Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1895-03-06
JUST LIKE A WOMAN.
THIS is WHAT A "BEAR OF A MAN"
SAYS ABOUT LOCOMOTIVES.

Iron Horses Are FreaEy Creatures and
Full of yyhims Some of the Odd Things
They Do-They Seem to Have Instincts
just Like Live Horses.
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 William H. Crawford, chief of the
constructing engineers corps of the
Baldwin works.
1T is not an uncommon expression, .
said Chief Crawford, ''to hear that such
and such thing works with the regu
larity Of machine, and one is not sur
prised when So 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
monotonously perfect performance of its
work, and to rid itself of the depressing
effect of sameness it indulges in the
most fanciful and inexplicable freaks,
driving its master into bewildering
wonder. To attempt to tell you all its
curious ways would be as great an un-
dertaking as to tell why woman does
thus and so. In this respect there is
great similarity between locomotives
and women.
'sNo one ever heard of an engineer
speaking of his machine as he, and no
one ever will unless it becomes more
submissive to reason or less inclined to
act according to its own whims and
caprices. Thus an engineer must know
his engine before he can manage it. He
cannot mount a cab in which he has
never sat before and obtain good work.
He must become familiar with its hab-
its and ways, and whenever he changes
engines he has to begin all over again.
Engineers do not like to 60 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 controlled to manage a locomotive.
The only parts Of the machine necessary
to be touched to move an engine for
ward, back it OF bring it to stop are the
throttle, the reverse 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 semicircular bar of
iron, in which there are several notches
When this lever is thrown open, the en-
gine Will movo forward To reverse it
the reverse lever is thrown backward.
The only other lever necessary to be
used governs the 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 it 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 submissively as
can be, when of a sudden it starts along
the track at top speed and generally
keeps on running until steam is exhaust
ed unless it runs into another train and
10 OAOUSAu W q cuboCl GtOp WHY
engines do this is a mystery. How the
throttle opens itself or how it can run
with the throttle closed is beyond the
knowledge of engineers, but they do it
and sometimes play havoc too.
Another trick is foaming. Without
warning the water in the boiler will
begin to foam, and instead of generat-
ir,f, CT H.
This can be remedied. though, by tax
ing a new supply Of water. 1t is an old
trick for discharged employees and dur
ing strikes to have piece of soap drop
ped in the boiler to produce this effect
Often, too, it will go lame. This hap
pens when the eccentric is slipped or it
does not cough properly. 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 one of
them slips, and the engine comes to
standstill. Coughing is not the result
of cold, but is the discharge 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 it
will cough only once or twice. and the
relief is large dose of oil
Zone of the oldest freaks of an en-
gine is jumping. | do not mean to tell
of the wonderful tales of engines leap
ing across canyons when bridges were
gone, but frequently when running at
a high rate of speed, if some small OBJ
struction is met on the track, the engine
will jump 10 or 12 inches and drop
squarely on the rails again. These are
few of the ailments locomotive is
subject to, and they begin as soon as it
leaves the shop and continue until it is
consigned to the junk pile "-Philadel-
phia Inquirer.
Philadelphia Broil.
In Dbi1ola1phio x-o L,-1 --LzA