What are the side panels on steam engines like UP 844
Yes, that is what they do. The engine at speed develops a bow shock wave that drives a lot of air away from the engine, thus leaving a thin layer of air that wants to hug the boiler and cab. The combined effect means smoke doesn't lift well away from the boiler and cab, and the crew have to live with a smoky environment that wouldn't normally exist in the cab at speeds under, say, 40 mph or so. The smoke lifters/deflectors force some of the still oncoming air to rush up against the pilot and forward ladders to continue to rise up over the smoke box, sort of generating a secondary type of shockwave, and this uprushing air is meant to help loft the smoke that wants to drift along the boiler top tightly.
I don't know how effective this was...no experience,... but they left them on such engines on several roads. Remember, these are the fast freight Mountain 4-8-2 and Northern 4-8-4 classes of engines that spent a lot of high firing-rate time above 60 mph.
-Crandell
selector I don't know how effective this was...no experience,... but they left them on such engines on several roads. Remember, these are the fast freight Mountain 4-8-2 and Northern 4-8-4 classes of engines that spent a lot of high firing-rate time above 60 mph. -Crandell
Some time ago, I found and downloaded a video of #844 going from 0 to 70 mph, and by the time it was near 70 mph the smoke was going virtually as high as it was at lower speeds.
"Side panels" ? ? ? Never heard that term before, are you referring to "ELEPHANT EARS'' ? ? ?
I'M DATING MYSELF. . . . .
Some links concerning steam locomotive elephant ears.
http://books.google.com/books?id=AzJCeF3oUnUC&pg=PA126&lpg=PA126&dq=locomotive+ELEPHANT+EARS&source=bl&ots=gLPG6g3Sq2&sig=MI5nUVLsQCpjJLIC5S40iRIj1pQ&hl=en&ei=gTTJSpjXFY7AlAeIj5mSAw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4#v=onepage&q=locomotive%20ELEPHANT%20EARS&f=false
http://www.freewebs.com/steamfans/up844.htm
"Elephant ears" for diesels.
http://espee.railfan.net/spsd45t-1.html
Rich
If you ever fall over in public, pick yourself up and say “sorry it’s been a while since I inhabited a body.” And just walk away.
Elephant ear smoke deflectors were applied to steam locomotives which had 'soft' (low back pressure) exhaust systems that didn't lift the smoke away from the loco. They were commonly found in more modern (or modernized) locomotives with advanced-design exhaust nozzles.
With one exception, the locomotives operated by the Japan National Railways were fitted with smoke deflectors, One group of wartime-built D51 class 2-8-2s had deflectors built of wooden planks - indicating how important they were. If the locos could have been operated safely without them, they wouldn't have been installed at all.
As for the one exception, the E10 class 2-10-4T, it was designed to run bunker first in pusher service.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
tatans"Side panels" ? ? ? Never heard that term before, are you referring to "ELEPHANT EARS'' ? ? ? I'M DATING MYSELF. . . . .