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 AMERICAN LOCOMOTIVES. 
 
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 To tA« Editor 0/ " ENOiNKBKiNa-" 
 
 Sir,— The American nulroad engine, as compaied with European 
 loibmotives, bears upon its face the stamp rf much fertile oripiiality, 
 sinuliar to that of American steamboats and bridges, Khen con- ^^ 
 fronted with transatlantic works of a kindred class. There are 
 differences, in the construction and" working of American means of 
 land and-waler mtercourse, which may be called only txtemal ones, 
 arising from the peculiar tastes and manners of the people; but, 
 between American engmeering practic#and that of the old country, 
 there are also prineijtal distinctions, called for, often, by strictly 
 limi^ expenditure, by the necessity of spfefedy comjetipn, and 
 dictiated in many cases by Nature herself. ^ 
 
 it is on the American continent, where ^me of the grandest 
 wonders of the world^^of nature and of art^^^imultanepusly appear 
 before the traveller— whether he be traversing endless prwries and 
 t^e Sierra Nevada on the Pacific railroad, or skirting on a " floating 
 4ace*'^along the beautiful scenery of the American Rhine: the 
 Hudson river. And probably there b no other place on the whole 
 Jobe Vhere such an impression of might and majesty is left upon 
 Ithe mind — no other spot where such a sublime scene of Eternal 
 Jpower and of mortal effort burst upon the viei», as at thralls of 
 Niagara and the suspension bridges. It was a bold ide^Jwretcha 
 ^h a wonderful structure, as was completed by Mr.Ji^P|Ung, 
 aCTb89 Niagara river, which signifies, in the symbolical lanjjuage of 
 the Iroquois Indians, " fhunder of Wateri," streaming dedp below 
 the table Iknd throu^ Jft rocky bed, and boiling and leaping and 
 foaming onward to the whirlpool ;— and there is also the new and 
 graceful, 'though le|s monumental, Clifton bridge, suspended like 
 iron cobweb over tSiatx^mendous (^ost of spray and mist, that 
 \ ■ perpetually arises from llier^ght-green water in its giant leap ! 
 \ Such challenges, and maay^^ther diffiondties, the Ameri^iD •&■ 
 
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 ^neer has met with an initiatircj, an amount of pluck and mechanical 
 instinct which — as must beiunivcrsally admitted -^ do him much 
 'individual credit and-honourt ith^ whole nation. But to return to 
 our subject, vii. : " Americai ilocoipotives.** I have examined them - 
 in detail at the 'manufactoryl wituessed their performances on all 
 •kind of track, and I am conipclled to confess, that what 1 saw far 
 
 jf, exceeded my anticipations. , , 
 
 Beginning with the engine and the various mechanical details, as 
 designed and constructed in t|(e manufactory, a very marked differ- 
 ence, as £Qiapared with English practice, will be noticed. Tlio 
 •-— boiler is invariably lighter, the maximum, thickness of thd ivon plates 
 . composing, the barrel and lire-box being f in. (with the exception of . 
 the lube plates, § in. thick), while steel plates from \ in. to h in. 
 are frequently used. TJie boiler tubis^ lire generally of Iron. The 
 longitudinal saams of the boiler and fire-box^ casing are double 
 rlvetted, and they are moreover atrengthened, in many cases, by flat 
 bars of iron, placed sometimes across the joint at short intervals, 
 . sometimes jright along the joint on the inside of the boiler. The ^ 
 fire-box ciWns are usually stayed by. transverse 8t3o.ys, composed of 
 t.vo platps I in. thick,- which are welded together at the ends ; these 
 stays being connected to the crown of the fire-box casing by sling links. > 
 The fire-box casing is generally raised above the boiler barrel, the 
 junction Ictveen the two^ effected in a simple manner by the 
 "conni^ction sheets^^ forming a short conic barrel, and dispensing 
 thus with 'the tedious operation of moulding the front casing plate 
 tp any intricjied shape. No solid wrought-iron rings are interposed 
 at the fire-door and l^re-box bottom, but the plates are fianched so as 
 
 • to maet. when the« arc rivetted together. The smoke-box is usually 
 cylindrical, forming'a 'continuation of the boiler barrel, and resting 
 on a cast7iron saddle, which carries in its turn the cylinders, and, m 
 
 r some easas, also tiiiei bogie pin. ^ ,„ v 
 
 One of the peculiarities inAmerioan locomotive construction is the \ 
 framing, which is made of square bar iron^welded together, slotted, 
 planed all oyer uid entirely fimdhed. Thei *' bar francos," besides 
 *being very rigid in every direction, admit of easy access to the link ' 
 motion; the^ form at the same time a good base for attaching the 
 various brackets and guide-plates. The cy^nders, which are usually 
 outside, are liuQg firom the. top b(m of ^9 fr^me?* in prder to injure 
 
