The Portland daily press., 1889-03-21
AvIsiT TO LOCOMOTIVE HOUSES
Weary one Hundred Engines Kept in
Portland Over Night.
A Large Number of Men EMPLOYED
IN the Repair Shops.

IN the Repair Shops.
On the outskirts of the city, at either end
and on both sides, are situated the locomo-
tive round houses of the different railroads
that run into Portland. In these houses
enough locomotives are kept yer night to
transport at one time every man, woman and
chiid OF the city on a grand excursion,
with provisions enough to last several weeks.
Ihere are 81 engines that belong in this city,
ana their average valuation is perhaps $1,000,
making the total valuation $685., 200.
In running these locomotives and in the car
repair shops. nearly 400 men are employed.
Mr.. George Miller is foreman of the Boston
q Maine car repair shops, which are located
just out of the city at Turner's Island. Mr..
Miller Is not only practical railroad man,
but he is mechanic OF excellent ability. de
employees 3S men, and repairs on an average
100 cars. freight and passenger, per month.
The draw bars and truck frames are the
parts that get out of repair the most, but the
shops are equipped in a manner that makes
1t easy to repair the cars. carpenter shop
machine shop, blacksmith shop, paint shop
etc., fitted with improved machinery that
is run by steam power facilitates the work.
On the switch opposite the shops at Turner's
Island are two cars, the doors of which are
always kept locked except when the cars are
in use. These are the wrecking cars. One
OF them, the blocking car, contains blocks
and spare truck frame. The other is the
tool car, and 1t contains ropes, track replac-
ers, hammers, axes, bars, saws. shovels, jack
screws, fire buckets, ETC., that are needed In
clearing up wreck when
one results from disaster at any
point along the line. Mr. Miller responds to
the call for assistance from any wreck
that moy occur between this city and North
Berwick. but wrecks beyond that point are
attended to by train from the other end of
the line. However, If a bad disaster should
take place beyond North Berwick that re-
CURED an extra amount of assistance, by
special orders he might go to it. Night and
day locomotive is kept fired up to be ready
at moments notice to glide out of the
round house and take the wrecking train
wherever required. This winter has been
very favorable one for railroading, so Mr..
Miller says, and not since last December has
the wrecking train been called out, and then
the accident was not serious one. But the
winter OF 81 and SS was hard one, and 1t
was no uncommon thing then for the
crew to be called out in furious snow storm
at dead of night to 60 away ont on the road
somewhere to replace a derailed freight train
or perhaps to set passenger coach on the
iron. But there are less accidents now than
there used to be years ago. This
in owing to the improved condition of the
roadDed and rolling stock, and also to the fact
that the employees are better disciplined than
they were. The Boston & Maine is a we'll
equipped road, and they have as good facili-
ties for removing wrecks as q road needs to
have. At the locomotive round house at
Turner'S Island, which is on the Eastern di-
vision, thirteen freight and four shifting To-
comotives are stationed, and at the locomo-
tive round house ON the Western division,
which is located near the old transfer sta
ton. twelve passenger locomotives and three
shutters are accommodated, making thirty
two in all. One Of the most interesting en-
gines on the Boston & Maine is the Swiner-
ton driving wheel locomotive Onward"
This new and powerful engine has what are
called polygonal wheels This wheel differs
formed by cutting large number of flat sur
faces of facets around its periphery or tread.
which, are connected with each other by
very oDtuse angles, so that when the wheel
passes over the rail an inch or more, accord
ing to the width of the facet is SUCCESSFULLY
presented In actual contact with the rail.
thus obtaining far greater traction than is
possible with the cylindrical wheel which
depends for its traction upon merely math-
ematical line, a point OF contact SO slight
that scientific works state that If the contact
OF locomotive driving wheel was any less
than at present locomotion by railway trains
would be impossible. The s'Onward,' was
four OF hye passenger cars at high rate Of
speed. The purpose of the polygonal wheel
Is 70 prevent the large amount Of apparent
and imperceptible slipping that takes place
apply the power thus lost to drawing
cars and freight. The Onward has hauled
20 cars OF coal at one load, and although it
has buta single driving wheel, or one driv-
ing truck, its traction power has been dem
oonstrated to be equal to the locomotives of
its class having four driving wheels.
The Maine Central car repair shops at
Ihompson,s Point are very busy these days.
Foreman j. A. Pinkerton has some rs men
in his employ now, and they are doing lot
of repairing. Locomotives and freight cars.
but no passenger cars are repaired here. En-
gines lib and 115 are now being repaired
and there are two locomotives in the shop
for repairs about all the time. The old Port
and remembered to correspond to the style
OF the other Maine Central cars. In these
shops some 400 freight cars per month are
repaired. Engine No. LOG has Just been
made into double-ender, an will be run
on the local train between this city and Sc
bago Lake and Cumberland Mills. Nine
passenger engines are kept in the round
mouse at Thompson's Point, and at the Maine
Central locomotive round house in the Com
mercial street yard, % locomotives, making
~ In all owned by the Maine Central that
belong at this end of the line. OF this num-
Der five are shutters. The tool, or wrecking
car, which was newly fitted but a short time
house.
Six engines are kept in the Portland &
Rochester round house at the foot of Preble
street over night. OF this number one is a
shifter. Mr.. e. Il. G. Thompson is master
mechanic of the Portland & Rochester shops
when, at present. no new work is being
The Grand Trunk has extensive repair
shops at the east end of the city. Here I'M
der foreman ID. Menish 62 men are EMPLOYED
AID some II, 900 cars, freight and passenger.
are repaired annually. Fifty-two passenger
cars are kept In repair at these shops, be-
sides scores of freight cars.
The Grand Trunk Portland wrecking train
does not go beyond West Paris when called
out. Another train attends to the wrecks
when there are any between West Paris and
Gornam. The passenger cars are being fitted
with the Baker heater, the same that Is used
In some of the cars on the Portland 4
hochester road Twenty-one locomotives,
six shutters, eight freight and seven passen-
ger, are stationed at this end of the Grand
Trunk line. Mr.. j. N. Martin is foreman of
the locomotive department, and Mr.. A. f.
Berry clerk. Nineteen shifting engines are
required in this city to handle the cars used