Steam Trams.

Evening Star, Issue 7410, 4 January 1888, Page 3

Steam Trams.

In spite of the advances made in steam tramway-engine practice in subduing the noise of the exhaust steam, and in preventing its discharge into the air, there still remains a drawback in this class of engines. This is the heavy expense of wear and tear consequent upon the working parts being situate near the road surface, and therefore always exposed to either dust or mud, which rapidly grind the working surfaces away. To remedy this a new form of engine has been devised by Mr Alfred Greig, of Leeds, and constructed by Messrs Avelin and Porter, of Rochester, and has recently made a run on the West Brighton and Shoreham Tramwaj system. In this engine the cylinders and working parts are mounted on the top of the boiler, instead of being placed under it as hitherto. There are two cylinders, each 5Mn in diameter by lOin stroke, and the" power is transmitted through spur gearing to the driving wheels, thus assimilating this locomotive to the ordinary steam traction engine. The new engine is lift long, sft Bin wide, and 10ft high, and has a boiler of the locomotive type working at a pressure of 1801b per square inch and burning ordinary gas coke. The power is taken from a pinion on the crank shaft to an intermediate wheel, which gears into other wheels, one on each of the driving axles, thus doing away with coupling rods. In place of having ordinary springs the engine is carried on spring wheels, which save the wear and tear of sliding axle boxea and improve the running. Tho exhaust steam is conducted to an aircondenser placed above the engine, and over the tubes of which cold air is drawn by means of a Blackman air-propeller. This fan, which is placed in the roof over the boiler flue, for there is no chimney, also creates the necessary draught for maintaining steam. The engine is fitted with all the requirements of the Board of Trade, including an automatic steam brake, which shuts off steam directly the engine attains a speed of nine miles an hour. —' Times.'