Could use some help with Steam Locomotive nomenclature...

As mentioned in another message, I'm putting together a new picture website that will feature SP4449.

This set of pictures will show various portions of the locomotive in much greater detail than I've captured them before.

While I enjoy looking at, crawling all over, and riding on Steam trains, I'm not that well versed on many of the details of how they work and the names of many components that haven't been standard since the 1950s.

So, if there's anyone out there who IS very familiar with the workings of a Steam Locomotive who'd like to help out by identifying various components, I'd really appreciate it.

This will help me properly identify these components by name as I put up the pics.

Any volunteers who'd like to help can respond to me at [email protected] .

A typical example of what I'm referring to would be this large, rod-actuated valve on the side of 4449 shown in this pic. I know it's probably a MAJOR valve in the workings of the engine, but I don't know what it's called or what it does!

http://community.webshots.com/album/345934277HkOzlI

The shot I saw on your site, which was taken from the running board on the right side, appears to show the linkage for a front end throttle.

Nice pictures!

-Will Davis

Thanks Will!

That's a start.

So, is this "Throttle" controlled by a valve (is that what we're looking at here?), or is it some other mechanical device?

O.k., I've put up some more pics...

Who can tell me what the function of these large vessels along the left-hand side of 4449 seen here are?

http://community.webshots.com/album/345934277HkOzlI

Thanks for any help!

It's the throttle for the locomotive; no simpler way to put it. The throttle lever in the cab operates this linkage, which runs along the outside of the boiler shell. The throttle valve itself is located up at the front end, as on many newer steam locomotives. You could, then, label that picture as "right side of boiler from running board looking aft, showing throttle linkage" and be perfectly descriptive and accurate.

On older locomotives, which had different types of throttles, there was no externally visible linkage. That's why you don't always see this feature. Locomotives with this type of linkage have "grapevine" throttles, which hang down from the cab roof / boiler back head and are pulled back and up in an arc to open.

-Will Davis

Will, o.k., thanks again.

That explains it. It's a valve that controls the steam flow from the boiler to the cylinders? And, I'd guess it's controlled by the big lever that hangs down from the Cab ceiling with the grab catch on it?

Then, if you look at my post above your last eplanation, my guess would be those two horizontal levers would control air to the brakes?

Hey, bear with me...I'm learning, but I learn fast!

Yes thats the throttle( the lever with the grab) and I am trying to find the vessels you are talking about. So far I think its the air pumps your looking at but not sure as I dont get a single pic when I hit your link I get the album. If thats the right pic those pumps are steam powered and supply air to the brake system. Thats just the bottom half of them as well as the top part is up under the skirting . Here is some simple controls. The reverse lever pic ( or johnson bar) is a good one. Youll notice the white marks showing where dead center is so Doyle dont have to monkey with it. Thats your gearshift basicly. All the way forward or "in the corner" gives the engine a full shot of steam into the cylinders. as you gain speed you pull back the Johnson bar to allow less steam into the cylinders. Having the bar close to center uses less steam and is when you really have her hooked up and going for town. To get more speed you just open the throttle wider. Now if you need more power you push the bar forward to allow more steam into the cylinders. This makes the firemans job harder ( at least on a hand fired engine) as he must now add more fuel to the fire to keep pressure up. If you have more questions feel free to ask.
To add to the throttle talk. The Heisler I run has a throttle that is on top of the boiler in the cab. To get to it takes a bit of work but it is one of the different styles. Will get some pics and hopefully get them up loaded to show you.

Thanks route_rock,

That explains a lot of it to me!

If you get the album thumbnails, just click on any individual pic and it will come up much larger for you.

That is the advantage of these pics over the earlier ones I took as they were shot in 35mm then the prints scanned and uploaded. These are fairly decent sized digital files right out of my camera, for better detail.

O.k., the Air Pump pic is this one

http://community.webshots.com/photo/345 ... 3327dPtRCc

And as you describe it, it's Steam Powered?!! I guess most stuff must have been

What about electrical power aboard? Steam powered generation of some type, or just a generator taken off of some rolling component?

Recently I've gotten some Steam Locomotive DVDs that are really great. They have some in-cab footage shot on 4449 as well as 3895.

What would be REALLY neat would be for someone to shoot a "How-it-Works" video with quasi instruction aboard with the Engineer and Fireman describing their job and controls as they actually operate them! Hey, I'm in the WRONG biz! I'll bet those would really SELL?!!

Regards and thanks for any technical answers in advance...

The air pumps were steam powered. It looks like the 4449 has 2 of them, as did most of the larger steam locomotives that I have seen. The steam cylinders in the photo are up under the skirting. Steam at boiler pressure was sent to the high pressure cylinder (smaller of the 2) and pushed against the low pressure cylinder of the compressor (the large one). Then the steam from the high pressure cylinder was sent to the low pressure cylinder (the large one) and it pushed against the high pressure portion oh the air pump (the small cylinder). The steam was used twice, albeit at a lower pressure the second time around, the same principle as a compound locomotive or a tripple expansion marine steam engine (the steam was used 3 times).

As for electricity, it was produced by a small steam turbine commonly called a dynamo. It can generally be heard as a constant high pitched whistle. I didn't look through all your photos so I couldn't tell you how many the 4449 has, but all the small tea kettels I ever worked on had only 1.

4449 has three generators, located on top of the boiler on the fireman's side, just ahead of the cab. I think one is for lights, one for electro-pneumatic braking, and one for cab signals. Anyone feel free to correct me if mistaken.

Glad to help. The Dynamo is what gets your lights a goin. I have fired ours up ( just pull a lever and steam from the steam dome goes to the turbine) and gotten water all over a few people ( whoops) It has a very high pitch whine and usually a large plume of steam coming out of an exhaust pipe. When you first prime it however youll get a bit of water ( see above about getting people wet) and it will spalsh and get rusty nasty crap all over. However if your not running a passenger loco like the daylight ( and we are not) it adds a certain ambience to the line. A nasty smoking dirty steam engine! Nothing like it in the world.