Book Review: Red Devil and other tales from the age of steam

Maybe U know him, or you know his name.
It's the name Livio Dante Porta. Some people call him the wizard. He was the man, wo first finished the work from André Chapelon. Chapelon was the first, wo guessed about how to make steam locomotives more efficient. He major concern was the internal stream lining and the best expansion of the steam, to get the most thermodynamik power from the put in fuel.
Porta was the man, wo developed a system to burn inefficient fuel, by the so called gas producer combustion system, or GPCS. So he developed a system fpor a better usage of the fuel, and together with internal streamlining and much better engine performance the over-all efficiency of the locomotive could be very improved.
So it was the wizards apprentice, David Wardale, who was as steam enthousiast, the one, who first set things togehter and published the results.
Porta developed a steam locomotive, with a nearly unbelievable performance. But only a test was build, and the engine was quickly withdraw from service and abandoned.
Wardale got the same task in South Africa and build the Red Devil.

So Wardales bool describes his way to south africa, and his task on making the steam more efficient. He did not consider Diesel as well got choice, because South Africa did not have large oil reservers and thus he mentioned his claim to the railroad leaders, that the large coal reserves could be used. His claims about steam locomotives, as efficient as diesels was overheard, so first his got command, to reconstruct a 15F type. He established successfully the GPCS and did some other modernisations, and documented the results in his book.
But the book shows also, that the railroad leaders did not realy consider his results in their choice to abandon steel, and David makes no palliation that his dream of a modern steam engine able to deal with diesels and propelled by the in excess available south african coal. He describes his conflicts with the railroad leaders and the staff of the shops and footplate.
But he got his chance, because of the oil crisis, the railroad leaders remembered his claim and command him, to rebuild another steam locomotive. His demand for a complete new construction wasn't approved, but the 1056 mm 'northern' type 25 NC No 3450 was given to his hands.
Rich detailed he describes now the shp work, were he redesigned the construction.
He established new pistons, new bearings, included the GPCS, included a feedwater heater and many other improvements.
His first game was to make the combustion more efficient, because the south african coal was often on inferior quality, so he established a very usefull design of the GPCS with clinker control. But he also shows the redesign backdraws, as the shops could often not deal with his demands, and the first development of the Lempor exhaust blast pipe was of inferior quality, as the piston rod glands he liked, which were of a multi solid seal gland like in many german steam locomotives, were abandoned an the typical packings with asbestos layers as piston rod glands were build in. Also steam chests and tail rods were abandoned, because of costs and suspect by the railroad leaders in the project.
But as the complete rebuild type 26, painted deep red, was set in tuning up service and the first results of the trial runs were promising. But further improvements were limited to a very minimum, because the railroad leaders tried now to abandon the project much quicker. David Wardale put his fight for the type 26 into words and shows, how he uses the results from the tests, to show, how the steam can perform, and how he used people to vote for him, to get money and more freedom for his project. So the tuning up was done and the trial got into tests.
With many pictures and graphics he shows the measurements and comparements to other locomotives. He also shows, how Red Devil performs against diesel locomotives and how got his performance in service was.
He makes no miracle about that Red Devil needed a special footplate staff, to do the most incredible performance runs in service, like runnig the Kyalami flat down with over 120 km/h (75 miles/h), with nearly one third load more, than a common 25 NC usually handled.
He wrotes those test drives in a very intersting novella style, that it often feels, as the reader is abord at the footplate, while Red Devil outbeats all expectations....
Unfortunately, David makes no story out, that his dream was abandoned, and Red Devil was after he left the south african railways nearly rebuild to a common 25 NC by the shop staff, which could not deal with that modern stuff and Red Devil never served in the performace as under the trail, David can report in his book.
He went to USA, were the ACE 2000 / ACE 3000 project gave hope to a new rebuild steam engine, but it never happend, and also here David find the right words for, why and how the project was talked or planned to death.
But he also gives guesses, that a 'northern' type engine with the GPCS and a machine tuning up, could easily be brought beyond the 8000 hp mark....
So the last chapter is about his try in china to rebuild a QJ class, which would be a very promising engine type, but here he shows, how modern technology and a communist regime could not be matched up, as modern steam need no planned economy, as it need more creative and a free high technlogy... So the QJ was abandoned and David was realy disappointed about modern steam... So the "epilog" shows his dreams and he finds words, why his dream never would have come true. He also warns to claim such dreams to get real in few days, because the decades since last steam locomotive development experience could not be regained in a few month, as one had to start with a prototype and then rebuild this prototype in a series more and more, with many improvments from series to series, as development and experience goes on.


