vides approximately 30 per cent increase steam," which is frequently heard rewith comparatively no addition in loco- peated. motive weight and without increased fuel consumption. The Solar Engine. An American scientist remarked years ago that even on so small an area as Manhattan Island the noontide heat is sufficient, could it be utilized, to turn all the steam engines in the world. Can it not be utilized? If a little lens can focus enough sunshine to blister one's hand and if big mirrors, as the Roman historians tell us, were used to set the enemy's fleet afire, may we not expect that some day a gifted inventor will contrive an instrument for gathering and storing and distributing the heat energy of the sun? When water is boiled till steam is formed, the resulting vapor is saturated steam, which is called "saturated" so long as it remains in contact with the water. Saturated steam is always at what is called the dew point, ready to return to water when the least abstraction of heat is made from it. In the operation of all steam engines the tendency of saturated steam to revert to water, which loses its motive power force, is a source of serious heat losses and may amount to used in raising the steam. 25 per cent or more of the heat originally This action, known as cylinder condensation, has been familiar to investigating engineers for many years, and many experiments have been tried to reduce the heat losses, cylinder jacketing having been tried as long ago as James Watt's time. When steam is admitted to the cylinder, the latter is comparatively cold and at once acts as a condenser on the entering steam. This condensing action continues during the whole period of admission and expansion. When release occurs and the pressure in the cylinder is materially reduced, there is a tendency of the water or water vapor to flash back into steam, increasing the back pressure, thereby magnifying the heat losses. Engineers are now working at this problem with encouraging results. Stationary engines have been run by means of huge reflectors, and other experiments rich in suggestion have been performed. The time will come, Ericson predicted, when Europe must stop her mills for lack of coal, unless a substitute fuel is found. "Then," he added, "upper Egypt, with its never-ceasing sun power, will invite the European manufacturer to remove his machinery and erect his mills on the firm ground along the sides of the alluvial plain of the Nile, where an amount of motive power many times greater than that now employed by all the manufacturies of Europe may be ob- vinced of its truth. tained." If the future achievements of Superheated steam, on the other hand, science and invention are in wise pro- is steam containing more heat than steam portionate to those of the past-and who can doubt that they will be incomparably greater? the solar engine is but one of a thousand marvels in store.-Niagara Falls Journal. Many practical railway men have been inclined to regard this theory of cylinder condensation as idle vaporing, but it has been so plainly demonstrated to be true that all intelligent engineers are now con holds in the presence of the water from which it was evaporated. By the use of the proper boiler arrangements for applying heat to steam after it has been separated from the water, any degree of superheat may be secured. In practical working, superheated steam holds SO Cylinder Condensation and Super- much extra heat that when it enters the heaters.* There are certain expressions frequently occurring in engineering papers that readers are supposed to understand without any explanation being given, but many of them are vaguely comprehended, while others are misunderstood or distrusted. Since superheat locomotives began to come into use, the term suerheat is repeated very frequently, but the average railway man has no clear idea of what superheat means. The same may be said of the expression "saturated From Railway and Locomotive Engineering. cylinders there is no condensation and No improvement effected on the steam engine since the separate condenser was introduced has proved so valuable a heat saver as superheated steam, and it is something of a mystery that the invention was not made practical earlier. In studying engineering literature, a reader occasionally meets with expressions of belief that the use of superheated steam would remedy the evils of cylinder condensation, and various experiments were made from time to time with superheated heating became a decided success. All steam, but decided success seemed always to be prevented by small obstacles, such as difficulty with cylinder lubrication, packing, and so on. The experimenters in this field of research lacked faith in the theories they worked upon and failed through lack of proper perseverance. the engineering world are aware that the Schmidt superheater worked so well that within five years after the first one was applied, the superheater became practically established as a part of nearly all locomotives on the Prussian State Railways. From that time on the superheater jumped into popularity, till now it has become a recognized part of all first-class locomotives in every part of the world. It has vanquished the evils of cylinder Book Review. The practice of superheating steam is by no means new, for it had been tried, abandoned and tried again, long before any of the present generation of engineers was born. That erratic inventor condensation. Richard Trevithick, designer of the first locomotive that ever ran on rails, was the first engineer to experiment with superheated steam. That was in 1828. A heat Air Brake Catechism. The twentysaving of about 33 per cent was claimed sixth edition of this excellent treatise on for that invention, a result which ought the Westinghouse Air Brake by Robert to have made all users of steam engines H. Blackall has just been published. favorable to superheaters, if they had not Commencing with the beginnings of the been blindly opposed to innovations. air brake, the student is made conversant Many insulated experiments were made with its many modifications and improvewith superheaters between 1830 and 1896, ments up to the present time, including and claims for great savings were always the Nos. 5 and 6 ET locomotive brake made, but for various reasons the super- equipment; the types "K" and "L" triple heating appliances were quickly aban- valves; cross-compound pumps; the doned. In 1873 the writer made several "P-C" passenger brake equipment; braktrips in the engine room of a