-
ful reflection, agree with Mr, Haines that the par-
allel drawn between railway service and army ser-
vice is truthful, and that discipline is essential n.jt
only to the prosperity of the company and to the
safety of the traveling public, but also to the well
being and safety of the employe.

Tiix

like to know what everybody thinks about every-
thing, but it does not propose to make a permanent
interrogation point and nuisance of itself in trying
to find out.

Legislation on the subject of couplers, brakes,
etc., appears to bo inevitable. Such legislation, to
be effective; should, we most (irmly believe, come
through (he national legislature. But unless some-
thing is done in congress this session we may ex-
pect some of the state legislatures to take action
themselves. If all the states that may take such
action frame their laws on the lines followed by
the act recently passed in Iowa, little harm may
be feared from such. We may say here that the
act W.1S put through the Iowa legislature through
the active work of ex-railroad commissioner L. S.
Coffin, of that state. As many of our readers know
Mr. Coffin's hobby is the amelioration of the con-

What the outcome of the present veiT general
"eight hour movement" maybe, it is impossible
to foretell at this writing, butappearances indicate
that in no great while a considerable percentage
of those who work for day wages will work eight
hours instead of ten. To reduce production by
one-fifth is a questionable measure, and may lead
to results entirely unsuspected by the theorists
who are the leaders in the movement. If there is
to be no falling off in the total amount produced
by " days' works," there must be more laborers
than there are now, or else the present number j
must work harder while they work than they do at i
present. If, however, the total of production
decreases, then we shall none of us be as well off
as we are now. Of course, if working eight hours
makes men more intelligent and skillful in their
I work than they were under the ten hour system,
then the world may grow richer instead of poorer
[ with a day of eight hours. This, however, is as
I yet purely a matter of tbeorj-. Certainly no one
knows that it will be so.

Meanwhile the young men who will be the em-
ployers and " bosses " of ten or fifteen years hence
are not making any fuss about their hours of work.
They are doing the work that is given them to do
I as thoroughly as they can. .\ good many of them
' are working evenings without extra "pay. No
doubt too, many of them are over-working,
and are not paid as much as they earn ; but
it is from these that the "bosses" will be
selected as lime rolls on, and, sooner or later they
will march at the head of the procession.
Nevertheles.s, the employer, whether individual,
firm or corporation, which permits willing and
faithful men to work extra hours without extra
pay, is guilty of what is very much like stealing.

In an address made before the General Time
Convention, in April, Mr. H. S. Haines, its presi-

Over the name of "Investigator" a correspond-
ent criticises the remarks on locomotive chimneys
made in the March number of the Master Me-
chanic by "Taghconic. " As to the question of
chimneys made from one thickness of metal or
with two thicknesses and an air space between
them, we agree with "Taghconic" that the single
barrel chimney is preferable. A single barrel of
sufficient thickness and iinishedwith a ring at the
top, which is one-half of a circle in its section,
looks well, and does its work as well, we think, as
a double chimney. The reduction in temperature
of the gas by the atmosphere upon the outside of
the barrel has but little effect upon the question of
draught. Possibly a more serious effect might be
found in the shape of the top of the chimney, and
the effect of the wind upon the blast as it emerges
into the atmosphere. The chimney finished with
planished iron is easily dented, and then it looks
badly. The cast iron top is heavy and its weight,
nine times out of ten, comes on the truck where
there is already more than is desirable. As we
look at it, the single barrel chimney presents as
handsome an appearance, does its work fully as
well, weighs less and costs less than the double
barrel chimney, and is preferable in every way.

As to the questions in regard to the areas of
chimneys and upon what they should be based, we
think that "Investigator'' makes some pertinent
points, which show the fallacy of basing the area
of a chimney upon the size of the exhaust nozzle.
In addition to the questions that "Investigator"
has asked on this subject, he might also, with
equal propriety, ask if engines with an 18x24 cylin-
der and a 3 J single nozzle should have a different
diameter of smoke-stack from an engine of the
same size with a i\ single nozzle, and, if so, why?
At the same time, in propounding these questions
in regard to chimney areas, one must bear in mind
that it is a great deal easier to ask questions than

THE RAIL^VAY MASTER MECHANIC.

May, 1890.

it is to answer tbem; and that if there is any one
question in locomotive design about which
there is apt to be a difference of opinion it is that
of exhaust nozzles and smoke-stacks. We are
also inclined to think that, from the arguments
which have been made in the past and which are
being made to-day, one could find sufficient sup-
port for almost any statement that he wished to
make. In regard to the relation between these
two, if Taghconic can show good reasons for pro-
portioning chimneys by the exhaust nozzle,we will
be glad to give him the necessary space for them.

CocNTEKBALANcrNo the rcciprocating parts of a
locomotive is really such a simple problem that it
seems as if the railway world should arrive at
greater unanimity in regard to it. If we balance
all the reciprocating weight there is a maximum
of vertical disturbances. If we balance none of
the reciprocating weight there is a maximum of
the horizontal disturbances. There is no need of
balancing all and having the maximum vertical
disturbance, because a certain amount of horizontal
force is permissible without resulting in unpleas-
ant or dangerous nosing of the engine. There is
no necessity of leaving the whole of the recipro-
cating parts unbalanced and thereby obtaining the
maximum horizontal disturbances, because the
inertia of the wheel and thd strength of the rail
will permit a certain amount of vertical disturb-
ance. Consequently it is not correct to balance all
or to balance none of those parts. Just what per-
centage of weight it is best to balance can readily
be determined from practice and the figure when
once known is good for aU classes of engines de-
signed for general work. Flat spots on the drivers
may result from slipping due to two principal
causes, namely, variation in the rotative effect of
the cylinders, and counterbalance. The former
may have considerable effect on the tires when
engines are over-cj-lindered, but in modern en-
gines it cuts a small figure. On the other band
the counterbalance on recently built engines is the
cause of much of this trouble, especially when all
or nearly all of the reciprocating parts are balanced,
for the latter are very heavy. This gives another
good reason for not balancing all of the recipro-
cating weight and also shows how erroneous has
been the tendency to heavy reciprocating parts
such as are to be seen in many engines built in
the last five years. The foregoing is the counter-
balance problem briefly stated. Steam pressure,
compression, friction, etc., have nothing to do
with it and when viewed in its simplicity the prob-
lem does not appear diflicult to solve. To those
who are at sea in regard to it, we recommend that
they reason on the lines indicated above, and then
experiment a little and we think they will be more
than pleased with the results.

Tbe rather interesting inquiry into the "life
of steam" in the locomotive boiler and its relation
to locomotive designing, in the thesis of which
an abstract will be found in another column, is
woithy of some comment. We can hardly agree
with the proposition that the steam space should
be taken as the basis from which to start. If one
■was not limited in any direction when designing,
it might be possible to start from such a theoret-
ical bafis. In practice, however, the point from
which one must start is the power to be developed
by the engine, and the service in which it is to be
run. This seems to be the most rational starting
point, and from it we must determine wheel diam-
eters and cylinder dimensions, and the weight
upon the drivers. Having obtained that much of
our ensrinethe next question is to get a boiler large
enough to do the work, and in designing this
boiler it must have the proper and the right kind
of heating surface, and should, most assuredly,
have a good steam space. The proporions of the
boiler are, however, limited by the weight which
is allowable and by the general dimensions of the |
engine, from which it is impossible to vary
greatly. i

The proper life of steam, that is, the time which
elapses from the moment it is formed until it
passes through the cylinders, has lieen obtained I

by the author of the thesis from data in regard to
the best and most successful engines which have
been designed in the manner which we have out-
hned above. The points brought out in the con-
sideration of the life of steam are valuable and
worthy of attention when designing a locomotive.
There can be no question but that many boilers
have an insufficient steam space, or have it so
placed as to result in very wet steam being sent to
the cylinders. Such construction is not conducive
to economy, and when designing a locomotive
boiler just as great efforts should be made toward
getting a good large steam space as are now made
in getting what is considered sufficient beating
surface; understanding, however, that at all times
this matter must of necessity be limited by the
general dimensions of the engine.

Too much cannot be said in favor of the consid-
eration of such practical subjects by students of
engineering, and tbe particular way in which this
subject was handled by an under graduate is very
creditable to himself and to the university in which
he was studying. Practical subjects considered in
a practical and scientific manner, give to the young
men of such universities a training and prepara-
tion for active work after they graduate, which
can be obtained in no other way, and which are
worth years of shop experience.

USOTTLED ENGINES.

The term "throttling" an engine generally has
reference to the improper use of steam by run-
ning with the throttle partly open, thus preventing
the steam from having a free access to the cylin-
ders. Good practice consists in running with the
throttle as wide open as possible, furnishing
steam to the cyUnders at nearly the boiler pres-
sure and regulating the working of the engine by
the reverse lever. To this end we see master me-
chanics spending much time and effort that their
men may handle their machines properly.

There are other ways, however, by which an
engine may be said to be "throttled" aside from
the voliiion of the eng'ueer. We often see engines
which were designed to e.xemplify the best practice
and to do the best work, yet which, from some in-
herent defect, fail of doing what they should and,
in consequence, are not economical in operation.
We were reminded of this fact lately in looking at
indicator diagrams taken of various engines on
the same road but with different front end arrange-
ments. Through the interference of the exhausts
in one or more of the constructions the back pres-
sure line when working hard went above ten
pounds, while upon an engine with a freer outlet
it was reduced to almost nothing. Without this
test the engme showing a loss at part of the stroke
of about ten per cent, of its total power might
have been in continued use with every confidence
ill its efficiency by its designer. This engine, how-
ever, was "throttled."

Jn another case when an engine did not seem to
give the free action of steam in the cylinder tbat
the size of the steam passages and pipes would
warrant, the c.xuse was hunted for some time be-
fore the difficulty could be located. This was
finally found to be due to a bridge across the
opening of the steam pipe at the throttle valve,
thus preventing the free passage of the steam and
inducing wire drawing in the cylinder. The same
harmful result has been caused in the castings
of the cylinders through improper moulding, wlien
provision was made in the original drawing for
ample passages. The engines in both of these
cases were "throttled."

Imperfect valve motion has its disadvantages in
this line which, however, we will not dwell upon
here in detail as the subject has often been aired
in technical journals.

In the fire box part of the boiler we sometimes
find troubles of this general character. The loss
through too small a fire box as compared with the
boiler area is not a trouble that exists in the pres-
ent day as much as in times past, the tendency
sometimes even being towards too much grate
area. We find, however, that sometimes atten-
tion enough is not paid to the amount of openings
either through or over tbe grates for a free air ad-

, and imperfect combustion is the result,
thus again "throttling" the engine. Going to the
other tnd of the boiler we often find that in order
to force a draft through the inadequate air spaces
in or above the grates the exhaust nozzles are con-
tracted, thus sbai-pening the blast, increasing the
back pressure, and impairing the efficiency of the
engine. In days past, rather than at the present,
the various cumbersome and complicated arrange-
ments of cone and nettings to avoid the throwing
of fire caused by the sharp blast to which we have
referred, still further obstructed the free egress of
the exhaust and further induced the "throttling"
of which we are speaking.

In short the chances of losses of this general
character are numerous and it is necessary to
check off by every means available the actual
working of the engine as compared with what a
machine of the style in question should do theore-
tically. We do' not pretend to have "given all the
harmful methods by which the action of an engine
maybe "throttled" but the examples quoted will
serve as an index to some extent of tbe evils
which exist in this line.

A few words concernmg tbe perennial subject
of valve gear need no apology, for that topic, al-
ways a live one for discussion, is more than usually
so at this writing in view of the approaching con-
vention and the expected report of tbe committte
appointed to consider the efficiency of the link
motion.

Broadly speaking the chief ends sought in de-
signing any valve gear are, (1) a port opening suf-
ficiently large to give entrance to steam of boiler ■
pressure to the cylinder during the whole period
of admission; (2) a sharp cut-off at the end of
that period, and (3), a perfectly free exhaust.
How nearly the ordinary shifting link motion
comes to possessing these desirable features is one
of those vexed questions of mechanical engineer-
ing, that wiU, in all probabihty, never be brought
to a conclusion while steam maintains its present
supreme position as tbe medium through which
heat is converted into work. Weighing all things,
first cofjt, simplicity, cost of maintenance, etc., we
consider the link gear to have points of superiority
over any other so far constructed that will ensure
its use on the great majority of locomotives to be
built in years to come. We should, however, he
the last to advocate the doctrine of lai.sse: fain' in
this connection, and besides being open to cim-
viction as to the merits of any device calculated
to perform the required functions in a manner bit-
ter than the link, we sliall always stand ready to
lay before our readers descriptions and engravings
of any gears whose design appears to warrant it.

The opponents of the link motion always begin
by finding fault with it for wire drawing the steam
at short points of cut-off. There is undoubtedly
truth in this, but liardly so much as some persons
believe, and we think that badly shaped and con-
tracted steam pipes and passages have far more to
answer for in this direction than the valve gear.
Until approximately perfect proportions are given
to the parts mentioned, it seems undesirable to in-
crease the travel of the valves and the width of
the ports (popular expedients at tbe present time),
because the longer the valve travel, the greater
the power that must be expended to operate it will
be. The Allen valve with its supplementary port
has done good service in overcoming the trouble
of wire drawing in fast running engines, and its
use might, with advantage, be more extended
than it is.

With regard to the evil of excessive compies-
sion, of which much is made, we need here
only refer our readers to The Railway
Master Mechanic for April, 1889, where we
discussed tbe question at some lengih, showing
that in inside clearance we have, if not a com-
plete remedy, at least one that will reduce com-
pression to a point where it cannot be character-

" as excessive. We commend a careful study
of the effects of inside clearance to all who are
striving to improve the dislributiou of steam iu
express engines.

THE RAIL^^^AY MASTER MECHANIC.

Ill no other part of a locomotive's make up does
attention to detail require to be more tliorougli
than in the valve gear. Large wearing surfaces
with ample provision for lubrication are essential
to really successful working; the links themselves !
should be wide and heavy enough not to spring,
v.hile the most efficient ]ioiut of suspension should
be accurately determined. As a general thing the j
distance between the eccentric rod bolts in the
back of the link is made shorter than is consistent
with fine adjustment of the point of cutoff. A
good dimension for this is 2k times the throw of
the eccentric, in cases where the link or die block
comes in line with the center of the bolt when in
full gear. For instance, with a 5 in. throw eccen-
tric the bolts should be 12} in. apart.

Of course there are instances where a short link
is necessary on account of close quarters, but, in [
most cases there is nothing to hinder liberal pro-
portions. The length of the eccentric rods is not
a matter of very great moment, although it is good
practice to make them as long as possible so that
the lead at short points of cut-off may not become
too great, but we have always held that there is not
enough benefit to be derived from long rods to
make up for the disadvantages that they often-
times carry with them in the shape of spring and
vibration. A good example of an excellent valve
motion with very short eccentric rods is that on
the 10-wheelers built some few years ago by the
Baldwin works for the Missouri Pacific. In these
engines the eccentrics were on the front axle and
the rods, to the best of our recollection, were not
over 40 in. long if they were that. We do not ad-
vocate going to such an extreme as this, nor do
we think that the motion would have been other-
wise than improved by lengthening the lods, but
merely cite it as an illustration of what has been
done without bad results.

Fine graduations of the reversing lever quadrant
should be employed on all engines, with the ex-
ception of those used for switching, where nice ad-
justments are not essential, and the lever itself
should be as long as conveniently possible in or-
der to lighten the labor of the engineer in hand-
liig his engine. A straight, plain end, without
any handle projecting at right angles at the top is
easier to manipulate than any other kind, especi-
ally if there is room for a good hand grasp above
the latch.

THE BALTIUOKE ft OHIO COUFOUKD.

As many of our readers are aware from the infor-
mation which has appeared in these columns, the
Baldwin Locomotive works placed a four cylinder
compound locomotive on the Baltimore & Ohio rail-
road last November. This engine has two high and
two low pressure cylinders, the high pressure cylin-
der being placed above the low pressure cylinder,
the pistons of the two being attached to the same
cross-head. The steam is distributed by a single
piston valve for each two cylinders. The engine is
of the eight-wheel type, and, in all respects, except
those special features due to compounding, it is a du-
plicate of other engines running on the same road.

Through the courtesy of the builders we are
enabled to publish the accompanying illustrations of
the special features of this engine. Pig. 1 is a cross
section through the two cylinders, piston valve
chamber, and halt saddle. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal
section through the two cylinders. Fig. 3 is a sec-
tion through the piston valve chambei', andthe low
pressure cylinder, while Fig. 4 is a partial section
through the piston valve chamber and the high
pressure cylinder. F'ig. 5 is a small sketch which

claim that the engine is freer

ndensation

from the Brick

The committee on brick arches in locomotive fire
boxes requests answers to following questions:
1st. How do you support the bricic arch in your fire

•id. if with "circulation pipes," do you have trouble with
the pipes in any way t

;td. If with lugs or projections screwed to side sheets, do
you find the luRs burn off very fast!

4th. Do you use flat or arched bricks'

.■■)th. Can you run an arch until it burns out, or do you
have to remove them before this, in order to clear flues;

tith. Do you find the arch causes damage to fire box
sheets! If so. in what way!

7th. Do ycu think the arch assists in consuming the vari-
ous gases composing black smoke!

Sth. Do you think more perfect combustion is obuined
with the arch by checking the passage of smoke and gases
through tubes and causing them to mingle and be longer
exposed to heat!

nth. Do .you think there is a saving of fuel with the arch

than many other compounds. In starting the engine
steam is admitted to the low pressure cylinder by
connecting the adjacent ends of the high and low
pressure cylinders together, and when steam enters
the high pressure cylinder, it is wire drawn through
this connection into the low pressure cylinder, fur-
nishing steam to work upon both pistons. This
arrangement is not automatic; it consists simply of
small pipe connections between the two cylinders,
closed by suitable cocks, which are operated from ■
the cab in much the same manner as the cylinder
cocks are worked.

The manner in which the pistons are connected to
the cross-heads is shown in Fig. B. It will be seen
that the cross-head works in a four bar guide, and is
provided with a hub projecting above the guides
and one projection below, each of which receives a
piston rod end. The crosshead has been made some-
what longer than usual, and the piston rods are es-
pecially strong to provide against any inequality of
the work done in the two cylinders. The piston
valves are placed in such a convenient position in
regard to the links that no rocker shaft is found
necessary; instead the links are each attached to a
sliding bar located close to the inner face of the
frame, which has suitable bearings at each end, and
by means of a short inclined arm projecting up from
this bar, connection is made to the valve rod. The
valve motion is wonderfully simple. In fact all the
parts of the engine which pertains to compounding
are compact and simple. Two of the cylinders are
12 inches and the other two are 20 inches in diame-
ter, and they occupy very little moi'e space than

in connection with the extension front,
short front and diamond stack!

10th. Can you give any data confirming your opinion as
lo saving of fuel !

llth. About what does it cost you to apply the arch and
extension front!

r3th. How do you consider the cost of maintaining the
arch and extension front compares with keeping up the
diamond stack, cone, netting, lining, etc.!

13th. Do you consider that the arch and extension front
greatly lessens the throwing of live or dangerous sparks,
and also prevents much of the finer dirt, etc., thrown from
stacks from striking cars in train '.

14th. Do you find that flues stop up or clog with cinders,
etc.. as easily when the arch is used as without it!

l.ith. If you know of any points for or against the brick
arch not covered by these questions, please name them.

The committee desire to make as complete a report as
possible. Members will please furnish any blue prints,
sketches, or any daU they can relating to the subject.

T. W. Gentry, master mechanic,

T. W. Gf.stkv.
Al.i.EX Cooke.
L. C. Noiu.r.,
VV. A. Smith,

Committee.

THE BALTIMOUE
shows the operation of the piston
assist in understanding the path of the steam. From
these drawings it will be seen that the steam enters
the cylinder in the usual manner through the pas-
sage A. From Figs. 1 and 3, it can be seen that this
passage divides into two branches, each of which
furnishes steam to one end of the piston valve cham-
ber. This chamber is closed at its end in the same
j way that a common cylinder is closed, and the steam
leaves the valve chaniber and goes to the high pres-
sure sylinder through the port B., (Figs. 3, 4 and -5).
After accomplishing its work in the high pressure
cylinder it returns to the valve and passes through its
interior and goes to the low pressure cylinder
through the port C. It returns again through the
port and passes outside and around the valve and
: through the exhaust D. It will be seen that the one
) piston valve controls the steam distribution of both
I cylinders, and the ports from it to each are fairly
{ direct. The only questions which might naturally
1 arise in the minds of the readers when studying this
I construction, are in regard to the possibility of wire
I drawing of the steam and a chance tor its condensa-
■"• L -.^ - — - •■--• -• iigine gives

Fig. 3.
OHIO COMPOUND— B.M.i)« IX Locomotive Works.
and will common 19 inch cylinders with their lii
chests on top.

From the specifications of the engine i
the following particulars and dimensions:

•ge steam
e abstract

tion. The builders assure us that the i

able, whatev

1 these respects. In fact they

THE RAILVSTAY MASTER MECHANIC-

Class of eu^iie American type, >

High pressure cylindei-s ttwo] h^jl^ui.

Low pressure cylioders [two] 20x34 in.

Driving wheels, diameter 66 in.

Gauge of tnicli 4 ft. 8>4 in.

Totafwheei base, engine'.'...'.".".'.'.'.".".'.'.".'..... r 21 ft. 10 in.

Driving wheel base 7 ft. 6 in.

Total wheel base, engine and tender 60 ft.

Weight in working order 106.000 lbs.

Weight on driving wbeeis 76.000 lbs.

Weight of tender loaded 70.000 lbs.

Material of Steel.

Thickness of shell Win.

Kivets S in. in diameter.

Style of boiler Wagon top.

Tubes '. '. '."Ch'arcoai'lron! No.'ii B. 'w. G.

Number of tubes 251

Diameterof tiit-e- i.nr~i.li- Sin.

Length of tiil.f- ... 11 ft. Win.

Fire-box lOSxSt in.

Thicknees <.f -i.ii - ;iii.l K.u k 5-16 in.

Thickness of cm.uu ;^8 in.

Thicknessotllii.-li.it ii in.

Water space, sides and back Sin.

Water space, front 4 in.

Staying of crown ohixU in. crown bars.

in this issue we cannot place before our readers fig-
ures in regard to the valve travel, the amount of
outside lap aud inside lap and clearance. Without
more complete data in regard to the diagrams it is
almost impossible to di-aw any exact conclusions in
regard to them. They are, however, very interest-
ing, and will repay a careful study.

This engine is now running on the Baltimore &
Ohio Railroad, having been in both freight and pas-
senger service since it left the shops. The builders
have experimented with the engine continually,
with the idea to develop and improve the engine as
far as possible. They state that they are now in
position to go ahead and make comparisons between
this compound and the ordinary locomotive of the
same class on the same road. The economy in actual
practice, while not exactly actual, so far, has been so
apparent that in these tests which are to be under-
taken, the company expect that a saving of at least

the single expansion engines with 19x24 in. cylinders.
In fact, by a strange coincidence, the weight of the
trucks was found to be exactly the same. The ar-
rangement of guides and crossheads has been found
very satisfactory thus far, there being no more
wear than usual, and no heating or cutting of the
guides.

In a thesis on " The Proportions of the Locomo-
tive," written in 1889, by .1. V. Shaeter, a student in
the University of Illinois, a chapter is devoted to the
life of steam. By that expression is meant the time
in seconds which the steam exists from the moment
it leaves the surface of the water in the boiler until
it passes out of the cylinders. The accompanying
data we have prepared by condensing two tables,

THE BALTIMORE & OHIO COMPOUND.— B.v

LocoMuTr

Piston rods Steel.

Piston roil and ralve stem packing Metallic.

•iuides Steel.

Cross h(.-a.l~ Cast steel with brass gibs.

Valvfni.ili.iii Shiftinglink.

DriMii^' v^ III . 1-. 1 .11 I'll;.. HO inches in diameter.

Til.-. I 11" 3I5V4 in. flanged.

Tii<- I M I ■ A Sx"\2 in. plain.

.\-xli- . Hammered iron.

Juiinuil-. Sin. diam. by S'i.

(.'uiiiKclM.w and pHniiiL-i rods Hammered iron.

ESr.lN.E TKIICK.

Wheels ".".".".".". . . ...'.'.' .'.'.'.'steel'ilred. 'wrought iron center!

Diameterof wheels 30 in.

Axle Joumiila .ixlOin.

TENnEK.

l-'i-amc Oak.

'I rucks Four wheeled, center bearing.

Truck wheels Steel tired, wrought iron centers.

Tank capacity 3,500 gallons.

In order that our readers may gain a correct idea
of the general appearance of this engine we repro-
duce from a photograph the accompanying illustra-
tion, in which the engine is seen in perspective. So
little departure has been made in the general ap-
pearance of the engine that one would at first hardly
notice that it was a compound. We also give a
diagram of the engine (Fig. 7) and reproduce
a number of cards which were taken from the
engine. The accompanying table will give such in-
formation regarding them as we have been able to
obtain. The first four cards are purely theoreti-
cal in character. These four were outlined and the
engine designed upon this basis, the designers being
confident that if the proportions employed were
such as would give such diagrams in pi-actice the
engine would be a success. Following these four are
diagrams taken at various speeds and cut-offs, and
from them our readers can obtain a fair idea of the
steam distribution in this engine. We regret that

25 per cent, of fuel will be made. It is expected that which the author presented in his thesis. The lifi

little or no more repairs of the engine will be re- of steam is given in these tables in seconds, whe

quired than on the ordinary locomotive. The weight the engine is running at a rate of -50 miles an hour

of the truck of this engine is no greater than that of and cutting off so that each cylinder shall use i

L^S^tx

THK BALTIMORE & OHIO COMPOUXD.

May, 1890.

THK RAILWAY MASTER MECHANIC.

sey, and was built by the Baldwin Locomotive
Works for fast passenger service. It is in many re-
pocts identical with No. 13.

No. 15 was built at the Hazleton shops of the Le-
high Valley road in 18S7.

No. 16 is the latest type of freight locomotive on
the Chicago & Alton road.

No. 17 is one of the "class H" passenger moguls of
the Chicago, Burlington and & (^uincy Uailroad.

In the tables which are introduced to give the
principal dimensions of these locomotives, the steam
space is computed upon the basis of 3 inches of water
above the top of the crown sheet in ea^h case. In
column 13 is given the diameter of the cylinders as
computed by the muster mechanics' rule upon
the basis of weights given in column -1. In columns
U, 15 and 16, the author gives comparisons upon the
basis of the relations existing between the diameters
of the drivers, diameters of the cylinders, heating
surface, grate area and steam space respectively.
In his thesis, he says:

" The power of the boiler and the furnace to meet
the demands made upon them for steam, vary direct-
ly as to diameter of drivers, the steam space, the
grate area and the heating surface. It varies also
inversely as to area of piston or as to square of di-
ameter of cylinder. If then, we tal<e the relation
between the diameter of the drivers and the square
of the diameter of the cylindet-si^-' and multiply

it by S. G and 77, respectively we have the three
expressions,

in which S is the steam space, G the grate area and
Hi the heating surface.

Substituting the proper value in these expressions
we get the series of constants given in the columns
14, 15 and 16, which afford a ready means of com-
parison. The last column of the table is computed
according to an English rule of thumb, allowing 2*
sq. ft. of heating surface for each square inch of pis-
ton area. It is introduced only as a matter of
Americi

nputedis

MUC8

Cut-off

M. E. P.

"^i«^:

C^nnSer.

C^naer.

■■i5i,V.

:ii;ii;;

91x91

att

••«"•••■■

""70 5

..."..

...r:..

.T.S.5

' "\m"

::::^::

•ijv.-

"sV

10 ••

Cards No. 1, 3. 3. 4 are fl
;ngine was desiffoed.

a. P. CjliDder, 12 in. di;i
iia.

Starting heavy train.

Train of 29 cars freight.

• ideal curds from which
III. I.. P. Cylinder 20 in.

T kcnt
Cards v

OK BAJ.TIMORE 1 OHIO COMI-Or;

ken from front

t cut-off cards.

much steam as will fill six inches of its length at
each stroke. The author states that these results
are comparative, and the relation between them
would, of course, be the same for any speed or cut-
off. The locomotives cited have been designed from
the best practice in the country, and all have been
reported as working satisfactorily by those having
them in charge. From the thesis we abstract the
following description of the engines whose dimen-
sions are tabulated:
No. 1 is a Baldwin engine which was exhibited at

' running on

the Chicago exhibition in 1883 and :
the Northern Pacific.

No. 2 is one of the class A engines on the Chicago,
Burlington & Quincy road.

No. 3 is an engine built in 18.S6 by the Ma^n Ma-
chine Works for heavy passenger service.

No. 4 was built in the shops of the N. Y. C. & H.
R. Ry. Co. in 1887 from designs of Mr. Buchanan.

No. 5 is one of the three engines built in 1887 by
the Schenectady Locomotive Works from designs of
Mr. G. W. Stevens. They are now running express
trains on the Lake Shoi^ & Michigan Southern Rail-
road.

No. 6 is an engine built at the Old Colony shops
in South Boston in 1887 after the designs of Mr. .1.
". Lauder. It was designed for fast passenger ser-
ice between Boston and Fall River.

No. 7 was built in the Vincennes shops of the
Ohio & Mississippi road in 1888, and handles heavy
express trains on a liW mile division of that road.

No. 8 is a standard passenger locomotive on the
Grand Trunk road.

No. 9 is a standard passenger engine of the Chi-
cago & Northwestern road, built after the designs ol
Mr. Tilton, superintendent of motive power.

No. 10 is one of the standard passenger engines,
class A, used on the Chicago <.t Alton road. This
engine is equipped with Mr. Wilson's patent valve
gear.

No. 11 is an express locomotive built in 1887 at the
Susquehanna shops of the New York, Lake Erie &
Western road.

. No. 12 is one of the class A passenger engines of
the Pennsylvania road.

No. 13 is a passenger engine of the Central Rail-
road of New .Jersey, No. 169, which Is credited
with one of the fastest miles on record. It was built
at the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1882.

No. 14 is also on the Central Railroad of New .Ter-

An examination of these tables shows at once
that there is no system in the present prac-
tice ol the country. In cases of bituminous coal
burning American type, the life of steam varies from
6'15 seconds, in the Baldwin engine to 393 seconds
in the Ohio & Mississippi engine. In examining
further we see that in the case of the drivers, the
latter has slightly the advantage, but the former has

steam comes the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy,
5-44 seconds. This has a large steam space and also
large drivers. In the anthracite coal burning Ameri-
can locomotive the life of steam varies from 7-87
seconds to 6-86 seconds ic the Pennsylvania and
New York Central engines to 505 in that of the
7); -

Lehigh Valley. In the values of —

the New

York Central takes the lead with 2308 as against
1704 in the Pennsylvania. We see thus that the
roads which are recognized as being the best
equipped in the country— the Pennsylvania in the
east, and the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy in the
west — show the largest values in columns 16 and 17.

