Popular Science Monthly 



541 



An Automobile Converted Into a 

 Railway Ore-Tractor 



A FORD automobile which was fast 

 reaching the end of its usefulness 

 in a mine in Texas was recently knocked 

 apart, put together again on a short, 

 heavy chassis, and mounted on railroad- 

 wheels for use on a narrow- 

 gage track. Although the 

 automobile had been dri\'en 

 more than twelve thousand 

 miles, it fell to its new task 

 with a will and has been be- 

 having admirably ever since. 



The weight of the full load 

 pulled by the improvised 

 locomotive, consisting of 

 three two-ton ore-cars, is 

 about sixteen thousand, five 

 hundred pounds. Dragging 

 this weight between various 

 points about the camp it 

 travels on an average (jf 

 eighteen miles a day, con- 

 suming during that time 

 about four and one-half gal- 

 lons of gasoline and one gal- 

 lon of oil. 



The cost of converting 

 the touring car into a day 

 laborer was one hundred and 

 fifty dollars. 



which is painted the word "Stop" in 

 staring red letters. The warning is 

 painted on both sides of the novel signal 

 and is visible at a considerable distance 

 in either direction. 



The officials of the railroad feel that 

 the sign will be more elTective than the 



The old-fashioned white crossing-flag having outlived its 



usefulness, the New York Central now uses a big white 



disk with "Stop" painted on it in red 



Stopping the Speeder with a New 

 Danger Sign 



A DISTINCT novelty in safety de- 

 vices is now being tested on nearly 

 one hundred grade crossings of the New 

 York (\'ntral Railroad. Upon the ap- 

 proach of a train, the watchman, instead 

 of waving the customary white flag, holds 

 in the air a white sign, across the face of 



K 



A Ford automobile which was converted into a mine 

 locomotive at a cost of one hundred and fifty dollars 



familiar flag. If the experiments prove a 

 success, the new device will be used at all 

 grade crossings on its system. At night 

 a red lantern with the word "Danger" 

 painted on the red glass will be used. 



Italians Build Highest Powered 

 Motor Ship 



N Italian shipbuilding concern has 

 recently completed the construc- 

 tion of the world's highest- 

 powered motor-ship. This 

 record-breaking craft, de- 

 signed for the Brazilian Navy, 

 is a submarine depot-ship, 

 three hundred and twenty- 

 six feet long, and propelled 

 by two Diesel engines, each 

 of three thousand two hun- 

 dretl horsepower. It is ru- 

 mored that the ship will not 

 be delivered to Brazil, but 

 will be used as an adjunct to 

 the Italian submarine fleet 

 at least for the war. 



