ESTABLISHED 1845. VARNISHES. DETROIT MICH. Frontage on Lieb St. 200 Ft. MOSES BIGELOW & CO., NEWARK, N.J. RAILWAY VARNISHES. THE Railway Purchasing Agent. Devoted to the Interests of the Purchasing Department of Railways. CHICAGO, NOVEMBER, 1881. Volume 4. METHODS OF PURCHASING SUPPLIES. The purchasing department of railways has already received a good share of attention from the railway press, and in past years it was quite generally consid Is published on the 15th of every month, and is intended for circulation among all who are in-ered the correct thing for writers to use a terested in any way in buying for or selling to certain amount of sarcasm in discussing railways. It is the sole medium of publication of the manner in which purchasing was done. the proceedings and discussions of the Railroad We are sorry to admit that in some cases Purchasing Agents' Association of the United there was ground for such a view of the case. Now, however, the department is generally upon a recognized footing, and we think the cases where purchasing agents are influenced by pecuniary or Subscription price, One Dollar and fifty cents equivalent considerations are comparative($1.50) per year, payable in advance. Advertis-ly few. With the variety of articles to be States and Canada, and will contain all of the official notices of that organization. Communications on subjects within the scope of this paper are solicited. ing rates given on application. purchased the purchaser must have a wide 182 and 194 Dearborn Street, CHICAGO, ILL. what is best suited to the requirements of the road, and must possess much business MR. THOS. P. SARGENT has been ap-in furnishing him goods. ATTENTION is respectfully called to the announcement of The Official Railway List, on another page. It is worth careful reading. MR. G. H. WAGGONER is now Purchas ing Agent of the South Pacific Coast Railroad. Mr. A. H. Fracker, late general superintendent of the New York City & Northern, has accepted the appointment of general superintendent of the South Pacific Coast Ry. An exchange suggests that the system in use by the Government of calling for tenders for different goods is the best to adopt in order to correct any abuses which have crept into railroad buying. This system has already been long in use upon English roads where yearly or half yearly printed lists and descriptions of the articles desired are issued and tenders invited. This system, or a modification of it, is fast becoming adopted by many of the American lines. The different conditions of business prevent its being adopted as fully as in England. For instance, during the last few years prices have been much more unsettled Another difficulty is that many of our roads are not in a sufficiently settled con No. II. into general notice, among those interested in selling supplies, the needs of the road, and insures the necessary competition. If desired, samples of the goods to be purchased are called for, to be compared with the articles when delivered. Under this rule it would seem as if all dealers had a fair chance. THE PURCHASING AGENT has from time to time published some of the forms for proposals used by leading lines, and will continue to do so as fast as blanks are presented showing interesting features. There are certain standard articles which can usually be contracted for longer periods than one month with safety, and this is often done the road in some cases reserving the advantage from any fall in the market during the life of the contract, while the dealer takes the risk of any rise. With the utmost care, however, in giving an equal chance to all, some one will be more or less offended, and it is often a hard point to determine which of two firms to deal with when the grades offered are about the same. A good rule to follow in such cases is to divide the business except where certain quantities bought carry certain regular discounts, as for instance on shovels, where the larger the amount handled through any one firm the larger the rebate will be at the end of the year. It often happens that when the prices offered are about the same, policy may demand that the purchase be given to the firm which in its turn does the best for the road in the manner of shipments of freight. The bids of the different dealers being filed each month, the manager of the at any time the working of the purchasing department. In conclusion we would say that we think the advance in system in this direction has been as fast, as a rule, as the development of our railroad system will allow. Notes on the Axles and Wheel-Tires in Use We desire to call the attention of super-here than abroad, so that dealers as a gen-road has a chance, if desired, of checking intendents and purchasing agents to the eral rule do not care for making long conbusiness card in our columns of I. H. Wag-tracts unless at prices which would assure goner, broker, who is giving his personal them from any chance loss, and which in attention to the buying and selling of rail- consequence