What is the motor/dynamo type thing on the footplate?

[Rob Pulham]

Good morning all,

The photo below is to be the subject of Chris's latest painting. She has obtained permission to use it from Barking Bill but while sketching it out on her canvas she asked what the motor/dynamo like object on the footplate at the side of the smoke box was. Not knowing much about BR era steam I surmise that it's for the electric lights that are fitted to this B1.

Can anyone confirm this or tell me what it is if I have missed the plot completely?


R0640 - Wakefield Shed by BarkingBill, on Flickr

 

[mickoo]

Your summation is correct, it's a steam turbo generator for the electric lights fitted to the loco, the small black lamps on the buffer beam and smoke box top, also lamps in the cab and elsewhere where deemed necessary.

I'm fairly sure the correct term should be dynamo....it's a DC circuit (I think) thus a dynamo and not a generator, if its AC then generator is the correct term to be used.

I think it was Thompson who brought the use of electric lights in whole sale and Peppercorn continued it. The ER were the largest user with the SR on the Bullied Pacifics second, but after that it was a hotch potch of trial installations, the LMS fitted it to the last two Coronations but the headcode lamps were later removed in the late 50s/early 60s.

 

[Osgood]

J. Stone & Company. The Stone's STEAM TURBO-GENERATOR.

Out of interest, what voltage was coach lighting in these days (Mk1 stock etc)? I'm guessing 24V?

 

[Dikitriki]

What a fantastic picture - all greys and browns.

Buffer beam red? Nah!

Richard

 

[iploffy]

It also looks AWS fitted

 

[mickoo]

J. Stone & Company. The Stone's STEAM TURBO-GENERATOR.

The term generator is misleading , if it produces DC then it's a dynamo, if it produces AC then it's an alternator, but 'both' are still generators. Thus a dynamo can be called a generator but a generator cannot be called a dynamo.

As far as I know, all UK fitted locos were 24V supply as were coaching stock, coach lamps could be 'pinched' to fit into headlamps on A1 and A2 locos. I'd need to dig through my LNER books to determine exactly if it was AC or DC but my gut reaction to the current technology at that time is that it will be DC like the coaches.

Anything that converts one form of energy to another can also be called a generator, a boiler is a generator, as is a steam engine.

But to be blunt, neither term is probably of any interest to any one here, so in layman's terms, it's a machine that makes electricity from steam .

 

[Rob Pulham]

Thanks all When ever Chris paints anything she like to understand exact what each bit is and does.

I do agree with Richard's view on "What a fantastic picture - all greys and browns." I look forward to taking it to be framed.

 

[Eastsidepilot]

Just so long as it 'aint a magneto

Col.

 

[Simon Dunkley]

To quote Bob Mortimer, "The answer is in the question."

But to be blunt, neither term is probably of any interest to any one here, so in layman's terms, it's a machine that makes electricity from steam.

Useful info, Mick, for which much thanks, but that definition also applies to Drax power station, at the other end of the scale!