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Collects steam at the top of the boiler (well above the water level) so that it can be fed to the engine via the main steam pipe, or dry pipe, and the regulator/throttle valve. [2] [5] [6]: 211–212 [3]: 26 Air pump / Air compressor Westinghouse pump (US+) Powered by steam, it compresses air for operating the train air brake system.
The cylinder is made pressure-tight with end covers and a piston; a valve distributes the steam to the ends of the cylinder. Cylinders were initially cast iron , but later made of steel . The cylinder casting includes other features such as (in the case of Stephenson's Rocket ) valve ports and mounting feet. [ 1 ]
Diagram of cylinder and piston valve. The valve is next opened by moving it to the right, allowing the clear space in the middle of the valve to align with the channel in the cylinder above it. Piston valves are one form of valve used to control the flow of steam within a steam engine or locomotive.
The 'Centurion' is an upgraded version of the TE1A model, featuring Mamod's piston valve engine, which offers increased power and performance compared to the SP6-SP8 engines. Apart from the engine, the Centurion shares the same design and maintains the green and red color scheme of the earlier model.
Also, the steam passages were better streamlined for greater efficiency and, most importantly, the piston valves went up in size from 8 inches to 9.5 inches. In order to allow higher speeds, the diameter of the driving wheels was increased to 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) (from 6 ft 6 in) and the cylinder diameters were increased by 1 ⁄ 4 in (6.4 mm). [ 9 ]
The valve opens to admit steam to the cylinder just before the start of a piston stroke. The pressure of this steam provides the driving force. Soon before the space on one side of the piston starts to contract, the valve starts to release steam from that space to the atmosphere, so as not to impede the movement of the piston.
The steam locomotive, as commonly employed, has its pistons directly attached to cranks on the driving wheels; thus, there is no gearing, one revolution of the driving wheels is equivalent to one revolution of the crank and thus two power strokes per piston (steam locomotives are almost universally double-acting, unlike the more familiar internal combustion engine).
The steam needs to be fed into the end of the cylinder at just the right time in the cycle to push the piston in the correct direction. In the other direction, the steam needs to be allowed to escape from the cylinder. As the crankshaft rotates, the piston rod moves up and down (or side to side in the case of a vertical cylinder) as well as in ...