him-which Lord knows ain't no more than I wanted to do. Mebbe you all'd like to step in and see Mr. Field, though he ain't known to you?. I'll make you acquainted." "No, no; thank you," cried Ida, anxiously; "there's really no need, he being a stranger, and he might be asleep and we'd disturb him." Billy watched her. The fact that Alfred Field was a married man had been as great a surprise to him when he saw his wife's letter as it now was to Ida. In grim silence he watched her cheeks turn from red to white, from white to red. She suggested going home; he begged them to stay. He made no response to her appealing glance. Billy was no angel. She had hurt him once, and now he was getting even. He gloried in her discomfiture, until at last her mother declared that they must go home and feed the chickens and "paw." The doctor said Billy's arm would be all right in six weeks; otherwise he was a well man. He was a little impatient, but he waited five weeks, and then"Marthy," he said, one day when they happened to be alone, "Marthy, a long time ago, when we was boy and girl, I used to 'low I thought a sight of you." "Yes," answered Martha, turning her head a little to look out of the window. "I think a sight of you now," he continued, "and I've been thinking all these weeks what a sweet wife you'd make, and if you was willin', I'd love to have you for mine." She made no answer. There must have been something much more interesting outside the window. "Of course"-uneasily-"I wouldn't want to take you, lessen-lessen you could keer fer me a little." At this she hid her face completely and murmured, "Oh, Billy?" "Could you, do you, Marthy?" His voice wavered between hope and fear, as a lover's should. "Why, Billy, I have ever since we was children." She turned her deep eyes upon him, and he knew that it was so. A few months passed. Billy had gone back to work. The company recognized his ability by promoting him and his heroism by a goodly number of credit marks to start with. Business was good on the road and he soon got a regular caboose. But what pleased him most of all was that the men did not make sport of him any more, but took him in as one of themselves. They only laughed at him later when he, too, could see the joke, and to show how much they did like him. His greenness was all worn off. He was now a full-fledged railroad man-and a good one, too. Once, shortly after his promotion, Captain Billy Ragsdale stopped off for a week or two and went home. When he came back he was wearing his best suit for every day. Billy was married. Progressive Form of Questions And Answers on the Air Brake. EDITED BY GEORGE R. PARKER. Courtesy F. M. Nellis, Secy. Air Brake Assn. [NOTE-This department is opened for the benefit of our members, and any questions asked should pertain directly to the lesson or which has been printed. Address all communications to THE RAILWAY CONDUCTOR.] LOCATING, REPORTING AND REPAIRING DEFECTS. Q.-327. Sometimes plain triple valves are found on engines, tenders or cars, where there is a continual escape of air, or blow, through the exhaust port while the brake is released. What could cause this trouble? A.-It may be simply a little dirt on either the slide valve or four-way cock, or it may be that the slide valve has caught on a shoulder formed by wear and is unseated. Sometimes lightly tapping on the outside of the valve will stop the blow. At others it is necessary to turn the four-way cock into the straight air position and back again to the automatic position a couple of times. Q.-328. Should these remedies fail, where and how would the trouble be lo cated? A.-The only parts that could cause such trouble have been mentioned, the four-way cock and the slide valve. In the event of the four-way cock leaking, the air would pass from the train pipe connection into the brake cylinder and thence back under the slide valve and out at the exhaust port. To locate which part is causing the trouble apply the brake, and if the blow continues after the brake is applied, the trouble must be in the slide valve, as this valve should have the exhaust port closed at the time. Should the blow stop when the brake is applied, it is reasonably certain to be in the four-way cock. However, these slide valves have been known to wear so as to be tight when in the application position, while they would leak in release, and vice-versa. Q.-329. Assuming that the slide valve was found to be leaking, through wear or other cause, how should it be repaired? A.-The valve and seat should be trued up and any shoulders caused by wear removed, they should then be scraped to as near a perfect bearing as possible, and then rubbed down with either ground glass or float emery. Q.-330. How would the four-way cock be repaired if defective? A.-Very much the same way, only especial care is required to prevent getting all the bearing at the small end of the plug. The large end of the plug cutting down more rapidly is the cause of this. Q.-331. Sometimes a plain triple is found that will release all right with the light engine or short train, but when the engine is coupled to a long train the tender brake refuses to release, or "sticks." This will sometimes occur where the proper amount of excess pressure is carried, the main drum being free from water, the proper size auxiliary reservoir under the tender and the piston travel adjusted at 7 inches. What would be the cause under such circumstances? A.—It is evident that for some cause the train pipe pressure cannot be increased over the auxiliary reservoir pressure on tho tender, otherwise the brake would release. Having the proper pressure and volume in the main drum and the proper piston travel, the trouble must lay in the triple valve. The only part of the triple that could cause this trouble is the packing ring of the triple valve piston being an improper fit. This ring should separate train pipe and auxiliary pressures. If it did so train pipe pressure could be increased over the other. If it fit too loosely and allowed the air pressure to feed past it, the train pipe pressure could not be so increased, and the brake would fail to release, or would "stick." Q.-332. How could this occur with a long train but not with a short one or the light engine? A. Because the greater volume of the long train pipe would cause a more gradual increase in the train pipe pressure. With the short train or light engine the train pipe pressure would be increased above the auxiliary pressure before the air could feed past the defective ring. Q.-333. In repairing this triple valve, how should the packing ring fit the cylinder? A.-It should be scraped as near as possible to a perfect bearing all the way round the cylinder, and when fitted the two ends should come as close together as possible and work free. After scraping, the ring should be rubbed down with a little oil. While grinding material can be used, it is inadvisable to do so. Fitting packing rings is particular work, and requires considerable accuracy. In the ab sence of the proper facilities for doing the work as it should be done, the valves should be sent to the manufacturer for repairs. Q.-334. Is there any other cause for this same trouble, brakes "sticking," that operates in the same way as the preceding one? A. Yes. With the triple valves of the old center feed type, in which a pin extended from the graduating stem through a central port in the triple valve piston. If this pin is broken off and the central port left full size the same results, brakes "sticking," will follow. Q.-335. In a case of this kind, what repairs should be made? A.-The top of graduating stem should be smoothed off, the central port plugged up securely, and a feed groove cut in the bushing and piston. Q.-336. Why is it that this feed groove cannot be increased in size, the object being to charge the auxiliary reservoir faster? A. Because if it is increased in size the head cars would charge too much faster than the rear ones, even with all feed grooves of uniform size. Charging more rapidly they would also charge higher, and the rear auxiliaries drawing the PITTSBURGH-NEW UNION STATION, PENNA. R. R., IN PROCESS OF COMPLETION. air from the trainpipe below the pressure in the head auxiliaries would cause the head brakes to apply. Q.-337. In case a plain triple is in such condition that the brake cannot be applied in either service or emergency with the auxiliary reservoir fully charged, what could be the trouble? A. It is possible that a careless workman in replacing the graduating stem IMPROVED ENGINEER'S BRAKE AND EQUALIZING DISCHARGE VALVE WITH FEED VALVE ATTACHMENTS. D 5 OR E 6 MODEL. has put it in from above the gasket in the lower cap. If this is the case it would prevent the application of the brake. Q.-338. Suppose an instance is found where it is impossible to charge the auxiliary reservoir with full train pipe pressure, where would the trouble be located? A.-In some of the passages leading to the auxiliary reservoir. These are the feed ports and the passage down one side of the triple valve. If the feed port was clogged with dirt, either the one in the bushing or the one on the back of the piston, it would cause this trouble. The passage in the side of the triple might be closed by the gasket on the lower cap, or the cap itself, being turned one-third way round. |