I recently saw a picture of a steam locomotive taking on water, at speed, presumably from some sort of trough between the rails.
This is a new one on me, who would enjoy explaining the process?
These links will do a far better job explaining than my rambling attempt.....
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Track_pan
https://nycshs.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/trackplans2.pdf
Cheers, the Bear.
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
There's a discussion about track water pans HERE.
Wayne
Thanks gentlemen. Good info. Don't know how I didn't see references to this, but not very informed on steam
Water troughs / track pans were fairly common in Great Britain, but only a few railroads in the US used them. New York Central as noted was the best known one; not sure if anyone outside the northeast quarter of the US used them?
The Central's Canada Southern had pans at Waterford, in southern Ontario.
For successful track pan operation, several conditions have to be met:
The NYC paralleled rivers (Hudson, Mohawk...) in an area where hard freezes seldom happen. The pans would fill a couple of dozen tenders in the course of a day. Here in the dessicated desert the sun and non-existent humidity would suck far more water out of a track pan than would passing trains - and that would be treated water.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - in Southern Nevada)