Mount Savage Locomotive Works
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The Mount Savage Locomotive Works was a railroad workshop established at
Mount Savage, Maryland Mount Savage is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Allegany County, Maryland, United States. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 873. A small blue-collar community, Mount Savage lies at the base of Big Sava ...
, US. The
Cumberland and Pennsylvania Railroad The Cumberland and Pennsylvania Railroad (C&P) was an American railroad which operated in Western Maryland. Primarily a coal hauler, it was owned by the Consolidation Coal Company, and was purchased by the Western Maryland Railway (WM) in 1944. ...
locomotive shops were established in Mt. Savage in 1866, under the direction of James Millholland. The original locomotive shop was constructed of stone and was 90 feet x 250 feet in size with a 33-foot-high roof. An adjoining car shop, built at about the same time, was also of stone and was later extended with a wooden structure. These buildings still stand in Mt. Savage.


Personnel


James Millholland, Senior

James Millholland, Senior was 54 years old when he and his family came to Mt. Savage from Reading, Pennsylvania. Millholland was a master mechanic and an "advocate of plain engines and simplicity." He had extensive experience in keeping Winans camel engines running from his earlier work in
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
with the Baltimore & Susquehanna Railroad, and he was credited with many important locomotive innovations. He came in 1866 as the President of Consolidation Coal, and of the C&P. He resigned in 1869, to his estate on the Valley Road, in Cumberland. He was credited with developing the first anthracite-burning locomotive, and was Superintendent of Motive Power for the line for many years. He is also credited with constructing the first iron deck girder bridge in the U.S. for the Baltimore & Susquehanna near Bolton in the period 1846–47. He was responsible for so many improvements to the basic Winans camel engine, that the class was referred to as "Millholland Camels". He is credited with designing a 12-wheeled camel engine, built in the P&R shops in 1863.


James Millholland, Junior

His son, James Junior, was 24 when the family moved to Mt. Savage. He had been born in Reading in 1842, and had apprenticed in the railroad shops. He also joined the C&P, becoming Master Mechanic, and was vice president by the time his father retired. He left the C&P in 1879 to join the
George's Creek and Cumberland Railroad The Georges Creek and Cumberland Railroad (GC&C) was a railroad that operated in Maryland from 1876 until 1917, when it was merged with the Western Maryland Railway (WM). The main line ran from Cumberland to Lonaconing. History The GC&C was cre ...
. The younger Millholland was tasked with building the C&P shops, to maintain the mixed fleet of motive power. He had the right experience for the job. Millholland bought good
machine tool A machine tool is a machine for handling or machining metal or other rigid materials, usually by cutting, boring, grinding, shearing, or other forms of deformations. Machine tools employ some sort of tool that does the cutting or shaping. All ...
s, which were still in use 40 years later as evidenced by the 1917 ICC valuation. He equipped the shops with metal working machinery from Bement & Dougherty, probably a predecessor of Wm. B. Bement & Son of
Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...
.


Work undertaken


Repair and rebuilding

Initially, the work supervised by Millholland at the Mt. Savage Shops was limited to repairing and rebuilding the Winans Camels and other early C&P locomotives. The shop force gained much hands-on experience during the first twenty years; at least 15 of the C&P's camel-backed locos were rebuilt at Mt. Savage (some twice). Typical of the rebuilds was the engine Highlander, a Winans Camel inherited from the Mount Savage Railroad. It was a modernization project in which, among other things, the cab was relocated from on top of the boiler to the rear position. The C&P shops also provided repair services to its rivals in the
Georges Creek Georges Creek may refer to: Places Australia *Georges Creek (Armidale Dumaresq), a tributary of the Macleay River in New South Wales In the United States * Maryland: **George's Creek, Maryland, unincorporated community in Allegany County **Georges ...
coal region.


New build

Initially, the Winans Camels and other early locomotives were extensively rebuilt, and much hands-on experience was gained during the period from 1866–1888. The first recorded engine 'build' was a
0-10-0 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, ten powered and coupled driving wheels on five axles and no trailing wheels. In the United Kingdom, this type is known ...
unit in 1868. This could have been a modification to a Winans Camel. By the 1880s, the shops that Millholland had set up apparently had built quite an extensive operation, able to offer custom built locomotives for sale in addition to meeting the requirements of the parent C&P. The period beginning in 1883 was an exciting one for heavy manufacturing in Mount Savage. A locomotive catalog was issued for the Works by their agent, Thomas B. Inness & Co. of Broadway, New York. The catalog listed five types of engines for sale, and their specifications. Evidence was that the catalog was successful, and numerous sales to other roads resulted. This helped finance production for the home road, spurred development, and helped employment.
Narrow gauge A narrow-gauge railway (narrow-gauge railroad in the US) is a railway with a track gauge narrower than standard . Most narrow-gauge railways are between and . Since narrow-gauge railways are usually built with tighter curves, smaller structu ...
engines proved so popular a product that the works installed a
third rail A third rail, also known as a live rail, electric rail or conductor rail, is a method of providing electric power to a railway locomotive or train, through a semi-continuous rigid conductor placed alongside or between the rails of a railway ...
up the main line from Mount Savage for customer acceptance testing. Engine production was active between 1885 and 1917. Engines were produced for other roads as well. The production figures for 1882 list 19 passenger and freight engines outshopped, with 16 more in 1883. One particularly good customer was T. H. Paul & Sons of
Frostburg Frostburg is a city in Allegany County, Maryland, United States, and is at the head of the Georges Creek Valley. It is part of the Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. Located west of Cumberland, the town is one of the first cities ...
. A former C&P master mechanic himself (1854–1855), Paul established shops in Cumberland and Frostburg. He built mine engines and smaller narrow gauge locomotives at his shops, but contracted with Mount Savage for his larger orders. His Frostburg works were located near the existing C&P Passenger station, and some of the buildings still stand in 1999.


