The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1902-12-19

The Locomotive Growth
In the current issue Of the Scientific
American which deals with transporta
ton on land and sea Herbert 7. Walk
CT gives some Interesting notes on the
history Of the American locomotive AZ
ter describing the early English locono-
tiTes. their use in the United States and
the conditions which resulted in the de-
velopement Of distinctively American
type Of locomotive kIr. Walker writes
as follows on the growth and present eF-
ficiency Of our locomotives
at is Of interest thus to note the enor-
nous growth OF the locomotive engine,
for by referring to the dimensions Of
.Stevenson's Rocket built ID 1923, we
find that the tractiye effort Of that en-
CINE was about 7s5 pounds and CON-
pared with one Of the latest powerful
freight engines, No. go, built at the
Baldwin works for the AtchisOn, Topeka
and Santa Fe railroad not only Stephen
sons locomotive but All the others here
in noticed are as Pigmies TO a giant
for $40 weighs 1887 tons; the diameter
Of the boiler is 6 feet 81 inches The
total heating surface is $3.50 square feet;
CRATE area $50 square feet. Working
pressure Do pounds per square inch.
The compound cylinders, four in num-
Der, are 10 inches and 81 inches in dia-
meter with a common stroke OF 81
inches. The draw bar pull is no less
than 81 tons, sufficient to lift as a dead
weight a passenger engine OF 80 years
ago.
'Since the days Of Watt the question
Of the economical use Of steam has been
one Of the most important and much has
been done by expanding the steam in a
plurality Of cylinders; but IN the case Of
the locomotive II is a problem of pecu-
liar difficulty by reason Of the small com
pass within which the extra parts must
be inclosed. Within recent years how
ever many well designed compound en-
gines have been built.
AS IN 1886 it was found necessary to
build four coupled engines for heavy
freight service so about 20 years ago
six-cOupled engines for heavy passenger
service came into the field and it is note
worthy that some OF the fastest speeds
recorded have been attained by engines
of this class. 1t may be said by the
way that in the matter of speeds the
progress has comparatively speaking not
been very marked for some Of the first
practical engines made spurts of a mile
a minute although the average Passen-
ger speed about the year 1850 was 20
miles an hour and for freight trains
but half that rate.
At the present day average express
speeds range from - to 80 miles an
hour and 10 order to maintain these
speeds with the heavy modern passenger
coaches some remarkably fine engines
have been placed in service. The larg-
est passenger engine In the world was
built for the Chesapeake and Ohio rail
road by the American Locomotive com
pany at their Schenectady works and
certainly does great credit to her de-
signers. The cylinders are - inches
diameter with a stroke OF no less than
. inches so that with the y inch driv-
ing wheels and a steam pressure Of 200
pounds on the square inch the tractive
power Of this magnificent locomotive Is
10 tons. The total heating surface is
353325 square feet and the weight Of the
engine and tender in working trim is
1541z tons.
This class Of engines is known as the
mountain type and is coming rapidly
to the front for hauling the fastest
trains over exceptionally heavy grades"