this country, I certify with pleasure that I received every where the best testimonials from the Presidents, Engineers and Superintendants of Railroads, in regard to the workmanship and the persormances of Mr. Bald. win's Locomotives. Owing to the peculiar construction of these engines. I observe that they are remarkably easy to the road, even where light rails are used. I regard them, iherefore, alter a careful examination of the resulis obtained, as the best machines used on American Railroads, and recommend them strongly to all railroad compasses in Europe. Should those companies apply to me I am willing to inspect the progress of the workmanship of the Engines ordered for Europe, and io report from time to time, on the state of the work to those companies. If they entrust me ibe bills of payment, I will keep them until ine Engines are delivered op board the vessel, and save to che companies extra expenses. (Signed) F. A. CHEV. GERSTNER. Philadelphia, 13th Sept. 1839. Extract from a letter from John Brandt, formerly superintendant of motive power on the Philadelphia and Columbia Railway, now supraintendo ant of motive power on the Georgia Railroad under date of May, 1838: 2 “ We have 24 of your engines on this road, several of which have been in use since the fall of 1834. 'Two of your 3d class engines commenced running February 22d, 1837, and travelled 55,695 miles up to the 1st May 1838, and cost for repairs during the above mentioned time one cent and eight mills per mile.' Eight engines of the 1st class have travelled from the 1st January, 1838, to the 1st May, (four months) 49,469 milts, made 653 trips, drawing 16,836 cars. The cost for these four months I am un. able to show, as our books are not posted, but can assure you that the expenses this year will be less than any former year. One of the 1st class, recently built, has drawn over the Columbia road, part of which has an ascending grade of 45 feet se: mile, 35 loaded cars weighing 187 lons, equal to about 701 tons on a level, and travelled from 8 to 12 miles per bour, except on wooden track. This is the heaviest train that has erer passed the road.” Extract from a letter from James I. Shipman, Esq., resident engineer of the Long Island Railroad Company : “We have two engines of class No. 3 of your manufacture, which bare been in use since May, 1836. Their performance is worthy of the most unqualified praise. We carry as an ordinary load 15 freight cars, weighing five and a half tons each, and to show their efficiency we have frequently taken 20 cars without difficulty up an ascent of 35 seet to the mile, and have carried 4 cars up a grade 211 feet per mile, for a distance of 2,100 feet. The average speed for freight is 17 miles an hour, passengers 20 to 25. In the summer of 1837, they performed the distance of 162 miles each day, and, froin the journal wbich now lies before me, that under this severe usage there was no failure in either of these engines for 6 months, which rendered a change in their usual time of running necessary, or occasioned any delay either in transportation of freight or passengers. I am fully satisfied that the cost for repairs does not exceed half that of a four wheeled engine, doing the same work." John Cash, Esq., superintendant of motive power on the Norristown Railroad, writes: " I take great pleasure in bearing testimony to the excellence of your engines. They are well adapted to light or heavy roads. With one of the small class, which has been in use nearly 3 years. I have drawn a train a of 750 passengers, over grades of 32 feet to the mile, at the rate of 14 miles per hour." Wm. C. Young, Esq., Superintendant and Engineer of Utica and Schenectady Railroad, writts : “ The twelve locomotive engines procured of you for this road, have answered their purposes effectively. Notwithstanding much has been said about improvements in such machines, I am not able to satisfy myself that ours are wanting in any particular.” James Elliot, superintendant of motive power on the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railioad, writes: "After an experience of several years with locomotive engines on dif. ferent roads, I am of the opinion that the engines of M. W. B. are easier upon the road than any engines in use, and that they combine more advantages than any locomotive engines within my knowledge. They have been constantly running for the last 18 months; the engine Brandywine has been running 265 days, at a cost for repairs of $65 17, and has lost but five diys since she was put on the road. The Christiana has been running 165 days, at a cost of $20 for repairs. Their average speed is 24 miles per hour, including stoppages.” L. G. Cannon, President, and L. R. Sargent, superintendent of the Rensselaer and Saratoga Railroad Company, says: " We have two of your locomotives which have been in use about 3 years. They work well in every particular, and I deem it but an act of justice to say that the manufacture and materials of each, hare proved io be of the highest order, and I have evidence from the official reports of other companies, and my own experience here, that your engines will, in performance and cost of repairs, bear comparison with any engines made in this or any other country." W. W. Woolsey, Esq., President of Boston and Providence Railroad Company, writes: We have three of your engines, which have been in use since June, 1936; we never have had occasion to put them to their maximum capaci. ty. They have carried seventeen freight cars, of gross weight eighty-five tons, engine and tender not included, over the road at an average speed of ten miles per hour, and this over an ascent of five miles in length, one half mile of which is forty two and a half feet per mile, the remaining four and a half miles thiriy-seven and a half feet. They carry ten passengers and three baggage cars very easily over the road, at an average speed of eighteen to twenty miles an hour. Your engines give entire satisfaction." David Mathews, Superintendent of Engines and Machinery, on the Utica and Schenectady Railroad, writes: • We have tivelve engines in use on this