Thoughts on a book: The Steam Locomotive Energy Story by Walter Simpson

Yes, I have read it.
I wasn't impressed, but, that is not to say that the book is useless. I just don't think that the narrative really does any justice to the title.
That is my opinion. Someone just starting to learn about steam locomotives might find it more educational.
BTW, if you are a member of the NWHS, you might be able to get a better deal on this book.

Good point, I am a NWHS member and will check. I thought the title a bit awkward too but perhaps it was intended to attract an audience?

I was looking for a book deeper than the very general material in my other books. This one, according to the summaries, has some technical details. In past lives I have had to work with pulverized coal and oil fired stationary boilers so I have the basics.

Thanks for the information. Sounds like a roll of the dice!

@hokie71 posted:

Good point, I am a NWHS member and will check. I thought the title a bit awkward too but perhaps it was intended to attract an audience?

For what it's worth, this book was done for, and by, the C&OHS (Chesapeake and Ohio Historical Society) and NOT the NWHS.

I was looking for a book deeper than the very general material in my other books. This one, according to the summaries, has some technical details.

Yes, it does.

In past lives I have had to work with pulverized coal and oil fired stationary boilers so I have the basics.

Thanks for the information. Sounds like a roll of the dice!

Hokie71,
I stumbled onto this the other day and I had no idea someone had reprinted it. If you want to learn something about steam locomotives, do yourself one big favor! Go to Amazon and search for "The Steam Locomotive Vol.1 & Vol.2" by J.W. Harding. I got mine for $12.95. It's in paperback and about 300 pages. Even though not everything about steam locos is covered*, you will learn so much more than that other book that you were asking about!!!

*This book is from the series put out years ago by the International Correspondence Schools in order to educate the railroad workers across the nation. There were many more books in the series and most were dedicated to one particular subject, such as valve gears or feedwater heater, etc.

I just ordered my copy.  I want to see what the ICS series has to say since I already have the "other book".   I remember the large collection of ICS books in the NWHS archives so it seemed like a good source.  Not to mention Big Jim's recommendation!!!

Locomotive and Railway Preservation Magazine had a pretty extensive series on the thermodynamics of steam locomotives.

Great price on the reprint of The Steam Locomotive Vols. 1 &2--well worth the price. Remember, these are text books. They're packed with useful, practical information, drawings, formulae, etc. I am happy to have 15 or 20 of the volumes in my collection.

Update:   I received this book and have not been disappointed at all. It was different from what I expected (not sure what I expected?) but in a good sense. For example, I am 50-60 pages into it and I find the details related to fabrication, casting, assembly, etc. very fascinating. A window on the sun set of that industrial world for sure.

The very end contains what I was originally looking for but realistically, that would have been a textbook in thermo and related topics. Who would have bought that? Nevertheless, I am looking forward to reaching the end of the book to plow into that material.

Certainly, happy with the purchase and am looking forward to the holidays and more time to read. My only beef is I need a magnifying glass occasionally to see some of the reference letters in the detailed diagrams- but what else is new!  Anyone else in the group, needing some occasional magnification?

As others above have said, this is a winner for the price- get one for Christmas.

@Big Jim posted:

Hokie71,
I stumbled onto this the other day and I had no idea someone had reprinted it. If you want to learn something about steam locomotives, do yourself one big favor! Go to Amazon and search for "The Steam Locomotive Vol.1 & Vol.2" by J.W. Harding. I got mine for $12.95. It's in paperback and about 300 pages. Even though not everything about steam locos is covered*, you will learn so much more than that other book that you were asking about!!!

*This book is from the series put out years ago by the International Correspondence Schools in order to educate the railroad workers across the nation. There were many more books in the series and most were dedicated to one particular subject, such as valve gears or feedwater heater, etc.

Big Jim, this was a great recommendation! That's a bargain for the info it contains.