The very great superiority of dry over wet steam
is well known. When the steam space in a boiler is
small the steam is used so quickly after being gen-
erated that it does not have time to free itself from
the moisture carried up with it by the intense ebulli-
tion. A greater steam space necessitates a larger
boiler. This, however, is an advantage in many
ways. It produces a heavy weight upon the drivers,
and thus allows for a large tractive force, and it en-
ables an engine to overcome steep and long grades
more easily because by proiwr management an engi-
neer can have a large quantity of water ready to be
converted into steam by the addition of a little
steam at the foot of the grades as reached.

From all the foregoing it appears that the only
possible basis upon which to establish locomotive
proportions is the steam space.

If more sets of complete experiments could be
obtained, with data from which the steam space
could be obtained in some such way as have indicated,
I think it quite probable that some law could be dis-
closed upon which a practical rule could be estab-
lished. But for the present paper I must content
mysell with pointing out how such a rule might be
obtained, its application, and its limitations.

Taking for example No. 17:

D-K S
Having determi:

18-03

the service to which the loco-

IHE RAIL^A^AY MASTER MECHANIC.

Heatiug Surface.

96.530

83.300

5-;866

M.OOO

S^OOO

i)s.6:o

Ki.rai

K).280

sh.m

""•*"'

le.ooo

1.470
1,310

isjtsi

19.\S4

].3a5H
1.378
1.225

¥ i If-

12TJ-3
1272-3
127.;-3

1272-3
1272-8

'Tht-se two enirines aiv mogiils.

DIMENSIONS OF V,

(See "The Life of Steam," page

is to be subjected, the relation -caabeap-

j>roximately determined. Knowing S (steam space)
the size of boiler may be determined, keeping in
view the values for G and B, (grate and heating
surface) given in columns 8 and 7. This will bo lim-
ited by the condition thatalifeof steam of 6-9 seconds
may be expected, with an evaporation of -1105295 lbs.
of water (from and at 212 deg.) per sq. ft. of heating
surface for each ton of train hauled at a rate of 50
miles per hour, this figure being the average of a
number of tests made on American roads."'

With the advancement of railway construction,
and consequent additions to rolling stock, it becomes
quite a problem for the motive power department to
make all necessary repairs of engines and cars with-
out interruption to freight and passenger traffic. It
is therefore important to construct and locate suit-

can be approached from both ends of the pit, thus
avoiding delay in shifting. That this arrangement
is very desirable, can be readily appreciated by those
managing shops without these facilities.

The large building on the left is exclusively for
car repairs and is about 266 ft. by 135 ft. with 19 ft.
clear under roof trusses. The tracks are 20 ft. be-
tween centers, and are 13 in number. Each track
has directly above it in the roof a monitor, which is
provided with double glass having a 3 in. air space
between; this space answers the double purpose of
keeping the heat in during the winter, and making
it possible during the summer to work under the
ra.ys of the sun without painting the glass. The
building is divided by means of frame partitions into
five departments, of which the first one is 50 ft. wide,
and contains two tracks for passenger car and exten-
sive freight repairs; light repairs to freight cars are
made on the tracks between the main line and the
track nearest the transfer table.

double doors 10 ft. 8 in wide and 15 ft. 8 in. high in
center of arch, and the tracks extending out both
ways. There is a space of 80 ft. between the build-
ing and the transfer table pit, permitting cars to be
placed there without interfering with the running
of the table or the closing of doors. On the leftside
at a distance of 240 ft. is the planing mill. This
building is 56 ft. long by 50 ft. 7 in. wide, and is built
of brick with slate roof. Its combination roof
trusses are spaced 13 ft. 6 in. between centers, 19 ft. in
the clear, the pitch of roof being one in four. The
mill has an asphaltum Boor.

Figure 2 shows the interior arrangement of the
planing mill. The temporary end is turned away
from the car shops, as future extensions will be made
in that direction. The track, which is run through
the center, is used for bringing material from the
lumber yard near by, and to transport it (after being
finished) to the car shop, to which the track leads.
In the near future a lumber shed will be placed be-

Paint store Hou.e

-W

1 1 - 1'"'

4 .:....»«

^'"

- \ -

1 1 r

\ \

1 ^ \ \

• '-■

1 1 ,

1 \ \

.:a;v'

° X\

.C.il Bu. "- ■ N.^

THE C.\Mnf:X SHOPS.— PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD.-Fi.

able repair shops at different points along the road,
where light repairs can be quickly and economically
executed, and thus obviate the sending of engines
and cars to the main shops, which may perhaps be
located far away.

Such a shop has within the last two years been
built by the Pennsylvania Railroad, on the Camden
and Amboy division, about two miles from Camden
Station, X. .1.

By referring to the general plan Fig. 1, it will be
noticed that the shops are located on a rectangular
shaped piece of ground parallel to the main line, the
two main buildings being set at a right angle to said
line. This location affords equal advantages for
i-ntering the shops from either end of the road. The
tracks are also so arranged thai the transfer table

Next to the repair shop is the cabinet, upholster-
ing and varnish shop; each one occupying in length
one-third of the width of the building, and being 30
wide. The office of Master Mechanic Hill is for the
the present in the varnish shop, until an office and
store house building, not shown on the plan, is com-
pleted. The paint shop, which has 9 tracks, will
hold 18 passenger cars, with enough clearance be-
tween cars, as well as betweeen cars and walls. The
floor is asphaltum and the walls are brick, except
one end wall which is framed and covered with cor-
rugated iron, so as to be easil.y removed when future
extensions require the lengthening of the building.
For the same reason the partitions are also frame
work.

Both sides of Ihi- Iniilding are provided with

tween the planing mill and the car shop to receive
and store finished lumber. The stationary engine in
this mill is of the vertical type, and has a capacity
of 125 horse power. The power of the engine is in
excess of the present requirements of the shop, and
was based on the future, running for the present
with an early cut off. The shop is heated with ex-
haust steam from the engine, but there is a live
steam connection which is, however, only used when
the engine is not running. The arrangement of
shafting, and the location and particular use of vari-
ous tools, are plainly shown in the engraving and
need no further explanation.

The transfer table is 60 ft. long and is composed of
12 in. and 15 in. "I" beams, firmly bolted together,
and its running gear consists of 8 pair of 33 inch '

THE RAIL\VAY MASTER MECHANIC.

THE CAMDEN SHOPS.— PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD -Fi

wheels mounted on standard fi-eight axles with 4 by
s in. journals. There are four tracks with 4 ft. 9 in.
gauge and Ifi ft. U in. centers, except the two middle
tracks, which are 17 ft. apart to obtain better guid-
ing of the table. The propelling is done by wire
rope located under the right side stone coping of
the pit, and the compensating carriages are under
the tracks at the ends. The speed of the table is
:i(H» ft. iK-r minute empty, and 200 ft. loaded.

About :W ft. to the right of the transfer pit the
greeting, boiler, machine, wheel and blacksmith
shops are located in another large building, about
266x71 in dimension. This building is also of brick,
and has a roof similar to the planing mill and large
doors of same size and spacing as the ear shop. It
will be noticed that the location of the different
shops in this building is particularly arranged to
facilitate the work. The blacksmith shop is in the
front end, directly opposite the car repair shop, and
in close proximity to the outside car repair tracks [
from which most of the blacksmith work comes.
Then comes next the wheel and machine shop, and j
last the boiler and erecting departments. As the
division of tracks is the same as for the car building
a straight line communication is obtained over the
table. I

Figure 3 shows the general arrangement and loca^ [
tion of tools in this building. It will be noticed that ,
the coppersmiths and the Hue welding machine are
located in the blacksmith shop. Repairs to boilers
requiring Banging are also attended to in this part i
of the building. A frame partition divides this part
from the rest of the shop. All smoke and dirt is
therefore uonfined to the blacksmith shop, except
that from the riveting fires, which of course must
be in the boiler department. Our drawing of the !
.-ihop is very clear as to the location of tools. Close
attention has been made to the placing of each ma-
chine where it would give the best service. Especi-
ally is this the case with the 78 in. wheel" lathe,
which has been placed directly opposite a door open-
ing, which makes the handling of driving wheels
very convenient.

The engine is of 150-horse power, Corliss make,
and has, like the planing mill engine, been rated to
allow for extensions. Within the railing surround-
ing the engine has been placed a 400 light Brush
dynamo machine, which supplies the light for the
entire plant.

The foreman's office and the tool room are of neat
design and the latter has several special tool finish-
ing machines, which are used for no other purpose.
Each workman is furnished with ch-cks bearing his

particular number, one of which must be handed in
for every tool taken from the tool room.

The erecting and boiler shops occupy six tracks,
and at the ends of the tracks along the side of the
building the vise benches are located.

This building and the car shop are both heated
with the Sturtevant hot air system, each building
having a separate fan and engine for that purpose.
The air is forced through galvanized iron pipes, rest-
ing on the roof trusses, along all sides of the build-
ing, having outlets every 20 ft. extending to within
7 ft. of the floor.

To the right of the locomotive repair shop is the
casting yard, coal bin, iron racks, etc., and at a dis-
tance of 10-) ft. the boiler house. This building is 32
ft X 40 ft. It has brick walls, iron trussof the Fink
design and a slate roof. It is eouioned with tliree

boilers, locomotive type, with sloping lire box, th
diameter of the shell being .50 in., and the total
length 21 ft. The boilers have 74 flues, 3 in. outside
diameter 11 ft. long. The fire boxes are 4 ft. by 7 ft.
and have a heating surface of 0(i2 square feet. A
pressure of 100 lbs. is carried in the boilers. The
boilers are connected to a main pipe 8 in. diameter
which is carried under ground in a 2 ft. square brick
conduit. At the machine shop, the pipe branches
into two (i in. pipes, one of which enters the shop,
and the other runs parallel with the building to the
property line, which it follows to about midway be-
tween the car shop and planing mill, where it again
makes a bend, and runs to a point opposite the plan-
ing mill. .\i this place the diameter is reduced to -5
in. at which size it enters the planing mill near the
engine. At the bends the pipe is joined by copper

VA.NIA UAII.KOA

THE RAILWAY MASTER MECHANIC.

expansion joints, shaped like a horse shoe. The con-
duit is covered by 3 in. boards, laid crossways iu sec-
tions, which can readily be removed in case of leaks.

The smoke boxes are connected with a 4 ft. diame-
ter brick flue, running under the ground to the out-
side of the building, where it joins a sheet steel
stack 4 ft. internal diameter, and 90 ft. high. The
stack stands on a stone foundation, and is self sup-
porting. It is lined half way up with fire brick, and
the remainder with red brick. The stack is made of
steel, T-16 in. thick at the base and i in. thick at the
top.

An artesian well has been bored near the boiler
house from which a Duplex steam pump, located in
an annex attached to the boiler house, lifts the water
into the two 3-5,000 gallon tanks standing close by.
The water is under ordinary conditions distributed
from the tanks, but the valves are so arranged that
in case of fire, the pumps will force the water di-
rectly into the main, whereby a pressure is obtained
which will throw a stream over the roof of the high-

print, a reduced cut of which wc herewith give, needs
no further explanation. Its usefulness is apparent
upon the face of it.

NEW YORK, LAKE ERIE & WESTERN TEN-WHEELED
ENGINE

The rapidity with which the ten-wheeled engine
is coming into favor for fast and heavy passenger
service is abundantly evidenced in the number of
this type which are now being built. One of the
latest designs of this class is illustrated in per-
spective in this issue, and last month we published
the drawing of the boiler for the same engine. This
engine is one of several built by the Baldwin Loco-
motive Works for the New York, Lake Erie & West-
ern Railroad. This engine is one of the heaviest of
its class, having 20x24 in. cylinders, 08 in drivers,
and a total weight of 130,000 lbs., of which 100,000

lbs.

I the drivers.

The engine is designed to burn hard coal, and has

We recently had the opportunity of watching the
performance of this and a sister engine in service,
and can testify to its excellent steaming and easy
riding qualities, the latter being particularly notice-
able when entering and leaving sharp curves, of
which the eastern division of the Erie has its fair
share. Many little conveniences are provided, tend-
ing to the comfort of the engine men. For example,
a ventilator is placed in the top of the cab, while
the roof itself extends back much further than usual
over the front of the tender to afford a protection to
the fireman against rain and snow. The engineer's
brake valve is placed bodily under the running
board, with a stem running up from it to the side of
the cab, convenient to the runner's right hand, the
one he has free from the throttle lever. On the left

"T^' — ^-^^"'-^

XEW YORK. LAKE ERIE & WESTERN TEN-WHEELED ENGINE.

est building. Water plugs and hose reels are pro-
vided for the large buildings and throughout the
yard.

The areas of these shops are as follows: Paint and
car shop, 3.5,93:; square feet; erecting, machine,
wheel and blacksmith shop, 18,875 square feet: plan-
ing mill, ifi'li square feet; boiler house, 1,280 square

A VERV useful blue-print is issued from the office
of Mr. Wm. A. Foster, superintendent of motive
power of the Fall Brook Company's lines, showing

^^.M'M..®Am^®

©,...©

M-M-MS

the weights on each pair of wheels, the distances be-
tween each pair, the total wheel base, etc., for the
several classes of engines on that road. This blue-

a fire-box 11 ft. long and 43 in. wide, the crown of
which is supported by radial stays. The principal
dimensions of the engine are as follows:

Class of engine..
Gauge of road...

Length t>i tubes,.

Fire-box

Steam pressure...
Heating surface, tubes. ,

side of the boiler in the cab is a short length of hand
rail which is very convenient to leave the arm on
and to brace one's self against.

Taken, as a whole, the engine fairly represents the
latest and best development of locomotive engineer-
ing in this country, and as such must be a source of
gratification, both to the builders and owners.

The credit for the design of this-notably successful
engine is due to the officers of the Erie Railway. The
dimensions of cylinders and driving wheels, and the
general dimensions of the boiler were specified by
Mr. E. B. Thomas, vice president, and Mr. Ross
Kells, superintendent of motive power of that road.
The details-were worked out by the Baldwin works
to conform to their patterns and usual shop practice.

Railway Patents Expiring in April, 1890,

> F. St.,

Cvllnders tiard close v

Piston rods

Guides (Lalirti

1 Furnished by F, H. Brock, patent attorney, (J3!
.Vashiugton, D. t'.. These patents are now free to be man
ifactured by any one. Copies of any patent furnished by
Hr. Brock at 15 cents.]

Sanding device for locomotives, M. Y. Nobles,

> , - : -■!■ tnicH, .1. McCauley.

< .1 I \ I'ui-sell.

nl, C. Latimer,

Driving tires, front (plain) -n

Driving axle ujk ii1i*j..iii. ,>Kt-.,

Driving axle Journals ,': M"; in

Driving boxes cast iron, phosphor bronze bearing.

Connecting and pai-allei rods steel.

Crani£ piny steel.

BNGISE TBCCK.

:eis 33 in. steel tired, Paige spo e.

BS Otis Steel

Jjoumals 5x10iD.

Tank thickness....

Tank capacity

Tender frame

Trucks

side and back 3-16 in., remainder M i

Convertible lieiKlil car, T, Fogg.

Car heater and ventilator, C. F. Whorf,

Car replacer. J. F. Baxter.

cutting tools has been adopts
shops of the Pennsylvania Railroad, at Altoona. A
tank is placed just beneath the roof at one corner of
the shop, pipes running thence to the various ma-
chines. The lubricant thus Hows by gravity to the
various machUes, from wltich it is drained away by
other pipes to a tank beneath the floor. This tank is
placed directly beneath the upper tank, to which the
oil is pumped.

PMay, 1890.

THE RAIL\VAY MASTER MECHANIC.

The principle followed by Eiffel in all his struct-
I ui-es of this kind is to erive the angle such a pitch or
curve as not to require diagonal bracing. The tower

, „., ^u.^.., ..,., „^uu==.,„j ,=>„ 6. ".»>-.. ... lilusl ] was the direct outcome of a series of investigations

ated by large drawings and slereoptiuon | ' made by M. Kiffel in 188.5 to ascertain the extreme

The Paris exposition has come and gone, and it is | limit to which iron piers of viaducts could be pushed

already so much a thing of the past that perhaps our
interest in it would be slight were it not for the
fact that we are so soon to attempt a similar work in
our neighboring city, Chicago.

Our exposition is to be measured by the success
and beauty of that at Paris, and the standard there
established was so high that ample lime, as well as
money, is required for the gigantic undertaking. 1
hope to give you, by the aid of the lantern and the
screen, such an idea of the magnificence and beauty
of the exposition buildings at Paris as will help yon
to understand the reasonableness of the demands
of those who favor ISftS as the proper time for the
opening of the American exposition. In our short
talk I shall not confine myself to machinery, but we
will devote some attention tt> the products of ma-
chines and the work of the engineer. If we except
the decorative and artistic features, this covers
nearly all there is of an exposition; but we can only
deal with the subject in a general way.

7'he two most prominent objects of interest at the
Paris fair were the Eiffel tower and the machinery
hall, — the former the highest structure ever erected
by man; the latter the widest building ever covered
by a single span. These are the structures which
we must either imitate or excel, and I shall give a
description of each of them.

Clreat works of this kind are not the subject of a
special and sudden inspiration; but when we inquire
into their history and development, we always find
that nature has been gradually preparing the man
for the work and the occasion— the time, the de-
mand, are theopportunity for the climax of a career.

Kricsson did not suddenly evolve the idea of the
monitor. It was the ripened result of the study of a
\ije time. In his native Sweden he had often watched
the logs tossed by the storms on the lakes, and he
thus obtained the ideas of necessary stability of a
vessel for coasting service. He was taught in his
army experience the art of building forts, and the
use of a round tower for a defense in an open place.
With a magnificent patriotism he was always study-
ing how to defend his country from the attack of the
Kusiians, and he made plans for gun boats and fur-
nished them to Napoleon as an enemy of Russia and
an ally of Sweden. Thus it was that Ericsson pro-
duced the monitor as the result of a great experi-
ence in similar construction, and thus it was that
M. Eiffel produced his monumental work, the Eiffel
tower, the iron eolumn'of the republic.

Eiffel's career gradually led up to his latest grand
achievement. He was employed on the Paris & Or-
leans Railroad, and used various wrought iron braced
structures, instead of cast iron columns or masonry.
He was among the first French engineers to erect
bridges without scaffolding, by building the struct-
ure out panel by panel. His greatest work of th'
kind was

with safety. The tower consists essentially of a
pyramid composed of four great curved columns, in-
dependent of each other, and connected by belts of
girders at the different stories until they unite to-
ward the top. Iron wjis used in the structure
throughout.

The cap-stones on the foundations have a crushing
strength of 1,600 lbs. per square inch, and the great-
est load on them possible is 42-5 lbs. per square inch.
The total load on each pier is 1,970 tons, or 3 tons per
square foot of masonry. The cast iron base plate on
the masonry has a cylindric cavity 40 in. diameter
and 36 in. deep. The end of the arched column
forms a plunger, which enters the cylinder, and is
secured by bolts, thus constituting a hydraulic press
upon which a pressure of 800 tons could be exerted,
thus providing a means of adjustment. Thin plates
of steel were introduced as the plunger was forced
out in order to secure the desired variation of level
The total weight of iron in the whole structure is
7,300 tons. The actual work on the foundations was
commenced in January, 1887,— the plans having been
completed in June, 1886.

The machinery hall is 375 ft. wide and 1,380 ft.
long, and covers an area of 900,000 sq. ft., or 14 acres.
It cost $l,.'iOO,000 or $218 per square foot. The great
nave is the shape of a Gothic arch, composed of steel
girders 7 ft. deep, extending from the floor line,
where they have a cylindric bearing, to the top of
the arch 100 ft. above the floor, where these girders
again unite on a large pin bearing. There are 20 of
these main girders which form the roof of the build
ing, the larger portion of it being covered with
glass. The greatest span for a roof heretofore is ol
the St. Pancras station in London, which has a
width of 240 ft.; but it is connected across by the
rods. The roof of machinery hall is entirely cl
of all ties or braces — below the main girders. Each
of these steel girders weighs 160 tons. The total
weight of steel in the nave is 7,400 tons, all resting
on cast iron roller joints having a surface of not
more than 302 sq. ft., or a pressui'e of 24 tons per
square foot. The foundations were commenced in
July, 1887, and completed in December that year,
and the hall itself was finished in May, 1S8H. The
cost of this great structure— *1, .500,000— was made
up as follows:

Glazing

Decoration.
Paiatlng

Power was supplied free to the exhibitors of ma-
engines for the
ber of different
Iders who were paid by the administration upon
a fixed tariff; and the engines and boilers so em-
ployed constituted exhibits in themselves. It re-
quired 31 boilers evaporating 114,000 lbs. water per
hour. The pay for the boiler service was ilSb for
2,200 lbs. water evaporated. The coal consun\ption
was 52 tons per day or about 10,00(1 tons during the
six month:

arabit viaduct, where an arch of .541 j chinery in motion-the boilers
ft. span crosses a torrent 400 ft. below. The success | P"i'PO'se being furnished by a
of this great arch gave courage and confidence to M. I "'
Eiffel, as he pointed his lattice column to the sky, I "*
and builded its dizzy heightsinto the clouds. He was
the engineer for the angle iron structure which sup-
ports portions of the Bartholdi statue of Liberty,
and also for the locks on the Panama canal, and
some of these locks were actually built before the
failure of that enterprise.

Tall towers are not a modern idea. Ai
1S33 the old English engineer Trevethick proposed
a 1,000 ft. tower, to be made of cast iron cylinders
100 ft. in diameter at the base, and the whole struct-
ure to weigh 6,000 tons. This was intended to com-
memorate the passage of the reform bill. Treve-
thick's tower was never built.

In 1876, at the time of our own centennial, Messrs.
Clarke, Reeves & Co. offered to build a square
wrought iron tower 1,000 ft. high, but I heard Mr.
Clarke say in Paris that he was glad their tower was
not built, because that of M. Eiffel so far surpassed
his plan in beauty.

Belgium, 2; United States, 2 ; Switzerland, 4:
France, 23. Most of the engines were of the Corliss
type, and many of them were compound, while some
were triple expansion. Eich engine exhibitor sup-
ilied all steam pipe valves and other connections,
lesides the transmission requii'ed for communicat-
ng motion to the main shaft. The pay was $8 per
ndicated horse power for the whole time of 180 days
or 44 cents per h. p. per day of 7 hours.

The shafting was arranged in four lines running
nearly the whole length of machinery hall, and hav-
g a total length of about 4,.500 ft. The lines of
shafting were supported by double cast iron col-
umns connected at the top, forming a support for the
bearings, and by bearings suspended from the
lattice girders connecting the columns longitudi-
nally. These girders supported electric traveling
cranes which were used in placing the heavy ma-
chinery and afterwards in carrying passengers
through the hall. The main shafting is '» inches
diameter, excepting at main pulleys at engines,
when it is increased to 5* inches diameter. The
height of shafting above the floor was 14 ft. 8 in.,
and the speed of revolution 1.50 per minute. The
pay for shafting was about Oi cents per yard per day.
In the agriculture galleries there were 670 ft. of 2*
inches shafting driven by an electric motor which
derived its energy from a dynamo and eTjgine in
machinery hall.

At one end of machinery hall was a very interest-
ing exhibit which combined chemistry and me-
chanics in a bold, curious and successful attempt to
copy nature and perform the function of the silk
worm by transforming woody fiber into silk fiber.
The digestive juices of the worm acting on its food
—the leaves of mulberry trees— transforms it into a
peculiar substance resembling horn and called
kerotine. It fills the two glands from which it
exudes in the form of fine threads which unite, and
the silk fiber thus discharged often reaches 1,000 ft.
in length. This fiber is cellulose, combined with
nitrogen. In the artificial process, ordinary papei'
pulp, white wood, cotton waste, etc., are the start
ing point. This is treated with defined mixtures of
sulphuric and nitric acid. The nitratic cellulose is
then formed into collodion by dissolving into a mix-
ture of ether and alcohol. The fiber, as it issues
from the apparatus, isone of the most inflammable of
substances, containing too much nitrogen, and the
method of reducing the nitrogen is the secret of the
inventor. After denitration the filament becomes
gelatinous, and it can be dyed any desirable lolor.
The filament is forced under pres.sure through a
tube, and a cup of water, and, the pasty condition
being solidified by the water, it can be drawn
out without breaking and led on to a reel. Seventy-
two of these tubes are on one machine, and one
tube can produce II miles of fiber per hour. The
product can be sold for one-third the cost of real
silk, and it resembles the natural silk very closely;
is smooth and brilliant and has a strength about
two-thirds of the real article, or about 20 tons ixjr
square inch. Woven into a tissue it appears
stronger and less litble to cut, due to the fact Ibat
it is not charged with zinc and lead used in dying
silk. These foreign matters are introduced for the
purpose of "weighting" the silk.

The illuminated fountains were the principal at-
traction in the evening. The colored jets were not
produced by throwing colored lights upon the sur-
face of the water as has been employed at Niagara

'Ih

position was open. The lowest I and Saratoga. The method here employed was to

n pressure regularly carried was 8-5 lbs. and the j imprison the luminous ray itself within the liquid

est 142 lbs., the average for most of the boilers ; jet, and so perfectly that each particle of water be-

being 125 lbs. The boilers were located in a long ! comes, as it were, incandescent, and the whole

row of separate buildings in a space reserved for i stream transformed into a brilliant mass of molten

them between the machinery hall and the boundary j gold or silver. The jets suddenly change theircolor

of the Champ de Mars. | and sparkle like fire-works in the darkness, throw-

The power for machinery in motion was .supplied i ing innumerable sparks in all directions; but unlike

by 32 engines of various sizes from .50 h. p. to 200 j pyrotechnics, the effect can bo prolonged as desired.

h. p.; 28 of these were required for the four lines of | The principle is not new, but its application on a

shafting, running the whole length of machinery | large scale, as at Paris, was one of the greatest

hall. The maximum power available was .5,000 h. p.. i novelties of the exposition. It has, I believe, not

but only 2,600 h. p. was required. The engines were | yet been employed in America, yet it could be

sent from the following countries: From England, 1; made far more beautiful, safer, and less expensive

THE RAIL^VAY MASTER MECHANIC.

than the usual pyrotechnic display on 4th of July in
our large cities. It. dates back to the Swiss physicist
CoUadon, 1S41. In the side of a vessel, filled with
water, CoUadon made a small opening from which
he allowed the water to issue in a parabolic jet. By
means of a lamp and a lens he threw rays of light /
to the origin of the jet. and they became imjrt-isoned /
by means of a series of total reflections which pre-
vented them from escaping, and when placed in the
dark it produced the effect of a luminous parabola.
The luminous fountains at Paris contained 300 jets,
and discharged 4-5,000 cubic feet of water per hour.
The beam of light passing into the interior of a
liquid tube, with a thickness of the water envelop
of only 1-V2 inch, cannot escape. In this way jets
M in. in diameter and 1-5 ft. high, were perfectly
illuminated. By placing plates of colored glass
across the line of rays near the origin— the arc
lights— the colors of the jets were changed at will,
and many beautiful combinations produced. The
whole set of jets was under the control of one oper-
ator, who signaled by electric buttons to his assist-
ants stationed in vaults under them.

MAIN BOD OIL CVF, H., L. S. & W. B. B.

In the accompanying illustration we show a novel
form of oil cup, designed by Mr. .John Hickey, gen-
eral master mechanic of the Milwaukee, Lake .Shore
& Western Railroad Co., and used on engines of that
line. The cup is a double one and is meant to be
used on the back end of the main rod. One of the
chambers contains oil and the other tallow. Each is
provided with a separate cap, or cover, on top and
each has a separate passage for the oil or tallow to
go to the journal. The object of the cup is at once
apparent. The chamber marked tallow on oui draw,
ing is filled with that material and the cap screwed
on, a small vent hole being provided in the latter for
the admission of air in case the tallow should be fed
down upon the bearing. The other chamber is foi
oil as indicated and is used in the oidinai\ waj
Should the journal become hot the tallow will melt
and feed down upon it without any cai e whatever
from the engineer. The least heating of a pin which
will be sufficient to melt the tallow will immediatelj
result in a supply of that material, theieb\ ledui ng
the heating unless it should prove a veiy seuous
case. The cup has been in service for some time past
and has been giving most excellent results.

COMMUNICATIONS.

The Georgia Bailway Shops at Angasta.

AlKEX, S. C, April IS, 18D0.
To the Editor ot the Railway Master Mechanic:

Being in the vicinity recently, I took occasion to visit the
machine and car shops of the Georgia Railroad at Augusta,
Ga.

The machine shops, which are in charge of Master Me-
chanic John S. Cook, while not being very large, are well
arranged, and every thing is remarkably clean and well
kept.

The machine and erecting shop is a large rectangular
brick building, at one end of which is the main office and
the master mechanic's jirivate olHce, and at ihe other, the

The shop contains three erecting tracks, each of which
accommodates one Urge locomotive. Most of the machine
tools are modern, and large tools are served by cranes. A
track runs from end to end of the shop to facilitate the
handling ot heavy pieces. The motive power of the shop
consists of a horizontal, single eccentric throttling engine,
having its steam chest above the cylinder and its lower
rocker arm slotted, enabling the value travel to be changed
if desired. A gauge is attached to the steam pipe.

The blacksmith shop, which adjoins the machine shop,
has one steam hammer of recent design, and eight forges,
the blast for which is supplied by a Sturtevant blower in
the machine shop.

The store rooms are in a large two-story brick building,
just opposite the entrance to the master mechanic's office.
The first floor is fitted up with a great number of compart-
ment shelves, and drawers, in which are kept various loco-
motive fittings and attachments. Everything here is very
orderly and well arranged. The second story is used as a
general store room, and contains a little of everj thing.

MAIN ROD OIL CUP

The round-house, which is built of brick, is connected
with the blacksmith shop. It is floored over throughout,
and has stalls for 30 locomotives. In the center is a large
Sellers iron turntable, the rail of which is laid on granite
blocks. All the pits are cemented. Tracks lead over the
iron transfer table to the machine shop. Attached to one
partof the round-house wall is a complete Wcstinghouse
automatic brake and train signaling apparatus, which is
used to test various parts of the brake mechanism, such as
triple and engineer's valves, etc., and also to illustrate
their working. Adjoining the round-house is a wooden
shop in which tenders are built. The machines in this shop
are run by a horizontal, plain slide valve throttling engine.

In the round-house at the time of my visit, were some
very handsome coal burning mogul engines, built at the
Baldwin Locomotive Works. These engines have the
Eames vacuum driver and tender brake, and are also fitted
with the Wcstinghouse pump, main reservoir, etc , so as to
operate the air brakes on cars when desired. They have
the extension front end and open stack. Many of the loco-
motives belonging to this road are fitted with steam bell
ringers.

