Perfecting the American Steam Locomotive (Railroads Past and Present) [Hardcover]

J. Parker Lamb (Author)

Book Description

Series: Railroads Past and Present | Publication Date: July 8, 2003

Perfecting the American Steam Locomotive documents the role played by mechanical engineers in the development of locomotive design. The steam engine and the mechanical engineering profession both grew directly out of the Industrial Revolution's need for sources of power beyond that of men and animals. Invented in England when coal mining was being developed, the practical steam engine eventually found numerous applications in transportation, especially in railroad technology. J. Parker Lamb traces the evolution of the steam engine from the early 1700s through the early 1800s, when the first locomotives were sent to the United States from England. Lamb then shifts the scene to the development of the American steam locomotive, first by numerous small builders, and later, by the early 20th century, by only three major enterprises and a handful of railroad company shops. Lamb reviews the steady progress of steam locomotive technology through its pinnacle during the 1930s, then discusses the reasons for its subsequent decline.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A great book for anyone interested in steam." —Railfan and Railroad

(Railfan and Railroad )

About the Author

J. Parker Lamb has been photographing America's railroads since 1949 and writing about them since 1960. An early interest was the transition, during the1950s, from steam to diesel power in the South, where he grew up. Since then his work has allowed him to travel extensively, recording the evolution of rail technology throughout the U.S. and Canada for a half century. Lamb's photography has appeared in numerous magazines and scores of books. This is his fourth book. The previous three are Classic Diesels of the South; Katy Diesels to the Gulf; and Steel Wheels Rolling: A Personal Journal of Railroad Photography. After a 42-year career as a mechanical engineer, he is now retired in Austin, Texas.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 216 pages
• Publisher: Indiana University Press (July 8, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0253342198
• ISBN-13: 978-0253342195
• Product Dimensions: 11.4 x 8.7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #637,013 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

41 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfecting the American Steam Locomotive (Railroads Past and Present) by J. Parker Lamb, August 29, 2005

By 

Kimble Hill (Austin, Texas USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Perfecting the American Steam Locomotive (Railroads Past and Present) (Hardcover)

This book is an absolute " must have " for anyone with a serious interest in steam locomotives.
J Parker Lamb, a former Chairman of the Department of Mechanical Engineering of the University of Texas At Austin has written this supurb book touching on locomotive history, theory, design, and engineering principles. This is a well illustrated and comprehensive text that summarizes the development and evolution of steam locomotives across the United States. Most of the major railroads and many lesser known roads are well represented. It seems to have covered all of the major variants of American locomotives including many I have never before encountered.
At 190 pages, and about that many delightful photographs, this is an authoritative work I can not commend highly enough to anyone whose interest goes beyond nostalgia and general appreciation and on into serious study. Perfecting the American Steam Locomotive does justice to the memory of these magnificent machines. Even if you just want to learn something about the topic, this is a fine place to start. The photos alone are worth the price of the book!

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well illustrated and easily understood book, June 13, 2007

By 

Robert S. Lai (Syracuse, New York United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Perfecting the American Steam Locomotive (Railroads Past and Present) (Hardcover)

If you've been curious about how steam locomotives developed in North America the way they did, and why they disappeared, then this is a nice book to start with. It explains why the thermodynamic efficiency of a steam locomotive can only be about 18% with superheating and a 300 psi boiler pressure. However, in actual practice, the thermal efficiency is around 6%. Compared to the 30% thermal efficiency of the internal combustion (e.g. diesel) engine, the steam locomotives have a long way to go. Back in the 1950s and 1960s, such considerations meant that steam as we knew it was doomed.

However, in this day and age, the ability to burn alternative fuels besides oil may allow the steam locomotive to make a reappearance in a more modern guise.

J. Parker Lamb does not get this far in his analysis, as it looks primarily backwards from the earliest of steam locomotives in North America to the last ones of the 1950s and 1960s. The reasons for their evolution are well explained and lavishly illustrated. It's a very good book from that perspective. The quantity of physics and math equations are kept to a minimum - perhaps a little too few for those with a more technical inclination. However, it should be understood that this is a book for the general public, and not mechanical engineers.

Lamb concludes that steam's low thermodynamic efficiency along with the diesel's ability to be used modularly - i.e. several locomotives controlled by one engineer - gave the the diesel the overwhelming advantage. That was indeed true when the diesel took over 40-50 years ago. But if you read Porta or Wardale's work, you will realize that steam locomotive evolution is far from over. Modern techniques such as the Lempor exhaust, and the gas producer combustion system can more than double the typical steam locomotive's efficiency, and prevent a lot of the fuel from going unburned up through the stack by a very strong draft. I still hope for the return of mainline steam, but Lamb doesn't hold out that hope - my only disappointment with the book.

I bought this book with the Oxford book "How steam locomotives really work", which is a more detailed technical text that is also excellent. Both are recommended highly if you care anything about the steam locomotive and want to add to your knowledge.

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent historical/engineering perspective., September 15, 2005

By 

Joseph F. St Clair (Austin, TX) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Perfecting the American Steam Locomotive (Railroads Past and Present) (Hardcover)

This book is primarily for steam train buffs, but also shows the progression of steam power to electric and diesel in the U.S. Written from an engineering perspective, it is both interesting and informative. The photos alone are worth having this book in your collection.