The morning call., 1892-03-21
COST OF CARRIAGE.

The California Railroads Are Greatly
Earored by Nature.
- But It costs more to run a railroad in
California than it does in Minnesota"
Does it? "a
Let ms see.
For four months OF the year the Northern
Pacific is subject 10 blockade by heavy
SHOWS Everybody knows how expensive
snow blockade is TO a railroad.
How much snow does the Southern Pacific
encounter annually on the run down the
San Joaquin Valley between San Francisco
and Bakersfield? How much snow does it
have TO contend with for the whole length
of the Sacramento Valley?
Any schoolboy can answer those ques-
tions.
Any schoolboy knows well enough that
Minnesota is one Of the cOldest if not the
cOldest State in the Union.
Aside from snow blockades. how does
cold weather effect railroad traffic?
Let railroad man answer that question.
He is an expert, and he writes as follows on
The Winter Resistance Of Trains" for the
National Car Builder. railroad paper,
largely devoted TO railroad interests, and
circulated almost exclusively among rail
road men:
AT this season of the year, when traffic
IS nearly always heavy. and being this wear
phrnomenaiiy so, railroads are confronted
with the TACT that, because OF the increased
resistance OF trains to being pulled in cold
as compared with warmer weather fewer
cars can be hauled per train. Instead of
increasing the tonnage hauled per train. as
would be desirable in view OF the great
rush and recent blockade of traffic, trains
must actually be cut down. according 10 the
prevailing temperature. to two thirds or
ebe-half the tonnage hauled easily in sum-
mer.
with the motive power and other facil-
ltes OF road heavily taxed 10 handle
traffic with the ordinary weight per train,
1t often becomes impractica bic, when the
weight per train must be cut down, 10 ill.,
crease the number of trains sufficient 10
handle traffic properly. and delays and
biOckades, with their attendant losses fol-
low. Thus it is that tho effect of cold is to
decrease the efficiency Of railroads
The resisting force OF friction in oil de-
pends entirely upon its state of consistency,
and in ordinary lubricating oils this de-
Carefully conducted railroad laboratory
tests have demonstrated that with a fall of
temperatire OF 20 degrees the friction was
doubled with the same lubricatng oil. The
colder the Oil the greater is the viscosity,
and the greater the vscosity the greater the
friction between the sticky layers Of oil adj
herring to the journals and their bearings in
rubbing against each other, thus increasing
the resistance OF the train TO being hauled.
making necessary reduction ia the weigh
OF tram, and, as stated, lowering the eff
cheney OF the road.
The larger portion of the greater fuel
consumption of locomotives in winter is
also due directly 10 this cause. although the
colder feed water, radiation, and colder air
and fuel for combustion are IL portant fac
tors. Because OF tie friction In the COR
9eaed lubricating oil locomotives use steam
over many more miles Of road each trip in
winter than in summer. This is brought
about In two ways. First, by CAUSING
trains approaching stations to hang back
alter steam is shut off, thus compelling the
use OF steam probably quarter of a mile
closer up to each station than is necessary
IN summer; and second, by preventing the
trains from running down hill freely, COM
peiling the use OF steam While descending
grades that In summer the trains run down
several miles at the desired speed without
any assistance from the engine.
The increase OF locomotive fuel con-
sumption due TO colder temperature very
materially increases operating expenses in
winter. Carefully kept records Of the yarl-
alton OF temperature and Of locomotive coal
consumption, on a prominent Western rail-
road. showed the average variation i'm coal
CONSUMPTION. per one degree Of varied tenn
peralure Tor four years, to be .06 pound
coal per passenger car mile and .03 pound
coal per loaded freight car mile. AT this
rate a fall OF 80 degrees in Temperature
would cause freight engine TO burn 15
pounds Of coal more per car mile and pas
senger engine pounds more per car mile
Ii the freight engine hauled Is cars 100 miles,
the extra coal consumption would be 27oO
pounds, and ii the passenger engine hauled
i've coaches 100 miles. the extra coal con-
sumption would be 1900 pounds. This is not
very lar from the actual results in practice
he average extra coal consumption OF the
engines In the two classes of service due to
the colder temperature would be little
over one ton per trip OF 100 miles. On a
roalroad operating 470 locomotives. each
making 100 miles per day for a month, this