The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-05-21
GROOMING THE IRON STEED9.
ri,c Routine Work That j. Done In
IailrOad Koundliou-o.

1
grim, stee, arrnored giants resting from
their labor, il an object Of irresistible at
traction to Sunday strollcrs along the
river front near the Union station. II a
visitor happens to be accompanied by an
inouisitive small boy, he Will lind that
there are many things about round
house which are not comprehended IN a
youth's definition in school the other
dav. "a place where they keep engines.
Instead of being dreary rs car
riace house, it is as lively as q
race horse stable. 1t is s O'Clock IN she
evening. and that the New York express
has lust departed on It's way 10 Boston.
Soon the big express locomotive No. 100
will slowly back down the yard. ana
switch of down SIDE alley. rs 1t were,
toward the great roundhouse. Rumhlin2
slowly down the grade 1t will stop 40 a
gigantic coal heap. where a half doom
dusky figures are ready with shoVe!a,
and at once they begin TO send the coal
| in showers into the tender .lcanWinlt
the fireman and engineer have climbed
down from the cab. their day WORK
| done. and have started homeward. IN
their place has climbed a short, burly
man. whose professional name Is "hos-
tier" and the big machine il in his
charge from this time tail the next morn
ING. After the weight of the tender has
been increased 10 several tons by the
efforts Of the shovclcrs, the "hostlor'
slowly runs his charge 10 the turnlahle.
and the steed is prepared to go to bed for
| the night.
Waiting on the table" is not the most
inviting occupation, To be judged by the
back straining and "leg achy' process OF
turning a thirty ton locomotive han
round. and the walters. instead OF
having dapper white aprons aud clean
napkins, are equipped with oily overalls,
greasy caps and big boots. Indeed, they
are the same set who were seen vlClOusly
shovcling at the coal pile a moment ago.
and have followed the engine into the
house TO continue their attention. They
bear the name of "wipers" and the occu-
patton from which the term is derived
viii soon be seen. When the engine has
! pulled in to its stall, two bulkheads i'm
the front Of the boiler are unscreWCd.
and two men, sticking long probes into
the hole, begin TO ram up and down with
might and main This is to get the
sparks out OF her. and the toIturing
process lasts fully fifteen minutes, the
bright showers falling from the box into
the pit. Meanwhile the ''wipers' are
not idle. Armed with biz punches OF
waste soaked with black oil to prevent
rust. they rub and scrub vigorously, and
soon the effect of their work begins to he
seen, for the big locomotive looks as
shining and sleek as q racer fresh from
the stable.
. The hostler meanwhile has
banked" the fire, and, after pouring
nine buckets Of fine sand into the sand
box on the boiler, the traveller Is LETT 60
sumbor on warm bed-warm, for il
the Dit underneath runs a network OF
steam pipes. giving a temperate heat, the
effect Of which is shown by the dripping
Of the melting ice, if the weather Is
cold No. 1910 rests peacefully Il smOth-
cred snore now and then is the only lndi-
cation that a spark of life remains in the
machine Early in the morning the
locomotive is awakened by the 'hostler,
who vigorously pokcs the fire, and soon
the steam is sizzling al a lively rate.
About an hour before the train time the
''hostler" pulls the engine out, and after
making up the tram, the engineer ana
fireman reappear and No. 100 starts ont
for its day run of 2f6 miles
Like every big barn, roundhouse has
its annexes in the front ward. Near the
entrance to the establishment there is a
woodshed. a sand house, and an oil
cubDy. The latter is part OF the old round.
house and the inside arrangements re-
sembe a well regulated kitchen Near
a sink i'm one corner are seen three brass
handled pumps. which connect with three
big tanks underneath the floor. which
have capacity of several barrels OF oil
each In one of these tanks Is The lard
oil for drilling in the shops, in another
the valve oil for the engines, and in an
other still is the engine oil proper
Besides these substances is the kerosene
or headlight oil in a tank by itself In
little back room is the big pile of waste,
and the whole establishment is in charge
of a responsible servant OF the road, who
parcels out the material to the foreman
of the roundhouse as he requires. The
sand house is also a modest brick struc,-
ure in which a pile of sand is heared
about large stove, to be perfectly dried
before being sifted. and right opposite Is
the gigantic woodshed whose pile is re-
plenished every day with a car load
There are, of course, two gangs of hands
who have charge night and day respec-
lively. and taken all together, a jollier
healthier, and more hard working set OF
men it would be hard to find the whole
road oven. springfield Republican.