The record-union., 1896-05-24

Probably the most careful, conscien-
tious and withal pleasing work per-
formed by any of the mechanics in the
Southern Pacific shops in this city is
turned off by the painters Theirs is an
ancient craft and noble one, and it is
proposed to give in this article a
synopsis Of the work they do and how
they do it.
While the general features of build
ing a car have already been given, the
best creations of the painters are ex-
pended upon passenger cars or sleep
ers. The painter is a peculiar sort of
man, too, and wants to know each and
every sort of piece his brush is destined
to touch up. So it will be well to give
the salient features of a passenger car
so that the painter may be given a fair
start and no favors.
Briefly, then, a passenger car is from
40 to 80 feet in length, 8 feet inches
wide and Z feet 6 inches high, all over.
There are to each car from 30 to 81
seats. Then there are iron and 60
wooden main top carlines running from
the plate to the deck sill, besides 30
clear story carlines which connect the
two clear story plates, to which are
fastened the roof lining. A hood ex-
tends over each platform as a protec-
ton from the weather, and everyone
who has ever examined one of these
same hoods will perceive at once that
the painter has expended his best
strokes upon it, and has given an idea
Of what may be expected upon the in
side.
The two end doors, which as well as
the panels and other trimmings on the
inside Of the car, are composed Of Span
ish cedar, must be adorned and there
is a window for each seat, as well as
magnificent panels and embossed plate
glass, all of which are the direct product
Of the workers in the paint-shop, so far
as coloring and embossing is concerned.
So from the floor TO the clear story
and from platform to platform the
painter must apply the finishing
touches, and when his work is done you
have a marvel Of beauty and elegance
which is to be surpassed nowhere in the
United States.
The paint-shop is not confined to the
painting, polishing and vanishing of
cars by any means, though that, of
course, is the principal feature. Here
every ounce of compounded or colored
paint is prepared for immediate use at
any and all points and for all purposes
whatever in the Pacific system.
The paint mixers have a room Of their
own. which is a recent addition to the
shop, and the mixologists employed are
adopts at their business.
And IN another room five mills are
kept constantly at work grinding paint,
that is, preparing the crude article by
grinding in odl OF japan, and the neces-
sary dryers, preparatory TO being turned
over to the mixers. Each mill Is sup
Piled with a water jacket into which
there continually pours stream of cold
water which is necessary to keep the
min cool and avert dRaster in the form
Of fire Here is ground all the paint for
the entire system. and from the Sacra-
mento shop 1t ds shipped TO all points
in cans and cases especially prepared
for the purpose.
Then, too, there is furniture room
where all the furniture used by the
Southern Pacific system receives the
finishing touch; and an inside finishing
room where all the removable parts of
passenger and sleeping coaches are
brought to receive the varnish and paint
which make them such pleasing objects
and enhances their value.
There Is another room set apart in
which all doors, sash and blinds, sent in
for repairs, are thoroughly secured be
fore being passed on to another room
where they receive their coats of paint
and varnish, and set into racks TO dry
In this last room one side of the wall
was formerly used to stretch car cloth
head lining upon for the purpose OF
painting, but the head, or top, lining OF
q car Is now made Of wood and the un-
bleached muslin (painted) tops have
now become obsolete. There are still
many Of them in service, but their man
ufacture has recently been discontinued
They, however, answered their purpose
very we'll and lasted longer than the
wooden tops are expected to last, but
were unsafe in case of fires. Several
are still in use which were first placed
in the cars as far back as 1869
One of the most interesting features
to be seen IN the paint shop is the glass
emibossing and etching department
Here one sees glass Of various thickness
cut into all sizes and shapes for use as
door and window glass, ventilators
mirrors, and the hundred and one Other
things about cars for which glass Is
used.
Only a few years ago almost all etch-
ing and frosting was done by means o1
the sand blast The device was very
simple, but never very satisfactory. The
rubber design was merely spread upoT
the glass, which was then exposed to {
whitening blast of sand shot by air pres
sure until the exposed parts of the glass
was worn away, after which an emery
block was placed upon it and it was
worked over until il had the appear
ence Of frosting. That method is, how
ever obsolete and to-day the hydro
fuoric and white acid processes are the
only ones used to secure the results de.
sired, and they have proven eminently
satisfactory.
TO begin with, hydrohuoric is the only
actd in theworld which will attack glass
and it has been made a good servant K
the glass-workers. a preparation i:
made with hydrohuoTic acid as ths
principal ingredient, which is called
white acid, and both the former ant
latter have their work to perform il
making different patterns, as will b'
seen
The glass is prepared by being covered
with coating of beeswaX and tallow
which is inperyious to the acid, anC
then on the side upon which the desigT
is 10 be worked a sheet OF lead foil i!
spread and pressed down. Lead foil il
one of the other things which are i'm
pervious TO the action Of the acid.
Then a pin-pricked pattern-the on
{es u Fofr