| Published 2nd January, 2005 | Vol. 2 No. 1 |
Contents
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BY-GONE DAYS IN COLOUR
HERITAGE POSTER
CARTOON
A LOCOMOTIVE NAMED “BEN CHIFLEY”
W.A. RAILWAY REFRESHMENT ROOMS
THE BALDWIN LOCOMOTIVE WORKS
THE CYPRUS GOVERNMENT RAILWAY
PAINTING YARRA STATION
THE RAILWAY STATIONS
POSTCARD FROM AFAR
NEXT WEEK'S ISSUE
Lavender Bay, North Sydney, N.S.W.
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This Week's Cartoon
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Commonwealth Railways Remembers a Famous Australian
Commonwealth Railways has adopted the policy of
giving names to some of its new locomotives, each name
that of a well-known Australian.
The latest is "Ben Chifley", a Clyde-built diesel electric
locomotive for service on the Central Australian line
between Marree and Alice Springs.
Appropriately, the locomotive was officially named at
a ceremony at Bathurst, home city of the late Mr. Chifley
and location of Clyde Industries newest production plant.
TWO CEREMONIES
Bathurst turned on one of its sunniest
autumn days on Saturday April 17
when a group of distinguished guests
gathered at the Clyde plant at Kelso
to see locomotive NJ 1 named and
officially handed over to the Commonwealth Railways Commissioner, Mr.
K. A. Smith.
More than 150 people attended the ceremony, including about 30 former workmates of the late J. B. Chifley, who spent his working life before entering Federal Parliament as an engine-driver with the NSWGR, stationed at Bathurst.
Mrs. P. J. Nixon, wife of the Minister for Shipping and Transport, named the locomotive, and the official handing over was performed by the Chairman and Managing Director of Clyde Industries, Sir Raymond Purves.
Among the guests were the Mayor of Bathurst, Ald. J. C. Matthews, Bathurst alderman and council officers; the Federal member for Macquarie, Mr. A. S. Luchetti, the State member for Bathurst, Mr. C. Osborne and the Hon. J. I. Armstrong, who was a Minister in the Chifley administration. Representatives of local government, commerce, banks and insurance companies in Bathurst were also present.
Officers from the Commonwealth Railways included the Comptroller of Stores, Mr. V. H. Dyason, and the Assistant to the Commissioner, Mr. J. H. Hook. The Secretary of the Department of Shipping and Transport, Mr. M. M. Summers, attended and there were also representatives from the NSW Railways Department. Several members of the board of Clyde Industries and their wives were present as well as the Chairman and Lady Purves. They were the Deputy Chairman, Sir Denzil Macarthur-Onslow and Lady Macarthur-Onslow, Mr. and Mrs. J. E. Thomson, Mr. and Mrs. R. B. Wiltshire, and the General Manager (Operations) Mr. 0. G. Edwards and Mrs. Edwards. General Manager of The Clyde Engineering Company Pty. Ltd., Mr. K. J. Johnson and Mrs. Johnson also travelled from Sydney for the occasion and of course the Bathurst plant superintendent, Mr. R. V. Tatzenko and Mrs. Tatzenko were there.
A large group of pressmen, including radio and television reporters and Cinesound Movietone News, covered the function, which was reported in national news broadcasts.WELCOME
Arriving at the plant, Mr. and Mrs.
Nixon and the official party were
greeted by Sir Raymond and Lady
Purves. A formal address of welcome
was given on behalf of the people of
Bathurst by the Mayor.
In his speech, Aid. Matthews referred
to the good relationship existing
between the City Council, the State
Government, and Clyde Industries. He
referred, too, to the outstanding contribution made to Australian industry
and to decentralisation, by Sir
Raymond Purves.
He also paid tribute to the late Mr. J. B. Chifley who, he said, placed the interests of the Australian nation and the district he represented above politics and applied himself firmly to what he believed was right. Clyde Industries General Manager (Operations) Mr. 0. G. Edwards then spoke of the company's long association with Commonwealth Railways. Aggregate mileage of Clyde locomotives on Commonwealth track was now over 55 million!
Mr. Edwards also mentioned that a Clyde locomotive had run more than 2 million miles on NSWGR track — the first locomotive to reach the mileage in this State — and that Clyde locos are clocking up mileage some 15% faster than their competitors.
The formal handing over of the locomotive by Sir Raymond Purves to Mr. K. A. Smith followed, and the Commissioner drew attention to the appropriateness of the occasion — bearing in mind that Ben Chifley himself was born and lived in Bathurst and worked as a locomotive crewman from the big Bathurst depot. Mr. Smith also spoke of the strong bonds between Commonwealth and State and said that the new locomotive "Ben Chifley" joins others in the Commonwealth fleet named after well known Australians, including "Sir Robert Menzies", "John Gorton" and "Hubert Opperman".NAMED AT SIDING
The handing over ceremony completed,
guests were taken in chartered buses
the short distance to Kelso railway
siding where NJ 1 stood. There Mr.
Smith invited Mrs. Nixon to draw aside
the Australian flag on the locomotive
to reveal the name "Ben Chifley".
As she did so the engine roared into
life and the locomotive's operating life
began.
Following the unveiling, Sir Raymond Purves presented Mrs. Nixon with a silver salver as a memento of the occasion.COMMISSIONER HOST AT DINNER
That evening Mr. Smith was host at
a dinner in the Bathurst City Hall.
Speaking at the function, Mr. Nixon,
the Minister for Shipping & Transport,
recalled Mr. Chifley's career as a
railways employee and his deep
involvement in union affairs, politics,
and his leadership of the nation in the
difficult post war period from 1945 to
1949.
"As a locomotive driver Mr. Chifley would certainly have noticed the difference between the comfortable cab of an NJ 1 class and the heaving, draughty footplate of the steam locomotives he knew", Mr. Nixon said. The Minister asked former associates and workmates of Mr. Chifley to stand . . . and they received an ovation from the other guests.
Mr. A. S. Luchetti, who succeeded Ben Chifley as member for Macquarie in Federal Parliament, recalled some interesting highlights in their close association.
