stroke. Now take the valve oil can and crawl out and close the drip cocks around the steam end of the pump and wipe out the oil cup on the air cylinder if there be no cover to it. Fill the cup with valve oil and as the piston moves downward open the cock and allow the oil to be sucked in-it tears up and goes wherever the air goes. It may take more than one cupful-you will have to get acquainted with any pump to know how much oil the air cylinder needs; and oil the piston rod swab while you are out there.

and the feed valve is adjusted to maintain 70 pounds pressure after coupling to a train of air.

You back down on to 55 cars of air; the hose are all coupled-up and the head brakeman is ready to cut you in. Now, don't apply your engine brake a few times in order to reduce your auxiliary reservoir pressures so as to prevent the driver and tender brakes from "sticking" when they cut you in; don't try to do any "sleight-of-hand" tricks; you've got enough straight work to think about,

pump.

Don't develop such a sudden haste in getting the engine out of the house that you can't "spot" her at balance on the turntable with a service application; an emergency stop brings a lot of filth from the train pipe up into the rotary valve that makes it cut and leak, and the brake valve handle hard; besides, it's the roughest thing in the world on the turntable itself; and when you stop at the water column and other "spot" stops use the service notch, also.

You are going to oil around, here, and wait for the head brakeman. Your air pressures are up to the limit, and as you will have a big long freight train, practically all air, you have 110 pounds of main reservoir pressure. Now, while you the engineer-are oiling and looking around the engine, you have the best time of all to note the leaks and the general condition of your Air. One of the most important and most generally overlooked features is the rod packing of the air pump; a little blow from the stuffingboxes causes the pump to pound, make less air, overheat and wear out; note this now. See that the pilot train-pipe cocks are fully closed, as you go around, and the single pipe cock at rear of tender. Better blow out the rear tender-brake hose while there-brakeman might not do it-and bleed the water out of your train line by the tender drain-cup cock.

You-the fireman-may notice that the black train-line gauge is standing at 75 pounds instead of 70, and you call the engineer's attention to it; he tells you to open the bleed cock on the driver brake auxiliary reservoir for a minute or so, and you will notice that the black hand falls back and stands at 70 pounds; the open cock represents train-line leakage,

when the tender angle cock is opened to cut you in to the train your brake valve is in running position, and when your engine brakes apply their auxiliary pressures drop to about 50 pounds; a quick push of the brake valve to release position and back will knock those brakes off; if they apply again repeat the operation of course you have a large air pump and in running position the main reservoir will hold up a few pounds in excess of the train-line pressure while this long train is charging; it's not a good plan to leave the brake valve in full release and have the pump pound full against the low train-line pressure when you first cut into it.

When you are notified to "try the air," make about a 15-pound reduction; don't be stingy of the train-line air at this time and only draw off from 5 to 7 pounds-that will not get the pistons out properly, and some brakes may not set at all; the release is also uncertain on a long train at so light a reduction. And if the signal to apply the brakes is repeated, don't let your own judgment interfere, but keep drawing off air until the trainmen or inspectors are satisfied; some auxiliaries may have charged slowly and will not apply until the train line is heavily reduced.

When more than one-third of the trainline pressure has been drawn off, it may follow that the equalizing discharge valve will not close, and there will be a light, or irregular, but continuous blow-there is nothing wrong with the brake valveit is caused by brake cylinder air passing through leaky check valves into the train pipe and increasing its pressure to greater than that in "Chamber D," of brake valve.

When you are directed to release, the operation is always the same, in regard to brake-valve movement, whether in road service or at testing. Place the handle in full release and don't ""juggle" it;

leave it there 12 seconds for a 50-car train, etc. The rule of some skillful engineers is to "leave it there as long as you can leave your hand on it," with a long train. When you pull it back into running position wait a few seconds and give it another "jab" into full release; then, after bringing it back to "running," don't monkey with that brake valve any more. When the inspector, or head brakeman, comes up and states that brakes are working O. K., ask him how many cars of air you have, all told, how many brakes are cut out, and if the car next to the tender has a quick-action triplevalve cut in and working; if it hasn't, make a kick and have that car placed elsewhere.

In pulling out of the yards let us say that the hind man is required to set up the switch for the main line. You may or may not have to set the air a little to let him catch the caboose. In such cases of uncertainty don't get into the habit of pulling the brake valve into “lap”-never lap the brake valve from the left. Leave the valve in running position until you start applying the brake, and the newspapers will not have an opening to chronicle an "air-brake failure."

