The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1890-11-30
THE wREcKlNa TRAIN.
4 as Rocks Homcly. Hut When IT'S Needed It
v 10 Needed Badly.

ne looks Homcly. Hut When IT'S Needed It
10 Needed Badly.
Accidents will happen occasionally on
the best managed railroads, and some
times bad wrecks happen, the cause of
which frequently Is o mystery. and the
5 tracks ara blocked for hours For evo-y
minute the track remains blocked mon
ey and time are lost, end passenger and
freight traffic are interrupted. So tho
railroads are always prepared, and with
In sbtrty minutes after wreck has hap
rened a wreoking train is on the way
with trained crew of men. and if the
telegram announcing the wreck says
that passengers or employees arc injured,
she wrccking train comes along with its
phys clans, bandages and cots. A
wrecking outfit is about the homeliest
thing owned by q railroad company,
but when it is needed 1t Is needed badly.
The wrecking cars are kept ut the end
of division, and are directly under tho
control OF the superintendent of that di-
vision. Tho wrecking train is composed
OF threo cars and apowerful locomotive,
and all the cars are fitted with air
brakes The first car is what is known
as the truok car The body of the car
is very low, and upon it are carried two
extra pairs of trucks. rails, cross ties,
and spikes, for sometimes the track is
torn up in wreck. Tho second car is
the wreosing car. 1t is built of the
heaviest timber, and is mounted on two
pairs of small, heavy trucks. Half Of
the car is covered over and tho other
half is more platform, but arising from
the oen ter 10 powerful derrick with
2S-foot beam. With this powerful con-
trivance. trucks cars and locomotives
are swung about The covered portion
of the car resembles tho inside of
storeroom of ship, as there are SO
many cables hanging around.
In one end of the car are two Closets ono
'conta ming the food for tho crew. The
locker is always woll filled, for there is
no telling whom the wrecl1ing train may
be called into service. The other closet
or locker contains medicines, bandages
and portable telegraph outfit, with
several coils Of wire. If the wreck is a
bad one tue instrument is brought into
use An operator is picked up at tho
first station along the road, and when
the scene of the accident is reached the
wires arc set and telegraph Office is
establish. The car carries rope of evory
fol1o "HU hiHu up W Ouro6 lIlCuoS III
ameter, hydraulic jacks for raising en-
gines and cars, levers. pulleys and der
rick tackle of all kinds. On the Louis
vile & Nashville first division wrecking
cars there are carried 800 feet of manila
three-inch rope for pulling engines on
the track, 800 feet Of two-inch full line
for pulling purposes. 275 feet ~ inch
rope for the derrick, two 60-foot sections
of three-inch switch rope for pulling on
cars, $40 feet Inch rope for the Same
purpose. and $50 feet of three-inch rope
for pu ling on trucks and 500 feet for
guy lines. The next car is the "block
car" containing short blocks of wood
of every s,ze for blocking up cars and
LOGON OF YES.
At every wreck cars arc generally
tumbled about i'll confusion, and tho
wreoklng crow begin on these The
shattered ones arc pushed off the track,
and those loft in Il little better condition
are put on tho track and drawn away
After this is dono there is one or moro
disabled engines. The hoavy cables on
the wrecting car arc attached to tho
disabled locomotive. and live one at
the other end of tho rope generally, by
hard work, pulls tho disabled locomo-
two baoS OH the track. Whom the track
IS clear, the wreclting train picks up all
she iron and trucks and comes back to
town. -Boston Herald.