would be often higher than way supplies, etc., in Chicago. Mr. W. the roads would wish to pay. recently came from the Pacific coast, where he has very creditably filled the position of superintendent, clerk and pur-dition or have their standards firmly estabchasing agent for a railroad company, and is armed with a strong letter from the company setting forth the faithful and excellent manner in which he performed the duties assigned to him. His experience and knowledge of railroad requirements enables him to secure the very lowest market prices. Buyers who buy in Chicago or desire Chicago prices on supplies, will do well to correspond with him. Any business entrusted to him will have his prompt and careful attention. [Continued from page 222.] The axles are of Yorkshire iron, of the best quality for locomotives, and of Bessemer or Siemens-Martin steel for car lished in all departments so that it will be The tires are of crucible cast steel for locomotives, the best quality of Yorkshire iron for tenders, and of Bessemer or *The Railway Engineer. wagons. Siemens-Martin steel for carriages and eter. The bodies of the carriage wheels Bessemer Steel Axles for Carriages and Wagons.-The axle taken for trial must support, without rupture, five blows from a weight of 2,000 lbs. falling on its center from a height of 20'ft., the axle resting on two supports, the distance between which is 3 ft. 6 in., and must return to its nominal position after each blow. The trial is then continued up to the breaking point. The contractor must furnish an extra axle to each lot of 50 for the purpose of testing. Bessemer Steel Tires for Carriages and Wagons.-The tire when tested must stand flattening across its diameter, by hydraulic pressure, to the extent of 2 in. for every foot exterior diameter, the diminution of diameter corresponding to about one-sixth of the original. The trial is then continued until the tire breaks or is doubled. In this case also an extra one must be furnished to every lot of 50 by the contractor, who must also guarantee the wheels for 12 months. Crucible Cast Steel Tires for Locomotives.-The tire taken, being one in every 25, must stand flattening, without rupture, 3 ft. for each foot outside diameter (about one-fourth the diameter) and the metal must support a tensional strain of 40 tons on the square inch. The bodies of the wheels for locomotives, tenders, and wagons are a boss and spokes of the very best iron, those of the carriages being of wood. LONDON, CHATHAM & DOVER. The axles are of crucible cast steel, and wrought iron for locomotives, and wrought iron only for carriages and wagons. The tires are of crucible cast, and Siemens-Martin steel for locomotives and carriages, and of Bessemer steel for tenders and wagons. The axles and tires, on being received, are submitted to shocks resulting from the fall of certain weights to prove their elasticity. The bodies of carriage wheels are teak with a boss of cast-iron, those of locomotives, tenders, and wagons having a boss and spokes of iron. The tires are fixed with the aid of Mansell's rings in the case of the carriages and wagons. LONDON & SOUTHWESTERN. SOUTHEASTERN RAILWAY. The axles and tires of carriages and wagons are made from Bessemer steel of the best quality. Several are also made from the best quality Yorkshire iron. The trials are the following: Axles. Each axle must support, without rupture or permanent set, five blows from a weight of 2,000 lbs, falling on its center from a height of 20 ft., the axle resting on two supports the distance between which is 3 ft. 6 in. Tires. Each tire must bear a flattening, without rupture, under hydraulic pressure, of 2 in. for each foot outside diameter; the diminution corresponds to about one-sixth of original diameter. The bodies of carriage wheels are of wood, the tires being fixed by means of Mansell's rings. LONDON & NORTHWESTERN. . Bessemer steel is employed by this company for the manufacture of their axles and tires; they have also in use several that are made from Siemens-Martin steel. For the carriages the bodies of the wheels are of wood, the tire being fixed by means of Mansell's rings with the inside tapered, as mentioned in the previous cases. The foregoing information, which was furnished by the railway companies them selves during the year 1880, gives us the following results: 1. That steel, either crucible-cast or from the Bessemer, or Siemens-Martin processes, is largely employed in the manufacture of the axles, and almost exclusively for the tyres of locomotives, tenders, carriages and wagons. The methods of fixing vary considerably. We remark, however, that for carriage wheels Mansell's rings are most generally employed, whilst for locomotives, tenders, and wagons the usual method is to fit the wheel into a groove in the tire on one side, the fixing being either by a screw or a ring dovetailed into the tire on the other side. The different processes used by the companies are not dependent upon the results obtained from the