For any steam entousiast, reading Red Devil makes us find in the euphoric trap, which we all addicted to, of a modern steam engine, which could easily deal with any diesel engine and outbeat it. But in reading the book, we can find our dream becomming marks and cracks, and we find out, why. And at the end, we all know: Our dream maybe could be true, but we all know, why it would never come alive.

And for those, who are now suspect about the book: David Wardale had three young engines at his hand and for help during the tests of Red Devil.
One was Roger Waller, the founder of the swiss DLM AG (http://www.dlm-ag.ch)..
He was the first, who build a complete new type of a modern steam engine. A small rack steam locomotive for a touristical rack railroad to the Rothorn at Brienz, but is had outbeat the diesels... modern steam had come true, and David Wardales book, helpes us to understand, and understand, why modern steam isn't considered as alternative, even if it would be one....

David Wardale's book is indeed an excellent read for anyone interested in steam in general, modern steam, and especially South African steam. It's quite hard going at times, very technical and a bit heavy, but well worth the effort. Thanks, Steffen, for bringing it to everyone's attention.

THX John....
The book is realy worth reading, usually for those, who run more often with the wrench in their hands around in the shop/yard, than with the camera.

It shows were the ways can be going, but it makes sure, that it won't happen in two or three month. That it will take years, to regain the development status, from that point as steam development was abandoned. What has all to be considered?
encapsulaed steam engines, water tube boilers, optimized circulator tube layouts, ecomizer, feddwater heating, condensing, bearings, glands and even exhaustors...

So in Germany there were many projects, but as one reads how these projects at the end of steam were constructed in the end, it was more worse, than ever.
Regarding to the series 10, it was considered as a 4 cylinder double expansion steam engine in light frame construction with advanced boiler layout. As delivered for South Arfica, Henschel, has build many very favorable boilers in advanced design, like special circulator tube designs, advanced feedwater heating with a very good adjustable turbine driven water pump. SKF had made a large leap towards internal roller bearings, especially they considered the Hirth construktion with mountable counter weights to allow a much better axle design.
Also exhaust design and internal streamlining, as from André Chapelon once considered, was considered, but quickly abandoned...
So what in the end came as Series 10 was only a roller bearing, little heavier 01.10 series, and nothing realy to compete with existing engines, nor could be replacement. It was to late.

So the book tells the truth. The truth about steam and development and what has to be taken. The to regain the state of engineering it will take a lot of tests, several prototypes to find out, whats wrong and whats good. And to fit those things together and use this, as point from were you start modern development.
And it also tells you: In the end, the engine won't look like a steamer. A modern frame with trucks, a modern carbon fiber hull, and inside a modern, computer controlled boiler and a fully encapsulated steam engine in compound design, more having a look as a modern ships diesel engine, than a steam engine. So what makes that locomotive so attractive?
It's only the maintainance costs and the ability to compete with a diesel.. but, is it a replacement? Nobody knows. Because, there is nothing you can compare.

If you today build a ship on steam drive, you easily can compare, because you will find a ship in equal desing and state of the engine art to be used as compareable. Now watch dock expense, meintainance expense, fuel costs and fuel consumptions... quickly you find out, if Diesel or Steam does it better and now which engine you choose, the one which costs less.
On many paddle steames the steam engine is only in operation, because the open crank shaft and the watchable moving rods attract passengers... also the smooth gliding, without any rattle from the diesels, make the steam preferable... but if you watch on costs, most of these historic ships had to be abandoned. Could a modern steam design and modern steam engine compete?
This answer is still unpublished, because these comparements have never been published, even if they were possible.

So we have with this book a peek behind the curtain, a view through an open door to a way.. but how far we go belongs not to our dreams, because maybe those dreams won't match with what you get, if you go the way step by step. So if you look in the book, see the drawings and illustrations, espacially from the ACE ideas, you can consider by yourself, how later designs would look like.

