The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-04-17
OLD ROLLING STOCK.
What Becomes Of WOrn0ut Locomotives
and Cars.

Curious Uses of Railway Junk--Fixing Up
| Old Rolling Stock to Be Used Again.
| Where Some of the Theatrical Compa-
mics Get Their Private Cars,
What becomes of wornout engines, cars,
rails and all the other odds and ends OF
| railroadP The iron probably goes to the
scrap heap, but does the rolling stock meet
the same fate, or what disposition is made
of the engines and cars Of the great sys-
tens when they reach the stage of their ex-
istence when they are deemed unworthy of
further repairs? The solution of these
questions is by no means lacking in inter-
est. A certain proportion does go to the
scrap heap when condemned by the man
age1nent, but not all. 1t is the rule of
railroads generally to place new equip
ment upon the main lines and to relegate
the old to branches, the most ancient cars
and engines being assigned to the least
productive lines, and thus by easy grada
lions the entire supply Of rolling stock is
allotted according to the exigency of trav-
ell Old rails taken from main tracks of
the central lines are relaid upon the main
tracks of branches and later on used for
sidings. Who has not noted the great
change in speed, comfort and appearances
when diverginS from main travelled roads
TO branch lineA
The old style engines, the Anticipated
coaches and wornout rails transferred to
the side roads remain in active service un-
til at last the time comes when they are
finally condemned and must go. The life
of steel rail is but few years, while
rolling stock, with occasional repairs and
barring wreck of course, will last much
longer than might be surmised. Almost
every road Of Importance has in service
somewhere on its lines passenger cars built
IS or 80 years ago. The life Of an engine
is limited only by it's ability to run with
ordinary repairs. There are engines in
active service today which were built sixty
odd years ago, the Baltimore and Ohio
railroad having several veterans Of this
kind dating back to the early dawn OF
steam land transportation, while locomo
tives 30 and 40 years old can be found in
plenty-crude little teapots as compared
with modern engines, but still doing eff
cient work
There is distinct business i'll this coun-
try followed by firms and individuals who
junk men. They are wide awake, shrewd
fellows, who know a good thing when they
see it, and do not hesitate to take long
chances on opportunities which indicate
profitable risks. The first requisite for
engaging in pursuit like theirs is a large
storage yard with plenty of track room,
connected with some leading railroad,
and close second is cash capital, for
Ixyr 10 v,ococcifv nd ae,1y,
must be frequently tied up for long periods.
Such junk man will buy anything con-
nected with a railroad, but his main bust
ness is dealing with secondhand rolling
stock. When railroad corporation builds
supply of new engines or cars to replace
like number withdrawn from service, the
latter will not be sent to the company's
scrap heap, but will be offered to the vari
Gus firms of junk men or brokers, who are
usually willing to pay a much higher price
for old equipment as it stands than could
be realized if converted into scrap. The
changing of a narrow gauge road into
standard gauge, or the substitution OF
steam for trolleys, brings harvest to these
dealers. And SO from one source and an
other the ysrds gradually fill up with a
nondescript' collection of railroad equip
AAASiiU al CfC1y oouEC Va NiioPAAetuiOAj ebAiN VI
many varied styles, but all ANTICIPATED and
much the worse for wear These places are
known in railway circles as "graveyards,
and the application of the title is self evil
dent. Having thus secured stock in
trade, the junk man bends his efforts to
dispose of his wares The passenger cars
are gone over thoroughly and put into the
best condition possible, coat or two of
int md no, IF
ming gear oftentime producing wonders.
The ancient engines are inspected by COM
potent men and ordinary repairs are made,
while unusual or expensive alterations
which may be needed are noted and made
known to the would be customers.
Strange as it may seem, there is steady
demand for secondhand railway equip
ment. The market for engines and pas
senger cars is, as a rule, in the southern
states and Mexico, where the public ane
not SO exacting in their requirements as
to speed and comfort. Instances are COM
mon where an entire railroad outfit, in
Guiding engines passenger, baggage, ex-
press and freight cars, rails switches, turn
tables, ETC., have been moved from one 10.
cality and put into service elsewhere, per-
haps many hundreds of miles distant, this
oeshibS5 PlttCC as u Iu1C, WllCL idIION SduSO
lines have been converted into broad or
standard gauge systems. At one time it
was anticipated there would be q network
of narrow gauge railroads throughout the
country, and in view of this many long
lines of thenarrow gauge width were laid,
one Of which was the road from Toledo to
ST. Louis, nearly 500 miles in length.
When that road was made standard gauge
a few years since, there was harvest for
the junk men. The Reading railroad line
from Camden, N. j., to Atlantic City,
now considered one of the finest and best
equipped railroads in the country, was
once single track narrow gauge railroad.
The great sugar plantations in the south
are good customers Of the ''graveyards, !"
and down in Louisiana and Texas the
northern traveller may now and then en-
counter engines and freight cars engaged
In handling sugar cane or farm supplies
which at one time hauled coal or iron in
the middle states
Like other occupations, there are various
shades and distinctions in the workings of
railroad junkmen. There are men who