The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-05-15
THE PERSONALITY OF ENGINES.
Days when Every Locomotive Had u
Name and Some Individuality.


Name and Some Individuality.
From the Springfield Republican.
1t isn't a great many years since the
change has been made. but nevertheless if
the engines of Is years ago were to be put
on all the roads for one day just as they
were in all their gorgeous color and orna-
ment, there would be a string Of exclama-
tions 20 up from the travelling public and
observers Of the roads that would make
pretty good barbed-wire fence for the out
skirts of Forest park. And if by some
chance we had the power to restore the en-
gines of a quauter of century ago with
their woodworking arrangements and
huge COnc-3haped stacks all the variety
shows would be desolated for one day at
least and the whole population would be
out gazing at the sight. Yet these
changes have come about SO gradually
that many people have perhaps not noted,
or If they have observed, could not exactly
tell in what the changes have consisted In,
in the outward appearance at least. OF
course equally important, and to the rail-
road man equally interesting changes
have taken place in the interior or hidden
parts of the locomotive; but in this article
we only speak of such alterations as can
easily be observed and called TO mind ~
the untechnical observer.
a whole article might be made on the
evolution of the locomotive stack alone. In
the old Wood-burners the stack was IN the
shape of an immense inverted cone, with
wire netting over the top to keep the
sparks from flying out. This never was
quite successful, as any one who has ever
rode out on the car platform after an old
wood-burner can testify; or in the evening
when the air would be filled with the fly
ing sparks till the train appeared as II It
were chased by a gigantic swarm of fire.
flies. The boiler was, as now, covered by
a Jacket of sheet iron, but the Jacket IN
these times was apparently held on by
bands of brass. and on each side OF the
boiler the hand rails were Of ghtterlng
brass also, and on many engines the steam
dome and sand box as well as the cylln-
der, also cleaned in golden yellow.
Nor did the ornament stop here; gilt or
namentation characterized the adorn-
ment OF cab and tender, ana me drlYlhg
wheels and often the truck wheels We're
of the brightest red. Under the CAB WIN
dows in gilt and color was printed the
name of the engines-nearly all engines
i'm this section at least had names fifteen
years ago, and the cab itself INSIDE was
often of paneling of many kinds of wood.
The New York. New Haven and Har lIord
railroad as well as many others had most
of their engine stacks painted bright
red. Seen through the vista of a long
street as they flashed by crossing, or
viewed from a distance as they glided
down the river bank, they presented
picturesque sight and seemed for mo-
ment to be a part of the landscape IT.
With all this color and brass and gilt,
which cost an immense expenditure OF
time and trouble to keep in the required
finish as well as in construction, there
naturally existed a character about each
one of these older machines that had a
distinct flavor OF individuality, even OF
romance that present smethOdS OF con-
struction have completely obliterated. A
great change has taken place in the man
agement OF locomotives, also, that mas
abolished in large part the old spirit OF
personal interest in his machine that once
each engineer possessed; for IN the earlier
days Of railroading each man had one en-
ri
so that in a way the man was ldenuhed
with the machine and considerable rival
~ arose among the men as to whom me
newer and more improved machlnes
would be assigned. The machines OF
those days also differed widely in even
the essentials of construction ana mucn
strife and contention arose about the mer-
its Of the different constructions and
equipments. Even so late as the Ham
burg disaster when Doc Simmons went
down to death at his post so bravely as
many man on the rail had done before
and has done since, there was suspicion
against the practfcability OF an improve
n1ent so great as the air brake cropping
out in the firemans testimony that hte
latter was ordered to spring the patent
brake while the engineer was using the
power of the reverse steam IN the vain
attempt to check the speed OF the heavy
train So each new appliance was
source Of criticism and contention; ana
for a long time old runners would in case
Of impending accident reverse their en-
zine Nv instinct, long before their hand
reached for the air brake lever
But in modern raiToading excepting on
smaller and branch lines, the runner now
takes one engine, then anotheri very OF
ten the machines are nearly of the same
Dattern and EXCEPT for the difference in
numbering could hardly be told one from
the other The result of this change has
been a loss of that delightful faYor OF IN
dividuality that formerly prevailed: Even
The old custom of naming the machines-
a custom now wholly done away with by
most roads-had charm in itself. Win
l,-p Of and inc
Of a set of meaningless numbers, great
nartto the interest is lost. Perhaps this
is accounted a gain by the railroad man,
as the interest of mankind in his doings
| never seems to be a source or JOY TO him.
especially in case of an accident; but now
the reading of how '2lO broke connect
mo rod or "63'' went off the switch frog
never seems to have half the interest as
when nv old friend the S'North Star"
blew out cylinder mead az 100 sud ...s.a
reversing, or the heet Atalanta was
taken off the New Hork fast train and
her Mace substituted by the Pegasus a
well-named prototype OF the famous
wv" With what interest the boys of those
DAYS used to watch for the advent of
new enginei The more enterprising among
them used to keep engine lists, and when
bv happy chance some boy went on a far
wav tourney, what a comparing OF HstS
vouid take place with the other boys on
his return And what an enthusiast the
small boy was to be sure. How ne gazed
open-mouthed, as well as open-eyed at
the gorgeous All airs tAlAt Saul tlA' t-ie'AA
dered nv his home-if by some good chance
he lived by the railroad-and daily ran
such chances Of being hashed up that his
mother would fain chain MN 70 the mousse
with a rope or keep him for al the time
under lock and key: and nearly wore out
the maternal slipper in the vain attempt
TO restrain him from the apparent fran
tic desire to sit on the track in the front
of every approaching train.
He is a prodigy in the matter OF rali-
road history-can tell you how every rail-
road wreck since George Stephensons
first engine colided with an unfriendly
COW, and one Of the first American ma