CONCLUSION.
Let us now bear the conclusion of the whole matter, which takes us
straight back to where we started, and we again repeat if you want to
become an engineer make up your mind that you will be a good one or
none at all.
We have examined the locomotive inside and out, underneath and on top,
even peering down the smoke-stack, crawling into the fire-box, and
learning the true science of shoveling coal.
What then remains to be told?
Nothing that can be remembered long enough to be of any practical use.
There are matters--dozens of them--connected with locomotive
engineering which we have not even alluded to, but they are for the
most part such as must be learned by actual every day experience to be
of any use.
We might, perhaps, under three heads speak a few closing words. First
let us take up
SIGNALS,
and post ourselves a bit on that most important subject.
The greater part of an engineer's time while on his engine must be
spent in the lookout for signals.
Upon this depends not only the safety of every soul on the train but
his own as well.
_Never jump at conclusions in the matter of signals._
Never assume that because a "distant" signal and all the other signals
are off the line is clear.
Every engineer should, as far as possible, not only see that each
signal is off, but he should also cast his eye over the road in front
of him to see whether it _should_ be off. At night caution in the
matter of signals is even more necessary than in daylight. Then the
only safety lies in keeping a constant lookout.
You must know your road. It is not enough to know where the up grades
lie and where the downs. You must know just how steep the grades are
and their length.
Often signals are badly placed and cannot be seen until the engine is
close upon them.
With this you have nothing to do. Engineers do not place signals.
Doubtless if they did they would alter the position of many of them.
All you have to do is to heed the signals, no matter how well or how
badly they are placed.
To enter into a detailed description of signals until some universal
system of signaling is adopted, would be but a waste of time.
You will have to learn all these things during your apprenticeship;
they are matters upon which books can give you little help.
Presence of mind you must always have if you expect to become a good
engineer, and courage, too--plenty of it. This brings us to our second
head, which we will write
"BROKE DOWN."
What to do when the engine has broken down?
There comes the tug of war, the time when it will be definitely decided
whether the engineer is good, bad or indifferent.
Hundreds of lives may depend upon prompt action, thousands of dollars'
worth of property are in the engineer's hands, either to waste or save
when the moment of the break down comes.
In Mr. S. A. Alexander's excellent treatise entitled "Broke Down"
is placed in red letters over every page, "Protect Yourself from
Approaching Trains."
When a break-down occurs, this is the first thought which should enter
the engineer's mind, and the first act should be to carry it out.
There are many causes of a break-down, too many to enumerate. In
the roundhouse is the place to study break-downs, for here, daily,
every variety is open to inspection--broken crank-shafts, broken
eccentric-rods, eccentric-straps and sheaves, broken motion and broken
springs.
Of course an engine may be broken, and yet able to run its train
through. This is an important consideration. Some engineers hardly know
when they are beaten.
It is a matter of record that a certain engineer, known as "Hell-fire
Jack," ran his train over a bridge after one side had been washed
away by a raging flood. Thousands of such daring deeds have been
accomplished by engineers, but "Cautious Jacks" will be better
appreciated by the company than "Hell-fire Jacks" every time.
Real heroism lies in good judgment and a cool head. Suppose that
the right hand back gear eccentric-rod breaks. "Can I get along in
forward gear, after having disconnected the rod and the strap?" is
the question. The answer is yes, and it should be prompt, as all such
answers should be when the engine breaks down.
It is such readiness as this that makes break-downs but a matter of a
few moments.
It is also highly necessary that the engineer should ask himself "What
tools have I upon the engine? What can I do with them? Can I find them
in the dark? If I run off the track in what condition is my screw jack?
Will it work properly? Have I a ratchet or bar to work it with?"
These are things which should be continually kept in mind.
AIR BRAKES.
The air-brake has changed engine driving materially in the last few
years, and a word or two concerning it should be said.
The air-brake consists briefly of an air cylinder placed beneath each
car, which can be operated by the engineer from the foot plate, the
pressure of the air controlling the action of the brakes.
There are two valves to an air-brake, one for ordinary stops and the
other for sudden stops in case of emergency.
In the first only partial pressure of the confined air is used, in the
latter the full pressure is employed and the brakes brought against the
wheels with all force at once.
One of the most important duties of an engineer is to be well assured
that the air-brakes are in proper working order.
After the call for hand brakes has been given, the air brakes must not
be applied until the hand brakes are released. Air and hand brakes
should never be used at the same time on a car.
When cars having different air pressures are coupled together the
brakes will work first on that having the highest pressure.
Special instruction is needed to fully comprehend the working of air
brakes.
Here is a speed table which may be useful. We have taken the liberty
of extracting it from Alexander's "Ready-reference for Locomotive
Engineers," an excellent hand-book with which all candidates for the
foot-plate should provide themselves. Published by the author, S. A.
