Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 289, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 December 1912 — COLD CAUSES DELAYS [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

COLD CAUSES DELAYS

RAILROAD MEN HAVE TROUBLE DURING THE WINTER. Trains Have Been Known Actually to Freeze to the Track—Hot Boxes Also Common During the Extremely Severe Weather. Perhaps you never heard of a passenger train freezing to the track

while standing in the station under the great depot dome. But that happened several times during cold weather. Trains have met with all manner of delays, ranging from a few hours c to a full day behind their schedule. The cause of these delays may be attributed to a variety of conditions brought on by the extreme cold.

But the principal delay comes from human causes rather than mechanical. “It 1b the labor that Is slow,” said a prominent Chicago railroad official, "and I do not believe the public Is generally aware of what the operating department of a railway has to 'Contend with during extreme cold whether. “Sbmetimes It Is Impossible to move a train from the yards to the depot until after Its leaving time. In winter the men, are slow to leave their quarters. They are bundled up with heavy clothing, rubber boots, and gloves. They require more time to get about. At all division points the men must first remove the Ice from the couplings and safety appliances, then Inspect and test them to see that everything is in working order. cold weather it is necessary to generate 130 pounds of steam forms icy coatings, and a warm. This extra steam impairs the capacity o{ the locomotive. Escaping steams forms icy coatings , and a train scheduled to leave Union depot at 10:15 one cold night was actually frozen to the track by reason of these drippings from steam pipes. When the engineer found that he had not power enough in the engine to move the train it was necessary to get a force of njen to remove the ice before the train could get a start. This operation caused a delay of five hours. “There is a popular Impression that hot boxes are more of the summer complaint than in winter. That is not the case. During extreme cold weather the grease and oils in the boxes about the journals stiffen and recede, and thus a journal Is doubly exposed to trouble during cold weather. As the result of such mishaps passengers are dften obliged to be transferred and the car set out. “The general tardiness of employes during extreme cold weather causes delays. Men do not show up for duty and word Is sent to the superintendent that they are sick. In this way the force is very greatly reduced. The railroad is therefore not only obliged to contend with the elements, but also with the lack of men to handle its equipment.”