WORKSHOPS OF THE WESTERN RAILWAY OF BUENOS AYRES.
(From the Buenos Ayres Standard.)
Buenos Ayres has at last thrown off the mantle of dignified idleness in which she has been so long enveloped, and is taking her place amongst the leading nations of the earth. The days are past when every article for social comfort or consumption had to be imported from abroad. We are creeping along in the right path at last, and Governor Alsina and Emilio Castro are head workmen of Buenos Ayres. They are creating mechanical power in this country, calculated at no very distant date to develop the resources of her natural wealth to such a point that it will enlarge her credit, extend her commerce, and give birth to manufactures.
Happy indeed is it for the interests of this country that so immense a capital has found its way into steam hammers, saws, lathes, and all the mighty elements which mechanical genius has called into the service of man. We are on the right track at last, and people who want to judge of the real progress of this place should visit the workshops of the Western Railway. Within the last few years this grand mart of mechanical industry has sprung into existence. We recollect Buenos Ayres without a railway—still more without a workshop—unless the humble smith's forge may be dubbed by this title; but on last Wednesday it was with agreeable astonishment we witnessed the foundries, shops, forges, warehouses, &c., all in full play, and every man at his post; in fact, the only alloy to our feelings of satisfaction was the utter absence of the youth of the country from these, the finest and best schools for boys and young men. The whole mechanical work going on is in the hands almost exclusively of foreigners, and hardly a single native boy as apprentice for the entire length and breadth of the establishment is to be seen. We trust when the great advantages of these shops are brought properly before the public that we shall see some change in this respect.
At one o'clock a select party attended at the Railway Station in the Parque, to witness the working of some new machinery sent out recently by Mr. Thomas Allen, the Government engineer abroad. We noticed, amongst those present, Dr. Rawson, Sres. Gonsalez, Santa Maria, Coghlan, Gowland, Fleming, Aguirre, Velez, Castro, Gutierrez, Dr. Seguel, and several other leading men whose names we forget. A beautiful model locomotive was, with the aid of a small kerosene lamp, set a-going; it worked on a tray, and fairly astonished with the precision of its movements some Cordova friends present. A portable galvanic telegraphic apparatus was next introduced, and one of the operatives in charge showed the working of it, the great merit of which appeared to us to be its extreme simplicity. On the table lay drawings of the new fountains for the Water Works; the “jet d'eau” for the Plaza Victoria is a truly magnificent and useful ornament; it will cost when put up about £1,500, but those for the other Plazas are less expensive.
At the Parque Station they have now a complete set for twelve stations of Morse's Printing Telegraph. Everything has arrived in first-rate order for connecting Rosario with this city. There are over 500 wrought iron posts, with twelve tables. The whole affair will cost, we believe, about £11,000. The manager, or chief electrician, is expected out in the packet; at present M. Ringallé is in charge. Four telegraph clerks have also been engaged in England.
About half-past one we proceeded to the special train in waiting to convey us to the Once Setiembre depots. We noticed that the Bragge roof is completely worn away, but we understand that the new iron and glass roof, from England, has arrived, and will be put up immediately. Every day materials are arriving from abroad, owing to the convenience of having such a practical agent as Mr. Thomas Allen, who, from his lengthened experience on the road, knows precisely what is wanted and what will suit. A large turning table is now coming out, upwards of forty-two feet. It will be the largest in the country; it was made at Birmingham, and will be put up at the Parque Central Station; also a large travelling truck, to carry railway carriages, waggons, &c., from one line to another. We entered Governor Alsina's state coach, being accompanied by the guests, and pushed on for the depots. The coach is elegantly fitted up with every convenience, and we are surprised his Excellency the Governor does not take a trip out twice a week to Chivilcoy or Mercedes.
Arriving at the depots, we first entered the foundry department, and came on a hydraulic press used for taking the wheels off axles; it works up to a pressure of fifty tons; three men work it, and it is one of the most useful machines in the shop, doing in ten minutes the work of ten men for a whole day.
Next we inspected a hydraulic pump for trying the state of boilers to 500 lbs. per square inch, which is constantly in use.
A large planing machine next met the eye. This machine planes up to nine feet, and is used for making points and crossings, or any large planing, and is worked by a boy.
Alongside is a small screw cutting lathe, twelve inch centres. This machine is useful for all kinds of work.
Then we have a small lathe for brass turning, eight inch centres, worked by apprentices.
Further on is a screwing machine, patented by Messrs. Sharpe, Stewart & Co., of Manchester, to screw from ¼ to 1½ inches; also worked by a boy.
