,,the ,,fireless ,,locomotive ,illustration3 ,a new era arrives4 ,a spotless ,diesel is pushed into the ,,ncr yard to replace the ,company's venerable steam-storage locomotives4 ,illustration3 ,on one of its last working days1 the ,rubicon1 now on display at ,carillon ,park1 pushed its successor to the factory engine house4 ,illustration3 ,with several ,,ncr employees aboard1 the replacement engine makes its first run across ,dayton's ,south ,main ,street4 ,illustration3 ,the old yields to the new4 ,the ,rubicon turns switching responsibilities over to the modern ,diesel4 ,the transfer is symbolized by an employee handclasp4 8,the ,three little ,engines0 ,illustration3 ,the ,rubicon1 as yet unnamed1 arrived at ,,ncr in #aiji on a flat car1 just as its successor was welcomed more than half a century later4 ,most things yield to progress--and that1 of course1 is how museums are made4 ,the ,corliss engine now on display at ,carillon ,park labored mightily during the formative years of ,american industry1 yet more economical electric power systems eventually sent that steam giant into retirement at the ,park4 ,the ,conestoga wagon and the ,concord coach1 the ,grasshopper locomotive and the high-wheeled ,cadillac--all served their purpose4 ,and then1 with sentimental if somewhat whimsical ceremony1 they were consigned to their final resting place4 ,in the summer of #aifb1 ,carillon ,park made room for what is probably its most unusual example of antique 8rolling stock40 ,illustration3 8,the ,three ,little ,engines0 are pictured soon after their purchase by ,,ncr4 ,the ,carillon ,park relic1 the ,rubicon1 is pushing the first electric express car used by ,the ,ohio ,electric ,company4 ,the exhaust stacks of all three fireless engines originally extended up the front of the storage tanks1 fully exposed1 but the tanks were later given false fronts so the ,rubicon1 ,the ,dayton and the ,south ,park would resemble conventional railroad locomotives4 ,illustration3 ,the ,dayton ,illustration3 ,the ,south ,park ,the newcomer is the 8,rubicon10 one of three fireless locomotives which were purchased by ,the ,national ,cash ,register ,company in the early years of this enterprising century4 ,the ,rubicon1 however1 did not come to the ,park from a rusty and forgotten limbo--as1 for instance1 the ,grasshopper locomotive did4 ,the engine is an antique1 to be sure1 yet its boiler and baffles had scarcely had time to dry when it was refurbished for a place of honor in the museum4 ,its successor1 a ,diesel-powered switch engine1 had been delivered only a short time before the ,rubicon was relieved of service and was ready to be converted into a public curiosity4 ,in fact1 the ,rubicon--injury added to insult6--on one of its final trips puffed across the ,,ncr yard and pushed its bright blue-and-yellow replacement from the flat car on which it arrived to the roundhouse4 8,the ,three ,little ,engines10 so long familiar to ,daytonians1 were among the first fireless 7or steam storage7 locomotives in ,america4 ,the ,dayton was built in #aiac1 the ,south ,park in #aiaj and the ,rubicon in #aiji--;all by the ,lima ,locomotive ,works of ,lima1 ,ohio1 on a basic design developed and popularized in ,germany4 ,,ncr's founder1 ,john ,h4 ,patterson1 had in fact seen such an engine during his travels in ,europe1 and decided it was just what he wanted for ,dayton1 ,ohio4 ,mr4 ,patterson was one of the first ,american industrialists to be concerned with 8factory environment40 ,he believed that a factory would be an esthetic asset to the community1 as well as a happy place for workers1 if it were kept clean and attractively landscaped4 ,,ncr resembled--then1 as it does today--a series of office buildings rather than a huge industrial complex4 ,the neighborhood adjacent to the factory also concerned ,john ,h4 ,patterson2 he offered annual prizes to householders who kept the best yards and flower beds4 ,an early ,,ncr machinist who looked up from his lathe and glanced out the spacious window--by way of resting his eyes--saw lovely suburban gardens instead of the grimy clutter that bordered most factories of the era4 ,keeping the sandstone buildings clean1 and the geraniums healthy1 would be easier1 ,mr4 ,patterson concluded1 if it weren't for the sooty smoke belched up by switch engines4 ,the steam-storage locomotive proved to be the answer4 ,it could chuff about for hours1 emitting nothing more than a