Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site linus.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!rcs From: rcs@linus.UUCP (Richard C. Smith) Newsgroups: net.railroad Subject: Re: Sand Towers Message-ID: <489@linus.UUCP> Date: Fri, 9-Aug-85 15:40:58 EDT Article-I.D.: linus.489 Posted: Fri Aug 9 15:40:58 1985 Date-Received: Sun, 11-Aug-85 07:06:24 EDT Distribution: net Organization: The MITRE Corporation, Bedford, MA Lines: 17 The sand towers had nothing to do with the fires in locomotives. Rather, they were used to add a little friction to the drive wheels when needed. These towers are one (or possibly more) of the domes that rest on top of the boiler. Sand is placed in them. A pipe runs from the tower to the drive wheels, just above the rails. When the wheels slipped, the engineer would give a metal rod a pull-push, and a quantity of sand would slide down the pipe to the wheel. I wasn't aware that these were still in use in todays engines, but, I can't think of any other reason of carrying a sand tower on an engine. Rick Smith