The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1873-06-28
The Largest Railroad Shops In the
World.

In0 Largest RAILROAD 6nOpS In Ln0
World.
Located in Cheshire, one Of the midland
counties of England, and situated on the
Y London and Northwestern Railway, some
hve-sixths of the distance between the me-
tropohs and Liverpool, is Crewe, a small
and Insignificant town by itself, but city
OF no mean Importance when considered in
connection with the vast works which it
contains. The establishment which sup
ports, and, in fact, forms the town, the
population and exten. of which is about
half that Of Worcester, Mass, was origin
ally laid down by George and Robert Ste
phensOn, and Is known as the Crewe
Works, or, as it would be termed in this
country, the shops Of the London and
Northwestern Railway Here no less than
six thousand bands are employed, build
ing or rebuilding the two thousand locomo-
tives used upon this longest Of English rail
ways, OF working upon the two hundred
and twenty engines which, 1t Is calculated,
are always at the works for repairs
correspondent Of the Boston JoUyYt
u Commerce has recently visited this great
factory, and, from the graphic letter which
he writes, we extract the following interes-
ting particulars He says that a most e1-
traOrdInary variety Of especial tools is en-
plOyed, among others several testing ma
chimes for trying the strength Of materials
used Samples Of every variety u mater
ial, and especially the boiler iron and steel
are submitted to these machines For the
proving Of the iron for axles there was a
little machine in which sample was sub
mitted to a rapid series of torsional strains
till it broke, the number of these, register
ed By counter being an index of the
character Of THERON. As an illustration Of
the attention to the smaller details Of eI-
pei Sc, cleaning machine was running IN
the brass shops, consisting Of an endless
belt studded with small magnets. which.
passing through the mass IF filings in an
inclined trough, thoroughly cleaned them
Of all fragments Of iron. A large number
" milling machines were IN use for smaller
work, especially such as finishing the heads
of nuts and bolts, and many small bench
shaping a slotting machines we're running
AS many loo strokes per minute; engag-
ed in similar work, by using cheap labor
(boys of twelve), the latter could compete
with the former. Among other larger ma
chimes was one for grinding large plane
surfaces, such as base and frame plates and
side plates Of tenders, instead Of planning
them, the work moving in a trough con
tanning water, and the whole arrangement
being quite on the plan Of Daniels pla-
ner. Much smaller fiat work was finished
by grinding in machines arranged to pro
duce a level surface by self-operating at
tachments
Perhaps the most remart able thing IN
this part Of the works was tn huge lathe
room, more than two hundred feet long,
and filled with a double row # driving
wheel lathss Many of these re of eight
feet swing, and Of the heaviest description,
carrying four cutters at once. remarka-
BILE machine near these, was milling tool
for milling out the inside cranks All the
engines have inside connections, the aHles
are forged solid and milled, instead IF be-
ing turned out The cutter of this ma
chine was four feet IN diameter and about
five inches fall There we're here many
other peculiar tools, such as machine
milling two key ways, exactly at right an
giles, at once in the two ends of a lncomo-
tive axle Also a wheel trimming machine.
and another for slorting ont in a proper
curved form, the inside rims IF locomotive
wheels between the spokes.
new process for making steel tires Is
here employed The steel is cast ia the
form Of truncated cones, the smaller end o.
form the outside Of the tire While still
hot it is introduced to the horizontal steam
hammers These consist Of a couple Ot
enormous masses of IRON, each running on
a little track, and moved back and forth
by means Of piston and rod, by large
steam cylinder bshind each the steam
valves Of each Of which cylinders are ope-
rated by a common lever BY passing
through two sets Of the hammers. the steel
is thoroughly worked up. and leaves them
in the form of a thick disk Carried from
these, It passes 70 an upright hammer, with
a sharp conical end to the striking part
This soon forces hole through the disk.
which, being turned round and round, and
over and over. becoming a thick ring
Again heated, II goes To another hammer
This hammer has very heavy anvil. with
peculiar slope to one side, from which
projects a stiff horn. Upon this horn the
ring ls hung The face of the striking part
is formed to the slope Of the rim and tiange
Of the wheel, and as the workmen manipu-
late the wheel under its blows. slipping one
portion after another Of the rim up to re-
ceive the stroke, the whole tire gradually
expands to the requisite diameter, and is
en- On to its wheel
These details were noticed in but small
portion Of the vast factory, but serve to
give an idea of the completeness and mag
nitude Of its construction and fittings