The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1876-06-29
The Old ana the New.

In front of the Maryland State Build
ing, on the Exposition grounds, there is
a striking contrast presented between the
locomotives of the present day and those
used about forty years ago. The Balti-
more s. Ohio Railroad Company have
placed on exhibition one of their largest
and finest locomotives, such as are now
used in hauling their heavy passenger
trains up and through the mountains Of
Virginia. 1t is locomotive "No. 6OO,"
and its weight is forty-five tons. Not
nearly 50 heavy as the famous Krupp can
non, but far handsomer and more useful.
1t has a cylinder 19x26, a steel boiler, and
wheels five feet in diameter. There may
possibly be engines equal to this on other
roads of America, but if SO they are scarce.
At all events, "old 6O0' is splendid rep
resentative Of the most powerful American
locomotives with all modern improve
ments. 1t puzzles visitors to know how
the ponderous machine was ever
broug ht to its present quarters, as itstands
on a section of track no longer than
itself, surrounded by grassy lawns
and graveled walks. 1t was gotten
there by means of a temporary
track, laid in sections, from the perma
nent track outside the grounds, each
section being taken up as soon as the
locomotive had passed over it, and again
placed in front of the moving iron horse.
Having examined this modern and model
locomotive, and admired its wonderful
proportions and its perfect mechanism,
the visitor will he interested in an in
spectioa Of another and very different
looking horse" standing near the great
mountaincer: 1t is called 1.-the grass
hopper" and though considerably larger
than Kansas or Minnesota grasshopper,
it is nearly the same color and not unlike
that pet insect in shape anu general ap-
pearance. This is the first locomotive
that ever pulled passenger train over an
American railroad 1t was built in
Baltimore, by this company, in 1885, and
in 1887 it was first run by engineer John
Scott from Baltimore 10 Washington,
drawing five passenger cars, and making
the distance, thirty.eight miles, in one
hour and u half. Thus it appears that
the speed attained even at that early stage
Of railr''ading, was tolerably rapid.
No person in locking At this Queer
little engine would suppose it was
ever capable of performing such feat !;
but it was. shall not attempt to
describe the "Grasshopper," in de-
toll. OuluCe W say tu8s IL 10 ShoAs,
thick and ungainly in appearance, With
no "cab," no "cow catcher" nothing,
scarcely, which modern locomotives pos
sess. 1t don't lock like anything on the
earth or beneath the earth, or anywhere
else, so far as heard from. When the
thing is in motion, the engineer must
either have his back toward the front END,
or look ahead and turn his back toward
the boiler and the throttle valve. Either
is not exactly the thing expected OF q
locomotive engineer nowadays. But the
little Grasshopper" served useful pur-
pose in its day and generation, and has
since given place to different style of
iron horse, something more in harmony
with the fast-moving spirit of the age.
The railroad company reverence this lit
tie pioneer engine for the good it once did ,
and as they do not feel willing to let it
rust out in. idleness, lit is kindly favored
with an easy ''berth" at Baltimore, doing
q moderate amount of switching each
day, and commanding the respect of all
the other employees. This curious little
locomotive and also the mammoth "6OO''
are under the charge of John Scott, who
is one of the oldest railroad engineers in
the United States.-PhilGdelphia Cor.
Chicago Journal.