When they are in full working order the gross weight with water and fuel amounts to 59 tons.
This locomotive drew its first train 87 miles in 1 hour and 50 minutes.
It is an old saying and a true one that no two locomotives are ever alike, any more than two men are ever alike.
The difference is due not so much to the materials of which the locomotive is built as to the method in which they are put together, for no two engines were ever put together geometrically alike.
They may differ in some simple matter. It may be in the casting of the cylinders, in the quality of the copper of the fire box, in the valves or in the smoke stack. Whatever the difference may be there is still always a difference which is bound to affect the running qualities either for better or for worse.
The boy who aims to become an engineer, if he desires success, must make up his mind to two things.
First, that he will, all his life, have plenty of hard work.
Second, that he will, in spite of all obstacles become a good engineer.
A boy who looks forward to the honorable calling should be of robust health and perfect physically. If these conditions do not exist, he should abandon the thought at once, and turn his attention to something else.
There is no royal road to engineering any more than there is to any other honorable calling.
A position must first be obtained in the round house as general helper.
For a time the candidate must content himself with doing chores, cleaning up and any odd jobs which are given him to do.
At this stage of the game he must cultivate habits of observation, be an attentive listener and try to understand and remember the "engine talk," that is going on about him.
Everything he learns in this way is going to be of service later on.
For the first few months, unless he is fortunate enough to gain favor in the eyes of some obliging engineer, no one is going to stop to explain matters and he need not expect it. Nevertheless there are a thousand and one little things that he can pick up if he is shrewd, all of which will come in play later on.
When the locomotive is taken out watch how they do it. When it comes in keep your eyes open for points, and you will be sure to get them. When it breaks down and comes in for repairs then is the very time of all others to be on hand if you can and watch how they fix it.