the Klondike and the Yukon should be kept, as far as possible, wholly in Canadian territory. To attain such an object the resolution of the Vancouver City Council urges upon both the Dominion and Provincial governments that they take such steps as may, in their opinion, be considered advisable by subsidizing "by grant of money or land or guaranteeing the bonds of a railway company" that will undertake the early construction of such a line as outlined.-Railway World.

Automatic Drips for Steam Heat Equipment.Trainmen and others are now being given instructions regarding some of the steam equipment of the passenger coaches and baggage and mail cars of the Michigan Central. The main point upon which instructions are being given is the drip valve. On each side of the car upon the interior are two steam pipes, forming a circuit. The hot steam is admitted by a valve at the highest point in the center of the car; at the lowest point of the lower pipe, where the condensation is greatest, is a connection leading under the car, which is called the drip. For some time this drip valve was only an ordinary one.. If slightly open, it frequently served the purpose properly. If turned until wide open, the loss of steam was great enough to be objectionable to the powers that be in railroading.

The company then added to its equip ment an automatic drip valve which has also in connection an ordinary valve to be used at any time when the automatic drip valve was out of commission. The company believing that the men should have a better understanding of the automatic drip, equipped a car of instruction, and placed William W. White, of this city, in charge. The more dependence of the trainmen upon the automatic drip is the service sought, as it is claimed that too indifferent use of the ordinary drip valve wasted steam, consequently fuel, and besides the hot steam not only creates a cloud of steam under the car, but it frequently damaged the paint and varnish upon the coaches.

The automatic drip valve is an interesting contrivance. In the bottom of the drip, where it is subjected to the escaping steam and water, there is a diaphragm, made of thin copper. It is filled with alcohol. Alcohol, as is well known, contracts and expands according to the temperature. Consequently when the hot steam and water is about the alcoholic

diaphragm it expands, and when the steam goes down and condenses, the diaphragm contracts. A stem leads from this diaphragm to the valve above, opening and closing it according to the temperature of the steam and water in the pipe. The men with the train often open the drip valves themselves, in cold weather, to give a free and active circulation of hot steam. It can be seen that the theory of the automatic drip is, that when the cold condenses the steam, the diaphragm will contract and thus open the valve so that the steam will circulate more freely and raise the temperature of the car. On the other hand, if the car is too warm, naturally the hot steam acting upon the alcoholic diaphragm will close the valve and diminish the radiation.-Jackson (Mich.) Press.

A Petrol-Driven Motor Train.-The following is taken from the Railway News, London, England:

"The Wolseley Company, of Birmingham have," says the Daily News, "for a considerable time been engaged upon the construction of a petrol driven motor train for the North-Eastern Railway Company. The first of the cars was dispatched some time ago, and has just had its trial trip. It was tested over 60 miles of the ordinary track, and came out of the ordeal most successfully. The journey was accomplished without a hitch of any description, and, in addition, the car was found to do its work upon a most economical basis. The consumption of petrol worked out at the low rate of one pint per horsepower per hour. A speed of 40 miles was often attained, and on the whole journey, including four stoppages, the average showed a speed of 30 miles an hour. A gradient of some magnitude was climbed with the greatest ease. The coach, which weighs 35 tons, resembles an ordinary long passenger carriage. In the front compartment there is an 80 horsepower motor driving a dynamo, and the electricity thus generated is transformed into energy by the motors on the bogie trucks on which the coach runs. The present coaches are intended to be used on the suburban lines at Newcastle."

Official Changes.-Effective February 22, 1904, Mr. T. H. Fennell was appointed Superintendent of the New York Division of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad, vice Mr. G. H. Wilson,

1904.]

Uniforms for Locomotive Engineers.-It is reported that the Pennsylvania Railroad will shortly introduce an innovation by requiring the engineers to wear uniforms while on duty, the engineer pulling the General Manager's special train now being so equipped. The proposed uniform is said to consist of a mixture of white and

blue, with dark blue trimmings, military collar, and a stripe down the trousers leg. The keystone, emblematic of the Pennsylvania Railroad, will adorn the ends of the collar.

Maximum Train Loads on the Pennsylvania. The special committee of transportation and traffic officials of the Pennsylvania lines, appointed to study the traffic congestion and evolve, if possible, some plan whereby the difficulty could be overcome, has submitted a preliminary report to President Cassatt with the outline of a plan which, it is believed, will solve the congestion problem, but at an increased cost per ton-mile in handling the traffic. The plan as outlined is understood to provide for an entire reclassification of freight trains.

