happened frequently, an angle-cock is closed on some part of the train, so that the engineer can not exhaust all the air, then it is apparent if the cars back of this

point are charged, the brakes which the engineer could not apply will be applied by opening a conductor's valve on that part of the train.

I'm a bumped and battered freight car on a sidetrack in the yard;

I am resting-resting gladly, for my life is cruelly hard,

And I seldom find an hour when I'm idle or at home,

For I'm usually loaded and am out upon the rdam.

I've been shunted in Seattle, I've been switched in Boston town;

I've been stranded in St. Louis, where I saw the train crew drown.

I've been snowed in up by Denver, I was wrecked in Council Bluffs, When the strike was in Chicago I was stoned by savage roughs.

I've hauled lumber in Wisconsin, I have helped move Kansas wheat;

I have camped within the stockyards till they filled me up with meat;

I have brought green watermelons from
the sunny, sunny South,
While the darkies gazing at me 'gan to
water at the mouth.

I have rambled o'er the Coast Line on the
California shore,

I have hauled the Lompoc mustard crop and Santa Anna ore.

I have been from Manitoba down to
Matagorda Bay,

While on every trip I've traveled on the
longest, slowest way.

I have hauled the toil-scared hobo by the dozens and by ones;

I have carried honest poor men in my longer westward runs ;

I have carried fleeing criminals, deepburied 'neath the corn

That from off the rustling ranches to the greedy mills was borne.

I have carried knaves from justice, I have carried fools to wealth,

Hauled the hopeless home to perish, hauled the invalid to health.

I have stood between the tourist and
the scenery he thought
Should be seen from sleeper window
when a "guide book" he had bought.

I have often lost an axle when the train was wrecked, and stood

For a week until the workmen found the time to make it good.

I've been everywhere, seen all things, been in sunshine, rain and snow. I've been idle for a fortnight, then for months upon the go.

I'm a bumped and battered freight car on a sidetrack in the yard; · There are chalk marks on my body-these my only calling card.

But I see the pony engine coming for me on the fly

No idea where I'm going or what for, but-bump-good-bye!

-S. W. Gilliam in Baltimore Herald.

Double Track Work.

The Block System.-We presume there are few, if any, double track lines in existence today where there is no form of block signal in use. The magnitude of traffic is taxing to the utmost the capacity of many a double track road, and the necessity for protecting the safety of persons and property demands that provision of this character be made. It is not claimed that the block signal system assists trains in getting over the road, either on single or double track. On the contrary, it is sometimes a hindrance to train movements; but the element of safety, being a greater consideration than that of speed, all are agreed that the block system is well-nigh a necessity on double track, and is nearly, if not quite, as important on single track, where it is practicable.

The simplest form of manual blocking, known as the "Telegraph Block System," using only the station train order signal, is efficient as far as it goes, but with additional signals, "home," "distant" and "advance," together with passing track switches controlled by the operator, the efficiency of this, or any other, system is greatly increased.

Train Movements.-For a double track road the great problem is to keep slow trains moving as far as possible ahead of fast ones. The present system of train orders, by which a delayed superior train is given orders to run a certain number of hours or minutes late, is far from satisfactory in many ways. It is very difficult to foresee how the train will run so as to give inferior trains the full amount of time possible, and when unexpected delays occur to the superior train after the orders have been delivered to it, inferior trains are usually the sufferers.

The Burlington method of handling trains on double track has been in use for more than three years and has proven very satisfactory. Briefly stated, the distinction of "class" is abolished and all trains have equal rights. The sole authority for a train of any kind to proceed is the block or train order signal, controlled by the operator. It is not concerned in any other train so far as time-table rights are concerned. It continues to run as

long as it finds clear signals, and when it finds a signal directing it to enter the siding it does so, and remains there until it receives a signal to leave it. The dispatcher supervises the movements of trains, but does it without the use of orders, simply communicating with the operators and directing them as to what signals to display. All trains have equal rights and the figures on the time-table are for traffic purposes only. No signals are carried to indicate extras, neither are trains run as sections.

Action by the American Railway Association. The defects in the ordinary system of moving trains on double track and the losses entailed by inferior trains, all of which contribute to diminishing the usefulness of the tracks, have for some time engaged the attention of the American Railway Association, and at its last meeting the Train Rules Committee of that organization presented a set of rules for the government of trains on double track which are on the same principle as those described.

The proposed code contains a provision for cases where local freights or other trains have work or may expect delay at sidings located between telegraph stations. The conductor of the train, in such a case, is to notify the operator at the station before entering such block section, giving him such information as he can relative to the probable time required to pass through the block, the operator to obtain instructions from the dispatcher whether to allow the train to enter the block or to hold it until a superior train shall have passed.

As indicated by this provision, the successful operation of this method depends largely upon the co-operation of dispatcher and trainman, the latter to give information, as nearly as possible, with regard to the work of his train, and the former to direct its movements accordingly. This rule might well apply to a train meeting with unexpected delay at a station, the dispatcher anticipating, perhaps, that it would pass without stopping. This would call for the exercise of good judgment on the part of both trainmen and operators, as the dispatcher's arrangements would depend entirely on information furnished by them.

We believe that the principle of placing all trains on an equality, in a train rules sense, will come to be recognized as the only correct principle of movement for double track. On such a road, thoroughly equipped with signals, the signalman being able to handle one or more of the passing track switches, whereby he can sidetrack a train or allow it to leave the siding, as the case may be, without stopping, if this principle were applied it would seem that inferior trains should get over the road with the least possible delay, and that the greatest number of trains which the tracks would permit might be run.

