Journal of the Institution of Locomotive Engineers
Volume 20 (1930)

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Journal No. 93

Wagner, R.P. (Paper No. 253)
Some new developments of the Stephenson boiler. 5-21. Disc.: 21-47. 12 diagrs.
Opening General Meeting of the 1929-30 Session was held at Denison House, Vauxhall Bridge Road, London, on Thursday, 26 September, 1929: chaired by Bazin.
Until the introduction of the superheater, boiler development was simple: the boiler was gradually enlarged, the firebox received careful attention, whilst the major part of the inventions in connection with the boiler were connected in some way or other with the firebox. The Tenbrinck syphon was designed to replace the brick arch and to facilitate the burning of coal instead of coke. A1though it gave improved circulation, its unsuitable design and poor workmanship prevented its introduction. Later, a syphon of a better design has proved a success in many cases. Fireboxes without stay bolts had been introduced, and, for various reasons, abandoned, whilst flexible stay bolts have been adopted for many large fireboxes. In spite of all these devices the majority of fireboxes designed nowadays are sti1l representative of StephenSon's original idea, and serve their purpose excellently. The coming of high pressures will naturally put an end, however, to his original design.
It has been practically out of the question to transmit to the water more than jo per cent. of the heat inside the firebox, the amount usually being in the neighburhood of 40%. On account of the high ratio of heat transmission in the firebox it has become standard practice (and :t good practice, too) to make the inner casing of the firebox of copper, as this material is an excellent conductor of heat. The more or less flat walls of the firebox are subjected to bending stresses, and they tend to buckle under boiler pressure. It is, therefore, desirable to provide stiffness by making the copper plates as thick as permissible and to employ a suitable small pjtcli for the stays. If the pitch of the stays is, however, too close, it interferes with the circulation of the water, and, therefore, certain initial rigidity of the flat plates is necessary, and this is more readily attained with copper plate than with steel, which, although thinner, has less conductivity. Wherever steel plates are used, they are very thin; investigation of the steel used in America for the firebox plates shows that it is consickrably purer than steel produced from most European ores. Even, however, by the employment of such excellent material, the plates usually become very brittle after some ycars' use. Copper, it will be appreciated, is an expensive metal, ancl for this reason its employment raises the original cost of a locomotive; therefore the German State Railways have continued their efforts to prcxluce a satisfactory steel firebox.
The velocity of gases flowing through the cylindrical pipes of a given length is in a certain relation to the bore of this pipe, or rather to the area of its section, which may be called “A”. The relation is such that, given a certain sucking effort of the smoke box, the velocity increases with increasing area of the tube. On the other hand, the chief resistance to the gas flow in this tube or pipe is the friction of the gases against the walls of the pipe, and this depends entirely upon the surface “S”. With increasing friction or surface naturally the velocity drops, and reducing the friction or surface increases the velocity. .Consequently, the tube area is in direct, and the friction surface in inverse, relation to the velocity, so that the velocity "V" is a function of the quotient.
Contributors to the discussion included Bazin (who chaired the meeting, 21-2);
Maunsell (22-4): "I have endeavoured to make a comparison between the ratios which Herr Wagner has recommended and those which have been adopted in the most recent engines I have built for the Southern Railway. Although the ratios are not quite what Herr Wagner advocated, 1: 400, I can only say that the engines steam well, they are reasonably economical in fuel, and the back pressure is low, but not so extraordinarily low as the figures obtained by Herr Wagner in the engines which he has recently designed. Perhaps the results I have obtained might prove, to a certain extent, the truth of the old saying, that there are more ways of killing a dog than by choking him with butter! There is, however, one point which has an important bearing on the velocity of gases through the boiler flues and back pressure, namely, the diameter of the exhaust pipe. I sould be glad if Herr Wagner would be good enough to tell us how that is considered, when calculating the areas of the ordinary smoke and superheater flues? We have also found from practice that the relationship between the position of the blast pipe nozzle and the horizontal central line of the tube plate, measured both longitudinally and vertically, has a very distinct bearing on the uniformity of the flow of gases through the tubes; and I would value Herr Wagner's opinion on that point also.
In the earlier part of his Paper Herr Wagner referred to steel and copper fireboxes. I can only say that steel fireboxes have not proved a success so far as I know in England, when applied to engines designed for main line service. There have been several cases of small shunting engines with steel fireboxes which. have given satisfactory results, but not with engines designed for main line serdce. I do not believe that the failure is due to the poor quality or the unsuitability of the material which is used. Some years ago I imported from America a number of steel firebox plates, and the results obtained with these were no better than the results obtained from plates made to a similar specification, but manufactured in England. My opinion is that the failure was due to the fact that the fireboxes of British engines are relatively small compared with American engines, due to weight and clearance restrictions, and the rate of combustion per square foot per grate area is relatively high; and, in addition to its higher conductivity, a copper firebox will stand up better to high temperatures and severe conditions of service than a steel firebox. I remember, when going through the Baldwin Locomotive Works, discussing the question of the steel and copper firebox with Mr. Sam Vauclain, the President, and asking him if he ever fitted locomotives with copper fire boxes? Mr. Vauclain said, as far as he could remember that the only boilers to which he had fitted copper fireboxe were those which were intended for use in Cuba and, he added, with a twinkle in his eye, that he thought probably the reason for doing so was the very low mentality of th natives who would have to operate the engines in that island! I did not think that remark was exactly a flattering one to European engineers. We shall certainly watch with interest the performanc, of the corrugated box, which Herr Wagner has illustrated though I am not quite sure how that is going to get himout of the trouble experienced with tube plates. The corrugation of the side and crown plates may possibly hell him with regard to expansion; out I do not see how he is going to be relieved of the tube plate trouble.
Sir Henry Fowler (24-5): I agree with Mr. Maunsell that the Paper we have heard requires a great deal of discussion and also a great deal of thought. To begin with, in the first part of the Paper reference is made to the question of a corrugated firebox, and no doubt the Author will remember that the Jacob box of the Santa Fé Railroad of America was on the same principle, but for various reasons it has been abandoned. In the box with which Mr Wagner is experimenting, I am rather doubtful whether trouble may not be experienced owing to the "breathing' which must take place in the corrugations. Something will probably also depend upon the class of water used, and I think difficulties may arise with water which gives a hard china-like scale which might crack along the corrugation and lead to subsequent corrosion.
With regard to the interesting proposal of increasing the number of superheater elements in the smoke tubes, I would point out that one railway in England has adopted for many years elements comprised of six small tubes in each superheater flue tube as against the normal arrangement. On the old Midland Railway, we have tested an engine so fitted, but it did not meet with the success we had hoped.
Coming to the main point of the Paper, which refers to the proportions of the tubes, one can compare the suggestion of Mr. Wagner of area of free space to area of surface of tube with that of Mr. Lawford Fry, who has, as is well known, done such a great work on the proportions of the ordinary boiler tubes, and who advocates that the ratio between the diameter of a tube and its length should not exceed 1 to 100, and it is interesting to note that in the case of a plain boiler tube, if the ratio A /S is 1 /400, as recommended by Mr. Wagner, this is identical with Mr. Lawford Fry's proposed maximum ratio mentioned above.
I would like to know how the figures on Fig. 9 were obtained, because they are of very considerable interest. It is also interesting to see the efficiencies which Mr. \Vagner has given, for after all, one's own children are always much better looking than anyone else's, and I would like to say that on my Company's "Royal Scot" engine, on a run in which we reached l,300 drawbar h.p. and an average speed of about 52 miles, the average boiler thermal efficiency is found to be 80½ per cent.
I have made a tabulated list of boiler proportions which are looked upon as fairly satisfactory and efficient. The manufacturing question comes in with regard to the first three, because they have the same tube plate. We look upon the first boiler; G.7, as probably being the best proportioned one, and it will be seen that the ratios for it vary considerably from those according to Mr. Wagner's proportions.

TUBE RATIOS—L.M.S. ENGINES.

