Several years ago a very troublesome and mysterious pound caused the writer a great deal of annoyance. He was running an old engine, with cylinders that had been bored out until no counter-bore was left. The piston had worn a seat leaving a small ridge at the end of its back travel. The main-rod was taken down one day; and, in putting it up again, the travel of the piston was slightly altered. The engine started out with a pound, and kept it up. If any of my readers have been working an engine that seemed to hang together merely by luck, away on construction work on the wild prairies, with no machine-shops in the rear to appeal to for aid or counsel, with all his own repairing to do without tools or skilled assistance, they will understand the difficulty experienced in locating that pound at the back end of the cylinder.
A cylinder loose on the frame, or a broken frame, will jar the whole machine; and both of these defects are serious, and demand increased care in taking the engine along with the train. Loose driving-box brasses produce a pound which is sometimes difficult to locate. In searching for the cause of a pound, it is a good plan to place the engine with one of the cranks on the quarter, block the wheels, and have the fireman open the throttle a little, and reverse the engine with the steam on. By closely watching in turn each connection, as the steam through the piston gives a pull or a thrust to the cross-head, the defect which causes the pound may be located. Never run with a serious pound inside of a cylinder. It is an almost certain indication that a smash is imminent.
CHAPTER XV.
OFF THE TRACK.—ACCIDENTS TO RUNNING-GEAR.
GETTING DITCHED.
There is something pathetic in the spectacle of a noble locomotive, whose speed capabilities are so wonderful, lying with its wheels in the air, or sunk to the hubs in mud or gravel. Kindred sights are, a ship thrown high and dry upon the beach, away from the element that gives it power and beauty; or a monster whale, the leviathan of the deep, lying stranded and helpless upon the shore.
Few engineers have run many years without getting their engine off the track in some way,—over the ends of switches, by jumping bad track, or getting into the ditch through some serious accident, collision or otherwise. Most of them have felt that shock of the engine thumping over the ties, and momentarily wondered in what position it was going to stop; doing all in their power, meanwhile, to stop, and prevent damage.
DEALING WITH SUDDEN EMERGENCIES.
Of course, an engineer’s first duty is to conduct his engine in a way that will avoid accident so far as human foresight can aid in doing so; but, when an accident is inevitable, his next duty is to use every exertion towards reducing its severity. The most common form of serious accident occurring on our railroads is a collision. Rear-end collisions occur most frequently, although head-to-head collisions annually claim many victims. When an accident of this kind is impending, the engineer generally has but a few seconds of warning; but these brief seconds well utilized often save many lives, and impress the principal actor with the stamp of true heroism. Rounding a curve at a high speed, an engineer perceives another train approaching. Quick as thought he shuts off steam, applies the brake, reverses the engine, and opens the sand-valves and the throttle. This will take about ten seconds’ time; and, if the engine is running thirty miles an hour, the train will pass over forty-four feet each second. Assuming that no reduction of speed has taken place till all the appliances for stopping are in operation, four hundred and forty feet will be passed over as a preliminary to stopping. With the automatic Westinghouse brake, application and retarding power are almost simultaneous. Until he has applied all means of reducing speed, an engineer rarely or never consults his own safety, however certain death may be staring him in the face. But after the brakes are known to be doing their work, aided by sanded rails, and steam working against the piston, personal safety is considered. A glance at the position of the two trains tells if they are coming violently together; and the engineer jumps off, or remains on the engine, as he deems best. This applies to trains equipped with continuous brakes.