trials of the samples, but upon their behavior in practice, who find that they derive two great advantages from the use of steel for the tires-first, in being able to profit by its principal quality, viz., its hardness; secondly, in being able to use them up to last limit. If, on the other hand, we remark that the companies have a decided tendency to make their tires very thick when new, owing to the method of fixing, the extra cost of so doing, we can see from the above considerations, is easily retrieved by economic wear and replacement. It is well to observe that one of the essential conditions in the manufacture of tires is the employment of a hard metal by which permanent lengthening and consequent slackening of the tire is not to be feared. This appears to be a fundamental law seemingly well understood in this country. The method of fixing the tires by means of bolts entering them provides ample security against the tire leaving the wheel, as the material has more the tendency to crush than to break, and this is reduced to minimum with a hard metal. But there is, however, the inconvenience of rapid wear, and also chances of the tire expanding along its width, and so becoming loose. The other method which is mentioned above is that adopted by English and German engineers. It affords ample security; and even in case of rupture, the parts will 2. That the trials for strength generally not leave the wheel. Moreover, it has the imposed are the following. advantage of allowing the best utilization of the tires. a. For Axles.-The sample tried must support a certain number of blows, produced from the fall of a ram of fixed weight from a determined height, the axle not to retain any permanent set. The conditions generally are: Five blows from a weight of 2,000 lbs. falling from a height of about 20 ft., which gives The axles and tires are of crucible cast, 40,000 ft. -lbs. as the work done upon the and Bessemer steel. The trials to which they are submitted on being received are as follows: Axles. Each axle for the carriages and wagons must support, without rupture or permanent set, five blows from a weight of about 2,000 lbs. falling on its center from a height of 20 ft., the axle resting on two supports, the distance between which is 3 ft. 6 in. Tires. Each tire for the carriages and wagons must stand, without rupture, under hydraulic pressure, a diminution of diameter of 2 in. for each foot outside diameter, i. e. about one-sixth of its diam axle by each blow. b. For Tires.-Those taken for trial must bear, under hydraulic pressure, a diminution of about one-sixth of their diameter without rupture or crack. For these the guarantee of the contractor is generally required for a term of 12 months. Also for the steel of which the axles and tires are made the companies prescribe in their specifications those works only from which the material will be accepted. 3. That the methods of fixing the tires employed in other countries are all, or nearly all, employed in this country. The Rivals of Lubricating Oils. Solid lubricants act simply by filling up the inequalities of the substance to be lubricated. The most generally useful of the solid lubricants is the substance known as "blacklead" or "plumbago," both names based on a false theory of its composition. It is not lead at all, and contains no lead whatever. It is simply carbon-i. e., the same chemical element as the diamond or lamp-black, or that of which charcoal is chiefly composed. It is a very curious fact that plumbago and the diamond should be of the same composition, seeing that one is about the softest of all known solid substances, while the other is decidedly the hardest. Plumbago is also called "graphite," a much better name, as it is founded on no theory whatever, but simply expresses a practical fact. The word is made up of two Greek roots, which to gether mean "writing stone." This is especially useful as a lubricant where oils are not applicable, as in the case of wood, which absorbs the oil or other liquid, and is swelled by it. Thus the wooden screw of a carpenter's bench is the best lubricated with graphite, and the same is the case wherever there is a fitting of wood within wood, and these fitted surfaces move on each other. This lubricant acts by filling up the inequalities, and forming a surface film of its own slippery self, upon which the bearings work. It is also a very effective lubricant for metals, and would probably supersede all the oils if it could be as easily applied, but this is by no means the case. We cannot pour it or drop it so that it may run just to where it is required, as we do with oil. Many contrivances have been made, and some patented, for overcoming the difficulty. They are mostly attempts to incorporate the plumbago with one or the other of the bearings, so that plugs of plumbago shall fill up holes or cavities, and thus wear away with the lubricating properties and the oilman need not fear that they will supersede his established commodities. The friction