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Heisler Engine
The above sketch came from a reprint of a Heisler marketing booklet originally published in the 1920s. The following text accompanied the sketch. "The Heisler has a V-type engine on the center-line supported by the main frame, entirely independent of the boiler. One cylinder is on each side of the locomotive , and the connecting rods drive the central shaft direct. Engine cylinders, piston rods , connecting rods and valve gear are all very easy to get at, but are out of the way of obstructions alongside of or between tracks."
The photo above shows the right cylinder on Mount Rainier Scenic Railroad 91. This photo was taken on a crisp morning in late September 2004. The engine is of the late design with piston valves and a superheater which I've chosen to model.
Lennard Sihlis, a mechanical designer in Calgary, Alberta sent the above rendering of the engine he created using the 2D drawings of the individual parts on the website. He's interested in various forms of metal working which attracted him to the website. Maybe a locomotive will come out of his shop at the end of one of those long Canadian winters. Leonard also generated animations of the engine using the Ailbre Design software. These animations can be downloaded via the following links: Heisler Engine Animation I ( 1.7 MB) Heisler Engine Animation II (3 MB) The engine has been fabricated. The following videos show the operation on compressed air. Heisler Engine Slow operation (7 MB) Heisler Engine Fast operation (1 MB) The links below lead to additional reference, design and construction information. The drawing files are being update and should be available in a day or two.
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