This is a question of little import, but I'm just curious. When passenger cars were steam heated and cooled, was the steam from the locomotive regulated down to a lower pressure? I find it hard to imagine that up to 300 psi steam was carried through the whole train.
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"A stranger's just a friend you ain't met yet." --- Dave Gardner
IIRC there was a regulator and pressure gauge on top of the boiler in the cab. It was usually set to 50PSI.
One big thing to remember about steam heat was that, unlike the brake and signal hoses between cars, the steam line had to be manually disconnected before uncoupling a car.
DSO17 IIRC there was a regulator and pressure gauge on top of the boiler in the cab. It was usually set to 50PSI. One big thing to remember about steam heat was that, unlike the brake and signal hoses between cars, the steam line had to be manually disconnected before uncoupling a car.
Johnny
Disconnecting and connecting steam lines was the work of carmen, not the train & engine crew of the train.
Deggesty DSO17: IIRC there was a regulator and pressure gauge on top of the boiler in the cab. It was usually set to 50PSI. One big thing to remember about steam heat was that, unlike the brake and signal hoses between cars, the steam line had to be manually disconnected before uncoupling a car. And, before switching cars in or out, the steam was cut off at the engine and the line opened at the rear of the train, so there would be no pressure in the line, making it safe to connect or disconnect cars. This could be done before the train stopped at the point of switching.
DSO17: IIRC there was a regulator and pressure gauge on top of the boiler in the cab. It was usually set to 50PSI. One big thing to remember about steam heat was that, unlike the brake and signal hoses between cars, the steam line had to be manually disconnected before uncoupling a car.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
BaltACD Disconnecting and connecting steam lines was the work of carmen, not the train & engine crew of the train.
Thank You.
At engine change points, such as New Haven and Harrisburg and South Amboy, often the steam and hot water had to be cleared well before reaching the station in order to speed up the engine change. So approaching these stations, there was a noticeable temerature drop in the cars.
Kootenay Central Here is some information that might be of interest to younger folks who missed steam, steam-heated passenger trains and the era before train radio, and some of the good, and bad, that went with it. As was previously mentioned, the rear steam valve on a passenger train would be opened from inside the last car to blow out any steam in the line, but, also to heat up all the piping in the train and remove as much water as possible in freezing weather. On most SOU & N&W passenger cars there was no inside valve control. Had the operating control just under steps of cars. Terminal stations had steam lines from a stationary boiler plant to heat departing passenger rolling stock in the station before the road engine was brought down. N&W would keep spare coaches at Bristol, Va. hooked up all winter and in very hot weather to run A/C. In addition, there were special electric jumper cables from station power to charge the lighting batteries under the cars. These cables were hung up under the roof on hooks and they were brought down and hung back up using a long stick with a hook on the top end. Maybe where you were but in Bristol they used motor generators (2 different one some kind of AC and a DC motor generator pulled by tractors.) The Conductor or Trainman on the moving train would then signal 'Shut off Train Heat' on the air communication system on the Signal Line on a passenger train, the pull cords usually in the vestibules at the end of the car. N&W, SOU, and L&N used 6 pulls to signal turn off the steam heat. The Enginemen would then shut off the steam stop valve at the Turret. A long train of, say, 20 or so cars would require more steam than an 8 car train, and the Trainmen could signal 'Increase Train Heat' on the Signal Line if the rear cars were cool. Do not know that signal? Train heating ATE steam, thereby WATER, and in severe weather in steam days a second steam locomotive would often be added, more for steam heat than traction. Not all steam locomotives were equipped to heat trains, so a freight engine could lead a passenger engine, but, not the other way around if steam was required. N&W is the only RR I know that had steam lines on all locos including 0-8-0 switchers. Some commuter steam engines had steam line connections front and rear if the engine was not to be turned at the end of the run to speed up schedules and save on expense and time for turning power to come back. N&W kept steam line connections active in front of all engines including the Js (whic was normally hidden by the streamlining. Some freight Diesels had steam conduits thru, but, no steam generators of their own and could run behind passenger road Diesels if required. Sou did that with some of their freight Fs. CPR equipped some of their passenger Train Masters with TWO steam generators in a wide short hood. SOU had some GP-7s with steam generators. N&W had a few on GP-9s On certain passenger runs here, uniformed passenger Trainmen were required to lift express reefers from customers en route as RUSH and would be charged with the coupling and uncoupling of steam lines as required. Connecting and disconnecting steam lines usually took 2 - 3 minutes each connection. There was an asbesdos gasket seal on each side of the connection which might take 3 more minutes to replace if the line was still warm. (had to place it on the end of car knockers hammer and push in.) Woe be it for conductor and/or trainmain if seal broke enroute and had to be replaced. When making the steam connection the Engineer or Fireman would often get down and assist to save time. Steam locomotives could be used to heat stationary rolling stock, if necessary, at remote locations. See N&W Many older passenger and business cars had coal-fired Baker Heaters to heat them if used on freight or mixed trains or lf left in a siding. N&W's combine that ran on the Abington branch had a stove. Thank You.
