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by Dan Andrews of the Bitter Creek Western RR, Arroyo Grande, Ca
In 1986, Charlie Dockstader wrote the first version of software to simulate various types of valve gear. Since then, he has made continuous additions and improvements to add more types of valve gear and improve functionality and ease of use. He has generously made the software available by placing it in the public domain as freeware. For about three years Charlie made sure Vance Bass and I had the most recent version. I distributed it via the Alaska Live Steamers' web page and Vance distributed it via his Small Scale Live Steam Page.
Charlie now has his own web page from which DOS and Windows versions are available. They can be downloaded from Charlie's web page.
In working on my own projects I found a few of good sources of valve gear information. The following book, which I believe is still in print, was of considerable value when I designed the Walschaert valve gear on my new locomotive. It describes Stephenson and Walschaert gear in detail and includes short descriptions of several other designs. It also gives detailed instructions on laying out Walschaert gear:
Yoder, Jacob H. and George B. Wharen. Locomotive Valves and Valve Gears, Van Nostrand Co., New York (1921) (reprinted by Camden Miniature Steam Services , Somerset, England, 1993)
Some information on the Woolf valve gear is available in the reprinted "Case Steam Engine Manual" by J.I. Case Co., available from Linsay Publications, Inc.
The only detailed description of Western Rivers steamboat engines that I've seen is in the International Correspondence School text "The Elements of Marine Engineering," Volume II, dated 1900. It includes the fixed cutoff, California (or Cross) cutoff as used on the Delta Queen (both types are included in the software), and Rees cutoff as used on the Belle of Louisville and W.P. Snyder Jr. I'm willing to make a photocopy of the text for a nominal fee.
Dick Morris (rmorris@alaska.net).
Anchorage, Alaska
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