Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1893-08-27
HOW CARS ARE FIXED
Scenes IN tho Street RsiMay
company's Repair Shops.
EVERYTHING is MADE TntRs
That Enters Iaso the compa<isios Of |.
street C.r--The Eiecsrsoai Depsss-
meat rcrfecsiy Eqaipped

.whaf beoomes 81 the strest tears
when they wear outs" asked . y0ang
woman on q Wealthy avenue car the
other day.
They throw them away and buy new
ones. responded her escort. who spoke
As one having authority ana not ~ the
scribeA
But he Was slightly in error. Street
cars are never thrown away, and what
il moro singular still, they never wear
out Various portions may break and
new parts be substituted. but the car
still continues 10 haul pleasure seekers
and men Of business. A street car IL
like the boys jack knife. which. after
having three new blades and two new
handles. was considered the same old
piece Of cutlery.
The Consolidated Street Railway com
pany has a little machine shop In the
power house building. which is one Of
the most remarkable institutions in the
city. To visit 1t. il is tirst necessary 10
secure a permit from General Manager
James r Chapman. Otherwise busy
workman. regarding you rs an intruder.
might innocSntiy roll q one-hundred-
pound motor on you foot or nonchalent-
~ drop bit OF red hot iron into your
trousers pocket. They are all busy men
and have no time TO conduct kinder.
garten for the benefit Of the Individual
who asks fool questions.
just Few Other Things
There are other things almost rs nee
essary as permit IL you wear light
trousers pair Of oyeralls sill be found
handy. A blouse is an excellent subsfi-
tute for cutawsy coat. and you'll az
ways feel grateful IL one OF the boys will
loan you skull cap TO wear In place OF
your -brimmed straw hat With
that equipment you are ready 10 visit
the busiest little machine shop in Michi-
gan. place where they not only repair
cars but make every part needed from
a four inch bolt 10 a new motor War
rem w. Annable IL foreman Of the shop.
and there are fourteen expert machin-
lists employed under him. The acct
dents 10 street cars are numerous and
the force in the shop II Eever out OF en-.
ployment Twice each day al the cars
on the line are thoroughly inspected and
when anything wrong a. discovered the
car is promptly sent 10 the shop. There
II is run in on track and lifted from
the trucks by "a inch jack screws A
workman then goes underneath and
finds out the trouble. Perhaps moter
Is burned out. II 80 the useless piece oi
mechanism il taken into side room
where Electrician Samuel Barnes and
his assistants re-xind 1t. In the mean
time a new moter IL taken from the
stock constantly kept on hand. and sub
stituted for the one burned out In hall
an hour the car is ready for service II
tho gearing Is broken new
wheel is Immediately forced on
the axle. All the gearing
wheels are made in the shop. tho plain
cast iron wheels are brought from tbs
foundry and cut down TO the propci
diameter twenty two inches for the
cars with the Ray motor. Then another
machine deftiy chisels the inches Ther'
are 60 OF them; but the automaton vii
cut them ell out In fourteen hours
With gearing wheels. aswith everything
else. supply is kept on hand for use
In case OF an accident there is no della,
in making the repairs.
Setting the Wheels.
The axles for the cars are turned Ia
the shop. and the wheels are put on b,
means Of hydraulic press. which Is cap
able OF exerting pressure OF 300 tons
The axle Is turned by man who under
stands his business. end il made just q
little larger than the hole In the wheel
which il cut by the same man. The by
drauiic press forces the axle into ths
smaller opening IN the wheel. and ths
two are as firmly united as IL welded 20
gether. Great care has to be exercised
In turning the axle and cutting the hole
in the wheel. for il the axle il too larg.
the wheel win split when being presses
on. In the past two years. however
such an accident has not occurred. A
car wheel is supposed TO be good fol
$4,000 miles Of travel. That IL It's limit
and when IL has completed its term d
service il goes 20 the scrap heap. Aftel
certain time the jar 81 the moving
car produces change in the mole
cular construction of the iron anc
becomes brittle. The inspectors are nj.
ways on the lookout for broken wheels
and at the least sign Of crack the car
Is sent TO the shops
One OF the commoneet accidents 10 a
car il the wearing out of the babbiI
metal in the boxcs. IL n something ol
task 90 replace tho Rabbit In the
"bushings." "a he oral-like clamps are
called. Ii Is poured in hot and must be
filed down 50 that the bearings are the
same at every point. An thie takes
time. but Mr.. Annable has recent,
made a machine that will drill iout the
Rabbit metal in thirty i've seconds and
leave II smoother than IL would he sfte,
two hours thing.
All Details Looked Amer.
The minuteet details IL the cars are
looked after with scrupulous caro-. When
car IL in the shop il does not 20 oul
until IL " az good ss new. IT there IL Z
screw or bolt loose IL II frightened. II
touch ~ paint II needed. il in furn
ished. The sdage that q stitch IN time
saves nine IL fully exemplifed. Tor Mr.
| Chapman believes the stitch may nal
only save nine. bat may prevent 9 seri
one accident
Everything pertaining 70 the motor
and dvnamos IL made an the electrical
department. There is one man uhos.
business IL o. make 'choke.s A
choke - simple piece q sppzrntuI
composed u alternate layers AZ zhcel
iron and mica IL IL - placed in tbt
car that the current may he forced
through IL before going b. the rrouDd
When the lever IL the motor man poinf.
az i. the current u passing througf
the choke" The car stafte easily ano
smoothly 90 the resistance - the sbssi
iron and mica - - great that the fol
force ~ the current cannot BE- hrouehi
into eject When The lets,r a f,rrrad A.