Another machine, patented by the same firm, called a shaping machine, for all kinds of work; one of the most useful in the shop, and worked by apprentices.
Next comes a break lathe; will turn up to six feet for screw cutting and for all other kind of work; attended to by operatives.
The shaft pump supplies the great tank with water from a huge algibe, throwing up 3,500 gallons 18 feet high. This water is used for washing boilers, &c.
The large wheel lathe, a ponderous machine, turns wheels six feet diameter: this is used to repair wheels, which, being in constant use, require continued attention—worked by an operative.
Then comes a double-faced wheel lathe, turning two wheels at one time; turns up to 4 feet diameter—worked by an operative.
The large stationary engine, the great motive power of the whole shop, drives all the shafts, is 12-horse power, burning about three quarters of a ton of slack and ashes per day—attended by one operative.
The patent silent fan, which is used to supply six blacksmiths' forges, making 2,000 evolutions per minute.
Then comes the monarch of the shop, the steam hammer. Here we witnessed the strokes of this huge machine, at which even Vulcan himself would stare. The noise of this hammer striking on the red hot bars echoed around the whole square. Mr. Daniel Gowland remarked that the first steam hammer he ever saw in South America was in the ill-fated Paraguay.
There are six blacksmiths' forges constantly at work, fed by the steam fan, and always occupied in repairing locomotives, coaches, waggons, &c.
Mr. Manier is the foreman of this shop. Before, however, we leave it, we must notice the casting or blast foundry. Whilst we were present we witnessed the workmen casting old brass into new plates, which latter arrangement realised an immense saving, and redounds to the credit of the indefatigable Emilio Castro, who perceived the great loss in selling old brass and buying new; and last, not least, we must not omit the huge punching machine, very useful in its way, but little used. It punches quarter inch to an inch, and cuts up to three quarter boiler plates.
The repairing shop is large (50 metres by 50), and capable of holding thirty locomotives; we noticed four locomotives under repair. Damaged engines are here turned out as good as new; and, indeed, Mr. John Allen, who is the moving genius of the whole mechanical department, assures us that they can make their own locomotives, so replete with every utensil are the shops; but, of course, it is cheaper to import them. Two damaged engines were landed not long ago, and were about to be sold by auction, but Mr. Allen took them in hand, and now they are in excellent working order. Owing to the great falling off of traffic on the line, there are now only eight engines daily under steam, whereas this time last year they had sixteen; but in this shop all kinds of repairs can be done. Already the shops have built several first and second-class coaches—genuine native industry.
We next pass to the coach and waggon shop, (50 by 12), capable of holding about twelve carriages. Here all the coaches are overhauled, repaired, varnished, and even the upholstery attended to, and coaches built. The only thing which as yet baffles the mechanics are the wheels, which must be imported.
And now we come to the new carpenter's shop, where the new machines sent out by Mr. Allen have been just put up.
The chief attraction is the new machine which, as it does every imaginable kind of work, is called the “General Joiner.” None of the gentlemen present could give us the exact name in Spanish for this machine, so we call it the “Nuevo Carpintero General.” A facetiously disposed writer might opine that as President Mitre has given to the Republic a new cavalry major, Governor Alsina, not to be outdone, has given his country a new “General,” the best and most potent general in the Republic; and we congratulate the Governor on the acquisition of the new “Carpintero General.”
We all stood astonished at the work it did, and have not now time to explain its varied powers; it plains, moulds, and saws planks of every size in a few moments; and beside it we noticed the new endless saw; also the jigger saw for pattern making; also the new wood turning lathe, and the large drilling machine, the largest in this country for drilling wheels.
In the yard we noticed sixty pair of extra wheels from the States, but at these depots they have an immense extra supply of everything.
And if we were to stop to detail all we saw in those wondrous workshops it would fill half-a-dozen Standards.
The works are a credit to Buenos Ayres, and an honour to the present Administration. We left these busy haunts with the most favourable impressions, well recollecting that but a few years ago this very site was a rude brick-kiln.
Yes, there is vitality, after all, in Buenos Ayres, and if any man doubts it, let him pay a visit on a working day to these shops. The store-rooms, under the charge of Mr. Tucker, are replete with everything, and the wool depots are the grandest and most extensive in the country, capable of holding at one time 100 waggons.
There are sixty-eight mechanics in the workshops constantly employed; 600 men engaged in working the line.
Mr. Emilio Castro, head director; Don Luis Elordi, second in command; Mr. John Allen next; and Mr. Zimmermann head electrician.