I have also taken the ratio of internal diameter to length for one of the boilers guoted by Mr. Wagner and I find that this ratio is 1 to 112, somewhat in excess of Mr. Lawford Fry's maximum. I would, however, say that I am not at all in favour of tubes 22 feet in length and of the diameter given.
E.A. Robinson (25-8): The Paper is one of exceptional interest to us all, coming as it does from so well-known an engineer as Mr.  Wagner. I am particularly interested in his remarks regarding the size of boiler tubes and flue tubes for varying lengths of boilers. Generally speaking, in the interests af standardisatian, it has not been found possible to vary the size af those tubes and flues in accordance with what might be the most economical size from the point of view of evaporatian.
In many of the early superheated boilers, having superheaters originally designed by the Schmidt Superheating Company, 51/8in. external diameter flues were used with 1½in. elements. The small size flue tube found on the early boilers, which were generally short in the barrel, had in many cases been carried out, I regret to say, all the most modern boilers. A 1½in. element in a 51/8in. flue occupies 29 per cent. of the area. A 13/8in. element in a 5¼in. flue occupies 21 per cent., and a 1½in. element in 5½in. flue occupies 24 per cent. It will be observed that the small flue tube with the larger element tubing gives a small net gas area and is liable to become choked.
With regard to. Mr. Wagner's statement that when he increased the number af flue tubes fram 34 to 35 and increased their diameter fram 47/8in. to. 55/16in. as against a similar boiler where he increased the number of flue tubes from 34 to 41, but retained the same size, I should have expected that the reason a higher superheat was obtained from the former arrangement was due to the fact that the design had the net gas area through the superheater increased by 19 per cent. over the original design, due the increased diameter flues and 4 per cent. due to one extra flue, making a total of 23 per cent. greater in the gas area; whereas in the other boiler the net gas area was only increased by 20 per cent; in other words, the boiler giving the higher superheat with a smaller superheating surface had a greater net gas area through the superheater.
Mr. Lawford Fry, in his well-known book, " The Study of the Locomotive Boiler," has dealt with the sizes of boiler tubes and flue tubes from the aspect of the mean hydraulic depth. The mean hydraulic depth is the sectional area of the tube divided by the gas-swept perimeter, but does not take into account the length af the tube, as does the ratio A/S given by Mr. Wagner. Mr. Lawford Fry states that "a decrease in the mean hydraulic depth, other conditions remaining the same, will produce a considerable increase in the amount of heat taken up from the gases, and consequently a decrease in the smokebox temperatures."  I think that is why Mr. Wagner obtained a higher superheat in his experimental boiler fitted with flue tubes having a diameter of 63/8in. with six superheater tubes contained therein, having an inside diameter of 29/32in.
R.H. Whitelegg (28-9); W.A. Lelean (29);
H. Chambers (29-30):one statement made by Herr Wagner struck him very forcibly — the combustion chamber, which so far as the German State Railways are concerned, is considered highly undesirable. As a designer, he was very interested, being closely in touch with modern design, and it is a surprising thing to him that a combustion chamber for locomotive fireboxes should be so criticised when, particularly in the locomotives built for the American railways, the combustion chamber is so largely used; Speaking again from the designer’s point of view, I think the adoption of the combustion chamber provides two valuable assets: firstly, it allows the boiler tube to be kept within reasonable length as compared with the inside diameter; secondly, it allows a longer path for the products of combustion, therefore, one may assume that more perfect combustion will be achieved before the gases enter the tubes. Incidentally, there is an increase in the firebox heating surface, but I naturally sympathise with Herr Wagner’s troubles from the weight distribution point of view. I do however think that the efficiency of the boiler should take the first place ; and, probably, the weight distribution troubles might be suitably arranged by a little scheming. It is interesting to note that the Great Western Railway is the only outstanding railway in England which retains the purely rectangular form of firebox for their most modern passenger locomotives, whereas the Southern Railway, the London and North Eastern Railway, and the L.M.S. have all adopted the combustion chamber in, of course, a smaller degree ; but from experience on the L.M.S. they are giving very good results.
Herr Wagner also said that from pulverised fuel very much better combustion is obtained in the same type of firebox than with coal hand fired. 1 should be inclined to say that the improvement in combustion would mainly be due to the difference in firing conditions with pulverised fuel, as there are no doors to be opened, and the air supply can be better regulated and, therefore, I suggest that, with the combustion chamber and pulverised fuel, even better combustion would be obtained. I have great pleasure in joining in this interesting discussion on Herr Wagner’s Paper, which deals with the importance of getting maximum efficiency from the locomotive boiler by giving careful attention to the correct proportions, and the Paper is, therefore, a most valuable contribution to the Proceedings of the Institution.
Mr. J. Clayton (30-2): I am one of those who had the privilege of taking part in that unique visit of the Institution to Germany last year. It was not very long after we entered Germany that we found ourselves amongst friends, and one of the first of these friends to make our acquaintance and to show us the right hand of fellowship on that visit was Herr Wagner. To-night we are particularly happy, not only in having him here, but in recognising that the Institution has done right in making him an Honorary Member of the Institution, and as he is now one of us we may call him not ‘ I Herr ” Wagner but I ‘ Mr.” Wagner. The contribution that the Author has made to the Institution’s records is an extremely valuable one; of that there can be no question. The relation of the diameter or area of the tube to its length, though a simple point, undoubtedly must ha1 e an influence upon the efficiency o f the boiler. Speaking for the practice on the Southern Railway I can say that we have quite a number of engines which really do very well ; and yet, for some reason or other, their tube proportions do not fit Mr. Wagner’s formula. It seems to me that the only way to prove whether Mr. Wagner is right in his conclusions is to build a boiler on the lines laid down. It seems, however, that we require more information than the mere formula. When the Paper is published in the Journal, I hope the Author will include sketches of the various boilers and of the engines to which they are applied, and give full details of the blast pipe and the diameter of the orifice, the size of grate, the heating surfaces, the firebox and smoke box volumes, and the relation of the blast pipe to the chimney and the size of chimney, and so on, in order to complete the story.
In his Paper Mr. Wagner speaks of a “ certain sucking effect.” That sucking effect is caused by the effort of the blast to create the necessary draught on the fire. Then later on he speaks of a very low back pressure 1 to 3lbs. On examining a large number of indicator diagrams the lowest I can find is 5lbs. per square inch. Yet Mr. Wagner is not satisfied with 5lbs. or 3lbs. ; but he wants 1lb., hence my desire for more information. I agree with Sir Henry Fowler in thinking that the condition of the inside of the tube must have some bearing on the question, that is whether they are clean or sooty. Reference is made by the Author to a short boiler, which it is said might have a very much lower back pressure, and I would like to know what Mr. Wagner means by a short boiler. Then the Author says that every German locomotive and every European locomotive “ has attained normal combustion in fireboxes of normal dimensions.” I would like to know here what Mr. Wagner means by ‘‘ normal combustion.” We always have a feeling that our boilers are too small, and are generally lacking in firegrate area and in firebox volume. When getting out new designs, it is the practice to compare the boiler proportions of those regarded as efficient and known to steam well, and from these known facts to deduce the new and improved boiler. We are generally handicapped by the fact that the weight of the locomotive must be kept within certain limits, and yet the chief mechanical engineer wants the biggest boiler possible; and so we have to do the best we can with the various ratios which experience has left to us. With regard to the combustion chamber, I would like to correct Mr. Chambers’ impression because I do not think he is quite fair in referring to the combustion chamber as used on the “ Lord Nelson.” This is not regarded as a combustion chamber in the true sense of the word, but as an extension of the firebox. The combustion chamber that Mr. Wagner refers to is one which enters into, and is parallel with, the barrel, and is stayed to it by radial stays. But the combustion chambers used on the Southern Railway’s *Lord Nelson” and on the “Royal Scot” are not quite of that variety. ’They are extensions of the firebox, and are useful in that respect, for the reason which Mr. Chambers gave, that they shorten the tubes, and give what English engineers regard as a good firebox while keeping the grate within limits. In conclusion I would again like to thank Mr. Wagner for his very useful contribution to our Proceedings, which we shall look forward to reading in full. It has been a great pleasure to renew our friendship with the Author again and to remember how in Germany he did show us real friendship, not only classically and technically, but convivially.
D.W. Sanford (32-3) indicated one difficulty about the formula which Wagner used namely that velocity is the function of area divided by the surface, but which was not clear is in the following respect. Velocity down the tube is by no means uniform from the firebox to the smoke box. The gases start away at a very high temperature at the firebox end, and, therefore, occupy a considerable volume per unit. As they travel towards the smoke box they cool down considerably, and the volume is thereby reduced. Therefore, as the quantity passing must be constant all down the tube, the velocity must be considerably reduced thereby. Thus it would appear that velocity is not only the function of the expression given, but also of the amount of heat transference which takes place. In Fig. 9, it is shown that the gases issuing from the flue tubes are at a higher temperature than those issuing from the small evaporative tubes. Although that formula is, no doubt, all right as it stands, provided one gets the same drop of temperature in both tubes, it would appear that the velocity is not only a function of A / S , but must also be a function of the heat transference; or, in other words, a function of the final temperature at which the gases issue at the smoke box.
H. Holcroft (33-4): (Leeds 40-7): D.W. Harvey (41);
E.W. Selby (41-3) thought that the Papcr was extremely interesting: the formula A/S should be very helpful in improving thc steaming of boilers, which arc apparently large enough, but which do not seem to steam very satisfactorily. He had applied the formula to a number of English engines, and these were shown in a table (not reproduced). It appears, however, that we follow fairly closely the German ratio of 1 :400, rather below than above it. This is what might be expected, since the Germans have always used a long boiler, in order, presumably, to withdraw the greatest amount of heat from the flue gases before wasting them. As regards the close agreement between A / S for the smokc tubes and A\S for the: small tubes, the best figures appear to be thosc of he GWR King George V., the King Arthur and Lord Nelson classes on the Southern Railway, and the standard compound on the L.M.S.R. He claimed that all these cngincs were excellent steamers and very economical. In the case of the LNER. Pacific, the A/S ratio for the small tubes is high compared with the ratio for the smoke tubes. This suggests that these engines would steam satisfactorily with a lighter blast if fitted with larger (say 2¼in. diameter) small tubes,
C.F. Adams (43); A. Hird (43-4); E.A. Newsum (44); S.J. Lucas (44-5).

