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to be hitched to the traveling public by a usable system of auxiliary lines. And what reason is there why transfer arrangements, on some equitable basis, should not prevail between a West Side surface line and the Illinois Central and Rock Island suburban lines, as well as between a West Side surface line and a North Side surface line-or between any two surface lines?

Steam roads are the only means of travel which represent a rate of speed adequate to the distances of Chicago, and in order that they may be reasonably available they require to be associated with other transit facilities which can serve to gather and distribute their patronage.-George E. Hooker, in Chicago (III.) Record-Herald.

Oil-Burning Locomotives, A., T. & S. F. Ry.The oil-burning engine district on the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway has been extended from Seligman to Winslow, Ariz., a distance of 143 miles. Coal-burners are not used any more in California or western Arizona. Instead of storing oil in steel tanks at division points, this road uses circular pits in the ground, banked up high, the depth being about 2 feet, and roofed over. The oil thus stored is pumped into small delivery tanks and there run into the engines by gravity. The largest of these pits are at Seligman and Flagstaff one for each place, each holding 50,000 barrels. Ash Fork there are two pits, each holding 25,000 barrels; at Williams one and at Winslow one, each holding 25,000 barrels. There is little loss by leakage. The earth pits cost less than steel tanks, hold more oil, and the fire hazard is greatly reduced. This road is now receiving the last of an order (placed last year) for forty-five oil-burning engines, to be used west of Winslow, Ariz.-Railway and Engineering Review.

At

New District Offices of the Nernst Lamp Company. The Nernst Lamp Company has recently established district offices at St. Louis, Mo., and Denver, Col. The St. Louis office, embracing the southwest territory, is located at 908 Pine street, with Mr. H. M. Reed as district sales manager. The Denver office covering the middle western territory is located at 1619 Glenarm street, with Mr. R. D. Marthens as district sales manager. These offices will carry a complete stock of Nernst lamps

and supplies, and will be provided with an attractive exhibition room, in which will be shown the different types of Nernst lamps in actual operation and in comparative tests with other illuminants.

Automatic Block Signals on Electric Railroads. -Westinghouse automatic block signals arranged for electric railroads (where one of the rails of the track is used for the return of the powerful propulsion current) are now in use, or soon to be installed, on the lines of four different companies, aggregating over 100 miles of track. These installations, as given in a pamphlet which has just been issued by the Westinghouse Brake Company, Limited, of London, are as follows: Boston Elevated, opened June, 1901, miles of track 17, number of signals 100; Ealing and Harrow (Metropolitan District), London, miles of track 10, number of signals 20; Metropolitan District, London, miles of track 30, number of signals 200 (apparatus now being made); North Shore Railway, San Francisco, opened October, 1903, miles of track 20, number of signals 54; Interborough Rapid Transit Company (subway), New York, miles of track (estimated) 30, now being installed by the Union Switch and Signal Company. The length of track in the New York Subway is our own estimate; the work thus far planned is for the express tracks only. Westinghouse signal work in England is done by the Westinghouse Brake Company, Limited.-The Railroad Gazette.

Air Brake Maintenance on the Santa Fe.-In that section air-brake failures are unheard of. No chances are taken. The Santa Fe will accept a freight car without brakes, but these cars are piped before being switched into trains. The yards near mountain grades are all equipped with air piping and near at hand is an engineer's valve in the cabin of the air brake inspectors. A through freight arriving in one of these yards is stretched from the rear end by the hand brakes and is stopped by the engineer with a 20-pound reduction. This sets the brakes hard and the road engine leaves the train ready for the inspectors. Four men inspect the train. Two start at each end at opposite sides and work toward the center They make the usual inspection of trucks and wheels and also of the brakes, noting carefully the piston travel. A fifth man follows them and makes ad

justments and replacements in accordance with the chalk marks of the inspectors. When through, the train is tested and defective triples and other parts are replaced. All this is done in about twenty minutes. The triples are cleaned and tested by the repairman, between trains, and those requiring repairs are sent to the shops. These inspectors are intelligent men and are encouraged by the officers of the company by promotion. -American Engineer and Railroad Jour

nal.

