The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-07-27
new VANDERBILT ENGINE
YOUNG CORNELIUS THE INVENTOR
OF A LOCOMOTIVE.
He Adds a New Power to the Agencies
of Vanderbilt DominatiOn-Hfs Pre-
vious Work i'm This Line.
New York Herald.

y new FORCE mas OH u SME4A AHC O.
derbilt millions-the power Of inventive
genius. Young" Cornelius. who gave the
great family a boy and heir the other day,
is creating new types OF locomotives in
tended to revolutionize the railroading of
the country.
When the young man was graduated from
Yale, six years ago, and entered a special
course in the Sheffield Scientific School of
the university. practical machinists of the
New York Central road wondered If it was
merely a boyish fad or The beginning OF a
serious scientific career.
Cornelius Vanderbilt soon showed the
metal that was in him. He put on working
clothes. became a machinist and began
building a locomotive in the New York
Central shops, returning to New Haven
twice a week for Instruction. He made
radical Improvement in the fre-box furnace
of the locomotive. designed to increase
power and save fuel.
On completing his course and receiving
the desree Of mechanical engineer. he took
a desk in the drafting rooms of the motive
power department OF the New York Gen.
tral road at the top OF the big depot. four
stories above the executive offices of Mr..
Depew and the Vanderbilts.
No Sl0-a~week clerk in that vast estab-
llshment occupied less space and labored
more quietly than the young mar creating
new locomotives with a lead pencil. 1t did
seem a bit like folly for a college graduate
to dream of improving what was the pride
Of lomotive builders-thoSe perfected mon
sters which thunder into the great station
every minute Of the day. running from
Lake Erie TO the ocean between sun and
sun.
Yet, up in that silent office. looking
down on the Vanderbilt Lincoln Bank. with
Col. Tom James at the presidents desk,
sat a shy, young man. with the
blood and iron Of the old commodore in his
veins, working out the long-sought problem
of MISUNDERSTANDING power and saw
ing fuel. Therein lay the golden secret or
big dividends and reduced expenses.
The first and last question considered in
transportation by sea or land is the cost
of fuel. 1t is the key to everything in
transportation. from naphtha launches to
ocean liners, from torpedo-boats to ships OF
war. On the number of dollars worth or
fuel consumed depend speed, efficiency and
profits.
ancestral gifts to solving the fuel question.
he showed wisdom and genius. What was
the situation before him? He was a young
man cut off by a fathers will from his
share in the vast estate. But he had a ca
reer and a future up his sleeves, and saw
the possibilities of opening a way to amass-
It is stimated by certain friendly ex-
perts at the Grand Central Station that Mr..
| vanderbilt mas now on record twenty OF
thirty patents for inventions of various
kinds in locomotives alone. Ten or twelve
of them are of serious Importance. Ihey
reverse methods that hitherto have dis
tinguished locomotive architecture. 1t is
said that the new devices soon to be in
corporated in new designs will still fur
Their add to the efficiency of engines-in
fact. revolutionize locomotive construction
and lead to a radical reform in railroad
methods.
CYLINDRICAL WATER TANK.
Mr. Vepdarbilt iS still perfecfiOg the IocO-
motive, which is probably the finest and
most vital piece of machinery yet invented.
The latest, up-to-date Vanderbilt locomo-
tive. turned out by the Baldwin works in
Philadelphia, has a cylindrical water tank
tender which is considered a great success.
1t does away with the old-fashioned box
construction. clumsy, heavy, inartistic and
unscientihc in every particular. The tank
system adopted by Mr.. Vanderbilt is light
er, stronger, far more satisfactory and
economical. The water does not wash
around and strain the tank, as with the
ordinary locomotive tender.
Mr.. Vanderbilt has also invented a patent
cylindrical tank car for transporting OIL
and all fluids. The weight is nearer the
track, the carriage of the load is easier and
smoother, and greater strength, economy
and durability of construction are secured;
besides making the lead easier to haul-all
these points reducing expense, wear and
tear in machinery and freight transporta-
ton by rail.
1t is predicted that as soon as certain rev.
dictionary ideas under consideration by Mr..
Vanderbilt are perfected and patented the
railway WORLD will be surprised at the still
greater reduction in the cost of operation,
with increase of power and speed.
OF mis- irst locomotive for freight service,
built in the New York Central shops at
Albany, this is said: The boiler and fireboX
are tremendously cylindricated, entirely do
ing away with staybolts. The great trouble
in ali locomotive boilers is chiefly caused
by these staybolts breaking and leaks fol-
lowing from the tremendous pressure OF
steam There are from l.2D to 2 WO OF these
bolts in each frebox, each liable to blow
out almost any day, especially on freight
engines.
As an improvement Mr.. Vanderbilt in
vented an entirely new style of frebox.
cylindrical and corrugated. held in place
by bolts at the boiler end and by sling stays
from the top of the boiler. While this idea
had been carried out in ships in the navy,
ii had never been perfected and adopted
for locomotive boilers. Mr.. Vanderbilt said
that the experiments in this direction in
Germany had failed.
The new Vanderbilt locomotive, costing
between $4,000 and $4,000. was severely
tested with freight trains on the New York
Central and found a great success. An inn
mense load was easily hauled at a high
rate Of speed.
When next heard of the young man with
his inventions was at the Baldwin locOmO-
tive works in Philadelphia. A new locomo-
tive with additional improvements was con-
structed there, and again the merit of Mr..
Vanderbilt's ideas was vincicated. II was
stated by a representative of the Baldwin
works that the two features of the Van
UGTDlll lOCOulOllN6 HIt-DpA-llS ty Alllu llCdl
shape and corrugated length-give it more
efficiency and durability than the present
hre-box, besides affording more resistance
to the enormous pressure of water.
When out of order IL could be repaired in
a day or two and the engine put on the
road again for service. while the ordinary
locomotive in similar condition would have
to be laid off for a month or two. LocOmo-
tives with a 200-pOund pressure 10 the
square inch on the tire-box are always Civ
Ing way and eaking.
These were the beginnings of young Van
derbilt's daring innovations in the field of
locomotive construction. The reduction or
repair bills alone amounts 10 90 per cent,
aside from the other vital features.
II MAIN THING.
When asked for his views. Mr.. Wander
bilt modestly said:
The main thing is that the locomotive
works well. not that L invented it,"
The proof Of the missionary is In the eat
ing. says a Sunday morning proverb, float
ing around in the South Sea islands. The
proof OF the value OF Mr.. Vanderbilt's in
vention is that the New York Central Rail-
road. by advice OF its engineers, has placed
an order for 100 locomotives 10 be built
with the Vanderbilt improvements. Fifty or
sixty OF these locomotives are 10 go into
the passenger service.
But this is not all Of the good things fly
ing Mr.. NandeTbilts way. The Union Pa
ciic. the Baltimore * Ohio, the Illinois
Central and other lines are using locomo-
tives OF this type and sending in orders for
more OF them.