Ive seen this appliance on a few steam locomotives and I dont know what it is. It looks like a metal pot with at least on pipe running into the lower side of it. It is up on four "legs" and is mounted ontop of the boiler between the cab and steam dome. Any ideas what this is? If I knew how to post a pic here I could show you.<br>Alan<br>



adofmsu@aol.com

Is this what you are referring to? If it is, this is the dynamo, which is a steam generator to supply electric power to the locomotive. They are not always mounted in this location though. The most common place is somewhere on top of the boiler, but I have seen them mounted underneath the running boards and even on the tender.<br>




robsterne@hotmail.com

You may have reference to a blowdown muffler. On modern engines, often one or two of the blowdown valves was piped up to a centrifugal muffler on the top of the boiler. Steam was vented out the top of the muffler, and water and sludge ran out the side, into a pipe back down to the track. The muffler permitted use of the blowdown valves in places and times where the straight exhaust out the side of an unmuffled blowdown would be dangerous or messy, as in stations or engine terminals.<p>Aarne H. Frobom<br>Michigan State Trust for Railway Preservation, Inc.<br>



froboma@mdot.state.mi.us

That might be it since I couldnt find a blowdown valve and wondered why, so this answers two questions at once thanks!<p>I'll try to post a pic of it like Rob did.<br>Alan<br>



adofmsu@aol.com

Is this the blowdown Muffler/separator?<p>thanks<br>Alan<br>




adofmsu@aol.com

This looks like the same Okadee centrifugal blowdown muffler as on Pere Marquette 1225. If yours is like ours, it's rusted out from years of exposure, but easily patched by welding, since there are no moving parts. Initially both of the lower blowdown valves on PM 1225 were plumbed up to this thing, but at some point the 1200's were modified so that one corner blowdown valve vented directly sideways. This may make the blowdown more effective, and makes much showier photographs.<p>Aarne Frobom<br>Michigan State Trust for Railway Preservation, Inc.<br>



froboma@mdot.state.mi.us

Yeah, and it also scares the hell out of the cattle as you go past (though oddly, the horses seem to get used to the noise).<br>



KevinMcCabe@avenew.com