Tunnel-Lowering Project for Chicago. In anticipation of legislation by Congress compelling the lowering of street-railway tunnels under the Chicago River, in Chicago, which are now an obstruction to deepdraft vessels, various schemes are being considered. The chairman of the trans

portation committee of the city government has laid before that body a scheme for one way of solving the problem. He advocates the construction of a downtown subway loop for the use of the North and West Side cable lines, instead of the building of new tunnels with approaches at least one block longer than they are at the present time. Estimates have been secured from competent engineers which go to show that the cost of building new tunnels for the idea of lowering the tunnels is declared impracticable-and a subway capable of caring for all the cars which are now passing through the tunnels will be in the neighborhood of $4,500,000, which is not more than $1,000,000 above the cost of new tunnels and their approaches. As a route for the subway it is suggested that the street cars from the North Side could run beneath La Salle street as far south as Washington street, then east to State street, north to Randolph street, and then west to La Salle street, where they would re-enter the tunnel. The route of the West Side cars would be east under Washington street as far as Fifth avenue, south to Adams street, east to State street, north to Washington street, where they would turn west, using the double-track subway with the North Side cars, and reenter the tunnel. No calculation has been made as yet for a subway which would care for the cars now using the Van

Buren street tunnel. Under its contract with the city the Union Traction Company's right to the use of the Washington and La Salle street tunnels expires in 1906. Railway and Engineering Review.

Automobile Railway Cars.-The steam motor car experiments, which have been carried on by manufacturers of Paris, with a view to applying the same system to railway cars and give each car its own motive power, are reported by United States Consul-General Gowdy to have taken practical form. The system, he says, is now in use on two tramway lines in Paris and has been used on a short line in Wurttemberg (Germany) for some time past. It will in a few weeks be tried on a more extensive scale on the Paris, Lyons and Mediterranean Railway and if successful may revolutionize railway travel.

The advantages of such a system are obvious. The fastest express train never averages more than 55 miles an hour, and this speed could not be greatly surpassed without increasing the weight of the engine and consequently causing extra wear and tear of the road. An express locomotive of the present day weighs about 110 tons, and a great part of this weight could be saved. It should be mentioned that automobiles have accomplished 80 miles per hour on the high road, and could of course far exceed that speed on steel rails. Another great advantage is that trains would not have to stop in the course of a long run to take in water or fuel. The longest run made by any English train without stoppage is rather less than 200 miles, but an "automobile" could easily go four or five times that distance.

In a few weeks' time cars of this kind will be running on some of the branch lines of the Paris, Lyons and Mediterranean Railway. The cars will not be coupled together, as the French regulations discountenance that, but each will have its own motor and carry from 30 to 40 passengers, with about 21⁄2 tons of baggage. The speed will be restricted to 30 miles an hour. Arrangements are also made to run a line of cars between Antwerp and Brussels at a rate of 75 miles an hour, and even this high speed could be exceeded if desired. The cost of such a car would not exceed $10,000, machinery and all. No stoker is required, as the petroleum is pumped to the burners mechanically. The motion is devoid of jerking, jolting or shaking, and the inventors assert that the train could be stopped in 200 yards, even when traveling at over 70 miles an hour. The only danger to be guarded against is that of fire from overheating. - Railway World,

New Train Rules for the Lake Shore.-A circular just issued by the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway Company, made effective on Thursday, March 10th, the following important changes: Third and fourth-class trains shown on the present timetables are annulled on the Eastern Division between Buffalo and Collingwood; on the Toledo Division, between Collingwood and Air Line Junction, via Sandusky; on the Michigan Division, between Air Line Junction and Elkhart, via the Air Line; and on the Western Division between Elkhart and Englewood. These changes are accompanied by the following instructions: Trains will proceed without orders from division terminals, upon the clearing of a block signal, ahead of superior trains, until they are directed by the train dispatcher to take a siding. No classification signals are to be displayed on engines except when necessary to identify sections of first and secondclass trains. Operators are forbidden, without a distinct order in each case, to permit any train to enter a block already occupied by a passenger train, or to permit a passenger train to enter a block occupied by another train. The foregoing instructions, which are merely an abstract from the circular, are intended to govern trains moving with the current of traffic; this confines the order to the limits of double track, and it is especially provided that reverse movements must never be made except under "31" orders.-The Railway Age.

