Locomotive Boiler Water covering Water Treatment, Feedwater Heating and Boiler Water Behaviour Compiler and Editor, Martyn Bane, introduces the book with the following words: “What counts is what one has in the boiler, not what one feeds into it.” Ing. L.D.Porta’s simple statement outlines, in just a few words, what became his approach to boiler […]
Physiology of the Locomotive Boiler – Part 1. Author Adrian Tester. Published by Crimson Lake. ISBN 978 0 957 0779 1 1 This long-awaited book will exceed most readers’ expectations. Filling almost 600 pages, it covers such a wide variety of subjects that it is hard to imagine what can be left unsaid that will […]
This second volume continues on from the first, with articles and papers about the Argentinian engineer Livio Dante Porta (1922 – 2003) focusing on his later career between c.1960 and his death in 2003. The Argentinian engineer Livio Dante Porta (1922 – 2003) remains an unsung hero in the long history of steam locomotive development. […]
For those who are not technically minded (and for those who are), here is a book by David Wardale that bears no resemblance to his 1998 Magnum Opus “The Red Devil and Other Tales from the Age of Steam”. In a letter to myself dated December 2022, Wardale wrote the following words which serve as […]
The Argentinian engineer Livio Dante Porta (1922 – 2003) remains an unsung hero in the long history of steam locomotive development. Most famously, perhaps, in his iconic book “The Red Devil and Other Tales from the Age of Steam“, David Wardale refers to himself as the “Wizard’s Apprentice” and Porta as the Wizard whose theories […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 purpose of this book is to:- record the working design documents for the new 2-4-2T ‘Baldwin’ steam locomotive ‘Lyn’ in an enduring human readable format in anticipation of the current digital documentation being rendered obsolete by future software changes. Thus it is hoped that this book will enable future engineers entrusted with Lyn’s care […]
Boilers, Fireboxes andCombustion The Argentinean engineer Livio Dante Porta (1922 – 2003) remains an unsung hero in the long history of steam locomotive development. Following in the footsteps of Chapelon, he rebuilt numerous locomotives in Argentina and elsewhere, and designed several revolutionary locomotives, both large and small. Like Chapelon, none of his designs were built […]
Adhesion, Compounding and the Tornado Proposal The Argentinean engineer Livio Dante Porta (1922 – 2003) remains an unsung hero in the long history of steam development. Following in the footsteps of Chapelon, he rebuilt numerous locomotives in Argentina and elsewhere, and designed several revolutionary locomotives, both large and small. Like Chapelon, none of his designs […]
Tribology and Lubrication “Porta’s 1995 Tribology paper is the most complete account of steam tribology ever written and offers the steam movement a new level of understanding of lubrication and wear” [quoted from Joe Cliffe’s preface to the paper]. It should also be essential reading for everyone involved in new-build steam, and wise reading for anyone […]