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Question about cylinders

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  • Member since
    December 2007
  • 9 posts
Question about cylinders
Posted by Compressor man on Monday, December 17, 2007 7:50 PM

Heres a question that is probably obvious to everyone here but me. On a "modern" steam locomotive, a 4-8-4, for example. I notice that they seem to have two cylinders on each side, one on top of the other. Are each of them cylinders, making them compound engines? Or is the top "cylinder" something else entirely, like maybe valves or something?

Thanks,

 

  • Member since
    November 2007
  • 2,989 posts
Posted by Railway Man on Monday, December 17, 2007 8:04 PM
 Compressor man wrote:

Heres a question that is probably obvious to everyone here but me. On a "modern" steam locomotive, a 4-8-4, for example. I notice that they seem to have two cylinders on each side, one on top of the other. Are each of them cylinders, making them compound engines? Or is the top "cylinder" something else entirely, like maybe valves or something?

Thanks,

 

Your deduction is correct; the upper "cylinder" on a simple locomotive is the valve.

RWM 

  • Member since
    February 2005
  • From: Vancouver Island, BC
  • 23,330 posts
Posted by selector on Monday, December 17, 2007 8:13 PM

Here's a handy-dandy site that should give you some insight into the whole works.

http://home.new.rr.com/trumpetb/loco/

 

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