Journal Institution of Locomotive Engineers
Volume 41 (1951)
Steamindex home page  Updated 2009-05-13 Key file The IMechE virtual library is accessible (full papers, all diagrams, photographs, extensive tables, etc).at www.imeche.org.uk.

Journal No. 219

Warder, S.B. (Paper No.498).
Electric traction prospects for British Railways. 3-28. Disc.: 28-75 + 2 folding plates. 2 illus., 6 diagrs., 10 tables, 2 maps.
Note: appears to be duplicate Paper number: see also paper by Shields in previous Volume. Includes a map dated 1947 of lines which Southern Railway intended to electrify..
Fourth Ordinary General Meeting of the Session 1950-51 was held at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Storey’s Gate, London, on Wednesday 13th December 1950 at 5.30 p.m., Mr. R. A. Riddles, C.B.E., President, occupying the chair. The President in introducing the Author of the Paper, said that Mr. Warder who was now Chief Officer, Electrical Engineering, Railway Executive, had had a unique opportunity of studying both electrical and mechanical engineering on British Railways, having been Electrical Engineer for the Southern Region and afterwards becoming Mechanical and Electrical Engineer for the Southern Region. In that way he had had the innermost secrets of mechanical engineering at his disposal, and from the Paper it would be found that he had made great use of them. No one was more fitted to write a Paper on this subject at the present time
Brief comparison of the respective repair and maintenance arrangements for steam and electric motive power on the Southern was made to indicate the magnitude of the problem if and when electric traction becomes a reality on the lines north of the Thames. There was sufficient evidence to show that on technical and economic grounds the prospects for electric traction were excellent. On political grounds, that is, those conditions over which the Railway Executive had little control, the prospects were not so favourable, merely because the times were not propitious. Considerable sums of money were required for replacing electrical equipment now life expired and obsolescent; our engineers will be fully employed in renewal programmes of this nature for some years. Nevertheless money and time should be found to carry out some schemes in order to reduce operating costs and assist the railways to pay their way.
Therefore while most of the Author's contemporary engineers seem fated to spend their active railway life as planners there is some hope that in due course they may see some result of their efforts. Certainly there are great opportunities for the generation of young engineers now embarking on their railway career. They hold a unique position in being the first of the truly dual purpose engineers, and should thus be able to ensure, with complete impartiality, that both forms of motive power are given a fair chance of pulling the British Railways into relative solvency. KPJ: normally, the tenses are changed when original texts are used: but Warder's comments are as valid in 2009 as in 1951 and the future indications are still apt in the "environmentally conscious twenty first century".

Smith, S.G. (Paper No. 499)
Standardisation of coaching stock. 77-130. Disc.: 131-52.
Fifth Ordinary General Meeting held at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Storey's Gate, London, on Wednesday, 17 January 1951 at 5.30 p.m., Mr. R.A. Riddles, President, occupying the chair.
Author was Technical Assistant to the Carriage and Wagon Engineer, British Railways, Southern Region. An early decision was also taken to adopt welded steel body framing as definite policy, partly to obtain greater strength and partly because of increasing difficulties in obtaining suitable timber. Preliminary experience was available from recent vehicles constructed in this manner on the London Midland and Southern Regions for main line corridor and electric stock respectively.
W. S. Gaff-Baker (131-) was surprised that the stressed body vehicle was not favoured by the Committee; but, even if it had been, he thought that there was no doubt that in the situation which existed, and with the constructional facilities available, the underframe-supported light body must be regarded as the proper solution at the present juncture. With a stressed structure the underframe required props under it until the body was put on, and it could not very well be moved from one works to another. The small weight saving that might be anticipated from the stressed body could perhaps be attributed to the requirements for door and window openings, which in London Transport practice could be readily got round, because they did not have so many doors. They had big ones, but by putting them in the right place they got over part of that dficulty. He would be disappointed if he had to go ‘back to a non-stressed body construction. Even the original wooden electric rolling stock on the District Railway had been to a certain extent a stressed structure.
A good deal was said about making rolling stock lighter. Looking at it from the single point of view of the mechanical and electrical engineer dealing with a stopping service, with very short sections, weight reduction to economise in current was most important, since the train had to be stopped and started so frequently. With long-distance trains at any rate, that did not occur, and it seemed to him that the only important reason for lightening rolling stock was to enable a longer train to be pulled up a given incline at a desired speed with the same locomotive, or the same train with a smaller locomotive.
It was well known that in the USA the use of stainless steel was now practised on a very large scale. That first arose, he thought, when the “Zephyr” trains were first constructed, and it was desired to limit as much as possible the size and weight, and therefore the cost, of the diesel engines which were installed in the end cars. In the same way, for economical running the diesel locomotive should also be limited in size by reducing as much as possible the rolling stock weight. Moreover, United States passenger rolling stock had been extraordinarily heavy in the past, compared with anything which had ever been thought of in this country.

