Page 1 of 1
3020 first steaming - 3
Posted: 04 May 2010, 09:56
by John Ashworth
Overshadowed a bit by 3020's wedding performance on 1st May 2010, here are a few more photos of her first steaming, a trial run on 23rd April 2010.
Photos by Bert van 't Oever
Re: 3020 first steaming - 3
Posted: 04 May 2010, 10:31
by Gabor Kovacs
Hi John!
Some really nice pictures you have shared with us all. You surly must be enjoying the steam stuff in Kenya!
Re: 3020 first steaming - 3
Posted: 04 May 2010, 12:38
by Steve Appleton
John, what is the gray box with handle and red skirt next to the driver in pic 4? I am guessing air-brake control?
Re: 3020 first steaming - 3
Posted: 04 May 2010, 13:06
by John Ashworth
Correct, Steve, that's the air brake. Kenya Railways has used air brakes since very early on, reportedly due to the high altitude which reduces the efficiency of vacuum brakes - there is some discussion of this on the forum
here. The air brakes operate on the train, not the loco (I haven't confirmed yet whether they operate on the tender, but the driver doesn't operate the air brakes at all when travelling light locomotive without a train).
There's also a steam brake which operates on the loco itself. The handle (with ratchet) can be seen in the same position, roughly, where the regulator is on a South African 19D or 24. The regulator can be seen just to the left of the air pressure gauge.