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

these bang the engine NO. 50 winch
pulls the shop train. The others arc
used for switching service at various
points alSng the line The chief Work
done in the shop. however, is repair
ing and soverhau1fng railway engines
On an ayerage 45 of these large mo-
guls are turned out every month, al
ter having been given complete over
hauling s3ld being made Just as good
as new.
AS can easilv be imagined in so
large an tnsrit Ition as Silvts shops.
system As everything. Each man is
npecialist in his own particular line OF
work. and knows Just exactly what he
is expecde6 TO do and where he is ex-
pected t.b work. The machinists are
divided iup into several groups or
gangs. e4ch gang having a foreman.
who in tutrn reports TO the general fore
man. when an engine is taken into
the sbop.s it is turned over to some in
dividual dang foreman, who looks af-
ter the erIgine while in lis department
After he has finished his particular
line of york, IL ia turned over to
another foreman and sc on until II Is
completed The different shops are
divided up into departments. The
machine shop. for example, is a struc-
ture S64 feet long and 375 wide, and
Is divided up into three bays, north
center and south. The south bay is
what is called the machine side, In
which are moIU TED the different ma
chimes which ara used IN manufactur
ing and finishing all new work. In the
center OF he south bay on the machine
side is the tool room at which all OF
the hand tools. such as air drills, air
hammers. etc are kept and a sign on
the railing around the tool room indi-
Gates a. which window each particular
tool is 70 be called for. Each workman
is provided with several checks bear
ing a NUN ber. and when he goes to
tfe tool room and takes too out he
,sJrrenders me of these checks which
is retained until the tool is raturned
by him. The enter bay of the shop is
used for tie stripping, erecting and
finishing of TIL engines while in the
north bay ia heated tie boiler tank,
carpenter. and amt shdos. The boiler
SuOD lS at lnS GAIL vast NLNs IL
] the boiler dekartmenrt are mounted
large hydraulic 2uid Pneumatic ma
chimes with Ysnch the heavy pieces
Of sheet metal. making - firebox OF
an engine, apsi handle4 9th as muca
ease as our gfandfatber4 would have
4 handled sheet OF tin. HE they have
J what is knosn as a III riyeter, e"
which drives the lar,e Flvets under
hydraulic pressure of 50 pounds per
square inch. Also hyrtIlic punches,
punching froLn one p six holes il
e heavy sheets each oIrarion.
Il When an engine brought 10 the
shop to be dterhaul it is taken TO
c the east end Of thsshop, which is
ie known as tie "boi yard" of the
p tracks, wher4 engins are kept until
d they are take q into Il shop AS soon
n ~, b. s1.ICp ttsopie are sGy for Il the
gs engine is placed on tekashing pit
ie- and is given a bath his is done
on by throwing no. water ner high pres
or sire through hcse. the exposed
$50 p;sl Is of the engine, adm this way
o. N. 81 Of the dirt ana esase are re-
. noFed before the malis enters the
S@Sh liz NAAG4-AC AS h~-A<AASd " ltiC
stripping pit and cnetely taken
IN apart. and such prtsas driving
boxes. eccentric straI- 6, that have
a not been cleaned II hot water
civ method are sent 70 hdEe vat and
ri cleaned in a solution of austic soda
Ike On being taken out 10y Il then sent
To TO the various depart en5n the shop
be and inspected. and 4 fod to be de-
'rt- fective they are eithe reired or re-
Is placed by new parts1.s ID individual
case may require.
ue, In case an enginet ee4a new fire
ust box, the back end . q OF of the
to- boiler on the strippi and taken
nd Immediately TO The tileihop. where
For the Old hrebox is CT oand a new
;ks f1reboX made and apiliefThe engine
bic in the meantime is akep bodily by
ed the large travelling SrsIind carried
nd TO pit in the erecting ST where are
lde located a series OF trac1iegonal to
Ter track fl the center ofs shop aud
M which somewhat reseml the back
70 bone OF a fish. or q largaale There
lis. most of the heavy woiof tearing
at down and replacing is q and it is
'oA wonderful to watch .thJstem with
d which the work IS hal dl -every man
eu knowing JUS what IS Tx is, with
" the result that aacA eee ID tom
- apart and reassamtt ed4thou. the
zo sliFhtest bit of colfutiod
-, After an engin, as b reassem-
.it 6led. it is then aai1 81 pid up by the
travelling crane sAi Hskee thsl west
y-i OF The uhor, ~ III rlr Ion me nj