Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1879-08-20
THE LOCOMOTIVE.

The Curious Manner in which They are
Watched on the Pennsylvania Rail-
road.
A correspondent of the Boston Herald,
writing from Altoona, Pa, with regard
to the great workshops of the Pennsyl-
vania railroad and the wear of loco
motive, says:
The engine, once in service, is by no
means lost sight of. Its movements are
as thoroughly noted as are those of an
ocean steamer. In Mr.. Ely's Office, in
this city, there is an immense board
covered with little pegs, upon which
hang small, round, colored disks, from
the under part of which has been cut
small portion. These pegs and disks are
numbered from to l1,25O. Each num-
Der corresponds with an engine. On one
part of the board the pegs are numbered
consecutively. Looking at this part for
any particular engine that may be de-
sired, and on the disk will be found
"Pig h," ON. Y" or "P.," etc. This
refers you to the division where the en-
CINE is. Looking to that division on the
beard and finding the number on the en-
CINE, another little disk, by means of its
color, will tell you just what condition
the engine is in. If the disk is pure
white the engine is in perfect order. If
! the disk is bordered by red line
the engine only needs such slight re-
pairs as may be made without withdraw.
ing it from the service. II the disk is
covered one-half with red, repairs are
required of very slight nature, but for
which the engine must proceed to the
shop. If the entire disk is pale-gray,
repairs Of most important character
are needed, though still deemed slight.
4 disk entirely blue denotes machine
that needs very substantial repairs.
One-half black and one-half white de-
notes that the machine is being built
over. A disk all black denotes all en-
CINE dead-unft save to be cut up or
sold. This record is changed every
week, and is so complete as to enable
any one to see at glance just the con-
dition of the motive power. Repairs
are never undertaken if they will cost
over $4,000. For that new standard
boiler can be built, and unless an engine
is of the standard pattern she is never
built over; for the company does not
wish to perpetuate old engines, and to
pay more than $4,000 would not be so
economical as to pay the interest on the
value of new machine. Here, again,
true economy steps in to change the
practice Of blind conservatism. An en-
CINE Or this road is always most carefully
used. After the locomotive is placed in
the hands Of an engineer, it is cared for
with parental affection. A most &C.
curate record of its performance ismade,
kept and compared with that of other
engine. AS freight is paid for per ton
per mile, so the cost of an engine is
reckoned. The amount of coal con-
sumed per car per engine mile being
calculated, it is easy to see, by dividing
this by the tonnage, just how much coal
it takes to move ton IF freight one mile.
And the engine that does this most sue
cessfully is the cheapest.
Finally, after having travelled many
thousands of miles, having safely hauled
millions of humaL beings, our locomotive
is sent to the shop condemned, dead. 1t
is ANONYMOUSLY bundled off into a cor
ner to stand with lot of others until
cut up or sold of. It's immediate
neighbors may be others like itself, worn
out, perhaps, "died in the harness." or
again victims of the vain wrath and
assassin-like communism of Pittsburg
rioters. The little disk that records in
the superintendent Office it's physical
condition has turned to black. There is
no hope. Tomorrow committee of
inspection will condemn it to be cut to
pieces. Into the furnace the parts will
60, to emerge, like the mill where old
men were ground into new, rejuvenated,
ready to take part in some new monster
with steel heart and transmigrated soul