Here is some information that might be of interest to younger folks who missed steam, steam-heated passenger trains and the era before train radio, and some of the good, and bad, that went with it.
As was previously mentioned, the rear steam valve on a passenger train would be opened from inside the last car to blow out any steam in the line, but, also to heat up all the piping in the train and remove as much water as possible in freezing weather.
On most SOU & N&W passenger cars there was no inside valve control. Had the operating control just under steps of cars.
Terminal stations had steam lines from a stationary boiler plant to heat departing passenger rolling stock in the station before the road engine was brought down.
N&W would keep spare coaches at Bristol, Va. hooked up all winter and in very hot weather to run A/C.
In addition, there were special electric jumper cables from station power to charge the lighting batteries under the cars. These cables were hung up under the roof on hooks and they were brought down and hung back up using a long stick with a hook on the top end.
Maybe where you were but in Bristol they used motor generators (2 different one some kind of AC and a DC motor generator pulled by tractors.)
The Conductor or Trainman on the moving train would then signal 'Shut off Train Heat' on the air communication system on the Signal Line on a passenger train, the pull cords usually in the vestibules at the end of the car.
N&W, SOU, and L&N used 6 pulls to signal turn off the steam heat.
The Enginemen would then shut off the steam stop valve at the Turret.
A long train of, say, 20 or so cars would require more steam than an 8 car train, and the Trainmen could signal 'Increase Train Heat' on the Signal Line if the rear cars were cool.
Do not know that signal?
Train heating ATE steam, thereby WATER, and in severe weather in steam days a second steam locomotive would often be added, more for steam heat than traction.
Not all steam locomotives were equipped to heat trains, so a freight engine could lead a passenger engine, but, not the other way around if steam was required.
N&W is the only RR I know that had steam lines on all locos including 0-8-0 switchers.
Some commuter steam engines had steam line connections front and rear if the engine was not to be turned at the end of the run to speed up schedules and save on expense and time for turning power to come back.
N&W kept steam line connections active in front of all engines including the Js (whic was normally hidden by the streamlining.
Some freight Diesels had steam conduits thru, but, no steam generators of their own and could run behind passenger road Diesels if required.
Sou did that with some of their freight Fs.
CPR equipped some of their passenger Train Masters with TWO steam generators in a wide short hood.
SOU had some GP-7s with steam generators. N&W had a few on GP-9s
On certain passenger runs here, uniformed passenger Trainmen were required to lift express reefers from customers en route as RUSH and would be charged with the coupling and uncoupling of steam lines as required.
Connecting and disconnecting steam lines usually took 2 - 3 minutes each connection. There was an asbesdos gasket seal on each side of the connection which might take 3 more minutes to replace if the line was still warm. (had to place it on the end of car knockers hammer and push in.) Woe be it for conductor and/or trainmain if seal broke enroute and had to be replaced.
When making the steam connection the Engineer or Fireman would often get down and assist to save time.
Steam locomotives could be used to heat stationary rolling stock, if necessary, at remote locations.
See N&W
Many older passenger and business cars had coal-fired Baker Heaters to heat them if used on freight or mixed trains or lf left in a siding.
N&W's combine that ran on the Abington branch had a stove.
Thanks, everyone for all the info. There are so many details involved in operating trains that outsiders like me don't even imagine.
Bleeding active steam out of the steam line and actually working with the steam line connections are two different things. Yes it was the train and engine crews responsibility to bleed off the active steam...it was the carman job to actually disconnect and connect the steam couplings, which required tools to activate the locking mechanisms. After the carman completed his task(s) then the train and engine crew would re-charge the steam line.
Deggesty BaltACD: Disconnecting and connecting steam lines was the work of carmen, not the train & engine crew of the train. Yes, but whenever I rode north on the IC to or through Jackson, Miss., the flagman would signal the engine crew to reduce (shut off) the train heat, and he would open the valve at the rear of the last car. Perhaps this was done on no other road; I do not know.
BaltACD: Disconnecting and connecting steam lines was the work of carmen, not the train & engine crew of the train.
And the PRR and Neew Haven. Possibly the NYC also.
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