If you do have to apply the air it would be safer to make a complete stop before releasing. Understanding, however, that it is impractical railroading to stop every time brake power is used, we will take chances, turn up the driver brake retainer and release when the brakeman gives us the high sign. Now remember that after a light application brakes at the rear of the train are harder to release than following a heavy reduction, brakes at the head end are more liable to again creep on, and the pressure in the driver brake cylinders may be less than what the retaining valve is set for. Safety against the possibility of jerking out draft gear would seem to call for either a complete stop or a heavy train-line reduction before releasing. If the new 3-way retain ing valve is used, or if the small release port of the old driver brake retainer is plugged up, a 10-pound reduction should be sufficient.

If your engine and tender is equipped with the additional "straight-air" brake, running release is not a problem at any time just set the straight air and release the automatic, and after all the train brakes have released and the drawbar springs quit kicking, release the straightair and go.

route, and have blocked a couple of busy street crossings; the brakeman cuts the train and you slack ahead and let the people and the street cars pass over; then you couple up again just as you get the signal to go-to leave town. You have a tolerably tight train line, and it may be that none of the brakes leaked on, back of the closed angle cocks when the crossings were cut; so how do you know that the brakeman opened all of the angle cocks again after coupling up? The opening of one angle cock, if done quickly, can, in filling one pair of hose, throw the brakes of a long train into emergency.

The principle of air-brake test is involved, and the rule is: Air brakes must be tested after any change in the makeup of the train or after the closing and cutting in of angle cocks. Get the idea right. Many trainmen-and enginemen— neglect to test their air often, because they imagine it causes delay and is too much trouble. If you are "next to your job” it don't take any appreciable time. A road test is only intended to extend far enough to get the assurance that the train line is in open connection throughoutthat the engineer is able to apply all the brakes in the train.

So, as soon as the brakeman has given indications that he has done his coupling up, the engineer should make a 10 or 12pound reduction; the blast of air discharging from the brake valve will tell by amount, or the time it takes to discharge, whether the entire train line is cut in; if it sounds all right, release and go.

There is another reason for this brake application after a train line has been cut, if another were necessary: it is quite likely that some of the brakes to the rear of the "cut" may have slightly applied from the ever present train line leakage, and it is generally known that such lightly applied brakes are the hardest to release. The brake valve being in running position when the train line is again coupled up, the feed is so stricted in flow and pressure that some triple valves with worn packing rings are highly likely to fail to release. This his been the cause of many cases of slid flat wheels, and especially occurs where it is slightly down grade leaving the station.

re

opened, and you want to chase the head man back there and make him find it. When the end train-pipe hangers are loose, angle cocks have a bad habit of working shut, and it is a good thing if you can notice it before the cock has comletely closed. The next stop is at a water station. There is a general order that at such places there must be no attempt to "spot" the engines with long trains, but to stop short and cut off the engine from the train before taking water or coal. It is an easy stop, you think, and you hear some of the other runners make light of that order and say they don't cut off. Never mind them; that order means what it says, and if your judgment fails you and an accident occurs while you are violating a rule, you are "caught with the goods" and you will be the object of amusement-and discipline. Stop; cut off; take no unnecessary chances.

The next stop is to take siding for No. 6. The fireman notices that the engineer turns up the driver brake retaining valve, and releases without stopping, when the brakeman throws the switch to head us in-fireman wants to experiment with that retainer trick.

The engineer goes down to the office to get his orders, and one of our country friends gets up on the engine and asks some questions about the air brake. Now, Mr. Fireman, don't make an application and release just to impress cousin Pike with your proficiency with the air-the trainmen may be doing something-taking up slack, for instance. Never set the train brakes while standing, unless it is expected by the trainmen, except to keep the train from moving.

It's a

The engineer is making signs for you to back out and pull down the main line -he will get on at the station. good thing we are on the engine with you, for you are contemplating working that retainer trick while backing out. Never dare to use it backing up with a train; retaining valves must not be used at the rear end of the train, and in backing the engine becomes the rear end.

It is recommended practice not to use the air to stop the train after backing from a siding; to have hand brakes set up, commencing at the caboose. Generally, the trainmen do no more than set the caboose brake, so you may have to use air; use it gently, and release just before the train has stopped dead. Air brake work is done when the train is backing, in some ways the reverse to the way it should be done when running ahead.

