Evening journal., 1897-12-14
FROM SHOP TO FARM
[cOntinued From First Page,l


and l. are also unknown here, but Glass
NJ engines of two or three styles are
used for shifting purposes. Those prin-
cipally used are the 125-pound Ms and
the 160-pound MS, the figures denotng
the number of pounds of steam they
will carry. Glass N has no representa-
tive here, but three engines of Glass o
are used to run both passenger and
freight trains. Glass = engines used
for passenger and freight work, have
62-inch wheels. They carry 1870, 40,
160 and IT'S pounds of steam, according
to the manner in which the boilers are
braced. Glass u engines are shifters
and do work right around the depot
They were designed by Cal Turner,
and carry 140 pounds of steam. The
above includes all the classes used on
the p, w. & B. system which owns
two and a quarter millions of dollars
worth of what may be called iron
horse-hesh, a rather rich stud for any
corporation, but which does not begin
to compare with some OF the other
systems.
Usually from twelve to thirteen en-
gines are in the shops undergoing re-
pairs. The work is done by gangs.
Each gang has certain part of the
work to do, and this leads to surpris-
ing expertness and expedition in the
performance of the labor. with the
| exception of the heads OF the depart
ment and the foremen and assistant
| fOremen, this work Is done by the piece,
and on set price for each particular
piece Of work. But in addition to the
ability and expertness of the machin-
lists It must be remembered that the
company places at their disposal the
most improved appliances for handling
and working upon such large pieces OF
machinery. Suppose an engine comes
| in needing new cylinders or new
frames. The first thing the gang does
is to put her on the drop table and take
the wheels out of her. One gang does
that and gets paid for 1t. There are
about five men in that gang, they know
what they are to get for the work and
/ they do il as quickly as possible Then
| the cylinders or frames are taken of
by another gang, which receives so
much for that All the men are rated,
and the aggregate of the money paid
for each particular piece of work is di-
vided among the gang accord
ing to that rating. For in
stance, a machinist will take a helper
with him. The machinist quite nat
urally gets more out Of the Job than
the helper.
| While some of the engines taken to
the shop are impaired by wrecks, most
Of them are sent in because OF wear and
tear not attending casualties on the
road. Attached to the shops is what is
called a wrecking gang, with Harry
VanGasken, a Smyrna boy. and a thor
oughly capable man, as wrecking-mas-
ter. When a wreck occurs the super
intendent's office is Immediately noti-
fed by the operator nearest the scene
Of the wreck. For this purpose there
is a special code, which is both expe-
ditious and, at the same time, complete
in the information which IL affords
The wrecking-master Is informed of The
location and nature of the acci
dent and the wrecking trair
is soon on its way with hin
and a gang of from eight to ten gooS
J machinists, the number of men depend
ing upon the serious or trifing charac
ter Of the wreck. If 1t is a freigh
wreck and the engine is not damaged
the wrecking-master draws on the car
shops instead of on the machine shops
as so many machinists are not needed
But where an engine is involved a
q well as the cars, then the machinist
must 90 as well as the car-shOp men.
Once at the sscene Of the wreck, tn
first thing is to get the tracks clear an
repaired in order that the blocke.
trains, both north bound and south
bound, may proceed on their way
, Sometimes it requires many hours to d
, this, and the tracks of another and
rival road have to be used. Then agair
an hour or two may suffice to clear tn
way for traffic. The damaged engine
I lacked up on the track and hauled I
I the shops in this city. If the cars ar
! worth repairing they are sent to tn
4 car-shops, but II not they are set fir
: to and burned there and then. II
seldom, IL ever, that an engine is S
badly damaged in a wreck that it ha
,, to go to the farm or the scrap-pil
Some of the oldest machinists in tn
= shops say that they never knew
= wrecked engine to be thrown ava,
> L Whenever engines go to the scrap-pi'
!. it is because they have been worn oil
u by long and continuous service. It
astonishing with what quiclzness I'll
artisans at the machine shops can g
wrecked engines repaired and in so
>, vice again. After the engine reach,
the shop a gang runs her on the drcl
table and the wheels are taken out in
iiffy, not more than an hour and a ha
being consumed. The cost to the con
q pany for taking the wheels out an
= | stripping her of her box and eccentric
4, does not exceed 1925, and may be dol
y for as low as SO. A gang of five me
have to do quick work at this rate
10 get anything out Of it. If a wreck'
- engine has only been out of the shol
a short time previous to the mishap
n does not take long to put her in sc
vice again; but If she has been out
- the shops a good while the machinis
- - take advantage OF the opportunity
give her a general Overhauling and 7
-, pairing. Under such conditions s.
would be in the shops for about
= month. Some are taken in one day al
~, go out the next, while others rema
~ in about three weeks. When the
N men are working nine hours a day tn
ta repair and turn out from twelve to