Journal of the Institution of Locomotive
Engineers
Volume 21 (1931)
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Journal No. 99
Smith, F. (Paper No. 270)
Smithy practices of an Argentine locomotive repair shop. 8-61. Disc.: 61-79.
52 illus./diagrs.
September Quarterly Meeting of the 1930 Session was held at the Gorton
Workshops, Perez, on Friday, the 19th day of September, 1930, Mr. W.P. Deakin
presiding.
The subject was treated mainly from the practical side, giving methods and
practices adopted at the smithy of which the author was in charge at Perez.
Due to various causes the scope of the blacksmith and the opportunity to
demonstrate his skill in hand forging work was gradually lessening. Looking
back over a period of a few years, we find that the method of production,
as in other trades, has undergone a great change. The steel foundry, drop-stamps,
forging machines, hydraulic presses the oxy-acetylene jet cutting machine,
electric and oxy-acetylene welding, cutting and building up all combine to
reduce the necessity for hand forging.
Sanders, T.H. (Paper No. 271)
Locomotive suspension, and its influence on derailments. 133-55. Disc: 155-63;
205-15; 859-65.
Third Ordinary General Meeting of the North Eastern Centre (Session
1930-31) was held at the Hotel Metropole, Leeds, on Thursday, the 20th day
of November, 1930, at 7.15 p.m., the chair being taken by Mr. L.W.R. Robertson.
Four un-nnamed accidents (2-4-2T, 0-6-4T, 0-6-2T with coil springs and 2-6-4T),
but clearly including those at Sevenoaks (Maunsell River class) and
Buchlyvie (Gresley N2 class). Suggested that had River class been fitted
with the Zara-type of leading pony truck that the Sevenoaks accident would
not have occurred. Noted that compensating levers were quite usual on British
4-4-0 and 4-4-2 classes. On page 863 it is noted that
equalising gear was invented by R.&W. Hawthorn in 1851, but may been
invented earlier in Europe, but not in America. On page 864 in his reply
to N.J. Longley he noted that the Bristol & Exeter 9ft singles and the
McConnell Bloomers both employed direct rubber suspension.
Fourth Ordinary General Meeting of the Manchester Centre (Session 1930-31)
was held in the building of the iManchester Literary and Philosophical Society,
36, George Street, Manchester, at 7 p.m., on Friday, the 16th day of January,
1931, Mr. S. H. Whitelegg taking the Chair.
Second Ordinary General Meeting of the Newcastle Centre (Session 1931-32),
was held in the Central Station Hotel, Newcastle-on-T’yne, on Friday,
the 27th of November, 1931, at 7.15 p.m., the chair being taken by Mr. P.
Liddell.
Windle, E. (Paper No. 272)
Some notes relating to cylinder performance. 178-97. Disc. :197-204.
7 diagrs., table.
Fourth Ordinary General Meeting of the North- Eastern Centre (Session
1930-31) held at the Hotel Metropole, Leeds, on Friday, the 19 December,
1930, at 7.15 p.m., Mr. T.H. Sanders occupying the chair.
This paper outlines the development of long lap valves on the LNER.
Sanford, D.W. (Paper No. 273)
Development of the piston valve to improve steam distribution. 217-49. Disc.:
304-10.
Fifth Ordinary General Meeting of the 1930-31 Session held at Denison
House, Vauxhall Bridge Road, Westminster, on Thursday, 29 January 1931, at
6 pm., Mr. H. Kelway-Bamber, M.V.O., President of the Institution, occupying
the chair..
After considering the reasons which led to the introduction of piston valves
the author directed attention to three features of interest connected with
the flat slide valve which the piston valve had replaced: (1) the desirability
of keeping the travel short, to avoid friction and reduce wear, notwithstanding
the fact that this gave less satisfactory steam distribution; (2) to obviate
the disadvantage of having large valves on which the steam pressure acted
it was customary to bring the ports close together and make them long, thus
increasing the clearance volume and the surfaces on which interchanges of
heat between the metal of the cylinder casting and steam took place; (3)
the advantage that the flat valve took up its own wear and, provided lubrication
was satisfactory, the fact that it remained steam tight throughout its service.
With piston valves the first two defects mentioned were overcome, although
full advantage was not always taken, but as regards the third leakage quite
a different problem presented itself. The author showed the effect of leakage
by diagrams on the screen and then proceeded to give illustrations of the
best arrangements of packing rings to prevent such losses. The employment
of a number of narrow rings, in place of one wide one he considered advisable.