between dissimilar surfaces is smaller than that between like surfaces. Thus iron and brass, or iron and gun metal work together better than iron and iron; hence the "brasses" of the engineer, i. e., the bearings of gun metal that we so commonly see in steam engines and other machines. The smallest amount of friction that is practically available is that between hardened steel and agate, ruby or diamond, such as form the bearings of chronometers, watches, delicate balances, and various philosophical instruments. In most cases these work without any sort of interposed lubricant, and thus are the most efficient of all the rivals of lubricating oils, but are far too costly to be commercially formidable. A New Steel Plant. [From the Pittsburgh American Manufacturer.] The Juniata Iron Works, Messrs. In 1878, recognizing the fact that steel was being substituted for iron for a large number of purposes, and that it was far superior to even the best iron for steam boiler-plates, they began the erection of a 10-ton Siemens-Martin (or open-hearth) furnace. The product was at first rolled into blooms and billets and sold as such for a variety of uses, about 400 tons being made for the great steel bridge over the Missouri River, at Plattsmouth, Neb. In the beginning of 1880 they filled their first good-sized order for steel boiler-plates, which was for the new boilers of the Exposition building, which was built by D. W. C. Carroll & Co. A vast number of tests of this steel convinced the firm that they had already reached the same degree of perfection in making steel boiler-plate which they attained years ago in the Juniata iron plates, and they resolved to keep their product always at the same high standard, and to increase their facilities for making it. Up to this time all their steel plates have been rolled on a two-high metal. But the success of these is doubt- Shoenberger & Co., which have been train, with one set of rolls 66 inches long ful when applied in ordinary cases. In other cases the plumbago is melted into fat, and the compound is applied hot. This is largely and very advantageously done where the bearings themselves are hot enough to melt tallow. Such is the case with the necks of the "rolls" through which red-hot iron passes when being squeezed into the form of plates, sheets, bars, wires, rails, etc. The lubricant thus made is known in the iron works as "hotneck grease," and is made by recovering the fat from the waste soap-water of clothworks, which fat is usually black in itself, and therefore, not at all soiled by plumbago. The man who first practically suc ceeded in this art of recovering the waste fat by means of acids has made a handsome fortune by his shrewdness. The scientific inventor of the process failed on account of the cost of carrying so much liquid to the works, and was on the brink of ruin when a shrewd man of business learned the nature of his difficulty, and overcame it by the simple device of contracting for the waste liquor at the cloth works, with a condition that he should be allowed to set up a tank there and apply his acid. He did so, and thus only had to skim off the fat and carry that away, instead of carrying all the waste water. Like Mahomet, who went to the mountain when the mountain refused to come to Mahomet, he went to the soapsuds when the soapsuds refused to come to him, at a paying cost. Soapstone is another solid lubricant, having properties very similar to lumbago. It is very soft, and has a greasy feel, though it contains no sort of grease or oil, nor any soap whatever. Its peculiar slipperiness depends upon the magnesia which it contains. Other magnesian compounds have a similar character, and may be similarly used. Powdered tale and powdered asbestos are among these; but little use has hitherto been made of their and 24 inches diameter. In this city boil ers made of their steel are in use in the works of the Lucy Furnace Co., Isabella Furnace Co., Wilson, Walker & Co., Spang, Chalfant & Co., and Oliver Bros. & Phillips, as well as in the tow-boats on the Ohio River-Boaz, Clipper, Diamond and others. One of the orders they have re known since 1824 as one of the largest iron-producing establishments in this city, have recently added an extensive steel plant for the manufacture of open-hearth steel ingots, blooms and plates. Their success in the manufacture of steel boiler and fire-box plates has been so gratifying that they have been induced to erect a new mill for rolling them, which is by far the largest in this city, and equal in size to the largest in the country. The mill is now in place, and will probably be running inside of a month. It is what is known as a three-high mill, with top and bottom rolls each 31 inches in diameter, and the middle roll 20 inches in diameter, each rolling, the Edgar Thomson Steel Works being 112 inches long on its face. The large rolls weigh each about 15 tons, and the small roll 7 tons. The whole mill, cently filled was for over 200 tons for 20 large boilers of about 11 tons