T H E F R I S C O - M A N

Pooled Engines. A. H. TUCKER

NOTE-I1 in nd~jl i l lrd lhnl tho nuccrss g f the pool system ofhondlinn y o t ~ ~ e r drpends nspeclto?~. brtl lhc engineman showld not be relieoed of r rwons i6 i l i f y . His 7uwk ie c o a t p a r ~ d rmlk that oJ' t k s iasflcetnr, and a n ex?,[annlio?~ required shrmld care- B. \

wing in a former article indicated realize that some good things may be ? of the things that go Lo make the too expensive to be indnlged in even by led system" of handling motive a great railroad, and that conditions ? r unpopular, and having a t the differ a t different times. Therefore, ie ? time intimated that my purpose in in these ~aggest ions there seems to be enting my views I n this ~ u h j e c t to aid In popu- Ing and render-

more efficient auLL satislactory the

ing of ecgioes, ay reasonably he e c t e d that I Id be milling to something look-

to this end. a p p r o a c h i n g

phase of the er I do so fully' izaut of the oft- rted admonition

that It is m u c h easier to find fault than to find practl- cal remedies. Hon- ever, belng firm in my falth that Im- provements can be made, I shalI not attempt to ~ h i r k the responsihilitv my former effort imposes.

As a preliminary I wish to say that it has !wen impressed on my iuenta1:ty. during a sufficient number of years of experience, that really good things gen- erally come high. But I take it as a general proposition that any system that

and safe, however expensive, rle t o one that is the reverse, heap. At the same time I

given me access.

a tendency to intro- duce a little more initial expense, it is done in the hope that there will be a n ultimate saving in actual cost of operation, to say nothing of reduction of "wear ancl tear" of the human ele- ment involvecl.

I t is also to be understood that I do not regard what I here offer as t h ~ "only way," ~ n d also that I a m aware that there are points of view bear- ing upon the sub- ject to which my position has n D t As s flrst considera-

tion then, in the establishment o t an adequate pooling arrangement 1 believe more Road Foremen of Equipment will be required under the regular engine plan.

On our heavlest traffic districts doing a full volume of business; I think one to each freight division would be needed; and in one particular these men shouId have absolute despotic Wwer. They should have authority to

T H E F R I S C O - M A N

man 1

Of organi systen Upon consci force thorit:

order any engine that, in thelr judg- ment, was unfit for safe and efflclent service into the shop and held there until' its "disahilities" have been remedied.

I have not included econon~ical in the foregoing, because an englne niay be in shape to earn money for the company even though she may not do her work a t as high a margln of profit as the averagp engine is expected to do.

To leave an engine that is unbafe In servlce Is "out of the question," and to keep one in service that is sure to result in frequent failures and Inier- ruptlon of traffic is denloralizing in every way.

To provide for this increase of force of "Road Foremen," assistants to the present foremen should he appomted; or to provide for "rush tinies," or when new power is heing put in service, or any new device is being generally in- stalled, or unusually bad conditions of any nature prevail, men could be tem- porarily selected from the regular service board. This would act as a little "spur" to induce the men to keep up with the times and would give master mechanics a chance to "try out," in a practical way, engineers under their authority. There is nothing like an opportunity to show what merit a

nay develop. the very first importance in the ~zation of an improved pooling 1 will be the inspection corps. a thoroughly competent, impartial entious, Chief Inspector and the immediately subject to hi8 au-

y, more than anythlng else, will > - - - - * A popularity and worklng of

system. inspector a t all important

and a t some points more vill be required, should be

selected from the active road force of englneers; and each chief inspsctor or

assistant cblef Inspectc servlces of n well-expr who Is familiar with ments of a n engine 1 terminal, to the end t h ~ _ ._ . .-, . - -

he equipped with all the necessary took, supplies, signals and belongings. That the fire is properly handled from the time it is first started and that the grates, ash pans and firing accessories are as they should be when the outgo- ing crew takes charge of the engine.

This inspection. corps should have charge of all handling, cleaning, adjust- ing and testin? nnder steam for "blows," "pounds" or obscure defects of all en- gines in and out of round houses. They, and not the road men, should b? held responsible for any delays that prevent the engine from being ready to move on time, except the fallure of road men to be on hand a t the time called for, and for delays and annoyances t occur on the road to fatlure of the spection force to properly perform duties. I would even include in 1 the oiling of the engines, and in sc cases of special rush and congestion terminals, I believe the engine could taken from road crews on arrival terminals before trains had been fin: disposed of. Also deliver engme coupled to train on outgoing runs m"

provide for emergencies resalting any unusual cause, the inspection could he augmented for a day or a t a time by calling road cren assist. These crew8 could have th vantage of being in close touch the power and could give a r call atten- tion to any "chron of any engineer.