Dealing with steam distribution, Mr. Sanford contested the assertions often
made by advocates of poppet valve gears that the older types of gear,
Walschaerts, Stephenson, etc., cannot give a satisfactory distribution because
the cut-off cannot be made to occur sufficiently early without incurring
release and compression early in the stroke. Diagrams were shown taken from
an engine having Walschaerts gear and long travel valves, to illustrate these
points and show that satisfactory distribution can be obtained with piston
valves having long travel gear. The author suggested the improvement of existing
engines fitted with short travel valves, by alteration, and then illustrated
the adaptation of a piston valve, normal as far as admission was concerned,
but which had double sets of ports for the exhaust. Indicator cards taken
from an engine fitted with such valves showed marked improvement. In service
the engines of this class, before being equipped, worked as a rule with not
higher than about 35% to 40% cut-off; they can now run with valves in mid-gear
without undue compression. An economy of 11 % in fuel on the basis of coal
consumed per drawbar horse-power has been recorded.
The author concluded his paper by summarising his experience with the wear
of piston valves in service, remarking this can be minimised by careful design
and accurate workmanship. Further, whilst in no way disparaging poppet valve
gear, he contended very satisfactory indicator cards can be . obtained with
long travel valve gear or with double exhaust valves.
Precis from Loco. Rly Carr. Wagon
Rev., 1931, 37, 44-5..
Discussion Mr. Lelean called attention to the Trofimoff valve recently
described in these pages, and mentioned its success on the locomotives of
the Metropolitan Ry. Other speakers included Messrs. Holcroft, Clayton, Symes,
Rogers, Williams, and Poultney, the last-named emphasising the merits of
poppet valves in comparison with either slide or piston valves.
J. Clayton (237) noted that the Smith type used on the Midland compounds
were not very steam tight. E.C. Poultney (238) supported Clayton's assertion
and considered that piston valves were not suitable for low pressure
cylinders.
Sixth Ordinary General Meeting of the North Eastern Centre (Session 193031)
was held at the Hotel Metropole, Leeds, on Friday, the 27 February, 1931,
at 7.15 p.m., Mr. E. de H. Rowntree taking the chair.
Fifth Ordinary General Meeting of the 1930-31 Session of the Manchester Centre
was held in the Literary and Philosophical Society’s Room, George Street,
Man- Chester, on Friday 13 February, 1931, the chair being taken by Mr. J.N.
Gresham.
Vallantin, R.G.E. (Paper No. 274)
Compound locomotives of the P.L.M. Rly. 252-303. 9 illus.
Sixth Ordinary General Meeting of the Institution (Session 1930-31)
was held in the Hall of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Storey’s
Gate, Westminster, on Thursday, 26 February 1931, at 6 p.m., Mr. H.
Kelway-Bamber, M.V.O., President of the Institution, occupying the Chair.
M. Vallantin, Engineer-in-Chief of Materials and Traction of the PLM. Translated
from French.
When the Author joined the staff of the P.L.M. Rly. Company in 1907, eighteen
years had elapsed since its first compound locomotives had been designed
and built. Simple expansion working had been entirely given up, and of the
845 locomotives ordered between 1 January 1890, and 1 January 1907, no less
than 835 were compounds. In addition 140 simple expansion goods locomotives
had been altered to compound working. It seemed, therefore, as if the Company
had definitely made up its mind on the matter.
However, a little before 1907 superheaters made their appearance, and those
who introduced this great improvement claimed that expansion of the superheated
steam took place in the cylinders without condensation occurring and that
there was thus no longer any need to have recourse to compounding, with the
accompanying high steam pressures, in order to reduce, if not to do away
with, such condensation, the cause of the high steam consumption of simple
expansion locomotives.
Sir Henry Fowler (282) This Paper is a very valuable
one, in that so much detailed information has been given. With regard to
the point which Mr. Gresley has raised as to the degree of superheat in the
high and low-pressure cylinders, if I remember rightly, with our own compounds
there is about 80°F of superheat in the receiver between the high and
low pressure, and therefore from what M. Vallantin says I take it his is
a good deai higher.
There is one interesting point in the Paper which has nothing to do with
compounding or superheating. M. Vallantin says it was thought that the use
of four cylinders would ensure greater steadiness of the locomotives at high
speed, and I should like to know whether that was actually confirmed.
One is struck when looking at Table I. by the very high coal consumption
per drawbar horse-power hour, and if M. Vallantin has some more recent figures
in this connection I am sure we should he very glad to have them. Later on
in the Paper it is stated that the compounds are not so good in starting.
