Smyrna times., 1904-06-29
IN THE ROUNDHOUSE
THE ATTENTION THAT is BESTOWED
UPON THE LOCOMOTIVES.

quired by the Great Iron Horses |
of the RaiI-HOw the Tires of the |
Big Driving Wheels Are frightened. |
ANY one at all familiar with rail-
roads has seen the engineer dismount |
from the cab, oil can in hand, as soon
as the train has come to stop at some |
way station; seen him walk slowly
about the pOnderOus machine, feeling
of each bearing with his free hand as
he filed the cups with oil; seen him per-
haps tap valve gently with u wrench
or examine critically some ill working
air pump.
To any man all this is interesting,
but how many are there in all the vast
crowd that enter the city daily at the
great terminals who can tell Offhand
what becomes Of the train when once
the cars are emptied of the passengers?
To be sure, they have seen the cars on
q siding out in the yard. They know
perhaps that roundhouse is u place
where engines are kept when not in
actual use. But beyond this the ideas
Of the ordinary man are bit haZy.
AS soon as the passengers have left
q train that has just come in from
long dusty run it is backed out into
the yard, and the cars are set off on a
side track. Men go upon them at once
and begin to put them in readiness for
the next trip. The windows are wash
ed, cars freed from all filth and dirt,
seats cleaned, water tanks cared for
and the lighting apparatus put in order.
The locomotive, after leaving the
cars, proceeds at once to the round
house, where the pOnderOus machine
also receives a proper Overhaulins.
First of all, the tanks are filled with
water and the fuel supply is replenish-
ed. Then a few puffs bring the fire
box above the ash pit, where the fires
are cleaned and dumped altogether.
The next thing is to stable the great
Iron horse.
The FoundhOuse itself Is a most unin-
viting place, with its SCOT begrimed
walls and smoky interior. These build
ings are all constructed on the same
general lines, low, one story structures,
generally built of brick and semicircu-
lar in shape. The center of the circle
is the center of the turntable. Ar
ranged along the inner side of the
building is a line of doors, each exactly
like it's neighbor Under each runs a
track of standard gauge, giving the
whole an appearance not unlike a
spiders web, the center of which is the
turntable.
The turntable itself consists of pit
walled with stone. across which is
bridge free at the ends, but balanced at
the center on a spindle. Rails are laid
across this, as If it were part of the
rOadbed.
When the fires of the locomotive
have been cared for the engineer runs
his machine upon the table. With deft
hand at the throttle. he brings it to a
stop at the precise point where the
hundred tons of steel balance on the
spindle that supports the bridge. Then
the pOnderOus mass is slowly revOlved
until the required track is reached and
the engine is backed into the round
house.
Once within the house the engineer .
duty is done. He has but to go to the
Office and report in a book prepared for
the purpose any repairs that are need
ed, and he can go home, assured that
his machine will be ready for him
when he starts on the next run.
The engine is now turned over to the
roundhouse crew. who go to work on il
at once. The attention that a locOmo-
tive receives on arrival at the round
house Is about the same that one
would expect to see bestowed upon q
race horse Wipers go over every inch
of the surface carefully, removing al
dust and OIL Others drop into the pit
beneath the machine and wipe the run
ning gear. The headlight is carefully
cared for and the brass polished. Ii
tact. the whole machine is put IN frs
class shape in every way.
Throughout this work keen watch II
Kept for any signs of broken parts, an(
any found are repaired. The hundred
or more fues are cleaned by steam
pressure.
An engine seldom comes to the hOus'
that does not need repairs of SOM
sort. The delicate mechanism Is con
stantly becoming DrOKeh' anu uhceus
Ing attention is required.
One of the most interesting of all tn
repairs that are made in the round
house is the tightening of the tires o.
the drive wheels. Each wheel is SUI
rounded with heavy steel tire. Thes
occasionally work loose, and 1t be
comes necessary that they be tightene
without sending the locomotive to tn
shops.
To do this a stream Of oil is fed al
tomaticaIly upon the tire and allowe
to burn as it runs down. The result
that the whole rim is sOon circle
flame. This is kept up for long tim
and the tire. being heated faster tina
the wheel itself on account of the pro-
unity of the fire, expands until the thi
pieces of sheet iron can be inserted b.
tween the wheel and the tire. When II