passenger train heating

[JOHN GRANT]

Can anyone direct me to an explanation of passenger coach heating in the steam hauled days? Many thanks for any help on this topic

[ianrail]

My memories of travelling in steam-heated Mk 1 carriages in the 1960s was that the diesel locomotive boiler produced steam which went through pipes in each carriage quite effectively heating the train. In compartment stock there was a big metal switch on the wall for turning the heating on or off (confusingly BR later put a second metal switch for electric heating in compartments for use when the train was hauled by a locomotive equipped for electric train heating and passengers tried both on a trial and error basis, but that's another story). Steam always leaked from joints in the steam heating pipes and my memories in winter were always of trains coming in with steam hissing out from these pipes. You may be interested in the attached photograph of a Peak class diesel locomotive at Sheffield station in 1971 with said steam escaping from it.

[Tony]

The coaches were connected to the engine by a steam pipe (about 2" diameter). This pipe fed into radiators situated under the seats. With so many leaks throughout the length of the train, it got slowly cooler as you moved away from the engine. Midwinter in the rear coach of a ten coach train could be somewhat chilly!

[avonside1563]

In steam days the steam heat supply was usually the responsibility of the fireman who had a valve and a pressure gauge. There were different pressures required for different numbers of coaches to try and make sure that the heat was getting to the rear of the train. I'm sure that there were times when the fireman was tempted to reduce the heating to compensate for a poor steaming loco as it can add quite a drain on the boiler if there are lots of leaks in the system to keep up with!
The radiators are usually under the seats or along the sides and from memory are usually a 2" diameter pipe with half inch supply into them with multiple fins to give plenty of surface area to radiate the heat out. In Mk1 compartment stock the control for the valve would be on the external side wall just above the top of the seat.

[HM181]

Nearly all big engines were fitted with steam heating boilers .
It was the secondmans duty to fire up the boiler and tend it through the journey.
The heat was passed through the train by special pipes which conducted the steam through the train.
These pipes could be isolated from handles on the headstocks of the coaches.
On the last coach of the train this isolating cock would have to be in the off position otherwise the steam would blow off to the atmosphere.
When splitting coaches off from a steam heated train, you isolated the steam pipes, and on these pipes was rubber valve which you pushed in to release the steam within the pipes you were splitting off.
This was done by finding a piece of wood to depress the valve in.
I have only coupled up the steam heating on one train and this was from Green Arrow into the NRM Support Coach at Scabrough.
When locos had he steam heat boiler removed they put a big slab of concrete in its place.