QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS,
Concerning the Operation and Care
of Steam Engines and Boilers.
Q. What should be done first, after receiving a new engine, to prepare it for running properly?
A. If a traction or farm engine, remove the box containing the fittings and tools, from the fire box, and see that the grates are in their proper places. Also take out the tools which are packed in the smoke box at front end of boiler. Then, with waste or rags well saturated with kerosene, turpentine or benzine, wipe off all the grease that the manufacturer has put on to protect the bright work from rusting. After this has been thoroughly done, clean every oil hole and bearing found upon the engine, of all dirt and cinders. Special attention should be given to this, as if dirt and cinders are allowed to remain, the bearings will cut and heat.
Q. After this is done thoroughly, what next?
A. Take all the fittings from the box and clean them carefully, fit each oil cup to its proper place and screw them in tightly with a wrench, to prevent them from working loose and falling off while engine is running on the road.
Fill all cups with good oil, lard oil for bearings, good cylinder oil for the automatic oiler, which oils the cylinder and valve, and solid oil for both grease cups at crank and cross-head. Then put the steam gauge, the glass water gauge, gauge cocks, safety valve, whistle, surface blow-off and blow-off valves, cylinder cocks, governor belt, etc., in their proper places; all fittings should be screwed up tight with a wrench. Examine the stuffing boxes and see that they are all well packed and cleaned.
Q. The fittings all being attached, what next?
A. Proceed to fill the boiler with water by unscrewing the cap from filling plug located on top of boiler near the steam dome, screw funnel on plug, and fill boiler with as clean soft water as is obtainable.
Q. How much water is required in the boiler before starting fire?
A. Fill the boiler until the water shows about one and one-half inches in the glass water gauge, or have a free flow of water from the lowest gauge cock.
Q. After the boiler is filled with water to the proper level, what next?
A. Start a moderate fire with dry wood in the furnace or fire box, and open the draught damper wide. Add fuel slowly, and while steam is being raised take your oil can and wrench and examine the engine thoroughly at all its parts. See that every screw and bolt is tight and that none of the oil holes have been overlooked.
If a traction engine, examine all the gearing and see that all gears, axles and bearings are thoroughly greased and oiled—grease for gears and axles, oil for bearings.
If firing with coal, keep the grates well covered with a thin layer. Do not throw in large lumps or too much fresh coal at one time. A thin fire lightly and frequently renewed, is the most economical.
Q. Is the natural draught of the boiler enough to enable steam to be raised quickly?
A. No. The boiler and water being cold the fire will not burn briskly, but as soon as steam pressure shows upon the steam gauge, turn on the blower, which will force and increase the draught; then with good fuel, any desired steam pressure can be raised quickly.
Q. Must the blower be used when the engine is running to keep up sufficient steam pressure?
A. No. When the engine is started, the exhaust steam is discharged from the cylinder first through the heater, then into smoke stack, producing the same effect as the blower.
Q. If the boiler steams too fast, what should be done?
A. Simply close the damper. Do not open the fire door, as the fire door should never be opened unless absolutely necessary, nor should it be kept open longer than is needed, as the cold air admitted through it injures the boiler and is wasteful of fuel.
Q. After sufficient steam is raised, how do you proceed to start the engine?
A. Before turning steam on the engine, go to the fly-wheel and turn it a few times to see that everything is all right and no obstacle in the way to prevent the engine from running when steam is applied, being sure to leave the crank-pin off the center to enable the steam to start the engine when throttle valve is opened. Next, open both the cylinder cocks, then the throttle valve just a trifle to allow a little steam to enter the cylinder, to warm it and expel the water of condensation. Then open the throttle gradually, and if everything is right, the engine will move off faster and faster until the proper speed is attained. After engine is thoroughly heated and is working dry steam, close the cylinder cocks and set the automatic oiler to work.
Q. How do you obtain the proper speed, and how is the engine made to run steadily with the steam pressure so varied?
A. The proper speed and steadiness in running is maintained by the use of the governor, which receives its motion from the engine shaft by means of a belt.
Q. Are the bearings of a new engine liable to heat when first started up?
A. Not if proper attention is given to them. When starting a new engine the first time, it should be stopped frequently and the moving parts and bearings carefully examined. Feel of all the bearings, the link block, the eccentrics, crank-pin, cross-head, etc., to ascertain if they are heating. If they are, slacken up the boxes a little, but not enough to make them knock or pound. Always be careful not to loosen or tighten bearings or keys too much; just a trifle at a time, but do it often, until the bearings and boxes run cool, but tight. If this is done carefully, the engine will run smoothly and quietly.