Shields, T.H. (Paper No. 254)
Locomotive regulator valves. 49-103. Disc.: 103-24; 197-203; 717-19.
Second Ordinary General Meeting of the 1929-30 Session was held at Denison House, \.'auxhall I3ridg.c Road, London, on Thursday, the 31st of October, 1929, at 6 p.m. In the absence of the President, Mr.. J. Clayton, M.R.1;. (Vice-I'resiclent) occupied the Chair.
Sixth Ordinary General Meeting of the Newcastle Centre was held in the L.N.E.R. Institute, North Road, Darlington, on Tuesday, the 25th day of March, 1930, at 6.30 a.m., hIr. B. Irving taking the chair.
For many years it had been standard practice for steam generated in the boiler of a locomotive enters the main steam pipe on its way to the cylinders, through the regulator valve. This valve is generally situated in the dome on the boiler barrel, and regulates steam supply to the cylinders by throttling. The regulator valve is controlled by the regulator rod passing back from the dome through the boiler and above the inner firebox to the regulator lever placed on the boiler back plate. A stuffing box is fitted on the boiler back plate which carries the end of the regulator rod, and prevents any leakage of steam through the boiler back plate. The front end of the regulator rod is carried by a projection at the foot of the vertical steam pipe in the dome. Close to this front end of the regulatot rod is either a crank, or eccentric, which operates the regulator valve through the medium of a connecting link.

Ordinary plug cocks were first used as regulator valves: Hedley's Puffing Billy, Foster Rastrick's Agenoria, and Stephenson's Rocket, all in South Kensington Museum, show regulator valves of this type. Samuel's locomotive of 1847 had another form of plug cock regulator for its vertical boiler. Plug regulator valves were abandoned chiefly owing to their frequent sticking.

Stephenson's Locomotion No.1 has a flat regulator valve on each of its two steam chests, controlled by one regulator lever. The driver's handle is connected to a spindle on the top of the boiler barrel, this spindle passing through a stuffing box to the inside of the boiler, where it is attached to a double crank; from this crank a rod is connected to each end, leading to a flat valve on the bottom of each steam chest. Stephenson, later, built a few locomotives with the regulator in the form of a slide valve covering a port on the top of the cylinder steam chest. Daniel Gooch [KPJ wromg Gooch] used this form of valve on the L. & S.W. and Eastern Counties Railways. The steam chest regulator was controlled by a rod passing from the regulator through the smoke box below the boiler, and, by means of a lever parallel to the regulator handle, was brought within reach of the dnver.

In Bury's engines a conical plug regulator valve was actuated by turning a handle in front of the firebox; a spiral groove of large pitch was made on the regulator valve spindle in which fitted a pin attached to the boiler. When the spindle was turned, the steam passage to the cylinders was opened. Another form of regulator prior to 1840 was in the form of a double beat valve placed in the steam pipe leading from the dome, this valve being lifted by a tappet attached to the regulator rod, and one form of horizontal double-beat valve was operated by a double-threaded screw.

Regulators about this time (1840) were generally placed in the horizontal steam pipe, dry steam being led to the regulator from the dome and sometimes from a second dome situated along the. boiler barrel. (This practice of having two steam domes was common on theContinent up till about 1900). The regulator valve itself was usually a rotating disc which had two sector-shaped apertures covered by a butterfly valve; the valve being situated above the firebox required only a short regulator rod. An improvement on this design, credited to Sharp, Roberts & Co. is that, as in modern practice, the regulator valve is itself placed in the dome, and here we have the first instance of the now usual vertical regulator valve actuated by a lever and a vertical link; this being introduced about 1839.

The Crampton regulator valve of about 1848, consisted of an external box on the top of the boiler barrel, steam coming from an internal steam pipe which had a slit along the top. A branch from this pipe entered the box where a double slide valve acted as a regulator valve. The valve was moved by a regulator tod passing along the top of the boiler barrel on the outside. The regulator lever warked in a horizontal guide or sector in the cab. The Cramptan regulator was in favour for many years an the Continent. Shield illustrated the position af the regulator on the boiler and external steam pipe to the cylinders: a modified type of this regulator may be seen an the sectional madel of a Fairlie locomotive in the South Kensingtan Museum. In this case, the sliding type of regulator valve is placed at the bottom of the vertical steam pipe in the dome, the regtilator rod passing through a stuffing bax at the back of the dome along the top af the boiler to the cab, the internal steam pipe passing as usual to the smoke box.

Some early forms of regulator valves were situated in the smokebox. In one the body of the regulator was cylindrical, and placed concentrically with the regulator rod was a brass valve, which turned radially with the regulator. The valve, when closed, overlapped on each side of the broad post, but an the steam edge of the valve the edge was shaped as shown; therefore, when the valve opened. to steam, the steam was only admitted at the centre and the full width of part was not uncovered until the valve had moved 1/8 inch over the port, this giving gradual admission of steam to the cylinders. The valve was held to its seat by a small vertical spring.

The sliding type af regulator valve is fixed on the smokebox. tubeplate, the parts being arranged lengthwise, and the valve moving across the ports. Later types of this regulator have been fitted with a pilot valve, a modified form being in use on the G.W. Rly., where steam is conducted to the regulator by a bifurcated internal steam pipe leading from the large steam space above the firebox.

Figures represented the two most common types of regulator valves for domeless locomotives, popular from 1870 to 1890 and still fitted in a modified form in 1930. Like the previous type the regulator was placed as high as possible in the centre of the smoke box tubeplate. The internal steam pipe in some cases reached the full length af the boiler to the firebox back plate, and in other cases terminated just above the firebox tubeplate. The regulator rod, of the pull-out type, passed through the internal steam pipe. The top of the internal steam pipe was perforated with about 250 holes, or less but larger holes. Along tbe top af the pipe on each side of these perforatians two baffle strips were brazed; these were ¾ inch high and served to prevent water from entering the steam pipe through violent ebullition or rough shunting. In about 1870 on the GSWR Stirling used a form of internal steam pipe somewhat similar, but instead of the perforations eight short vertical tubes, one inch diameter, were fixed on top of the internal steam pipe immediately above the inner firebox, the steam passing through these pipes into horizontal steam pipe. Stirling's regulator gear at this time consisted of a vertical lever connected to an external regulator rod which passed along the side of the boiler the smoke box from which another rod passed into the regulator valve in the smoke box. The reverser lever and the regulator handle were both at the driver's right hand, a convenient position.

As regards the regulator valve, the two ports in the cast iron head were arranged transversely, these ports being covered by a cast iron valve with one large central port and two small ports at each end; on the back of this valve a brass pilot valve was fitted, the pilot valve being slightly longer than the main valve. In the Author's experience, this type of regulator was more costly to maintain than the ordinary double-beat variety. A frequent occrrence was their sticking when open, especially the type shown in Fig. 2. In this case the end of the rod passing through the stuffing box on the front, often corroded after a few months' service.

The Younghusband regulator valve is described on p.61 (with diagram). Presumably this Younghusband is the same one who invented a form of valve gear used briefly on the NER. The special regulators fitted to the LMS compounds were described on pp 62 and in pp. 66-7; Stroudley's regulator is described on pp. 63 and 68. Ramsbottom's regulator is described as invented on p. 64 and in its "modern form" on pages 65 and 68-9. Lockyer's patent balanced regulator valve is described on pp. 69-73, Owen's balanced double beat regulator developed by A.E. Owen (p. 73); Zara's balanced regulator (pp. 74-5) (see also Zara); the Joco combined regulator and drifting valve marketed by Wota Ltd and used on the LNER (pp. 74-80); the Buck external regulator valve invented by W.L. Buck in the USA; Chamber's front-end throttle (pp. 82-3); multiple valve regulators as marketed by MLS (pp. 83-8);and  the Servo system invented? by Percy Hulburd (88-9). The locomotive booster as introduced on the LNER required a special regulator system (pp. 94-6). Steam railcars and geared locomotives are considered on pp. 96-102. These included those from Kerr Stuart, Clayton and Sentinel.

In the discussion H. Chambers (103-4) considered that the grid-type "takes a lot of beating"; P.C. Dewhurst noted slight errors in the description of the regulator system for the LMS compounds, and prefered the pull-out type. W.A. Lelean (106-7) advocated the Owen type; defended the Lockyer design and noted that the Joco type was based on quite sound lines. E.A. Phillipson (107-8); A.E. Owen (108-11) spoke about his own design; T.G. Atkinson (111-12); H. Holcroft (112-13) considered that the travel was too short in the ordinary double-beat type and observed that regulator operation must be perfectly safe with no risk of accidental opening. F. Onions (113-15).

