Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-02-08
MEASURING STEAM.
Engineering Students Expert
menting on Maine Central.
s,imating Amount Of Steam Used
for Heating the Cars.
LACKING Tor Methods Whereby "aN'
May Be Saved. Fl

"a = Nav, of Boston, and q. N. Har-s
~ ~ Portland. two students at the
-f,eeach,is.tts institute OF Technology,
, ~ NJ nrescnt conducting experiments
an rho through trains Of the NaiDe
.,.n,ral between Bangor and Portland.
;, ascertain the most efficient way 10
req, q train In the winter time, ana 10
establish, n standard for the amount OF
team used On different classes OF
trains.
The men ride on all the heavy trains,
whether local or express, day ana night
one In the engine with Il PDnderous ma
cnine IN front Of him that registers
every ounce Of steam that passes
through the hose from the locomotive
70 the cars, and the other back Iii tue
cara with delicate thermometer al
ways near him from which ne taxes
,eadin1 every few moments TO get the
temperature
MAYO is taking his turn up at the
heed end now, clingfng to the lurching
fre,nan'g box on the 10-wheeled flyers.
ia1klng readings as best he can and
communicating with his companion at
every G.op. that's made for water. Read
,uss are compared at the end OF each
r,In and notes are taken. which, at the
cicss OF the experiments, will be
,rrashed into proper form and present
"a ns n report at the institute and at
tho general office OF the road.
The experiments are exhaustive. and
when they are finished railroad officials
and instructors at Tech. are expecting
that much valuable data will have been
obtained for the guidance of engine
drivers in their manipulation Of the
throttle that controls the steam gen
Grated for the heating OF q train. II
will be known just how much steam
ia required TO heat given area
whether IL be a train of three OF u
cars.
A model train has been made UP nj
the western freight yard for the ac-
commodation Of the men IN their work,
IN order that they can have an oppor-
tunity 70 study the amount Of steam
used while cars are at rest. ii IL
through the courtesy OF Gen. Mgr
evans that the experiments have been
carried forward. as much expense has
beeIi incurred In fitting the locomotives
with the proper apparatus through
which the amount of steam being use,
il registered.
But It is benefit to the Maine Cen
trail and to every other road using
steam for heat. that the work is being
carried on. AS there will be some scale
established for the allowance of steam
TO coaches from the engine.
There's a great amount Of steam
being wasted now between the locomo
tive and the train" said an official o
the Maine Central. Friday morning
and It Is to correct this that the ex
periments are going ahead. Maine
Central officials are cooperating witt
the officials Of other lines and with tn;
professors of the Massa chusetts Insti
tute of Technology. 50 that the test
viii have been a thorough one when il
~ completed.
Drivers and brakeren and trair
hands in general are taking a decided
interest in the work and they all seen
surprised when they find out from thc
calculations that are made from this
readings, how much coal is used L day
for the heating of the through trains
OF course there'll be a lot of coal used
still. but the waste will be done away
with through the Improvement in
equipment in the heating apparatus
that will probably follow the expeti-
nts."--Bangor Commercial.