We have always found—and it has been placed on record in one of the
previous papers read on this subject—that the three-cylinder compounds
of the L.M.S. are good in starting.
I come now to a financial question—and the financial question is, when
all is said and done, one of the most important. Figures are quoted in francs
by the Author, and I should like to know at what value the franc has been
taken at those times. I judge from what is said in the Paper that the francs
thcre are taken at their present-day value, but I think it would be of interest
and would lend value to the Paper if that was stated.
Compounding is an intensely interesting subject. I was associated with it
as Chief Mechanical Engineeer of the Midland, and afterwards of the L.M.S.,
for just twenty-one years, and of course during that time I had considerable
experience with the three-cylinder compounds. One of the first questions
which may be asked is why, if we found them so successful (and that we did
is evidenced by the considerable number of compound engines built by the
L.M.S. after the amalgamation), we have not gone on building them. It must
be remembered that M. Vallantin has a great advantage over us with regard
to the loading gauge, and whereas with smaller engines these difficulties
are not felt so much, there are certain difficulties which arise in the case
of a larger engine and when one is tempted to try to get bigger cylinders
outside.
Early in 1914 I had the honour of reading a paper on superheated steam in
locomotives before the Institution of Civil Engineers. Naturally I have looked
that paper up, and I find that M. Nadal, of the French State Railway at that
time, said that all his new engines were compound engines, and that he had
found by superheating he got an advantage of from 10 to 15 per cent. When
I became Chief Mechanical Engineeer of the Midland Railway in 1910 we turned
our attention to the question of superheating 0u.r compound engines. I referred
to this in a discussion on a paper which Mr. Hughes read in this hall in
1910. We found then that generally we were getting an advantage of about
7 per cent. in coal consumption with our compounds as compared with simple
engines doing similar work. We had not at that time very many results, but
that was speaking generally and I believe the figures were substantially
correct. In 1914, as I say, I read a paper on superheating in locomotives,
and there we found, as a result of a series of tests over the 197 miles from
St. Pancras to Leeds, taking wholeday runs, that we got an advantage of about
26 per cent. in coal and about the same in water by applying superheating
to our compound engines.
One thing we did, however, was to take advantage of superheating and drop
our pressure 20lbs. The original compounds had a presure of 2201bs., and
we had very considerable trouble for reasons which in new boilers have
disappeared, and we found a considerable advantage in boiler maintenance
by dropping the boiler pressure from 2201bs. to 200lbs.
W.A. Stanier (283): I should like to express my
thanks to you for inviting me to hear this most interesting Paper by one
of the most eminent locomotive cngineers on the Continent. When reading the
Paper I could not help being struck by the fact that M. Vallantin has apparently
come to the conclusion not only that compounding is desirable, but that pressures
rather higher than are normally used for locomotives are also very desirable.
In this Country, where we are confined to a width of not more than nine feet
across the cylinders, we have to devote a great deal of thought to the design
and construction and-what is more important -the maintenance of higher pressure
boilers. It is interesting that the French engines which the Great Western
purchased in, I think, 1904, had 227lbs. pressure and were not superheated,
and as a consequence a great deal af trouble was experienced with condensation
in the receivers. They were afterwards fitted with Great Western boilers
and superheaters and to a great extent the condensation difficulty disappeared
; but they were still limited, because the nine feet width restricted the
size of the cylinders which could be fitted, and as a consequence the power
of the engine was much too small for the increased requirements on the Great
Western Railway. The Great Western had therefore to develop four-cylinder
simple engines.
As a matter of interest and not as a matter of comparison— because in
making comparisons one must have similar conditions— I have turned up
the records of some trials of the Castle class, and I find they give a figure
of 10lbs. of coal per 100 ton-miles. The coal per i.h.p. is 2.1 lbs. We must
remember in considering these figures that that is with South Wales coal
which has not been damaged by transport by sea and by tranference from coal
tip to ship and out of the ship again, and so on. There is one question I
should like to put to M. Vallantin. He has not told us, I think, whether
the latest Pacifics he is using are fitted with independent valve gears for
each cylinder or whether he has adopted an arrangement for operating the
inside valves from the outside valve gear.
It would be interesting to know if M. Vallantin has tried out his new “
Pacific ” engines on a train with a dynamometer car, and if so, what
is the maximum maintained drawbar pull he gets at 70 miles an hour.
