The 'Pioneer': Light Passenger Locomotive of 1851: United States Bulletin 240, Contributions from the Museum of History and Technology, paper 42, 1964White, John H.
History
The 'Pioneer': Light Passenger Locomotive of 1851: United States Bulletin 240, Contributions from the Museum of History and Technology, paper 42, 1964
White, John H.
Locomotives
The cylinders are cast iron with an 8-1/2-inch bore about half the size
of the cylinders of a standard 8-wheel engine. The cylinders are bolted
to the frame but not to the saddle, and are set at a 9 deg. angle to clear
the leading wheels and at the same time to line up with the center of
the driving-wheel axle. The wood lagging is covered with a decorative
brass jacket. Ornamental brass jacketing was extensively used on
mid-19th-century American locomotives to cover not only the cylinders
but steam and sand boxes, check valves, and valve boxes. The greater
expense for brass (Russia iron or painted sheet iron were a cheaper
substitute) was justified by the argument that brass lasted the life of
the engine, and could be reclaimed for scrap at a price approaching the
original cost; and also that when brightly polished it reflected the
heat, preventing loss by radiation, and its bright surface could be seen
a great distance, thus helping to prevent accidents at grade crossings.
The reader should be careful not to misconstrue the above arguments
simply as rationalization on the part of master mechanics more intent on
highly decorative machines than on the practical considerations
involved.
The valve box, a separate casting, is fastened to the cylinder casting
by six bolts. The side cover plates when removed show only a small
opening suitable for inspection and adjustment of the valve. The valve
box must be removed to permit repair or removal of the valve. A better
understanding of this mechanism and the layout of the parts can be
gained from a study of figures 23-26, 28 (8, 8A, and 8B).
[Illustration: Figure 27.--"PIONEER" LOCOMOTIVE. (1) Air chamber, (2)
reversing lever, (3) counterweight, (4) reversing shaft, (5) link
hanger, (6) rocker, (7) feedwater line to boiler, (8) link block, (9)
link, (10) eccentric, (11) pump plunger, (12) pump steamheater line,
(13) feedwater pump, (14) wire netting [bonnet], (15) deflecting cone,
(16) stack, (17) stack hopper. (Drawing by J. H. White.)]
[Illustration: Figure 28.--REAR ELEVATION of _Pioneer_ and detail of
valve shifter; valve face and valve. (Drawing by J. H. White.)]
Both crossheads were originally of cast iron but one of these has been
replaced and is of steel. They run into steel guides, bolted at the
forward end to the rear cylinder head and supported in the rear by a
yoke. The yoke is one of the more finished and better made pieces on the
entire engine (fig. 27). The main rod is of the old pattern, round in
cross section, and only 1-1/2 inches in diameter at the largest point.
VALVE GEAR
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