Recent Blogs
Ten-wheel Freight Locomotive: Historical Tractive-force Estimate
Explore the 4-6-0 wheel arrangement and a historical starting-force estimate from cylinder size, pressure and driver diameter. Actual train capacity is not predicted.
Single-Cylinder Locomotive: Centre-Crank Animation and Leverage Calculator
Watch a single-cylinder locomotive centre crank, piston and crosshead. Compare ideal crank leverage at two selected angles and distance from dead centre.
Passenger Locomotive Eight-Wheeler: 4-4-0 Rolling Layout
Explore the American 4-4-0 locomotive arrangement. Calculate leading-wheel and coupled-driver rpm from wheel diameters and train speed under ideal rolling.
Steam Locomotive–Tender Drawbar: Articulation Geometry
Explore steam locomotive-tender drawbar articulation and calculate longitudinal projection, lateral offset and geometric shortening from length and swing angle.
Railway Water Trough Scoop: How It Works, Diagram & Calculator
How a railway water-trough scoop works — a lowered scoop uses train speed to direct water from a between-rail trough into a moving steam locomotive...
Slide Valve Mechanism Explained: How It Works, Diagram, Parts, Port Timing & Steam Engine Uses
Explore D slide-valve admission and exhaust connections, and calculate nominal full-port travel, eccentric throw and linear advance from selected port and lap dimensions.
Brotherhood Three-cylinder Engine: Radial Arrangement
Explore Hiscox’s Brotherhood-type radial steam-engine arrangement and compare displayed angular sectors. The calculator does not predict valve events or power.
Metropolitan Injector: Components and Static-Head Comparison
Explore the Metropolitan injector components and compare entered boiler and delivery pressures with the hydrostatic head associated with a suction lift.
Stephenson Link Motion: Expansion Link and Die Block Explained
Explore Stephenson link motion, including two eccentric rods, an expansion link and die block. Compare a separate ideal blend of opposite motions.
Locomotive Boiler Mechanism: How It Works, Parts, Diagram, and Steam Calculator
Explore the gas, water and steam paths in a locomotive fire-tube boiler. Calculate fuel heat input, useful heat and reference equivalent evaporation.