Water stops

NW Mailing List nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org
Wed Dec 26 22:43:07 EST 2018


Jim,

Generally, on the Pocahontas Division, I understand:

Single engines took water while coupled to their train. If they had to 
cut off, say, for taking coal or were so low they had to run light for 
water, a "sufficient" number of handbrakes were set on the cars.

Regarding fill time, for some reason (SWAG?), a flow rate in the very 
round number of 1000GPM comes to mind, but my mind ain't what it used to be.

As Mr. Lisle states, the fireman would normally handle water unless busy 
with other duties, then the head brakeman would step up. Two such 
examples both involved stops where there was an ash man on duty so the 
fireman could clean the fire: Wilmore, where time freights typically 
took on a pusher, and at Farm.

Grant Carpenter

On 10/30/2018 10:08 PM, NW Mailing List wrote:
>
> On 10/30/2018 5:49 PM, NW Mailing List wrote:
>
>> Remember, after coming to a complete stop, the brakeman would have to 
>> turn the valve (? terminology) on the car immediately behind the 
>> locomotive to keep air in the line;
> *Jim,
>     Bottling the air like that is a very good way to have a runaway 
> train. That is why it is against the rules. You leave the "anglecock" 
> open on the cars and close the one on the engine!*
>> then the locomotive would uncouple from the train and move into place 
>> at the water plug.  The brakeman would have to climb up on the tender 
>> and open the water fill hatch; then position the water spout over the 
>> tender.
> *It might be that the brakeman wouldn't mind helping out with taking 
> on water, however, I do believe that is the Fireman's job.
>
> Jimmy Lisle
> *

> On 10/29/2018 9:18 AM, NW Mailing List wrote:
> During steam operations when a locomotive was going to take water on 
> the road, was it the usual practice to uncouple the locomotive from 
> the rest of the consist in order to position the locomotive at the 
> water plug?
>
> Also, approximately how long would it take to top off the water in a 
> tender? I understand the answer is variable given the capacity of any 
> given tender and how much water was required to fill it up.
>
> I'd like to incorporate this type of prototype operation in my model 
> railroad operating scheme.
>
> Thanks.
>
> Jim Brewer
> Glenwood MD
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