The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-10-29


,r,u.s " s,uuy ,ne mys.el.es Oh la...oau-
AK AEON LAG .op " Tue Do.tonl- % nc
uCSvpIeu d lIOst nuIIiO.o posi,.vii just as
II he mad been the SON OF one oI the poor
est men IN The land.
bENrAN nj THD BOTTOM.
This WAS about Two years ago ana
already ne has become pracacaiiy Mas
ter or the mechanical end Of the business
lie has shoyeled coal: he has dug IN tne
trenches. ne mas polished locomotives
and he has helped TO lay rails, but All the
time that he has been performing these
menlal duties he has kept MS eyes open
and already he has suggested ana carf'ed
ont enough improvements 10 snow that
he is not lacking In the inventive facui1y
and there Is no reason 10 believe tnat
Chauncey Depsw was wrong when ne
predicted that the young man would yet
be one OF the greatest railroad managers
of the age.
His last and greatest feat was the IN
vention Of a locomotive that achieves
greater speed with smaller expenditure
Of coal than any other railroad engine thdt
has vet been devised. Men who have
grown gray In the designing room OF the
New York Central company would be
proud OF this feat but young Mr.. Wander
bilt accepts his success with a modesty
that argues we'll for even greater achieve
ments in the future.
For years engine des gners all over the
world have been striving to increase the
speed OF locomotives. incidentally II they
should be able 10 reduce the expenditure
OF coal a double victory would be gained
In entering this field OF invention Mr.. Van
derbilt had hundreds of rivals to contend
against but at the very beginning Of his
work he showed a degree Of good sense
that gave the heads OF his departments
confidence In his ability 70 perform the
task that he had set for himself.
Instead Of trying 10 introduce bigger
drive wheels. or a method Of multiply
Ing revolutions, or any other OF the crank
schemes brought out with such regular
fly bv unscientifc men he got right down
TO the very vitals OF the locomotive by
designing an Improvement upon the fire.
box. The frebox, is. comparatively speak
ing. the heart OF the locomotive. Steam
is its life blood and upon the tlrebox de-
ponds the amount OF steam produced.
without a sufficient amount Of this vapor
the most gigantic drive wheels and the
most perfect system OF multiplying io-
vo'utions would he useless.
His ready acceptance - this fact proved
TO practical railroad men that ne Knew
what he was about and from the tests
that have already been made there Is
every reason 10 believe that he has ac-
compIshed his purpose His new locomo-
tive has shown its cap lbity Of doing more
work at less cost than any other engine
I'm use in the New York Central system
and II it's durability is proved the IN
vention will unquestionsbly create re-
volution In modern locomotive construct
ion.
one OF the features Of the new boiler
IS a corrugated furnace, "a inches In d.
ameter and II feet IA inches long, placed
eccentrIcslly In the back OF the boiler
she'll which is 81 IS inches in diameter at
the furnace part Sling stays support
The big tube sheet. and In the back 1t Is
fanged 10 the outside sheets.
one Of the greatest advantages OF TINS
Vanderbilt frebox Is that # can easily
be taken out and put back again. In the
ordinary locomotive there are usually more
han 500 staybolts IN a frebox and when
Z Is necessary 70 make repairs these
must frs. be taken out In this new lo@o-
motive. however. the hrebOX has no stay
otis n is riveted 10 the back end OF
he engine and is supported IN front by
sling STAYS
PPORLrM Az Old ONE.
For years locomotive designers have
been trying 10 get rid OF these ayoolts.
II wa. admitted that they were nul-
sance but. with the old design, the tireboN,
not being a cylinder was Incapable o.
withdrawing the pressure 10 which It was
subjected without the use Of such bolts. In
he Vanderbilt locomotive the total an
sence OF the staybolts makes It possible
o remove the hrcbOX by simply cutting
ew riyets at one end To practical ia IL
-oad men the advantage Of such an I'M
0rovement makes the invention one OF
he most important Of recent years.
In the new locomotive there Is 4 cast
iron support for the crate thirty inches
9acl< of the tube sheet and a brick wall
wentv inches high built above this That
part of the furnace In front OF the brick
vail forms a combustion chamber. The
shes pass through a large opening az
he bottom Of the furnace into the ASH
oan beneath There Is a small opening
d facilitate the removal OF the ashes that
nav have accumulated in the combustion
chamber
Some idea Of the size Of the new Van
ierhit locomotive may be gained from
he fact that there are lgl S square feet
T heating surface. while the 372 tubes give
'16456. making a total Of 2&6.2l square
Get There are $50 square feet in the
rate area The engine has Gl-inch driv-
RS and the boiler carries 10 pounds or
team pressure. MS means Nlytc Ahel
100 pounds OF traction power The
ce'ght Of the engine is 10000 pounds all
Old
The first trial Of the new locomotive
vas made last August, over the rs miles
y road between West Albany and SYRIA
use. on the first trial trip the road
Yas not cleared. but. coupling IN hf'y
ars. light and loaded. Mr.. Vanderbilt
made the run as successfully IS II could
ave been done by any locomotive on the
iiv'sion. The next day however the new
locomotive was given the right OF way,
% see what she could do. on this trip
she carried a string of slxty-three cars
ehind her and yet she worked up 20
thirty miles an hour and Mr. Wander
1Ut expresses IT, she was blowing on
.tean frequently. too" on these trips
Mr.. Vanderbilt held the throttle himself
md his face besmed with delight when,
A. the end Of the run. he sienoed In 70
he telegraph office and wired back 20
NJ White. tho head OF his department,
10 two words "she works"
10 have successfully accomplished such
p feat H. certainly a great achievement
COR the young railroad man. for Alr. Van