Chemist of the Philadelphia & Reading Railway Company.
in the time at our disposal to-night it will be impossible to give more than a very brief outline of some of the more important testing regularly carried on by the Philadelphia & Reading Railway.
The main object of the Test Department is to determine the kind and quality of material most efficient and economical for any given purpose, and then by means of routine tests to hold shipments fully up to the desired standard. The plan usually followed is to get together all the information obtainable regarding the particular article to be investigated, decide through study of service tests just what properties are essential to the greatest efficiency, and then work out specifications which will enable the manufacturer to understand thoroughly just what kind of material is desired and what tests nmst be met to insure acceptance of shipments.
These proposed specifications are referred by the Purchasing Agent to the manufacturers for their criticism, the replies are sent to the Chemist, and a final draft is then prepared with any changes necessary, submitted again if needfuI to the manufacturers and finally to the First Vice-President for approval.
Orders are then placed in accordance with the new standard, and on receipt of each shipment a sample is selected at random and forwarded for test. If the sample is not in accordance with the specifications the shipment is rejected, and the freight is paid by the shipper. In this manner inferior material is weeded out from the good, and discarded.