Accidents on the Road

The accidents to which the locomotive is most liable when running upon the road, and the course to be pursued by the engineer to enable him to take the engine to the depot or complete the trip, are as follows:

Knocking out the Front Cylinder Head or Cover.—This arises from various causes, such as a breakage of a connecting rod strap, or of a piston rod or cross head. It is the practice of some locomotive builders to cut in the cylinder cover flange a small groove close to the part that fits the cylinder bore, so that the cover shall break out in the form of a disc, leaving the cover, flange, bolts, and nuts intact, and diminishing the liability to break the cylinder itself as well as the cover.

The provisional remedy for this accident is to take off the connecting rod (on the side of the broken cover) and also the valve motion, either at the rock shaft arm or by taking down the eccentric rod straps. Then place the valve in the centre of its travel so that it shall cover and enclose both the cylinder steam ports and leave the exhaust port open. Then block the cross head firmly on the forward centre, and go ahead with the other cylinder.

Heating of Piston Rods.—This the engineer can often discover by sight, or by smelling it from the cab. The remedy is to stop the engine and slack back the gland until the steam from the engine cylinder leaks freely through the packing. Then apply a little extra lubrication or water while running slowly.

Breaking of a Piston Rod.—If the piston rod breaks, but does not knock out the cylinder head or cover, pursue the same course as directed for breaking the cylinder cover, taking the additional precaution to block the piston, which may be done by fitting pieces of wood between the guide bars, making the pieces long enough to fit between the cross head and guide yoke.

The cylinder or waste water cocks on the side of the accident must also be opened, to prevent any leakage of steam past the slide valve from getting into the cylinder and driving the piston against the cylinder cover, and breaking the cylinder cover or even the cylinder itself.

If the piston rod breaks from the cross head, it is safest to remove it from the cylinder, though this is unnecessary, if it be securely blocked against the cylinder head so that it cannot move, though steam may leak in on either side of it.

Breaking a Crank Pin.—This is a somewhat frequent accident, but seldom takes place on both sides of the engine at once.

The remedy is to take off all the parallel or coupling rods, and if it is the crank pin on the driving wheels which breaks, take off the connecting rod also, and securely block the cross head, disconnecting the valve motion as before directed, and opening the cylinder waste water cocks. In the case of this accident occurring, it is absolutely essential to take off the parallel rods on both sides of the engine, or otherwise the crank pins on the other side are apt to break.

Throwing Off a Wheel Tire.—In this case the best plan is to block the tireless wheel entirely clear of the track, which may be done by putting a block of wood into the oil cellar of the driving box, and then tow the engine to the repair shop; for if the engine is run to the shop, and the wheel touches the rail, it will impair its diameter for the proper size of tire.

Throwing Off a Driving Wheel.—This is not a common accident, but nevertheless it sometimes occurs; they break usually just outside of the driving axle box. In this case take out the driving box and fit in its place a block of wood affording journal bearing for the axle. Let this block rest on the pedestal cap, holding the axle up in the centre of the pedestal. Then secure the piston and disconnect the valve gearing and open the cylinder cocks as before, and the engine can be run slowly to the repair shop without danger of further accident, or, if convenient, it can be towed by another engine.

Breaking a Spring Or Spring Hanger.—Lift the engine with the jacks until the driving wheel axle box is about in the centre of the pedestal, and put any convenient piece of iron across the top of the driving axle box and between it and the engine frame, thus taking the weight of the engine on the frame instead of on the spring. Place also a block of iron between the end of the equalizing bar and the top of the engine frame, so as to prevent the movement of the equalizing bar, and to allow the spring at the other end of the equalizing bar to operate without moving the said bar. Every engineer should carry in his tool box pieces of metal suitable for this purpose, because this is a frequent accident. It does not, however, materially affect the working of the engine, and should not delay a train more than a few minutes.

Bursted Flues and Tubes.—These are usually plugged by tapering a piece of pine wood and driving it into the bursted tube by means of an iron bar. Taper iron plugs are often carried, and then driven into the end of the tube after the wooden one has been driven in. To enable this job to be done, it is necessary to thickly cover the fire with green coal, which operates to cool the tubes and prevent the loss of the water in the boiler. Sometimes careful engineers prepare for use pine plugs turned slightly taper, and a little slack, for the inside of the tube. In case of leak, this plug is inserted in the flue, and driven along it until it covers the fracture, the expansion due to its saturation causing it to become locked in the tube.

Slipping of Eccentrics.—Place the reverse lever in the forward notch of the sector. Place the crank on its forward dead centre, as near as can be judged by the eye, and loosen the set screw of the forward eccentric, that is to say, the eccentric which connects to the upper end of the link. Move that eccentric round upon the axle until the slide valve leaves the steam port at the front end of the cylinder open to the amount of required valve lead. In moving the eccentric round upon the shaft, move it in the direction in which it will rotate when the engine is running forward, so as to allow for and take up any lost motion there may be in the eccentric straps, in the eccentric rod eyes and bolts, and in the other working parts of the valve gear; for if the eccentric was moved backward, all such lost motion would operate to vitiate the set of the valve. The eccentric being placed as directed fastens its set screw securely.

If the backward eccentric is the loose one, throw the reverse lever to the backward notch of the sector, lifting the link up so that the eccentric connected to the lower end of the link may be approximately adjusted by moving it around upon the axle in the direction in which it will rotate when the engine is running backward, until the back cylinder port is open to the amount of the valve lead. Another very ready plan of temporarily adjusting the eccentrics is as follows: Place the reverse lever in the end notch forward, and place the engine crank or driving crank pin as near on a dead centre as the eye will direct, and open both the cylinder waste water cocks. Then disconnect the slide valve spindle from the rocker arm, and move the slide valve spindle until the opening of the cylinder steam port corresponding to the end of the cylinder at which the piston stands will be shown by steam blowing through the waste water cock at that end of the cylinder; the throttle valve being opened but a trifle, to allow a small steam supply to enter the steam chest and cylinder, for if much steam is admitted, it may pass through a leak in the piston and blow through both the waste water cylinder cocks.

The position of the valve being thus determined, the eccentric must be moved upon the driving axle until the valve spindle will connect with the rocker arm without being moved, or moving the valve at all.

Hot Axle Boxes.—If not convenient to reduce the speed of the engine, or if that and free lubrication do not cool the box, a plentiful supply of cold water should be administered, it being well to have at hand a small hose pipe, by means of which water from the tender tank can be used. If the brasses have Babbitt metal in them and it should melt, it is better, if possible, to cool the axle box while the engine is moving, which will injure the journal less than if the journal is stopped to cool the box, because in the latter case the brass or box is apt to become soldered to the journal of the axle, and when the engine is again started, the cutting or abrasion will recommence with extreme violence.

Breaking a Lifting Link Or the Saddle Pin That Connects The Slot Link To the Reverse Shaft.—Cut a piece of wood and tie it into the slot of the link, over the link block or die, making it of a length to keep the link in the position for hauling the train. Then fasten another piece of wood in the link slot beneath the sliding block or die, thus securing that die in the proper position for the engine to go ahead. In this case, the engineer must be careful in stopping, as he cannot reverse the engine on the crippled side.

Secondary accidents are almost sure to occur if a disconnected piston is not securely blocked in the cylinder, or from blocking the piston aright and attempting to let the slide valve run, or from attempting to run with the parallel rods on one side only disconnected. There are numerous accidents, which only common sense and a familiarity with the locomotive can provide a temporary remedy for, but those here enumerated are by far the most common.