road, and are all of your manufacture. They have been in use since August, 1836; and eight engines run about one hundred and fifty thousand miles per year, carrying about one hundred and fifty thousand passengers in cars which hold tirenty-four passengers-eighteen cars of passengers and their baggage is considerep a load for your engines running twenty miles an hour. We are five hours crossing the road, eighty miles, including fifteen stoppages. Your engines have performed well." J. Edgar Thompson, Esq., Chief Engineer and general agent of the Geogia Railroad Banking Company, writes: "We have in operation on the Georgia Railroad, six locomotives from .6 Baldwin's factory, all of which have given us entire satisfaction. The simplicity of their construction, and the excellent proportions and arrangements of the various parts of machinery, entitle them, in my opinion, to a decided preference over any other engines that I have examined, either of European or domestic manufacture.” H. R. Campbell, Esq., Civil Engineer, writes : " One of your third class engines, the West Chester, this morning, June 8th, drew a train of Afty-one loaded cars from Schuylkill Bridge to Broad road, street, (4 miles,) passing several abrupt curves, some of seven hundred says : A. G. Thorn, Engineer Clinton and Port Hudson Railrond, writes : • Your engines have giren entire satisfaction to all persons interested, in every respect. Combining speed, power, and superior workmanship. The first engine which we received, commenced working December 31, 1837. The cost of repairs up to July 16, 1838, haid not exceeded one dollar." S. Vail, Esq., Superintendant of Morris and Essex Railroad, writes: " I ain satisfied that in mechanical construction and proportions, simplicity, economy of repairs, and suel, and on the amount of work which they wijl do, and the care to the road while running, the engines of Messrs. B., V. & H. are without a parallel in this country, or any that I have sein, wbich were manufactured in Europe." Adam Hill, Esq, of New York, late Superintendent for the West Point Foundry Association, now at foot of Beach-street, New York, one of the first Engineers in this or any other country, writes: “ I have been acquainted with your engines (l.comotives) since the first that you made, and I know from the experience that I have had of them, that they will do the most work, and cost less to keep them in repair, and are easier to the road than any other engines in use that I know of." E. Harrison, Esq., Superintendent of Somerville and Elizabethtown Rail. road, writes : - We have tivo of your engines, one of which has been in use since 1st January, the o: ber since February, running 60 miles per day, and thus far have operated remarkably well, and from our experience we do not believe that we could have done better at any other manufactory of engines in this country or in Europe.!! W. Brown, Superintendent of motive power Vicksburg Railroad, says: " The Mazeppa engine, one of your manufaciure, has run 5,26.5 mies, and cost only $15 for repairs; included in that is a new tender spring." John Naglee, President of Philadelphia and Trenton Railroad, writes 6th June, 1839 : 60 "I cousider your engines, when built with proper care in regard to selection of materials, equal to any built in the United States, and far preferable to any I have seen of English manufacture.” The Virginia, an Engine made by M. W. Baldwin, run between March 21, 1337, and January 1, 1838, 19,019 miles, and cost on an average i cent and 2 mills per mile, for repairs. Whole cost, $238 50. The Paoli, another of Baldsvin's engines, run during the same period, 18.043 miles, and cost for repairs on an average 1.6 cents per mile. Whole cost, $296 31. The whole of Baldwin's engines run collectively 132,157 miles, and cost the State 2 cents and 3 mills per mile for repairs, including accidents. It should be observed, that the road is a continuous succession of curves, Eoine of which have a radius of 500 feet. (Signed,) JOHN BRANT, Superintendent on the Columbia and Philadelphia Railway The Superindendent of motive power on the Rochester and Batavia Rail Road writes :—"We have two of your engines of the smallest class which have been running 3 years. The grades on our road are as high as 45 feet, with curves on those grades of 1000 feet radius. Our cars weigh 3 tons, and we take from 20 10 25 loaded cars, and we make our trips of 32 miles in 2 hours including stoppages. I have had experience in manag. ing locomotive engines for 5 years, and have no hesitation in giving your engines a decided preference before any that I have yet used or seen. (Signed.) WM. HAYDEN, Rochester, N. Y July 3:1, 1839. Superintendent of Motire poiver James Baggs, Superintendent of Motive Power on the Erie and Kalamazoo Riilroad writes, Sir,-1 have been acquainted with your engines since the fall of 1835, part of which time I have had charge of them on different roads as Chief Engineer, and I feel free to say, that yours are the best engines in use, combining speed, power and superior workmanship, and will do the same amount of work with less repairs, either to the engine or the road, than any others that I have ever seen or used. (Signed) JAMES BAGGS, June 27, 1839. Chief Engineer, Erie and Kalamazoo Railroad. Benjamin Briscoe, Superintendent of Motive Power Central Railroad, Michigan Gentlemen -- We have three of your third class engines on this road, 2 of which have been running since January, 1838, and have given entire satisfaction; the third has run, since June last, sixty miles per day, and has not lost a trip for want of repairs. We have tivo engines manufactured by others, but we can only place confidence, while running, on yours, and I believe them superior to any manufactured in this country or in Europe. (Signed.) B. BRISCOE, I have had several of your engines placed under my charge as master machinist upon our Railway, and I am pleased to say I have found them admirably adapted to our Railroad, and they are capable of doing a large amount of work at a small cost for repairs. Monroe, Geo. July 16, 1839. (Signed.) JOHN LODGE |