The car shops, which have recently been completed, are
very large, are built entirely of brick, and are among the
finest shops of the kind in the country. They are remark-
ably well lighted and ventilated, and are heated by steam
pipes attached to the walls.

Mr. E. S. Scheetz is the master car builder, and every-
thing in and about the shops bears evidence of his energy
and ability.

>The side and end walls of the building are 'M in. thick,
and the partition walls between the engine room, mill,
erecting shop and paint shop are 30 in thick. The door
jambs are of heavy cast iron. The mill is 90x130 ft., ad-
joining which is the erecting shop 90x180 ft., containing 8
tracks which accommodate 8 passenger or 16 freight cars.
The paint shop, which is next to the erecting shop, is 90x90
ft., and has tracks for^4 passenger cars.

Above the mill is the cabinet and pattern shop, and the
draughting office. The floor, which is OOxl'iO ft., is sup
ported b.v longitudinal iron girders of 1 section, which abut

the partition walls and are supported by 10 in. tubular

in columns resting on brick piers s ft. square at base, 34
square at top, and 8 feet deep. Above this shop is the
pattern loft and storeroom for fine lumber. Here all the
patterns for the locomotive as well as the car department
are kept. The floor, which of the same dimensions as that
of the cabinet shop, is supported by trussed beams, resting
in iron chambers on wooden posts. All machines in the
pattern shop belt direct to pulleys In the mill, and are
operated by pull rods, etc., thus doing away with all un-
necessary shafting. Locomotive cabs and pilots are made
here. Pilot bars are inserted into the bottom rail, not
merely bolted to it, as is sometimes done.

The draughting office is large and %vell lighted, and con-
tains a very handsome cabinet for drawings, made of Geor-
gia pine and black walnut, and finished with gold bands.
This cabinet has IS large drawers and IS cases with glass
fronts, each case being divided into tl compartments. The
drawers and cases are gold lettered.

The mill contains a number of the most modern ma-
chines, all of which rest upon brick and granite fouuda-
tions. Among those specially worthy of mention is a 60 ft.
dimension planer, and a mortising machine which is capa-
ble of mortising end sills for over 100 cars per day. This
machine takes a hollow chisel, from }i to 3% in. square. In
order to fully test its capacity, Mr. Scheetz, with the assist-
ance of three laborers to handle lumber, mortised end sills
for O-'i freight cars in 4 hours and 1.5 minutes.

Hoods are being placed over all machines to remove dust,
and a 00 in. Sturtevant blower is used to produce draught.
All machines are provided with large wooden boxes, in
which the tools belonging to them are kept, each in a sep-
arate compartment.

An electric press button is located near each machine, by
means of which a signal gong can be rung in the engine
room. Three strokes of the gong signify stop; two, slow;
and one, all right. The device has been found of great
convenience.

The machlner.\' is run by a 70 hol-se power Corliss engine.
The foundation for this engine is T ft. of brick, resting

Mat. 1890

THKRAILWAY MASTER MECHANIC.

upon three courses of 4x14 in. Georgia pine. The boiler is a
return tluetubular.carryinpr'JO lbs. of steam, and fed by two
Seller's "76" injectors. A W ft. transfer table runs the en-
tire length of the shop. It was designed by Mr. Scheetz,
runs on four 4 ft. 9 in. gauge traclis, and is worked by four

The average rate of production of these shops is eight
box, or 13 gondola cars per weel<. with a force of 12
men. No passenger cai"s liave as yet been built. All work
done at these shops is on the duplicate system, all parts of
a car being interchangeable with like parts of similar cars.

In conclusion, I cannot but acknowledge my obligations
to Mr. E. S. Scheetz for the very cordial mannerin which
he received me. and for the trouble he took in showing me
me everything of interest in the shops under his charge.

Qcestlons for Tagbconic— Chimney Design.

To the Editor of the Railway Ma.sttT Mechanic:

The better way to build chimneys for locomotives
one that produces best results and the best
Chimneys of one thickness of iron with a ring aroiind the
top may appear to "one not posted in such matters" to an-
swer the purpose of a good chimney. Some of the objections
to it are as follows . It being of one thickness of iron and
without air jacket the atmosphere being colder than the
gases passing through the chimney it tends to cool them (the
gases) down and interfere with the rapid draft requisite in
a good chimney. In a chimney having an air space with
the outer shell of planished iron the inner walls are kept
well up to the temperature of the gases passing up it, thus
accelerating those gases, and doing the work that a good
chimney is designed to do. The planished iron presents a
smooth surface to the atmosphere, which reduces the air
resistance to a minimum, and it can be cleaned much easier.
The top casting to which " Taghconic " objects produces a
fine finish at small cost : it also suits the eye and, as sometimes
happens, assists in putting the weight where most needed.
If there is no call for beauty in mechanics, why put the half
round iron around the chimney of one thickness? It must
be for appearance only, although it is, in fact, an apology
for a finish. It is furthermore a well known fact that the
shape of the top of a locomotive chimney has much to do
with its performing the function it was designed for, as the
action of the air coming in contact with it at a high rate of
speed always has an influence on the draft. (See Clark's
work on Locomotives. \

I would like to have "Taghconic'' explain what he means
by proportioning the chimneys of locomotives to the blast
pipes as 13 to 1. By this rule the size of grate, and number
and size of flues are entirely ignored. Can this be a cor-
rect solution of the much "mooted" question f Does he
mean that the chimney should be twelve times the area of
the blast pipe; If so, does this refer to a blast pipe with
one opening or with twof If with two openings does it
take the area of both or only one ; and if only one why will
it require so much smaller chimney for a locomotive using
two blast pipes than one using a single pipe; if the area
of both are taken, why, as only one exhaust takes place at
a time on well designed locomotives; And when there is
only one exhaust at a time why should the chimney be any
smaller than where only one is used. By fully explaining
these matters there are many who will "rise up and call
him blessed."

One more suggestion and I am done : I would like to
have "Taghconic" let us know if he would have his house
built after the modern style of architecture, and then have
the roof put on without any cornice for a finish or would
he have the builder put an old fashioned hoop i made from
one-half of a hoop pole) around in place of a respectable
cornice; Invrstihtor.

When, finally, I was obliged to take the bull by the horns,
a short investigation convinced me that the automatic
converting compound, with cylinders of proper sizes, has
greater starting power than the simple engine, and I have,
therefore, made the Old Colony engine an automatic one.
It will get a train away from a station, I feel confident,
smarter than the lSx'24 in. engine whicli is now satisfact-
orily performing in the Old Colony service, and it will not
waste steam in starting as the hand connecting engine
would. Moreover, it cannot be abused: it must always be
a compound locomotive, and will at once begin to fulfill its
object of saving steam. Still further, it is as easy to
manipulate by the engineer as the simple engine, and this
will tend to immediately make it popular on the road.

F. W. Dr(N.

BALANCED SPINDLE 48-INCH RADI&L DRILL

The balanced spiudle 4g-ineh radial drill shown in
our illustration was designed especially to meet the
requirements of the mechanical department of the
Pennsylvania railroad and was made for the new

by a screw or rack and pinion, and the latter is
mounted on a slide on side of the column, and ad-
justed by a screw. .\ny further information will be
cheerfully furnished by the builders, the Belts Ma-
chi ne Co., Wilmington, Del.

The Jane Convention of the Master Mechanics' Association.
Secretary Sinclair announces that the members of
tlie association having voted by a large majority in
favorof holding the next convention at Old Point
Comfort, Fortress Monroe, Va., the executive com-
mittee have arranged to hold the meeting there.
The pi'opi'ie'or of the Hygeia Hotel, Old Point Com-
fort, has agreed to accommodate the members and
their friends for $3 per day, when no extra accom-
modation is called for. Rooms will be reserved
specially for the use of members till the day the
meeting opens, ,Iune 17. Those desiring to secure
rooms should apply to F N. Pike, Hygeia Hotel,
Monroe, Va.

BALANCED SPINDLE 48-INCH RADIAL DRILL.

The Old Colony Compoand

BosTos, Mass., April i:!, \sm.
To the Edittir of the Railway .Master Mechanic:

Sir— In your April issue I read a short description of
the compound locomotive which I have designed for the
Old Colony Railroad Company. The description is, in the j
main, correct. You are. however, wrong in saying that ]
the engine \vill be changed from simple to compound, and |
vice versa by band. This will be accomplished auto- I
matically, and the device used will have no connection with
the cab. It is true that at first I intended to convert the '
engine from one kind to the other by hand, because I, at
that time had an idea, which I did not take the trouble to j
verify or disprove, that it was necessary in order to start
a train quickly.

I had fully made up my mind to place whatever device
I should use, in the smoke box. and thus be enabled to
make the drawings of everything but this converting
device first. By this means I did not keep the design back,
and secured ample time for consideration of the starting I
mechanism. 1

shops at Altoona. Power is received by a cone of
four speeds, back geared, giving eight changes to the
spindle through suitable shafts and gearing.

The arm, upon which the spindle carriage moves
radially, has a long hearing carefully fitted upon the
upper part of the main column, on which it revolves,
when required, to any position within its range, and
can be readily made fast at any point by a single
clamping screw.

The spindle carriage has a horizontal movement,
by hand, through a rack and pinion, and can be
firmly clamped to the arm by a conveniently located
lock-nut.

The vertical feed movement of the spindle has
three changes and is simple and effective; it can be
instantly disconnected from the spindle, which is
then readily and rapidly moved through its entire
travei'.se by a hand lever in convenient location, and
retained in any position by the counterbalance,
which also serves the important purpose of steadying
the downward motion of the drill in passing through
unsound material.

The column rests on a well proportioned base
plate, truly planed and provided with T slots on
which work o( a larger class can be placed and the
drill spindle adjusted to operate upjn any part of
their surface.

Tables for small work can be of a variety of forms,
adaptable to the kind of work to be drilled; those
most commoaly used are the round, square hinged,
and box tables. The two former styles are mounted
in a short column and are raised and lo^vered either

Messrs. W. Garstang, T. W. Gentry and A. .1.
Cromwell have been appointed by President Briggs
a committee to carry out arrangements for the con-

SIEEL AIR BEiKE FIlriNOS-A SOFT METAL UNION

The application of the Westinghouse air brakes
to engines, passenger and freight cars requires per-
fectly air tight joints and if inferior metal is used
the consequences resulting from the ineffectual
working of the air brakes may be serious.

The Westinghouse A\i- Brake Company are, we
are informed, now using and have for the past few
years been using steel fittings m;inufaotured express-
ly by Stanley G. Flagg & Company, of Philadelphia,
Pa., but as the privilege of buying the pipe and fit-
tings from the Westinghou^se ."Vir Brake Company
has been left to the option of the users of them, the
Westinghouse Air Brake Company have given the
steel fittings the following recommendation:

Stanley G. Flagg & Company, Nineteenth street and Penn-
sylvania avenue, Philadelphia, Pa. :
Di;.*K SiBs: Having decided to sell our air brake appli-
ances separate from the iron pt|ie and fittings used with
them, our customers are in a position to buy such fittings
(if they 30 desire) in the open market. To all customers
who wish to avail themselves of this opportunity we shall
recommend the use of the steel fittings manufactured by
you. We have used them for nearly two years to the ex-
elusion of galvanized malleablcs and have had no defective

caused considerable annoyance using galvanized malleables,

THE RAIL^WAY MASTER MECHANIC.

May, 1890.

of these goods,
fittings that they are
_ntirely air tight, the thread full and sharp and tapped to
the original Briggs' standard, rendering them according to
our experience the best in every respect for air brake pur-
poses and the cheapest in the end. Yours truly,

\VF.sT.N<.llolsii Air Bk.vke Comimsv,
O. Miller, Purchasing Agent.

Some roads are using the Flags steel fittings for
locomotive work exclusively, giving their opinion
that they are economical in the long run both as to
time in connecting and also in wear and tear. These
roads are usings fittings of all sizes from i in. to 2 in.
The steel fittings are claimed to be perfect without
exception, having full "V ihreads,and being sound,
homogeneous and entirely free from leakage.

Experience has proved that for air brake connec-
tions all fittings and joints must be made exception-
ally tight, as air pressure is more seai'ching than
either water or steam, requiring all

be tight not only for the final test but to stand the
wear and tear of manipulation and service and also
the strain which is put upon them. The principal
railroads and car shops are, we are informed, using
the Plagg steel fittings with perfect satisfaction.

A soft metal union for gas, steam, oil, water, etc.,
connections is furnished by Stanley G. Flagg & Co.,

ordinary union will not answer. It is not so liable to
contraction and expansion as ordinary washer packed
unions, and, when once put up, does not require
tightening after the steam has been withdrawn and
the pipes allowed to cool and the steam put on again.
These unions have inserted in the head piece, a soft
metal packing which is concave. The tail, or oppo-
site, piece is convex and finished on the surface, al-
lowing the two parts to be screwed up tight and
loosened again without injury to the seat of the
union. Although the pipes may be a little out of
line, the connection of this union is such that when
it is drawn together and tightened (the seat having
concave and convex surfaces) a tight joint is made at
any possible angle, which is a great advantage, as
heretofore fitters have been inconvenienced in mak-
ing such connections free from leakage. This union
can be used for high pressure, standing, it is stated,
about 100 pounds steam pressure or 3,000 pounds hy-
draulic pressure without leaking, not requiring to be
screwed very tight to obtain the desired result, be-
ing just as good after being taken down and put up
again as when first put in. No other packing than
that mentioned is required with this union and it is
claimed that there is no wear out to it other than
that of actual wear and tear, as on the pipe. Some
of the principal locomotive works are using this
union and find it to give entire satisfaction, a strong
merit being that no washer is required and that a
tight joint can be made with but little pi-essure.

The manufacturers of this union argue that the
only true way of ascertaining its desirability is to
use it; and as they are prepared to furnish large
quantities from stock they offer to furnish with
promptness any sample orders that may be entrust-
ed to their care.

Secretary Sinclair, of the M. C. B. Association,
announces l!i new adherents to the rules of inter-
change, and says that several roads have been ad-
hering to the rules of interchange for two or three
years, but their names have not appeared in the
list at end of the interchange rules, owing to a mis-
understanding, and a belief on the part of some rep-
resentative members that the appointment of such a
representative implied an adhesion to the rules of
interchange, which is not the case. All interested
parties are requested to see that proper notice is
given to the secretary if any railroad companies de-
sire to have their names added to this list.

THE PNEUMATIC RAILWAY GAIE.

The interlocking pneumatic gate shown in our en-
graving is an application of the Pneumatic Gate
Company's widely known street-crossing gate to the
requirements presented at the intersection of
two or more railway tracks. Our engraving
was made from a photograph of the gates at
the crossing of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy,
and Chicago, St. Louis cV Pittsburg railways near
Western avenue and Hilh street, Chicago; the train
held being on the C, St. L. & P. and that approach-
ing from the left being on the C, B. & Q, The gates
are so interlocked that when all are down the opera-
tor, located in the tower, may choose which of the
three sets he will unlock and open. It will be noted
that there is a single set of gates at the right, cover-
ing two tracks: this controls the Union Stock Yards
line and this set and the double set crossini- the C,
St. L. & P., four tracks can be operated entirely
independent of each other. An air compressor is set
up in the tower to furnish the air pressure needed to
work these gates (a maximum pressure of 10 to 12
pounds being required for prompt working), but air
compressed by steam power in the C, B. & Q. round
house, which is about 1,500 feet from the crossing, is
usually used. The gates ai-e, we understand, giving
excellent satisfaction.

This application of the road crossing gate principle
presents strong claims for favorable considera-
tion, especially for locations where the much
more expensive derailing device is not desirable.
It will readily be seen that the gate arms form
prominent signals and barriers, resting horizontally
.aci-oss the tracks except when forced by the operator
to their perpendicular position tor the passage of
trains. It is well said of the signal and barrier thus
presented when the arm is horizontal that the
signal is of such a formidable nature there is no mis-
taking it, and that to encroach upon it is to break it
and thus leave indisputable evidence of disobedi-
ence to orders. It will be noticed in our engravihg
that the signal toards carrying lanterns, are so
pivoted that they hang directly in the middle
of the track when the arms are lowered and disap-
pear from view when the arms are raised to the up-
right position. The absolute certainty of these
signals and barriers never being open in conflicting
directions is secured by means of an interlocking ar-
rangement controlled by the closing arms themselve g

THE RAIL^^^AY MASTER MECHANIC.

making it impossible foi- the opei-atoi- to i-aise the
ai'ms on one set of traclts until he has closed and
locked the arms on all eonfticting: tracks at the
crossing.

The advantages secui-od by this form or interlock-
ing gate for the intersection of railways may be
biieUy stated as follows:

1, A conspicuous signal directly in front of engines
and trains approaching on tracks that are not clear
which can be removed only when like signals have
lioen duly locked over all conllicting tracks.

1'. A formidable barrier moving vertically from
the perpendicular to the horizontal position, directly
across the track to be closed, thus occupying no neu-
tral position at any time, and not capable of being
removed except by the operator, and by him only
when all conllicting tracks have been provided with
a like barrier similarly locked.

:V. The operator {who may be the telegraph opera-
tor at the point) can be located in a comfortable
tower from which he can have an unobstructed view
of approaching trains, an undisturbed control of the
signals and barriers in all weathers and seasons, and
^ at complicated crossings, can have the power of dis-
' criminating in favor of passenger trains to a degree
seldom afforded.

A leading feature of the system here described is
that it has no moving parts underground. Thus in-
spection is made easy and trouble with water, frost
and concealed breakages are obviated. The gates
being operated by air, the connections between them
and to the tower are simply small fixed pipes.

In operating these gates where there is no avail-
able supply of compressed air, the operator, using
the simplest form of pump as a compressor, forces a
column of air through the small gas pipe connections
to pistons moving in vertical cylinders in the iron
gateposts. These pistons actuate, by chain connec-
tion passing over suitably placed sectors, the gate
arms. The tie between the pairs of arms is
accomplished by pipe connections which lead from
the bottom of the front cylinder in one ;> '-•
lo llie bottom of the back cylinder in i
opiiosiio post, and thus the air pressure can- -
the stveral gates to move in unison. At street liu-
iiiys the manipulation can be varied so that simulta-
ULHjus movement of the arms at diagonal corners of
I he crossing maybe had, thus providing for stopping
liersoiis appi'oaching, while permitting those on the
crossing and passing in the opposite direction to
clear the tracks. On these crossings, by turning
simple valves, any combination of gate arm move-
ment maybe had. On railroad crossings, of course,
such movement is not desired.

These gates are used at street crossings, on over
foi'tv I'uaus, among which we may mention the Balti-
more ,.'c(.>hio,Chesapcake&Ohio,C.,B.& Q.,C.,M.& St.
1'., C. & X.W., I). & H. Canal Co., Fitchburg,Lehigh
Valley, L. & N., M ch. Cent., Erie, N. Y. Central,
IVnnsylvania Railroad, C. St. L. & P., P., C. & St.
L.. Fort Wayne and Union Pacific. For further In-
lormation address the Pneumatic Cate Co., 99
Washington st., Chicago.

Mr. (ieorge VVestinghouse, in a circular announc-
ing the absorption of the Standard Car Heating &
Ventilating Company by the Consolidating Car
Heating Company, takes occasion to give some of
the reasons for this action, as follows:

It is conceded that the warming of railway cars
by steam generated in the locomotive has become
more than an experiment; in fact many railway offi-
cials express the opinion that this method must be-
come universal; but, to become universal, uniform
apparatus and practice will be necessary on all con-
necting: lines. As regards the use of like apparatus
on all lines, the arguments which have heretofore
prevailed with reference to brake apparatus can be
equally well advanced in favor of uniformity in steam
heating apparatus; and this uniformity in steam
heating apparatus will, as has been the case with
brakes, be much more likely to result from the con-
centration of the business into the hands of oi;e con-
cern, having the necessary capital and organization
to manufacture the apparatus needed lo meet all
reciuirements, and owning also the patents necessary
to insure to-the users reasonable freedom from the
annoyances of patent litigation, than in any other
way; indeed the little |m...'i. -- ~m f;ir made in fitting
cars has been due to tli- : ^ - i ' i-ing from the

use of dissimilar -, i were fully

comprehended by Ui - ; ;.il Company.

After a careful iii.\._^i;_.ii.oi>. 1 Ijccame con-
vinced that it is far iu advance of all other com-
panies in the completeoess of its several systems, and
in the scope and strength of its patents. The Con-
solidated Company is already the owner of the
Sewall "drum"", the McElroy'commingler" and other
valuable systems, in all of which are combined desir-
able features of steam and water heating.

The commingler system, it seems to me, most
nearly solves the problem of car heating. The
system involves the use within the car of
pipes containing water, with which steam is
noiselessly commingled through an ingenious device
which has the effect of quickly heating and circulat-
ing the water, and admits of the utilization of a great
part of the latent (stored) heat, which is necessarily
wasted in all direct steam systems, and secures the
regulation of the temperature of the water from
seventy degrees up to whatever is required for the
coldest weather; thus making it possible to avoid
the annoyance and discomfort which result from the j
use of those systems whereby the steam is admitted
directly into the pipes at not less than 212 degrees.
The pipes of the commingler system may be used
without an auxiliary water heater, or they may be
connected to a coil within a stove, so that fire may '
be applied and the circulation and heat kept up |
when the car is disconnected from the locomotive; i
although the heat ordinarily contained in this con-
siderable body of water will suffice for maintaining a
fair temperature within a car for some time after the
steam from the engine has been turned off.

THE NEW COUPLER AND BEAKE LAW IN IOWA.

Following is the full text of the new Iowa law re-
quiring the use of automatic couplers and brakes,
referred to in our last issue:

An act requiring all railroads, corporations, companies
and persons, operatiug a railroad and doiug business in
Iowa, lo equip all their engines and cars with proper, effi-
cient and safe automatic couplers and brakes, and for pre-
scribing penalties for failure thereof.

iiportance toany which
teution— that of safety
dus matter of sufficient
tain our interest in the

along

Be " '■'^m'ted by Ihc yencral asseiiMy of the s

Section 1. That it shall be unlawful tor any corporation,
co-npauy or person operating any line of railroad in this
slate, any car manufacturer or transportation company
using 1 r leasing ears, to put in use in this stale any new
,.;,,■« nr anv .-Hvs that hiiv.' I>wn writ in to the shop or shops
[,,!■ •■.•i;.'i\ii ri'iMii--, i'l- w i;i'^<- ilr.iii I'l-i-'ing has 10 be re-
I ■ I ,: .1 IV not equipped

i„ >„„p.i oi i.i..oi.p,^ U.viu. uuL ui.^ia;Ld Irom the side of

Sec. 2. That after January 1, 18U5, it shall be unlawful
for any corporation, company or person operating a rail-
road, or any transportation company using or leasing cars
of any description and used in the commerce of the coun-
try, or in the construclion of railroads, lo have upon any
railroad in Iowa for use in the transportation of freight or
passengers any car that is not equipped with such safety
automatic coupler as provided for in section 1 of this act.

Sec. 3. That it shall be unlawful for any corporation,
company or person operating any line of railroad in this
state, to use any locomotive engine upon any railroad or in
any railroad yard in this stale after the first day of Jan-
uary, isyi, that is not equipped with a proper and efficient
power brake, commonly called a "driver brake."

Sec. 4. That it shall be unlawful for any corporation,
company or person operating a line of railroad in this state
to run any train of cars after the first day of January,
MiVi, that shall not have in that train a sufficient number of
cars with some kind of efficient automatic or power brakes
30 that the engineer upon the locomotive can control the
train without requiring brakemen to go between the ends
or on the top of the oars to use, as now, the common hand

S>' ' t ■' '..If. ltd corpoi-ation, company or person
o[..i.. I . '. this state, and every person or per-

sons - I,- I- ars in the transportation business or

inrludt* 111 ilieir aiHiual report to the state railroad com-
missioners the number of locomotive engines and cars used
in this state, and what number of cars equipped with auto-
matic safety couplers, and the kind of brakes and couplers
used, iiii.l tiie iiunibi-r of each kind, when more than one

s< . . >! ■ Miion, company or person operatinij a

n.ili, , ; I ! , - -; , , ,11. 1 using a locomotive engineer run-
ning .1 ' I I I M- I using any freight, way or other car,
cuiui.r , 11 1,. I'l.. 1^1. .u9 of this act, shallbe deemed guilty
of a iiiis.leuifauor. ■.liiiI shall be subject to a fine of not less
than i-'Mi or not more than *1,0UU, for the benefit of the
school fund, for each and every oflfence. Provided the pen-
alties on this section shall not apply to companies in haul-
ing cars belonging to railroads other than those of this
state which are engaged in interstate traffic: and any rail-
road employe who may be injured by the

car,

law, shall no
damages by continuing
company or person ru
contrary to this law.
Approved April.!, is

(iered

of such
the provisiobs of this
ving his right to recover
loy of such cori>orations.

In an address delivered by Mr. H. S. Haines, presi-
j dent of the General Time Convention, at the annual
meeting of that association in New York last month,
the speaker offered some valuable suggestions as to
the future work of the association, as follows:

For what purpose shall the General Time Conven-
I tion exist? Fortunately it has now been directed to

with .

out a course for ourselves, ami i. ..! ii.li pursue it.
To my mind, this association of ours is c.|ual lo the
consideration of more than one subject at a time,
equal indeed to as many as may present themselves
in its legitimate field of operations. I say its legiti-
mate field, and I use that expression advisedly, for
I am of the opinion that it should be restricted to
the consideration of subjects in which the members
have a common intcresl. This is true of standard
time, of uuiform signals and train rules, of car serv-
ice and of safety appliances. But those subjects are
outside of its field which involve other considera-
tions than those relating solely to railroad practice.
For instance, questions of policy with reference to
traffic may arouse iii.li\ i.lni.l . ..ni. ni i....^ and com-
petitions between in. m. . i ,r 1,. II or be-
tween the commuhi'.!. - . ! ! Inch will
dominate their dis.u--;.. II .mi, ili.ui. ih.ydonot
appear to do so. The issues involved iii tiic ques-
tions hitherto before us have been mainly due to a
difference of opinion capable of adjustment either
by argument or by proof. I maintain, thi.'refore, that
the General Time Convention should avoid any sub-
ject relating to traffic- or revenue, and should con-
fine itself to matters of operation and economy. The
field is large enough to occupv ail the time that wo
can devote to the business of our association, and in-
cludes matters well worthy of our attention.

Assuming then that our proper field is thai of op-
eration and management, as distinguished iroiii
traffic and revenue, we have next lo consider hoiv
these matters should be treated. I should say either
as they affect our stockholders, or our employes, or
the public, for we must bear in mind that, as rail-
road managers, we occupy this threefold relation.
It is in this triple relation that we have considered
the questions that have hitherto been presented lo
us, and wc have now to approach the subject of
safety appliances. Treated in this way, there will
be no lack of matter for our deliberations. Tue
march of progress has not yet brought our railroad
systems to that condition which leaves nothing fur-
ther to be desired, and there are improvements in
methods and appliances now passing from the ex-
perimental stage, in where they are properly the
subjects for consideration in technical assuciations,
to the stage in where the responsible managements
of our railroad systems must decide whether they
will recognize them as sufficiently valuable for gen-
eral adoption. So it has been with the substituiion
of steel lor iron rails, and iron for wooden bridges,
with the establishment of sleeping car lines, with ilie
adoption of continuous air braKes and autoiuaiic
couplers on passenger trains; so it will be with simi-
lar improvements in methods and appliances.

As railroad managers we also handle men as well
as material and appliances, and here is a field for
our efforts as yet scarcely touched, at least in the
way in which I would like to sue it treated.

A railroad system, properly organized, has its
staff, field and line officers, its supply deparlmenls,
its inspectors, its divisions and c1i~i!i.is..f .iperation;
in a word, it is an army, wli..- .n - ...iioslay,
not to devastate, but to tin i . .pie and
products of a country. Thi- n. and to
this end all of its efforts ai .1 .ii 1.. accom-
plish this end succ-s-l i.llx ,11. 1; ,1 .sseiiiial

vlh of

our business, with 1 1 n ... .'|.. rations

and the increased im.i .; ..' ininis. there

must be an ill. 1.11-. .1 -"' .usi-ipiine and an
enforcemciii ..' 11, ni m . n |..jnalties as irk-
some to th. .i..|i ..1 . .. ■ 1, I liny army the in-
cessant drill 1111. 1 Ml. I LN.aliuns are to the

soldier. .\ ii.sisUiii.. 1.1 rL.^Li.iiul and reproof, a
mutinous Icnduiicy, a disposition lo oppose the 111-
teresls of the company in matters indifferent to the
emplo.e have been, Ifear, encouraged by labor or-
ganizations, whose ostensible objects are the pecuni-
ary, moral and social welfare of their members. If
this spirit is to prevail, the maintenance of that dis-
cipline will be imperilled, which is as essential to
their own safety as for thr protection of the lives of
our pa.sseii^.. . -"i.iiil II.' |.. iip.-rty of our stockholders.
The rapi.i ' " -' "i . road mileage and tonnage
has led to I I- 11 .1 a mob of recruits in our
industrial aim. a- -' .. lo discipline and to obe-
dience to cuiiii 01 .i.s ilu .. .lie averse to them. In this
emergency railroad maiiagcrs have been compelled
to take this material as it comes to their hands, and
to make the best possible use of it; but with a de-
creased ratio of railroad construction this necessitv
will also decrease; and we will then have lime at
our disposal to drill the dis.irderly and disaffected
members into a proper stale of discipline and 10 dis-
miss the incapables from the ranks. For this work
10 be successful wo must arouse among them a feel-
ing of pride in the organization to which they be-
long, of respect for their officers and of interest in

THE RAILWAY MASTER MECHANIC.

the work which they have in hand, which is known
as esprit de corps; a spirit which has carried armies
througrh privations, sufferings and defeat to victory,
and without which no body of men can be controlled
under adverse circumstances. How to do this with the
opposition of labor unions better organized than we
are is indeed a subject well worth our consideration,
and one which we have to face sooner or later,
whether we like it or not. It would be out of place
for me to do more than to indicate the direction
which the discussion of this subject wauld take. I
will suggest, however, that when the rapid absorp-
tion of outsiders into the railroad ranks shall cease
and all questions of wages shall have been approxi-
mately adjusted, whether by arbitration or by the
eflfectof supply and demand, the time in my opin-
ion will have arrived to determine the relation be-
tween a railroad corporation and its employes which
will insure the best results of their labor to them-
selves, to the company and to the public. Here will
come in questions as "to permanency of employment,
insurance aj?ainst injuries, sickness and old age, pri-
ority of promotion, recognition of meriterious
services and protection against abuse on the one
hand, and on the other questions of training for
special duties, obedience to orders, respect to supe-
riors, etc., which have occupied the attention of mili-
tary men for thousands of years, and which have led
to the application of certain recognized principles to
an army of fighting men that are in many respects as
applicable to an army of railroad men.

