• raIns. AUGUST 1967 • 60,
T .. ... ------' f!,'
lIelllelllh~'1' jhis al'jkle ill IIl'cf'lIIh~'1' I!'f;f; TIC,\INS? Xow "'I ('xllel'j ('Ollles THE CASE fOR THE fRENCH STEAM"' LOCOMOTIVE iOl'jh with •.. The case for the AMERICAN steam locomotive
21 Avgus! 1967 - VERNON l. SMITH
illVllrolion AUTHOR'S COllECTION OR AS NOTED
1 IN htl ''The Case lor the F~nch trains to be bandied - In America background r($ultcd In fine, ('COnomi- Steam Loc:omoltv(''' in Decem· th~ arc !ugh and harsh. 1::al handhna; of compound engines, her 1966 TRAINS, author R. K. E ... tVl!> (3) MllK:ellancous conditIons - thc Many of the later (our-cylindcI' en_ stated, ", .. The fact ,'emains unques labol' market, the workIng clearances gines have the two r(l8ch I'ods cvn ti oned that nowhere in the world W3$ (loading gau,ge), the maIntenance ncctcd or 11ll1ned togcther to avoid the art of Sl~ locomotivt' design praclLcH, and the 1~'omoIlH: availa ImpI'opcr dIvision of the work by the developed as far and 1.$ clOSt' to per_ bility and utilization required. englneman b<>tween the hil1;h- and ft.oction as In France," MI'. Evans in his arucle Jit>okl> of lov.·-plcssul·c syste.ns, This suggeslS I question the claim put forth by compounding and mamtenance, draw that the labol market may be chonging Mr. Evans, because It 111 not supported bu horsepow(>r, fuel et.'(lnomy, valve Il\ France and that less refined loco by data and performance records gears. improved (ront ends, enlarged mouve dnving is taking place, And It gother(X{ during !.he high Iide of tteam and exhaust pa...sages, riding means that some of the original ('C;'01l- American locomolh,c design qualities and speed, and bOIler blow_ 01111(-'$ ar1! not beint, obtained. To se Comparing locomollYcs used In dif down practIces All of these will be cure an acceptable stanchrd of per ferent countries and under different conSidered - In thc IIsht of the factono fOlmance WIth any drivel, and to conditIOns is not always easy. Therl!' pre\'lously mcntloned and With dlrcct reduce excCMlve maintenance costs on fore, to aVOid any possibility of unfair_ ,cfcl'1:nce to the four Amencan loco the madunery, the ml!.::hanlcal officer ness, 1 will try to expiQre carefully the motIVes mentioned - with the l'xcep_ selects the best point to cvlnbine the factors which controlled the desiJm or bon of compounding. Multiple expan_ work of both S4!'ts by sacrificing some method of operation of stcam l0<:0mo .!lion will 1>0: touched upon only bl'leny, of thl! perrormance withhl the power liVes in the two countr;e.'l. since (lxcept (01' Mallet pwhel'l> and rangcs. Since Pcnnsyl... anla'~ Tl 4-4-4-4 was the Delaware & Hudson eXp(':l'imen_ Some of the European compounds singled out for criticism on page 30 of tals, compounds hu\'c h«-n obsolcte Ul spl'-nt eoMiderablc time in the shed (or Mr. Evans' article (the power oulput America for many years. work after I'elati\'ely short tdps. This figures quoted are Incorrect, Inciden Compounding In the U. S. can be s!tuUliOn would not be 10lcI'ated In tally), I have Sl.'lected this pal1lculal' bcit exprflSK't ..... een the. sinale-expanslon r;atu mO\'lng IowaI'd OUI' methods as their road's 4-8-4 No, 3752 as rebuilt, to rated steam locomotive or 1880 and the COSts inc.. ellSe Is the fact thnt the illustrate the position of locomoti~'e supt'rheatl'r locomotive of. SAy. 1910 American-built .inglc-cxpansion engineering In the United Stales near Norfolk" Western and Chesapeake" Class 141R's, which " thrive on hard Lhe end of the stcam era. Ohio Mallets used