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The New Zealand Railways Magazine, Volume 2, Issue 4 (August 1, 1927)

Locomotive Developments

Locomotive Developments.

Suburband and short-distance movement is being increasingly accomplished on the European railways by means of electrical haulage and light rail motor cars. In long-distance work, however, the steam locomotive will for long remain the prime mover favoured. Recognition of this fact is encouraging the mechanical experts to devote study to means calculated to increase haulage capacity and general efficiency of the steam engine.

Modern improvements in the British Locomotive follow on the lines of larger and improved boilers, feed-water heating, super-heating, compounding, better valve design and the introduction of the booster. Proposals are now under review for the employment of a type of “flash” boiler working at high pressure, or water tube boilers in combination with some of the new fuels. The latest locomotives put into service have boilers of increased capacity, the coned boiler barrel and wide firebox being a feature. Attention is being directed to the possibilities of an arrangement for preheating the feed-water prior to reaching the pump, and by smoke-box gases while being forced from the pump to the boiler, the pump being actuated from the driving mechanism. Superheating is being very fully employed, and the use of compounding in conjunction with superheating is being extended.