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I am trying to find out a little more about steam locomotives fitted with condensing equipment for working over the underground lines in London or Glasgow. (Metropolitan / GWR / MR / GNR / Caledonian) Does anyone know approximately how much of the exhaust steam was returned to the water tanks...

A booklet on "The Vacuum Automatic Brake" published by LPC in 1921 describes a twin pipe vacuum brake system for electric trains, manufactured by the Consolidated Brake and Engineering Company of Slough. It is basically the same idea as the later Gresham and Craven system used on first...

A Westinghouse Document from 1904 describes a storage brake system: https://archive.org/details/instructionpamp00compgoog/page/n225/mode/2up?view=theater (This particular example was intended for straight air brakes rather than automatic air brakes.) Motor cars were not fitted with compressors...

The driver's instructions for the Blue Pullman describe an EP brake system that provides a higher brake force (higher brake cylinder pressure) when speed rises above 40 mph and until speed falls below 30 mph. At lower speeds the brake cylinder pressure would be the 45-50 psi normally obtained...

The drivers' manual for the Blue Pullmans (February 1962) states that the WR sets had AWS including an "AWS Indicator" listed with gauges and indicators. Given that they ran mostly in the 1960s and until the early 70s, I was wondering if this would have been for the GWR ATC system rather than...

I am trying to find out more about power reversers used on steam locomotives in UK, if anyone can point towards diagrams and explanations, particularly of how the controls were operated by the driver, I would be grateful. So far I have been made aware of three main variations, two of which are...

Hello, Can anyone please link me to a source describing how the load compensation system on modern rail vehicles is able to vary the brake force?

Just reading here about the ETHeLs https://derbysulzers.com/97250.html Does anyone know how much electrical power they were allowed to provide (ETH number or kW) and what diesel engine speed (rpm) was used to provide that?

I have some questions about transmission with 3-phase motors and variable frequency supply. The basic principle says as the supply frequency increases the speed of the motor(s) increases. So you accelerate by increasing the supply frequency. The supply frequency also sets a "maximum" speed in...

There is a post here that gives a very good idea of how and why air flow indicators are in modern locomotive cabs. https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/brake-fade.60082/post-996159 In pictures these gauges appear to have two pointers, red and white. Why?

Looking around the internet there seems to be some variation between different sources and some information not clear at all. My best guess so far is as follows: All of 66001 to 66599 / 66701 to 66717 / 66790 to 66799 / 66846 to 66850 Max speed: 120km/h Max TE: 409kN Max continuous TE: 260kN...

To begin with I am wondering if this topic now belongs in the history section! Anyway I have some questions. Is the control only of power to the traction motors or does it also use the train air brakes to check the speed? From the information on loco docs website I can see what looks like two...

So far as I can see there may be six 'air' brake types in use in UK today. 1. Single Pipe Air Brake 2. Twin Pipe Air Brake - normal application and release from front of train 3. "HST" Twin Pipe Air Brake - Wescode / E70 system application from both ends of train at the same time, release...

Hello, Does anyone have details (or diagram book diagrams) for class 37/6 diagram(s)? In particular to fill in the following information: Weight in Working Order: Weight Empty: Main Alternator: Maximum Tractive Effort: @ % adhesion @ amps main alternator Continuous Tractive Effort: @...

Firstly about the mass of the locomotives: The 1969 diagram book gives a class 33/0 as 73 tons 4 cwt and a class 33/2 as 74 tons 2cwt. The 1975 diagram book states 76 tons 9cwt and 76 tons 5cwt. Is there any explanation as to how the weight in working order apparently increased by 2 or 3 tons...

Following the British Railways modernisation plan, almost all locomotives were built with roller bearings. One exception that I am aware of is the first few class 24 locomotives - D5000 to D5010. Which other British diesel and electric locomotives were built with plain bearings rather than...

Just reading that the LMS designed diesel electric locos 10000 and 10001 were vacuum braked, with the automatic vacuum brake working on the locomotive as well as on the train. This has made me wonder if the LMS designed 10800 also used vacuum brakes. Other than the LMS main line diesels, the...

Following from this thread: https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/eq-brakes.211874/ Can anyone give me further examples of individual locos of different classes known to have been fitted with vacuum EQ brakes. So far my list is 20: ? 24: 24081 25: ? 27: ? 31: ? 37: ? 40: 40135

Which diesel electric locomotives and multiple units in service at present have rheostatic braking? Can anyone recommend any online or easily accessible source of information that gives the rheostatic braking force vs speed curves for any of these? [The only UK loco I have so far seen one of...

On first generation dmu with bus engines, the engines were not governed (other than having a maximum or red line speed). This is (or was) generally the case for car, bus and truck engines. This arrangement seems well suited to transmission with gears as it allows some variation of power and...