Clack Valve sound

[crockhamtown]

There is no better sound than when a Railway Steam Engine is ticking over.

I understand that the noise emanates from the clack valve.

The cd entitled "Essential Sound Effects of Steam Engines" doesn't seem to have this sound.

Does anyone know where I can obtain a cd with a raiway steam engine ticking over?

[John H-T]

Welcome to the Forum Crockhamtown. Can't help you with the CD but look forward to your posts.

Best wishes,

John H-T.

[G6 UXU]

Hello and welcome to the forum, enjoy and all the best.

[DSY011]

Hello Crockhamtown and welcome to the Railway Forum. Sorry I don;t know of a CD with a raiway steam engine ticking over. Hope someone on the forum can help you.

[locojoe]

Welcome to the Forum Crockhamtown.

[Gandalf]

How does a steam loco 'tick over'when the wheels are driven directly by the pistons and cannot be disengaged with a clutch?
Maybe you are thinking of a Westinghouse steam air compressor huffing and puffing while the engine is stationary.
John (G)

[crockhamtown]

I can only say that when visiting the Engine House of the Severn Valley Railway I happened to mention the sound a steam engine makes when at a standstill, and someone said that it was the Clack Valve. Heads nodded at this explanation.

Whatever the cause, the sound is so evocative of railway steam engines that I would very much like to obtain a cd of this if there is one to purchase.
~~
Keith

[locojoe]

Originally Posted by crockhamtown

I can only say that when visiting the Engine House of the Severn Valley Railway I happened to mention the sound a steam engine makes when at a standstill, and someone said that it was the Clack Valve. Heads nodded at this explanation.

Whatever the cause, the sound is so evocative of railway steam engines that I would very much like to obtain a cd of this if there is one to purchase.
~~
Keith

Hello Keith To start we are talking about The Severn Valley Railway and I'll have to admit to having limited knowledge of Great Western engines. I worked on the LNER as a fireman and I'm a bit confused by what you mean when you say a Railway Steam Engine is ticking over.
The LNER engines as I remember did not tick over and clack valves were silent. A clack valve is part of the injector which could on occasion get stuck in the open position by scale from the boiler. This would allow steam through the overflow pipe making a hissing sound.
On some LNER engines as John G has said a Westinghouse steam air compressor or donkey as we called it would make a huffing and puffing while the engine is stationary. Perhaps we need someone who's clued up about GW engines to explain the ticking over sound you heard.

[remus]

I think when we were nights shed turning(not literaly!)setting the engines for the morning
shifts to come and prepare,as locojo will rember at Enfield there where usualy 12 or more
engines in steam but they where never silent, dispite the steam pressure being low they
would gurgle, tick,hiss,in fact as a young passed cleaner who had to keep the fires in and the water topped up, it could be very scarey,on your own dark and often the engines would be way out of the shed. Coal on another engine would drop onto the cab floor with a rattle or you would hear imaginery footsteps.A quick dash to the shanty to recover with a strong cup of tea to pluck up courage for the next trip round the engines.Rember most of us whereonly 14 or15 years old at the time, but those engines
certainly made noises.

[locojoe]

Yes Dave nights on the shed looking after engines in steam could be a bit scarey for a young passed cleaner. Plenty of card schools going with some lateshift men playing all night until about 6am.
Engines which had a clack up could be a nuisance when the boiler water level kept dropping which meant we had to keep topping it up. For those who don't know a clack up means scale from the boiler has stopped the injector clack valve closing properly and steam could escape from the overflow pipe. One remedy to cure a clack up was to belt the injector with a hammer to try and move the scale.
As you say Dave some engines made various noises but I never heard one tick over as Keith said he heard on The Severn Valley Railway. As I remember a week on nights meant a hefty pay packet in the early 1950s. Some weeks I earned about £10 which was more more than my Dad earned. In those days we were expected to contribute towards the household budget and a week on nights meant Mum got extra.