The train has stopped, "bunched;" and when you start, and the slack stretches, something is bound to come-the caboose or a drawbar; let it be the caboose; leave the brake valve in release position long enough for the rear triple valves to be kicked off, and then don't start too viciously.

The engineer is waiting on the station platform to get on, and now is your chance to use the driver brake retainer and don't forget to use it-for you have applied the air to allow him to get on, and as he climbs up, calling out: "Let her go," don't get rattled-turn up the retainer. These little things save long accident reports sometimes.

The conductor watched the train roll by him and if any brakes were stuck he would have known it; when he got on the caboose the brakes were all in release, so, when the train begins to pull unusually hard on the hill, don't imagine that brakes are dragging and put the brake valve in full release position; if you do, then you will have brakes sticking. It is not putting the valve in release position and overcharging the auxiliary reservoirs that causes the brakes to apply; it is in drawing the valve back again to running position and stopping the supply of pressure to the train line until the latter has leaked back to 70 pounds that does it. The overplus of train-line air leaks to the atmosphere; the overplus of auxiliary air leaks to the brake cylinders. Some engineers have been known to put their valves in full release while running "just to make sure the brakes are all released;" it has the opposite effect; don't do it.

Well, we have got over the hill all right, after all; no brakes stuck-just a heavy train. But rolling along over the prairie a little later we feel them going on for certain; we don't know the cause but we shut off and lap our brake valve. When we get stopped we see the hind man jump off, apparently carrying an air hose, and we know the train line is ruptured somewhere. Start the head brakeman back to help find the burst. As the air has all escaped from the train line, move the brake valve just far enough to permit a little pressure to feed to the train line so that the point of rupture may be located by sound of the escaping air.

It is growing dark when we get away from there. We are using a light throttle down the next grade, when the brakes apply at emergency. You don't know the

The separation occurred a little ahead of the middle of the train. When the train had stopped, the two sections were about three car lengths apart. A knuckle was broken-fresh break. The air hose had not uncoupled on account of the guard-arms of the couplings being battered in and causing a "lock." One of the hose had been pulled or blown off from its nipple that screws into the anglecock. Question: Did the hose blow off, first, and cause the emergency application of the brakes, which, in turn, gave the jerk that broke the knuckle? Or, did bad handling on the part of the engineer break the knuckle, and the parting pull off the hose? Well, we don't know; we felt no jerk except just as the air went on; but there will be no end of correspondence over the case, and in the end the engineer will be under suspicion and T. E. surveillance as a "rough handler." And our instruction trip is not without incident.

When we return to the engine after investigating the trouble, the fireman calls attention to the driver-brake piston rod being out full stroke on the left side. We find that the emergency application has broken a pull rod, and the engineer takes down the broken rod and inquires whether the brake should be cut out-it will hold all right on his side. The brake should not be worked on one side alone; cut it out, but remember not to release the brakes while running at a moderate or slow speed any more this trip-there is no effective driver brake retainer to hold the head end in check. And the engineer must not forget to leave the release cock open on the auxiliary reservoir and see that the cock key is tight enough to hold it open the new style cocks turn up horizontal to open and if it works down it will shut itself. It must stay open because many of the cut-out cocks in the branch pipes leak.

If, however, the brake cuts out by the old four-way cock right on the triple-valve, and it leaks, the air may leak direct to the brake cylinders and

A new hose is put on and you back up and couple to the rest of the train. Now, don't try to start until the trainmen have seen that all brakes have released clear back to the caboose. After the train line has been emptied it takes a lot of air to again bring its pressure high enough to release all brakes, and an emergency application makes the auxiliary reservoir pressure higher than ordinarily, so the chances are that some of the brakes will have to be bled off. It isn't a safe plan to stretch out the slack of a long train in order to find out, from effect, whether any brakes have failed to release.

This is not a road where it is officially considered necessary to use retaining valves in connection with the train brakes in descending any of the moderatethough in some cases rather lengthygrades. It is, however, becoming general for the engineers to require the head brakeman to turn up several retainers upon starting down certain of these grades, so just a word of caution: a majority of them will soon leak off and quite a number will not hold pressure at all; and you will get worse results from depending on retainers that are not known to be dependable than to ignore them altogether.

