The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1875-02-17

EXPERIENCE WITH CAR WHEELS.
LAMBERTyILLE, N. J., January IS, 1915.
To THE EDITOR OF THE RAI1RoAp GAZETTE:
The discussion in your issue of the Goth
ult. on the mileage of car wheels induces me
to give my experience on the subject.
About the year 1853, being then Superin-
tendent of the Belvidere Delaware Railroad,
| began to procure for that road cars made
under my own direction, and continued to do
so for several years. Believing it most
economical in the long run to make the
wheels of the best charcoal iron only, instead
of mixed iron, as was then the frequent if not
the general practice, adopted that plan, using
the Long Swamp pig, from Berks County,
Pennsylvania, unmixed The wheels were
made with great care and skill by Mr.. William
Gown, of the Lambertvile Iron Works.
The weight was AGO lbs., the chill nearly five
Fights of an inch deep. The greater part
were put under coal cars, running in the
Lehigh Valley system, averaging about 1000
miles run per annum. The weight on a
wheel of loaded car was about 5000 lbs
The springs were of wood, very imperfect
The net cost of each wheel fitted ON the axle
was about $40, varying with the price of the
metal. The wheels were all marked with the
name of the maker and the date, and put in
service as soon as made.
During the year 1869 and 1870, careful
records were kept of the dates of the wheels
taken off at the company's shops, with the
following result The wheels made by Mr..
GOWN had been running from 16 years down
to one month (the latter, believe, broken by
an accident) many had been running 10 or
IA years, and the average of all was upwards
of eight and a half years, the average distance
rum being estimated at upwards of 10000
miles.
Other wheels taken off at the same time
averaged two years and one and three-quarter
months. These were made by parties of good
reputation. Whatever these wheels protested
to be- they were doubtless made of mixed
metal.
Many of our own wheels have heen' recently
taken off that have been running since 1854
and some since 1858 that is, they have run
20 years or more, and doubtless over 100000
miles. No extensive register has been kept
of dates of wheels taken out since 1870 but
from the frequency with which those that
have been running Is OF 20 years have been
met with, / have little doubt the time would
now average 10 years, and the mileage 70, 900.
Many of these wheels, perfectly good in
other respects, were taken out in consequence
of fiat places, worn by sliding them on the
steep grades in the coal regions. But for
these steep grades the average duration
would doubtless have been considerably
greater.
quite concur with what seems to have
been the opinion at the car builders meeting,
that ordinary wheels Gas we used to get them:
| have no very recent experience) scarcely
averaged 10000 miles and, in the language
of Mr.. Washburn, that such a wheel must be
a very good one to run 40, 900 miles, UNDER
stand that some companies now make their
contracts for wheels based on 10000 miles.
Aid yet the foregoing experience shows that
wheels turefullg made from the best pure
charcoal iron will average 10000 or 70, 900
miles, and, even sometimes reach $780, 600.
Unfortunately, Long Swamp charcoal iron
is no longer made. How the best brands now
compare with it do not know.
The conclusion is, that under all ordinary
circumstances, the ordinary mixed metal
wheel is less economical than pure charcoal
iron wheel !; that where the annual mileage is
under Is, 1000, the pure charcoal iron wheel is
most economical but where the annual
mileage is 10000 or anywhere near it, the
steel, if the facts are as supposed, is most