Compound Locomotive & Their Work

[No. 60.] JUNIOR ENGINEErinG S OTCIE Y . TRANSACTIONS , 1904-5. ORDINARY MEETING.—Tuesday, January 24th, 1905. Chairman—Mr. G. H. Burrows, A.M.I.Mech.E. by J . C. CREBBIN. THE AUTHOR asked the members to bear in mind that he was one whose business was not associated in any shape or form with railways or engineering. He had originally taken up the subject purely as a hobby, by designing, building, and testing experimental models, the result being that he had taken a particular interest in all locomotive work, and observations were made, when travelling, of the various types of machines used both in England and on the Continent. The Author had entirely failed to obtain the coal consumption of the various engines that were mentioned in this paper, because each system measured the efficiency of their locomotives by different methods. However, the Author considered the De Glehn compound the most economical locomotive in coal consumption of all the types on the Continent. The paper was almost entirely devoted to the four-cylindered compound locomotives of the Continent, because the principal English compound, namely, that on the Webb system, had proved itself inferior to very large numbers of simple locomotives now in use in this country. As the ideas of compounding of those present were more or less wrapt up in ‘‘ La France,’’ the De Glehn Bousquet locomotive, belonging to the Great Western Railway, the history of the development of this 4 system may be of interest. In 1885, when Mr. Webb’s three-cylinder compounds had become a fair success, and a specimen had been built for the Western Railway of France, as was also done for the Pennsylvania railroad of America, M. Alfred de Glehn, Director General of the Locomotive Building Works at Belfort, designed a four- cylinder system of compounding for locomotives. It was first applied to an express engine, No. 701, belonging to the Chemin de Fer du Nord. This engine had four 6’ 10” driving wheels, two high pressure cylinders, 13” diam., and two low pressure cylinders, 18” diam., the former being inside the frames, working the front pair of driving wheels, and the latter being outside, working the rear pair of driving wheels. At first, the engine ran without coupling rods, like Mr. Webb’s three cylinder compounds, but, owing to the unequal strain put upon the locomotive when starting, coupling rods were soon fitted. T he engine effected at once a saving of coal equal to 19 per cent., and after several years’ service, was exhibited in the Paris Exhibition of 1889. Up to that time it had run 390,555 miles, and had realised a saving over the simple locomotive, performing identically the same work, of 2,260,720 pounds of coal. Between 1876 and 1891 the fastest Nord trains were, with the exception of two locomotives, worked by a very fine eight-wheeled four- coupled type of engine, known as the ‘‘ Outrance ’’ Class, built in 1876, totalling in all 103 locomotives. With this type of engine, 150 tons behind the tender was considered a heavy load, and on the ruling gradients 1 in 200, the maximum speed with such a train did not exceed 40 miles per hour. Even, when later, the boiler pressure was raised from 134 to 148 lbs. per sq. inch, and the cylinders rebored to 18” diam., these engines could not, with the allowance of any margin for bad weather, keep time with trains of more than 200 tons. The experimental compound, No. 701, carried the same steam pressure, i.e., 148 lbs., and was worked in turn ; first, against the ‘‘Outrance ’’ Class, and afterwards against a new type of simple engine, designed by M. Sauvage. The latter engine pulled 200 tons up banks of 1 in 100 at 45 miles per hour ; but great trouble was experienced with the crank axle, owing to the excessive strain placed upon it. The compound, however, did better work with lighter repairs, and was cheaper in its coal consumption. 5 Therefore, it was decided by M. de Bousquet (who, at this period, had just been appointed locomotive superintendent of the Northern Railway) to build compounds of the De Glehn type in future for the Nord system. In August, 1891, the first of these locomotives appeared. They had four coupled wheels, seven feet diam., a bogie in front, with the order of the cylinders reversed, and were such a distinct success that several more were immediately ordered, and subsequently another forty of a still more powerful type. 1 The first batch had 13 2 ” high pressure cylinders, and 21” low pressure 1 cylinders, by 25 4 ” stroke, a total heating surface of 1671 sq. ft., and a boiler pressure of 199 lbs. per