Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-12-29
CONTRARY LOCOMOTIVES.
Some of Them, mt Least, Seem Full OF
Whims and Perversities.

whims and Perversities.
From the Philadelphia Inquirer.
That locomotives are freaky creatures
and deserve classification as "she"-for no
one ever heard of an engineer calling his
machine anything else-is attested by WILL
lam II. Crawford, chief of the constructing
engineers corps of the Baldwin works,
who is now on his way to Japan to super
intend the erection of a consignment of
locomotives intended for a road operated
by the government.
1T is not an uncommon expression" said
Chief Crawford, ito hear that such and
such thing works with the regularity of
a machine, and one Is not surprised when
such a comparison is made, for machines
are supposed to work with mathematical
regularity, and never TO vary from the
speed or action to which they are set. The
locomotive. though, is a striking exception
to this rule. 1t seems decidedly opposed
at times TO a monotonouSly perfect per-
Torrance of it's work, and to rid itself of
the depressing effect of sameneSs ii in
dulges in the most fanciful and ineXplica-
bic freaks, driving its master into bewilder-
ing wonder. To attempt to tell you all its
curious ways would be great under
taking as TO tell why n woman does thus and
SO. in this respect there is a great sim
ilarity between locomotives and women.
mo one ever heard OF an engineer speaking
of his II achine as he, and no one ever Will,
unless il becomes mere submissive to rea-
son or less inclined TO act according TO its
own whims and caprices For this reason
an engineer must know his engine before
he can manage il with any skill at all. He
cannot mount a cab in which he has never
sat before, ami obtain good work. He must
become familiar with its habits and ways,
and whenever he changes engines he has to
begin all over again. Engineers do not
like to go out on any other engine. They
never gain complete mastery over any, but
approach it nearer when they have been
on one for some time.
This seems strange, In view of the fact
that there are so few levers to be con-
trolled to manage locomotive. The only
parts of the machine necessary to be touch
ed to move the engine forward, back it or
bring 1t to stop is the throttle, the re-
verse lever and the air brake. The throttle
Is the controller of the main valve which
admits or~shuts off steam to the cylinder.
The reverse lever runs over a semi-circular
bar of iron, in which there are several
notches. When this lever is thrown open
the engine will move forward. To reverse
il the reverse lever is thrown backward.
The only other lever necessary to be used
governs the air brakes.
Like horses, engines seem to know who
holds the reins. An engineer on an engine
not his own is at an utter loss what to do
if 1t begins playing tricks, one OF the most
common of which is running away. The
engineer will get out of the cab, leaving
the MACHINE standing quietly and submits
sively as can be, when of a sudden it starts
along the track at top speed and generally
keeps on running until steam is exhausted.
unless IL runs into another train and is
brought TO sudden stop. Just why en-
gines do .hs Is n mystery. How the throt-
tie opens itself or how ii can run with the
throttle closed is beyond the knowledge Of
ongineerss but they do it, and sometimes
play havoc, too.
Another trick is foaming Without
warning, the water in the boiler will be-
gin to foam, and instead of generating
steam will bubble like a tea kettle This
can be remedied, though, by taking in a
new supply of water. 1t is an old trick for
discharged employees and during strikes to
have piece of soap dropped into the boiler
20 produce this effect. Often, too, 1t will
go lame This happens when the eccen-
trio is slipped or 1t does not cough prop
erly. The eccentrics work on the axle of
the main driver. and often the outer ring
will slip and fall on the axle AS they
work the steam chest. the supply is cut
off when ole of them slips, and the en-
CINE comes to a standstill. Coughing is
not the result Of a Geld. but is the dis
charge of the steam from the cylinder after
it has been used. There ought to be four
coughs to every revolution of the driving
wheels. but when the valves choke II will
cough only once or twice, and the relief Is
large dose of oil.
'One of the oldest freaks of an engine IS
jumping. L do not mean to tell of the won
dcrful tales of engines leaping across
Canons when bridges were gone but fire.
quently, when running at a high rate of
speed. If some small obstruction is met on
the track, the engine will jump ten or
twelve inches and drop squarely on the
rails again. These are a few OF the all
ments locomotive is subject to, and they
begin as soon as it leaves the shop and
cor tinue until it s consigned to the junk
pile"