The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-04-24
Fast locomotives.

ITO the Editor OF tho Chicago Tribune.I
An article in your paper of 18th instant,
headed "Fastest Locomotive" recalls 10
mr. mind some experience | have had IN the
fast line of locomotive engineering.
In the wear 1S49, Ross Winans, OF Balti-
more built a locomotive for the Boston ana
worcester railroad. Ii was for an experiment
in coal.burning, and constructed to burn
hard or anthracite coal. The locomotive
was peculiar in many respects. lt had
seyen-foot drving-wbeel, and vas intended
for very high speed. 1t had steam-springs
TO support the weight, and was Tilted with
many new devices for alocomoliye.
| was at that time in The service OF the
Boston and Worcester railroad. was sent
TO baltimore to look after the construction
aud delivery Of this locomotive, ana aiso 10
study the matter OF coal-burnlng, wnich was
a new thing on roads in New EngIand u, that
time. This locomotive was shipped from
Baltimore by rail, and reacned boston s"iei!;
ran the engine for about six weeks, ana
should have run her longer but from the TACT
nj her driving wheels breaking. They were
made entirely OF cast-lron, WIN chiiieu iaces.
These broken drivers were replaced WIN
set of imported wrought-iron wheels, the
first of the kind ever imported. The loco
motive was named "The Carroll OF CARROLL
TOM The speed OF the engine, under iaVo-
rable circumstances, was one mile III Sixty
seconds. the fastest ever ran it; The triai
was not accurately noted, having enough
| to do TO attend the machine, and those WIN
me too much flustered with the excitement
| to accurately note anything. ran tue loco
motive some time on the Albany and Bos-
| ton train, which consisted OF from seven 10
eiObt cars. and when the train was Ittie
late have timed the run and made mie
ofter mile on an average OF siXty-one TO SIX
tv.tbree seconds per mile. VI course, III
making frequent stops, we could make no
hat,er time with this locomotive than with
one having smaller dIiying-wheels. but
give us fifIy or sixty miles on clear run
snd we could oulrun thunderstorm IL IL
wos going orr way. | have travelled many
thousand miles on locomotives since tlat
DIV in order TO test speed and, while
have seen some high speed MADE, SUN
have never seen the locomotive that couId
law right down to 1t and outrun the Car,
roll of Carrollton." In those days we hau
no power-brakes, and to run at sucn
high rates Of speed sometimes pecanie
dangerous. / remember one instance Ill
the nighttime Of rounding a curve aI
about sixty miles perhour, Wneh u o1hsei
signal met my view. SHUT OH steam anu
wbistled down.breaks, but they ala no.. NOT
seem TO check me. j whistled again. ouii
the speed kept up. l gave the third slgna'
for brakes, and then reversed my englue'
sovjng 70 her "Do your duty. my beauty,
or in twenty seconds it Is goodbye 10 rail-
rood,nov We came to stand-still eighty
ro1s from train on the main track, having
run mn one mile and a quarter from the place
she,e u first discovered the red light In
rnrn;no a locomotive, to avoid trouble, one
nnst take time by the forelock-in Other
~ words. must anticipate possibilities.
j. III. JAcKMAN.