Well, we have just dropped down one of the worst hills without calling for retainers, and are swinging along, when it is noticed that the pump has stopped. Now it may show skill for an engineer to resurrect a dead pump on the road, but it is not always possible, and usually a waste of time. But maybe it isn't the pump at fault-how about the pump governor? Just stick your head out the front window and hear if air is blowing out of the little air vent hole in the governor. It is? And the red gauge hand is below the figure at which the governor is set, so the latter is defective. Now plug up the steam waste port and the governor will permit the pump to go to work; regulate main reservoir pressure by the pump throttle.

by dirt, it is not noticed until the engineer's eye rests on the air gauge, with both pointers standing together at above 100 pounds. If the pump governor was working all right it would only be necessary to keep the pump throttle fully open; but the governor not controlling the pump, the engineer must watch the air gauge and not let the pressure fall, and when the next application of the brake is made make a light reduction, note the effect of the brake power, and remember that he has enough of it to slide all the wheels. After he has stopped the train with as light an application as possible, he should then further reduce the train line pressure to 60 or 65 pounds; then, releasing, he has gotten rid of the overcharge. Remember that you can't get rid of it, running without the brakes applying.

In a freight train the heavily braked cars empties, or cars with short piston travel-and the comparatively lighter braked cars that are loaded, or have long piston travel, are generally mixed, indiscriminately, and this causes shocks, so don't manufacture excuses if you know you are doing right. Heretofore we have had empties on the hind end, and after 8 or 10 pounds train-line reduction we have felt severe jerks. Don't lay it to defective triple-valves; if the brakes go into quick action at a service reduction there will be a simultaneous closing off of the train line exhaust; you will notice it.

We have set out those rear empties and picked up some more that are to be kept ahead the rest of the trip, and now there is a closing-in shock when we make an application. If we had a straight-air driver brake we could prevent the shock by "bunching" the train with it before applying the regular air, but as it is we must make very general reductions.

If there be any damage to any part of the train-flat wheels, broken draft gear, etc.-find out the cause right then, for you and the conductor are the only ones able to explain it, as conditions will be changed before the trouble can be otherwise inspected. Intelligent reports of such cases are so rare that you will receive great credit. Don't shield anyoneeven yourself-there are others will do that for you.

When you leave your engine on the roundhouse track, it is customary to leave the air pump slowly working, in freezing weather, but hostlers and their helpers have a habit of shutting off the pump occasionally, and we have had several steam cylinders frozen and cracked thereby; so

it is safer to shut off the pump yourself, and open the drain cocks around the steam cylinders.

Don't leave a work report at the roundhouse that so-and-so "don't work right." Don't leave the engine until you have located the trouble, and then make a clear report. WILL W. WOOD.

The Famous "Ogden-Lucin

Cut-Off."

Beyond all doubt the greatest piece of railroad work achieved in the United States during 1903 was the building of the famous "Ogden-Lucin Cut-Off."

The construction of a railroad line across that veritable American Dead Sea -Salt Lake-may properly be recorded as the latest triumph of American engineering. The building of this great "cut-off" is an achievement of interest and importance to all the Nation, for, by it New York and San Francisco are bound more closely together.

This new route means a saving of more than eight hours in the overland journey, besides effecting a big saving in the cost of transportation. This great work has been accomplished on the old Central Pacific line (Harriman's System) that begins at San Francisco and ends at Ogden. The work has been in progress for nearly two years, and has very recently been completed and the line opened to traffic. The total cost of building this new line has reached $4,500,000.

The construction work between Ogden, Utah, and Lucin means the replacing of 146.68 miles of track by new railroad, measuring 102.91 miles. The new line between these points, therefore, saves 43.77 miles. It also saves 3.919 degrees of curvature, and 1.515 feet vertical of grade. The sharpest curve on the new line is 1% degrees, a favorable contrast to the 10 degrees curve on the old line. The heaviest grade on the new road is 21 feet to the mile, while on the line replaced the heaviest grade was 90 per cent.

Naturally, interest centered in the actual track laying across the great Salt Lake. All the work on the construction of trestling, filling and embankment has been accomplished since June, 1902. The track was completed from Ogden to the eastern shore of the lake June 16, 1902, and continuing westward met the track built eastward from Lucin late in November, 1903. The two working forces met near the center of the lake.