Is the depiction of Baker valve gear as shown on steamlocomotive.com



actually kinematically correct for Baker? Looking at an official Pilliod Co. illustration



and comparing that with a side view of a C&O installation



appears to indicate that the animated illustration has the gear connecting rod pinned at the wrong place, and is using the swing arms (I think) to drive the end of the bell crank. That is NOT the way Pilliod describes their gear as operating, is it?

Does anyone have a link to video of Baker gear in operation, perhaps a pacing view of a Hudson?

There are many versions of the Baker Valve Gear.

Outside Admission
Standard Inside Admission
Long Lap Inside Admission
Long Travel Inside Admission


Here is a PDF of the 1946 book #3. I have books #1 and #2 but have not scanned them.

The Baker Valve Gear book #3



Tim

Or pacing C&O 614 or NKP 765.

May I assume that Baker Valve Gear book is in public domain these days? That's quite a reference. Maine Central 470 is equipped with Baker valve gear, too. While I've downloaded a copy for my personal use, I'd like to put it on our website. Thank you for posting the scan, and can anyone advise about the text reproduction?

It looks correct to me. The animation looks like one of Charlie Dockstader’s programs, very useful and educational simulators of numerous valve gear designs, infinitely adjustable to suit different applications. I have used these programs to design and to analyze several different valve motions over the years. In speaking to him once, Mr. Dockstader told me that the programs are accurate to 1/10,000 of an inch, (close enough(!) but also quite susceptible to “garbage in, garbage out” issues).

The simulation looks correct for inside admission. Everything is connected in the correct locations. The locations match my model.

Hi Richard

I am the one that scanned the Baker Valve Gear book. If you look at the last page, that is me. So please spread the information. At some point I will scan the older 2 books and get them on the web as well.

Tim

Quite treatise on a valid, yet obsolete technology.
Thank you for sharing it.

I also have scans of two Baker Valve Gear booklets on my web site. One is a sales booklet from around 1915 showing its application on different locomotives:

http://www.railarchive.net/bakervalve/index.html

The other is a spare parts catalog from around 1925, though I did not scan all pages:

http://www.railarchive.net/bakervalve/partscat.htm

The first book was in my father's small railroadiana collection, and the second was sent to me by the president of Swanton Welding & Machining, the successor to the Pilliod Company which made the Baker gear. Since the parts catalog was sent to me with "no strings attached" I am sure that anyone who has a copy is free to put it out on the Internet as useful information.

Dr. Richard Leonard

Richard, that's likewise, an amazing collection! Thank you!