The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-12-16
WbM BY, Wallt
fcf Christmas.

>HE newest and most popular focofuv--
tive, strange to say, is not one that
goes by steam or electricity, but one
that Is propelled by ciockwork. This
style has been much held in contempt by
MANY boys as fit only for babies, who
might hurt themselves with the other
kind. But this new one Is caHed an ex-
press locomotive You make It 60 fast
or slow. and reversing lever viii make
II frayel backward feature which will
appeal to all boys. Moreover. II Is htfed
with brakes. which work automatically. It
will traverse a hundred and nifty feet OF
track without rewindIng. A. to prices,
they range from e to about so. according
to speed md size.
II a locomotive fails 10 your lot II Il
worth while knowing that tenders cost
from % to a cents. Then you can buy
separately passenger freight. cattle, ium-
Der, sleeping and dump cars. also snow
blows and wreckfng cars. For these you
can nay anywhere from % cents to about
81 aceurdinx 10 size and elaborateness Of
detail. You ser the advantage Of equip
ming your sMaii road this way, you can
get just the sort of cars. etc, that you
prefer And you can't AFFORD to get
everything 1T once. well. really. IT'S more
fun to add this car or that freight sta
don whenever = dollar or 50 cents comes
your way.
There are three sizes OF these locono-
tives. and of course three corresponding
sizes OF track This track you can buy
IN fourteen-inch sections at from 10 to Is
cents section. Any boy who cannot af-
ford to buy much track / should advise
20 purchase one serfiOr and copy II. To
DO this. 20 to tinsmith and get him to
cut up a shcet Of fairly heavy tin into
haIf-inch strips. Then make some small
wooden sleepers with crosswise inches
into which you can wedge the tin strips
for track You win have 70 be very
careful workman. however. or you Will
and great difficulty In making the track
sufficiently true not to let the wheels run
or at some point.
There n one detail Of your rondbed
equipment which you VIII md IN the emf
cheaper Ia buy than 10 construct your
self that ~ the switch. Single. right and
left switches can be had for $50. white
double switches. where four tracks run
together. cost = little more.
Another almost necessary detail TO be
bought r. the section Of track with check
10 stop the train This costs Is cents BY
suyninx a little lever q small arm shoots
up in the middle of the track and oper-
y
putting this section Of track directly In
front Of your station. the train win stop
OF its own accord at the proper point.
II You can afford s or 80 for the pur-
pose, you can get q complete electric
switching outft which operates from .
central station. This Includes a series OF
miniature telegraph poles which carry the
wire along the track rs in q real rail-
way About the same amount will purr
chase signal outfit which works very
much like the block systern on our up
to-date roads.
Fifty cents or less VIII buy bumpers.
baggage scales and hand truck, while d
cents r. the price for telegraph poles. dan-
ger signals for track crossings and Ian
terms.
III you wish TO avoid grade crossing
you can buy passenger bridges from 81
10 $275. These are sufficiently broad to
admit OF from two to fcur tracks being
laid underneath.
Then you can buy stations. freight
depots, roundhouses and guardhouses
galore. Some depots which boast of a
real clock and contain a perfectly APP
pointed ticket Office and restaurant as
well, cost as high as S. or $40. Most OF