Advanced Steam Locomotive Development

For nearly half of the nation's history, the steam locomotive was the outstanding symbol for progress and power. It was the literal engine of the Industrial Revolution, and it played an instrumental role in putting the United States on the world stage. While the steam locomotive's basic principle of operation is simple, designers and engineers honed these concepts into 100-mph passenger trains and 600-ton behemoths capable of hauling mile-long freight at incredible speeds. American Steam Locomotives is a thorough and engaging history of the invention that captured public imagination like no other, and the people who brought it to life.

Written by the great French engineer André Chapelon, the man responsible for what were the world's most efficient and, on a pound for pound basis, most powerful steam locomotives ever built. Published in 1952, in this book Chapelon reviews in detail developments in the design and construction of all the steam locomotive's major parts, and compares the merits of simple and compound expansion. He then looks, again in detail, at the major standard gauge locomotive designs worldwide of the 20th Century, including his own. Translated from the French by George Carpenter, this edition includes various addenda updating Chapelon's work to the end of commercial steam, looks at Chapelon's unbuilt designs, and reviews the work of those who have continued to develop advanced steam locomotives. A book nobody interested in the history of the steam locomotive in the 20th century should be without. 659 A4 format pages, over 450 B & W photos, drawings, diagrams and charts, plus 41 colour illustrations.

Perfecting the American Steam Locomotive documents the role played by mechanical engineers in the development of locomotive design. The steam engine and the mechanical engineering profession both grew directly out of the Industrial Revolution's need for sources of power beyond that of men and animals. Invented in England when coal mining was being developed, the practical steam engine eventually found numerous applications in transportation, especially in railroad technology. J. Parker Lamb traces the evolution of the steam engine from the early 1700s through the early 1800s, when the first locomotives were sent to the United States from England. Lamb then shifts the scene to the development of the American steam locomotive, first by numerous small builders, and later, by the early 20th century, by only three major enterprises and a handful of railroad company shops. Lamb reviews the steady progress of steam locomotive technology through its pinnacle during the 1930s, then discusses the reasons for its subsequent decline.

This book examines how modern steam locomotive works, including all its major sub-systems and appliances. 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.S. The book is written for the layman to understand, providing a really easy to comprehend, yet technically competent and complete volume that will be valuable for anyone interested in the steam era.

Excerpt from Steam Engines: A Thorough and Practical Presentation of Modern Steam Engine Practice The modern steam engine, whether it be the majestic Corliss, which so silently operates the massive electric generators in one of our municipal power plants, or the giant locomotive which pulls the Limited at sixty miles an hour, commands our unstinted admiration. And yet every movement is so free and perfect in its action, every function is performed with such precision and regularity, that we lose sight of the wonderful theoretical and mechanical development which was necessary to bring these machines to their present state of perfection. The genius of Watt, the "father" of the steam engine, was so great that his basic conception of this, his greatest invention, and of many of his minor discoveries in connection with it, remain almost as he gave them to the world over a century ago. Yet he was so far in advance of the mechanical development of his time that his workmen could not build engine cylinders nearer true than three-eighths of an inch. Modern builders demand an accuracy of at least two-thousandths of an inch - almost two hundred times greater. But mechanical skill is not the only particular in which progress had been made. Many minor but important improvements have been brought about by a careful study of the theory of heat engines. The reduction of enormous heat losses, the use of superheated steam, the idea of compound expansion, the development of the Stephenson, Walschaert, and other valve gears - all have contributed towards making the steam engine well-nigh mechanically perfect and as efficient as is inherently possible. The story has been developed from a historical standpoint and along sound theoretical and practical lines. It will be found absorbingly interesting and instructive to the stationary engineer as well as to all who wish to follow modern steam engineering development. The material is particularly adapted to home study. If, therefore, the book should prove of real value in stimulating the interest of the trained man or the layman in the technical developments of the day, the publishers will feel that its mission has been accomplished. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

The 5AT (Class 5 Advanced Technology) steam locomotive was the brainchild of David Wardale, a British railway engineer who, in the late 1970s and early 1980s, made his name and reputation on South African Railways where he modified two locomotives: Class 19D 4-8-2 No 2644 and more famously Class 25 4-8-4 No 3450 which became the sole representative of Class 26, better known as "The Red Devil". In undertaking these modifications, Wardale put into practice the principles of "modern steam" developed by the Argentinean engineer Livio Dante Porta.In the concluding chapter of his iconic book "The Red Devil and Other Tales from the Age of Steam", Wardale speculated on what a "modernised" version of the humble BR Standard Class 5 4-6-0 might have been capable of delivering in terms of power and performance. It was his predictions for the performance of such a locomotive (as transcribed into this publication) that inspired the steam enthusiasts who, in 2002, formed the 5AT Project team.Whilst the 5AT Project ultimately failed in its aim of building a 5AT locomotive, it left an important legacy in the form of a complete set of Fundamental Design Calculations as undertaken by Wardale. These firmly established the remarkable performance that the 5AT would have delivered, and the requirements to be adopted in its detail design.This publication presents those calculations for the guidance of engineers, present and future, seeking to improve the performance, efficiency, reliability and/or economy of steam locomotives of any size and shape.

Turbomotive was unique in Britain's railway history, and an experimental engine that proved successful but came too late to effect the direction of steam development or deflect the onset of diesel and electric locomotives. It was the brainchild of two of the most influential engineers of the twentieth century William Stanier of the LMS and Henry Guy of Metropolitan Vickers. They hoped that turbine power, which had already revolutionized ships propulsion and power stations, would do the same for the railways.When Turbomotive appeared in 1935, she became a PR phenomenon at a time when commercial rivalry between the LMS and the LNER was reaching its height. Its launch at Euston in June was accompanied by a great fanfare and much publicity. Such was the interest in this 'revolutionary' idea that the engine would attract attention all her life.Although producing good but not remarkable performances, she remained in service, plying her trade between London and Liverpool for longer than anyone predicted. Most expected a quick rebuild to conventional form, but the coming of war and lack of resources meant that she carried on until 1950 in turbine form.Inevitably, change came when maintenance costs seemed likely to escalate and rebuilding seemed unavoidable. She reappeared in August 1952, part Princess and part Coronation, but her new life was cut short by the disaster at Harrow in October. Although many thought her repairable, she was scrapped to make way for another 'experimental' steam engine.This book presents the compulsive and fascinating story of this remarkable locomotive, drawn from a wide variety of sources, many previously untapped and unpublished, including memories of the designers, the crew who drove her, accountants and hardheaded business men, PR teams, the press, the passengers and many more.

This is the first comprehensive history of the steam engine in fifty years. It follows the development of reciprocating steam engines, from their earliest forms to the beginning of the twentieth century when they were replaced by steam turbines.