Morning journal and courier., 1888-07-31
Ar THE RArLRoAp sHoPs.

The Beautiful and the Practical and
Unp0etIcal-BusY Times In Repair.
Ing Rolling StOck-Luxur1ous Cars
The big Mo&uI Engines.
Where one would think to find grimy
atmosphere and sun baked sand around the
numerous shops of the Consolidated road are
beds of flowers, grassy ''parks, as the work
men call them, and the fresh salt breezes of
the sea- The shops overlook the harbor and
as pretty sight is had from the grounds and
windows as one could ask for. Here is seen
the marine life of Connecticut's greatest sea-
port and the ocean air and splash of the wa
| ters are as fresh and pleasing as from the
| windows of a fashionable hotel at any of the
| summer resorts. Here also may be seen the
| sudden threatening thunder heads rising out
| of the murkey skies, and casting their black
| heads high up into the sunny sky. The
storm of yesterday afternoon, which arose
| from the northeast and east, was of striking
| appearance and seen to great advantage from
/ this point.
l At these shops, as with all at this season,
business is somewhat dnll. No new cars are
being built, but the old cars have to be kept
/ in good repair as usual. Some twenty or
| thirty are in progress of repair all the time.
| The company keeps its rolling stock in the
ROSSAOAO
nishing, Feftting, cleaning and adding to can
| do is done. It takes from seven to ten days
4 to put car which has seen much service in
| good condition again, and the fine show that
/ It makes after an overhauling amply rspays
l the companys work. The generally neat and
| well kept appearance of the repair shops is
| very noticeable. In this season, when the
| whole force of employees is not busy, the
shops themselves undergo a frightening.
Floors of tar, which have been somewhat
worn, are being made over and everything
fitted in a fashion most convenient to the
men and pleasing to the eye.
Among the most handsome and attractive
cars in the yards are the new drawing room
/ cars which have Just been built. There are
l ten or twelve of these and four OF them are
now on the track ready for immediate use.
| They are all alike and their furniture and
fittings are in remarkably tasteful and COM
Portable style. They are beautiful as q par
Ior. The two ends are glare of beveled
/ glass mirrors and the rows of easy chairs on
each side are enveloped in fine old gold
plush. Soft Administer carpets cover the
floors and the windows are shaded with beau
tifu1 shades. A luxurious smoking room is
/ built at one end of each car and furnished
with plush divans. Everything to tickle q
smokers tsste is thought of. The cars are 8
handsome addition to the roads accommoda-
lions. They will be put on for regular
through trips. A finely made observation
II
But in the engine department everything is
as lively as ever. The men say that they
never have to slack up or put on down brakes
| here. The six new engines pat ON for regular
work last May are proving very effective.
They have each four driving wheels and have
engines were completed and sent here last
l week. They are powerful things and have
six driving wheels. Their dimensions are
1924. Heavy loads are a special point OF
| attack for these and the train that can stick
one of them,on an up grade isn't seen around
here very often. They will be stationed on
the Harlem river branch.
The New York end of the road is seeing Q
little Improvement this summer. There has
been inconvenience for some time, owing to
the crowded condition there in finding ac-
combinations for incoming and outgoing
trains. A double track is, however, now be-
ing laid by Harlem river, and this, when
completed, will probably facilitate the bust
ness greatly. This will make four tracks that
the Harlem river branch will have, and the
| two new ones go to Harlem junction. Con-
siderable work is caused by this change, as
the block signals and apparatus will have to
be shifted some distance and new signals set
up. The tracks will also be baIlasted and
put in excellent order.
The system of running trains out of the
| Grand Central depot in New York has been
| changed. The outward New Haven trains
l now Cross from the left to the right track at
Woodlawn and there run to their own road.
Other roads change at Spuyten Duyvil and
Woodlawn, and the advantage lies in the
fact that owning to additional crossing
places more trains can be run on the section
from the Grand Central depot and Wood
lawn at the same time. The New Haven
road runs AZ trains each way in "a hours,
and the three roads using the entrance tracks
run as many as 1875 trains daily each way.
In Europe most of the trains pass on the left,
and some engineers say that if the roads here
Should adopt the system, as is contemplated,
il would be great ADVANTAGE