H. Holcroft (284) We have listened to a very interesting Paper on
compounding, which describes what are perhaps the most complete tests that
have ever been made between compound and simple engines, and I think it is
of very great value from that point of view There is just one question I
should like to ask M. Vallantin, and that is the reason for employing
four-cylinder simple engines as freight engines. It seems to me that in those
conditions the fourcylinder engine is operating under the very worst conditions
; the four-cylinder locomotive is essentially an express engine, because
of the improved balancing and other factors ; to get the very best out of
a simple high-pressure engine three cylinders are necessary, for then one
does get some very definite advantages from the multicylinder arrangement
which one does not get from the four-cylinder simple when it is used as a
slow speed engine.
As far as the results are concerned, it seems quite definite that compounding
has been a great success on the P.L.M., but, of course, we are most interested
in this subject from the point of view of the application of c m - pounding
to this Country, and to bcgin with we are up against the gauge question.
Another factor to be considered is that in this Country the traffic conditions
are not always favourable to compounding, especially from the freight point
of view. Where an engine is confined in sidings for a good deal of its time
or is running without steam for long distances downhill, the opportunity
for saving in cad consumption which may result from compounding, is very
much reduced, as a lot of stand-by losses occur.
Mr. J. Clayton (285) This Paper comes to us at a
very opportune time; in the first place because we have recently had read
before our Institution another interesting paper by Mr. Selby (* See Journal
Vol. XX., No. 95, page 287) on the same subject. These two papers together
will constitute a book of reference which I sincerely hope may give to the
question of compounding a new lease of life in England, because I myself
feel that we in this Country have tended to relegate it too much to the dim
past; we have forgotten, in our anxiety to meet the ever-increasing demands
made upon us by the trafic department, that there is still another side of
the question, namely that of the more economical use of the steam. Now that
we have the advantage of superheating and all the modern improvements in
materials, we should try to give by the compound principle a new lease of
life to the steam locomotive. It is said that a country always gets the
government it deserves. Can it be said with equal force that a country always
gets the form of traction best suited to its needs?
I am glad Mr. Stanier has told us something about the Great Western experience,
because many of us have wondered why Mr. Churchward, one of the most shrewd
locomotive engineers of his time, did not adopt the compound principle. The
same thing applies to the L.M.S. experience; why, when the Royal Scots were
produced, some consideration was not given to compounding, after the wonderful
experience the old Midland and the L.M.S. have had with their compounds.
We are, of course, aware that conditions- vary, and those in France are not
quite comparable to the British. When we go to the Continent we generally
travel by selected trains from Calais to Paris or from Boulogne to Paris,
so that we see largely their best work. When you are comparing the locomotives
of different countries, however, you must take the locomotive practice as
a whole into consideration. The best English practice is, in my opinion,
as good as the best French practice, but conditions vary and we in England
have not, as has already been pointed out, the added advantage of the more
ample loading gauge which exists in France. Notwithstanding this, however,
locomotive engineers in this Country would do well to turn their attention
again to compounding.
Mr. H. Chambers (286): The point that stood out very prominently in
the particulars quoted by the Author in Table I. is the very high coal
consumption per drawbar horse-power hour at the tender drawbar. In the case
of the compound engine, 5.931bs. of coal is quoted and for the simple engine
4.95lbs. of coal per d.b.h.p. hour. It would be interesting to, know what
class of coal was used on these tests as compared with coal on British railways.
Probably in this Country the average calorific value of coal for express
locomotives is in the region of 13,500 to 14,000 B.T.U.
Again, the water used per d.b.h.p. hour for the compound engine is given
as 43.41bs. and with a simple engine 35.2lbs. This again is very high as
compared with standard three-cylinder compound figures obtained by the LMS.
dynamometer car tests, viz., coal per d.b.h.p. hour, 3.491bs., and water
per d.b.h.p. hour, 29.6lbs. The Author undoubtedly makes a strong case in
favour of the four-cylinder compound engine, and I would like to hear to
which of the three following important factors he chiefly attributes the
superiority of the compound
(1) Increased ratio of expansion in compound cylinders.
(2) Smaller temperature range in each cylinder, thus reducing heat losses.
(3) Reduced leakage on pistons and valves due to lower range of pressures
on both sides, particularly bearing in mind the wear that inevitably takes
place on the piston valve rings, liners, and main pistons, while in service.
This means, of course, that in the compound engine leakage past the piston
valves or main pistons passes into the low-pressure receiver and is not entirely
lost, as in the case of simple engines.
