Steamed Mookie

[Mookie]

I received my new Steam Glory - but haven't had time to really read it. That will come in-between the novel I am reading now and the new Harry Potter book!

Anyway - have at least one question maybe two -

Elephant ears on engines - used for smoke distribution, right? Why only on certain engines and not on all? Was it the engine type or the part of the country they traveled through?

Also question what all the hangy down (here we go again) objects were on the face of one of the steam engines. I keep forgetting to bring my issue to work and give you a page number, but there are about 4 look alikes that hang down on the face of the engine. If you were all females, I would say that it looks like long, curled bangs hanging down over the forehead. But I will say, if memory serves me right - there were four of them.

Also, same type of things on another engine, which I have seen before - way at the top of the "face" - a round object - looks like a large cylinder - quite large and running horizontal across the very top of the face. Any thoughts?

If not, I will try to remember to bring in my magazine and give you page #'s. Looks like it will be a good read!

Mookie

[Anonymous]

Elephant ears were used on a couple roads because they thought they would help smoke issues on engines. It relied on the speed of the engine to divert the air so putting them on drag engines wouldn't work. Evidently it wasn't as effective as thought.

The tube across the top of the boiler was and "Elesco" feedwater heater. It used steam to heat the water coming into the boiler. There were several other types of feedwater heaters that were visually different. The Worthington feedwater heater looks like a rectangular box imbedded in the top of the smokebox ahead of the smokestack. A Coffin feedwater heater looks like a large ring that extends out from the face of the smokebox about 2 feet 3/4 the way around the smokebox.

Hangy downy thingy's ? Can't tell from your description.

Smith

[Mookie]

QUOTE: Originally posted by nhs792

Elephant ears were used on a couple roads because they thought they would help smoke issues on engines. It relied on the speed of the engine to divert the air so putting them on drag engines wouldn't work. Evidently it wasn't as effective as thought.

The tube across the top of the boiler was and "Elesco" feedwater heater. It used steam to heat the water coming into the boiler. There were several other types of feedwater heaters that were visually different. The Worthington feedwater heater looks like a rectangular box imbedded in the top of the smokebox ahead of the smokestack. A Coffin feedwater heater looks like a large ring that extends out from the face of the smokebox about 2 feet 3/4 the way around the smokebox.

Hangy downy thingy's ? Can't tell from your description.

Smith

Boy - information that quick - that was great! I wondered if the tube had something to do with the water, just wasn't sure how it worked. And I am wondering now if that wasn't the same thing for those hangy down bangs. Maybe a different form of water heater?

I will write myself a note (I do that a lot these days) and bring in my new magazine and give a page # so those that have it can maybe answer or describe it better for me.

Thanx again

Mookie

[coalminer3]

Steamd Mookie:

Good questions.

New Harry Potter - Great book; it kept the younger set quiet on a loooong road trip last summer; you'll enjoy it, I know I did once I wrested it away from my son.

Elephant ears were also called smoke deflectors or smoke lifters. Some of the roads that had them were the NYC (and subsidiaries), UP and D&H. nhs792 is on target re feedwater heaters. The B&M had "visible" Coffin heaters on the front of some of their steam engines; other roads that had Coffin heaters kept them inside the boiler jacket, but again they were up front.

Now for the "hangy down" things. Some steam engines had lots of exposed piping which may be what you saw. However, other roads, notably the C&O, put the air pumps right up front on the boiler. This is what the term "flying pumps" means. Ugly as sin, IMHO, but many people like them (have to tread careful here as I'm in the heart of C&O country - LOL). Other roads had air pumps up front, but they were hidden or shielded. Again, NYC comes to mind.

Keep in mind that steam locomotives were built to meet the needs and operating peculiarities of the railroad that ordered them. They may look similar, but as you study pictures and read about them, and talk to the "old heads," you'll find out that there were differences in locomotives; sometimes within engines that were nominally in the same order.

