Omaha daily bee., 1906-08-10
NEW ENGINES ON OVERLAND
Locomotives Of Higher Speed and Greater
Power Received BY Union PSoiho.
MADE NECESSARY BY INCREASED TRAFFIC
Modification OF Pacihc Type and
First of the series Arrives,
Bringing Hope of Great
Results.

The Union Pacific 10 receiving the first
of a new series Of passenger locomotive
which are expected to produce results here
, tofore considered purely theoretical. 1t is
va modification Of the Pacific type, Of
Se1Ch class the road has made use for
several years, and which has been found
very efficacious in handling the heavy
trains and maintaining the speed schedule
necessary.
Traffic has Increased so rapidly on the
Overland that engines developing greater
power and capable Of higher speed than
ever have been demanded, and this has
been attained by the production OF a ma
chine that is in some regards revolu-
tionsry.
The engine is balanced compound, the
low pressure cylinders being on the out
side Of the frame, and the high pressure
inside. Balanced cylinder valves are used
and the Waelschaert valve gear has been
adopted. The novelty In construction Is
the coupling OF the high pressure cylin-
ders with the axle OF the second pair OF
drivers This presents the difficulty OF
passing the axle Of the front pair OF
wheels. and has been accomplished by the
bifurcation OF the connecting rod. In the
form Of a loop it encircles the axle of the
front pair OF wheels and connects with the
crank on the main axle The low pres
sure cylinders are connected direct with
the main pair Of drivers In the usual way,
thus presenting on the exterior no evidence
of the novelty. The waelschaert gear for
driving the valves will be something OF a
novelty to Omaha engine men. who. IA
miliar with the device in theory, have not
yet seen Il In operation out OF the Union
station. Another feature of the machines
VIII be the enormous tank capacity. The
Vanderbilt type of tank has been aban-
doned in favor OF the square form and a
water supply of 1900 gallons will be car
ried. The coal bunkers will carry about
sixteen tons. 1t is expected that these
new engines will handle the big Overland
trains at maximum speed with a consider
able saving both in fuel and wear on the
machine.
Superintendent McKeen is much inter-
ested in the performance OF the one al
ready delivered and in commission, and is
much gratfed by the results already
shown. Engine men are watching It
closely, all hands being quite curious as
to the success OF the bfurcated connecting
rod.
LOmRx ON the New Rate Law.
p. L. Lomax general passenger agent OF
the Union Pacific, has returned from Chi
cago and Washington. where, in coniunc-
ton with representatives OF other western
and southern lines. he held an informal
meeting with the members Of the Inter-
state Commerce commission. who were in
Washington. 1--WE were given a most
courteous reception, usual" said Mr..
LomaN, land feel confident the commission
SSTeS do something TO relieve the situation.
although of course, nothing definite was
given out We expect to have another ses-
sion with the commissioners before the
law goes into effect August % They said
they appreciated the difficulties in the way
OF following the letter of the law. We
cannot get these tariffs ready under three
months and then under the most favorable
cireumstances 1t is not only question
OF getting the tariffs ready but also a
question Of printers and typesetters.
I'VE told the commission of the cost OF
getting out local tariff and then Of pre-
pairing the joint rates. the labor required
and the printers inability to get men and
presses. There are 10000 places in the
United States that handle passengers and
freight and from which passengers and
freight are handled every year. There are
three classihcations of passengers and
thirty-eight classifcations of freight II
human ingenuity were able to compile
these tariffs required a large room would
not hold the result.
what does a passenger care about
freight or what does a shipper OF brick
care about the rate on tobacco? In all the
years this present law has been in effect
we have had but three cases where the
shipper went TO the agent for the tariff.
Railroad men are more than anxious to