Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-01-30
U. s. LOCOMOTIVES DO
BIG WORK in FRANCE
Husky Young Americans Are
Operating Railroad
to Verdun
---a----.a.
PHILADELPHIA ENGINES
German Car That Brought Munich
Beer to France Now Serving
Republics Army
PHILADELPHIA ENGINES
By HENRI BAZIN
Sfd1 Correspondcnt EUcniuO Public Lcdgcr
uuh the American ArnU III France

WITH 1liE AMERICAN ARMY IN
FRANCE, Dec 2S-Thc major is an :
old friend. During the late summer
met him for the first time, and then in
the dark. II was in the blackencd streets
of an ancient city when he hailed me
and asked if l was one of his men and
invited me to walk by his side during n
flve-mile tramp to an entraining point
where his regiment Of Railway I;nri-
neers. u. s. A.. was about to leave for
the front. AS detailed in months old
article. the troops under his command
were going to take complete control of a
French railroad running from Vcrdun
TO n point some forty miles behind the
line. | had gone up and witnessed their
taking this control and left with the
promise to return when 1 could
30 in a typical blizzard of snow and
blow I motored there the other day.
The major gave me the glad hand" and
said:
Things are going fine. my boy, And
for the past fortnight they have gone
even better than that. because we have
American engines. Philadelphia.made at
Baldwin's. They are the "hog" or con-
solidation type, and each one does the
work of three French engines I'll take
you out on run over the road Wen
motor over to Nerdun and catch the
31s this way"
Just outside the heroic city I climbed
aboard engine No. with the major
We had previously inspected the train
which 1 was told consisted of forty-hve
cars. eleven of ''permissonaircs" and the
balance enpties. The second from the
engine ] noted was a German car that
way back in 1914 had brought Munich
heer to Ncrdun and since has clrted
many a ton of supplies to the French
army.
ENGINEER LIKES JOB
The engineer of No. . was Il big
husky, blue-eyed chap, who gave me
his hand with a real grip. His fireman
was slight in comparison, but his grip
had punch, too. Both were in ,haki
and campaign hats, wearing blue over
als outside their uniforms I am de-
barred from mentioning their names. of
course, but If I say they were typically
American in manner, attitude and ap-
pearance ] will have done something in
describing them.
How do you like it?" asked the en-.
gineer.
Fine" he answered "and since we
have been running these engines it's al
most like home when | ran fast pas
scnger on the Santa Fe. have to keen
this lady under wraps all the time. for
out here speed doesn't count. It's safety
first and running on time always. about
twelve miles an hour. with waits at the
stations. 1t sure does sound good TO
me when l blow that whistle. n regular
American sound stead of that little
screech on the French engines we had
hrst. Bill has protection. too, when he's
firing. He doesn't stand out in a rain
storm while he's filling up. And this
seat near my throttle is like an arm
chair to me.
The run as the crow flies is about
two-thirds the rail. That's because wind
ing about and through these woods
makes us harder target Tor the Boche
planes that come over now and then
They have not bothered us very much.
We Just go on our little way and let
IL go at that Most of our runs are
made at night, when we have thirty
fve trains between ! p. m. and a. m
Not many day runs. except 'empties
and some 'permissionaires.' as on this
train Come over to this window anC
look out. The train looks like snapped
whip behind us"
TRAINS, IN FRANCE
l crowded beside him and stuck out
my head, | could see every car in line
behind, The sky was very gray and a
singing, blowing snow was falling. We
were making our way through scrubby
oak wood slowly, pulling smoke in II
,,.n ran i'ni tne snort STACK EVERY
- w%iiie WINS t,e ileiilal'' VINO had nreu
WI ms mate on the santa Fe 100
80 p'e u, H"'t,e WIN PICN
49, 'no' 10 ' e1eu s llt" tne hrtpoN WIN
ou Pc .eu' Ho'l puNueltu coal ~
~ nah 49, J, sI'te Hp'eau os er
,,,r,o,. a., 'S ''e 'e"' e'" VI d
prasonti,, - .,
rough n,o,5o, h,,,,Si,' -, " s'os'o'' vi, "
came a khaki-clad station master. For
ery man on the iihe Is american, sta
n. e"I.cn'ien, praheiheii' track
rnthir Sn Wn emsine ereWs Anere
Ill. s Srehs, s, aoout .n's road, even tne
ga -. s' t'1 ea,s anu me iahuscape
an,.. e He's"' ""uieu' oe 1t living OF IN
m,,n 1,. A.. .,.
,,,n,,t NH, 'ne e,at'ol was twenty
trai, ,a,,or ioo,as s's'e .,i o,aen roau ana @
b,ocis is c,ear ,hn St., om % uien tne
nbone coIiis;ors 90 is,',is,n Ii'"s ps
dents are raro ard cons,nt g., H. -,
OF derailments now and then. ONLY three
have occurred in four months: and in
three hours tracks were clear and traf.
f:c resumed.
See that bunch of stuff over there
about hundred yards beyond the sta.
tion?" said the engineer. ITS what's
left of a Boche plane that a Frenchmar
brought down the other night. / saw
the stunt in the clear moonlight, The
Boche came down as IL about to land
hut perhaps 5OO feet I'M he drained
like a stone. with the Frenchman circlins
above him, for all the world like a hawk
There were two Boches i'm the machine
with Photographic apparatus and talk
ipu nx,li IN inf