The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1889-02-02
CYCLE NO. /.
Trial Of the New Boynton Bicycle Lo-
connective.
A Throng of People Assemble at the
Portland company's Works,
And Witness the Successful opera
ton Of the Big Engine.

uon OF the Big Engine.
Yesterday soon after II o'clock noon the
big doors IN the west end Of
the setting up shop" of the Portland
Company's great works were thrown
open and number of mechanics with
crowbars gradually forced the ponder
GUS Boynton bicycle locomotive out on the
track to position some twenty feet from
the shop. A fire was started under the
boiler, and four feet pine slabs were used
for fuel. The trial which was TO be given at
8 O'Clock p. M, was not publicly advertised,
but somehow the matter leaked out and soon
it appeared as though everybody knew 1t.
Long before the appointed hour for the trial
groups of curious people began to assemble
from all quarters. Some walked, many
came in sleighs, there were men and boys of
all ages and occupations, and the side hill
below the company's Office was the vantage
ground chosen by number of women who
were anxious to see the first trial of the odd
est locomotive ever constructed. Among the
prominent persons present were K. Moody
Boynton the inventor; Geo. Dunbar of Bos-
ton; John Lidback; City Clerk Geo. G. Bur-
CESS; Walter Tolman; NJ. n. Rich, secretary
of the Board Of Trade; Charles S. Forbes
Henry 81. Burgess; Supt. Hamilton of the
Mountain Division of the NJ. c. r. R.; Train
Dispatcher Hall of the Maine Central
Freight Agent Robert A. McClutchy of the
Boston & Maine; j. & IL. Hall; represent a.
tlves of the press and others. In all there
were several hundred people present At
| twenty minutes Of o'clock ladder was
| placed against the locomotive and Engineer
Washington Orr, young man, assembled to
the upper story Of the cab, glanced at the
steam gauge. opened the throttle little, and
tried the various other parts of the locomo-
| tive to ascertain if they were in working or
der. The skill of the machinists who made
| the unique engine was attested, for every.
thing worked to a charm. Before it was
time for the trial Mr.. <. e. Jennings the
young fireman stepped into his apartment,
which is in the lower story directly under the
engineers room, opened the furnace door
and threw upon the hot fire several of the
pine slabs. The hour of o'clock arrived,
but sufficient pressure of steam to move
the locomotive was not then registered by
the gauge. Mr.. Boynton and Mr.. Dunbar
retreated to the company's office from the
window of which they could watch proceed
ings. The moments flew by. The spectators
finally became little restless.
MIR. Boynton was seen to appear and disap-
pear at the window as if he we're anxious
concerning his invention which he has given
SO manv long hours of labor and study. The
boiler of the locomotive is made to withstand
pressure of 100 pounds of steam, and when
the gauge indicated pressure of some 70
pounds Mr.. Orr opened the throttle, and the
huge driving wheel began to move while the
spectators cheered as they witnessed this
first evidence Of a successful trial. Back and
forth over the short track the locomotive
was run to the delight of the throng assem-
bled. Exclamations showing how pleased
were the people with the way the locomotive
acted were heard on all sides.
THAT thing will travel!" exclaimed one
man as he watched the movement of the
new invention. .She starts quickly, don't
she?" and 'She moves pretty" were
o Their remarks that were overheard by the
PRESS man.
Mr.. Boynton, who is a man of medium
height and weight, with black hair, full
black beard and very bright black eyes, re-
manned in the company's Office as long as he
could. He came running out after the
locomotive had gone over the track half a
dozen times, pushed through the crowd, and
without the assistance of ladder climbed
quickly into the engineers cab, reached for
the bell rope, and made the metal ring in a
manner that betokened the joy that he felt
at the success of the trial of his great inven-
ton. NOW fireman." he called out, "give
us some steam with your old green slabsi L
am going to bring Mrs. Boynton here to-
morrow. | should think you might try out
fat enough to start one engine"
1--WE will burn coal tomorrow" replied
the. firemen laughing at Mr. Boynton's
jovial remarks
The locomotive moved back over the track.
while Mr.. Boynton rang the bell vigorously.
Somebody put a cent on the track, and the
locomotive flattened it as it passed over the
copper. The example seemed to be catch
ing, and others put nickels and coppers ON
the track that they might be 1attened and
taken away as souvenirs. The lower rail
settled some as the huge machine which
weighes over twenty tons, passed over it.
There was very little or no strains on the
upper rail, in fact as the locomotive moved
along it stood at times balanced on the big
W
that run on either side of the upper rail to
keep the machine from toppling over Mr..
Boynton left the cab and got ON the
cow catcher from which place he could
movement Of the machinery. For more than
an hour the big steam bicycle was kept in
motion, the trial proving very successful.
Eyes, l am pleased with it." said Mr..
Boynton to the writer, "the trial is very sat-
isfactOry."
"Whera will Won construct tho road for tha
practical operation of the locomotive?"
asked the Press reporter.
I'VE will build road at Old Orchard
Beach, and will probably run 2 train there
next summer. We will also build a railway
at Coney Island, New York, and we are get
ting out material for another road, the loca-
ton of which has not been decided upon.
We have given the Portland Company an or
der for four cars, with seating capacity of
1852 passengers, and have also ordered anoth.
er locomotive. The four cars, together will
weigh but Is tons !"
In conversation concerning the BoyntOn
bicycle locomotive, veteran engineer said
to the writer: ''Yes, the thing will be a
success; A girls hoop, rolled at the rate of
six miles per hour, when there is wind
blowing 20 miles per hour, will stand up,
and what is to prevent this steam bicycle
from. standing upright like the hoop? A
man has ridden 334 miles in day, on a bicy-
Gel, and why shouldn't bicycle propelled
by steam travel at very great speed with
little expenditure of force as compared with
that necessary to run the ordinary
railroad locomotive? A single thread of
steel will make a cheaper track than the
common railroad track, and the roadbed will
occupy less room than is required where a
double track is used. There will, In my
opinion. be greater spread with less expen-
diture of force, the locomotive will turn on
mathematical point like boys bicycle,
and Will therefore go around shorter turns
In the road. In short. l believe the Boynton
railway system will revolutionize the modern
railway passenger carrying system. and that,
Today at p. IN. the locomotive will be
given another trial in the presence of repre-
sentatives of many of the largest railroads of
the country.