One Brinell hardness testing machine.

One 2,000-pound cement testing machine.

One horizontal microscope, with camera for metalographic work.

One grinding, buffing, and etching outfit for the preparation of samples for microscopic work.

The physical laboratory is provided with various machines for making tension, compression, drop, vibratory, and hardness tests. There are in addition engines, lathes, drills, etc., and special machines for testing hose, rubber, and other materials.

The materials for test are samples which have been obtained by the inspectors at outlying points and those sent to the department by the shops. The metal specimens go to the machine room for preparation, then to the physical laboratory for analysis.

Rubber, Air Brake Hose, and Miscellaneous Laboratory

The extent of the work of this department is indicated by the fact that the needs of the Pennsylvania Railroad are about 635,000 pieces of air brake hose per year.

Heat Treatment Laboratory

This department is for the development of standards in the heat-treatment of metals during the process of their manufacture for use in railway equipment. Investigations are carried out to study the effect of various heat treatments on a large variety of carbon and alloy steels.

Large castings of various kinds have been heat-treated by this department with the aid of outside facilities with a gratifying degree of success. The effect of chemicals and heat-treatment upon the endurance of materials to repeated stresses is tested out by revolution and vibra

tion tests, including vibration tests on complete springs. Rails, splice bars, and tie plates are heat-treated to study the increased service it is possible to secure.

Insulating Tests

Investigations are made on various types of fireproof material for the purpose of maintaining a high standard. The testing of felt and insulating papers used for lining refrigerator cars has been made necessary by the large variety of materials of this kind on the market, the keen competition among manufacturers, and the ease with which the highest grade and best material can be closely imitated by cheap and inferior products. This laboratory is equipped with an insulated room and electrical heating arrangements for this work, the tests being designed to represent as nearly as possible the service conditions to which these materials would be subjected.

Lamp Tests

The equipment for lamp tests consists of three photometers, a lamp-test rack of 1,000 lamps capacity with switchboard, transformers, and potential regulator equipment. These lamp tests are made with a view of obtaining data for the preparation of specifications to secure uniformity in the ordering of incandescent lamps, and the maintaining of sufficiently high standards. There is a department investigating electrolysis, electrical machines, batteries, and other electrical material.

Laboratory Work

A large room is provided for the force of laboratory and road assistants coming under the direction of the foreman of road tests and special tests. The duties of

these men are varied and include tests of locomotives on the road: tests of equipment with special devices; the tonnage rating of trains; and the following up of all experimental appliances which are put into service for test purposes.

Metallurgical Work, Etc.

The main chemical laboratory is divided into two departments, the larger one of these being devoted exclusively to metallurgical chemistry.

The smaller of these two laboratories is for work of a more general character, being used for the examination of fuels; the development of specifications for paint products, lubricating and burning oils, boiler compounds, lacquers, plush, car cleaners, cutting compounds, belt dressing, polishing compounds, hydraulic-jack liquids, fuses, track caps, fire-extinguishing preparations; the recovery of used or wasted products, etc.

Certain food products used in the dining car service are also examined here at times; many other miscellaneous investigations are made, as of conditions which may have led to loss from the damage to freight in transit, to establish methods for preventing such loss.

Manufacturing Laboratory

A manufacturing laboratory, which might be called a small factory, is maintained in a separate building which is under the direct supervision of the chief chemist, and new products are manufactured in this until such time as it is found advisable to purchase them from "outside" manufacturers.

Laboratory Car

In addition to the steel-rail work at Altoona, a laboratory car has been built to be moved as required to any

point where steel rails in process of manufacture are to be inspected. This car is equipped for chemical analyses of the finished rails at the mills by a force of chemists under the chief chemist.

There is also a bacteriological laboratory for examining water, which standardizes the disinfectants to be used on the system. It also examines boiler feed water supply and formulates methods for water treatment.

The equipment of the testing plant includes a dynamometer car, a locomotive testing plant, a brake-shoe testing machine, and much other testing machinery.

Extent and Variety of Materials Tested

The scope of the work can be better appreciated when it is understood that the cost of the materials covered by the inspection and tests and entering into the construction of the railroad rolling stock and track, in 1913, amounted to $92,119,480, while the cost of operating the test department and chemical laboratory for the same year was $534,060.

PUBLICITY

Most of the railroads of the country are members of the Bureau of Railway News and Statistics. This Bureau publishes reliable statistics on railroad operation, and in fact on practically every subject of interest regarding railroads. For the past six years it has issued annually a volume entitled "The Railway Library" which contains papers and addresses on railroad subjects by prominent publicists, financiers, and railroad officials. It is a presentation in a very convincing and intelligent way of the railroad view on rates, finances, regulation, and such subjects as are of general public interest and discussion.

In regard to the publicity departments of railroads,

Interstate Commerce Commissioner Prouty once said, "It is not only the right but the duty of the railways to present these matters (statistical arguments) to the public from their viewpoint, provided it is done with scrupulous accuracy in the statement of facts." Certainly no fault can be found with the presentation of statistics as made by the Bureau, on the ground of inaccuracy, as its figures check the very complete statistics of the Interstate Commerce Commission, and the analysis of them is carried beyond the Commission's statistics as to many features.

Many of the railroads maintain publicity departments of their own to keep the public advised of transportation news of interest to it and to present their viewpoint on railroad matters being generally discussed by the public. Often the dangers and fallacies in proposed laws, such as the full-crew law, and the railway mail pay, must be presented forcibly to the public to enlist its support in defeating them, and the publicity departments of railroads are the medium through which the public is reached in such matters.

POLICING

All large systems maintain a force of special agents or police. The organization is much the same as any other designed for the protection of persons and property.

The most common offenses for which arrests are made are train-riding by persons not paying fares; trespass on railroad right of way; robbery of cars and buildings; petit larceny, such as removing car brasses, air hose, etc.; intoxication and disorderly conduct on trains and in passenger stations; and willful destruction of railroad property, such as the stoning of trains by boys and malicious persons.