The record-union., 1896-06-21

sons as Well as things, and it is usually
ahose persons and things which live
1astest which first find their ways into
the repair shops.
IL mas already been shown how pas
eenger and sleeping coaches are over
nauied, and of all the departments un-
Ger the supervision of Master Car
bulider WEIGH, only the repair shop,
commonly known as car shop No. o, re-
mains to be described.
1t is not the least important of the de-
partment, either, this car shop No. 3,
eno while the dainty work Of the paint
er or the elegant work of the uphol-
eterer Is not required of the workmen
employed there, they thoroughly under
stand all there is to be learned concern
ing the renovation of freight cars.
Beside leading a very fast. life, a
freight car usually has also a heavy
ioad to carry, and even the stoutest oak
or the toughest iron cannot forever
stand the dash, beat and steady roar Of
time. particularly if they be dragged
behind monster locomotive over
mountain grades and loaded to the
guards or roof with-nobody knows just
what.
It is into this department, then, that
we viii go, and watch the worknen as
they deftly overhaul car, and listen
to the foreman as he explains the ms
and outs Of the craft-the craft which
stretches out the life of car for many
yearS-the art of healing.
The shop itself is located at the ex-
treme northern part Of the works, and
extends from a point at about Third
EfIses1f I'm fhe, Y~fSydr. ic he
est and most important of it's kind on
the Pacific system
All cars requiring heavy repairs or
rebuilding are sent here, where they
undergo a thorough inspection, and, if
1t be found advisable, are again placed
IN seTviceable condition. If, on the
other hand, they be found unfit for fur
thor service, owing to age and decay,
or from being in a badly damaged con-
dttion, the car is torn to pieces, the
trucks laid aside for future use on an
ether car, the ironwork assorted and
the woodwork otherwise disposed of,
usually being used for fuel
One unused to the scene would be
overawed to visit car shop No. 3, and.
IN his ignorance, would be very apt to
think things were getting badly mixed
pristng. to say the least Still, If he
were In q position to know the large
amount Of work turned out monthly, he
would conclude that every step taken
by the workmen and every particle OF
energy expended was all in accordance
with a system and under the direction
OF q master, and that nothing was done
not intended 70 accomplish a specified
end nj II &ol~
he would begin TO perceive that all the
seeming confusion was an everyday
occurrence. withoue fr4lIs or waste of
sCper1ous energy.
In this shop are repaired and rebuilt
about 100 cars monthly, or S,400 during
the year. In this connection it must be
understood that these are not all indi-
vidual cars. Many are "shopped" Of
tener than once during the year, and
the list includes not only cars belonging
20 the Southern Pacific Company, but
to almost every other railroad In the
United States.
The amount of material used monthly
IN this shop is estimated at about sixty
carloads, which includes lumber for
the floors, roofs and sheathing, tim
Der for the stills and holsters, and the
tronwork used In the construction and
repair of cars.
Many of the cars turned out Of this
shop are painted all over, and in such
cases the old tedious process of brush
work Is relegated to back seat, and
the labor performed by means of an
air machine, which is a marvel of sim
plicity, by the use of which the work
Is turned off with remarkable rapidity,
and an evenness and nicely scarcely
co be excelled by even the most careful
workman with his brush and bucket.
A vessel, not unlike an ordinary
sprinkling can in appearance, though
considerably smaller, Is SO arranged
that the air, which Is procured from
pipes distributed throughout the shops
by a system of pipes, is forced under
heavy pressure into an opening in the
nozzle of the paint tank, which has
been filed with paint, thereby forming
a vacuum and drawing out the paint
through q small valve with great force,
so that 1t reaches the car in the form
OF fine spray, penetrating the wood,
thus turning out a clear, even and sat
isfactory piece Of work.
Some idea can be realized of the
rapidity by which this little "pneu-
matte gun" does It's duties, when fiat
car can be given q coat in about five
minutes and a. box-car in twenty five
minutes, when handled by one who un-
derstands how to manipulate 1t. The
car is then numbered. lettered and stem
ciled, and is again ready for the road.
Cars In the yard are lacked up by
means of compressed air, which is a
vast irnproV ement over the old jack
screw method
Almost all work done at this shop is
conducted under the piece rate sys-
tenn" which has proven to be entirely
satisfactory both with the employees
and the company When the men are
gwen a certain piece of work they un-
derstand that certain rate VIII be
paid for its execution, and as the rates
are always fixed SO that the mechanic
need do but a fair days work for a.
CORES spondingly fair days pay, the sys-
TEN is highly satisfactory to all con-
cerned-
1t might here be incidentally men
toned that this IS one of the few shops
of this kind in the country where piece
work rate" is satisfactorily employed.
As previously stated, q large amount
s,f work is done at this shop, as everyone
will understand. when 1t is considered
that each month about $50 sills and 500
draft tinbers are used. 120 floors laid,
70 roofs and about 800 California coup
1ers applied. The coupler referred to IS
of the type recently adopted by the
master Car Builders from all over the
TTnjted states in convention assembled,
and according TO an Act of Congress
al, freight cars must be fitted with
z,a,vbars having the adopted contour