A Geared Locomotive for Contractors' Use.

The contractors' locomotive is a very important item of the plant for many engineering works, quarries, brick years, etc., and whilst fitness of finish and economy in operation are not important requirements, strength of parts and attachments is exceedingly important to enable the engine to work regularly over a very rough track and to withstand the shocks and rough handling to which it is inevitably subjected. In a majority of cases the engines used by contractors are ordinary locomotives of small size, with piston rod connected directly to the driving wheels by a connecting rod, but in recent years geared locomotives have shown such advantages as to come into favor. We show herewith a geared locomotive designed for contractors' use, and built by the John F. Byers Machine Co. of Ravenna, O.

This locomotive is a four-wheel tank engine, and has heavy cast-iron sectional frames, in which are formed the guides for the axle boxes, and which serve to add to the adhesion weight of the engine. The wheels are 24 ins. in diameter, and are placed inside the frame for a track of 36 ins. gage, and outside for standard gage. They are of cast iron, with chilled treads. Upon the middle of each side frame is mounted a vertical inverted engine, driving a main shaft, which carries and driving pinion A. This pinion drives two gear wheels B, B, on a countershafts, which in turn drive the two pinions C, C, on the axles of the carrying wheels. It is plain spur gearing, back geared 3 to 1, three revolutions of the engine giving one revolution of the axles. The gear wheels are cast with solid webs and wide faces, and the pitch of the teeth is 1 ¹/₂ ins. The countershafts are 2 7-16 ins. diameter, carried in bearings on a transverse frame or bedplate, which is bolted to the side frames. The main axles are of steel, 2 15-16 ins. diameter, with large bearing carried in oil boxes. The leading axle has side-bearing bars D, D, which rest on bearing boxes on the axle E, E, and these bars carry the transverse equalizer F. This arrangement allows sufficient vertical play in the leading main bearing, and also effects such a distribution of the weight that the engine will ride steadily over any ordinary inequalities in the track, and will pass easily around curves of 25 and 30 ft. radius.

The boiler is of T shape, with a circular firebox in the vertical leg and tubes in the horizontal barrel. This barrel is entirely filled with water, the water level reaching up into the vertical leg, and steam is taken from the upper part of this leg, which serves as the steam dome. The shell is lagged and jacketed in the usual way. The exhaust pipes run full size to the exhaust nozzle in the smokebox, and discharge into a petticoat pipe of the usual pattern. The vertical extension of the exhaust pipes downwards on the outside of the smokebox, as shown in the general view, is for the purpose of a drip, and the lower end of each extension is provided with an opening ¹/₈ in. diameter, which is left permanently open. In the later engines the exhaust is run from the cylinders directly underneath the boiler, and thence by a single pipe to the smokebox, a single drip pipe with permanent opening being provided. The sandbox and bell are mounted on the boiler barrel, and the fitting include a glass water gage, water try cocks, two injectors, etc.

The engine is provided with a friction brake, shown in the side elevation, which is placed on the rear countershaft. It consists of two cup-shaped disks G, G, faced with wooden friction blocks H, H. These disks are attached to two yokes J, J, which in turn are moved in line with the countershaft by means of the threads on the operating shaft K. The brake is applied by moving the disks G, G against the center disk L, which is keyed to the countershaft. The yokes J, J and the disks G, G work lose on the shaft, but are fastened at the lower or forward end of the yokes J, J to the transverse bedplate., This brake is operated by a horizontal hand wheel M, and bevel gear N. It is powerful and sensitive and very easily handled.

The drawing show only the iron frames, the wooden footboard and front end supports being omitted. The front and back cross frames have been changed somewhat from the form shown in the photograph, but the arrangement of the engine, main shaft, countershafts, gears, driving wheels, etc., is the same in all the machines. These locomotives are said to give a steady drawbar pull, and to be capable of hauling and train load of 250 tons (including weight of cars) at a speed of six to eight miles per hour on a straight and level track. Their short wheelbase enables then to pass the very sharp curves usually to be found on contractors' track and industrial railways. Four of these locomotives have been built thus far, and three of them are in service, being used by the Casparis Stone Co., of Loansport, Ind.; the Buffalo Cement Co., of Buffalo, N. Y., and W. J. Murray, contractor, of New York city. The general dimensions of the engines are given in the accompanying table:

Technical Specification

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