Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-10-25
ACREDIT TO THE ROAD.
The r.. 4. 4 r. Turns Cat an Engine OF
It's Own Prsducsien-A Dandy IN all
Respects.

The r.. 4. 4 p. Turns Cat IN Engine or
It's Own Prsductien-A Dandy IN ali
Respects.
For some months past the mschinists
at the general shops of the r. l. & P.
road at Peoria have been putting in their
spare moments between times building q
locomotive. Now il is completed and
the Transcript terms il great achieve
ment. Master Mechanic Elder, who has
been experimenting the construction of
the engine, says that it is as cheap an en-
CINE as the road could buy any place.
The Transcript describes the trial trip OF
the home made machine:
The engine which was run out from the
round house on its trial trip Yesterday is
known as R. l. & P. engine 49, 1t is not
an extremely large machine, but it is very
heavy for its size. As the engine was
designed strictly for the company's use,
no paiDs or material were spared, and
everything about it is designed for service
and consequently very heavy. The en-
CINE when loaded with water and coal was
weighed Yesterday morning, and balanced
the beam at seventy two tons. The larg-
est engines used are what are commonly
called hog" or mogul eng ines, and they
only weigh about eight tons more than
the new engine.
Right after dinner yesterday fire WAS
placed in the CRATES. and The engineer
commenced to get up steem. TIE gusge
showed a pressure of 140 pounds. The
engine was then run out upon the turn
table and backed on to sidetrsck At
$50 o'clock Mr.. Elder received running
orders. which were as fuilows:
Run wild to Alta; avoid regular trains
Upon receipt of this dispatch Master
Mechanic Elder. Building Gang Foreman
FIager. Engineer Emerson, Fireman
Sherwood and Transcript reporter
clsmbered into the cab. The engine
was backed on to the main track and the
switch thrown. when Sixteen" the first
engine ever built in Peoria from Il e
ground up. started on her trial trip with
the master mechanics hand on the lever
| The grade just out of the city is quite
steep. long and winding, and one stop
was made on the grade to see
il any bearings were becoming
heated. Another stop wss made at
Kellar Station. and every part thorough
| ly oiled. From here the crew steamed
| to Alta and side-trscked The air.
brakes had not worked perfectly on the
way out and the pump was packed at
Alta. The tender gave more annoyance
than the engine on the way out, but ev-
erything was properly adjusted Two
trains were waited for al Alta, the latter
of which carried a white flag into P, oria,
TO denote that engine 10 was following.
The run To Peoria was made without q
stop. and for psIt OF The way. much
higher speed was attained than is custom.
airy with new engine. but the machine
worked so perfectly going out that her
builders wanted 10 see her 60. and when
the throttle was pulled she promp-
tly responded. Every burr. bear
ing and bolt was new
and had never been turned on the track
until yesterday. but every joint was
tight
The trip was highly satisfactory. and
the master mechanic and foreman were
much elsted. The engine ran as per
fectly as it was possible for new en-
CINE. and showed the skill and hsndi-
work OF her makers. Completed. and as
she appeared or the track yesterday. the
engine costs about 81 900.
Tue machine is very handsome one
but plain and devoid of ornament, its
beauty lying in the grace Of its lines snd
contour. which are far more beautiful &c
mechanics than any gewgsws that could
be added. 1t is the intention of the COM
pany to put the engine into active service
on the road. and service will be the rea
test of its merits.