Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1905-07-29
IN THE ROUNDHOUsE 5
THEsATTENTioN THAT Isl eEsTowEp
UPON THE LOCOMOTIVES.

Constant and Careful GroOInins Re-
1 quired BY the Great from Horses
| of the RaalA-1ow. the Tires Of the
Big Driving wheelsi.Ars 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 stop atisome
way station: seen him walk slowly
about the ponderous machine, feeling
Of each bearing with his free hand as
he filed the cups with oil; seen him per
haps tap a valve gently with q wrench
or examine critically some Iii working
| air pump. .f~, .5,5
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 passengers2
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 u
long dusty run it Is backed out into
the yard, and the cars are set or on u
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 locoaaotive, after leaving the
cars. proceeds at once to the round
house, where the ponderous machine
also receives proper overhauling.
First of all, the tanks are flied 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. q ,rT -. ras'-
The roundhouse itself is q most un1n-
viting place, with it's SCOT begrimed
walls and smoky interior. These build
ings are all constructed OH the same
general lines, low, one story structures.
generally built of brick and semicircu-
lar 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
like it's neighbor: Under each runs a
track of standard gauge, giving the
| whole an appearance, not unlike
spiders web, the center of which is the
turntable. ,.''s.% "~t
The turntable itself consists of pit
walled with stone, across which Is a
bridge free at the ends, but balanced at
the. center on spindle. Rails are laid
across this, as If it'wers a part Of the
roadbed. .....s1t la
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 1t to d
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. '-a. ., '... ..-a...
Once within the house the engineers
duty Is done. He has but to go to the
Office and report in a 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
: =.