Journal Institution of Locomotive Engineers
Volume 10 (1920)

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Journal No. 42 (January to March 1920)

Jackson, G.H. (Paper No. 76)
Testing and treatment of material for the construction of railway rolling stock. 3-34. 10 diagrs. Disc.: 35-59: 311-14.
Meeting in Manchester on 5 December 1919 chaired by F.W. Attock.
Tests listed: tensile and elongation; compression; transverse bar tests; bend tests (hot, cold and quenched); drifting and hammering to a point or edge; fatigue (repeated reversal of stress, according to Wöhler); impact on notched and unnotched bars; torsion tests. drop or falling weight test; hardness, temper and brittleness. Special machines for transverse testing of cast iron bars, automatically measuring deflection made by Denison and Co., Leeds, W. and T. Avery, Birmingham, and Glenfield and Kennedy, of Kilmarnock were usually found in locomotive works. Laboratory testing apparatus attached to the Wicksteed machine for automatically drawing the stress strain diagram of a test piece. Professors Hele-Shaw, Unwin, Kennedy and Messrs. J. Buckton and Co., Leeds, makers of the Wicksteed machine, have devised apparatus for this purpose, and the resulting diagrams show very clearly the elastic limit, yield point, total strain and ultimate breaking stress of the material tested. The stress strain diagram can be readily plotted from any tensile result.
Discussion: J.H. Haigh (LYR, Horwich, 35-8) commented at length on tensile strength testing

Taylor, A.T.  (Paper No. 77)
Some points for discussion in locomotive design. Tail spindles, or extended piston rods. 61-3. Disc.: 63-8.
Meeting in London on 9 December 1919 chaired by J. Clayton.
It appeared to be general practice to fit modern engines with the tail spindle, especially if they are superheated, or the cylinders of large diameter, but there were exceptions: the GWR, LNWR and GNR had many engines running without them. Discussion: Chairman (J. Clayton) Holcroft (67) not in favour of tail rods.

Taylor, A.T. (Paper No. 77a)
Some points for discussion in locomotive design. Tyre fastenings. 69-70. Disc.: 70-7.
Meeting in London on 9 December 1919 chaired by J. Clayton
Considers various means adopted for securing tyres to the wheel centre to supplement shrinking on. Most railway companies had their own tyre shrinkage allowance, but a common practice was to bore the tyre out one thousandth less than the diameter of the wheel. GNR practice was to turn a shallow groove on the tread of the tyre, this being used to measure the circumference with a steel tape before and after shrinking on to the centre: any tyre exceeding the set limits was taken off again. This method prevented the tyre being stressed beyond its elastic limit and eliminates the unknown factor of the “give” in the wheel centre. Fig. 2 shows the type adopted by the GNR, LNWR, Midland and other companies. Screws were placed between each alternate spoke (the Midland placed one between each), and in some cases the screwing is continued into the tyre, and in others the thread is turned off the end of the stud which projects about one inch into a plain hole in the tyre. Fig. 3 shows the retaining ring method adopted by the GWR GER and other railways. The ring is sprung into position and the lip of the tyre hammered over continuously round the wheel, but the LCDR had a ring which varied in section, the tyre only being rivetted over at intervals, and this prevented the tyre turning on the wheel. Fig. 5 is illustrative of the method adopted by the NER and GNSR. The tyre, wheel centre, and retaining ring were rivetted together, the rivets being placed on the centre line of each spoke. Fig. 6 shows GCR practice, and in this case the retaining ring is dispensed with, the tyre and wheel centre being rivetted together. Figs. 4 and 7 show methods adopted by some Continental railways, notably the Belgian State Railway.

Taylor, A.T. (Paper No. 78)
Some points for discussion in locomotive design. Facilities for washing.out boilers. 82-5. Disc.: 86-101.
Meeting in London on 10 January 1920 chaired by W.A. Lelean
An important point in boiler design was to provide ample and efficient means for washing out, but there was great diversity in opinion concerning the number and position of plugs and mud doors, but oversupply was better than too few.

Mannering, S. (Paper No. 79)
Fusible plugs. 102-5. Disc.: 105-9.
Meeting in London on 10 January 1920 chaired by W.A. Lelean

Journal No. 43 (April 1920)

Holcroft, H.  (Paper No.80).
Four-cylinder locomotives. 115-32; 139-64. Disc.: 132-8; 165-77; 186-206. 29 diagrs.
Meeting in Leeds on 12 January 1920 chaired by E. Kitson Clark;  London on 7 February 1920 chaired by H. Kelway Bamber
Theoretical treatise on crank settings.

Discussion on locomotive cylinders and valves. 207-14. (Paper 81)
Meeting in Leeds on 10 February 1920 chaired by H.N. Gresley, but introduced by J.W. Kidd
G.A. Musgrave (GNR, Colwick, 212) noted that in the shops less carbonisation was alnays found with piston valves, and was greatly eliminated when the mechanical lubricator ceased to be used. With mechanical lubricators it was necessary to examine and clean valves every six weeks. With a Detroit they ran two months or longer, and there was not nearly the amount of carbonisation.

Barnes, W.A. (Paper No. 82)
Electric traction for railways. 215-38.
Meeting in Manchester on 5 March 1920 chaired by F.W. Attock

Journal No. 44 (May to July 1920)

Kelway-Bamber, H.  (Paper No. 83)
The waste of locomotive power. 242-60. Disc.: 269-74; 275-9.
Meeting in London on 6 March 1920 chaired by A.D. Jones and in Manchester on 9 April 1920 chaired J.W. Smith, and in Leeds on 27 April 1920 chaired H.N. Gresley
Plea for higher capacity wagons. Discussion: H. Holcroft (256-8) noted that GWR find the 20-ton coal wagon very economical to use: the tare weight was only eight tons – those fitted with the vacuurn brake were 8½ tons. Holcroft also noted advantages of Instanter couplings..

