The Dillon tribune., 1886-05-22
NERVE IN RUNNING AN ENGINE.
Comparative Cspsh1)ity Ut Locomotive
Enwiaecrx and Ma4.liuistx.

comparative CSpsh1ttty u Locomotive
Engsn~ers and Msrhinist~.
Comparing the capah;!ity If locomotive
engineers and macllinists in the actual rum
ming Of an engine. An old and experienced
railroad official the other day said:
''rhe best engineers we have are those
WI" have been advanced from The fire.
snan's side Of the engine tn the coveted seat
.'m the right hand side 1T the cai,. They
know how to handle the machine rs wei!
us al experienced horse man can handle his
racer. and are imbued with spirit foreign
to fear. They don't know the weak points
sd an engine rs we'll ~ the macl.inist
might. hut this fact is MI argument in
their favor and one against the claims Ut
abe ,nachinist. Ihave seen the experiment
tried, and the result is an almost invariahle
failure on the part Of the machiniSt to meet
tlle requirements. They lack the nerve.
sa'd knowing that Il locomotive has weak
points. do not dare t" take the risks the
Fireman. who has heen promoted. knows
lH,thing of. nor does he. as Il rule, care to
know 1t would h. utter folly to take u
rnschinist out Of the shops and PHI, him OH
:, fast train. He couldn't pull it. His
nerve would fail him and he would I've co,u-
f~lletl to give it up. while the engineer
~
readily assumes his new duties and handles
abe throttle without Il thought of fear eth
sering into the discharge of his duties"
Can you cite Incidents" asked the re-
porter.
Yes, responded the official. 1T would
M. manifcstly unfair to give the name uf IL
man who made a failure. but there is III
incident ! wildly recollect where IL ma
chinist was ambitious to become an engi-
neer. lie finally succeeded in getting il
freight run. and did 81 we'll there that he
was transferred to Il passenger. The change
WAS marvellous. His train was nearly
always behind time, the conductors
We're trettul and innrmerablc complaints
were made. The .nacl,inis, engineer. Il
good. reliable man. hy the way. was finally
brought before his superiorS. and when
questioned. frankly admitted that he was
afraid of his machine. 1 can't do it, he
said. his expression "f counten,ncc verify
IN: his words. 1t makes me dizzy. and l
lose my confidence every time attempt to
make time. III have To give it up
wouldn't run Il locomotive forty miles an
hour for Il fortune. | couldn't. 1t would
make me gray in a years time"
Isn't i, Il little peculiar that the.
man ~-he builds an .ngiuc can not run it
as well As one who has learned merely the
operating of the machine in the cab
Not III all. The machiui>t knows how
delicate the mechanism is and knows jus,
where tn" weak points are. l, is this knowl-
edge that unnerves him. Tn the other
ham! the fireman yaZeS with pride upcr
his powerful cour>er. and all he cares to
know is the 'lclicacy ot control which will
induce the iron steet In make the is>,
time ar phil the heaviest load. He secs
only the strength of the engine. and does
4r't permit the weak points IL prey upon
and unm;m him. 1t i like any III, he: b..>i
hess. The niuchniS, knows how i, "Ug..t
I" be done. hut the engineer wl" was once
Il fireman ny his experience has learned
how il i h,,,c. and feels IL ilucl Il: homie
with his hand an thc throttle a. the ma
chini>t does IN grinding his lathe. Chi
cage Times