steamer that ing power and leverage, etc. Detailed had a superheater in the uptake. When explanation of the operation of the varifairly tried, this superheater saved about ous parts of the apparatus, together with 10 per cent of fuel, but it was disliked by the chief and second engineers because it increased their responsibilities, and was abandoned. a practical way of finding their peculiarities and defects and the remedy to apply is given. The book follows the plan of questions and answers and will An impression long prevailed among be found of value not only to the stuengineers that a locomotive was the last dent, but to air brake instructors and exkind of engine on which to experiment aminers as well. It contains over 400 with a superheater; but about 1895 Dr. pages, size 4 x 6§ inches, printed in Wilhelm Schmidt., a German scientist, be- clear, readable type, and fully illustrated, gan experimenting with superheaters on in addition to which there are a number locomotives, employing an unusually high of colored plates. Price $2. Published degree of heat. He displayed perfect con- by The Norman W. Henley Publishing fidence in his knowledge and judgment Company, 132 Nassau Street, New York with the result that his system of super- City. Echoes from the Firing Line The Electric Motor Versus the Steam between the side sheets and up several Locomotive. As an electrical student I have very carefully noted how emphatically professors and lecturers have dwelt upon the superiority of the electric motor over the steam loocomotive, pointing out the difficulty of keeping the inside of the locomotive boiler free from scale and deposits, also that on account of the small size of the flues they are easily stopped up and hard to keep clean. Unequal expansion and contraction causes staybolts and braces to become broken and the flues to leak, while side sheets are cracked and blistered through the settling of mud in the leg of the boiler. Besides, the service of the locomotive is lost to the company while the boiler and flues are being cleaned and undergoing repairs. The statement has been made that the locomotive is the best and most economical motor that has ever been invented; however, its great trouble is with the boiler, but by proper care this trouble can be minimized. Then why not give it the proper care? Some years ago when a prominent railroad system was electrifying a portion of its line, one of the electrical engineers when telling me of the great economy of the electric motor over the steam locomotive, said: "We will have all the locomotives on this road knocked out in five years. You see it only takes one man to run the motor, while it takes two on the locomotive." Said I, "Where does all this economy come in that you have talked so much about?" and he could not answer. A leading scientific paper published in July, 1909, stated that up to that time neither of two certain railroad companies had shown any disposition to make public the details of the cost of operation of their electrified lines, but had declared that in point of convenience and regularity of service the electric had shown a decided superiority over steam service, and that it was conceivable that these advantages were such as to more than offset any increased cost due to the heavy initial outlay. Is it any wonder that the electric motor showed a decided superiority over steam service when locomotives were allowed to run with their boilers caked with mud, in some cases the mud being solid rows of staybolts, as well as with flues stopped up? I have before me as a paper weight a conglomeration of incrustation two inches thick that was taken from a boiler not quite a year in service, as well as other specimens. Officials responsible for such conditions stand guilty before God and man when they expect enginemen to do first-class work under such a handicap. There is a primary cause for all casualities. Try to eliminate the primary cause, whatever it may be, and the casualities will be reduced. As an instance, will say that when the arch tubes were taken out of several engines, known as battle ships, the boilermaker put what he called "pockets" in the holes in the inside sheets (they were shaped like a condensed milk can). I told him they were not safe, and figured out for him the pressure, based on 180 pounds of steam, tending to force them out of the holes, whereas there was nothing but the rolling and beading, same as with a flue, to keep them in. When I said that it would be safer to put a thimble through the two sheets, he replied: "I believe you are right, but this is the way we are ordered to do it." Shortly afterward one of the pockets blew out and killed a fireman by scalding him to death. Was that the fault of the engineer? Was it the fault of the fireman who lost his precious young life? Was it the fault of the boilermaker who did the job, he having to do as he was told? No! this the primary cause of the casuality was the fault of the management, but the poor fireman had to give up his life before the management could see that it had made a mistake. Then the management got busy and took out all the pockets and put in thimbles, which it should have done in the first place. Twenty odd years ago at a union meeting of engineers and firemen held in New York City a prominent railroad official in the course of his address, said: "We all draw our salaries from the same source. It behooves each and every one of us to be honest in our dealings with the company and faithful in the discharge of our duty." May I ask, was the management honest in its dealings with the company and faithful in the discharge of its duty when it would not listen to the pleadings of one of the faithful employes of the company to not be abusing the company's property (the locomotive boilers) by putting cold water in hot boilers and forcing the fires? was I have data showing where the boiler of one engine was filled with cold water, fire started at 2:15 p. m., and she had 100 pounds of steam at 3:25 p. m., three blowers being used. Another case of a boiler being filled with cold water, the fire being forced with four blowers, four pails of oil put on the coal, three oil barrels and several pails of oiled shavings being used in starting the fire-the blowing power used on this engine being about 300 pounds. Think of what the engine crew had to contend with when that boiler started to leak owing to the abuse it had received, when the steam that was used in forcing the fire could have been utlized to warm the water going into the