New-York tribune., 1901-07-07
nT-1IDING A LOCOMOTIVE.
COMPLETE PROCESS BY WHICH
eorR ENGINES ARE TURNED OUT
EVERY DAY BY A SINGLE
COMPANY
Tbe Philadelphia Times.


fIoEnsi a locomotive in day al one establish
b."fro y. rom the raw material to the completed
fne reaog . - neopIe if they stop to think about ~
tst agard as being within the possibilities Never
heesss' Twelve hundred finished locomotives are
Rors5 out every year. Incredible this may ap-
ge23Ins syery day in the year by this one company
saoJs se sum total of the efficient motive force of
lenmercia l world. 1t is difficult TO realize how
De sOc9oIld possibly he any demand for such an ad-
nsS nso1 FOR locomotives last long time.
tlo.' e--stem in which adopted in lS42 for
ksslry complete. Il consists in the combination of
s - - dgures with of the letters A, B, c. d,
eerSsF These letters indicate the number of driv-
1E wheels thns Loco locomotive i've having % one pair of
a taSr pairs z and I'VE pairs F, the letter a
D. lou ,sed for special class of high speed To-
bsng, YES with a single pair of driving wheels
and s,res tor / G. 10 or p are used as initial fig
The ne m indicate the total number of wheels under
uiocouootive. A figure figures following the ini-
...i sgure indicates the diameter of the cylinder
n5 ns5 a. figure figures following the class letter
stsienases the consecutive class number of the To-
tb eight wheels in all. having cylinder 16 inches
" diameter with two pairs of driving wheels, and
he fve-hundredth in its class There are also
ofbsr numbers which indicate the dameters of the
Sisb pressure and low pressure cylinders of com
naund locomotives. These numbers and letters are
rsoces on all the dra wings and follow all the va
Sons parts through the shops. that 1t is always
sIsry part that is, being made belongs AS soon as
esch detail is completed it is sent to the store
tsTe been assembled there they are sent TO the
erecting shop wnere they are put together and the
locomotive completed.
sHEATHING FOR THE BOILERS.
In going into the works the>first shop visited was
hat devoted preparing the sheet iron sheathng
sor the boilers and though this is one of the last
things used in erecting locomotive. partaking as
difficult in works of the magnitude of the Bald
win establishment. where everything goes on to-
locomotive begins. In order. however. to get as
near TO what may be regarded as the beginning
Sspart from the order in which the shops were
visited and take up the foundry next. This is a
verg large room. whole square in length, and here
they begin with the raw material. cupola is Sit
uated in a yard Just outs outside the shop. into which
fredients. and the resultant molten iron is run
9f through Orifice. called eye which opens
are attached TO travelling cranes that convey them
q any 1i pdt H. ~ 49, bo nr5 f On tS p6uIsd @
sSs sitbongb there are innnmerabie sinaII ones
made also. are cylinders and cast iron driving
wheels the steel driving wheels being pur-
chased outside. In casting the wheels the
where the hub is. and over this a man stands. con-
santly stirring the metal with rod, this being
done because the metal in running into the spokes
has a tendency 10 draw away from and weaken the
hub by constantly asitating it at this point this
undesirable result is avoided
The wheels. after being carefully cleaned are
taken TO the whee!shop, where they are first pre-
pared for forcing them on the aXles. This is done
by placing them on rotating tables, where the hubs
are faced ana oored o4I with great accuracy and
q keyway slotted in. The aXes. which being
turned and 1nlShed at the time. have diam
eer exceeding that of the hub by threethousandths
Of inch TO inch Of axle diameter. When both
are ready the axle. after being coated with a
lubricant. which is also used IN the hub is hung
between the uprights. OF the hydraulic press, and
first one wheel and then the other forced on. The
wheels then placed in a turning lathe and
turned up TO receive the tires, which made of
steel having great tensile strength. These
shrunk on-that is. they heated lust
enough 10 produce sufficient expansion to al
Iow them 20 go the wheel easily, and when
ol they subjected TO stream of cold water
which shrinks and binds them upon the wheel The
crank pins are then inserted and the wheels are
ready for
The cylinders like the wheels are thoroughly
ciesned before they leave the foundry They are
then taken 10 the cylinder finishing shop which is
provided with travelling crane that runs its
whole length and put through the various processes
ihst complete them.
IN THE BOILER SHOP
Now comes the boiler shop Here conversation
Is positively prohibited. not by any regulation of
the company. but for the reason that ii would he
useless 70 attempt il. what YOU said could nor
be heard In making boilers steel plate is used
i is received at tho works in various sizes and
thitknesses. some plates being 20 feet long:
ths length is necessary TO form the ring for the
large boilers. They are first made ready for drill