The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1888-09-28
Fine VIA chiney.

The Tallahassee Shops of the Florida Central
and Peninsular Railway Company are always
in busy whirl, and in each department the WORK
of building and repairing is carried on rs stead-
lily and Systematically as the motion OF CLOCK
work, while the hum and buzz OF the machinery
plays like we'll accorded music on our light and
vibrating Florida air.
A few days since FLoRIDIAN representative
strolled through these shops and found every
thing in a stir of activity. The genial and ac-
commodating time and store-kecrer, MI w. A.
Papy was too busy to show US through, but he
left his work long enough to escort US into the
machinery department, where we were placed
under the guidance of Mr.. G. A. G. BloOmqus:,
a thorough and first-class machinest.
We will omit mention of the numerous fine
and complete pieces of machinery, which have
been working In these shops for years, and de-
vote this space mainly to mention OF the new
and costly machinery which has been recently
received and added to their already finely
equipped shops.
We were first shown new 36-inch engine
lathe, which has a twelve-foot bed. 1t was
running at the time and turning out new work
at q rapid rate.
beautiful and complete piece of machinery
is shaping machine. 1t his an 18nch stroke
by feet inches, and on this some very fine
work has been turned out.
The Acme bolt cutter is wonderful little
machine, and cuts any size from to l. inches.
The most attractive and the finest of all the
machinery is a 70 inch, double headed, drive
wheel lathe which cost, alone, $4,000 Since
the 4th of April last, wheels have been turned
on this lathe for fourteen engines, two OF which
were ten wheelers Any one at all acquainted
with the work of Car building will know that
this is an immense amount of work to be done in
such short WHILE for with the old style Of
lathe il would have taken nearly two years to
turn off the same number OF wheels, and the
work would not have been so well done. large
crane lifts the wheels 10 and out of this machine
and rolls them out on track which is built up
TO the lathe for this purpose This machine, as
we'll as most of the other new machinery, WAS
built by the Niles Tool Company, of Hamilton,
Ohio.
Among the other useful machinery we noticed
a new ten ton diffcrential pulley, made by the
Yale and Towne Manufacturing Company, of
Stamford Conn, which is used for lifting heavy
work.
Next to the drive wheel lathe is 42-inch
car wheel borer splendid piece of machinery,
with capacity of 20 Car wheels per day.
Near the door, in the northwest corner of
the machine shops, stands double headed axle
lathe, which turns both journals of the axle at
one and the same time. TO this is attached a
powerful crane, which lifts the heavy axles in
and out of the lathe, thus enabling one man to
do the work that otherwise it would require two
or three to do. On this lathe Mr. William Claus
A large, powerful hydraulic press. which was
burned in the Fernandina fire, brought here
and has been placed in thorough repair. 1t is
used for pressing wheels onto or off OF the aXles
and will take in 4S-inch wheel. This will do
AS much work dozen men could do a
hand press.
The engine, which is usei to run all the ma
chinery in the shops, can be regulated 10 run
anywhere between Il 15-hOrse and 25-hOise
power. 1t is one of the most compact, easy run
ming and powerful engines, for is SIZE. in the
South. 1t was built in Tallahassee in 1856 Or
1857 at the foundry of Messrs. John and Joseph
Cardy, and has been running steadily almost
every day since 1t has been through two fires,
yet il is now as good as new, never costing the
company over an average OF s. per year to keep
it in thorough repair.
Near the center OF the yard is a new and i'm.
proved Worthington duplex fire pump, from
which three pipes run TO the passenger and
freight depols. Hanging in convenient places
are several hundred feet of hose, and in case of
fire. a one-inch stream of water can be thrown
200 feet high and to any part of the yard
shops, thus giving excellent fire protection.
The blacksmith shops, with their immense
steam hammers, ETC., are among the most COM
pe,c to be found anywhere.
Six engines, five coaches and numerous fiat
and box cars now in the shops, being
paired, repaincd, etc.
The office is in charge of Mr.. E. Burton,
General Foreman, and Mr.. W. A. Papy, time
and storekceper 1t also has telegraph office
in charge of Mr.. Peck The different depart
mcnts are under the able foremanshp of the fol-
lowing gentlemen: Car shops Mr. A. Stephen
son Blacksmith shops, Mr.. Robert McDougall;
Boiler shops, Mr. Thos J. Bassett; Copper and
Tin shops, Mr.. Claus Bloomqust Paint shops,
Mr.. G. A. Ball Pattern-maker, Mr.. j. W. Hack
EFT. and of the Upholstering department, Mr..
Charles Lankey
These shops are so complete, turn out such
excellent work, and have such large payroll
that any city might be proud of them.