boiler, thereby minimizing contraction and expansion. This engine was but a short time in service. I have known of many cases of engines coming in and being reported as foaming, with the request to change water or wash boiler. There would be two hours or two and a half hours in which to do it, but it would not be done for fear that the engine could not be gotten ready for her run, and it would be sent out with the boiler in the same dirty condition in which it arrived, while at the same time a hot water boiler washer and filler capable of doing a first-class job in that time was available had the company seen fit to make use of it. It is only the practical engineman who knows the trouble it is to get over the road with the boiler in such a condition, as well as having the heating surface impaired by several flues being stopped up. On account of his anxiety and worry about the water level in the boiler he is likely to overlook a landmark or shuttingoff place, causing him to pass a signal or take a cross-over at too great a speed. Should an accident result, then the officials are to blame, for they are the primary cause of the engine being on the road in that condition when it was in their power to prevent it. I have pleaded with officials to properly care for locomotive boilers, and have advocated the use of a mechanical device that would wash and fill the boilers in the shortest possible time without allowing them to cool, if the engine was wanted in a hurry, by warming the water with steam at 180 or 200 pounds pressure, and also a mechani cal device to clean the flues (with the fire in or dumped) in the quickest and most effective way, so as to render it easy to raise and maintain steam, thereby lessening the laborious work of the fireman and the anxiety of the engineer, knowing that their lot is a hard one at the best, but to no avail. When I called a foreman's at tention to the fact that he was deliberately keeping the work back and, by so doing, was allowing the engines to go out with green fires, while at the same time the company was paying smoke inspectors to report the enginemen for making black "Tom, you are a smoke, he said to me: d them fellows (meaning the engineers and fool for interesting yourself in firemen) the way you do; they don't give ad about you." I replied: "Do you think they don't?" He said: "I know they don't." "Well," I replied, “if I am sick tomorrow they will take care of me, and when my days are ended on this earth some of them will stand by my grave when you and your crowd will for sake me." Should Have Saved the Valve Oil. I have read the article in the May number of the Magazine wherein Edward F. McKenzie, under the caption, "Rules for Keeping a Lookout on a Busy Road," gives his experience. It would seem to me that the judges acting for the publication that gave Mr. McKenzie first prize for such an article must have been thoroughly experienced railroad men. On the roads in the Western country where I have been employed, had such an accident happened as Mr. McKenzie describes (the striking of a derailed car on a dark night), and had the engineer failed to save the valve oil in addition to shutting the throttle, applying the air, opening the sand valve, reversing the engine, jumping down behind boiler and whistling brakes to the second engineer-all in onehalf second-he would have been given at least thirty days, and possibly have been discharged, for not being able to act more quickly. MEMBER LODGE 749. Our Special Study Course THE WESTINGHOUSE AIR BRAKE (PART 1.) Copyright, 1914, by Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen Introduction. 1. Study of the Air Brake.-Before commencing the study of the air brake and how it is used, we should think over carefully, first, why we should commence to study the subject at all; second, what must be our own personal attitude toward such study; third, what are the things to be kept in mind when studying the subject, so that we may obtain a clear idea of what each part of the subject means, both in itself and its relation to the whole subject. A man who goes to a teacher to learn how to play the violin does so because he wants to be able to please himself and others by playing that instrument. If he does not make up his mind that he will have to spend time and careful thought in practice and study until he is sure of each step taken before he takes the next one, he will be very likely to become discouraged soon and fall far short of what he might have accomplished. And even if he has the greatest enthusiasm and energy, he must constantly think over what his work is being done for, what are the important things to remember and how each detail, which may seem unimportant or tiresome, is necessary in order that he may make the most of his training and study. This is just as true and necessary for the man who wants to learn as much as possible about air brakes, and we may be sure that once we make up our mind to start in our study of air brakes, or anything else, along these lines, there is no limit to what we can accomplish. It is for this reason that the introduction and first lessons of this course are of as much, if not more, importance than anything which fcilows. We must start right, start at the beginning and keep on, step by step, until we have become familiar with the whole subject. Much of the difficulty and mystery about the study of air brakes can be done away with if we always remember that the air brake is a mechanical device which operates according to fixed and usually very simple mechanical principles. We must constantly bear in mind, then, that every operation of the brake, every action which may seem, when we first notice it, mysterious, is the result of some cause, in accordance with which the brake, as a combination of mechanical devices, must respond in one, and only one way. The particular condition of the working parts of the apparatus and the nature of that which causes the mechanism of the brake to operate may produce very different and, perhaps, apparently contrary results at different times, but this only emphasizes the necessity for one studying first and most carefully the principles upon which the brake operates. Once having these fixed in our minds, we are ready to apply these principles to the study of what the action of any part of the complete device will be when the causes affecting its operation are known, or to reason back from some action we observe or desire to ac complish, to find out its real cause. In other words, if we get a thorough |