How a steam locomotive works pdf

The simplest way to understand a steam locomotive is to follow the path towards making it work. The builder looked to further its steam locomotive technology with the development of a 486 wheel arrangement, which had an even larger firebox than a northern but the locomotive was never built. I learned many things about steam locomotives that i didnt know. This engine had a steam cylinder 28 inches in diameter. When heated, water turns to an invisible vapor known as steam. Howit works the six hardback books contain loads of information on how trains work. Written to provide a simple explanation of how a steam locomotive works and designed to appeal to the widest possible audience, using clear explanations and diagrams, generous in number yet.

Water 371f, input water heat water delivery temp 200f. I have learned a lot and have not finished reading. The result was the 3700 class northerns, locomotives that did their jobs incredibly well. How a steam locomotive walschaerts gear works o gauge. The water and steam run through a continuous cycl e of water boiled into. Aug 28, 2020 like feet on a bike pedal, a steam locomotive piston pushes a crank through 180 degrees to cause a rotary motion, before the return of the piston in the cylinder pulls the crank back. The water in the boiler is heated by burning combustible material usually coal, wood, or oil to produce steam. Unlike modern machines, the steam locomotive which underwent few fundamental changes in 125 years of development openly displays many of its parts. Assessing steam locomotive dynamics and running safety 17. Known now as a spreader stoker they remain in use today especially in furnaces fueled by wood pellets or refuse there are three types. A diesel or gasoline powered engine is called an internal. Sep 23, 2020 the boiler 2 in a steam locomotive doesnt look much like a kettle youd use to make a cup of tea, but it works the same way, producing steam under high pressure. The steam moves reciprocating pistons which are mechanically connected to the locomotives main wheels drivers. The most common form of steam locomotive also contains a boiler to generate the steam used by the engine.

Heat from the gases in the flues brings the water to a boil, making steam. Not just the locomotive itself, but track, wagons, points, bearings and much more the unique thing about the books is that they contain both stories and simplebutaccurate chris. Denis papin a noted french scientist worked under christian huygens on an engine in which a. While the development of steam cars remained a mere scientific curiosity for the next 100 years, the steam powered locomotive took off. This section describes the construction of my first live steam locomotive, a three truck shay.

How do steam locomotives work steam engines explained. Nov 15, 2020 comprehensive data and history of north american steam locomotives locomotive boilers and engines 12mb pdf file 1920 purdue university treatise on locomotive boiler and engine design, construction, and operation. Cutaway steam locomotive how a locomotive works youtube. Development work in countries where steam traction had never ceased to be important has. For each full cycle of the piston, the big driving wheels on a steam locomotive have turned through one complete turn.

A steam locomotive is a type of railway locomotive that produces its pulling power through a steam engine. Baldwinhamilton company records mg427 baldwinhamilton company records ca. The locomotive featured is not a 440, but the principle is the same. It does make the reader think back and dig out his math skills as well as some chemistry and physics. Procedures for the maintenance and repair of locomotives had been well established, and it is recommended that former british railways locomotive maintenance and workshop practices are used and are considered to be best practice.

Geared steam locomotive works shay heisler climax dunkirk. In the 1950s it built 51 db class 23 262 locomotives, including in 1959, number 23 105, the last new steam locomotive supplied to the deutsche bundesbahn. Procedures for the maintenance and repair of locomotives had been well established, and it is recommended that former british railways locomotive maintenance and workshop practices are used and are. They are common on steam locomotives after 1900 and are also used on ships and power stations. Illustrations show how each part of the locomotive fits into the overall functioning, some background on each aspect of each function, and examples of various locomotives from a wide variety of railroads all over the u. A mechanical stoker is a mechanical system that feeds solid fuel like coal, coke or anthracite into the furnace of a steam boiler. If you want to know how a steam locomotive works, this book is a good choice. In 1983 it was the oldest working steam locomotive in.

The author very effectively uses drawings and photos, likely out of other publications from the past, to take the reader through the steam power process from start to finish. There is a growing awareness that modern coal fired steam locomotives can be the most economical type of traction under certain conditions, especially on railways located in regions with cheap coal supplies. British railways prior to the end of commercial steam locomotive operation on the network. By karen parker how a steam locomotive works 1st edition.

Building railway locomotives on computers edge hill university. Heres how the text explains how engineer releases steam to move the locomotive. It pushes pushes through the pipes, it goes to do its work. If steam locomotives preserved in working order are facing concerns from railway infrastructure managers about the damage they may cause to the track, this.

