Evening star., 1902-09-13
A YANKEE LOCOMOTIVE
---
The Finest One Sent to Eng
land 81 Years Ago.
BEAT THE HOME MADE
STILL THE ENGINE DRIVERS
FIND ALL KINDS OF FAULT.
Our Machines Excel in Traction Power,
but Are Wasteful in Fuel Over
Smooth Roads.
Written for The Evening Star

Inc recent report OF the census bureau
| on locomotives, which showed that in 1900
| 525 American built machines were sold in
foreign countries, as against 161 in 1890,
seems to indicate that our engines are in
creasng in popularity in other countries
But the truth lies the other way, in a
measure at least. They may like our To-
comotives better than any other in Mexico
in South America, in Japan and possibly in
Russia, but they don't in England or Ger
many or France. In every one of these
countries the engine drivers complain that
our machines are wasteful of fuel that it
takes an inordinate lot of oil to keep their
joints fabricated, that the workmanship on
them is defective, thus necessitating un-
| usual and excessive repair expenses, and so
on.
Not all OF these complaints are we'll
founded by any means, being prompted
in some instances by sheer animosity
against American machines, but the fact
remains that while our locomotives aver
age up to the best, there are points prob
ably in which they are excelled by for
eign machines, especially for use on for
eign lines.
There is no doubt, for instance, that
English locomotives are more carefully
finished nor that often they can do the
work required on English railroad with
less fuel consumption than can the Ameri-
can machines.
Why, then, do the foreign railroads buy
engines of American make? Because they
are forced to do so or get along without
them for months and months after they
are demanded by the traffic necessities Of
the roads. For American locomotive max
ers, like American bridge builders, have a
habit of hustling at their work, and, ow
ing to certain manufacturing methods not
practiced abroad, can turn out more work
in less time than the locomotive makers
of any other country on earth. Besides,
the price is right
American Railroads Most Efficient.
Notwithstanding all the foreign critI-
cisms of our railroads-and some of these
criticisms are more than founded on truth
the American railroad system is by long
odds the most efficient in the world. Its
method of handling passengers is more
economical it has more fast trains and its
passengers travel more comfortably. Only
the most prejudiced of EnglShmen or Ger
mans or Frenchmen deny that.
But freight carrying methods are
immeasurably superior to those OF the
foreign roads. There isn't railroad Of
any consequence in the United States to-
day that could operate its freight depart
ment on the basis of freight operation
| abroad without running great danger of
falling into a receivership since the cost
per ton mile on any good American line
IS only a fraction of the ton mile cost on
the best of the foreign lines. This. despite
the TACT tTdL our TOduS SHOW BEdueS anu
curves that would be impossible of opera
tion with railroad equipment that is con-
sidered quite adequate abroad.
We use heavier engines and bigger freight
cars than anybody else. In the fifties our
freight cars were eight-wheelers and the
capacity of the cars was figured at a ton
to the wheel or eight tons each. Gradually
the capacity of cars has increased till it
averages nearly four times as much. Five
years ago thirty tons was generally counted
as carload. Now most Of the new cars
will carry forty tons each. The big. new
steel cars will carry fifty tons apiece. When
the eight-ton cars were in use fourteen cars
was load. The massive new freight loco
motive of today will haul seventy-fve Of
the new steel cars, loaded, on the dead
level, sixty over the grades and curves of
such trunk line as the, New York Central
or Pennsylvania. American locomotives
are the most economical in the world for
hauling such trains. Hauling the short,
light trains of goods wagons" used on En-
glish roads it Is quite likely that they are
wasteful.
First American Engine.
So far as efficiency under difficult and
varying conditions goes, the American loco
motive is far and away the best machine.
This was shown away back in 1888. sixty
four years ago, when the first Yankee en-
gine was imported into England.
The Birmingham and Lancaster railway
was completed in that year. There was
one stretch of road ON that line that for
economys sake had a gradient of one In
thirty-seven, or nearly IA feet to the mile.
and 1t was freely predicted by the English
that no locomotive could be built. that could
haul train of loaded goods wagons" up
such line. Brunei, then the greatest en-
gine builder In the united kingdom admit
ted his fear that the prediction was correct
The civil engineer who had laid out the
line, one Capt. Morrison, was severely crit
icised for introducing the grade and he be-
gan to be afraid that the road would be a
failure, especially as the two Stephensons.
one OF whom had built the first practical
locomotive, agreed with Brunei.
But Morrison had not ventured on so
steep a grade without some justification.
Before laying out the line he had heard
that even sleeper grades were in existence
engines were successfully operated over
them. So. without advertising his action to
the world, he sent to Philadelphia many
months In advance Of the roads opening
and ordered an engine from concern
which has since become the most famous
engine building establishment in the world.
He was so fearful that the engine would
not reach England in time for the opening,
1t Is said, that he purposely delayed the
work a little.
A Yankee Triumph.
The American builders were as prompt
then as now. however, and the machine was
landed On British soil quite early enough to
suit Capt. Morrisons purpose.
Railroad openings were a great novelty
IN those days, and this one was witnessed
by a great crowd. Naturally the interest
centered ON the Lickey.s incline, as the
stretch OF heavy grade was termed When
capt Morrison brought out his Yankee en-
gine, saying he had a machine that he was
sure could haul ordinary goods train
up the incline, there was amazement all
round The engine differed in many OBJ
vlous ways from the English ones. 1t had
two pairs of driving wheels coupled to-
gether, which looked very odd in British
eyes, used only to locomotives with one
pair OF drivers. Besides, the Yankee en-
gine lacked in finish In fact it was so
roughly built that the crowd jeered openly,
and the chronicles Of the day relate that
Capt Morrison was made visibly nervous
by the hostile demonstration.
he sent the engine to it's work. though,
coupling 1t to several goods wagons" hold
ing thirty-four long tons in the aggre-
gate. AS the ungaiply machine rolled along
a level stretch of track before taking the
grade the jeers of the crowd grew into a
loud chorus Of disapproval. This was mod
Grated somewhat as the machine began 20
cnmo, but predictions that she would soon
become stalled were freely made. They
nnr, t,sI- Il e. r. H. -