Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1881-10-25
NINETY HILEs AN HOUR.
A Locomotive that Is Expected
10 be y Marvel Ia speed.

New Issk Sual
Standing in . stall' in the round
house Of the Pennsylvania Railroad, in
jersey City, is an odd-lOoking lOcomo.
tive bearing the name "Foataine. y
The engine was constructed for speed,
and although it has not yet made its
trial trip, It Is expected that it will
run at the rate 0 fninety miles an hour.
The machinery, instead Of being
below the medium line Of the boiler,
is almost entirely aboveit. There are
three pairs Of driving wheels, but only
two rest on the rails, The third pair
are on top of the boiler directly in
front Of the cab. These wheels are
termed the main drivers, and the
power is communicated to them from
the cylinders. The steam chests and
cylinders are set at an angle of about
forty-fge degrees, on the sides Of the
boilers, and the crank rods run
up to the drivers" The
lower driving wheels are
different sized and are not connected.
The rear wheels, which are only four
and a halt feet in diameter, in the
nomenclature Of railroad men are the
ponies and are double. TheforWard
pair are called the lower drivers"
and are double. The main part Of
each Wheelis six feet in diameter. The
other part, which is a separate wheel,
inasmuch as it does not come in con
tact with the rail, although in the
selid casting, is known as the friction
wheel" 1t is four and a half feet in
diameter, and is supplied with a steel
tire the same as the others. The
main driver" stand upon the 'fric-
ton wheels" and transmit the motive
power 10 them. The large wheels
rolling upon the smaller ones give the
speed. There is no gearing whatever.
The main drivers" run 10 one direc
tiOn and turn the friction wheels" in
another. In order to prevent the
wheels from slipping, and thus losing
motion, steam pressure is applied to
the main drivers to hold them down
upon the wheels beneath. The force
can be increased from the simple
weight Of the wheels to sixteen tons at
the will ofthe engineer, who is governed
by the length Of the train the loco
motive may be drawing. The
diameter Of the truck wheels under
the front end Of the engine
Is forty inches. The usual size is
thirty. three inches. Otherwise the
"Fontaine" does not differ materially
from the ordinary locomotive. The
whole affair weighs thirty. eight tons.
Some engines weigh fifty tons. The
cylinders are seventeen By twenty.fou
inches in dimensions. The amour
Of steam carried when running is 100
pounds. The passenger engines on
most railroads carry 40 pounds. The
only striking feature Of the "Fontaine"
to the eye is the general appearance.
The presence Of the extra pair of
wheels on top Of the boiler has won
for it the names camel and grass
hopper" While the engine looks
strange in comparison with others. it
does not appear ill.pfoportioned. Ii
Il gay in paint and embellishments.
the smooth brass and iron parts are
brightly polished. The engine was
invented By Eugene Fontaine. a
Frenchman, formerly a locomotive
engineer, whose home is 10 Detroit
Mich. 1t is the second one built, and
was completed about a monthago. Il
was constructed at the Grant Loco
motive Works 10 Paterson. The
first engine is now running on the
Canada Southern railroad. In Nav
last it drew two coaches from Am
berstburg to St. Thomas. a distance of
one hundred and eleven miles in
ninety-eight minutes. The entire run
from Amherstburg to Buffalo, 235
miles, was made in 235 minutes. in
GLIDING stops for coal and water.
Among those on board the train were
VIM. Ii. Vanderbilt, and j. II. Rut.
ter, Of the Central Hudson railroad.
and w. 7. Taylor, General Manager
and w. y. Carroll. General Superin.
tendent of the Canada Southern.
While a reporter Of the Times was
inspecting the engine in the round
house in jersey City yesterday after
noon, a well dressed, pleasant faced
man, who stood a short distance ava
smoking, was pointed out as. tie engin-
Ger. The reporter learned that his
name was Lorenzo NJ. Clapp, and that
he was formerly an engineer on the
Canada Southern. He said be would
be glad to explain the pe~culiarities
and merits Of the engine, and told
the reporter how the machinery was
constructed and how it operated. He
said the locomotive had been drawing
a work-train on the Erie railway for
a week past. Engineer Clapp spoke
OF the engine as No. 2 and the one on
the Canada Southern as No. ]. He
thought No. z superior to the other in
some respects. He let it out two or
three times on the road, and attained
q speed Of seventy.fve miles an hour.
The reporter asked how it behaved.
1T ran like a bird and rode like a
Darlor car" replied Engineer Clapp,
with enthusiasm. II want 10 tell
you he added, that / can 20 faster
on No. than any man in the world.
Isn't the danger increased by run
ming fast?7
! don't think it is. The engine
hugs the rail and issteady a. a clock"
The reporter learned from Mr..
fontalne that the trial trip would be
made in a very few days. No, 2. I'D
the expectations Of the inventor are
realized will run between Jersey CITY
and Philadelphia. The use Of The
engine for a year or so will be given to
the railroad company. The cost Of
the Fontaine engines will not be much
more than that Of the common style.
Warmers safe Kidney and Liver
~"A"