Q. After the engine is started, what should be done next?
A. Fill the tank on the engine with water and start the injector to work, so that the proper level of water may be kept in the boiler. The independent pump, if used, should now be fitted, connected and tried, to see if it is in proper shape to feed the boiler. If a cross-head pump is used, it should be fitted and attached to water supply with the suction hose. In this case when the engine is running, the pump can be regulated to supply the required amount of feed water.
Q. How is the boiler supplied with water while the engine is stopped?
A. By the independent pump or injector.
Q. Has the independent pump sufficient capacity to supply the boiler with water under all conditions?
A. Yes, always, when running at a reasonable speed.
Q. Why should an injector be furnished if the pump will supply the boiler?
A. Many times through carelessness or otherwise the pump is prevented from working by dirt, straw, chips and other obstructions which find their way into the pump and hold the valves from their seats. In this case it is necessary to take the pump apart and remove the obstructions wherever found, which would necessitate stopping the engine and allowing the steam to go down, involving a large loss of time. Whereas if the engine is also supplied with an injector, should the pump fail, the injector can immediately be started and the pump examined at leisure without loss of time and avoiding all danger of explosion.
Q. Should the supply of feed water be continuous while the engine is running?
A. Yes. Gauge the speed of the independent pump so that it will furnish the required amount of water to the boiler. Regulate the feed of a cross-head pump, by the suction valve. By so doing, the boiler steams easier, the flues are not so liable to leak, and a uniform steam pressure can be easily maintained more economically.
Q. How is a boiler supplied when engine is in motion?
A. By the independent or cross-head pump.
Q. When should the injector be used in preference to the independent pump?
A. There being no exhaust steam when engine is not running, no benefit is derived from the heater. Now, as cold water should never be forced into a hot boiler the injector becomes of great value, as it heats the feed water to a very high temperature before it enters the boiler.
Q. Is there any independent steam pump made that heats the feed water before it goes into the boiler?
A. [See Marsh Pump description].
Q. When engine, pump, and injector are found to be working properly, what next?
A. If a traction engine, the engine should be reversed several times. This can be done by throwing the reverse lever forward and backward, to ascertain whether the valve is so set that engine will run equally well both ways; then the traction gear may be tried. If engine is supplied with a [friction clutch], by simply pressing the clutch lever gradually until the friction shoes take hold, the engine will start slowly upon the road. This can be done while engine proper is running at full speed.
The clutch lever should be held in one hand when first starting, so that in case of anything being wrong with gearing, it can be stopped immediately by quickly loosening the lever. With the other hand, the steering wheel should be operated to guide the engine upon the road. When all is found to be working properly, and you wish to run the engine any distance, the clutch lever should be placed in notch provided for it; this will hold the friction shoes securely to the wheel, and the engine will move along the road at full speed.
Q. If the engine has no friction clutch, how do you proceed to start the gearing?
A. Stop the engine and place the reversing lever in center notch, slide the spur pinion on main shaft into gear and open the throttle valve wide; then with the reverse lever in one hand (the steering wheel in the other) you can start engine upon the road by throwing the lever backward or forward, which should be done gradually at first, so that engine will start slowly. If all is right, by throwing the reverse lever in the last notch in quadrant, the engine will travel its full speed upon the road.
Q. How should a traction engine be first started upon the road, forward or backward?
A. Always forward, as you can see where you are going and can guide the engine more easily.
ADVANCE TRACTION ENGINE.
In illustration is given the engine side of the [Advance Engine], which is of the side crank, side gear type, with the engine placed at forward end of boiler.
The cylinder is overhanging, and is bolted to the cylindrical formed engine frame which forms the front head. The frame is attached to the boiler with two brackets, and it contains the bored cross-head guides and pillow block bearing.
The engine has the Marsh Reverse Gear, [Marsh Pump], [Friction Clutch] attached to band wheel, [Injector], [Governor] and all necessary fittings.
The boiler is the locomotive round bottom fire box style, with dome in center. It is mounted upon the traction wheels with axle arms attached to brackets bolted to the sides of fire box, in which are placed springs.
The spokes of the wheels are cast in both hub and rim, the latter having mud cleats cast on. The platform has both Water Tank and Tool Box attached, and the steering wheel and band wheel are on the same side of the engine.
The chains for the steering attachment are supplied with springs.
Advance Traction Engine.
Q. How should you guide a traction engine?
A. There is no fixed rule for guiding a traction engine upon the road. It must be learned by experience. Good judgment is required to make a success of it. One man should always handle both reverse lever and steering wheel when guiding an engine.
Q. How should the steering chains be put on a traction engine?
A. The chains should be so put on, that when the steering wheel is turned to the right, the engine turns to the right; when wheel is turned to the left, the engine turns to the left.