THE WESTERN RAILWAY CLUB

Discassion on Co outer balancing Locomotives.
At the April meeting of the Western Railroad
Club the leading subject of discussion was the coun-
terbalancing of locomotives, the proposed joint de-
fect card being tabled after brief discussion and the
interchange rules receiving but slight attention.
Mr. W. H. Lewis, of the C, B. & N. Ry., opened the
subject of counterbalancing as follows:

MK. W. H. LEWIS" PAPER OX COCNTER-BALASCIXG.

It is the object of this paper to consider, without enter-
ing into the mysteries of abstract science, the proper
amount and distribution of counter- weight in the driving
wheels of the locomotive, and the propoaitions offered will
be based on the fundamenUl principles of the law of grav-
ity, and its development into momentum and centrifugal
force, in the reciprocating and revolving parts.

In order to analyze the conditions of the problem as
clearly as possible, we will at first deal with the revolving
weight independent of the reciprocating weight.

Starting with the problem of balancing the revolving ]
weight, we will present the proposition that the counter- i
weight be so located, and be of such weight that the re-
volving weight be balanced in a state of rest, with the
crank in any position.

Acknowledging this self-evident proposition, it follows |
thai the counter-weight must be located with its center of
gravity exactly opposite that of the revolving weight or |
crank: also, that, according to the principles of leverage, t
the weight of the counter- weight and the weight of the
revolving parts must be inversely proportionate to their ■
respective distances from the center of axle.

In other words (as per Fig. ^) the counter- weight, d.
multiplied by b, the distance from its center of gravity to
center of axle, must be equal to the revolving weight, (,
multiplied by a, the disUnce from its center of gravity to
center of axle. Hence, as per Fig. .">,

Example : The distance from the center of gravity of a
revolving weight of 200 lbs. to the center of the axle is 12
inches, and the distance of the center of gi*avity of the
counter- weight of 100 lbs. is 24 inches, because
200 X 13 200 X 12

24 ~ " 100

If the foregoing conditions of sialic or stationary balance
have been obtained, the development of centrifugal force,
as a result of rotary motion, will also produce a dynamic or
moving equilibrium, as will be seen by the following ex-
amples according to the formula of centrifugal force, which

veigUt i

ifugal force of the revolv
ht at 100 and 200 revoluti
equal to each other.

veight we must have

To balance the
same conditions of static balance
its counterbalance, which will appear in Pigs. 1 to 4. where,
in order to consider the force ot gravity, an upright posi-
tion of cylinder is assumed. It will be seen that a perfect
static balance is obtained by means of the counter-weight
shown, with the crank in any imaginable position.

In this case, we find by reference to Figs. 1 to 4. repre-
senting a driver turning from right to left, that, at the

forward and back centers, we hav '"' " * "--'

ance. because at those points the \
is all absorbed in overcoming the
procatiog weight and in changing
tion. The arrows indicate the dir
the reciprocating weight and
and 4 we have the recipi
counter weight moving i

L perfect dynamic
form centrifugal force

nd200i

inches from center of axle, balanced by a counterweight
of 10<J lbs. with its center of gravity at 24 inches from cen-
ter of axle, the revolving speeds being 5
lutions per minute.

According to the formula above given
owing for a speed of .50 revolutions :

r*>in trincr gQ^^^. 0^3-2

lorcc in ( loox 10-47:

direction of its mo
n of the tendency of
r-weight. In Figs 2
:aiing weight and its equivaleui
opposite directions, and the prod-
uct ot the square ot their horizontal velocities.multiplied
by their respective weights are equal; hence.the horizonuil
balance is perfect, but the centrilugal weight of theircoui -
ter-balance is not counteracted by the reciprocating weight
By the above it will appear that the reciprocating weight
is perfectly balanced at all points by the revolving counter-
weight, but the counterweight is balanced by the recipro-
cating weight at the dead points or centers only. Hence,
the effect of the revolving weight as applied to balance the
horizontal action of the reciprocating weight is only to con-
vert it to a vertical force acting on the rail, producing what
is termed a hammer blow.

Therefore, a solution of the problem will involve the
choice of the lesser evil; that undoubtedly is the hammer
blow, considering the smoothness of running and the dura-
bility of the engine and the comfort of enginemen.

As to the distribution of this counter-weight for the recip-
rocating weight, it is evident that the time honored custom
of dividing this counter-weight equally between coonected
drivers is not effective unless the effect of this counter
weight can be uniformly transmitted to the main driver,
which is a condition impossible to fulfill by means of the
ordinary parallel rod, with the longitudinal play or lost
motion, which it must necessarily possess or acquire in the

From the preceding it appears that the proper method of
balancing the drivers would require that the counter-weight
of the main drivers be equivalent to the revolving weight
added to the whole of the reciprocating weight. ( Revolv
ing weight, including pins, hub and forward end of parallel
rod and one-third of the main rod. Reciprocating weight,
including the other two-thirds of the main rod ; cross head,
and piston and its attachments.)

This coudition of course leaves only the revolving weight
of the connected drivers to be balanced by its equivalent
counter- weight as per conditions above shown.

While the above statement is theoretically correct, my
observation of the effect produced on tires on our engines
leads me to believe that under certain conditions of speed
the weights intended to counterbalance the reciprocating
parts produced opposite results to those intended, and vrork
considerable damage to the machinery of the engine as
well as of the track. I have found that the tires invariabiy
develop a flat spot at the point of contact with the rail
when the left hand pin has just passed to the forward cen-
ter. You will perhaps ask why the same effect is not pro-
duced by the corresponding point on the back end of the
stroke. I will explain this by saying that the point of con-
tact of the periphery of the wheel with the rail is near the
point of the center of gravity of the counter- weights and
has a tendency to overcome or retard the centrifugal force.
While in the former case, with the center of gravity on
the upper quarter, it is free to reserve a leverage acting in
the same direction as the power applied from the cylinder,
causing a slight slipping of the wheel.

It may be interesting to know to what extent the recipro-
cating weights may be ignored. I will say that in testing
the balance of a modern engine that was built expressly for
a heavy passenger service, I find that the back wheels re-
quired an addition of 1S9 pounds with the center of
gravity 20 inches from the center of axle to balance
the r evol vin g weight and the forward wheels had
only SGS pounds of counter-balance with which to bal-
ance 90S pounds, as follows: Main rod ai.S pounds, half
side-rod HiO pounds, cross-head 157 pounds, piston 27H
pounds.total 90s pounds; or, in other words, the reciprocat-
ing weights were entirely ignored in the forward wheels
and the back wheels are 189 pounds short of the proper re-
volving balance. These engines were in service nearjyfour
years before the balance was corrected, without known in
jury to the track.

I am free to admit that when all the various conditions
of speed, power applied, effect of the piessure in the
cylinder, etc., are considered, it is to me a very
perplexing problem as to just what portion of the re
ciprocating weights should be applied to the counter bal-
ance. Let us consider for a moment the power exerted by
a cylinder 18 inches in diameter with an area of 2.54-4H in
ches, with a steam pressure of 45.H24 pounds acting in the
same direction of the reciprocating weight. It seems lo nic
that fiOO pounds of counter-balancing supplies an imper-
ceptible resistance to its effect. In condensing my opinion
on this subject I will say that it is impossible to distribute
such portion of reciprocating weight as will insure a uui
form motion under the varying conditions of speed, power
applied, and with engines running, as they are required to
at limes, without pressure of steam ordinarily cjUed '"shut-
off;" that if the revolving balance is perfect no injury is
possible to the machinery or rails, and, while at high rates
of speed the engine may develop a disagreeable, oscillatory
motion, and what is know as a fore and aft motion when
shut off, the vertical or hammer blow motion will be re-
After reading his paper Mr. Lewis stepped to the
blackboard and drawing the sketch shown herewith
said:

I wish to call attention particularly to the effect of exces-
sive counter-balance on the wear of tires. All of our loco-
motives are counter-balanced with the full weight of the
reciprocating parts and we have found that our left hand
main tires universally develop a flat spot at the point of

We have at this point of the stroke the full pressure of
steam exerted on the left hand pin in the direction as shown
by the arrow and at the same time the centers of gravity of
the counter weights have so nearly reached the vertical

point as to overcome the effect of gravitation, the i

which is exerting an impelling motion in the same direction

as the power applied at the pin.

Mr. Lewis here presented tho following figures
showing change made by him in one engine and the
of the balance in another.

HEEL CEXTEK.)

wei ghts Of Revolving Part... ^^ Wheel. |Wheel.

Middle c "^

Back half main i

ght of R'fciprocating Parts.

10 (EIGHT WHEELER 63 IN. CENTER.)

Weights of Hevolving Parts.

Mr. D. L. Barnes here offered the following (
nation of the flat spot being on the left hand side,
sketching his diagram upon the blackboard.

Possibly I can explain the can
leaier on the left hand side,
hat the right hand crank i

. may arise from the fact
5ually leads on American en-
sketch shows the positions of the right hand
lin at O and the left hand crank pin at G with the
balance directly opposite the cranks, the left hand
■ g at P and the right hand at M, the
direction of motion being as shown by the arrow, the
engine moving ahead. A. represents the connecting rod
In the position shown it will be noticed that the counter-
balances on all four wheels are above the center of the
wheel, and the centrifugal force of that portion of the
counterbalance which is used to balance the inertia of
reciprocating parts is in this position tending to lift the

wheels from the rails. This,
reduce the weight on the rai
slipping, which would cause fiat spots a
The position of the flat spot described I
the left hand wheel where it is in con

nduce
point of slip.

THE RAILVV^AY MASTER MECHANIC.

This side up when considering static balance.

COCXTERBALANCING THE RECIPROCATING PARTS OP LOCOMOTIVES— (bee Mr. Lewis' Paper (

I CouoterDalancing. I

vhen the left hand crank C
lot quite as much as show
he balance M is higher abov

just passed the dead center.

the sketch. At this lime

he center line than the bal-

herefore the balance M is acting with greater

lift the right hand wheel

■ Imlunced us follows:

force verticaUy and tends

than the balance P tends to lif : the left hand wheel. There
' is, therefore, greater weight on the left hand wheel at this
time, and if the wheel be caused to slip, the wheel with the
greatest weight thereon will be worn the most; and as the
left hand wheel has the most weight, it might be expected
that the tiat spot would be greater on it than on the right
hand wheel. There is still another reason why slip would
be liable to take place at this time, and that is. the cranks
are in a position corresponding to one of the maximum
turning moments. As a locomotive's drivers revolve, the
turning effect by the connecting rods is variable, and dur-
ing one revolution there are four points of maximum and
four of minimum effect. The points of the maximum vary
with the point of cut-off. The obliquity of the connecting
rod for the left hand wheel is such at this time as to in-
crease the pressure on the rail on that side, as at this time
the left hand cylinder is working steam full boiler pressure,
whereas on the opposite or right hand side the piston is
working in expanding steam, and possibly against some
back pressure. This point is well brought out by Mr.
Lewis. If the right hand crank did not lead, but the left
instead, then the greatest turning moment would take
place when there was the greatest weight on the right
hand wheel. These argument are somewhat speculative,
but indicate a possible explanation of the oicurrence of the
greater flat spot on the left hand wheel as noticed by Mr.
Lewis. In my own experience I have noticed four flat
spots on each driver, some of which were larger than
others; but I had not noticed that the maximum spots oc-
curred on the left hand main driver, but I can see reasons
why such might be the case.

From the very brief discussiun following we quote
as follows from the remarks of Mr. Barr of the Chi-
cago, Milwaukee & St. Paul:

Mr. Barr— We have two claiises of ten wheel
freight engiues, one with wheels 54 inches in
diameter over tire and the other 60 inches. The
engines with 60-inch wheels give very satisfactory
service, and are run fast; the engines with the -34-
inch wheels have been objected to seriously by the
engineers, and I think with good cause. The figures
I have here show the changes in the counterbalanc-
ing of one of these engines with •54-inch wheels. I
submit them as illustrating an experiment that has
given very satisfactory results.

Old M. rod.s weighe

New-

Old S •'

Forward D. wheels i

weight of R.F. S. rod..

K. B. S. '•'.'.

leciprocatini

timatt<l weight weight

K. B. drivings

reciprocating parts , 2oO

eight of crank pin and hub 120

■ No. 4(i9 R. crosshead weighed.

piston weighed

l-^S. rod •'

Ther
Crosshea<l

Piston ,

% of main rod

crank hubs and pins weighed (
procating parts are as follows:

i balanced as f

!sof R. I'\S.rod

M of reciprocating parts

Estimated weight of R. F. pin and huh

R F. D. wheel's counter-balance.

Following Mr. Barr*

457

the

ecretary

read a series of propositions concerning counter-bal-
ancing, submitted by a member of the club. These
propositions were as follows:

PROPOSITIONS CONX'ERNIXG THE PROBLEM OF COUN-
TER- B A LAXCIXG.

The subject of counter-balancing seems to be a very im-
portant one, and well worthy of the attention of the mem-
bers of the Western Railway Club, and therefore to assist
in bringing to their attention some of the new points with
reference to the subject, the following statements which
have appeared from time to time in the technical papers
and some which have not, are offered for debate :

1. The best way to reduce the amount of counterbalance
in locomotive driving wheels and its effect on the rail is to
reduce the weight of the reciprocating parts.

3. The weight of the reciprocating parts of our locomo-
tives are altogether too heavy as they now are made, and
therefore all main rods should be made of I section, all
crossheads should be as light as possible to make them
without decreasing the wearing surface. All pistons should
be made of cast steel or wrought iron very thin and dished
in form, and piston rods should not be made larger in d
or longer than is actually necessary

balance on the rail, it having been s

in diameter of wheel produces a considerable decrease in

the effect of the counter-balance on the rail.

4. It is not as advisable to decrease the stroke as to in-
crease the diameter of the wheel, because for the same
loss of hauling capacity the increase in wheel diameter
produces the greatest amount of reduction in the effect of
the counter- balance on the rail,
one high spei
:-balanced by

will be much greater in the case of the high speed locomo-
tive for the reason that the effect of the balance on the ra*l
varies as the square of the velocity of the locomotive.
Therefore, it might be said :

ti. That if the high speed locomotive can be run satisfact-
orily when balanced according to a given formula that a
' ^.--- ----- jjg balanced by a formula which

speed 1

Ud give

railroads, that a kK..ii,,,i , , , ;. run satisfactorily at

high speed without balaiR-ing tin.' rec-iprocating parts at
all, and because such balance is .damaging to the track it
should be entirely removed. One railroad company has

8. There are now on record about ten cases in which the
track has been badly damaged by high speed locomotives
improperly counter-balanced. These cases are on western
roads, and this will serve to show the necessity for a con-
sideration of this subject by the Wesbern Railway Club,

' in keeping with '

only live topic

. _ of the club,

which i

These remarks are offered with the hope that if the club
approves of any or all of the statements they will offer
resolutions to the effect that those of which they do ap
prove express the sense of this meeting.

Further than

the front should have

material therein consistent

the least possible amount o!
with strength.

3. The diameter of the driv
large as possible without red
the locomotive in order to reduce the effect of the counter

PE RSON AL

Master Mechanic E. M. Roberts, of the Ashland Coal &
Iron Railroad, has resigned that position' to take a similar
one with the East Tennessee, Virginia & (ieorgia system.
He has been appointed master mechanic of the Geor(da
division, with headquarters at Atlanta.

Mr. Thomas Howard, general foreman of the Delaware
& Hudson shops at Oneonta, has been made general in-
spector of the Baldwin Locomotive Works, Philadelphia.

M. E. Schmidt, C. E., has changed his office from No.
I i;tH the Rookery, to No. H'iT the liookery, Chicago. Mr.
Schmidt's practice as a consulting engineer includes sur
veys and estimates, examination of railways, the prepara-
tion of specifications and contracts, superintendence of
construction, etc. A specialty is made of the investigation
of Central and Sou*, b American projects.

Mr. P. W. Brown has been appointed purchasing agent
of the Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic, with office at Mar-
quette, Mich. He succeeds Mr. Russell Wallace, who re-
signed to enter the service of the Chicago & West Michi-

THE RAIL\VAY MASTER MECHANIC.

gan and the Detroit, Lansing & Northern road!
capacity.

Mr. J. Chamberlain has been appointed master car builder
of the Boston & Maine system with headquarters at Law-
rence, Mass. He succeeds Mr. D. S. Richardson.

Mr. C. F. Thomas has resigned the position of master
mechanic of the Georgia division of the East Tennessee,
Virginia & Georgia, and succeeds Mr. D. M. Gugel as mas.
ter mechanic of the Central of Georgia at Macon.

Mr. \V. H. Folsom has been appointed to succeed Mr. F.
Butze as purchasing agent of the Louisville, New Albany
& Chicago.

To Mr. J. B. Heniiey.

SuperlnlendetU of motive power of the Xew York

and A'ew Englaml Railroad.

from the employes of the department, March 4, 1S90.

is what was inscribed on the salver of a beautiful sterl-
ing silver service of the respousse design arranged nicely
in a blue silk, plush lined, brass mounted, quartered oak-
chest, presenting a fine appearance to the astonished gaze
of the recipient when it was sprung upon him, after the
dinner given to him by twenty-five of his late employes
and associates at Young's hotel. Boston April -i, 1890. The
dinner was arranged ostensibly to give each friend a chance
to express his kindly feeling toward one who had always
shown himself to be an honorable, upright and conscientious
man, an obedient servant and a good master. As has
been said of him by a former employe : " He's a hard task
master, but we like bim for he gives us plenty to do." A
homely expression, but there's not a pushing and ener-
getic mechanic who will not appreciate the full meaning
of the remark. It means tbat when he wanted a thing
made it must be quickly and ivell done. It means that he
was mechanic enough to cope with anything pertaining
the building of locomotives and cars. Finally it meai
tbat he recognized the ability of every man who worked
for him, and when there was a vacancy among the leaders
he filled it from the ranks In thanking his friends for the
kind and generous offer, he wished them to understand that
his success in the management of the department could not
have been had it not been for the able support of bis con-
stituents, who always showed they were endeavoring to
work with a will. He didn't believe a train had
ever been late on his road through the care-
lessness or incompetency of an engineer, nor did
he believe one bad ever been late on account of bad
workmansbip. He said he couldn't alone have turned out
a new engine a month, and kept up the repairs, nor deliver
two tiO- foot coaches in 'is days from the date of the order,
built completely from the rough material. Of course, this
amount of work was not unprecedented for the country at
large, but would be appreciated only by those knowing the
capacity of the shops. The presentation was a' pleasant
affair aU around.

The many friends of Mr. Allen Bourn, purchasing agent
of the Michigan Central, Detroit, Lansing & Northern, and
allied lines, will regret to hear of his retirement, from not
only railroad service but from the activities of life. Mr.
Bo'im has long suffered, and is, or was until very recently,
in Europe seeking a relief from the ills that pressed upon
him. He is a very sick man, his trouble being mainly con-
nected with his brain,

Mr. W. A, Caswell has been appointed general superin-
tendent of the Burton car works at Wichita, Kan., and of
the repair department shops at Chicago, his headquarters
being at Wichita. Mr. Caswell has an established reputa-
tion as a car builder and mechanic, gained several years
ago in large eastern railroad shops, and will pro
quisition to the mercantile world. While Mr. Caswell
ters private busii
50r, Mr. J. T. Chamberlain
world, becoming

letter written by Master Mechani.' M. L. Collier, of
that road, that on this run the engine used only one-
third of a quart of oil. Mr. Collier thought the tests
were particularly satisfactory, in view of the fact
that the engine had new valves just faced on both
sides. A crank pin grease is also made by the same
firm, a grease, which it is claimed, will do just as
good work in its particular field as the coach grease
above mentioned; ft is made of solidified sperm, un-
der a special process.

1 thei

The Toledo & An

, for :

SUPPLY TRADE NOTES.

—The government railways of Chili have just placed an or
der for quite a number of our American coaches which will
have the modem improvements, among which are the Scar-
ritt car chairs, very handsome in pattern and finish. The
Wason Manufacturing Company, Springfield, Mass., are
building the coaches. We may add in this connection that
the Kansas City, Fort Scott & Memphis has ordered addi
tional equipment for its passenger department and has
specified the new Scarritt reclining chairs for the sealing.

—The New York office of the Consolidated Car Heating
Company has been removed from 15 Courtlandt street to
115 Broadway.

Mr. Jas. G. Wilson, who for some years has been located
at 907 Broadway. New York city, has moved into large and
convenient quarters at 74 West '23d street. Mr. Wilson has
built up a business, which covers the entire country, in in-
side and outside window blinds, rolling partitions, etc.
■oiling steel shutters are used on many of the largest
buildings. They are specitled on the great warehouse now
being built by the New York Central & Hudson River R.
at 59th street and 11th avenue. New York city. They are
also used on shed "D" belonging to that road, which has
been rebuilt since its destruction by fire about a year ago.
The grain elevator of the same road which has replaced
the one burned at the same time has its gateways closed by
the Wilson roUiog steel shutters, which are specially ad
apted to such service. Mr. Wilson also manufactures roll-
ing wood shutters or inside rolling blinds for cars. These
are made of any kind of wood that may be desired. The
dining cars of the Pennsylvania road have inside rolling
shutters of this design.

— W. F. Ellis, engineer and roadmaster of the New York,
Providence & Boston Railway, well known throughout
railroad circles, has resigned his position to accept one
with the Dunham Manufacturing Company, in the interest
of the Servis tie plate and Davies spike. Mr. Ellis was,
we are informed, the first one to suggest the combination
of both of these devices as the best advance in permanent

-Mr. O. K. Gardner, manufacturer of the Gardner sash
balance, whose shops were recently burned,expeLts to have
works running about May 15th. They are located
and P., Ft. W. & C. R. R., Allegheny,

at Manhattan s

world. While Mr. Caswell en^ "
ex-railroad man, his predeces^
ain, goes back to the railroad! J
r builder of the Boston & Maine, h

— , ,. <l

The Kxcclsior coach grease, manufactured by the
Kennesaw Refining Company,of Cartersvill
making an excellent record in prtictical service.'
This grease is not atfected by the extremes of heat
and cold. It is packed into the journal in the same
manner as ordinary grease. It is charged heavily
with the best lubricating plumbago, which quickly
forms a coaling on the journal. It has a record on
the 'Western & Atlantic Railroad ot la,8,S9 miles to
one packing of grease, on an express train running
between Atlanta and Rome. This record was made
under a heavy car. hea*ilv loaded daily with ex-
press and baggage. Master Car Builder Kinvon
has gained from this and similar work a high opin-
ion of this grease. The cylinder oil made by the
.same company is also giving excellent service. Some
months ago a 17x2+ ten-wheeler on the Western &
Atlantic, that had just been overhauled, made a 100-
mile run with 14 loaded cars. We learn through a

—The Tripp Manufacturing Co., of Boston, are at pres
ent engaged in building a double truck car for the West
End Street Railway Co., of Boston. The car will have
eight wheels, will be '38 ft. long from door to door, 7 ft. 3 in.
wide, and 7 ft. 9 in. in height from the floor, and will have
a seating capacity for 40 passengers. Each truck has four
30 in. steel wheels, and two 15 h. p. Thomson-Ho
tors. The car will be provided with vacuum and hand
brakes, and the brakes wilt be operated by a to
arrangement giving immense power. The Tripp patent
roller bearings will be used throughout, and the car will be
trucks of an entirely new design (on which pat-
pending) the equalizing bar being connected direct
urnal boxes underneath, instead of passing around
i hitherto. There are less parts and fewer bolts
about the new Tripp truck than on any other form of truck,
and they leave plenty of room for the application of the
ors and electrical apparatus.

Those who are interested in aluminum and its alloys

should surely obtain a copy of the catalogue published by

Pittsburgh Reduction Company, 95 Fifth avenue.Pitts-'

burgh. Pa. All but two of the 23 pages of this catalogLe

are devoted to valuable data concerning aluminum. A re-

arkable amount of information concerning this interest-

Ga., is^ ing metal is presented in a thoroughly readable manner

and in compact form.

— Wood-workers demand machinery for rapid and per-
fect production ; they are then enabled to_ get their work
out faster, and in larger quantities. The late improved
time and labor-saving machines of the Egan company, of
Cincinnati, Ohio, will be fully described in a new catalogue
soon to be issued, which will be a handsome affair, con-
taining cuts and descriptions of the immense line of late
improved wood-working machinery of that company.

—The charming waltz distributed among its friends by
the Magnolia Anti-Friction Metal Co. recently is now fol-
lowed by a handsomely bound novelette.entitled " Luxilla."
copies of this may be obtained readily by addressing the
firm at Now York, enclosing 3 cents for postage.

—The Toledo & Ohio Central are about to order 700 box
cars and the order will probably be followed by others to

Pa.

—A company is now being organized at Pittsburgh to
manufacture and sell the Smith patent oil box for railway
cars. This invention belongs to the class of mechanical
oilers and has shown remarkable results in service. The
inventor is Mr. W. O. Smith, master car builder of the
Lake Shore & Michigan Southern railroad at Norwalk, O.
The oiler can can be adapted to the M. C. B. standard
journal box at a moderate cost.

— We are in receipt of a circular which should be of in
terest to those engaged in the production or use of iron and
steel. It describes the silica process, owned and conirolled
by the MuUin's Silicated Iron & Steel Co., of Chicago. The
process is is not only described, but its eSfect in cast iron
are dwelt upon at some length. The company has used the
process upon nearly all the irons produced in the United
States, and upon all lines of foundry work. A careful re-
port by Prof. J. B. Johnson, professor of civil engineering,
and director of the testing laboratory of the Washington
University, at St. Louis, upon cast iron made by the sili-
cated process, is included in the circular. It covers the
effect of the silica process upon the internal structure, the
working qualities, the tensile strength, and the resilience
of cast iron. Prof. Johnson's conclusion is that the pro-
cess greatly improves all the desirable qualities of cast
iron, and as far as he is aware, aggravates no undesirable

—Assurances reach us that it is an absolute fact that the
Strong Locomotive Company will erect notably fine locomo-
tive works at a point a short distance out from Cincinnati,
Ohio. An extensive acreage has been obtained, and works
of a thoroughly modern pattern, both in design and equip-
ment, will be erected thereon.

—We have received a catalogue of the Westcott patent
chucks, manufactured by the Westcott Chuck Co., Oneida,
N. Y. The leading feature of the product of this company
is described and illustrated in this catalogue, in connection
with its large line of chucks. We refer to the scroll com-
bination lathe chuck, which gives all the movements and
conveniences obtainable in both the independent and uni-
versal chucks, at a cost much lower than that for both.
The catalogue is fully illustrated with finely engraved cuts
of the company's various chucks, arbors, etc.

— Among recent contracts of the Sweet & Clark Co., of
Marion, C, are 400 tons of malleable iron castings for the
Missouri Car & Foundry Company, and 200 tons of the
same for the Lafayette Car Works. Five hundred malle-
able iron draw bars for the I. & G. N., are also under con-
ract with the firm. The Sweet & Clark Company use nat-
ral gas exclusivel.N- in the manufacture of their goods,
nd find that fuel admirably adapted to their wants.
—The visit of a party of railway oBlcers to the Home-
stead Steel Works, mentioned in the April Railway
M-4STEK Mec H.txic, was so successful in all respects that
Messrs. Coolbaugh, McMunn & Pomeroy recently issued
invitations for a second excursion to the same works. The
invitations were very generally accepted, and two special
cars were well filled by the party. The following list of
the railway officials who made the trip shows that, in or
ganizing these excursions, Mr. Coolbaugh and his asso
elates have hit upon a plan which, besides being novel, is
remarkably successful in securing the attention and co-
operation of leading and representative men. That these
^en were greatly interested by what they saw it is hardly
Necessary to say. The list is aj follows : G. D. W. Smith,
purchasing agent of the Central R. R. of New Jersey; E.
1p. Sheffer, purchasing agent of the N. Y., L. E. & W.
R. R. ; R. H. Wilbur, second vice president of the Lehigh
K'alley R. R. ; John Lentz, master car builder, Lehigh Val-
ley R. R. ; L. B. Paxson, superintendont of motive power,
|P. & R. R. R. ; L. M. Butler, superintendent of motive
power, N.Y., P. & B. R. R.; A. W. Sumner, assistant
purchasing agent, Penn. R. R.,; J. H. Agnew, superin-
tendent of motive power, S. C. Central R. R. ; W. Gibbs,
purchasing agent, P. & B. R. R. ; G. W. Gage, superin-
tendent of motive power, P. P. & B. R. R. ; W. C. De
Armond, purchasing agent, Norfolk & Western R. R. ;
Albert Griggs, superintendent of motive power, N. Y. &
R,R. ; A. S. Vogt, mechanical engineer, Penn. R.R. ;
. (i. Ely; J. N. Lauder, superintendent of motive
power. Old Colony R. R. ; J. W. Marden, superintendent
department, Filchburg R. R. ; J. C. Glass, master me-
chanic, Allegheny Valley R. H. ; H. D. Mason, purchasing
agent, Allegheny Valley R. R. ; Abram Gould, purchas-
ing agent, Missouri Pacific B. R. ; Wm. Garstang, superin-
tendent motive power, Chesapeake & Ohio R. R. ; W. E.
Maher. superintendent motive power, C, C. it C. R. R.

THE RAILWAY MASTER MECHANIC.

-The Kalamazoo Railroad Velocipede and Car Co., of
Kalamazoo, Michigan, send us a notably handsome cata-
logue, the cover of which, in its blue and black and gold
and tasteful design, is quite fet^'hiug. This catalogue, ad-
mirably printed and illustrated, affords to its readers an
excellent idea of the general line of light railroad cars, in-
cluding velocipedes of various forms, that this company

—The Michigan Railway Supply Co., of Detroit, will
furnish the New York Central R. R. Co. with their "Cen-
tral" steel brake beam for the B.UOO ears they are about to
build. This beam is to be used in connection with the
Buchanan truck and Westinghouse air-brakes, making a
notably tine equipment.

—Suit has been brought in the United States Court at
St. I'aul. Minnesota, by the Cyclone Steam Plow Co. vs.
\Vm. H. Ti-uesdale for an injunction to restrain him from
using the snow plow he purchased recently from the Leslie
Hros.' Manufacturing Co. as receiver of the Minneapolis
& St. Louis Railway Company. The Cyclone people claim
that the new wheel lately adopted by the Leslie Bros."
Manufacturing Compan.v is an infringement on patents
held by them.

—The Dunham Manufacturing Company has removed
its Chicago ofHce from room 311 to suite ru:<-ror Phenix
building.

