The daily gazette., 1881-10-19
a ARAPrD .aRAssmoppER.p y
A Pennsylgania Locomotive that II
20 Make Ninety Miles an Hour.


A Pennsylyanfa Locomotive that Is
TO Make Ninety Miles an Hour.
The New York Times has the fol-
lowing
Standing In . ''stall'' in the round
house Of the Pennsylvania Railroad,
In Jersey City, is an odd looking loco
motive bearing the name "Fontaine."
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 of ninety miles an
hour. The machinery, instead of bee
ing below the medium line of the boil
or, 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 communicated to them from
the cylinders. The steam chests and
cylinders are set at an angle of about
As degrees, on the sides Of the boiler,
and the crank rods run up to the
s'drivers." The lower driving-wheels
are different sized and are not con-
nected. The rear wheels, which are
only Al feet in diameter, in the nomen-
clature Of railroad men are the "po-
nies." The forward pair are called
the CLOVER drivers" and are double.
The main part of each wheel is 9 feet
in diameter. The other part, which
is separate wheel, inasmuch as it
does not come in contact with the rail,
although in the solid casting, Is known
as the afraction Wheel" 1t is Al feet
in diameter, and is supplied with
steel tire the same as the others. The
"main drivers" stand upon the "fric-
tion Wheels" and transmit the motive
powtr to them. The large wheels rol"
ling upon the smaller ones give the
speed. There is no gearing whatever.
The "main drivers" run in one direc-
tion, and turn the "friction wheS Is"
and GLOVER drivers" ia another. In
order to prevent the wheels from slip
ping, 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 10 tons at the will of the engineer,
who is governed by the length of the
train the LOCOMOTIVES may be drawing.
The diameter of the truck-wheels un-
der the front end of the engine is 40
inches. The usual size is 80 inches.
Otherwise the "Fontaine" does not
differ materially from the ordinary
locomotive. The whole affair weighs
39 tons. Some engines weigh 80 tons
The cylinders are II by "a inches in
dimensions. The amount Of steam
carried when running is 130 pounds
The passenger engines on most rail.
, roads carry lac psGnds. The only
striking feature of the 'FontaIue" u
the eye is tho general appearance. The
, presence of the extra pair of wheels
. on top of the boiler has won for it The
0 names "camel" and "grasshopper."
D While the engine looks strange in con
2 parison with others, 1t does not appeal
Q ill-proportioned. 1t is gay In paint ant
embellishments, snd the smooth bras
! and iron parts are brightly polished
1 The engine was invented by Eugen,
9 Fontaine, a Frenchman, formerly 1
4 locomotive engineer, whose home Is il
Detroit, Mich. II Is the second on,
built, and was completed about mont
= ago. 1t was constructed at the Gran
Locomotive Works in Paterson. Th
first engine Is now running on the Can
= ada Southern Railroad. Ia May last
4 drew two coaches from Amherstburg T.
st. Thomas q distance of Ill miles, Il
98 minutes. The entire run from Am
= herstburg 10 Buffalo 235 miles was mad
!. in 235 minutes including stops for Goa
\ and water.
Af ha s,,aaa xua
4 inspecting the engine In the round hous
q in Jersey City yesterday afternoon
: well-dressed, pleasant-faced man VIII
a stood short distance away smokin
/. was pointed out as the engineer. Th
a reporter learned that his name wa
. Lorenzo II. Clapp, and that he wa
4 formerly an engineer on the Canad
4 Southern. He said he would be- glad b
i explain the peculiaritles and merits Q
4 the engine, aud told the reporter hoy
q the machinery was constructed and HOY
Q it operated.
DIT ran like bird and rode like
!. parlor car" said Engineer Clapp will
4 enthusiasm. 81 want to tell you," b
;, added, "that can go faster on No.
O than any man in the world"
il "Isn't the danger increased by run
q ming fast?"
a 81 don't think it Is. The engine hug
l. the rail, and is as steady as a clock"
Il The reporter learned from Mr.. Fon.
+. taine that the trial trip would be mad
a in very few days. No. 2, II the ex
"a pectations of the inventor are realized
d will run between Jersey City and Phila
II delphia. The use Of the engine for
- year or so will be given to the railroa
+. company. The cost of the Fontain
n engines will not be much more tha