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 a firm basfe fo^ the cylindew, and to prevent independent strains on 
 
 ' the frames, a icast-ifon separate bed-plate or M saddle "• is inserted • 
 
 between them, oir the cylinder castings are made to extend inwards/ 
 
 / whore they arc fiWily bolted together. The valve-chests are on th$ 
 top of the cylinder^a very good plan, by tlic by— the valves rccciv- 
 inV their reciprocal!? motion, through the 'interventik of rocking 
 shafts, from the eccentrics and motion links, Avhich are placed, as 19 
 En;ili3h engines, insid<j\the frames. 
 
 As a rule, the vario^ details of the motion and geapng are \ 
 aflrairably well proportioiM and carried oufc, although, for the sake 
 of cheapness, "pijofessional^tiquette" is sometimes grossly ncglecfed,' 
 as witness cast-iron piMton-rodvCrosshcads, past in one piece "with the 
 pin and gtiideblocks! The Nrnds of the connecting and <;oupling- 
 rods, where they take hold of tlw crank-pins, are alwlys fitted with ,: 
 
 , straps, socurcd similarly to thcXlarge ends of connecting-rods f(^r 
 insida cylinder engines. The brdases are generally closed on the 
 cutside, sa that tRo crank-pins raaV bo entirely enveloped, and by 
 this ''dodge" (which is well worthy M imitation) the pins are kept 
 out of the way of diit. ^n attempts is often made to guide the « 
 pijton-rod crossheads by bars, arranged\a6oi>e the centre-line of the 
 cylinders, as shown by your illustration olR a goods locomotive for the 
 Pennsylvania railroad, on page 15o, vbl.Vii. ,Sometim3S a single 
 guide-bar only is employed, care being takeh. however, to give it Uie 
 necessary rigidity, and to provide ample baring surfaces for the 
 upward thrust and the downward pull of th^connecting-rod. The 
 
 " object of this arrangement, which is identical Vith the plans of Mr. 
 Strou.llcy and of Mr. Reynolds (likewise illustrated in Engineering,) 
 is to clear t!ie bogia whoels, or to Oflfect, in the case of an engine with 
 the leading wheels coupled, a reduction of the dbtWe at which the 
 
 * cyliuderij are apart transveraly. ' / \ • 
 
 The cast-iron wheels form another distinctive/ feature in American 
 practice. The small chilled cast-iron disc v^heeh orthcip ei^ginc- 
 tender and car trucks answer admirably well, being chedp, strong and 
 durable at the same time ; but, as regards the drivingWheels with 
 hollow spoke* and rim, they are, after all, but a primitive Wtrivance 
 
 * as compared with the solid wrought-:ron wheels now manufktured to 
 Sich perfection by the leading British locomotive makers, ard* 
 especially by some Belgian and French firms. To turn out> reallj 
 
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 go^ wwught-ironifheel, special tools ahd appliances and supenor 
 manuaTs^ni; are indispensable, and it is, perhaps, the lack of thc*» 
 rhltha, prevented thrAmericans^from making an attempt m tins 
 
 ^* Ihrb^lcr fccd-puthps also deservi mention, injectors being totally 
 ignored, or, if employed r^i all, of such dimensions as to serve merdy 
 t auxiliary boiler-foederl The pumps "are always placed on the 
 okside of the frames, and, frequently, even outside the coupling-rocU, 
 in whicMatter case they afe bolted on the^ide-bar bradkdte, bemg 
 thus of very easy access. The pumps are usually worked ?rom the 
 piston-rod crdssheads, and they.are provided with two air-chambers, 
 one forthe suction and one for the delivery.pipe. .4 
 
