The Traveling Engineers' Association to Improve the Locomotive Engine Service of American Railroads Part 13

A. Yes. Close all openings where air could enter the boiler. All relief valves, cylinder c.o.c.ks, gauge c.o.c.ks, the whistle valve and air pump steam valve should be closed. Place the reverse lever in full gear in the direction the engine is to be towed with water supply valve and injector throttle open. Use engine oil through auxiliary oil cups to oil valves and pistons. The movement of the pistons in the cylinders will pump the air out of the boiler and atmospheric pressure on water in the tank will force water into boiler when the engine is towed.

51. Q. What should be done if grates should be burned out or broken while on the road?

A. Pull the fire off the broken or burned grates, cover that section with any pieces of iron at hand (fish-plates or angle-bars are very good), then level up the fire, clean ash-pan and proceed with full train.

52. Q. What precaution should be taken to prevent locomotive throwing fire?

A. The netting and smoke-arch should be kept in good condition; cinder slide and hand hole plates securely fastened, ash-pan clean and slide dampers for dumping ashes closed. Care should be exercised in working the engine, especially in the vicinity of stations or places where fire is liable to catch. Avoid working the engine hard so as to prevent throwing cinders.

53. Q. What shall be done with a badly leaking or bursted flue?

A. Plug it if possible with an iron or wooden plug. If in the fire-box end, a piece of scantling or post can be sharpened and driven into the flue from the fire-box door; it will then burn off up to where the water from the bursted flue keeps it wet. If a bottom flue, would cover it with ashes or green coal so that the leakage would not put out the balance of the fire. If able to maintain steam pressure, would then proceed with a full train.

54. Q. What should be done in case the throttle valve stem became disconnected while the valve is closed? If it became disconnected leaving valve open?

A. Would notify the train crew and Dispatcher and arrange to be towed in. With lubricator working, unless in very cold weather so there is danger of the water freezing in the cylinders or steam chest pa.s.sages, would not disconnect. By taking out lubricator chokes and steam chest valves from the oil pipe, a larger supply of steam could be got into the cylinders. If in to clear of other trains and practicable, would take up the dome cap and connect the throttle again. If disconnected and valve stuck open, would notify the train crew and Dispatcher, reduce steam pressure until the engine could be handled with reverse lever and brake, and proceed with such a train as the engine can handle.

55. Q. In case a valve yoke or stem became broken inside of steam chest, how can the breakage be located?

A. In this case the disabled valve is always pushed to the front end of the steam chest so that with a slide valve or outside admission piston valve the back port is open to live steam. When given steam, the engine will stop on the eighth, and when reversed will move over to the other eighth, being stopped there by the live steam in the back end of the cylinder having the disabled valve. Steam will blow from the back cylinder c.o.c.k on the disabled side and cannot be changed by reversing the engine. If the valve is pushed far enough ahead to open the exhaust port, steam will blow through the exhaust so the engine cannot be moved.

With an inside admission valve the forward steam port will be opened and steam will come out of the forward cylinder c.o.c.k on the disabled side.

56. Q. After locating a breakage of this kind, how would you proceed to put the engine in safe running order?

A. Would move the valve to central position so as to cover both steam ports, if possible. This may be done by taking out the relief valve if on front side of the steam chest and pus.h.i.+ng valve back, or taking up the cover for a slide valve; or taking off front head for a piston valve. Disconnect the valve rod from rocker arm and block valve stem so it cannot blow out of the gland or let valve work back. Loosen cylinder head in order to provide for lubricating cylinder so as to leave the main rod up on the disabled side and proceed on one side. If unable to cover the open steam port it would be necessary to disconnect the main rod on the disabled side, blocking the piston at the proper end of the guides so live steam coming into the cylinder would not move it.

57. Q. If a slide valve is broken, what can be done to run the engine on one side?

A. Remove the steam chest cover, place a thin board between the valve and the steam pa.s.sages in the seat, replace steam chest cover, disconnect valve rod, and if able to lubricate the cylinders leave up the main rod and proceed on one side.

58. Q. If one of the bolts connecting the two parts of a built-up link on Stephenson gear breaks or is lost, how would you proceed?

A. If temporary bolt cannot be supplied, take down the forward part of the link, disconnect and remove link block, fasten valve to cover ports, and proceed. If moving link will clear rocker arm or other parts of the machinery after link block is taken out, it will not be necessary to disconnect eccentrics.

59. Q. What should be done in case of link saddle pin breaking?

A. Remove the broken parts and block the disabled link in such a position that the entire train could be started, using a very short block above the link block in the link slot and a longer one below it.

60. Q. With one link blocked up, what should be guarded against?

A. Reversing the engine or moving the tumbling shaft arm down so the link on the disabled side can strike it.

61. Q. How can it be known if an eccentric has slipped on the axle?

A. By the uneven exhaust of the engine and a thorough inspection to determine the cause.

62. Q. Having determined which eccentric has slipped, how should it be reset?

A. Place the engine on the center on disabled side and if a back-up eccentric has slipped, would place the reverse lever in full forward gear and mark the valve stem flush with the gland; then place the reverse lever in full back gear and move the slipped eccentric until the mark on the stem returns to its original position, taking notice that the throw of the eccentric is on the other side of the axle from the go-ahead eccentric used as a marker, and tighten up set-screws. To set a go-ahead eccentric, use the back-up one on that side for the marker. If the eccentric had been keyed on, would move the cam until the key-way in the axle came in line with the slot in the cam. Knowing the position of the eccentric in relation to the crank pin, an inspection would show where it belongs. The eccentrics are usually opposite the third spoke in the driving wheel from the pin, sometimes ahead of the pin, in other cases back of the pin, depending on whether it is an inside or outside admission valve, a go-ahead or back-up eccentric.

