Perfecting the American Steam Locomotive

Has anyone picked up the above-mentioned book by J. Parker Lamb yet? I checked it out on the Indiana University Press website and it looks pretty good. It's available here in Canada on Chapters website for $50.05 Canuck bucks. Any comments pro or con would be greatly appreciated. TIA.

Garth.

Reply to
Garth Allen
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To make a steam engine somewhat viable, you have to do the following:

Increase efficiency of fuel usage to at least 3X present usage. Decrease maintence checks to no more than montholy Get them better balanced than has been done. Make them remote controlled like the MU controls on a Diesel.

After that is done, you may get some experimentation with them by some railroads but I'd expect even that won't be enough.

-- Bob May Losing weight is easy! If you ever want to lose weight, eat and drink less. Works evevery time it is tried!

Reply to
Bob May

Bob, you could instead lower wages by 80% and the cost of fuel by 70%. That would probably make steam engines profitable.

Any U.S. rail employees up for earning India-level wages?

Reply to
Ccutler0

No problem - consider the SAR "Red Devil"

Boilers are always going to be some problem - welding instead of rivetting is a possibility.

No problem. Today one would build a steam locomotive with a high speed motor, probably driving via cardan shafts to conventional bogies, much like a Diesel hydraulic.

No problem.

One needs to have some particular reason to experiment outside the norm - a cheaper or indigenous fuel might be one reason.

It's rather pointless to compare 1930s technology (most peoples view of a new steam locomotive) with 2000 technology. Imagine a diesel using 1930 technology - rigid frame, direct drive to 6' diameter wheels etc.

Regards, Greg.P.

Reply to
Gregory Procter

It is available on amazon.com for $31.47USD. While I haven't purchased it yet, I will. J.Parker Lamb did some incredible rail photography, I'm expecting this to be the same. His book titled "steel wheels rolling" probably is in my humble opinion, the best collection of photographs of early diesel technology to exist. Alco PA's, FA's, RS's, Baldwin AS's, EMD F's and GP's. Beautifully photographed black and white photos that place him in the same league with O. Winston Link, and Philip R. Hastings. "Steel Wheels Rolling" also had good transitional steam photography.

Alan

Reply to
Alan W. Dye

The following description is from Barnes & Noble:

"Perfecting the American Steam Locomotive documents the role played by mechanical engineers in the development of locomotive design. The steam engine and the mechanical engineering profession both grew directly out of the Industrial Revolution's need for sources of power beyond that of men and animals. Invented in England when coal mining was being developed, the practical steam engine eventually found numerous applications in transportation, especially in railroad technology." J. Parker Lamb traces the evolution of the steam engine from the early 1700s through the early

1800s, when the first locomotives were sent to the United States from England. Lamb then shifts to the development of the American steam locomotive, first by numerous small builders and later, in the early twentieth century, by only three major enterprises and a handful of railroad company shops. Lamb reviews the steady progress of steam locomotive technology through its pinnacle during the 1930s, then discusses the reasons for the subsequent decline of this famous machine. "

Which makes me thing perhaps this isn't photography at all, but a more technical tome. Guess I'll have to stop by the local model train shop and browse a copy before I decide whether to purchase it or not.

Reply to
Alan W. Dye

(Snipped for brevity)

As other posters have mentioned, Lamb is an excellent photographer. But my recollection is that his day job was as an academic? If that is the case, it may well be a book worth having.

Mark.

Reply to
Mark Newton

Just bring 'em over on H1-B visas! The more, the merrier. Not!

Jay CNS&M Wireheads of the world, unite!

Reply to
JCunington

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