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LIBRARY 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA. 
 
 GIFT OF 
 
 Class 
 
Locomotive Lubrication 
 
 By 
 W.J. SCH LACKS 
 
 \\ 
 
 
 
 Published by 
 
 McCORD AND COMPANY 
 Chicago New York 
 
< ff , t , r . e .. ; , Qopyright.1911 
 " WEX COMPANY 
 
 Chicago, 111. 
 
PREFACE 
 
 A better understanding of railway devices by 
 the employe handling them, works for economy 
 in railway service. This book on Locomotive 
 Lubrication is written for the express purpose of 
 bringing about a better understanding of this very 
 important subject. 
 
 Furthermore, a device such as the Locomotive 
 Force Feed Lubricator, which needs practically 
 no attention from the engineer, reaches the highest 
 efficiency in economy, in that it does not lubricate 
 per unit of time, but in per unit of work done by 
 the locomotive. 
 
 226072 
 
Locomotive Lubrication 
 
 The aim of good lubrication is the reduction of 
 friction to a minimum. 
 
 The object of this work is to provide motive power 
 men with a basis for design, supervision and regula- 
 tion of lubrication on locomotives, and it is hoped that 
 the information on this subject, based on the results 
 of experiments, will assist in overcoming some of the 
 obstacles met with in locomotive lubrication. 
 
 Friction. 
 
 Friction is the force that acts between two sub- 
 stances in contact, opposing their sliding one on the 
 other, and is caused by the irregular surfaces of the 
 two bodies interlocking. Under the microscope these 
 irregular surfaces appear interlocked somewhat as 
 shown in the following illustration: 
 
The- CQefftcjent ,of friction is the ratio of the force, 
 required 'to ' ''slide : a <bd>dy. &16ng a liorizontal plane sur- 
 face to the weight of the body. 
 
 From the definition of friction it is evident that it 
 is a loss of power in operation of the locomotive, and 
 its reduction, therefore, must be considered primarily 
 in connection with the cost of maintenance, operation 
 and delays, and the safety of transportation. 
 
 Conditions Affecting Friction. 
 
 The amount of friction depends: 
 
 First On the nature of the substances in contact; 
 
 Second On the pressure with which these two sub- 
 stances are held in contact ; 
 
 Third The speed of their moving, one on the other; 
 
 Fourth The temperature of the substances in con- 
 tact ; 
 
 Fifth The substance between the two, put there to 
 reduce the amount of friction. 
 
 Established Laws of Friction. 
 
 First: With substances in contact variable and 
 all other conditions constant there is no fixed law, the 
 amount of friction depending on the nature of sub- 
 stances in contact. 
 
 Second: With varying pressures and all other con- 
 ditions constant, friction increases directly with the 
 pressure. 
 
 Third: With speed variable and all other con- 
 ditions constant, the friction decreases at speeds from 
 10 ft. to 100 ft. per minute, but at higher speeds it is 
 
nearly directly proportionate to the square root of 
 the speed. 
 
 Fourth. With varying temperature, and all other 
 conditions constant, the amount of friction decreases 
 as temperature rises until abrasion takes place. 
 
 Fifth: "With substances to reduce friction variable 
 and all other conditions constant, these is no fixed 
 law, the amount of friction depending on the nature 
 of substance used as lubricant. 
 
 Friction Lubricants. 
 
 The lubricants used in locomotive practice consist 
 of different oils, grease, graphite and lead used sep- 
 arately or in combination. It has been found that 
 each of these has certain advantages over the others 
 for the lubrication of different parts of the locomotive 
 mechanism. The general qualifications of a good lu- 
 bricant are given by Mr. W. H. Bailey, in Proc. Inst., 
 C. E., vol. xlv., p. 372, and are as follows : 
 
 1. Sufficient body to keep the surfaces free from 
 contact under maximum pressure. 
 
 2. The greatest possible fluidity consistent with 
 the foregoing condition. 
 
 3. The lowest possible coefficient of friction, which 
 in bath lubrication would be for fluid friction approxi- 
 mately. 
 
 4. The greatest capacity for storing and carrying 
 away heat. 
 
 5. A high temperature of decomposition. 
 
 6. Power to resist oxidation or the action of the 
 atmosphere. 
 
7. Freedom from corrosive action on the metals 
 upon which based. 
 
 Lubricating material made up of any number of 
 elements having independent qualifications, must be a 
 homogeneous whole and remain so under the condi- 
 tions surrounding the problem. 
 
 In considering qualifications Nos. 1 and 2, the cohe- 
 siveness, or viscosity, of the lubricant must be sufficient 
 to prevent the separation of its particles, and the ad- 
 hesion of the lubricant must be sufficient to enable it to 
 cling to the bearing surfaces. A lubricant having 
 greater adhesion or cohesion than the above conditions 
 require, will increase the frictional resistance. 
 
 Considering the friction developed between two sur- 
 faces lubricated in one case with grease and in the other 
 with oil, the friction developed with grease is greater 
 than with oil for the following reasons : 
 
 FIRST: When the grease is cold, its cohesion is 
 greater than oil, and its adhesion to the bearing surfaces 
 is less, and consequently the coefficient of friction is 
 higher. 
 