Another interesting point is that although in the earlier stages a three-cylinder
engine was considered, this was not proceeded with as it was stated that
a four-cylinder engine would result in a better balance and therefore smoother
running engine at high speeds. As a matter of fact, a three-cylinder engine
with the cranks at 120° has practically as good a turning moment as
a four-cylinder engine, and in this Country three-cylinder simple engines
are running with great success. Assuming a three-cylinder engine can be designed
to meet the requirements, the following points are strongly in its favour
:-
(1) Decreased number of cylinders resulting in less heat losses.
(2) Decreased number of sets of motion parts resulting in lower first cost
to produce, and also in less maintenance charges for examination at the
sheds.
Mr. E. L. Diamond (287): Direct comparisons between simple and compound
locomotives, such as those detailed in the Paper, must be of the utmost value
to the administration conducting them, since they take into account almost
every circumstance of their operation. But for that very reason they cannot
be made the sole basis for any generalisation. The first principle of all
scientific investigation is to separate variable factors and evaluate them
one at a time. In the case of locomotive practice this may seem to be a very
academic procedure, but until it is adopted the century-old controversy on
this subject may well last another century. Mr. Chambers emphasised this
point when he asked what proportions of the economy obtained by the Author
were attributable to three factors which he named. There may be half a dozen
other factorsas well, and moreover they will vary in importance according
to the design of the locomotive and the conditions under which it is run.
For example, at high speeds condensation is, so far as I have been able to
ascertain, practically eliminated in superheater simple-expansion locomotives
owing to the drastic throttling at admission. Under such conditions the reduced
temperature range in compound cylinders is an advantage that becomes discounted.
Again, with modern designs of valve gear full expansions of the steam can
be secured in simple-expansion locomotives, and I am not surprised that the
Great Western Railway found little advantage with their French compounds
since their own engines and their running conditions were such that full
expansion of the steam could be obtained in simple-expansion cylinders.
Journal No. 101
Andrews, H. Ivan (Paper No. 275)
The possibility of condensing on locomotives. 336-78. Disc.: 537-9.
3 illus., 15 diagrs.
Fourth Ordinary General Meeting of the 1930-31 Session was held at
Denison House, Vauxhall Bridge Road, London, on Wednesday, 17 December 1930,
at 6 p.m., Mr. J. R. Bazin, Past-President, occupying the chair.
It remains to compare this form of condenser with some more orthodox design,
for which purpose reference is made to the design of a turbine locomotive
prepared by the Standing Committee on the design of Turbine Locomotives of
the International Railway Fuel Association (see Fig. 17) and presented at
the conference at Chicago in 1929~. In this engine two condensers are provided,
one at the front and the other at the rear, and at least, as far as size
is concerned, form the most prominent feature of the design. The leading
condenser is of the honeycomb or " radiator " type, through which air is
drawn by three large bladed fans, and expelled through the roof, somewhat
after the manner of the Ljungstrom condenser. The rear condenser is of the
jet type, acting partially as feed water heater, but has also a large radiator
to cool the excess of condensing water. Even allowing for the air temperature
of 100°F, which has been assumed, it must be admitted that this apparatus
is extremely bulky, and possesses considerable complications liable to require
very careful handling to ensure satisfactory operation in service. As 1 million
ft3. of air per minute are necessary to condense
the exhaust of the 3,000 h.p. turbine fitted, it is obvious that an enormous
quantity of heat has to be dissipated. This is found to be too great for
a single bank of air-cooled tubes as in the preceding examples, but it can
be handled with the assistance of a second bank operating with only about
a 40 m.p.h. draught when 60 m.p.h. is supplied to the leading section. The
remaining illustration (Fig. 18) shows the same locomotive rearranged, so
as to accommodate the alternative form of condenser, and it is at once evident
how much simpler the arrangement becomes. Owing to the electric drive, the
sudden overloads obtained with the normal locomotive do not occur, so that
in this case the condenser can be rated higher than usual, and very little
water need be carried for additional cooling. In the rearrangement the turbine
and generator, etc., have been moved to the rear, where they are more accessible,
allowing the whole of the condenser to be mounted at the front of the boiler,
but this is by no means essential, as the two sections of the condenser may
be mounted at opposite ends if it is desired to operate the locomotive
continually in either direction. The air preheater has been left in the same
position as before.
Finally, the Author’s thanks are due to the many people, both in this
Country and America, who have contributed their experience to the compilation
of this Paper, and to Professor W. E. Dalby for permission to include the
experimental results.
Mention must also be made of the other members of the Committee on the design
of Turbine Locomotives of the International Railway Fuel Association, also
the members of the Committee on Front Ends, Grates and Ashpans, to whom the
Author is indebted for a great deal of valuable material which has been borrowed
from the various reports.
