Westinghouse Air Pump Wanted for UK narrow-gauge project

Alexander D. Mitchell IV · **Posted:** Wed Sep 29, 2010 10:13 am

Reposted from a horn-and-whistle Yahoo Group; I'm leaving it here rather than just in Classifieds because the other things discussed are fodder for discussion and thought.......

Quote:

I'm hopeful that one of you guys might be able to help me to track down to buy a complete locomotive Westinghouse Air Pump which I'm told is a Type F or 6" model.

This is for a new build replica project for a 600mm 0-6-4T that was built in 1908 by the Hunslet Engine Co. of Leeds, England and sadly disappeared around 1929.
The project is helped by the fact that the new owner of the Hunslet archives holds all the drawings for this locomotive and is currently copying them for me.
For my sins I'm going to kick start this project by paying to have the various plate frames and stretchers laser cut after converting the original line drawings into an autocad format. Then the work of producing pattern drawings will be stage 2. Then I also hope that others will join in to help finance later stages in what will possibly be a 10/12 year programme.

The Ffestiniog Railway in North Wales have just completed a replica of a Lynton & Barnstaple 2-6-2T for approx. £350,000 [$560,000] to give you an idea of how much these things cost.

I can list or email a jpeg image of the exact type of pump as we already have one which is being overhauled for our 1906 built 2-6-2T Russell. I can be contacted direct on ta455driver@yahoo.co.uk if anyone knows of a likely source.

Regards
Tony Statham

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

Dave · **Posted:** Wed Sep 29, 2010 2:02 pm

Rodney at Puffing Billy has built some smaller size air pumps.

dave

christensenge · **Posted:** Wed Sep 29, 2010 6:01 pm

Sounds like someone is building a "Gowrie" replica ... nice ... very nice indeed!

Best Regards,
Glenn

Loco112 · **Posted:** Sat Oct 02, 2010 11:57 pm

Do you mean a; "Westinghouse 6" single cylinder steam driven air compressor" that was built by Westinghouse, or are you speaking about a scaled down or miniature 9.5" or 11" single cylinder air compressor that someone is building?

There are only 4 basic WABCO air pumps built since the turn of the century for the US market, the 9.5" and the 11" single cylinder air compressors, and quite a few different Cross Compound compressors, one was the 8 1/2" x150, another was the 8+1/2" x 120 the 150 and 120 refer to output cubic feet, or its it PSI, not sure. The CC pumps were basically all the same in appearance, they had various piston sizes and there were A B C D & E revisions for those pumps. Each put out different volumes at different PSI and temps of inlet pressure and degrees of superheat. There was a larger CC pump also, I think it was 10"x150 and maybe a 10" x 120 but, I can't remember off hand. I'd have to look that all up to get the detail exactly correct but that is all close.

The 6" pump, if it existed, was built in about 1890-1910 and the only locos that I can think of that could have had that pump mounted on them in North America was the Mount Gretna 24" gauge locomotives, and maybe some of the early Maine Two-footers but, I belive even those were delivered with 8" singles, I believe.

The 8" was discontinued long ago (aprox 1915 or so) and I've never even seen a photograph of one that was taken prior to about 1910.

J.B.Bane · **Joined:** Wed Aug 25, 2004 9:53 pm **Posts:** 68

The 6" pump apparently did exist, though I have not found anything to give a date. Looking in "The Science of Railways": Air Brake Construction and Working Vol. 1 pg. 19, a chart of Westinghouse air pumps shows the 6" with a 13" stoke. A plate in the books appendix shows a cut of the pump. It is similar to the 8" pump in that it has the vertical piston valve, but there the similarity ends. The 8" pump has a 7 1/2" air cyl. with only a 9" stroke. The common 9 1/2" air pumps have a 10" stroke. In appearance the 6" is a tall skinny thing compared to what you usually think of. I think I have seen this pump on photos of 19th cent. engines, but not sure where at the moment.

Dave · **Posted:** Sun Oct 03, 2010 1:19 am

Maybe Jupiter and 119? I think they have smaller custom built pumps made by their builder, rather than "stock" WABCO / CROWN pumps.

Might be easier if we knew what the actual spec or at least bore size was.....

dave