—Those of our readers who use leather belling will And
some interesting statements in a little circular recently
issued by the Joseph Dixon Crucible Company, of Jersey
City, N. J. The circular relates to the merits of the Dixon
belt dressing and leather preservative, which has proved
remarkably useful in preventing the slipping of belts, pre-
serving the leather, and preventing both shrinking or
stretching of the leather. Copies of this circular will be
mailed upon application to the company.

THE OFFICIAL RAILWAY LIST

Changes for the Month of April, 1890.

AsHL.^ND Co.vL & Iron.— E. M. Roberts, master me-
chanic, resigned.
. Atchison, Topek.v & Santa Fe.— The jurisdiction of R.
B. Gemmell, superintendent of telegraph, has been ex-
tended to lines east of Missouri river; C. G. Sholes ap-
pointed assistant superintendent telegraph with headquar-
ters at Topeka. Kan. : Frank Bruce, appointed division
master mechanic of Chicago line, with headquarters at
Fort Madison, Iowa; Richard English, appointed master
mechanic of Rio Grande division, with headquarters at San
Marcial. N. M., vice E. Hockett, resigned; James Collin-
son, general foreman of Topeka shops, appointed to succeed
Mr. Bruce as master mechanic of New Mexico division,
with headquarters at Raton, N. M.

Atlanta & Florida.— G. P. Howard to be general
freight and paosenger agent.

BvRLisGTON & Missouri Rivkk.— H. G. Adams to be
chief dispatcher of Wyoming division ;Superintendent L. M.
Fouts of the Colorado division resigned.

Bkooklvn, Bath & West End.— O. M. Mears to be
auditor, with office at Brooklyn, N. Y.

. — General Superint«nd-

BosTox & Maine —J. T. Chamberlain appointed to suc-
ceed D. S. Richardson, as master car builder, with office at
Lawrence, Mass.

Canada Atlantic— F. E. Dewey, trainmaster, resigned
and office abolished; M. Donaldson appointed superintend-
ent of transportation, at Ottawa, Ont.

Cai'E Fear & Yadkin \
ent J. W. Fry to be general

Central PAtiriL.— The following officers have been
elected: President, Leland Stanford; first vice president,
C. P. Huntington; second, C. E. Crocker; third, A. N.
Towne; treasurer, Timothy Hopkins; secretary and con-
troller, E. H. Miller, Jr.

Charleston, Cincinnati & Chii Ae^o.-Geo. W. Bentley
appointed vice president and general manager.

CiiATAf<^rA Lake. — J. M. Africa, general manager, re-
signed; W. E. Griggs t» be general superintendeut in ad-
dition to duties as general passenger and freight agent;
Francis S. Jones to be assisUnt general freight agent.

CniCAOO & Atlantd .— G. M. Beach, general manager,
resigned.

Chesapeake & Ohio.— H. Frazier. appointed superin-
tendent Huntington and Cincinnati divisions, office at Hun-
tington, W. V.; ofHce of superintendent of transportation
abolished; J. M. Gill to be assistant superintendent Wash-
ington division, office at Hinton, W. Va.

Chicago, BcKLlNciTON & QciN. y — Geo. B. Harris
elected second vice president, vice Henry H. Stone re-
signed ; E. P. Ripley, general manager, resigned.

Ciii' ^'-'K Mii.iVAiKEE & St. Paul.- Superintendent J.
W. Staplcton transferred to Dubuque division; jurisdiction
of Superintendent D. L. Bush, of Hastings & Dakota divi-
sion extended to cover James river division ; D. C. Cheney
assistant superintendent La Crosse and Valley dlvi-

iaha.- Stanley

CiiKAi.o, KocK Island & Paciku.— David Dows, vice
president, deceased.

L. F. Kiu:ball to be first assistant general freignt agent
lines west of Missouri river, with headquarters at Denver.
G. A. Kimball, assistant general freight agent, to have
headquarters at Topeka, Kan.

ClllCAiio, St. Pail. Minneapolis &
Proudfit, assistant general freight agent,

ChuaooiSi West Michigan, Detroit, Lansinu & North-
ern, and Sauixaw Valley & St. Louis— Wm. A. Garett
to be general passenger agent.

Russell Wallace to be purchasing agent with office at
Grand Rapids, Mich., vice Allan Bourn, resigned.

Cincinnati, New Orleans & Texas Pacific— P. H.
Schreiber to be road foreman of engines, office at Chatta-
nooga, Tenn.

Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago & St. Loris.— E. E.
Kruthoffer to be chief freight accountant; Ira Reynolds to
be chief ticket accountant.

Collmbia &
Chris. Miller, re
office at Seattle,

i president.

Farlow

Dulltu, South Shore & Atlantic— P. W. Brown ap-
pointed purchasing agent, succeeding Russell Wallace, re-
signed.

C. P. Flatby to succeed G. W. Hibbard as general west-
ern passenger agent.

East Tennessee, Virginia & Georgia.— E. M. Roberts
to be master mechanic of the Georgia division, with office
at Atlanta.

Eva

& Terre Ha

-H. W.

FiTcHBURG.- G. D. Merrill resigned position of train-
master of western division; M. P. Snyder appointed to
succeed him, with headquarters at Mechanicville, N. Y.

Fort Wayne, CisciNX.tTi & Louisville.- John P. Ram-
sey appointed roadmaster vice J. C. Wagner, resigned.

Fort Worth & Rio Grande.^I. E. Scully appointed su-
perintendent of transportation, office at Fort Worth.

H. G. Thompson to be

Colorado & Santa Fe.-
passenge
jalveston, Tex.

Georgetown & Western.- C. A. Ball, general superin
tendent, resigned.

Gre.it Northern Railway Line— Montana Central.—
Edward Sawyer appointed treasurer, with office at St.
Paul, vice S. J. Beals, resigned.

Hannibal & St. JosEPH.-Trainmaster P. H. Houlihan
to be assistant superintendent with office at Brookheld.Mo.

Hannibal & St. Louis— Geo. B. Clason to be general
manager.

Hi ntinodon & Broad Top.— President B. Andrews
Knight, deceased; Spencer M. Janney elected president
pro tem.

Jeffersonville. Mai
ley, appointed trainma!
signed.

Illinois Central.— J. C. Hartigan to be superintendent
Chicago division, vice J. C. Russ assigned to other duties.

G. W. Hatter to succeed Wm. Wilkinson as superinten-
pent Springfield division.

Indiana, Illinois & Iowa.— R. M. Kogers.general freight
and passenger agent, resigned.

Iowa Central.— John L. Gath appointed superintendent
with office at Keithburg.

Kansas City, Fort Scott & Memphis- Karl Soorck ap-
pointed resident engineer in charge of construction work
on lines north and west of Springfield, Mo.

Kentucky Central —Lewis Hood appointed superin-
tendent with office at Cincinnati.

Kentu( KY Midland. — Superintendent J. A. Stewart re-
signed to accept position of cit.v engineer of Cincinnati.

Lake Erie, Essex & Detroit River.— D. H. Dotterer.su-
perintendent and master mechanic, resigned; W. Woollatt
appointed general superintendent in addition to traffic
manager; C. C. Young to be superintendent of transporta-
tion; S. Austin to be mechanical superintendent; offices at
WalkerviUe, Ont.

Lake Shore & Michigan Southern.- J. M. Watts a|>-
pointed superintendent of Toledo division with office at
Cleveland, vice Thomas Flescher, resigned.

Little Miami —W. Gibson appointed engineer of main-

LouisviLLE £c Nashville. —E. E. Snyder, appointed
roadmaster of second division. J. T. Craik now roadmas
ter of Nashville & Decatur and Nashville.Florence & Shef-
field divisions.

Louisville, New Albany & Chicago —General superin-
tendent W. R. Woodward, resigned ; duties of office to be
performed l-y J.O.Ewan. superintendent of transportation,
at Lafayette; H. H. Kendrick to be auditor, vice J. H.
Craig, resigned ; W. H. Folsom to be purchasing agent,
vice F. C. Butze. resigned ; John Loomis to be superintend-
ent northern division ; J. B. Safford, to be superintendent
southern division; office of division freight agent at Louis-
ville, Ky.. abolished; A. V. Lafayette, division freight
agent, resigned, and W. H. Newman, appointed genera 1
agent of freight department.

Louisville, New Ohleans & Texas— J. T. Harahan to
be general manager ; office at Memphis. Tenn.

—J. D. Yarring-

LouisviLi.* Southern. -This road now operated indc
pendently. W. D. Woodward to be general manager; of-
fice at Louisville, Ky. ; J. D. Carson, general supei-inten-
dent, resigned ; A. H. Ford, to be treasurer and auditor
and A. V. Lafayette, general freight and passenger agent.

Nashville & Knoxvillr.— President Alexander Craw
ford deceased.

Newport News & Mississippi Vai
ton. second vice president, resigned.

New York, Lake Erie & We.stern.- Robert M. Parker
appointed division freight agent, in charge of main line and
branches east of Susquehanna, with office at the Pavonia
Ferry, New York City, vice F. D. Hunter resigned.

New York, Pennsyl

office at Roanoke, Vc

Northern Pacific — This company has assumed control
of the Wisconsin Central, and will operate the same under
the title of Wisconsin Central Lines, Northern Pacific R.
Co., lessee. S. R. Ainslie will continue in charge as gen-
eral manager, and Gavin Campbell as general superintend-
ent and acting general manager. The authorit.v of the
lowingc ' -• - -- .. «_.,a_ T, .-,. ..-_ t

Northern Pacific R. Co. has been
extended to cover the lines of the Wisconsin Central: J. A.
Barker, general auditor; George S. Baxter, treasurer; J.
M- Hannaford, general traffic manager; O. C. Greene,
superintendent of telegraph. Agents of the Wiscousin
Central system, and officers ol other lines, will transact
business incident to the leased property with the following
local officers in charge ; David S. Wegg, general solicitor ;
T. J. Hyman, auditor; Abbott Lawrence, acting comp-
troller; R. W. Maguire, cashier and paymaster; Henry C.
Barlow, traffic manager; J. C. Patterson to be superintend-
ent Butte & Gallatin branch.

Pac

; Short Line— G. W. Hibbard to be general traffic

Peoria & Pekin Union.— General superintendent,
Thomas Burnett, resigned.

Pittsburgh, Cincinnati & St. Louis.— E. C. Lindsay to
be engineer of maintenance of way.

Pullman's Palace Car Company.— Stephen Little, audi-

RoME & Decatur.- J. R. Taylor, auditor, appointed

general manager.

Seaboard Air Line.— Seaboard & Roanoke System.
John C. Winder appointed general manager; office at
Raleigh, N. C. ; L. C. M.vers appointed general superintend
ent; office at Portsmouth, Va. ; John H. Winder appointed
superintendent Seaboard & Roanoke and Roanoke & Tar
River roads, with offlce'at Portsmouth, Va.

,— Genei-al Manager

Southern California.— Frank Dorwin appointed super-
intendent of telegraph, vice S. B. Fleeter, resigned ; office
at San Bernardino, Cal.

W. B. Reamer appointed to succeed G. W. Sanborn, re-
signed, as superintendent, with headquarters at San Ber-
nardino.

Southern Pacific— This company is now officered as
follows: President, C. P. Huntington; first vice presi-
dent, C. F. Croker ; second vice president, A. N. Towne;
third vice president, J. C. Stubbs.

St. Joseph, St. Louis & Santa Fe.— President Winslow
Judson, deceased.

St. Louis, Ai.ton & Terre Haute.— C
general freight and passenger agent, ^
signed.

resigned; W. H. Coleman to be assistant
local treasurer at St. Paul.
Ulster & Delaware.— President Thomas Cornell de-

Valley.— C- A. Witzell to be freight agent via
Gibson, resigned.

Western & Atlantic.- C. E. Harman appointed
ceed Alton Angler, resigned, as general
ticket agent.

Western Maryland.— Geo. H. Baer elected
and treasurer, vice J. S. Harden, deceased.

Wisconsin Central.— Frederick Abbot and Howard
Morris elected vice president and general solicitor respect-
ively; Mr. D. S. Wegg resigned as general solicitor. Mr.
Abbot will continue to be assistant treasurer and Mr. Mor
ris as secretary. _^

Zanesville & Ohio River.— Nathan Wright appointed
master mechanic, office at Zancsville, O.; position of road
foreman of engines abolished.

1 Track Scale fur

; Sons, (Incorporated;

THE RAILWAY MASTER MECHANIC.

MiY, 1890.

The Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton Railroad is the only
line running Pullman's perfected safety vestibuled trains,
with chair, parlor, sleeping and dining car service between
Cincinnati, Indianapolis and Chicago, and is the only line
running through reclining chair cars between Cincinnati,
Keokuk and Springfield, 111..

Toledo, Detroit, the

between Cincinnati, Dayt<:
take regions and Canada.

Tickets on sale everywhere, and see that they read C. H.
& D., either in or out of Cincinnati, Indianapolis, or
Toledo. E. O. McCosmuk,

General Passenger and Ticket Agent.

.Xcw and Superb DInill;;; Car Oiitlit.

The dining cars just completed for the Great Hock Island
route, not only embody all the latest improvements in gen
eral use, but especial and distinctive features of excel
lence, which render them unapproachably superior to ordi
nary dining cars. They will be placed on the Rock Island
route west of the Missouri river on and after March :it,
1890, and will impart the crowning grace of perfection to
its solid vestibule express trains, giving that road a con
tinuous through dining car service between Chicago and
Denver, Colorado Springs and Pueblo. The Rock Island
is the only line that runs two vestibule express trains every
afternoon from Chicago to Denver. It is not only the fast
line, but it is also the most completely equipped of all the
Colorado roads, with elegant day coaches, Pullman sleepers,
free reclining chair cars, and the finest dining cars in the
world.

s'-

lEXTI.EM.W REPHESENTINC

HINSON CAR COUPLER CO ,

SUITE 518 THE ROOKERY.

J. E. FORSYTH, General Manager.

m urn s msM n

"Acme" Lamps

FOR -

Adopted as Standard by the United States Railway Mail Service for
postal cars, and in use on upwards of 75 railroads.

"Idams" Steel Guard Solid Top and Bottom Lanterns.

BESSEMER STEEL SWITCH LAMPS.

Headlights with turntable and side and front numbering sig-
nals. Also Interior Car Trimmings of every descrip-
tion. Switch locks, etc, Exclusive right
to manufacture the
HITCHCOCK RECLINING CHAIR.

THE ADAMS & WESTLAKE CO.,

XIO Oxi.ta.x*l(3 Stz*eet,

H.5 Hroailv

our '•.if.TIF." Biiriicr. Cila!.» nrl|><'ii|>. ...iiil.i
Bell. ISO Candle PoHcr. Tlirpe ,.l ili, .,
ligllt at a less i-ust tlian any gas or cle.-lri. lii;

CONSOLIDATED CAR HEATING CO.,

HAVING ACCJUIKED ALL RIGHTS AND PROPERTIES OP THf.

-^ SEWALL, McELROY AND OTHER COMPANIES ^

OFFERS THE MOST COMPLETE AND APPROVED SYSTEMS FOR HEATING BV

HOT WATER, DIRECT STEAM OR STORAGE.

ALSO THE NEW

PERFECTED RETURN SYSTEM.

FULL INFORMATION -p-

Iin.\Ni H Offi.'i.:s: CillcwtiO, (il6 Phenix Bid''. New YOHK. 1.5 Cortland

APPLICATION to the General Offices, ALBANY, NEW YORK.

p. Q., Canada

CAR BUILDERS AND TRANSPORTERS OF LIVE STOCK.

I i2 & 44 Live Stock Exchange, Kansas City, Ho.

I 39 Eichange Street, Portland, Me., and at Works, Wichita.

WE WttL LICENSE SilLEOAI COMPANIES TO BUILD AlHJ OPERATE CASS TODEE OUS PATENTS OS LQEEAL TEEMS.
Correspondence Solicited. QEO. D. BURTON, Treasurer, BOSTON, MASS.

THE RAILWAY MASTER MECHANIC.

WALTER D. CROSMAN, Manager Editorial Department.
EDWIN N. LEWIS Manager Business Department.

BY THE
RAILWAY PURCHASING AGENT COMPANY,

Devoted to the interests of railway motive power, equip

linery. Comn

Prior to Jannar>' 1. 1886, this Journal was known as The Rail-
way Purchasing Agent. It will still in its newand wider field be
adapted to the especial wants of all who purchase or influence
the purchase of railway supplies.

, year. AdTertislne rates and detaUs
a on application to the offlce by mail
or in peraon. Address

THE KAILWAV MASTEK MECHANIC.

The Huiikery. CliicatT". HI.
New Youk Offkk: W Bro:id«ay, Boom 148.
TM OffleUU Railway List i>f jrtihli»htd by tMg cmipany.

Vol. 5. 1 CHICAGO, JCJNE;. 189J. [No. 5.

Is it quite a f:iir deal to complain, after a con-
vention has ended, that it "was riiu by a few men
who did all the talking," when the one who makes
the complaint took uo part ui the proceedings?
Those who do take part in the discussions at the
conventions are pretty apt to feel that the meet-
ings have been successful, and they are usually
right. ■

SoMK general managers discourage experiments,
accurate tests and careful records because they
cost something, liut the master mechanic who
"experiments," -who is on the alert for improve-
ments, is a man who insists on having the very best
material that can be got for the price paid. An en-
thusiasm for improvement and progress, for find-
ing something still better than the present "best,''
is the best possible safeguard against temptation
to accept inferior material at superior prices for
the' sake of a little personal percentage. Tests,
records and experiments may seem to involve extra
expense, but the spirit which inspires them saves
money to the road in most cases and in the long
rim.

The American Society of Mechanical Engineers
at its convention in Cincinnati, afjpointed a com-
mittee to report a standard method of testing loco-
motives--to inclade the engine, the boiler,the qual-
ity of the steam and the comparative etficiency of
simple and compound locomotives. The society
has already done the industrial public an impor-
tant and valuable service by its admirable reports
on Standard Tests of Pumping Engines and Stand-
ard Method of Testing Stationary Boilers, and we
therefore expect that the report of the present com-
mittee will establish such a definite basis for loco-
motive tests that the relative values of locomotives,
as obtained by such tests, will be more authorita-
tive and be accepted with a larger degree of confi-
dence than the reports of most locomotive tests

If our information is correct all the locomotive
building concerns of this country, with one excep-
tion, have provided themselves with the Pratt A
Whitney standard driver center and tire gauges,
and the standard sizes of driver centers are now
almost universally specified. As is aljvays the
case, a few men rebel against having just what
other peoiile have, but the number in this instance
is very small. The adoption of these standard
sizes was one of the wisest acts ever done by the
Master Mechanics' Association, and the standard;
have attained. general observance in an unusually
short space of time. The master mechanics and
the locomotive builders of this countrj- are greatly
indebted to the committee, Messrs. Lander, Jo
hann and Sprague, who reported and recom
iuended the standards, and the careful and vain
able work done by these gentlemen should not be
forgotten.

It is well to remember when ordering sheet

or steel tliat the dimension running the way the

I plate is to be bent should be given tirsl, or next

after the thickness. In the rolling mills it is al-

5 understood that the first figure given on an
r shall be measured in the direction in which
the plate is rolled or parallel with the "graih."
For instance, if a plate is wanted to form a butt-
jointed cyhnder i in thick, 6 ft. long and 5 ft. dia-
meter, the order 'should read: — 1 plate ^,xl88i in.
x72 in. Due allowance (not given in the example)
t always be made for variations in measuring,
etc., the amount of which is determined by experi-
ence. With the higher grades of material a strict
adherence to this rule is not necessary, as such
plates will bend equally well in either direction, but
with tank iron and the like an attempt to bend
against the grain will usually result in failure by
spliting. It is consequently advisable to keep
rigidly to the one method, as mistakes are thereby
avoided.

< bearing on the question of the durability of
vertical plane couplers, we may state that there

ipears to be good reason to take note of the lo-

lity in which reported breakages occur. We
have it on excellent authority that the switchmen

the only body of railway employes opposed to
the automatic coupler — refuse to favor that coup-
ler for the reason that its introduction and gen-
eral use would weaken thern as a striking organi-
zation. Inexperienced men could with compara-
tive readiness make up trains of cars equipped
with the M. C. B. coupler; but such men, even if
courageous, make sad work of making up a link
and pin train in a busy yard where all operations
are hurried. The switchmen recognize this fact

1, desirous of retaining their power over their
ployers, strongly oppose the introduction of the
M. C. 13. coupler. Some statistics of coupler break-
ages, recently placed before us, show an abnormal
percentage of breakages at points where ihe
switchmens' organization is strongest. Careless
handling of cars is already known to be responsi-
ble for the bulk of hook coupler breakages;
malicious "carelessness" may be responsible for a
larger share of these breakages than has hitherto
been suspected, if we take the alleged sentiment
of the switchmen as a guide for our conclusions.

the frame is reduced to almost a feather edge, and
being thus insufficient to withstand the pressure
to which it is subjected, it gradually breaks away
to the extent of allowing the shoe to move slightly
up and down on the pedestal leg in unison with
tCe rise and fall of the driving box. If this move-
ment of the shoe really becomes injuriously great
in the course of time, which is extremely doubt-
ful, it is necessary to provide some means of avoid-
ing it. liut to reduce the size of the iiUet, or
what is practically the same thing, the strength
of the frame, would be about the last expedient
we should resort to.

Speaking of a possible movement of the pedes-
tal shoes naturally brings to mind the clamping
screws, so-called, that are generally considered
an indispensable part of an engine's equipment.
We mean, of course, the tap bolts ('j or J inch in
diameter), that pass horizontally through the
pedestal legs into the shoesand wedges, and which
are supposed, if indeed anybody supposes anything
abont them, to act as clamps. After the driving
box is once in position, the shoes and wedges are
effectually prevented from dropping away from the
pedestal legs, so the only function left for the bolts
to perform is to check any tendency to move up and
down. No movement in this direction on the
part of the shoe can take place until the feather
edge mentioned above has broken away to some
I extent, as its length is identical with that of the
leg it protects, and even then it is extremely
doubtful, as we have said, if the shght play thus
allowed would be in any w'ay detrimental to the
engine. As to the wedge, uo motion vertically can
occur so long as the regular adjusting screw is
securely fastened in its glace. There is, however,
some little advantage in the use of these clamping
bolts before the boxes are put in place whUe the
engine is on the erecting floor. This small benefit
is in no way commensurate with the expense en-
tailed by the extra drilling, tapping, etc., required,
and the omission of clamping bolts altogether
would, accordingly, seem advisable, for they never
will be missed.

Is it not time to put the "Boston fund" to some
good use? A suggestion has been made that the
icome of it be used for prizes to stimulate inves-
gatiou and improvement in the field of railway
motive power and mechanics. The offer of first
and second prizes awarded at stated periods of
two or three years woulij be a powerful in-
ducement to careful and profitable investigation
and experiment. To be awarded such a prize by
the American liailway JIaster Mechanics' Asso-
ciation would be a great honor. That there is
abundant opportunity to do work worthy of such
high honor is indisputable. While it is true that
the American locomotive as it exists to-day is a
wonderfully complete machine, no one will claim
that it has reached the limit of perfection. The
mas'.er mechanics' department on the great ma-
jority of our railroads is admirably managed, but
the methods can be improved inimportivnt details
Electricity is knocking at the gate of this depart

That the report of the committee on car coup-
lers to the Master Mechanics' Association will be
followed by a lively discussion is not improb-
able. Tomahawks are being ground and scalp-
ing knives sharpened, and the big chiefs are get-
iug on their war paint. Important business in-
terests will be affected by whatever action may be
taken, and some degree of personal feeling has al-
ready been awakened by newspaper and club dis-
cussions. In short, the conditions will be such
that it will not be impossible to inaugurate a
lively and vociferous time.

it must be taken for granted, however, that
every man who will take part in the discussion
desires to get only at the actual facts and to take
whatever action is for the greatest good of the
greatest number. This eliminates the elements of
personal prejudice and personal profit from the

meut and its capabilities and appliances must be | discussion. There can be no questioning of mo-
investigated. In short, the field in which work I tives, no accu.sations of individual or local preju-
may be done that will be deserving of distin- d'ce- It has been intimated that tlie New Eng-
"uished reward is almost limitless. It is within laud members were hostile to the M.t. B. stand-
the power of the American Railway Master Me- ard coupler because of jealousy or contrariness,
chauics- Association to do a new thing, to give a or some other far fetched and imaginary reason,
powerful stimulus to improvement and progress But take the New England members one by one

witliin the limit of the splendid Held which it oc
cupies, and to largely increase interest in its meet-
ings audits work. Has not the time come to apply
the Boston fund to this or to some other equally
fruitful use?

The weakest points,

fracture is most

iind everybody who is acquainted with them
knows that they are not men who will put them-
selves in a false position through prejudice or jeal-
ousy. If they oppose the present coupler it is be-
cause of what they see on their own roads and in
their own yards and repair shops. And if they arc
shown that the facts gathered by wider observa-
tion and experience sustain the M. C. B. coupler
of them

likely to occur, in any well-designed locomotive

frame, are probablv the inner sides of the upper instead of condemning it there is not
extremities of the pedestal legs. Recognizing this, \ who will not willingly revise his opinions. To as-
most builders very rightly put a fillet of from ^ j sert that the New England roads are behind the
to 1 inch radius in these places, in order to gain 1 times will not help in the least degree to settle the
the greatest posible amount of strength. We coupler question. Indeed, one who honestly corn-
have recently heard a complaint from a master pares them with roads elsewhere has to admit that
mechanic that this radius is too large because in some important particulars they are at the
the top bearing of the shoe or dead wedge against | front rather than in the rear.

THE RAIL^VAY MASTER MECHANIC.

Jdne, 1890.

To call names, to ascribe improper motives, or
to belittle facts, settles notbing. Last winter a
technical journal which hovers around the bor-
ders of the field of railway mechanics and now and
then makes a wild plunge into it, intimated that
onlv roads "of local importance" were resisting
the" adoption of the M. C. B. coupler. Eveiy one
now sees that such an assertion aroused antagon-
isms which may hinder the proper settlement of
the question. Not vinegar but molasses continues
to be the best bait for flies, and to presume that
those who differ from our own opinions are honest
and fair is the best way to make and keep them
fair and honest. It is true that the phase of the
car coupler ouestion which is to be considered by
the Master Mechanics' Association is, in terms, a
limited one. But it may, perhaps, be impossible to
confine the discussion, nor will it be wise to at-
tempt to do so. It will be the first opportunity
which either of the national associations has had
of discussing the subject upon a basis of facts.
For the first time since the subject of automatic
couplers was agitated there will be the facts of
actual experience to present and discuss. The
question is emerging from the realm of theory into
that of practical knowledge. Therefore free and
full discussion is altogetuer desirable. So far as
"mixed service" goes railroad men know quite
fully what the M. C. B. coupler can and cannot do.
Concerning its operation in service with its own
kind, through a considerable period, there is less
information available, and it is to be hoped
that aU the exnerienc s which members have had
in this kind of service will be brought out. We
do not imagine, however, that any one doubts the
complete success of the coupler under such cir-
cumstances.

LOCOMOTl\K AXLES.

The master mechanics have this year two com-
mittees on locomotive axles— one on the size and
form of axles for tenders— another on the relative
value of iron and steel axles. A consideration of
the topics coming before these committees may not
be amiss. .

First, as to tender axles, with or without end
collars. We favor the coUarless axle, with cast
iron end stop, set into guide lugs on the sides of
the box, and held down by lugs, projecting be-
yond the b aring portion of the brass. The size
of the axle could, for convenience, be the same as
the M. C. B. tiO.OOU lbs. freight car axle, with the
end collar cut ofi. The dimensions of the axle are
ample for the load of the heavy tender specified in
the circular. Such a tender, with 3,600 gallons
of water and 8 tons of coal, would weigh 75,000
lbs., and the load on each axle would be about
8,600 lbs. Taking the projected area of the bear-
ing as 41 X 8 = 34 in., the pressure per square
inch of bearing would be 250 lbs. This is almost
exactly the same as that on the old M. C. B. axle
with its load, and less than the pressure on the
large M. C. B. axle, which, under its load of car—
(SO.OOOlbs. -f 60,000 lbs. = 90,000 lbs., less weight
of wheels and axles)— carries 10,450 lbs. per jour-
nal or 300 lbs. per square inch of bearing. The
stress in the axle under the static load would not
be as great, therefore, in the axle under the heavy
tender as in its regular service — under 60,000
lbs. box care— and, being a well-established stand-
ard, it would be manifestly the proper axle for the

As to the shape of the axle three forms are pre-
sented. The difference between Fig. 1 (showing
an axle that is straight from the shoulder to the
center), and Fig. 3 (showing an axle with a curve
from the wheel seat to the center) in the
circular is so slight, that it is hardly worth
discussing, and either of them (Fig. 1 or Fig. 8)
is so near the M. C. B. shape, that it, the M. C. B.
shape, should be recommended in preference. The
diameter at the center should be J that of the
wheel seat, and if these two be joined by a straight
line it will be as near the theoretical shape as is
desirable from a practical standpoint. Fig 2
(showing an axle reduced at a point a short dis-
tance inside of the wheel seat) is a bad
shape for an axle, as it is not of uniform

strength, being weaker where suddenly reduced in
diameter, just inside the wheel seat, than at any
other point. It would be liable to break at that
poini.

The fifth question is: " What is the Limit of
Weight on Journals per Square inch of Contact?"
We have already shown that the pressure on the
old M. C. B. journal was 250 lbs. per square inch
projected area, and in the new one it is 300 lbs.
per square inch. The experience with the old one
was not attended with such a freedom from hot
boxes as to warrant much increase in the unit
pressure. It is believed by those who have ex-
perimented on oil-testing machines, that pressures
above 300 lbs. per square inch tend to force the
oil out from the bearing, leaving the journal with
too thin a film of oil for good lubrication. We
conclude, therefore, that the limit of pressure has
been reached by the large M. C. B. axle under the
regular conditions of its service and would not
recommend that this pressure of 300 pounds
per square inch should be exceeded in tender
axles. This limit would not be reached until the
journal was worn down to 3^ inch diameter.

The other committee on locomotive axles has
to consider the important question of the relative
value of iron and steel axles. A proper report on
this subject requires an extensive investigation
and a careful study of improved processes of
manufacture which have been recently introduced.
We hope the committee has given the subject that
treatment which its importance demands, for, we
venture to say, nothing involving greater interest
to the railroads will come before the Master Me-
chanics Convention. The axle is the vital part of
all railroad rolling stock. If it breaks it causes
the most destructive wrecks, and no one is held
directly responsible for it. If it heats it causes
the most annoying delays and this is most likely
to occur on fast trains when every effort is made
to avoid delays. The material comprising the
axle is, therefore, one deserving the most earnest
consideration.