The criteria were: light weight, small size, low initial cost, low maintenance,
reliability, constant performance under varying conditions, low power demand
for draught, adequate capacity/reserve capacity for short periods. The
Cole evaporation rate should form
the basis for the last-named.
Fourth General Meeting of the 1930-31 Session of the Scottish Centre was
held in the Societies' Room of the Royal Technical College, Glasgow, at 7.30
p.m. on Thursday, 22 January 1931, Mr. G. W. Phillips, the Chairman of the
Centre, presiding.
Clayton, T. (Paper No. 276)
Wagon repairing by the Central Argentine Rly. 379-432.
Third Quarterly Meeting of the South American Centre (1930 Session)
was held in Buenos Aires on Friday, the 19th day of December, 1930, Mr. R.E.
Kimberley occupying the chair.
Chambers, H. (Paper No. 277).
Improvements in water pick-up gear for locomotives. 450-64. Disc. : 464-72;
787-93 + 3 folding plates. 7 illus., 9 diagrs.
Seventh Ordinary General Meeting of the 1930- 31 Session, being- also
the Twentieth Annual General Meeting of the Institution, was held at the
Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Westminster, on Tuesday, the 24th day
of March, 1931, at 6 p.m., Mr. H. Kelway-Bamber, M.V.O., President of the
Institution, occupying the Chair.
Improvements in the design to save water: invented by H. Chambers. Henry
Fowler (464-5: presumably Sir Henry's son) commented upon the MR design;
J. Clayton (465) noted the problem of water wastage; H. Holcroft (465-7)
commented on th problems of getting rid of excess air from the tanks on tank
engines and not that a new design was fitted to The Great Bear. A.M.
Bell (467-8) noted that the installation of water troughs was important for
operating the Norfolk Coast Express..
Sixth Ordiiiary General Meeting of the Birmingham Centre (Session 1930-31)
was held at the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce, New Street, Birmingham, on
the 30th March, 1931, at 7.0 p.m., the chair being taken by Mr. H.P.M. Beames.
Journal 102
Holmes, V.W. (Paper No. 278)
A new infinitely variable poppet valve gear. 481-90. Disc.: 490-524.
Eighth Ordinary General Meeting of the 1930-31 Session was held at
the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Westminster, on Thursday, the 30th
of April, 1931, at 6 p.m., the chair being occupied by the President,. Mr.
H. Kelway Bamber, M.V.O.
One of the very few lady members of the Institution: she asserted that the
use of poppet valves prevents wire drawing at admission and back pressure
and exhaust. To obtain the full advantage from poppet valves, the gear should
fulfil the following criteria: (1) the cut-off should be infinitely variable,
not limited to a series of steps; (2) the lead should vary slightly, being
greatest with early cut-offs, and least in full gear, in order to facilitate
starting; (3) again to facilitate starting, the cut-off should be high in
full gear; (4) the valves should open and close rapidly, and should give
a good area of opening even with early cut-offs; (5) the exhaust valve timing
should not be fixed, but should vary slightly with the cut-off, both releases
and compression being delayed with late cut-offs; (6) the cam box should
be as compact as possible, with the cam shaft not too high above the cylinder
centre line; (7) the cam box should be a standard unit, capable of rapid
removal and replacement by a spare box. Left and right-hand boxes should
be interchangeable, and left and right-hand cylinders also should be identical;
(8) the valves should be carried in cages, which should be capable of rapid
removal, and (9) the control gear should be as simle as possible and minimize
effort. The discussion included comment from Holcroft, Gray, Twinberrow,
Beaumont and Maitland..
Kay, Walter (Paper No. 279)
Mineral oils and lubrication. 540-61. Disc.: 561-6.
Third Ordinary General Meeting of the Birmingham Centre (Session 1929-30)
was held at the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce, New Street, Birmingham, on
Wednesday, the 19th day of March, 1930, at 7.15 p.m., the Chair being taken
by Mr. R.G. McLaughlin
Generally speaking, this Paper consists of an outline of the production of
petroleum and refining, followed by the application of lubricating oil to
machinery, and particularly to railway vehicles. To endeavour to treat the
subject in other than a general way would be impossible in the time at our
disposal.
