Engine driver

“ The colour and form of signals can be distinguished by the engine-driver on a cloudy night at a distance of eight hundred feet. The light burns steadily, and is not affected by the motion of the engine ”

“ If the machine is to remain stopped for some considerable period, turn the fly-wheel round till the piston is in its most forward position; this will prevent dust and grit from getting into the cylinder, and scoring the inside when the engine is re-started. These are the general 133 rules which must be obeyed in the maintenance of the gas engine. The attention they require is therefore small, and this quality has contributed not a little to their success. No stoker or engine-driver is required; any person can, with very little instruction, take charge of them. ”

“ The engine-driver and firemen are also on the alert, for they know what the consequences may be to them if a break down or accident take place. Yet, in spite of unceasing watchfulness, portions of the machinery of an engine will give way, at places, too, never expected. An engine may apparently be doing her duty admirably, when all of a sudden a tube—a great artery of her internal organisation—bursts. With us weak mortals an internal artery bursting lays us low for ever ”

“ He shall report to the engine-driver any set of points not under his personal charge which he finds neglected, as also any defect which he is himself unable to repair.
26. He shall keep clear all road and field crossing grooves, and shall at once acquaint the engine-driver when repair to the surface of any road crossing is necessary.
27. At least once a week he shall walk over the whole length of the main line and sidings, observing carefully that the keys, bridge bolts, fish bolts, and sleepers are in order. ”

“ One rule, however, of universal application, is for the driver to look after matters himself, and not delegate to the stoker the duties which the person in charge of the engine should properly perform. Before leaving a station, the engine-driver should assure himself that he has the requisite supply of coke and water. ”

“ For instance, the gasoline motor cannot be started as easily as a steam-engine. It is necessary to make the driving-shaft revolve a few times by hand in order to start the cylinders working in their proper order. Therefore, the motor of a gasoline machine goes all the time, even when the vehicle is at rest. Friction clutches are used by which the driving-shaft and the axles can be connected or disconnected at the will of the driver, so that the vehicle can stand while the motor is running ”

“ The type of motor carriage we have described is fitted with an engine which governs out at approximately 750 to 800 revolutions a minute. If, however, the governor is held up—and this is what the accelerator pedal accomplishes—of course the engine speed is considerably increased and the speed of the car is increased accordingly; but though the accelerator pedal is beneficial in the hands of a careful and considerate driver, it can be abused to the damage of the engine and gear in the hands of a rough or careless driver. ”

“ Here it may not be amiss to state, for the benefit of the uninitiated, that the regulator controls the supply of steam from the boiler, while the lever enables the driver to reverse the engine, or, as we have already stated, to expand the steam by cutting it off before the end of the stroke. The engine answers to the appeal like a living thing, and seems, with its steady beat and sonorous blast, to settle down to its work. ”

“ GOVERNING THE ENGINE.
There are several methods of controlling the speed of internal-combustion engines. The operating mechanism in most cases is a centrifugal ball-governor. When the speed has reached the fixed limit it either (1) raises the exhaust valve, so that no fresh charges are drawn in; (2) prevents the opening of the inlet valve; or (3) throttles the gas supply. The last is now most commonly used on motor cars, in conjunction with some device for putting it out of action when the driver wishes to exceed the highest speed that it normally permits.
Fig. ”

“ The learned gentleman (like a few of his English brethren) was desperately long-winded, and had a remarkable capacity of saying the same thing over and over again. His great theme was 'Warren the ENGINE driver,' whom he pressed into the service of every sentence he uttered. I listened to him for about a quarter of an hour; and, coming out of court at the expiration of that time, without the faintest ray of enlightenment as to the merits of the case, felt as if I were at home again. ”

“ So we went to the high-level platform, and saw the engine-driver, and asked him if he was going to Kingston. He said he couldn’t say for certain of course, but that he rather thought he was. Anyhow, if he wasn’t the 11.5 for Kingston, he said he was pretty confident he was the 9.32 for Virginia Water, or the 10 a.m. express for the Isle of Wight, or somewhere in that direction, and we should all know when we got there. We slipped half-a-crown into his hand, and begged him to be the 11.5 for Kingston. ”

“ The steam, passing through the cylinder, went into an air condenser. The power of the engines was communicated from the piston rods to the driving wheels of the carriage by sweep rods, the lower ends of which were provided with driving pinions and detents, which operated upon toothed gear fixed to the hind carriage axle. The object of this mechanism was to keep the driving pinions always in gear with the toothed wheels, however the engine and other machinery might vibrate or the wheels be jolted upon uneven ground. ”

“ If the governor goes wrong at an awkward moment in the traffic, and the engine begins to race, it may be controlled by switching off and on, or retarding ignition, admitting an excess of air, or the exhaust-valve lifters may be thrown out by hand. ”

“ Before going away I took out the pin at the end of the governor lever connecting the governor with the valve motion and put it in my pocket. Never heard any reproof, put the pin back on Monday, and when they gave us steam the engine started off as if it had always been running, and continued to do so until the signal for shutting down at 5 o’clock. I had my hand on the wheel of the stop-valve to close it, when suddenly all the valve-rods of the engine bent and tangled up, and the exclamation was heard on all sides, “The high-speed engine has come to grief the very first day.” ”

“ A fan is generally employed, either situated behind the radiator and driven by the engine, or the flywheel is vaned so as to induce a current of air through the radiator. To deal now with the transmission mechanism, the drive is taken through a clutch and gear-box as in the earliest days, but, for the final drive, chain transmission to the road wheels running on a fixed axle has largely given place to propeller drive on to a live axle. ”

