by J. L. Campbell
About this book
The Water Supply of the El Paso and Southwestern Railway from Carrizozo to Santa Rosa, N. Mex. by J. L. Campbell is a compelling early-20th-century engineering case study that traces how a practical water solution rescued a steam railroad from chronic breakdowns. Campbell’s essay, presented to the American Society of Civil Engineers in 1910, examines the arid country west of the 100th meridian, where average annual precipitation near 9.84 inches and wells up to 1,100 feet deep yielded water so mineral-laden it caused severe boiler scaling, foaming, and costly engine failures. Combining field measurements, water-quality analysis, and operational impacts, the paper documents the diagnostic process, the design and implementation of a new supply, and the rapid operational and economic benefits that followed.
Part technical report, part historical snapshot, this short nonfiction study illuminates water-resource engineering, early railroad logistics, and the practical consequences of chemistry on industrial systems. Clear, authoritative, and rooted in ASCE discussion, it’s an instructive example of problem-solving in civil engineering. Ideal for civil and environmental engineers, railroad historians, water-resource managers, and students seeking a compact, real-world lesson in engineering diagnosis and applied solutions.
