German V19: The Eight Cylinder Steam Motor Locomotive

[wallyworld]

 Just when I think I am reasonably knowledgeable about steam I came across the V19, which has to qualify in the top 10 as one of the most obscure and intriguing one of a kind steam locomotives ever built. If that isnt bizarre enough someone has painstakingly replicated it in a smaller live steam version. If you look at the history portion of the page, after WW2 it was brought to the U.S for study...the craftsmanship of the smaller live steam version is awe inspiring...

 

Here is the history:

http://www.dself.dsl.pipex.com/MUSEUM/LOCOLOCO/steamotor/steamotor.htm#19

 Here is the replica:

 http://www.livesteaming.com/

[vsmith]

If this had been developed 20 years earlier the twight of steam might have been very different, but as it was dismals were already well on the way to displacing steam post WW2, all the technological innovations of the V19 were still offset by the lower overall cost aspects dismals provided. 

Fascinating model thought!

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

Except for its orientation (transverse vs. lengthwise), it doesn't look that different from the cylinder arrangement for a Heisler.

[wallyworld]

That was my impression as well, that is to say, it is a high performance, eight cylinder Heisler. What is frustrating is not to have any performance data, which seems to be lost to history. Perhaps one of our overseas freinds could fill in the blanks.I can only imagine what a bizarre sound this rig produced.

[Modelcar]

wallyworld

What is frustrating is not to have any performance data, which seems to be lost to history. Perhaps one of our overseas freinds could fill in the blanks.I can only imagine what a bizarre sound this rig produced.

.....I wrote about this prototype engine a year or two ago on here....over in the "General Discussion" forum.   I found the specs. on it on the internet back then and photos too.

It did steam to a top speed over over 125 mph and has a streamlined covered body that is not too different than many other such engines back some decades.  I always referred to it as a "V-8" steam engine...as you know the cyl's. were in a "V" configuration.

I too understand it was brought to the US after WWII and minimum work was done studying it, etc....Believe it came to one of the southern states....and then was scrapped...!

I haven't read my info on it for some time now but I have it someplace here.

Suggest Googling it and it's not too difficult to bring up info on it.