And we see at the Red Devil, what made such tuning processes to fail. It's not the engineering, it's not the performance... it's the picture in the mind of railroad leaders.. steam locomotive, it the picture of an old, dirty, oily large and ineffective machine, which has incredible maintainace expenses and costs, large personel expenses and thus being something, which is far from the picture of a modern engine and a modern railroad.
And first this picture has to be changed, but that step is the hardest to take, because you have to change someones mind. The hardware engineering process itself, isn't that hard work, as to change the mind of the railroad leaders.
Also, and that you will find on SAR, too, is that a shop has to be able to deal with a modern design steam locomotive. Because as you read in the china chapter, the shop which does not be able to deal with the modern parts.
The second chapter of the book about Red Devel pointed that out, that many improvements on the Red Devel were dismounted after Wardale had gone, because personel and shop staff were not able to handle those parts in service.
So the GPRS, watch the u-tube videos, it usually did not work after wardale had left SAR. Also midgear drifting... how often this is done?
Many other things, like the air pressure sand providing unit, gone... So Red Devil was tattered back close to the orgin, of somewhat close to the 25 NC, it wasn't anymore the 26 series.

So many cameras can help tp see, what realy erases steam from our railroads, and no picture will help, to bring back or keep steam alive.

That's what the book tells us, even in a very technical manner, but this is done, because even to convince engineers ore railraod responsible persons.

So, this book is worth reading, but more worth it would be, if David Wardale might process als his knowledge and the knowledge of Livio Dante Porta in one book, like "The Guide: How to design and build a modern steam engine, based on the ideas of Chapelon and Porta"

The book help to understand, what realy can be the dream of steam alive and what modern steam realy means... it deillusionate maybe.

Those who are interested in how David Wardale is trying to take modern steam forward might like to look here at his project to build a new steam locomotive, the 5AT.

John,
but to be honest: The 5at project is something for tourism trains, which expect something looking like a old steam engine, but is nothing to be considered as how modern steam realy look like in modern ages.

And unfortunately, since 2 years the project has no news on further things... David Wardale is still unhappy, but his apprentice Roger Waller form the DLM (http://www.dlm-ag.ch) still goes on in steam engine development.
He has rebuild the Democratic Republik of German Railways reconstructed series 52 locomotive to a modern steam reconstruction, which still works more than fine.
Watch on u-tube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAvzUjxmLN0 -> 52 8055 on it's test drive
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIyiMIxtLNM -> 52 8055 on Hauenstein Line, a proposed line for a modern steam tourist railroad
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxUBm6FjojU -> modern steam engine for the re-steamed paddle boat "Montreux"

You might want to look up my earlier comment on possible improvements in American 4-8-4 types
see & scroll to the second posting with my NYC emblem
http://www.railroad.net/forums/viewtopi ... 2&start=15

And - erh - L.D. Porta did not exactly continue André Chapelon's work, nor was Chapelon >> guessing << in any way, in fact he was an engineer of scrutinizing scientific approach, his work was accurately aimed and got results very closely living up to calculations. That was no small feat at a time long before computers and CAD!

At least in Europe the GPCS (gas produce combustion system) seems to be one of the most mystified and misunderstood of innovation in steam loco practice – by both inconsiderate condemning and unconditional appraisal).
If you read Wardale’s book closely you’ll see that he does not claim it to be a ‘cure-all’; it is very specific in demands grade of coal, specifications of firebox and grate etc and delicate to handle since it has to be kept working within a close frame of parameters. Quite the opposite of run-of-the-mill ‘fill the box and have a rest’ type of firing. GPCS is really for constant high outputs in daily long run type of service, like running a freight train at constant speed through flatlands for miles and miles on end.
And – yes – Wardale’s 3450 Red Devil repeated the performances characteristics of the American Super Power facing the diesel threat: improving on what was already good, rising to brilliance in what the original class was already admirable in – yet having little to offer to overcome that inherent shortcoming of the classic type steam locomotive: sheer tractive effort at starting. As the American 4 8 4s #3450 was by far superior to its diesel opponents at speed – yet on a ramp it was a different story. That’s simply because any improvement in steam loco efficiency is bound to add power at the upper end of the speed range while it makes little if any difference at the low end where it is adhesion rather than thermodynamics that counts and that is limited by default in a classic steam locomotive simply because of its limited number of powered axles.

As for specific output levels (power to mass ratio) attainable with the Porta features in an advantageous combination, those resultant rebuilt engines were – IMHO – mechanically largely over-charged; the wording “steel does not age” attributed to Porta points to where the problem was: in-built mechanical safety margins were drawn upon to take up additional power without due strengthening of engine components (and how could it have been done without arriving at an almost completely new built engine?) – inevitably resulting in premature fatigue failures.

Even in today’s highly sophisticated design & construction of engines in the car industry there clearly is a difference between a production engine supposed to last better than 100.000 miles and a racing engine supposed to go flat-out for a few races, disregarding tomorrow.
As I keep saying: nothing is for free in engineering – you can’t bribe physics!
Or: you can’t eat the cake and keep it at the same time.