The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1904-09-09
THE CARE ENGINES NEED
HEY MUST BE cRooMED LIKE A
RACE HORSE.

Driver Knows His Trotter.
| Every one at I'll familiar with rail-
| roads has seen the engineer dismount
| from the cab oil in hand, as soon as
| the train has come to stop at some
way station; has seen him walk slowly
about the ponderous machine feeling
Of each bearing with his free hand as
he fills the cups with OIL seen him,
perhaps, tap a valve gently with
wrench or examine critically some i'll
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 passen-
gers? To be sure, they have seen the
cars on siding out in the yard They
know, perhaps, that roundhouse is
place where engines are kept when
not in actual use. But beyond this the
ideas of the ordinary man are a bit
hazy.
AS soon as the passengers have left
a train that has just come in from
long, dusty run, it is backed out into
the yard and the cars are set Off on
side track. Men go upon item at
once and begin to put them in readl-
ness for the next trip The windows
are washed; cars freed from all filth
and dirt, seats cleaned, water tanks
q
order The more improved cars have
the gas system Of lighting, and on
these the tanks under the cars are I'LL
ed from the gas pipes that are laid
alongside the tracks for that purpose
The locomotive, after leaving the
cars, proceeds at once to the round
house, where the ponderous machine
also receives a proper overhauling
First of all the tanks are filled with
water and the fuel supply is replenish-
ed. Then a few puffs brings the fire.
box above the ashpit, where the fires
are cleaned or dumped altogether
The next thing is to stable the great
iron horse.
The roundhouse itself is most I'M
inviting place, with its soot-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 semi-cir-
cular in shape. The centre of the
circe is the centre of the turntable-
Arranged along the inner side of the
building is a line of doors, each exact
ly like its neighbor. Under each runs
a track of standard gauge, giving the
whole an appearance not unlike spi-
der's web, the centre 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 centre 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 stop at the precise point
where the hundred tons of steel bal
ances on the spindle that supports the
bridge. This looks like delicate
task to the uninitiated, but it must be
remembered that the engineman
knows his machine as driver knows
his horse. He understands just how
it will behave under given circum-
stances, and governs himself accord
ingly 1t is seldom necessary for an
~,
verse lever in order to bring his en-
CINE to stop at the proper place. 1
Once in position men apply their
strength to the bars that project from
the ends of the bridge and begin to
walk along the brink of the pit. Slow
ly the whole mass revolves until the
required track is reached, and then
the engine glides gently and smoothly
into the house. Some of the more i'm
proved houses have power with which
to operate the tables.
roundhouse in summer when the
doors are all open. presents splen-
did picture for lover of machinery
For each engine is backed into the
house, and, therefore, through the
seni-circle one gets view of a line
of engines, each facing outward with
the numbers shining and headlights
cleaning in the sunlight.
Once within the house the engi-
neer's duty is done. He has but to go
to the office and report in book pre-
pared for the purpose any repairs that
are needed, and he can go home as
sured that his machine will be ready
for him when he starts on the next
run