Hope this helps.

work safe

[Modelcar]

....Jen, I have a good pic in front of me from my booklet on: B&O Thunder in the Alleghenys....and it shows a large steam engine with "thingy's" all over the front of the smoke box. It is a KB-1 2-6-6-4, and the 4 thingy's are listed as Flying Pumps, of course that is describing air compressors driven by steam. It appears to have a coffin type feed water heater at the top of the smoke box and just ahead of the smoke stack. It sure does represent in spades what you have been asking about. If anyone has this booklet the photo is on page 19. It indicates these series of engines were purchased from Seaboard in 1947. Just a bit of trivia for ya....[8D]

[Mookie]

Thank you for your information gentlemen. That is probably just what I am looking at in the pictures. Here I thought they were nice decorations! Now I know better.

Mookie

[zardoz]

I prefer my Mookie heated in a microwave, or maybe over a slow, dry heat.

But never steamed--too soggy !

[Mookie]

QUOTE: Originally posted by zardoz

I prefer my Mookie heated in a microwave, or maybe over a slow, dry heat.

But never steamed--too soggy !

Very funny! But since this is free, you can't be picky! [:X]

[BR60103]

Smoke deflectors were often installed on locos where the steam didn't rise far enough above the boiler and caused forward vision problems. This could be from all sorts of causes including soft puffs from the exhaust or some fluke in the shape of the front end. Of course, now the engineer had to look through the smoke deflector. In Britain, several accidents were blamed on the smoke hanging around in front of the cab.

[edblysard]

I was gonna ask if you should serve steamed Mookie with melted cheese over it, and which wine, white or red, but maby I should just...
Ed

[dharmon]

probably tastes like chicken....go with the white

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by edblysard

I was gonna ask if you should serve steamed Mookie with melted cheese over it, and which wine, white or red, but maby I should just...
Ed

Da Mook may not be too happy after reading this post but Alex will be pleased. You know he always says, "Eat Cheese". [:D]

He is a Pepsi drinker so no wine for him. [:p]

[zardoz]

Actually, steamed Mookie probably tastes more like chocolate cake:)

[Mookie]

Driver sez : "You guys will never know!"

I brought the Steam Glory in with me today - the Bangs picture is on page 22-23. The picture on page 22 looks like a whole crew stuck their lunch boxes out on the face of the engine to either warm or cool!

The engine is UP's 4-12-2 (# 9033) and on page 23 - is the B & O 2-6-6-2 (#7400). Notice the one on 22 is in Nebraska!!!!

Another great front end picture is on page 80 - left side! This was a Y-2a in Cincinnati.
Two of the 3 engines have their headlight on the pilot (front porch) of the engine. The 3rd one just squished it in among the bangs.

How am I doing guys?

Mookie

[locomutt]

Elephant ears are sandwitches you get at state fairs!

And for coalminer3 be very,very,verrrrrrrrrrrry careful
of what you say about FLYING PUMPS ON THE C&O!!!!!!!!!

It won't take me very long to get a brigade of troops ready to
take you on. Now if you really want to talk about art,lets talk
Steam-Turbine-Electrics!!!!!!!!

By the Mookie a caboose onthe C&O was called a cab,
ERGO: pural is cabeese!!!!!!!!

I still think you should run for(or away from) office.
I really do like the Mookie platform.

Enough said,

locomutt

[locomutt]

To Mookie & coalminer3,

I beleive the C&O did try smoke deflectors on several locos,
but did not prove successful. Something about hendering the
engineers view of signals.

Now,Try to see in your minds a big C&O mike coming at you
with Elesco feedwater&Flying pumps,boy WHAT A PICTURE!

The only other good looker,Streamlined Hudsons(except 494)
pulling the Sportsman,FFV or George Washington! You can't
get much better than that.
Check out Staufer,et al C&O POWER, awesome book!

And yes I am a die-hard C&O fan. I may not know everything,
but C&O forever! It may be gone,BUT IT AIN'T FORGOTTEN!

locomutt