The Question asked by fitz. Which NYC engines were equipped with injectors and feedwater heaters It seems all had feedwater heaters of some brand or other. Did any have two injectors besides the feedwater heaters? I am going to start out explaining two things for those that may not be familiar with locomotives. We have superheaters,and feedwater heaters. Superheaters were u shaped steam pipes that run back into the big or, upper flues to heat the steam above the temperature it was coming from in the boiler.This made a hotter and drier steam into the cylinders. Feedwater heaters were used to heat the water between the tank and the boiler. To answer the first question.Most H-5 did not have feedwater heaters. The H-5v made for the IHB did but some were given to the B4 and they were taken off. The H-7 was not equipped until about the # 1989.It was still a hit and miss on which engines had them above this number until the H-10. Also the H-6,we called them government engines, were not equipped.From the H-10 on up they had feedwater heaters.A few yard engines were equipped but most were not. Did any have two injectors besides the feedwater heaters? No. The government required two methods to supply the boiler.Two injectors, or a water pump and injector.They must both be working leaving the enginehouse.We had a 1hr.delay on a yard engine because of a leaking boiler check valve.The check valve was letting steam blow back into the injector and it would not work.The engineer would not leave until it was repaired.After they fussed for 45 min. it only took 10 min. to grind in the boiler check valve. If you are viewing from the firemans side you will see a water pump and not an injector when the engine has a feedwater heater.An injector would not supply enough water to supply the demand of a seperate feedwater heater. That said,they did have an Elesco exhaust steam injector and it was a feedwater heater and again I don't think it was as efficient.I never operated one so this is a little guess work. On the engineers side was the injector.Most were non lifting but not all.Non lifting was below the water in the tank and the lifting was above the water level in the tank,the lifting injector located on the boiler, inside or outside the cab. So all engines from about 1906 were superheated, but not all had feedwater heaters. LEW
My son told me today that he saw a model of an H-6 189? that was equipped with a feedwater heater. There were pictures of the real life engine equipped and one after it was removed.I don't have any other details.We do know they were not equipped when built.NYC must have been testing. LEW
LEW, It seems like NYC was always testing something. Do you have experience/opinions about the relative merits of the different feedwater heaters? Seems like the Hudsons had Elesco to begin with, then Worthington, and maybe even Coffin at times. I remember learning some had contact with steam directly where others were physically isolated water from steam. I forgot the terms used for those two variants.
From the firemans point of view the feedwater heaters merits did not play a part of his work.His cocern was could the pump supply the boiler All of the different types of feed- water heater pumps did this except one and under one condition. The 2900s had the Elesco feedwater heater with the reciprocating pump. If you were having trouble keeping steam,as the steam pressure dropped the steam pressure to the pump also dropped.If the engineer could not ease up on the throttle it then turned into a case of trading water for steam.If your fire defect could be corrected by trading water for steam a couple of times,ok but if the steam did not pick up after that could get in serious trouble.These engines used more water than the other 4-8-2s. I personally think the Worthington had the best pump. I think the terms you are thinking of are open and closed. With the Elesco the water run through tubes and the exhaust steam flowed around them.On the Worthing- ton which is open it is like a com- mode tank.As the water supply goes down the float drops and lets exhaust steam and water fill the tank again to the proper level. The steam heating the water as it comes in. LEW
Open vs. Closed. Thanks for reminding me. That situation of having to choose water vs. steam is one I hadn't thought about much. Kind of like a catch-22? I think I'd rather sacrifice the fire than risk letting the crown sheet get dry.
LEW, Thanks very much for that explanation of feedwater heaters and injectors. I had never understood their mechanics before.
The Berks came from the factory with feedwater heaters.These engines were a part of the super power locos that came from the 2-8-2 H-10.The early Berks had Elesco feedwater heaters and I think from the C series they were equipped with Coffin feedwater heaters. LEW
Yeah, who could mistake that Elesco heater tank on the smokebox front of the 1400 Berkshires. Often referred to as "heavy-browed." From what I was able to learn, you are right, LEW, the A-1C's had Coffin, as did the last 9400's for P&LE. Too bad they're all gone.
