The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-03-10
SOME new IMPROVEMENTS,
The Houston and Texas Cent raj Puts
In Costly Machinery.
CIRCULAR ISSUED BY COMMISSION
VIII Give Hearing to severn, IT,,
p"r'""t Questions ON March 90,
New Line Open Today.

The Post mentioned few DAYS ago that
the Houston and Texas Central had Just
received iine lot of new machinery OF
the most improved patterns. A visit IA
the shops was made yesterday by a Post
reporter who saw the machines In working
order.
The machines in use are from the Niles
Tool works. Hamilton. Ohio, which were
purchased by Superintendent OF Motive
Power and Machinery S. II. Tuggle during
his recent visit East
The machines are as follows: One car
wheel lathe for turning steel tired car
wheels. which cost $500. This is the first
machine Of the kind ever brought to Texas
and VIII be OF Inadequate help to the ma
chine department Of this road
Another machine is horizontal boring
and drilling machine. which cost 1880.
This is considered one Of the most yalu-
able machines owned by the company.
one 4s-inch swing engine lathe for doing
all heavy work for enginesa Cost of this
machine was $3.50.
One No. screw machine, with OUTFIT
bushes gauges, etc.-costing $780, is
FOR general work of the shops for making
studs, fet-screws and other such work
This machine will take the place OF three
or four ordinary lathes for this class Of
work.
One No. upright drill press complete,
costing S1'5. This machine is for all class
OF drilling and is of the latest pattern
One 22-inch engine lathe which is to BIO
used in doing general brass work. This ma
chine cost 5000.
Another machine Is an universal drilling
machine. which 10 for the tool room and
will be amply able to make all tools used
in the shops. 1t cost s615.
An emery grinder. which cost s2iO. is a
beauty and is used for all grinding work
In the shops.
A twist drill grinder. which cost SIS. Is
a new machine unknown In this section,
which is used for grinding twist drills
alone.
A large four spindle verticle car boring
machine for wood working. purchased from
j. A. Fay & Co. Of Cincinnati Ohio, and
which cost $780, is considered the finest and
best machine in the car shops. 1t bores
four lv,les instead of one at time
To make room for these machines the
shops have been extended with gearing at
tachments and everything necessary.
After viewing these machines the re-
porter was accompanied by Mr. Tuggle and
Master Mechanic Burns through other de-
partments.
The storeroom has been changed, being
better ventilated and many additions adj
ded. 1t Is kept in the same manner as a
merchant would manage his store. Articles
for which acquisitions are made are
weighed out and recorded the same as II
a sale was being made. large number OF
new letter presses, made of wrought iron.
were noticed, which have Just been turned
out of these shops.
The road has an electric headlight en-
CINE which runs out Of Houston on one OF
the passenger trains Two more have been
ordered and will be put on the line in a
few days.
One of the most interesting pieces of
work being done yesterday was witnessed
in the yards Four men were engaged in
taking the tires OFF Of six driving wheels.
The old style was to drill which took a
whole day with double the number Of men,
The manner Of removing the tires as wit
messed yesterday was with compressed air
and oil.
The time consumed In taking off the six
tires was thrty-siX minutes, ono tire being
removed In five minutes. The cost Of doing
this work, not counting the labor. was only
40 cents.
In the yard was noticed a number OF cars
loaded with Ignite from the coal mines
near Calvert. This road is using all OF this
kind OF fuel 1t can procure and has made
arrangements to take all that Is offered.
-Four thousand tons was consumed by this
road last month. 1t is being used at all
steam plants and on all locomotives when
II can ba had