Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-10-23
WILL CHANGE ITS
MOTIVE POWER
Denver g. Rio Grande Railroad to
Go Back to Old Simple
Action Engines.
COMPOUND NOT A SUCCESS.
Theoretically Principle Is Nn Right.
But Docs Not Work out ON ucn,,
Mountain Down Grades.

The Denver & Rio Grandc mechanical
department is Co make q radical change
i7 "a part OF IT'S motive power. by tho
alteration of It's compound locomotives
over into simple action engines. This
u.s. the result OF a long experience with
this class OF motive power which has
not proven profitable. and the suporIu-
tondent OF motive power and the mau-
agcmont OF the road have come to the
conclusion that the compound is not "a
success. This style OF engine has four
cylinders. two high pressure and two
low pressure the 1.-Two steam from the
boiler entering the high pressure. and
then being used over again iu the low
pressure cylinders, thus doing double
work before escaping through the stack.
Theoretically, this principle is "a most
excellent one. and under favorable cone
ditious tho compound locomotive win du
economical work, that is, where central
repair shops are within easy reach. and
there are no mountain ranges 90 climb
over. But on the mountain roads this
engine pounds itself to pieces" rune
ming down hill and iu general tho
Cylinder-steam chest mechanism De- $50
complicated that 40 IS easy to get out OF
order and requires Intelligent and cone
engineers. Then the parts are hard to
get at. and whereas, 90 has been claimed
that the compound throws no sparks.
runners here say n does throw SPARKS.
though not as badly as tho simple act
ing, or two-cylindor engine.
COMPOUNDS GAVE TROUBLE.
The compound was introduced in this
state by Col ID. G.. Dodge when mama
# hn F.a ...
eighties The Baldwin compound was
the engine. and these locomotives were
iu trouble right OF. The runners We're
continually complaining of their getting
out Of order, and they WerC continually
ln FOR repairs The frame f1rgug-
were increased on the next orders. from
4 inches 10 "a inches. Co stand the exc
ira strain from the weight on the sad-
Ole Of the extra cylinders and Connec-
lions. This helped a good deal but tho
piston valve kept giving trouble, and 90
required long series OF experiments
by the manufacturers 20 evolve the
present cage" style. Then there was
q good deal Of trouble with back pres
sure. and the runners were at their
wits end at times 20 know how 10 make
repairs on the road that We're often nee
essary. IL was found a great advantage
TO have the four-cylinder in climbing
the hill, as by a lever. the engine could
be changed from compounding into
straight acting, and thus take live
steam in the four cylinders But on go-
ing down on the other side, the pound
ing overbalanced an this advantage
SIM there have been so many ecOnom-
zeal points about this pattern OF ma
chine, that master ulecluuics were
loath 70 give 70 up, oXaspcratilR as it
was when some things We're consid-
cred. But now the simple acting loco
motive has been so perfected and inn
proved Of late years that the scanty
virtues OF the compound have lost their
value IN comparison. and now as fast as
a compound is brought into the shops
for repairs. her saddle viii be removed
and one holding two cylinders VIII be
substituted. The experience of the
Short Line is very much the same as
that OF the Rio Grande.