The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-09-03
NEW FUEL FOR RAILWAYS.
Proposition to Use Coke Instead of
Coal

Coal
Coke as substitute for coal in large
quantities will soon be produced in Chi
cago. Skeletonized coal is lighter,
cheaper and for many purposes prefer
able to the original black diamonds as
exhumed from the earth. In steel work
this is especially true. The lack of
smoke from the combustion of coke, as
well as the intense heat generated
thereby and the consequent high steam
producing power, has directed the at
tention of railroad men to it as de-
sirable fuel.
Hitherto coke has been produced
from high grade Goals rich in carbon
ates. The inferior products of the
Western mines have not been looked
upon as of much value for coke manu-
facture. Under the old methods but
little was done with them, as the for
eign matter was too much in excess
But under the beehive" style of ovens
the low grade Goals can be turned into
excellent coke. This is to be done here
by the Universal Fuel company, with
Levi q. Letter at the head. Ovens
have been set up and are almost ready
for operation. Experiments have been
conducted which satisfy the projectors
that the Goals of the middle west are
susceptible of treatment with good re-
suits.
The company has satisfied itself that
financial success will follow it's expert
ments. 1t has organized and is about
to venture in the manufacture extern
sively. So far as steel manufacture and
all kinds of iron work are concerned,
coke as a fuel is all that is desired 1t
has been used successfully for so many
years that no doubt remains of it's
desirability in some of the most deli
cate operations. Railroads are ready
and willing to make use of it as soon
as the engineering problems are set
tied which still initiate against coke in
motive operations.
Out in the shops of the Northwestern
Robert Quayle, superintendent of mo-
tive power, has been experimenting
with coke for some time. He has also
been conducting experiments with oil
as fuel. No branch of business in the
land has delved more deeply into the
fuel question than the railroads and no
concerns would more eagerly grasp
anything which can be shown to be
economical and safe. The fact that
coke burns substantially without any
smoke is in big city feature of
great interest to transportation lines.
It's cheapness, compared with ordinary
fuels, is another fact of moment to the
companies
Mr. Quayle's experiments have not
yet proved entirely satisfactory. In
many particulars coke answers the
questions properly. Economy in trans
portation business does not stop at the
item of original cost. If this were the
only question to be solved coke would
win in walk. In stationary engines it
wins, for it can be used with fire boxes
constructed of materials which will not
burn out under it's fierce heat and where
the element of weight does not count.
But so far as locomotives are concerned
the proposal to substitute coke for coal
is not yet acceptable.
Half a dozen questions must be an
swered satisfactorily before fuel Will
be adopted for use in railroad work
One is the cost of buying and delivery
at the place of loading on the engines.
Another is the cost of the use on the
fire boxes of the engines. The LIE or
the fire box is a matter OF extreme mo-
ment to any locomotive. If coke VIII
rot burn out a fire box any sooner than
coal will the second question is an
swered to the satisfaction of the head
of the motive department. But so far
coke has shown a tendency to put en-
gines in the repair shops in a very
short time, so that the question is an
swered against its use as fuel.
Replacing a fire box in itself is mat
ter of considerable cost to the COM
pany If it were the only one involved
in the sending of an engine to the re-
pair shop, the commercial equation
might be balanced by the cheapness OF
the fuel. But it is one of the least I'M
portant elements of expense in such
case. A locomotive engine is like
dray horse. 1t is valuable because OF
its original cost, to be sure, but its con-
tinued value depends upon its earning
power Offset against the original cost,
the cost of fuel, oil, sand, polishing ma
terials, pay of operators from engineer
to hostler and wiper are the number OF
~. ~ pni EyhT
hauled and the returns made IN money
for these expenses.
The books of the auditing department
have an exact balance struck OIL
against every piece of rolling STOCK on
the line The exact cost of running an
engine one mile is set out with math-
ematical exactitude. Then the DOCKS
show just what that engine or car has
earned in running that mile. This is
reduced to the basis of l cent differ
ence. The grand average for year
and the average for a month VIII tell
the operators of the road just when
side of the ledger and to what extent
the scale inclines at any hour OF the
year 50 far as any particular piece OF
rolling stock is concerned.
Hence when an engine goes into the
repair shop its earning power is plotted
out. The length of time it must be
there is taken away from It's grahu
average. The cost of the repairs from
replacing a screw or setting In a new
fire box is computed and charged
against it. If left in week, about the
time necessary to replace fire box, Its
capacity as a bread winner has been
cut down one-fourth and it is charged
herewith. The head of the department
will hear from his superiors If such a
thing happens and satisfactory rea-
son is not Immediately forthcoming.
Thus it will be seen that the utility
of any fuel for railroad service with
special reference to locomotives involves
so many qualifications of expense that
it would make layman's head SWIM
in attempting to compute them. The
superintendent of motive power knows
lust how long fire box should last
under ordinary conditions. He subsu-
tutes coke or oil as fuel and he has
a basis to argue from. If the coke or
oil shortens the life of the fire box 1t
may overcome the cheapness of cost OF
buying the fuel.
All of these questions must be an
swered in favor of the fuel before 1t