The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1904-07-11
IN THE ROUNDHOUSE.
THE ArTENTloN THAT'S BESTOWED
UPON TIE LOCOMOTIVES.

UPON TIE LOCOMOTIVES.
Constant ana Careful GROOMING Re-
auIrea by dhe Great IRON Horses
of the RafI-Har-- the Tires of the
Big Driving wheels Are frightened.
Any one at ali familiar with rail-
roads has seen the engineer dismount
from the cab, oil can In hand, as soon
MS 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 ilIed the cups with oil; seen him per
haps tap a valve gently with wrench
or examine critically some Ill working
mir pump.
To any man oil this is interesting.
but how many are there in all the vast
crowd that enter the city daily ut the
great terminals who can tell offhand
whnt becomes of the train when once
the cars are cmptied of the passensersI
To be sure, they have seen the cars on
siding out in the yard. They know
perhaps that n 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
train that has just come In from
long dusty run 1t is backed out into
tie yard, ana the cars are set off on
side track. Mca go upon them ut onee
ana begin to put them III readiness Tor
| 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 ut once to the round
house. where the ponderous machine
also receives a proper overhanling.
First OF ALL the tanks are filled with
water ANA the fuel supply IS replenish-
ed. Then a few puts 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 roundhouse itself is a most unin-
wiling place, with its SCOT beErimed
walls and smoky interior. These build
| inGs are all constructed on the same
| general lines. low, one story structures
generally bulit of brick and semicircu-
| Iar 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
| ike 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.
The turntabIe itself consists of pit
walled with stone. across which Is u
bridge free at the ends, but balanced ut
| the center on spindle. Rails are laid
| across this, as If It were part of the
roadbed.
/ When the fires of the locomotive
Il
his machine upon the table. With deft
hand Mt tile throttle, he brings It to n
sion ut the precise point where the
hundred tons of steel balance on the
spindle that supports the bridge. Then
the ponderous mass is slowly revolvcd
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 Il book prepared for
the purpose any repairs that are need
ed. and lie 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
Mt once. The attention that II locomo-
tive receives on arrival Mt 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, removing all
dust md oil. Others drop into the pit
beneath the machine and wipe the run
ming gear. The headlight is carefully
cared for and the brass polished. In
fnct, 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
apy found are repaired. The hundred
or more dues 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
stantIy 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 a stream OF oil is fed au-
tomaticaIly upon the tire and allowed
to burn as 1t runs down. The result Is
l rafVa In fnf