The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-12-25
AMERICAN MECHANICS.
Fae French Fear Their skill La Making
Engines.

hts own neeQS Is IN lISelI d TcHlar hdDic
fact This, however, does not seem to
satisfy the activity OF its people, with
which Europe will have 10 count in fu.
ture On the battle ground OF industry.
The news that comes to US from the
United States of an order for 40 locoro-
tives for Russia, placed with an Ameri-
can concern, will be received with GER
tain degree of surprise on this side of
the Atlantic, especially if, as we are
told, this order is to be followed by
more important ones. Already in the
matter Of furnishing railroad material
American contractors had taken pos
session of the South American market,
and were carrying on formidable COM
petition against the English in their
own colonies, especially in New Zea-
land and Australia, but it was hardly
expected that they should be seen OBJ
tanning foothold in Europe. Now, IN
Nhat concerns more especially the rail-
road materials OF which we speak here.
this success is not due to the CONNER
cial ability and skill of the Americans.
1t depends, above all, on industrial and
technical causes, which it is, perhaps,
just as well to recall here.
The types from which modern Amer
lean locomotives have grown were Sc
lected from the point of view of being
suitable to run on light roads. often
poorly constructed, with curves of very
short radius, in countries often desti-
tute of material for repairs, or where It
is difficult to make repairs.
The result was locomotives at once
flexible, rough in form, and extremely
strong, which in new countries and in
the colonies have shown themselves TO
be clearly superior to European engines
il the matter of duration and cost of
maintenance. Provided with distribut-
ing springs in all parts and resting on
divided trucks, which, while insuring
sufficient stability, give them great
feXibilit|, these machines adapt them
selves in a wonderful manner TO uneven
ness in the roadbed and easily pass
around curves of very short radius.
The simplicity of their construction
and the solidity of the parts allow of
their being put in charge of men of LID
tie experience and of the employment
of persons more or less rough and
clumsy. They are besides very power
full and built on broad lines, yet not
weighing too much on the aXles, thanks
&c the use of divided trucks that do away
with the need of the outer framework.
These were reasons more than sufficient
to secure the success of these engines
in undeveloped countries and colonies,
even though their cost had not been
less than that of European locomotives.
But as matter of fact the American
builders are able to deliver complete
locomotives with their tenders at from
eight TO nine cents pound, including
packing. Why areour constructors, who
have less to pay for material, unable TO
produce for the same price? The low
costof American Locomotives, it must not
be forgotten, does not rise from lack of
care in the construction, but because
they are studied and built by makers
who never lose sight of the cost price
and who do not sacrifice the simplicity
CT the parts 10 any scientific considera-
ing more and more powerful engines
for a constantly diminishing price;
they care little whether or no they act
economically or present certain guar
antees demanded by the great European
companies. Yet the Americans now
turn out a great many compound en-
gines of type that seems hardly logic
al, but which costs little to apply and
gives satisfactory results.
The low cost of American engines
arises from the fact that all the parts
are studied and drawn with a view 10
their being made entirely by machinery,
and that all the castings are made ac
cording to settled models, arc inter
changeable. and can be used for any en-
CINE of particular type, dispensing
with new calculations for each new con-
struction. The wheels are of cast steel,
and very strong, the hearths are Of steel.
and the boilers of iron: the stopcocks
are generally castings. AID the tube
work iron or steel, neither copper nor
bronze being used.
American builders do not make En-
gines and tenders in one piece. a. the
axle weight would be too great for the
light roadSeds.
Russia may. from some standpoints,
be looked upon as a new country. and 10
this reason doubtless NAV the success
OF American engines be attributed. We
must not forget, however, that the
Americans are improving their lines
year by year, and are now able TO suit
their engines to the new conditions that
are growing nearer and nearer to those
existing in Europe, and that their con-
petition, as ii enlarges its sphere OF &C
ton. becomes daily more formidable
lie Genie Ciyile.
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