Connecticut western news., 1872-02-23
RnmnpO Wheel Foundry Co.

RnmnpO Whcei Foundry Co. Rogers of the B rringt0n Courier. re gently went an a rampage up the Erie rail road, and on his return published lengthy article nn what he SAW at R .mapo, N. Y. As It is connected to a certain extent with the iron interests of Western Connecticut and Berkshire county, and is of local inter. est. we give d few extracts from his article.
 I've had the pleasure recently of visit ing the extensive works of the R4mapo Wheel and Foundry Co.,. situated at R ana. DO, N Y, small village on the Erie rail road. 33 miles from New York. Rmapo occupies historic ground.
 The villag of R.mapo derives its chisf importance from the works of the RAmapo Wheel and Foundry company, which has a local interest, herrabouts, for the president of the company is Geo. Cofing, of Sails. bury, Conn.,, (who is also treasurer of the Richmond Iron Works, Hunts Lyman Iron Co.,. and Lime Rock Iron Co.,, and is also connected with the Kent Iron Co, } Geo. Church of Ct. Burlington is treasurer of Ranapo Wheel Foundry Iron Co.. and also largely interested in the above named companirs W. w Snow of R luApn is the able and efficient superintendent ot the works.
 
 When wt. trace back the sometimes fatal and terrible consequences resulting from an imperfect car wheel, or one made of inferior material, we see how great the re- sponsibiliiy resting upon the manufactur. CTS. And all will admit that the R .pap6 Wheel and Foundry company dld wisely. when inst-adof pandering to the prevailing desire for cheap things, affecting corpora tions as we'll as individuals, they decided to use brands of iron of superior quality, in such combination as repeated experiments proved to be best, and to practice the ut most care and vigilence in the manufac. .ture of the wheels, 10 produce An article which should be unsuI passed for safety or service. giving better protection to life and property. That have done so. ls shown by the fact that the Ramapo Wheel has been taken as a standard of excellence and adopted by many of the most promi neLt railroads in the country for passenger Car service. It is still further shown by the demand for the wheels, which uecessi tated an enlargement of the works, anu their capacity bus recently been increased from one hundred and twenty, to two hun drcd and seyeniy-five wheels day. We We're shown letter from the managers of inc Pennsylvania Central rai!road company in which they stated that a pair of R m apo wheels were placed under Puli man palace Car, weighing 59 GOO T., .nd. ami SHIs run through between New Yuih and Chicago. on the fastest time, iIuln August l, 1870 to July l, 1871, running in that lime ninety six thousand six hundred and twenty six milcs Aft,r that almost unprecedented sesvicc, under u heavy Car and running at tue highest speed-bolh severe tests of durabiliiy-the wheels were taken out. and still being in good condition, were placed under freight car. where they may be running yet for ought Vt know. Such service is the more remark able when il is known that the average use of Car wheels under ordinary passenger cars, is only 45 O0O miles, while for those under express trains the average isconsid- erably less. Another letter from the supel- intendent of the Richmond, Fre6ericks. burgh and Potomac railroad, stated that R.mapo wheels under Car attached to a through express Train. had run S2, ,4Os miles and were still in service. To come neareI hoine, a palr of Ra,napo wheels were put under q locomotive on the Housatonic road, where they were run distance of s4,Ooo miles, accor ing to the report of the master mechanics; another pair were put under passenger car and run year, and finally We're placed under freight Car where they are still in use. Numerous other instances of long continued use oi RamapO wheels could be cited, but the above are sufficient. Such remarkable re- suits come from the use of Richmond and Salisbury iron, which being stronger than any other American iron, wilhstands the excessive wear of continuous motion. IL
 
 are required to insure great durability ot Car wheels, for those under express trains running long and continuous trips are sho ter lived than those making fr,quen, stops, aud short trips, though al the sam, Tate oi speed, mol ilhstanding the more ire Quent action of the brakes upon the latter. This peculiarity arises from the fact thai by the constant vibration, the molecules oI iron a'e in measure separated, and thcii cohesion eventually destroyed. This bein, true, il IS d lamcntaple tact that many Oine wheel manufacturers buy up those wurl out wheels for less tnan three quarlcrs th, price of new iron, and rc-cast lhcin again and such interior wheels are sold for u few panics, who use them t. transport tran loads of unsuspecling men, women an, children from place To place. T.eu whci one of those ~tTeels break-lS break Lne, wli-lnruw ing lhe train frum tue track perhaps, anu score Ot pcopIc are sent l. their long account, the corouers jury an aud the newspapers are prune lo talk u the my sterlOus ways Ot Providence, while the raIiroud colnpany E ther up tn fragmenIs Oi tue o.d wheel 'lhat uolhiu be IUsI, and Scud t1em Lu somc accuiu.n, dating foundry, to Oc mcit,d over tor tul iher use. But be 1t said IO tue honor u the K dnaro Nneel and Fouuury colupan, thal they usc nothing tut new metal ln lu the nalulaclurc ot all their wheels, an also, al wneels showing tue slightest Ill perfection, are rej cled. We Saw sucn a one, which hud been condemned for sligi deteci stand repeated poundiugs upon |