Steam & Excursion > KCS 2-8-0 #557

Here's an old Alco picture I have hanging in my office. (You'll have to excuse the photos, it's hard to take a photo through glass without picking up reflections from all over). I've looked at this photo everyday for years, and have always wondered what the extra rod is that runs back from the rear driver's crank pin. It's attatched to something, but I've never seen linkage like that before. I'm struggling, trying to imagine what that must look like in motion.

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My first thought is a mechanical lubricator of some type. Although I've never seen one attached in that manor. I'm interested to see what come out of the more knowledgeable people.

That's quite a lot of motion for a lubricator. Will be interested to find out what it actually is. Can't see where its going in the photo.

Mike Massee
Tehachapi, CA
Photography, Railroading and more..

Looks like the pivot point for that piece is in line with the axle centers. So it goes in a circular motion. Some kind of lubrication pump?

Geez, you guys surprise me! Don't you know that it's the wood-splitter for the fireman because he doesn't have enough room in the cab to swing an ax!(see previous post from Copy 19). Or maybe it's a 'butt-prod' to keep the fireman awake. (He'd be awfully tired after cutting down all those trees to keep her going).

Isn't that a fireman assist to help put coal in the firebox when the locomotive is in motion and needs more coal? On the other hand, if the locomotive was backing up it wouldn't need as much so...or if converted to oil it would work as a pump to put more oil into the firebox when running.

Roger Holmes

I'm glad somebody finally figured it out. I thought it might be an automatic grate shaker, but I didn't want to sound stupid.

What are you guys talking about? It's the Puffer Valve that makes the smoke go....

Cheers, Dave

Air conditioning fan crank.

I don't see an injector on the left side of the engine. I notice the bottom of "the thing" appears to have some water on it and I am wondering if it was a water feed. It appears to have a rod coming down from the cab that might be used to allow a certain amount of water per stroke.
If it was a water pump it must not have been successful since I don't ever recall seeing this thing before on any other engine.

Darn, ddg, I too thought it was an automatic grate shaker.

AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!
Somebody finally found a photo of the elusive
Left Handed Smoke Converter!!!!!!!
Does anybody have a photo of Chrome Muffler Bearings?
Mike

Agreed that it is some relatively small thing that seems to be driven by the crank coupling rod. It is either wet or oily; my bet goes for oily.

It could be a small gear pump, but I don't see any pipe or tubing that is likely to be an input or output.

It could possibly be simply an axle and sprocket, and would drive some sort of chain drive running up through the stantion holding it to the bottom of the fire box. But it seems awfully far forward to be some sort of automatic stoaker drive.

It perhaps more likely is a right angle drive, and is driving a shaft that runs upward through the stantion. The control rod appears to be in about the right location to be able to engage or disengage the gears, so could stop whatever it normally drove. But again, what would it be driving in the middie of the firebox?

Perhaps the best guess would be an automatic grate shaker. All the descriptions I can find are steam powered, as one might expect. But it might be that there was a mechanically driven shaker.

Parking brake.

If it's not for a Nathan DV mechanical lubricator, maybe it's hooked up to the Barco speedometer.

If that's not it, then it is surely for the ceiling fan in the cab.

Or it's for the fuel pump.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/22/13 07:25 by MarkMeoff.

Maybe it's a temporary device to lock the rods straight down for it's builder photo. But, the rods are not exactly completely straight down, so that ain't it. Some innovative, thoughtful input from all so far. I had faith the steam experts here would have an answer. I hope I haven't posted to the wrong forum to figure this out.

I agree with that being that speedometer.

After studying it further and trying to visualize its motion as the locomotive travels forward, I am now convinced that it is an ash pan sweeper drive.

Pretty sure it's the retroencabulator, originally designed for steamers, but now used in aerospace applications. Follow the link through to the utube video...

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100420161458AAgW2A0

-Tom

Dennis has posted a photo that shows a bit more detail over on the "other" forum where I can't post for some reason (perhaps because of silly responses) and after looking closely,I see it has a rod that runs up into the cab floor. One suggestion was a shaft for a speed recorder, but its small diameter and unsupported length make it look more to me like and actuator rod to engage/disengage, and the appliance itself does appear to terminate in the grate area of the firebox...Huh, the elimination of raking? Evidently, no-one retired to the Hamptons on profits from this invention..

Cheers, Dave