A little update on the outside operating handles on the H-5.I believe that most of the engines with outside injector controls were on former Indiana Harbor Belt engines.This is not an absolute because a few H-6s had them outside. Maybe some of you that have the cross numbers can come up with the final mumbering.This could run from the 1300- 1400.If you look at the 1453 on gelwood you will see that the handles were outside in 1947. I have just finished viewing Herron Rail Video 1 and 2 of the Indiana Division and all I can say is buy them.I have been over most of this track except the hill west of Cincinnati.Of course the Mich.branch at Wabash is home for me.Fitz has a picture of the depot at Wabash that will fit right in. The sound is good and when they are running about 60 down by the river and you hear the exhaust it is the best. LEW
LEW, where have you been? Merry third day after Christmas. Those Herron videos are that good, eh? You know there are only a few of us old enough to remember the H-5's , H-10's and the rest of the NYC steam. The more I think about the outside injector handles the more it makes sense. Otherwise they would have been mounted next to the hogger's seat and you gotta get up to work it, right?
Jim,the place is Lafayette and you can hear an L-2 starting the train it comes into view around the curve, it slips, I can feel the vibration as if I were there. It would seem that safety was the reason for the handles to be outside but the handles on the floor was never a problem and when firing by hand they were within reach.LEW
LEW, Hank Coolidge suggested I ask you a question that I have posted in the Steam & Railfan section: Can anyone describe how the ash pan on a coal burning steam loco was constructed, (how many sections) and emptied? Was the mechanism for dumping the ashes inside the loco, or outside? Any photos of same available? Also, just out of curiosity, how did they empty the ash pit? I have never fired or been around coal burining locomotives. The steamer that I engineer is a converted coal burner. Now that we are in the middle of meeting the new FRA regulations for steam, we have to remove the old ash pan to get to the staybolts that are hidden by it, and the bricks in the fire box.
Bill; They were fastened to the mud ring as required by law.I never new of any problems with ash pans and the way they are constructed and location on the locomotve I would think it would be a major operation to remove one.Of course the railroads would use the hoist in the backshop. Without the trailer wheels rolled back from under the cab I don't think you could torch one and get it out. When you shook the grates the ashes fell into the ash pan. At the next location where they had pans between the rails or the terminal the ash pan was emtied.There was a sliding door on the botom of the ash pan operated from outside by a lever to dump the ash pan. As Fitz commented they dipped the cinder pit at most locations but some were shoveled into gons or hopper cars.At Wabash they had a small pit open on the north side.You always dismounted on the south side of an engine. A new brakeman got off on the north side before they could stop him and fell into the pit.His name until he died was Cinder Pit Thompson.Sorry I could not be more help . I may be able to find a man that would know and if I do will get back. LEW
