The record-union., 1896-08-09

| Of repairing begins.
| The tank is first cut loose from the
| frame by the truckmen, who raise the
rear end about 10 inches high by means
| of lever bars, and place 4xl2 1ncn
beam across under the middle. Under
! each end of the beam is placed an air
| jack which easily raises it from the
trucks, after which the latter are run
| out and the tank lowered upon horses
placed ready for its reception. For con-
| Venience to the workmen the horses
hold the tank about six feet from the
floor Of the pit.
Then the tank men begin their work
and each and every portion undergoes
| the closest scrutiny. Not rivet or
spread seam escapes their vigilance,
and their hammers create a great deal
OF noise as the test or repair goes on
Bolts, bars and rivets are inspected ana
+ necessary, tightened or replaced by
new ones, until the tank, for all prac-
teal purposes, is as good as new.
When the repair work has been fin
ished gang of men go carefully over
the interior part, and scrape away each
Vestige of scale which may have accum-
ulated on the top and bottom during the
time the tender was upon the road,
after which a thick coat of tar paint IS
applied to protect the steel from the
action of the water and the tank is once
more ready to resume it's original posi-
ton But in the meantime
The air-iacks have been set under
each corner of the frame, which is
aised in a manner similar to the tank,
and the trucks shunted from under 1t.
The frame is landed upon another set
Iof horses, and its many parts subjected
TO as rigid an examination as that CIV
err to the tank The air cylinder is re-
moved and carefully examined and
oiled, while the air-brake rigging is
overhauled and put in first-class condi-
ton by men sent from the air-brake de-
partment who know all about the
properties of compressed air.
Then the wheels are taken out of the
trucks and examined to ascertain
a neither there is any defect in them or
the axles, and the journal brasses are
replaced with new ones so accurately
fitted that the engine may go out on
passenger run without fear of delay
from the hot tender boxing.
The trucks in the meantime have been
given into the care of a gang of men
especially skilled in that branch of la
bor, and they are gone over piece by
piece, so that any flaw or break is read
lily detected.
Then, after all the members Of the
tender have received the attention of
the mechanics they are once more
brought together, the trucks being re-
set, the wheels run under the trucks,
the trucks run under the frame, the
frame run under the tank, the tank re-
fastened upon the frame, and once more
the tender is ready for it's engine.
An idea of the vast amount of ma
terial used in this little shop may be
gained from the statement given by
Foreman Vaughn that locomotive tend
er tanks which are composed Of one
fourth and three-sixteenths inch steel,
weigh 5000 pounds each, while the
tender frames and trucks, complete,
which are composed of wrought and
cast-iron. tip the beam at 1900 pounds
"a grand total of 10000 pounds-quite
& load in itself.
When il is understood that each tank
now being made has a capacity Of
q 500 gallons of water, weighing about
$4,000 pounds, and that the bunkers
carry 10000 pounds of fuel, it becomes
clear that the little tender is the most
heavily loaded section of the train, and
consequently the most strongly built.
i is for this reason that only the best
material is used in construction. The
springs under the tender are the heav-
.est built in the shop, having twenty
y aVes and even they are tested to their
utmost by the enormous pressure
fought to bear upon them. The tender
IS buiil for strength, and shows it in
very line and curve in its compact
form.
~ looks small, too, does the tender,
Eut appearances are often deceptive,
Sad certainly are in this case. Every
F. ch of space is utilized and it is built
~ the purpose Of carrying supplies,
sad uo other It IS like a well-trained
thleteLall bone and muscle.
From one to three new tenders are
a~ned out of the tank shop each
month while in like space of time
fteen are overhauled and repaired
so energy is wasted in the shop and
tgtry time a mechanic turns around he
rcompnshes something. The names of
the employees are as follows
Ed Vaughn, Foreman.
Henry Hextrom, Machinist.
Truck Builders:
w J. Leflar, Thomas McKeown,
]. ". Prince, Henry Shartzer
john Whitelaw, John Beatie.
3. F. Callahan, James O'Connell
f,hn Tettes. c. A. Colby,
A. w Lamping, II. d. Clark,
r. IT..