 SECOND: "When the grease is in a fluid, or semi- 
 fluid state, its cohesion, while less than when solid, is 
 again greater than oil, and its adhesion to the bearing 
 surfaces, while greater than when solid, is again less 
 than oil, and consequently the coefficient of friction is * 
 higher; and further, additional friction has to be ex- 
 pended to furnish the heat required to reduce the solid 
 grease to a fluid state. 
 
It is an undisputed fact that the generation of heat 
 by friction is an extravagant method. 
 
 An abstract of a brief historical review of lubricants, 
 that have been used in locomotive practice, as given in 
 the American Railway Master Mechanics' Proceedings, 
 Vol. 42, 1909, follows: 
 
 "In the early years vegetable oils (principally olive 
 oils) were used for machine lubrication in Europe, 
 and, although history is vague on this subject, it is 
 fair to assume that the first steam locomotives were 
 lubricated with oils of this kind." 
 
 " There have been times in the history of steam 
 lubrication when anything of a greasy nature was con- 
 sidered a lubricant and experimented with. In the 
 early era of steam locomotives in this country a rail- 
 way publication, under the caption, 'Pork for Journal 
 Boxes/ stated: Why not use it? We have asked 50 
 railway men within as many days if they were aware 
 of its success. On the H. R. R. a car was packed with 
 slices of fresh pork, and is today as it was a year ago. 
 The cost per box for pork packing, that will stand at 
 least a year will not exceed 30 cents. " 
 
 "A railway man who used soft soap as a lubricant 
 seemed, to say the least, eccentric. A standard auth- 
 ority, 'D. K. Clark's Railway Machinery/ published 
 in 1855, said: 'In proportion as the bearing surfaces 
 are fine, hard and polished, the more fluid may be the 
 lubricating material ; (thus fine oil may be used in- 
 stead of soap.) It is probable that concussion was 
 originally the inducement to use soap on railways apart 
 
from the difficulty of preventing oil from being 
 wasted." 
 
 "Antedating the use of mineral oil, cotton seed and 
 sperm oil were extensively used, followed by a more 
 general use of lard oil for machine lubrication and 
 tallow for valves and cylinders. As early as 1854 a 
 firm in Philadelphia introduced what they termed a 
 6 lubricating grease adapted to use on all classes of 
 running stock on railways.' They recommended it on 
 account of its 'freedom from gum or glutinous sub- 
 stances and adaptability to all kinds of weather.' 
 
 "The mineral oils or petroleums were placed upon 
 the market in the years soon following and on account 
 of their cheapness and superiority as a lubricant their 
 use became general. The natural West Virginia oil, 
 with its notable characteristics of a low cold and a 
 high fire test, immediately found favor and was con- 
 sidered superior to sperm. The production of the West 
 Virginia oil was limited, and as the demand rapidly 
 increased the supply was soon exhausted. A manu- 
 facturing concern in 1869 introduced for railway serv- 
 ice an oil for external lubrication, combining the ex- 
 cellent qualities of nature's best lubricating product 
 with other ingredients, producing an article which 
 met all of the requirements of the day; an oil of low 
 cold and high fire test, a gravity permitting a ready, 
 flow, and the sustaining power for support of the ever- 
 increasing loads upon the bearing surfaces. This lu- 
 bricant has stood the test of service from the date of 
 its introduction and is now used on the majority of the 
 
 10 
 
railways of this country, as well as on many of the 
 English and European lines." 
 
 "Prior to the introduction of mineral cylinder oil, 
 
 tallow^ was the almost universal lubricant for valves 
 
 tinl 
 
 and cylinders. In some few inst.-inccsjjjj^ oil mixed 
 
 with plumbago was used, and grease introduced 
 through cups with double stop cocks was tried, but 
 melting tallow in the old familiar tallow pot was prac- 
 tically the universal practice for many years. Tallow 
 carrying a high percentage of acid was found objec- 
 tionable, the acid attacking the metal, pitting and ren- 
 dering it porous and weakening its structure/' 
 
 "The superiority of an oil free from acids, with 
 greater viscosity, less liable to gum, and with a higher 
 fire test to meet the increases in temperature was fast 
 relegating tallow to other uses. In 1870 there was 
 placed upon the market a cylinder oil meeting all the 
 desired requirements, furnished from a source of sup- 
 ply that insured uniformity in quality and quantity 
 to meet all demands. This cylinder oil has stood the 
 test through all the gradation of temperature as steam 
 pressures have increased from 120 to 230 Ibs., and 
 higher temperatures incident to the use of superheated 
 steam." 
 
 Mr. Wm. J. Walsh made a statement in a paper on 
 "Lubrication of Railway Equipment," presented be- 
 fore the New England Railway Club which in part is 
 as follows : 
 
 "The average running temperature of freight 
 trains is considered to be 80 degrees, and the average 
 running temperature of passenger trains 125 degrees. 
 
