A Guide to Model Locomotives - A Collection of Vintage Articles on the Design and Construction of Model Trains and Railways

By Jones Press

This book is a collection of vintage articles on the design and construction model trains and railways, with information on using electricity to power signalling systems, engines, ramps, and much more. Profusely illustrated and full of invaluable tips, this volume is highly recommended for those with an interest in model engineering, and would make for a worthy addition to collections of related literature. Contents include: “Locomotive Notes”, “The Gas-Electric”, “A Useful Centring Jig”, “Model L.N.W.R. Locomotive”, “Electricity From Light”, “Some Suggestions for Model Railway Signalling”, “Electric Signals for Single Lines”, “An Electric 'Tell-Tale' for Siding Points”, “Shutting Ramps”, etc. Many vintage books such as this are becoming increasingly scarce and expensive. We are republishing this volume now in an affordable, high-quality edition complete with a specially commissioned new introduction on model building.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jones Press
• Release date: Jun 28, 2021
• ISBN: 9781528764360

Book preview

Locomotive Notes.

By CHAS. S. LAKE, A.M.I.MECH.E.

BRITISH LOCOMOTIVES IN 1913.

The past year, so far as locomotive engineering in this country is concerned, has been chiefly noteworthy for the continued advancement of the superheater as a feature of. equipment. The apparatus has, in fact, become standardised on certain British railways for all new locomotive construction as has also been done abroad, particularly on the Continental lines, and to a large extent also in America. The inclusion of a superheater in the make-up of a locomotive influences the design in the direction of improving the general efficiency; the steam generated by the boiler, though not increased in volume, is of a superior kind, so that more work can be obtained from a given weight than where saturation, with its concomitant condensation, is present.

The life of the firebox and tubes is likewise increased in length, repairs to these parts being less frequently required as a result of the reduction in steam pressure from 200 lb. or higher to 160 lb. per sq. in., which latter figure is on a par with the pressures of many years ago when locomotives were much smaller and of lower power. Piston valves and mechanical lubricators have been standardised to meet the conditions set up by the introduction of superheating.

NEW 4—4—0 SUPERHEATED EXPRESS LOCOMOTIVE SIR ALEXANDER HENDERSON; GREAT CENTRAL RAILWAY.

As regards developments which effect the engine as a whole, it cannot be said that much advancement has been made; the reason for this being that matters had already gone as far as they might without conflicting with the loading gauge and other limitations when the year commenced. There has, notwithstanding this fact, been a tendency to build larger and heavier locomotives belonging to existing types, and to return in a few cases to standards of construction which in some respects might have been looked upon as superseded on certain lines.

Thus, on one railway, we find a return being made to the 4—4—0 type for first-class main-line traffic, whereas only Atlantic type and 4—6—0’s had been used for this work during the past few years. Four-cylinder simple-superheated locomotives have grown in favour, but here again we find in one instance a return being made to the two-cylinder arrangement on a railway whereon the fours appeared to have taken a firm hold.

TANK AND GOODS ENGINE DEVELOPMENTS.

A few railway companies in this country, notably the North-Eastern, have introduced new tank locomotives, some of which have been made the subjects of illustrated descriptions in these pages. The 4—4—4 type with three single-expansion cylinders on the railway referred to is amongst the most interesting that have been noted. The London Brighton & South Coast have nearing completion in the Brighton works some fine engines of the Baltic or 4—6—4 pattern, without tenders, and this company has also commenced to use the 2—6—0 type, an example of which is reproduced on page 7.

The Midland already have some locomotives of the 4—6—4 (tank engine) type in service on their L.T. & S. section, and it is rumoured that another line is contemplating building some of the same kind. The provision of six-coupled wheels with a four-wheeled bogie at each end, combined with large cylinders taking superheated steam, results in placing a very fine engine on the rails which should be capable of dealing wth various classes of traffic with economy and despatch, a further advantage being that no need exists to turn the engine at the conclusion of each trip. Six-coupled tank engines with trailing bogies are being introduced on the S.E. & C. Railway, this being an entirely new type for that line, and, in fact, very few engines having this wheel arrangement are in use on British railways.

Several of the home railways are extending their goods engine classification by introducing, or widening the use of, the Consolidation, or 2—8—0 type, the Great Northern being the latest to follow this practice. The engines designed by Mr. H. N. Gresley, and now being built at Doncaster Works, have outside cylinders using superheated steam, and a distinguishing feature is the Walschaerts valve gearing, also carried outside the frames. The Great Northern have built express goods or mixed traffic locomotives having the 2—6—0 wheel arrangement, Walschaerts valve gear, and superheaters.