Journal No. 220

Harvey, R.F. (Paper No. 500)
Modernisation of a large motive power depot, Polmadie, Scottish Region. 191-226. Disc.: 226-61.
Sixth Ordinaxy General Meeting of the 1950-51 Session was held at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Storey’s Gate, London, on Wednesday 21st February 1951 at 5.30 p.m., Mr. R. A. Riddles, C.B.E., President, occupying the chair. The President said it was his pleasant duty to introduce Mr. R. F. Harvey, who was to read the Paper. Mr. Harvey was a Vice- President of the Institution, and members would wish to congratulate him on his recent appointment as 'Chief Officer (Motive Power) for British Railways. (Applause.) A former President* of the Institution had held that position before, and Mr. Harvey had a very high ideal td follow. Since Mr. Harvey had received most of his training under the late Chief of Motive Power, he could be expected to follow the high standard which had 'been set for him. The Paper would indicate the lines on which in future he proposed to provide the best locomotive depots for the best locomotives which could be built. Mr. R. F. Harvey, M.B.E., Vice-president, then read his Paper entitled " Modernisation of a Large Motive Power Depot: Polmadie, Scottish Region," which was afterwards discussed, and for which, on the motion of the President, he was accopded a cordial vote of thanks. * Col. Harold Rudgard, O.B.E., President 1948
Participants in the discussion included H. Rudgard (226) noted that could offer the Traffic Department a freight locomotive for twenty hours a day and a passenger locomotive for sixteen hours a day, and the locomotive could be in traffic the whole time, apart from the necessary fire-cleaning and taking of water. R.C. Bond (226-8). T. Henry Turner (231-2) criticised lack of reference to lighting up: fire droppers and savings obtained in that respect were mentioned, but, it was more important to save time in lighting up by direct steaming which the Americans had used for twenty years. No British shed used direct steaming which was very much kinder to the metal. It gave an opportunity of filling up with less total dissolved solids than when the ordinary method was used, because there was a considerable amount of condensed steam coming in, so that it was kinder to the metal, kinder to the water and kinder to the men; there was obviously much less smoke, and it was quicker. He suggested that all those advantages deserved consideration from the availability point of view. He asked if triangle reversing would not be possible for a layout over relatively flat country. The new French depots to which he referred all had turntables, but at Doncaster they used a simple length of track, and it seemed to be foolproof and not quite so vulnerable as a turntable.

