The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-12-30
RAILROAD NEWS.
Average Locomotive Wastes
Tons of Fuel on Runs.
Utilization of Fuel Greatest
Railroad Problem.
CINDERS AND SPARKS.
Loss Through SmOkeStack I'M
pOrtant Difficulty.
L 10 nC%
CINDERS AND SPARKS
Other Items of General Interest
in Railroad Circles.

The man who buys his railroad tick
ct in the big spacious station, steps on
the warm and comfortable car and
reads in his newspaper about the inn
rnense amount of coal used by the rail-
roads every year has a very slight
idea of the manner in which the fuel
is used and the many ways in which it
is wasted by the railroads before they
are able to place it in a position TO
bring them motive power.
The Utilization of fuel in locomo-
tive is one of the greatest questions be-
fore the railroads of today and it is
attracting more investigation and new
fuel saving devices than any other de
partment of a great railway system. TO
find some way in which the elacticity
of the steam can be used, to prevent
and postpone condensation as long as
possible, to get every pound of steam
out of the coal used is the ambition OF
the motive power official today.
There are many ways in which a
locomotive wastes it's fuel. In fact
there are so many ways that the waste
is about as prominent a feature as the
strength Every railroad is constantly
making tests tc determine the main
source of the waste and some OF the
computations are interesting to the
novice who only knows the railroad
by the time card.
Very few people stop to think that
every time a locomotive whistles 1t is
wasting power. That every exhaust
from the smokestack is pouring out
millions of heated cinders and sparks.
That the little leaks always apparent
over The modern engine contribute to
the mammoth losses. That the starting
OF fires. the moving of the locomotive
to the train, the backing of trains in
or out of a station or siding, the pop
ping off of the safety valve. the heat
ing of the boiler while the engine is
standing still, the incomplete combus-
ton of gases. the heat and gases going
out through the stack. the stopping OF
trains at crossings-all of these things
cost the railroads a fortune.
Some of the Wastes.
Take the action of the Rock Island
in backing into the Topeka station, the
stopping at railroad crossings and
Mhistling, the backing of a train into
a siding-an every day occurrence with
the average passenger is loss to the
railroads. The simple question of stop
ring at railroad crossings and whistling
before going ahead means a mint of
and mine of coal year. This
is one reason that SO many railroads |
ever the country are installing inter
locking stations at their railroad cross |
ings.
The loss of heat by the losing of hot
cinders both through tine stack and |
down through the CRATES is a question |
that will occupy the minds of many in |
VentiVe geniuses before many years. |
1t is estimated that over eight million |
tons of coal can be wasted by a loco |
motive through this source. This is !
also matter that will make the rail- |
roads pay more attention to the daily |
work of the fireman. The skill in man
aging the fire in the firebox means |
about as much to the railroad along |
tuel lines as any other argument.
Some locomotive firemen are able to |
take a certain amount of coal at a |
certain ccaling station and make it do |
the work and save the road a ton of |
coal on the run. The next firemen will |
shovel ton more than his predecessor
and still he will not be able to give
MS engineer the steam. The distribut-
Use of the shovel and the mana ement |
If the fire is a most important item
n the steaming of an engine. OF course,
he skill of an engineer in the use of |
lis steam contributes heavily.
The greatest loss is always given TO
re firing up, switching, and the leak
,ge losses of a locomotive This series
s followed by the loss of heated gases
discharged through the stack. Then
he loss Of cinders and sparks through
he smokestack. These are followed in
rider by loss through radiation, leak
Ige of steam and water; required to
moisture contained by the
oal; loss through the unconSumed coal
ue1 in the ash; and the loss through
combustion of gases.
1t is with intense interest that the
officials over the country are
the tests made by the new