English: A Liliputian Locomotive.—The locomotive works of Messrs. Krauss
& Co., München, have recently delivered an engine which is an interesting production both on account of: its destination and construction.
The locomotive (together with a carriage and a kilometer of portable
railway) is a present from the King of the Belgians to the Sultan of Morocco. As all material has to be transported on the back of camels
from the port of Mogador to the capital, the several parts had not to exceed a certain weight. The railway is on the Decauville system, has
a gauge of 60 centimetres, aud rails weighing 6 kilogrammes per meter
run, a piece of track 5 meters long weighing only 80 kkilogrammes. The
heaviest pieces of the engine—that is to say, frame and boiler—weigh only 300 kilogrammes each. The carriage resembles a tramcar, has
seats for twelve persons, and its frame weighs 200 kilogrammes.
The engine develops a power of about four horses, and, with
half a load, attains a speed of of 14:4. kilometers per hour. It
is a four-wheeled tender locomotive, and, in order to combine lightness with durability, is largely construc ted of phosphor-bronze and steel, the
cylinders, pistons, rods, and all bearings being of the former metal. A8
the fuel to be employed is wood, a relatively large fire-box and an Amert
can spark catcher are provided. The principal dimensions of the enginé
are: Diameter of cylinders. 80 millimeters; stroke of piston, 160 millimeters: diameter of wheels, 390 millimeters ; distance between axles,
700 millimeters ; heating surface, 1.91 square meter ; hearth surface, 14
square meter ; steam pressure in boiler, 12 atmospheres ; boiler water, 50
liters ; space for feed water, 140 liters ; space for wood, 180 liters : weight
of engine empty, 1100 kilogrammes: weight of machine loaded, 1400
kilogrammes. The pigmean locomotive has been named the "Occident", which is inscribed on it in Arabic letters.