Obstacle Deflectors, not Air Dams!

[big jim]

20 hours ago, rob D2 said:

Damn ! I thought they were dams - because I know they ain’t snowploughs - I thought obstacle deflectors were the “ lifesavers “, those metal bits that hang down ?

I simply call the bit on the front of a 66 below the buffers the skirt, agreed, the obstacle deflector is the lifesaver directly in front of the wheel 

 

as for class 60s having ‘snowploughs’ I’m not sure they are for snow in particular, I think they may have been planned to be used for ballast ploughing in possessions etc and they used to be able to be raised up and down but the mechanism is locked off now with lock wire, some of the locos I’ve driven still carry the tool to raise and lower them them in the clean air end, almost like a cranking handle

 

 

[Lemmy282]

Okay I accept that it has an aerodynamic effect and may help the airflow under the front end, but I would think the main reason would be to protect the equipment fitted under there, electrical gear, coupling parts, air tanks etc. getting hit by obstacles. 

[njee20]

But they don’t protect any of those…

[rob D2]

14 hours ago, big jim said:

I simply call the bit on the front of a 66 below the buffers the skirt, agreed, the obstacle deflector is the lifesaver directly in front of the wheel 

 

as for class 60s having ‘snowploughs’ I’m not sure they are for snow in particular, I think they may have been planned to be used for ballast ploughing in possessions etc and they used to be able to be raised up and down but the mechanism is locked off now with lock wire, some of the locos I’ve driven still carry the tool to raise and lower them them in the clean air end, almost like a cranking handle

 

 

That's very interesting about the 60, never knew that .

 

As there is some question mark about the 66 , I think I'll carry on calling them " the bits from the accessory pack "

[45125]

On 25/11/2021 at 17:57, big jim said:

I simply call the bit on the front of a 66 below the buffers the skirt, agreed, the obstacle deflector is the lifesaver directly in front of the wheel 

 

as for class 60s having ‘snowploughs’ I’m not sure they are for snow in particular, I think they may have been planned to be used for ballast ploughing in possessions etc and they used to be able to be raised up and down but the mechanism is locked off now with lock wire, some of the locos I’ve driven still carry the tool to raise and lower them them in the clean air end, almost like a cranking handle

 

 

When I did my trainer the trainer course for the 60s it was definitely a snowplough.

 

The 156 and 158s have both obstacle and snowploughs, generally Scottish and ex Scottish ones.

 

[big jim]

Go on, I’ll give you that……

 

from the GB manual which was updated from the original BR manual

 

 

[w124bob]

On a 142 the obstacle deflector was the main res tank, lowest point being the drain cock! I hit something approaching Cross Gates on a Victoria to York service once. Immediate loss of air and the brakes on, I was struggling to close the now open drain cock so tapped it with my bardic lamp, it fell off! Luckily I found a decent bit of roundish wood and hammered it into the whole with the bardic until it wouldn't budge. Newton Heath being the efficient depot that it was left it like that in service for several days!

Edited November 29, 2021 by w124bob

[TravisM]

To be honest, you can call it a air dam or obstacle deflector, but everyone knows what your talking about.  A simple case of splitting hairs.

[big jim]

I dunno, a damaged obstacle deflector could mean the loco or unit is a failure, a damaged air dam isn’t a safety critical item requiring it be declared a failure, two totally different items 

 

for example a missing obstacle deflector (life guard) on a 66 is a failure but if the front air dam (skirt) is a bit bent, but not effecting the safety of the loco, then it can continue until repaired