Mayne, J.D. (Paper No. 501)
The thermal insulation of the steam locomotive. 262-71.
Fourth Ordinary General Meeting of the North Eastern Centre was held at the Danum Hotel, Doncaster, on 24th January 1951 at 6.45 p.m., the Chair being taken by Mr. J. C. Spark. The Minutes of the Meeting held on 22nd November 1950 were read, approved, and signed as correct. The Chairman introduced Mr. J. D. Mayne (Graduate) who read his Paper entitled “The Thermal
Mattresses The mattress is an envelope of woven asbestos fibre filled with loose asbestos. The whole is tailored like a coat to fit the boiler with cut-outs as required. The loose filling is weighed out to give the density required per sq. ft.-L.N.E.R. 1-13 Ib. sq. ft.-and is prevented from settling by zig-zag buttoning of the envelope, at an approximate pitch of 3 in. The individual mattresses are laced together and thus provide the maximum coverage of the area to be protected. An asbestos mattress, therefore, fulfills adequately the requirements for an insulator as shown by the following summary :
1. Cost :-reasonable initial cost when anticipated life is considered at least 15 years. An asbestos mattress recently removed from a L.M.R. Royal Scot had been in service for 23 years and had outlived the boiler.
2. Fire resistant qualities, good. The word asbestos is derived from a Greek word meaning unquenched.
3. Physical stability, good, does not settle.
4. Chemical stability, good.
5. Lightness, this is obviously controlled by individual requirements and can be adjusted to suit.
6. Availability, once the cloth is cut, awkward fittings present no further problem. Modifications to the boiler are adjusted by cutting out and sewing up or inserting a patch in the mattress.
7. Handleability, good, easily fitted by two men and can be rolled up out of the way when not in use.
8. Railproof, good, not easily damaged.
Asbestos Blocks
These are manufactured in all shapes and sizes to provide a tight fitting form of insulator. A standard rectangular block is used wherever possible. The outer covering consists of asbestos paper and the filling is chrysotile. Summary :
1. Cost:-reasonable, depends on number of rebates and nonstandard sections required. Their life is not so long due to their semirigid form. Once the outer cover is damaged the contehts soon fall out. 2. Fire resistant qualities :-good.
3. Physical stability :-good. It is impossible for the Mocks to settle as they are all wired together to form a solid unit.
4. Chemical stability :-good.
5.??
6. Availability :-limited. Blocks are not very satisfactory on the firebox where the stay heads prevent a close fit. If one block is damaged it may not be possible to replace it immediately if it is not a standard section.
7. Handleabi1ity:-very good. Small light sections give a rapid erection and individual sections are soon removed for inspection.
8. Railproof:-fair. Blocks do not stand up very well to rough usage.
Plastic Asbestos may be applied in a similar manner

Journal No. 221

Cox, E.S. (Paper No. 502)
British standard locomotives. 287-335. Disc.: 336-403 + 5 folding plates. 22 illus., 20 diagrs., 7 tables. .
Fortieth Annual General Meeting of the Institution was held at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Storey’s Gate, London, S.W.I., on Wednesday 21st March 1951 at 5.30 p.m., followed by the Seventh Ordinary General Meeting of the Session 1950-31, Mr. R. -4. Riddles, C.B.E., President, occupying the Chair.
Key paper: Ian Allan book with similar title is more widely available, but both covers a greater ground and was intended for a different readership. The response to the paper is especially important.

The new designs incorporated the following criteria:

Bar frames were originally proposed, but in detailed working out, available machine capacity and handling space in railway shops was found to be insufficient, not only to deal with slabs, but with box castings tentatively developed in conjunction with the British Steel Founders' Association, to reduce the amount of machining. Further, bar frames would, have increased cost and weight and had to be abandoned. Except in the case of the largest 4-6-2 not yet in contemplation, use of two cylinders only was decided upon for the following reasons:-

Discussion: H.M. Dannatt (343-4): notes on steel fireboxes and chimney carbonization. See also Tuplin page for his Tuplinesque response to this paper.

Journal No. 222

Gudgin, D.S.E. and Birkinhead, G.H. (Paper 503)
Some impression of the American diesel locomotive industry. 408-21. Disc.: 421-55.
Fifth Ordinary General Meeting of the Manchester Centre was held at the College of Technology, on the 14th of March 1951, the chair being taken by Mr. J. J. Finlayson
When the Sales Department has discovered the range of requirements of the field in which it intends to campete it is the job of the Designers to cover that range with the fewest possible models. All American Railways share a common gauge, permissible axleloads of well over twenty tons and a generous loading gauge, so that three of the variables that make standardisation difficult in British markets do not exist for the American manufacturer producing for his large Home Market. Two or at most three Diesel engines designed to be de-rated or supercharged, with one size of traction motor and one or two sizes of generator cover the whole range of horse-power required. Three or four standard bogies with a choice of gear ratios cover the whole range of tractive efforts, and speeds. Three or four types of nose and superstructure house all the combinations of power units. Several types of underframes are required but they have common features. These basic units are combined in various ways to cover the whole field with about a dozen basic types of locomotive.

Jendrassik, G. (Paper 504)
Practice and trend in development of diesel engines with particular reference to traction. 426-66.

Newman, W.A.
The effect of changing economic conditions in Canada on railway operations and equipment [Sir Seymour Biscoe Tritton Lecture]. 467-80.

Journal No.223.

