How A Steam Engine Works

Steam locomotives are complex. This video is my best attempt at explaining even the more obscure parts of their design.
If you are feeling generous:
/ worldsinmotion
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📺 Chapters:
0:00 - Intro
0:26 - Tender
0:49 - Boiler
1:32 - Pistons & Linkage
3:36 - Pipes & Misc
4:57 - Whyte Notation
5:19 - Outro
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🖥️ Links to my gear: (I get a commission from Amazon if used)
CPU: amzn.to/43hTIkF
GPU: amzn.to/3PnZMlS
RAM: amzn.to/3TB07Ea
Mic: amzn.to/3PnW5ww
Audio Interface: amzn.to/3x6yQk7
Headphones: amzn.to/4cgPTjM
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📃Sources & Further Reading:
www.steamlocomotive.info/vloc...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steam_l...
www.rgusrail.com/okatsf2522.html
www.railroadingonline.com/rail...
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🎵 Music used:
Riding Into The Sun - Telecasted
Jane Street - TrackTribe
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For business inquiries: [e-mail]

[@johnwood551]

When I was a kid (I’m 70) I used to love visiting my Grandparents in Wayne ,Nebraska. I’d have my bedroom windows open as there was no A/C . And at night I’d hear the steam whistles from way off as they got closer or farther away . Such a wonderful but lonesome sound. Thanks for your video.

[@jessicaandtrains7768]

What a fantastic memory. I took my 5 year old daughter to see a steam engine on a heritage railway today. She loved it. We've ridden on it before. It's fantastic because at times in summer I can hear a distant steam engine going off into the distance and the whistle being used.

[@tanker1425]

I wish i could experience that! Only in my fantasy and i still feel so cozy!

[@FuelFire]

As a foamer myself, knowing how a steam locomotive works, I have to say this video is very nicely and well done.

[@JonBergacs]

I tried building a steam engine. Valve timing was an issue I had a rough time with.

[@erikschiller7210]

I’ve heard the term foamer tons recently, what’s it mean?

[@strilight]

@@erikschiller7210 A term used by railroad employees and sometimes other railfans to describe people who foam at the mouth at trains. Rabid railfans. Train weebs. People with such high passion for everything railroad that they becomes obnoxious to everyone around them.

[@Teh_moai]

I'm not a foamer. I just like trains

[@HorizonOfHope]

As a steam locomotive myself, I have to agree.

[@jeffreyyoung4104]

I learned two things! First is the super heated steam pipe placement, and the second was the sand storage! Great video!

[@ernesthill4017]

Me too 😊

[@BPantherPink]

Me too 😊

[@_bowlofsoup]

these videos are so high quality. cant wait until they get more popular and you get the recognition you deserve

[@johanneshartman4618]

Jesus said, “No one can enter the Kingdom of God (God's family) unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but spirit gives birth to Spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, You must be born again” (John 3:5-7). what does this mean? Well you have to believe with your whole heart that JESUS died for your sins and after 3 days and nighrs GOD raised HIM from the death, so you can be baptized and after being baptised ask GOD for the HOLY SPIRIT . WHO will guide you trough life!❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@LanaaAmor]

​@@johanneshartman4618Jesus said, may allah guide you to the right path alhamdulillah 🤲🏻

[@johanneshartman4618]

@@LanaaAmor lie from satan

[@BPantherPink]

​@@LanaaAmor 😂😂😂😂🤦

[@LanaaAmor]

@@johanneshartman4618 cope

[@ichbinein123]

This is so high quality. 800 views on something this great is an atrocity. Would have loved to see some details on the boiler though. That part has always puzzled me.

[@bahoonies]

The boiler is a mystery to me too. I'd love to know more about it too. By the way, it's 9 days since you commented and views are up from 800 to 14965 which is more like it.

[@ichbinein123]

@@bahoonies oh wow! Thanks for the update. Guess the youtube algorithm that helped me find this channel is doing its job :) No word from the author about a potential boiler deep-dive though >_

[@mrwdpkr5851]

Drachinafel has an excellent video on Naval boilers .

[@leonardnorling3769]

Well look at it now, just a month later and 326000 views.

[@akmalhaydarov9297]

​@@mrwdpkr5851 доброго времени суток ссылку можно

[@frequentlycynical642]

I learned a lot. Thanks. Correction: Coal was the dominant fuel for almost the entire history of the steam locomotive, not oil. Engines were getting converted to oil as they were fading out, being replaced by the diesel electric locomotives.

[@ironmartysharpe8293]

I'm not sure on this one but when the steam engine came out , Didn't they use wood for fuel first and then went to coal ?

[@frequentlycynical642]

@@ironmartysharpe8293 Sure. Coal wasn't mined much in the very early 19th century.

[@Stripedbottom]

@@frequentlycynical642 Wood was also used in places where it was more readily available and cheaper than coal, such as Russia and the Nordic countries. But even in those places coal was preferred if available, as it carries more energy per volume and also produces less ash and sparks, reducing the risk of forest fires caused by steam engines.

[@trainliker100]

In the U.S., after the early days of predominantly wood, the fuel of choice tended to be what was most available and cost effective regionally. Generally (very generally), this meant coal in the east and oil in the west.