 11 
 
We learn from experience that the proper gravity of 
 oil for the lubrication of all trains should be about 30 
 degrees, and as a degree of gravity is lost at every ten 
 degrees advanced in heat, it is plain to be seen that 
 should we supply an oil for the lubrication of a freight 
 train at 80 degrees, with a gravity of 30 degrees, and 
 if the same lubricant is used on a fast-moving passen- 
 ger train at 125 degrees, the gravity of the lubricant 
 would be reduced about 5 degrees ; or, to explain fur- 
 ther, if this lubricant at 30 degrees gravity is dense 
 enough to carry the load at 80 degrees running tem- 
 perature, it would not be dense enough to carry it at 
 125 degrees running temperature." 
 
 The use of grease as a locomotive lubricant has been 
 proved by tests to result in an increase of friction over 
 oil. There have been reasons, however, for its use in 
 locomotive practice. 
 
 The successful operation of oil waste driving jour- 
 nals requires the cellars to be dropped every ten to 
 twelve days, at an actual labor cost of 35c per box, to 
 facilitate inspection and repacking when necessary. 
 
 The following is quoted Wit from a paper by Mr. 
 J. R. Alexander, General Road Foreman of Engines, 
 Pennsylvania R. R., read before the Railway Club of . 
 Pittsburg : 
 
 "The economical operation of locomotives also de- 
 mands careful supervision of the methods employed in 
 handling lubricating oils, for surprising as it may ap- 
 pear, there are many men who believe good lubrication 
 can best be obtained by quantity rather than quality. 
 
 12 
 
The ideal condition insuring perfect lubrication on loco- 
 motives is to have a lubricant, the globules of which will 
 be sufficiently strong, and the mechanical arrangement 
 such that the load carried on the bearing will not force 
 out the film of oil, thereby permitting metallic contact. ' ' 
 
 Graphite is a good lubricant, especially under high 
 pressure. It is not adaptable to locomotive lubrication, 
 but its use with water or a light oil as a carrying 
 medium presents possibilities of development. It gives 
 a low coefficient of friction with cast iron or other po- 
 rous materials by filling the minute irregularities in the 
 surfaces, thus increasing the actual bearing area. 
 
 Friction-Bearing Metals. 
 
 As has been stated above, the nature of the bearing 
 metals determines the amount of friction between them 
 when other conditions are constant. While there is no 
 certain relation between the molecular structure of the 
 bearing and friction, it is generally true that the harder 
 and smoother or more polished the metals, the lower is 
 the friction developed, due to the surfaces of the metals 
 having fewer irregularities to interlock or overlap each 
 other. With metals harder than brass for bearings, 
 such as cast iron, a journal is more liable to cut and 
 wear. Such bearings do not adjust themselves as read- 
 ily to irregularities of the journals, and in some cases 
 they are too brittle to withstand stresses. 
 
 In the June, 1905, Proceedings of the American So- 
 ciety of Mechanical Engineers, Melvin Price stated his 
 
 13 
 
conclusions on this question as follows: "An alloy's 
 resistance performance seems to be peculiar to itself, 
 although there are often partial similarities. Investi- 
 gation showed that there was no definite law between 
 friction and the structure of alloys." 
 
 The desired qualities of soft and hard bearing 
 metals are ably discussed in a report by Prof. R. C. 
 Carpenter in Vol. 27 of the Society of Mechanical Engi- 
 neers on "Locomotive Bearings," from which we quote 
 the following: 
 
 Desired Qualities. 
 
 "The qualities which a bearing metal should have 
 in order to be satisfactory are quite varied in nature, 
 and in some respects somewhat contradictory. The 
 bearing metal should first of all be one that has con- 
 siderable adhesion for a lubricant and is readily wetted 
 by it. It should also be softer than the shaft which it 
 supports, so that in case of lack of lubrication, or in 
 case hard gritty materials get in the bearing, the bear- 
 ing material would be injured rather than the journal. 
 It should be hard enough, however, to retain its shape 
 under any conditions of pressure or temperature which 
 are likely to be imposed upon it by actual use. The 
 melting temperature of the bearing metal should be 
 less than that of the journal which it supports, but 
 should not at the same time be readily melted by 
 changes in temperature which occur in practice. The 
 bearing metal when melted should not possess the 
 property of adhering or welding fast to the journal." 
 
 14 
 
Soft Metals. 
 
 "For many purposes where the pressures are low 
 and temperature not likely to get high, a very soft 
 bearing metal, such, for instance, as may be made 
 from 85 per cent lead and 15 per cent antimony, is 
 excellent. This metal is, however, entirely unsuited 
 for hard service, as it readily changes its form with 
 increases of temperature. The bearing metal known 
 as genuine babbitt, consisting of tin 85 to 89 per cent, 
 copper 2 to 5 per cent, and antimony 7 to 10 per cent, 
 is probably adapted to a wider range of use than 
 any other metal which has ever been designed or in- 
 vented. On account of the large amount of tin, this 
 metal is expensive, and there is a great temptation to 
 palm off as a substitute a metal containing a consider- 
 able portion of lead. As a result of my experience, a 
 considerable amount of lead can be used, provided it 
 alloys perfectly with the other metals and does not ren- 
 der the compound too soft. Lead is, however, a poor 
 conductor of heat ; for a given condition of lubrication 
 and work performed, a bearing metal containing much 
 lead is likely to run warmer than one containing other 
 metals." 
 
