Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1888-02-18
TRICKS OF ENGINES.
A FEW OF THE ILLS TO WHICH 10
cOMoTiveS ARE SUBJECT.

A FEW OF THE ILLS TO WHICH To-
coMoTWeS ARE SUBJECT.
Taking . Notion to Run AwsJ-"F"an-
iag"-Ths Trick of Going Lame-rhs
Odd Feat VI Jumping-Breskiog .
Spring.
One OF the most common tricks that en-
sines play is that Of running away. The
engineer will close the valves and get out
Of the cab, leaving her standing quietly
and submissively, and all Of sudden she
takes notion to run away, and the next
thing he knows she Is shooting up the
track at the top,of her speed, and when
she gets away she generally keeps on rum
ming until her steam gives out That may
not be until she has run into another
train. but little does she care for cOnse-
Quences; she Is of on tear and she
means to make the most OF 1t. Just why
engines do this or how Is mystery. How
che throttle can open itself or how the en-
gine eau run with its throttle closed ID
hey Ond the ken of engineers but they do
1t and sometimes play havoc, too. They
generally pick the time when they have
been on their good behavior for few
days. and when their masters confidence
in them is high. " play this particular
prank. and therefore they are generally
successful when they try it.
Another trick they have Is that Of
''fOaming." Without any warning or ap-
parent reason the water in the boiler will
begin to foam instead Of making steam,
and il will bubble up like the boiling
water IN teake.tie, and look like very
mueh disturbed tub ot soapsuds No
steam can he obtained from foaminS
water, ana the ohl! thing the engineer can
do Is TO let IL run out ana tArn IN fresh
supply; but that takes time and causes =
delay, and all Tor whimsical notion
that the engine got INTO her hard head.
foaming. however, ~ . trihe compared
with the trouble that is cause! when she
goes lame. and the work of getting her
trim Is not nearly SO great She s,'es lame
from two causes she does not stub her
toe or nave any one step on her c"rns, Dat
she either slips an eccentric or does not
cough regularly. The eccentrics work
on the axle oil the main drivers. and
sometimes the outer ring will slip of the
inner. or eccentric proper, and TALL down
4
valves IN the steam chest, the supply Of
steam is cut of from the cylinder when
one ot them slips, and consequently th'
engine s'ops ~ short AS grandfather $
clock :!
NOT An EASY jon.
Then the engineer has t" crawl under
the machine. take out the bolts which
hold the ring. place it back In position
nd Dnfn hnf ,a
enough 10 talk about, but not so easy to
do. for tn" ring and rod attached to it
weigh over 100 pounds. II is by no means
q light task Ia get underneath an engine
or move an iron ring of that weight into
position. The coughing is not the result
Of cold. but Is the discharge Of the
steam from the cylinder after 1t has been
nsed. She ought to cough four times to
ecen 'e."au',oh vi 'ae arriving wheel out
"nen 'lie Nai'es choAe sne "iiiohiy cough
.wice VI ei,ree '"neS, anu 10 remedy that
the cop VI ,he stea" chest must pe re-
n'osed anu '"e waves gwen dose OF oil.
C"e :" Tue Sa ies, ie'i's tnAt An engine
perioruis INA. oi jumping Is not
'ne l''en'"n 10 .e,' .ne "la stor,es OF now
one unshe j"n'peu over anotne' 20 s'oia
co'ns,on VI .. 'na' engine IN the wud
~es, ~acn JuHpeu "c,oss . canon when
tne oriose M nsI 'a''sn; out really engines
~" Jump 1 ue" .ney arc liasei
Ine u'sn iu'e " sieeu anu tney
tuu o'ea ~ s'oae y. am' L.lie Cost1ucuoe
on tne .'".A .ue, WIN Jump c'e~ OK tue
~ 'Ia.N '@u =. ."N1 '.S, ,neues' anu IN almost
ent' ~ ."ey VIZ nsn' squa1e'y on Tue
rMis nneh lney come ao"n. Inat Is
pG! .o ,us -. snslne kno"s 'nat