New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-03-17
4 NOVEL LOCOMOTIVE

Inc southern Pacific Railway ComDanv "a
credited with the intention of trying new tvna
or engine. 1t is said to have ordered the buiid
ing OF locomotive in which crude oil will be
used, not by burning 1t to generate steam, hnt
eXplosiVey, after vaporizing the fluid With
power furnished in this manner, the story goes
speed OF one hundred miles an hour is antici-
pated furthermore, the engine would have no
use for water, and would make no stops for q
fresh supply of that commodity and it is as
serted that enough petroleum could be carried
for continuous run of three thousand miles
or across the entire continent
10 Some extent the project is an experiment
but 1t is one Of much promise Stationary an
glnes, working on the same principle as that of
the proposed locomotive are coming into exten-
sive use. They are not so numerous as those in
which gasolene is employed, and their CAPACITY
is limited to a few horsepower, but they are
successful. That is the main thing 1t was a
toregone conclusion, therefore, that some enter
prlslhg machlnist would sooner or later suggest
the application Of the system to railway SER
vice, and seek to enlist in the venture an enter
prising corporation like the Southern Pacific.
Whether crude oil will act as well as the re-
nned petroleum hitherto tried is open to nuas
ton, perhaps, but otherwise the scheme appears
to be entirely practicable. Its advocates have
reason to be hopeful concerning the outcome of
the attempt.
Already much of the petroleum produced In
the Southwest and on the Pacific Coast is beinp
utilized on railways fuel. A much wider
adoption of it for the same purpose in coming
years can be confidently predicted. Hence If "a
Oh great Importance TO discover the best method
of deriving benefit from this magnificent min
eral resource. When pioneer locomotive of
the kind here described has once been put at
work, it will be possible to ascertain lf any
more power can be obtained from a gallon Of
oil vaporiZed and made to drive piston by ex-
plosion than is afforded by using it as fuel
under steam boiler. 1t is not improbable that
the new plan will be found to be more econonl-
ical than the old. That a pound of coal has n
higher efficiency when converted into gas and
employed in a gas engine than when burned In
| furnace is well established fact An advan-
tage of the same nature, if not Of the same ex-
tent, may attend the proposed innovation in the
use of oil. This possibility in fact, will appeal
more strongly to railroad men than any other
feature Of the experiment.
The forecast about a run OF three thousand
miles on a single supply of oil need not be taken
seriousy-at least just now. BY dispensing with
| water in the tender more room will be made
available for petroleum. If the new method of
using the oil proves more economical than the one
now in vogue, still another addition to the dis
lance for which given quantity will suffice Will
| be gained At the most however il does M,
| seem reasonable to expect a mileage more than
three or four times greater than is achieved nv
the best oil burning express locomotives of the
| Southern Pacific The talk about running a
hundred miles an hour may also be heavily dis
| counted. The capacity Of the engine is onIy
| one of several essentials to high speed With
| out a straighter. more substantially built road
| than any 10 be found in this country or Europe