Bathurst turned on one of its sunniest
autumn days on Saturday April 17
when a group of distinguished guests
gathered at the Clyde plant at Kelso
to see locomotive NJ 1 named and
officially handed over to the Commonwealth Railways Commissioner, Mr.
K. A. Smith.More than 150 people attended the ceremony, including about 30 former workmates of the late J. B. Chifley, who spent his working life before entering Federal Parliament as an engine-driver with the NSWGR, stationed at Bathurst.
Mrs. P. J. Nixon, wife of the Minister for Shipping and Transport, named the locomotive, and the official handing over was performed by the Chairman and Managing Director of Clyde Industries, Sir Raymond Purves.
Among the guests were the Mayor of Bathurst, Ald. J. C. Matthews, Bathurst alderman and council officers; the Federal member for Macquarie, Mr. A. S. Luchetti, the State member for Bathurst, Mr. C. Osborne and the Hon. J. I. Armstrong, who was a Minister in the Chifley administration. Representatives of local government, commerce, banks and insurance companies in Bathurst were also present.
Officers from the Commonwealth Railways included the Comptroller of Stores, Mr. V. H. Dyason, and the Assistant to the Commissioner, Mr. J. H. Hook. The Secretary of the Department of Shipping and Transport, Mr. M. M. Summers, attended and there were also representatives from the NSW Railways Department. Several members of the board of Clyde Industries and their wives were present as well as the Chairman and Lady Purves. They were the Deputy Chairman, Sir Denzil Macarthur-Onslow and Lady Macarthur-Onslow, Mr. and Mrs. J. E. Thomson, Mr. and Mrs. R. B. Wiltshire, and the General Manager (Operations) Mr. 0. G. Edwards and Mrs. Edwards. General Manager of The Clyde Engineering Company Pty. Ltd., Mr. K. J. Johnson and Mrs. Johnson also travelled from Sydney for the occasion and of course the Bathurst plant superintendent, Mr. R. V. Tatzenko and Mrs. Tatzenko were there.
A large group of pressmen, including radio and television reporters and Cinesound Movietone News, covered the function, which was reported in national news broadcasts.
He also paid tribute to the late Mr. J. B. Chifley who, he said, placed the interests of the Australian nation and the district he represented above politics and applied himself firmly to what he believed was right. Clyde Industries General Manager (Operations) Mr. 0. G. Edwards then spoke of the company's long association with Commonwealth Railways. Aggregate mileage of Clyde locomotives on Commonwealth track was now over 55 million!
Mr. Edwards also mentioned that a Clyde locomotive had run more than 2 million miles on NSWGR track — the first locomotive to reach the mileage in this State — and that Clyde locos are clocking up mileage some 15% faster than their competitors.
The formal handing over of the locomotive by Sir Raymond Purves to Mr. K. A. Smith followed, and the Commissioner drew attention to the appropriateness of the occasion — bearing in mind that Ben Chifley himself was born and lived in Bathurst and worked as a locomotive crewman from the big Bathurst depot. Mr. Smith also spoke of the strong bonds between Commonwealth and State and said that the new locomotive "Ben Chifley" joins others in the Commonwealth fleet named after well known Australians, including "Sir Robert Menzies", "John Gorton" and "Hubert Opperman".
The handing over ceremony completed,
guests were taken in chartered buses
the short distance to Kelso railway
siding where NJ 1 stood. There Mr.
Smith invited Mrs. Nixon to draw aside
the Australian flag on the locomotive
to reveal the name "Ben Chifley".
As she did so the engine roared into
life and the locomotive's operating life
began.Following the unveiling, Sir Raymond Purves presented Mrs. Nixon with a silver salver as a memento of the occasion.
"As a locomotive driver Mr. Chifley would certainly have noticed the difference between the comfortable cab of an NJ 1 class and the heaving, draughty footplate of the steam locomotives he knew", Mr. Nixon said. The Minister asked former associates and workmates of Mr. Chifley to stand . . . and they received an ovation from the other guests.
Mr. A. S. Luchetti, who succeeded Ben Chifley as member for Macquarie in Federal Parliament, recalled some interesting highlights in their close association.
Reprinted from Clyde News, June-July, 1971
W.A.
For years the public service provided by refreshment rooms at
railway stations throughout Western
Australia has, generally speaking,
not been of a very high standard.
The premises are owned by the
railways, but the services are provided by lessees. Much has been
done by the Department, with the
available finance, to improve the
accommodation for the lessees, but,
employees and public alike, feel
that much more could be done in
this direction. The food and service is not always of the best, and
some of the lessees have a tendency to adopt a "take it or leave
it" attitude as regards their patrons,
whilst many passengers consider
that there are far too many refreshment rooms or, rather, that
trains stop at too many of them.
The plain fact is that the passenger has to put up with what exists, and it is pleasing to note that Railways Minister (Mr. W. M. Marshall) is making a move to have the whole question investigated. Word has been received by him from the Queensland Government that they could make a qualified caterer available to the W.A. Government Railways for an inspection and outline of a policy with regard to railway refreshment rooms in W.A.
This might be a step in the right direction, but have the Queensland refreshment rooms anything to recommend them? And do we really require a Queenslander, or any other Stater for that matter, to tell us what we require? West Australians know what they want — modern, roomy, well-lit, hygienic rooms, with wholesome food and drink, served in clean, uncracked utensils, the whole preferably controlled and operated by a catering branch of the railways, on similar lines to the best canteens of the world.
Naturally, this will require the expenditure of much money, and perhaps this is where the "wise man from the East" might be of use, in telling us where the money is to come from to provide this most desirable modernisation. Judging by the financial success of the employees' canteen at the Midland Junction Workshops, with its electric ovens and refrigeration, it is suggested that a handsome interest should be returned on any judicious capital expenditure on similar lines, particularly if the whole staff took an interest and pride in their refreshment rooms.THE BALDWIN LOCOMOTIVE WORKS
The plain fact is that the passenger has to put up with what exists, and it is pleasing to note that Railways Minister (Mr. W. M. Marshall) is making a move to have the whole question investigated. Word has been received by him from the Queensland Government that they could make a qualified caterer available to the W.A. Government Railways for an inspection and outline of a policy with regard to railway refreshment rooms in W.A.
