The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1902-03-01
Testing Ignite Coal on Locomotive.

to the residents of this section was
a test made last week by the big
engine Great Falls of the WASH
burn road, over the Northern Pa
cifc main line from Mandan to
jamestown with a freight train of
over 1900 tons.
The trip was an interesting one,
being made for the purpose o.
testing the availability of Ignite
as a fuel for railroad engines. The
Great Falls is the big engine of
the Washburn road constructed
especially for the burning of lig-
mite and it has been running as a
heavy freight engine on the Wash.
burn road. Through an arrange
ment between Superintendent
Wilson and the officials of the
Northern Pacific and General W.
D. Washburn T. test trip was made
to jamestown with a freight train
of the usual tonnage and pulled
by the "Great Falls" fred with
Ignite coal. The train was pulled
by Engineer Stinson of the Wash
burn and Dan Slattery as fireman.
Master Mechanic Currie Of the
Northern Pacific accompanied the
the train as did also Pierce Blew
EFT. trainmaster. These officials
took observations of the progress
of the train and the degree of ease
with which the engine hauled the
train, with especial attention to
grades along the road, amount of
fuel consumption, cost, etc. The
train is of 1858 tons, a little more
than the usual tonnage carried by
the engines from Mandan to james
town.
Traffic Manager Walker report
ed the trip a successful one in
every particular. The big engine
hauled the heavy freight train
with the same ease that the North
ern Pacific engines fired with BIZ
luminous coal do. The running
time from Man Ian to jamestown
was a little over five hours, and the
amount Ut coal consumed ON the
trip a little over II tons. On the
following day the engine was sent
back from jamestown with an ad-
ditional load of 400 tons, making
the tonnage of the west bound
train over 1900 tons. The i'm
portance of these tests to the Zig.
mite industry in this section can
not be overestimated. If it is
demonstrated that Ignite can be
used economically on the main
line of the Northern Pacific with
their heavy trains it means a mar
ket for millions Of tons of the coal,
the employment of the thousands
of additional miners and more
prosperity for this section. Gen.
eral Washburn's influence in hav-
ing this test mace is but another
of the many things he has done
for this sectiono of the country.
Following is a short report Of
the test made one way:
:. Distance, .1O6 miles.
Train left Mandan. 9:O5 a. n.
Arrived jamestown, 1880 p. m.
Actual running time, S hours,
B5 minutes.
Average speed, 20miles per hour
Average steam pressure, 1913
pounds .
Amount Of Ignite coal consum-
ed, Is tons, 500 pounds.
Tonnage behind tender. 1916
tops. 49,
Nc. of cars, q loads.
Estimated number of tons of
eastern coal to make trip, same
run and train, 8 tons.
Cost per ton eastern coal at
Mandan, $4.O3.
Total cost eastern coal for trip,
8 tons, 1924.
Cost Of Ignite coal, 10 tons,
500 pounds, at 81 per ton, $18.25.
Saving in favor Of Ignite, $3.50
or 1914 per cent,
The Bismarck Tribune last week
issued a special edition of twenty
four pages devoted to setting forth
the resources and advantages of
A. 1f..>-. ~- Tlo -