Over the years the company formed many partnerships, before filing for bankruptcy in 1972. This mechanical honesty has long captivated onlookers and invited study, but many still wonder just how it all works. Collection of baldwin locomotive works records, 18561956. Read download how a steam locomotive works pdf pdf download. Engineers worked continuously to improve the system by increasing steam pressure, applying compounding and adding additional wheels. How steam trains work, diagrams of engines peters railway. The steam rises to the top of the boiler and is collected in the dome, where the throttle regulating the flow of steam to the cylinders is typically located.

It is owned by deutsche bahn and has specialised in the maintenance of museum steam locomotives since 1990, having extensive experience in maintaining steam engines. The coal fire heats the water so it boils and makes steam. A car has a petrol diesel engine that drives the wheels. This engine had a steamcylinder 28 inches in diameter. In 1947 the lima locomotive works merged with the general machinery corporation to form the limahamilton corporation. The firebox is surrounded by water in the boiler, and many tubes 28 extend from the fireboxs front along the boiler barrel 29. Darlington locomotive works the v4 steam locomotive. If you leave your steam locomotive in neutral for at least 25 seconds and then slowly turn up the throttle, the locomotive plays cylinder cocks sounds as it starts moving. Rare photographs of the arnold jung locomotive works, a steam. This sort of engine would be typical in a steam locomotive. These locomotives are fuelled by burning combustible materialusually coal, wood, or oilto produce steam in a boiler. Steam, the earliest form of propulsion, was in almost universal use until about the time of world war ii.

Learn how to aspect, kitbash, paint, and preserve a steam locomotive of any scale. The confined working conditions of a locomotive footplate meant that the earliest development of the stoker took place in this application. Jul 20, 2020 baldwin locomotive works of philadelphia, pennsylvania was the most successful builder of locomotives in the world. Written to provide a simple explanation of how a steam locomotive works and designed to appeal to the widest possible audience, using clear explanations and diagrams, generous in number yet straightforward in context. May 18, 2015 i recently found a great youtube presentation prepared by the california state railroad museum that explains how a steam locomotive operates. The engine operated on a system of wheels rotated by a steam driven piston. The mechanical energy of steam the boilerthe circulation of water in a boilerthe enclosed. Steam engine operation how steam engines work howstuffworks. The hot gases from the burning coal in the firebox are passed through the boiler in fire tubes 144 in the case of the barclay locomotive above, before leaving the engine via the smokebox and chimney. I am also learning why the diesel electric engine has been so successful in replacing the steam locomotive. In 1979 kitty became the first steam loco south africa to have completed a century of continuous service. You have 200 pounds per square inch of pressure in the boiler, and if it goes up, the explosion can send the locomotive 300 yards down the track. Each steam locomotive used between sunset and sunrise shall be equipped with an operable headlight that provides illumination sufficient for a steam locomotive engineer in the cab to see, in a clear atmosphere, a dark object as large as a man of average size standing at least 800 feet ahead and in front of such headlight.

Overview baldwin locomotive works research guides at. The narrator points out that this locomotive burns coal or oil. Though the first locomotive to operate on an american railroad was the stourbridge lion, built in 1828 and imported from england by horatio allen of new york, the british locomotives did not come to dominate american railways because they were too heavy for the relatively light and often uneven american tracks. Steam jets from the boiler or a mechanical catapult may also be used to throw coal into the far reaches of the furnace. The baldwin locomotive works of philadelphia, founded in 1832, had built more steam locomotives than any other institution in the world by the time construction was phased out in the early 1950s. How a steam engine works worksheet museums bathurst. A car has a petroldiesel engine that drives the wheels. Adding smoke fluid to your locomotive s smoke generator 7 replacing your locomotive s traction tire 8 lubricating your locomotive 9 replacing your locomotive s headlamp 10 notes 11 limited warrantylionel service 12 congratulations congradulations on your purchase of the lionel 442 steam locomotive and tender. In order to comply with modern safety requirements, the replica has some features that were not found on the original locomotive, such as air brakes, safety pop valves, water sight glasses, injectors, etc. This book is a simple, clear and visual introduction to the workings of a steam locomotive, written specifically for those with no technical knowledge. The boiler is a big tank of water with dozens of thin metal tubes running through it for simplicity, we show only one here, colored orange. How a steam locomotive works the art of cognitive dissonance. The expansion of steam pushes the pistons that connect to the driving wheels that operate the locomotive. With more time i wouldve been able to fully and properly animate the.