This might be a step in the right direction, but have the Queensland refreshment rooms anything to recommend them? And do we really require a Queenslander, or any other Stater for that matter, to tell us what we require? West Australians know what they want — modern, roomy, well-lit, hygienic rooms, with wholesome food and drink, served in clean, uncracked utensils, the whole preferably controlled and operated by a catering branch of the railways, on similar lines to the best canteens of the world.
Naturally, this will require the expenditure of much money, and perhaps this is where the "wise man from the East" might be of use, in telling us where the money is to come from to provide this most desirable modernisation. Judging by the financial success of the employees' canteen at the Midland Junction Workshops, with its electric ovens and refrigeration, it is suggested that a handsome interest should be returned on any judicious capital expenditure on similar lines, particularly if the whole staff took an interest and pride in their refreshment rooms.
Reprinted from The Western Australian Railway and Tramway Magazine, 1 July, 1946
U.S.A.
The Baldwin Locomotive Works were founded in
1831 by Matthias W. Baldwin, whose first locomotive, the "Old Ironsides," was completed in the
following year for the Philadelphia, Germantown
and Norristown Railroad. The principal plant of
the Company has always been located in the city of
Philadelphia, but a large plant is also in operation
at Eddystone, Pa., on the shore of the Delaware
River, about twelve miles from Philadelphia.
These plants have a combined capacity of 3,500
locomotives per year, and employ 21,500 men.
The total number of locomotives built up to the close
of 1919 was approximately 53,000.
The Philadelphia plant, which includes the main office, draughting rooms and principal machine shops, covers 19.33 acres of ground. The Eddystone plant is located on a tract of 595.65 acres, and includes iron foundries, blacksmith shops, machine shops, two large erecting shops, and various other buildings. This plant has complete docking facilities, where ocean-going vessels can be loaded direct for foreign shipment.
The products of the works include steam locomotives of all types, for every variety of service; internal combustion locomotives for light industrial, switching and special service, and Baldwin-Westinghouse electric locomotives for all classes of electric railway service. These locomotives are built throughout to gauges and templets, so that duplicate and repair parts, guaranteed to fit in place, can be furnished at any time. This is one of the most valuable features of Baldwin service, and railways in all parts of the world maintain their locomotives by securing the needed material direct from these works.
The Baldwin Locomotive Works are prepared to build locomotives either to their own designs, or to drawings and specifications furnished by the purchaser. On a number of occasions, locomotives for export have been constructed throughout to the metric system of measurement.
Upon receipt of the necessary information, specifications and proposals will be submitted, covering locomotives guaranteed to meet the conditions specified.LOCOMOTIVE TYPES
The motive power requirements of railways are
so varied that every system must employ a number
of different types of locomotives with which to
handle its traffic. It is not possible here to describe
all the types in common use, but attention may be
called to a few characteristic features of locomotives
designed for different classes of service.
Excluding such work as switching, logging and industrial, the majority of locomotives are used in road service, and this may be divided into two general classes, freight and passenger. In heavy freight work, a locomotive is required to exert a high tractive force at comparatively slow speed, while in fast passenger work the tractive force, when running, is comparatively low, while the speed is high. Horse-power is measured by the product of tractive force and speed, hence it is frequently necessary for a passenger locomotive to develop as much horse-power as a freight, even though the tractive forces exerted by the two may be widely different. As the boiler capacity limits the horse-power, it follows that in proportion to the tractive force exerted, a passenger locomotive needs a larger boiler than one intended for freight service. The requirements of fast freight and heavy, medium-speed passenger service are more nearly alike, and the same type of locomotive can frequently be used for both these classes of work.PASSENGER LOCOMOTIVES
The first requirement of a fast passenger locomotive is sufficient boiler capacity. The principal
features necessary to secure this are a large firebox
with ample grate area, a liberal amount of well-disposed heating surface, and proper provision for
circulation. If large driving wheels are required,
and bituminous coal is used as fuel, the firebox is
usually placed back of the driving wheels, and the
resulting overhang is carried on a pair of trailing
wheels. This allows the necessary room for a wide
and deep furnace. The front end of the engine is
preferably carried on a four-wheeled truck, and
from two to four pairs of driving wheels are used.
In this way the Atlantic (4-4-2), Pacific (4-6-2) and
Mountain (4-8-2) types have been developed.
During recent years, the weights of passenger
trains have been increased to such an extent that it is
now quite customary to use the Pacific type for general express service, and the Mountain type where
requirements are unusually severe. The various
conditions under which the engine is to work must
determine the preferable wheel arrangement.
The American (4-4-0) and Ten-wheeled (4-6-0) types are used to a considerable extent in passenger service, but their capacity is limited owing chiefly to the difficulty of placing a wide and deep firebox above the driving wheels. The Ten-wheeled type, however, with moderate sized driving wheels, is frequently employed in heavy passenger, and fast freight service. These wheel arrangements are also extensively used abroad, where requirements, as a rule, are not as severe as in the United States. The Ten-wheeled type is especially suitable for passenger service in South America and newly-developed countries, and large numbers of these engines have been built by The Baldwin Locomotive Works for export.
When anthracite is used as fuel, a comparatively shallow furnace will suffice, and the grate can often be placed above the driving wheels. In this way trailing wheels can sometimes be omitted where, in a soft coal burning locomotive of similar capacity, they would be necessary on account of the boiler requirements.FREIGHT LOCOMOTIVES
The hauling capacity of a locomotive depends
primarily upon the weight carried on the driving
wheels; hence it is important, in an engine designed
for heavy freight service, to utilize for adhesion as
large a proportion of the total weight as operating
conditions will permit. The ideal engine, as far as
hauling capacity is concerned, would of course be
one having its entire weight, including that of fuel
and water, carried on the driving wheels. For
road service, however, this would not be practicable;
as truck wheels are needed for guiding purposes,
and also for carrying part of the weight of the boiler,
which must be of sufficient size to insure free
steaming.
