The Traveling Engineers' Association to Improve the Locomotive Engine Service of American Railroads Part 14

A. By removing the pin at the forward end of reach rod, to free the tumbling shaft and allow it to be moved either forward or back to move the engine. A block should be placed over the link block to avoid damaging it when uncoupled, as well as to hold link in proper position to move the engine. This would allow the engine to be moved and clear the main line.

76. Q. How can the blowing of steam past cylinder packing, a valve or valve strip be distinguished or located?

A. Test for a leaky slide valve, place the engine on the quarter on the suspected side with the reverse lever in center notch; the valve should be in the middle of its travel and cover both ports. If steam blows through the open cylinder c.o.c.ks on that side, the valve or seat are defective. A leaky balanced valve strip will allow steam to blow through the hole on top of the valve into the exhaust port in the seat and very little steam will come out of the cylinder c.o.c.k; in some cases with the valve barely opening a steam port to the exhaust, air will draw in at the cylinder c.o.c.k. If there is a drip c.o.c.k in the exhaust pipe under the saddle, the steam will blow out there. After testing for leaky valve, place the engine on about the forward bottom or top back eighth, block the wheels or set the brakes solid, put reverse lever in corner, open cylinder c.o.c.ks and give the engine steam. If steam comes out of both cylinder c.o.c.ks, and testing valve shows it is tight, then the packing is blowing. Cylinder packing should be tested with steam first on one side of the piston and then on the other.

77. Q. If engine should blow badly and be unable to start the train when on the right dead center, on which side would be the blow generally?

A. On the left side. If the side standing on the quarter cannot start the train, the trouble is usually there.

78. Q. If throttle were closed and steam came out of cylinder c.o.c.ks, what might be the cause?

A. To test for this, first shut off steam connection to the lubricator; steam leaking into the cylinders can come from a leaky throttle or leaky dry pipe.

79. Q. Is it possible to distinguish between a leaky throttle and a leaky dry pipe?

A. Yes; a leaky throttle usually leaks steam at all times. A leaky dry pipe will leak both steam and water. It will show a stream of water at the cylinder c.o.c.ks when the water level in the boiler is raised above the leak in the dry pipe.

80. Q. What effect have leaky steam pipes in the smoke-arch, and how should they be tested?

A. Leaky steam pipes waste steam and very seriously affect the draft in the front end. A bad leak in the back part of the joint at the bottom will blow into the tubes and make the engine smoke at the door with throttle wide open while standing still. To test them, open the front door and cover the joint with fine cinders. When the engine is given steam, the cinders will blow away from the leak; to properly test them in the shop, water under heavy pressure should be used.

81. Q. How should the test for a leaky exhaust pipe joint, or a leaky nozzle joint be made?

A. About the only test that can be made on the road is to open the front end and reverse the engine with throttle partly opened, watching the suspected joint at the same time. For the bottom one with cinders around the joint, for the top one it can sometimes be detected by holding a torch near the joint.

82. Q. What should be done if a steam chest cracks?

A. Would loosen up the steam chest cover to free the sides, and wedge between the studs and walls of chest, crowding the broken parts together. A brake shoe key does this nicely. Would then tighten down on steam chest cover and proceed.

83. Q. What should be done if a steam chest breaks?

A. Would take off steam chest cover, place strips of boards over the steam inlets and block on top of them so that the steam chest cover would hold them in place and prevent live steam coming out of inlet.

Would then make the necessary disconnection and proceed on one side.

84. Q. If a link lifter or arm were broken, what should be done?

A. Take off the disabled parts, block between the top of the link and link block, having the disabled link blocked down very nearly in full strokes. For safety, both the top and bottom of the disabled link should have blocks in its slot; the good link would be held in place by the reverse lever and should under no consideration be dropped down any farther than the disabled link was.

85. Q. If the reverse lever or reach rod should break, what should be done?

A. If either breaks, place an iron bar or suitable piece of material across the top of both frames, securely fastening it in position, then fasten the arm of the tumbling shaft to the bar. This will require the engine to be worked at about half cut-off; handle such part of the train as the road conditions would permit.

86. Q. What should be done if the piston, piston rod, cross-head, main rod or crank pin are broken or bent?

A. If a piston should break, would remove broken parts, disconnect valve stem, clamp valve in central position, and if moving piston would not damage cylinder, leave main rod up and proceed. If a piston rod, cross-head, main rod or crank pin are broken or bent, would take down the main rod, block the valve and cross-head; if piston rod is broken off at the cross-head, leave main rod up.

