[Steam-engine] Reverser lever

[Andy glines]

You caught me Jeff.  I thought about elaborating a
little more but decided that my post was long enough
already.  
--- Jeff Detwiler
<jdetwiler at detwilerandassociates.com> wrote:

> Probably need a point of clarification here.....
> 
> If one were to throw a locomotive reverser(aka
> "Johnson Bar") in the corner and open the throttle
> wide, you'd have one fireman madder than a wet hen. 
> Your entire firebed would go out the stack,
> and....you would probably spin the tires right off
> the drivers they would be so hot.  There are
> cylinder cocks on a locomotive much the same as a
> traction engine, and when you see the clouds of
> steam coming from underneath the sides of the
> cylinders when one is starting out of the depot, not
> only is the engineer removing condensed steam from
> the cylinders, he is also using this action to
> smooth his opening of the throttle, which he does
> just a bit at a time, allowing the train to start
> without spinning the drivers, which gets everyone in
> trouble....  Just as soon as the drivers have made a
> revolution the engineer begins the hooking up
> process, and shuts the cylinder cocks, which have
> kind of acted like a clutch of sorts, if you will. 
> As the train continues to pick up speed, the john!
>  son bar is moved further to the center, into
> economy mode.  We could get into other specifics
> such as steam chest pressure, cylinder back
> pressure, etc, but we'll save that one for Rollag
> steam school...


Andy Glines
Evansville, IN

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