It is proposed, as an illustration, that in starting out a through freight train from Jersey City or Pittsburg or any other divisional point to give it only the largest number of cars that the locomotive can draw over the steepest grades on the line. Under present methods a train may start out of Jersey City with seventy-five cars. At Harrisburg, owing to the steeper grade on the Middle Division, the train must be split in half, or possibly three trains are made out of two. At Altoona another subdivision of the trains is usually made to get up the mountain. This reclassification necessarily blocks up the yards, making it at times almost impossible to get the cars out, once they are in. In addition, these trains lose time

517

lying on passing freight sidings to permit fast freight trains to go by.

The remedy suggested by the committee is practically to make all freight trains fast freights. Instead of starting a train from Jersey City with the maximum number of cars that could be readily moved over the divisions as far as Harrisburg with one locomotive, the plan is to provide no greater number of cars for such train than a locomotive can draw over the heaviest grade division between Jersey City and Pittsburg. In that way a train, once started, can keep clear of the yards at division points and proceed through without any detention save that required in changing engines at division points. A train so made up can also keep out of the way of fast freights, and no lay-offs along the line to enable such trains to go by will be necessary. The strongest argument against this plan of the committee is the greater cost of handling the traffic.-Railway World.

The Development of the Automobile.-As to the question of the use of mechanically propelled vehicles on highways, we find a continued interest in the development of the automobile. In general, while no remarkable advances have been made, there appears to be a healthy tendency toward the employment of methods of scientific research for determining the points for improvement. It is generally accepted, as the conclusion from various long-distance and endurance trials of automobiles, that the weakest points are those connected not with the motive power, but rather with the running gear, the wheels, the tires, and the connections. In order to determine the lines along which improvement may be expected, many experiments have been made upon the resistance to traction on different kinds of roads, with wheels of various kinds, operated at different speeds. From these experiments several interesting conclusions have been drawn, both as to the relation of resistance to speed, and also as to the connection of increased powering with propelling capacity and weight. The folly of placing a powerful motor upon a light car is evident, not only because the full tractive effect can not be attained, but also because of the injurious strains which may be produced in too light a frame. The reaction from overpowered, underweighted machines is already setting in; and instead of building very powerful and extremely light vehicles, the aim is now

the Klondike and the Yukon should be kept, as far as possible, wholly in Canadian territory. To attain such an object the resolution of the Vancouver City Council urges upon both the Dominion and Provincial governments that they take such steps as may, in their opinion, be considered advisable by subsidizing "by grant of money or land or guaranteeing the bonds of a railway company" that will undertake the early construction of such a line as outlined.-Railway World.

Automatic Drips for Steam Heat Equipment. Trainmen and others are now being given instructions regarding some of the steam equipment of the passenger coaches and baggage and mail cars of the Michigan Central. The main point upon which instructions are being given is the drip valve. On each side of the car upon the interior are two steam pipes, forming a circuit. The hot steam is admitted by a valve at the highest point in the center of the car; at the lowest point of the lower pipe, where the condensation is greatest, is a connection leading under the car, which is called the drip. For some time this drip valve was only an ordinary one.. If slightly open, it frequently served the purpose properly. If turned until wide open, the loss of steam was great enough to be objectionable to the powers that be in railroading.

The

The company then added to its equip ment an automatic drip valve which has also in connection an ordinary valve to be used at any time when the automatic drip valve was out of commission. company believing that the men should have a better understanding of the automatic drip, equipped a car of instruction, and placed William W. White, of this city, in charge. The more dependence of the trainmen upon the automatic drip is the service sought, as it is claimed that too indifferent use of the ordinary drip valve wasted steam, consequently fuel, and besides the hot steam not only creates a cloud of steam under the car, but it frequently damaged the paint and varnish upon the coaches.

The automatic drip valve is an interesting contrivance. In the bottom of the drip, where it is subjected to the escaping steam and water, there is a diaphragm, made of thin copper. It is filled with alcohol. Alcohol, as is well known, contracts and expands according to the temperature. Consequently when the hot steam and water is about the alcoholic

diaphragm it expands, and when the steam goes down and condenses, the diaphragm contracts. A stem leads from this diaphragm to the valve above, opening and closing it according to the temperature of the steam and water in the pipe.

The men with the train often open the drip valves themselves, in cold weather, to give a free and active circulation of hot steam. It can be seen that the theory of the automatic drip is, that when the cold condenses the steam, the diaphragm will contract and thus open the valve so that the steam will circulate more freely and raise the temperature of the car. On the other hand, if the car is too warm, naturally the hot steam acting upon the alcoholic diaphragm will close the valve and diminish the radiation.-Jackson (Mich.) Press.

