Please identify mystery linkage on this 0-6-0

[Doug G.]

And let's not all go off half cocked either.



Doug

[nkalanaga]

"Even if this illustration is correct, what type of a valve would be controlled by a bar which slides fore and aft?"

A slide or piston valve, such as the ones used for steam into the cylinders?  I've never heard of either being used for cylinder cocks, but there's no reason they couldn't be.

[Lemosteam]

It's a simple sprung check valve that is pushed up to open by the ramps on the slide rod. When the rod slides back, the valves close.

[nkalanaga]

Yes, the drain cocks are about as simple as they come.  I know the diagram shows them sprung, but with steam pressure on the inside, did any builders try leaving the springs out?  It seems that the pressure alone should keep them closed.

[Lemosteam]

Yes, the drain cocks are about as simple as they come.  I know the diagram shows them sprung, but with steam pressure on the inside, did any builders try leaving the springs out?  It seems that the pressure alone should keep them closed.

Vacuum in the piston's opposite direction would likely cause a leak, no?  The spring would be designed to overcome that.

[nkalanaga]

Is there vacuum in the opposite direction?  It seems that that would make extra work for the engine, as pulling the vacuum would take energy.  I always thought that the "other side" was in the exhaust stroke, with live steam on the expansion side, and the compression side forcing the used steam up the stack.

But, in any case, coil springs are cheap and reliable, so might as well be used, even if not absolutely necessary.

[Doug G.]

Yeah. no vacuum in a reciprocating steam engine. There's steam pressure on one side of the piston and exhaust being pushed out of the other.It's not like an internal combustion engine.

Doug

[Lemosteam]

Agree, I stand corrected.