and all parts were put in perfect order, including painting and varnishing all over; and on the 16th she resumed her regular service.

The road is very crooked, and presents curves of 573 feet radius (10° curves); and although the western end of the route is only 60 feet higher than the eastern end, the rise to the summit, 57.25 miles from Boston, is 893 feet, and the descent thence to Springfield, in 41.38 miles, is 833 feet, making the mean rising grade, going west, 15.5 feet per mile, and going east, 20.13 feet; and there are several inclines, 3 to 5 miles in length, of 38 to 60 feet per mile. The train comprised 2 baggage and express cars, 4 sleeping-cars, and 3 to 5 first-class long passenger-cars, usually weighing and often exceeding 300 tons, say 672,000 pounds, locomotive and tender included. From May 1, 1883, to July 1, 1884, a period of 14 months (427 days), this engine has a record of 84,596 miles, - 427 round trips, with a total consumption of coal equal to 1,965.625 tons, 4.603 tons per round trip, 52 pounds per mile, 0.1733 pounds per ton per mile, 1,718.6 pounds per hour, and a mean per hour, on each square foot of grate — up grade and down grade of 95.48 pounds. The power could not have been less, as a mean, than 340 indicated horse-power, rising at times, probably, to 600; and the mean consumption of coal was about 5 pounds per indicated horse-power and per hour.

The oil used for lubrication, in the same period, was 1,120.5 gallons, equal to 75.51 miles per gallon; and the cost of oil and waste was $622.55, equal to 0.736 cent per train-mile, and repairs would not bring the aggregate up to 1 cent. Coal was taken at Boston for the round trip. At the exorbitant price of $5 per ton, the cost of fuel per train-mile was about 11.6 cents, and per mileton, 0.039 cent. There are seven engines of this description now in use on this road, and others in construction. The leading dimensions are as follows: Cylinders, 18 inches diameter, 22 inches stroke; 4 driving-wheels connected, 68.75 inches diameter, 100 inches centre to centre; total wheel-base, 22 feet 4 inches. Boiler, wagon-top, barrel 52 inches diameter outside of small courses, inch thick, fluesheets inch, fire-box & inch, all Nashua Company's steel; 221 semisteel tubes, 2 inches outside diameter, 10 feet 10 inches long between tube-sheets, inch apart; fire-grate area, 18 square feet; heating surface, in fire-box 130 square feet, flues inside 1,140 square feet, total 1,270 square feet. Total weight, 87,000 pounds (38.839 tons); weight on drivers, 55,000 pounds (24,554 tons); normal pressure, 160 pounds per square inch above the atmosphere, say 11.88 atmospheres, absolute.

The "Pacific," built by the Lawrence Machine Shop, of which

the writer was superintendent, was placed in service on the Boston and Maine Railroad, April 16, 1855, and continued to run regularly double round trips between Boston and Lawrence, distance 26 miles, daily, except Sundays, or on other equivalent routes, until the close of 1883, a period of 28 years 9 months. The record, subsequent to 1876, was destroyed by fire a year ago; but one book escaped, which shows when this engine was in the repair-shop, and the amount of repairs upon her, from the start, down to Dec. 23, 1873, 18.8 8 years. The superintendent of repairs on this road, Mr. William Smith, ran the Pacific" thirteen and a half years, making an aggregate mileage, during that time, of 417,879 miles. Mr. Smith is perfectly familiar with her performance since 1873; and from information obtained from him, and from the record, which I have transcribed, it appears that

Her total mileage on passenger-trains, in 28.8 years, was. 891,475 And her subsequent mileage on gravel-trains, to Aug. 1, 1884, is 12,780

She has had one new fire-box, and one new set of flues, and other extensive repairs, and is now in good serviceable order; and more than one-half of the weight of the original material originally put into her is in her to-day. This engine has outside connections, shifting link valve-gear, cylinders 15 inches diameter, 22 inches stroke, 4 connected drivers 66 inches diameter, and a centre-bearing truck. Total weight 27.5 tons, weight on driving-wheels 17 tons. Price, in dear times, $8,500, say £1,756.

The statement summarized below, of the performance of three locomotives on the Hudson River Division of the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad, was kindly furnished to the writer by Mr. William Buchanan, superintendent of motive-power of that division.

The three engines, designated as No. 10, No. 33, and No. 34, are of the following general dimensions: Cylinders, 17 inches diameter, 24 inches stroke; driving-wheels, 69 inches diameter; fireboxes of steel, flues of semi-steel; weight in running order, 31.473 tons (70,500 pounds); weight on driving-wheels, 20.022 tons (44,850 pounds); average trains, 2 baggage and mail cars 52 tons, 2 drawing room or sleeping cars 64 tons, 5 first-class passenger-cars 125 tons, engine 31 tons, tender, half loaded, 22 tons; total, 294 tons. Average speed of trains, 38 miles per hour. Period of time covered, 6 years, from December, 1876, to December, 1882, for No. 10 and No. 33; and from March, 1877, to March, 1883, for No. 34.