Page:Steamlocomotivec00ahrorich.djvu/109

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erecting shop
95

upon and fastened to the framing. The plates, about ¼ in. thick for the sides and ⅜ in. for the bottom, are of mild steel of good quality, but not of the specially high grade which is required for boiler plates. The rivet holes are marked off, drilled or punched, and the plates riveted together with angle irons and supporting stays with ½ in. rivets spaced at about 1¾ in. centres.

The tank is bolted to an angle iron, which runs round the top edge of the frame, so that it can be lifted off readily for examination when required.

In erecting the brake gear, both on the engine and on the tender, care must be taken that the brake blocks do not rub against the tyres when the brakes are “off,” otherwise considerable heating and undue wear will occur. The blocks are arranged to be just clear of the wheels at the top side, and about ¼ in. clear at the bottom. The reason for this is that the brake pull rods are below the blocks, whilst the fulcra to which the brake block hangers are attached are above, and therefore the bottom sides of the blocks move through a greater distance when the brakes are applied.