few puffs of steam4 ,a ,steam ,tank on ,wheels ,the ,rubicon is actually little more than a #g- by #af-;foot steam tank1 built somewhat like a thermos bottle and fitted out with cylinders and wheels4 ,the tank was two-thirds filled with water and then charged from a #aej-pound steam line from the ,,ncr powerhouse4 ,as the ,rubicon's engineer opened the throttle1 steam passed through a reducing valve and reached the cylinders at a pressure of #fj pounds per square inch4 ,the steam charge1 at #cgj degrees ,fahrenheit1 gradually converted some of the water to steam1 which--although at a lesser pressure--gave the locomotive additional operating time4 ,the ,rubicon ran three or four hours on a charge1 depending on the work load4 ,normally1 three or four daily trips were made to the roundhouse1 to exchange a 8tired0 engine for a freshly-charged one4 ,eighteen-inch pistons enabled the engines to move their own weight with just a few pounds of steam1 so it was rare for them to be stranded away from their 8lifeline40 ,the storage tank was insulated with a two-inch layer of magnesia4 ,it was fitted with baffles to keep the water from sloshing back and forth as the engine started and stopped4 ,tanks under the locomotive running boards furnished compressed air for ringing the bell and sanding the rails in icy weather4 ,they were replenished at the roundhouse1 for the engine carried no air compressor4 ,neither was there a generator2 the storage battery which operated the headlights had to be recharged regularly4 ,the engine's brakes were strictly mechanical--operated by tightening the large wheel in the cab4 ,illustration3 ,the ,carillon ,park museum piece was photographed at the ,,ncr ,south ,main ,street factory crossing in the early years of the century4 ,seen at left is the ,,ncr office building1 prior to construction of the ,,ncr auditorium4 ,illustration3 ,these pictures record an event which was perhaps inevitable with the increase of auto-age traffic2 in #aiae1 a touring car slid into the ,rubicon's side at the ,main ,street crossing4 ,illustration3 ,the engine clearly won the contest6 ,illustration3 ,it suffered only a slightly bent driving rod1 visible in the photograph4 ,illustration3 ,the ,lima ,locomotive ,works1 manufacturer of the ,rubicon1 featured a photograph of the busily puffing engine in one of its catalogues4 ,the page is reproduced here4 ,,first ,,steam-,,storage ,,locomotive ,,used ,,in ,,america ,,built ,,by ,,lima ,,locomotive ,,and ,,machine ,,co41 ,,lima1 ,,ohio1 ,,working ,,at ,,plant ,,of ,,national ,,cash ,,register ,,co41 ,,dayton1 ,,ohio4 ,,lima ,,steam ,,storage ,,locomotives ,lima steam storage locomotives consist essentially of a large tank1 large cylinders1 the other machinery being similar to that of regular locomotives4 ,the tank is filled about half full of water1 and is then connected with a stationary boiler until the pressure equalizes4 ,when this occurs1 considerable steam will have been condensed1 but the water will have been raised to nearly the pressure and temperature of the steam in the boiler4 ,as steam is used1 the pressure falls1 but with the decrease part of the water becomes steam4 ,the tank is charged to full boiler pressure1 #bej to #bjj pounds as the case may be1 and the pressure reduced to #fj pounds by a reducing valve4 ,the cylinder diameter is increased so the tractive power1 to the limit of adhesion can be utilized at #fj pounds pressure in the cylinders4 ,due to these large cylinders1 the locomotive can move itself with only or #d pounds pressure4 ,under ordinary circumstances1 it will not have to be charged any oftener than the regular type of locomotive takes water4 ,varying with the amount of work desired1 it will run from two to ten hours with one charge4 ,two charges per day is a good average4 ,this type possesses many advantages for work in industrial plants1 powder mills1 lumber yards1 cotton mills1 wharves1 etc4 ,among its advantages are3 #a4 ,absolute ,safety in inflammable localities1 and from boiler explosion1 as pressure decreases constantly4 #b4 ,simplicity4 ,nothing to watch but signals and gauge4 #c4 ,economy4 ,in first cost2 in maintenance2 in operation4 ,just the locomotive for use around your plant4 ,absolutely no danger from fire2 can be operated around factories manufacturing the most inflammable materials with perfect safety4 ,we build all practical sizes4 ,write for further particulars4 ,the