English: Logging locomotive for wooden track by the Curtis Manufacturing Company, of St. Louis, Scientific American, January 23, 1897, page 59.
LOGGING LOCOMOTIVE FOR WOODEN TRACK.
Our publication
on August 1 of a
cut and description of a logging
locomotive, which
the designer termed a steam missionary, has
brought to our
office a photograph of a machine which the
builders think is
"an improvement
on Mr. Stephens'
locomotive." It
will be seen from
the illustration
that the locomotive in questionis an eight
wheeled geared
tram engine built especially for logging use. The
wheels are 30 inches in diameter, with a double
flanged 12 inch face; and they are mounted in sets
of four on flexible trucks, so as to allow easy running
on very rough roads. All the wheels are used as
drivers. The engines have cylinders 7 inches in diameter
by 10 inches stroke, and by means of cut
gearing run a countershaft. From this countershaft
the front axle of the rear truck is driven by a
heavy steel chain ; the back axle of the front truck
being driven by chains from the back trucks. The
sprocket wheels are double flanged, so as to prevent the
chain from running off. All the gearing is made of cast
steel. Both the front and rear axles of the locomotive.
as will be seen from the engraving, are run by means of
side connecting rods. The 40 horse power boiler, which
is of a special locomotive type, is fed by a small duplex
pump. The locomotive is also provided with a steam
siphon for drawing water into the tanks. It has been
in use for some months on a rough wooden track,
hauling from 30,000 to 40,000 feet of logs per day.
The total (cost of building the wooden track is from
$300 to $400 per mile, according to the class of country
on which it runs. Where the ground is rather swampy,
it requires several small bridges, but on ordinary level
ground the cost does not exceed $300. This machine is
so geared as to take ordinary loads at from four to six
miles per hour, and if first-class track is furnished, the
speed will be considerably greater.
The Curtis Manufacturing Company, of St. Louis,
who are the builders, state that this engine, which is
run by two men. is doing work which formerly required
thirty yoke of oxen and five men.
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