The Globe-republican., 1908-02-20
HAS SEVERE TEST
HOW RAILROAD LOCOMOTIVE IS
TRIED OUT"
Actual Work on the Road Is Super.
seeded by Observations Mechanically
Made by Engineer In Or
binary Roundhouse.


builder, rolled out Of the construc
ton shops, possessed Of the idea that
somewhere near by awaited a Con
gressional Limited or a "Pennsyl
vanla Flyer or a Pennsylvania Lin
tied train ready for her. Instead
No. 0O0O went on a treadmill to test
her power, says an Altoona (Pa.) dis
patch to the New York Herald.
Because Of the care with which she
was built, engine No. 5000 thought
that she was about the best thing that
ever had been turned out in the loco.
motive line. Naturally she thumped
and snorted when she slid into tbs
big roundhouse in Altoona, with dead
engines lying all about her, and
climbed up on a peculiar continuance
which seemed to be just so many huge
wheels revolving on axles so arranged
that wheel met each Of hers. To
her wonder an engineer climbed into
the cab, two firemen took their posi-
ton, and soon she found herself hum
ming with all the power of which she
was capable. The steam shot into
her tubes and chests, her great wheels
began to revolve and she found her.
self running away.
ooh, dear!" she said, tearfully, "I'll
smash something, I'm sure-Tll go
through the side of the shop. I'll hurt
somebody or I'll hurt myself, I'll"
She stopped. To her surprise she
was doing nothing Of the kind. AS
fast as her wheels revolved so did the
wheels upon which she rested She
wasn't going anywhere, and although
her driving rod became simply a
sheen of steel she remained station
airy. She was on the treadmill, as
helpless as kitten, and what was
more, she was at the mercy of one
man in greasy overalls, who was max
Ing her perform as easily as train
er manages puppy In vaudeville.
In the old days when an engine was
built it was the custom to test her
by sending her out on the road. Kip
ling once wrote story describing
how one Of the Pennsylvania aristo-
Gratis was tried out It was usual
then to take the engine, hitch on
heavy freight cars, send her out over
the line, on levels and tangents, on
curves and grades, until she showed
what was in her. But nowadays the
railroad men want to know more, and
they want to know it before they in
trust passenger or freight train to
her mercies.
The man in the overalls got as
much out of No. 5000 before he was
through with her as a small boy gets
out Of an orange. When he left her
on the tread the first thing he did
was to let her wheels revolve to ca
pacity for in that way he figured the
maximum speed. Then he coupled to
her an arrangement with dial at
tachment and began to test for her
pulling power. BY a backward pull
he made her draw the equivalent of
everything from baggage car to
milelong freight train.
Now she was to all intents and pur-
poses racing over the Jersey mead
ows, the track clear and the way
straight, now she was striking the
grade on the other side of Johnstown
and painting like human being In dis
tress. Stronger and stronger grew
that backward pull, until No. 5000
found herself slowing up. She begged |
and squealed and groaned, but the
pull was merciless. Slower the wheels
revolved and then she stopped-she |
had reached her limit. She darted |
forth again, only TO be checked, and |
after a time she was required to
start, or try to start, again, with every
brake, bar, lock and lever set wrong.
This was to learn her starting power
"a most important thing in railroad
ing. She got away again and then
came down to the fine points of the
test.
All the time the engine was pulling
and hauling, racing and checking, her
steam gauges and water gauges had
been telling little stories of their own,
and their stories were listened to with
interest. They were telling about the
pressure Of the steam in the boiler,
with the amount of water and coal
used. They were saying whether the
Of fuel was producing the
maximum Of steam or whether there
was a mistake somewhere. They were
telling as plainly as words will wheth.
or the boiler was large enough for the
CRATE or the CRATE too large for the
boiler
Speed and pull and pressure and ef-
'ectiveness Of parts do not end the
.ests of No. 5000. Another important
hing is determined while she Is on
he treadmill, and that is her best
Dad. 1t is strange, but true, that en-
zines for some reason never are ex-
lctly alike. Once the test was to
itch cars to an engine until she
ay down and CRIED" as they said;