Evening star., 1899-04-07
WINTER RAILROADING.
Number of Cars Hauled by an En-.
gfne Falls with the Thermometer.

From the Chicago Inter-ocean.
THE weather can't get any too hot to
suit me professionally, said a train dis
patcher on one Of the big railroads. Warm
weather is the most favorable for the busi-
ness Of running trains. and the colder the
weather the more difficulty We experience
in keeping the yards and storage tracks
free of cars At this season OF the year We
make up u train OF in the neighborhood OF
siXty-five cars-of course. we are speaking
of the freight service-and this number will
gradually increase with the approach OF
warm weather until We reach a maximum
of about eighty-five cars a train. These are
only the figures, you understand, of my
particular 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 fast
freights, which nowadays come from San
Francisco to Chicago fully as quickly as 4
letter and nearly quickly an unin-
numbered passenger can make IL.
THE minimum number of cars to u train
is reached during the most severe winter
weather. Then the average falls down to
about forty five. During the codest weather
of this winter 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 long as the train is
kept in continual motion, but the moment
IL stops the trouble begins. The oil that
lubricates the axles congeals so that the
train is what We call frozen after il stands
for a short time. i have seen every wheel
in a train slide, and the cars must not ex-
ceed in number those that The motive power
can start with the brakes set. You see ir
costs as much money and energy To run a
train of forty cars as IL does one of eighty
cars-very often more. This means that in
a traffic of LOO cars a day IL takes forty
engines In the winter to twenty in the sum
mer, and train crews switching facilities
storage room and operating expenses all in
proportion. Besides all this, there are all
ways delays and complications coming nm
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 a greater strain when I'm this
state OF contraction. Valves and pipes
hlled with hot steam freeze with Incredible
speed with the thermometer at Is degrees
below zero, and the locomotive going at the
rate of twenty miles on hour. Engineers
are held as strictly accountable as ever
but these accidents happen to the best OF
them, and each accident causes much
additional delay.
There is only one thing worse than cold
weather, and that is cold weather with
snow. For its size and capabilities an en-
gine in a snowstorm is the most helplessly
stupid thing imaginable. A locomotive does
not push the snow to one side and make a
path for itself. 1t seems to wallow around
In 1t and take most Of 1t along with it, ap-
parently for the purpose OF decorating the
running gsar. 1t isn't long before an en-
gine is loaded down with half q ton of ice
and throughout the train the friction
causes the snow to melt lust enough 10
freeze tighter tnan 1t ordinarily would.
The brake blocks accumulate enough ice 10
make the wheels side, and II the train ever
comes to a halt in this condition she Is ant
to stay right there until dug loose Losing
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 over
come, but II must be overcome with the
least possible delay to the traffic that con-
tinues TO pour in upon us from both drec-
tions
'On the whole" concluded the train dis
Datcher, you will WhN there &c no blna-
bird in the land more gleeful than at the
approach of warm weather"