ill the slow-speed wOl'k and poor fucl," afe slill In serv Using thcse examplcs for compari coal traffic W('I"e modest excepUons to Ice in quantit)·, whel'(!a.s the equivalent son is quite suitable. The two ncw the general practice, 01' more complicated French dasscs locomotivH. PRR's Tl and Santa Fe', The Santa Fe Rath.. ·.y had extcnsl"'C arc largely stored 01' retired, 2900 class..... "ere of the same tracbve experience with neal'ly all forms of effort and were roughl)' in the same compounds. Including the cross-com A~D ~ow on to the Ott\(!I' muttel'S to horsepower ca~gory. yct one repre pound, t.ondem, Mallet, Vauclain, and be d iSc l.IlI.!Ied.. sents the divided_drive plannml and the (our_cylinder balancl'd types. The DRAW BAR HORSEPOWER the other the concept of stTaight cou end came when the compounds could pling of eight drive wheels lhrough no longer meet the t.l'luJic demands 01' Flr6l of all, It is timc to Il('t right the tandem rods. The two rebuilt locomo justify Ih(l hll,lh malntcmlnce costs, record on the drawba.. hOrscpowcr liVes, PRR No, 5399 and Santa Fc No. It ill t1'UC, as Mr. Evans pointed out, output of a TL The g.-aph t)" page 2-1 3;52, dearly illustrate tlun the French that th(> French h;l\'e diligently de shows a cUlve prepaJ'ed fl'Om the Al_ had no eXclusive talent in the Improv "eloped the three- and four_c),hndel' toona Test Plant data showing thl! ing of old locomotives. And finally, I compound" Many of these locolllo_ high drawbar horscpowt!l'S thi:4 duplcx knew these four engines well, tlves., as he not~, were tlJ'ranged with would produce, It Is plain that the ~pa.rate reach rods and rc~rse m~h Tl's drawbar hOl'lK:power or 6000 at SoME of the elcmenu which mold ani!tlllS for the rugh_prcssw'c find thc the .speed of 62 mph greatly exc~t'd the arrangement Rnd constl'uctJon of 10w-prcuul'e engines to permit the thc 4000-d"awbal'-hol'5epower capac locomotlvcs for difIerMt parts of the driver to adjust the cutoff on each en Ity quoti!d by r.-tr, Evans, FI'1!nch 4-8-4 world art": gine Independently o( the othel' for No. 242 A 1 developed a maximum of (I) Natur("- the t.errain to be optimum pc.l'folm:l.nee, It should be 4200 h.p, (nOI 5000, as stated by MJ', crossed. the dlstanc(!S to be run, thc repeated that the French enJ(illcman Evans) 1\1 5G mph while rwming Oil a rigors of dimate, and lhc quantity and from the lurn of the eentUl'y to the srade of L1 i.n 1000, 8tto"dmg to a quality of fuel and water available. 1930's was highly trained after serving reporl furnished by Andre Chapc (2:) The demands of the Traffic De II thorough shop apprenticeship before Ion and published In 19018. The report partment for s~ and tonnages of going out on the road, This technical dO\.~ not state whether this Is indi-
Tra ins 23 "O~E-"nllln ... OI •.,_",an ~ tonrf'pl "r """,NlII" n In U. S, •.:,~ 10. I I ~ 1... lII t hl ... h!:" Ihh . 1,11' 0/ • hhrh·mllt")(t-lJ
DHAW8AR 1I0HSt:POWER !:un .. for Pc"" ,y's dupl"",-drh'c TI-('I_» I - ~-~'" o,hM'.-, .. " " I"tulll hIp of ('ur" t O,'U Iht wid .. "'''I:t of spud IIi whlrh hll: h hO'K PU"H p~""IIC'd .
11I\ 1. f -"ECT IOS Ihro uth Ml' ok .. h •." of $: ,'.. \ ' e~h )( real 1""lIlh of , 1;I('k "blain.. .. b)' 10 " nan ~ nd VER\' frff _",,,,,,i,,,, Simi.. t't' 1_8_1",1 prool"rtU IIt ..rI) · WOOO h"lInt",1 hll n.<·p.... n ' ....I ~ lIdln g ~ I;l ck ,,)(, .. ,,<.1011. Wllh ~:otck U '· ('Qutd _II,,,1 did_run,)_h COIII,",lIlio" r.. r ~ 'M hI'. "i.."tl ~ tlut tI( I\ ... ~ nt l u c , "'ans. Itnd .. d. 3a~ " IOCMI 18 rtd Sl~ In~hu hl,;l1 .
