The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1929-03-11
GIANT LOCOMOTIVE
DRAWSCROWDS ALL
sunday AT MANDAN
Mechanical Monster Studied by
Sightseers IN All Its Amaz-
ing Ponderousness

The largest locomotive in the world
vas Sunday show spectacle at Man
dan.
The bchemoth on wheels reached
here at Q o'clock Saturday evening
and was taken straight through to the
yards across the river, there spotted
east of the depot and at once became
the drawing point on which crowds
converged in the darkness for a sight.
Sunday there were two constant
streams OF cars going back and forth
on the paved highway. carrying sight
seers to the Mandan yard. The loco
motive was moved to the west OF the
depot. at the end Of string OF freight
cars. There the days crowds not
only viewed it and snapped pictures
of the giant. but they clambered all
over it to see what was inside as well
as outside. The inner parts in the
cab were boarded up, however.
The locomotive was not hooked up
TO- running The driving rods will
be put on at Glend!ve. for which dIvi-
sion point the engine was started to-
day. When it has been all hitched
up it vii. be serviced there and make
a trial trip back to Mandsn.
Drivers in Two Groups
Coming here the huge machine was
run deadhead at Is miles an hour.
Its behavio.. was studied by mechan-
ical staff men of the railroad. espe-
Cially how it took the curves. The
length of l25 feet ordinarily would
: make 1t ,lnWieldy Oh such stretches
of the road but its driving wheels are
arranged in two sets of four each.
which gives the necessary fleXibility
to the running parts for accommodate
ing themselves to curves.
W. j. Pangborn. an expert from the
American Locomotive Works. Sche-
nsctady. N. Y. where the monster
was built. is with the engine. Charles
SpOnScl. trainmaster at Dickinson
joined him here TO make the run
westward. The ponderous machine is
being given the closest attention. not
only to study its performance. but to
sec that nothing goes wrong with IT,
On its success in operation Will de-
pend the decision whether the N. p
Is TO buy any more OF the type. 1t is
planned TO put L. on the road If No
5000 pro- Nractical success
ia Of his .4Lg
Some idea OF the engines size is
possible by listing its specifications
It is 125 feet in length, weighs l,ll6.-
600 pounds W $50 tons 1t is a 2-8-3-4
type which in the railroad mans lore
is listing Of the rumber of truck
and drive wheels. The engine proper
weighs $4,000 pounds, the trailer
40l 600 pounds, It develops a trac.
tive force at 10 per cent cutoff o.
$4,000 pounds with a booster addin{
13.400 pounds of tractive power.
The width of the engine is II fee
inches In the widest portion CT tn
superstructure. The driving vince,
are 81 inches in diameter The graf
area Is 1872 square feet. The fire DO,
In fact, could contain two big auto
mobiles. end to end. This huge fue
NAV was necessary to give the boile
its heating surface of 7675 squar
feet for the q tons of Colstrip Goa
the box burns. The boiler pressur
is $50 pounds to the square inch.
Will Cut Train Miles in Half
The cylinders are 26 inches il
diameter, with 32-inch stroke.
The engine was put in service to d.
tht work of two Mikado locomotive
Of the new 1854 type on duty be
tween Mandan and Glendive. TIL
division has maximum grades of l.
per cent and the engine, it is hope'
by N. p. officials. will eliminate tn
necessity Of splitting trains. Unde
the old plan a freight train arrivin
at Glendive from the west with to
tai load of 1000 tons had to be spill
IN two trains.
Train miles will Le reduced so DC
cent by the new engine. if successful