How does a Shay locomotive work?

Shay locomotives had regular fire-tube boilers offset to the left to provide space for, and counterbalance the weight of, a two or three cylinder "motor," mounted vertically on the right with longitudinal drive shafts extending fore and aft from the crankshaft at wheel axle height.

What was the largest Shay locomotive ever built?

The largest Shay ever built was a 162 ton Class C unit with 3 trucks. It was built for the Western Maryland Railroad in 1945. It was also the last Shay built. As luck would have it, it has survived the scrappers torch and exists today in operable condition at the Cass Scenic Railroad State Park, in Cass, WV - MAP.

How many Shay locomotives are there?

Neils and Heritage Museum Logging Railway. Shay Locomotives were built from 1878 until 1945 in many sizes configurations and gauges. These steam locomotives were used coast to coast and the world over with 3,354 locomotives manufactured by the company in the Shay pattern.

How does a coal burning train work?

Air flows up through the grates allowing the coal to burn hotter. The hot gases released from the coal flow forward through a series of flues or tubes to the front of the locomotive. Water surrounds the outside of the firebox. Heat from the burning coal turns water to steam, which rises to the top of the boiler.

How does a climax locomotive work?

A Climax locomotive is a type of geared steam locomotive in which the two steam cylinders are attached to a transmission located under the center of the boiler. This transmits power to driveshafts running to the front and rear trucks.

How Heisler

Do steam trains have gears?

The steam locomotive, as commonly employed, has its pistons directly attached to cranks on the driving wheels; thus, there is no gearing, one revolution of the driving wheels is equivalent to one revolution of the crank and thus two power strokes per piston (steam locomotives are almost universally double-acting, ...

What does a locomotive do?

A locomotive is a specialized type of train car which is used to run the whole train. The locomotive is self-propelled, generating energy through the burning of fuel, the use of electricity, magnetic levitation, or other methods. Locomotives can be used to either push or pull train cars.

Why do steam trains have diesels on the back?

In the interim, until all steam locomotives were modified to work an air-braked train, they were required to be fitted with a through air pipe so a diesel or electric locomotive could be attached in order to provide assistance in the event of failure of the steam locomotive.

Do freight trains still run on coal?

In 2021 alone, U.S. railroads moved 3.3 million carloads of coal, with each rail car carrying enough coal to power 19 homes for an entire year. Today, the vast majority of coal is used to generate electricity. It is also is used to produce coke and for other industrial purposes.

What is the advantage of a Shay locomotive?

Shay locomotives were especially suited to logging, mining and industrial operations and could operate successfully on steep or poor quality track.

When was the Shay locomotive built?

Ephriam Shay built his first locomotive in 1873-1874. Rather than conventional rod linkage, Shay used a system of gearing to transmit the power from the cylinders to the wheels. In 1880, the Lima Machine Works of Lima, Ohio, began commercial production of Shay's geared locomotive.

Where was the Lima Locomotive Works located?

Lima Locomotive Works was an American firm that manufactured railroad locomotives from the 1870s through the 1950s. The company took the most distinctive part of its name from its main shop's location in Lima, Ohio.

How far could a steam locomotive go before needing water?

The tender could greatly extend a locomotive's range and by the late steam era (1930s-1940s) a locomotive used in main line service could run anywhere between 75 to 150 miles before needing to refuel, which typically coincided with a train crew's district/territory.

Why do steam locomotives chug?

Q. Why does a steam locomotive emit a ''chug-chug'' sound very slowly on starting and then, as it gains speed, repeat the sound at an increasing rate until it almost disappears? A. Each ''chug'' is the noise made by escaping steam as the engine's valve gear releases steam at the end of one stroke of one cylinder.

Do diesel locomotives need water?

Predominantly, locomotives use water as a coolant. The reason for this is because water is more effective at heat transfer and is better for the environment. For example, if a leak occurs in a hose or tank, with water, there is no environmental harm as a result.

How is speed controlled in a steam locomotive?

The speed of the engine is regulated by the "cut-off," which consists of a plate of metal placed to fit and work on the back of the slide valve, which is furnished with certain openings through which the steam must pass into the cylinder while the cut-off plate is in a proper position.

What type of coal do steam trains use?

Steam locomotives rely on bituminous lump coal to burn, which is relatively smokeless and comparatively clean.

How much coal does a steam locomotive use?

Using contemporary engineering texts, Shimko found that simple steam engines like Denbigh's typically burned about five pounds (2.27kg) of coal per horsepower per hour.

Why train engines are not turned off?

Trains, being large and heavy, need the optimal brake line pressure for its efficient stopping. For obvious reasons, loco pilots never compromise on brake line pressure. Another reason for not turning off diesel train engines, lies in the engine itself.

How much fuel does a locomotive use?

Using an average of 3.5 gallons of fuel burned per hour idling per locomotive – some easy math shows an annual consumption of over 20 million gallons of excess idle, which is over 4% of the total annual fuel consumption for that particular Class I railroad – do we have your attention yet?

What kind of fuel do trains use?

Freight and passenger rail rely almost exclusively on diesel power. The latest diesel innovations contribute to cleaner air and reaching climate goals. According to the Association of American Railroads, in a typical year, US freight railroads move around 1.7 billion tons across nearly 140,000-miles of track.

How does a steam train reverse?

The left pedal, when fully released, allows the engine to move the car forward as the throttle is opened to apply steam to the engine. When the left pedal is fully pressed and held to the floor while the throttle is opened to send steam to the engine, the engine moves the car backwards.

What is the top speed of a steam locomotive?

The fastest steam locomotive was the A4 'Mallard' 4-6-2 and could reach 125 or 126 mph. According to the 1997 Guinness Book of World Records, the French TGV had the highest average speed from one station to the next of 253 kph (157 mph). This includes the time needed for the train to accelerator and to stop.