fontaine steam engine

ortegus · Post by **ortegus** » Wed Jul 31, 2002 7:38 pm

I have a fontaine steam engine and it is a strange looking beast. Its about the size of a General 4-4-0. It has the main drive wheel (driven by the pistons) up alongside of the engine and then this wheel drives the main wheels of the train by friction. So the drive wheel sits above the main wheels of the engine.

What would be the purpose of this if any?

I would think the drive wheel on top would slip quite a abit since there is little or no tractive effort transferred to the main wheels of the engine. I can't this as being very useful for hauling anything more than 3 cars.

bjdick · Post by **bjdick** » Wed Jul 31, 2002 9:14 pm

How about a picture?The steam engine is,in effect running backwards,relative to the wheels?A bit like some traction engines,road rollers,except they are gear driven.This reversal principle is to keep the crosshead guide reaction forces,acting downwards,onto boiler shell\mainframe,when machine is travelling forwards.(its natural running condition)
If a model,perhaps too complicated,or costly to provide gearing.Mamod uses simple belt instead of gears.Only geared loco is Hornby Rocket steamer,I have one.Any other scale models usually conventional,direct crank drive.

numnutz · Post by **numnutz** » Wed Jul 31, 2002 9:44 pm

Here is a page about unusual steam locomotives from all over the world.

http://www.dself.demon.co.uk/locoloco/locoloco.htm

The Fontaine is listed with a photo - according to the text it was a pile of cr*p

bjdick · Post by **bjdick** » Wed Jul 31, 2002 11:18 pm

Thats a great link numnutz.Had a look at Kitson Still engine,and saw the link to the Scott Still marine engine.
What a . that was!You got water in the crankcase oil,and oil in the boiler!
They tried a different version as well,instead of diesel top of piston,steam on bottom.Conventional diesel cylinders,at front end of crankshaft,and two steam cylinders at rear end,powered by exhaust gas boiler.Wasn't much better I may add.
Only advantage,as a marine engineer,was that you could get qualifying sea time for both Steam and Motor Certificates simultaneously.
Blue Funnel was an engineers company,plenty of these types of innovations.some good,others a bit wierd,like above.But all in the quest of higher fuel\Thermal efficiency.Especially if on a run from Glasgow to Singapore,32days,non stop.

ortegus · Post by **ortegus** » Thu Aug 01, 2002 6:38 am

Thanks for the link on the fontaine. Its an interesting design even though totally useless (its useless in MSTS too).