The greater part of the freight traffic in the United States is handled by locomotives having tour pairs of coupled driving wheels. For fast freight service the Pacific (4-6-2) type, fitted with driving wheels of moderate diameter, is proving successful in hauling, steaming and speed capacity. For heavier work the Mikado (2-8-2) type is extensively used. This type, like the Pacific, has a wide and deep firebox placed over the rear truck, thus providing large steaming capacity in proportion to adhesion. The Mikado type, when fitted with comparatively large wheels, can also be used for fast freight service where the loads to be hauled are beyond the capacity of a six-coupled engine.
A development of the 2-8-2 type is the 2-10-2, which is being used to an increasing extent for heavy freight service on steep grades. With the wheel-loads which can now be carried on first-class track, it is possible, in an engine of this type, to develop a tractive force exceeding 80,000 pounds.ARTICULATED LOCOMOTIVES
In cases where a locomotive of great tractive force
is required, and the number of driving wheels necessary is so great that it is not practicable to couple
them all in one group, an articulated locomotive
may be used. An engine of this type has two
sets of frames, which are connected by a hinge
or joint. The driving wheels are divided into two
groups and the wheels of each group are rotated by a
separate pair of cylinders. In this way a large
number of driving wheels can be used, and a correspondingly high tractive force developed; while
the rigid wheel base is that of one group of driving
wheels only, and the engine can therefore traverse
curves without difficulty.
The type of articulated locomotive most commonly used in America has two groups of driving wheels, and is known, from the name of its inventor, as the "Mallet." This engine operates on the compound principle, and has two high-pressure cylinders which drive the rear group of wheels, and two low-pressure which drive the forward group. The hinge pin connecting the front and rear frames is placed on the center line of the engine between the high-pressure cylinders. The boiler is held in alinement with the rear frames, and is supported on the front frames by sliding bearings. When the engine enters a curve the front wheels and frames act like a truck, and swing about the hinge pin as a center.
In a locomotive of this type, steam is conveyed from the throttle valve to the high-pressure cylinders through rigid pipes, which may be either inside or outside the boiler, according to circumstances. The pipes leading from the high-pressure to the low-pressure cylinders, and from the latter to the smokebox, are necessarily provided with flexible joints. These pipes carry steam at moderate pressures only, a fact which greatly lessens the difficulty of keeping the joints tight.
In the Baldwin Mallet locomotives, steam at reduced pressure can be admitted direct from the boiler to the low-pressure cylinders by opening a starting valve which is placed in the cab. This enables the locomotive to develop full tractive force in starting a train. As soon, however, as the wheels have made a few revolutions and the low-pressure cylinders are receiving their steam supply from the high-pressure, the starting valve should be closed.
Mallet locomotives are built with from two to five pairs of driving wheels in each group, and are frequently fitted with front and rear trucks for the purpose of improving the curving qualities, reducing flange wear on the driving tires and securing a large proportion of heating surface to adhesion. These engines are used to best advantage in heavy freight or pushing service on long grades, where high tractive forces must be exerted for sustained periods of time. By using such locomotives, it is often possible to materially reduce the number of engines and of train movements necessary to handle a given tonnage over a division.SUPERHEATING
The temperature to which it is necessary to raise
water before it can be evaporated into steam,
depends upon the pressure. For every given pressure there is, therefore, a corresponding minimum
temperature at which steam can exist. Steam
existing at this temperature is said to be saturated,
and any reduction in temperature will cause some
of the steam to be condensed as water. If the temperature is above that of saturation the steam is
said to be superheated. A device employed for
the purpose of raising the temperature of steam
above that of saturation, is called a superheater.
The application of a superheater to a locomotive
effects a saving in fuel and water consumption, the
extent of this saving depending largely upon the kind
of service in which the locomotive is used. As the
volume per pound of superheated steam is greater
than that of saturated steam at the same pressure,
there is a gain in efficiency, because each pound of
water evaporated forms a larger volume of steam,
and therefore fewer pounds of steam are required to
fill the cylinders. Furthermore, there is a reduction
in cylinder condensation, which frequently causes a
considerable loss in efficiency when using saturated
steam.
The type of superheater used in locomotive work, is known as the fire-tube. This device usually gives about 200 degrees of superheat; while in some cases, even higher temperatures are attained. The super- heater consists of a box, or header, which is placed in the smoke-box and is divided into two compartments, one for saturated and one for superheated steam. These two compartments are connected by the superheater pipes, through which the steam flows while it is passing from the throttle-valve to the cylinders. The superheater pipes are placed in a number of large tubes, which are about five and one-half inches in diameter. These tubes, like the small boiler tubes, convey the products of combustion from the firebox to the smoke-box. A double loop of superheater pipes is usually placed in each large tube, and the pipes extend from the headers in the smoke-box, to within a short distance of the firebox. The hot gases passing through the large tubes, both heat the water and superheat the steam. In some forms of fire-tube superheaters, a damper is placed in the smoke-box to cut off the draft through the large tubes when the throttle is closed. This prevents the burning out of the superheater pipes when no steam is passing through them.COMPOUNDING
The object in using compound cylinders in a
locomotive, is to expand the steam through a greater
range than is possible in a single cylinder, and thus
secure increased economy. Further economies due
to compounding are a reduction in the amount of
temperature change (and consequently condensation) in each cylinder, and less waste of fuel at the
stack, as the exhaust is not as violent, when working
at long cut-offs, as in a single-expansion locomotive.
