Water crane

A water crane is used to supply steam locomotives with large amounts of water. These are needed for the steam, which provides the energy to drive the engine and discharges during the journey from the stack. Therefore, the water supply of a steam locomotive had to be completed again. The normal water crane consisted of cast iron, vertical free-standing tubes with a boom that could be at least 2.85 m swung sideways at standard gauge equipment on the track.

Historical Development

In the early days of the railway water cranes were often attached to the water station houses or at the coal shed next to the house wall. On subsequent conversions station was replaced by the wall of water cranes free standing water cranes.

Each railway company of the 19th century had its own design, so it was quite different designs. Water cranes with rigid ( rotary only a suspension ) require boom that the steam locomotive holds very precisely under the outlet of the water crane, what a slow braking process requires (the ability of train drivers to be able to stop especially with heavy trains very precisely for the water picking was an extremely high quality criterion of their driving skills ). Water crane jib with additional joint ( Prussian ) or with sliding water pan ( Bavarian ) enabled, the outlet of the water crane to move within certain limits over the inlet opening of the water tank can not be exactly stopped steam locomotives and tenders, which Rangierzeit one parte. At the height variable water crane boom filling very different levels of water tanks easier especially for small tank locomotives and were therefore sometimes encountered in narrow gauge railways. The DR led from 1924, the Prussian structures of a normal and a joint water crane as a unit types.

The flow amount of a water crane was less significant water stations 1-2 m³ / min, but was increased by decree from about 1900 to 5 m³ / min. When water cranes locomotive with Tender express trains that had to be filled on the platform rapidly with cold water, put it through the water flow to 10 m³ / min. fixed, so that in just 3 minutes, the tender could be filled.

The water supply of steam locomotives

With the help of water tanks on the hillside or a water tower, the amount of water needed and the required water pressure was ensured. In some cases, two or three water towers were several generations in one place. Occasionally, wind pumps were used. Water supply systems were in Germany about every 25 to 30 km, in the highlands particularly in hilly routes at shorter intervals. Most of the water cranes were in the train stations on the railway rising between the rails at the points where the locomotives came to a halt.

In the Lokstationen or Bahnbetriebswerke ( Bw ) the water cranes were usually at the purification plant, sometimes at Bw Ausfahrgleis. In the old roundhouse, also rotunda or Heizhausdom known, is placed at the beginning of the railway time small water cranes at Lokschuppenein - and - ausfahrgleis. Here was also the Ausschlackplatz. Later, the water spouts were often replaced by roundhouse hose systems.

In the severe winter the water cranes had to be protected from frost, they are wrapped with hemp or heated column or boom means of open steel baskets, which were fired with coal or coke.

Of scale formation was prevented by the addition of soda or lime water to the boiler feed water.

Today there are only a few water spouts. They serve primarily museum purposes. The water supply of steam locomotives on special trips is therefore often supplemented by fire hoses, making the filling times are considerably longer than with a water crane.