Building the Steam Locomotives

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Section 1

Tell Me The Answer

Info Source

Swinden History

Encyclopedia Encarta

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Section 2

/ The Frame

Part 2

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Section 3

The Fire Box

Part 2

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Section 4

/ Swindon Works

Part 2

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Section 5

Erecting Shop

Erecting Shop text

Boiler Const

Part 2

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Section 6

Wheel Shop

Making Wheels

Part 2

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Section 7

Part 1

Part 2

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Section 8

/ GWR Loco

Part 2

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Great.Britain

Miscelanious

Misc 1

Misc 2

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Building in Great Britain Section 1

SWINDON --the town on the hill--dates back atleast eight centuries and is mentioned in theDomesday Book. It was an ancient market town of some note when the Great Western Railway came into being.

Historic Steam :-- The first types of true motor cars were Steam Engines applied to Vehicles. This fact alone would not have guaranteed them against competition by other kinds of motors if, as far as the railways are concerned, locomotives had not immediately proved to be such powerful and practical engines able to meet any demand. Even the most sceptical individuals were soon convinced. In forty years England had passed from the few kilometres of the Liverpool- Manchester railway of 1830 to almost 22,000 kilometres in 1870.

The Frame Section 2

The Frame is the Chasis of all Steam Locomotives supporting the Drive Wheels the Truck Wheels and Braking System on the underneath section and the Cabin, Boiler,Fire Box and Smoke Box on the Upperside .

The Fire Box Section 3

The Fire Box is attached to the Rear of the Boiler and is attached to the Upperside of the Frame in front of the Cabin , with the Grate and Ashe Pan on the underside of the Frame , There is a shuttered opening in the rear of the Fire Box for loading Coal, which burns on the Grate, the ashe falls through onto the Ashe Pan.

 The Swindon Factory Section 4

The Swindon Works Establishments for the constructlion and repair of locomotives, carriages, and wagons throughout the world. The Works were under the control of the Great Western Railway Company's Chief Mechanical Engineer, Mr. C. B. Collett, O.B.E., J.P., M.Inst. C.E., M.I.1Mech. who was responsible for the supervision of all mechanical and elecctrical engineering work throughout the system. The total staff employed in this department is normally about 40,000. To Mr. Collett belonged the distinction of having designed the famous
"Castle" and "King" classes of locomotives. MORE

Building The Boiler Section 5

BOILER SHOP
In later years machinery has figured largely in boiler construction, and the Swindon Boiler shop is thoroughly and efficiently equipped in this direction. Worthy of notice is the large hydraulic Flanging press which works at a pressure of 750 pounds to the square inch.
The flanging of cold copper plates is carried out in this shop,which was the first to introduce that system.
Electric machines are gradually replacing compressed air machines in this shop. Boiler plates are cut out and edges shaped by the oxy-coal gas process.
 There is a Boiler Testing Plant by means of which all boilers are tested, first by hydraulic power and then under steam at high pressure, supplied from a master boiler, so that fires are unnecessary in the fireboxes of the boilers tested. This method permits of careful examination being made of boiler and firebox while under steam pressure.More

Building The Wheels Section 6

Steam Locomotive Driving Wheels,Trucks and Motion :
Most non articulated Steam Locomotives have a Driving Motion made up of Cylinders Pistons, Connecting and Coupling Rodds, Big Ends and Slide Bars. The Driving Wheels vary in Size and Nos from Two in early engines up to 12 in Very Powerfull Locomotives built in the USA such as The Big Boy and The Challenger, Articulated Locomotives such as SAR Garratts can have even more. Smaller Wheels called Trucks Support the Front end and rear end of most locomotives MORE

Steam Loco MantainenanceSection 7

Periodic Yearly Maintenance needs to be carried out on Steam Locomotives, The Boiler Tubes have to be Washed out and the Interior of the Smoke Box Cleaned Before every trip The Motion has to be Lubricated and the Sand Boxes Refilled, and after each trip before retiring the Loco the Ash Pan and Fire must be Dropped. During Major Maintenance programs the Pressure Release Valves have to be tested and new Pressure Valves Fitted, every 20/30 years the Boiler Tubes and Super Hearters may be replaced because of Errosion. The Main Steam Valve which regualates the ammount of Steam being fed to the Driving Cylendars must also be Tested and Replaced if found to be Faulty.

The Finnished Products Section 8

The Great Western Railway Locomotives 1837--1934
The Development of the railway locomotive is a Story of ever increasing tractive power. Whilst comparatively high speeds were attained on the Great WeStern Railway as far back as the 'forties, the weights of the trains hauled in those days were but a fraction of those with which modern locomotives have to deal. From a few small carriages the train load has grown to 5 or more 6o-ft. coaches, including dining and kitchen cars, and having an aggregate weight of 500 tons behind the tender. Steam Engine Theory: In its most basic form, a steam engine is little more than a piston (much like an automobile piston) that is moved in a cylinder by the pressure of steam. The cylinder may be single-acting, meaning that the piston is shoved in one direction only,relying on the kinetic energy stored in a flywheel to return it to its original position, or it may be double-acting, meaning that the piston is pushed back and forth by alternately admitting steam into opposite ends of the cylinder. More . Steam driven Engines played a Major part in the early developement of Agriculture and Heavy Industries around the world, inluding Farming,Timber Mills, Shipbuilding and Building Construction.

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