The price of steel axles, of good quality, is
now so low and so near the price of good iron
ones that our master mechanics are more frequ-
ently called upon to decide whether to use iron or
steel for the purpose; and the cost being a slight
factor, what quahties should determine the rela-
tive value of iron and steel axles? An axle has to
perform two principal functions — one to act as a
beam sustaining the load, the other as a portion of
a machine in which the journal revolves at a
higher speed and under greater pressure than is
found in almost any other machinery. Steel is
now regarded as the best material for journals, and
it is almost entirely used in all kinds of the best
machinery. Iron is so soft that it wears rapidly,
and seams in it produce a rough surface which
often causes it to heat. lu Europe the rapid wear
of iron journals (notwithstanding their large size
for the load sustained) is recognized and the
remedy is case hardening. It is the regular prac-
tice among the best builders to case-harden the
journals of the iron tender axles, driving axles and
crank pins — in addition to the other portions usu-
ally so treated in this country. For those who
prefer to continue tlje use of iron axles, this method
of obtaining longer, and more satisfactory, service
for them appears thoroughly commendable. But to
go into such a wholesale business of case-hardening
requires an improvement in the process, and in the
furnace used for case-hardening, as well as the
addition of suitable emery grinding machinery for
finishing the hardened journals to true cylindric
surfaces.

A journal when properly lubricated, and if kept
clean from grit, and not allowed to heat, will have
formed on it a hard, smooth glassy surface, which
is the best possible condition for minimum friction
and, consequently, least wear. If it can be kept
in that condition it will run for years with almost
imperceptible reduction in diameter, and outlast
the other portions of the machine. It has been
the opinion of many mechanics that this very de-
sirable glassy surface was peculiar to iron, and
that the surface of a steel journal would not
"polish" in the same way. But an inspection of
some locomotive crank-pins and driving journals,

made of steel and of "good proportions shows that
they attain as high a degree of polish as iron.

Coming now to the relative strength of iron and
steel axles: The drop test is now generally
recognized as the best and most practical method
of measuring the strength of an axle, and we can
get a fair idea of the comparative strength of the
two materials by examining the specifications for
iron and steel axles used by railroad companies
which buy both kinds. The standard weight for
the drop test now generally adopted is 1,640 lbs.,
and the distance between centers of supports 3 ft,
For iron axles of 4| in. diameter at center the re-
quirements are three blows from a height of 10
ft., and two blows from 15 ft. We have never
understood exactly why two heights are used, un-
less it is to obtain the minimum strength of the
axle, if it should break at the first or second blow.
Good iron axles will easily satisfy this specifica-
tion. The published reports in circulars issued by
manufacturers of iron axles show that they en-
dure as many as 10 to 12 blows, all above the
first three being from a height of 15 ft. and the de-
flection being from six to eight inches. The spec-
ified requirements for steel iixles of the same
center diameter, are five blows from a height of
25 ft. One well established firm reports its steel
axles made for this specification to endure from
35 to 45 blows from a height of 25 ft. before they
break, while another reports a large number
tested up to 50 blows without breaking, and also
one axle tested beyond this, until it broke at the
121st blow.

The tensile strength of iron axles is very irreg-
ular, especially the ductility as measured by the
percentage of elongation in the test specimen.
; Very few tensile tests of iron axles have been
made, and we do not know of any railroad which
includes such a test in its specification. The
railroad testing departments contain, however,
records of the tensile strength of iron axles, which
have been broken in service, as well as of new
axles, and they show the material to have about
the same physical qualities as common bar iron.
The tensile strength per square inch of iron axles
is 40,000 to 45,000 lbs., with an elongation in 4
in. of from 5 to 15 percent.

Specifications for steel car or tender axles re-
quire a tensile strength of 75,000 lbs. the extreme
limits allowed being 70,000 and 60,000 lbs.,
the specimen having a breaking section J in.
diameter and 4 in. long. The elongation required
is a minimum of lH per cent.

The"Coffin" toughening process, it is claimed, will
increase the elastic limits of the steel without loss
ofelongition or ductility. An axle was cut in
two, one-half of it alone being treated by the
toughening process, and tensile tests from each
half gave the following results:

ElHstic Limit. L'ltiraat^ Streriglh. GloDg:ition.

(1rilin;ivv :«.II00 lbs. 71,5IX)ll)s. 34-50

Tougliened.. . .II.OOIJ lli^. 7-',()OI) Ihs. 24-07

The comparative strength of iron and steel
axles as given above may be tabulated as fol-
lows:

DROP TEST.

TCSSlfK T..T.

Raiuiremenls.

Attained.

Ultimat*.

Elongation.-

Iron. ,1 ,.hloW8@14ft

10 to IS

4010.50

™:ol51to

80.000

6 to 15
18 to 25

The superior strength of steel when properly
made is clearly shown by the above comparison,
and, taken with the fact that a steel journal is at
least as good as an iron one, there are certainly
good reasons for preferring steel axles to iron ones,
if they have been properly inspected and the qual-
ity of the steel is known.

' The general prejudice against steel axles is
largely the result of unfortunate experience either
with steel which was not a suitable material chem-
ically, or else with good steel which had been in-
jured in its manipulation in the forge or furnace.
With the small furnaces and small hammers orig-
inally used, it was necessary to either forge dif-
ferent parts of the axle at widely different temper-
atures, or to foi-ge one-half the axle and take a re-
heat for the other half. This treatment creates

Jdne, 1890.

THE RAILWAY MASTER MECHANIC.

internal strains, which are very objectionable, and
this process of mamifacture of axles from good
steel ingots has resulted iu repeated failure and
the doubt, thus created, as to the safety of steel
axles, has greatly retarded their more general in-
troduction.

These objections have been entirely overcome
by a number of steel companies, by the use of
larger furnaces and hammers. The toughening
process referred to improves the steel by anneal-
ing it and changing the crystalline to an amorphous
structure. Steel axles are now produced from
hammered ingots 16 inches square, worked under
a 20-ton hammer and finished under a 8-ton ham-
mer. Owing to the powerful machinery employed
the entire axle can be finished witliout double
heating, and axles made from steel of good quality
in this manner are more uniform in quality, and
very much stronger than it is possible to make iron
axies.

In the United Stales, the present condition of
steel manufacture is such that only open hearth
steel should be employed for axles, and with our
present knowledge of the subject it would not ap-
pear advisable for any railroad to use Bessemer
steel axles on account of their low price. It is im-
possible to get Bessemer steel rails of uniform
quality, and if we do not use a material for axles
which can be produced iu large quantities and
uniformally good, we cannot have any assurance
that our sample axle or test specimen fairly rep-
resents the whole lot. Boiler steel is made by the
open-hearth process and the uniformity of the pro-
duct is well known. The same uniformity should
be required for axle steel if we want to feel secure
in the use of it. The price of crucible s'eel is too
high, and very few axles of that quality are in use
or are likely to be used. We have plenty of faith
in open hearth steel axles properly made and the
price is now so low that all railroads should, we
think, use them under passenger equipment and
for locomotives.

Of ihe papers read before the .A.merican Sooiety
of Mcihanical Engineers at the Cincinnati conven-
tion, the one which might be said to pertain most
)«rtioularlj' to railway work was that on the "Effi-
ciency of Locomotives." We cannot agree with all
that is stated therein, especially in regard to cylin-
der condensation and its probable effect sis a factor
in the economy of the sipgle expansion and com-
pound locomotives: one must remember that an in-
dicator diagram taken from a locomotive at high
spued cannot be expected to show traces either of
coudeui-ation or re-evaporation, for the expansion
curve between the point at which the effect of wire
drawing ceases and that at which the exhaust opens,
is far too short to enable any intelligent conclusions
10 bo drawn from this source alone. If the feed
water could be accurately mciisured and the work of
the locomotive were sutliciently uniform to per-
mit of a reasonably exact calculation of steam
used in a given time to be miide from
a limited number of indicator diagrams, some-
thing might be said about the amount of con-
de^^Htion in locomotive cylinders, but in the absence
of such data it is not unreasonable to turn to station-
ary and marine cnRine practice and there we find
that condensation is considerable. The conditions
under which the locomotive is operated probably
cause more condensation to take place in its cylind-
ers than occurs in the cylinders of other engines.
Speed undoubtedly has some effect u|H)n the amount
of cylinder condensation, but it isijuite probable that
the highest speeds employed never reduce it the
figures mentioned in the pajjer. We do not think the
economy of compound locomotives can be attributed
wholly to the causes given in the paper, but as this
phase of the subject has been pretty well ventilated
iu the columns of this a.id other journals we will not
repeat wt^at has been written.

This paper was discussed somewhat at the meet-
ing and has since called foi*th more or less editorial
criticism from the various technical journals, as will
almost any paper on this subject. One of the most sur-

prising editorials which has appeared on this subject,
is one two columns in length in the Uaitroad Gazittc,
in which there are errors fully as great as those to
which it calls attention. As that journal is
evidently very anxious that the railway public
shall not he misled by any errors which may be con-
tained in the paper read before the society, it will
probably appreciate the necessity for having its own
errors corrected for the benefit of those readers who
might he led astray by thorn.

The author of the editorial referred to cannot have
carefully read the paper in question, as the following
quotation from his words will show:

It ivas also said that " the reduction of indicator card
area, caused by early exhaust closure, and the large clear-
ance spaces found in locomotive cylinders, is often over-
estimated." Then followed an estimate showing that the
mean effective pressure is greater when the clearance is
reduced, the compression being raised to the same [>oint
in each case, thus showing an advantage in favor of a re-
duced clearance, in increasing the power of the locomotive,
as well as its theoretical economy.

Now the fact is that the paper does not make
the statement here credited to it. On the contrary,
it clearly says: " It will be seen that the M. E. P.
when the clearance is 10 per cent, is 946 lbs., sink-
ing to 91-8 lbs. when the clearance is reduced to 2
per cent." That which is based on such an obvious
error will have very little weight, and the further
remarks on this point made by the author of the
editorial need not now be considered. It might be
well, in passing, to call attention to the fact that, in
neither the paper criticized nor in the editorial re-
fered to, is there any computation made of the work
performed per pound weight of steam used with
various clearances. The effect of the clearance is
apparently considered only in its effect on the ex-
pansion and compression curves of the diagram.

The assumption that the terminal pressure of the
compression may be a constant as far as the arrest-
ing of thcj reciprocating parts is concerned, being in
this respect independent of the clearance volume, is
also severely condemned by the editor of the Rail-
road Gazette, and the following argument is produced
to show how weak such a supposition is:

It is assumed that 54 lbs. terminal pressure is all that is
required to arrest the motion of the reciprocating parts of
a steam engine, regardless of the clearance. It is not the
mere terminal pressure which arrests the reciprocating
parts, but the work performed on the compressed steam
from the time compression commences to tue point when
compression ceases. With the same final pressure of com-
pression the work done, which acts to arrest the recipro-
cating parts, is vastly different in the two cases cited,
being about four times greater, according to a diagram
furnished with the paper, in the case of the IU per cent,
clearance than with the 3 per cent, clearance. In order
that the same arresting effect shall be obtained, the work
performed ought to be the same in both cases; hence, on
a fair ba.-*is of comparison, the terminal pressure in the
case of the 2 per cent, clearance ought to be considerably
more than the 54 lbs. assumed for the 10 per cent, clear-

This is a most surprising argument. The idea
that the entire work performed per stroke in com-
pressing the steam should have any direct
relation upon the smooth running of the
engine will doubtless be a
of our readers. It certainly
practice the work performed
steam does not equal the total work required to ac-
complish the retardation of the reciprocating
weights and we have always believed that any
momentum stored in the reciprocating parts in the
first half of the stroke could be very acceptably ex-
pended upon the crank pin in the latter half of the
stroke, except that necessary to provide a compres-
sion sufficient to prevent a thump from lost motion
as the pin passed the dead center. To Uike cjiie of
this thump it is only necessary that the pressure of
compression at thoend of the stroke shall be slightly
in excess of the force of momentum at that point, I
and that this pressure shall not be attained so j
abruptly as to itself produce a blow. The amount
of work represented ^by the compression from the !
point at which it begins until the end of the stroke, j
does not enter into the problem at all, and to hrinc
it forward in this connection shows an entire mis- 1

I conception of what is involved. To make the point
more clear, it might be well to refer to the accom-

j panying diagram, which is reproduced from
the oue which was used to illustrate this

new one to most
to us. In general
1 compressing the

.Kj-

if-h- uiiiiir

i' i' 1 1 1 1 I'T M T T

t 5 ±::

, ^.

i- [---tn„

-- '^f1'!^%|?-^

'::::::::::::: HdH+F+44^-H

"-,_ ^^

• ^

^~- :

:^::!S:::::::n

:^ J--^-=.2^

" i

point

the paper read before the soi-iety
It must be understood that what we have to say
on this point refers simply to what is required
for the smooth running of the engine in parsing the
centers and does not apply to the economy of the en-
gine, nor does it necessarily indicate what is desira-
ble in practice.

Now, for some reason not evident, the Railroad Ga-
zette thinks the total work expended in compressing
the steam plays an important part in the problem, in
fact, that it is paramount, and that if the clearance
is reduced to, say,2 per cent., it would not be proper
to have the compression begin at some [xiint as 22-2.5
which would give the sjime terminal pressure (.54 lbs )
as before, but that it must begin at a point whicu will
give equal work in the two cases. Did it ever occur
to our contemporary that any difference in the
work done, such as is represented by the area
between the two curves, would simply be added to
the rotative effect upon the crank, and that if the
compression line met the inertia line, at a point
distant from the end of the stroke by an amount
equal to the lost motion in the parts, the thump at
that point would be prevented just as effectuallv
as though the compression had been represented
by the full line instead of the dotted one?
The only minimum limit to the clearance, viewed
simply as a preventive of pounding at the end of
the stroke, would be found when the compression be-
came so abrupt as to be in itself iniurious.

We have not the space to take up the other errors
contained in the editorial referred to, but it may be
well to mention the fact that many of the statements
there advanced as absolute truths, are simply per-
sonal opinions of the writer which ho would find it
impossible to prove, if requested to c" j so. It is per-
fectly right, and even desirable that a paper should
st^iteitsopinionson important subjects and should
give the rea.sons for the position it takes, but i>cr-
sonal opinions should never be put forward .^ well
established facts.

Railroad Commissioner Rich, of Michigan, has
issued a circular concerning couplers, in which ho
withdraws approval of all forms of link and pin
couplers, and directs that only couplers of the
M. C. B. type shall hereafter be considered as ful-
filling the requirements of the Michigan law.

At the convention of rauToad' commissioners in
Washington last week the following resolution con-
cerning automatic brakes and couplers was passed-

Raiolrrit. That Ihe resiwctive states should reuuiro
euhor directly by law or indirectly through the fnstrS^
mentality of iheir railroad commissions eac-h railro^ c^r^
poraiion subject to their jurisdiction to place driving^teel
brakes and apparatus for train brakes upon evcrv^OTOmo
tue, and tram brakes upon every freight car hereaanr
constructed or purchased by it, and al^, u,S,d suJb ^rs
and upon every freight car owned by it, the counler or

A FEW years ago asuperintendent of motive power,
with well equipped shops, found himself unable to
build a lot of new cars which were urerentiv needed
because his shops were constantly filled with repair
work. After studying the situation he put a man
into the yard with orders to report every case in
which a car was injured in switching, with the

THE RAIL^VAY MASTER MECHANIC.

JONK, 1890.

names of the employes and all the circumstances. In
three months the expense account for repairing dis-
abled cars was reduced over two-thirds, and he was
able to build his new cars.

It will require some ingenuity on the part of the
railway supply men to spend the usual amount of
money at the Fortress Monroe convention for "enter-
lainment." But the boys aro ingenious, and can
malic the waste places blossom like the rose. If all
else fails, they can fall back on Bowers, candy and
gum, and by ordering them from points sufficiently
distant they can manage to spend a good deal of
money. Of course the -'committee on entertain-
ment" will want to cover itself with glory, and "get
all the good there is in it." There is a limit, how-
ever, which true wisdom will stop short of. Too
lavish use of money will in time defeat its own ends.
and the railway officials may suddenly decide to take
their conventions clear, without any "entertainment"
"on the side."

Seriously, while a good many think that attend-
ance at the June conventions is made unnecessarily
expensive to railway supply concerns, there is no
question that the methods now in vogue are far
preferable to those which would prevail if there were
no general plan of entertainment to which all con-
tribute equally. In the latter case a few wealthy
concerns could monopolize everything, and advertise
themselves to the exclusion of those who could not
afford to adopt similar methods. To prevent the
railway supply representatives from making the con-
vention weeks pleasant to their friends, the railway
officials, is impossible. To do this by general and
combined action, and in a way to give pleasure to
their own wives and daughters, is by far the best
plan. As to the assertion, occasionally heard, that
the schemes of entertaiiiment interfere with the work
of the convention, we do not think that there is any
truth in it. The members of each association put in
as many hours of solid work at these meetings as
they ought to — and occasionally more.

NOTES OF THE MONTH.

We are requested to announce that members of
the Master Car Builders' and Master Mechanics'
Associations who require transportation over the
Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad in going to or return-
ing from the convention at Old Point Comfort, may
obtain such transportation from Mr. William Gars-
tang, superintendent of motive power, Chesapeake
& Ohio Railroad, Richmond, Va. We may state in
this connection that President Ingalls, of the Ches-
apeake & Ohio, has consented to deliver the address
of welcome at the opening of the convention.

During recent tests with beating apparatus
conducted by the Illinois Central Railroad, some ex-
periments were made with expansion drujjs of a
larger size than those generally used. It was found
that these large drums produced a much better cir-
culation. The mechanical officers of the road have
not yet determined just how much more effective
the larger drum is, nor what the actual capacity of
the drum for a certain length of pipe should be. The
experiments, while not specilic in their results, are
still suggestive, and should be born in mind by those
looking into the heating question.

On the 2d day of .lune the work of collecting sta-
tistics of manufactures for the report of the eleventh
census was inaugurated throughout the entire
country. The value of this report must depend
wholly upon the accuracy and thoroughness with
which manufacturers answer the questions pro-
I>ounded. The personal interests of every manufact-
urer aro involved in the character of the report
manufactures. It will be quoted for the next ten
years as the official announcement of the exact
dustrial condition of the country, and will be the
basis for any future legislation that may be enacted
in regard to the wants of our people, whether en
gaged in agricultural or mechanical pui-suits
Therefore, it is of vital importance to each manu
facturer that an accurate report shall be made. Th(
superintendent of census has taken every possible

precaution in the preliminary work to make this cen-
sus complete and satisfactory, and the earnest co-
operation of those engaged in productive industry is
all that is now necessary to secure valuable results.
Every manufacturer should bear in mind that his
answers to the questions relating to his business are
held strictly confidential, are not disclosed to .any
competitor or to other persons, and are not used by
the government as predicate for the purpose of tax-
ation or license, or in any way to adversely affect his
individual business. This assurance is printed on
each schedule over the signature of the superin-
tendent of census.

}fauge glasses, in
the Locomotive, the author concludes that this cor-
rosion is occasioned by a combined scouring and dis-
solving action. He concedes that hot water will dis-
solve glass and that small particles of iron rust and
other solid matter passing with the condensed water
over the inner surface of the gauge glass will pro-
duce a grinding action similar to that of emery and
water. But to neither cause alone would he ascribe
the corrosion so commonly observed — the two com-
bined would, however, account for the results. Con-
cerning the dissolving of glass by water, a phenom-
enon apt to be discredited by many, the author
says:

There can be uo doubt but that water, at the in-
stant it is condensed from steam, is particularly
active in dissolving ^lass— much more active than
after it has stood tor :> time. We have good evi-
dence of this in our own experience. In fact, at the
present moment the writer has before him a glass
tube one-third of an inch in diameter internally and
26 inches long that was used for condensing steam to
supply a laboratory with distilled water. Although
it was used only three hours, it is very perceptibly
corroded by the "hot water of condensation.

During a recent visit to one of the principal rail-
road shops in the vicinity of Chicago, our attention
was directed to the simple and ingenious labor sav-
ing device shown in the accompanying cut. We re-
fer to a continuous feed attachment to the ordinary
bolt threading machine, whereby crown bar bolts
can be threaded so that the thread is a continuous
one and the bolt enters both the inner and outer
sheets at the same time without strain or injury to
the thread. By the old method of tapping the bolts

per day. The device illustrated turns out 200 per
day very easily and uniformly. The cut almost ex-
plains itself. The long feed screw engages with a
large gear wheel at the far end of the machine and
a small gear on the main shaft, and the feed screw is
rotated. The tabic or slide carrying the bolt has
connected with it a split sleeve, with the female
screw encircling the feedscrew. In ordinary work
the sleeve is opijti and the continuous feed inopera-
tive. When it is desired to tap a crown stay, the
lever shown is turned inward and the bolt is fed in-
to the tap. When sufficiently threaded the clamp is
opened, the die opened, and the bolt moved forward
until the other end is at the die, when the feed is
again taken and threading finished. The bolt is not

turned end for end but is run into the body of the
machine. The ends of the bolt are U in. diam., and
the body 1 in. diam. The U in. or upset portion only
is threaded.

Mr. P. A. Chase, master mechanic of the Kansas
City, St. Joseph & Council Bluffs road, has been ex-
perimenting with air inlets in his Sre-boxes and in
increasing them has met with very gratifying re-
sults. The inlets through the grate have been made
45 pr.ct.of the grate area, and those above the grate
area Is per cent, of the fire-box surface area. Mr.
Chase never has trouble to get Jill the steam he
wants in engines so treated, the engines doing
harder work than before and at the same time steam-
ing better. They can now do work'they never could
do before. Mr.Chase uses the brick arch in his plain
box engines, although he favors the water leg and
puts it into all rebuilt engines. He has always used
water legs to some extent.

Of the various sub-committees in charge of the
work of testing brake shoes only one appears to
have accomplished anything. This committee has
conducted a very extensive series of shop tests,
the results of which we give, as far as determined,
in another column. The road tests will not be held
until some time in July or August, and will be held,
as originally announced, on the Rock Island road
near Chicago. A dynamometer car has been pre-
pared with special apparatus for the purpose of mak-
ing these tests. This car will record graphically
the pull on the brake shoes, the pull on the draw
bar, the speed, the length of stop, and the compara-
tive revolutions of those wheels which are braked
and those wheels which are not braked, only one
truck of the car being equipped with brakes. A
preliminary trip recently made with this car, dem-
onstrated the practicability of the several recording
devices. It will be remembered that a drawing of
the mechanism of the car was given in our issue of
February, 1890. The mechanism is practically the
same as then illustrated. On the preliminary trip
a number of stops were made at 20 and at 40 miles
per hour, with different shoes. The dynamometer
car and the locomotive constituted the train. Brakes
were applied on the rear truck of the car only,and the
stops were made by them only, the engine simply
shutting off steam. The air pressures in reservoir
and cylinder were carefully noted. The data gath-
ered on this ti'ip gave excellent promise of satisfac-
torv results in the formal tests.

At the Aurora shops of the Chicago, Burliiijgton
,S: Quincy Railroad they have long been troubled
for proper facilities for handling truck work, and in
lieu of the quarters which have been desired by the
ollircis in charge, a neat corrugated iron shop,
;il»mt -oxHO, has been erected, by the side of the
^llack^^nlith shop. The shop is fitted with a small
forge and crane. It will also have a machine for
riveting trucks by compressed air. This shop is con-
veniently located by the side of the blacksmith shop,
and a track runs through it leading to the transfer
table, which will carry the trucks direct into the
car erecting shop.

A tire remover used at these shops is in high favor
with the officials and the operatives. At a conven-
ient point in an anglo of one of the shops is placed a
portable ring burner of ordinary pattern. This is
supplied with a mixture of gas and air taken direct
from shop piping under a pressure of from 60 to 70
111- II. I-. r,,iiiM .-tions from thcairand the gas pipes
1. :, ; i. , i , I mImiI to the ring, and the gas and air
run,. i t ,i - hl' through the T. The ring of flame

j> of ml. M-i' (m :il, and with the apparatus a worn
lire can lie removed in from four to five minutes; a
comparatively new tire takes from five to ten min-
utes. The cost of removing each tire is from -5 to 10
cents. The device is very economical in both timo
and money.

In these shops there are being erected at various
points, short run ways upon which cinders are

--^^^^i^ "

IJdne. 1890.

THE RAIL^VAY MASTER MKCHANIC.

wheeled out dii-ect to a small platform and loaded
thence onto cinder cars. These cars are of -10,000
lbs. capacity, but of course the load of cinders never
reaches that figure. Several of these cars are now
in use, and more are now to be added. Thus in place
of beingf anno^'ed by unsightly cinder heaps the
cinders aie wheeled direct to the car and dumped
into it and removed when the oar is full. This sys-
tem is not only economical, but it makes a great dif-
ference ia the appearance of the surroundings of the
shops.

oomotives.

At the Chicago & Northwestern Railway shops at
Chicago, the chemist of the company, Mr. G. M.
Davidson, is actively engaged in making paint for
the company's uses. SUmdard colors have been de-
cided upon for cabooses, freight cars, passenger cars,
stations and buildings, bridges, etc. On its caboose
cars the company has heretofore used an Indian red,
varnished. This paint almost invariably became
discolored in three months or so, so that the car ap-
peared like an ordinary freight car. As it was desir-
able to maintain a distinction between freight cars
and cabooses a new paint has been gq.tten up and is
being made by the company. It is a bright o.\ide
red and is used as an oil coloi" without varnish; the
absence of varnish makes repainting a comparative-
ly economical matter. Of this new caboose paint 96
per cent, is oxide of iron. On this, as well as the!., f
other paints

are made over the cost of paint heretofore bought
the market. A very satisfactory bridge paint has
also been formulated and is being made at the com-
pany's shops. It is a brown pigment, containing 96
pur cent, of oxide of iron. The percentage of mois-
ture-absorbing ingredients, it will be seen, is great-
ly reduced in this paint, and it is expected that the
bridges will withstand rust for a much longer period
than heretofore. A very handsome set of paints for
stations is also being made. For the interiors two
shades of drab are used, and for the exterior the
body is a dark red with brown trimmings, the roof
color being blue slate. All of these colors are un-
usually handsome in themselves and combine very
harmoniously. The freight car and building paints
have been standard since last fall, and this spring a
standard passenger color was adopted. Mr. David-
son is now engaged in getting up a color for switch
targets. The company has heretofore been using a
l)ale English Vermillion for its targets, ^hich is
quickly darkened by the gases in the locomotive
smoke. Experiments are now being made with a
cheaper and more lasting color for the targets, with
excellent prospects of success. The company has a
well-equipped paint mill for the production of its
colors and keeps it busily engaged. While the com-
pany saves some money by making its own paints,
the great point obtjiined is in getting just the shades
required, and always getting its paint supplies just
when wanted. The standardizing of all colors used
by the company on all work is proving very effect
ive, reducing the annoyances and expenses of meet-
ing the varied requisitions heretofore made from the
various points on its extensive system. The com-
pany is also making its own deodorizing cakes for
urinals, its disinfectants, and its fire extinguishing
fluids, putting the latter up in long twttles of the
ordinary shape.

presented a paper on '-Compo
He distributed blue prints showing characteristic in-
dicator cards, and also a tabulated statement of di-
mensions of certain standard types of compound
locomotives. Of 500 now in operation, but a small
number svere in use in the United States. The num-
ber was rapidly increasing. He devoted some time
to the history of the compound locomotive, explain-
ing the advantages of multiple cylinder engines, and
the characteristic features of the most prominent
types. The most important requisites were simplicity
and large power available for starting. He stated
that the economy in fuel over single cylinder engines
was found to vary from 13 to 21 per cent., and that
the average of a large number of tests extending
over considerable length of time, showed a saving
of ISi per cent. Another important advantage was
that it was not necessary to force the boiler, it being
therefore possible to secure better combustion. It
was necessary that the locomotive be designed par-
ticularly for the work in hand, in order to secure the
best results. In the writer's opinion, the compound
locomotive had come to stay.

conform, and if

On the division of the Chicago & Northwestern
road that runs through the iron ore regions 1,300
ore cars are in service fitted with M. C. B. hook
These cars never leave that division and
.,. , , I their records are accurate and complete. The cars

-.'?, ™'LTl^;irJL?.""f! ! weigh from 22,000 to 24,000 lbs. each and carry 4.5,000
lbs. They are in a heavy, rough service. The coup-
ler breakages on these 1,300 cars since January 1,
1890, number just 12.

A certain road has of late been having consider-
able trouble with hot pins on some of its best loco-
motives. The trouble arises from improper lubri-
cation, the oil cups being continually lost off. The
experience has been so ar.noying that the road has
about decided to dispense with detachable oil cups
and hereafter to forge the cups on the rod.

[jle together properly.

The Chicago, Burlington & Quincy road is about
to put in another electric transfer table, its first one
having proved remarkably convenient and economi-
cal. The new table will be built by the Bay City
Industrial Works, and its structure and gearing will
differ quite materially from those of the first one.

The same road is now turning out three more ol
its class "I'' suburban locomotives. These enginei
have given most excellent satisfaction, and theii
design has been found admirably suited to the want:
I'apid and heavy suburbar. traffic.

One of the notable heavy moguls, class "H," on
this road is now in the shops undergoing re-
pairs. This engine ran 130,000 miles without
once being taken off her wheels, and the mechani-
cal officers of the road are justly proud of the
design and workmanship which produces such a
record. This mileage was made between Gales-
burg and Ottumwa, on a piece of track full of
grades and curves, in heavy and fast passenger ser-
vice. The mechanical officers of the road are usu-
ally satisfied if their engines run 7o,000 miles under
such work before being obliged to be run in for re-
pairs. The repairs of the class "H" engine of which
we speak are costing only about $1,400.

At the Chicago & Northwestern shops at Chicago,
30 flat cars are being made into charcoal cars by the
addition of a well designed box. Three doors are
cut on each side of the car, the doors being hinged on
their upper edge and opening outward. In the root
are two trap doors located in the center line of the
roof; when these doors are down the running board
is continuous. This arrangement of doors has been
found admirably adapted to the requirements of the
charcoal trade.

Another road which makes its own paints is the
Chicago, Burlington & Quincy. It buys most all of
its dry colors and mixes them at Aurora, where
there is a large paint storage storehouse and grind-
ing mills. Prom that point colors in oil are shipped in
cars to the various points along the road. All colors
which ^re standard are matched at Aurora. The
paints which are received dry and mixed are:
white leads, orange and lemon chromes, red and
green signal colors, and minerals for freight cars,
tc. Bridge paints are ordered ready mixed when
e eded. Blacks are usually bought mixed ready tor

At a recent meeting of the Engineers Club, of St,
Louis, Prof. Arthur T. Woods, of Champaign, III.

