Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-03-03
Maine CENTRAL
ENGINE, wA1ERvIllE,
CRANk|EST YET
(By An Old Timer in Portland
Expressly

(By An Old Timer in Portland
Expressly
loot, toot, toot. Every ten seconds
or oftener the steam from THO whistle
Of the old Waterville tore holes in the
air. Every ten seconds for several
minutes Engineer Charlie Evans called
frantically for brakes. to no purpose.
The Waterville, later known as No.
80. double heading on old Is. broke her
side rod, the end Of which thrashed
and whirled with every revolution of
the drivers. 1t stove the cab into
splinters, dumped old Charlie on deck,
tore a hole in the boiler, from which
steam and hot water was escaping
into the cab. Caught every now and
then on a sleeper, lifting her right hind
driver from the rails, and there was
great danger Of the old girl landing in
the ditch.
It was during clustering snow
storm. You couldn't see ten feet in
any direction. The wind blowing a
gale from the Northwest carried the
sound Of the whistle in the opposite
direction from the Fairfield wallowing
along behind. Hex engineer could not'
hear Charles call for brakes, neither
could he look into her cab.
Past the east switch at Hillside, past
the station and on beyond the west
switch half a mile away, the Fair
field turning her wheels as rapidly as
possible down the hill and showing the
Waterville bucking against her pilot
she went, before the engineer of the
Fairfield at last sensing something
wrong up ahead, applied the brakes
and brought them to a stop.
The 80 was a freighter and not
equipped with air. Charlie did not
dare to reach for the old johnson bar.
so near the flying rod, and it would
have been a questionable proceeding
to have hossed her over under the cir
cumStanceS.
After the nerve-rackins tension of
the last few moments, the 39's crew
were mighty glad to hustle out Of the
cab and look her over from the right
of way.
Nothing doing but to haul her fire
| disconnect, and let the Fairfield shove
her to the next station.
I do not cite this incident as one of
the old girls freaks, as any engine
running under the same conditions is
liable to have her side rod go back on
her. but rather, by way of an introduce
| ton to the old girl.
She was product Of the Taunton
Locomotive Works, vintage Of 1871,
just like her sister engines, the Show
hogan and Dexter, except in size Of
drivers. which were four feet, eight
inches, with cylinders 16x24 inches, and
her weight was about 40 tons. Although
she was beauty to look at, her dispo-
sition was vastly different from her
sisters, which were nicely behaved
and docile. Her regular run for many
years was on the Portland Bath
freight, round trip per day, and her en-
sineer. the late Charlie Evans, and her
only master.
In later years in spare construction
and switching service, she was han
died by many Of the younger engineers,
but she never forgot her old master,
and resented in many ways the touch
of any other hand.
Charlie could do anything with her
that any self-respecting engine would
allow. Shed pull for him, and she'd
stop for him, but what Is more to the
point, she'd stay where he put her. q
trick that many younger man failed
to acquire.
She was possessed with a healthy
Wanderlust. and would start on her
rambles whenever she took a notion;
that is, with any one except Charlie at
the throttle.
You might throw her johnson bar in
forward or back motion as the case de.
manded, when she started for a stroll
but she caused you to play with this
old bar, forward and back many times
before she'd change her mind and de-
eide to stop awhile. She had a great
ambition to explore the regions outside
the yard limits. Let me tell YOU of q
httle trip on 80. At Cumberland juno.
tlon the flag was out for orders. As
Cnarne was pretty close on Is sched.
uie, ne swung off when passing the
station. telling the f1reboy to haul dowr
a ways, so as to bring the conducto,
ahead more quickly. Having no worh
10 90 the brakemen followed the G.
ana r, INTO the station. The 1rebo,
nuhg ms head out the left cab window
| w ""Sii Aoi d nlSn Oal.
Immediately the old Wateryille con.
ciuoed shed back up to pick up Char.
ile' but the fireboy objected and mn,
her IN forward motion Then she seem.
ca IN great hurry to get to Portland
AGAIN she was reversed and she cam,
against ,'em. At last the firebov po,
urea OF trying to hold her and callef
Oh the brakemen to set 'em IN anf
hold her. ~ '''
Her throttle valve was reerounf
many times during her more than q
years service. but regardless of al
TINS she continued to do much as sb,
pleased Din
She gave some of the younger p,u,
puiiers up at WatervilIe, the time n
.helr lives. Ask some Of them tina,
handled her in the switching service.
she had great dislike for ,,rnt,
oies and If you got her spotted 20 no,
ance she wouldn't stay spotted.
The moment you started to turn ,.,r
look sharp. You'd have +o 81