 Much ingenuity is displayed in the manner of setting engine_ and 
 tender on the wheels; in fact, the problem of making an easy ridmg 
 en-inc, offering, at the same time, the loflst aniount of internal 
 resistance, has been solved by the Americans most successfully.. 
 Much mi-ht be written on the history of the swivelling-.tpuck, the 
 faithful "track-feeler" of the American locomotive, and it would 
 take a very graphic pen, indeed, to record fully all tho modifications 
 •and .tmnsformations this useful contrivance has already encountered. 
 Swivelling-trucks— better known, perhaps, by tlie quasi-mysterious 
 nam- of " Bogi^ "— are employed as carrier^ider the engines, 
 t-nders and cars on all American railways, but, as far as I could 
 learn no attempt haff evw been made to utilize the advantag*?^ of the 
 bo-ic system in £hat part of the engine, which, properly shaking, 
 supplies the traction power ; in other words, the steam-cylinder^ and 
 Kcarin<r8 are alwa}^ fitted to the Aain system of the engine, imlr 
 pendeutly of the bogies. If the trucks,as they roll along, are watched 
 from the car-platforms, it will be noticed that they get the more 
 uneasy the liiore the^peed increases, manifesting, at high speeds, a 
 strong "galloping" movement; and this characteristic phenomenon 
 -Would, perhaps, be seriously aggravated by the ad(fitional disturbing 
 fo-cea' resulting from the employment of steam-cylmders. At all 
 events, the check-chains provided throughout, in connection with thft 
 • American trucks, are not suggestive of abundant safety. For heavy 
 - w^rfe, nt very slow speeds, however, such as climbing crooked 
 ■ inclines, it would bo advisable to employ engines mounted upon two 
 -4tteam-thick8, whereby both the -poirer and the flexibility of the 
 
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 locomotive Would be increased. ComMnsating levew are used on aU 
 American engines, not only between ttte coupled dnying-wheols, but 
 often,, also, betAveenthe ^nt pair of coaled VhCels and the bogio. 
 In many cases the equalization of the weight is still further earned , 
 outbythe.cm]il6ytnent of transverse compensating bcSms, as used 
 also by Borsi}?, and on almost all the German locomotive^. * 
 
 As regards the general foi-m of American locomoti\|cs, the most 
 strikin- feature is the extent to which the weight is subdivided over 
 a greater number of wheels. The standard passenger engme has 
 invariably four coui^ed driving wheels, onfe four-wheckd truck under 
 the forward part of the locomotive, and two four-wheeled trucks 
 under tha tender, making in nil sixteen wheels against the ten or 
 twelve wheels of ^n English engine of similar properties. On some 
 lines, the gooJs traffic is worked by exactly the same type of cngme, 
 the increased traction power being obtained merely by a rf.ghtly 
 reduced diameter of the driving wheels, and a few tons more adhesion. 
 But, what may bo termed the " standai-d " goo.U engme has gen- 
 orally six .coupled driving wheels of from 4 ft. 3 m. to 4 fl. 8 m. m 
 diameter, while tl«5 driving wheels of tlie passenger engmo range • 
 tm 5 i to r. ft. 8 in. indiameter. The we.ght of the passongor 
 locomotives, loa'ded, is from 27 to 30 ton., of winch we.ght CO t.^t.. 
 p3.C3.t.re,to.th3C.upled wheels. ^ we.ght per dnvmgwhoel 
 ; the goods e„gh.e is very seldom «e, but hav.ng usually two 
 CDupled wheels more, tl.e adhesive powe*>f the goods eng..ie would 
 consequently be 50 per ce..t. greater than that of the passong.r 
 
 'Tlutsido appoarance anl fiik the Americjm locomotwes 
 m'cii ori-nnal conception and, not unfrequently, real art.stly m.n . 
 The Yankees seem to place great pride in their eng.nes ; and it « , 
 indeed a proud sight to see an American engine entenng a sUtion. 
 bW?nU"\rass, embellUhed with rich ^^^^^^^^^ 
 and whistle roaring-a sight very apt to compensate, temporai-y, for 
 the noS horom^^^^^^ stations. At a first glance, some 
 
 . f t^ a^^^^^^^^^^^ tlTat give so much individ^Uty to t^e eng.n^ .s 
 cow-catchers, «gnal bells, tremendous head-lights and m.ghty steam 
 wWs lesmay ^^^ somewhat superfluous, but ibis idea « soon d^pcl-^ 
 cd^^^^^^ Itwdlthenbe 
 
 obs^ved Zt the^ '^^^y to W the track ; at way<ross.ngs 
 
 
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 thfere is no barrier of aiiy kind, but a board is stuck up instead,^ 
 bearing one of the foUowing warning descriptions ; E»ilway crossing I 
 • Look out for the engine ! or, as here in Lower Canada : Travers^a ' 
 do chemin do! fer!- The well-known voluminous ^smoke-stacks are 
 necefeary on laccount of some kinds of fuel consumed, while the. 
 commodious / cabs " shelter the men, through summer and wmter, 
 ^ in the performance of their arduous duties. , .. 
 
