The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1885-10-21
LIFE ON A LOCOMOTIVE.
A Veteran Engineer Narrates
Some Experiences.
A Great Improvement in ENGINES of To-
day--Some Fast Trips.

glneer employed on one of Chicago's
leading railroads. For twenty-five
years he had pulled the lever of a loco.
motive on the same road, and but for
bis modesty could reel off yarns Of
thrilling experiences by the yard.
"This reminds me-" said he, allud-
ing to the storm which was prevail
ing, "of a night a number Of years
ago, when a very strange circumstance
happened On the train I was running.
only mention it tt illustrate the ex-
treme forethought which it is contin-
ually necessary for an engineer to ex-
ercise. AS we pulled out of the depot
[ noticed "a storm gathering in the
west. Before we had got far beyond
the city limits wa were into it. It
was a gruesome night, with the light
ming flashing necessarily. the thunder
crashing and rolling, and the wind
blowing a hurricane, I suddenly
thought ten chances to one, at some
point on the road, I would he likely to
run across some stray freight cars, for
the wind was strong enough to blow
them from the switches on the main
track. The thought made me eau
tlous, and I kept a sharp lookout
ahead. My fears proved correct, for
we had not gone far when a bright
flash of lightning brought into bold
relief against the black sky a number
OF freight cars which the wind had
carried off a side track and piled up
p~romiscuously on the main track. But
being ready for just such an emergen-
cy l pulled up in tina to avert a catas-
trophe."
do you End engines in these days
easier to handle than when you first
took hold of the lever?"
"Oh, yes. There has been SO MANY
improvements of late years that a To-
connective is much easier to run. 1t is
much easier to get up steam. The
use of coal instead of wood tends to
this result; and then the patent injec.
Tor is a great Improvement over the
old pump. The automatic air-brake
Is a great help, and there are many
minor improvements being constantly
brought forward-all of more or less
utlity-which Tighten the labor of an
engineer. Some roads use a patent
bell-ringer. which is run by steam, but
l never took kindly to it. 1t proved a
source OF annoyance more than any,
thing else"
II suppose there has been a great
change Of style in engines in the last
twenty years?"
"fes, they are much heavier. for n
thing. In the old days a locomotive
had only to pull three or four cars.
One with a l5-inch cylinder and o.
inch stroke. weighing twenty-eight to
thirty tons, was sufficient. Now trains
are made up of fifteen to twenty cars.
and the weight OF the locomotives has
been increased to about forty-sfx tons,
with an 18-inch cylinder and a 24.inch
stroke. An engine with the tank all
Loaded and ready to start on a run
will weigh s~eventy-ive TONS"
"Have engineers improved as much
as the engines"
decidedly, yes. In the old days an
engineer was nobody unless he was
n of the boys. He was expected to
be hail fellow. we'll met with every
body, and the amount of whisky a first
class engineer could consume in a
night was something fearful to con-
template. Now, however, drinking is
absolutely prohibited. While the .boys'
were good in their day, there are
many who would not do for these
times. They are a better educated
class of MEN in these days than they
were formerly, for they do not spend
their spare time in carousaIs. But
still you will find them a Jolly set
withal."
"Is it necessary to be a practical ma
chinist to be q first-class engineer?"
"By no means. The very best enei-
neers are those who are FIRST 'wipers'
at the round house. next fremen, and
are finally put in charge of the locomo-
tive. By constantly being about an
engine they become familiar with the
different parts and soon learn how to
handle 1t, provided, Of course, that