 "The soft metals mentioned above possess the ad- 
 vantage that they can be easily melted and cast into 
 shape in place as desired or as needed for use on the 
 journal." 
 
 Hard Metals. 
 
 "There are a number of other metals which have 
 a high melting point and quite a large coefficient of 
 
 15 
 
contraction which, if used for bearing metals, must 
 be cast in separate moulds and finished on machine 
 tools before applying. These metals vary in hardness 
 to a considerable extent, the phosphor bronze being 
 probably the hardest and the yellow brasses the soft- 
 est. I made extensive experiments with a bearing 
 metal of this class consisting of an alloy of aluminum, 
 zinc and copper, the zinc being largely in excess of 
 the other ingredients. That alloy was very satisfac- 
 tory when zinc of the proper purity could be obtained, 
 but was so much affected by the impurities likely to 
 be found in zinc that it was frequently quite unsatis- 
 factory in practice.'' 
 
 "I have found that a mixture consisting of 50 per 
 cent of aluminum, 25 per cent of zinc and 25 per cent 
 of tin forms an alloy which has many excellent prop- 
 erties as a bearing metal. It is light in weight, has 
 a fair degree of hardness, a moderately high melting 
 point, and, so far as I can determine from laboratory 
 experiments and some practical applications, is a su- 
 perior metal for certain kinds of bearings." 
 
 Conclusion. 
 
 "From the uncertain nature of our methods of 
 testing and from the varied conditions under which 
 bearing metals are used, it is easy to understand the 
 differences of opinion which are held by various en- 
 gineers regarding the quality of the same bearing ma- 
 terial. This fact also probably explains the reasons 
 why such a variety of prices and grades of bearing 
 metal can be marketed." 
 
 16 
 
"In my opinion there is no possible criterion, no 
 single definition or specification, which can adequately 
 describe a bearing metal which shall be universally 
 satisfactory for all work and conditions. ' ' 
 
 Different Brass and Babbitt Mixtures. 
 
 Very good results are obtained with brass bearings 
 of the following composition : 
 
 Copper not less than 79% 
 
 Lead not less than 9 
 
 Total softening elements 88% 
 
 Tin not to exceed 10% 
 
 Zinc not to exceed 2% 
 
 Total hardening elements 12% 
 
 
 100% 
 
 A good babbitt metal for lining car journal brasses 
 is: Lead ......................... 78% 
 
 Antimony 
 
 Tin ......... ................ 3% 
 
 100% 
 
 A good metal for piston rod and valve stem pack- 
 
 is: Lead ........................ 86% 
 
 Antimony .................... 12% 
 
 Tin ......................... 2% 
 
 100% 
 
 17 
 

 
 
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 18 
 
 
Lubrication Driving Journals. 
 
 Tests have been made proving that driving journal 
 friction increases' proportionately as the distance trav- 
 eled after oiling. 
 
 The lubrication of driving journals with oil by 
 cups and cellars caused so much trouble in locomotive 
 operation, due to the increase in length of runs, periph- 
 eral speeds and bearing pressures combined with the 
 lack of a regular feed of the lubricant, that grease was 
 resorted to by some railroads because it afforded a 
 positive feed, which materially reduced the annoyances 
 and expense of hot driving journals. 
 
 When the first experiments were made with grease 
 it was found that the grease cellars, with the usual 
 oil-hole left in the top of box and with the brasses fit- 
 ting the journal as snugly as was the practice with 
 oil, would not give satisfactory results. In these ex- 
 periments it was found that the grease was forced out 
 through the hole in the top of the box. In a number 
 of instances wooden plugs were driven in the holes to 
 prevent this, but the pressure exerted by the revolving 
 journal forced these plugs out, demonstrating the mag- 
 nitude of the pressure thus generated. One explanation 
 , of this pressure is that the revolving journal in generat- 
 ing pressure acts like a paddle-fan water wheel re- 
 versed in that the minute irregularities on the surface 
 of the journal fill with the lubricant and carry it to 
 the pressure side of the brass where it adds to the 
 amount previously taken up and retained ; a kind of 
 cumulative pressure which continues until the pressure 
 
 19 
 
has reached a point that will not permit more grease 
 entering between the journal and the bearing. 
 
 After these grease difficulties were overcome, the 
 loss of tractive force, with the consequent higher cost 
 of operation per ton mile hastened the perfection of 
 the automatic oil force feed lubricator for journal 
 lubrication. 
 
