Sunday, March 17, 2024

ever heard of the water trough method of high speed loading water for steam locomotives while moving along, no time wasted on slowing, stopping, loading, and slowly getting back up to speed


 


On routes used regularly for long-distance steam-hauled passenger and freight services (like the Settle-Carlisle Railway was), water troughs could be placed between the rails of each running line (see Image 6) and filled with water via a water tank (usually in the form of a tank house). These troughs allowed train crews to replenish the water supplies of their locomotives without having to stop the train.

As the locomotive reached the start of the water trough (usually indicated by a track side marker board), the fireman would lower a scoop into the trough. The forward movement of the train would force water up the scoop, through a pipe and into the locomotive's tender or water tank.


2 comments:

  1. this same method is used to slow down the supersonic test sled used by the military to test deceleration of high speed restraint systems.

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    Replies
    1. that's genius. Clean, renewable, free.... and non mechanical, therefore, doesn't have the chance of a system breakdown

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