The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1904-12-15
IN THR ROUNDHOUSE.
CARE OF LOCOMOTIVES WHEN
RETURNED FROM A RUN.
The Iron Horse Receives Just a.
Much Attention as a Thor
oughbred Racer in It's
Stable.

Anyone at all familiar with railroads
LAS 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 filled
the cups with oil; seen him, perhaps,
tap valve gently with wrench cr ex-
anime critically some ill-working sir
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 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
train that has just come In from long.
dusty run Il Is backed out into the yard
and the cars are set off on side track.
Men go upon them at once and begin to
put them In readiness for the next trip.
The windows are washed, cars freed
from filth and dirt. seats cleaned, water
tanks cared for and the lighting ap-
paratus put In order.
The locomotive, after leaving the cars,
proceeds at once TO the roundhouse.
where the ponderous machine also re-
Seives q proper oyerhauling. First OF
all, the tanks are filled with water and
She fuel supply is replenished, Then a
few puffs bring the flrebox above the
ashpit. where the fires are cleaned and
dumped all together. The next thing Is
70 stable the great iron horse.
The roundhouse itself is most unin-
vitlng place. with its soot-begrimed
walls and smoky interior These build
fngs are all constructed on the same
general lines, low, one-story structures,
generally built of brick and semlcircle
IN shape. The center of the circle Is
Che center of the turntable. Arranged
along the inner side of the building Is
4 line of doors, each exactly like its
neighbor. Under each runs a track Of
standard gauge, giving the whole an
appearance not unlike spiders web,
ghe center of which Is the turntable.
The turntable itself consists of pit
walled with stone, across which Is a
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 road
bed.
When the fires OF the locomotive have
Seen cared for the engineer runs his
machine upon the table. With deft
hand at the throttle he brings 1t to a
stop at the precise point where the hun
cred tons OF steel balance on the spin
die that supports the bridge. Then the
ponderous mass is slowly revolved until
the required track is reached and the
engine is backed into the roundhouse.
Once within the house the engineers
Auly is uOHt. he mas Dut W 90 W thc
Office and report in book prepared for
the purpose any repairs that are need
cd, 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
Youndhouse crew. who 60 to work on II
ut once. The attention that locomo-
tive receives on arrival at the round
house Is about the same as one would
expect to see bestowed upon race
horse. Wipers go over every inch of the
surface carefully. removing all dust and
oil. Others drop into the pit beneath
the machine and wipe the running gear
The headlight is carefully cared fol
and the brass polished. In fact, the
whole machine is put in first-class
shape in every way.
Throughout this work keen watch II
kept for any signs Of broken parts
and any found are repaired. The hun.
bred or more fiues are cleaned by steam
.pressure
An engine seldom comes to the house
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