Where were track pans located on the water level route for Steam.

Hi
My topic I think says it all,, where were Track pans for Water located on the Water Level route for Steam... where were the locations from New York to Chicago, during the days of Steam.. thank you Pat.

Pat, if you search the thread Track Pans East of Rochester on this site, you'll have a good start on your quest.

I couldn't ind the "Track pans east of Rochester" string just now -- likely my soppy searching -- but the second or third post in the string
track-pans-in-winter-t153830.html
gives four locations for pans between, I think, Buffalo and Cleveland.

Search Track Pans in the NYC forum. The list was posted by DJ Paige on the thread Track pans east of Rochester on September 20, 2010, citing the authoritative A Railroad Atlas of the United States in 1946 by the late Dick Carpenter.

It's there.

R Paul Carey wrote: ↑Mon Aug 26, 2024 7:18 am Search Track Pans in the NYC forum. The list was posted by DJ Paige on the thread Track pans east of Rochester on September 20, 2010, citing the authoritative A Railroad Atlas of the United States in 1946 by the late Dick Carpenter.

It's there.

Or maybe some helpful soul will just provide you with the link. post852147.html#p852147

("Advanced search" function is a very helpful thing to know how to use. I say that not as a dig at OP, but as a reminder to all that we have a wealth of information on the back pages here, it just takes a bit of digging to find it)

R.Paul Carey and BR&P-- Thank you! My search was obviously not very careful...
A lot of the names on the list were unfamiliar to me, but the length of the list was helpful in itself. I assume that only the main line would have had track pans, and the Harmon to the Pennsylvania border run is about 450 miles. So, with ten or eleven locations: the New York Central had track pans every 40 or so miles on the main line. Which has something to do with why NYCRR steam locomotive tenders had smaller water compartments (and proportionately larger coal bunkers) than those on other railroads.
I take it that an engineer and fireman who thought they had plenty of water left in the tank could choose to skip a track pan. Does anybody have an estimate of what proportion of the pans passed would actually be scooped from on a typical run?
---
On a less serious note, scooping water isn't really an option on a Lionel-style three-rail electric model, but the latest Lionel streamlined Hudson has, as an option, an extra smoke generator in the tender, to simulate the spray from water-scooping!

AllenPHazen wrote:On a less serious note, scooping water isn't really an option on a Lionel-style three-rail electric model, but the latest Lionel streamlined Hudson has, as an option, an extra smoke generator in the tender, to simulate the spray from water-scooping!

I'm far too old to be into video games, but I wonder if/when they will have a simulation of a steam engine like they do for diesels. Be the fireman, or be the engineer, and have to attend to all the various duties thereof. If you don't raise the scoop in time, there's hell to pay!

I do recall an account of an interesting track pan-related delay.

For whatever cause, a carload of potatoes sustained a breach sufficient to "leak" significantly into the pan, discovered by the next train taking water. I was told an engine exchange was required at the first available point.

FWIW, keep in mind that, it was not uncommon that the most outrageous delay explanations would be offered by the guilty in the hope that closer scrutiny might be dismissed!

I recall hearing that a large turtle found its was into a track pan, was scooped up, and then intermittently blocked the water from going to the loco. It's almost too bizarre to be a tall tale - almost.

I'm sure several very thick books could be written about ways that things were covered up. I recall talking to an old BR&P/B&O man about a wreck near East Salamanca which I read about in some old paperwork. He chuckled. "Oh yeah, that's how they turned it in. What REALLY happened was....." Sadly, I don't remember the rest of the conversation with "the rest of the story".

BR&P wrote: ↑Thu Aug 29, 2024 7:00 am I'm far too old to be into video games, but I wonder if/when they will have a simulation of a steam engine like they do for diesels. Be the fireman, or be the engineer, and have to attend to all the various duties thereof. If you don't raise the scoop in time, there's hell to pay!

It already exists, at least in part--- OpenRails.org has continued to build on what used to be Microsoft Train Simulator, and steam engine firing has been part of the game for 23 years. Over on Trainsim.com there are around a couple thousand steam locomotive models, ranging from a saddletank switcher up to Mallets and Big Boys....

All free, including the game itself.

We even have track pans modeled as part of OpenRails. There's no penalty for not raising the scoop, but it does replenish the water level if you do drop it.

I've seen diesel simulators which are just like being in a cab, but making a realistic backhead etc would be a bit more challenging.