Track pan

As a trough (in the U.S. track pan, in the UK water trough called ) is called on the railroad an elongated, filled with feed water, fortified pan between the rails, can supplement their water supply from the express train locomotives while driving.

Components and Operation

The troughs were created to free sections of major routes. For maintenance of the system, which in addition to the troughs most listened to a pumping station, one or two persons were required.

The tender of steam locomotives were equipped with a special scoop trunk, which could be lowered from the driver's cab with a mechanical device or by means of compressed air below the waterline of the trough and raised again.

Up to the trough of the train at about 65 km / h had to be slowed down. Once there was the train above the trough, the engine crew lowered from the suction trunk. Due to the speed of the train, the water accumulated on the trunk and was pressed without special suction up and flowed over a baffle into the water tank. After water uptake was completed, the snout was increased again. A special design of the tender, the Niagara New York Central were even at a speed of almost 130 km / h Water from the trough draw, but the window of the first cars had to remain closed in this case.

Causes and Development

The route, which can pass through a steam locomotive without maintenance is primarily limited by the supply of water in the tender. Can be used to supplement the stocks within this distance no traffic maintenance, operation maintenance must be scheduled.

The on some routes often competing directly with each other railway companies in the United Kingdom and the United States to use every means to survive due to short travel times in the tough competition. With the help of trough and scoop trunk for the first time non-stop connections were possible over long distances.

In the 1930s, most British main lines were equipped with troughs; in the U.S. took advantage of especially the New York Central Railroad on the line New York - Chicago, this form of water supply. Even with the Pennsylvania Railroad was customary.

After the Second World War, long runs were increasingly driven by diesel locomotives. With the retirement of steam locomotives from these services, the troughs were redundant and removed gradually.

• Steam locomotive technology