Customer Reviews

How Steam Locomotives Really Work

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

If you want to know how a steam locomotive really work buy this book, if you are looking for anecdotes, beautifull pictures curious details etc. don't!. I am not a trains fan but I have an interest in the history of technology and I bought this book because I wanted to know how a steam locomotive works. I liked this book a lot because it delivers exactly as promised. The text is technical because the subject is technical and you need a spat of phisics to understand it all. The book explains in detail how the different parts and systems of a steam loco work and how the whole comes together as well as the whys and hows of some operational and maintenace practices. You can also see that steam is not a friendly technology and that steam locos are, by their own nature, difficult to operate and maintain and you get some idea of the amount of labor and skill needed to do it. The fundamental limitations of the technology are also shown and you understand why in certain aspects the last steam locos were so similar to the earliest ones, why some designs were on the tracks for decades and finally why they have become museum objects rather that daily used machines. After reading this book I appreciate steam locos a lot more than I did before.

If you want to really know how steam locomotives work then this is your book. The author explains what each of the parts on a steam loco do, the different options for each of them and the trade offs that have to be considered when designing a locomotive. The author utilizes graphs and diagrams throughout to describe the various workings of a locomotive. The book does contain photographs but they are generally grainy and of poor quality. However, this does not detract in any way since this is a technical book and not a photo essay. I would not recommend this book for bedtime reading (unless you have insomnia) as it can get quite technical and you have to pay attention to really follow it. If you take the time to read carefully, you will be rewarded with a treasure of knowledge that is almost impossible to find elsewhere. I'm very glad I bought it.

To appreciate this book, you must be obsessed with steam locomotives. And if you are, this is THE book you've dreamed of. This remarkable book explains in fascinating detail every single thing you've ever wanted to know about how these marvels of engineering function. Mostly British locomotives are discussed, but everything applies to U.S. locos. Plus, the really technical info is presented in a very easy-to-understand manner; you don't need to have a physics background. If you're in love with steam, buy this book or give it as a gift for someone who is. Totally, completely captivating!

This book is nothing less than a "Classic" in the best sense of the word. It offers comprehensive coverage of the design evolution of steam locomotives and the issues that shaped its development until overtaken by diesel traction. The explanations are thorough without significanr recourse to mathemetics. Anyone with a keen interest in the history of technology or the era of steam powered rail transport will find this well written book a treasure.

As a retired licensed mechanical engineer, who grew up in the hey-day of steam locomotives,I found this book a very enjoyable read. This is not a text on how to design a steam locomotive, but rather an in-depth description of the various components and systems that were utilized during the steam locomotive era. Aside from an occasional typo that detracts somewhat from the technical discussions, the authors have presented a wealth of information in an interesting fashion based on their first hand experience. After reading this book, I came away with a greater appreciation for the skill required to efficiently operate a steam locomotive and also an understanding of why the steam locomotive was totally replaced by the diesel locomotive over such a short time.

This is a small paperback that had me spellbound. That's as good as a technical text can be! I carried it everywhere with me, and read it in my spare time. If you love steam locomotives, this is a real page turner. It covers steam engines from the earliest ones (stationary mine engines), to the very last. It is of course a UK book, and thus concentrates upon British locomotives. The candor in the writing is quite refreshing. It clearly admits that a failing of many UK steam locomotives was a "just good enough" mentality amongst the designers and drivers. This meant that the engine drivers in France, and in North America had greater technical knowledge of their machine's working. In the design of the machines in these other countries (e.g. Andre Chapelon's engines) their locomotives were far more advanced and sophisticated than their British counterparts.

Nevertheless, the evolution and workings of each of the subsystems of the steam locomotive are examined in good detail. Once you've finished this book, you will have a heightened appreciation of the thought that went into the design and construction of each of these locomotives. You'll also know why drivers and firemen do what they do.

This is a superb text, highly recommended.

I have not gotten much past the intro, but already have found the answer to a curiosity - the baker valve gear. Not having seen a real baker valve gear up close, it has always been a mystery, no matter how many diagrams and details until this book(a point also noted by another reviewer). I will use this as a reference, but as with all paperbacks they cannot take abuse. I would like to see a review of the hardcover book, from a book quality standpoint. Because I like this book enough, I would consider the almost $50 plus tab for a used hard cover copy. The other detail that caught my attention was the way British engine drivers and French drivers learned their craft, the latter with a more academic approach and the former by 'Sitting with Nellie." The other point, part of the reason for the book, is to inform modern steam footplate crews not how to operate a locomotive, but how to understand what "underlies what they are taught." Railroads and steam power have always been an interest, but steam was gone, in a blink, before one could appreciate what was happening and despite any talk and hope to the contrary; the book also backs this point. - I have since, the original review date, acquired the hard cover and disposed of the paperback. Infinitely better! Spend the money!

If you already know everything about Steam, then you'll probably find this good in places and boring in most others.

If you DON'T know your steam inside-out, then you may be left utterly flumoxed as the authors leap from idiot-guide to super-in-depth in a single paragraph and back again. You'll be left asking What The Hey Are They Talking About?

Parts were fascinating - but generally a book written by experts who've forgotten (or never knew) how to write for The Rest Of Us.

First of all, ignore the reviews that call this book "too complicated" or, (laughably by a previous reviewer) "wrong"(!) One of the authors was a CME (chief mechanical engineer) for British Rail, for heaven's sake. If you think it is wrong, back up your argument with facts. Anyone who didn't sleep through high school physics or chemistry should have no problems with this work. Just remember that this book is aimed at enthusiasts, not casual readers sifting through the bookstore remainder bin. OK, now this book could benefit from better editing and a glossary of terms, but it remains the only detailed guide to steam locomotive operation and specific mechanisms in the general press. For other intelligent reviews of this product, please refer to amazon uk's listing of this book.

This book is a very good guide to the way steam locomotives work, you can consider it a "descriptive" account of the inner workings found in most steam locomotives. But if you are looking for charts, diagrams, formulaes or technical details they are not there. Anyway it is a nice, easy to read book.