The repair yards of the Chicago, Burlington &
Quincy Railroad at Aurora, 111., present a very busy
scene just now. The men are actively engaged upon
the equipment of 6,666 cars as rapidly as they come
into the yards for repairs. Westinghouse air-brakes
and .lanney couplers are being put upon all these
cars. The oars are at the same lime being given a
very extensive and thorough overhauling. Every
draw timber comes down and a draft rigging de-
vised at these shops is being applied in every case.
This draft rigging has proven very useful in service,
and in the laboratory tests it h is held under a pull
even when the timbers broke. About seven or eight
cars are being turned out per day fully equipped as
above indicated. The plan was to equip about 12 a
day, but it has been found impossible to do so, on ac-
it mainly of the lack of material. All the brake
apparatus is carefully tested before being applied.
The yards are piped throughout with pipes for com-
pressed air, and at var'ous points hose connections
are provided. The various fittings are tested as
suits their individual requirements. At the time of
our visit we noticed a large number of the small
malleable iron elbows undergoing test. They are
screwed on to the air pipe and plugged up and the
air is then turned on. Soapsuds are siwnged over
the elbow, and it there is a pin-hole or any defect in
the threads, these are immediately indicated by the
formation of bubbles. A very large percentage of
the fittings so tested are found defective. .\11 the
long pipes are stood on end and carefully rapped in
order than any scale or foreign particles may be dis-
lodged. They are carefully blown out afterward.
All the triples are also tested. It having been dis-
covered some time ago upon the receipt of several
new vertical plane couplers that they did not con-
form to the master car builders' lines, the company
has now erected in the repair yards a buffer carrying
a standard coupler known to be of the right lines.
Samples from each lot of couplers coming in are
placed on a little truck and tried with this template,

Any one interested in the sick benefit, funeral aid,
and death beneficiary associations of the United
States can help make the statistics of such organi-
zations for the forthcoming census more complete
and disseminate the knowledge of the good work
they are doing by sending the names of such so-
cieties as they may know of, and the addresses of
their principal officers, to Mr. Charles A. .lenney,
special agent of the eleventh census, W William
street. New 'i'ork City.

■ Fully SO per cent, of the passenger cars of the
Chicago & Northwestern Railway are now equipped
with the Westinghouse quick-acting brake and the
rest are being rapidly so equipped. Not only is
the quick-acting triple on these cars, but the brake
gear is all carefully adjusted to the weight of each
individual car. The leverages are fixed unchange-
ably to exert a braking effect upon ilO per cent, of
the weight of the car. Mr. Schroyer's well known
piston travel recorder is on these cars and affords in-
spectors a close check on the adjustment of the brake
gear as a whole. For taking up slack a turnbuckle
carrying two brass nuts is used, which permits of a
rapid adjustment where, were an ordinary iron turn-
buckle used, rusted tfereads would prevent it.

The wide range of uses to which the .\d»ms &
Westlake " Acme " lamp can bo applied was indi-
cated by the cut of that brilliant and [xipOlar dis-
penser of light to the traveling public in the llAii.-
w.\Y M.vSTER Mecha.nic of last month. By
simply reversing the lamp as the printer did in
the advertisment, and placing it on a suitable stand
it becomes a highly ornamental and extremely re-
chcTcht pair of ash holders. In an emergency these
can be used as cuspidors, but of this use, one would
be obliged to say with Othello, " 'Tis true, ti spity
and pity 'tis 'tis true."

THE RAILWAY MASTER MECHANIC.

June, 1890.

HEAVY CONSOLIDATION LOCOMOTIVE RHODE ISLAND
LOCOMOTIVE WORKS.

The Rhode Island Locomotive Works have within
the last year built some very heavy consolidation en-
gines for various railways, and these have given
very good satisfaction in service. The class of en-
gine to which we refer has all been built from the
same general design, which we show in our illustra-
tions. Our supplement sheet gives the side eleva-
tion of this engine, and in the drawings on this
and the following page will be found sec-
tions which will assist in showing the gen-
eral construction. This engine is of the con-
solidation type, and has cylinders 20 in. in diameter
and 24 in. stroke. The driving wheels are 50 in. in
diameter, and the weight upon them is nearly 110,-
000 lbs. The boiler is of the wagon top type and is
62 in. in diameter at the smoke- box end. The entire
shell is built of steel !I-1B in. thick, with the excep-
lof the throat sheet, which is i in. thicker, in

uncommon practice of carrying the crown sheets of
a boiler fitted with radial stays a little higher than
is desirable, so that a large number of tubes may be
put in the boiler, has not been followed in this case,
but the crown sheet has been kept low enough to
provide a good steam space in the boiler, something
which is more desirable in some cases than a few
more tubes. Generally speaking, a boiler tilted
with radial slays will not have the same number of
tubes as one in which the crown sheet is flat, unless
the latter is carried to an objectionable height. It
is very sure, however, that the loss of heating sur-
face in the tubes is not so great an objection as a
small steam space which would be the result of
carrying the crown sheets higher than usual.

The engine frame is in three pieces, one large
forging extending from the cab bracket to the cylin-
der. Between the front pedestal and the cylinder a
joint is made for the top and lower rails of the frame,
so that either of these two can be removed from the

HEA-\-Y CONSOLIDATION LOCOMOTIVE,
order to allow for the effects of flanging. The fire-
box is placed between the frames and above the rear
axle, the fire-box ring being inclined from that axle
forward, and horizontal from that point to the back
of the boiler. The crown is supported by radial stays
I in. in diameter. The water spaces at the sides of
the box have been very carefully designed, and have
been made tti widen considerably toward the top, so
that the circulation will be good. The by no means

RHODE ISLAND LOCOMOTIVE WORKS,
main forging. The fire-box being in between the
frames the whole equalizing arrangement is placed
above the latter, thus making it a little more simple
than is generally the case upon consolidation locomo-
tives. The second, third and fourth pairs of drivers
are all equalized together in one system, and the
first pair and the trucks are equalized together in
the second system. The piston guides, crosshead
rods, etc., are very well proportioned. The steam

chest valve is balanced, but we notice that the bal-
ance plate above the valve is a part of the steam
chest cover casting. This is generally found less
satisfactory than when the plate is made separate
and bolted lo the cover. It is, however, fair to say
that unless this latter form of plate is very carefully
fastened to the cover, it will not be satisfactory.
The arrangement of the various fixtures in the cab is
very complete, and convenient to the enginemen. It
will be seen that all of the valves are located in one
steam cock or stand, which is bolted on top of the
boiler, and receives its supply of steam through a
small dry pipe which extends up into the dome. The
throttle lever is also fulcrumed upon this stand and
the throttle rod extends forward above it and
through the cab along the top of the boiler to the
dome, where it passes through a stuffing box into
the boiler. The position of the lubricator is much
tetter than usual. It is not put as close to the front of
the cab as possible, a position in which it is fre-
quently seen, even where the cab is as large as this
one, and the boiler extends through it. From the
specifications which have been kindly furnished us
by the builders we abstract the following dimensions
and particulars in regard to the engine:

S«„gwh«w.;v.::;:::.:;-..::;:;;::::::;

SSI :.£SlSo°/ ''■;S'n°e''und-tinde,.V.-.

'■'""'4'ft''8^f''
16 no!"
4,7tV"m

WeKrht on drivers (working order)

Weight on trucks " "

^i:J1^^.^";KS"''^°^.°""^';;.
IS?!!*:^'^':"^::;::":::::::::::;;:;::.:;:

BOILER.

Style Of boiler

gJiSlrof-sb^i;.;----;-::.-:."

'4S

ft coal

?SK^^''."'."'!":;:::-.v;::-:::.;;:;;.::.-

1 1 arooal iron

Diameter of tubes

in D

inrc-box...... .'

liw , in X Si^ in

SS|"JS?Sktubes-:-;"::;:::;:;::

HeatlDi? surface, flre-box

l.n_.ul,.l,tay.

Pistan rings

G uides.'TLitird) ." .' .' .' '. ." .' .' .' .' .' .' .' ' ." ' .' .' ,' .

1 t 11-011 spring ring
twi ted iron

Driving wheels, (eight)

DrlMng tires 1st and 4th pairs

Driving tires, 2Dd and 3rd pairs

Drivingaxles

Driving axle journals

Connecting rods

Crank pins

Style two wheeled swing i

Wheels, (Paige steel tiredi

lOin diameter

haium n-d iron

steel

Win

Prof. .1. B. Johnson, of Washington University at
St. Louis, has made a study of the results of the
tests of metal brake beams which were conducted by
the Master Car Builder's committee at Altoona, in
June, 1889, and in two letters addressed to the Na-
tional Hollow Brake Beam Company he gives his
conclusions, together with some remarks on the
qualities which should be found in a good beam.
We give the following abstract of them:

"There are three important qualities required in
a brake beam; they are: strength, stiffness and elas-
tic resilience, or springiness, that quality by which
they may be able to resist shocks or blows, or sud-
den jars. This latter quality of resilience is apt to
be opposed to that of stiffness, but it is very desirable
to have both qualities represented in the same beam
to a high degree. I find this to be true in your beams.

Subplement to the RAILWAY MASTER l\/IEGHAI\IIG, June, 1890.

I I

T-^=T

o o o o\ <

O O O O \ !

i^ICT

f^~^^-'rU

HEAVY CONSOLIDATION LOCOMOTIVE

RHODE ISLAND LOCOMOTIVE WORKS.

THK RAIL^A^AY MASTER MECHANIC.

STIFFNES.S AND ELASTIC

Name of Beam.

Weight.

Load of 15.0110 lbs.
DeBectlon.i Set.

Ultimate
Strength.

p^'rTCn.

per lb. of Iron.

Elastic resil-
ience in in.-lb.
per Ib.of iron.

National. ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; "JS;;

9S-5 ••
?2 5 ■•

Is::

MO ••

76- •;

78- ••
79-5 •■

«9- •'

79- ••
72- ••
«8- ■•

'':h'5

■08

•105
MS
■09
•06

■Ml,

:if

•IM

;oi
■016
■01

■00

•015

:l!l

■00

35,500

IS
selaou

27,500
27,000
33.000
38,700
31,600

1:^0

549
634

^■3

21 3

^^ ]
21-3
3r5 J
26^0-

Wt 1

in
111 J

30-0

No.5

Penna. K. (Westinghuuse tj-pejNo. i
...No.5

5S!
417

211

P C. 4 St L . .No. 1

mean = 46:)
422

421

498

' ::' ""■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■£ I

18-9

Central No. 1

mean =449

466
291
425

494

:i ==£M

13.3

lu fact they excel all others tested. In all three re-
quirements. I have tabulated the results of my an-
alysis on the accompanying sheet. Since the beams
were of varying weight, the results could only be
compared by dividing all the results by their corres-
ponding weights and so obtaining the results per
pound of metal in the beam. This is a fair basis of
comparison, since all these results vary directly with
the weight.

"To be sure, when reduced to a weight of metal of
one pound, the results do not represent any physical
fact as shown in the tests, for we could not have a
beam weighing one pound, but they are the true ex-
pressions of the relative strength, stiffness and re-
silience of the beams. Thus if a beam weighing 100
lbs. has an ultimate strength of 53,400 lbs., we may
say its strength is 534 lbs. for every pound of iron in
it; and if another beam weighing SO lbs. has a
strength of 37,300 lbs., we may say its strength is
46« lbs. for every pound of iron in it. We thus ob-
tain figures which are comparable, and in no other
way can these results be directly compared.

"Similarly with the stiffness; the greater the de-
flection the less the stiffness, or we may say that the
stiffness varies inversely with the deflection; also
the stiffness increases directly with the weight. To
obtain an accurate basis of comparing the stiffness
of the beams tested I have computed the load re-
quired to deflect each beam O-ol in. per pound of
weightof beam. That is, find the load required to
deflect the real beam O'Ol in. and divide this by the
weight of the beam, the same as was done for
strength.

"The elastic resilience ofjthe beam is the measure
of the shock or blow it can absorb without being per-
manently distorted. It is found in inch-pounds per
IMund of weight of beam by taking those tests which
just come up to the elastic limit, multiplying one-
half the load at this ix)int by the deflection and
dividing this by the weight of the beam. It may not
be clear how this is a true measure of the elastic re-
silience or " shock power "' of the beam, but
it is in fact the measure of the work,
or energy, spent in the beam, per [wund of
metal in it, to deflect it up to its elastic limit. Al-
though this property may seem somewhat abstruse
in this form, still it is exceedingly important to all
forms of mechanism about freight or passenger cars,
where such shocks or blows are very common.

■'Some resilience or spring in the beam is necessary
to protect it from harm when sudden shocks or blows
come upon it. It must have strength to withstand
the dead pull of the brake rods, b*>t strength alone
will not resist shock. We must combine strength
with deflection or distortion under load, in order to
get resilience or resistance to shocks. In order that
the beam may remain uninjured also, this distortion
or deflection must be within its elastic limit; that is
to say, it must not take a permanent set. It is well
known that wood will take a permanent set under a
very small load if it is long continued or frequently
imposed. .-Mthough such a beam has great resilient

action under a single or under a tew shocks, this re-
silience is not elastic resilience, for it is not within
the elastic limits of the material. It is only the elas-
tic resilience, therefore, which is valuable in a brake
beam.

"It may be shown that a trussed beam gives not
only a greater strength, but also a greater stiffness
and a greater elastic resilience than any other form
of solid beam, or plate girder. This is but a matter
of mathematical analysis, provided all are of the
same material and of the same weight. Of different
kinds of trussed beams, all of the same span and
depth of truss, or length of middle strut piece, that
form will have the greatest strength and elastic re-
silience, tor a given weight, which allows of the
highest stress in the parts, before taking a perma-
nent set. In any properly proportioned beam of this
character, the back strut will give way first by
buckling up under a compressive stress, and thus
take a permanent set and require a readjustment of
the brake rods.

"It is an experimental fact.al so sustained by theory,
that a hollow cylindrical form gives greater strength
in compression than any other, and allows of a higher
stress before coming to its elastic limit. This ex-
plains why the hollow compression member of the
National beam gives both a higher strength and also
a higher elastic resilience than the solid forms. That
this conclusion is borne out by experiment is abund-
antly shown by the Alt90na tests, where the elastic
resilience of the National beam, in inch-pounds per
pound of metal in the beam is 30, while that of the
Penns.vlvania Railroad beam wiis but lil, for the

lEAVY CONSOLIDATION LOCOMOTIVE.-RHODE ISLAND LOCOMOTIV

THE RAILWAY MASTER MECHANIC.

Westinghouse 19, tor the Central 13 and foi' the
Marden but 7-5.

"The stiffness is necessary to prevent an excessive
movement of the air piston or main brake rod, but it
should be attained without any sacrifice of resilience.
As may be seen by the appended tabulation, the
National beam does combine both of these qualities
in an eminent and superior degree. Thus the
National beam is 15 per cent, stronger, 21 per cent,
stiffer and 30 per cent, more resilient than the
Pennsylvania Railroad beam per pound of metal: lU
per cent, stronger, 7 per ce;it. stiffer and 37 per cent,
more resilient than the Westinghouse beam per
povujd of metal; and 28 per cent, stronger, 116 per
cent, stiffer and -56 per cent, more resilient than the
the Central beam per pound of metal. The above
percentages are taken directly from the average re-
sults in the accompanying table. The P., C. & St.
L. beam did not have any elastic limit determiaed,
but the National beam was 26 per cent, stronger and
26 per cent, stiffer per pound of metal than the one
specimen of this form which was tested. All theae
are obtained on the same basis, namely: of an equal
weight of metal in the beam. The original tests
themselves furnish a basis of comparing the beams
as actually constructed and tested. I attribute the in-
creased values found for the National beam to the ob-
servance of true scientific principles in its construc-
tion, especially in the character of the end ioint,and in
the use of a hollow compression member. I do not see
how it is possible to get better results out of a given
weight of metal."'

OfBcers' Car— M. L. S. & W. By.

Our illustration shows an officers' car recently
built by the Milwaukee, Lake Shore & Western Ry..
of which Mr. Jno. Hickey is master mechanic. The
car is -58 feet long and 9 feet 8 inches wide over body.
The framing is of special design. The sides of the
car under the sheathing have a wood lining with
grain running lengthwise of car. The end sills are
stiffened with 3-8x6i inches iron plate, which is
firmly fastened between the end sill and the sub end
sill, into which the center and intermediate sills are
tenoned. The sill framing is supported laterally by
i in. rods and girts, which are placed not more than
two feet from centers throughout the whole
length of the ear. The car has two observation
rooms, state room, and sections as shown, with a fold-
ing bed, desk, and map case, in the large observation
room. The car has a sleeping capacity for eleven
persons, not including the porters, and is very con-
venient throughout all its details.

Decorative Designs for Car Interiors.

Some recent decorative work designed for the in-
teriors of cars at the Chicago shops of the Chicago &
Northwestern is very tasieful. We are enabled
through the courtesy of Mr. C. A. Schroyer, super-
intendent of the car department of that road, to pre-
sent drawings of a portion of this work. In our en-
graving No. 1 is a corner of a center panel; No. 2 an
end of a center panel; No. 3 a corner of a lamp
panel: No. 4 the half of a center panel,' No. 5 a por-
tion of a panel of the lower deck; No. 6 an end of a
narrow panel; and No. 7 a break in a ribbon design
in a raised root. The colors used are mainly gold,
silver and black, (the latter only slightly used), and
while they are as quiet in their tints as are the flow-
ing lines in design, the effect of the finished
work is thoroughly artistic. In both design and
color there is everywhere visible a tone of quiet ele-
gance and a close adhesion to the true principles of
decorative art. The care adorned with the decora-
tions that we recently saw at these shops — of which
our drawings present a fair sample— will prove a
standing rebuke to the garish effects sought by some
recent designers.

—Within a short time we have heard several motive
power and car officials speak very enthusiasticaUy of the
working of the Ross-Meehan brake shoe. It not only great-
ly lengthens the service of tires between turnings, but also
lessens the liability to accident on account of double flanges,

\|-T

0'<

THE ASANIAS CLDB.

BegnUr May Meeting U. S. Hotel, Boston, Mass.

At one session of the May meeting, (which meeting
lasted a month) of the Ananias Club, the following
paper was read by Professor R — ch — e.

The new pocket hammers (locally known as "silencers")
icently distributed by the management of an eastern road
to its passenger trainmen, have a compact solid silver head
m aluminum handle. The total weight is small, and
they can be carried in a side pocket. Being made of pure
Is they can easily be kept bright even when frequent-
ly used. It is well known that for a passenger killed in an
accident the highest amount of damage which a railway
)e compelled to pay is $.5,000, but for iniuries not fatal
: is no limit to the amount which a jury may award
the court adjudge. As much as *30,000 has been
awarded for a mashed thumb. By deftly usmg these
hammers on injured passengers, the possibility of their
surviving to collect big damages is avoided, and they are
all brought within the $5,000 class. In the excitement
which necessarily attends a collision or a bad derailment,
a trainman of experience can, by a few well directed blows,
save his company a great many thousands of dollars.
Originally the duty of thus reducing the ml damnum in
personal injury suits devolved upon the j'outh who sells
pea nuts and light literature on passenger trains, who for
that reason soon began to be called the "train butcher."
Sometimes however, iu case of extensive accidents the
"butcher" had more work than he could perform, and the
improved modem practice is to provide one man to each car
tc perform this disagreeable but highly profitable work.

In the discussion of the foregoing paper which
followed a well known official of the O. C. Railroad
insisted that a small model of a Safford draw-bar
would knock any silver mounted hammer galley
west in efficiency in "removing'" injured passengers.
He said, too, that it would last twice as long as any
hammer, and that the trainmen would like it better.
A visiting member, Mr. A — g— s S— no — r, then
recited the following lines:

When the shades of night have gathered

Underneath the starry spheres.
And I've ordered from the buffet

Some cigars and several beers,
'Tis then I lightly scramble

To an "upper" Pullman bed.
And Usten to the patter

Of the cinders overhead.

Every tinkle on that tin roof —

Rouses memories in my brain,
Till a swarm of recollections

Bring the past to life again —
Yes, a thousand recollections

Mix and weave into a woof,
As I list 'twixt sleep and waking

To the clatter on the roof.

Now in fancy come the fellows,
(Some were modest — some had gall '.)

Who could fix our locomotives
So that not a spark would fall.

Oh: I see their eager faces,
Hear them Nature's laws repeat,

As the cinders pelt the car root,
" " "J storm of sleet.

Likes

vild

There was Bro

That he'd " got it," loud he swore.
As he laid his smoke consumer

In a model on the floor.
It was tried upon an engine —

Brown in cash and hope went broke,
Paying fines for violating

Kobinson disclaimed al

"science"

What was "practical

was his "lay."

With his nettings and deHectors

Not a spark could get away.

But when pulling up

he ridge,

Sparks like meteors stp

;amed and burni

Two new trestles and

a bridge.

Never threw out sparks because

He consumed them in tbe fire-box.

Heeding all conibusti

on"s laws

Poured in when the 1

elds were dry.

And three brakemen lo

t their eyesight

Hit by cinders in the

eye.

inventions

This smoke nuisance

destroy,

And thus f,'u.' i h-' r.nlr

Clean slni- . .".,r. „

1 ivat joy!

Faded p'l , ,■., ; .

While the >lii II,,,,' -i,,i'

i ,,i riuders

n,„r swept.

THE RAILWAY MASTER MECHANIC,

A LOCAL MASTER MECHANICS' ASSOCIATION-

How the Mechanical Officials of a Large Railway System
May Systematically Work Together.

Most of our ivadei's an- awart.- nf the fact thai
there bas been in successful ojjoration for some years
on the Chicago, Burling'ton vS: Quincy Railroad an
orffanization known as its "Master Mechanics' Asso-
ciation;" and also of the fact that the work of this
association has been of notably great value and aid
to the successful administration of the mechanical
department of this road. There is no reason why
similar associations should not be founded and suc-
cessfully conducted upon other roads where the sys-
tem is so extensive that co-operation among various
members of the mechanical staff becomes difficult of
attainment.

In order that the plan and operation of this asso-
ciation may be fully understood, we have prepared
the following account of its organization and work-
ings. The details of the scheme of organization and
the forms which we give are, in the main, identical
with those employed on the Chicago, Burlington &

All Division Master MeL-ljiinii.-s.

The ( leoeral Storekeeper.

Lumber Purchaser from Pun-hasing Depa

Kntjineer of Testa.

Clieinist, (fron laboratory.]

And any olliera thought necessary from ea

In order thj

of the association never becouio mixed up the superinten-
dent of motive power should always be the chairman. It will
be his duty to secure from members of the association as
early after each meeting as prauticablo such subjects as
they may want discussed at the next meeting, to have
them properly tabulated, numbered and sent out to each
member between each regular meeting, ao that nil may
come prepared to take part. Each member should be
asked to name two or three subjects so that if two or more
should name the same subject tbere will be enough addi-
tional to make up a suitable list. He will preside at all
meetings, appoint all committees and perform such other
duties as individual cases may require. [Complete instruc-
tions regarding the duties of a L-bairmau will be found in
"Robert's Kules of Order," section Mi and r)O.J

The secretary should be the secretary of the superinten-
dent of niotive power, and should be permanent. All bus-
iness will then arise at and eventually return to one place,
which is the headquarters of the association. It will be the
secretary's duties to keep the minutes of the association
and to provide each n3ember with a copy of them; to re-
ceive and keep (in aspecial tilefor the purpose] all reports
' such other papers as may pertain to the

tiou, adding to the interest of the meetings, and deciding
from a parliamentary standpoint all disputed points in de
bate f pages S. 9 and 10.]

A short recess should be arranged for by the chairman
at both morning and afternoon sessions to give membei'S
an opportunity to examine specimens of material of any
kind, and blue prints or drawings under discussion, and to
exchange ideas in a general way on some subject to be
discussed before it comes formally before the association,
and for a few words of social converse.

! feet i

uld be placed

of the minutes

Subjcfttt, Sclallon anil Nanilterlnu.
From 12 to 1.") subjects can usually be discussed during
the two days' session. They should be called for und s«
lected by the chairman as explained nnder duties of chaii
man. They should be numbered by hundreds, thus: First
meeting, 15 subjects, should be numbered from lUl toll
both inclusive: second meeting, 'JOl 10 215, both inclusive
third meeting, 3UI, and thus through all subsequent meet-
ings. This will avoid confusion wuich might result from
referring to subject No. I of the tirst meeting or subject
No. 1 of the second meeting; or if the numbers ran con-
secutively from 1 to 100 or more, the number itself would
give no information as to which meeting it was taken up
at, while if the hundred ligure is used for each meeting, it
indicates at which meeting the subject was tirst intro-
duced, and can be referred to readily, thus: Subject 312
would be the 12th of the third meeting; 40S would be the
Slh subject of the fourth meeting, etc. Where a subject
has been referred to a committee who report at a subse-
quent meeting it should appear in the minutes of the sub-
sequent meeting bearing both numbers, thus: Subject 210
is reported on by the committee in meeting No. 5—
the subject in the minutes would go out, " Subject

210

subject ^

meeting No. 6

uld go(

"Sub-

s, or general

DECORATIVE DESIGNS FOR CAR INTERIORS.-C. & N. W. R. K.

CJuincy Railroad; although it is, of course, not essen-
tial that they be absolutely followed. In the prepara-
tion of this description of the operation of this asso-
ciation and the forms used, we have been very great-
ly aided by Mr. F. S. Woods, formerly chief clerk
of the motive power department of the Burlington
road, and now with the Hutchins Car Roof Co. He
was active in the organization of the association, and
he was its secretary while connected with the road.
Before giving the forms used we present the follow-
ing notcs<lescribing the organization of such an asso-
ciation, which arc drawn up in the shape of sugges-
tions to those who desire to create such an a.ssocia-
tion on their road.

SCHEME OF ORGANIZATION-.

Mcmbera should consist of
Superintendent of Motive Power, [who is |>ermanent

Secretary of Motive Power Department, [who is perman-
ent secretary.]
Mechanical Engineer.
Chief Clerk Motive Powf

business of the association, keeping them entirely separate
from the regular motive power correspondence. The .sec-
retary's copy of the minutes of the meetings should all be
kept in one book and an index prepared so that reference
can be made readily at any time to any subject and informa-
tion obtained as to how it stands, i. e., whether it has been
disposed of temporarily or permanently, or whether it is in
the hands of the committee, or any other disposition.

Time and Place of Mcetimj.
-*The meetings should be held regularly every 90 days and
enough subjects provided for two days' discussion. At the
close of the first meeting it can be decidod by vote of the
association the time and place the next meeting is to be
held, and so on for all meetings thereafter. If convenient
quarters can be secured it would be well to change the
place of meeting each time, which affords a change for the
members and an opportunity to visitthedifferent shops and
to observe the differences in workmen and methods, thi
iwssibly suggesting subjects for the next meeting.
Rules of Order.

1st. Call to order by chairman.

2d. Roll call by secretary.

3rd. Reading of minutes of previous meeting.

r»th. New business.

"Robert's Rules of Order" will be found a most excel
lent guide for conducting the deliberations of the a.ssocia

ject ". At first sight this method of numbering may

seem superfluous, but when the actual business begins and
three or four meetings ai-e held, it will be found to be indis-
pensable.

Coiiimittecs.

When committees are to be appointed the person who
names the subject should be the chairman.

If the subject pertains to physical tests of any ' ■ ' "'
engineer of tests should I

If chemical analyses ai
member.

If comparative figures or tabulated
sired the chief clerk of the
keeper, may be needed as mem

If changes in drawings are proposed the mechanical en-
gineer should be a member.

If changes in locomotive or car construction are wanted,
three master mechanics may be desirable and the mechani-
cal engineer or other members should be instructed to as-
sist them by furnishing such sketches, drawings, figures,
or other data as may be needed to assist the committee in
their work.

Work given some committees may require longer than 9U
days; in which case they can report progress at the next
meeting, and ask for an extension of time, which should be
granted by motion that the report of progress be accepted
and extension of time allowed.

The nature of the case will usually suggest to the chair-
lan of the association how many the committee should be
omposed of and who they should be.

Ci>i)ies of Minutes and how Approved.

As soon as possible after each meeting the secretary
should write, or have written, a copy of the minutes by
electric pen, cyclostyle, hektograph or some other duplicat-
ing process and send a copy to each member of the asso-
ciation. If proprietary lines conform to the standards of
the main stem and are governed by a general superintend-
ent or treneral manager, to whom master mechanics report,
an extra copy should be sent all such master mechanics,
who will forward lo their superior such extra copy stating bv
letter of tnirr^T'i-T';!! hri^M', just what recommendations
aromadi>l>,\ Mh i^^ „ m' ,,,., mid ask his approval. The
superioroOi i ungthe matter over, advise

his master ( , > ..inmendations he approves

ing how
11. This
advises

change in standards is made the chairman immei
vises the mechanical ergineer to change his dn
cordingly, showing the change or changes and
enough blue prints to supply all i

ings I if mounted on boards] across the face stencilled in

paint the words "Oaocclcd date;" if drawings

are not mounted they may be returned lo the mechanical

engineer for cancelation or destruction.

METH<»DS AND FORMS USED IN COKRESPONDPiNCE.

Assuming that the foregoing has acquainted our
readers with the general scheme of the organiza-
tion, we will proceed with some details as to the
methods and form of correspondence to bo used in
its conduct. We will suppose that a similar associa-
tion is to be organized. The meeting should bo
called by the superintendent of motive power, and a

THE RAIL^VAY MASTER MECHANIC.

iJ4^j^i4i44iil I -^ ^

i-Qij--

THRbK C\LINDER COMPOUND LOCO MOTH E -

letter addressed to all persons •who are to become
members of the association. Something like the
following would be sufficient;

It is the desire of the management of our company that
an association of the master mechanics and others inter-
ested i'l the care of equipment, machinery and tools, sup-
plies, etc., connected with the operation of the mechanical
department be organized, and that regular meetings be
held from time to time for the discussion of such changes
and improvements as may be considered advisable.

The tiist meeting will be held at on the

.... day of Please arrange to be present.

The meeting will be called to order at . . . o'clock.

In order that these meetings may be profitable to aliit
will be necessary that we know in advance just what sub
jects are to be discussed. Will you therefore please send
me by return mail a list of three (:J| subjects which you
would like to have considered. A complete list will be fur-
nished you later so that you may come prepared to make
the meeting not only interesting but useful.

Signed Supt. M. P-

We will assume that the first meeting called as
per foregoing letter has been held. The next step
will be the sending of the following letter by the
chairman of the meeting to the master mechanics
of the proprietary lines:

John Doe, Esq.,

M. M

Deak Sik— Kiii-loseii herewith I hand you a copy of the
minutes of our Master Mechanics' Association 'meeting
No. 1, for your personal file, and an extra copy for your
general manager, which please forward to him with a let-
ter of transmittal, staling briefly the recommendations of
the associaiion, and requesting his a)>proval of such of them

Subject No. 101 ... . docs your manager approve
Sub - ■•••--

'^L-

Will j'OU please send nie three subjects for discussion at
our next meeting'

Signed

Chairman.
When responses to the toregoinff inquiries have
been returned, the superintendent of motive power
then sends a letter after the following form to the
vice president of the road:

And a copy of t

Vice President, Chicago.
Deak Sik— Enclosed herewith pic
minutes of the first meeting of our Master Mecbani
sociation. The recommendations of the association have
been submitted to the managers of the proprietary lines
and have been anproved by a majority, as follows:

Subji

Etc.

