Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-07-01

taken care of for Ihe system. After
each part Of headlight equipment is re-
paired, it is tested with regular elec
trio headlight dynamo mounted in tEe
basement for this particular purpose.
Here one sees just what makes tie
brilliant headlights which We set fash
ing through the darkness.
Just west of the shop building is 10
Gated the roundLouse, where engines
are brought in to receive light ruC-
ming repairs. That is, the engines
come in off the road, the fire is knock
ed, and then are put in the roun l.
house until a train Is made up. AS
soon as an engine IS needed, It is
! fired up and again taken out of the
round house, and coal, water and SAM
are put on before starting on the run.
East of the roundhOuse we find ;ha
! coal chute, on which coal is dumped
/ into all OF the engine tanks. Unlike
most of the coal chutes where the
coal is pushed up the tresue into ht
chute by an engine and then shOvel-I
! by hand into pockets or bins, there IS
a long steel cable connected with
drum operated by motor at the IL
end OF the chute. This cable is at
tached to a car at the bottom OF IN
! trestle and car is drawn up by cleo
trio power and is let down in the 6are
way. Instead of shOveling it up into
the bins, there is series of cross
bars with openings just tsle size that
the coal should be for use. The coat 5
dumped on these bars and then bruk'
en- up and allowed TO drop through
them into the bins through which 1t IS
dumped in TO the tanks.
/ To one not familiar with mechan-
1 ical devices ana labor-saving machin-
| cry, there are many interesting things
10 be seen IN the shops. Here a ma
chine known as the oXy-acetylene weld
J ing machine is in use, which, by
mixture Of oxygen and acetylene, pro-
duces a fame the heat of which is so
intense that half-inch sheet of steel
is cut in two BY this method the
shops are enabled in many instances
to cut a sheet on the engine without
being CON PEELED TO take il from the
engine and over to the large cutting
( shears. On one machine known AZ a
driving wheel lathe one sees the tires
of a large pair OF driving wheels being
turned down. The heavy machine and
heavy tools are used 10 cut the steel
tires in strips as though it was a piece
of pine board.
One great advantage to the shop is
the electric travelling cranes which
have been mentioned. In the south
bay there are two of 31a-ton capacity,
and one of lotion capacity. In the cen
ter bay two of 50-ton capacity each.
and two l-ton capacity each, while in
the north bay are one 5-ton capacity
and one Potion capacity. The two so.
ton cranes in the center bay are used
for extremely heavy work, such as pick
ing up locomotives, etc. The two l.
ton cranes travel he entire length OF
the shop just underneath the 5O-ton
cranes These small cranes are used
for handling the light work, thus leav-
| ing the large craze for heavy duty
At the present time there are so en-
gines which have Just been turned out
of chop in serviceable condition stored
at Silvis. These will be kept In stor-
age until such time as they are needed
for the rush season next fall.
A paid fire department of 10 men, in
GLIDING the chief, Is maintained by the
shop. The members of this depart
ment all live at n, hotel located north
west OF the she, land are ayailabl at
all times both and night.
! The shops o. " evidence of being
well managed. b no doubt within the
near future ID Slant will be enlarged,
as there is pt T. OF ground available
/ for that puTpf
| George w. Hdel, superintendent of
the big plant Slvis, served his ap-
/ premiership ~ an eastern line In
Ohio. Rising Iom the ranks, he serv-
ed as foremaItbf the various branches
/ OF the mechaIcal denartment finally