24 AU 9 u~1 1967 ABOUT THE AUTHOR
VERNON L. SMITH conu-ac:uxt locomoth-e lev... r ... tldy In hiS Me H~ wu born U1 Ihe Il'On rnr\lle country In Vir. Mln'a,'Mlnn .• lu 1911. At '.I! 16 he WiU qradUlllcd from high achoot and ~'enl lirU18 coal.bummg ftetlm ICICOmo · 1I11't!S; AI 19 he went on th\' cultra board u an englnl'er_ 01\ the I't'COmmendatlon of I'll' rNI!h!r mechanic and through Ih ... kindnesa of an M A. Hanna Company vice pruldenl, Smith wItS "bl" 10 C'Ombme II mec:hanic:al en· gin«>ring edue;).1,on Wlth drawing-room employment pI tlw Dlffe~nl'a1 Sleel Car Company and Ihe Lima Loco motive Work" worluna under 5Uch notabl~ as F. now tTl., A. J , Town~. W e Woodard, and.J K.1rd1hof Thcrc:altc:r he WaJ loaned out to Franklin Railway Sup.... ply Company to help do:n~lop U.5 poppet valve gtar "1 nuuntamed a keen interest In dl~1 trllCtwn." Smith NY" '"and al the clo$C! of World War 11 I left Lima to jow Ihe S;..lIa Fe u Au.lst.anl Engll\~r of Tnt (Locomotive}." Theft' ht' COmbined s\",am, diesel. iLnd d«1ric l'I'Ork. He Joined lht' Belt Ra.lw4)· of Chicqo in 1953 and hu b«-n PENNS" KI 3m b ~ h o"-n IIIi orlklnDlIy ",'II Iet! al Lim" in iii Supermlt'ndenl of Moli\'e Power SIn« 19$4 1 Septf m lHor 1'35 " llh $11I;ll1n,·tlIm PO PP'f1 " ;ll\e ~en. ~' r.. nlfli wtre extended /lOO ut 10 In(hu 10 ar(ommodaie cearbo:o: Dt£tp gll IK caled horsepowt'r 01' dl'Qwbar horse the Amellcan scene. Steam rates as \'eloped In Amenca, Each pau" of ('yl power. but from the sIZe of the engine, e"oh'ed rrOl1l lcst data al'l~ as foll o .....s: indelll had its valvCl'l driven by four It Ilppeal'f, to 00 indicatCKl hOl'sepower. al&T &T I.'" II.Ta ~ts of Walschoerlil gem' l'unning in In fact, PRR 4-6-2 No. 5399 came very " I[ II IH D IO.Ta O MOIII . ...O WIIll Moull verted in an olJ-tii:hl casing. The cas dose 10 equaling Ihe French 4_8_4 PRR K'h 4_6_2 5399 ...... _•••• . 15.0 lw ing, or gearbox, Wllh the vah'e gear in drawbar horsepower. The maxi PRR TI 4-4--14 ..... _._ • __ ...IU Ibs WiiS on the front deck of No. 5399. The mum drawhar hOl'sepower from the ATlSF 4·S.-I No. 37S2 •• _...... lU 11>$ input mot ion wtlS taken h'om the con\'erted K4s was 3934; the Indicated tTl. ..1". .. ,. , ~, ~ ~o"·,, ...... ri_ . , ~ , ...... , crosshe.. ds, and the two outpUl nrms .... ' ...... " I...... '" ,_.. "Q ...... '0" hOl'$epower reached 426i A,ain, th.is ...... _ u..,. 1>Ia<~ bo _ .... "_",ob ""' .. on elthel' side of the gearbox operated was re<:Orded on the Altoona Test " ~I the admission and exhaust valves in Plant. Santa Fe No. 3752 produced this low dependently, A much greater firing ral(> and heat rate of steam consumption O\'er an ex AT&SF No. 3752 was fitted with release was possible with the Pennsy tremely wide speed range or 2S to 55 FI'iI,nklln 1'Olal'y-cam poppet valve TI (with a 92 sq, ft . gl'ate area and a mph. Thll record is probably unsur gear. a design by Fl'ankUn Railway firebox healing surface of 499 sq. fL) passed M)'where for s uch a spread of Supply which was a U, S. licensee of than with SNCF 2-12 A 1 (With a 53.8 . "....,. the Soc:iite 0' ExplOitation des Proce sq, (t . grate area and a fir'1:box heatinl The Chapelon Paclfics are reponed d~1 Oabeg of Pari., This locomotive surface of 273 sq, fL): and I'emembel', to have achieved as low as 12,5 pound.