 The following is another quotation from Mr. J. R. 
 Alexander's paper: 
 
 "Driving box lubrication is obtained by means of a 
 supply of oil from both top and bottom of the journal, 
 while tender and car journals depend altogether on the 
 supply of lubricant from the under side. In either case, 
 however, it is essential that the packing in journal box 
 cellars be maintained in good condition, and to this 
 end it is necessary that a good quality of wool waste, or 
 other suitable material, be provided and same prepared 
 for use by being submerged in oil for not less than 48 
 hours, after which the waste should be drained of free 
 oil in excess of 4 Ib. oil per pound of waste, and fur- 
 nished to inspectors well loosened up and not wrapped 
 up tightly in balls. In packing journal boxes it is a 
 great mistake to have the waste contain too much free 
 cil, as this makes it impossible to pack sufficiently tight 
 under the journal to prevent pounding down after loco-> 
 motive or car is in motion. Dust guards at back of 
 journal boxes should be maintained in good condition 
 and the packing kept firmly set up to the journal at the ' 
 rear of the box. At the sides the waste should not be 
 allowed to extend above the center line of the journal, 
 for if the waste is allowed to pack against the rising side 
 
 20 
 
of the bearing it will soon become glazed and act as a 
 wiper, and is very likely to clean the journal free of oil, 
 preventing it from passing under the bearing. The 
 best results and with considerable economy in the amount 
 of oil and waste, will be obtained by having locomotive 
 and tender journal box cellars not more than 2^ in. 
 deep, as experience proves that capillary attraction will 
 not bring sufficient oil through waste from a greater 
 depth/ 7 
 
 In reference to the above it might be stated that aver- 
 age wool waste under most favorable conditions seldom 
 absorbs over 3 Ib. oil to 1 Ib. waste. 
 
 Lubrication Valves and Cylinders. 
 
 The question of internal lubrication has been given 
 additional consideration in recent years, due to in- 
 creasing difficulties met with in high steam pressures, 
 and superheated steam with irregular lubrication. 
 
 The lubrication of valves and cylinders to be effect- 
 ive must be regular and in proportion to speed and 
 cut-off, because one of the fundamental laws of fric- 
 tion is, as previously stated, that it |^M3e& directly 
 as the speed of the moving parts up to 100 ft. per 
 minute and increases nearly directly proportionate 
 to its square root at greater speeds. This applies to 
 valve and cylinder as well as journal lubrication. 
 Valve and cylinder lubrication should be proportionate 
 to the cut-off at which the locomotive is working be- 
 cause at the longer cut-off the valve travel is greater, 
 and while piston travel is the same the mean effective 
 
 21 
 
pressure and consequently the temperature in the cyl- 
 inder is greater, both of which conditions require more 
 lubricant. In addition to this there is the increased 
 tendency to work water at the longer cut-off when 
 starting. 
 
 Driving journal lubrication should be proportionate 
 to the cut-off for the reason that at longer cut-offs the 
 mean effective pressure in the cylinder is increased, 
 thereby increasing the pressure on the working sides of 
 the journal bearing. 
 
 Relative to the amount of lubricant necessary the 
 Committee on Locomotive Lubrication of the Ameri- 
 can Railway Master Mechanic's Association in 1907 
 made the following recommendation : 
 
 ' 'Your committee feels that for internal lubrication 
 70 miles per pint for large freight locomotives and 80 
 miles per pint for large passenger locomotives seems 
 to be the amount needed to lubricate properly. The 
 amount to each class depends upon the speed at which 
 the locomotive is running; in bad water districts 
 the oil allowance should be increased about 25 per 
 cent." 
 
 Lubrication Superheated Steam. 
 
 Oil must be fed regularly to overcome the difficulty 
 of lubricating valves and cylinders, in the case of sup- 
 erheated steam, beause of the loss of lubrication due 
 to the dryness and high temperature of the steam it- 
 self. The fact was emphasized in the 1907 Proceed- 
 ings of the Traveling Engineers' Association, and au- 
 
 22 
 
tomatic force feed lubrication was recommended. The 
 fastest superheated locomotive in the world is lubri- 
 cated by an automatic force feed system. 
 
 Lubrication Regular or Irregular. 
 
 Irregular lubrication necessitates using an exces- 
 sive amount of oil, causes unnecessary friction which 
 results in most of the hot bearings and cut surfaces, 
 and in the case of valves and cylinders materially 
 affects the proper distribution of steam by overburden- 
 ing the valve gear. 
 
 These conditions increase the cost of operation by 
 increasing coal consumption and by decreasing the 
 available power of the locomotive. The overtaxing of 
 the valve gear also causes more rapid wear of pins and 
 connections and earlier repairs. 
 
 Methods of Lubrication Hand Oiling Oil Cups. 
 
 At the outset the moisture of low pressure steam 
 was depended upon to lubricate valves and cylinders, 
 but soon oil cups were placed on steam chests, 
 and were filled whenever stops were made. The next 
 step was to place the oil cup in the cab of the loco- 
 motive, so that it could be operated by the enginemen. 
 This method of lubrication was nothing more than 
 hand oiling, but it was more convenient. 
 
 Methods of Lubrication Sight Feed, Hydrostatic. 
 
 The second step in valve and cylinder lubrication, 
 taken about twenty-five years ago, was the introduction 
 of the hydrostatic sight feed lubricator. The principle 
 
 23 
 
upon which it operates is, that a column of water under 
 boiler pressure forces the oil floating on top of it into 
 cylinder oil pipes leading to the bearing surfaces. The 
 difference in pressure which forces the oil is equivalent 
 to the weight of a column of water equal in height to 
 the difference in levels of lubricator outlet and bottom 
 of choke plug, less the friction in the pipe, plus the 
 difference between boiler and steam chest pressure. 
 
