The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-03-19
UIyTER ON THE RAILROADS.
The Number of Freight Cars Hauled by One
Engine Falls with the Thermometer.

THE weather cant get any too hot to suit
me professionally. said a train dispatcher on
one Of the big railroads. Warm weather Is
tho most favorable for the business OF running
trains, and the colder the weather the more
difficulty we experience in keeping the yards
aud storage tracks free Of cars. At this season
of the year We make up a train OF In the neigh
borhooI of sixty-hve cars-of course. we are
speaking OF the freight service-and this num-
her will gradually increase with the approach
Of warm weather until we reach a maximum
Of about cighty-ave cars a train. These are
only the figures. you understand. OF my par
ticular division. They will vary on other
divisions and other roads. according to the
grades and other physical characteristics
Neither do these figures apply to the last
frrights. which nowadays come from San Fran
cisco to New York fully as quickly as a letter
and nearly as quickly as an unlncumper
passenger can make 1t.
THE minimum number OF cars TO a train Is
reached during the most severe winter wealth
err. Then the average falls down to about forty
five. During the coolest weather OF this win
ter we did not dare to use more than forty 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 kent in continual motion. hut
the moment 1t stops the trouble begins The
oil that luhricates the axles cong"als 50 that
tnp tram Is VIII WI 'ull ll'LtlI Nv i. $500
for n short time. ] have seen every whccl M
train slide. and tho cars must not exceed IN
number thos" that thc. motive Power can starr
with the brakes set. You see II costs, as hnuch
money and energy to run a train OF ,tprty cars
rs Il does one Of eighty cars very. often more,
TIL, means that in a traffic Qt Loo cars
n day IT takes forty engines IN tho winter
to twenty in thc. summer and train crews
sIiiss AT this. thoro are always delays and
s srnelaEin ,@ the S"'@ cIdISS. uf Fro 59sn s steel ''I' IS al,
most us brittle as SO much. glass. and every
greater strain when in this state ot %contrac-
zion. Valves and pipes filled with hot steam
freeze with Incredible speed will, the Their
mumrtcr at 10 below, zero. and the locomo-
live going ut the rate of twenty miles An hour.
Engineers are held as strictly accountable as
ever. hut these accidents do, happen 70 tne
best Of them. and each accident causes so
much additional delay. -,
""Th~rr is only one thing worse than cold
weather and that is cold weather with snow,
For itS size ard capabilities an engine - y
suGwstorm is the most helplessly stupid thing
imaginable. 4 locomotiv" does, not push tho
snow to one side and make q path inr ltsell: !,
/, along with it. apparently for the purpose OF
decorating the rum ng gear. ltlsnt lnhg ne
fore an engine is loaded down with haiI a ION
Of Ice, and throughout the train thG 'ricttom
tighter than il ordinarily would. The brake
h'ocEs accumulate enough ice 70 MAKE
the wheels slide ana in Ills 'eondition
SLm is art to stay right there, until dug loose,
LOSING 'raius isn't so bad, nut 9nr nusy nnS
There /, not only the point oi congestion i,
nyercoIne. hut il must be overcome with the
Last possible delay TO the traiiic that continues
"''Onn' the whole" concluded the train de;
spatcher, YOU will see why there lsno blneblre
in the land more gleeiul than ! o. me Appfoa"i
Of warm WsGthec.'