There is considerable divergence of opinion with regard to blending mineral
and fatty oils, in connection with steam cylinder oils. The problem of the
lubrication of steam cylinders is extremely difficult, for although it is
possible so to lubricate the cylinders and. valves of the steam engine that
there shall not be any excessive wear, it is impossible to obtain anything
like the results so far as friction is concerned, given by a well-lubricated
journal. The pistons and valves move to and fro in straight lines, and do
not tend to place themselves automatically in such positions as to trap the
oil properly, and keep the surfaces from touching. Neither can the large
extent of surface exposed be kept flooded with the oil, the passage of live
steam through the valve chest and the steamports to the cylinders not admitting
the presence of large quantities of lubricant. The engineer must, therefore,
as a compromise, be content with the presence of a lubricating film of no
great thickness and endeavour to keep the loads on the bearing surfaces as
small as possible.
When the steam is wet it has a tendency to wash away the oil film on the
internal surfaces. In compound or triple expansion engines, even if the steam
is dry on entering the high pressure cylinder, the fall in pressure and expansion
taking place eventually produces condensation, so that the steam arriving
at the intermediate and low pressure cylinders may be wet. In order to lubricate
cylinders satisfactorily under wet steam conditions, the cylinder oil must
readily combine with the moisture and cling to the cylinder walls. It should,
therefore, be a compounded oil, as the fatty oil tends to emulsify with the
moisture present, and so resist the washing action on the bearing surface
of the cylinder.
Ridge, C.W. (Paper No. 280)
The behaviour of railway material in the Argentine Republic. 528-619; 657-96;
765.
The second Quarterly Meeting of the above Centre was held at Perez
on the 19th Jrne, 1931. Through the kindness of the General Manager of the
Central Argentine Railway three sleeping coaches and restaurant car were
placed at the disposal of the Centre for conveying the members from Buenos
Aires. Fifty-one members travelled from the latter point, and on arrival
at Perez the following morning were joined by 42 other members who had arrived
from other parts direct. At 9.30 a.m. the members proceeded to the Meeting
Hall, where Mr. J. G. Mayne, the Chairman, presided over a total attendance
of 93 members and visitors.//Second Ordinary General Meeting of the 1931-32
Session w-as held in the Hall of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers,
Storey’s Gate, Westminster, on Thursday, October 29th. 1931, at 6 p.m.
Major C.E. Williams, O.B.E., in the Chair. The Minutes of the
Certain conditions prevail in the Argentine which are peculiar to the country,
and make it difficult to apply rules which are found to be satisfactory in
Europe, for the selection of its railway material. The class of workman called
upon to handle the material, both in the shops and on the road, is a factor
which often determines the success or failure of the products. Many of the
Argentine workers are unskilled, or only semi-skilled. Only a few possess
any degree of artisanship, which they have picked up in the small factories
in Europe. The majority have scarcely any feeling of pride in their work
which is so conducive to getting the most out of the material. It is very
noticeable that many men take a delight in purposely destroying rolling stock
by mishandling it on every possible occasion.
For the most part the railways pass over huge tracts of dried mud, and it
is this which blows up in dust storms, which have a great effect upon mechanical
appliances. This dust finds its way into axle boxes and causes heavy scoring
of journals. It also falls upon motion parts of locomotives which have been
oiled or greased and produces abrasion. Even the varnish and paint on the
outside of the rolling stock is so bombarded by the fine particles of dust,
that within a few weeks both have lost their good surface condition.
Tracks are difiicult to maintain for they pass over stoneless regions. This
makes heavy ballasting a necessity, but after heavy rain the mud is so washed
away beneath the ballast that rail joints are a constant source of
trouble
Journal 103
Agnew, W.A.
Presidential Address: railway electrification. 636-56. Disc.: 1932,
22, 83-8.
First Ordinary General Meeting of the 1931-32 Session was held at
the Institute of Mechanical Engineers on Thursday, the 24 of September, at
6 p.m., the chair being occupied by the newly-elected President, Mr. W.A,
Agnew.
Notes that consideration had been given to electrifying certain British main
lines, and in March, 1931, a comprehensive report was issued giving the views
of a committee appointed bv the Minister of Transport. This was formed of
Lord Weir of Eastwood (Chairman). Sir RaIph Wedgwood, and Sir Wm. McClintock,
with Col. A.C. Trench, as Secretary.
The Third Ordinary General Meeting of the Newcastle Centre (Session 1931-2)
held at Central Station Hotel, Newcastle-on-Tyne, on Tuesday 8 December 1931,
at 7.15 p.m., the chair taken by the Chairman, Mr. P. Liddell who announced
that due to the illness of the President, Mr. W.A. Agnew, his Address on
"Railway Electrification" would be read by Colonel Mawby: this led to the
discussion.
