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Early perceiving the great expenses which were incurred, and which would keep increasing, by the use of wood for locomotive fuel, we long ago (when no other kind was used) repeatedly directed attention to the substitution of coal for wood on our railroads Stubborn at one period in resisting innovations, most of our railroad directors are now encouraging the use of coalburning locomotives; they are rapidly increasing in numbers, and at some future day no other kind will be employed The Illinois Central Railroad Company have now twentyone of this kind of engines in use, as stated in the late report of the directors, and they save thirty per cent in fuel as compared with wood burners; they are somewhat more expensive for repairs, but, on the whole, effect a large saving On the Boston and Providence Railroad there are five coalburning locomotives, constructed under the supervision of Geo S Griggs, the master mechanic; and on the Providence and Worcester Railroad there are six engines of the same character, all effecting a very large saving On the Old Colony and Fall River Railroad, there are three coalburners lately constructed under the direction of the master mechanic, Mr H Bullock Mulholland's coalburners are exclusively employed on the Reading Railroad, which daes an immense business, and on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, the majority of the engines are also coalburners Two of Dimpfel's (illustrated on page 332, Vol XII, SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN) have been placed on the Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad, and two of Boardman's (illustrated on page 160, Vol XII, SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN) are running on the Jersey City and New Brunswick Railroad On a few other railroads, coalburners have been running successfully for some years, while on others again they have been but recently introduced, and more for the purpose of experiment, apparently, than with a full consciousness that they can ever take the place of woodburners But from all we can learn relating to their performances, they effect a saving of from thirty to fifty per cent in fuel expenses The opinion seems to be gaining ground that this kind of locomotive should be employed on almost all our railroads as a matter of sensible economy The Railway Times states that in Massachusetts alone they would effect an annual saving of five hundred thousand dollars On our Western railroads, the locomotives must be constructed to burn bituminous coal, and therefore require a different arrangement of boiler and furnaces frem those on the Eastern roads designed to use anthracite coal, that is, the Western engines must burn their smoke, or they never can be used for passenger trains At one period it was thought that this was an impossibility, hence in England, where wood could not be obtained, charred coal (coke) was exclusively used for fuel But science and skill have now triumped over the smoke difficulty in locomotives, both in England and America