The New York Subway, Its Construction and EquipmentInterborough Rapid Transit Company
History
The New York Subway, Its Construction and Equipment
Interborough Rapid Transit Company
Local transit -- New York (State) -- New York; Subways -- New York (State) -- New York
The circulating pumps are vertical, cross compound pumping engines
with outside packed plungers. Their foundations are upon the basement
floor level and the steam cylinders extend above the engine-room
floor; the starting valves and control of speed is therefore entirely
under the supervision of the engineer. Each pump has a normal capacity
of 10,000,000 gallons of water per day, so that the total pumping
capacity of all the pumps is 120,000,000 gallons per day. While the
head against which these pumps will be required to work, when assisted
by the vacuum in the condenser, is much less than the total lift from
low tide water to the entrance into the condensing chambers, they are
so designed as to be ready to deliver the full quantity the full
height, if for any reason the assistance of the vacuum should be lost
or not available at times of starting up. A temporary overload can but
reduce the vacuum only for a short time and the fluctuations of the
tide, or even a complete loss of vacuum cannot interfere with the
constant supply of water, the governor simply admitting to the
cylinders the proper amount of steam to do the work. The high-pressure
steam cylinder is 10 inches in diameter and the low-pressure is 20
inches; the two double-acting water plungers are each 20 inches in
diameter, and the stroke is 30 inches for all. The water ends are
composition fitted for salt water and have valve decks and plungers
entirely of that material.
[Illustration: COAL UNLOADING TOWER ON WEST 58TH STREET PIER]
The dry vacuum pumps are of the vertical form, and each is located
alongside of the corresponding circulating pump. The steam cylinders
also project above the engine-room floor. The vacuum cylinder is
immediately below the steam cylinder and has a valve that is
mechanically operated by an eccentric on the shaft. These pumps are of
the close-clearance type, and, while controlled by a governor, can be
changed in speed while running to any determined rate.
[Sidenote: _Exhaust
Piping_]
From each atmospheric exhaust valve, which is direct-connected to the
condensing chamber at each low-pressure cylinder, is run downward a
30-inch riveted-steel exhaust pipe. At a point just under the
engine-room floor the exhaust pipe is carried horizontally around the
engine foundations, the two from each pair of engines uniting in a
40-inch riser to the roof. This riser is between the pair of engines
and back of the high-pressure cylinder, thus passing through the
so-called pipe area, where it also receives exhaust steam from the
pump auxiliaries. At the roof the 40-inch riser is run into a 48-inch
stand pipe. This is capped with an exhaust head, the top of which is
35 feet above the roof.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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