HIT)

NORTHERN RAILWAY OP PRANCL
le instructions to change
Signed

Supt. M. P.
If the approval of the vice president comes baclr,
the superintendent of motive power then sends the
following instructions to the mechanical engineer of
the road:

Mecli. Engineer, Aurora:
R— The following subjects of our master mech
Ling No. I have met the approval of the mana
! proprietary lines, and our vice president, am

Subject, No. 1(11

Please change all drawings to correspond with the

recommendations and seud me blueprints

which I will furnish to the different members.

Sunt. M. P.
After the blue prints have been sent to the super-
intendent of motive power by the mechanical en-
gineer, then he sends the. following letter to the
division master mechanics, informing them of
the approval of the new standards by the vice presi-
dent, and announcing that blue print details of the
same go by same mail:

John Doe. Esq.,

ter mechanics' meeting No. :

equipment and repairs of old.
Subject No. 101

We send you by I
print drawings Ni
drawings "ci

and i-etum to

be standax'd for all

Please mark your old
me for destruction.

This action thus systematically disposes of the
standards adopted at the first meeting. Then in due
course of time the superintendent of motive power
sends out, as chai rman of the association, the follow-
ing notitication of the second meeting, said notifica-
tion including the topics which had been selected
for discussion at that meeting. [The topics we give,
be it understood, are typical or imaginary.]

3, to be held at Burlington, May 12th and VSlh. Pleas
come prepared to express yourself fully on them.

Signed

Chairman.

Subject No. 203— Crown bars. What is the 1
of securing '.

Subject No.
drilled; If yes
a hole:

Subject No 3W— Paint. What is the most serviceable
color for coaches ;

Subject No. 30.5— Ladders for box cars. Should there
be four or five rounds; Trainmen complain that with four
the reach from top round to round on roof is too great for
short men. Should they be located on sides or ends of

Subject No. 206— Center plates. A change from cast iron
to pressed steel is recommended.

Subject No. 307— Oils. What are the best adapted for
lubricating shafting and loose pulleys, cutting bolts, tap-
ping nuts, drilling, etc.

Subject No. 20S— Oils for locomotives. What allowance
should be made engineers per 100 miles, and should such
allowance include or exclude illuminating oil;

Subject No. 20^- Nozzles, Are double or single ex-
haust best, and what should be the size of the opening;

Subject No. 210— Water tanks, drinking, larger, for
through passenger cars.

Subject No. 311— Brakes for locomotive drivers. It is
claimed a driver brake of a different system and indepen-
dent of the train brake should be used, thus giving an
emergency brake in case of failure of the train brake.

As heretofore intimated under the head of " Sub-
jects, Selection and Numbering ^^ this association's
work would quickly become comparatively valueless
if the records were not carefully and systematically
kept. It is essential that the book of minutes should
be fully written up promptly, and with proper atten-
tion to systematic detail. A book of minutes by it-
self would, if not properly indexed, afford but a poor
record. A careful index is essential, and we will
proceed with a description of the method of index-
ing the minutes used upon the C. B. & Q.

Supposing the subject to be "Water Tanks, Drink-
ing, Larger for Through Passenger Cars," and
it should be the tenth subject of the second meeting.
By referring to the index, running down the alpha-
bet to " W,'' and opening the book we would find:
"Water Tanks, Drinking, Larger for Through Pas-
senger Cars, Subject 210." Then upon opening the
book at the index numbered "201," and turning over
until 210 is reached, something like the following
might appear:

THE RAIL^VAY MASTER MECHANIC.

THREE CYLINDER COMPOUND LOCOMOTIVE.-NORTHERN RAILWAY OF FRANCE.
Interior of High Pressure Cylinder.

ugh Passen-

310

"Water Tanks, Drinking, Larger for Thi
ger Cars."
Feb. 10, 1S90.— Chicago, discussed, page 37 of minutes

Refered to committee .... and .... page 39
Ma.v 11, l«Hi.— liuiliiiK'ou, committee report recommending

larger tanks and submit plan, page .V,*.
May -1, ly.KI— Aurora, sent to master mechanics for ap-

provalof manauers, page ill.
May31,lS90 — Aurora, sent to vice president for final ap-
proval, page ti«.
June 1.5, ls<K>— Aurora, made standard and blue piint

drawings sent to master mechanics, page 71.

By reference to the page of the minutes referred
to by this index each consecutive step will be found
from \ln original discussion until final adoption.
The rc|)ortof the committee, approval or disapproval
of managers, together with that of the vice presi-
dent, would all go in one wrapper in the file of pa-
pers pertaining to meeting number two. It will be
readily observed that if this method of indexing
and filing is properly followed up, any subject can
be referred to after a lapse of from five to ten years
as easily as on the day of entry, and it can be done
in five minutes at either time if the books are pro-
perly kept.

The foregoing will, we think, make clear the plan
of organization and conduct of the C. B. & Q. mas-
ter mechanics association, and reveal something of
the possibilities of such associated work upon large
railway systems.

The May Club Meetings.

The various railway clubs held their usual meet-
ings in May. but we are unable to give space to their
discussions in this issue. The Western Railway Club
had an interesting talk on "Counterbalancing "
motives," ".lournal Boxes," and the "Comparative
Flange Wear of Wheels." The Xew England Club
discussed the "Length of Rigid Wheel
missible on American Railways." The Northwest
Club discussed "Driver Brakes

From information and drawings furnished us by the

superintendent of rolling stock of the Northern

Railway of France, we have prepared the following

account of a three-cylinder compound which has

given excellent satisfaction on that road:

The peculiar feature of the design of this engine

that the engine can be run either as a compound

FlK.S.Sectlon AB

or as an ordinary locomotive. In addition to the ap-
plication of the compound principle, it possesses cer-
tain other peculiarities, the principal of which are
the high boiler pressure which has been pUiced at
200 lbs. per sq. in., and the method of steam distri-
bution from the high pressure cylinder, which will
be described further on. Sectional views of the en-
gine are shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and the details of
the distribution in the high pressure cylinder, the
exhaust, etc., are given by the smaller figures, while
the table of the principal dimensions, etc., will be
found at the end of this article.

There are three cylinders i)laeed transversely
upon the same line, all connected with the center
pair of drivers; the inside crank, which is driven by
the inside or high pressure cylinder, is located in the
plane bisecting the right angle formed by the cranks
of the two outside or low pressure cylinders. The
steam distribution in these last is accomplished on
the Walschaert system with a change in the revers-
ing screw; the valves are under a reduced pressure
and are provided with the Trick canal. The steam
chest covers, owing to their great surface and the
high pressure which they are called upon to with-
stand, when the steam from the boiler is admitted
directly into them, are made of wrought iron. The
diameter of the high pressure cylinder, which was
originally IS in., has been reduced to 1" in. (the di-
ameter of the cylinders of the high speed locomo-
tives of the same line) by the application of a cast
iron lining, leaving a free space between its outside
and the inside of the original cylinder, which can be
utilized as a steam jacket. The intermediate re-
ceiver, consisting of spaces cast on either side of the
inside cylinder and forming a i)art of it, communi-
cate with the steam chests of the low pressure cylin-
ders by pipe connections.

Experiments made with a four cylinder compound
engine on this road have shown that the excessive
compression of the steam in the high pressure cy-
linders resulted in a loss of power and a hindrance
to easy motion at a high speed. This detect has,
however, been corrected by modifying the valves
and enlarging the passages. In order to avoid this
trouble on the three cylinder engine, where it was
the more to be anticipated, inasmu'-h as it was
obliged to run with a higher pressure in the inter-
mediate receiver, a special method of steam distri-
bution with two valves (Pigs. 3 to 6) has been ustd
which, by limiting the length of the compression,
permits the avoidance of the disadvantage alluded

This distribution is not accomplished by the link
motion; the valve proper is controlled by an eccei.-
tric, and has an Invariable stroke which gives a con-
stant admission. It has two ports at the ends which
pass through it in a changing direction; their
edges, perpendicular to the center line of the cylin-
der upon the valve seat of the latter, have, uimn the
back of the valve, an inclination of 30 degrees to
Fig. 9. Section C O

THREE CYLINDER COMPOUND LOCOMOTIVE - NORTHERN RAILWAY OF FRANCE.

THE RAILW-AY MASTER MECHANIC.

June, 1890.

their original direction. The second valve or cut-
off valve, which works upon the back of the first, is
also controlled by an eccentric, and the inclination
of its edges corresponds to that of the ports of the
principal valve. As in all similar constructions, the
only function of the riding valve is to fi.\ the point of
cut-off, the principle of the distribution.in this case,
being that of the Meyer cut-off. The time of steam
admission is varied by displacinglhe valve laterally,
by the use of a system of levers controlled by a lever
moving along 51 notched quadrant beside the lire-
box. In consequence of this lateral displacement,
and because of the obliquity of the ports already al-
luded to, the cut-off valve, whose eccentric is keyed
on at ISO degrees from the crank pin, is located at
the beginning of the stroke, nearer the port which
it is to close, in proportion as it is drawn more to-
wards the right hand side of the engine, a position
corresponding to a shor' admission. The division of
the ports into two parts along its length, has for an
object the reduction, as much as possible, of the
size of the main valve and of the riding cut-off. In

order to facilitate the introduction of the steam
into the ports of the valve, hollows are cut into the
face of the valve which increase the actual section
of the passage at the end of admission, as in the
Trick canal.

The peculiarity of this method of distribution it
will be seen consists in the obliquity of the edges of
the exhaust jxjrt and of those of the exhaust cham-
ber of the valve. This obliquity permits the amount
of inside lap to be varied when the valve is moved
sidewise to vary the admission, permitting the
amount of compression to be controlled at "will.
When the valve is drawn to the left the admission
increases and the steam distribution continues up to
the point where the cut off valve no longer closes
the ports. Hut this leaves a very slight opening;
it is desirable, therefore, that the admission should
not be carried thus far in order to avoid a pronounc-
ed wire drawing of the steam and a too decided fall
in pressure at the point of cut off. If the valve is
drawn to its extreme position at the left, the steam
enters the cylinders permanently, not only by the
two admission ports, but by the exhaust port which
is also opened, so that the piston receives the pres-
sure upon both sides and does no work, while the
steam enters directly from the boiler into the out-
side cylinders after having passed through the in-
termediate receiver, and the engine then works like
an ordinary locomotive.

The diagram of distribution 'Fig. V) permits the
various phases of the work to bo examined. The
elliptical curve has been drawn in the ordinary man-
ner to show the movement of the valve. It shows the
position of the edge of the port, the ordinates indi-
cating the actual movements relatively to its original
position and the abscissas being on a scale of 1-7 of
the corresponding displacement of the piston. This

On account of this tractive power and its adhesive
weight, the locomotive may be compared with the
locomotives having eight wheels coupled on the
same road. On the other hand, from the diameter
of its driving wheels.which is 65 inches, it is adapted
to haul passenger trains at a moderate speed. In
fact it has been worked in both services.

To determine the power of the engine, a heavy
train of 628 gross tons was hauled at the average
speed of freight trains. It was able
grade of * of 1 per cent, at an even speed of 12* miles

CURVE OF DISTRIBUTION

HIGH PRESSURE CYLINDER
POUND LOCOMOTIVE.

[Actual displacement of valve 1-7 of piston motion. The diagram gives tv?o sets of lines for the
the greatest inclination are for an increased stroke.]

curve gives the extent of the points of distribution
in addition to that of admission.

The cut-off valve being at an opposite point in its
stroke to that of the piston, its motion would be
shown by a straight line were it not for the obliquity
of the connecting rods. This obliquity has been
taken into account in drawing the curves whose dis-
tance from that of the main valve, measured in the
direction of the ordinates, gives, for any position of
the piston, the distance between the position of the
cut-off valve and the edge of the valve which it
must meet to cut off the steam admission. This lat-
ter point is shown by the intersection of the two

THREE CYLINDER COM-

t-off; those with

For backing, the valve must necessarily be placed
in the transverse position, with direct steam admis-
sion to the outside cylinders, in which case the en-
gine cannot work as a compound.

The locomotive has a high cylinder power, on ac-
count of the high pressure of steam and the possi-
bility of admitting directly into the cylinders, so
that its tractive power is up to that corresponding
to the adhesion of the engine in working order,
which is 89,522 lbs. Working as a compound, and
with the latest point of cut-off in the high pressure
cylinder, which is at 02 per cent, of the stroke, it
possesses a theoretical tractive power of 20,7(K) lbs.,
and a practical power of 13,480 lbs., whose ratio to
the weight of the engine is

13,480 1

89,522 "" ()-6

per hour. The tractive power averaged 9,900 lbs.,
and the work utilized outside of the traction of the
tender was 325 horse power; while, from a calcula-
tion of the indicator diagrams, there appears to have
been 411 indicated horse power. In subsequent tests
with a train composed of 35 coal cars, a brake van
and a dynamometer car, the total weight being 548-9
gross tons, grades of 1 in 200 was climbed at a speed
of from 13J to I7| miles per hour. On a grade of 1 in
333, 29-8 miles per hour was made. On the entire
trip better time was made than had been made by
any other freight trains on the road, and it was evi-
dent that the steam production of the engine was
such that the same time could have been fnade with
a much heavier train.

Following are the prineipal dimensions of this en-

Wldth
Hdght <

ler with c

4-94 sq. ft
.■.■.■.'.".'..198

THE RAILWAY MASTER MECHANIC.

Total length of frame including 1

Diameter of truck wheels

Diameter of drivii
DlBtunoe l ■

1 truck wheels and fixim

Distance between front and center <
DistuBce between center aa I back <

Total wheel base

Truck axle journal

CYLINUEIIS.

appointed enKineer of tests i
as storekeeper same road i
storekeeper of the entire Uo
1st, ISSS, he was appointed :

he same road; July 1st, IbST,
January 1st, 1888, general
1 Pacific system. On August
ng general purchasing agent

Distance from centc

niiinieter

Stroke

Inclination to hori/ni

Length of port-,

Width of steam imrts...
Width of exhaust ports.
Outside lap of valves,...

Inside

Theoretical

maximum tractive powe
with co-efficient of 0*65. .
Weight of engine— empty

\'eight on truck axle . ,

The announcement that Mr. John Orttonis again in active
railroad service will be read with general satisfaction. Mr.
Ortton has successfully filled positions of the highest im-
portance and has shown himself to be a strongman. He is
an indefatigable worker, a student and thinlter and in the
highest and best meaning of the term a practical man. The
road which has secured his services, the Toledo, St. Louis
& Kansas City, is to be congratulated.

Mr. Henry B. Kiehle, of the firm of Riehle Brothers,
died April i't, at his residence in Philadelphia, in the -Vith
yeai- of his age. Mr. Riehle was born and educated in
Philadelphia. He was engaged in the coal business in
Washington for a few years, and afterward had a position
at Qirard college. At the beginning of the war he enlisted
with the "Anderson Cavalry," and after about 18 months'
active service was honorably discharged on account of
rheumatic difficulties, from which he never fully recovered.
In 187S he organized the firm of Riehle Bros., who suc-
ceeded A. B. Davis & Co., and Abbott & Co., which firms
were the pioneers in the scale business, and continued with
the same firm until his death. He devoted his time to per-
fecting and improving scales and the various special me-
chanisms made by the firm of Riehle Bros. He was an
energetic, active, business man, and by his genial manners
won a host of friends, both in business and society. The
firm continues business under the same name, his brother
having acquired his interest. Mr. H. B. Riehle wa
active member in several philanthropic and benevolent
associations, and also of the Lutheran Church in Philadel
phia. He leaves a widow and one son.

Mr. S. H. Harrington, mechanical engineer of the New
York, Lake Erie .& Western, has resigned to talie a position
with the Gould Manufacturing Co., Buffalo, N. Y. Prob.
ably there is no better mechanical draughtsman in the
country than Mr. Harrington, and his work and the draw
ing rooms which he has fitted up are well known to all
interested in such things.

Mr. A. E. Mitchell, who succeeds S. H. Harrington as
mechanical engineer of the New York, Lake Erie & WesU
em, has made a most excellent record as engineer of tests
of that road. He is young, bright and ambitious, and a
tireless worker, and will not fail to make his mark in the
field of railway mechanics.

It is sometimes said of certain purchasing agents that
they are merely clerks, that they have neither business ex
lierience nor acquaintance with the practical side of rail-
roading. Hut the following record of Mr. C. H. McKii''>en,
until recently purchasing agent of the Union Pacific, shows
that be, for one, has had an experience in other depart,
menls that admirably fits him for an intelligent handling
of the purchasing department:

Mr. McKibben started in the railroad busincs^ on Sep-
tember II, rtrr. in the service of the Pennsylvania railroad.
For three years he worked ar his trade as machinist in the
shops, with short details on what was called special duty in
the test department of the road. He was then in the test
department for a .vear. After this he fired an engine and
ran one for ano- her year. He was for still another year in
different capacities on the road, still in the motive power
department. In the summer of 188.i he entered the service
of the Union Pacific as inspector of rails and motive iwwcr
supplies. The 1st of January, 1886, he was appointed chief
inspector of the Union Pacific railway; July 1st, ISSii, was

)n February 15, 18.80, assistant general purchasing
as well as acting general purchasing agent, in charge
pply department of the Union Pacific system.. In
mber, ls.8'.i, he was appointed, in addition to his duties
as acting general purchasing agent, general superintend-
of the stone department, general superintendent of the
coai department, and general superintendent of the hotel
department ; and on November 1, 18si),'he was appointed
general purchasing agent of the Union Pacific system also
retaining his position a:? general superintendent of the
above named departments.

An important series of changes in the mechanical depart-
ments of three leading western roads has been made. Mr.
U. W. Cushing, superintendent of motive power of the
Union Pacific, has resigned, and Mr. Harvey Middleton, of
the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe, takes his place. Mr.
John Player, of the Wisconsin Central, succeeds Mr. Mid-
dleton on the Santa Fe road. Mr. Cushing's plans for the
future are not known ; and Mr. Player's successor on the
Wisconsin Central has not been announced.

We regret to learn of the death of Mr. John M. Sanborn,
master mechanic of the Lake Shore road, at Newark, O.

Mr. F. C. Robinson, formerly master mechanic of the
Atlantic & Danville, has been made master mechanic of
the Chicago & West Michigan, vice Thomas Butterworth-
resigned.

Mr. J. Kerr has been made master mechanic of the Mexi-
can National, vice W. I. McCammon. ■

Mr. William Miller has been appointed superintendent
of motive power of the Columbus, Hocking Valley & To-
ledo, vice Mr. John S. Patterson, resigned.

The death of Mr. James Nasmyth, of England, is an-
nounced. Mr. Nasmyth is widely known because of his
invention of the steam hammer, although he was a fertile
inventor in other fields.

Mr. David S. Cofrode, the well-known bridge builder,
is dead. Mr. Cofrode's position in his profession was
very high. It wiU be reinembered that he did some notable
work in repairing rapidly the wrecked biidges on the
Pennsylvania Railroad after the fioods of last year.

Mr. M. Donaldson, master mechanic of the Canada At-
lantic, has been made superintendent of transportation of
that road, retaining supervision of rolling stock and ma-
chinery.

BOOK NOTES.

The Official Railway List for IV.iii, which is now being
sent out, is in several important particulars an improve-
ment on any of the eight preceding annual issues. Besides
everythiLg which made the previous editions so valuable,
it gives all the new master car builders' standards which
were adopted last year. The general or "finding" index by
which the present location of any railway officer can be
quickly found now indicates the name of the road and the
official position as well as the page on which the full ad-
dress is given. An entirely new list, and one that will often
be referred to, is one giving the names and business address
of the traveling representatives of railway supply concerns
whose advertisements are found in the book.

The steady growth of the railway interests on the North
American continent is clearly shown by comparing each
edition of the List with the previous one. The edition
for 18110 shows that there are now 71!) railways
in operation and something over 7,.500 railway offi-
ials in this country. Last year the number was some'
what above 7,000. There are now about 3,000 more than in
188'J when the first annual edition of the List was issued.
The advertisements of railway supply concerns form a
very interesting feature of the Official Railway List. The
number of manufacturers and dealers whose names appear
in the " general index of advertisers" is iTH. The classi
fied index of advertisements covers, in the present edition,
fifteen and one-third pages, and embraces -t^O distinct head-
ings of articles which are used by railways. Th ose who
specify or purchase railway supplies can find in this index
the name of one or more manufa^-turcr of nearly ever.v
article which they have to select or buy. And among these
names are those of nearly all the leading houses in every
branch of the business. As a "guide" in the selection
and purchase of railway supplies the List has no rival.
The labor invol ved in compiling this valuable book has
steadily increased, and it is now very great. But the hearty
co-operatiim of railway men in furnishing corrected lists
of their respective roads has made the work possible, and
the general appreciation of the usefulness of the hook by
those who receive it has been very cheering. The recog-
nition of the value of the book by those who desire to ad.
vertisc railway supplies has also been a main factor in the

iss of the List, and makes it possible for the publish-

> place one in the hands of every railway official in

the United States, Canada and Mexico. Those who re-

! the book for the first time this vear will do well to

carefully look through it that they may fully understand its

' 3 as a book of reference, and as an aid to them in the

discharge of their ofticial duties.

One of the neatest and most tasteful little publications

issueSV't'l..- x' ,^'y' i". >"" \vt ' 'V ','"":' i;!"-!-!,!.., N. Y.
Its cover. p;i|i. I ' ',-■ , - r. i-fcct ex-

ler contaiiif.l ,i . . : i.i.i is well

worth reailiiiu- i;.jii,ii!fj vmi-. .i.n.i -i ~. ,~si,.ii of the
questions: "Can a perfect car uhoul be iitudc ; If so,
what must be its distinctive features;" the writer pro-
ceeds to speak of the careful and extended experiments
and tests made at the New York Car Wheel Works to se-
cure by means of mixtures of iron the highest degree of
strength. Beginning five years ago with a mixture which
gave an iron, an inch square bar of which, 12 inches long,
would support '2,800 lbs., it is stated that a strength of 4,000
lbs. has been attained as a regular and positive result
from certain mixtures, and that in exceptional cases a
strength of 5,000 lbs. has been reached. In this connection
the statement is made (and it is repeated elsewhere)
that out of over 5,000 wheels made by this concern and put
in service on leading railroads during the past five years,
not one wheel has ever broken. The pamphlet next dis-
cusses the effects of wheels being out of round, and of an
unbalanced distribution of metal in wheels. The occa-
sional uufairness of the present guarantee system is also
touched upon. Finally, the principles and methods adopted
by the New York Car Wheel Works for making wheels
perfectly round and perfectly balanced are explained and
illustrated. The pamphlet has been very carefully pre-
pared by a not unpractised hand. It has wisely been made
so brief that even a busy railroad man can spare time to
read the whole of it, and yet all the points are fully and
clearly developed.

Automatic Car Couplers.

The Secretary of the American Railway Master
Mechanics' Association has sent out the following
circular. In view of propssed congressional action
the importance of the subject is apparent and should
receive the careful attention of all interested.

New Ycikk, May .5, ISHO.

At the last meeting of the American Railway Master
Mechanics' Association, a committee was appointed on
"The Present Status of the Automatic Car Coupler Ques-
tions, and whether the association can endorse the action
of the Master Car Builders' Association in recommending
the vertical plane type as a standard form for mechanica'
standpoint."

In order that the committee may be able to report intelli-
gently on this question, they would like answers to the fol-
lowing questions:

1st. How many of the Master Car Builders' type (ver-
tical plane) couplers have you in use, and of whose design:

'Jd. If you have kept any record of the breakage of these
couplers, please furnish the committee with a summary of
your record.

3d. If you have kept a record, give the committee the
results, as near as you can, of your experience and observa-
tion concerning the durability of such couiilers.

4th. If you have any knnwl**dEeof accidents which have
resulted from the use of the Master Car Builders' type of
coupler, please advise the committee thereof.

5th. In the light of your knowledge and experience,
would you advise the Master Mechanics' Association to
ratify the action of the Master Car Builders' Association
in recommending the vertical plane type of couplers as a
standard.

As the next annual convention is close at hand, an im-
mediate reply to the above is requested.

Replies to be sent to John Hickey, Master Mechanic,
M. L. S. & W. Railway, Kaukauna, Wis.

Proposed Legislation on Safety Applii

We print herewith the bill introduced by Senator
Allison for the protection of property, trainmen and
other railroad employes in handlinfj locomotive
engines, freight trains and freight cars engaged in
interstate commerce :

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assem-
bled, That it shall be unlawful for any corporation,
company, person, or persons operating an.v line of railroad,
or for any car or transportation coropan.v using or leasing
freight cars engaged in interstate conimen;e, to put into
such use any new cars, or cars that have been sent to the
shops for general repairs, or when either of whose draw-
bars need to be replaced with new ones, that are not
equipped with safety automatic couplers ordraw-bars, such
as will not necessitate the going in between the ends of the
cars to couple or uncouple them, but which will automatic-
ally couple themselves, and can be uncoupled from the
sides of the cars.

Section ■-'. That after January 1, 18!i.'., it shall be unlaw-
ful for any corporation, company, or persons operating a
railroad, or any transportation company using or leasing
cars of an.v description used in interstate commerce, or in
the construction of any interstate railroad, to have in such
use for the transportation of freight, or passengers, or
both, any car not equipped with said safety automatic

Sec. 3. That it shall be unlawful for any conwration.
company, person, or persons operating any line of railroad
to use any locomotive engine in the work of interstate com-

THK FIAIL\VAY MASTER MECMANIC.

merce upou any railroad, or in any railroad yard, after the
first day of January, 1892, that is not equipped with a
proper and efficient power brake, or what is known among
railroad men as a "driTer brake."

Sec. 4. That it shall be unlawful for any corporation,
company, or person operating a line of railroad in the work
of interstate commerce to ruu any train in such work after
the first day of January, lS't3. that shall not have enough
cars in such train equipped with some kind of power or
automatic brake, so that the engineer upon the locomotive
can control the train, as passengers trains are now con-
trolled by the engineer, without requiring brakemen to go
between the ends or on top of the c^rs to use, as now, the
common band brake.

Sec. .5. That any corporation, company, or person oper
ating a railroad and engaged in interstate commerce, using
a locomotive engine or running a train of cars or using a
freight car or "way-car" contrary to the provisions of this
act, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be
subject to a fine of not less then tSoti nor more than 11,000
for each and every offense ; and any railroad employe in-
jured by such engine, train, or car contrary to the provis-
ions of this act shall not be considered as waiving the right
to sue and recover damages for personal injuries by having
remained in the employ of such corporation, company, or
person running such engine, train, or car contrary to
provisions of this act; and in any civil action brought
against such corporation, company, or person by any em-
ploye thereof for damages resulting from a personal injury
received by the plaintiff in the coupling or uncoupling of
cars, or from a lack of such proper and efficient automatic
brakes as contemplated in this act, while in the employ of
such corporation, company, or person, if it shall be estab-
lished by evidence upon the trial that either of the cars
which the plaintiff was endeavoring to couple or uncouple
when such injury was received was then and there in use
by the defendant in violation of any of the provisions of
this law, the fact that the injury to the plaintiff was caused
in whole or in part by the neglect or carelessness of any
other of the defendant's employes, or that the plaintiff's
negligence or carelessness contributed to the in jury, shall not
be an.v defense to the action or received in evidence, but
that one of said cars or engines was then and there in use
on said railroad, contrary to the provisions of this act,
shall be deemed conclusive evidence of gross carelessness
on the part of the defendant.

Sec. 11. That it shall also be the duty of interstate com-
missioners to require all corporations, companies, and per-
sons engaged in interstate commerce as common carriers to
report annually under oath the number of cars used in such
commerce,and what numberequipped with automatic L-oup-
lers, such as a contemplated in this act, and what kind and
the number of each; also the number of engines used in
such commerce, and the number equipped with a "driver
brake,'" and the kinds and number of each used ; and also
the numl>er of cars equipped with power or automatic
brakes, and the kind used, and the number of each, all of
which shall be included in their annual report.

Sec. 7. That whenever any railroad company, corpora-
tion, person, or persons engaged in the transportation of in-
terstate commerce or any railroad shall haveequipped their
rolling stock, either prior to or by the time of the dates
fixed in this law, with such automatic safety appliances
as contemplated in this act, such corporation, company,
person, or persons may lawfully refuse to receive cars for
transportation over their own lines, or tor switching pur-
poses, from lines of connecting roads that are not equipped
with such automatic safety appliances as will work, inter-
lock, and interchange automatically with the system of
automatic couplers and brakes in use on its own rolling-
stock.

Sec. s. That this act, being deemed of great immediate
importance, shall take effect upon its approval by the
ps ident.

Another bill, introduced by Senator CuUom, is
as follows:

Be it enacted by the senate and house of representa-
tives of the United States in congress assembled, That it
shall be the duty of all common carriers by railroad that
are subject to the provisions of the act to regulate com-
merce to supply and use automatic car couplers upon all
freight cars employed in the business regulated by said
act, which couplers shall be substantially uniform in pat-
tern and uf ascertained adaptability and convenience lor
the service; and it shall be unlawful for any
rier to use any freight car not supplied with s
after the time to be designated therefor a
in-ovided.

Section a. That for the purpose of securing uniformity
in the use of such car couplers and the most approved
character of coupler, the president of the United States is
authorized to appoint, by and with the advice and consent
of the senate, a board of five comjwtent persons, three of
whom shall have practical knowledge of the operation of
railroads, and two of whom shall have mechanical knowl-
edge of car construction, and none of whom shall be inter-
ested in any patent for safety appliances. It shall be the
duty of the board so appointed to make careful investiga-

the same fees and mileage that are paid witnesses in the
courts of the United States.

Sec. 3. That if the type or charter of car coupler ap-
proved and recommended by said board as aforesaid shall
be patented the board may agree with the owner of
the patent upon a price, to be approved by the com-
missioner of pateuls, to be paid by the government for
the relinquishment of the patent, so that its use may be
free to all ; and in case of the refusal of the owner of the
patent to relinquish the same for a reasonable compen-
sation the board may select another coupler.

Sec. 4. That when the report of said board shall ba

Interstate Coma

shall i

hereinafter

1 of car c
ise, to fully t
le by such ir
of cai

and of designs for i

practically, and deter-
parison what type i

ation and

lupler is best adapted for safety and con-
venience in its use on freight cars, and to make report of
their determination and conclusions to the In