The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1880-06-07
THE oApEKs OF FALoconorrvE.
Sulkihg Like n Child. then Taking
the Isit like a RunaWnY Horse.

Sulkihg Like a Child, then Taking
the Bit like a Runaway Horse.
To reporter of the San Francisco
Bulletin an engineer of the Central Pa
citic Railroad sand: "It's queer thing.
There's my engine in perfect order, and
one of the best in the State. She's only
twelve years old, and able to run or pull
| with the best of them. A month ago I
hadn't the least bit of trouble in making
time, no matter how the track was or
the weight of the train. She was rea y
at the word, held her steam beautifully,
and she seemed to understand every
word | said. To-day she is down in the
roundhouse, growing and sputtering,
and acting as If she wanted to picka fuss
with a gravel pit"
Anything out of geer?"
mot thing. She's been looked over
twice, and we can't find the least excuse
for her conduct. She is simply sulking.
the same as child or woman. But l
know what started it. Three weeks ago,
while on my run out with the night ex-
press, she just wanted to light out for all
she was worth, she took the bit like
running horse, and if / hadn't choked
her off she'd have beaten the schedule
time by twenty minutes. She acted mad
right away, and in running twenty miles
she gave me more trouble than had
ever had with her in run of three hun
dred. She lost steam, tried to foam over,
choked her pipes, 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"
"All locomotives do not do that, |
guess" said an engineer of the New
York, Lake Erie & Western Railroad, to
whom the above conversation was re-
peated. "Ihave heard these freak, of
locomotives, but most of these are Moth
er Goose stories. Ihave run on our road
thirty-eight years, and if locomotive
does not run two days alike it is easily
accounted for. The fault lies always in the
character Of the labor to which it is al
lotted. The locomotive is as perfect to-
day as yesterday, but one day she may
be fed with good fuel, while at others
it may be adulterated; one day the cars
will be in good running order. no wind,
and light load; another day. heavy
load, head winds, some new cars or new
wheels under the cars, or it may be new
brake shoes rubbing against the wheels,
all of which will cause a change in the
motion of the locomotive. An engine
that has regular man who takes care
of his engine never finds herin the sulks.
"But let new hand Jump into the
cab, and his trouble begins almost imme-
dately. He does not get the manner of
pumping her at once, and gets her a
lutte too full of water, cuts the valves,
the extra amount Of friction being more
than the set screws in the eccentrics can
stand, they stiffen, then the engine be-
comes three-legged, or lame, as it is
called. The fact of the valves being
cut, causes leakage of steam, which
makes the engine blow, very much re
sembling wheezy horse. An engine to
do good service should be in the care of
thesame engineer continually, and loco
motive will demand as faithful daily
service to insure uniform behavior as is
necessary to preserve first-class trotting
horse" Il
An English engineer of Toronto, on
being asked what mileage! "a locomotive
could make without repairs, said that he
knew of one running 163,661 miles in
five years. But the endurance OF an en-
gincer is something wonderful. One man
for several years rode 176 miles per day,
or / ,056 miles per week, or 4,576 for a
month Of rs working days, or total Of
55,0SS miles for one year of 3l3 working
days. i
AS to the responsibilities of passen-
ger engineer, another said those of the
American have been increased tenfold
in the past few years by the adoption of
the air brake. Now he can depend on
no one in time of'trouble, nor can he lay
blame on any one. The entire train is
under his control, and lie has often, -un-
known to the passengers, averted seri-
GUS accident by the quick appliance of
the brakes -. .. n