THE; LOCOMOTIVE SHOPS OF THE ATCHISON, TOPEKA AND SANTA FE 

 R. R., TOPEKA, KAS.* 



This building is intended for all the locomotive work, including 

 boilers and tenders. It is of particular note for its great size and the 

 peculiar features of its design. In general plan it is 852 ft. long and 153 

 ft. 10 ins. wide, the width being divided into a center span of 74 ft. 3 

 ins. and two side spans of 39 ft. 9 ins. It is of self-supporting steel 

 frame construction, with concrete foundations and floor, 13-in. brick 

 walls, and Ludowici tile roof. There is no sheathing under the tiles, 

 which thus constitute the sole covering. The tiles are laid on 2 x 2-in. 

 timber strips to which every fourth tile is fastened by copper wire. 



The most striking feature of the design is that the saw tooth or 

 weaving shed type of roof is adopted for the side spans, the glazed 

 vertical sides of the ridges facing northward. This feature was intro- 

 duced with the view of making the shop as light as possible. The ar- 

 rangement could not well be used where heavy snows are frequently 

 experienced, as the snow would pack between the ridges, but there are 

 comparatively few heavy snow storms in the vicinity of Topeka. In 

 addition to this arrangement, the greater proportion of the area of the 

 side walls is composed of windows, while the exposed parts of the 

 sides of the central span (between the ridges of the side spans) are 

 also glazed. There are also several windows in the end walls. The 

 roof of the central span has on each side of the ridge a skylight 12 ft. 

 wide, extending the full length of the building. These skylights are 

 fitted with translucent fabric instead of glass. By these various means 

 an exceptionally good lighting effect and diffusion of light are obtained 

 and the shop is in fact remarkably light even on a gloomy day. There 

 is no monitor roof, but ventilation is provided for by Star ventilators 

 25 ft. apart along the ridge of the main roof. 



The columns are built up of pairs of 15-in. channels, and independ- 

 ent columns of similar construction carry the double-web box girder 

 runways for the electric traveling cranes which run the entire length 

 of the central span. Fig. 173 shows the elevations, sections and plans 



*Engineering News, Jan. 3, 1903: and Eailway Gazette, Nov. 7, 1902. 



