Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-07-26
DEATH OF THE LOCOMOTIVES.

A correspondent of the Boston Herald,
writing from Altoona, Pa, with regard to
the great workshops of the Pennsylvania
Railroad and the wear of locomotive,
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 |, 200. Each number corresponds with
an engine. On one part of the board the
pegs are numbered consecutiyely. Looking
at this part for any particular engine that
may be desired. and on the disk will be
found "Ptgh., ""N. " or "P.,n etc.
This refers you to the division where the
engine is. Looking to that division on
the board and finding the number on the
engine, 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 needs
only such slight repairs as may be made
without withdrawing it from the service.
If 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. A disk
entirely blue denotes machine that needs
very substantial repairs. One-half black
and half white indicates the machine is
being built over. A disk all black denotes
an engine dead, unfit 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 q glance just the condition of the mo-
tive power. Repairs are never undertaken
if they will cost over So, 000 For that
new standard boiler can be built, and I'M
less 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 So 900 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 engine on this
road is always most carefully used. After
the locomotive is placed in the hands of an
engineer it is cared for with the watchful-
ness of parents affection. A most accu-
rate record of its performance is made,
kept and compared with that of other en-.
gines. AS freight is paid for per ton per
mile, so the cost of an engine is reckoned.
The amount of coal consumed per car per
engine mile being calculated, it is easy TO
see, by dividing this by the ton
mage, just how much coal it takes
to move a ton of freight one en-
CINE mile. And the engine that does
the most successfully is the cheapest.
Finally. after having Travelled many thou
sands of miles, having safely hauled mill
ions of human beings, our locomotive is
sent to the shop condemned, dead. 1t is
ANONYMOUSLY bundled off into corner to
stand with lot of others until cut up or
sold off. Its immediate neighbors may be
ones 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 its
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 go,
to emerge, like the mill where old men
were ground into new, rejuvenated, ready
to take place in some new monster steel
heart and transmigrated soul.