Glasgow Meeting (197-203): C.H. Robinson (197-9) had been an improver at Darlington when the Lockyer valve was developed. On the NER the Lockyer regulator was easy to operate, but was seldom steam-tight: leakage was serious. The regulator fitted to the Royal Scot class was easier to operate than theory might suggest. Phillips (199-201 commented on wear in the grooves of the Lockyer type. J.H. Williams (202-3: communication). On page 203 the author noted an error in his description of the Zara valve.
Third Ordinary Gcncral Meeting of thc Scottish Centre (1929-30 Session), was hcld in the Royal Technical College, Gla:jgo\v, on Thursday, the 12th day of December, 1929, at 7.30 p.ni., MI-. C. H. Robinson, Chairman of the Centre, presiding.

Journal No. 94

HIGH-PRESSURE compound locomotive, London & North Eastern Railway. 134-6. illus.

NEW 4-4-0 type locomotives, Southern Railway. 137-40. illus., diagr. (s. & f. els.)

Willans, Kyrle William (Paper No. 255).
Water-tube boilers suitable for locomotives. 157-79. Disc.: 179-96; 411-18; 688-92 + 6 folding plates.2 illus., 22 diagrs.
Chaired by J.R. Bazin. Third Ordinary General Meeting of the 1929-30 Session was held at Denison House Vauxhall Bridge Road, London, on Thursday, 28 November, 1929, the President, J.R. Bazin, occupying the chair.
Fourth Ordinary General Meeting of the Manchester Centre (Session 1929-3") was held in the building of the Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society, George Street, Manchester, on Friday, 14 February, 1930, Mr. E.M. Gass occupying the chair.
Fifth Ordinary General Meeting .of the Newcastle Centre was held at the Central Station Hotel, Newcastle-on- Tyne, on Tuesday, the 25th day of February, 1930, at 6.30 p.m., the chair being taken by Mr. J. W. Hobson.
Based mainly on Kerr Stuart experimental work on a Perkins boiler, but most of the other small water-tube boilers are mentioned: Sentinel, Clarkson thimble, Yarrow water-tube, Niclausse water-tube the Loftus Perkins tubular steam generator, the Kerr Stuart geared locomotive is shown in Fig. 15. The Kiesselbach system of steam storage was mentioned. The use of the Perkins boiler on tramway locomotives and on a proposed Fairlie articulated locomotive is also considered.
Discussion: J.R. Bazin (179-80) chaired the meeting; E.P. Anderson (180); Loftus P. Perkins (180-1); W.A. Lelean (181-2); S. Hopkins (182-4) who cited Kiesselbach and Druitt Halpin steam storage systems and proposed fitment of Kiesselbach type to the tender of a Churchward 4-6-0. W. Cyril Williams (184) noted that the bulk of the boiler increased with working temperature; D.C. Brown (184-6); A.E. Owen (186); F.A. Boyes (186-7); T. Grime (187-8). On pp. 193-3 Willans described the use of the Kerr Stuart locomotive on the Lochaber Power Scheme as used by Balfour Beatty; F.A. Boyes (193-4); John Riekie (194-6 Communication) Now that a serious beginning has been made to employ extremely high steam pressures in modern British locomotive practice (e.g., in the two recently completed high pressure compounds of the LMS and LNER respectively) the Paper read by Mr. Kyrle Willans on " Water-tube Boilers suitable for Locomotives " possesses a more than usual significance. The Writer has long urged the use of such pressures as tending to the attainment of greater efficiency in proportion to the increase in pressure. It must be admitted that until the last few years locomotive designers the world over have displayed no little reluctance, generally speaking, to raise their pressures. History shows that from time to time a recognised standard was reached which held good for many years. Thus at one period a pressure of 140 psi was an extremely common one, although, latterly, here and there, both higher and lower pressures were in use. Progressively 140 psi gave place to 150 psi, 160 psi, 175 psi, and next to 180 psi, the latter becoming quite as normal a figure as the 140 psi of the early 'eighties. By 1899 a few British engines were running with 200 psi, and since then (not withstanding some retrogression as a result of the introduction of superheating) there has been a decided movement in favour of employing pressures of from 225 psi to 250 psi in locomotives of the orthodox kind. The last mentioned pressure was reached in 1927, but on a limited scale, on the LMS and GWR; even so the average figure to-day is probably still 180 psi. Following, however, the example set by Continental engineers, both Sir Henry Fowler, of the LMS, and H.N. Gresley, of the LNER, have taken a bold step forward in trying pressures considerably higher than any hitherto used in this Country. Sir Henry Fowler has adopted a boiler of the Schmidt two-stage type, combining a highpressure boiler working at 900 psi and a low-pressure boiler in which steam is raised to 250 psi, the latter boiler being of the ordinary locomotive type, with the high-pressure generator, an oblong drum superimposed over the firebox. Mr. Gresley, on the other hand, has decided to try a boiler of the marine water-tube description, specially designed and adapted to locomotive purposes, and constructed to withstand a pressure of 450 psi. These efforts show a great advance on anything previously attempted here. In the same connection the reason for the comparatively slow and gradual progress which has been effected in regard to steam pressures are, of course, well known. Other things being equal, the higher the pressure the more destructive becomes the deleterious qualities of the feed water, tending to shorten the life of the boiler, besides increasing the cost of maintenance. But the greatest deterrent of all to the adoption of very high pressures has been the acknowledged unsuitability of the standard type of locomotive boiler to carry such pressures. owing to the difficulty inherent in the type, of effectually staying the flat surfaces, especially those of the firebox. Where, therefore, as stated by Mr. Willans, pressures of 350 lbs. to 400 lbs. are desired, attention has to be given to devising a boiler of a less vulnerable kind. So far the water-tube boiler, in one form or another, has been turned to as affording a way out of the difficulty. There is, however, yet another class of boiler which should receive careful consideration, and which, conforming as it does to the shape of the ordinary locomotive boiler, does not greatly alter the general appearance of the engine. This type of boiler is one based on the original designs of the emine.nt French engineer, Serpollet, who hit upon the idea of storing up heat for steam raising purposes in a large body of metal, instead of as in the customary method of storing it up in a corresponding mass of water. It will be at once seen that this system, in contradistinction to any water-tube system, is absolutely safe, and permits of the highest possible pressure being used without danger of collapse or explosion. Moreover it paves the way to obtaining a maximum economy in coal consumption, apart from that due to the high steam pressure, as the boiler can be fired on the slow combustion principle. The original Serpollet boiler suffered from the disadvantage that no arrangement was made to keep up a constant temperature in the metal, the consequence being that the impinging water, by gradually lowering the heat content, caused the generator to become flooded when the latter was forced to its fullest output. For this reason the ideal boiler of the flash kind is one in which provision is made to maintain the full temperature of the metal under all conditions of working, and this can best be done by keeping it void of water, even to lighting up the fire. If Serpollet had used multiple generators (coupled) in place of one, and had he devised an arrangement by which the water would be ejected into each manifold alternately, so that the heat could be restored to the mctal before the next injection took place, his system would have proved entirely successful. If it had been thus modified, no degree of forcing could have led to the flooding of the generator. A flash boiler on this improved plan has been made and tried on a small scale, and the excellent results obtained fully justify the Writer in bringing the project to the notice of engineers as being one which should prove satisfactory, no matter how large the installation. An added advantage is that no superheating apparatus would be required in connection with the boiler. Altogether the Serpollet flash system is not one lightly to be ignored; it is safe, economical and efficient, and being suitable for abnormally high steam pressures, it offers a ready and a presumably less costly alternative to boiler systcms of the water-tube type variety, none of which can be said to be immune from the danger arising from failure due to the leaking or bursting of the tubes under the great pressure to which they are subjected.

Bazin, J.R. Presidential Address. 215-28.
Fourth Ordinary General Meeting of the 1929-30 Session was held at Denison House, Vauxhall Bridge Road, London, on Wednesday, the 18th day of December, 1929, at 6 p.m., the chair being occupied by the President, Mr. J.R. Bazin.
Surveys the Rainhill Trials of 1829 and notes the lack of educational facilities available through the Institution. No information on Bazin's Irish activities. Vote of thanks given by J. Clayton pp. 225-6 and by G.A. Musgrave at Leeds (pp. 237-9) when he noted Bazin's Doncaster connection.
Fourth Ordinary General Meeting of the North Eastern Centre was held in the Library, City Museum, Leeds, on Tucsday, the 14th day of January, 1930, at 7 p.m., Mr. E. de H. Rowntree occupying the chair.
Third Ordinary General Meeting of the Manchester Centre (Session 1929-30) was held in the Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society’s Rooms, 36, George Street, Manchester, at 7 p.m., on Friday, the 24th day of January, 1930, the Chair being taken by Mr. E.M. Gass..