The

Motor Service on Austrian Railways. Austrian government has recently made arrangements for an experimental motor service on the so-called secondary railroad which connects Trieste with the town of Buje in Istria. Experiments in this direction are also being made on a number of branch roads in lower Austria and Bohemia, and are being watched by the public with a great deal of interest. Local railroads in Austria have, generally speaking, been disappointments to both their owners and the patrons-to their owners because they are not profitable; to the public because their passenger serv ice is insufficient. The railroad motor cars, which accommodate from twelve to

twenty passengers, are expected to fill a long-felt want. They are comparatively light, carry no unnecessary incumbrances, and can be operated at a very small expense. They will make a number of regular trips daily, and as many extra trips as the exigencies of the traffic may demand.-Railroad Men.

New Radium Finds.-"The tremendous price which is asked for radium at present will probably be lessened considerably in the future," says Consul-General Richard Guenther, of Frankfort, Germany under date of December 22, 1903, in Daily Consular Reports. "So far, however, it is an unfavorable circumstance that this wonderful element is only obtained from the uranium ores of Bohemia, and the assertion that the price is artificially screwed up by the producers is perhaps only true to a limited degree. Professor Himstedt of the University of Frieburg, has continued investigations as to the existence of radium in nature, and has extended those formerly made of rain water and of the soil with reference to the presence of radium. He has arrived at the conclusion that radium occurs more frequently in our surroundings than has heretofore been suspected. According to his experiments, all natural springs of water and also the petroleum wells possess a heavy gas, whose radiations are similar to, and probably identical with, radium."

Humorous. An Irishman was employed on one of our large railroads in some capacity which left the general manager pretty free from any serious Hibernian competition. This son of Erin was greatly impressed on hearing that railway material which gives the best results when tested to destruction, usually does well in service. Not long ago he drew from his pocket a box of matches which the railway company had intended for use in the smoking compartment of a sleeper, and turning his pipe bowl down proceeded to business. He struck several matches, but none would light. At last, after a vicious stroke, one match blazed up encouragingly. "Be gorra!" said Pat, "that's a good match I know-I'll keep that one."Railway and Locomotive Engineering.

Technical Contributions

What Ailed the Pump?

Question 178 by K. O. P. in the February number described a case where a new pump stopped when but seventeen miles out of the division point and could not be started again. Later he says he examined both air and steam ends and the pump governor and found them in good order. The suggested answer that the exhaust pipe was stopped up met with the later advice, page 385 of the March issue, that this was not the case and offered another trial for someone before sending in the answer. Three interested readers kindly submitted replies as follows:

J. T. B. writes: "I wish to give my opinion on question 178 as to what caused the pump to stop. The discharge pipe leading from the pump to the main reservoir or from the main reservoir to the engineer's brake valve was stopped up and the pressure in the air cylinder and the pipe became as high as the steam pressure, which would stop the pump and not show the high pressure on the air gauge."

W. G. N. says: "In reading the March number of the Magazine I notice that Brother K. O. P.'s question 178 has as yet not been answered correctly. He states that the air and steam ends were all O. K. and that the pump received and exhausted its steam all right. This being the case I would offer the following as the reason of the pump failure:

"His delivery pipe to the main reservoir was stopped up and as the pump had no place to deliver the air to, of course it stopped; presuming, however, that his air valves and piston packing were in good condition. This may have been caused by corrosion from improper lubrication or from running through impure atmosphere, or from other minor causes that would result in corrosion."

B. J. R. answers similarly: "The pump's air discharge pipe was probably stopped up; consequently no air could be discharged into the main reservoir. As the pump was nearly new and the packing rings were in good condition it stopped because the pressure against the air piston was as great as that against the steam piston."

K. O. P. explains the defect as follows: "I found the metallic packing melted on

the piston rod. As I said before, I looked into both cylinders and the governor and the exhaust pipe and found them all O. K. I took the steam cylinder off to see if there was anything under the piston head, but found nothing. I caught hold of the piston to raise it up, but I could not move it. Then I loosened the packing nuts and I could move it up and down about an inch; so I set a jack under the air cylinder piston and jacked it up and scraped off the lead until I finally got it out.

"Now, have you ever had a pump like this? I have watched carefully for some one who has had this same trouble and have never heard of it if any one has, and that is the reason I put the question in the Magazine."

The writer has never heard of another case like this, but has seen many where excessive heating of the air cylinder, resulting from heavy and prolonged labor or a defective condition, coupled with lack of lubrication on the rod, had softened the packing and drawn part of it out of the stuffing box. Possibly in the case in question there was used in making the packing some material that melted at too low a temperature and that had a soldering tendency. Evidently, too, the pump was held completely shut off, possibly by the governor, for a sufficient time to let the packing cool after being heated to the high temperature.