63. Q. What should be done in case of a broken eccentric strap or rod?

A. For a go-ahead strap or rod take down all broken parts, disconnect valve rod, cover ports, and come in on one side. It is safer to take down also the back-up strap and rod on that side. If the back-up strap and rod is broken, it is possible to secure the bottom end of the link so it will not turn over, work the engine full stroke ahead, proceeding with full train until the main line is clear.

64. Q. How should the engine be disconnected if the lower rocker arm became broken? If link block pin?

A. Would remove broken parts; if moving link would strike anything connected with the rocker box or broken arm it would be necessary to take down both eccentric straps and rods. Block valve central over ports and come ahead on one side. If a link block pin was broken, it might be possible to put a bolt in there to do the work, otherwise block the valve on the center of its seat and if the link will not clear the lower end of the rocker arm take down the eccentric straps and rod. In any case where necessary to take off the eccentric rod always take off the strap also.

65. Q. For what breakdown is it necessary to take down the main rod? The side rod?

A. A broken main crank pin, broken main rod or strap, broken piston rod when near the middle of the rod, broken cross-head or guide, broken valve or seat when steam cannot be kept out of the cylinder. Side rods must come down for broken side rod, broken main pin, or broken side rod pin affecting that rod.

66. Q. If it is not necessary to take down the main rod of disabled side of the engine, how would you arrange to lubricate the cylinders?

A. If cylinder and piston are in good shape and it is possible to block the valve to admit a small quant.i.ty of steam into the back end of the cylinder, oil from the lubricator will go through this opening and oil the piston rod and cylinder packing. If not possible to block the valve properly, cover the ports and oil the cylinder through the indicator plug openings or relief plug holes. If not possible to do this, slack off the bolts on the front cylinder head, wedge the head open so oil can be introduced. In some cases it may be necessary to take the head off; that however, allows dust and grit to enter the cylinder.

67. Q. What is the by-pa.s.s valve, and what is its duty?

A. By-pa.s.s valves are connected to the steam port leading to the cylinder. Its duty is to open when the engine is drifting with steam shut off, and close when working steam, to allow air to pa.s.s back and forth from opposite sides of the moving piston.

68. Q. What is a vacuum relief valve? What a cylinder relief valve?

A. A vacuum relief valve is usually located on the steam chest or the live steam pa.s.sage to the chest and opens when steam is shut off and engine drifting, allowing atmospheric pressure to pa.s.s into the steam chest, closing when working steam. A cylinder relief valve is a pop valve screwed into the cylinder head and set at high enough pressure so it does not open in ordinary service, but will open to allow water to pa.s.s out when the exhaust port is closed by valves; or on compound engines when the pressure in the low-pressure cylinder gets too high.

69. Q. What would be considered a bad engine or tender truck wheel?

A. One loose on axle; having bad flat spots; very sharp f.l.a.n.g.es; bad sand spots; cracks sh.e.l.led out; or other defect that would make the wheel unsafe.

70. Q. What should be done if a tender truck wheel or axle should break?

A. Would place a piece of timber or rail across the tender, jack up the corner of the truck that is disabled chain it to the timber and fasten the timber at the other end to hold it so it would carry the disabled truck. If it is possible to slide the wheel or truck, place a tie across the rail and keep the wheel from turning, then slide it to a siding.

71. Q. What should be done if an engine truck wheel or axle should break?

A. Would block between the engine frame and truck frame over the good wheel on disabled side, swing the disabled corner of the truck to the engine frame with a chain. Look out when crossing frogs that disabled truck does not leave the track. With a broken f.l.a.n.g.e, would block the wheel to prevent its turning and skid it to a siding.

72. Q. What should be done for a broken tender truck spring?

A. Jack the tender up to where it belongs and put a block in place of the broken spring.

73. Q. What should be done with a broken engine truck spring or equalizer?

A. For a broken spring, raise the front end of the engine and place blocks across the equalizers under the truck spring near the spring band. For a broken equalizer, block on top of engine truck boxes and under truck frame.

74. Q. What should be done if a driving spring hanger or equalizer should break?

A. Would block between the driving box affected and under the frame over it, using hardwood block or piece of iron. Would also block the equalizer up to its proper position between the disabled end and the frame, or over the other end, as the type of spring rigging requires, to hold the equalizer level. For a broken equalizer, would block on top of all boxes affected, would raise the engine by running the proper driving wheels upon an incline or wedge to lift the engine while other boxes were blocked; a re-railing frog comes handy for this work.

75. Q. How can an engine be moved if the reverse lever or reach rod were caught at short cut-off by a broken spring or hanger?