Journal No. 95

Gass, E.M.
Chairman's address. 262-6.
First Ordinary General Meeting of the Manchester Centre (Session 1929-30) was held in the building of the ManChester Literary and Philosophical Society, 36, George Street, Manchester, at 7.0 pm., on Friday, 8 November 1929.
Mr. J. N. Gresham occupied the chair, and in opening the Meeting commented upon the rejuvenation of the Centre, and appealed to all members to support the Committee in their efforts to establish the Centre once more on a firm footing.
Mr. Gresham introduced Mr. Gass, the Chairman of the Centre for the current Session.
Mr. Gass then delivered his Inaugural Address, after which the Meeting was adjourned for an interval of 15 minutes.
During the last four or five years much attention had been devoted to the use of very high pressure in !ocomotives. For a long number of years, with few exceptions, boiler pressures ranging from 140 to 200 psi inch were the rule, but in 1924 a bold departure was made by the Delaware and Hudson Railway, in America, in placing into service a two-cylinder compound locomotive having a boiler pressure of 350 psi. The experiment appears to have proved satisfactory, for another locomotive, but with the pressure increased to 400 psi was built three years later. No records have been published regarding the performances of the two locomotives.
In October. 1926, a series of tests were carried out on a three-cylinder 4-10-2 type superheated compound locomotive using steam at 350 psi. With the exception of the water-tube firebox the locomotive, followed orthodox lines. The locomotive was tested on the Pennsylvania Railroad test plant at various indicated horsepowers from 1,500 to 4,500. The coal consumed on the test plant and confirmed in service was 13 lbs. on low power increasing to 24. lbs. on the higher ,powers per indicated horse-power-hour, or 2.4 lbs. to 3.3 lbs. per drawbar horse-power-hour.
The Schmidt Superheater Co. in 1925, in conjunction with Henschel and Sohn, Cassel, built a superheated compound locomotive having one high- and two low-pressure cylinders using steam in the former at the extraordinary pressure of 900 psi and on exhausting from that cylinder mixing with low-pressure steam from the boiler at 200 psi before passing into the low-pressure cylinders. The design was on conventional lines except the two-staged boiler which comprised a water-tube boiler connected to an upper drum pressed to 900 psi and a barrel portion pressed to 200 psi filled with smoke tubes, in which the superheater elements are housed. The extensive trials conducted on the German Federal Railway indicate the locomotive to be economical in coal and water, the average steam and coal consumption being 17.5 lbs. and 2.54 lbs. respectively per draw-bar horse-power-hour with coal of the calorific value of 12,760 B.T.U. per Ib. After studying for about two years the question of high steam pressure in locomotives, the Swiss Locomotive and Machine Works began building in 1926 a locomotive of the 2-6-2 superheated type using steam exclusively at 850 lbs. per square inch pressure aad possessing many novelties, CHAIRMAN S ADDRESS. 265 Steam is generated in a water-tube boiler supplied with feedwater at approximately boiler temperature, and the air before entering the grate is heated. In place of the usual cylinder in conjunction with a crank and connecting rods, a high-speed single expansion unitlow engine, driving through gear reduction a jack shaft coupled to the three pairs of driving wheels, is employed. The locomotive, when tested, recorded some extraordinary results. On the stationary test plant the steam consumed was 13.2 lbs. and the coal used 12 Ibs. per effective horse-power-hour, extraordinary results. Comparative road tests were also carried out with the locomotive and a conventional twocylinder superheater engine using steam at 170 psi. A saving of 35% to 40%. of coal and 47% to 55%. of steam was recorded in favour of the high-pressure engine.
The burning of powdered coal in land and marine boilers has now passed the experimental stages and is slowly making headway, for it has been proved to be more economical in use than either raw coal or oil. Little progress, however, has been made with the application of wlverised fuel to locomotibe furnaces, owing to the inherent difficulties associated with the ordinary type of Stephenson boiler. To successfully burn powdered coal it is essential to habe ample combustion space and a time lag for combustion. The formu essential is the reverse in the ordinary boiler of the locomotive engine. Numerous experiments on the burning of pulverised coal in steam locomotives ha\e been conducted abroad and in :his Country, all of which have been abandoned. Recently, however, hlessrs. Henschel and Sohn, of Cassel, have dexoted much study, research and experimental work in solving the problem with very satisfactory results. With this firm’s system there is good prospect of burning low grade coal containing as much as 20% of ash. In comparative tests made with a locomotive pulverised fuel fired and a grate-fired locomotive, the former requirea 26.4 B.T.U. per draw-bar horse-power-hour and the latter 39.7 B.T.U., a saving of 33%. in favour of powdered coal. The economy effected in steam and coal consumed by the use of extraordinary high boiler pressure and the use of pulverised fuel is a marked advance in locomotive practice.
Upon the resumption, Mr. Gass read a Paper entitled, " Undue Compression in the Cylinders of Steam Locomotives and Means for Combating Same," following which a discussion took place upon the subject
Locomoti\,e builders would he well advised to press the State for the installation of a National Testing Laboratory where locomotives for here and abroad could be tested and tuned before going into scriice. This city, the centre of the locomotive industry, is a fitting place for the housing of the test plant.

Gass, E.M. (Paper No. 256)
Undue compression in the cylinders of steam locomotives and means for combating same. 267-78. Discussion: 279-86.It has been recognised that undue compression is present in the cylinders of steam locomotives when running at high speed ... (a) With steam on and operating with a full-open regulator, early cut-off must be employed, consequently early compression takes place and rises higher in pressure than the working pressure. (b) Coasting with steam shut off and the reverse lever in full gear, although compression begins very late, there is resistance to the opposing piston by air locking. Mainly advocating ball relief valves for piston valves..
J.W. Smith (279-80) noted that in 1886 the NER fitted its valves with one wide and one narrow ring. Sandford (280-1) asked what pressure should be sought. J.C. Sykes (281). S.H. Whitelegg (281-2). L.J. La Claire (282); W. Rowlands (282-3) described the non-return ball valves used on GCR which cushioned steam under stress when drifting. D.R. Carling advocated the Riekie valve gear. In his reply Gass noted that the cage and ball type had been tested against Richardson balanced slide valves on the Aspinall 4-4-2 type.

Selby, F.W. (Paper No. 257)
Compound locomotives. 287-316. Disc.: 317-24; 693-703: 1931, 21, 85-119. 6 illus., 12 diagrs., 3 tables.
Second Ordinary General Meeting of the 1930-31 Session was held at Denison House, Vauxhall Bridge Koad, London, on Thursday, the 30th day of October, 1930,. at 6 p.m., ilk. H. Kelway Bamber, President of the Institution, r;ccupyiiig the Chair//Fourth Ordinary General Meeting of the Newcastle Centre (Session 1g30-31), was held at the Central Station Hotel, Newcastle-on-Tyne, on Wednesday, the 10th day of December, 1930, at 7.15 pm., Mr. B. Irving presiding. Mr. E. W. Selby read his Paper on " Compound Locomotives," illustrated by lantern slides, and this was afterwards discussed.. Sixth Ordinary General h4eeting of the Scottish Centre (Session 1929-1930) was held in the Royal Technical College, Glasgow, on Thursday, the 13th day of March, 1930, at 7.30 p.m. Mr. C. H. Robinson, Chairman of the Centre, presided.
Second Ordinary General Meeting of the Northliastcrn Centre (Session 1929-30), was held on Friday, 15 November 1929, at 7 p.m., in the Hotel Metropole, Leeds, the chair being taken by Mr. E. Alcock.
History: two-cylinder compounds included those used on the NCC and the Worsdell-von Borries compounds used mainly on the North Eastern Railway; cited P.L. Falcolner's paper on the cylinder performance of cross-compound locomotives in Journal No. 81; three-cylinder compounds developed by Webb, Deeley and on the Great Central Railway; four-cylinder compounds developed by Webb, on the GNR under Ivatt, and on the NER under Wilson Worsdell, Vauclain and Mallet compounds, the Nilgiri rack locomotives, and (at length) development in France. Reasons cited for the British failure to adopt compounding included cheap coal, the quest for simplicity, the use of inadequate sized steam ports, short lap and valve travel, and the inadequate British loading gauge. A considerable part of the paper is given to the de Glehn system and observations on the performance by de Glehn compounds on the Nord section in France. Also proposed a compound Beyer Garratt. E. Alcock (317) expressed satisfaction with LMS compounnds. G.M. Pargiter (317-19) introduced implied criticism of LNER No. 10000: it has been fitted with almost every device which exists with the exception of wings and a propeller. E.A. Newsum (319); D.W, Harvey mentioned the Vauclain compounds; S.J. Lucas (319-21) noted his experience with the Worsdell two-cylinder compounds on the GER and the good balance and even torque provided by the NER three-cylinder compounds. J.M.. Doherty (321); A. Hird (321-2); J.R. Thackeray (322) had experience of Worrsdell locomotives fitted with Joy valve gear on NER and found them to be heavy on maitenance. . The discussion in Volume 31 contains corriegenda and addenda, especially further information on the de Glehn system. A.C. Carr (91-5) noted the application of the de Glehn system on the Bengal-Nagpur Railway in India; J. Clayton made extensive comment on p. 95 et seq: emphasised that Churchward had acquired de Glehn compounds, but that he did not construct any; considered that the LMS compounds were ""wonderfully successful engines" that they did not feature any "gadgets"; the success of Deeley's reducing valves and the "love of the British engineer for simplicity" and noted the "bugbear" of the Worsdell-von-Borries type. J.R. Gould (98-9) experience of the Worsdell-von-Borries type on the GSR in the Argentine; J.R. Bazin (99-101) experience of the Ivatt experiments with the Vulcan Foundry de Glehn type compound supplied to the GNR. Cited Ivatt's own paper published Proc. Instn Mech. Engrs in 1907 which described tests performed on the GNR in 1906. Noted that the "simple engine triumphed" under Churchward, and that condensation was experienced in the low pressure cylinders on the GNR.C. Cyril Williams (105) mentioned the Mallet articulated compounds; J.D. Twinberrow (108-9) noted the excellent performance achieved by the Smith NER 4-cylinder compounds Nos. 730 and 731 and the problem with patents. D.R. Carling (111-12) noted variable blasat pipes and superheaters. Newcastle 10 December 1930: C. Schlegel (113-14); W.W. MacArthur (114-15); J.W. Hobson (115-16)..

