The Locomotive - Lighthouse Survival Blog

1901.] THE LOCOMOTIVE. 1Q5
the chairman of the committee, was asked to state what the difference was; but he replied
that he would prefer to say nothing further at this time. Whether the Glasgow engineers
who are iu charge of the station will have any more trouble with these engines or not, we
cannot say; but at present engines of foreign construction do not carry, with -them, a
very good character. There are other American engines at power stations in this coun-
try, and these are known. It is never a pleasant matter to see the expression on the faces
of the engineers of these stations when questions are asked as to the working of the
American engines. What the chairman of the Midland Railway, and the superinten-
dent engineer, said of American locomotives, are both known. In language not to be
misunderstood, the engineer made several charges against them, and the chairman said,
more mildly but quite as effectively, that he did not think there was a market for
American locomotives in England. The directors and engineers of power stations are
not so noted as those of the railway companies, but their opinions with regard to the
American engines are quite as definite and conclusive. When they are asked if they
will have any more, they refuse to even consider the request; and the engineers in
charge say that they long for the day when they will see the last item of them on the
scrap heap. It is said in their favor that they can be wonderfully quickly made. Some
one once said, ' Quick writing makes hard reading.' So, in England, the experience is
that rapid construction in engineering means hard working, to keep the thing in proper
condition.
"Butyvhat is the matter with these American engines, of which power station
engineers complain so much ? Is it prejudice, or are there real troubles with them,
wherever they may be fitted up ? Have all the paeans sung by the journalists in the
sensational papers of the great American progress shrunk to this little measure ? Is all
the competition of which we were warned come to this, that buyers will not look at the
competition articles, and will not have them at any price ? Surely there must be a
cause. Mr. Garnett simply raved, at the Iron and Steel Institute, against English
methods. He was very quietly told that the methods he spoke of had been in practice
for thirty years. Was his real object to obtain from the discussion a description of our
latest methods, so that they might copy them over there ? He was also informed that
the real American competitor is the tariff. Anyway, British engineers smile at the
warnings of the half-penny papers, and invite the editors to try American machines
just once.
"In the power stations these engines stand condemned. The first trouble experi-
enced with them was in the cylinders. Oil had to be run into these, to allow them to
work with any approach to satisfaction; and much oil in a cylinder spells ruin to the
boiler, especially if it is an American boiler of the water tube type. At any rate, where
half a gallon of oil a day sufficed for an English-built engine, two and a half gallons
were required for the American ones. Even that great quantity of oil did not keep
them working smoothly, for in a couple of months from starting the engines had to be
stopped, and an emery wheel put in to remove the scores and ruts formed in the bottom
of the cylinder by the piston. These periodical burnings out with the emery wheel
went on, until at the end of twelve months the scores and ruts became too bad for the
emery treatment, and the tool and boring bar at last had to be resorted to. Then there
was trouble with the oil. The large quantity put in with the steam had to be got out
of the water before it was pumped back into the boiler. One filter was tried after
another, but none would do the work efficiently. At last, in one case, it was resolved
to throw away the water and oil as they came from the condenser, and to pump town
water from the mains into the boiler. This involved costly softening apparatus and