Train Heating Pipes

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John Bateson
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Joined: Wed Jul 02, 2008 6:39 pm

Train Heating Pipes

Postby John Bateson » Thu Feb 11, 2010 4:56 pm

While pondering on a drawing recently and noticing that there is only one train heating pipe, apparently with low pressure steam introduced from the steam engine (or other boiler for more modern traction), I suddenly realised that I did not know how this worked. Presumably this low pressure steam got right through to the end carriages, but would it still stay as steam and not condense. How does it stay hot once pressurised, since there appears to be no loop such as in a domestic heating system? What stops the whole pipe filling up with water from the steam condensing?
John
Slaving away still on GCR stuff ...

ClikC

Re: Train Heating Pipes

Postby ClikC » Thu Feb 11, 2010 10:26 pm

I can't comment on the railway prototype, but speaking with my laundry engineer hat on, I'd assume the carriages have steam traps to vent any condensate to atmosphere (or maybe some other useful purpose?). Even under low pressure, most of the condensate would flash to steam once expelled via the trap.

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Dave Holt
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Joined: Thu May 28, 2009 9:44 pm

Re: Train Heating Pipes

Postby Dave Holt » Fri Feb 12, 2010 10:18 pm

Yes, each coach had a condensate trap to expel condensate and there was generally a certain amount of leakage - as evidenced by whisps or even clouds of steam issuing out from beneath the coaches. In my experience, the heating was only really effective in the front 3 or 4 coaches, after that you just kept outdoor cloathes on.
I recall a trip home to Manchester from Bournemouth on the re-routed Pines Express (Snail? It took about 7 hours) in a bitter winter in the mid 60's. The stock had been stabled over New Year, I think, and the condensate in the pipes must have frozen, so there was no heating at all - just ice on the inside of the windows. How romantic train travel was in the age of steam, compared with all this modern electric heating and air conditioning rubish! Ah, those were the days. Mind you, the modified Bulleid light pacific as far as Oxford was somewhat more interesting than current units or HST's.

Dave.

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BryanJohnson
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Re: Train Heating Pipes

Postby BryanJohnson » Sat Feb 13, 2010 10:58 am

I took the attached photo of the underframe of an unrestored GWR coach at Bewdley a few years ago.

steam heating pipe.jpg

I think that the lagged pipe is the steam heating pipe and the downpipe with the round stopper at the left is the drain, being at the lowest point.
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