“ In the gasoline car provision is made whereby, through the change speed gears, the engine gets the benefit of the leverage, by reducing the speed of the axle, relative to the engine shaft, at first speed, and this enables the motor to pull the car up steep grades, or over difficult roads, which it would not be able to do if the relative rotations were the same as at high speed. ”

“ Farther on the motor is swung over by a small hoist and lowered into position on the frame. Presently the dash slides down and is placed in position behind the motor. As the rapidly accumulating mechanism passes on, different workmen adjust the mufflers, exhaust pipes, the radiator, and the wheels which, as already indicated, arrive on the scene completely tired. Then a workman seats himself on the gasoline tank, which contains a small quantity of its indispensable fuel, starts the engine, and the thing moves out the door under its own power. ”

“ The almost universal method of starting the motor is by means of a handle whereby the piston is operated and the charge drawn into the combustion chamber. In the case of cars with two or more cylinders various self-starters have also been introduced, which, on touching a button, explode the charge which remains in one or other of the combustion chambers, and so start the engine. ”

“ Fig. 42. Progressive Transmission. Low.
Economy of Transmission Gearing.—From an economical standpoint, also, it would be undesirable, even though the engine should be able to make the speed.
Owing to the explosion impulses of the gasoline motor, a heavy fly wheel is necessary on the engine shaft, in order to store up power by momentum, and also to give a uniform speed.
In hill climbing, or in carrying heavy loads, (71) the transmission shaft must have its speed cut down, while permitting the engine to run at full or normal speed. ”

“ By this I mean that the means of transmission may be so altered at will that whereas when on level ground the engine may make, say, only two revolutions to each one of the road wheels, for hilly or heavy work it may make, say, four, six, or eight, and so, whilst the car travels slower, the engine speed may remain the same. Where steam engines are used this is not usually required, as the steam engine obtains more power for heavier work by the use of more steam. ”

“ This example of the road-engine has a boiler built to work at 250 pounds of steam; the engine is designed for a maximum power of 30 horses.
This engine has a balanced valve and automatic cut-off, and is fitted with a reversing-gear for use on the road. The driving-wheels are of wrought-iron, 56 inches diameter and 8 inches wide, with cast-iron driving-arms. Both wheels are drivers on curves as well as on straight lines. The engine is guided and fired by one man, and the total weight is so small that it will pass safely over any good country bridge. ”

“ After having been for a drive or having the engine running, the next thing to do is to go through another set of regular functions which should always take place before putting the car away. Turn off electric current, or if lamp ignition, blow out lamps, and after a few minutes turn off petrol to the lamps; turn off main petrol to carburetter, turn off lubricators, and then have the engine turned smartly by hand and a little paraffin pumped into the cylinders from the pump provided for this purpose. ”

“ Every motor-car owner, whether he can afford to keep a mechanic or not, should make a point of studying and thoroughly understanding his engine. It is not merely that this will save him trouble and emancipate him from the tyranny of the skilled mechanic, but it will very materially increase his pleasure in the pastime, for the study of the engine affords almost as keen enjoyment as the actual driving. ”

“ The steam-engines in motor-cars are not very different from the engines used to run locomotives, factory machinery, or street-rollers, but they are much lighter and, of course, smaller—very much smaller in proportion to the power they produce. It will be seen how compact and efficient these little steam plants are when a ten-horse-power engine, boiler, water-tank, and gasoline reservoir holding enough to drive the machine one hundred miles, are stored in a carriage with a wheel-base of less than seven feet and a width of five feet, and still leave ample room for four passengers. ”

“ There are various types of petrol engines on the market, but the main principles remain the same in all. The vertical engine is the most popular; then comes the horizontal, and in other cases engines worked at varying angles. Once, however, the motorist has thoroughly grasped the principle of the petrol engine, there is little difficulty in understanding these varieties. The same series of operations take place in the small single-cylinder engine of the motor-bicycle as in each of the four cylinders of the 60 h.-p. racing car. ”

“ Some automatic cut-off gear is almost always used. A high speed engine may attain 900 revolutions per minute, 600 being common. In many ways it is economical.
CONDENSING AND NON-CONDENSING.
In the traction engine the exhaust is used in the smokestack to help the draft, since the smokestack must necessarily be short. A stationary engine is usually provided with a boiler set in brickwork, and a furnace with a high chimney, which creates all the draft needed. In other words, the heated gases wasted in a traction engine are utilized to make the draft. ”

“ The crown sheet is so arranged as not to be left bare of water in going up or down hills. Working parts are covered dust proof. Engine has self-oiling features and sight feed lubricator. Friction clutch in flywheel. Safety brake on main axle. Engineer’s platform mounted on springs and every part of engine requiring attention can be reached conveniently from platform.
Crank is center type. Cross-head pump is used. Usual fittings.
GAAR, SCOTT & CO.’S TRACTION ENGINE.
These engines are built with boiler of locomotive type for burning wood and coal, and of return flue type for burning straw. ”

“ A traction engine is much like an ox; try to goad it on too fast and it will stop and turn around on you. It does its best work when moving slowly and steadily, and seldom is anything gained by rushing.
The first thing for an engineer to learn is to handle his throttle. When an engine is doing work the throttle should be wide open; but on the road, or in turning, backing, etc., the engineer’s hand must be on the throttle all the time and he must exercise a nice judgment as to just how much steam the engine will need to do a certain amount of work. ”