Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-04-06
THE NEW STEAMERS.
Some Account of the Fine Machinery
Being Constructed at the Rail-
road Shops.

1t has already been stated that the Central
Pacific Railroad Company is having con-
structed two large stern-wheeled steamers for
the navigation of the Sacramento river, of
such build and capacity as to be able to ac-
complish trips from San Francisco to this
city when the river is at its lowest stage.
The entire machinery for these boats is being
constructed at the machine-shops of this
company in Sacramento, and is of such a
character being novel in several respects
and introducing some new applications of
mechanical principles-that detailed de-
scription will be found of interest. The ma
chinery has reached such an advanced stage
of construction that it may now be viewed at
the shops and very clear idea gained OF its
character
Each of the two boats will be one hundred
and ninety feet in length and forty feet beam.
They will each draw three feet of water,
light. Each wheel will be twenty-three feet
in diameter and twenty-six feet on the face,
and thus each one will be equal to two side
wheels of dimensions usual for boats OF 9OO
tons. Each boat will carry two engines, each
engine being thirty two-inch bore with eight
feet of stroke. They are slide-valve engines
with independent cut-offs, link reversing gear
and main valves and cut-offs worked by
cams. They have surface condensers,
twenty-inch circulating pumps and TWEEN
ty inch air pumps OF twenty men
stroke. Each of the shafts are forged
in two pieces and bolted in the center by
hanges forged upon the shafts. There are
two 27-foot tubular boilers to each boat, with
60-inch by 10-foot furnaces and 90 3-lnch and
l6-foot tubes There is connecting steam
chimney and drum to each pair OF boilers,
the steam being taken from the chimney to
the engines. There are also two water tanks
of - feet length and 16 inches in diameter.
The stacks are As inches In diameter and 81
feet long. The two condensers for each pair
are each IS inches in diameter by II feet IN
length. The boiler and tank work, drums,
furnaces, ETC., are all of Otis steel, and in
every part the best possible material has been
used. and neither pains nor expense have been
spared to make the work of the highest char
acter known to the art. and the skilled work
men are unanimous in prOnounclng 1t work
that cannot be surpassed. Strength and
effectiveness, with least possible weight con-
sistent with power and security, has been
aimed at in all the machinery.
The wheel fianges are made of steel boiler
plate, and are 81 inches in diameter. These
ianges are corrugated and each arm sets into
q anu Is IlNCbSo DCLNSOh1 eAO
hubs being of wrought iron, where they are
usually cast They weigh greatly less than
if of cast-iron, and are of course of greater
strength The bolts used in the fianges and
hubs are of steel and set in cold.
The pitmans, like nearly all the work, are
of wrought-iron, and are novel in construc-
ton. They are the first ever made in this
style. Each pitman is 80 feet in length, two
inches thick and 16 inches in diameter at the
center with taper to either end. They are
the finest specimens of hammer work ever
turned out of the shops on such large scale,
and are so complete as to need no finishing
tool. The blacksmithing department has
every reason to be especially proud
of this work. As they came from
the forge each one weighed two
thousand four hundred pounds. Ordinarily
pitmans are made of wood and braced with
rods and straps of iron, kept taut by screw
and nut. Those of that style are necessarily
of great weight and are bulky, in order to Sc
cure the desired strength. The pitmans I'M
der notice, however, have greater strength
than those of the old style, and are yet much
lighter From the forge they were taken to
the machine-shop where 0-inch holes were
bored nearly the whole length, with 2-inch
spaces between A channel was then sunk
one-quarter of an inch on each side
the pitman, along the line of the
holes. The cutting out reduced the
weight 800 pounds The best steel L
rails were then taken and dressed off until
only the web, without lips. and the fiange
were left. On either side of each pitman one
of these rails is bolted in channel, making
brace A by q inches, and giving thickness
of truss to each pitman of over ten inches.
These trusses restore the weight to the orig
inal figure, but there has been by the opera
CIR Will TOn11p1
of addition in weight. 1t will he seen that
when the pitman is in place, it will be impos-
sible to make it give way without spring
ing truss upon one side and
upsetting that upon the opposite
side. These new pitmans, complete, weigh,
as stated, 2, 400 pounds each, while wooden
ones would kick the beam at the $500 pound
mark. Thus ], 400 pounds of weight Is
saved, and strength secured OF which no
wooden rod that could be made serviceable is
capable OF course such machinery as de-
scribed costs more than the old style, but
when the life of boat is taken into consid-
Grafton, and the gain to that life by reason of
lightness of machinery is duly credited, it
will be readily admitted that Master Me-
chanic Stevens is correct in his views of what
is true economy in the construction of such
machines. To show how completely there
has been an adherence to this plan of work,
it may be added that the bed plates OF the
engines, nearly always of cast iron, are IN
these engines wrought, costing considerably
more than if cast, but being lighter and more
economical in consequence.
The boats are now nearly ready for launch
ing, and will soon receive their engines. The
first pair will be sent down in about two
weeks Each engine is to be set up here
completely and then taken down and shipped,
so that the setting up again may be done with
the utmost rapidity and ease. The engines
will be of about 1000 horse power. The
boats will ply between San Francisco and
Sacramento, and will have maximum ca
pacity of about 500 tons. They are intended
for freight exclusively, but will probably, be
finished up to accommodate small number
of passengers, though this has not entered
into the plan of their construction. The
boilers, engines and all accessories are now in
rapid process of construction at the shops,
and excite the admiration of all who have
knowledge of machinery and of iron working,
who have examined them.