sq. inch, the difference in the subsequent types being in boiler power only ; the second batch, having 1892 sq. ft. heating surface, and a steam pressure of 213 lbs. per sq. inch, the grate areas being increased from 21 to 28 sq. ft., while the weight was increased from 47 to 52 tons. The De Glehn compounds constructed for the other French lines were practically the same as those just described, differing only in minor dimensions. Those on the Orleans line had slightly smaller driving 3 1 wheels, 6’ 10” diam., cylinders 13 4 ” and 21 4 ” respectively, and were fitted with a ten-brick heater in the firebox. Those of the Midi Railway had the same size wheels as the Nord engines, but larger cylinders, like those on the Orleans Railway. The Est Railway compounds had wheels 6’ 8” diam., with the same size cylinders as the Orleans and Midi Railways, but larger boilers, having 1988 sq. feet heating surface and 228 lbs. steam pressure. The Paris-Lyons-Mediterranée Railway locomotives had their standard 3 driving wheels 6’ 6 4 ” diam., and were developed by increased heating surface and boiler pressure only, the earlier engines having 1,594 sq. ft., and the later classes having 2,040 sq. ft. heating surface. All the express engines of this line were fitted with a prow, or wind cutter ; an arrangement which the Author considered a very unnecessary appliance, because, with a strong side wind, it offered a greater resist- ance than the engines not so fitted. The De Glehn six-coupled compound types ranged from 4’ 11” on the Paris Lyon, 5’ 5” on the Midi, and 5’ 9” diam. wheels on the Nord, Est, and Orleans Railways ; and the Author supposed that no series of engines in the world performed such wonderful work on any class of 6 train, from express passenger to coal trains, as these locomotives daily accomplished. Of the latest developments of the De Glehn compound, the first were similar to ‘‘ La France,’’ and were the ‘‘Atlantic ’’ engines running on the Nord line. The second were the magnificent new Paris-Orleans 3 5 ‘‘Atlantic ’’ class, with 6’ 9” driving wheels, cylinders 14 1 6 ”, and 23 8 ” 1 by 25 8 ” stroke. Boiler heating surface 2,670, grate area 32 sq ft., and boiler pressure 225 lbs. per sq. inch. The two engines recently ordered by the Great Western Railway were similar to the latter. 3 The new Ouest Railway engines had six-coupled wheels, 6’ 3 1 6 ” diam., 3 5 1 cylinders, H.P., 13 4 ”, L.P. 21 8 ” by 25 8 ” stroke, and a boiler having 2,174 sq. ft. heating surface. The Est Railway had built some large six coupled bogie engines, 3 with 6’ 10” coupled wheels, cylinders, H.P. 13 4 ”, L.P. 22” by 26” stroke ; heating surface of boiler being 2,671 sq. ft., and the grate area 1 29 8 ” sq. ft. This practically completed the development of the De Glehn compound in France. The arrangements fitted to these engines for starting purposes had all been described in a previous paper read before the Society. The work these engines were daily accomplishing was excellent, and the following results were taken haphazardly of some of their performances. One of the earlier types, starting from Calais with 260 tons behind the tender, ascended the eight mile bank of 1 in 125 to Caffiers, at a minimum speed of 41 miles per, hour. One of the larger batch of Nord eight wheelers, with 280 tons behind the tender, maintained 43 miles an hour up the same bank. Another, with the same type of engine, starting at the foot of a 12 mile ascent of 1 in 200, with 340 tons, attained 40 miles an hour in two miles, and steadily gained speed, until just before the summit the rate was 47 miles per hour ; while up 1 in 250, a rate of 51 miles an hour was maintained. With lighter loads, of 180 and 200 tons, 60 to 62 miles per hour were maintained, up 1 in 200, and with 110 to 150 tons, 65 to 70 miles per hour was attained with ease. It would thus be understood that it was through the fine work uphill that the remarkable booked speeds in France were maintained. These engines were never allowed by Government to exceed 120 7 kilometres (74·4 miles) per hour, unless, of course, special permission were obtained. Again, the Author had never seen an express train with a pilot engine in France. The ‘‘Atlantic ’’ compounds had entirely eclipsed the performances previously mentioned. A sister of ‘‘ La France,’’ No. 2641, took a load, exclusive of engine and tender, of 305 tons, from Paris to St. 3 Quentin, 95 4 miles, in 90 minutes; averaging 62·1 miles per hour up the 13 mile bank of 1 in 200, also maintaining 74 miles an hour on the level and slight rise.

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