The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-11-03
WESTERN WINS
CHAMPIONSHIP
Master Mechanic Hickey's Loco.
motive Defeats Colorado Rivals.
CONTEST OF IRON GIANTS
GREAT VICTORY FOR THE UTAH
ROAD.

THE Rio Grande Western railroad
has won the freight engine cham
pionship of the west. In contest
lasting the greater part of the past
month two locomotives designed by
General Master Mechanic John Hickey
of the Rio Grande Western defeated
the best that could be entered bv other
western roads reaching Colorado. An
Diner contest has been arranged for
IRIS week to determine the champion
ship of the Rio Grande Western. as
there are some who think that engine
lO2. which carried or the honors in
Colorado, can be beaten by engine 402.
which did not compete.
Considerable rivalry exists among
the different mountain roads as to the
tonnage capacities of their big freight
engines. The result was that over q
month ago it was decided to settle the
question by a contest. The Union Pa
cific, Santa Fe, Colorado & Southern.
Denver & Rio Grande, Colorado Mid
land and Rio Grande Western entered.
The first three named withdrew before
the contest came off. The last three
went through the contest. The Oregon
Short Line did not compete. As the
Short Line engineers believe nothing in
the world can beat some Of the big
freight locomotives designed by Super
intendent of Motive Power J. F. Dunn.
there is a possibility of another contest
between the star engines of these two
roads Until such a battle royal shall
have taken place, the Rio Grande
Western will have the record Of de-
feating all corners.
Result Of the Contest.
The recent contest took place on the
Denver & Rio Grande between Denver
and pueblo. The fact that the tests
were being made was not made public
in Colorado, perhaps because the Utah
engines beat the best that Colorado
could produce. The result Of the tests
was told in Salt Lake yesterday. how
ever. The competitors came out as
follows: First, Rio Grande Western
engine 702; second, Rio Grande Western
engine SOB; third, Colorado Midland en-
CINE 201; Fourth, Denver & Rio Grande
engine 902
An interesting feature of the contest
is that the champion engine, No. 702, is
a duplicate in essentials Of Colorado
Midland engine No. pol Both are four
cylinder compounds, built by the Bald
win Locomotive works. But the Mid
land engine was built according to de-
signs made by the Baldwin people,
while the Rio Grande Western engine
was designed by Mr.. Hickey. It con-
tains number Of improvements of his
own. The result was that the Rio
GTande Western engine was demon
strated to be superior to its nominal
twin at every stage Of the performance.
The tests involved hauling power,
speed and economy. No 702, in the
I hands of Engineer Edward Sarver, oil
inspector Of the Rio GTande Western.
hauled 100 tons more than its nearest
rival over the Is per cent grade be
tween Denver and Palmer Lake, made
the 52.2 miles distance in thirty min
utes less time and consumed five tons
of coal, as compared with five and a
half tons. The coal, moreover, was
Colorado coal, inferior in steam-making
power to the Pleasant Valley coal in
use on the Rio Grande Western. No.
702 hauled $50 tons up this grade, and
did it regularly for a week.
The record haul, however. was made
by engine No. 603 of the Rio Grande,
a Richmond twO-cylinder compound.
This locomotive hauled 719 tons for
ten miles up the 2 per cent grade be
tween Hustled and Palmer Lake, al
Though sixteen pounds light in steam.
No 102 was adjudged superior because
Of its greater economy Of operation.
Both were run BY Mr.. Sarver.
lie OGHNeI y no NTIdiiue engine a
Baldwin simple" hauled $50 tons up
the Denver-Palmer Lake grade, but it
did not compare with the others in time
or economy of fuel.
Rio Grande Western Contest.
Railroad men are taking a great deal
of interest in the contest between en-
gines 702 and 4O2 of the Rio Grande
Western. The sanction of Trainmaster
Miller, General Master Mechanic
/ Hickey and General superintendent
| Welby has been obtained and the trial
is set for Tuesday. Engineer Sarver
will handle the lever Of No. 702 and
| Travelling Engineer John Maxwell Of
/ No. 400. Bets were being made among
/ the engineers and others yesterday on
| the result No. 402. a Richmond simple,
1 designed by Mr.. Hickey, was the IA
vorite. as previous tests have been in
| it's favor. Since these tests, however.
| several changes have been made on
! No. 702, which have given it warm
| supporters. No 702 has between 1000
and 5000 pounds advantage in weight,
on which its friends are banking.
/ The test will be made on the steep
| grade between Cotton and Soldier Sum-
init. As was the case in the Colorado
contest, the coal viii be weighed as well
as the load, the water measured, the
/ steam pressure recorded and every
stage of the performance Of each big