Originally Posted by John Korling:
Originally Posted by mlavender480:
Any particular reason why the cab-forward compressors exhausted directly, as opposed to being exhausted into the smokebox? Did their location somehow prohibit this?
Earlier I stated that I was not aware of any particular reason. The way the compressors themselves were mounted certainly was not a reason since the compressors are mounted right up against the smokebox like a lot of other steam locomotives from other roads that were similarly equipped. I could again only speculate that they did this so that it would make it easier on the crew to hear them working while underway, since they wouldn't be able to hear it as well with the cab in front of it versus behind like traditional steam locomotives, but that's just a guess. All I know is that this exhaust design wasn't done on cab forwards prior to the AC-6 class, and those pre-AC-6 locomotives had the compressors mounted on the side of the locomotive below the walkways with the exhaust routed into the smokebox in the traditional way.
Why vent them into the smokebox when the exhausts are already near the top of the boiler? Just more work for the pipefitter for no reason. Turbogenerators also vent to the atmosphere with no additional plumbing and some folks get annoyed by their sound.
Steam locomotives make all kinds of noises, both annoying and nice. If you work on them, you have to hear them all.
Rusty
