162 The Model Engineer and Practical Electrician. February 13, 1930.
American practice. * Sir Morris" had
eccentrics, Minny "had Baker gear, and
Josie has Walschaerts for the sake of
variety Valve travel is nearly 3/16th in.; she
cuts off at roughly 70 per cent. in full gear,
and can, of course, be notched up like "big
sister.
"
As the boiler is oil-fired, it was made on the
water-tube system at the request of the future
owner; however, as the grate space is no less
than 3 ins. Yong and 2 ins. wide (as big as
many 2-in. gauge engines) on account of it
being over the four-wheel trailing truck, it
would make an ideal type of engine to have a
regular coal-fired locomotive-type boiler.
The
present boiler is 12 ins. long with a 2-in. dia-
meter barrel. Feed is by a simple hand pump
in the tender, as the boiler holds a good drop
of water and only requires feeding at intervals.
The burner is a variation of the axle-dodger
type described in back notes and in my book,
and the fittings and trimmings are practically
the same as on 66 Minnehaha."
"
As soon as track tests are through, Mr.
Calvert Holt has promised to take a photo of
her for these notes, and if anybody would like
to build a replica, will give the necessary
sketches and a few hints and tips. She should
be more powerful than "Sir Morris,
as she
carries 25 lbs. higher steam pressure and has
a larger and heavier boiler. She should go
around a 10-ft. circle if the leading end of the
frame is filed to clear the front truck wheels,
and the rear truck pivoted forward of the
smaller pair of wheels so that the whole issue
can swing bodily over like a Bissell truck. The
drawbar is attached to the rear end of the trail-
ing truck frame and coupled to the leading
tender truck, so it doesn't matter a bean how
much overhang there is, within reason, as the
engine rear bumper-bar and tender sill are
entirely free of each other and move quite
independently.
She is a fairly simple job to build, the only
ticklish places in the erecting being the steam
and exhaust pipes, as connections have to be
made inside the saddle. As this is only a shade
over in. wide, there isn't much room to play.
about in, as you may guess; and if any brother
loco man has a shot at building a copy of
" Josie
" and gets into difficulties at this point,
I guess he'd better buy a box of candy or
chocolates and try the effect of " bribery and
corruption on those members of his family
who have the most delicate fingers. More about
young "Josie " later, if all's well.
A Shock for the "Abortionists."
I saw an incident a little while ago, common
enough in America, but which in Great Britain
would give forty-odd fits to those poor mis-
guided folk who dress up a bundle of wires in
the shape of a steam locomotive and think the
result magnificent; yet, if a steam loco-fan put
a boiler and a pair of cylinders inside an electric
locomotive's working costume, lynching would
be too good for him, in their estimation. Well,
just where the New York, New Haven and
Hartford electric tracks join the New York
Central, near Mount Vernon, there is a flyover
junction, visible from the roadway. The former
road uses overhead wires and A.C., and the
latter third rail and D.C., the motors on the
locomotives and trains being arranged for either
66
system. As the old tin Lizzie hove in sight of
the junction, I saw a New Haven train headed
by one of the latest type electric locomotives.
just approaching the flyover. She eased up as
she crossed the bridge and left the overhead
wires, dropped her trolley (pantagraph type)
and started blowing off; just like friend Irvin's
engine would when he shuts off over the fly-
over at Finsbury Park on one of the up morning
rush-hour trains from High Barnet to Moorgate.
Poor old " abortionists wouldn't they just
open their eyes wide and think that the order
of things had been reversed!! But the explana-
tion is very simple. The train was a through
express which had been brought to the motive-
power change-over point by a steam locomotive,
to be hauled thence to New York by an electric.
All the trains are steam-heated, and naturally
the travelling public don't want to freeze for the
sake of keeping the district around New York
City free from locomotive smoke and ashes; so
all the electric locomotives are fitted with an oil-
fired boiler for the purpose of keeping the cars
warm. The safety valve is on top of the cab,
and does its duty in regulation style. But it
sure looks peculiar to see some of the electric
locomotives at the change-over, waiting to take
their trains into the city, and occasionally
popping off as if to show their steam sisters
that they, too, can make a noise in the world
when occasion arises. Also, it does much to
dispel that " dead-as-ditchwater" atmosphere
usually inseparable from electric stock. Another
one of the "little things that matter!"
How to Fit the Averill Cylinders to the Chassis.
This is a simple enough job and doesn't
require any of the apparatus usually employed
on setting-up and lining-up operations.
I use
just a big toolmaker's cramp and a bit of string
or cotton, that's all. The first operation is to
set up the driving axleboxes to runaing position,
and this can be done by screwing up the nuts
holding the axlebox springs so as to get plenty
of tension on them, and then jamming a piece
of metal the requisite thickness between the
bottom of the axlebox and the hornstay or
pedestal tie. The pull of the spring will hold
it tight enough to stay put. Tip: aways set
the axleboxes to running position when fitting
side or main rods, valve gear rods or connec-
tions, axle feed pumps or any other blobs and
gadgets which derive motion from, or work with,
the wheels of the locomotive when on the track.
Beginners especially take heed, and you'll save
bags of trouble and much heart-burning. When
at Norbury I had a job sent me from a place
eight thousand miles away; the builder had
erected it with the axleboxes at the bottom of
the slots, and when he put it on the track he
said it went all pooey, so therefore fooled
around for six weeks or so trying to correct it.
As the axleboxes in running position stood a
good 3/16th in. off the hornstays, it didn't need
a Sherlock Holmes to locate the cause of the
pooeyness," and a few hours' work put things
in shipshape order. Just before we left
England, I had a letter from our worthy brother
and he said the engine was doing well.
14
"
Next take the two cylinders off the Averill
steam-chest, and set the latter in the frames,
with the spigots projecting through the big
circular holes. Don't spring the frame to enter
the spigots or you may give it a permanent
