The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-05-20
JUST LIKE A WOMAN.
THIS IS WHAT A "6EAR OF A NAN"
SAYS ABOUT LOCOMOTIVES.
Iron Horses Are Freaky Creatures and
Full OF whims-some OF the Odd Things
They Do-They Seem TO Have Instincts
just Like Live Horses.

Full OF Whims-Some OF the Odd Thfngs
They Do-They Seem to Have Instincts
just Like Live Horses.
That locomotives are freaky creatures
and deserve classification US ''she"-for
no one ever heard of an engineer calling
his machine anything else-is attested
by William II. Crawford. chief Of the
constructing engineers oOrps OF the
Baldwin works
lit Is not an uncommon expression. f"
said Chief Crawford. no hear that such
and such n thing works with the rssu-
larity Of a machine, and one is not sur
prised when such comparison is made.
for machines are supposed 10 work with
mathematical regularity and never 70
vary from the speed or action 10 which
they are set The locomotive, though.
is a striking exception TO this rule Ii
seems decidedly opposed at times TO a
monotonously perfect performance Of its
work, and TO rid itself of the depressing
effect of sameneSs it INDUCES in the
most fanciful and inexplicable freaks,
driving its master into bewildering
wonder To attempt TO tell you all its
curious ways would be as great an IN
dertaking as TO tell why a woman does
thus and So In this respect there is a
great similarity between locomotives
and women.
''No one ever heard of an engineer
speaking of his machine as he, and no
one ever will unless it becomes more
submissive to reason or less inclined TO
act according to its own whims and
caprices. Thus an engineer must know
his engine before he can manage it. He
cannot mount cab in which he has
never sat before and obtain good work
He must become familiar with its hab.
its and ways, and whenever he changes
engines he has to begin all over again
Engineers do not like TO 60 out on any
other engine. They never gain complete
mastery over any, but approach it
nearer when they have been ON one for
some time. This seems strange, in view
of the fact that there are so few levers
TO be controlled to manage locomotive.
The only parts of the machine necessary
to be touched TO movean engine for
ward, back it or bring il to stop are the
throttle, the reverse lever and the air
brake. The throttle is the controller of
the main valve, which admits or shuts
off steam TO the cylinder. The reverse
lever runs over semicircular bar of |
iron, in which there are several notches |
When this lever is thrown open the en- |
CINE will move forward To reverse il |
the reverse lever is thrown backward |
The only other lever necessary to be |
used governs the brakes.
Like horses engines seem to know |
who holds the reins An engineer on an
engine not his own is at an utter loss !
what to Go ii it begins playing tricks, (
one Of the most common of which il |
running away. The engineer will get |
out Of the cab, leaving the machine |
standing quietly and submissively as /
can be, when Of a sudden it starts along |
the track at top speed and generally |
keeps onrunning until steam is exhaust.
ed unless it runs into another train and |
Is brought 10 a sudden stop just why |
engines do this is mystery. How the
throttle opens itself or how it can run
with the throttle closed is beyond the
knowledge of engineers, but they do it
and sometimes play havoc too.
Another trick is fOaming. Without
warning the water in the boiler will
begin 70 foam, and instead of general.
ing steam will bubble like a teakettle
This can be remedied. though, by TAX
ing a new supply Of water. Ii is an old |
trick for discharged employees and dur
ing strikes 70 have piece of soap drop
ped IN the boiler to produce this effect
Often, too, il will 90 lame This hap.
pens when the eccentric is slipped or it
does not cough properly. The eccentrics
work on the axle of the main driver, and
often the outer ring will slip and fall
On the axle. As they work the steam
chest, the supply is cut off when one of
them slips, and the engine comes to a
standstill Coughing is not the result
OF cold, but is the discharge Of the
steam from the cylinder after it has been
used. There ought to be four coughs
to every revolution of the driving
wheels, but when the valves choke it
will cough only once or twice, and the
relief is a large dose of oil.
Zone of the oldest freaks of an en-
CINE is jumping. do not mean to tell |
of the wonderful tales Of engines leap
ing across canyons when bridges were
gone, but frequently when running at
a high rate of speed, if some small OBJ
struction is met on the track, the engine
will jump 10 or IL inches and drop
squarely on the rails again These are
few Of the ailments locomotive Is
subject to, and they begin as soon rs 1t
leaves the shop and continue until it is
consigned TO the junk pile. "-Philade.
phia Inquirer