Heavy machinery

The following table shows some of the machinery used in the original shop. All of the rotating power machinery was driven by leather belts from overhead master shafts. These in turn, were powered by a stationary steam engine in the adjacent power house. A similar facility may be seen today at the
East Broad Top Railroad The East Broad Top Railroad (EBT) is a narrow gauge historic and heritage railroad headquartered in Rockhill Furnace, Pennsylvania. Operating from 1871 to 1956, it is one of the nation's oldest and best-preserved narrow-gauge railroads ...
, in Pennsylvania. ;Equipment from Bement & Dougherty, unless otherwise noted *engine lathe, 28-inch x 8-foot bed *horizontal boring and drilling machine, table size 24 inches x 44 inches *18-inch x 48-inch engine lathe, C&P *18-inch x 24-inch engine lathe, C&P *vertical boring mill 54 inches *car wheel boring mill, 48-inch table *10-inch slotter *wooden jib crane, 20-foot mast, 15-foot boom, 4.5-ton capacity, C&P *punch & shear, 30-inch throat (used for rivet holes) ;Car shop The car shop would build the wooden parts of the engine, such as the cab. *18-inch rip saw *Lowell drill press *Tice shaper/molder ;Blacksmith shop *Fulton 500-pound power hammer (for forging)


Manufacturing procedures

Locomotive manufacturing during this period was hard, heavy, dangerous work. It proceeded according to numerous 'rules of thumb' developed by the master mechanic over the years. Innovations were introduced slowly. There were continuous efforts to reduce costs, and increase performance. Weight reduction was not desirable, as weight-on-drivers contributed directly to tractive effort. Locomotive frames were usually riveted, built-up construction, of
wrought iron Wrought iron is an iron alloy with a very low carbon content (less than 0.08%) in contrast to that of cast iron (2.1% to 4%). It is a semi-fused mass of iron with fibrous slag inclusions (up to 2% by weight), which give it a wood-like "grain" ...
and later, steel. According to White, experience at the
Norris Locomotive Works The Norris Locomotive Works was a steam locomotive manufacturing company based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that produced nearly one thousand railroad engines between 1832 and 1866. It was the dominant American locomotive producer during most of ...
showed that a team of 14 men could build a locomotive in 15 days. This was assuming the parts were on hand. A locomotive is a carefully integrated collection of a large number of specialty parts.


Boilers

The typical
boiler A boiler is a closed vessel in which fluid (generally water) is heated. The fluid does not necessarily boil. The heated or vaporized fluid exits the boiler for use in various processes or heating applications, including water heating, centr ...
was constructed of 5/16-inch wrought iron, starting as plate, and rolled to shape. The lap joints were single
rivet A rivet is a permanent mechanical fastener. Before being installed, a rivet consists of a smooth cylindrical shaft with a head on one end. The end opposite to the head is called the ''tail''. On installation, the rivet is placed in a punched ...
ed. There is a long way between watertight and steam tight. Later, double riveting, and reinforced butt joints were used.
Welding Welding is a fabrication process that joins materials, usually metals or thermoplastics, by using high heat to melt the parts together and allowing them to cool, causing fusion. Welding is distinct from lower temperature techniques such as bra ...
was not yet a developed technology, particularly for a pressure vessel. Boiler tubes were typically iron tubing of 2 inches diameter. They were lap welded, and reportedly difficult to flange.


Lagging

Boilers were covered, or lagged, to reduce heat loss, and increase efficiency. Wood slats were used originally. After 1900, asbestos was a favored lagging material. It was common for the slabs of the mineral to be machined to fit. This produced large clouds of asbestos dust that is now known to be a major carcinogen, a significant cause of lung cancer. The use of dust masks, hearing protection, and safety glasses was unknown at the time. The boiler shops were a haze of asbestos dust.