A Petrol-Driven Motor Train.-The following is taken from the Railway News, London, England:

"The Wolseley Company, of Birmingham have," says the Daily News, "for a considerable time been engaged upon the construction of a petrol driven motor train for the North-Eastern Railway Company. The first of the cars was dispatched some time ago, and has just had its trial trip. It was tested over 60 miles of the ordinary track, and came out of the ordeal most successfully. The journey was accomplished without a hitch of any description, and, in addition, the car was found to do its work upon a most economical basis. The consumption of petrol worked out at the low rate of one pint per horsepower per hour. A speed of 40 miles was often attained, and on the whole journey, including four stoppages, the average showed a speed of 30 miles an hour. A gradient of some magnitude was climbed with the greatest ease. coach, which weighs 35 tons, resembles an ordinary long passenger carriage. In the front compartment there is an 80 horsepower motor driving a dynamo, and the electricity thus generated is transformed into energy by the motors on the bogie trucks on which the coach runs. The present coaches are intended to be used on the suburban lines at Newcastle."

The

Official Changes.-Effective February 22, 1904, Mr. T. H. Fennell was appointed Superintendent of the New York Division of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad, vice Mr. G. H. Wilson,

1904.]

Acting Superintendent. Mr. G. H. Wilson was appointed Superintendent of the Hartford Division, vice Mr. T. H. Fennell, transferred.

The Nernst Lamp Company has appointed Mr. G. E. Bennett to act as district sales manager of their Buffalo district office, recently established at 17 West Mohawk street, which will include an office, showroom, exhibition room and stockroom, with a complete stock of lamps and supplies to meet the requirements of the trade in that territory.

Uniforms for Locomotive Engineers.-It is reported that the Pennsylvania Railroad will shortly introduce an innovation by requiring the engineers to wear uniforms while on duty, the engineer pulling the General Manager's special train now being so equipped. The proposed uniform is said to consist of a mixture of white and

blue, with dark blue trimmings, military collar, and a stripe down the trousers leg. The keystone, emblematic of the Pennsylvania Railroad, will adorn the ends of the collar.

Maximum Train Loads on the Pennsylvania.The special committee of transportation and traffic officials of the Pennsylvania lines, appointed to study the traffic congestion and evolve, if possible, some plan whereby the difficulty could be overcome, has submitted a preliminary report to President Cassatt with the outline of a plan which, it is believed, will solve the congestion problem, but at an increased cost per ton-mile in handling the traffic. The plan as outlined is understood to provide for an entire reclassification of freight trains.

It is proposed, as an illustration, that in starting out a through freight train from Jersey City or Pittsburg or any other divisional point to give it only the largest number of cars that the locomotive can draw over the steepest grades on the line. Under present methods a train may start out of Jersey City with seventy-five cars. At Harrisburg, owing to the steeper grade on the Middle Division, the train must be split in half, or possibly three trains are made out of two. At Altoona another subdivision of the trains is usually made to get up the mountain. This reclassification necessarily blocks up the yards, making it at times almost impossible to get the cars out, once they are in. In addition, these trains lose time

517

lying on passing freight sidings to permit fast freight trains to go by.

The remedy suggested by the committee is practically to make all freight trains fast freights. Instead of starting a train from Jersey City with the maximum number of cars that could be readily moved over the divisions as far as Harrisburg with one locomotive, the plan is to provide no greater number of cars for such train than a locomotive can draw over the heaviest grade division between Jersey City and Pittsburg. In that way a train, once started, can keep clear of the yards at division points and proceed through without any detention save that required in changing engines at division points. A train so made up can also keep out of the way of fast freights, and no lay-offs along the line to enable such trains to go by will be necessary. The strongest argument against this plan of the committee is the greater cost of handling the traffic.-Railway World.

The Development of the Automobile.-As to the question of the use of mechanically propelled vehicles on highways, we find a continued interest in the development of the automobile. In general, while no remarkable advances have been made, there appears to be a healthy tendency toward the employment of methods of scientific research for determining the points for improvement. It is generally accepted, as the conclusion from various long-distance and endurance trials of automobiles, that the weakest points are those connected not with the motive power, but rather with the running gear, the wheels, the tires, and the connections. In order to determine the lines along which improvement may be expected, many experiments have been made upon the resistance to traction on different kinds of roads, with wheels of various kinds, operated at different speeds. From these experiments several interesting conclusions have been drawn, both as to the relation of resistance to speed, and also as to the connection of increased powering with propelling capacity and weight. The folly of placing a powerful motor upon a light car is evident, not only because the full tractive effect can not be attained, but also because of the injurious strains which may be produced in too light a frame. The reaction from overpowered, underweighted machines is already setting in; and instead of building very powerful and extremely light vehicles, the aim is now