San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-11-28
IN THE REPAIR SHOPS.
VISIT TO THE PLACE WHERE SICK
ENGINES ARE CURED.

Facts Concerning Observation-Disclosures"
West of Fortieth street wide stretch Of
prairie is inclosed by high board fence and
within the inclosure stand thirteen main
structures beside a multitude of smaller
ones. or the six ranged side by side along
the main track of the Galena division the
first and largest one, with wide doors open
ing to the east and surmounted by huge
chimney whose volumes OF smoke would
drive the smoke inspector TO distraction, is
the machine and construction shop-the
surgical clinic Of the Northwestern road.
The other five of this cluster Of shops, con-
nected by a system of parallel tracks, are ex-
clusively devoted to the repair Of passenger
coaches. The two longitudinal buildings,
placed at right angles with the former are
the shops where the iron and woodwork for
car repairs is made Two other structures,
each over 600 feet in length, are warehouses,
and behind these are the yards for the stor-
age of all sorts Of odds and ends, such as run
ming gear-good, bad and indifferent-old,
worn out axles, new wheels of paper, iron
and steel, freight car boxes which have out
lived their usetulness-in short, every i'm
Aginable appliance used In connection with
rolling stock generally.
10 NLolbu WIZ oDOuiiicA
she privilege of a stroll through the shops the
locomotive department is no doubt the most
interesting. In its workings it is at the same
time the most difficult to describe. To begin
with, the locomotive is not of the neuter;
that wonderful piece Of mechanism is Of the
feminine gender Like the vessel to the
sailor, the locomotive is "she" to every one
that has anything to do with her. The engi-
40 hon re 10 or
yet complicated being, like all females, given
to the most incomprehensible and perplexing
complaints, though most everything about
her Is of iron-gray or cast iron, wrought
iron and sheet iron.
The machine shop is truly world in it
self. Entering from the north end, there are
to the left, stretching away to the farther
extremity of the huge building, many short
tracks or "stalls," shut Off from the outer
world when so desired by large doors. Here,
side by side, all facing to the east are loco
motives Of all ages and descriptions in one
continuous line. Silent and grim they stand,
their somber forms looming large and terri
BILE in the dim obscurity Of this vast work
shop. Here may be found engines afflicted
with a great variety of complaints and in all
stages of convalescence Engines with hot
boxes and lame backs, with violent internal
wheezings and various ominous and sus-
picious premonitory symptoms of approach. |
ing dissolution; engines afflicted with sweats, |
violent feverss with levers that refuse TO |
work and wheels that will not go round. |
Among them, to and fro, in and out. move
the doctors" operating upon each accord.
ing to the peculiar nature of her disease
Upon the right, also stretching to the
farther end, is perfect wilderness of ma, |
chimes, while scattered over the floor in anG !
about these machines, wheels, cranks, shafts,
and every conceivable specimen of mechan-
ical construction lie in all stages of compile
ton. Anything like an intelligent descrip-
ton of even a limited number of these parts
and the mechanism by which they are shaped
would require volumes. But it is here that
they ore brought to their greatest state of
perfection and in the different processes hun
dreds of machines, many Of special design
and representing in the aggregate hundreds
of thousands of dollars, are used constantly
we are not building any new locomotives
ct present." said the obliging superintendent
construction, and have not for sOC,c
time All our work in that line is being
done at the Schenectady works after spec Il
DlanS prepared by US Do we have omor~h
repairing to keep us busyt Bless you, yes!
often more than we can attend to. Now,
here" laying his hand caressinGly upon
huge monster towering above him, lis No
l46. Run into car at switch, stove in
her side and took OFF her cab and air-pump.
While she is in we will give her general
overhauling. 1t will take about three
weeks
With this gentlemans assistance many in
terestng facts were learned. The crown
sheet, or that part Of the boiler directly over
the fire, is subject to the greatest wear" he
explained, being where most of the steam
is generated. Next to that come the fuesn
Here the reporter was invited to ascend an
improvised wooden staging, and, clambering
from thence up the rounding sides of u great
boiler peered down into its cavernous depths
by means OF an opening in the dome. These
iron bars said the superintendent, which
you see are placed directly over the crown
sheet and bolted to it, and the whole is fur
Their strengthened by means of iron rods
running TO the roof and dome. 1t is here
that the greatest labor and attention is be-
slowed By means Of this glass gauge the
engineer is kept informed OF the height OF
water in the boiler. Should this water by
any carelessness be permitted to get below
the spot indicated, the most dire consequences
might be expected were not the fire imme
diately withdrawn. The contact of the cold
water from the pump with the superheated
surfaces of the crown sheet would generate q
gas which nothing could withstand"
After an engine is run into the stall she is
given over to the ''strippers," who take her
apart. She is then cleaned, after which any
defects in her boiler or fire box are remedied.
As her machinery or running gear will