Water feed

Millholland favored Giffard's water
injector An injector is a system of ducting and nozzles used to direct the flow of a high-pressure fluid in such a way that a lower pressure fluid is entrained in the jet and carried through a duct to a region of higher pressure. It is a fluid-dynamic ...
s, based on the favorable experience with them on the Reading line. He was also an early advocate of
feedwater heater A feedwater heater is a power plant component used to pre-heat water delivered to a steam generating boiler. Preheating the feedwater reduces the irreversibilities involved in steam generation and therefore improves the thermodynamic efficiency of ...
s, using them as early as 1855. His designs have them on the right side, under the engine running board. They are about 10 feet long, and 8 inches in diameter. These are a visible clue to engines produced in Mount Savage. Millholland is also responsible for the development of the poppet throttle, originally retrofitted on Camel engines in Pennsylvania.


Cylinders

The cylinders were usually cast in halves, assembled, and bored to size. This represented the most complex and expensive operation of the whole locomotive assembly. In 1856, it was common for the boring operation to consume 2 days. The pistons were
cast iron Cast iron is a class of iron– carbon alloys with a carbon content more than 2%. Its usefulness derives from its relatively low melting temperature. The alloy constituents affect its color when fractured: white cast iron has carbide impur ...
, with fitted
brass Brass is an alloy of copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn), in proportions which can be varied to achieve different mechanical, electrical, and chemical properties. It is a substitutional alloy: atoms of the two constituents may replace each other wit ...
piston ring A piston ring is a metallic split ring that is attached to the outer diameter of a piston in an internal combustion engine or steam engine. The main functions of piston rings in engines are: # Sealing the combustion chamber so that there is min ...
s.


Driving wheels

The driving wheels were typically cast iron, and axles were usually 6-inch-diameter wrought iron. Driving wheels were fitted with replaceable
tires A tire (American English) or tyre (British English) is a ring-shaped component that surrounds a wheel's rim to transfer a vehicle's load from the axle through the wheel to the ground and to provide traction on the surface over which t ...
. On the basis of his previous experience, Millholland favored cast-iron tires, shrunk onto the wheels. His father had experimented with steel tires around 1851–52, and they became standard later. Some early accidents on the C&P involved wheel failures. In 1872, Engine No. 11 broke a wheel below Frostburg, requiring the assistance of the work train, and delaying the pay car, according to the Frostburg Mining Journal.


Connecting rods

Connecting rods were
cast Cast may refer to: Music * Cast (band), an English alternative rock band * Cast (Mexican band), a progressive Mexican rock band * The Cast, a Scottish musical duo: Mairi Campbell and Dave Francis * ''Cast'', a 2012 album by Trespassers William ...
, and bearings were brass and/or
Babbitt metal Babbitt metal or bearing metal is any of several alloys used for the bearing surface in a plain bearing. The original Babbitt alloy was invented in 1839 by Isaac Babbitt in Taunton, Massachusetts, United States. He disclosed one of his alloy recip ...
. The early lubricants were all animal fat based, and only suitable for low temperature applications. Later,
petroleum Petroleum, also known as crude oil, or simply oil, is a naturally occurring yellowish-black liquid mixture of mainly hydrocarbons, and is found in geological formations. The name ''petroleum'' covers both naturally occurring unprocessed crud ...
based lubricants provided much better performance.


Gauges

Engine safety appliances were sparse. The
Bourdon gauge Pressure measurement is the measurement of an applied force by a fluid (liquid or gas) on a surface. Pressure is typically measured in units of force per unit of surface area. Many techniques have been developed for the measurement of pressur ...
for pressure readings was patented in 1849. A rival gauge was developed in 1857 by Wooten. Glass sight gauges for boiler water level were not popular until the 1890s. Part of the problem was production of the proper glass, and the sealing of the gauge.


Lamps

Head lights were originally oil lamps. These units were box-shaped, and had an 18- to 22-inch parabolic reflector. They could cast a 1000-foot beam, sufficient for low-speed operation in darkness. An important improvement was introduced with the advent of lamps powered by carbide. Similar to the lamps used by miners, these lamps used the reaction of water and the mineral
calcium carbide Calcium carbide, also known as calcium acetylide, is a chemical compound with the chemical formula of Ca C2. Its main use industrially is in the production of acetylene and calcium cyanamide. The pure material is colorless, while pieces of te ...
to produce
acetylene gas Acetylene (systematic name: ethyne) is the chemical compound with the formula and structure . It is a hydrocarbon and the simplest alkyne. This colorless gas is widely used as a fuel and a chemical building block. It is unstable in its pure f ...
, which burned with a bright light. Later, electric lamps and generators were fitted. C&P tenders were also fitted with lamps on the rear, since the engines frequently operated in reverse on the various coal branches where they could not be turned.


References

* Stakem, Patrick H. "Cumberland & Pennsylvania Railroad Revisited," 2002, {{NA Loco builders Defunct locomotive manufacturers of the United States Industrial buildings and structures in Maryland