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
