ON A GOODS TRAIN.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 20, 6 January 1912, Page 2

ON A GOODS TRAIN.

DRIVER’S EXACTING WORK

There is one side of railway work which thoroughly deserves an article to itself, given in the Railway and Travel Monthly.” This relates to the work of a goods train. For driver, fireman, and guard it is hard work. The frequent “shuntings” in and out oh station sidings as trains are made up or trucks “dropped” are familiar to all railway travellers. The writer of the article describes it all as he witnessed it from the foot-plate of a “pick-up” goods train. We quote tae concluding part of his story: — Whilst watching the driver perform this shunting business, I could not help admiring the wonderful speed and skill with which the engine was started, a shunt made, the engine stopped, reversed, and started again, and it certainly proved to me that the drxvei of a goods engine which-is fitted with a “pole” reversing gear (similar to a signalman's lever) must be no weakling, for, to continually pull and push the huge lever as well as to open, and shut the regulator for each movement, and in addition to apply and release the brake, whilst at the same time keeping the almost entirely outside the cab watching the hand signals given by the shunter, forms by no means a task for any “ordinary” person; in fact, the whole of the driver’s business fills me with admiration. ' To stand behind him on the footplate whilst running and' to watch how ho almost continuously gazes at the signals, sometimes throuhg the lookout glasses, .at others with head and shoulders'oxposed outside the cab, and at the* same time to notice how his hands travel, apparently without effort, or him turning, to look, to the regulator, sanding apparatus, blower, whistle handle, brake, reversing lever, or other of the numerous handles within the cal), indeed gives one some little idea of the wonderful and curious powers possessed by these men. In a corner, just in front of him, there is fixed a sight-feed lubricator, and at almost regular intervals he turns and glances at this to be sure that it is still passing the proper quantity of oil.

The feeding of the boiler with water, which is, of course, a vital matter to him, is apparently left to the fireman’s care—but I could not help but notice how every now and then the driver’s head is inclined and his gaze fixed, for a second or two, on the glass tube, within a brass-bound box of glass sides, in which is shown the height of the water in the boiler. The steam pressure gauge also receives a share of his “awkward glances,” as the fireman knows them, but these various surveys of how tilings are going on within the cab are taken in such a quick yet certain manner, that a stranger on the footplate is apt to think that the' driver is oblivious to all except the outside world, comprising the state of the signals and tract. This is by no means the case, for should the steam pressure not be properly maintained, a lubricator nr injector cease working, or other such things occur, a l 'kind of rixrii sense seems to inform him instantly; His watch of the track and signals' is quite a revelation to me, his sight seems as keen as that at. a hawk, and ,1 think, within myself how marvellous it is that so few case's occur of signals being missed or’ mistaken; for they seem to “grow.” at almost every few yards, and in all manner of queer places, but I digress. We are now awaiting the turn of the disc signal and as .soon as this takes, place we start the homeward run. Hand signal-; exchanged, driver and fireman settle to their woik again. The shovel clatters bteween tender and firehole; and the steam soon hisses at the valves! 1 -Tile injector is applied,h and koon We are passing another busy section, but this we do not heed, for we’lire on millast lap. The driver now takes a seilt on the box at bis side, and the fireman put on more coal and the shovel is then put into the tender somewhat heavily, for, all being 1 well, this is his last round of firing for the trip. We are now rushing through a busy suburban station, and shortly a distant signal is seen showing red, steam is shut off, and brakes applied, and as we pass the golf links and the cemetery our speed rapidly decreases. We have now almost stopped, and the signal changes to green, and we than draw slowly ahead into the marshalling yard which we left some ten and a half hours ago. Almost as soon as we stop inside a shunter uncouples ns from the train, the fireman adjusts the head and tail lamps, and on receiving the signal off we go to the engine sheds. On arrival here we are met by the “relievers,” who take over the charge of the engine and do the necessary work to “her” before “she” is put away in the shed. Thoroughly tired and dirty, I am glad to step off with the driver and firemen,_ who go to the office and make out their return sheets, on which various particulars are recorded of the trip. This finished, we make tracks for home and supper, myself holding a firm opinion ‘that the enginemen of goods trains are -worthy of quite as much consideration as those who arc engaged on express passenger work.