Gresham, J.N. (Paper No. 258)
Live steam injector practice. 336-8. Disc.: 358-65.
Paper prepared at short notice was virtually a resumé of Mr. Gresham’s paper, “The Theory and Practice of Steam Jet Instruments,” read in Manchcster and London in 1923, and published in Paper No. 141 Journal, Vol. XIII, page 407. It was supplemented by the addition of some new material and information, which had not previously been communicatcd to any society, relating to the “Automatic Delivery Water Heater,” as shown by drawings Nos. 10608 and 10580. The latter shows the “ Heater ” combined in one instrument with a “ No. 9 Feed Heating Injector,” and as fitted on the new L.N.E. Rly. high-pressure locomotive.
Discussion: Mr. G.A. Musgrave (358-9) stated that the Author has mentioned the fact that a kind of, injector “ booster ” arrangement is now made to deliver hot water into a boiler having a pressure of 400 or 500 Ibs. per sq. in. ‘This injector is, according to the Author, fitted on the last new engine built to Mr. Gresley’s design. It will be interesting to know how this injector performs its task under ordinary working conditions. E.W. Selby (342); T.H. Sanders (340) and L.W.R. Robinson (344)

Grime, T. (Paper No. 259)
The development of the geared steam locomotive. 347-77. Disc.: 377-410.
Presented at Fifth Ordinary General Meeting of the 1929-30 Session held at Denison House, Vauxhall Bridge Road, London, on Thursday, 30 January, 1930, at 6 p.m., Mr. J. R. Bazin, President of the Institution, occupying the chair.
The combination of the geared engine and high-pressure boiler in conjunction with individual axle driving for high-speed work, or with rod drive in the case of general. duty engines (as exemplified in the Swiss Locomotive Works locomotive) appears to the Author to represent the most promising line of steam locomotive development, offering as it does the advantages of the ordinary steam locomotive as regards flexibility whilst reducing the costs of boiler and engine maintenance, relieving the stresses on the track and enabling a much more powcrful unit to be constructed within the limitations of loading gauge and weight.
Bazin (377-8) noted Gresley's and Fowler's work on high pressure locomotives; D.W. Sanford (378-81) noted the effect of hammer blow and the Bridge Stress Committee; P.C. Dewhurst (381-3); W.A. Lelean (384) commented on hammer blow; J.W. Beaumont (384-5); H. Kelway-Bamber (385-6); K.W. Willans (386-7) difficulties experienced with Webb compounds starting away from Rugby station; F.W. Hobson (387-9); E. Graham (389-90); J.D. Twinberrow (390-3) data relating to Schmidt high pressure locomotive in Germany citing coal consumption of 2.002 lb/hp/hour; A.H. Whitaker (393); S.J. Lucas (404-6) refered to both LNER and LMS high pressure locomotives; E.W. Selby (407-8) commented on water tubes; P.W. Bollen (413) asked a question about brick arches.

Fowler, Henry (Paper No. 260)
Some notes on the production of iron and steel details for carriage and wagon manufacture. 420-34. Disc.: 434-48.
Presented at Sixth Ordinary General Meeting of the 1929-30 Session held at Denison House, 296, Vauvhall Bridge Road, London, on Thursday, 27 February 1930, at 6 p.m: Mr. A. M. Bell, Vice-President, occupying the chair.
The machines and operations described had been taken as typical examples of what was being done by those responsible for the manufacture of carriages and wagons to meet the call for increased output on the metal side. The very nature of the material used has made it impossible to keep up an unbroken How of operations, as could be done with timber components, but these delays have been very considerably reduced by the careful grouping of the plant. The main ohject in any plant engaged on quantity production was to keep details on the move, and fresh appliances were continually being introduced with this object in view.
Sir Henry Fowler (444) NPL work on spring plates for motor cars (automobiiles)

Journal No. 96

Summer Meeting in Switzerland, 31st May to 8th June, 1930. 460-555.
Prersented almost as a "diary" with events recorded on a day-by-day basis: this included many visits and some important papers (listed as a series of Appendixes).

Monday, 2nd June. 462-72.
Visit to the Works of Messrs. Sulzer Bros.
Visit to the Swiss Locomotive & Machine Co.’s Works
Visit to the Oerlikon Works
Lecture at the Zurich Technical High School

Tuesday, 3rd June. 473-9.
Visit to the Power Station at Ambri-Piotta.
Visit to Swiss Federal Railway Works, Bellizona.
Banquet at Lugano

Wednesday, 4th June, 479-85
Visit to Amsteg Power Station
Banquet at the Grand Hotel Dolder, Zurich

Thursday, 5th June. 486-90.
Visit to the Brown, Boveri Works at Baden.
The lnstitution Dinner.

Friday 6th June. 490-2. 2 illus.
Visit to Interlaken and Schynige Platte: part of the journey, was through the interesting Brunig Pass, made by rack railway, from which the most wonderful scenic views were obtained..

Saturday, 7th June: the return home. 492-3.
The party left Interlaken by steamer, making a trip of nearly two hours along the Lake of Thun to Thun, where they entrained for Berne. While on board the stcamcr Herr Scheidegger of the Swiss Visit Committee, informed members of arrangements made for their reception in Berne (see Appendix 15). The portion the train reserved for the Institution was made up of corritlor and slceping cars belonging to the French Northern Railway, and these cars remained available for the trip through to Boulogne.

Huber-Stockar, E. (Appendix 3)
The state of railway electrification in Switzerland. 499-532.

Schrafl (Appendix 4).
Speech by at Banquet in Lugano. 533-4. port.

Fowler, Sir Henry (Appendix 5).
Speech by Sir Henry Fowler, K.B.E., Past-President at Banquet in Lugano. 535-6.

Rohn, A. (Appendix 6)
Speech at Banquet in Zurich. 536-41. port.

Kelway-Bamber, H. (Appendix 7)
The President, Mr. H. Kelway-Bamber, M.V.O., in reply to Dr. Rohn. 541-2.

Bazin, J.R. (Appendix 8)
Remarks by Mr. J. R. Bazin, Immediate Past-President, in support of the President. 543.

KeIway-Bamber, H. (Appendix 9)
Speech by the President, Mr. H. KeIway-Bamber, M.V.O., in proposing ihe Toast of  “Our Guests” at the Institution’s Dinner. 543-6.

Denzler, O. (Appendix 10)
Reply at Institution's Dinner. 546-51.

Kelway-Bamber, H. (Appendix 11)
Announcement by the President, Mr. H. Kelway-Bamber, M.V.O., of Elections to Honorary Membership. 551-2.

Clayton, J. (Appendix 12)
Remarks by Mr. J. Clayton, M.B.E., Vice-President, at the Institution’s Dinner. 552-3.
The many wonderful achievements of Swiss engineers which we have been allowed to see fill us with profound admiration. We remember especially some of your pioneers in the world of locomotive engineering. What would the mountain rack railway locomotive have been without "Abt," whose invention made the surmounting of severe gradients possible? We think of the great work achieved by the Swiss Locomotive Co. and Messrs. Brown-Boveri in bringing to such eminent success the single-phase system of electric traction adopted by the Swiss Federal Railways and giving the Swiss probably the finest railway system of its kind in the world. Finally we have noted with respectful concern that latest rival of the old Stephenson locomotive, viz., the Diesel-electric locomotive, fostered and fathered by the pioneer firm of Sulzer Bros. in collaboration with such firms as Oerlikon and others mentioned. What finer array of talent could one desire? We salute them all, including the Swiss Federal Railways and its officers who have so kindly watched over us during our journeys and visits in this delightful country.

Schrafl (Appendix 14)
Dr. Schrafl's Reply on Election as Honorary Member of the Institution. 553.

Le Clair, L.J. (Appendix 15)
Mr. Le Clair’s Thanks on Behalf of the Committee after the Presentations by the President at the Institution’s Dinner. 554-5.