[@togowack]

There are pictures of locomotives wrecked on Mars. The Freemasons spliced us in, we didn't design any of it, and we will end up going back to the old ways (our space age ancestors had better knowledge than us)

[@ashleyhamman]

That piston demonstration is way better than any other that I've seen. Most diagrams just don't describe the steam flow so well.

[@ThePaulv12]

Nor does this one. It completely omits the path of superheated steam and fails to explain its advantages.

[@johanneshartman4618]

Jesus said, “No one can enter the Kingdom of God (God's family) unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but spirit gives birth to Spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, You must be born again” (John 3:5-7). what does this mean? Well you have to believe with your whole heart that JESUS died for your sins and after 3 days and nighrs GOD raised HIM from the death, so you can be baptized and after being baptised ask GOD for the HOLY SPIRIT . WHO will guide you trough life!❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@ashleyhamman]

@@johanneshartman4618 None of us are here to be lectured by evangelical zealotry.

[@johanneshartman4618]

@@ashleyhamman so youre not?

[@bt4670]

@@johanneshartman4618 Praise Jesus, our Lord.

[@Wayrail]

what a fun video! i've always been a fan of steam trains but never knew quite exactly how they worked, this video covered my thoughts regarding the design of these locomotives. it's also fun to mention how steam locomotives use all the major elements of nature to run (fire, water, air for steam, and coal/oil for earth!)

[@flyingsquirrell6953]

It’s honestly surprising how simple the system is, very fascinating.

[@rogerletsom2127]

This is one of the best animations I've seen. The detail is really remarkable!

[@sumanthm629]

After watching many videos on the working of steam locomotives, this video gave me deeper insights into its functioning. Thanks for making it insightful.

[@randomv3iwer]

Holy steam god I never thought it was this complicated What a marvel of engineering

[@johnlovett8341]

Nice. Your cutaway of the end of superheater flues cleared up a lot for me. Small fire tubes, out of contact w the water, within a big fire tube. The combo of big tube's low surface area for their volume, and the fact that the inner tubes are not in contact w the boiler water, means the air has tons of have tons of heat as it enters the superheater.

[@domecrack]

This is such a good concept for a channel, amd so nicely executed

[@ellobo1326]

Excellent video. It makes one realize how much incredible engineering went into such a “primitive” locomotive.

[@catbazooka7737]

INCREDIBLE!!! i have a strong feeling this channel is going to be VERY big soon, and you deserve it! bravo for the amazing videos!!!

[@leander_1_]

I share this feeling! The animations and narration are just FAR too good! My respects!

[@smolscale]

Only if he can speak clearer English…

[@ccrpalex2456]

To me the most insane/amazing part of this whole video, is that someone actually designed and created this beautiful peace of machinery.

[@indiscriminaterailfan]

This is by far the best video I have found explaining how steam locomotives work. 10/10

[@railmastergaming]

beautiful animations and very well explained!

[@rexmyers991]

Very good graphics and an excellent narration/explanation. Well done, Sir.

[@SisterSunny]

wow, this video is absolutely amazing and extremely informative. I finally think I kinda grasp steam locomotives now!

[@user-fe5dv4rs9x]

Very good graphics and an excellent narration/explanation. Well done, Sir.. beautiful animations and very well explained!.

[@ivankremenetskiy6753]

your channel is a hidden gem, dude. I love it.

[@noeldoyle4501]

Thanks, this is very nice to watch and explains things really well.

[@Driver0378]

The engineering that went into the design and building of these beasts has always amazed me. We have 3 of them at our local museum and they are massive! The info board on one said it could do 160kmh!!! You think of how fast steam and pistons are moving at that speed. 😳

[@kjell-jorvikyvind5205]

Thank you for this video. I enjoyed it very much. Not only was it clear, I really learnt something. Very very fascinating, well explained and engaging.

[@olavschioett4101]

Great vid, also those are some nice renders! Especially the flower at the intro ❤

[@benderandownz]

My granpda owned a 16 inch guage Hudson Steam Locomotive. I loved that thing and Ive always windered what a breakdown would look like!

[@neilreid2298]

Well done! I learned from this vid. Always thought steam locomotives were magnificent machines. Thanks for the vid- this clearly took a lot of work.

[@nthgth]

Always wondered about this! Turns out it's actually a "1-cycle" engine, so cool. Thanks for the video

[@loco4locos142]

Great video, I am a newer foamer, and I learned some new things, and this video refined how I explain steam locos to non-railers lol

[@sirbarongaming2138]

Dude, you did an amazing job on this video Being a steam freak, this is always a good watch

[@cmv2xxx]

This is a great video. I learned a lot from it. Thanks for doing this!

[@titan8976]

best explained and animated video, well done :D

[@Aussiesnrg]

Thank you for the explanation! I had a basic understanding, but this clarified a lot. New subscriber 😉

[@dgronzega8073]

Thank you. Well done. After a recent visit th the RR Museum in Sacramento, CA , I was curious on the mechanics of operation. Good explanation. 2024

[@waynetaylor8082]

VERY INFORMATIVE, GREATLY ENJOYED! THANK YOU 👍

[@FerrousEquusEng]

This is a great and simple introduction to stream locomotive principles. Great job!

