I often read about a crosshead when reading about steam engines. WTFO?
What is a crosshead, other than an angry hippie?
Steve Featherkile said:
I often read about a crosshead when reading about steam engines. WTFO?What is a crosshead, other than an angry hippie?
An angry skull?
See, I can do it too!
HJ,
So it is the bearing that allows the reciprocating motion to be converted into rotary motion, thereby driving the locomotive.
Next question: How in the world did that bearing get the name of “crosshead?”
No, it reduces the side forces on the piston. According to the wiki write-up, smaller engines don’t use a crosshead bearing. It is the crankshaft that convert recip to rotary. (Nit picking here 
)
Arrrggghhhh!!!
Steve Featherkile said:
HJ,So it is the bearing that allows the reciprocating motion to be converted into rotary motion, thereby driving the locomotive.
Next question: How in the world did that bearing get the name of “crosshead?”
Because it was obviously too round to be a squarehead!
I suppose it could have been a “Deadhead.” :lol:
or a “Parrothead.”
Steve…you sure know how to start a real, exciting thread…!!!
…as part of the answer to your (Actually very good question, as beginners might ask the same question) question, the
“Little end” as shown. Why not ask what the “Big End” is…?
Because its a casting that crosses the head of the cylinder…not just the bearing the whole assembly is the crosshead and Wiki is NOT correct…all locomotives have crossheads although not all have crosshead guides et al…
This thing. As you can see, vaguely cruciform in shape.
(http://naphotos.nerail.org/showpic/?200811031816372879.jpg)
(http://naphotos.nerail.org/showpic/?200811031816372879.jpg)
*** Matthew (OV)
OK I thunk differently, what yuz guys are referring to as the “crosshead”, may in fact be the Piston Slider or Piston Guide, the metal bar that spans the rear of the cylinder and that the piston rod slides along, its purpose is to “guide” the piston rod and keep it true as the pistons slide in and out. The “crosshead” to me is that large metal frame that connects the end the piston guide over to the locomotive frame, it also often has valve gear linkage attached to it, and in the old days a piston powered water pump was often attached to it.
Need a real locomotive dictionary, sorry but Wikipedia is a little short on that.
Here we go,
http://www.railway-technical.com/st-glos.shtml#C
Heres another
http://www.heavenr.com/railroad/glossary.html
So far looks like HJ’s right, just the Wiki’s description is… well, typical Wiki short of specifics
THIS is a crosshead. Trust me, I build big live steam.
http://www.gwr2807.fsnet.co.uk/galleryn.htm
The bars it slides in are called crosshead guides.
There are single crosshead guides, and double crosshead guides.
tac
Cool website Terry. You guys have been busy! Must be an amazing feeling to finally steam one after so many years and hours of labor.
Jon Radder said:It was worth EVERY minute of hard work.
Cool website Terry. You guys have been busy! Must be an amazing feeling to finally steam one after so many years and hours of labor.
Glad you enjoyed the site. Now you can see what goes into the near total restoration of an old loco. One of the shop foremen noted the hours worked by all the volunteers over the years [part of the health & safety at work process] and figured out that if each volunteer had been paid just $5 an hour equivalent, then the loco would have cost out at almost $2Million.
BTW - HERE is a good site to see how valve gear works - note that the example shown has a double gude-bar set for the crosshead…
http://home.roadrunner.com/~trumpetb/loco/rodsr.html
tac
Steve Conkle said:
Steve, Vic
Oh, its called the Guide Yoke!!! see you learn something new every day…
I really need to get that book!
Terry A de C Foley said:
THIS is a crosshead. Trust me, I build big live steam. http://www.gwr2807.fsnet.co.uk/galleryn.htm The bars it slides in are called crosshead guides. There are single crosshead guides, and double crosshead guides. tac www.ovgrs.org
(http://www.gwr2807.fsnet.co.uk/images/041204.jpg)
From tac’s link Thats a lovely loco BTW!
Terry A de C Foley said:
THIS is a crosshead. Trust me, I build big live steam.http://www.gwr2807.fsnet.co.uk/galleryn.htm
The bars it slides in are called crosshead guides.
There are single crosshead guides, and double crosshead guides.
tac
www.ovgrs.org
Terry,
The bars I slide in are just called bars.
Are you sure of this??? They have their own bars? What are they, separatists? Probably revolutionaries, too. :lol:
Thanks for the information. This has been a burr under my saddle for a long time.
SteveF