each, for the These Edgar Thomson Steel Works. boilers have just been completed by D. W. C. Carroll & Co. It has been erroneously reported that the steel was made by another firm. Before purchas made chemical and other tests of several prominent makes of steel plates, and awarded the contract to Shoenberger & including rolls, housings, pinions, bed- Co., simply on the ground of superior plates, etc., was built by Messrs. A. Gar-quality. The rivets were also made of the rison & Co., of this city, and is considered same quality of steel, and were so soft one of their masterpieces. It is expected that, on being heated white hot, plunged that the mill will roll plates over 100 inches in water, and then nicked with a sharp chisel, they could be bent around double without breaking. A second open-hearth furnace is now in operation, and the capacity of the steel works is now 40 tons of ingots per day. their own blast furnaces, have entire control of their raw material, and can, therefore, insure that their products shall always be of the same quality. Friction and Lubrication. The Polytechnic Association is a branch of the American Institute of New York, and holds weekly meetings for scientific discussion. At the meeting held Thursday evening, Nov. 10th, the regular subject was “Friction and Lubrication." The discussion was opened by W. J. Demarest, Esq. The compacted material known as metalline was destined, he believed, to effect a great revolution in both heavy and light bearings. Its moderate strength required that for heavy work it should be supported by metal; it was introduced in the form of plugs thickly distributed in the bearing surfaces. The U. S. Government had recently ordered this material to be applied in five thousand bearings. It called for two millions of the plugs. An improvement was in progress which would allow oil to be used with it. Mr. Sutton thought it one of the many cases in modern progress calling for a higher grade than heretofore of engineering talent in its judicious application and working. Metalline failed with common engineers. There were great possibilities in it. A gentleman commended bass wood bearings saturated with oil. The president inquired what any one knew of pork rind laid flesh side up as a lining for bearings. Mr. Sutton had used the rind of bacon with extraordinary success. It was with a small circular saw which had been peculiarly addicted to heating. He mounted the hard, fatty and gelatinous coating in blocks of maple, applying above and below, taking care to ease the surfaces at and near the line of junction. He oiled it like other bearings, and it ran five years without trouble. If that simple bearing could be patented so as to make it pay for somebody to show the world its merits, it would be widely adopted. Leather-old belting made a good lining. Mr. Nash believed there was a difference required for lubricating heavy and slow as distinguished from quick and light bearings. Harder grease would serve for the slower. Plumbago and sulphur served better on slow than on quick running surfaces. Nothing but thin fluid would serve for the quickest spindles. bricants as interposite minute rollers be- sels proved very dangerous, the former tween the surfaces. Mr. Sameuse said there was a difference in the lubricating qualities of the fibres of cotton which had an appreciable effect on the drawing and other working. As a rule old cotton would not work as freely as new. Dr. Lambert said it was a common error that the joints of animals had always a synovial fluid which was in the nature of a lubricant. The elephant, with his relatively moderate motions and great weight had admirable cartilages but absolutely no lubrication therefor. through explosion, and the latter through the sudden discharge of their contents, and the high flame resulting therefrom. Nevertheless, this would be no reason to use wood casks exclusively, as they usually will not be tight enough to prevent the diffusion of gases, whose accumulation in badly ventilated cellars would cause explosions on the introduction of a naked light. Nevertheless, the experiments show that where a room containing casks of such liquids is already on fire, the firemen may approach or enter it; while where tins or flasks are stored, they will have to Mr. Sutton said saponified fats, soft conduct any operations from a safe distsoaps, made in some respects better lubri- ance. As far as extinguishing the flames cants than pure fats. What used to be went, water proved useful with spirits and known as Albany grease was soft soap. It petroleum, but useless with benzine, would hold itself up by its hardness and which rose to the top, and continued only come down when warmed by the fric-burning, but easily succumbed to a close tion. He believed in applying exactly that layer of chaff. principle without the alkali. Provide, whenever space can be afforded, a cavity above the bearing filled with hard tallow. Make a hole through the tallow and apply fine oil through the holes as