I know this is off topic, but I just learned about it, and I can't
help sharing.

Water troughs were built between the rails on a train track so that
locomotives could scoop up water without stopping. 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_trough

I never knew that! Gary Katsanis
Albion New York, USA

This is the part I found interesting,
"The track is raised a little over a short distance each end of the trough, so
that the engine, and the scoop which may already be lowered, descend into the
trough:"

After reading your E-mail but before getting to this my engineering mind started
thinking about the walls at each end and about the engine speed making it
improbable that a scoop would be mechanically lowered with precision no matter
how long the trough.
Clever, as was the speed testing.
Our ancestors were a sharp bunch.


-----Original Message-----
From: oldtools@g...  On Behalf Of gtgrouch@r...
Sent: Wednesday, August 10, 2022 2:43 PM
To: 'oldtools@g...' 
Subject: [oldtools] Off Topic About Steam Locomotive

I know this is off topic, but I just learned about it, and I can't help sharing.

Water troughs were built between the rails on a train track so that locomotives
could scoop up water without stopping.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_trough

I never knew that! Gary Katsanis
Albion New York, USA

Indeed Gary,

I remember my mind being blown a decade or more ago about this very fact.
For the last 20 years my father has been building, from scratch, a Hudson 7
1/2 gauge live steam locomotive and tender.  The tender is where these
scoops are located and my dad, who is particular about details, designed
and fabricated a scoop for his tender.  However, in the end he didn't
install it for practical reasons.  Due to scale, any leaves, twigs, or
debris could be easily snagged on the apparatus and it isn't exactly
easy to clean down there while on the ground.  It's one of the few design
features that isn't exactly reproduced on his model from the full size
version.

https://kirkhmb.smugmug.com/Woodworking/Other-Galoots/Paul-Gardner/i-cxX5wWr/A
https://kirkhmb.smugmug.com/Woodworking/Other-Galoots/Paul-Gardner/i-2zM2swz/A

For some reason I have an even more difficult time wrapping my head around
the planes that have similar devices.

https://youtu.be/fuLk5hXMRZY

And to answer Ray's question, I'm not an expert on this but I think it was
done at relatively fast speeds (45-50 mph) on some locomotive/tender
designs.

Paul, in SF who's always fidgety in testing the ListMom's patience with a
little OT locomotive talk. ;^)

That Hudson tender is incredible! It's hard not to be blown away by
the attention to detail. 

Gary Katsanis
Albion New York, USA

	-----------------------------------------From: "Paul Gardner" 
To: gtgrouch@r...
Cc: "oldtools@g..."
Sent: Wednesday August 10 2022 4:32:54PM
Subject: Re: [oldtools] Off Topic About Steam Locomotive

 Indeed Gary,

 I remember my mind being blown a decade or more ago about this very
fact.
 For the last 20 years my father has been building, from scratch, a
Hudson 7
 1/2 gauge live steam locomotive and tender. The tender is where these
 scoops are located and my dad, who is particular about details,
designed
 and fabricated a scoop for his tender. However, in the end he didn't
 install it for practical reasons. Due to scale, any leaves, twigs, or
 debris could be easily snagged on the apparatus and it isn't exactly
 easy to clean down there while on the ground. It's one of the few
design
 features that isn't exactly reproduced on his model from the full
size
 version.

https://kirkhmb.smugmug.com/Woodworking/Other-Galoots/Paul-Gardner/i-cxX5wWr/A
 />
https://kirkhmb.smugmug.com/Woodworking/Other-Galoots/Paul-Gardner/i-2zM2swz/A
 />
 For some reason I have an even more difficult time wrapping my head
around
 the planes that have similar devices.

 https://youtu.be/fuLk5hXMRZY
 />
 And to answer Ray's question, I'm not an expert on this but I think
it was
 done at relatively fast speeds (45-50 mph) on some locomotive/tender
 designs.

 Paul, in SF who's always fidgety in testing the ListMom's patience
with a
 little OT locomotive talk. ;^)

 On Wed, Aug 10, 2022 at 11:43 AM  wrote:

 > I know this is off topic, but I just learned about it, and I can't
 > help sharing.
 >
 > Water troughs were built between the rails on a train track so that
 > locomotives could scoop up water without stopping.
 >
 > https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_trough
 /> >
 > I never knew that! Gary Katsanis
 > Albion New York, USA
 >
 >
 >
 >
 >
 >
 >

 



Links:
------
[1] https://groups.io/g/oldtools/unsub

That is freaking amazing. Tell your dad I lift a Blanton’s to him tonight. I
thought I was a big deal restoring old Lionels. Sheesh.