The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1853-04-13

he engine had more power than adhesion, II
was net avaikble, cut down its steam capacity
10 the latter standard
Even at this time, il was no d,ubt apparent
That the heavier the engine, the more il would
dgaw; bu, it w@s then claimed for iron ratis
fthis thfv woh'd last tsr half century and
regarding heavy machinery as very detrimental
to them, they forbid itc cse, and the Liverpool
and Manchester railway rTas worked for many
years with a standing order from the directory
that no engine weighing sx tons should bs
placed np.n the road a.,
Th- adhesion due 10 those iig.s. engines auc,
tua'ed greatly on account of the VIZ ether, ansf
gradually led To the introduction Of heavier ones
with corresponding increase in the weight of
the rai From that time to the present no im.
provemcnt has been made for increasin. The ad-
hesinn OF the engine, other than the CON-
meeting together several pairs OF wheels for
drivers, and thereby rendering available more
OF the weight Of the engine, than can be done
by single pair To increase the adhesion Of
the engine, we must now increase its weight;
and yet we cannot increase its adhesion, direct.
~, IN ptoporiIon to the weight added it we
could, tie present system would not be as de-
fective as Is. Experiment teaches that one
| pound oi iron suspended from pulley, will
move on plane six pounds Of iron, resting on
ironi hence 1t is said, the adhesion Of iron upon
is equal to onp-sixth the r,sistent weight. If
this be s., II requires six tors OF weight to be
added to the engine to give il cae ton vt adhe.
sion--six pounds added for every pound gained.
But actual proctice on railways shows that The
adhesion is not worth SO much, bat is under or
dinary circumstance. probably nearer one-
eight or one ninth:ef the nsistent weight, and
| hGctna.e5 greatly below this standard when az.
iec'ed by the weather; so that il will tie seen.
while the size ofthe tc,er and its effective pow
er may be increased directly in proportion to
the weight added, the adhesion OF The engine
cannot be, but, for every eight or nine P unds
added, can gain bu single pound; yet The ad.
hesion limits the ffactile power ul the engine.
1t Is, therefore, and has ever been, since the in
PRODUCTION ofthe presen. system, the object OF
engine builders to make these forces pfooty-
,ionae, for it the sic cam power nu.d be reater
than the adhesion, the wheels vii! reUotUe, hut
not progress; if less, The engine remains STE
tionary. .
Welfare entered thus infinitely into tbis
branch of our inquiry, to show TINT heretofore
there has been noinducement 10 combine III
the locomotive engine much power as pos
sib!e, with as little weight; but that, on the
contrary, all the inducements held out have de-
manded more weight. From this view, your
committed are convinced that the locomotive en-.
CINE may be greatly reduced in weight 'nthou.
diminishing ITS steam capacity, and yet De made
to rean sufficient strength for ali practical pur-
poses. In examining this subject Of the prac-
tcability of ascending high grades on railroads,
your committee have had their attention direc-
ted not only to the many various plans which
hive been suggested for efffc,ng This ohject, but
they have a.so examined the various reports of
the performances of steam -carriigesonc common
roads in England, reprn'ed n71s3a b. ogder
of the Congress Of The United States. On the
common rnais the roughness Of the earihs sut
face afforded sufficient adhesion; and the grsa.
object then to accomplish was, tv adapt the en-
gines to the undulations of the roads, and Civ:
them as much power possible, and the nects'
sary strength with as little weigh. was prac'
tes5e. In these report several very ilnp fsart
f'cts are stated, or rather exhibited: FBst that
these steam carrisgss, from weighing FIVE aad
six tons on their first introduction, were lin.
proved upon until they were reduced in weight
to two and half and three tong, without les
sening their effective power secondly that
there was Tar less disp-opcrion between the
weight OF The machinery and 'he available Lad
than is now ordinarily exhibited on railways;
and thirdly, that they hauled up steep incIines
Tar greater loads, in proportion to their weight,
fhan can now, be done by the ordinary locono
tive on a railway. ,s -
These facts but serve to strengthen the opin.
ion, before expressed, that LOCOMOTIVES engines
may be constructed much lighter than those
now in use, with equal capacity TO generate
steam: and whenever it shlll become the in
terest OF builders to supply light eng ines, COM
bnng the greatest steam capacity to construct
thea.