usual. When the bearing heats it will bring down tallow and avoid mischief. Inflammable Liquids in Conflagrations. Building Stone. In selecting stone for building or engin eering works inquiry and investigation should be made to ascertain whether it possesses the necessary characteristics to render it suitable for the purposes for which it is intended. It should possess durability and the power of resisting atThe Nuremberg fire brigade has lately mospheric and other external influences. made some interesting experiments re- These qualities will depend upon the chemspecting the behavior of inflammable ical composition of the stone, its physical liquids inclosed in vessels in case of structure, and the position in which it is fire. For this purpose, benzine, petro-placed, and the same stone will greatly leum, and spirits of wine were filled into vary in its durability according to the naoak casks, tins, and glass bottles or flasks, ture of its locality. The chemical compoand successively exposed to a bright fire. sition of building stone should be such The casks were found to become charred that it will resist the action of the atmosto half the thickness of wood, and the in- phere, and of the deleterious substances terstices between the staves to open pro- which, especially in manufacturing towns The president said there was once agressively, in consequence of which the and cities, the atmosphere contains. These general belief that the metal of the bear-liquids oozed out and burned quietly with- destroying substances are taken up by the ing should be as different as possible from out explosion while feeding the fire. With moisture in the air, or by rain, and are that of the shaft. If, as usual, the shaft tins, not completely filled, the solder thus conveyed into the pores of the stone. was iron or steel the box should be brass. melted, and the liquids ran out at the open The sulphur acids, carbonic acid, hydroThe theory was very rational. If the places and burned quietly. Tins com-chloric acid, and traces of nitric, are all grain was exactly alike, the surfaces, with- pletely filled behaved differently. A tin, out lubrication, would fit each into the de- filled with 1 litre of benzine, exploded pressions in the other, like two gear wheels after three minutes, sending the cover nine or two equal combs. A difference in the yards upwards, and producing a violent metal increased the chance that they burst of flame. On the same experiment would not thus accord but would hold each being made with spirits of wine, the liquid other apart on the points of the irregular- began to boil after eight minutes, and ities. Observation did not sustain the partly oozed out through the stopper, and view. There was no advantage in the two minutes later exploded with a loud resimple fact of a difference of metals. port, the top of the tin being blown out cast-iron journal would run well in a box and sent 30 yards distance. Ordinary of cast-iron from the same ladle. Brass glass bottles burned directly, the liquids was good, but Wm. Sellers & Co., of Phil- running out and burning off; but covered adelphia, use cast-iron boxes for the bear-glass vessels offered more resistance with ings of the wrought iron and steel shafts of their finest machinery. He asked for the experience of all as to Babbitt lined bearings. A more or less present in a smoky atmosphere, and the carbonic acids which exists even in the pure air of the country, ultimately decompose any stone of which either carbonate of lime or carbonate of magnesia form a considerable part. The oxygen even in ordinary air will act upon stone containing much iron, and the fumes from bleaching works and factories of dif ferent kinds very soon destroy stones whose constitutents are liable to be decomposed by the particular acids which the fumes contain. In addition to the direct chemical action of the sulphuric and sulmore dangerous results. A flask, with phurous acids upon the constitutents of benzine, packed in a wood case with shav- stones, sulphates are sometimes formed by ings, stood a strong fire for nine minutes, them which crystalize in the pores of the when it burst, and the liquid caused stone, expanding and throwing off fragMr. Sutton concurred in the general a tremendous blaze. The experiments from the surface. The durability of opinion that they were highly expedient, ments, of course conducted in the a stone depends, therefore, to a great exbut ascribed it not so much to any intrin- open air, and with the least danger sic difference in the nature of the surface, from explosion, showed that wood casks as its capacity to mold itself by its softness are least dangerous, as they gradually so as to exactly fit. empty their contents and burn quietly, Prof. Keith explained the theory of lu- while completely filled tins and glass ves tent upon the relation between its chemical constitutents and those of the atmosphere surrounding. A stone that will last well in the pure air of the country may rapidly decompose in a smoky |