We believe, also, that the same principle, if applied to single track lines, and for trains in both directions, would result in a vast improvement over the present system of train orders, always more or less clumsy. This, however, would require much additional and improved equipment in the way of signals, reloca-, tion of many station buildings, and possibly some sidings, so that its extension to single track is not a probability of the near future, though with proper facilities we believe it practicable.

systems of two and four tracks are now using the Burlington method, and, we believe, are entirely satisfied with it.

Education for Double Track.-We believe that movement of trains on double track will claim increased attention in the next few years, not only for the reasons already stated, but because of the increase of traffic on many lines, making double track a necessity. Many single track lines will, before many years, be double track, and it behooves men to prepare for what is almost sure to come.

Those not acquainted with double track are accustomed to think that single track men are the only ones who must study methods for train movements, but there are many things that are important considerations in this way on double track. With the exception of making meeting points, dispatchers and trainmen are required to exercise the same ability and good judgment in getting trains over the road.

The Train Rules Committee of the American Railway Association is continuing its work on double track rules, and we shall look with interest for the result as it is made public from time to

When the western twilight lingers,
And the eastern sky grows dark,
Angel's show the tips of fingers

In the heavens-each a spark-
And the world lies in a quiet,

Like some great and silent tomb;
Then we trim and fix our headlight,
That must guide us through the gloom.

When we're rolling onward, steaming
Down the empire of the night,
Then our trusty headlight's gleaming
From its iron case and height,
O'er the prairies and the deserts,
'Mong the ancient mountain crags,
In the valleys, by the freshets,

'Gainst the fog down in the sags.

Should the western skies grow cloudy,
And the winds and rain begin,
And the thunders crash out loudly
Till we wish that we were in;
Then our headlight, brightly blazing,
Glistens 'long the wetted rails,
Where the deer are often grazing
Till the whistle loudly hails.

When the north winds madly bellow,
And the storm is beating fast,
And the balmy days, and mellow,

That we love, have all gone past,-
Then we buck on through the snowstorm
In the dark, yet moving slow,
With our headlight nearly covered
With a crust of sleet and snow.

right or left piston-valve chamber leaking. Therefore it is not customary to call it the steam chest. If it was a slidevalve engine and the chest was broken a new chest could be applied. With a piston-valve engine, and the valve-chamber broken, it would have to be patched or a new casting made, which usually consists of a cylinder and valve chamber with ports for the admission and exhaust of steam. The valve chamber is bored out large enough to insert a bushing, which is called a valve-chamber bushing.

128. Dimensions of Ports in Piston-Valve Engine. "How do you get the dimensions of

driving wheels, and the eccentrics are on the middle axle. She has worn out nearly three cross-head gibbs in one year and five months' service. The first one that was put on was said to be soft brass, and the next one applied only lasted about six months. The one now in use is nearly worn out and is babbitted. The trouble is all on the left side and the machinists say that the guides are in perfect line. Will you please say why they

wear out so fast on that side of the engine." J. E. K.

Answer. It would be difficult to say just what is the cause of the cross-head gibbs wearing faster on the left than on the right side of this engine, unless it was due to the difference in the metal of the gibb, or less oil was used on that side than on the other. If the engine has the sand box filled from the left side daily or the sand box is leaking, allowing sand

This brings to mind a valve that was made with a back to it like the angle shown by the fine lines at the cone-shaped cap, in order to reduce the pressure on the back of the valve, but it was found that the pressure on the valve seat was the same as on the valve with the flat back. Theoretically, we will take the above cut for an example and let. the diameter of the cylinder or pipe be 20 inches, drawn to a scale of 1 inch equals 1 foot. Let the interval pressure be 14.15 pounds per square inch tending to force the caps from the pipe or cylinder, represented by a line a b drawn to a scale of 12 pounds to the inch, or 1 pound per inch of scale of the drawing. Then the pressure on cap (1) equals the area of a 20-inch circle multiplied by 14.15, which equals 4,445 pounds.

to get down on the guides and between the wearing surfaces, that would cause excessive wear on that side. Cultivate the art of seeing things and you may locate it. We are unable to say why there should be a great difference in the wearing of the gibbs if they are of equal bearing surface and properly lubricated.

130. Pressure on Flat and Cone-shaped Surfaces. "If I take a piece of pipe, any length or size, and screw an ordinary cap on each end, my argument with a friend was that if one of them was a flat surface inside and the other was cone-shaped, as per sketch, the pressure would be considerably less on the cone-shaped end with any given pressure inside the pipe than it would be on the other end, which had a flat surface inside. I claim that the pressure will follow the angularity of the surface given to pressure. Please state the difference in pressures, and oblige?"-L. H. C.

Answer. There would be no difference in the pressure exerted on each cap, tending to force them from the pipe or to strip the threads, as the pressure is equal.

Let cap (2) be a 45° cone. Then the area of the cone will equal 444.5 square inches. Now the effective pressure on this area tending to remove the cap must be one-half the resultant of two forces, each equal to a b acting perpendicular to the surface of the cone, or at right angles to each other, as a b and a c, which equals the size of the angle of 45° multiplied by 14.5 pounds equals 10 pounds. Then 444.5 (area of cone in square inches) multiplied by 10 pounds equals 4,445 pounds, same as on cap (1). There is no difference.

131. Sling-Stayed Boiler.-"What is meant by a sling-stayed boiler?"-C. H. D.

Answer. A boiler that is built with crown bars, as is shown in sketch. Note that the ends of the crown bars rest on the side sheets, and that the bars are also supported between the ends by sling stays that are fastened to the crown bars and dome, or roof sheet of the boiler, which in turn hold the crown bolts that pass