The Lambertville record., 1889-03-20
A New System of Steam Heating adopted
on the Pennsvlynuia Railroad


A New System of Steam Heating adopted
on the Pennsylvania Railroad.
After two years of trials and expert
ments the Pennsylvania Railroad Com.
pany has adopted system for heating
tho passenger cars by steam, which ex-
perts declare to be the best, safest, and
surest mode of heating yet devised.
The Philadelphia Times of March 14th
thus describes it:
"fhe system is what is known as the
condensation system. Two straight iron
pipes, two inches in diameter, are placed
under the floor of the car and are connect
ed by cross pipes in the centre. A small
pump is fastened to one corner of the
tender and connected with the boiler by a
pipe. The steam passes through the
pump, enters one pipe and passes through
it to the centre of the car. Here 1t goes
up through a valve and branches off into
two iron pipes. These pipes extend across
the width of the car and are Joined to two
long wrougbt-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 ia each 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 con-
stantly at work and creates q vacuum
which draws back to the pump the con-
densed water. la addition to this the ex-
haust from the pump and the air-brake
are both directed into the tank. The
valve in the centre of the car is so ar.
ranged that when the temperature is high
enough, by turning q 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 bc without any heat while the
shers.soxsotSr Slisabs up IN
----le others. Or IN the same manner one
side of the car can be heated to a higher
temperature than the other, If necessary.
When the steam reaches the centre of the
last car 1t goes up through the valve, en-
ters the heating pipes and radiators and
then is caught by the vacuum and drawn
back to its starting place.
GOOD VENTILATION AFFORDED.
''No steam escapes in any place aud the
pipes from the rear of the centre of the
last car have no steam in them, while the
car itself Is well warmed by the pipes on
the inside. By this means no dripping
occurs and the vacuum is so strong that
the steam pipes are entirely free from
water and in the event of wreck and the
pipes were broken the vacuum is 80 pow
erful that 1t would suck the air in instead
OF allowing the steam to escape. In maxi
ing up train of cars the big pipes under
the car floor are connected by means of q
slip grip aud about foot Of strong rub.
Der hose. Underneath each seat is hole
two inches wide bored through the floor
of the car In such manner that when
the cold air rnshes in it strikes the hot
iron pipes on the inside aud becomes
heated.
This arrangement keeps constant
current of warm, fresh air in the cars at
all times, and the vacuum in the pipes
draws what little water there is In the
pipes, so that when the cars are uncoupled
there is not drop of water to fall on the
road bed or station floor. 1t requires but
little steam to run the pump, and on yes
terday's run from Philadelphia to New
York, with q train of twelve cars, but
five pounds of steam pressure was used,
This was sufficient to create a vacuum 10
the return pipe averaging fourteen inches.
In the supply steam pipe it averaged six
inches, aud on the engine nineteen inches
or nine and half pounds. The aver
age temperature during the run was sew
enty-five degrees.
EXPERIMENTS WITH THE TEMPERATURE.
''Several experiments were made to
ND nfrf hnv tOh ha tos, fs,,.e
be raised. In some of the cars the mer-
curry registered ninety degrees and in
others when the steam was shut off it
dropped twenty and thirty degrees. AS
the train went rushing along the wind
came through the apertures in the floor
and purified what would 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 we'll as If
he bad them wrapped up in hot-water
bottles. The new system works to per-
fection, and not bitch or break has oc-
CURED to mar the perfect success of the
system"
By this method of heating every desira
BILE point is gained. A sufficient amount
Of heat can always be secured, and it 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 apertures for ventilation.
On the introduction of this perfect sys.
tenn Of heating, the car stove with all it's
terrible possibilities will be forever dis
carded. The oil lamp has already given
way to the electric light, and with the
abandonment Of the stove, the last objec-
tionable feature in railway travel will be
happily gotten rid of. No event in the
history of railrcading will serve to stimu-
late travel SO greatly.
1t is expected that all Of the passenger
cars of the Pennsylvania Railroad will be
fitted with this appliance before another
Winter.
A Few Pointers.