fireless 8locos0 were undeniably safe1 in that steam pressure was always on the decrease and never ran wild4 ,on the other hand1 the brakes were so primitive that fast emergency stops were impossible with a string of heavy coal cars4 ,visibility from the cab was limited1 too--an added hazard with increased auto and pedestrian traffic in the ,,ncr factory area in recent years4 ,but the retirement of the ,rubicon1 the ,dayton1 and the ,south ,park was irrevocably decided by the mounting cost of keeping them in repair4 ,replacement wheels had to be specially cast1 and many other parts had to be fashioned from scratch4 ,toward the end of the engines' service1 two machinists were devoting full time to pampering their aches and agues1 and the maintenance bill was coming to more than #af1jjj annually4 ,railroad buffs will miss them1 but they had to go6 ,illustration3 ,the ,,ncr engine house had just been completed when employees clustered around the ,dayton for this photograph4 ,illustration3 ,one of the first engine crews poses by the ,rubicon4 ,the ,diesel-electric locomotive which replaced them is a #ej-ton eight-wheel unit manufactured by the ,general ,electric ,company at ,erie1 ,pa4 ,it is powered by two #aej-;horsepower engines1 each driving a ,d4,c4 generator4 ,in turn1 each of the generators powers a ,d4,c4 motor geared to an axle4 ,a powered axle drives two wheels directly1 and by side arms two other wheels are also driven4 ,thus1 the locomotive is powered by two independent units4 ,the power units can be used separately or simultaneously as the number of cars demands1 giving traction to either four or eight wheels4 ,illustration3 ,,ncr helped ,dayton meet the #aiac flood emergency4 ,the ,company's powerhouse--equipped with the giant ,corliss engine which is seen today at ,carillon ,park--supplied the stricken city with electricity4 ,illustration3 ,moreover1 the hard-working ,rubicon was sent north on the streetcar tracks to help haul away flood debris4 ,with the ,diesel-electric1 no time is lost re-charging the tank4 ,the engineer's cab is comfortably heated in winter4 ,automatic couplers1 front and rear1 increase employee safety4 ,powerful air brakes control the engine itself and air hoses can also be coupled to towed cars4 ,operating cost is only a fraction of that required for the old 8chuffers40 ,fireless ,engine ,slighted in ,rail ,lore ,the steam storage locomotive does not figure prominently in the colorful literature of railroading4 ,confined to the modest task of shunting miscellaneous cars about remote factory yards1 there was no ,casey ,jones to give it romance4 ,nor was there a lusty fireman or a wandering hobo to immortalize it in song4 ,it is known that an obscure 8,toonerville0 type of road near ,new ,orleans employed a fireless engine as early as #ahce--recharging at each end of the track4 ,also1 a number of fireless engines were used around paper mills and munitions factories1 where sparks from conventional engines could have led to fire and cataclysm4 ,illustration3 ,the ,south ,park1 sister engine of the ,rubicon1 edges up to the ,,ncr powerhouse4 ,the photograph is undated1 but the gleam of the engine indicates that it hadn't seen too many years of service4 ,the ,rubicon is one of the last of its breed--perhaps even the last of its particular design4 ,but sporting new black paint and fresh gold lettering1 it has found a measure of immortality--albeit without balladry--at ,carillon ,park1 among other relics of ,america's industrial past4 ,illustration3 ,after the ,rubicon's retirement1 workmen began refurbishing it for the ,carillon ,park historical collection4 ,here they are seen removing half a century's accumulation of paint4 ,illustration3 ,the ,rubicon is shown as it traveled the last few feet of its long career4 ,it was moved into its permanent ,carillon ,park home on ,july #af1 #aifb4 ,illustration3 ,on ,august #bj1 #aifb1 the ,engine ,house at ,carillon ,park was opened with informal ribbon-cutting ceremonies4 ,shown above are several of the guests inspecting the refurbished locomotive4 ,,carillon ,,park ,,dayton1 ,,ohio ,one of a series of ,carillon ,park booklets4 ,price ten cents4 ,transcriber's ,notes --,silently corrected a few typos4 --,retained publication information from the printed edition3 this e,book is public-domain in the country of publication4 --,in the text versions only1 text in italics is delimited by underscores4