Scheidigger , A.(Appendix 15)
Remarks on steamer on Lake of Thun. 555

Ridge, Charles W. (Paper No. 261)
The testing of steel for railway purposes. 556-84. Disc.: 584-616.
First Quarterly Meeting of the 1929 Session of the South American Centre was held at the Gorton Workshops, Perez, on Friday, 12 April 1929, Mr. R.E. Kimberley presiding.

Harvey, W.H.T. (Paper No. 262)
Extended locomotive runs. 617-53. Disc. 653-76.
Third Quarterly Meeting of the South American Centre (1929 Session) was held at Mendoza on Thursday, 26 September 1929, the chair being taken by . R. E. Kimherley. In Argentina

Journal No. 97

Kelway-Bamber, H. (Presidential Addtress)
Activities and progress of the Institution and reference to modern locomotive practices. 681-7.
Opening Mecting of the 1930-31 Session was held at Denison House, Vauxhall Bridge Road, London, o? Thursday, the 25 September 1930, the President, Rlr. H. Kel\vay-ISaniher, 3I.V.O. occupying the chair.
Presented at the time of the Centenary of the Liverpool & Manchester Railway and mentions both the exhibition in St, George's Hall and the Pageant at Wavertree. Then refers to the Institution's visit to Switzerland and the President being impressed by Swiss electric locomotives. Noted that compounding had not found the favour in Britain which was found in France. Gave specific mention to Gresley's high-pressure locomotive No. 10000. Very brief mention of internal combustion locomotives.

Poultney, E.C.
Poppet valves as applied to locomotives. 704-6. Disc.: 706-15: 31, 80-4. (Abstract of a lecture).
Sixth Ordinary General Meeting of the North-Eastern Centre (Session 1929-30) held at the Hotel Metropole, Leeds, on Friday, 21 March 1930, at 7.0 p.m., the chair being taken by Mr. E. de H. Rowntree The lecture was associated with a visit to inspect D49 locomotives (with Lentz OC and RC valve gear) and a Sentinel shunter at Neville Hill Depot, Leeds:
Visit to Neville Hill Sheds, L.N.E.Rly.
In connection with the meeting held in Leeds on 21 March 1930 (when E.C. Poultney delivered a lecture on Poppet Valve Gears as Applied to Locomotives a visit was arranged for the same day to the Neville Hill Sheds, LNER, Osmondthorpe, Leeds, by courtesy of Major J.H. Smeddle, District Running Superintendent, J.R. Thackeray, Shed Superintendent .
About 30 members attended at 4.0 p.m., under the guidance of Mr. Thackeray and his assistants and found the following exhibits prepared for their inspection:
Locomotive No. 320, Class D49 fitted with Lentz poppet valves and oscillating cam gear and having 2 to 1 lever to middle cylinders. In steam.
Locomotive No. 352, Class D49 fitted with Lentz poppet valves and rotary gear. In steam.
Locomotive No. 322, Class D49 fitted with Lentz oscillating cam gear. Valves opened out for inspcction after a mileage of 78,000.
These engines, with their variations in the manner of fitting and working the poppet valves, provided much interest until Nos. 320 and 352 had to move out of the sheds to take their duty at Leeds (New Station). The visitors then were shown the following:
Sentinel type locomotive built for shunting work at sidings.
Equipment for more efficiently and quickly washing out locomotive boilers and removing sediment by the use of perforated pipes inserted through plug holes, which introduce jets of hot water into comers and parts difficult of access.
Improvements in econoniical firelighters made from old sleepers.
Method of increasing the output of a sand drier,
Improved re-railing ramps.
In the Ambulance Room the following were shown:
Cam followers from Sentinel car, after running a mileage of 57,000.
Various piston valve rings and types of piston rings.
Models of double-beat regulator valves.
Models of various types of valve gcar.
The visitors afterwards assembled outside the sheds and saw locomotives Nos. 320 and 352 pass on the main line, hauling their respective trains ex-Leeds Station to Hull and York. The party then entered a six-cylindered Sentinel steam coach of a modern pattern, and they quickly made the return journey to Leeds. The gratitude of the members was expressed to Mr. Thackeray and his staff for providing so interesting and enjoyable a visit..
Second Ordinary General Meeting of the Newcastle Centre held at the County Hotel, Newcastle-on-Tyne, on Tuesday, 21 October 1930, at 7.15 p.ni. The Chair was taken by J.W. Hobson and a short lecture, illustrated by lantern slides, was given by E.C. Poultney on “ Poppet Valve Gears as Applied to Locomotives.” This was followed by a discussion. Vol. 21, p. 80.
Refers back to Poultney's brief description of poppet valve gears. J. White (80-1); C.E. Appleyard (82-3) queried whether oscillating or rotary cam poppet valves, and suggested oscillating for freight and rotary cam for express work.
C.E. Appleyard (82) The following points have occurred to me and I should be interested to have Mr. Poultney's reply :- Which type of gear, oscillating or rotary, gives the better results, i.e., permits the higher engine efficiency? Does the fact of using a type of valve gcar which does not Dermit of early cut-offs and late release react in a detrimental fashion on the results from the oscillating type of gear? Is the rotary type of gear intended priorily for new designs or can it be fitted to existing engines? The oscillating type of gear appears to be more wited for conversion work, since it is apparently operated by Walschaert or Stephenson motion.
Can some figures be given for the approximate difference in cost of fitting an engine with the rotary cam poppet valve gear complete against the fitting of, say, Walschaert and piston valves ?
A note has appeared in the Press indicating that the poppet valve gear, whilst costing some 2½ times the first cost of piston valte gear, gives 10% fuel economy. It would be interesting to have this confirmed if possible. In the oscillating type of gear, is the wear on the cams and bearings at all excessive due to the form of motion, which would appear to indicate wearing possibilities at one or two small points ? Does the rotary type of gear wear more evenly? What effect would wear have on the operation of the cam gears?
The Author: The relative thermal efficiencies of the oscillating and rotary cam gears depend on the condition governing the work of the locomotives concerned. It will be evident if the admissions normally employed are in the region of, say, 30 to 40 per cent., as in heavy freight service, then so far as the release point influences steam economy, there will be nothing to choose between the two gears, because both will release at about the same percentage of the stroke. On the other hand, if, as in express passenger service, the cut-offs are usually, say, 15% to 25% then the advantage of release at, say, 80% or 90% will be obtained, and economy obtained thrmgh the increased range in the true expansion of the steam before the opening of the exhaust port.
Both the poppet valve gears are equally suitable for new locomotives, and for conversion, but in view of the remarks made relative to the thermal efficiency obtainable with these gears, it follows that, when contemplating the conversion of freight engines, attention should be given to the oscillating cam arrangement, more especially if the engines have a well-designed valve motion.
The oscillating cam gear can give and has given good results, not only in fuel economy, but also in upkeep charges, and this latter statement entirely answers the question about wear of parts. One of the chief objects of either of these poppet talve gears is the reduction of upkeep charges, and when the rotary cam gear is used there is also obtained a considerable simplification of the working parts, which is naturally an advantage, and further, is of special benefit in the case of multi-cylinder locomotives, either simple or compound. On the question of cost, both gears cost more than those of the conventional type, but such comparison cannot be made unless the governing factors are understood and appreciated.
The increased costs are not such that the savings obtainable will not more than pay the interest charges on the increased cost of the motive power equipment. The Same considerations of course obtain when any improvements are contemplated for adoption.
Fifth Ordinary General Meeting of the Scottish Centre (Session 1930-31), was held on Thursday, 12th February, 1931, in the Societies’ Room of the Royal Technical College, Glasgow, Mr. G. W. Phillips, the Chairman of the Centre, presiding.

Kitson Clark, E. (Paper No. 263)
The diesel-steam locomotive: Kitson-Still type. 728-78. Disc.: 779-86 + 7 folding plates. 10 illus., 17 diagrs. (incl. s. el.). Bibliog.
This is the primary source as it includes an exhaustive analysis of the design, plus details of the test runs.

Gysel, E. (Paper No. 264)
Mechanical gears used in the construction of electric locomotives. 789-848.
Ninth Ordinary General Meeting of the 1929-30 Session held at Denison House, Vauxhall Bridge Road, London, on Thursday, 8 May 1930, the chair being taken by the President, J.R. Bazin

Journal No. 98

Clayton, T. (Paper No. 265)
Systems of paying for work. 852-79. Disc.: 879-87.
Second Quarterly Meeting (Session 1929) of the South American Centre held in Buenos Aires on Friday, 26 July 1929, Mr. P. Sedgfield presiding.
In Argentina

Dewhurst, P.C. (Paper No. 266)
Some practical considerations in locomotive design for Overseas service. 888-906. Disc.: 907-17.
Ordinary General hIeeting of the Birmingham Centre (Session 1929-30) held at the Birmingham Chamher of Commerce. New Street, Birmingham, on Wednesday, 19 February 1930, at 7.15 p.m., the Chair being taken by Mr. R.G. McLaughlin. Meeting of members in Western Australia held at Perth on 29 May 1931: chair occupied by Mr. J.F. Loutit,
Design requirements particularly those connected with what may be termed “difficult” lines – that is railways with conditions distinct from those of the comparatively highly developed overseas lines like the Indian and Argentine broad gauge railways, with problems largely siniilar to British home lines. Most of the railways with which the Author had been connected abroad, had gradients of 1 in 33 to 1 in 25, with curves of the order of three chains, and on such lines locomotive design is quite a specialised thing, and particularly so if a narrow gauge is incorporated.

