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A book worth having??
http://www.rypn.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2274		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  jimwrinn [ Sun Nov 18, 2001 9:11 pm ]
Post subject:  A book worth having??
Anybody familiar with this one: The 1925 Modern American Locomotive, Construction and Operation?

From the descriptions I've seen, it looks like a good one for those of us who surround ourselves with steam locomotives. It was reprinted in 1982 and Barnesandnoble.com shows a copy or two floating around out there.

Any recommendations are welcomed. Jim

http://nctrans.org
Wrinnbo@aol.com
Author:  Dave [ Mon Nov 19, 2001 8:34 am ]
Post subject:  Re: A book worth having??
I have a copy for me and an extra for the museum library. It is a very good general overview of the state of the art of railroading about WW I. Good to have a copy on the shelf.

Dave

irondave@bellsouth.net
Author:  Erich Armpriester [ Mon Nov 19, 2001 11:24 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: A book worth having??
I bought a copy of the book a couple of years ago and read through it. I think it is worthwhile to buy a copy, although I don't think this book explains the operation and contstruction of the locomotive components discussed as well as other technical books I have.
Author:  K.R. Bell [ Tue Nov 20, 2001 8:28 am ]
Post subject:  Why not a book written by today's steam folks?
What I'd like to see is a contemporary steam technical manual written by the modern-day steam professionals using old operable steam locomotives on tourist lines and in museums as case studies. Folks like Conrad, Moedinger, Lindsey, Lee, McCormick, etc. The old literature is terrific, but when one thinks about it, not much literature on steam has been produced by today's generation of steam people.

> I bought a copy of the book a couple of
> years ago and read through it. I think it is
> worthwhile to buy a copy, although I don't
> think this book explains the operation and
> contstruction of the locomotive components
> discussed as well as other technical books I
> have.
Author:  Alexander D. Mitchell IV [ Tue Nov 20, 2001 10:58 am ]
Post subject:  Look Abroad
I have several such books from the UK, written by today's generation, as manuals and guides. Unfortunately, try and get any "good ol' boy" American shop mechanic to give such a book two minutes of his time, what with British jargon and attitudes of "that foreign junk".

lner4472@bcpl.net
Author:  T.J. Gaffney [ Tue Nov 20, 2001 12:10 pm ]
Post subject:  CD set mentioned at ARM/ TRAIN?
I know it the Steam 2001 discussion group at the ARM/ TRAIN Symposium, the idea of having a CD set of plans and reseach information was discussed rather heavily. My bad, but I forgot who on the panel brought that up. The idea would be a CD that you could search, say, if you were looking for topics such as "staybolt" it would bring everything up in regards to staybolt that had been typed in from manuals, written info from today's steam guys, etc.
Someone must have taken better notes than I, can you help me?

TJG


Port Huron Museum
peremarquette@hotmail.com
Author:  Bob Yarger [ Tue Nov 20, 2001 2:47 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Why not a book written by today's steam folks?
I think we'd all like to see a treatise on steam restoration from today's steam gurus, but unfortunately they work long hours for low pay and don't have a lot of spare time. We're probably lucky they had the time to update the 230 regulations. The L&RP series by Jack Anderson had some good basics, and we're probably lucky we were able to get even that.

What I'd like to see is a contemporary steam
> technical manual written by the modern-day
> steam professionals using old operable steam
> locomotives on tourist lines and in museums
> as case studies. Folks like Conrad,
> Moedinger, Lindsey, Lee, McCormick, etc. The
> old literature is terrific, but when one
> thinks about it, not much literature on
> steam has been produced by today's
> generation of steam people.


bobyar2001@yahoo.com
Author:  Michael Brown (TVRM) [ Tue Nov 20, 2001 10:03 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: A book worth having??
Jim,
It is one of two books that I have recommended to folks who show a real interest in learning the ins and outs of a locomotive. It has excellent photos and diagrams and the text is generally well done. You can purchase new copies from the Strasburg book store or the Steamtown Store for around $20-28.

Mike

> Anybody familiar with this one: The 1925
> Modern American Locomotive, Construction and
> Operation?

> From the descriptions I've seen, it looks
> like a good one for those of us who surround
> ourselves with steam locomotives. It was
> reprinted in 1982 and Barnesandnoble.com
> shows a copy or two floating around out
> there.

> Any recommendations are welcomed. Jim


Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum
newriver400@cs.com
Author:  Dave [ Wed Nov 21, 2001 7:37 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Look Abroad
I suggest reading through a copy of Red Devil or the new reprint of Locomotura de Vapeur but be warned it isn't anecdotal light reading.

Given the light years the UK is ahead of the US in railway and industrial preservation I can't understand the xenophobic attitude either. I spent a great hour at Welsh Highland Railway in 1999 with the shop crew learning about the latest generation of oil burners they are building. We have a lot to learn.

Dave

irondave@bellsouth.net
Author:  Rob Piligian [ Wed Nov 21, 2001 6:48 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Look Abroad
Unfortunately, try and get any
> "good ol' boy" American shop
> mechanic to give such a book two minutes of
> his time, what with British jargon and
> attitudes of "that foreign junk".

Quite frankly, I, not particularly a "good old boy," but still a modern day steam mechanic, resent that comment. I own, and have given away, a copy of the British "Engine Drivers Manual" published several years ago. I also read, when I could get it, "Steam Railway" a magazine that puts ALL American rail magazines to shame! I find that David Wardale's book "The Red Devil" is packed full of useful information, particularly the section on the Chinese manufacture of locomotives. Not all steam mechanics are so pompous as to turn their nose up to "foreign" stuff. I always remember that the Brit George Stevenson built the first commercially viable railway. Not invented in America.


http://wknsrr.com
rpsurv@nni.com
Author:  HKA [ Wed Nov 21, 2001 11:10 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: A book worth having??
I was rather disappointed with it. Despite the 1925 date, most of the info included seems to date the book at about 1900. It certainly doesnÂ’t compare to the ICS books for clarity, and completeness regarding equipment that is more commonly used today. I understand that Little River is selling reprints of the ICS books.
Author:  HKA [ Wed Nov 21, 2001 11:38 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: CD set mentioned at ARM/ TRAIN?
The CD set is something that the Engineering Standards Committee, the “Gods of Steam”, is putting together for the good of the industry. It will include, all under one index, every standard practice of every railroad and every builder that the ESC could get their hands on. The names include; Baldwin, Lima, Alco, UP, PRR, Rutland, D&RGW, AT&SF, C&O, etc. Once distributed, the CD set will enable anyone to pull up the “established railroad practices”, as required by the FRA, for any sort of repair to a steam locomotive in a matter of a few minutes.

They have a few more RR standards to add to the index before they are ready to distribute the CD sets. How to distribute them, and what price to charge are yet to be decided. The ESC recognizes that there is no way to recover their costs for this project. There are hundreds of man-hours invested in scanning each page into a TIF file, and then assigning each page to its proper place in the index. We are talking about several thousand pages here. All this for a total possible sale of maybe 200 copies. So any price that is set will probably be a token payment.
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