On the Great Central Railway a number of 2—8—0 mineral locomotives, fitted with the Robinson superheater and pressure-relief valves, have been equipped with silencers to reduce the noise occasioned by the escaping steam from these valves. This apparatus will be illustrated and described in a later issue. The 0—6—0 type of goods engine with two single-expansion cylinders and Stephenson link motion still remains a favourite on British railways for goods traffic of all but the heaviest descriptions. It is a simple, straightforward type of construction, free from all complication of detail, cheap to build and maintain, and capable of performing more than one class of work in a highly efficient manner. The introduction of superheating apparatus, which throws added weight on the front end, has been responsible for the addition to more than one type of locomotive of a leading two-wheeled truck, hence the explanation of the growing tendency to build 2—6—0 and 2—8—0 engines, each being a development of a standard class which still exists on most of the railways of this country.

On the whole the year just past may be said to have witnessed a steady progression on recognised advanced lines in the matter of locomotive construction, rather than as having marked any very striking new departures in that branch of mechanical engineering. Something in the way of standardisation and reduction in the number of types engaged in the same work undoubtedly remains to be done, and this, it may be hoped, will be the next problem tackled on the majority of the railways.

NEW EXPRESS PASSENGER LOCOMOTIVE: GREAT CENTRAL RAILWAY.

On the Great Central Railway Mr. J. G. Robinson has introduced some large superheated express locomotives of the 4—4—0 type having inside cylinders 20 ins. by 26 ins. These are the largest of their type on that railway and equal those of any yet built for any main line in this country. The first of the class illustrated, herewith, is named Sir Alexander Henderson and numbered 249. These engines present a very fine, set-up appearance with their large high-pitched boilers and generally sturdy proportions. They are ranked as No. 11, E. class, and may be relied upon to give a good account of themselves on the work they will be asked to perform; viz., hauling heavy express trains on the main line.

The policy of the Great Central during the past year or so has been to use 4—6—0 and Atlantic type locomotives for heavy passenger traffic, although a large proportion of it has been done by the earlier 4—4—0’s of Mr. Robinson’s design, and with marked satisfaction. It is herein that the interest lies when considering this latest development. The drawing will be found to bear many of the principal dimensions. The total weight is 109 1/4 tons. The total heating surface is 1,963 sq. ft. and the grate area 26 sq. ft.

NEW MIXED TRAFFIC LOCOMOTIVES: L. & S.W. RAILWAY.

The new chief mechanical engineer of the London and South Western Railway, Mr. R. W. Urie, has signalised his succession as head of the locomotive department of that important line by designing a new class of locomotive having the 4—6—0 wheel arrangement and two very large sized outside cylinders, with piston valves and Walschaerts gearing.

The late Mr. Dugald Drummond, who preceded Mr. Urie at Eastleigh as chief mechanical engineer, designed 4—6—0 passenger locomotives, but they had four cylinders using ordinary steam. The new ones, of which a line drawing is given herewith, are fitted, some with Schmidt superheaters, some with Robinson superheaters, and others without any superheater at all. In this way a fair comparison will be made possible between the three systems.

NEW 4—4—0 TYPE EXPRESS PASSENGER LOCOMOTIVE: GREAT CENTRAL RAILWAY.

NEW 2-CYLINDER SIMPLE-SUPERHEATED MIXED TRAFFIC LOCOMOTIVE: L. & S.W. RAILWAY.

NEW 2—6—0 TYPE EXPRESS GOODS LOCOMOTIVE: L.B. & S.C. RAILWAY.

The tender is mounted, as seen, on two four-wheeled bogies and the coping at the top is shaped differently, being somewhat reminiscent of American design. The fitting up of the engines as regards the superheaters leads to a difference in the heating surfaces of each. What these differences amount to may be gathered from the following table, and it will be noticed that the saturated or non-superheater locomotives have a smaller total heating surface than the others.

HEATING SURFACE.

The cylinders are 21 ins. diameter by 28 ins. stroke, and the tractive effort at 80 per cent. boiler pressure is 24,700 lb. Other dimensions may be gathered from the diagram.

The Gas-Electric Car.

ACCORDING to the Railway Gazette, at the recent Convention of the Association of Railway Electrical Engineers, a paper was presented on The Characteristics and Operating Features of the Gas-Electric Car, which provided some interesting data associated with the design of such vehicles. It was pointed out that the choice of gear ratio and wheel diameter is an important consideration, and that, speaking generally, cars having 33-in. diameter wheels and motors provided with an allowable armature speed of 1,800 r.p.m., a gear reduction of about 2·75 is satisfactory. The choice of these various quantities depends, of course, on the kind of motor used and the class of service the car is performing. The above combination is one that has been found satisfactory for single-rail motor cars in average service where trailers are hauled occasionally. For 100-kilowatt generator output this combination gives about 12,000 lb. tractive effort at starting, allows a maximum speed of 60 miles per hour and a tractive effort of 4,200 lb. at 9·5 miles per hour at the rated load of the motor. For petrol-electric locomotives and cars operating with trailers at low speeds the maximum gear reduction obtainable is to be desired. This gives slightly more tractive effort at starting and a much lower speed at the rated load of the motors, but makes very little difference in the general speed tractive effort relations for the equipment. Motor rating on a petrol-electric car should be about 125 per cent. of the generator rating.