Although compound locomotives are not as extensively used today as they were some years ago, a brief reference should be made to the principal types that have been introduced, from time to time, in the United States and abroad. In the great majority of cases, either two or four cylinders are employed, although in some instances, three cylinders are used — one high and two low pressure, or vice versa. In the two-cylinder type, the high pressure cylinder is placed on one side of the locomotive, and the low pressure on the opposite side. When four cylinders are used a high and a low pressure may be placed one above the other on each side of the locomotive, as in the Vauclain type, or one ahead of the other, as in the tandem type; or all four cylinders may be placed in the same horizontal plane, two being between the frames, and driving a crank axle, and the other two outside the frames. With this arrangement, the two pistons on the same side are connected 180 degrees apart, so that they oppose one another in movement and their disturbing effects are partially neutralized. Hence this design is known as the balanced type. Various modifications of the balanced type are in use, one of the best known being the de Glehn which is extensively employed in France. In this arrangement the high and low pressure pistons are connected to separate axles, and there are separate valve motions, independently controlled from the cab, for the high and low-pressure cylinders.
In the Mallet articulated compound locomotive there are two high-pressure and two low-pressure cylinders, the high pressure driving one group of wheels and the low pressure a separate group.
The economies resulting from the use of compound cylinders are best realized in locomotives which are worked at high power for sustained periods of time. In any case, when considering the advisability of using such devices as compound cylinders or superheaters, all the conditions under which the engine is to work must be given careful attention.THE CYPRUS GOVERNMENT RAILWAY
The Cyprus Government Railway was first opened for public traffic on October 21, 1905, the inaugural cereremony being performed by His Excellency the High Commissioner. There are
now 61 miles of single line open, with four loop lines at intermediate stations. The line starts from the harbour on the east
coast of the island and runs to Nikosia, the capital, a distance of 37 miles; it terminates at Morphou, near the west coast. It was
constructed and equipped at a cost of £127,468 from funds provided by a loan raised under the Colonial Loans Act, 1899. The
line has a gauge of 2 ft. 6 in., the rails, which weigh 39 lb to the
yard, being laid on wooden sleepers fastened with dog spikes. It
has ruling gradients of 1 in 100 and curves of 20 chains radius
between the harbour and the capital, and 1 in 60 (compensated)
and curves of 10 chains radius beyond. Messrs. Baker and
Shelford were the consulting engineers. The line took upwards of
three years to build, the work commencing in the early part of
1904 and finishing in December, 1907, the first section of the work
— to Nikosia — being opened for traffic in August, 1905.
The number of passengers carried annually on the Cyprus Government Railway is about 130,000, whilst the freight tonnage averages 30,000. The staff consists of a General Manager and Engineer, an Assistant General Manager and Accountant, and an Assistant Locomotive Superintendent, with 39 men on monthly pay and some 162 men on daily pay in the way and works, locomotive, traffic and stores departments. As the receipts are practically the same as the working cost, namely, some £12,000 annually, omitting interest and sinking fund on loan, the revenue and expenditure are vested in the general manager who is personally responsible to the Government. Monthly expenditure statements with vouchers are furnished to the Treasury and Audit Departments, whilst an abstract of revenue with supporting returns are rendered to audit, through the treasurer, monthly. The traffic is worked on the Webb-Thompson system of train staff for single-line working, there being two trains per day each way, between Famagusta-Nikosia and Nikosia-Morphou.
At the commencement of 1912 the rolling stock consisted of 8 locomotives, 13 carriages, 41 goods wagons, 10 ballast wagons, 1 goods brake van and 1 Drewry inspection car. Details are appended:—
The passenger and goods engines were supplied by Nasmyth, Wilson & Co., Patricroft, Manchester; the small tank shunting locomotive by the Hunslet Engine Company, of Leeds; and the rolling stock by the Metropolitan Carriage, Wagon & Finance Co., Ltd., and R. Y. Pickering & Co., Ltd., Wishaw, Glasgow.PAINTING YARRA STATION
The Chief Traffic Manager said complaints had been made to the
Commissioner regarding the Traffic staff doing painting
work on station buildings, etc. The attitude of the
Commissioner in regard to the matter, was explained in a
letter dated 21st April,1933, to the Secretary of the Painters
and Decorators' Union, which was as under:-
THE RAILWAY STATIONS
A Successful Experiment in Nationalisation
The Philadelphia plant, which includes the main office, draughting rooms and principal machine shops, covers 19.33 acres of ground. The Eddystone plant is located on a tract of 595.65 acres, and includes iron foundries, blacksmith shops, machine shops, two large erecting shops, and various other buildings. This plant has complete docking facilities, where ocean-going vessels can be loaded direct for foreign shipment.
The products of the works include steam locomotives of all types, for every variety of service; internal combustion locomotives for light industrial, switching and special service, and Baldwin-Westinghouse electric locomotives for all classes of electric railway service. These locomotives are built throughout to gauges and templets, so that duplicate and repair parts, guaranteed to fit in place, can be furnished at any time. This is one of the most valuable features of Baldwin service, and railways in all parts of the world maintain their locomotives by securing the needed material direct from these works.
The Baldwin Locomotive Works are prepared to build locomotives either to their own designs, or to drawings and specifications furnished by the purchaser. On a number of occasions, locomotives for export have been constructed throughout to the metric system of measurement.
Upon receipt of the necessary information, specifications and proposals will be submitted, covering locomotives guaranteed to meet the conditions specified.
Excluding such work as switching, logging and industrial, the majority of locomotives are used in road service, and this may be divided into two general classes, freight and passenger. In heavy freight work, a locomotive is required to exert a high tractive force at comparatively slow speed, while in fast passenger work the tractive force, when running, is comparatively low, while the speed is high. Horse-power is measured by the product of tractive force and speed, hence it is frequently necessary for a passenger locomotive to develop as much horse-power as a freight, even though the tractive forces exerted by the two may be widely different. As the boiler capacity limits the horse-power, it follows that in proportion to the tractive force exerted, a passenger locomotive needs a larger boiler than one intended for freight service. The requirements of fast freight and heavy, medium-speed passenger service are more nearly alike, and the same type of locomotive can frequently be used for both these classes of work.
The American (4-4-0) and Ten-wheeled (4-6-0) types are used to a considerable extent in passenger service, but their capacity is limited owing chiefly to the difficulty of placing a wide and deep firebox above the driving wheels. The Ten-wheeled type, however, with moderate sized driving wheels, is frequently employed in heavy passenger, and fast freight service. These wheel arrangements are also extensively used abroad, where requirements, as a rule, are not as severe as in the United States. The Ten-wheeled type is especially suitable for passenger service in South America and newly-developed countries, and large numbers of these engines have been built by The Baldwin Locomotive Works for export.