~ had the I.. rgest fabricated s llocl cylin_ heat and work output art' convel'lible. of steam per Indlc::ated horsepower at de)'t; evcr buill - 3O-lnch bore x 30- The Westmoreland County eoa l their most ravorable speed, This i5 in. inch stroke - and the complete weld burned in the two PRR engines pro_ deed a fme effiCiency, although it was ment weighed over 2G,OOO poWlds, duced 13.130 Btu', and 11 per cent ash. not sustained over long tIme pel'iod. ObvioU!lly AMerican engin~'l1 did ThllS is comparable genel'ally to the not neglect the study of valve gear VAlVE GE ARS heat content of coal employed at that arrangements at home or abroad. Lo time in FJ-an~e - about 14,000 Btu's Without gOing Into the historical as comoUve designers were a1 ..... ays In _ and 8 per cent uh. pects of valve lears, I would like to terested In one another's work, and mention that the Sanla Fe was 1'1 piO_ U, S. englncers examined with interest ECONOMY neer in lang-travel. long· steam- Iop whatc\'er French drllwings And data IndicatiolU of maximum eeonomy vah'e gears. In my opinion. the piston became available to them. I stili re_ and maximum power do not usually valve engine with long-lravel Wal member the lettering on the f'l'ench coincide on the performance r:ur\'e of schaerts gear reached its highest state screw reverse gear frames: MARCH£ a locomotive. In some countries fuel or exeeUent:e in !he AT&SF 2900 dan AVANT and MARCIII: ,,"R Lbe. In the Clt .upplies are limited or mwt be im built in 19-13, This locolnotive had change of ideas, Andre Chapclon came ported. and the operating choice often Wagner b}'p&ss valves aOO\'e the pis_ to the U. S, in 1938 I.Ind paid a visit to .lTes5M economy and lower speed In Ion vah'e chamber to ensure proper 01.11' shops to sec ..... hat wc wen! doing handling the train. In America , drifting down the long grades on the Wi th valve gears and cylinder• . though. power has always been the Santa Fc The roUer-ooanng boxes first requirement. since the raHway were equipped wi!h automatic com iMPROVED fRONT END S management usually regards the loco pensation. This feature, together with We had el'cellent smokcb Ol< ar motive as only a traffic machine. All roller_bearUlg rods and Timken cross rangements in the United States. tor of the American engines considered heads, provided a locomotive with low it was here at Purdue in 1902 that hen! w('J'e good re\'enue-earners, In maintenance cost and one which Prof. W. F, M. Gess delennined the addition to high power outputs. ex moved almost silently when steam was basiC PI'opol1.ions on his little 4- 4_ 0, ceUent economies were also 5t'Cul'ed shut off. and it was in the U. S, that the self. with these locomotIves; IUld these per P ennsylvania T l dass and No, eleaning fl'Ont end was developed. Un fonnnnces eoul d be sustalned over 5399 were equipped with Franklin like the F'rench Kykh ap or Lem:u'tn! long dlstances - another I'equisite ot oscillating-cam poppet valve gears de- arrangements, the various American
