Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1904-08-17
IN THE ROUNDHOUSE
THE ATTENTION THAT is BESTOWED
UPON THE LOCOMOTIVES.

Constant and Careful Grooming Re-
CURED by the Great Iron Horses
of the Rail-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 a stop at some
way station; seen him walk slowly
about the ponderous machine, feeling
OF each bearing with his free hand as
he filled the cups with oil; seen him per.
haps tap valve gently with a 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
a siding out in the yard. They know
perhaps that a roundhouse is 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
a train that has just come in from a
long dusty run it Is backed out into
the yard, and the cars are set of on a
side track. Men 60 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 overhauling.
First Of all, the tanks are filed with
water and the fuel supply is replenish-
ed. Then 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. ~. IL 49, 30
The roundhouse 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 tsemicircu-
lar in shape. The center Of the circle
is the center Of. the s,turntable. !. Ar
ranged along the inner. side Of, the
building Is a line Of doors, each exactly
like its 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. .s,..,-.,. ..ss., ,,.~...as.
The turntable itself cQnsistssof pit
walled with stone, across, which Is q
bridge free at the ends, but balanced at
the center on a spindle. Rails are laid
across this, as II it were a part Of the
roadbed. j., .srses ~
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 engineers
duty is DONE He has but to go to the
office and report in 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 it
at once. The attention that locomo-
tive receives on arrival at the round
house Is about the same that one
would expect to see bestowed upon a
race horse. Wipers go over every inch
of the surface carefully, renewing all
dust and oil. Others drop into the pit
beneath the machine and wipe the rum
ming gear. The headlight is carefully
cared for and the brass polished. In
fact, the whole machine is put in first
class shape in every way.
Throughout this work keen watch is
kept for any signs Of broken parts, and
any found are repaired. The hundred
or more fues are cleaned by steam
pressure.
An engine seldom comes to the house
that does not need repairs Of some
sort. The delicate mechanism is con-
stantly becoming broken, and unceas-
ing attention is required.
One Of the most interesting Of all the
repairs that are made in the round
house is the tightening Of the tires on
the drive Wheels. Each wheel is sur
rounded with heavy steel tire. These
occasionally work loose, and it be-
comes necessary that they be frightened
without sending the locomotive to the
shops.
To do this stream of oil Is fed au-
tomatically upon the tire and allowed
to burn as it runs down. The result Is
that the whole rim is soon circle Of
flame. This is kept up for long time,
and the tire, being heated faster than
tho whao1 ftSnlf on acnoyuf of tho proy-