New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-09-14
THOSE WONDERFUL LOCOMOTIVES.

HOW THE NETWORK CENTRAL SECURES IT'S
SPEED SECRETARY LEoNARDs EXPLANATION
People OF a mechanical turn of mind. and all true
Yankees are such. naturally have good deal Of
curiosity about the fast locomotives Of the New
York Central whose record-breaking run on
Wednesday has brought them into fresh promi-
hence Arthur q. Leonard. NicePresident Webb ;
private secretary himself the inventor OF one of the
most useful appliances for fast expresses, and one
Of the Centrirs authorities In mechanical engineer
ing was asked yesterday II there was any secret
about the construction Of Nos. $40, sss and '"3
which accounted for their wonderful development OF
speed
NO" was the reply; Mr.. Buchanan their de-
signer has merely carried high state Of per
lection the practical application Of Cd IDEAS Inc
chief things sought in these engires are % III
creased heating surface, in order To generate more
steam: % getting large share OF the weight on
the drivers AS possible since adhesion TO the rails
IL essential In hauling heavy train go Iighten-
ing the amount Of recprocating metal put into
,sar,lle rods by using only four drivers instead or
six. cD enarging the steam ports TO facilitate ac-
cess TO the cylinders and io) reducing the Irctloh
by simplifying the mechanism as far as posslole
Has the size Of the cylinders anything to do with
speed"'
Not particularly Inere plenty Of engines
with larger cylinders but attaining lower speed
Rut II il desirable 10 get steam enough Tor a
liberal use OF II there. and not waste any OF 'he
power when once generated
In Illustration Of Mr. Leonarls remarks. The
Tribune has collected few hgures. orlsihaHy
printed hv various railroad journals within the last
,ao years The New-Yorh Centrals No. $40 ulke the
ss7 which has helped TO haul the Empire state EN-
nr.ss, has cylinders Of 10 inches diameter ana y
inches stroke Its total weight is l26V0 POUNDS OF
which 81 400 is carried on the four drivers 'oi ="
inches dameter), and the rest on the hght truck
ont forward. The heating surface. including Doth
tubes and hrebox. IS l.sls4 square feet ana the
working steam pressure is about 1870 pounds to the
inch Tho famous sss which formed part OF the
Centrars exhibit at the Worlds Fair. and has made
a record OF mile at the rate or llZi2 iniles an
hour has cylinders OF the same dimensions as the
other engines just mentioned. weighs l24VW POUNDS
"a trife less than the SOD. but carries &W on neF
enrafcs Of go a. square feet, This engine de-
signed TO carry 40 pounds OF steam and her drivers
No $50 but closely resembles 1t except In having a
little less heating surface $780,, IT,,
pie engines comparison with compound engines on
other roads is not fair perhaps yet It Is OF ne h
latter type run by the Reading road on its New,
York and Atlantic CRY divisions have a total
drivers and have a heating surface Of l,t35 feet.
Two or three crack locomotives OF the Chicago;
having six 7s-inch drivers. and working at 200
pounds pressus each carry @ ponnes on n
heating surface was pretty close to that OF the
But here are two simple locomotives more direct
" comparable with those that made the historic
run from New-York TO Buffalo this week. Engines
OF Glass " on the Cleveland. Cincinnati Chicago
and St. Louis line each have weight OF i2s. $50
rounds carry $500 on their four 6S-inch drivers.
work under $50 pounds OF steam, are provided with
1871 by 2-inch cylinders. and have total heating
surface OF i570 square feet. comparatively recent
express locomotive hauling the Royal Blue
trains on the New-Jersey Central, which has sus-
tanned q 9O-mle- n hour speed for miles.
weighs l2 500 pounds puts ~. 400 OF this on her four
7S-nch drivers. has cylinders OF 20 Inches diameter
and 24-inch stroke but heating surface or only
l78 square feet