Tra ins 25
------~ ~mokcbox and uham.l constrUctions Myoid notebook shows that when Ihe Louisiana Purchase Exposition at SL W"'II;' oot usually publll."izcd or sold ofT 4-8-4 was hflndling (J train of 16 CflrS, Loula in 190,,, the railway comnu>l'clally, 1140 lona, at 80 mph and 18 per cenl The cr05S-!U!ction through ,he culofT, Ole back pl"ftSUl'e was only ENLARGED STUM AND f)C HAUST PASS AGES !iO\okebox of Santa Fe No, 3i52 81 the 3 pounds The olhel' ('ngint:s men_ 10Wl" I ighl 01 pagc 2", !!onowa Ihe Lan tioned here wel'e also good steamers. Extcrah-e wOl'k on stcam and ex_ nmg fl'llnt end with th(' Layden ex Tncldl'lItally, PRR Tl No, 6110 e\'ap haust Ilas.sages was done at Lima Lo hlltllol nozzle and some minol feline orated 105..a75 pounds of water per comotive Works wing Cull-size plaster m('nls by the ....711('1' (rt'moving the hour on the Altoona plant No, 5399 models of passages and ports to ch<'Ck top /lange from Ih~ u)'clen nonle evaporated i7,480 pounds of waler colored smoke 01' dust flow'S, The improved II), n~arly 40 IoIU of water con\'cl·ted into ml'DSUrClllcnt of stCAIll flows in aC lual TIlt' disbm,'" (10m th;:> 10WN ~gc on sll'nm per hOlil', This was a fine per_ locomotivcs was Also III Il"OSI't'S$. Thl' Ill" finn' of thl' Imudc ('xtclIJlIOn to th(' fon\1 1 TO CU':AR UP t:Ol1IC uf 11ll' !lli.~\'OTlC('I)tlon • • • Anti the cnse fOt" tile TI 2.6 Augu,' 1967 enlarged front-end throttle and new fastest of all, of course, were the TI's. solute corre<:lion of wheel casUngs and superheater, and the smokestack and No. 3752 was the: IMt steam loc Tra ins 27 T il E :1'I5:! PO'>M'~~t1 ;\ ~l l11pl," e,l/('t' IIt'1I1 ,'ah't' ."1I r, R.. l um ,\ ~"T"K r""l1ln~ l(l~ "'1,10 ~ .. ,,',' F'f' ,,,,,,, ... 1-... 110' I _X--I Tis.:: •• 1. ":",,,,,,,. ,·".n k of rolll r,..c.. ", ,:.1,,· K'''' . 1",,1 II worm ... he .. 1 I" all <)11 . Nfr r;,r 3, lind ~...,,,tl i. , h .. I .", \1 ~11. I,,!; to ,ul ;II2 j ll" .. ,1\1 u( I).... I~" 111: 111 Ilbx 1«;lO It' oI I" Ii".. "llh Ilif (,,'ul(" \lr ' he IIx lf', li nd Cil), K .. n, h' \1 .. ) '''I~ I.. d .... r 110 ...... 1.... "," 1 t:1 ("aph"" T h .. .,..r_ fur ...... 10 rO I ~ l lolI uf Ihe drhi" l ,,- llt'd II ... d r- h .. , hll rl r.. • r BOILER 8LOWOOWN PRACTICE the 1c,·d 01 hodel' water UllPlll!tIC!' At Limn n .J.(.i.G passengt'i locoono· How rOllunall' wl'n' the FI'cm'h, for Wlt/Ull .)l"('('pHlble hmlt.s 1I,·e was de!llgnro lOr a M idwestern M,·_ E\'an~ "taICs. ·"The~· '.\O\'n.' ,equlII'(1 1lllll"ooti. II WD$ to have an enormous to do 30 sC\.