ii|..'^^^4^,?'<^^V,^^^■^■\i;7m^ lU ■^■Cx fi V m &i Cornell University Library The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924015827227 p;iic/ ^^^^ OPERATION OF TRAP?S StSE^YY GRADES REPORT OF SAFETY APPLIANCE INSPECTORS TO THE INTERSTATE COMMERCE COMMISSION INTERSTATE COMMERCE COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D. C. . DECEMBER, 1907 ^..-^WASHINGgi^N GOVERNMENT PRINTING OEFldB 1907 tf OPERATION OF TRAINS ON HEAVY GRADES. Washington, D. C, December 4, 1907. Dear Sir: We have completed our investigation concerning the practice of handling trains on heavy grades, which you instructed us to make, and desire to report as follows: In order that our investigation might cover the most severe con- ditions, we visited no grades of less than 75 feet to the mile and only grades on standard railroads which do a heavy tonnage business. We were accompanied by Mr. J. E. Alexander, general road fore- man of engines of the Pennsylvania Railroad, and every courtesy was extended us by the different hnes visited, with the exception of the Baltimore & Ohio Eailroad, which company refused us per- mission to ride on its freight trains except on Sand Patch grade. On many railroads we were accompanied by their air-brake inspectors, train masters, or road foremen of engines, who assisted in the inves- tigation. We submit for your consideration a statement showing the gen- eral condition of air brakes on each line visited and the practices followed in their use. NORTHERN PACIFIC RAILROAD. The Northern Pacific EaUroad has four heavy mountain grades between Livingston, Mont., and Seattle, Wash. Livingston Mountain is a grade of 116 feet to the mile for about 11 miles. Trains of from 1,400 to 1,600 tons weight, and 35 to 40 cars in length are handled on this grade. No examination of air brakes is made at the top of this grade except by traiu crews. Inspec- tions are supposed to be made at Bozeman for east bound, and at Livingston for west botmd traias. The general practice is to con- trol trains entirely by air brakes, but from observation, and infor- mation furnished by train crews, we found that hand brakes are some- times used. Helena Mountain is a grade 19 miles in length, the last 3 miles being the lighter portion. This grade is about 116 feet to the mile and trains of from 1,600 to 1,800 tons weight and 35 to 40 cars long are handled. No exanunation of air brakes is made at the top of 3 4 OPEEATION OF TRAINS ON HEAVY GEADES. mountain except by train crews. At the top of this grade there is a tunnel about 1 mile in length. The general practice is to control trains by the use of air assisted by hand brakes. No train we in- inspected went down this grade with air alone. Hand brakes were used on each train. Missoula Mountain is a grade of about 8 miles on the west side and 7 miles on the east side. This grade is about 116 feet to the mile, and trains of from 1,600 to 1,800 tons weight and 35 to 42 cars long are handled. No examination of air brakes is made at the top of this grade except by train crews. The general practice is to control trains entirely by air brakes, and all trains inspected by us were so controlled, yet train crews informed us that they sometimes resort to the use of hand brakes. Cascade Mountain is a grade of about 116 feet to the mile, extend- ing for about 8 miles on both the east and west sides of the mountain. Trains are of from 1,000 to 1,500 tons weight and 25 to 35 cars long. No examination of air brakes is made at the top of this grade except by the train crews. The general practice is to control trains entirely by air brakes, but from observation and information furnished by train crews we found that hand brakes are sometimes used. The condition of air-brake equipment on this road is fairly good. On 25 trains we noticed 49 cars with the air brakes cut out and not in use. The instructions to train crews governing all the grades are: "Be- fore commencing descent of mountain grades test of brakes will be made. Conductor and engineer conferring and deciding as to suffi- ciency of air and additional use of hand brakes necessary. Other use of hand brakes will not be made unless engineer calls for assist- ance or fails to properly control train, in which event immediate and fuU use of hand brakes -will be made." Our observation indicated that these instructions are obeyed. In the trains inspected by us the average weight was 42 tons per brake and by thermal tests made to determine the efficiency of the air brakes, the tonnage per brake was 53 tons. GKEAT NORTHERN RAILROAD. The Great Northern Railroad has several heavy grades, only two of which we visited. Butte Mountain grade is about 12 miles in length and 116 feet to the mile. Trains are from 1,200 to 1,800 tons weight and 30 to 40 cars long. The freight handled is principally ore, the cars used being assigned to this service and the majority of them used exclu- sively over this mountain. The general practice is to control trains entirely by air brakes. The air equipment is tested at Woodville and Great Falls,Jand no special examination is made at the top of OPERATION OF TRAINS ON HEAVY GRADES. 5 the mountain. The tonnage handled down this grade was 58 tons per brake and no hand brakes were used. Cascade Mountain is a grade of 21 miles on the west side of the mountain and 11 miles on the east side. This grade is 116 feet to the mile, with a tunnel over 2 miles long at the top. Trains of from 35 to 45 cars long and from 1,000 to 1,500 tons weight are handled. No loaded train is handled without using hand brakes. Of the five trains inspected on the Great Northern Kailroad we found 12 air cars cut out and not in use, all on Cascade Mountain. SOUTHERN PACIFIC RAILROAD. The Southern Pacific Railroad has several heavy mountain grades, ranging from 116 to 175 feet to the mile. Siskiyou Mountain is a grade of about 18 miles on each side of the Siskiyou Mountain Range, and is about 174 feet to the mile. Trains of from 20 to 35 cars are handled over this mountain and run from 900 to 1,200 tons weight. The general practice is to control trains entirely by air brakes. Speed of trains does notjexceed 12 miles per hour. No train is handled over this mountain with an average ton- nage exceeding 40 tons per brake. Cars are inspected and all piston travel adjusted at Dunsmuir and Ashland. Shasta Mountain is a grade of 9 miles and about 116 feet to the mile. Trains that do not exceed 35 cars and a tonnage of about 1,000 to 1,400 tons are handled, and must not exceed a speed of 15 miles per hour. The general practice is to control trains entirely by air brakes. The Sierra Nevada Mountain grade is over 70 miles in length and ranges from 90 to 130 feet per mile. Trains are limited to 35 cars. No train can exceed an average of 40 tons per brake. Speed is lim- ited to 10 miles per hour for slow and 15 miles per hour for fast freight. Trains are controlled entirely by air brakes, no hand brakes being used. All cars receive thorough inspection at Sacramento and Sparks, and at three points between those terminals inspectors are stationed. Tehachapi Mountain is a grade of over 20 miles on the north side and 10 miles on the south side, and about 116 feet to the mile. Trains are limited to 40 cars and 50 tons per brake. Trains are from 1,000 to 1,500 tons weight. The general practice is to control trains entirely by air brakes. The air-brake conditions on the Southern Pacific are exceptionally good. Of the 12 trains inspected on four mountain grades no hand brakes were used and only 5 cars were found with brakes cut out and not in use. The average tonnage per brake in train on the 12 trains inspected was 34 tons and, as per the thermal tests made to determine the efficiency of the'air brakes, the average tonnage per brake was 38, D OPERATION OF TRAINS ON HEAVY GRADES. DENVER