The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1899-04-20
WINTER ON TIE RAILROADS.
The Number OF Freight Cars Hauled
3 by One Engine Falls with
the Therm ometer.

1.-THE weather can't get any too hot
80 suit me professionally" said train
dispatcher on one ofJthe big railroads.
warm weather is the most favorable
| for the business Of running trains, and
the colder the weather the more diff
! ficulty we experience in keeping the
! yards and storage tracks free OF cars.
At this season OF the year We make up
train Of in the neighborhood OF TO
cars-of course, we are speaking OF
the freight service-and this number
will gradually increase with the APP
proach of warm weather until we reach
maximum Of about SIS cars train,
These are only the figures, you un-
dersand, of my particular division.
| They will vary oil other divisions and
other roads, according to the grades
and other physical characteristics.
Neither do these figures apply to the
fast freights. which nowadays come
from san Francisco to New York fully
as quickly as a letter and nearly as
quickly as an unincumbered passenger
can make it.
w
train is reached during the most severe
winter weather Then the average
falls down TO about 40. During the
coolest weather Of this winter we did
not dare to use more than 40 to a train,
The difference is due to the resistance
Of the train, / should say. It's all right
as long as the train is kept in continual
motion, but the moment it stops the
trouble begins. The oil that lubricates
the axle congeals so that the train is
what we call frozen after it stands for
a short time. | have seen every wheel
in a train slide, and the ears must not
exceed in number those that the mo-
tive power can start with the brakes
set. You see it costs as much money
and energy TO run train of 40 cars
as it does one Of so cars-yery often
more. This means that in a traffic OF
1900 cars day it takes 40 engines in
the winter to 30 in the summer, and
train crews, switching facilities, stor-
age room and operating expenses all
in proportion. Besides all this, there
are always delays and complications
coming up that are directly traceable
to the cold. Frozen steel is almost as
brittle as so much glass and everything
from the rails up is subjected to 4
greater strain when in this state of
contraction. Valves and pipes filled
| with hot steam freeze with incredible
speed with the thermometer at Is de-
grees below zero, and the locomotive
going at the rate of 20 miles an hour.
! Engineers are held as strictly account
! able as ever, but these accidents do hap
pen to the best of them. and each acct
! dent causes so much additional delay.
''There is only one thing worse than
cold weather and that is cold weather
with snow. For its size and capabili-
ties an engine in snowstorm is the
most helplessly stupid thing imagin-
able. A locomotive does not push the
snow to one side and make path for
| itself. 1t seems to wallow around in it
and takes most of it along with it, APP
| parently for the purpose of decorating
the running gear. 1t isn't long before
an engine is loaded down with half a
| tOh VI lCt, ana throughout lHe tram
the friction causes the snow to melt
! just enough to freeze tighter than it
| ordinarily would. The brake blocks
accumulate enough ice to make the
wheels slide, and if the train ever comes
to a halt in this condition she is apt 10
stay right there until dug loose. Los
ing trains isn't so bad, but our busy
day comes when we begin to find them
again. There is not only the point of
congestion to overcome, but it must be
overcome with the least possible de-
lay to the traffic that continues to pour
in upon us from both directions.
ION the whole" concluded the train
dispatcher, you will see why there is
no bluebird in the land more gleeful
than | at the approach of warm
weather. N. y. Sun.
Her Idea of Her Worth.
n Canadian minister had Just married