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Fireless locomotive
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A fireless locomotive is a type of locomotive designed for use under conditions restricted by either the presence of flammable material (such as in mines) or the need for cleanliness (such as at a food factory). Thus a traditional steam locomotive is ruled out because of its open fire and the possibility of hot embers ejected from its chimney.
There are two types of fireless locomotive – fireless steam locomotives and compressed air locomotives.
reless steam locomotive is similar to a conventional steam locomotive, but has a reservoir, known as a steam accumulator, instead of a boiler.
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Encyclopedia
A fireless locomotive is a type of locomotive designed for use under conditions restricted by either the presence of flammable material (such as in mines) or the need for cleanliness (such as at a food factory). Thus a traditional steam locomotive is ruled out because of its open fire and the possibility of hot embers ejected from its chimney.
There are two types of fireless locomotive – fireless steam locomotives and compressed air locomotives.
Types
Fireless steam locomotives
A fireless steam locomotive is similar to a conventional steam locomotive, but has a reservoir, known as a steam accumulator, instead of a boiler. This reservoir is partly filled with water and charged with steam from a stationary boiler. The locomotive can then work on the stored steam until the pressure has dropped to a minimum level, after which it must be recharged.
European fireless steam locomotives usually have the cylinders at the back, while American ones often have the cylinders at the front, as in a conventional locomotive. Major builders of fireless steam locomotives in the UK included Andrew Barclay and W.G. Bagnall.
The last commercially-operated steam locomotive in UK industry was a fireless steam locomotive. It operated at the Glaxo factory in Ulverston, Cumbria. A few fireless steam locomotives are still at work in Germany.
Compressed air locomotives
Compressed air locomotives are used mainly in mines, but have also been used on tramways. (See Mekarski system)
Hybrid locomotives
Several hybrid locomotives have been built that have either used a fire for part of the time, e.g., Fowler's Ghost of the Metropolitan Railway, or have used a fire to superheat stored steam, such as the Receiver Locomotives built by Sentinel Waggon Works. None has been a success.
Wheel arrangements
Most fireless locomotives have been of 0-4-0 or 0-6-0 wheel arrangement but there have been some 0-8-0 and even a few 0-10-0. Some 600 mm gauge 0-10-0 fireless locomotives from the German company Henschel were used in the construction of the Baghdad Railway, probably to avoid the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning during the boring of tunnels.
Another German company, Hohenzollern, built some articulated fireless steam locomotives with a cab at each end. Only one of the bogies was powered, making the wheel arrangement B-2.
Preservation
Although a large proportion of fireless locomotives have been preserved, very few have been operated. This is due to the low power of the locomotives, the long time needed to charge a locomotive from cold and the low steam pressures available for charging. Perhaps the only exception was "Lord Ashfield" (Andrew Barclay works no. 1989 of 1930) at the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester that ran for a while in the 1990s sharing a steam supply with the stationary exhibits in their exhibition hall.
The Ayrshire Railway Preservation Group is currently in the process of rebuilding its Andrew Barclay 0-4-0 fireless locomotive (Works Number 1952 of 1928) and intends to operate it as part of a demonstration freight train during Summer 2009.
The future
Fireless steam locomotives might, possibly, make a comeback because of their ability to use steam generated by rubbish incinerators or solar collectors. See "Solar Steam Train" link below. They could even use steam generated by nuclear reactors.
See also
External links
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- – Kenavon Railway Society, custodians of fireless loco Huntley & Palmers No. 1 and aiming to create a railway powered solely by fireless locos
- – plus links to two locomotives
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