When anthracite is used as fuel, a comparatively shallow furnace will suffice, and the grate can often be placed above the driving wheels. In this way trailing wheels can sometimes be omitted where, in a soft coal burning locomotive of similar capacity, they would be necessary on account of the boiler requirements.
The greater part of the freight traffic in the United States is handled by locomotives having tour pairs of coupled driving wheels. For fast freight service the Pacific (4-6-2) type, fitted with driving wheels of moderate diameter, is proving successful in hauling, steaming and speed capacity. For heavier work the Mikado (2-8-2) type is extensively used. This type, like the Pacific, has a wide and deep firebox placed over the rear truck, thus providing large steaming capacity in proportion to adhesion. The Mikado type, when fitted with comparatively large wheels, can also be used for fast freight service where the loads to be hauled are beyond the capacity of a six-coupled engine.
A development of the 2-8-2 type is the 2-10-2, which is being used to an increasing extent for heavy freight service on steep grades. With the wheel-loads which can now be carried on first-class track, it is possible, in an engine of this type, to develop a tractive force exceeding 80,000 pounds.
The type of articulated locomotive most commonly used in America has two groups of driving wheels, and is known, from the name of its inventor, as the "Mallet." This engine operates on the compound principle, and has two high-pressure cylinders which drive the rear group of wheels, and two low-pressure which drive the forward group. The hinge pin connecting the front and rear frames is placed on the center line of the engine between the high-pressure cylinders. The boiler is held in alinement with the rear frames, and is supported on the front frames by sliding bearings. When the engine enters a curve the front wheels and frames act like a truck, and swing about the hinge pin as a center.
In a locomotive of this type, steam is conveyed from the throttle valve to the high-pressure cylinders through rigid pipes, which may be either inside or outside the boiler, according to circumstances. The pipes leading from the high-pressure to the low-pressure cylinders, and from the latter to the smokebox, are necessarily provided with flexible joints. These pipes carry steam at moderate pressures only, a fact which greatly lessens the difficulty of keeping the joints tight.
In the Baldwin Mallet locomotives, steam at reduced pressure can be admitted direct from the boiler to the low-pressure cylinders by opening a starting valve which is placed in the cab. This enables the locomotive to develop full tractive force in starting a train. As soon, however, as the wheels have made a few revolutions and the low-pressure cylinders are receiving their steam supply from the high-pressure, the starting valve should be closed.
Mallet locomotives are built with from two to five pairs of driving wheels in each group, and are frequently fitted with front and rear trucks for the purpose of improving the curving qualities, reducing flange wear on the driving tires and securing a large proportion of heating surface to adhesion. These engines are used to best advantage in heavy freight or pushing service on long grades, where high tractive forces must be exerted for sustained periods of time. By using such locomotives, it is often possible to materially reduce the number of engines and of train movements necessary to handle a given tonnage over a division.
The type of superheater used in locomotive work, is known as the fire-tube. This device usually gives about 200 degrees of superheat; while in some cases, even higher temperatures are attained. The super- heater consists of a box, or header, which is placed in the smoke-box and is divided into two compartments, one for saturated and one for superheated steam. These two compartments are connected by the superheater pipes, through which the steam flows while it is passing from the throttle-valve to the cylinders. The superheater pipes are placed in a number of large tubes, which are about five and one-half inches in diameter. These tubes, like the small boiler tubes, convey the products of combustion from the firebox to the smoke-box. A double loop of superheater pipes is usually placed in each large tube, and the pipes extend from the headers in the smoke-box, to within a short distance of the firebox. The hot gases passing through the large tubes, both heat the water and superheat the steam. In some forms of fire-tube superheaters, a damper is placed in the smoke-box to cut off the draft through the large tubes when the throttle is closed. This prevents the burning out of the superheater pipes when no steam is passing through them.
Although compound locomotives are not as extensively used today as they were some years ago, a brief reference should be made to the principal types that have been introduced, from time to time, in the United States and abroad. In the great majority of cases, either two or four cylinders are employed, although in some instances, three cylinders are used — one high and two low pressure, or vice versa. In the two-cylinder type, the high pressure cylinder is placed on one side of the locomotive, and the low pressure on the opposite side. When four cylinders are used a high and a low pressure may be placed one above the other on each side of the locomotive, as in the Vauclain type, or one ahead of the other, as in the tandem type; or all four cylinders may be placed in the same horizontal plane, two being between the frames, and driving a crank axle, and the other two outside the frames. With this arrangement, the two pistons on the same side are connected 180 degrees apart, so that they oppose one another in movement and their disturbing effects are partially neutralized. Hence this design is known as the balanced type. Various modifications of the balanced type are in use, one of the best known being the de Glehn which is extensively employed in France. In this arrangement the high and low pressure pistons are connected to separate axles, and there are separate valve motions, independently controlled from the cab, for the high and low-pressure cylinders.
In the Mallet articulated compound locomotive there are two high-pressure and two low-pressure cylinders, the high pressure driving one group of wheels and the low pressure a separate group.
The economies resulting from the use of compound cylinders are best realized in locomotives which are worked at high power for sustained periods of time. In any case, when considering the advisability of using such devices as compound cylinders or superheaters, all the conditions under which the engine is to work must be given careful attention.
