Feeding, Watering and Turning a 4-6-0 Tender Locomotive

[cary hill]

I'm not sure if this is a daft question, but I don't know the answer to it.

 

How long would it have taken, given easy unblocked access to the necessary facilities, for a "standard-sized" 4-6-0 tender locomotive to be fully coaled, watered and turned, and what would be considered a "slick time"?

 

The reason for asking is to decide if it would be possible/plausible to see the same locomotive passing through my "station" four times in a day, having made either two 25 (100 miles total)or two 50 mile (200 miles total) leisurely (20-25 mph?)return trips, and appreciating that additional coal might not be required to complete the shorter trips. Or am I thinking too efficiently for the steam age?

 

Thanks

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[90171]

I cannot immediately put my hand on the reference; but I recall reading just recently a memoir of a disposal crew who were expected to dispose of 7 locos per shift. (Pacifics counting double owing to larger firebox). 

So that's about an hour to coal up, clean the fire, turn and water etc and place in the shed.

 

Before the loco could go off shed for its next turn, the incoming crew would need to prepare it. Enginemen were allowed one hour to prepare a locomotive:- oiling round, filling sand-boxes, getting the fire right, generally cleaning up.

 

There are numerous books of locomens memoirs which are very useful for this sort of stuff.

 

Obviously relief crews might take over a loco without it going on shed.

 

I don't follow why your loco would need to go on shed if it is only running 200 miles per day. It might simply be turned and set off again in the opposite direction. a tender full of coal would last more than 200 miles, and the loco can water at columns or at troughs as required. So there may not be any connection between this engine being seen backwards and forwards, and its visits to shed. IE it can run hither and thither all day, and go to the shed to be coaled and serviced after 8 or 10 hours' work

[coachmann]

 

I cannot immediately put my hand on the reference; but I recall reading just recently a memoir of a disposal crew who were expected to dispose of 7 locos per shift. (Pacifics counting double owing to larger firebox). 

So that's about an hour to coal up, clean the fire, turn and water etc and place in the shed. A Shed Turner might put the locos on the coaling stage then on shed afterwards, not the disposal gang.

 

 

 

I don't follow why your loco would need to go on shed if it is only running 200 miles per day. It might simply be turned and set off again in the opposite direction. a tender full of coal would last more than 200 miles, and the loco can water at columns or at troughs as required. So there may not be any connection between this engine being seen backwards and forwards, and its visits to shed. IE it can run hither and thither all day, and go to the shed to be coaled and serviced after 8 or 10 hours' work

Ash old chap. It builds up like in your home firegrate as well as in the smokebox and needs clearing out if draughting isnt to be very badly affected. Loco would need somewhere to be serviced and a pit is required.  A good rake around hte grate is useful too if the coal isnt much cop, has clinkered etc.

[90171]

Clearly ash builds up and needs to be cleared.

However there were many turns where engines would run 100 or 200 miles a day

[90171]

If it is of interest, I have found a couple of workings which have some mileage figures.

 

John Drayton recalls freight workings Pontypool Road to Wolverhampton. "In 84 miles, the bag went in the tank 6 times with a 42xx, 3 times with a 72xx, and only twice with a 72xx. Obviously this was a through working and no suggestion of coaling or ash clearing.

 

In 1951 Jack Backen fired 44845 from Nottingham to Blackpool on an excursion train. By main road that's currently 97 miles. They stopped once at Manchester to use the water column. At Blackpool they had fish and chips and a few pints of beer before working the excursion back at 8pm. The same loco had been coaled and the fire cleaned by Blackpool shed.

 

Terry Essery recounts a series of freight runs from Carlisle over the Settle line and then down from Leeds to Washwood Heath. This was a 226 mile run with either a Black 5 or later a 9F. Water was taken at Appleby  and Rotherham. The trip took about 7 hours and would use up to 5 tons of coal.