Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-09-07
BIG LOCOMOTIVE HAS A HEART.
Wouldn't Haul Away a Train Until
 Promised Something Better

wouldn't Haul Away a Train Until
 Promised Something Better.
 The boys at the roundhouse don't
 know yet what was the matter with ] No S04. Some are inclined to scoff at 1 Billy Wetmore's explanation that the
 big engines heart was almost broken, but the undercurrent of sentiment is I that there is something in it and that | No S04 at least was a sulk.
 | Little No 1,761 had been suffering | from a chronic hot box on the rear right wheel of the pony truck. Sev- eral times No 1,761 had barely but gamely pulled through with the Aurora way train. She got in shrieking and smoking from the injured bearing. New brasses hadn't cured the ailment, and when No 1.761's stall in the round house was empty all the other engines knew she had been sent to the shop. It was severe shock that No S04 received when she heard the round house boss tell the head hostler to fire her up Tuesday morning to take the Aurora way train. It was terrible indignity, for No S04 is a big engine of the 800 class, six-wheeled connec- tions, designed for the fast through passenger runs and capable of slipping off seventy miles an hour with six Pullmans, a baggage and mail car. She kept quiet when the cordwood was piled on to the cold frebox. but as she thought it over half an hour later sputtered viciously from the loose packing on the air pump, and when Tom Selfridge gave her hint of bet ter manners with a monkey wrench she grumbled like a surly sailor
 Hanged if I go; hanged if I go," she snorted as Selfridge tested the steam on the brake pump, but she re- sponded through force of habit when the links were heaved up and the throttle was opened a notch, and she backed out to the turntable and down to the waiting way train.
 Its too-o-o-o bad," ending with violent puff, complained No S04. and the others in the roundhouse, hearing her complaint, snickered, for. No S04, with her new paint, had the reputation of being a proud. stuck-up thing, and all were glad at her taking down.
 But No S04, by telepathie process known to locomotive engines, was con- scious of what was going on, and shut down with a grip on the throttle valve so that Selfridge could scarcely move 1t. Then she sulked hard, and when called upon to start to the main track with her Insignificant load of three empty passenger coaches and a com bination baggage, baked and wouldn't turn a wheel. She held her steam gauge at eighty, refusing to let it budge a point, and with a spiteful spit ting from the cylinderfcock on the en- gineer's side intimated as plainly as any angry cat or an equally angry type 800 locomotive could indicate that she was on strike.
 Billy Wetmore shook the grates, raked off the suspicion of forming arch in the firebox and scattered a couple of scoops of coal artistically and eoaxingly over the fire blazing up fiercely under the forced draught. Re luctantly No S04 responded, slowly picked up the train and started for the main track again. .... T
 A puffy little switch engine, dirty, greasy and about as light in the stack as S04's injector valve. ran down, and, laughing in it's pop valve, coupled on and started the train out of the yard with a hoarse Come. come, comer' that even. Nc eSo4t couldn't resist. But no sooner was the switch engine out of sight than No S04 baked again and all through the twenty-five miles to Western avenue took fits and starts, now absolutely refusing to pull ton and then making shying, skittlsh run for another station
 Whats the matterT" asked the as- slstant master mechanic at the round house, at Western avenue, as the train pulled in almost an hour late.
 It wouldn't do to repeat all Selfridge said, but the gist of 1t was that he didn't know; that No S04's fiues were tight as drums, and there was nothing wrong that he could see.
 T wish you could get her started; I need her for No tonight" replied the assistant master mechanic, No 4 being the Denver limited, the crack train of the road. If you can get a move on her I'll send you in dinky until No 1,I61 is out in day or two"
 Maybe an engine hasn't ears to hear, but Billy Wetmore won't believe it. When the throttle opened No SO4 sprang like a sprinter at the piston shot, and made the Union station three minutes under schedule time in spite of yard rules. putting and hissing as lively as a cricket as soon as the stop was made. There was no more trouble with No S04, and she took No 1 out last evening in the old time manner.
 Just sore at this dinky run," ex. plained Wetmore, and while Engineer l Selfridge and the rest of the train crew l don't admit their belief fin the theory, there is no other explanation of No | SO4's queer conduct.-Chieago Chroni- 1 ele.