Reprinted from Locomotive Data, published by The Baldwin Locomotive Works, 1920
Cyprus
The Cyprus Government Railway was first opened for public traffic on October 21, 1905, the inaugural cereremony being performed by His Excellency the High Commissioner. There are
now 61 miles of single line open, with four loop lines at intermediate stations. The line starts from the harbour on the east
coast of the island and runs to Nikosia, the capital, a distance of 37 miles; it terminates at Morphou, near the west coast. It was
constructed and equipped at a cost of £127,468 from funds provided by a loan raised under the Colonial Loans Act, 1899. The
line has a gauge of 2 ft. 6 in., the rails, which weigh 39 lb to the
yard, being laid on wooden sleepers fastened with dog spikes. It
has ruling gradients of 1 in 100 and curves of 20 chains radius
between the harbour and the capital, and 1 in 60 (compensated)
and curves of 10 chains radius beyond. Messrs. Baker and
Shelford were the consulting engineers. The line took upwards of
three years to build, the work commencing in the early part of
1904 and finishing in December, 1907, the first section of the work
— to Nikosia — being opened for traffic in August, 1905.The number of passengers carried annually on the Cyprus Government Railway is about 130,000, whilst the freight tonnage averages 30,000. The staff consists of a General Manager and Engineer, an Assistant General Manager and Accountant, and an Assistant Locomotive Superintendent, with 39 men on monthly pay and some 162 men on daily pay in the way and works, locomotive, traffic and stores departments. As the receipts are practically the same as the working cost, namely, some £12,000 annually, omitting interest and sinking fund on loan, the revenue and expenditure are vested in the general manager who is personally responsible to the Government. Monthly expenditure statements with vouchers are furnished to the Treasury and Audit Departments, whilst an abstract of revenue with supporting returns are rendered to audit, through the treasurer, monthly. The traffic is worked on the Webb-Thompson system of train staff for single-line working, there being two trains per day each way, between Famagusta-Nikosia and Nikosia-Morphou.
At the commencement of 1912 the rolling stock consisted of 8 locomotives, 13 carriages, 41 goods wagons, 10 ballast wagons, 1 goods brake van and 1 Drewry inspection car. Details are appended:—
- Two 4-4-0 passenger tender engines, with cylinders 10 in. by
15 in.; driving wheels. 39½ in. diameter; heating surface, 368
sq. ft.; grate area, 6.06 sq. ft. Tenders for 750 gallons of water, and
31 cub. ft. of fuel. Total weight of engine, and tender in working
order 21 tons, of which 8 tons 2 cwt. are available for adhesion.
- Three 2-6-0 goods tender engines, with cylinders 10 in. by
15 in.; driving wheels, 27½ in. diameter ; heating surface, 397
sq. ft.; grate area, 7 sq. ft., with tenders as above. Total weight
of engine and tender in working order, 21½ tons, of which 11 tons
18 cwt. are available for adhesion.
- Two 2-6-2 side tank goods engines, with cylinders 10 in. by
15 in.; driving wheels, 27½ in. diameter; heating surface, 368
sq. ft.; grate area, 6.06 sq. ft. Side tanks for 450 gallons of water
and bunker for 36 cub. ft. of fuel. Total weight in working order,
20 tons, of which 12 tons 16 cwt. are available for adhesion.
- One 0-6-0 side tank shunting or ballast engine, with cylinders
8 in. by 12 in.; driving wheels 24 in. diameter; heating surface,
161 sq. ft.; grate area, 3.4 sq. ft.; side tanks for 200 gallons of
water, and bunker for 17 cub. ft. of fuel. Total weight in working
order and available for adhesion, 10 tons 7 cwt.
The passenger and goods engines were supplied by Nasmyth, Wilson & Co., Patricroft, Manchester; the small tank shunting locomotive by the Hunslet Engine Company, of Leeds; and the rolling stock by the Metropolitan Carriage, Wagon & Finance Co., Ltd., and R. Y. Pickering & Co., Ltd., Wishaw, Glasgow.
Reprinted from The Railway Gazette, 7 December, 1912
N.S.W.
I am directed to acknowledge receipt of your letter of the 16th instant, further in regard to the painting of nameboards, etc., by the Traffic staff at Yarra Railway Station, and in reply to say the Commissioner is in agreement with you so far as general painting work is concerned. In the instance under notice, however, and in other similar cases where a comparatively small amount of painting is involved and no special skill is required, it is the practice to allow the station staff to do this work during slack periods, and it cannot be seen that there is anything unreasonable or unfair in this arrangement. If in cases of this description a qualified painter had to be sent to do the job, the cost of travel and expenses while away from his home depot would be out of all proportion to the cost of the work itself.
I am to assure you that the Commissioner is in entire sympathy with your desire to keep your members in employment and he has no intention of having work which is legitimately theirs done by other than qualified tradesmen.
Reprinted from the Minutes of the Traffic Officers' Conference 24 May, 1933
Victoria
Whenever you visit a great city, one of your first impressions is the Railway Station. What the gate was to the
walled city of antiquity the railway station is to the
people of to-day. And such stations as that of Paddington, in London, the station at Birmingham in the Midlands, and St. Louis in America, live in the memory of
the traveller. Our railway system contrasts with that
of England and America. In that in those countries the
railways have been run by private enterprise, it is argued
that a private co-operation can direct the railway better
than the Government, but it has never been proved.
A large number of the American railway companies, after building their lines, failed, and the present proprietors are railway kings, who bought the property for a trifle, and thus the railways of America are not paying interest on the initial cost, but on the sum paid to the original owners, who were compelled to sacrifice their property. Therefore, in judging our railway work, you have to recognise that it has been continuous. The Government, in taking over the Hobson's Bay Railway, paid a fair valuation for the property, and our railways have never been built by sweated labour; therefore, when we look on our own splendid railway stations in Sydney and Melbourne, we not only recognise in them great public works, but also the triumph of a great idea relating to the social improvement of the people.
Our Flinders-street railway station, with the magnificent viaduct to Spencer-street, is the greatest public work
in the city of Melbourne. During the visit of the American
Fleet, in 1908, two and a half million of passengers passed
through the central station, the highest record for one
day being 526,283. In the beginning, our Government
obtained its sixty miles of railway by purchase, and it
has gone on extending its work until to-day Victoria possesses 4214 miles of railway. This has meant a development in the work of station architecture and engineering,
and a quickening of the intellect of the city.
