This same species of chisel, applied in different ways, reduced masses of iron in size, planed down flat surfaces, enlarged holes, made cylinders “true” and smooth inside, besides doing a variety of other things.
After seeing the large tyre turned, Mrs Marrot could not be induced to pay much regard to the various carriage and truck wheels which were being treated in a similar manner in that department, but she was induced to open her ears, and her eyes too, when the overseer informed her that the “works” turned out complete no fewer than one hundred and thirty pairs of locomotive, carriage, and waggon wheels a week.
“How many did you say?” she asked.
“A hundred and thirty pair of wheels in the week,” repeated the overseer.
“Every week?” asked Mrs Marrot.
“Yes; every week. Sometimes more, sometimes less; but altogether, pretty well on for 6000 pairs of wheels every year.”
“W’y, what do you make of ’em all?”
“Oh, we make good use of ’em,” replied the overseer, laughing. “We wear them out so fast that it keeps us working at that rate to meet our necessities. But that,” he continued, “is only a small part of what we do. We turn out of the works 156 first-class carriages besides many seconds and thirds, and about 1560 trucks every year; besides three engines, new and complete, every fortnight.”
“Three noo engines every fortnight!” echoed Mrs Marrot; “how many’s that in the year, Bob?”
“Seventy-eight,” replied Bob, promptly. Bob was a swift mental calculator, and rather proud of it.