Darlington locomotive works the v4 steam locomotive company. Today, customers of the factory include railway museums and museum railways from all over europe. It delves into the details of howwhy a steam engine works. It pushes pushes pushes the pistons, which push and pull the rods, the rods, they swing and. This was probably one of the hardest things to animate, especially the rods and cranks. In fact, entire books have been devoted to the subject. Late in the 1890s, in conjunction with westinghouse electrical manufacturing company, baldwin built small electric locomotives for mining and. Comprehensive data and history of north american steam locomotives locomotive boilers and engines 12mb pdf file 1920 purdue university treatise on locomotive boiler and engine design, construction, and operation. T a tank locomotive, which can possibly indicate the type to tank locomotive as well. Apr 01, 2000 the following diagram shows the major components of a piston steam engine.

On 10 th march 1995 the a1 steam trust signed an agreement with darlington borough council, the owner of the 1853built former stockton and darlington railway carriage works, to set up its permanent base in what was to become the new darlington locomotive works. This steam is used to move a piston back and forth. It combines some great mechanical technology, including a huge, 12cylinder, twostroke diesel engine, with some heavy duty electric motors and generators, throwing in a little bit of computer technology for good measure. It is not intended as an academic work, but rather an informal guide to the models.

The shay locomotive project nelsons locomotive works. Locomotive boiler construction working and application with. This 270,000pound 122,470kg locomotive is designed to tow passengertrain cars at speeds of. Dampflokwerk meiningen is a railway repair shop in meiningen, germany. Baldwin locomotive works collection is devoted to the largest and most influential manufacturer of steam railroad locomotive engines in the world. Baldwin, who was a jeweler before he began producing steam engines for locomotives in 1832. Coal or oil is directed into the firebox item 27 in the large diagram below, where it burns at high temperature. The steam locomotive was a selfsufficient unit, carrying its own water supply for generating the steam and coal, oil, or wood for heating the boiler.

Aug 03, 2016 jung built more than 12,000 locomotives. The following animation shows the engine in action. Coal or oil are the fuels used for heating the water coal is shown in the diagram. Read download how a steam locomotive works pdf pdf. Like feet on a bike pedal, a steam locomotive piston pushes a crank through 180 degrees to cause a rotary motion, before the return of the piston in the cylinder pulls the crank back. It pushes pushes pushes the pistons, which push and pull the rods, the rods, they swing and rise and fall, and make the drive wheels turn. Jung also made boilers for other uses such as steam rollers. The steam rises to the top of the boiler and is collected in the dome, where the throttle regulating the flow of steam to the cylinders. A steam engine uses a coal fire although there are some exceptions as its source of energy to boil water and make steam.

This cutaway engine illustrates how a steam locomotive. How a steam locomotive works the design of all steam locomotives is based on the same principles that governed the building of the very first steam locomotives. After twentysix years of service, the two scotch boilers were replaced by the present four watertube boilers. The volume of water expands as it turns to steam inside the boiler, creating a high pressure. Please subscribethis is a cutaway steam locomotive that is located inside the museum at steamtown nhs. Not just the locomotive itself, but track, wagons, points, bearings and much more the unique thing about the books is that they contain both stories and simplebutaccurate chris is a professional engineer. A steam locomotive is a locomotive whose primary power source is a steam engine. The engine shown is a doubleacting steam engine because the valve allows highpressure steam to act alternately on both faces of the piston.

The process of learning the required knowledge to work with steam locomotives, or simply to develop a further understanding, can. This collection includes specifications, engineering drawings, advertising and corporate publications, ledgers, and manuscripts. In fact, the lion was soon relegated to functioning as a stationary steam engine. German and polish steam locomotives to trainz railroad simulator and pro train perfect. Steam engines powered most trains from the early 1800s to the 1950s. A fire in the firebox heats up the water in the boiler, producing steam. The hybrid diesel locomotive is an incredible display of power and ingenuity. This book examines how modern steam locomotive works, including all its major subsystems and appliances. In a steam locomotive, two to six typically three or four pairs of drivers are linked together on each side by connecting rods so they all rotate as a group. A little known subgroup of railroad steam locomotives consisted of engines that used gears together with steam cylinders common on all steam locomotives to produce more constant pulling power than the conventional and more prevalent rod type of steam locomotive. Basic steam locomotive action new england steam corporation.