makes sense that the amount of fuel and water depend on tonnage. of course multiple engines can carry more fuel and water. tonnage and # of engines would be selected to reach all water stops. wiki Water Stop says trains could run 100–150 miles (160–240 km) without a refill.
greg - Philadelphia & Reading / Reading
Gramp How often did tenders need to be replenished? Did railroads have math formulas that were used based on tonnage, speed, and geography? There were really too many variables for a "hard and fast" formula. It really depended on the locomotive and the consist being pulled, plus factor in the state of locomotive development. In the mid-19th Century it may have been 25 miles between stops, late 19th Century 50 miles, 100 miles in the early 20th Century, I'm sure you get the picture. Toward the end of the steam era a New York Central 4-8-4 "Niagara" could run from Harmon NY to Chicago with only one stop for coaling, water replenishment being done from track pans. Obviously though a "Niagara" is the exception, not the rule.
How often did tenders need to be replenished? Did railroads have math formulas that were used based on tonnage, speed, and geography?
There were really too many variables for a "hard and fast" formula. It really depended on the locomotive and the consist being pulled, plus factor in the state of locomotive development. In the mid-19th Century it may have been 25 miles between stops, late 19th Century 50 miles, 100 miles in the early 20th Century, I'm sure you get the picture.
Toward the end of the steam era a New York Central 4-8-4 "Niagara" could run from Harmon NY to Chicago with only one stop for coaling, water replenishment being done from track pans. Obviously though a "Niagara" is the exception, not the rule.
I can't speak to specific formuas for coinsumables consumption(?) of the mentioned, but having lived in Parsoins Ks. area: [it was a major division point on the MKT RR.] There were still reminders around the area of the need to replinish the locomotive consumables. Lakes,ponds,creeks were water sources, Coal, as it was burned, generally, from local resources, was often low-grade, dirtier varieties:Culm, etc.
Coal was generally mined from 'pockets', not too deep underground, or in some cases was 'strip-mined' by surface equipment. Mostly, it was sourced from known vein areas; Weir-Pittsburg coal field,in SE Kansas, being one. There were other scattered areas of coal pockets found in some cases with other mineral deposits,as well. The original lines of the ATSF used on-line resourced coal. [nee: KO&G RR from KC.Ks. via Humboldt,Ks. to NE Okla. being one. (Thayer,ks, area, sources, in pockets). The found coal was often low grade, and was 'convienint' to be used fior steam. (ie:) ArKansas River Navigation, by flat bottomed, steam boats, rer-fueling, was often done by puilling the boat up to an exposed coal seam on the river bank,where the black gang on board, would shovel coal onto the deck and then to the boilers,
Both the Katy and Santa Fe used local coal sourced by branch lines, into the Columbus, Ks., area for locomotive coal. In lthe early 19 th \Century, coal mining was an enterprise for emlgrant miners from Europe { German, Austrian, Italian, or so, ?} Pittsburg,Ks. still celebrates "Little Balkan Days' each year.
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