The Traveling Engineers' Association to Improve the Locomotive Engine Service of American Railroads Part 22

23. Q. If the carbon of lamp should "jig or pound", what can be done to stop it?

A. If the carbons pound the electrode, it is evidence that the iron armature No. 64 may be too far out of the solenoid, or the speed of the turbine engine may be too slow. This trouble can be remedied by adding another link to the suspension link, which has one end connected to the magnet yoke, the other end being connected to the iron armature No. 64.

If, however, when the arc is formed, it is found that the bottom end of iron armature No. 64 measures one-half inch from bottom of solenoid, the pounding is caused by the speed of turbine engine being too slow.

24. Q. If the copper electrode was fusing, how would you know it?

A. When the copper electrode is fused, a green light is always given off.

25. Q. What should be done when a green light is seen?

A. Immediately close off on the steam throttle until a white light re-appears.

26. Q. What is the cause of the fusing of the copper electrode?

A. Usually too high speed of the armature, although should you connect the wires up wrong that the current flowing from the dynamo to the lamp should enter the lamp at the electrode instead of pa.s.sing through the carbon first, you would get a green light and fuse the electrode.

27. Q. What arrangements have been made so that you cannot connect the wires wrong?

A. The positive binding posts, both at the dynamo and the lamp, have been provided with a much larger hole to receive the wire than has been made in the negative binding posts, and the ends of the positive wire should always be bent or doubled back, so that they will just enter the receptacle in the positive binding posts, but cannot be connected at the negative binding posts.

28. Q. Should the copper electrode and holder become fused until no longer serviceable while on the road, what would you do?

A. Would remove the damaged holder from the lamp and subst.i.tute either an iron bolt of sufficient length or a carbon, securing the improvised electrode in the bracket of lamp same as the electrode holder is held, only being sure that the end of the bolt or carbon comes up into the center of the reflector and did not rest on the base of reflector or lamp.

29. Q. What is the difference between a series wound equipment and a compound wound equipment, and what advantages are obtained from the use of the compound equipment.

A. With the series wound equipment, the incandescent cab lights burn only with the arc lamp, while with the compound machine the incandescent lamps are independent of the arc and can be used as desired.

30. Q. If you were running along with your light burning steadily and nicely, then suddenly the light began to flash badly and kept it up, where would you look for the trouble?

A. Trouble would usually be found at one of the binding posts, where one of the binding post screws would be found loose.

31. Q. If you were running along with light burning satisfactorily and suddenly it went out, where would you be likely to find the trouble?

A. You would find that either the carbon had burned out, one of the lead wires had broken between the dynamo and the lamp, or one of the wires had gotten loose at the binding post and fallen out.

32. Q. If the light goes out while you are between stations, what course should an engineer pursue?

A. If the light goes out while you are between stations and an investigation cannot be made within a few minutes thereafter to determine the cause, the steam should be shut off from the turbine and the dynamo stopped until such time when the cause of failure can be determined.

33. Q. Why is it essential to shut off steam and stop the equipment?

A. For the reason that if the failure was due to a short circuit, damage might be done to the coils or armature by overheating.

34. Q. How does the equipment act when short-circuited?

A. When there is short circuit, the engine will labor heavily, run slow with a large volume of steam blowing at the exhaust, there will be no light shown either at the arc or cab lamps, and the carbon point and cab lights will only show a dull red or go entirely out.

35. Q. How will the equipment act when the circuit is broken, either by a broken disconnected wire or a burned-out carbon?

A. With a broken circuit the engine will run noiselessly and fast with very little steam blowing at exhaust and no light will be seen at the arc or on cab lights.

36. Q. If the insulation on the cab wires is worn off until your two wires can come together either directly or through the medium of some metallic substance, what would occur?

A. A short circuit would result that would put out all of your lights.

37. Q. What should be done?

A. Wrap the exposed wire, if you can locate it, with a piece of waste, or if you cannot locate the short circuit, disconnect one of your cab wires from the dynamo. This would give you the benefit of the arc lamp and you can look for the trouble at your leisure.

38. Q. If the light goes out when steam drops back fifteen to twenty pounds, what is the trouble?

A. Either one of the governor valves is stuck shut, short bus.h.i.+ng No. 18 in engine cab is worn badly, allowing wheel to drop away from the governor stand so steam pa.s.ses around wheel to exhaust, or governor springs are too weak.

39. Q. In this case what should be done?

A. Report of the action of the dynamo should be made upon the work book at the terminal.

40. Q. If clutch rod No. 78-B should break while on the road, what could be done to get use of the lamp?

A. A piece of wire could be used by fastening one end around the end of top lever No. 59, the other end being attached to clutch through eye.

41. Q. If you should lose the clothespin holder or top carbon clutch, what could be done to get the light?

A. Would fasten a wire around the carbon and top holder to keep carbon in line, being careful not to get the wire either too tight or too loose.

42. Q. If you should lose the iron armature No. 64 in solenoid, what could be done to get use of light?

A. Would use a common iron bolt and suspend same by wire in magnet.

43. Q. What would be the result if any of the levers of the lamp should bind?

A. All levers of the lamp must work absolutely free and must not drag, for if they are not perfectly free the carbon cannot feed properly.

=Pyle-National Electric Incandescent Headlight=

44. Q. What is meant by an incandescent headlight equipment?

A. A headlight having an electric incandescent lamp in the reflector in place of the usual oil or acetylene gas flame, and electric instead of oil cab lamps, the electricity being generated by a small combination steam-turbine and electric generator. Suitable wiring distributes the electric current.

45. Q. In what manner does the incandescent headlight differ from the arc headlight?

A. It is not so powerful. An incandescent or bulb type of lamp takes the place of the arc lamp in the headlight reflector. The current being less than is required for an arc, is supplied by a smaller turbine.

46. Q. What type of incandescent lamp is used in the reflector?

A. A low voltage, gas filled bulb, containing a very compact or concentrated fillament.