First Ordinary General Meeting of the 1931-32 Session of the North Eastern
Centre was held at the Rletropole Hotel, Leeds, on Friday the 9th day of
October, 1931, at 7.15 p.m., the chair being taken by Mr. T.H. Saunders
Opening General Meeting of the 1931-1932 Session was held on Thursday, aand
October, 1931, at 7.30 p.m., in the Societies' Room, Royal Technical College,
Glasgow, Mr. G. W. Phillips, Chairman of the Centre, presiding.
P. Liddell (22: 83-5) noted the difficulties involved in electrifying
from Newcastle to King's Cross and considered that the lines to Sunderland
and South Shields should be electrified. A.H.T. Head (87) considered that
the cost of repairs to electric locomotives would be high.
The First Ordinary General Meeting of the Birmingham Centre, Session 1931-32,
was held in the Queen’s Hotel, Birmingham, at 6.45 p.m., on Wednesday,
14 October 1931, the chair being taken by Mr. R.G. McLaughlin. The Chairman
then introduced the President (Mr. W. A. Agnew), who repeated his Presidential
Address, which was much appreciated by the members. (Published in Vol. XXI,
Journal 103, p. 636.)
Powell-Brett, B. (Paper No. 281)
Modern drop-forging equipment and its services to the railway engineer.
697-730.
Second Ordinary General Meeting of the Birmingham Centre (Session
1930-31) was held in the Assembly Hall of the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce,
New Street, on Thursday, 20 November 1930, at 7.15 p.m., the chair being
taken by Mr. R.G. McLaughlin.
Gillvray, H.G. (Paper No. 282)
The design and equipment of a modern railway dynamometer car. 731-53. Disc.:
753-60: 1932, 22, 249-55.
18 December, 1930, in Birmingham//Third Ordinary General Meeting of
the Birmingham Centre (Session 1930-31) was held in the Assembly Hall of
the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce, New Street, on Thursday, the 18th day
of December, 1930, at 7.15 p.m., the chair being taken by Mr. R.G.
McLaughlin.
Hydraulic type of dynamometer car for service in India], similar to those
in use in the United States of America and South Africa where very high drawbar
forces were encountered with Mallet articulated locomotives in the former,
and multiple electic locomotives in the latter country. Discussion:
E.W. Selby (250-2)
Richie, E.G.
Steam storage in relation to the locomotive. 780.
Sixth Ordinary General Meeting of the Manchester Centre (Session 1930-31)
held in the Building of the Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society,
36, George Street, Manchester, on Friday, 13 March 1931, at 7 p.m., the chair
being taken by J.N. Gresham.
Showed the losses due to time lag in the production of steam to meet the
variation in steam demanded in industrial plants which can be overcome by
the installation of a steam storage system and advocated application of this
system to locomotives. However, he left it to the locomotive engineers to
find the necessary ways and means of applying it.
The full text of this Paper was available at Headquarters to members wishing
to peruse it.
(North Eastern Centre–Leeds), Visit to Kirkstall Power House. 782.
On 10 and 17 October.
Journal No. 104
Hudd, A.E. (Paper No. 283)
A new system of automatic train control. 825-42. Disc.: 842-54.
Third Ordinary General Meeting of the 1931-32 Session held in the
Hall of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Storey’s Gate, Westminster,
on Thursday 26 November 1931, at 6 p.m. In the absence of the President,
owing to illness, the Chair was taken by J. Clayton.
A system of intermittent inductive automatic train control with three types
of track elements: Permanent Magnet, Electro-Magnet and Combined Permanent
and Electro-Magnet. A control valve is connected in the train pipe of the
locomotile brake system, operated by a magnetic Pilot Vahe. The Pilot Valve
is in turn controlled by four iron plates contained in a Receiver mounted
on the locomotive. The lowest part of the Receiver is set at five inches
above the top of the running rail, and the highest part of the track elements
or Inductors at one inch above rail lelel, providing a total clearance of
four inches.
Magnetic flux picked up by the Receiver opens or closes the Pilot Vahe in
accordance with the position of the signals.
A momentary opening and closing of the Pilot Valve gives a short audible
indication on the locomotive when a distant signal is at Clear. Continued
opening of Pilot Valve indicates distant signal at “ Danger ” by
means of continuous audible indication and partial brake application.
No effect is given on passing a Stop signal at Clear, but a continuous warning
and brake application is given on passing a Stop signal at Danger. A manual
release is provided to cancel Danger effect in each case.
Locomotive apparatus is operated by vacuum with magnetic control. No electricity
used on the locomotive