I was watching this video and I noticed that when the loco was going backwards (at 5.07 min or so no chuffing, before that you hear the chuffing a little but it goes away soon after???), there were no cylinder chuffing sounds that I normally hear from US engines almost at any speed, can some one educate me as to what is going on?
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I was watching this video and I noticed that when the loco was going backwards (at 5.07 min or so no chuffing, before that you hear the chuffing a little but it goes away soon after???), there were no cylinder chuffing sounds that I normally hear from US engines almost at any speed, can some one educate me as to what is going on?
Maybe it was going down grade and the Driver had the throttle closed. Same things happens on steam locomotives here in the US, i.e. close the throttle going down grade and no more "chuffing".
I concur with Hot Water. The engineers in the video seem to be conserving steam, plenty of chuffing while accelerating. but flat running, only occasionally. It is the engine only so little mass to move, small effort. They ar coasting most of the time. The chuffing is a product of the steam used to move a heavy train, exhausting through the stack. If you dont see the puffing, you will probably not hear much chuffing.
You'd be surprised how quiet a steam locomotive can be when it want's to...
Rusty
Was in West Germany in 1971, crossed over from Luxembourg, and was immediately confronted with two coupled German Federal Ry 2-10-0's running light. Billowing steam from the stacks, but silent. Stayed overnight in the Trier-Saarbrucken area, visited the yard - - - locomotive shops, lunchroom filled with a 100+ workers, completely round roundhouse, second turntable with 360 degree set of fan tracks filled entirely with hot locomotives. Witnessed a 2-6-2 working the hump..........all of this, without a single bark, chuff, nothing! I attributed the lack of fireworks to the usage of Giesl steam ejectors. Dunno if that was the explanation, but those working engines in regular service were just silent , as in the above tape.
I attributed the lack of fireworks to the usage of Giesl steam ejectors. Dunno if that was the explanation, but those working engines in regular service were just silent , as in the above tape.
Probably more related to the language barrier, i.e. you didn't understand German.
Was in West Germany in 1971, crossed over from Luxembourg, and was immediately confronted with two coupled German Federal Ry 2-10-0's running light. Billowing steam from the stacks, but silent. Stayed overnight in the Trier-Saarbrucken area, visited the yard - - - locomotive shops, lunchroom filled with a 100+ workers, completely round roundhouse, second turntable with 360 degree set of fan tracks filled entirely with hot locomotives. Witnessed a 2-6-2 working the hump..........all of this, without a single bark, chuff, nothing! I attributed the lack of fireworks to the usage of Giesl steam ejectors. Dunno if that was the explanation, but those working engines in regular service were just silent , as in the above tape.
One of my soldiers had been stationed in Germany and he swore he saw a 'ghost' train over there once, because it was utterly silent as it passed. He even pulled out a map and showed me where he saw it. I realized it was probably descending a grade at the time based on where it was heading and explained indeed, steam locomotive can be very quiet under some circumstances. He couldn't believe such a simple reason it was silent.
The engines I was describing were not drifting with closed throttles. An engine shoving on a hump normally has a bark! Not all European locomotives were silent. Rode the cab of a Finnish State 2-8-0 (with a 3 axle pedastal tender!) around Oulu, Finland in 1972 - it had a nice, snappy bark!
Ya say ya want some chuffing?
Rusty
great video Rusty.
It ain't rocket science...
If the throttle is open you'll hear exhaust. If the throttle is closed, you won't.
Silence is one of my favorite sounds a steam locomotive can make...after the fire
is killed or banked and she's sleeping. A slight wisper of steam or little dripping from a good tight boiler, little or no grumbling or swearing from a crew on account of something on the engine that broke or needs future attention.
Sure doesn't always happen but when it does, it's enough to bring a tear to your eye...
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