Hi, I'm from the gardenrailways forum and am looking to model an H. K. Porter loco. I bought a Porter engine on ebay (seen below). Did engines like these utilize tenders or carry fuel on board? Also were they coal or wood burners? Thanks
Your loco is an 0-4-0T (for tank, meaning it didn't have a separate tender.) It carried its water in that black 'saddle' tank over the boiler and had its fuel (probably wood, judging by the stack design) stacked in the back corners of that oversize cab. The visible dome is a sand dome, while the steam dome would have been inside the cab directly under the whistle sticking out of the roof. The flat cap in front of the dome is the water tank filler lid.
What I don't see is the safety valves. I'd like to hope they weren't vented directly to the cab!
While Porter did build some line-haul locomotives, including some of the first locomotives used in Hokkaido (the Porter Mogul of HO gauge fame, actually built to 1:80 scale,) it was best known as a builder of industrial and construction-tram locos like yours.
Chuck
Here's a You Tube Video link of a Porter in action; Hopefully, you'll enjoy it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdv3OYxcOp8
and this one as well:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7H5oebrTzDc&feature=related
Howdy.
Safety valves on Porters equipped with in cab steam domes were often incased in length of "stove pipe"that went from top of dome through cab roof. Whistles got steam from pipe than was located beside safety and was routed up through roof in same "stove pipe".
Early Porter(woodburners) safety valves were kept closed by an external eliptical spring, mounted on top of boiler, that engaged a metal lever(this protruded from "stove pipe"), that engineer could pull down upon to "help"safety( perhaps when bedding loco down for night). Over time "stove pipe" would deteriorate, so "sauna- effect"would be "enhanced. Coalburners utilised more familiar, modern safety valves with internal(inside brass casing) coil springs, still located on top of steam dome inside of "stove pipe".
Fuel storage would have been in cab on left hand side, as fewer boiler appliances to hinder access. (Injector piping and blower line.( some lube lines-cylinder only on older, more on newer)
Right hand side, occupied, by Engineer's seat box, brake and Johnson-bar stands and actuating bars, fire box grate levers, cylinder **** actuation lever,injector plumbing, and/or, if had a crosshead pump, levers (2) to control water from tank to pump, and check valve drain. Cylinder lube line Modern locos would have had more lube lines(and steam lines) to contend for space with afore mentioned. Also sander lever on side of steam dome and throttle lever would have been "inclined" towards engineer. Things got "Cosy" in one of these beasts
Regards "Chuck"
Okay, another question: How many cylinders would that engine have had?
Howdy, Your Porter, and, most, if, not all, other Porters, would have had 2 steam cylinders. Yours would have had Stephenson valve gear...almost as tight a fit on a narrowgauge lokey as enineers side of cab in previous post.
Regards, Chuck
Howdy Again'
This from 1892 H.K. Porter Catalog.
"Light four-wheel-connected tank locomotive. (Yours by LGB is 1:20.3 scale model of an 8 tonner-they(prototype) were available 5,6,8,9,and 11 tonners in this configuration). 7"dia cylinders by 12"stroke; 24'dia driving wheels; 4'8"wheelbase; lenght overall 12'7"; extreme height above rail, 9'6"; weight in working order 15,000 lbs.; capacity of saddle tank 200 gals.; weight per yard of smallest steel rail advised 20 lbs; hauling capacity on level, in tons of 2,000 lbs, 375 tons.
regards, Chuck
OOOPS, lets try 24 INCHES in dia. for 8 ton model B-S (B=4 drivers, S= saddle tank)
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