 Method of Lubrication Force Feed. 
 
 Force feed lubricators were perfected first for sta- 
 tionary engines and automobiles, and about five years 
 ago the lubricator with automatic features was finally 
 designed for locomotive service. The European rail- 
 ways have used force feed lubrication much longer, 
 but the mechanical construction of the lubricator did 
 not appeal to American engineers, especially on ac- 
 count of the increased consumption of oil due to the 
 impossibility of fine adjustment of feed. 
 
 With the modern American system of automatic force 
 feed lubrication, motion is obtained from some part of 
 the valve mechanism, the motion of which is propor- 
 tional to that of the valve itself, and is transmitted 
 through a mechanical transformer to the lubricator 
 proper, located in the most convenient place on the 
 locomotive. Individual pumps force the oil through 
 individual pipes to the bearings to be lubricated. The 
 lubricator operates automatically only when the engine 
 is running, and the speed of the plungers in the lubri- 
 cator is entirely dependent upon the travel of the 
 valve. 
 
 24 
 
Before starting the locomotive, after standing some 
 time, the engineman operates the plungers several times 
 by the hand crank to oil each bearing before moving 
 engine. As the pumps are capable of developing over 
 3,000 Ibs. pressure, the lubrication is absolutely posi- 
 tive, the oil being forced direct to the bearing surfaces. 
 There is no pressure in the reservoir, which is an assur- 
 ance against accidents, and permits the filling of 
 the reservoir while the lubricator is in operation. The 
 amount of oil delivered to any bearing surface is de- 
 pendent upon the stroke of the individual pumps of 
 the lubricator and the feed may be adjusted from one 
 drop in 10 strokes to 20 drops in one stroke by chang- 
 ing the stroke of the plungers. The feeds to the dif- 
 ferent bearings are independent of one another and are 
 regulated to suit the conditions. Adjustment once 
 made, is maintained by locking the adjusting nut. 
 
 The force feed lubricator is regulated on trial of 
 each locomotive. The mileage per pint of valve oil 
 will vary from 70 to 150, depending on type, power 
 and speed of locomotive, steam pressure and tempera- 
 ture, grade of track, etc. 
 
 Direct and regular lubrication effects a saving in oil, 
 an increase in engine efficiency and a decrease in the 
 wear of the parts lubricated. 
 
 The McCord force feed lubricator does not lubricate 
 per unit of time, but in per unit of work performed, 
 which is not only in direct proportion to the speed, but 
 
 25 
 
also in proportion to the cut-off at which the engine is 
 being worked. It is automatically regulated by the 
 speed of the engine and the position of the reverse 
 lever. 
 
 Power and Tractive Force-Lubricants. 
 
 A good lubricant applied in regular sufficient quanti- 
 ties reduces the internal friction of a locomotive there 
 by increasing the effective tractive force and horse- 
 power. The tests made by the Pennsylvania Railroad 
 at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition demonstrated 
 that the use of grease instead of oil on driving jour- 
 nals, increased the friction per journal by from 75 per 
 cent to over 100 per cent, depending on the peripheral 
 speed. 
 
 The report of Prof. W. F. M. Goss, printed in the 
 1906 proceedings of the American Eailway Master 
 Mechanic 's Association, is here quoted in part : 
 
 "Accepting the oil lubrication as a basis of compari- 
 son it appears that at 20 miles an hour the loss of power 
 resulting from the use of grease is slight, so small in 
 fact as to be almost negligible, but as the speed is 
 increased the loss is increased and at 60 miles per hour 
 it amounts to from 140 to 160 horsepower. The equiv- 
 alent coal loss, assuming four pounds of coal per horse- 
 power hour, is something more than 500 pounds per 
 hour. A summary of results in form permitting easy 
 comparisons is set forth in the accompanying table." 
 
Speed of Engine 20 Miles an Hour. 
 
 1. Pounds pull of the draw-bar necessary to over- 
 
 come friction of the engine. 
 
 Cold start Grease 1,578 Oil 1,435 
 
 Hot start Grease 2,222 Oil 1,549 
 
 Average 1,900 1,492 
 
 2. Tractive force lost by use of grease 408 
 
 3. Horsepower lost 21.8 
 
 4. Coal lost per hour run (assuming 4 pounds per 
 
 horsepower hour) 87.2 
 
 50 Miles an Hour. 
 
 1. Pounds pull at the draw-bar necessary to over- 
 
 come friction of the engine. 
 
