SCIENCE and INVENTION

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16895, 6 July 1918, Page 3 (Supplement)

SCIENCE and INVENTION

"SAFETY" HORSE FOUNTAINS. Tim latest safety dovice for tho horse to prevent the spread o"f disease, is a specially-constructed fountain which prevents the animals from drinking out of the same body of water at one time. The fountain contains several small cups or basins only large enough for one animal, and tlieso cups are filled by water coming through the bottom of the cup with considerable forco and overflowing the rim. It is a continuous flow, and the waste water is carried into the large fountain from which it immediately empties itself into the drain-pipes and thence to the sewer. A test was made in winter with one of these fountains, and showed that it was serviceable for all weather; with a temperature of 12 degrees below zero there was no ice in the individual cups or fountain. It is suggested that this plan might solve the, problem which has troubled the humane societies and the owners of horses in some countries for the last few years, since the disease of glanders among horses has become prevalent.

AUSTRALIA'S HUGE LOCOMOTIVE,

The latest addition to tho Victorian railways locomotive stock.is an engino of the 2-8-0 " Consolidation" type, designed specially to deal with tho constantlyincreasing freight traffic on Victorian main lines, writes C. F. Denny in the New South Wales Railway Magazine. In order to appreciate the power and capacity of this giant engine, perhaps one or two comparisons will not bo amiss:—The Vie-

torian DD class, 4-6-0 light lines, mixed and goods locomotive, with a tractive power of 20,0001b, is taken as standard, rated at 100 per cent., and its load behind tho tender up a 1 in 50 grade is 270 tons. Tile A2 class, 4-6-0 locomotive, is rated at 130 per cent., having a tractive power of 25,0001b, and cau haul a load of 350 tons over a similar grade. The new Consolidation is rated at 205 per cent., and has a tractive effort of 36,1381b. It is capable of hauling 555 ton. behind the tender up a grade of 1 in 50; on a flat or level stretch it will take 1600 tons, while on a fairly level track, such as that between Newport and Geelong, the estimated load is 1350 tons. This engine was built to tho design of W. M. Shannon, Esq., chief mechanical engineer of the Victorian system, and the leading particulars are as under:—Diameter of driving wheels, 60in; diameter of cylinders, 22in; stroke of cylinders, 28in; tractive power, 36.1381b; boiler pressure, 2001b per square inch; grate area, 32 square feet; heating surface, firebox 173 square feet, tubes 1879 ft; super-heater 369 square feet, total heating surface 2421 square feet; tender capacity, water 4600 gallons, fuel d{ tons; total length overall. 64ft 4£in; total weight, roadworthy, 127 tons. It presents a handsome appearance, and is painted tho usual Victorian colours, i.e., a rich chocolate brown, picked out with white lines; the connecting-rods, crosshend, valve, gearing, etc., are bright steel; the smoke-box and funnel black, and the name and number-plates on the cab sides and headstock are white on blue. It is the largest and most powerful in Australia, and is not outclassed by any locomotive of Great Britain's railways. If the monstrous Mallets and latest 2-10-0 types of the United States were excepted, this locomotive would take its place in the \ front rank of any country in the world. i The construction of this locomotive incorporates all the modern improvements adaptable to local conditions, It is fitted with a Robinson superheater, Detroit Bull's-eye lubricator, Flaman speed recorder, and the Victorian railways standard injector (Newport make). Other improvements are the operation by compressed air of the ashpan door slides and the cleaning of tho smoko-box by the driver turning on a jet of hot water from the boiler, which flushes out the ash chute and thoroughly empties the smokebox. This monster was manufactured at tho Victorian railways workshops nt Newport. All the steel and iron castings, including wheel centres and cylinders, are of Australian manufacture