couraging thought to the railroad community, that so many able com- 

 petitors are found in all our shops. Our readers can judge of relativ^e 

 merit, from descriptions of the novelties of each builder. Niles & Go's 

 recent i6 inch cylinder engines are as follows: 



The framing is something after the McQueen fashion, and consists of 

 2 bars, the upper one 4x2% inches and the lower one 4 x % inches, running 

 from the breast beam, parallel to within some 3 feet of the forward driver 

 center, where they separate, passing respectively above and below the 

 pedestals which are forged solid with the upper bar. This bar above the 

 pedestals, is 3 ^4 x 3 }i inches. Forward, the 2 bars of the frame are joined 

 by bolts passing through thimbles in the shape of braces. The strap under 

 the jaws has lugs forged on, which project up in front and behind each 

 pedestal. The front brace rests against a lug turned up on the front end 

 of the top bar. A back jaw brace runs to the back end of the frame. The 

 expansion apparatus is novel and simple. It will be described at another 

 time. The foot board is cast iron, very solid. A strong foot board is very 

 important to hold the frames. Such a simple proposition, however, has 

 its opponents. The equalizing beam is under the main frame, and the 

 centers of springs -^e inch outside the vertical center of the jaws, thus 

 allowing the fire-box to be unusually wide, and leaving a 3 ^4 inch space 

 between it and the tire of the drivers. This is not a bad arrangement. 

 The eccentric suspension of the springs being so slight, does not cause any 

 unsteadmess. Rubber blocks are placed as usual under the hangers. 



The boiler is of the ordinary raised crown sheet style, as introduced by 

 Rogers. The grate is 40 x 50 inches. The barrel is 45 inches in diam., 

 and contains 152 two inch flues 1 1 feet long. The dome is over the firebox. 



The cylinder fastening is peculiar and not very heavy. It is difficult to 

 pronounce on its comparative merits without figuring up the weight and 

 strain, to do which we have not at present the data. A heavy flange, as 

 long as the cylinder, projecting out horizontally from the center line of 

 the cylinder to the center line of the smoke arch meets the corresponding 

 flange of the other cylinder. The two then run up vertically to the bottom 

 of the smoke arch and are bolted together. Another flange from the top 

 of the valve seat projects parallel to the first to the center of the bottom of 

 the smoke arch, being scooped out a little to receive the arch. This flange 

 then continues up a few inches on the side of the arch to receive bolts. 

 Between the two horizontal flanges are the steam and exhaust pipes, the 

 whole arrangement, of course, being in one casting. Under the lower 

 horizontal flange, close to the cylinder, is the frame. A ball joint and single 

 bolt hold the steam pipes to the cylinder. This is like Mason's, except 

 that the bolt is diagonal and projects through the side of the pipe, whereas 

 in Mason's the bolt is horizontal and projects through the elbow of the 



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