 Cold start Grease 1,862 Oil 555 
 
 Hot start Grease 1,628 Oil 780 
 
 Average 1,745 667 
 
 2. Tractive force lost by use of grease 1,078 
 
 3. Horsepower lost 143.7 
 
 4. Coal lost per hour run (assuming 4 pounds per 
 
 horsepower hour) 574.8 
 
 60 Miles an Hour. 
 
 1. Pounds pull at the draw-bar necessary to over- 
 come friction of the engine. 
 
 Cold start Grease 1,727 Oil 655 
 
 Hot start Grease 1,804 Oil 873 
 
 Average 1,765 764 
 
 27 
 
2. Tractive force lost by use of grease 1,001 
 
 3. Horsepower lost 160.2 
 
 4. Coal lost per hour run (assuming 4 pounds per 
 
 horsepower hour) 640.8 
 
 These tests were made on an Atlantic type locomo- 
 tive with grease and oil used in each case on driving 
 journals and crank pins. 
 
 We are informed that oil was fed to driving journals 
 by gravity through holes in the top of the driving 
 boxes. These holes released whatever pressure the 
 revolving journal generated ; thus relying for lubrica- 
 tion on the little amount of oil that, due to its adhesive 
 quality, could not be forced out from between the jour- 
 nal and the bearing. 
 
 The modern automatic force feed method forces the 
 oil into the top of the driving box against the pressure 
 generated by the revolving journal and raises the box 
 from the journal as far as the oil packing on the ends 
 of the driving box will allow, thus separating the jour- 
 nal and the bearing with a thick film of oil. This fills 
 all irregularities in the bearing surfaces, so that the 
 actual bearing surface more closely approximates th( 
 projected areas. It separates the journal and bearing 
 sufficiently to clear projections on one or the other that 
 would ordinarily cause cutting. There are actual cases 
 of cut journals thus lubricated, running as cool as the 
 smooth journals on the same engine. 
 
 In experimenting with a driving box in the labora- 
 tory it was found that a gauge piped to the cavity in 
 the top of the brass recorded a pressure as high as four 
 
 28 
 
times the bearing pressure per square inch that the 
 weight on the bearing divided by the projected area 
 should have given, which proves that the actual 
 pressure per square inch is a very different quantity 
 from that figured from the projected area. The in- 
 creasing of the realized area by intervening a thick film 
 of oil between the bearing and journal will overcome 
 troubles due to overloaded journals. 
 
 With the modern automatic force-feed method of 
 lubrication, the oil, in being forced through the top of 
 the box, is ready to go to the service or pressure side 
 of the journal whether the engine is backing or going 
 ahead, and does not have to ride up the other side first 
 and be scraped off by the brass before it has reached 
 the surface that most needs the lubricant. 
 
 For this reason driving box brasses may be fitted up 
 without side clearance and a tight fitting cellar may be 
 used to prevent any "pinching" of the journal. This 
 method gives the brass more crown bearing and allows 
 that much more side-wear before the journal is as loose 
 in the brass as when driving boxes are fitted for grease 
 lubrication from the under side. 
 
 Excessive side clearance or pound between driving 
 journals and brass subjects locomotive machinery and 
 frames to severe dynamic stresses and this clearance 
 together with any looseness in the rods, requires the 
 piston to move a certain distance in taking up lost 
 motion before moving the engine. The volume of steam 
 used in this piston displacement is a dead loss and in 
 the case of a modern 22-inch consolidation engine with 
 
 29 
 
i/i-inch total play in the boxes and y 8 -inch on each 
 crank pin, it amounts to about 225 Ibs. of coal per hour. 
 All moving parts in a reciprocating engine should 
 be as devoid of lost motion as possible, for as soon as 
 there is lost motion, the stress to be resisted by the 
 pistons, rods, crank-pins, driving axles and frames, is 
 changed from a static to a dynamic stress, whose mag- 
 nitude and effects (as was learned from draft gear 
 experiments) are extremely difficult to determine. 
 
 A lubricator does not operate perfectly if it fails to 
 feed automatically in accordance with requirements of 
 the service, which is in proportion to speed and cut-off. 
 The automatic lubricator relieves the engineman of the 
 necessity of the care of it and allows him that time for 
 
 other duties. , . 
 
 Conclusions. 
 
 One of the chief aims in modern transportation is 
 a safe reduction in ton mile costs. A very important 
 item entering into this is locomotive efficiency, which 
 depends on a number of conditions, one of which is the 
 reduction of friction. This is accomplished by using 
 the best lubricant with the best method of applying it. 
 
 The automatic force feed system of lubrication does 
 not reduce the amount of oil actually needed but 
 does reduce the waste of oil which accompanies other 
 methods. While the automatic force feed system re- 
 duces this waste, the principal benefit derived is a 
 more nearly constant coefficient of friction in the bear- 
 ings lubricated. This is lower than the average of 
 the varying coefficients of friction with any other 
 method. 
 
 30 
 
Advantages Derived by the Use of McCord System of 
 Force Feed Locomotive Lubrication. 
 
 1. Lubrication is positive. 
 
 2. Lubrication is proportional to valve travel and 
 therefore proportional to the work done by the loco- 
 motive. 
 
 3. When locomotive stops, lubrication stops. 
 
 4. Lubricator pumps against a pressure of more 
 than 3,000 pounds. 
 
 5. No pressure in reservoir insures against leakage 
 and accidents to enginemen. 
 
 6. Reservoirs can be filled while in full operation. 
 
 7. Each feed can be adjusted separately. 
 
 8. Feed is adjustable from one drop in 10 strokes 
 to 20 drops in one stroke. 
 
 9. Adjustment of feeds once made, they remain 
 accurate and adequate under all conditions. 
 
 10. All moving parts are immersed in oil. 
 
 11. Oil consumption is reduced and engine efficiency 
 
 is increased. 
 
