Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1878-05-08
On "a l. Locomotive.

Inc writer CLIMBED ABOARD the engine
of the Pacific express one morning at
Harrisburg Pa, long before daylight
and was assigned a seat on the flrenan's
box, which is on the left side of the
engine. When the little round clock
over the boiler showed four hours and
twenty minutes the bell in the roof
above tapped once, the engineer pulled
back the shining lever a notch or two
and slowly at first, then rapidly We
puffed out into the night. To one un-
accustomed the scene inside and out
was strange one and calculated to stir
up somewhat feelings of awe and
solemnity. 1t has often since returned
in Imagination and will not soon be for
gotten.
Inside the cabin the gloom of the
night was partially relieved by shaded
lamp, whose flame flickered unnatural
ly from the trembling of the engine.
Opposite could be indistinctly seen the
engineer, sitting always with his hand
on the lever, watching steadily ahead.
The engine roared and painted and at
intervals the whistle gave a piercing
shrek. Every few moments the fire.
man would swing open the iron door of
the boilers mouth, and while he
hurled great chunks of coal into the
wide receptacle that never seemed salts
fed, there came from the fire a hOarse
groaning and glare that illuminated
the cabin with binding intensity. Out
side was thick darkness; nothing could
be seen save an occasional shadowy post
fitting by like weird ghost. Ahead
was a deep, black void, which the head
light made only more visible, and from
its depths occasionally CLEANED a single
fiery eye that coming nearer and grow
ing larger appeared directly In our way
and about 10 dash into us, when a
freight train would rattle noisily by.
And on into this dark uncertainty we
were rushing at startling rate.
The noise of the engine prevented
conversation except at the stations; but
during these intervals some facts were
obtained which may be of interest.
The amount of coal used on such run
as we were making over the middle
division is varied by several conditions.
Some of these are: the weather, high
wind having no inconsiderable effect on
the speed of a train, and hight SHOWS
and drizzling rains, rendering the track
smooth and slippery, so that the wheels
do not catch firmly, thereby increasing
the work of the engine greatly; the
number of cars in the train and lastly,
the kind of fireman and engineer on
duty. An experienced fireman with
sixty bushels of coal on the run of 1l6
miles.
The fastest trains, and therefore the
most difficult TO run. are the Day
express and Fast line east and west.
Especial care is taken in selecting
engineers for these trains, as there are
very few who can take them through on
schedule time. Each engineer has one
particular engine, to which he is fire.
quently much attached and with the
peculiarities of which he is perfectly
familiar, so that when he is changed
from one train TO another be always
takes his engine with him. There Is as
wide difference in the way an engineer
drives his engine as in the way man
drives his horse. Some are very hard,
others very easy drivers. Those who
are counted the best and who make the
most regular time, weigh carefully
numerous things. Before starting the
number of cars is taken and the air
brakes set so that the momentum may
be regulated readily. The state of tine
track, if wet or dry, aAd the force of the
wind are noted and the effect they may
have on the time counteracted as far as
possible. Experience has firmly i'm
pressed on the engineer the locality of
every grade and curve on his route. The
way he strikes the grades is. very i'm
portant. The hard driver takes very
little account OF grades and runs
straight ahead, so wasting much power
and often weakening his engine. But
the careful one strikes them scientifical-
ly: he puts on extra force on up grades
holds in a little on down grades, allow
ing for momentum, and makes his best
time on level stretches, thus, wasting
no power and keeping up an equality OF
speed, which from railroader's point
of view, is highly desirable. By this
scientific running the engineer of the
fast line east has been known to make
up forty minutes Of time between
Altoona and Harrisburg.
The best government Is that which
teaches self-government.