East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1906-11-16

The following sketch of the four en-
gineers who pull the o. r. 4 N. pas
senger trains over the Blue mountain,
accompanied by photographs of the
four well known engineers mentioned
was written for the Oregon, Sunday
Journal by Bert Huffman, editor of
the East Oregonlan and appeared in
the Journal Sunday. November IL;
The largest passenger engines In
service on the Pacific, coast are used
by the Oregon Railroad & Navigation
system In pulling the Chicago-Port-
land special and the Atlantic Express
trains over the Blue mountains be-
tween Pendleton and La Grande.
These gigantic machines, so much
like human beings, so powerful, so
complicated. so ponderous, yet so del
icate that the touch of woman's hand
upon the throttle lever is able to start
or stop them, are the pride of the en-
gineers who are assigned to these runs.
The mountain passenger engines
are numbered from 100 to 200, and
are known as the Pacific type. They
have three pairs OF drivers. II inches
in height. a single engine truck in
front. and a pair of trailer wheels be-
hind the drivers.
They weigh, exclusive of the tank
214.50N pounds, or 107A tons, md
from the lower edge Of the flange on
the drivers to the tiptop rim of the
smokestack, are II feet in height.
Their boilers carry 200 pounds OF
steam, their tanks have water car
rying capacity of 7400 gallons, anC
space for 10 tons of coal. They are
equipped with New York air brake
valves. have indepndent driver brakes
separate from the train brakes, theii
pumps arc 12-inch New York all
pumps. their air reservoirs carry II
pounds of air for use in the train line
and 120 pounds in the storage reser
vcirs.
The weight of the engines is dis
tributed uneIually on the differen
pairs Of wheels, strange as it ma,
seem. the distribution of the weigh
being as follows: on the forwar,
truck. $4,000 pounds: on the lead pal
Of drivers, $4,000 pounds; on tn
middle or main drivers, 4l.20
pounds: on the rear drivers, $4,000
and on the trailers or rear trucks. 1 /,
500.
Owing to the large size of the driv
ers and the extraordinary length O
the engines, the trailers are used I
relieve the rigidty or stiffness Of tn
engine i'm passing around sharp curves
The trailer is flexible and permits tn
rear end Of the engine to swing. thu
relieving the strain on the rail an
giving the engine a delicate fleXibi
itv which makes II ride easy and stan
up straight and safe in rounding tn
sharp curves OF the mountain grade
Pioneer Engineer in Charge.
To the travelling public the persor
ality Of the passenger engineer is
subject of intense interest Who
the man at the throttle into who's
keeping you give yourself when yo
take your berth at night? II yc
knew something Of the engineer,
his private life his history and h
character you feel degree Of safe
which cannot be enjoyed where d
his history and personality are strani
to you.
The four engineers who pull the
r. & y. passenger trains over the BIZ
mountains the most perilous secti,
Of the q. II. 4 y. system, are, wi
one exception, promoted men, ma
engineers on the mountains and n
therefore, considered among the safe
men to he found for the places.
Practically all their railroading h
been done on the o. Il. e y. systel
on the very mountains over whi
they now guide their precious burde
of human freight night after nigl
the year through. Three of them b
gan firing out of La Grande and we
promoted after attaining a sutat
proficiency Then. after serving Sc
eral years as freight men, they we
promoted TO passenger runs.
\. 4. stephens. the Ncstor.
. A. f. stephens, the oldest engine
H. main line service on the La Gran
division of the O. II. & N, is .or
oIt-ranked in point of service on I
mountain hy o. w. Moon, who. ru
the Elgin branch engine.
stephens came to La Grande a
comotive fireman from the Wanda
road in 1854. and after firing freig
and passenger for four years was pl
motod to the position of engineer
1888. In 1890 he was assigned to