Locomotive Engine Running and Management

In this exacting age, the traveling public are much more disposed to find fault with systems that do not provide against fatalities resulting from human fallibility, than to com...

The nature of the service required of locomotive engines, especially those employed on fast-train service, makes it necessary that the steam-distribution gear shall be free from...

Fig. 19 is an outline of a link-motion such as is generally applied to the American locomotive. It can be adjusted to control the movement of the slide-valve in such a manner th...

Locomotive engine running is one of the most modern of trades, consequently its acquirement has not been controlled by the exact methods associated with ancient guild apprentice...

Some of our most successful engineers, the men who pull our most important trains daily on time, attribute their good fortune in avoiding delays, to training they received in yo...

When it is found that an engineer runs his engine for months on arduous train service, and has no trouble with his rods, he may safely be credited with knowing his business, and...

As the purpose of a locomotive engine attached to a train is to take that train along on time, and as engines are generally rated to pull cars according to their size, it is of...

The following is the form of questions put to firemen on one of the most prominent railroads in this country before they are admitted as competent for promotion, and the kind of...

Throughout a very wide area of territory in the United States and Canada, limestones, or various forms of calcareous rocks, constitute the upper rock stratum immediately underly...

In the engineering practice of the world, before the locomotive and marine engines came into use, there was no need for devices to make engines rotate in more than one direction...

Injectors have made remarkably rapid strides into public favor during the last ten years. It is a safe prediction to say, that, before the end of another decade, there will be n...

In the last chapter, some details were given of the methods pursued in starting out with a heavy fast freight train. Where a train of that kind has to climb heavy grades, specia...

By far the greater proportion of American locomotive engineers are employed on freight service. On most roads, the freight engines constitute from seventy-five to ninety per cen...

The capacity of engines is generally expressed in horse-power, which is a measurable quantity; but, for several reasons, that method of indicating power has not been usually app...

There is something pathetic in the spectacle of a noble locomotive, whose speed capabilities are so wonderful, lying with its wheels in the air, or sunk to the hubs in mud or gr...

The New York and Chicago limited express train, run on the Pennsylvania system of railroads, passes over the distance of 912 miles between the two cities in twenty-five hours an...

In this form of valve-gear, eccentrics and their equivalents are entirely dispensed with. The motion for the valve is taken direct from the connecting rod; and by utilizing inde...

Most of intelligent machinists engaged on engine-work, make it an object of ambition to learn to set valves; and the operation is mastered as soon as the opportunity offers. It...

The piston is an autocratic member of the machine. For thousands of miles it toils to push the engine ahead, every thing going smoothly so long as it is confined to its recurrin...

Trouble and affliction are known to have a purifying and elevating effect upon human character; difficulties encountered in the execution of work, develop the skill of the true...

The locomotive engine which reaches nearest perfection, is one which performs the greatest amount of work at the least cost for fuel, lubricants, wear and tear of machinery, and...

It used to be the universal custom, that, when an engine arrived from a trip, the fire was drawn, and the engine put into the round-house for ten or twelve hours before another...

On railroads where the system of “long runs” for locomotives prevails, there is a locomotive inspector employed, whose duty it is to thoroughly examine every available point abo...

The hill which our train encounters nearly at the beginning of the journey is the _Pons Asinorum_ of the division. The style in which it is ascended shows what kind of an engine...

The present tendency of steam engineering, in the effort to increase the work performed in return for every pound of fuel consumed, is to employ steam of very high pressure. The...

In the course of these pages, reference has several times been made to the indicator. This instrument is of great service to the steam engineer in helping him to determine with...

This motion has been designed by A. J. Stevens, General Master Mechanic, Central Pacific Railroad, to overcome the well-known objections to the link-motion,--viz., letting the s...

The Vacuum Brake, as the name implies, is operated by means of a vacuum which is formed in the connections that act the part of the cylinder in the air-brake. With an air-brake,...

The Locomotive Slide-valve.--Invention and Application of the Slide-valve.--Description of the Slide-valve.-- Primitive Slide-valve.--Outside Lap.--Some Effects of Lap.--Inside...

Invention of the Westinghouse Atmospheric Brake.--Distinct Classes of Inventions.--Benefits conferred on Train Men by Good Brakes.--First Trials of the Westinghouse Atmospheric...

