The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-04-16
WHlMS OF LOCOMOTIVES.
A n Old Engineers Narrative of How They
Fall into the Sulks and Balk.
(New York SUM-

ssIt sounds queer to say that locomotive
have their likes and dislikes." said a
veteran engineer, ''but it actually does
seem sometimes as if they had, and all
the old-time engineers believe it. I've
see locomotives when they acted as if
they we're human beings. They get the
sulks and have balky streaks, and when
time with them, do what you may.
Then, again, they'll be as clipper and
willing as trottin horse, and you &C.
tually have to hold 'em from running
into stopping places ahead of time There
isn't an engineer of any experience at all
dozen of engines that positively would
not make time with some engineers, but
which would get there every time when
in charge of some other engineer. You
might.say it was the fault of the engineer
that such engines did not make their time
but I have known as good engineers as
ever mounted footboard who have been
transferred from locomotives placed in
their hands to run because. the locomo-
tives would not make their time, but
which. under. the hands of another engi-
neer, neither as skilful nor as expert
enced, would never run behind.
''Take the case of Josh Martin and Cad
Lyman, two of the early engineers on the
Erie Railroad, and neither of them with
superior in his craft at that day.
One time a new locomotive was turned
out Of Paterson shop for the Erie and
Josh Martin wanted her the worst way.
he ran on the Delaware division, sfrom
Pbrt Jervis to Susquehanna. The super
intendent, though, wanted the locomo-
tive for the Eastern division, between
Port Jeryis and Piermont, and so he put
her in charge Of Cad Lyman. Cad ran
her, or rather he tried to run her, but she
and she wouldn't make any kind of time
for Cad. She would stall without provo
cation andiacted contrary generally. Cad
tried hersfor week and then reported the
locomotive mo good and she was con-
demned to run the gravel train. She
worked as balky and sulky as ever,
though, and at last the superintendent or
dered her to the scrapheap.
Josh Martin heard of the fate the
locomotive had been sentenced to, and he
came down the'road Ia-fying. He begged
to have the engine, for he liked her. ana
said he was sure she would do all right
with him. The uperintendent yielded to
Josh's appeal, and told him to take the
locom olive and give it trial. Josh did
so. he mounted the cab at Plermont and
when he opened her up she went like a
bird. She made the trip to Port Jervis
quicker than anya locomotive had ever
made it before, and Josh Martin ran her
for years on the Delaware division after
that, and always on time as easy as could
be. That locomotive was the old II, and
she is remembered yet by all the old en-
gineers, and is well-known to the
younger ones by the tradition of the road.
when Cad Lyman gave up that loco
motive because she wouldn't Work under
him, he was put in charge of another new
locomotive. This locomotive was a favor
lite OF President Loder of the Erie. She
behaved the best kind, and Cad was
tlckled all but to death with her. When
the date came round for opening the rail.
road through Dunkirk Cad and his loco
motive were chosen for the distinction Of
pulling the first through train from the
Hudson to Lake Erie. The occasion was
to be historic one, and Cad was proud.
But what did that locomotive do but just
get the sulks. I don't know why.
Neither did Cad. She did, though, and
acoeu up SO outrageous InaU sue was an
hour behind schedule time when she
logged into Port .Ieryis with the train
only seventy miles from the start Cad
Lyman was the worst feeling mnn, I
s'pose, that ever had locomotive kick
with him, and he felt worse yet when he
was ordered to take his balky engine off
and saw Josh Martin hook on to the train
with old II locomotive that Cad had
turned in as no good. Josh and old II
yanked the train through with bell on.
And what do you think Cad Lyman s
feelings must have been when he hooked
on to another train to run back to Pier
mont to find the engine that had baked
and sulked SO outrageously with him on
what ought TO have been the greatest trip
on record, just turn in and let herself
out so cheerful and lively on the way back
that it was all Cad could do to hold her
IN Now, how do you account for that
1t IS true, and matter of record. Cad
was SO cut up by this conduct of the loco
motive that he applied to have her ex-
changed for some other one, although she
worked like thoroughbred ever since
the day she refused to pull the great
pioneer through special. The company