Advanced Steam Traction

Category: Books

  • Porta Papers Volume 2 now on Sale

     

    ASTT’s publication of Porta Papers Volume 2 is now on sale.   The volume includes three papers by Porta:

    • Adhesion in Advanced Steam Locomotive Engineering Facing the Oil Crisis, 1984 (revised 1986);
    • Fundamentals of the Porta Compounding System for Steam Locomotives, 2000;
    • A Proposal for the Tornado Project, 1992.

    As a corollary to the Tornado paper, it includes a 2012 commentary by David Wardale titled “Locomotive Boilers: Firebox Stays: Breakage – an analysis of boiler problems on Tornado”.

    Its 250 soft-bound A4 pages are offered for a retail price of £27 including postage within Europe + £3 extra for postage outside Europe.  Members are offered a 20% discount – see separate members’ payment page.

    It is hoped that Vol 3 will be available in the new year.

     

     

  • Porta Papers Volume 1 – now on Sale

    Volume 1 of a collection of technical papers by Livio Dante Porta is now available for sale – see the book sales section.

    This first volume focuses on the tribology and lubrication of valves and pistons, and should be essential reading for everyone involved in new-build steam, and wise reading for anyone who is interested in how steam locomotives maiintenance costs could be reduced.  It includes four papers as follows:

    • Steam Engine Cylinder Tribology 1995 edition;
    • Steam Engine Cylinder Tribology 1975 edition;
    • Cooling of Piston Valve Liners 1978;
    • Mechanical Design of Piston Valves 1975 revised 1977.

    The three papers from the 1970s were written for the guidance of David Wardale in his South African endeavours.  The 1995 Tribology paper was written as a full update of the original and, in the view of Joseph Cliffe (who wrote the Preface for this transcribed version), it is “the most complete account of steam tribology ever written and offers the steam movement a new level of understanding of lubrication and wear”.

    The volume contains 250 black and white A4 pages and is priced at £27 including postage within Europe and £30 for postage outside Europe.  Being ASTT’s own in-house publication, a 20% discount is available to members.

     

     

  • “Locomotives that Were & Locomotives that Weren’t” by Robin Barnes

    A new book by Robin Barnes “From the Files Locomotives that Were & Locomotives that Weren’t” is now on sale through Camden Miniature Steam’s website.  Robin is the artist who painted all the illustrations of the 5AT and 8AT derivatives that feature on the 5AT section of this website and in the 5AT Feasibility Study.  The book is to a large extent a sequel to his long-out-of-print 1985 title “Locomotives that Never Were”.

    Camden describes the book as follows:

    “In this lovely book, artist & writer Robin Barnes looks at locomotive development around the world over the years, considering and illustrating some 25 locomotives which actually were built, and a further 14 which never saw the light of day. There is also an autobiographical Introduction, and an ‘Interlude’ devoted to the trams of Robin’s home town of Edinburgh.

    “This is Robin’s third book, the others being: Locomotives That Never Were (1985) and Broader than Broad. He has also contributed and illustrated many articles to enthusiast publications and undertaken commissioned works for patrons at home and abroad, the great majority of the latter picturing railway subjects but including to a lesser extent other forms of transport. Notably Robin provided the illustrations showing David Wardale’s 5AT Project in various versions and liveries; it is true to say that he is drawn to the unusual, and downright strange, as some of the locomotives featured in this book make clear.

    “Very readable historical and technical details are provided for each locomotive or machine illustrated and, in many cases, there are secondary illustrations, be they paintings, technical drawings, or Robin’s own photographs.

    “This is a book which will enlighten and entertain in equal measure for many years to come!

    “96 large format (297 mm x 297 mm) pages. 65 paintings and illustrations by the author in a variety of styles, and 28 mainly colour photographs. Hardbound.”