Page:The Working and Management of an English Railway.djvu/130

 thus doing away with all eccentrics and link motion. The construction is simple, and there being so few parts, and those principally having a rolling motion, the engines are not likely to get out of gear, or, if they do, they are easily put right. These engines, of which Plate XXII. contains an illustration, can be driven from either end, and only require one man to work them. Some engines have also been built somewhat similar in construction, but for the ordinary gauge, and are found useful for certain special purposes in connection with shunting yards. It is believed that engines of this type would possess great advantages for the working of military field railways, and that they could easily be protected by armour-plates if necessary.

It may here be mentioned that, in order to facilitate the working of the trains, and to avoid the necessity of their having to stop to take water at places where they are not otherwise required to stop, a number of narrow troughs have been laid down between the rails at convenient distances along the main lines, which, by an automatic arrangement, are kept always filled with water. The tenders attached to the engines have a "pick up" apparatus, provided with a scoop, which can be lowered into the trough while the train is passing over it at full speed, and the tanks are filled with water in a few seconds. Thus, not only is the time saved that would otherwise be spent at the stations in pulling up, obtaining a supply of water, and getting up speed again, but it is possible to use a smaller tender containing a less quantity of water, and consequently there is less dead weight to be handled. These troughs were first introduced by Mr. Ramsbottom in 1857, and, having since been improved and developed, have now been