LOCOMOTIVE ENGINE.
467
Tank.—I" I" is the water tank, made of wrought iron plates one-eighth of an
inch thick, riveted together and joined at the corners by angle iron; it is
of a horse-shoe shape, 9 feet long, 6f feet wide, and 2^- feet deep. It is sup
ported upon the side and end frames and a cross piece in the middle, and is
held in its place by pieces of strong angle iron fixed on to the frame and
standing up to hold the front and back ends. The top of the tank is covered with
the board K", having sides of iron plate fixed upon it; and a raised part, N", is made
at the back, divided into three portions, covered with lids on hinges; the middle one
containing an opening, O", into the tank, twelve inches square, surrounded by iron plate
brought up to the top, for the purpose of supplying the tender with water. The other
spaces on each side are used as tool boxes for holding the different articles that are
constantly in requisition in the engine. A copper pipe, P", is fixed underneath each
end of the tank, communicating with it, and passing through the floor, having
a cock in it to close the pipe when disconnected from the engine. The hose
pipes Q" Q", that are attached to the suction pipes K'K', for the feed pumps of
the engine, are connected with them by screwed sockets or union joints, which can
be readily unfastened when the tender has to be separated from the engine. The
hose pipes are made of leather or Indian rubber cloth, with a spiral spring inside to
keep them open like the suction pipes of fire-engines; a flexible pipe being necessary
to allow for the variations of motion between the engine and tender. There is used
sometimes, instead of the flexible hose, a metal pipe with a double ball and socket
and a sliding joint, to allow motion in every direction ; this has the advantage of not
requiring repairs so often as the hose.
Coke.—The middle space of the tender, R" R" R", is occupied with coke, the front
end being made level with the foot-board of the engine, and a board, S", fixed
inclining from thence down to the floor, for the convenience of taking up the coke
with a shovel to throw it upon the fire; the bottom and sides are covered with
sheet iron.
The Brake for stopping the wheels is shewn in Plate LXXXIX., and consists of
two wrought iron frames hung by pins from the side frame of the tender, and
having blocks of wood fixed on to them, that are cut to fit the circumference of
the wheels. A flat iron wedge fits into grooves in the two frames and is con
tinued up by a rod to the top of the tender, passing through a strong iron piece, W",
and having the double handle X" screwed upon it. By screwing down the handle
the wedge is drawn gradually up, and the two brakes are separated from
each other, pressing the wood of each very forcibly against the wheels until they
are stopped, if necessary. This brake is used to stop the engine and train quickly,
and others are also used on the wheels of some of the carriages in the train;