Anthracite Coal for Locomotives

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The annexed is from the Philadelphia Led ger. We have seen the accounts spoken of in our English exchanges about the performance of McConnell's engines manufactured by Fair- bairn, but the description was too vague about their construction to warrant us in assert ing them to be like those of Mr. Millholland: “ Some months ago we gave a rough descrip tion of the Millholland engines, used on the Reading Railway, in this State. They have been steadily in work ever since, doing full duty, and making extra speed with passenger trains, and the company now consider the superior adaptation of this fuel to travelling engines as a settled matter. In England and France, coke is used at great cost. But We find in a London paper of last month, that two new express passenger engines, essential ly on Mr. Millholland's plan, are in use on the London and Northwestern Railway, giv ing great satisfaction. No credit is given by that paper to our Pennsylvania friend, from whom we presume the principles of the in vention were derived. But the engines have the same gas burning chamber behind the fire box, supplied with hot air, in the same way substantially. There appears, perhaps, one novelty, viz. :—The heat from the boiler is used to dry the steam before its effective force is given to the pistons. Mr. McConnell. the assumed inventor, claims that anthracite coal from the mines ot South Wales can be used in these engines, at a saving of one-half the cost of bituminous coke, and a complete riddance of the many inconveniences incident to other luels. The presumption expressed is with us a fact established."

Scientific American Magazine Vol 8 Issue 14This article was published with the title “Anthracite Coal for Locomotives” in Scientific American Magazine Vol. 8 No. 14 (), p. 106
doi:10.1038/scientificamerican12181852-106e

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