Table of Contents
Why does steam come out of trains?
It is an External Combustion Engine (the fire is on the outside) – as opposed to the Internal Combustion Engine where the fire is contained within the mechanism – such as in a petrol or diesel car motor. A steam train uses a steam engine to provide the power to motivate the locomotive.
Do steam trains use water?
Water is carried in the tender in a tank surrounding the coal. The hot gases released from the coal flow forward through a series of flues or tubes to the front of the locomotive. Water surrounds the outside of the firebox. Heat from the burning coal turns water to steam, which rises to the top of the boiler.
What are the disadvantages of steam locomotives?
The locomotives of steam trains (trains powered by steam locomotives) have the following disadvantages compared to electric and diesel-electric locomotives: Steam locomotives require much more maintenance, including re-oiling of much of the running gear during station stops on a single run.
How do you get water in a steam engine?
The key is – you need Steam. For info, at low boiler pressures when you have no steam to use, real steam engines have mechanical pumps to get water in, then they use injectors once steam is available. In Train Simulator you never get that low (hopefully) and mechnical pumps aren’t generally implemented.
Why is water so bad for steam cylinders?
Water is the absolute enemy of cylinders because it can’t be compressed like Steam. If it gets bad enough and you move off you could seriously damage the cylinders and take the loco out of action (in many cases TS engines don’t simulate this behaviour, the 56xx again does).
What happened to the first steam locomotive in the US?
The Lion went on to carry out test trials on August 8, 1829, earning it distinction as the first use of a steam locomotive in the United States. Unfortunately, its ultimate fate was rather unglamorous; it proved too heavy for the track and languished in a shed before finally being scrapped in 1870.