The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-04-21
RAILROAD NEWS.
Important Invention of E. Nc
Cam, Of the Santa Fe.
Spreader Car Which Does the
Work Of Many Men.
1900 YARDS PER HOUR
This is Equivalent to Over $50
Car Loads.
Whole Thing Managed by One
Workman.
l7.OOO YARDS PER HOUR

r. NTcCanu. superintendent OF DulAu-
5ngs and bridges for the Santa re- -
the inventor and patentee OF an ina
ment which is proving to be one OF li-e
most valuable pieces Of track laying
equipment ever produced 1t IS
spreader car, designed to save grea1 eN-
pense and time in the spreading OF Ds-i-
last dumped from nat ears
Mr. RfcCanu's Office is at the s7auila
re general Offices in this city, in the ue-
partment of General Supt = ~
sag1lje The Mccain spreader car -
achieving such success that II mas DeSLi
ad0pted by several important IOet19,
and the number of cars in use IS rapluiy
increasing The Santa Fe now mas an
told. four of the Mccain cars III ~
Tbe Raiiwav and Engineering Re
view, in its today's issue, says Oh the
N{cCann spreader- Ar.
This car was designed by Mr.. r. NC
Cam, now general supervisor or DIloges
and buildings for the AtchisOn, IOpeka
& Santa F7e railway. and was DullJ LOL
the purpose of spreading ma eIl'lA
plowed from fiat cars 10 raise eInpanh-
ments in the work of grade reduction;
Since that time six additional cars OF
the same type have been built, making
seven now in service on the IOllQWllS
roads: The Gulf, Colorado & santa r e
railway has one, the Atkinson, lopeha
q Santa Fe railway has three, the
Southern California railway mas one
the Chicago. Rock Island & Pacific rail
way has one, and the Colorado q Wyo-
ming railway has one. Experience Win
the original car, built for the G. C. q >
F. railway, has led to improvements IN
certain details of construction, although
on general lines the cars recently built
are similar to the original pattern
Briefly described, the operating
mechanism of the car consists Of pair
OF wings hinged at the floor line on
each side of an ordinary fiat car THESE
strraf r4eI rffn
plank faced with steel boiler plate and
are supported at the back with struts
bearing against heavy timbers extend
ing across the car, underneath the sllls-
The wings are lifted by means of air
cylinders arranged on q beam running
1engthwise the car and supported upon
"A frames at each end of the car, al a
height sufficient TO clear the wings in
their raised position. On the first car
built there were four S-inch air cylin-
GERS for this purpose, but on the i'm
proved cars there are two air cylinders
each IA inches in diameter and 81 feet
long
In operation the front section of the
wing clears the material from the rail-
and out as far as the ends Of the ties,
and the rear. section spreads it from the
ends of the ties outward The rear sec
tion is usually arranged to cut to a
depth even with the bottom of the ties
at their ends, and to form gentle
slope from this point outward. The
on each side of the center of the track
When it is desired to cut the bank down
to form a shoulder a steel templet of
proper shape to trim the material to the
desired cross section is attached to the
outer part OF the wing
The weight Of all the apparatus which
Is attached to the naked fat car is D.
bUU pounds, OF which l0,400 pounds are
carried by the forward truck and 70 200
pounds on the rear truck. In construct
ing these cars a ballast box was placed
al either end with the idea that ballast
might be needed to hold the car to the
track while in service In practice,
however, it has been found that this
ballast is not needed. and none is used.
IheSe ballast boxes are used as a place
Tor storing chains, templet plates, tools,
etc. The construction of the wings,
leaning as they do from a vertical posi-
ton. and sprung at the lower edge, and
backed by struts hinged from above, is
Sucn as TO give them a downward
draft when blowing through material,
the action being similar to that of a
pioW point. This draft assists in hold
ing the car down to its work which is
NOT the case with wings which stand
vertically, and explains why ballast
loading is not needed
In actual service this car has spread
earth at the rate of 1900 cubic yards
Der hour, all the operations of the car
pelng handled by one man. In one in
stance the car. starting from a stand
SUN cropped the wings and spread 176
rf
% " 81 liz carr yllg from ~ 10
81 yards TO the car, in 13 minutes.
Elther or both sides of the car may be
used as desired The stability of the
car when spreading from one side only
Is sufficient for heavy work In numer-
GUS instances two engines have been
used to pull the car when it was spread
ing from only one side So long as
there IS sufficient tractive force the car
VIII pillow j is way through heavy gunbo
or rock without difficulty. In leveline
doWn rock large stones Weighing from
one 20 two tons have been handled
without trouble During the past wear
one Of these machines spread 35S. 316
cuDlc yards of earth and rock
The construction Of The r3arb;,e e
covered by patents, and the entire man
asement Of the manufacture and sale
OF me machine is in the hands of Mr.
-. . Mann 1892 Monroe street. Chi
POTrrE on c,Tvr, 49,,