FIG. 1.

Locomotive Notes.

By CHAS. S. LAKE.

THE NEW SOUTH-WESTERN 4—6—0 LOCOMOTIVES.

In the Notes published with the issue of THE MODEL ENGINEER dated January 1st, there appeared a diagram drawing of the latest 4—6—0 type locomotive of the London & South-Western Railway, and now, by the courtesy of the chief mechanical engineer, Mr. R. W. Urie, we are enabled to present a photographic view of the outside of this fine engine.

There are two high-pressure cylinders, placed outside the frames and driving the middle pair of coupled wheels. They are adapted for working with superheated steam, and have piston valves working above them, the valve gearing being Walschaert’s pattern. A notable feature is the large size of the cylinders, 21 ins. by 28 ins., and with six coupled wheels 6. ft. diameter, and a maximum heating surface of 2,320 sq. ft, a very powerful engine results. As an indication of this it may be stated that the tractive force exerted by the locomotive is 24,700 lb. Some of the engines are fitted with Schmidt superheaters, and others with Robinson superheaters, whilst a third series use saturated steam. Thus the merits of the three systems can be tested under identical conditions.

VALVE AND VALVE FACE OF TWO-CYLINDER MOTOR CAR TYPE STEAM ENGINE.

THE TWO CYLINDERS ON COMMON VALVE FACE.

CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF CRANKCASE.

The engines have been designed for mixed traffic work, taking fast goods, perishable, and similar traffic, and also passenger trains of various kinds, including heavy excursions. They should perform this work with marked satisfaction, as they possess all the necessary attributes for the purpose. The appearance of the locomotive, as the photograph shows, is a striking one, and a special feature is the bogie tender, which has outside framing, whereas in the other 4—6—0 engines on the South-Western the frames are inside. It is hoped in a later issue to give some further illustrations and matter relating to this interesting design.

A NEW CALEDONIAN RAILWAY ENGINE.

The pending retirement of Mr. J. F. McIntosh, who for many years past has occupied the position of Locomotive Engineer of the Caledonian Railway, is a matter of interest, and it is also interesting to note that just before the time has come to relinquish the task which he has so successfully occupied himself with for such a long period, Mr. McIntosh has introduced yet one more class of 4—6—0 locomotive bearing all the main outward characteristics of his previous designs, but in which there are several modifications and departures of a detailed kind.

NEW TWO-CYLINDER SIMPLE SUPERHEATED MIXED TRAFFIC LOCOMOTIVE: L. & S.W. RAILWAY.

4—6—0 TYPE SUPERHEATED MIXED TRAFFIC LOCOMOTIVE: CALEDONIAN RAILWAY.

DIMENSIONED OUTLINE DRAWING OF 4—6—0 TYPE SUPERHEATED LOCOMOTIVE: CALEDONIAN RAILWAY.

The engine, of which a photographic illustration appears herewith, as well as a dimensioned outline drawing, is for mixed traffic working, and it is adapted for using superheated steam, piston valves and mechanical lubricators being fitted. Perhaps the most noteworthy alteration in the appearance is the adoption of an enclosed type of cab similar to those used on the Great Eastern, North Eastern and North British railways; indeed, this may be said to constitute the only outward difference between these and previous engines of the same general design.

DIMENSIONED OUTLINE DRAWING OF NEW 0—6—4 TYPE TANK LOCOMOTIVE: S.E. & C. RAILWAY.

Mr. McIntosh is one of the few who have never used outside cylinders in conjunction with the 4—6—0 wheel arrangement, the same plan being employed in the modern London and North Western engines of this type—excepting the four-cylinder Claughton class—in which case it is impossible to avoid the feature. The only drawback to inside cylinders with 4—6—0 engines is that it entails longer boiler tubes as the leading coupled wheels have to be used for driving purposes, instead of the middle pair. Of course, this can be overcome by extending the smokebox internally instead of externally—that is, backwards into the boiler, instead of forward away from it; but, generally speaking, there must be some material increase in the boiler length and of the wheelbase also, as the leading coupled wheels acting as drivers must be spaced further back from the bogie.