[Traindude]

https://trello.com/c...de-tank-engines


On most steam engines (tender engines or saddle tank engines), it usually doesn't matter which injector you use to feed the boiler, since they both dispense water from essentially the same tank. But on a side-tank engine, the injectors are arranged so each injector has its own separate water tank.

My idea is that when one injector is in operation, only the water level of the tank associated with that particular injector drops, instead of the water level in both tanks dropping at the same time.

This also means when using a water column, the player does have to pour water down both tanks and not just one.

Is this a good feature to implement in OR?

[espee]

Surely... there is *always* a balance pipe between the tanks ? it would not be good engineering _not_ to have such a thing...

It would also be a safety device so as one tank could not run dry and a balance thing, so the weight on driving wheels would always be the same.

[copperpen]

All side tank engines have a balance pipe that links the tanks. Both tanks have a filler cap so as the engine can be refilled from either side. The injector setup will be whatever the designer decided, both from one tank, one from each tank, or both from both tanks, but whatever method is used, the balance pipe keeps the level the same on both sides. If you look at a saddle tank, after the water reaches a certain level it becomes a side tank with water on both sides of the boiler so it too must have a balance pipe somewhere.

[darwins]

Agree about balance pipes on side tanks. (Does the original poster know of an exception?)

Not so sure about the saddle tank. Good point. I will try looking at some when I can. Thinking about where the tank is, I am not sure water level would be allowed to get low enough to need a balance pipe in normal operation. Interesting...

[Hobo]

Just think of any loaded vehicle - hay wagon , stake truck , lumber truck , train car . If loaded offset or load shifts we all know what happens - ain't pretty . Gotta keep the balance there and you don't leave that to an operator if it can done automatically . Tanks might have been baffled inside for slopes and hills etc.

[Lindsayts]

Just for informations sake, Garrats also have a balance pipe between the front and rear tanks. On garrats that have a lower front tank. eg NSW (Australia) 60 class) this will mean a breather pipe above the tank to the level of the rear tank.

See the image below, (the twin pipes above the front tank)

https://en.wikipedia..._Wagga_Wagga_(1).jpg

Lindsay

[Traindude]

 darwins, on 18 June 2018 - 03:14 AM, said:

Agree about balance pipes on side tanks. (Does the original poster know of an exception?)

No. Now I know better.