Design for Reliability

By 6 commentsWebsite Updates

A new page has been added under the Technical Menu heading titled “Design for Reliability“.  It presents 28 points from a memo by David Wardale dated March 2005 in which he lists the factors that would have enabled the 5AT to offer much higher reliability than “first generation steam” (i.e. historic) designs.

6 comments on “Design for Reliability”

    • Chris Newman

      Hi Richard – are you saying that some of the actual rules are published in LC 1944, or just references to them? I have the 1942 edition so might be able to find them there if you can tell me where to look.

      • Richard Coleby

        Just realised my copy of LC is 1941. If you go to, for example ‘cylinders and driving gear’ section..Rods -Main and Side (page 636) you will find AAR rules that apply. Similarly in ‘Foundation and Running gear (page 684) ther are AAR rules dotted around the various illustrations. They are pretty random but pop up throughout the steam section.

        • Chris Newman

          Thanks Richard – seems mine is the 1941 edition too, so I’ve found both AAR references. As you say, the rules are not easy to recognise. Wardale is going to dig out the copies that he has in his possession for me to scan when I next see him.

  2. Chris Corney

    For General Point 7, could a copy of the AAR rules, applicable to steam, be included on the website? I looked at the AAR website, but all the information related to modern railroading.

    Regarding roller bearings, turbine generator shafts in power stations universally use plain bearings. When I looked into this, the reason given is that rollers would be destroyed by metal fatigue. Turbine Generator shafts are much higher diameter, and run at much higher speed than locomotive bearings, and once started, can run 24/7 for months at a time.

    During starting and stopping “jacking” oil is pumped into the bearings at high pressure to maintain the lubricating film and prevent metal to metal contact.

    • Chris Newman

      Hi Chris – I’ve asked Dave Wardale where I might find the ARR rules (because Google doesn’t seem able to find any) and he suggested that I’d find them in my copy of Locomotives Cyclopedia. All the ones he had/has were sent to him by Porta.

      I’ve had a look in the Cyclopedia but couldn’t find anything that looked like a design rule or code of practice, so have just written to Dave to ask if he can dig out his copies for me to scan next time I’m in Inverness. I’ll let you know what he says in his reply.

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