87. Q. What should be done when there is a loose or lost cylinder key?

A. If the cylinder key is loose, it should be tightened up; if lost, something should be subst.i.tuted. In case nothing solid can be found to take the place of the key, the engine should be run in light to avoid further damage.

88. Q. What should be done if a safety valve spring or stud breaks?

A. The steam pressure should be reduced. With broken spring, screw the parts down solid or clamp the stem down. This can be done by laying a piece of scantling across the top of the valve, fastening each end to the hand rail on opposite sides of the engine in case of broken stud.

Would then raise steam pressure and proceed. Care should be taken to see that the other safety valves relieve the steam pressure properly.

89. Q. How can an engine be brought in with a broken front end or stack?

A. By boarding up the front end to make it as near air tight as possible and using a barrel or a petticoat pipe in place of the stack, wiring it fast to the smoke-arch. Where a portion of the stack is inside the smoke-box the engine might steam without the barrel or petticoat pipe.

90. Q. What should be done if the frame is broken between the main driver and cylinder?

A. Either give up the train and come in light, or disconnect the engine on that side and come in with reduced tonnage, depending on how badly the engine pounds when working steam.

91. Q. If the frame is broken back of the main driver?

A. Do not disconnect and do not try to pull a heavy train; it is safer to come in with light tonnage.

92. Q. In case of broken side rods, what should be done?

A. Take down the broken rod and corresponding rod on the other side of the engine.

93. Q. What can be done if the intermediate side rods were broken on a consolidation engine having the eccentric on the axle ahead of the main wheel?

A. In this case the engine must be towed in. It is possible when the main pin is broken, so that all rods on one side are taken off, to leave the rods up on the other side and move the engine with her own steam, but very few roads will allow this, because engineers will be inclined to leave the main rod up on the disabled side to prevent engine catching on the center. If main rod is left up on the disabled side, the wheels will surely slip and wreck the rods on the other side.

94. Q. Should one of the forward tire, main tire, intermediate tire, back tire, or a trailer tire break, what must be done to bring the engine up?

A. Would run the wheel of the broken tire on a block in order to raise the wheel clear of the rail and the box up in the driving box jaws.

Remove the oil cellar and place a block between the driving journal and pedestal brace to carry the disabled wheel center clear of the rail.

Would also block up on top of the box of the wheel ahead or back as the case might be, in order to take the weight from the disabled wheel. It might not be necessary to take off any of the rods, but would run the engine light to the shop, giving special attention to lubrication of the disabled wheel and using extra precaution in entering side tracks and pa.s.sing over frogs and switches. With the tire of a back driver or trailer wheel broken, it is usually necessary to swing the rear end of the engine from the tender to keep the rear end on the track. With an inside radial journal, box on the trailer axle; for a broken trailer tire, both trailer wheels must be blocked and swung clear of the rail.

95. Q. What is a good method of raising a wheel when jacks are not available?

A. By raising the wheel on a hardwood block or iron wedge; a re-railing frog comes very handy for this purpose.

96. Q. How can it be known when the wedges are set up too tight and the driving box sticks, and in what manner can they be pulled down?

A. If wedges are set up too tight, it causes the boxes to stick and the engine to ride rough. Inspection of the engine when moving will locate the disabled box; usually this gets hot at once and the wedges should be immediately pulled down. Loosen the jam nuts on the wedge bolts and back them down; if the wedge is stuck very tight it may be necessary to run one or more of the wheels over a block; or to loosen the pedestal, brace bolt and allow the jaws to spread to release the box.

97. Q. What are some of the various causes for pounds?

A. Wedges not properly adjusted, loose or worn driving box bra.s.ses, rod bra.s.ses not keyed or in need of reducing, loose side rod bus.h.i.+ngs or side rod connections, worn cross-heads, wrist pins, broken frame, loose cylinder key, loose piston on rod, or rod loose in cross-head, loose follower bolts or obstruction in the cylinder.

98. Q. How may a pound in driving boxes, wedges or rod bra.s.ses be located, and after locating what should be done?

A. Place the engine at half stroke on side to be tested. Do not set brake when testing for loose wedges or defective boxes; set brake when testing for other pounds. Reverse engine from forward to back gear under steam, noting the movement of the axle in the boxes, the driving boxes between the wedges, rod bra.s.ses on the pins and movement of cross-head between the guides. If possible would adjust wedges or rod bra.s.ses at once and report repairs needed at the terminal.

99. Q. How locate loose follower bolts?