Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-07-03
REPAIRS ON A CAR.
How the Rolling Stock Of Z
Railroad
is KEPT IN WORKING ORDER
Methods Used IN the Repair and Re-
construction OF a Roads Own
and OF Foreign Cars.

$50 "a Eat36h ~3i>s
OF all the numerous details aud va
expenses incident to the maintaining Of
one Of the vast railway systeins, he
coat OF keeping the Thousands Of freight
cars IN safe condition " BY nc msans
the least.
Many careful, conslderiag persona
who are not familiar with the workman
OF railroad systems have often been
heard TO remark, while watching Z
long train of freight cars laden With
merchandise and lumber psssing by,
What would become of one Of those
foreign ears should Il become disabled
while 80 Tar away from the line that
owns ll''
A reporter for Tar HERALD who vac
curious about these things wandered
into the G.. X. A /. shop the other day.
| In the ONCE OF the master mechanic
he stated his errand, and the informs-
ton MAS Immediately given; 'Sar re-
| pairing IN all OF its branches" ssid Mr..
keegan, lie one OF the most important
th:ags We have 10 contend with IN the
railrosd business. Freight cars are
breaking down, OF some part .sf them
are being disabled daily. The part
usually broken lie the draft rigging.
The cars IN the middle OF long tram
are the ones that usually break the
rigging first. The greatest STRAIN comes
there. and breaks seldom. II ever, oc-
/, cur At either end of the train.
Why Trains break
"This 10 often the cause OF trains
ss.rx L.. Ill
and is some times the cause Of wrecks,
often accompanied by loss II life and
great destruction of property.
1.-The G. X. a !. has freight equip
ment of nearly 1900 cars in use and
they are maintained al an average cost
of $40 each annually. The average
| cost Of the box cars We use 10 about
500 and the fats, used IN hauling luin-
Der, ETC., about $500. Their life u
about twelve years. That 10 we con-
slider that . freight car can be used
about that length Of time before beng
condemned. Counting Ia the cost Of
keeping . car in repair for its life. you
see = car will have cost nearly III 900 at
the time il is worn out.
I'VE are 10 . monthly expense Of
about $lf. 900 IN repairing cara. Tnis
includes. of course, the wages Of cur
men kept for that purpose.
'Quitc an item? Well, shouid cay
so! We keep in repair every car run
ming over our road. aud that costa
something. Certainly, all other roads
over which q. r. a I. cars run keep our
cars in repair. too, and that 10 the wAy
IN which the hundreds of Thousands Of
freight cars. some of which have not
been on their own tracks in months,
l he. III =
rules of the Master Car Buiiders' assoc
cation provide FOR this exchange Of
courtesy, and in fact IL 10 = necessity. IL
We didn't do this . car might become
disabled hundreds of miles away from
home, and having no one 10 repair il
might rot there; but by these means IL
is Immediately repaired and sent on it,
way.
Repairing Passenger Coaches.
"With passenger coaches we DO that
way, as We run none but our own.
They are brought in about once . year
and gwen a general overhauling, and
any worn or broken parts are replaced.
The life OF q passenger coach goes on
for an indefinite period.
Eve always give foreign cars the
same attention m repairing that We do
our own; IN fact, that n one Of the
rules issued by the Car Builder ssrocs-
alton governing the condition and re-
pair OF freight cars for the exchange Of
traffic, and these rules are adopted by
nearly every road Of importance IA the
, country.
''of course If car 10 in bad condition
} at our Junction point we do not need
10 accept IT. We can REFUGE them Tor
any defect of the wheels or sslee or II
the condition of tile car generally 10
bad or unsafe TO run, or unssfe for oar
tram men.
a car may be defective and still NOT
be IN = dangerous condition. and In
I that case we must accept Il, but = de.
, fective card can he placed upon IL, re.
, lieving us from all liability In conneo-
: ton with the car or lis coDtepts.
There are some repairs We make THAI
are charceabie to owners. For instance.
: il q roof 10 Iost on account of decay OF
! faulty construction. door locks, grain
: doors, or numerous other defects, ell
, against the safety Of the car. We charge
, the owners for the repair.
There 10 another thing too about the
: repairing OF these foreign cars, we have
to repair every car IN accordance with
its or nlbsi construction and finish ex-
. cept where new standard parts have
, been adopted by all railroads.
I'VE make all our repairs right here ia
the shops and turn out nearly 100 card
a week The repairs consist Of every
thing from putting . round IN laddss
10 reconttrnctIng the entire cat"
ron rsysscssss.
ANY situation vacant ON tl1fs papNf
asked the caller, . slender, win pilgrim
with an intelligent face and = wrilts1
collar.
What kind Of . dtustiosy - -
; editor.
Heavy editorial"
None vacant
'sLinsrssy eriticism-sry cl~nss =
that dernstmenW
NO SIR
, Il can write fnfelIieenf1y On ~ D
! you need an M cr7ticr
Il am sorry 10 soy I hsve no Vacancy
4 In thsf departmept either.
!, The caller besttated . moment -
: then rose with dignity.
2 Il have hsd considerable exp>r3~ncs.s
\ he sxi6, in other branches IT newnpa
a ,er work DO you need . man 10 run