Locomotive Technology
A double Fairlie puts a chimney at each end of the locomotive
Recognise a double Fairlie by its central cab, two chimney ends and powered bogies, then use railway records to distinguish individual locomotives.
RAILWAYS · HISTORY · DISCOVERY
Follow the line. Find the story.
Explore railway history through maps, museum objects and the places that connect them, from Montana to rail networks around the world.
Explore a historical map →
Notes from the railway archive
Browse articles →
Locomotive Technology
A Shay locomotive sends power to its wheels through gears
Follow the shafts and bevel gears of a Shay locomotive to understand why its unusual layout suited demanding industrial and logging railway work.
Steam Locomotive Details
The Giesl ejector gave some steam locomotives a flattened chimney
A flattened chimney can reveal a chapter in a locomotive’s working life. Follow the Giesl ejector through dated photographs and railway records.
Steam Locomotive Details
A steam locomotive’s clack valve keeps boiler water from flowing back
The delivery clack is a small but important non-return valve in a steam locomotive’s water feed. Learn to distinguish its job from that of an injector.
Railway Engineering
Rail lubricators manage friction where wheel flanges meet a curve
Rail lubrication targets particular contact surfaces. Learn how gauge-face lubrication differs from top-of-rail friction management when reading railway equipment.
Railway Technology
A steam locomotive’s gauge glass made boiler water visible
A vertical glass in a steam locomotive’s cab made an otherwise hidden water level visible. Read the museum object as part of a safety-critical working system.