That, by mechanical adhesion. properly
constructed locomotive engine may be made to
draw fargrea'ef loads than it can TO by the adhe
sion OF its Weights undeniable as has often been
shown IN practice, and may at any time be
proved by converting locomotive INTO a sta
tionary engine. Yonr committee, therefore feel
great confidence in tie, opnon, that if mechas
meal adhesion, as adhesion. applied in tbs
plan before US, he substituted for weight, ef.
gIpes may he made to draw rcnumerative loads
over much higher grades than any now used,
even such rs are worked with assistant engines.
These opinions not in harmony with the
cnrrent Thoughts Of the day; and simply because
having long been accustomed to seeing things
done IN PARTICULAR way. we come to regard
that as the only way in which they can be
done. We see huge engine drawing a trains
and another monster engine pushing 1t up
grade OF eigaty or one hundred feet to the mile,
ana tne lao"r APPEARS SO grea, one is apt to
think the working of grades cannot prove re.
when, ip the instance referred to,
the weight Of the engfhesrhem selves may have
constituted The greater part of the resistance
IT twenty years ago it had been proposed TO
work grade Of eighty feet tothe niie with the
thnnght entirely imp.actcable, as it was when
It was clained that engines could be made 10
run twenty miles an hour so much SO. that one
write-, IN derisien Of wha& he deemed to 50
absurd proposition, published his opposition
10 It, with the declaration that, as inclr
The k attending such velocity, were it possible
10 obtain it, she would consent tn be placed in a
mortar and shout GU. ni it head foremost.
When we lark abroad at the wonde rfal eta
nd !. sr. q
employed, and ri feet hat it never .;r's, Int per
lorins the most ardaJus du'y a. reajitv.as il does
the ligh'est, laborins necessarily, and defg ind<
ing only water fuel--when we see 1: hr.v!,E
across the ocean the largest yessels which # ,at,
of opposing winds and waves we
have been led - wonder why i should have
Yer been regarded as nsuifcient iir hauling a
train OF cars Up an inclination OF sw hg1drpG
FEET to the mile. The want OF adhesion ex.
claims it; and the power Of steam shows, whoG
The supply Of adhesion shalfas ali tines become
equal to the demand, then will GRADES be work
ed with as mEch ease as level lines.
Your committee f. e also convinced tlat TIE
plan for producint mechanical adhesion now
proposed, will offer less resistance t. an engine
ascending plane, than it would we're the same
I san'ity OF adhesion produced by weight
This is illustrated in the model we have exim-
red. This works generally grade of ahart
10 ascend by mans Of adhesion produced by
bling on the engine, just over its diving whrels,
sufficient weight to produce the required guam
ity. This is then removed, and mechanical
adhesion is produced, and wi this the engine
moves up the plane more rapidly and steadily
han when loaded with the necessarg weight
That this effect, exhibited in the mcdeI viii
'e realized in practice. your committee 90 NE
ionbt When the lncemo i've engine shaH bs~
'one limited in its power onlv by i,s ste.r
'apacity, IT will be much more powerful and
ffeci've than II now is, we may rcasana5i. *
vet advantages almost MS great a,w fre I'd his
'hange IN its character. MS tnos- whie's have
hitherto accompanied its insTodnctsa
10 view at these things, and ese.aq rosh;ns
vhaever IN theory So dispaeve Tue u,,t,,g ar
PRACTICAL value Of this inventor ard eonilff,,ad
a our belief by the workn. m al. and by
experiments heretofore made on q,.te a i.yrc
Gale, recommend the apprqpf7p-ia'i,n by Cau.
.ress OF sufficient sum &c tes fully, by p-ac-
ice, lis actual valve