The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1892-07-18
PENNSY'S new FLYERS.
The Construction of the
Compound Engines Now
Being Tested in Jer-
sey City.
TO RUN ON MOUNTAIN GRADES.
A Locomotive Soon to Be Ready
Which Has Attained Ninety
two Miles Per Hour.
TO RUN ON MOUNTAIN GRADES.

A new design in locomotive construc-
ton has been introduced in the two new
engines now being tested by the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad on the New York division.
The new feature consists i'll fitting each
locomotive with two cylinder compound
engines. One of the new locomotives was
built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works,
of Philadelphia. to draw the Chicago
Limited Express from Phila .elphia over
the heavy mountain grades 10 Pittsburg.
The other was built by the Schenectady
Locomotive Works. OF hedectady, N. Y.
Both are being tested on the New York
division of the Pennsylvania Railroad and
are proving very satisfactory. They may
be seen on alternate days in tae big traiu
she 1 waiting TO take out the great fast
trains.
The Baldwin locomotive is fitted with a
Vauclain system of compound engines.
The cylinders consist OF one ugh pressure
q d one low pressure FOR each side, the
ratio of the volumes b.iug as nearly three
to one as the employment of convenient
measurements Will allow. They are cast
In one piece, with the valve chamber aud
saddle, the cylinders being III the Same
vertical plane. and as close together as
they can be with adequate walls between
them.
Il HIGH PRESSURE CYLINDER.
Where the conditiouS, such as diameter
of driving wheels aud type Of engine will
allow, the nigh pressure cylinder is put
on top, but where the driving wheels al o
low, as in most freight engines, the posi-
ton is reversed. The valve chamuer is
placed in the cylinder saddle between the
boiler and cylinders. The steam from
tha hnjlAr anIG fl rSt nh tho hiUh ntaGSnro
cylinder at d pressure of about us pounds
to the square 1ach; after it has been used
in the high pressure cylinder. instead of
passing directly into the eXhaus to the
stack the steam at a lesSsned pressure
passes into the low pressure cylinder,
where it is again used as motive power.
The low pressure cylinder has nearly
three times as much surface on Its piston
head as the high pressure cylinder and
this makes allowance for the lowered
pressure of the steam.
From tbs low-prt cylinder the
steam escapes in the usual Way into the
exhaust TO The smoke stack. The pistons
are cast In Two sections and rlveted TO-
gether. The piston rods are of the same
size for both high aud low pressure
cylinders. The low ptesSure psstOus and
rods are so proportioned thai in case an
excess OF pressure Is by accident admit
ted to tue ~loW-pressure cylinder, it viii
WIblSuuu0 tuG Sbldlu Wltu I'LL
factor OF safety. Both pistons act to-
gether as one. The construction of Ihe
valve is such that live steam may at will
be admitted to the loW-Dressuie cylinder
when nesdei 10 start ii train.
GOOD ON HEAVY GRADES.
1t is not claimed Tor compound engines
that a heavier train can be hauled aG a
given speed tuan with a single expansion
engine Of similar weight acd class. for no
engine can haul more than its adhesion
will allow. But the compound Will, AT
very slow speed on heavy grades, keep a
train moving where h single expansion
will slip and stall. The principal object
in compromising locomotives is economy
in fuel.
The exhaust is furnished with a little
contrivance by which the engineer can
regulate the force of the draught from his
cab.
In its trial work the new engine has
been taking trains of Len cars between
New York and Phtlade pnia in two hours
and five ntlnutes and two hours aud ten
minutes. The principal measurements are
as follows:-Cylludels, IA aud "a incnes
diameter, length "a inches; drivers. ~
iuches, total wheel base, "a feet 2 inches;
driving wheel base. IL feet 5 iuches; total
weight about 1872, 900 pounds; weight on
drivers about TO-, 300 pounds; diameter of
boiler, 81 inches; number of tubes. 270;
QiduleLSI VI buu0S3 q luCucS, tSuSUu u
tubes, IA feet. Heating surface OF firebox
and tubes. :, l34 square feet.
This locomotive WAS to attain a maxi
mum speed of sixty-nve miles an hour. fl
has already surpassed this speed III its
trial work.
Another locomotive, of the compound
type, with 7S-inch drivers, will soon be
ready for the Pennsylvania, also from the
Baldwin Works, which mas made a record
of ninety-GwO miles an hour.
The Schenectady englns is very similar
in its construction to lue Baldwin nglue
but the high and low pressure cylinder.
are in the same horizontal plane II f
greater diameter. The driving Wheels
are two inches higher, and the whole eu-
CINE weighs more han the Baldwin. The
principal dimensions of the Schenectady
engine are:-Cyiinders, ~ and 30 Inches
diameter by "a inches IN length; dflvels. IA
inches; total wheel base, % leet IL Incnes;
driving wheel base. IL ieet 2 inches; total
weight, Ia, 900 lbs. weight on drivers.
LOG, UO0 lbs; 268 Pinch tubes in boiler:
tubes. ID feet long; heating surface of
fre-box anu tubes, 1882 square feet.
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