In short, I w o ~ tiOn corps to do done by engineer the regular engi looking after the of engines betwec

ueyeuu L I L ~

the pooled : The chiel

ternlinals, than one P

hat in- its

:his

. I"

from corps

two 7s t o e ad- nlth

IIC" defect or tendency

ild expect the inspec- all that was formerly &s and firemen under ne "regime," besides cleaning and handling ?n trips.

T H E F R I S C O - M A N

As to work of 1 not thin b ~ r n t n P

oil ope and on

the details of handling the the inspection department, I do I< i t necessary to take space

, .--.- -- -numerate them, nor to attempt to give anything like definile directions for thefr carrying out, but I mill men- tion a few of the items that appear to me to be of special Importance.

Each engine in service should be sup- plied with a n extra allowance of Iubri- cating and valve oil, equal to the regu- lar allowance for a "round trip." This

should be kept h sealed cans, to be ned and used in emergencies only, I when so used should be reportea arrival a t terminal by the engineer

in ehnree, and the amount of oil neces- replenish this extra supply

to him. As to illuminating lieve a plan for handling them nal packages" from the refiner- 5 lamp filler, if not actually to I that is to burn them, would trying.

-ivaI a t "ash track," each en- uld be stripped of cab lights

-..- -.. small belongings llable to be misplaced o r misappropriated, and these things taken to a convenient place to be kept and put In condition for the next trip. I t is not essential that the same engine have the same outflt each trip, or that there should be a s many outfits as there are engines in service. The imperative thing is that each en- gine shall have a complete and service- able outfit on hand a t leaving time.

In one particular a deviation from this plan might be made, and that is in the matter of firemen's shovels. I think i t mould be n7ell to let each regu- lar fireman, a t least, select a shovel suited to his tastes m near as possible, and require hini to deliver i t a t a cer- tain place on arrival, receiving a check for the same, and upon presentation of this check receive the same shovel for the next trip. Then have a n assort-

ment of shovels from-which extri could make a selection when call fill vacancies. In this way each could be held responsible for a r able length of service of a shove quite a considerable saving, I an1 would result over present method

On arrival a t ternlinals I would engineers make their work repoi carbon triplicate. These report k could be arranged in .pads or book that engineers could carry with and thus usnally have their w o ~ ports ready to deliver wlth the t

on arrival a t terminals, and in whek inspection forces relieved crews on arrival a t the terminal, work reports might be i n the har the proper parties long before t l gine arrived a t the ash track. Onf of this report should be handed 1 chief inspector, immediately on a to the end, that he may know a t onoD what repairs are required and c: handle and dispose of the engine s cordingly. When this engine is aga turned out for service this copy of tl work report showing what repairs a1 adjustments have been made, and wi notations on it calling the outgoing e gineers to anything that might net unusual observation or care, should either handed to him or placed in son suitable receptacle on the engine; that he could know the exact conditic of things without the delay necessary ., go over several pages of a wo book in the roundhouse offic taking charge of the engine. other two work reports, one I

mailed dlrect to the master n Office, and the other delivere round-house foreman, who sho making the necessary or po pairs make notations showing been done, who by, and any a needed explanations, and then the same to the master niechal

T H E F R I S C O - M A N 17

give a complete check and in- tion all around, and everyone in- ed would know promptly what d e were most prominent and what to but for and be prepared to remeay.

Realizing fully that I have not said all that might be said on the subject of pooled engines, still I am aware that I have the full limit of space my humble efforts could reasonably claim.

I will desist from further discussion O X the subject, trusting that the experi- ence of the year just passed may have left impressions that we all may apply with pleasure and profit to the prob- lems of the one now before us, and that we all hold ourselves in that mentally receptive attitude which attracts that which may make for harmony and suc- cess. .

Kindly Caricatures. Tno of the three kindly caricatures

presented this month a r e froin ;Mr. Hiatt, and the third one of Emil Abrahamsen, Roadmaster, Lawton, Okla., from Mr. Leach.

Mr. Abrahamson's salutation to Mr. Leach was "Hello Yoakum." Mr. Leach ~ecalls him when he was Section Fore- man, a t Cherryvale, and draws him from memory a t that time. Many who know

companying sketch is a striking ness.

