Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1903-01-03

The Scientific American contains in
special Transportation" number an ar
ticle by Mr.. Waldon Fawcett on COM
pressed air locomotives from which the
following has been taken:
with more extensive use of COM
pressed air for power purposes has come
d corresponding broadening of the scope
OF its employment as a transportation
agent, and indeed it has been cOnclu-
siyely proven that pneumatic traction
has decided advantages over all other
forms of mechanical haulage for large
variety OF operations. Prominent among
these are the various phases of under
ground haulage. For coal mines where
there is danger from mine gas it's utiliz-
alton is almost essential, whereas the
advantages which commend it's employ
ment i'll nOn-gaseOus mines is almost as
potent. A rather unique field has been
opened by the introduction of compress
ed air locomotives in railway tunnels
where the smoke, vapor and gas from
steam locomotives are Objectionable.
"For the ordinary compressed air
haulage plant there are five essential
| features, namely, the locomotives, con-
structed to carry stOred-up energy in
the shape of compressed air, a charging
station, a stationary reservoir, usually
consisting of one or more tanks in which
the air is compressed, an air compressor
capable OF COMPRISING any desired
number of cubic feet per minute to any
pressure desired, and power for Operat-
ing the compressor, either steam or
water power being applicable for this
purpose.
''The general machinery of an air To-
comOtive, cylinders. frames, wheels, ETC.,
is usually very similar to that of steam
locomotive, save that the weight is
greater, the bearings larger and the de-
tails OF construction stronger than in a
steam machine of the same power. The
main points of difference are found in
| the TACT that instead of the usual boiler
with its fuel and water accessories for
developing power, the air locomotive is
equipped with one or more strongly con-
structed main storage tanks, which are
charged with compressed air at high
pressure, combination regulator and
automatic StOp-valve and an auxiliary
w-pressure reservoir in which the air
is carried at uniform working pres
sure for distribution to the cylinders.
The cubic capacity and the pressure Of
air in the main storage tanks on a motor
are determined, of course by the amount
OF stored energy required by the length
OF the run which such locomotive is to
make and the weight Of the train which
| it is called upon to draw. Not infre-
quently locomotives are built to carry
an air pressure of 800 or 1000 pounds,
but relief valves make it impossible to
charge the motor tanks to higher pres
sure than is required. The initial stor-
age pressure decreases, of course, while
| the locomotive is working. AS illus
| trating the capabilities of the compress
/ ed air motors, it may be mentioned that
| there are in service in this country a
| few locomotives which are fitted with
seamless steel tubes and carry a pres
sure of from 1900 to $500 pounds per
square inch.
"For charging the locomotive storage
tanks previously referred to, there are
provided the charging stations, which
are connected with the stationary re-
ceiver or reservoir by pipe. 1t is Gus
tOmary, when the reservoir or storage
system is pipe line, to have charging
station at each end of the line, so that
| the motor may take charge of air at
the end of each single trip or each
round trip as required. Air locomotives
may be charged either direct or by the
reservoir. However, direct charging is
very wasteful, and consequently the
method most generally accepted involves
the use Of the stationary reservoir.
''The reservoir for a compressed-air
transportation line usully consists OF
either pipe line or one or more storage
tanks of construction similar to the To-
comOtive storage tank, although usually
designed to carry somewhat higher
pressure. By means Of the reservoir
system the compressor may be kept in
nearly continuous operation at fairly
uniform speed. By an automatic sys-
tenn of governing the compressor, when
the work is light, slows down in speed
whereas when the demand. for air in
creases, the speed is quickly brought up
to the required capacity