Alexander, York, Pa.
TIME AND SPEED TABLES.
Key: M = Minutes.
S = Seconds.
T = 10th of a Second.
M S T
10 miles per hour is 6.00 to 1 mile
11 " " " " 5.27 " 1 "
12 " " " " 5.90 " 1 "
13 " " " " 4.37 " 1 "
14 " " " " 4.17 " 1 "
15 " " " " 4.00 " 1 "
16 " " " " 3.45 " 1 "
17 " " " " 3.32 " 1 "
18 " " " " 3.20 " 1 "
19 " " " " 3.09.5 " 1 "
20 " " " " 3.00 " 1 "
21 " " " " 2.51.5 " 1 "
22 " " " " 2.43.5 " 1 "
23 " " " " 2.36.5 " 1 "
24 " " " " 2.30 " 1 "
25 " " " " 2.24 " 1 "
26 " " " " 2.18.6 " 1 "
27 " " " " 2.13.3 " 1 "
28 " " " " 2.08.5 " 1 "
29 " " " " 2.04 " 1 "
30 " " " " 2.00 " 1 "
31 " " " " 1.56 " 1 "
32 " " " " 1.52.5 " 1 "
33 " " " " 1.49 " 1 "
34 " " " " 1.45.6 " 1 "
35 " " " " 1.42.6 " 1 "
36 " " " " 1.40 " 1 "
37 " " " " 1.37.3 " 1 "
38 " " " " 1.34.7 " 1 "
39 " " " " 1.32.3 " 1 "
40 " " " " 1.30.0 " 1 "
41 " " " " 1.27.7 " 1 "
42 " " " " 1.25.7 " 1 "
43 " " " " 1.23.5 " 1 "
44 " " " " 1.21.7 " 1 "
45 " " " " 1.20.0 " 1 "
46 " " " " 1.18.2 " 1 "
47 " " " " 1.16.6 " 1 "
48 " " " " 1.15.0 " 1 "
49 " " " " 1.13.5 " 1 "
50 " " " " 1.12.0 " 1 "
51 " " " " 1.10.6 " 1 "
52 " " " " 1.09.4 " 1 "
53 " " " " 1.07.9 " 1 "
54 " " " " 1.06.6 " 1 "
55 " " " " 1.05.4 " 1 "
56 " " " " 1.04.3 " 1 "
57 " " " " 1.03.2 " 1 "
58 " " " " 1.02.2 " 1 "
60 " " " " 1.00.0 " 1 "
65 " " " " 0.55.3 " 1 "
70 " " " " 0.51.4 " 1 "
75 " " " " 0.48.0 " 1 "
80 " " " " 0.45.0 " 1 "
85 " " " " 0.42.3 " 1 "
90 " " " " 0.40.0 " 1 "
95 " " " " 0.37.9 " 1 "
100" " " " 0.36.0 " 1 "
The boy who aims to become an engineer should not waste his school
hours in idle dreaming or in too much sport.
Improve every moment you can spare from other duties or needed exercise
in studying arithmetic, geometry, algebra and mechanical engineering. A
little knowledge as a draughtsman will also be a great help.
Above all, get some larger manual on locomotive engineering and read
and re-read it until you know its contents by heart.
Remember that there is no limit to knowledge in any direction.
The time can never come to any engineer when he can truthfully say to
himself, "I know it all," and to his life-long study write
[Illustration: THE END.]
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Transcriber's note:
The Table of Contents was added by the transcriber.
Some inconsistent punctuation has been normalized throughout the book.
Some inconsistent hyphenation (e.g. smokestack vs. smoke-stack) has
been retained.
Some illustrations in this book appear to have been lifted from
Locomotive Engine Driving: A Practical Manual for Engineers in Charge
of Locomotive Engines by Michael Reynolds (London: Crosby Lockwood,
1888).
Fractions have been normalized to the form X-Y/Z.
Page 5, changed "locomotiive" to "locomotive."
Page 7, changed "Engilsh" to "English."
Page 8, changed "clumsey" to "clumsy" and "prise" to "prize."
Page 16, changed "guage" to "gauge."
Page 17, changed "will came" to "will come."
Page 19, changed "where on can" to "where one can."
Page 21, changed "gain" to "gains."
Page 22, changed "reponsibility" to "responsibility."
Page 24, changed "read then" to "read them."
Page 27, changed "thinest" to "thinnest."
Page 29, changed "guage" to "gauge" (twice) and "at at" to "at."
Page 34, changed "undestand" to "understand."
Page 51, changed "shown it Fig. 35" to "shown in Fig. 35" and "llittle"
to "little."
Page 56, changed "definately" to "definitely."
Page 57, changed "air-brakes consists" to "air-brake consists."