Re: How can a novice tell if a locomotive has been superheated?

Here is a very good cutaway from ICS, showing a smokebox equipped with Type A superheaters ("d"), and a Master Mechanic's front end. Item "g" in the drawing is another clue, though it is rarely seen any more. It is the operating mechanism for the superheater damper "f". Many locomotives were built with these, but they were later found to be uneeded and most of the time were removed. EBT's large engines still have them (as well as the cinder ejectors mentioned in Olaf's thread), and Pacific Lumber #35 in Earl's Eureka thread has the remnants of hers (though I swear that it was still complete when I knew her in the '70's).





Earl's photo also shows the usual five bolt pattern over the cleanout for the steel angle that supports the end of the superheater header.


Earl Knoob photo

As always with steam locomotives, there are numerous exceptions. New Hope & Ivyland's #40 has the bolt pattern, piston valves, and outside steam pipes, but is and was built as a saturated engine. Our #89 has the bolts, but they are hidden under the boiler jacket because the front flue sheet had to be moved to the rear to make enough room between it and the stack for the header when she was superheated. She also doesn't have the clean outs I was describing earlier.





From Google



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/04/2020 06:39AM by Kelly Anderson.