Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1897-01-16
Testing the Big Engines.

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The following is the report Of tests
made by General Superintendent Of
Motive Power Harvey Middleton, Of
the B. & O., Of Pittsburg Consolidation
Engines Nos. r6as and 1914. on Gran
berry grade
ION December ), 1896, trial Of the
two zaxas in. Pittsburg consolidation
engines Nos. I6aS and r6a4 was made
on the Cranberry grade. Engine 1923
at the head Of the train WAS run by
Epgineman r. j Moran, with engine
1924. Engineman S. II Cunning. as
helper. Engine r6as was run through
from Cumberland to Rowlesburg,
where fire was cleaned at front end
and the old sand removed from the
sand box aud box filled with sharp
river sand engine I6a4 also had her
box filled with this sand.
THE train consisted Of six double
hopper goudola cars (class n @, seven
double hopper goudolas lclass n 81,
ten hopper gondolas (class N a. one
P. & r. hopper gondola car, and an
eight-wheel cabooseca in all twenty
four cars and caboose. The gross
weight Of train. exclusive Of cahoose.
was a,o46, 6oo pounds, or 1923 tons;
with caboose, III tons additional, or
1884 tons. Gross weight of train, in
Guiding engines and caboose, 1909
tons. The rise of the grade is no
feet per mile, with numerous curves.
In the construction of the road no
diminution Of the grade was made at
the curves to compensate for the adj
ditional resistance. and consequently
1t is much more severe than the fig
ures, no feet to the mile, would indi-
cate. The usual running time of
train over this grade Is between two
and three hours.
''Messrs. II. Middleton, Gen'l Super
intendent Motive Power, and Vernon
Bell Supervising Engineman rode on
the forward engine taking observa-
tions on the rear engine were Sup't
Motive Power Kalbaugh, Asst T. M.
Cowan, and Chief Draughtsman crona-
we'll.
THE day was clear and cold. The
train started from coal chute at Rowles-
burg at I:a7 p. M, and arrived at Terra
Alta at sos p. m, distance Of 1913
miles in ! hour and SO minutes OF
this rs minutes was consumed at No.
AZ Water Station, leaving net rum
ming time Of hour and 20 minutes.
The steam pressure on the forward
engine was I8o pounds, the pop blow
| ing off all the way up the hill; the
helping engine had pressure Of from
no to 1870 pounds, most of the time
from rs to r8o. Engine 1928 slipped
her wheels only about six revolutions
during thetrip upthe hill; engine 1924
not at all, nor was it necessary to re-
lieve the cylinders by opening the
cylinder cocks in starting the train
The start was good and strong, with
out any slipping of the wheels such as
is usually experienced in starting a
train on this grade. The iujectors
were feeling the boilers all the way
up the hill on both engines.
Engine 1923 took the train from
Terra Alta east, leaving Terra Alta at
3:2I p. nj. and arriving at Altamont
at 4:23 p. m, distance Of 1873 miles
in hour and minutes. Itleft Alta
mont at 4:32 p. IN. and arrived at
Piedmont at $50 p. M, making the
distance from Terra Alta to Piedmont,
$50 miles, in hours and 9 minutes.
The total distance from Rowlesburg
to Piedmont, 47.9 miles, was made in
3 hours and 81 minutes"
Chicora. Pa. Herald" Richard
Vensel reports One Minute Cough
Cure the greatest success of medical
r>sa.,ca rTat <,1d go t1,.k IL ,,,,~a1 ~.