Mechita Running Sheds
Of the Buenos Aires Western Railway
1932 Visit to the works.[1]
Mechita Locomotive Shed (see Fig. 1), which is among the best equipped in the country, is arranged on the double-end plan with turntables at each end. It con¬sists of the old and new sheds, with the fitting shop and shed offices between. The normal under roof capacity is 48 tender engines, but owing to the institution of through running between Once-Trenque Lauquen-Pico and Villegas, there are at present less engines than the normal. The chief points of interest in the depot are the boiler washing-out plant (White’s), the arrangement for lighting up oil engines, the petty stores and the very complete fitting shop with drop pits and machinery for completing a “half-general” overhaul.
The boiler washing-out plant is on the well-known White system, having three lines to each washing-out point, viz., blow down, washing-out water and refilling water, while certain pits have an additional steam line for the lighting up of oil burning engines. This plant has proved especially valuable in the case of the latter since, owing to the mass of hot brickwork in the firebox, washing out with cold water is inadmissible under 14 hours minimum, whereas with the White plant it is possible to have an engine on the road in four hours without any deleterious effects to firebox and tubes. A considerable saving of power is obvious.
The locomotive petty stores, situated at the east end of the shed, are commodious and well arranged. It must be borne in mind that Mechita is a sectional headquarters, so that the requirements of other sheds have also to be catered for. This is also true of the very complete fitting and machine shops, which also cater not only for the section, but also for others less well equipped-H-indeed at the time of our visit an engine from another section was undergoing overhaul. A small detail worth noting was the provision of necessary chutes for blowing down, thus preventing the destructive effects to the ballast and ensuring a dry terrain. The very complete and efficient system of flood lighting of both shed and shunting yard is worth note.
The smoke troughs in the new shed are of novel design, as they are continuous throughout the length of the shed without any obstructions in the shape of roof trusses.
The control office at Mecha is one of the best equipped in the country and a complete description was recently published in the Railway Gazette. The widely separated out¬bound and in-bound yards should be noticed as well as the nearly fool-proof arrangement for ensuring that drivers have their trains well under control when approaching the yard and the “ stop ” boards for engines backing on to their trains. The washing and disinfecting plant for cattle wagons is still in the experimental stage, but results so far have been encouraging. The hydraulic brushes, while satisfactory for the sides of wagons, will have to be improved for dealing expeditiously with the manure accumulated between the struts of the floor, and this question is now under study.
Altogether Mecha depot and shunting yard, although small in comparison with the big yards of the U.S.A, and Europe, shows evidence of careful layout in its design and the results compare favourably with larger yards.