The Locomotive Of Today

The Framing, Wheels, etc. : Footplate, etc. 121 arranged to clear the cranks. This latter is shown of cast steel, but very frequently it is built up of plate, with double angles holding it to the frames at each end. Between this and the footplate is the space for the firebox. The footplate ,may be either built up, or be in the form of a cast iron box, made heavy in order to balance the weight of the engine. In some engines this box is made to form the compressed air reservoirs for the Westinghouse brake, thus saving the room which these require when built up of plates. It is in either case usual to make arrangements in this footplate for the attachment of the tender in various ways. In that illustrated, three bars with eyes at each end reach between engine and tender, and pins pass through the holes holding them securely together. The centre bar is the larger, and the side ones act as safeguards in case of breakage of it or its pins. Side chains are often used in place of the side bars. The tender has .short buffers which press against the plates shown on the back plate on each side of the central hole for drawbars. These are seen in the view of the back end shown at E. The outside frames, as seen in the plan and cross sections, are of angles, and are mainly for taking the footplating, .splashers, cab, etc., being supported at intervals by gusset stays from the main frames to prevent them from sagging or dropping. An angle iron is also fixed to the main frames to take the other edge of the footplating. In the plan the out- line of the footplate is drawn. The overall width of it depends upon the construction gauge, but in this country it may not •exceed g-ft., and is usually arranged about 4-ft. 2-in. above rail level. The buffer plate or beam is either as shown, of a single Steel plate, somewhat thicker than the main frames, or built up of two thinner plates, one on each side of a beam of oak, this being favoured by some makers to reduce the shock upon the frames when the buffers strike. The buffers are bolted to the plate at a distance apart of about 5-ft. 8-in., the clraw bar hook being passed through the centre of the plate and having a spring either of steel or indiarubber upon it inside. In front of the engine attached to the frames on each side or in some cases to the buffer plate, are guard irons, which reach down to about 3 inches above the top of the rails, to remove any obstruction from them that would, if left there, be liable to derail the engine. On some narrow gauge engines, and also on many old ones for the ordinary 4-ft. 8^-in. gauge, the inner frames do not extend the whole length of the engine, but only from the front buffer plate to the front of the firebox, to which they are