It will be noticed that we have no stations within the city. Our city colossal railway system commenced with an inner circle, and with the exception of the branch to Fitzroy, there is no invasion of that circle; all the stations are on the outskirts. Prince's Bridge and Flinders-street stations are in the south, while Spencer-street is in the west. What we lack is a great northern station, into which the trains from Sydney and other northern lines would run. Some have spoken of making a metropolitan railway station in the heart of the city, but this would break with the principle on which we have built our railways. A great northern station would relieve the congestion in the south, and bring into use the disused portion of the Outer Circle line.
In the late eighties the Outer Circle line was instituted for the purpose of bringing goods from Gippsland around to Spender-street by an eastern and northern route. It started from near Oakleigh, and circled through Burwood, East Camberwell, and East Kew to Fairfield Park, and then linked up with the line to Clifton Hill, and followed on the inner circle to Spencer-street. This was designed to take the traffic off the southern segment, and, would now relieve the viaduct.
In London, you leave Euston station in the north, for Edinburgh; it is one of the noble stations of the many millioned city. There is no reason why a station should not be built in the north, rivalling Flinders-street. It would be the natural development of a classical system which has freed the city from a grid-iron of railways, either underground or overhead. If our old cemetery were retained in the heart of the city as a breathing place. and market decentralisation went on, then the northern station could deliver produce to the northern suburbs, and thus it would not only relieve the traffic north, but become a centre of supply.
The electrification of our railways has changed the aspect of railway problems, and the subject of distribution comes before us in a new light. Mr. Watt, speaking on this subject, said it was a great and successful experiment. Mr. Barnes said it put Melbourne in the forefront of progress as the possessor of a splendidly equipped and up-to-date suburban system. He said the average speed, including stoppages, would be twenty-one miles an hour, compared with sixteen miles under steam conditions.
This power of distribution is further multiplied by the use of the motor car. It shows that if we have good gates to our city we can keep our parks, reserve our open spaces, and bring our railway stations on the circle, even improving them as a resort for the multitude. To that end, but recently, the refreshment rooms have been nationalised, and our toilet system improved. The day may come when a fully equipped coffee palace will be attached to each of the great stations, as in America and Britain, where they have splendid hotels attached to the railway stations. A great northern station seems essential to a complete and comprehensive system.
The platforms at Spencer-street, and other metropolitan stations, are so orderly arranged that the wayfaring man, even if he be a simpleton, need not err therein; but what we want to be able to say is, that the eastern traffic is from Prince's Bridge, the suburban from Flinders-street, the western from Spencer-street, and the northern from the great northern station.
A large number of the American railway companies, after building their lines, failed, and the present proprietors are railway kings, who bought the property for a trifle, and thus the railways of America are not paying interest on the initial cost, but on the sum paid to the original owners, who were compelled to sacrifice their property. Therefore, in judging our railway work, you have to recognise that it has been continuous. The Government, in taking over the Hobson's Bay Railway, paid a fair valuation for the property, and our railways have never been built by sweated labour; therefore, when we look on our own splendid railway stations in Sydney and Melbourne, we not only recognise in them great public works, but also the triumph of a great idea relating to the social improvement of the people.
Our Flinders-street railway station, with the magnificent viaduct to Spencer-street, is the greatest public work
in the city of Melbourne. During the visit of the American
Fleet, in 1908, two and a half million of passengers passed
through the central station, the highest record for one
day being 526,283. In the beginning, our Government
obtained its sixty miles of railway by purchase, and it
has gone on extending its work until to-day Victoria possesses 4214 miles of railway. This has meant a development in the work of station architecture and engineering,
and a quickening of the intellect of the city.It will be noticed that we have no stations within the city. Our city colossal railway system commenced with an inner circle, and with the exception of the branch to Fitzroy, there is no invasion of that circle; all the stations are on the outskirts. Prince's Bridge and Flinders-street stations are in the south, while Spencer-street is in the west. What we lack is a great northern station, into which the trains from Sydney and other northern lines would run. Some have spoken of making a metropolitan railway station in the heart of the city, but this would break with the principle on which we have built our railways. A great northern station would relieve the congestion in the south, and bring into use the disused portion of the Outer Circle line.
In the late eighties the Outer Circle line was instituted for the purpose of bringing goods from Gippsland around to Spender-street by an eastern and northern route. It started from near Oakleigh, and circled through Burwood, East Camberwell, and East Kew to Fairfield Park, and then linked up with the line to Clifton Hill, and followed on the inner circle to Spencer-street. This was designed to take the traffic off the southern segment, and, would now relieve the viaduct.
In London, you leave Euston station in the north, for Edinburgh; it is one of the noble stations of the many millioned city. There is no reason why a station should not be built in the north, rivalling Flinders-street. It would be the natural development of a classical system which has freed the city from a grid-iron of railways, either underground or overhead. If our old cemetery were retained in the heart of the city as a breathing place. and market decentralisation went on, then the northern station could deliver produce to the northern suburbs, and thus it would not only relieve the traffic north, but become a centre of supply.
The electrification of our railways has changed the aspect of railway problems, and the subject of distribution comes before us in a new light. Mr. Watt, speaking on this subject, said it was a great and successful experiment. Mr. Barnes said it put Melbourne in the forefront of progress as the possessor of a splendidly equipped and up-to-date suburban system. He said the average speed, including stoppages, would be twenty-one miles an hour, compared with sixteen miles under steam conditions.
This power of distribution is further multiplied by the use of the motor car. It shows that if we have good gates to our city we can keep our parks, reserve our open spaces, and bring our railway stations on the circle, even improving them as a resort for the multitude. To that end, but recently, the refreshment rooms have been nationalised, and our toilet system improved. The day may come when a fully equipped coffee palace will be attached to each of the great stations, as in America and Britain, where they have splendid hotels attached to the railway stations. A great northern station seems essential to a complete and comprehensive system.
The platforms at Spencer-street, and other metropolitan stations, are so orderly arranged that the wayfaring man, even if he be a simpleton, need not err therein; but what we want to be able to say is, that the eastern traffic is from Prince's Bridge, the suburban from Flinders-street, the western from Spencer-street, and the northern from the great northern station.
Paul Perietas
Reprinted from V.R.I. Review, 1 October, 1920
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