·onlk uf blow1l1~·dow·, Is I:)~t.i tl8ln.\ 19 and 20, thc Chit/. h.-eoox and would bum coal slowly ~\"ery 31 mile1>" and i anJ 8, the FII$I Mltll II.he laitci (somewhat akm to stal,onary power On Ihe Sunta F ... nil 1~'lbll' W(lil" u:>ually III twO l>~(;hOnlS) w\.'le poweled pl .. I" pI3clle('). with '·C1iu h ant Cud probl('m~ ~('{'m to havc l':l:llSt~d A with ~ll-n !ll Thl.'SC Il"IHn.~ wcn~ nor l,.'<:onOIl\l(>$. locomotive silined wc~lw;lId oul Qf mally nm with Ollt' -1-0--1 (a 3-160 On Ihe Santa Fe one of the Ia:.t pn)J the CllLC.'~O ent:ln('hoJu~e with z..'Ohte da.s..~) ffom Chicago 10 WI JunIa, 01 «I:; fo,' Ihe steam 100,:omoth'(! WM trealed watel On n fa~1 Ilam ~Ut;h 8!> dl~tan(; ... of 9!I2 1ll11es, :\1 La J unia ~ dYII:Jmic brakmg. By an ImlllO\'emcnt thl' Chu:/, thl~ I~nd<"d to (:ilUS{" pi mllllll, 1·8·-1 wIth 8O.llleh·dHllllct,,·. wheels of the LeChatelier prmciple of tnlro tha' did rIot ~clll(' down until Olhout look 0\·\" fOI Calif01 nhl (Illd did !lot ducllllol" Wl'! Sleam into Ihe eyllndel'S, Slrl·;,lo,. 111. 89 1Il,le' froll' Chu;,II;o. ~·01l1~' nfT tilt' II 11m until l~f)S AlIgd~'~ It would I)c j)();o.,'!ilble fOI ft heln')' lIai" FIUlhcl weslwald, Ihl' waWr uf Dvdjolc "';'l~ I'(':u,:h~-d, 1255 milc!! nway. (ll'1Cccnding II mount.am gl'lIdc to be C,ty, Kilns .. 11'<1:; nOI l'tl1nl>aI,bll, w!th ThIs steam locomolive pet·fol·manee held With lhe e)'hndCI'lS. The heat uf thai of the Wllt!'I' ~lallO ll .. I L.1/1lal, ,lIld utl\r:wt,on was unexcdll'(l any bl ilking (energy desl,oyed by l'Oll\· Colo_ Th(' ne:l:t Willl'l at ~ Junia. Wh('f{'. jlll'SoSIOn in thl.' cylinders) would he Colo., WIIS Ihc IHu-d('~t of Ihe hal(l. In fo'or mon' Ihan a decadl' Ihe bUIlders taken up by Ih(' wet .!>Icam. What a AntOna Ihell' wus no l!)Comoli\'(' wa and the '311'(>1111 hlld be('ll l'al"l"y'ng O\lt ~l.-ange and l'OlIlpcllmg !light II ..... ould te, al 1111 If Iny r('col!(oetlOn is COI"lC1.'t, MJI11c Ilrogl('S"... \·c desi~lUn~ which wns ho\'1.' bet.'11 to ~ee I-:,'Cal billows of about 3 'mllml1 gaJ1on~ of watl."· Wll.~ d(':ltln~-d nev,·,' to ,-each fu.lfil1ll1ent bc !\ kntn e:l:h:nl..~tlllg from a 1)llle ix!hllld h",uled ,In,ly IAt.o }-h... ;kbeny. An/_ ~n cuu~ tht' J'l· ..d al:l(' wtlS {·om ma 1010 tht' I>mokt-:'\{lck while 11\(' engine hdd 1 ~2 to loU PPOl"t the Mcam locomol,\',' Its 0\,\,·" hel' tram III dH."t'k dO\\11 CajOn or op<'ration aCIOS!! the (I~~('II Thert' w",l"(' cln'idcd d,I\·e:>, In the GloliCtIi. Neady .,11 rhe m'llnlmc I"IOWN wa... U.S we had then' in \'~dt'ly, l'S~ ' 'nl... npplu.'al,on ol the facto,~ which C(jU' IJllecl "".Ih COllt!llUOUli h1owdO'~11 clDnyon til(- drnwill~ bo(IIJ, hUi bOm" conli"(1! 1000omoth'e desi(,:n I.!> V~'IY dlf· d('\'It'('s {in nddlllQn, a [('IV of the Ilf th~':IIC w('le bUill, of COIil'S(' 1)(11" lerellt In F'l"illlCl' lind 10 the U_S . but 1 4·6-·1'!> had ;1l1l0malll blowoff CIIUlI)' I,culilily on the' Pt'nnsylv 28 AvgvSl 1967 - -