The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-08-31
AMERICAN ENGINES ABROAD.
Japanese Prefer Them to British Lo-
comOtives for Two Reasons.

comotives for Two Reasons.
From the New York Tribune.
Kobe, Japan, Aug. lone at least OF
the railway corporations of Japan mas
no doubt about the advantages OF the
American locomotive over the British.
In the course of inquiries made as TO
the experience of Japanese companies
with American, British and two other
railway plants, the Tribune correspond
ent has seen the locomotive superln-
tendent of the Sanyo company here
perhaps the most enterprising and up
to date of all the railway corporations
of Japan. The data which he supplied
as to his companys experience in the
past and intentions for the future tell
a tale strongly in favor of the Amer
lean engine. Probably this company S
experience is not to be taken as telling
the whole story for all the railway
companies of this country, but so far
as the facts given go, there is no doubt
about their meaning. The Sanyo COM
pany introduced American locomotives
six years ago. Previously it had bought
none but British engines. This is the
verdict in brief of the company's Of
flcials: I'VE don't intend to order any
more English engines for the present.
our principal reasons are that we can
not get them quickly enough, and that
they cost half as much again as Amer
lean engines"
The company finds that the American
engine costs $4,000, against $4,000 foT
the locomotive imported from Great
Britain. Orders to English makers are
. filled in from nine to twelve months
time, while American manufacturers
supply them in from seven to nine
months after acceptance of tender. The
company's American engines at first
consumed more fuel than the British
! locomotives. This, however, was due to
the drivers lack of experience with
locomotives from the United States. for
the company used no other than Brit
ish engines up to six years ago. Now
the fuel consumption comes out about
the same with the American and the
British engine.
The company's superintendent holds
a sort of impression that the life" of
the American engine will probably be
shorter than that of the British. But,
he said, II have not actually found this
yet, because we have not had the
American locomotive long enough"
The locomotive superintendent said
rather emphatically that the workman
ship of the American engine is rough
er than that of the British. This, in
fact appeared to be his principal oh
lection. The boiler he said, is apt to
give out and to leak Unexpectedly, while
the British engine usually has a tight
and well fitted boiler. He conceded that
the building of the American engine is
on more scientific and original lines
than the English, but the workman
ship in the British product is better.
The tire of the American engine is
harder. and therefore more durable.
The sight feeding lubricator is esteem
ed an advantage, the absence of which
in the British engine is point against
1t, and there is superior comfort in the
drivers cabin on the American engine.
For its rails the Sanyo company at
present goes both to England and the
United States, getting about half from
reach. The rolling stock is also divided
be tween British and American makers.
The company is beginning to try loco
motive building on its own account
like others in Japan. All the parts are
imported, and owing to the low stand
ard of wages in this country the COM
pany is able to put locomotive on its
rails in this way for less than the cost
of the engine imported complete. So
far. however, the Sanyo company has
only two engines running which have
been pieced together by its own work
men, and it is not likely that this or
any other Japanese company will do
much of this work for some time to
come.
German engines have been imported
by several of the smaller Japanese
companies. The Sanyo superintendent
has had experience with them. They
are good in quality. he says, but rath-
e. delicate in build.