The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-01-22
AMONG THE RAILROADS.
Line ENGLAND Projects From
Egypt to China.
RUNS OF LOCOMOTIVES TESTED.

RUNS OF LOCOMOTIVES TESTED.
Observations Taken by Students ON
a Covvcatcher and In a Cab on h
Boston and Albany-Notable Engi-
neering Feat In the west-An Elec-
trical SiEnboard.
One of the great tasks Of the new
century is the railroad Great Britain
is planning to build from Egypt to the
Yang-tse, says The Worlds Work. 1t
is proposed that the western point of
departure shall be either Alexandria
or Port Said, and that the route, fol-
lowing roughly the parallel of 30 de-
grees north latitude, shall cross the
isthmus of Sinai and northern Arabia,
skirts the shores of the Persian gulf
and pass through Baluchistan to Kur-
rachee in India. The length of this
section would be a trife under $500
miles, and. except at the head of
the Persian gulf. would present 10
physical obstacles that could not be
easily surmounted. Use of the Indian
0ySICluS. Will Il lluh " Oc SupDllCu
here and there. would bridge the dis
lance between Kurrachee and Manda-
lay, whence the Indian government is
now building a railroad to Kunlong.
! Careful surveys have developed a prac-
ticable route from kunlong to the Yang
tse at Su Chow. and from that point
a line could be easily extended to
Shanghai.
Many sided results will attend the
building Of this line. Besides revolu-
tionizing the sea route and traffic with
Australia, it will provide a rapid and
safe means of transit between Europe.
India and China. and will enable cheap
and speedy exchange of products
throughout the vast region lying be-
tween the Mediterranean and the Pa
cifc. Finally. and this is the argu-
ment most frequently urged in it's be-
half, it will form England's natural
response to the Transsiberian railway,
and will conduce enormously to her
power and prestige in the east. Con-
struction of this line is part Of the de-
clared policy of Great Britain in China,
and conservative advocates believe it
will be built during the next decade.
Students of the Massachusetts Insti-
tute of Technology in Boston have
completed a series of tests to ascer-
tain the efficiency Of locomotives on
long runs. says the New York Sun. The
students made four round trips from
Albany to Springfield on locomotive
221, an immense ten wheeler owned
by the Boston and Albany railroad.
They sought to learn the amount Of
coal consumed not only during the run
but while the engine was waiting in
the yard or at the r~oundhouse; to find
out the amount of water consumed
and also to determine the power de-
veloped. The run from Albany to
Springfield is 1902 miles, and. owing
to very steep grades. requires about
three hours.
A wooden shield was built on the
front of the locomotive as a protection
from the wind. and behind this three
of the observers were stationed. while
another remained in the cab. The coal
SOlSuA1CA wac "CI5AS0, IL "a
water used in the boiler was measured
by means of a pair of disk meters cou-
pied together. and in order to deter
mine the amount of power developed
Indicator cards had to be taken at short
intervals. Observations necessary to
determine the speed were also made
at various places along the line. Many
other observations were taken. includ-
ing valve motion diagrams. gauge and
counter readings, calorimeter readings
and the determination Of the steam
used by the airbrake pump. The data
accumulated will bring about a long
series of calculations before the results
are fully known.
The Morenci Southern railway has
been completed from Guthrie to Mo
renci, a distance of "a miles. and is
ready for business. The construction
of the narrow gauge road is one Of the
most notable engineering feats of the
west, says a Solomonville "a. IT, dis.
patch to the St. Louis Globe-D Democrat.
An instance is the overcoming of a
grade of 1850 feet. with Il direct line
Of less than seven miles. There are
two tunnels and five complete loops.
four of the latter being in Morenci can
yon. within a distance Of two miles.
By one loop a gain of 100 feet is made
in elevation.
Several of the bridges are remark.
able. that above the ella being 1902 feet
above the river bed. In places great
walls Of masonry had to be built up to
hold the railroad on the edges of cliffs.
AS far as the heavy mountain work is
concerned, the line has been made suit
able for broadening If necessary.
Probably the latest wrinkle in rail.
road advertising is the scheme recently
placed in operation by a New Jersey
electrical plant along the line of the