Koffman, J.L. (Paper 505)
Dynamic braking of steam, diesel and gas turbine locomotives. 490-536. Disc.: 537-57.
R.A. Riddles (537) explained Sillcox’s trouble (the paper had opened with an extensive quotation from L.K. Sillcox's Mastering momentum. New York, 1940). It had little to do with the heavy braking found with heavy stock in America; but was primarily due to the the American use of chilled cast iron wheels. When working for the Ministry of Supply he thought that if chilled cast iron wheels could be used successfully with the heavy rolling stock in America Britain could probably take advantage of the rapid production achievable with chilled cast iron wheels, and they  were fitted to the tenders of the “austerity" locomotives only to find that although he reduced the brake percentage to make sure that they were not applied too hard, the practice was to put the brake on by the steam brake, screw the hand brake down, release the steam brake and run down the gradients with the hand brake not only screwed on but put on with the steam pressure, and they had all the trouble of cracks and galls on the tyres. This to such an extent that they changed all the wheels to steel, after which there had been no further trouble.
The suggestions made in the Paper were, on the author’s own confession, not new. He himself was a. great believer in the simplicity of the steam locomotive. While regenerative braking was undoubtedly the right and proper thing for electric traction, where possible, he thought it would complicate the steam locomotive too much.
He congratulated the author on the tremendous amount of research that he must have covered in order to produce a paper of that kind. He agreed with the President that they would be able to study much of what the author had said, and see whether the general suggestions that he had made could be used in particular cases.
D.R. Carling. (538-9) said that in considering the possible use of counter-pressure braking on steam locomotives it would seem essential to use a system of the utmost simplicity – simplicity of construction, of maintenance and of operation. The system developed by the Test Department of the former London and North Eastern Railway and described in Paper No. 441, read before the Institution in 1943 by T. Robson – which might be added to the Author’s most admirable bibliography – was of particular interest.
There were no “ moving parts ” beyond two stop valves in the cab; one of these valves controlled a supply of steam from the boiler to the blast pipe and the ther a supply of hot water from the boiler direct to the cylinders. With such a locomotive it would be possible to change from full power to full dynamic braking in a matter of seconds as only three operations were needed, to open the steam valve to the blast pipe, to reverse and to open the water valve to the cylinders. There would be no need to touch the regulator at all unless it happened to be closed when the need for braking occurred. Control of the braking was carried out by adjusting the cut-off in back gear.  The locomotive actually converted by the LNER (Fig. 41) was capable of absorbing in the cylinders any power that could be transmitted to the wheels by adhesion, the adhesive weight being 47 tons and the two cylinders 20 in x 26 in. with wheels 6 ft. 1 in. diameter, and boiler pressure 160 psi.
Some of the alterations made to permit that obsolete locomotive to absorb up to 1,500 h.p. continuously, including its own running resistance, at speeds up to 70 m.p.h., would not be required for braking to rest, even from very high speeds due to the short duration of the braking and such high powers would hardly be called for when descending long gradients with a locomotive of that size. A more modern machine would have more adequate bearing surfaces and better lubrication. It would be advisable to fit cylinder relief valves of generous size.
The real secret of successful counter-pressure braking lay in an ample supply of water to cool the cylinders and valves, but it was most important not to supply too much water when the power being absorbed was not enough to vaporise it as this would result in damage due to excess of water in the cylinders.
Counter-pressure brakes were still being fitted to locomotives for service in mountainous countries and there was no doubt that a well designed brake of that type could be used to improve operation and to reduce maintenance, provided, of course, that the staff were taught to use it correctly.
On very long gradients one advantage of dynamic braking was that it was no longer necessary to stop heavy freight trains for an hour or more to allow the brake blocks to cool off.

Tritton, J.S. [Presidential Address].
The inspecting engineer's contribution to railway economy. 559-92. 18 figures
MEETING IN LONDON 17th OCTOBER 1951 The First Ordinary General Meeting of the Session 1951-52 was held at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Storey’s Gate, London, on Wednesday 17th October 1951 at 5.30 p.m., Mr. J. S. Tritton, President, occupying the Chair.

Journal No. 224

Peacock, D.W. (Paper No. 506)
Railway wind tunnel work. 606-31. Disc.: 631-61.
Fourth Ordinary General Meeting of the Midlands Centre was held at the Midland Hotel, Derby, on 14 December 1950, the Chair being taken by E. R. Durnford.
The wind tunnel installed by LMS at Derby. Describes work on the Stanier streamlined Pacifics, the streamlined articulated railcar, smoke deflection, the Britannia Pacifics, the Fell diesel and on platform awnings.