The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1891-11-07
IRON HORSES DERANGED.
AN OLD ENGINEER DESCRIBES THE
WHlMS OF LOCOMOTIVES.

WHlMs OF LOCOMOTIVES.
ia Locomotive Gets n Had Name Her
Fate Is Sealed Engineers Are nrnve
hut superintendent Engine That
Was Troubled with Nervous Pros
trntion.
Locomotives become derangcd and
maniacal, like human beings" said John
Bowcher, the oldest express engineer on
the Big -Four. Bowcher was, 20 years
ago, one Of the best known locomotive
engineers in this country. He had the
fast run on the old Bellefontaine line, be-
tween that town aud indianapolis, 40
miles, and made it in about three and
one-half hours, including stops. 1t was
q remarkable run ON a single track road,
nccessitatod by the many connections
that had to be made with other roads.
He has the supea;iiions common to
nearly all men in his business.
81 assure you," Bowcher continued,
athat locomotives require regular rest,
constant attention, even nursing when
they don't feel right An engine will
take spells whom nothing you can do will
make it act properly. Then the shop is
the only place for it, and there my ma
chine has got TO go, or l quit the service
of the road. "
"Do certain engines get bad characters
develop some unexpected faint IN the
blood, so to speak, after being in use a
while2" was ASKED by reporter who met
met Mr. Bowcher at a reunion of locomO-
tive engineers.
N'They certainly do grow unmanage-
bic sometimes. Generally this is from
overwork. Engines are like thorough
bred horse in that particular respect.
They will get off their feed'-by which l
mean that they will not pump up right,
the furnace will clog, and the efficiency
of the fuel will not be obtained. They
suffer from lack of energy You arc
liable to stall on an upgrade. They will
act badly on the curves, manifesting
| decided inclination to mount the rails or
TO take sudden starts that endauger the
couplings. Old No. 6 that used to make
the best time with, when she was right,
had an annoying habit of starting with
an awful Jerk. It didn't matter how
carefully l opened the throttle, how
thoroughly understood the condition of
| the steam, away VIC jumped every time.
1t seemed as if the steam gathered itself
somewhere and, after it got ready, let
itself go. That old monster has been
broken up, and am glad of it. She was
the last of the seven fOoters.' The num-
Der of seven foot driver wheels now in
use are very few. 1 do. not personally
know of any. Six feet seems to be about
right. But, recurring to the temper of
locomotives, they are affected by the
weather, which is readily understood,
but dull, heavy sky OF dense atmos-
phore has a like effect This l can not
explain in any way whatever. Why,
Mart Smith, who was q strict church
man, couldn't do anything with one of
his engines during Lent. After Easter
Day the disinclination to make time dis
appeared. She would hustle whenever
called upon. Sounds very absurd, doesn't
it? But it's true. The grip is the only
distemper to which can liken locomo-
tive such as Marts was. When machine
gets so, tell you, she must have treat
ment-the best scientific overhauling.
She needs a masseur-needs galvanism.
"When once a locomotive has lost force
of character or self respect, docs she ever
regain it ?" was asked
"Generally not, " said Bowcher, medi-
tatively, "but l know a recent case in
which an engine recovered from stroke
| of this paralysis and became, as she is to-
day, the best on the road. When engine
l'No. II, on the Louisville, New Albany
and Chicago Road came out of the shop,
brand new, little more than year ago,
she was successfully put into the hands
of a half dozen of the best engineers on
the road to make the run from Lafayette
to New Albany. After fair trial every
man, without exception, pronounced No.
II an utterly worthless piece of machin-
ery. The general superintendent heard
of the engine and ordered her condemned
but the master mechanic blurted out to
him:
"'She doesn't like the run. 1t is a
ID mean run, and she knows it as
well as you do
"You see the master mechanic wanted
the locomotive to have another chance.
Well, she got it, and 1 tell you it was tC
have been her last one. Shed have been
sold for scrap iron or run off the track
into forest and converted into the mot
i've power for sawmill No. II was
sent up to indianapolis and put on
the run to Monon. went TO the round
house and looked her over, for I'd heard
of her and am very curious. Twas asked
what thought was the matter. spent
an hour over her and everything ap-
peared to be right. l took an off day
and ran down so miles on her. She
made great time. To day she is the fast
est on the road and the most reliable
She can pull a vestibule train of five car;
q mile minute. Now she's the pet, thG
banner engine of the road. A month
ago she was in a fair way TO be turned
out to die, but now nothing is too rich
for her blood. She has the best engineer
and fireman and the best attention in the
shop. Ask your indianapolis correspond
ent to 90 and see her. She's worth look