New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-12-04
AN UNUSUAL DUEL:
Two Locomotives Pitted Against Each Other.

.cTn snite of the too frequent railroad accidents.
especially collisions, which occur in this country.
the opportunity is seldom afforded to note Just
what occurs at the time Of impact when loco
motives come together says Day Allen Wiley. in
The Scientific American" The witnesses OF
such sas are usually too excited over the oc-
currence to observe the immediate effects of the
shock and even il mechanical experts able to OBJ
serve intelligently they have only chance to
glance before the force developed at the time OF
contact has expended itself.
For Il mechanical duel It might be termed,
a section of track 900 feet in length recently
laid on a level grade al Point OF Pines Mass. The
locomotives utilized secured from a railroad
company which had discarded this type for heavier
equipment, but they were not defective or disabled
in any respect except that their cabs had been re-
paced The weight of each engine. including ten
der about fifty tons and they were modelled
after the same specifications. each having -FOUR oo
inch driving wheels and four truck wheels support
ing the forward portion OF the boiler. Prior to
sending them together. steam generated FOR
two hours and the engines exercised to TO speak.
by moving them slowly up and down the track
Finally the boilers subjected TO as much
steam pressure as the engineers DENIED safe and
each machine backed TO its end OK the line
The engineers took their places in the cabs and at
the signal arranged each opened the throttle to the
limit and pushed his leve" to the full speed mark,
then leaped TO the ground.
lone engine attained slightly greater momen-
tum than the other engine, Consequently the point
OF contact was not midway between the terminals
but about three hundred feet distant the advan-
tage in being given the engine showed on the
right side of illustration. 1t will be noted that
when it struck of the wheels were lifted from
tho rails The truck OF the left engine, however.
was forced above the track, and the front part
lifted foot or two The shock also broke one OF
the steam pipes leading into the cab. which &C
counts for jet OF steam shown in the picture.
1t will be noted that the cab of the right engine
was from its fastenlngs by the blow althousn
the other cab uninjured- A curious feature
O the collision that after the nrst impact
there appeared o be a rebound, the engines then
closing up again ana the right engine SLOWLY A"iC-
ing the other backward
= he locomotives remained in motion Tor about
three minutes after the impact the one on the lett
being driven back nearly nifty feet from the point
where they came together. An examination showed
that its smokestack torn away at The base
steam entirely escaped through this vent and the
pipe in in nVe minutes In both cases the
nilots were demolished as well as the forward
woodwork of all kinds The lantern standards.
headlights and ali of the lighter ronwOrk lnCIud-
ing hand rails were broken and twisted beyond re-
rushed n 10 such extent that the steam es-
Cantd Neither the locomotives however was
Geraied although the trucks were torn from their
supports and the piston rods and cylinders dis
/ mounted we'll -,
time ~ contact cannot he calculated the force was
such that an iron bar weighing seventy hVe pounds
| 4atacbed from one of the pilots thrown l5o
feet to one side the track and such small pieces
/ as hollis and nuts found rs Tar away az so
IaIVa Of each was opened As they met
he shock shut off the whistle OF the left engine.
but that OF the right continued until steam had
bee exhausted.