Were there ever temperatures that steam loco's would just have to throw in the towel as far as being too cold to operate? Chugging along the track at speed in -30 weather, I could see the whistle alone freezing up.
I have seen lots of photo's of steam loco's that are blocks of ice from being parked and photo's of men trying to thaw them out. However when does one that is operating run into problems?
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
BATMAN Were there ever temperatures that steam loco's would just have to throw in the towel as far as being too cold to operate? Chugging along the track at speed in -30 weather, I could see the whistle alone freezing up. I have seen lots of photo's of steam loco's that are blocks of ice from being parked and photo's of men trying to thaw them out. However when does one that is operating run into problems?
Since a steam loco is a giant water heater on wheels, relatively inefficient at that, I don't think cold weather was ever much of a problem except for two issues:
Starting a fire cold loco and keeping tender water from freezing/icing.
It would be interesting to know what steps were taken in the coldest climates.
Some feed water heaters pumped condensed steam back to the tender, this would surely help keep the tender water warm.
Sheldon
I expect plain (friction) bearings can get a little stiff in intense cold. Well, their lubricant can. A steam loco has quite a few bearings like that, besides the axles. And and they are not heated by the boiler.
Ed
It also effects the operation of the air brakes. Some of my old timetables have max train lenghts from the days of steam, which are much shorter due to stiff friction bearings, and air brake restrictions when it gets super cold. Most colder climate coal burning engines and oil burners had steam pipes in the bunkers to keep the water and coal from getting frozen and the oil flowing to the burners. The locomotive, as long as it was in steam, was hot enough to keep stuff like the whistle and such thawed out. This is one reason we see the horns on modern diesels back on the hood above the prime mover, other than to get the noise away from the cab, is the heat keeps the horn thawed out. On a GE Dash 9 unit, the mufflers are right below the horn, so plenty hot when the engine is working. Steam loco cabs had canvas curtains to help keep the chill out of the cab to some extant in the winter. Canadian engines had special cabs to help deal with the brutal cold up there.
Silly NT's, I have Asperger's Syndrome
Train length restrictions were due to air brake limitiations, not the bearings being cold. They exist even today. When the pressurized air is vented into a lower pressure space, it expands and cools off making the cold air even colder. Any moisture in the air can freeze into ice. Since the openings in a brake valve are very narrow and it involves a lot of close clearance metal to metal contact, any ice forming can be cause the brakes to malfunction (either not set or not release, both are bad). I'm sure everybody has heard a engine "spitting", an annoying popping or hissing noise an engine makes frequently, that's the air drier sptting out condensed water. Depending on temperature and the policy of the railroad, they might be restrictions down 4000-5000 ft between engine sets.
Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com
Do oil burner steam locomotives run better in cold weather as opposed to coal/wood burners?
I would think wood or coal burners would cause fewer headaches, after all, you didn't have to heat up the wood to get it to the fire.
ATSFGuy Do oil burner steam locomotives run better in cold weather as opposed to coal/wood burners?
I don't see why there would be any difference, assuming the oil bunker is properly heated. And that the coal isn't frozen into one big piece.
Both things could happen. And you would get opposing results.
Nobody has mentioned water. Chama has their water tank spout in the down position for the off season. What they did before they were a tourist railroad and had to run in the winter is a mystery.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
Not sure how you guys way down South did it, but up here in the Great White North we had enclosed water towers with a nice fire burnin down below.
BATMAN,
That's a rather unique looking water tower!