Product Description

Following the pioneering work of Trevithick, Stephenson, and many others, steam locomotives continued to evolve and be refined until overtaken by diesel and electric traction technology. Although the last main-line steam service was operated by British Rail in 1968, there is still immense interest in steam traction, as demonstrated by the increasing numbers of privately renovated and preserved locomotives and heritage railways around the world. In How Steam Locomotives Really Work, the authors, both railway experts, cover the design of locomotives, the many processes in the conversion of fuel to tractive effort, the dynamic characteristics of the locomotive as a vehicle, the braking equipment, and a host of other systems, major and minor, that make up a working locomotive. They also explain the reasons for running and maintenance practices. Their explanations will fascinate enthusiasts, whether practical or armchair. Steam locomotive design may have started in the United Kingdom, but it quickly developed parallel and sometimes diverging techniques in other countries, leading to many distinct developments that contribute to the national characteristics of some locomotives. The authors embrace this diversity, and railway enthusiasts from around the world will find this book engrossing and enlightening.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #7213 in Books
• Published on: 2004-04-22
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 368 pages

Review
"To enable train enthusiasts to understand the workings of the various types of engines in use, this book describes the anatomy and physiology of the steam train. It covers the design of the engine, the process of converting fuel into mechanical tractive effort to haul passenger and freight trains, the function and design of the various components of the engine, and the safe and efficient operation and maintenance of steam locomotives. Although the steam locomotive originated in the United Kingdom, there were parallel lines of development in North America and Europe, and the individual features of these are also covered." -- Mechanical Engineering, Nov 2000
"The book deals comprehensively with the dynamics, thermodynamics, component description, metallurgy, design criteria and performance of steam locomotives; as well as their operational maintenance issues. . .For those of us with a particular interest in steam technology, but without the fullest understanding of the many complex inter-reactions, this volume provides a most useful reference. . .A most worthy book at an attractive price for anyone interested in steam locomotive technology."--The Newcomen Society

About the Author
Peter Semmens was formerly Deputy Head of the highly popular National Railway Museum in York from 1974, and has been active for many years in the popularization of science and technology. He has written 33 books on trains and railways, and in 1990 he was appointed Chief Correspondent of The Railway Magazine, having written the monthly 'Railway Practice and Performance' for many years.

Customer Reviews

A superb book for those who want to understand steam engines
This book covers every aspect of steam locomotive design and construction in a clear and logical fashion, with ample illustrations and diagrams. The authors are clearly masters of their subject, and their style is lucid and eminently readable. I found it absolutely fascinating and, by its end, I really did understand how steam locomotives work, and why so many aspects of them have evolved in the way they have.

Other reviewers have criticised it for being overly technical but I disagree: "O" level / GCSE physics (that's 15 year old schooling for non-UK readers) more than covers it, and in fact I found myself wanting more technical detail. In particular I wished the sections on valve gear, boiler performance and superheating had contained more information.

This is very much a book for those who want to know the "how" and the "why", as opposed to simply the "what", of steam locomotive design. It has increased my enjoyment of other books on steam locomotive development immeasurably since I can now understand the descriptions of valve gear, blast pipes, rocking grates, compounding, sand guns, injectors, etc.

If you are prepared to make the effort to read it through you really WILL understand - in theory at least - exactly "how steam locomotives really work". It has to be by far the best book on this subject.

Read and enjoy...
This book is perhaps the best book available about "how steam locomotives work". It is not simply keeping its promise for those seeking the answer to that question but is also a pleasure to read for those who actually do know how they work. You don't have to know much physics. All you have to know is explained in a substantial but easy to understand manner. It is not a dry collection of facts; instead - as said before - it is a book you can also read to enjoy. The authors know the matter and are not leaving any issue concerning the steam locomotive. Drawings, diagrams and photos provide facts and examples for better understanding. The basic concern, when not a basic part of the locomotive or commonplace all over the world, are the concepts used in Great Britain. But the principles of such things like feed-water-heating, which were not widely spread in Britain because of the loading-gauge, are at least mentioned if not (like most of the time) described in detail (though some things may be, well, let's say a little bit inaccurate, e.g. the description to the picture of the "Baureihe 42" - a "Kriegslokomotive" of the german railways - can easily be misunderstood in such a way, that these locomotives made up the major part of the vast buildup of german locomotives during World War II; in fact they played just a minor role as there were built "just" several hundred against the thousands built of the "Baureihe 52" (the rate is about 1:10)). Well, sometimes one would wish to get a more detailed description of some constructions, but, to be honest, this is actually not of concern. The book's issue is to explain the basic principles of the steam locomotive. And this is done fabulously.

How Steam Locomotives Really Work
I found this book much more detailed than |had expected, for which I was most grateful. I had no idea how haphazardly the engineering designs for these beautiful machines evolved. Whilst the fact that the authors are from the UK, there is a surprising amount of information about non UK locomotives, I was intrigued to learn that in the 1850s, it is alleged that mummies were used for power in Egypt!

I found that in a day I had read nearly half the book: however I have one caveat, which is that the authors take a knowledge of basic physics and chemistry for granted. For example words and phrases such as 'exothermy','phase transition','latent heat' and the 'angular structure of water molecules' could rapidly deter a 'steam buff' from reading much more than the first few pages without a scientific background.A box system, as used in most modern textbooks to explain scientific theories would help a lot.

Otherwise this is a great read, and I now understand why these beautiful but inefficient machines have been replaced by electric locomtives,in Europe at least.