 31 
 
Directions for Operating the McCord Force Feed 
 Lubricator. 
 
 1. There is no pressure in this lubricator, conse- 
 quently no steam to be turned off or no draining to 
 be done before filling. 
 
 2. To fill, remove the filling cap and pour in the 
 oil after it has been heated sufficiently to pour freely 
 through the strainer at the filling hole. This may be 
 done either when the engine is standing or running. 
 
 3. Do not fill this lubricator with oil drained from 
 a hydrostatic lubricator, as it will contain water. 
 
 4. Do not allow oil to feed out below gauge line. 
 
 5. The feed is increased by screwing down the 
 knurled nuts on the top of the pump plungers, and is 
 decreased by screwing them up. 
 
 6. The lubricator body should be kept warm to the 
 touch so that the oil will remain thin enough that the 
 pumps may handle it easily. A heater chamber is pro- 
 vided on the bottom of each lubricator into which a 
 small amount of steam can be admitted in cold weather. 
 
 7. This lubricator operates automatically when the 
 engine is in motion, so there is nothing to turn on at 
 the beginning of a run or to turn off at the end of 
 a run. 
 
 8. Should it be necessary to give the engine more 
 oil than is obtained by the automatic mechanism, op- 
 erate the hand crank on end of lubricator. 
 
 32 
 
Directions for Operating and Testing the McCord Locomotive 
 Force Feed Lubricators. 
 
 To Put the Lubricator in Service. 
 
 Remove the filling cap and fill the lubricator with 
 warm oil; disconnect below all the terminal check 
 valves and operate the hand crank until oil appears at 
 the bottom of each check valve. Then connect up each 
 terminal check valve and driving mechanism and the 
 lubricator will be ready for operation. 
 
 To Test Out the Lubricator Should Any Trouble 
 Be Reported. 
 
 Disconnect the operating mechanism at the valve 
 stem, operate the ratchet arm slowly by hand, and see 
 that the lubricator shaft revolves with each return 
 movement of the ratchet arm. 
 
 Disconnect all oil pipes at check valve joints. The 
 oil pipes should be full of oil. If any pipe is found 
 empty or only partially full of oil, it is an indication 
 that there is something wrong with the check valve 
 or pump on this oil line, or that the oil pipe leaks or is 
 stopped up. 
 
 Admit steam under the check valve. No steam 
 should blow out at the oil port connection. If there 
 should be a leak here, remove the check valve and 
 grind in the needle valve seat. Use powdered glass or 
 any grinding compound same as used on air brake 
 work, but be sure that this grinding is done when the 
 
 33 
 
valve is hot, as it is under this condition that the valve 
 should be tight. Be sure to clean the check valve and 
 seat thoroughly after grinding so that no small parti- 
 cles can get under the valve seat and cause leak. 
 
 oteam 
 If the check valve is flBHH tight, disconnect the oil 
 
 pipe connection at the lubricator pump and turn the 
 hand crank ; if oil shows at the pump discharge, the 
 pump is 0. K. If the pump does not work, take it out 
 and make sure that the packing around the pump 
 plunger is tight, that there is no waste or other ma- 
 terial collected around the pump suction pipes, and 
 that all the ball checks in the pump are in their proper 
 places. 
 
 Pump kerosene through the pump to wash and clean 
 the ball checks and seats. The plunger packing should 
 be elastic enough that it will not be necessary to screw 
 the packing nuts down so tight as to bind unnecessar- 
 ily on the plungers. 
 
 To determine if the oil pipe leaks, connect a pressure 
 gauge on to the end of the oil pipe and operate the 
 lubricator by hand. The pipe line should hold a pres- 
 sure of at least 300 Ibs. without any variation on the 
 gauge. This is also an absolute test that the ball checks 
 and the packing in the pump are tight. If there is an 
 obstruction in the oil pipe, no oil will appear at the 
 end of the pipe after the lubricator has been operated 
 by hand a reasonable length of time, and further, the 
 lubricator shaft will turn hard on the down stroke of 
 the plunger, and oil will leak out at the packing nut, 
 and at the pump outlet connection. 
 
 34 
 
After doing work on any or all of the oil pipes, 
 screw all union joints tight and turn hand crank until 
 the oil pipes are full of oil before the engine goes out. 
 This is important. The slightest leak in the whole sys- 
 tem should be avoided, for it will materially affect the 
 regular delivery of oil. 
 
 The feed is adjusted by means of the knurled nuts 
 on the top of the pump plunger. Screw these nuts 
 down to increase the feed and screw them up to de- 
 crease the feed. 
 
 McCORD AND COMPANY 
 
 Peoples Gas Bldg. 50 Church Street 
 
 Chicago. New York. 
 
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