That's normal practice. The idea is to blow-out all condensed water that has gathered in the cylinders while the locomotives were stationary.... through 'drain cocks'. Unless this is done, the movement of the pistons inside the cylinders rams the water against the end covers and because water (unlike steam) is not compressible at all, the ends of the cylinders and somtimes chunks of the cylinder casting itself are knocked out! This is not just expensive damage to repair, it's also dangerous.
@SteffanLlwyd But clearly only a fraction is coming from where the drain cocks are located - most is coming from the seals at the back of the cylinders, so they are leaking steam. This at a time when these locos were not given very thorough maintenance to say the lest.
Mmmm... the stuffing boxes probably need re-packing. I like the way the second locomotive's live steam injector is adding to the murk. Wonderful how the steam is blown forward of the first loco by the wind. Perfect. I can smell it!
So that's what cylinder cocks are for. Never knew. Usually I just seem to get a load of steam in the face if I see an engine start off on a railtour...
@edj66 A curiosity is that on all British locomotives the drain cocks lead to pipes which point forwards so that wet steam and condensate is thrown ahead. But on all US locomotives and all Chinese ones, in fact most of the rest of the World, these pipes point sideways, leftwards from th left cylinder and rightwards from the right cylinder. Any theory as to why there is this difference?
The only thing I can think of is that some clever person realised that blasting hot steam into the lime mortar in between the bricks of platforms would probably not do it any good. Whether that would have had any serious effect I don't know. (I am a buildings archaeologist in training...) Or perhaps to keep steam from being forced up from the side of the train in a station, rather than out ahead which might be less dangerous? Unless they just wanted to keep the track clean and shiny?
@edj66 If an engines been standing for a good length of time, the steam in the cylinders will start to cool and condense into water droplets. If those droplets aren't expelled from the cylinder before moving off, the condensed water will compress and possibly damage the piston or blow the cylinder cover off; water not being very compressable :)
A wonderful look back at those halcyon days...Thanks...Bob
robmasterman 4 months ago
magificent footage
drigin1234 10 months ago
great video . Thanks....but personally I think the Stainmoor route kicks this into touch. Two words..Beulah viaduct
cleckheatoncentral 1 year ago
Ver Good
robinghood 1 year ago
These were fine engines but a Brit on its last legs is a shame to see and a shameful waste.
heightsgreen 2 years ago
Excellent footage, a very reminiscent video.
JimTLonW6 2 years ago
Let steam do the talking!
SteffanLlwyd 2 years ago
i find archive footage much more interesting and entertaining than modern footage of locos on railtours
onetwoeight2 2 years ago
Those last two did'nt look very well..
GavinS1965 2 years ago
That looked like a pretty heavy rail train they were on
kevatcrewe 2 years ago
Yeah,they seemed to be blowing alot of steam out of the cylinders,tho..
GavinS1965 2 years ago
That's normal practice. The idea is to blow-out all condensed water that has gathered in the cylinders while the locomotives were stationary.... through 'drain cocks'. Unless this is done, the movement of the pistons inside the cylinders rams the water against the end covers and because water (unlike steam) is not compressible at all, the ends of the cylinders and somtimes chunks of the cylinder casting itself are knocked out! This is not just expensive damage to repair, it's also dangerous.
SteffanLlwyd 2 years ago
@SteffanLlwyd But clearly only a fraction is coming from where the drain cocks are located - most is coming from the seals at the back of the cylinders, so they are leaking steam. This at a time when these locos were not given very thorough maintenance to say the lest.
kevatcrewe 2 years ago
Mmmm... the stuffing boxes probably need re-packing. I like the way the second locomotive's live steam injector is adding to the murk. Wonderful how the steam is blown forward of the first loco by the wind. Perfect. I can smell it!
SteffanLlwyd 2 years ago
So that's what cylinder cocks are for. Never knew. Usually I just seem to get a load of steam in the face if I see an engine start off on a railtour...
edj66 2 years ago
@edj66 A curiosity is that on all British locomotives the drain cocks lead to pipes which point forwards so that wet steam and condensate is thrown ahead. But on all US locomotives and all Chinese ones, in fact most of the rest of the World, these pipes point sideways, leftwards from th left cylinder and rightwards from the right cylinder. Any theory as to why there is this difference?
SteffanLlwyd 2 years ago
The only thing I can think of is that some clever person realised that blasting hot steam into the lime mortar in between the bricks of platforms would probably not do it any good. Whether that would have had any serious effect I don't know. (I am a buildings archaeologist in training...) Or perhaps to keep steam from being forced up from the side of the train in a station, rather than out ahead which might be less dangerous? Unless they just wanted to keep the track clean and shiny?
edj66 2 years ago
@edj66 I see that....
SteffanLlwyd 2 years ago
@edj66 If an engines been standing for a good length of time, the steam in the cylinders will start to cool and condense into water droplets. If those droplets aren't expelled from the cylinder before moving off, the condensed water will compress and possibly damage the piston or blow the cylinder cover off; water not being very compressable :)
aCivilServant 9 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Back in the good old days,thanks
firemanvic36c 3 years ago 3
The S&C in the sixties at the end of steam. That's where I'm going to set my personal time machine to (when they make them)
camsprocketpinion 3 years ago 2
what year was this please?
LeamingtonSteve 3 years ago
Absolutely brilliant mate. Thanks for sharing
adiboy429 3 years ago
Excellent - thanks for sharing.
Craggse 3 years ago
Brilliant !!! Nice to see some vintage steam footage on youtube, there's not nearly enough.
percythe 3 years ago 4