Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-10-20
Harlcaster fntelIiQe11rer.
THuRsDAY EVENING, OCT. 40. lss
A RAPID "GRABSHOPPER I"
A Pom nsylvania Locomotive That II to Max
Ninety Miles An Hour Between PHIL
Sdelphio and New York.

n NAV1D 'OhAO0AAOAAHAss
Ninety Miles An Hour Between Phil
sdelphia and New York.
Standing in a "stall" in the round
house of the Pennsylvania railroad, in
Jersey City, is an odd-looking locomotive
bearing the name "FOntaine." The en-
CINE was constructed for speed, and, al
though it has not yet made its trial trip, it
is expected that it will run at the rate Of
ninety miles an hour. The machinery, in-
stead of being below the medium line of
the boiler, is almost entirely above it.
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 COM
municated to them from the cylinders. The
steam chests and cylinders are set at an
angle of about As degrees, and the sides Of
the boiler, 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 4t feet in
diameter, in the nomenclature of railroad
men are the " ponies" The forward pair
are called the "lower drivers" and are
double. The main part Of each wheel is
feet in diameter. The other part, which
is separate wheel, inasmuch as it does
not come in contact with the rail, al
though in the solid casting, is known a S
the "friction wheel" 1t is a feet in di-
ameter, and is supplied with a steel tire
the same as the others. The "main dri-
vers" stand upon the friction Wheels
and transmit the motive power to them.
The large wheels rolling upon the
smaller ones give the speed. There
is no gearing whatever. The "main
drivers" run in one direction, and
turn the "friction wheels" and "lower
drivers 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 increase
from the simple weight of the wheels to 1G
tons at the will of the engineer, who is
governed by the length of the train the
locomotive may be drawing. Tho diameter
of the truck-wheels under the front end
of the engine is 40 inches. The usual size
is 33 inches. Otherwise the FOntainc J"
does not differ materially from
the ordinary locomotive. The whole
affair weighs 3S tons. Some engines
weigh so tons. The cylinders are II by
81 lUCLCo ILL uIIuCuSlOiSs uC dluSuuU VI
steam carried when running IS 100 pounds.
The passenger engines ON most railroads
carry 14O pounds. The only striking fca
general appearance. Tho presence of the
extra pair of wheels on top of tho boiler
has won for it the names "camels !"
and grasshopper." While the ell.
gine looks strange in comparison
with others it does not appear ill-pro-
portioned. 1t is gay in paint and en-
bellishments, and the smooth brass and
iron parts are brightly polished. The Gu
gine was invented by Eugene. Fontaine, u
Frenchman. formerly a locomotive engineer
whose home is in Detroit, Mich. 1t is the
second one built, and was completed about
a month ago. 1t was constructed at the
Grant locomotive works in Paterson. The
first engine is now running On the Canada
Southern railroad. In May last it drew
two coaches from AmherStburg to st.
Thomas, a distance of III miles, in 9S min
utes. The entire run from AmherstburS
to Buffalo, 235 miles, was mado in 2335
minutes, including stop fOr coal and water.
While a reporter of the Times was in
specting tho engine in the round house in
Jersey City yesterday afternoon a we'll
dressed, pleasant faced man who stood
short distance away smoking, was pointed
out as the engineer. The reporter learned
that his name was Lorenzo II. Clapp, and
that he was formerly an engineer on the
Canada Southern. lie said he would bc
glad to explain the peculiarities and mer-
its of the engine, and told the reporter
how the machinery was constructed
and how it operated
"It ran like a bird and rode like u par
lor car," said engineer Clapp with enthu-
siasm. 81 want to tell yOu," lie added,
g that can 90 faster on No. : than any
man in the wOrld.'
Isn't the danger increased 10y running
fast?''
Il don't think it is. The engine hugs
the rail, and is as steady as clock. "
The reporter learned from Mr.. Fontaine
that the trial trip would be made in very
few days. No 2, if the expectations of the
inventor are realized, will run between
Jersey City and Philadelphia. The use of
the engine for 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 Stvlc,