For the benefit of those who so kindly went to the trouble to submit answers it should be explained that a choked up discharge pipe can not entirely stop a pump as piston packing rings do not make a sufficiently good joint to prevent some leakage. How slow it will run will depend mainly on the fit of the rings.

Since the foregoing was written the following letter has been received from G. O. F.:

"I am rather late in answering in regard to what ailed the pump. I have been so busy I did not have the time to answer. The only trouble that I can think of that will stop a pump-that is, a Westinghouse 8-inch pump-under the conditions mentioned in the question in the Magazine, both ends of the pump O. K., is the passage that conducts steam to the reversing valve, the passage through the top head, may have been

stopped up by a piece of rubber. This may have broken loose from the joint where the governor is coupled. This would create a complete stoppage with a new pump and is all I can think of." F. B. FARMER.

Wheel Sliding—Errata.

In setting up the article on "Wheel Sliding," by Mr. F. B. Farmer, which appeared in the April issue of the Magazine, through an error or oversight the word "grooves," which should have followed the fifth line of the second paragraph in the last column on page 537, was omitted. The omission of this word reverses the meaning of the phrase and renders the statement incorrect. Commencing with the fourth line, second paragraph, page 537, it should read as follows: that if such a reduction is either very small or very slow the leakage grooves may prevent the brakes from applying EDITOR.

66

The New York Compensating
Valve-Style B.

Since the appearance of the description and illustrations of the New York Compensating Valve in the February issue of the Locomotive Firemen's Magazine, questions have been coming up as to how this valve should be used on different sizes of brake cylinders, and with triple valves of a different type from that of the New York quick action.

The explanation of the operation of the compensating valve given in the February number refers to its use in connection with the New York quick-action triple valve only. but the compensating valve can be used on any size of brake cylinder, and with any other type of triple valve, if desired.

A modern high-speed passenger train is equipped with plain triple valves upon the driver and the engine truck brakes, and with quick-action triple valves on the tender and the cars; so that if we are to apply compensating valves we will have at least one plain triple valve on the engine from which no side-cap connection can be made, or better, no connection from the triple to the spring-box chamber of the compensating valve can be made, and, consequently, in emergency applications no air will be vented from the plain triple into the spring box, and

the time hold of maximum brake cylinder pressure will not be had.

However, the compensating valve can be used on the plain triple just the same, and Fig. 1, Style B, shows this valve with the nonreturn check valve removed from the spring box and a reducer, with 11⁄2-inch street ell, substituted.

The operation of the compensating valve in emergency applications when used with the plain triple is very simple. The plain triple is constructed so as to equalize the auxiliary reservoir and brake cylinder pressures very quickly, in fact, it does this about as quickly as the quickaction triple valve can equalize it, and on account of the reduced opening through the union stud H S 14 A, or H S 14 B, as the case may be, almost the maximum equalized pressure obtainable from an auxiliary reservoir pressure of 110 pounds is had in the brake cylinder. The restricted opening through the stud will not allow the air to escape through the relief ports of the compensating valve anywhere near as fast as the triple valve puts it into the brake cylinder. We see, therefore, that in emergency applications, although the plain triple does not vent air into the spring-box chamber, yet almost the full maximum pressure is obtainable in the brake cylinder, and the usual blow down in this pressure is had, the valve closing at the point of adjustment the same as the others on the cars of the train, making with them a uniform closure with respect to time, which is an important feature in making smooth stops.

Since a large number of these compensating valves are daily going into operation it will not be out of place to discuss probable defects, and the remedies that should be employed to correct them.

The stem H S 23 extends upward into the cap nut H S 10 and forms a guide for the piston H S 77 so that the latter can not cock or bind in its cylinder.

What would be the effect should this stem bind in the cap nut?

The probability is that should this stem bind in the cap nut it would not allow the piston to work as freely and easily as it should; thus the movement of the piston up and down in its cylinder would not be so prompt and even as it should be. Therefore, when repair men have occasion to remove the cap nut and the piston from the body of the valve for repairs they should see to it that the stem works freely in the cap nut and does not bind, when replacing these parts. Another point that should receive care

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