The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-08-24

MOSCOW, Aug. ZZ.-J0nn r. Ste-
VEINS and his associates on the Ameri-
can Railway Commission now visiting
Russia for the purpose of assisting
the administration Of the Russian
railways in increasing their efficiency
have discovered many ways in which
transportation may be speeded up on
all Russian lines without additional
equipment.
The commission has advised the
United States government to supply
Russia with $500 more locomotives
and 10000 more freight cars as soon
as possible. However, it will be con-
siderable time before this rolling
stock can be manufactured and ship
ped to Russia. The shortage Of bot
toms on both the Atlantic and the
Pacific wifi delay the delivery of the
new rolling stock and additional
shops must be erected at Vladivostok
before such great quantities Of loco
motives and cars can be put together
speedily.
3 Meantime Russia must make the
most Of its available rolling stock and
locomtive power and the American
engineers are busily engaged assisting
the Russian railway officials in a
study of the immediate problems.
The Russian roadbeds are in ex-
cellent condition. Virtually all the
lines were well built originally and
the tracks have been kept up, chiefly
through the work of peasant women,
in spite Of the shortage of labor cre-
ated by the heavy draft the war has
made upon the male population.
After travelling the full length of
the Trans-Siberian line and inspect
ing many of the important lines in
Central and Southern European Rus
STA the American engineers have
found that Russian railway men are
working at great disadvantage in not
having up-to-date equipment for
coaling, watering and cleaning loco
motives.
At nearly all stations in both Euro
pean and Asiatic Russia, engines are
watered by means Of eight-inch pipes.
From twelve to twenty minutes Is re-
quired for work which is accomplish
ed in the United States in four or
five minutes. BY the installation of
twefve-inch pipes this delay can be
eliminated.
BY the Russian methods twenty
four hours is required to clean a loco
motive, coal it and get up steam
again. Coal chutes are lacking and
the fuel Is transferred from piles to
the tender by means of steam shovels.
Work that sould, be done In five MINI
utes with modern coaling apparatus
requires much time. Then the Rus
sian engine houses lack the hot wa
ter equipment necessary for the
washing out of boiler engines as soon
as the locomotive comes off it's run.
Engines are allowed to cool before
they are washed. Then the boilers
are washed with cold water. Steam
must then be raised in a stone cold
boiler before the locomotive is ready
| to go on it's run. With modern coal
ling apparatus and facilities for sup
plying abundant hot water to cleanse
boilers, the American railways coal
and clean an engine in four hours. a
saving of twenty hours over the Rus
| sian system.
Oil is used as fuel for locomotives
in Southern Russia but, in Siberia
| and Northern Russia, coal and wood
are the fuel. The facilities for load
ing wood are also bad and plans are
under way for improvements in the
system Water is Implied to passen-
ger cars by means of buckets at most
railway stations. Few stations have
the hose necessary for watering cars
in a hurry. These have not been re-
quired because engines took water SO
slowly and labor was SO abundant
that it was possible to supply the cars
with water by hand while the locomo-
tive was being cared for.
/ But now even the labor of women
must be economical as much as pos
sible. Women are required in the
fields to replace men. They are the
baggage handlers at most stations
and are even firing locomotives
Wages necessarily have risen with
the Increased cost of living and every
possible labor saving device must be
| used.
! Because of the lack of skilled la.
Dor, the inadequacy OF repair shops
and the scarcity Of metals and Other
supplies many locomotives on the
Russian railways are out OF repair
The American railway engineers have
advised an Immediate extension Of re-
pair shops and the employment O.
foreign mechanics. IL necessary, Il
restore these locomotives to SERVES
Immediately.
Pig iron is among the needs o.
Russia which officials have reported
to the American experts. Worn rail-
and other iron and steel have beef