This engine, as will be seen by examining the cut, is of the Side
Crank, Side Gear style, the engine of which is mounted upon a long
heater, to which the cylinder and the main pillow block bearing are
attached, and is supplied with the bar or locomotive guides for
cross-head.
It is fitted with the Link Reverse peculiar to their own style of
manufacture, also Injector, Friction Clutch, Cross-head Pump, Governor,
Syphon for filling Tank on front end, Automatic Sight-Feed Lubricator,
and large Foot Board with Tool Boxes attached.
The boiler is of the locomotive or round bottom fire box type, with
dome on front end, and is mounted upon the traction wheels with axle
arms attached to the sides of boiler, which are supplied with springs.
The front axle is attached to the boiler with a bolster arrangement,
which is also supplied with a spring.
The traction wheels are made practically in one piece, having the
spokes cast in both hub and rim, the cast iron rim being chilled faced,
with the mud cleats cast on.
The smoke stack is supplied with a screen suitable for burning either
wood or coal. It has a patent steering attachment, the hand wheel of
which is on the same side of engine as the band wheel.
The engine and boiler are supplied with all the necessary fittings to
make them convenient and safe with proper handling.
Q. When should a boiler be filled after being blown off and cleaned?
A. A boiler should not be filled under any circumstances until it is
about the same temperature as the water used to fill it.
Q. How are the hand-hole plates put back in position?
A. The plate that covers the hole is put on the inside of the boiler
and held in position against the plate by a bolt attached to it and
passing out through a yoke which straddles the hole upon the outside
and serves as a brace against which the bolt acts.
Q. How is a leak prevented?
A. By placing packing between the hand-hole plate and the boiler plate.
Q. What is the best kind of packing to use for this purpose?
A. Two or three ply sheet rubber is the best, cut in the form of a ring
to fit the bearing surface of the plate.
Q. Can any other material be used?
A. Yes, hemp or cotton packing. When this is used it should be pulled
out in fine shreds and thoroughly oiled before putting in position. Use
as little as possible.
Q. Do the metals need any preparation?
A. Yes, all the old packing that may have burned on the metal should
be thoroughly scraped off, also the scale should be removed from the
vicinity so that the packing will have a smooth and even surface to
bear against.
Q. How are man-hole plates put in position?
A. In the same manner as the hand-hole plates.
Q. What is required of an engineer or fireman in the care of a boiler?
A. He should watch carefully all the parts that are exposed to any
steam and see that they do not become unduly weakened by corrosion
or accident. All the working parts and fittings should be examined
daily and be repaired or replaced as soon as they show signs of wear
or weakness. The steam gauge and safety valve should receive constant
care and both should be tested frequently, the one by the other, and
the steam gauge by a standard in order that it may be known to be in
perfect order. When scale forming water is used the feed pipe should be
frequently uncoupled and examined and all sediment removed. The check
valve should be examined frequently to see that it seats properly so
that water cannot leak from boiler in this way and the utmost care
should be taken in regard to the consumption of fuel.
Q. In case of accident how should an engineer conduct himself?
A. With the utmost coolness.
Q. If the water gauge glass breaks, what should be done?
A. The upper and lower gauge valves should be closed immediately.
Q. Can a new glass be put in at once?
A. No, because a new glass is cold, and if put in position and steam
turned on, the sudden heat and expansion would be apt to crack it.
Q. When can a new glass be put in?
A. After the boiler has been cooled off.
Q. What is to be done in the meantime?
A. The boiler must be run by the use of the gauge cocks alone.
Q. What is to be done if the gauge cocks leak?
A. If the leak is in the seat, that part should be taken out and
re-ground and refitted. This should be done at once.
Q. What harm is done by a leaky gauge cock?
A. It allows the water to run down over the face of the boiler, which
tends to corrode it.
Q. When the leak is where the gauge cock is screwed into the boiler,
what is to be done?
A. As soon as the boiler is cooled down examine and see if the gauge
cock can be screwed up another turn. If so try that, then if the leak
is not stopped the gauge cock must be taken out and a new one put in
its place, or the thread of the old one so repaired that there will be
no leak.
Q. Why not screw up the leaky gauge cock when the boiler is under
pressure?
A. Because there is great danger of breaking the cock, thereby placing
the engineer or fireman in great peril.
Q. What should be done in case a gauge cock is accidentally broken off?
A. Open the furnace door and if possible partially bank the fire, close
the damper and allow the water to blow out at the hole until steam
alone comes out. In the meantime get a piece of soft pine six or seven
feet long and whittle down one end until it will about fit and jam
it into the hole. Work it around until the jet of steam is stopped.
Fasten the stick in temporarily and stop the engine if not already
done. It will now depend on the condition of the break and the position
of the surrounding parts as to the means to be employed. The stick
should be cut off short and firmly driven into the hole and braced or
tied securely. The engineer or fireman must use his own ingenuity for
this work.
