The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1889-03-29
A New System Of Steam Heating adopted
on the Pennsylvania Railroad

| OSCAR Hess T-
A New System of Steam Heating adopted
on the Pennsylvania Railroad.
After two years Of trials and expert
ments the Pennsylvania Railroad
Company has adopted a system for
heating the passenger cars by steam,
which experts declare TO be the best,
safest, and surest mode of heating yet
devised.
The Philadelphia Times of March
l4th thus describes it:-
"The system is what is known as
the condensation system. Two
straight iron pipes, two inches in d.
ameter, are placed under the floor of
the car and are connected by cross
pipes in the center. A small pump is
fastened 10 one corner of the tender
aud connected with the boiler by a
pipe. The steam passes through the
pump, enters one pipe aid passes
through it TO the centre Of the car.
Here it goes up through valve and
branches off into two iron pipes.
These pipes extend across the width of
the car and are joined to two long
wrought-iron tubes running length
wise of the car. From these project
short spur pipe under each seat. The
steam goes through these pipes, passes
up through the radiators in zach end
of the car and is then drawn down
through cast-iron pipe back to the
centre of the Car, where it passes
through valve and enters the return
pipe.
"The little pump on the tender is
constantly at work and creates q vac
uum which draws back to the pump the
condensed water. In addition to this
the exhaust from the pump aud the air
brake are both directed into the tank.
The valve in the centre of the car is 80
arranged that when the temperature is
ni.h enough, by turning small cock
under the centre seat the supply of
steam is shut off from that car and it
rushes through the pipe to the next
one. In this manner one car can be
without heat while the thermometer
cl,mbs up in the nineties in the
others. Or in the same manner one
side of the Car can be heated to
higher temperature than the other, if
necessary. When the steam reaches
the centie of the last Car it goes up
through the valve, enters the heating
pipes and radiators and then is caught
by the ,acuum and drawn back TO its
starting place.
GOOD VENTILATION AFFORDED.
"Na steam escapes in any place and
the pipes from the rear of the centre
of the last car have no steam in them,
while the car itself is we'll warmed by
the pipes on the inside. BY this
means no dripping occurs aud the va
cuum is so strong that the steam pipes
are entirely free from water and in the
event of wreck aud the pipes were
broken the vacuum is 80 powerful that
it would suck the air 10 instead Of al
lowing the steam to escape. In max
ing up train of cars the big pipes
under the car floor are connected by
means of slip grip and about foot
of strong rubber hose. Underneath
each seat is hole two inches wide
bored through the floor of the car in
such manner that when the cold air
rushes In it strikes the hot iron pipes
on the inside and becomes heated. on
"This arrangement keeps constant
current of warm fresh air in the cars
at all times,...: the vacuum in the
pipes draws what little water there Ia
in the pipes, so that when the cars are
uncoupled there is not a drop of water
to fall on the road-bed or station floor.
1t requires but little steam to run the
pump, and on yesterdays run from
Philadelphia to New York, with
train of twelve cars, but FIVE pounds of
steam pressure was used. This was
sufficient to create a vacuum in therre.
turn pipe averaging fourteen inches.
10 the supply steam pipe it averaged
six inches, and on the engine nineteen
inches o. nine and one-half pounds.
The average temperature during the
run was seventy degrees.
EXPERIMENTS WITH THE TEMPERATURE.
Several experiments were made to
find out how high the temperature
could be raised. In some of the cars
the mercury registered ninety degrees
and in Others when the steam was shut
off it dropped twenty and thirty dc.
grees. AS the train went rushing
along the wind came through the aper-
lures IN the floor and purified what
would have otherwise have been a
close atmosphere. The iron pipes are
covered with thin wooden sheathings,
and the passenger who is troubled
with cold feet can warm his toes as
well as il he had them wrapped up in
hot-wster bottles. The new system
works to perfection, and not hitch or
break has occurred 10 mar the perfect
success of the system"
By this method of heating every de-
sirable point is gained. A sufficient
amount of heat can always be secured,
and 1t can be regulated to any desired
temperature. There is no hot water in
the pipes to scald or burn in case of
accident, and an ample supply of pure
fresh air is supplied through the aper-
lures for ventilation.
On the introduction of this perfect
system of heating, the car stove with
all It's terrible possibilities will be for.
ever discarded. The oil lamp has al
ready given way TO the electric light,
and with the abandonment of the
stove, the last Objectionable feature in
railway travel will be happily gotten
rid of, No event in the history of
railroading will serve to stimulate
travel so greatly.
1t is expected that all Of the pas.
senger cars of the Pennsylvania Rail.
road will be fitted with this appliance
before another winter.