The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-13
STRENUOUS LIFE
 OF 4 LOCOMOTIVE
THE ORDINARY PASSENGER AND OBSERVER HAS LITTLE IDEA OF HARD AND PICTURESQUE WORK OF AN ENGINE.
From the spokesman-Reyiew.

From the Spokesman n-Review.
 To the ordinary traveler--especially when looking at one of the modern rype of hyers-the duties of railway engine would appear to consist solely in haul ing passengers and freight trains with all possible speed with the addition of shunting the various cars at the large rail- way centers and now and then at wayside country stations.
 There are, however, a hundred and one other odd jobs which fall to the lot of the less up-to-date locomotive during the course of the year. These tasks. often thankless, but none the less necessary, are performed by what may be termed the "Cinderellas' of the line.
 First. there is the conveying and tip ping of the train loads of new materials- rails, sleepers, etc.-requred for renewing and repairing the lines. The unloading of the requisites for repairing say, half a mile of road takes considerable time, and on a main line much care has to be exercised so as not to interfere with the ordinary traffic. The same precautions have to be taken in collecting the old materials for conveyance to the nearest storeyard there to be stacked for future Use In sidings, etc., or else to be sold as , scrap"
 Much time is spent in ballasting. namely, the tipping of the gravel or ashes used for filling in the spaces between the sleep CTS. Where ashes are used for this pur- pose many days are spent in the yards of the big iron and steel works, loading up the refuse from the furnaces, the managers of these firms being only too glad to let railway companies have the ashes free of cost, so as not to have their :. own valuable space covered with useless material.
 In the summer time there is the loading up of the hay made on the line side em- bankments and cuttings. This is con- veyed to the nearest station or market l town and sold.
 1 In the winter days and days are spent in snow cutting two or three engines be- ] ing utilized behind one snowplow. To see the snow fly before the combined weight of the locomotives and the blow Is a sight to be remembered
 Changes of staff often occasion the use of engine for the removal of the mems furniture from one place to another. This be done by the company free of charge.
 Slips and subsidences of the line some times call for the hurried use of an en- zine for the conveyance of workmen to the scene of operations and the same may be said for all derailments and accidents of greater or less magnitude. l For testing bridges the united weight of several heavy locomotives is often re- sorted to; and in the inspection of tunnels en engine and special open van-to allow l of a close examination of the roof and l walls-are used.
 l In addition to all these, there are al- ways numbers of engines engaged on new works in course of construction addi- tional sidings, bridges, etc. Frequently these are in the hands of contractors and in such cases the railway companies provide the engine power and charge the contractor at an agreed rate per hour for whatever time he utilizes their locomo- l tives
 Finally, we have engines for running spe- <! cials for inspectors in visiting scenes of accidents, examining new signaling appa- ratus etc., before bringing the same into 1 use.