 Wo will not proceed to witness tho porformaaoo' of American 
 e.i"ines. Onij of tho most striking ob33rvationv ii tho oa3e, not to 
 siy " grace," ^ith which tho comparatively light loccrfnotives do thor 
 work— and hetvy work, too— over the rough roads of tho United 
 States and Cilnada. Mr. Engine Flachat is evidently of opinion 
 that tho enginlfs are worked at tiio sacrifice of regularity, speed and 
 security, for, oi page 229 in bis " fraversie des Alpesr ho says :— 
 «ri,33 machinci Am(jricaines no sont pas construitcs d'apr^^s un 
 "systcme quilproduise pour olles uno adhiJrencc sup<5rieuro aux 
 «' aitres, mais files sont employees sur les rampes^au maximum do 
 "leur puissanci motiice ot do radhurence dispouible : do li une 
 " irregularity dans leur marcho qui ne so concilicrait ni avec la 
 "friSquencedesTtrains sar nos Jgnes, ni avec la sdcuritd qui est la 
 « premifire condition do cette maniere de voyager. . 
 
 « Le train aiifiricain est consid<;r<5 comme yn^navire voguant-ii 
 « travers rOc^ari. II marche vite quand les circoastances sent fevo- 
 « rabies; il maiche lentcment quand k travail s'accroit par les 
 « variations du piSpfil ; il franchit do trtis-fortes rampcs en rMuisant 
 « considC'rablemeny sa vitesse, sans que la machine soit douSo d'aucund 
 « 8up6riorit(i quaiit ^ la "production, de vapour et aux moyens do 
 « transmettre sa pi^issance motiice des cylindres aux roues." 
 
 Tho average gross tonnage „of passanger trains hero is probably 
 double that of English trains ;, still, with from six to seven passenger 
 - cars, weighing, loaded, about 20" tons [each, a baggage-car of the.- 
 same weight,and a Mman drawing-room or slfeepmgrcar of from 30 
 to 35 tons weight, the engine gets quickly away from the stations, 
 and without " slipping." Of cours3 there must be some material 
 reason to account for the superior usefUl effect given by American 
 • cn'^inej. In the first place, American engineers generally take the 
 car friction at five TJOunds, and the engine friction at ten pounds per 
 ton irrespective of atmoflpUeric resistanQftB. . These. tow"figare8-.^ac 
 
7 
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 CJpted, probably, mdre br long experience ihti^lj^trnj wnet expert* 
 meats upon train resistances— mu^t be at(M»ated chiefly to the 
 employment of bogie rolling-stock, central buffers witK loose «mplin|9 
 and oil-tight axle-boxes, which latter aro/al ways- lined witJi an excellent 
 bearing alloy. 1 have had some conversation, on the subject of 
 locomotive performances, with one of the leading railway engineers in 
 the States, and although the theories then advanced may not 
 universally be accepted as infallible, yet they carry such weight with 
 them that it will be well to pnumerato them here. These points, 
 which are independent of train resistances, refer essentially to the 
 great steaming power of the American locomotive boilers, and to the 
 manner in which these boilers are being worked and fed. The quick 
 Btcam-generation is mainly duo to three causes, viz., the intensity of 
 the fire, the thinness of the plates composing the firc-bo.^, and the 
 extremely forced draught. By these meanS' a boiler of moderate 
 proportions and heating Surface is worked up— though at a more 
 rapid rate of combustion— to an extent never attempted abroad. The 
 injector has been condemned by the Americans as being an expensive 
 boiler-feeder\ Counter pressure steam-brakes »re equally unpopular - 
 out here, but each swivelling truck under the train, with the excep- 
 tion of the leading engine bogie, is always furnished with a hand-brake. 
 Great activity prevails in American railway matters, and all the 
 locomotive works are consequently very busy. I understand that 
 Messrs. J|M5sin, Of Philadelphia, will have turned out not less than 
 200 locllPves during the last twelve months. Locomotive building 
 on this continent must, indeed, have mrth^rgceat progress of late, as 
 verified by the perfect organization of the workshops and the syste- 
 matical manner in whith the work is turned out. In general, my 
 visit to this great country has made a lively impression on me, which,- 
 I am sure, will be shared by most impartial critics, that, in the 
 specialty of locomotive construction the Americans are fully equal, if 
 not ahead, of the Jx^t European practice. 
 
 I remain, Sir, yours fwthfully, 
 
 A.BRUNNEE. 
 
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 Montreal, January 1, 1871.