Subject: Porter Date: Mon, 18 Feb 2002 07:24:44 -0800 From: John A Taubeneck To: gearedsteam@yahoo.com Dave, In digging through my Porter file i came upon a short article on their geared locos. Here you are: Engineering News Vol. 74, #4 July 1917, page 192 Small Geared Steam Locomotive "A novel type of steam locomotive has recently been designed by the H. K. Porter Co., of Pittsburgh, for use by contractors and industrial railways in competition with gasoline and electric machines. the ordinary direct-connected locomotive when used at low speed, as in switching service and on industrial and contractors' railways, is inefficient because of the very low piston speed. By gearing the engine to the driving wheels, however, this is overcome and it is possible to develop large power with a comparatively small engine. The engine on this locomotive is accurately balanced and by the use of roller bearings, oil-bath lubrication and careful finish of working parts it can run at very high speed with reliability and without setting up vibration or nosing of the locomotive. The boiler is also of special design and is adopted to the use of any liquid fuel. This gives an exhaust free from smoke and sparks. The boiler has a straight shell, long enough to include the firebox and smokebox, and the copper tubes used are only 1/2 inch in diameter and about 16 inches long. On a 5 ton locomotive the complete boiler, with firebox and smokebox, is only 34 inches in diameter by 37 inches long. The locomotive is built in sizes from 2 to 12 tons for any desired gauge of track." Dose this locomotive sound like any other you have heard of? Go to the Bell portion of your site and read that description. The photo with the article shows the right side of what looks for all the world like a Bell. Right down to the leaf springs between the engine frame and the boiler frame. The fuel and water were in two square tanks ahead of the boiler. Fuel on top, water on the bottom. Isn't research fun? John ________________________________________________________________ GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO! Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less! Join Juno today! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/web/.