Dow, J.W.  (Paper No. 84)
Lubrication. 261-6. Disc.: 266-8; 281-95.
Meeting in Leeds on 9 March 1920 chaired by F.W. Kidd, and in London on 4 May 1920 chaired H. Kelway Bamber
W.P. Durtnall (283-5) mentioned Hoffmann ball bearings and Hyatt bearings.

Visit of the Institution of Locomotive Engineers to the Great Central Railway Company's Locomotive Works at Gorton, 8th June, 1920. 300-2. illus., plan

Visit to the North-Eastern Railway Carriage and Wagon Works at York, 13th July, 1920. 308-10. plan,

Journal No. 45

Pickersgill, W. [Paper No. 85]
Presidential Address. 335-48. Disc.: 348-50.
Began with noting that he had served seven years at Stratford and the sterling work performed there during WW1 under A.J. Hill . Locomotive development on the Caledonian Railway is described in general terms from the time of Alexander Allen through to the "present day". He noted that Allen employed outside cylinders and steel fireboxes. He described Benjamin Connor as a "very celebrated engineer". George Brittain introduced bogie engines and the Westinghouse brake: at this point he noted that McInnes, an engine driver, had also invented an air brake which was tested at the Newark brake trials and that McInnes ultimately became a brake inspector on the CR. Drummond developed the inside cylinder type and Carbrook was exhibited at the Edinburgh Exhibition of 1890. McIntosh developed larger boilers and sought higher tractive efforts. He then mentioned oil-firing using the Holden and Scarab systems, and the potential of the internal combustion engine and electric traction, and the advantage of regenerative braking with the latter..

O'Brien, H.E.  (Paper No. 86)
The management of the locomotive repair shop. 371-403. Disc.: 463-82; 499-511; 565-73.
Presented in London on 20 October 1920 (459) chaired A.D. Jones and Manchester on 5 November 1920 chaired by J.W. Smith and at First Ordinary General Meeting (1920-192 I Session) of the Scottish Centre held at the Royal TechnicaI College, Glasgow, oa the 26 November 1920, at 7.30 p.m., R.H. Whitelegg, Chairman of the Centre, presiding.

Journal No. 46 (November-December 1920)

Visit to Airedale Foundry Leeds, 12th October 1920. 408-14.
In 1839, Mr. James Kitson, in partnership with Mr. Laird, undertook the making of machinery and parts of locomotives. Shortly afterwards he associated himself with Mr. Thompson, an iron merchant, and Mr. Hewitson, an engineer. The latter came from Newcastle, and in 1845 we find the firm completing locomotives for the York and North Midland Railway Company, from designs supplied by Messrs. Stephenson, of Newcastle.

Kitson Clark, E. (Paper No. 87)
Articulated locomotives. 413-39. Disc.: 439-58: 1921, 11, 587-90.
The First Ordinary General Meeting (1920-1921 Session) of the Leeds Centre held at the Philosophical Hall, Ixeds, on the 12 October 1920, at 7 p.m., Colonel E. Kitson Clark [presiding.
A comparison, with diagrams, is made of Seraing, the Sturrock steam tender, Fairlie, Meyer. Mallet comapound, Henderson's compound triple locomotive for the Erie Railroad, the ACN&R Kitson Meyer, Shay, Tasmanian Government Railway's Garratt, the CTR Esslinger locomotive of 1912 and the Stephenon's patent of 1914. Ball and socket joints were discussed. There are considerable details of the Sturrock steam tender. The Horatio Allen double bogie locomotive is mentioned as is the George Stephenson chain driven locomotive of 1815. Cites Theodore West. . In the discussion Gresley (439-41) noted that boosters could be regarded as a form of articulation and noted data on steam tenders which had come from Patrick Stirling. C.N. Goodall (441-4) refered to the Heywood locomotive of 1880 which worked on the Duffield Bank Railway and employed the Klein-Lindner principle of flexible axles.

Musgrave, G.A. (Paper No. 88)
Locomotive running shed practice. 512-25. Disc.: 525-36.
Second Ordinary General Meeting (1920-1921 Session) of the Leeds Centre held at the Philosophical. Hall, Leeds, on the 9 November, 1920, at 7 p.m., Lieut.-Col. E. Kitson Clark, Chairman of the Centre, presiding.
GNR practice: author was at Colwick locomotive depot. Examinations and failures.

Rawlings, H.V.  (Paper No. 89)
Brake efficiency. 537-64.
Third Ordinary General Meeting (1920-1921 Session) held at Caxton Hall, Westminster, on 17 November, 1920, at. 7.15 p.m., Mr. W.A. Lelean, Member of Council, presiding.
Includes Pennsylvania Railway Brake Tests of 1913, and Captain Douglas Galton's earlier Newark Brake Trials. Considers brake apparatus and how to determine performance.

Haigh , J.A. (Paper No. 90)
The locomotive as a vehicle. 574-83.Disc.: 583-8.
Third Ordinary General Meeting (1920-1921 session) of the Manchester Centre held at the College of Technology, Manchester, on 3 December, 1920, at 7.0 p.m., Mr. J.W. Smith, Chairman of the Centre, presiding.
Argued that bogie must be considered as a separate vehicle. Discusses the dimensions of flanges, diamond crossings, side play, pony trucks, hammer blow and driving wheel diameters.