The black and white effect by Hiatt is of Superintendent O'Har. doubtless will be recognleed by n

Mr. Hiatt caught 0. V. Husted, L ,.-_

a t Fontant, Kan., in the act of dropping a signal board. The nervous energy displayed in this a r t is strikingly

Mr. Abrahamson state that the ac- portrayed by the artist.

I E F R I !

he Frisco --------- ----, -- "-- -.------tile Club, December 17th addresses were made by Mr. S. L. Rainey, Special Repre- sentative of the Operating Department, and Mr. E. Garnett, Chief Clerk to Vice- President and General Manager Nixon. The subject of both addresses was operation, Mr. Rainey said in part:

It will be impossible in one night to dls- cuss every department under the jurisdiction of a General Manager nnd I wlii suggest that we hear from the Motive Power, Mnlntennnce. Telegrnph, Rlgnal Engineer and a few others a t a fu tu re meeting.

We find In hlgh.places representatlves from every subdivls~on of rallroad work aud oppo- site each, man's name you mill find wrltten In big letters, Abllity.

Marvin I-Iughltt aud RosweH SIlller acted u s s ta t ion agents : F. A. Delano and E. 1.:. Jeltery came fvom the motive w w e r depart- men t ; W. J. Underwood and EI. U. Mudge were conductors; Howard Elliott and S. 11. IWton were civll engineers; A. J. Davklson and IV. C. Brown and many others were t ra ln dlspatchers ; W. W. Flnley nnd C. M. I-lays, stenographers; B. L. Wnchel l and 1. P. Rlp- ley. from the passenger department ; I\'. H. Kewrnau and Oscar Murray, freight depart- ment ; Prank Trumbuli ' and A. Douglas, ac- counting: T. .J. Harahan and T. 1% McGuigan, sectlon !oremen, nnd most of them a t some time filled the position of chief clerk.

I hope some of us h a w thought of the re- marks made a t the last meeting and have in somc way eased the burdens of the purchas- Ing and claim departments.

I t is not my purpose to criticise the man- agement of any ailro road or to set myself up a s a n anthorit!: on operating matters, but shall a t tempt to explain in some degree the difficulties tha t beset the operating official and the he l~ds of many departments. As men dlffer so we find the operating departmenLs of rnflronds cii8ering. What is considered good practice in one territory could not be followed In another. A certain president of the Union Pacific Railroad unclertook to re- place tha old offlclats wlth Yale graduates and remarked t h a t a bright coIlege man could master the Businesr in alr months. One of these men ordered the guard ralls removed

openlng or a line Dlocltea n7itn snow. An engine and train was snowed in and crew reported the.\. \vouid require men to shovel them out, and the sectlon force was ordered to take their hand car and rnn down and dig them out, but a s the snow was s lx feet deep they went on snow shoes.

I do nvt wish to be understood as speaklng '

lightly of the college man, because hls educa- tion does glve hlm a grcat aclmntnge over those who have been forced to put Chelr shoulder to the wheel early in life, but I wlsh Lo emphasize the advantage of practical es- perience.

Commencing w\th the positlon of section foreman, station agent and chief clerk. let u s work our way up through the different departments. The sectlon foreman must be capable of performing havd labor and lo re- spond promptly both (lily and night when emergency arises, and Intist be able to detect defects in the track and bridges and protect the company's Interests a t all times. Durlng revere s torms you will 6nd the capable,fore- man out wit11 his m m guardlng dangcroua places. Such men Iwcume roadmasters, super- intendents. etr.

The duties o t station i~gen t s are too numer- ous to mention. As he comes down from home nbout 7 :I. m. he mnllts n mlle o r so In each clirettion to g:lther up the swilch lights. Reaching the office he flnils the t r l ~ i n dls- patcller calling him for orders ; nest he sweeps out his offlce and walting mom. By this time the local frelght nrrlves and un- loads enough merchuudlse on the platform to keep hlln busy the balance of the day. The noon passenger train brings mall t h a t must be hurried to the poslolfice nbout elghty rods away. Let ters from every department a r e received and his rccords must be conrulted in order to give Intelligent replies. I-Ie Is expected t o visit the company's patrons and to be courleous and neat in appearance a t a l l times. C ~ p a b k station agents are always In demand and :we gradually advanced through (he different grades of s t ~ t l o n a to General Freight Agent. Tramc Manager, etc.

The chlef clerk relieves the hends of de- partments of detall, m a k ? ~ suggesiions ns to the proper distribution of force and in many