Brits Building 21st Century Steam

[athelney]

QUOTE: Originally posted by wallyworld


Very well done and interesting topic on a well developed website. I found this while browsing another great web site, The Ultimate Steam Page. Those of you who read The Red Devil and Other Tales from The Age of Steam will remember this gentleman.



http://www.5at.co.uk/

If the Brits can build a new locomotive to old specs-- LNER A1 4-6-2 for instance -- I'm sure a new loco to new specs is a good posibility - even if only for special trips or on preserved railways

[Anonymous]

Very Intriguing

[Paul Milenkovic]

14 percent thermal efficiency in a simple-expansion non-condensing smokebox-drafting steam locomotive is rather impressive -- I understand 11 percent was claimed for Champelon's locomotives and maybe 5 percent for Super Power steam.

One element of Super Power was that you needed 2, possible 3-axle trailing trucks so you could have a big firebox to make enough steam to supply the big horsepower at speed that was characteristic of the concept. That Trains article of a couple years back that criticized Super Power argued that the horsepower was misapplied in a drag freight and the non-powered axles didn't help either.

On the other hand, Super Power was a brute-force rather than a finesse solution. If you are operating at 5 percent efficiency, you need a large everything while if you are making double or triple the economy of steam (most of the heat is accounted for by the evaporation of water to make steam), your firebox and boiler and everything should scale down -- a lot. Porta promoted a 2-10-0 as his answer to the ACE-3000 -- the sketch of that locomotive showed this really skinny boiler high up with a firebox dipping down, but the whole works all fitting above the smallish drivers without trailing truck.

Yes, I know, no one is going to scrap the Diesels and bring back steam and the ACE-3000 deal was also a pipe dream. There is this pesky matter of boiler inspections, flue cleanings, water treatment, an on and on. On the other hand, there may be wealthy enough backers to build new steam power for a tourist train, and that steam locomotive could be a showcase of what could have been done with steam given the chance.

I guess what I find fascinating is that a Warsdale 4-6-0 or a Porta 2-10-0 goes contrary to the whole Super Power formula of a big honkin firebox hanging over trailing axles. If you can somehow double or triple efficiency through the magic of better thermal insulation, better steam passages, and better ejectors, the boiler and firebox proportions should scale way down.

[wallyworld]

Very well done and interesting topic on a well developed website. I found this while browsing another great web site, The Ultimate Steam Page. Those of you who read The Red Devil and Other Tales from The Age of Steam will remember this gentleman.



http://www.5at.co.uk/