The Tucumcari news. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1905-1907, 1906-10-20
WATCH ENGINE RUN
STUDENTS PATH OF LEARNING
MADE EASY.
Device at Columbia University by
Which All Parts of a Locomo.
tive in Action Can Be Stud.
led in Workshop.

From the foot of the grand stairs
leading up to the library of Columbia
university we pass round to the left
of the great library and come to the
entrance of the school of engineering.
We find here lecture rooms, labora.
tories, drawing rooms and museums,
and in connection with these school
departments is "a pattern shop, a
forge and machine shop-in fact,
everything u young man needs in
learning to be Il first.class engineer.
We go downstairs and enter a fine,
large shop, and there, on its track,
stands a passenger locomotive. the
Columbia-iust such Il grand fellow
as Kipling's engine hero in his story
entitled "O,001."
Here. Is q locomotive turned school
master. We walk round the grand old
fellow and stand before the great
driving wheels. Here we are at the
edge OF a deep pit in the floor. In 1t
we see a pair Of massive wheels sup
ported on great timbers. Each wheel
is exactly under and rests against
n of the great drivers and when
the drivers move the wheels in the
pit move, too, and in this way the II
CINE can move its wheels and yet
stand perfectly still. TO give perfect
security, the first wheels of the en-.
gine are blocked up.
by this device it is possible to have
an engine run at full speed while
we sit beside the track and see just
how il works. On the road the engine
flies along so quickly that it is i'm.
possible to see anything, still less
learn anything. Think what an i'm
mense advantage we have in this
school of the LOCOMOTIVES, Here in
this quiet, comfortable room we can
walk all about the great machine,
learn the name and use of every part,
and actually see how it works.
The assistant teacher in this
school of the locomotive climbs into
the cab with several students while a
part of the class are studying the &C.
ton of the pistons in the steam
cylinders. Others can study steam.
making, the work of the running. gear,
or the wheels. One boy can study
oiling. while another is studying the
use of the air-brake. Again, a boy
may flag the train to see if the
boy at the lever knows the rules OF
the road. A dozen boys can thus
study an engine turning It's wheels AT
80 miles an hour in perfect ease and
safety, while 80 more can learn much
of the lesson by looking on end lis.
tening 70 the explanations Of the
teacher.
A locomotive Is a grand, scientific
tool used In a certain way for a Ger.
tain end An engineer uses this
splendid tool in a scientific way, and
he must be himself a nan of sci.
once. 1t is not enough to know how
to stop her." or start her or run
ION time" according to the rules of
the road. He must know his engine;
know every part; how it is made
and used. He should be able TO make
complete working drawings of the
Whole machine, from the headlight To
tho draw-bar. He must know how
tho steam behaves inside that cylinder
aud must be able to take the cylin.
der apart and put it together again.
He must know how every part is
made and be able instantly to decide
when the engine works badly, and
why, and be able, as far as possible,
to cure its little ills and disorders.
He must know it all; must be fireman,
machinist, railroad man, engineer and
man of science. He must have strong,
calm nerves, and must never get con.
fused, or lose his head or make
mistakes, a hundred lives may de.
pend on his knowledge and skill.
The men who build locomotives III
the great shops at Philadelphia see
that this is the way 70 teach. so