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Locomotive Yard
Plan the locomotive yard with knowledge of the different tasks that were carried out there.In SJ's 1962 "Steam Locomotive School", the work routine can be summarized as follows:
- Incoming locomotives:
Coal and water filling, ash and clinker removal, filling the lubricator, removing lubrication wicks, refilling and testing the sanding system, and turning off the lights.
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Lubrication, refilling the oil cans, tidying up and cleaning the cab. But what do all these tasks actually involve, and what installations are needed?
The video beside this text shows different track arrangements for a locomotive yard and also the many operating possibilities it can provide.
For example, at least three locomotives were needed to run one daily train on the Växjö–Oskarshamn line, and even that was a tight arrangement. This tells us something about how much time a steam locomotive spent in the shed.
Shared locomotive station
In general, the same locomotive station was used for both passenger and freight locomotives. Since the exit routes should be kept as short as possible, a central location is preferable. It is therefore suitable to place the locomotive station close to the storage tracks of both the passenger station and the freight yard.
Handover point
After service, the locomotive is left at a designated handover point, where it stands for a while before the shed staff takes over.
Ash pit
The most gentle treatment for a locomotive boiler is not to clean out the firebox at all when the locomotive is taken out of service. This is because slow cooling is better for the metal and the joints in the boiler.
The most practical solution, however, is to complete the ash and clinker removal before the locomotive enters the shed. This work can take up to 40 minutes, which is time that is not available when the locomotive is about to be put into traffic. At larger locomotive stations, it was therefore also necessary to have a bypass track past the ash pit. This is also why locomotives were normally cleaned out before entering the shed, except for locomotives with steel fireboxes. These were not even allowed to have their ashpan emptied at that time. If such locomotives were cleaned out incorrectly, the firebox could simply crack.
Emptying the smokebox
The smokebox had to be emptied. The fine coal dust and cinders were collected and used as fuel in waiting room stoves and similar places. It was therefore important to separate this material from the ash and clinker. The spark arrestor basket in the smokebox also had to be brushed clean. This was usually done at the same time as the ash removal.
Water and coal filling
Sometimes coal and water were taken before entering the shed, sometimes not. Sometimes this was handled by the locomotive crew, sometimes by the shed staff. It mainly depended on the size and staffing of the station.
Banked fire and bearing lubrication
Locomotives that were to go out again the next morning were never completely shut down. Instead, they stood on a "banked fire", a partly smothered bed of glowing coal that had to be watched. On some narrow-gauge lines it seems that locomotives were left alone overnight, meaning the fire had to be lit again in the morning. This was quickly done on a small locomotive, but very time-consuming on a larger one. A locomotive kept on a banked fire required night staff, who could also carry out inspection work, meaning simpler maintenance and checks of the running gear and other parts. Some lubrication could also be carried out, for example axle bearings. Wick- and needle-lubricated bearings, however, were not dealt with until shortly before the locomotive left the locomotive station, otherwise the work would partly be wasted if too much time passed. The shed staff also made sure that boiler pressure was up to the required level in time for departure.
The minimum installation should therefore include:
- Water filling facility
- Coal crane or coal stage
- Ash pit, preferably outdoors
- Oil store
- Separate gas bottle store if AGA lighting is used
- A covered bay for locomotive sand.
In addition, there may also be:
- Wash-down area for hot-water cleaning
- Sand tower, if it is a larger locomotive station
/ Martin T