Running Worn-out Engines.--Care and Energy defy Defeat.-- Watching the Exhaust.--The Attentive Ear detects Deterioration of Valves.--Locating the Four Exhaust Sounds.--Identifyi...

Reliable Men needed to run Locomotives.--Early Methods of making Locomotive Engineers.--Practice of raising Engineers from Machinists and Technical-school Graduates not found sa...

How Water gets mixed with Lime.--Expense entailed by using Bad Water.--Efforts of Master Mechanics to secure Good Water.--Loss of Faith in Purifying Methods.-- Scale-making Agen...

Preliminary Explanations.--Definition of Terms used.-- Conditions.--Problems Involved in Laying Out Link-motion.--To find the Position of Crank when the Piston is at Full and Ha...

Invention of the Injector.--Trying to find out how the Injector worked.--The Principle of the Injector’s Action.--Different Forms of Injector.--A Heater-pipe acting as an Inject...

Care of Locomotive Rods.--Functions of Connecting-rods.-- Effects of Bad Fitting.--Striking Points and Clearance.-- Watching Rods on the Road.--Side Rods.--Adjustment of Side Ro...

Special Skill and Attention required to get a Train up a Steep Grade.--Getting Ready for the Grade.--Working up the Hill.--Wheel-slipping.--How to use Sand.-- Slippery Engines.-...

Trouble develops Natural Energy.--Shortness of Water a Serious Predicament.--How to deal with Shortness of Water.--Watching the Water-gauges.--What to do when the Tender is foun...

Attributes that make a Good Engineer.--How Engineering Knowledge and Skill are Acquired.--Public Interest in Locomotive Engineers.--Ignorance _versus_ Knowledge.-- Illiterate En...

Running Freight Trains.--The Engine.--The Train.--The Division.--Pulling out.--Hooking back the Links.-- Working the Steam Expansively.--Advantage of Cutting-off Short.--Boiler...

Importance of Locomotives Steaming Freely.--Essentials for Good-steaming Engines.--Causes Detrimental to making Steam.--Petticoat-pipe.--The Smoke-stack.--Obstructions to Draugh...

Calculating Power of Locomotives.--Proportion of Adhesion to Traction.--Estimating Tractive Power.--Horse-power of Locomotives.--Formulas of Train Resistances.--Experiments of T...

Importance of the Piston in the Train of Mechanism.--Causes that lead to Broken Cylinder-heads.--Broken Cylinder-heads often Preventable.--When a Main Rod breaks.--Crank-pin bro...

Early Reversing Motions.--Invention of the Link.-- Construction of the Shifting Link.--Action of the Link.-- Valve-motion of a Fast Passenger Locomotive.--Effect of changing Val...

Average Speed.--Speed between Jersey City and Philadelphia.--Requisites of a High-speed Locomotive.-- Making up the Fire.--Getting ready for the Trip.--The Train to be pulled.--...

The Men who learn Valve-setting.--Best way to learn Valve-setting.--Preliminary Operations.--Connecting Eccentric-rods to Link.--Marking the Valve-stem.--Length of the Valve-rod...

Getting Ditched.--Dealing with Sudden Emergencies.-- Stopping a Freight Train in Case of Danger.--Saving the Heating Surfaces.--Getting the Engine on the Track.-- Understanding...

Locomotive Inspectors.--Good Engineers Inspect their own Engines.--What comes of neglecting Systematic Inspection of Locomotives.--Confidence on the Road derived from Inspection...

Running over Ordinary Track.--Stopping-places.--Knowledge of Train-rights.--Precautions to be observed in approaching and passing Stations.--The Best Rules must be Supplemented...

Principal Duties of an Engineer.--Carrying Water in Boiler.--Procedure when Short of Water.-- Boiler-foaming.--Disconnecting the Engine.--Slipping an Eccentric.--Breaking a Valv...

Raising Steam.--Precautions against Scorching Boilers.-- Starting the Fire.--Fireman’s First Duties.--Saving the Grates.--Supplies.--Engineer’s First Duties.--Reaching his Engin...

Description of Motion.--How to Apply this Gear to American Locomotives.--Construction Directions.--How Lap and Lead are Regulated.--Advantages claimed for the Motion.-- Action o...