The herald., 1921-10-27
locomotives Assem-.
bled In Local South
ern Pacific Shops

Final touches have just been added
to complete the construction OF
eleven huge locomotives in the
Southern Pacific Railroad shops at
Algiers. \ twelfth engine of the
same type was built recently at the
cOmpauys shops in Houston, Tex.
This is the first time the South
ern Pacific. or any other railway
system has ever attempted the con-
struction of its own locomotives in
this district, and officials are en-
thusiastic over the service the en-
gines which are now in use are
rendering, and q are planning to
broaden the scope of the work as
soon as conditions will permit.
The work at the shops in Algiers
was under the supervision of Super
intendent \. II. Oelkers, and the
plans for the locomotives were
dawn by him while he was superin-
tendent OF the Southern Pacific shops
in Houston.
The locomotives are the "MikadO"
type built especially for heavy
freight service, although some of
the new engines are being pressed
into passenger service temporarily,
J. +. Kilduff, chief clerk at the
shops said. They were turned out
at cost of approximately $4,000
each, and are larger it is claimed
| than any locomotive ever used by
| any railroad in the state of Louisi-
ana, and among the largest in use
! by the Southern Pacific on any of
| its lines. The total weight of en-
CINE and tender is $4,000 pounds.
and the engine alone weights more
than 2S1,00O. All the engines use
crude oil for fuel and the tanks
have a capacity of approximately
800 cubic gallons each. The water
tank is of 10000 gallons displace-
ment.
The "Mikado" type of engine has
; two small leader" wheels, four
: truck" wheels and eight drivers"
engines are 63 inches in diameter,
: and will pull aload approximately
? sixteen feet in one revolution. The
pull or tractive power available
. is 51,075 pounds, and the total
power created and utilized is cap
able of pulling a train of 200 loaded
freight cars at the rate of 80 miles
a per hour over level districts.
: The first two of this dozen loco
:, motives are built in the shops in
i Algiers late in 1919, the work hav-
J. ing been suspended because of diff
:, ficulty in securing material, and the
l. urgent need of repairs to engines
/, then in use. Construction was again
J., resumed in August, 1920, and went
y steadily forward, a new locomotive
!, being turned out ever six weeks,
1 until the twelfth was given it's final
. touches of paint.
2 The entire work of assembling
., was done at the Algiers shops. Prac-
, tically all the materials was manu-
, featured by the Southern Pacific in
/, their various shops. The boilers
: were made i'm the shops at Houston.
2 the valve motions in FL Paso, the
. castings at Houston, and many OF
: the bolts, valves and smaller parts
: in Algiers.
The Algiers shops at the present
time employ about 400 men. 1900
! of whom are engaged directly in
shop work, and 200 about the yard.
and other incidental work, and the
/. total payroll amounts to approx
mately $165,000 per month.
Among the employees who contrib
! uted to the construction of the huge
= engines are about 125 apprentices
!, who are being given a course of in
instruction. The students are given
\ three hours of class work every day
: from nine o'clock in the morning
!. until noon. in addition to their regu-
i lar instruction in the various shops
), Courses of instruction are given in
J. sheet iron work, boilermaking, wood
Y work, machine work, blacksmithing
J. and car making.