The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-05-31
Engineer ROllO Breaks All Rec
Ords With Fast Mail.
A Phenomenal Run to EmpOria
Sunday Morning.
ENGINE so A SUCCESS.
Missouri Pacific EmplOye Struck
by a Sledge.
Santa Fe Special to Lake View
Monday.

For some time the record breaking
runs have been on the wane but sud-
denly a record has been made that
stands on the eastern division of the
Santa Fee without even a close second.
' When engine SO was rebuilt for SER
vice on the fast mail run everything
possible in the engine builders art was
done to make it a fast engine. The
best engineers on the road, Jolly, Tally
and ROllo, were assigned the run with
the expectation that time would be
made. On Friday morning the so pull
ed the fast mail from Topeka west for
the first time and the Give Spot went
into the roundhouse.
Can the so make better time than
the 5?'' That was the question asked
by many an engineer. Some said the so
would certainly meet expectations and
others who remembered the"F'ive Spot"
with a feeling of respect, doubted it.
The test came soon and on Sunday
morning all previous records between
Topeka and Emporia went glimmering.
The first 46 of the 62 miles from To-
peka and Emporia is up grade and full
OF curves, to say nothing of the curves
after leaving Reading, the place where
the grade stops and where the track
takes a steady fall to Emporia, 16 miles
away, around curves and in and out
but is a good track.
The regular running time between
Topeka and Emporia, 90 miles, is one
hour and % minutes or So minutes
When Engineer jolly pulled the fast
mail into Topeka Sunday morning from
Kansas City, instead of arriving at 4:O5
he was delayed and came in at 4:10
and turned his engine over to Engineer
Emporia at 4:24 just 10 minutes late.
He was due in EmpOria, 81 miles away
with two railroad crossing stops to
make, in just SO minutes Instead of
the uSJI9l SS RnfOrp no
engine Engineer Rollo locked her care
fully over and when he got the signal
to go he took a look ahead and one be-
hind to see if his blizzard and marker
lamps were all right and with the bell
ringing the so pulled out for Emporia
on run that was to beat anything
ever made.
Engineer Rollo could not get the
throttle well open until after the first
mile and the Missouri Pacific crossing
had been made. After the last car had
cleared the crossing he pulled out for
Emporia. The further he went the
wider came the throttle till the links
between the engine and mail car and
the mail car and one coach were taut,
then away they went over the prairie
to the tune of as many miles an hour
as the average runaway car makes go
ing over the side of mountain.
Around curves, through cuts and over
fills they went like a streak of light
ming but the train had to be stopped at
Usage City for another Missouri Pacific
crossing. Ihen away again to Read
ing, the top of the grade. When Read
ing was reached the train seemed to
literally drop down over the brow of
the hill and the so stuck her nose out
and away. Past the semaphore tower
and into Emporia they went and when
the telegraph instrument in the dis
patcher's office at Topeka announced
the arrival of the fast mail in Emporia
ION time" there was a look of aston
ishment among the members of the
trick but it was accepted and
Engineer Ro1lo with the so holds the
record between Topeka and Emporia,
81 miles with two crossing stops in just |
SO minutes fiat or 10 minutes faster |
than the schedule time.
The regular running time of No. 5 |
from Topeka ito Emporia is one hour |
and 80 minutes and when people ride on |
that train the ythink they are going |
fast enough. So far Engineer Rollo |
holds the trophy for fast runs against |
all competitors.