Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1880-03-13
Some Curious Facts About LO-
cOmOtiyes.-As Near Human
as Machinery Can be Made.

Anything out OF gear ,"
Not thing. She been looked over
twice, and We can't find the least excuse
for her conduct. She'll get over II in n
day or Two, perhaps. II she don't well
punish her
How
Put her before freight or stock
train. I've seen ii tried dozen times,
and il most always works well. Here
she is now, bright as a new dollar and
handsome as a picture, and Ill bet fifty
dollars that there isn't the least thing
out OF order. She's simply sulking, the
same as a child or woman, and |
know what started it. Three weeks
ago, while on my run IN with the night
express. she just wanted to light right
out for all she was worth. She took the
bit like running horse, and II hahn
ChOked her off she'd have beaten
schedule time by twenty minutes. She
acted mad right away, and IN running
twenty miles she gave me more trouble
than hal ever had with her ia run
Of 300 She lost steam, tried to foam
over, choked her pumps, and when !
wanted more steam she'd slide on her
drivers. She went right back on me
that night, and has been sulking ever
since.
do all engines do this"
/ "Not all, but many of them. Some
/ Of EN- begin To cut up AMI get on their
high heels the first day out OF the shop,
as il determined to be master; while
+ others will be as ohedient as you please
10 I.n al NJ
Z once play YOU some rusty trick. Peo-
pie say that horse is next toa man III
point OF intelligence, but | sometimes
think / u locomotive ought Ia have that
place We engineers do not look upon
them a. machines. but almost rs com
panlons, and I've known drivers 10 talk
Ia them 10y the hour. feel awiully
/ down IN the mouth about my pet
Is this your first experience with
sulkIng cnginet'
No; it's nav third. six wears agu,
when ! Was running ont ol Chicago,
west, lhad ten years added Ia my age
IN about two minutes. ! had u fine pas
scnger engine, and We were the best of
friends lot over year. Dne lay, when
We WeGr booming over the country at
forty miles an hour, | saw ilrIners
team stalled at highway crossing lie
had bg load ul wood on his wagon,
and the team Was pair OF Young horses.
When ! first caught sight ul them they
were dancing up and down and not try
lng to pull a pound, and the old farmer
Was on top the load and putting on the
whip good and strong. Now honestly
believe that engine wanted Ia mash
things. She suddenly increased her
speed, and when reversed and put ON
the ar.bukes she plunged and kicked
aud almost Jumped the rails. When ]
started upagain she Vas sulking aud |
had all could do Ia make time. She
Was oil all next trip, but wouldn't
civ" IN. On the neN, trip she showed
her teeth, and they had the CLEAN Of n
lantern ui death.
"IOu see had orders 10 -ide-track al
certain station Tor the Atlantic cG-
press To- pass me, aud my engine sulked
aud grow led aud threw me several min
utcs behind time. There was little time
Ia spare when We reached The station.
had drawn the train about half way off
the main track when my engine stopped
dead still. Yes, -lr-stoPped dead still,
and that without being reversed or a
brake applied, and with steam enough
10 blow of Was daIrd Tor u minute,
and the fireman opened his eyes ike |
one seeing terrible picture.
Just then the Atlantic Whistled. /
Jumped down and ran % the pilot, eX-
peCting 10 see harricaie, hut the track
Was clear. leaped into the cab and /
gave her more steam, hut not wheel |
moved. More yet. but she stood there
like rock Conductor brakeman aud
passengers were shouting at me, and
the swItChman hOWled like panther
On came the Atlantic, and pulled the
throttle open wide Bless YOU. sir. I'm
IN a shIycr nov at the recollection
The Atlantic always passed US on
the fly, but that night she ha a party
OF stockholders aboard whp wanted b. /
get OIL Al this station, and she came 10 !
a stop ami saved such railroad slaugh. |
t,r aS would put the AshtAbula disaster
nowhere. she'd have gone through F.
two sleeping cars rs slick a. a bullet I
There We stood, nav engine grUNling
aud threatening and ! hhlfCralei The
fireman sudd,hly liz out a. II he had
seen a ghost, a mob 81 the passengers
sSannei down on me, and believe
should have taken 10 the woods II q
change hadn't come All At once No.
~ seemed 10 rear right up, she made a
plunge or two. and away she went like
bolt OF lightning, and had the hard.
est kind Of wOrE io stop her on the
siding.
They didn't sAy / MAS drunk and
they knew ! wasn't asleep, but they
suspended me until they looked the
engine over. She WAS in perfect order.
and they sent her out on the accomoda-
ton with a new driver. What did she
DO but bang right into a train at a sta
ton, and that with all steam shut of
and the bar thrown over some folks 1
laugh at US and call it superstition, hut /
they never lived ia an engine cab. Ask /
any barber II his razor doesn't get I'd /
nov and thenRnd refuse 90 shave until /
laid aside for rest Ask any horse 4
trainer II his horse will make the same /
time two mornings alike, even II the
care and feed and track are tie same
Running IN and out of Detroit sIe hun
dreds 81 locomotives. all built ON the
same plan. and Yet no tao are handled
Just aiIke One ~ t~sutv buiH ia the
-sme shop, 10y the ral.e gang Il men
no tao Wih EOrk the saBe. OHc can -
another mGst d. T~tiei,
third v.. te i4ithiul, fourth uesrheT
0a>, ami eact one Nill have hrg secular .
traits ami iTlck- IL EO more lake cat .
one 81 these engines without kR1~ing .
Der J-culisrities than yosd try to jump .
Scross that pit. "a lie al IN = iremble .
for fear she'd ditch the whole train. .
No, ar. They are a. near human ~ i
machinery can be made, ABd the more .
human ycu treat EN- the better IL 10 fOr /,
10th. >ome can be ooaIed, some must I
T. punished, some nes-j watching, and I
once 10 a Shile you find one which siil 1
dois- danger, keep her time and run
hsrself While you dream a the curly 4
heads tucked up in b-t ~ boIne.