Building a Steam Locomotive

PCook · **Joined:** Sat Jul 02, 2005 7:16 am **Posts:** 2126

A nicely done film that allows appreciation of the complexity of some of the casting, machining, and assembly operations:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRsYIiUxZeQ

PC

Frisco1522 · **Posted:** Fri Aug 07, 2015 3:41 pm

I marvel at the lack of eye protection and hearing protection in the foundry. Wonder how many of these guys ended up blind and deaf?

sleepermonster · **Joined:** Sat Sep 12, 2009 5:57 pm **Posts:** 100

Hearing loss was very common, to the point that deaf workers were valued in some foundries as better able to stand the noise, and their local pubs took drinks orders in sign language.

I recognise the test track at the beginning of the film, which was at Crewe, marked by the stone walls on the right. After Crewe closed a friend of mine persuaded the council to give the track away to a heritage railway and I led the crew who lifted it.

Tim

Kelly Anderson · **Joined:** Tue Sep 14, 2004 7:52 am **Posts:** 2477

Dave · **Posted:** Sat Aug 08, 2015 8:25 am

Australian engine crews don't use them either - they grab a rag, wrap it around the hot metal they need to operate, and use that for insulation. Learning to fire with a loose rag on the scoop handle was a bit challenging at first, you just had to grip a bit harder on the throw........ or on the stopping the throw, actually. The thought was the ability to quickly drop the fabric from your hand was a safety feature, since if your glove caught fire it would take longer to remove. How many of us have suffered glove fires recently?

philip.marshall · **Posted:** Sat Aug 08, 2015 8:37 am

Kelly Anderson wrote:

I marvel at the lack of gloves when working with hot metal.

Many blacksmiths prefer to work with bare hands because they feel gloves reduce their manual dexterity and so may actually be less safe overall despite protecting the hands from burns. Having puttered at my own backyard forge both with gloves and without, I can definitely see the merit in this argument.

That said, Fred Dibnah was amazing, both in his skills as a steam mechanic and machinist, and in his unlikely talent as an advocate for Britain's industrial heritage. I never tire of watching him, and enthusiastically second the recommendation to search for his name on YouTube.

-Philip Marshall

Frisco1522 · **Posted:** Sat Aug 08, 2015 11:47 am

If you touch or pick up something hot, you can get away from it. A big chunk of scale in your eyeball is a different matter. I see lots of WWII photos of gals running turret lathes and milling machines and grinders with no eye protection.
You only have two of them and they are damned important.