The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-09-16
Crude Petroleum Now Used For
Fuel In California.
Proves an Economy on the
Southern California Road.
is BETTER THAN COAL
No Smoke and Cinders to Annoy
Passengers.
Further Adoption on the Santa
Fe System Possible.

Crude petroleum is now being used
for fuel in the engines of the Southern
California road, one of the Santa Fe
system lines This new departure in
the way of fuel has been experimental
with for several weeks, and has given
excellent results. There is promise OF
it being farther adopted on the Santa
Fe system, if it is possible to secure it
cheap enough TO be a paying invest
ment.
That petroleum is a good substitute
for coal, and even eXcels coal as fuel
in many respects, IS no longer denied
That it has many good qualities and
can successfully take the place of coal,
has been proven by the many expert
ments of the past few weeks, and at
the present time several engines are
running on the Southern California
road which use petroleum.
Engine No "a, an eight wheel coupled
consolidated engine, arrived in Topeka
Friday night from the Baldwin Loco
motive Works. This engine is OF the
heavy type and is especially built for
freight service on mountain grades An
other engine of similar build is expect
ed to arrive today, and Immediately on
its arrival the two engines Will be sent
west for service on the Southern Cali
fornia road. These engines are both
petroleum burning engines and are
fitted with tenders OF large size and
formed into compartments for holding
oil and water
built like all engines with the excep-
ton that they have several extras nee
eSSary for the use of petroleum for
fuel These extra attachments consist
mainly of a fire brick arch in place of
the usual CRATES and such pipes as are
necessary to convey the oil from the
tender to the fire box. The tenders are
made the same apparently as all en-
CINE tenders, except that where the
coal is usually carried. this space is en-
closed and used for holding the Pc
trOleum. This gives a space with a
capacity of about 500 gallons of crude
petroleum and a space around this for
holding about $500 gallons of water
A pipe connection between the pc
troleum receptacle and the fire box is
made and the petroleum is forced
through this pipe into the firebOx by a
steam jet which mixes with the oil
and forming vapOr, produces a more
powerful combustion This IS very sim
pie. and at a glance it can be seen how
much easier handled it is than coal
The fireman is not compelled to handle
10 or Z tons of coal on the run. and
there is an absence of all dust and dirt,
which always accompanies the coal.
BY mere turning of a valve the flow
of oil may be increased or diminished
as becomes necessary and consistent
with heavy upgrade work or level
regulated SO closely that it will vary
but a few degrees. In addition to this,
the fireman has more time to look after
his engine, as well as being on the
lookout while on the run.
The Southern California road is well
adapted foB the adoption of petroleum
as fuel as the country is bountifuIly
supplied with oil wells and it is so
cheap that it is economy to use it. This
fact, coupled with the many advanta-
ges derived from its use, gives good
grounds for its adoption on that line
as fuel on the locomotives.