Wrench, J.M.D.
Chairman's Address. 919-22.
Delivered before the Indian and Eastern Centre on 15 March 1930, in Calcutta.

Humphries, J. (Paper No. 267)
Locomotive valves. 923-8. Disc.: 928-30.
Inaugural Meeting of the Indian and Eastern Centre was held in the Lecture Room of the Institution of Engineers (India), Calcutta, on Saturday, the 15th day of March, 1930. The Chairman, Mr. J.M.D. Wrench introduced speaker.

Pettigrew, W.F.  
What others are doing in the Locomotive World. 931.
Seventh Ordinary General Meeting of the 1929-9 Session held at Denison House, Vauxhall Bridge Road, London, on Thursday, 3 April 1930, at 6 p.m.: J.R. Bazin, President of the Institution, occupied the Chair.
A discussion ensued.

Yorke, W.D. Colin
A resume of railway repair shop machinery. 932.
Fifth Ordinary General Meeting of Birmingham Centre (Session 1929-30) held at the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce, New Street, Birmingham, on Wednesday, 28 May 1930: S.J. Symes occupied the Chair. The Paper was illustrated by lantern slides and a cinematograph film, lent by Messrs. Alfred Herbert, Ltd., Coventry. The machinery described included plant for the smithy, spring shop, foundry, boiler and plate shop, machine shop, tool room and wheel shop. There was a large attendance of members and visitors, and a discussion took place after the display of illustrations

Beckwith, H.G. (Paper No. 268)
Locomotive repairs on the Buenos Aires and Pacific Railway. 934-1027. Disc.: 1028-62. 71 illus.
Quarterly Meeting of the South American Centre held at the Main Workshops of the Buenos Aires and Pacific Railway at Junin on Friday, the 11 July 1930. Through the kindness of the General Manager of the Buenos Aires and Pacific Railway a special train with Pullman car was provided, leaving Retiro at 11 p.m. on the 10th July. Eighty-six members travelled by this train. At 9 a.m. on the 11th, members proceeded to the Railway Institute, and the meeting commenced at 9.30 a.m. The Chairman, R.E. Kimberley, Chief Mechanical Engineer of the Buenos Aires and Pacific Railway, presided before a total attendance of 116 members and visitors.
The Buenos Aires and Pacific Railway endured extremely poor water. Laboulaye suffered water which was very corrosive to steel.
Discusiion: M.F. Ryan (1031): I would like to commence by congratulating the Author on having added another to the long list of very satisfactory and interesting Papers on the subject of boilers and boiler feed waters which have been read before this Centre of the Institution. In his opening remarks, Mr. Beckwith divides the troubles which have been experienced with boilers under three headings:
(i.) Feed water.
(ii.) Negligence whilst in running sheds or in hands of operating staff.
(iii.) Wear and tear.
but he’does not refer to the number of original “sins” with which boilers first enter into their active lives. These may be due to defects in design. Boilers may be put into service which are correct according to the text-books, but in which local effects hale not been allowed for. If the drawing office staff, who are responsible, would go out to the shops and study the state of the boilers that come in for repairs, defects due to faulty design could be detected and steps taken to overcome them. Another item not to be overlooked is the provision of suitable materials for fireboxes and tubes. If boilers are simply turned out without attention to materials to suit water conditions, the running sheds are bound to have trouble.
Finally we come to the all-important question of workmanship. Many failures have been caused by bad workmanship in the workshops. Unfortunatcly on the Buenos Aires and Pacific Railway several new boilers recently put into service have had to be withdrawn simply on account of bad workmanship. I am glad to say that they were not built in the Argentine Republic.
’There is an old saying that “the best way to clean a rabblt hutch is to burn it;” the remedy in our case would be to get away from the boiler and go in for Diesel locomotives. I do not suppose there is any other railway in the country that offers a more promising field for Diesel locomotives than the Pacific. By their introduction we would be free from boiler troub!es and expenses of carrying water from one end of a Division to the other and also the costly purifying installations u c are compelled to instal.

Dendy-Marshall, C.F. (Paper No. 269)
The Rainhill Locomotive Trials of 1829. 1063-93. Disc.: 1093-4; 1096-1106.  illus. (including portarits)
A hundred and one years ago there took place one of the strangest, and certainly the most momentous, of all competitions that have ever been held. It was a trial of strength betueen terrifying monsters, hissing, spluttering, breathing fire and dropping red hot cinders. Such is how it must have appeared to the crowds that came and gapcd with wonder, very few of whom had ever seen any inanimate thing move itself on level ground.
In the Mechanics’ Magazine for October l6th it is stated that the number of competitors was at first reported to be ten, and they had reason to know there were at least as many engines as this in preparation. If the above is correct, there were five competitors who did not come up to the scratch. One of them was O.W. Hahr, who gave notice in August of an engine to be offered for trial, but all traces of it have been lost. No doubt another was Edward Bury, who was at work on his first engine, the “Dreadnought,” but did not finish it in time. Perhaps Brown was another. His engine, which worked by means of the vacuum produced under the piston after exploding a charge of gas, had been tried in stationary form, in a boat, and a road carriage, but was unsuccessful. If he had thought of utilising the pressure of the explosion, it might have turned out differently. One would have expected Goldsworthy Gurney to have entered. He afterwards negotiated for the supply of an engine, but the directors were unable to agree to his terms. A Mr. Wright, of Edinburgh, had submitted a plan and description of a locomotixe in December, 1828, but nothing is known about it. The paper contains several excellent portraits and reproductions from Rastick's Notebooks and refers to John Kennedy, a major cotton spinner, and one of the judges..
First Ordinary General Meeting of the Manchester Centre (Session 1930-31) was held in the Engineers' Club, Albert Square, Manchester, at 7.0 p.m., 19 September 1930, Mr. J.N. Gresham taking the chair
Third Ordinary General Meeting of the 1930-31 Session held at Denison House, Vauxhall Bridge Road, London, on Thursday, 27 November 1930, at 6 p.m., Mr. H. Kelway Bamber, President of the Institution, occupied the chair.
Third Ordinary General Meeting of the Scottish Centre (1930-1931 Session) held on Thursday, 11 December 1930, at the Royal Technical College, Glasgow, the chair being taken by G.W. Phillips, the Chairman of the Centre. Mr. C. F. Dendy Marshall’s Paper, entitled “ The Rainhill Locomotive Trials of 1829,” was read by Mr. John Robertson, Member of Committee, in the absence of Mr. Dendy Marshall, and this was followed by a short discussion. (See Journal Vol. X S . , No. 89, page 1063). 11, 120

Centenary of the Opening of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway. 1107-8. illus.
The President and a party of about 40 members assembled at Liverpool on Tuesday, 16 September 1930, and in the afternoon visited the Exhibition of Ancient and Modern Locomotives and Rolling Stock at the Wavertree Playground, Sefton Park, Liverpool, afterwards travelling on the circular railway in a train of first and third class carriages, similar in construction to those in use at the opcning of the railway, drawn by an 0-4-2 type locomotive, the Lion built for the Liverpool and Manchester Railway by Todd, Kitson and Laird, in 1838, being in all probability the first engine constructed by that firm.
The locomotive, after a life of 92 years, operating with great ease, was driven round the course by a Past-President of the Institution, Colonel Kitson Clarke. Later the great Pageant of Transport, depicting the progress of travel from the earliest ages, in which 3,500 men and women took part, was witnessed with great interest and pleasure.
On Wednesday, the 17th, the Exhibition of Railway Models and other interesting relics of a century ago was visited, the members being shown round by Mr. Gladstone, a relative of one of the founders of the railway and of the one-time Prime Minister. The party returned to London in the afternoon.
On Saturday, the 20th, the President, at the invitation of the Chairman and Directors of the L.M.S. Rly., attended a luncheon at the Adelphi Hotel, Liverpool and was present in the afternoon at a special performance of the Pageant, at which Sir Josiah Stamp complimented the 3,500 performers on the consistent excellency of their work under the most trying conditions of storm and tempest. On Friday, the 19th September, the President, at the invitation of the Manchester Centre of the Institution, was present at a special meeting of that Centre to hear a Paper on The Rainhill Locomotive Trials of 1829,” delivered by C.F. Dendy Marshall,
The portraits: John Braithwaite (Fig. 8 page 1076); John Ericcson (Fig. 9 page 1077); Timothy Hackworth (Fig. 12 page 1080); Nicholas Wood (Fig. 17 page 1086)