Q. Can a boiler be worked in this condition?
A. Yes, by the use of the gauge glass to determine the level of water.
Q. Should a boiler be run in this condition continually?
A. No. A new gauge cock should be supplied as soon as possible.
Q. When a gauge cock becomes stopped up what should be done?
A. After steam is down, the front or outer part may be taken off and a
stiff wire run into it to open the clogged tube.
Q. Is it simply necessary to get the wire through?
A. No, the wire should be worked back and forth until all the deposit
or scale is thoroughly cleaned out.
Q. In case the steam gauge gets out of order what should be done?
A. There should always be an extra gauge on hand that may be put to
use. If there is no extra steam gauge, the engine should be shut down
until the gauge can be repaired.
Q. Why not continue running by using the safety valve?
A. Because it is very dangerous and should never be attempted.
Q. How much variation from the actual pressure can be allowed on steam
gauge before it is repaired?
A. None. As soon as suspected of being even slightly out of order it
should be repaired.
Q. In case the pump does not work what should be done?
A. Supply the boiler by the injector.
Q. What is to be done where there is no injector?
A. First, care should be taken that the water in the boiler does not
fall below the second gauge cock or out of sight in the gauge glass,
then stop the engine and bank the fire. When this is done, examine the
packing around the plunger to see that it does not leak air, then
examine the valves of the pump to ascertain whether they are worn and
leak. If this be the case they must be reseated at once. If the valves
are all right, work the pump and open the side valve in the delivery
pipe to see if the pump draws water. If no water appears, the trouble
is probably in the suction pipe.
Q. How can this be remedied?
A. First examine the strainer at end of suction pipe or hose to see if
it is stopped up; if it is, clean it out and try the pump. If it works,
the difficulty is remedied. If the strainer is clean, examine the pipe
or hose from end to end to see that it is perfectly air tight; if not,
it should be made so.
Q. If the delivery pipe is choked, how can it be cleaned?
A. Close the globe valve next to boiler, and then examine the check
valve to see if it is all right. If it is choked or filled with
sediment, take out the valve, clean the shell and re-seat the valve; if
the check is all right, disconnect the pipe and clean out if necessary.
Q. What if this pipe and check valve are all right?
A. Let the boiler cool off, then blow off the water, disconnect the
pipe between check and boiler, where the difficulty will probably be
found, and clean thoroughly.
Q. How can check valve and delivery pipe be choked with water that has
already passed through the injector or valves of the pump?
A. The water may contain quantities of lime which are deposited from
the heated water upon the interior of the pipe, which will thus be
gradually decreased in size until the hole is too small to answer the
purpose.
Q. When the communication between the water gauge and boiler is
interrupted, what should be done?
A. The glass should be blown out frequently by opening the drip cock
at the bottom, then shut the upper valve, allowing the water to blow
through the lower valve until the water runs free and clear. Then shut
the lower valve and open the upper one and blow through in like manner.
Q. In case of low water what should be done?
A. Cover the fire quickly with fresh coal or damp ashes, close the
lower draft door, and allow the furnace to cool. Never dash water into
the furnace to check the fire, it is dangerous.
Q. Why not draw or dump the fire?
A. Because it would result momentarily in stirring up an intense heat,
cooling can be effected more rapidly by covering the fire and checking
the draft.
Q. Should the pop or safety valve be opened?
A. No. Never let more steam out of the boiler in this condition than
can be avoided.
Q. Should the engine be stopped or the throttle valve be closed?
A. No. A sudden stoppage of the outflow of steam will cause the water
level to fall. The first thing to be looked after is to subdue the heat
which is the source from which trouble may arise.
Q. Should the feed water supply be turned on?
A. No. _Leave it alone._ Should the pump or injector be running, the
water level will be recovered gradually as the boiler cools down. If
the feed is not on, the sudden admittance of water on the overheated
surfaces will cause a disaster. The feed should not be turned on until
sufficient time has been allowed to avert such danger.
Q. Are there any appliances by which to guard against accident from low
water?
A. Yes. Alarms to call attention by blowing a whistle or ringing a bell
when the water is below a certain level. Also fusible or safety plug
placed in the heating surface of boiler most liable to be overheated
from lack of water.
Q. Of what use is the safety valve?
A. To prevent the accumulation of pressure above a given point.
Q. Should water be left in the boiler when not in use?
A. No. It is better to draw out all the water and properly clean the
boiler before leaving.
Q. What should be done in case a grate bar breaks and drops out of
place?
A. If no other bar is at hand, it might be repaired with a heavy stick
of wood.
Q. How can this be done?
A. By cutting the stick in such a shape as to fit the space made by the
broken bar, then cover with ashes before the fire spreads over it.
Q. Will the stick burn out?
A. Yes, but it will last for several hours.