[@kiwidiesel]

That got me all steamed up, well done.

[@Nethanel773]

Thanks for putting this up.

[@100sons]

really nice presentation, good job with the 3D stuff ;)

[@Shuffler703]

This is an excellent video on the subject!! Well done/

[@meerayft824]

mark my words.. this channel gonna blow up hard soon

[@ashleymarie7452]

Very nicely done!

[@weird1012]

Pretty good animation, and good to learn the basics. If you wanna learn more complex stuff, not so much

[@emanuelbalbin1539]

Even Though I'm just a Nerd, I'm gonna point out some things you missed: 1: About The Airbrakes, Pressure Releases it rather than Bite 2:The Steam powered bell does not really move the whole bell, It only moves the Clapper 3: You Missed on How the Injector Works is a steam pump that sucks Water to the Boiler(It's kinda hard to explain without a visual aid) 4:Please A More Chimney Boy Whistle :)

[@jacobwoods8738]

Some bells had the entire yoke swing, called a piston ringer. This was standard from 1906 until the 1940s. It was only later that the clapper ringers became common. There are also several different types of injectors, but all use a fairly similar principle of creating a vacuum and water rushing into fill said vacuum, simply some require steam to lift the water, whilst others use gravity.

[@pmsteamrailroading]

That is not quite true. The air in each car does the real work. Reducing air in the train line activates the system. Also locomotives have a separate system than the train brakes. It is always direct air.

[@chasekostiuk4263]

Well the bell wouldn't have been activated by steam anyways. It would have been air, or a pull cord. And yes they had two types one that made the entire bell swing or just a clapper.

[@ArunKumar-is9zf]

Great video and great explanation. 👏👏👏

[@tobiasgertz7800]

This was wonderful. Thank you.

[@truthsayers8725]

amazing animation! thanks

[@akioasakura3624]

Best video I’ve seen about how a steam train works and this isn’t even a train channel

[@laggindragon7166]

Watched 1 video of the "Big Boy" push a diesel engine up a hill and get recommended this..... I'm not disappointed

[@vikj1255]

Perfect explanation.

[@white_mage]

finally some useful content in the era of garbage media

[@rods6405]

This is well done thankyou

[@wimpretorius1683]

Very interesting to see how the locomotive works

[@venkatakrishna1811]

Good information, thanks.

[@pasitotuntun4987]

😮 Fantástico vídeo. ¡GRACIAS! ❤

[@robadams5799]

The graphics are really good. Now all I need is a narrator with a nice, smooth American accent.

[@captainchaos3667]

As far as I'm concerned the steam locomotive was the esthetic peak of industrial engineering.

[@user-nl9ib4dk8i]

There is one preserved railway here in Australia I love and that's the Puffing Billy railway. I've also gotten into the Wilesco brand of steam toys that run on fuel tablets. Another thing that my partner and I like doing is going to any steam rallies So to me steam power is not outdated Love the video ❤

[@RAIRAILFAN]

Well information ❤❤

[@grantleypotts8046]

Excellent thoroughly informative. 👍

[@PaulStClair-or3gj]

Modern CGI and old fashioned steam power...... intriuging combination. A good, well made video.

[@luckyfanisaac2638]

Very interesting to talk about to talk about the other components. I would like to see someone do a video of a tank engine without steam cylinders on the side.

[@1309westernmaryland]

The fact that you used a ATSF engine and got it right, well done!

[@fantasy_foexig1116]

amazing content you will make it far

[@pablol.n.1252]

Very good edit👍

[@user-sw1si3ou7s]

When from one video I learned more about steam locomotives than I knew before from other sources.

[@giuliopedrali4794]

Wonderful video

[@PatsiicK]

1am and I have work in 6 hours. Good thing I’m learning about this instead of sleeping

[@keithrussellberondo760]

Interesting video!

[@bwhog]

I love steam engines! They are indeed marvelous pieces of engineering and cold starting a more modern engine is quite a time consuming process, in part because steam literally drives everything on that engine and there are a ton of valves and so on that have to be opened and closed in a particular order to do a proper startup. The one thing that railroads could have benefited from, which was never done because it was decided that it would be difficult to integrate, is multi-stage pistons. Here, we have an illustration of a typical two-stroke piston. Once the steam is used, it is exhausted or recirculated through a condenser (rarely) prior to being returned to the tank. The steam that is exhausted still has a good deal of energy in it. By increasing the surface area of a successive piston and reducing the stroke length, you can still take advantage of that extra energy to operate a second, third, or even a fourth stage before reclaiming the water. Multi-stage steam engines (not locomotives, just general engines) are fascinating and significantly increase the engine efficiency, although the efficiency and power of any steam engine is still far below that of an internal combustion engine, which is why they aren't around anymore. However, one thing steam engines have in SPADES is torque which made the ideal for certain categories of devices.

[@simonnachreiner8380]

Great video and very informative. Something I do feel was slightly glossed over is the importance of the water valves that control the introduction of water into the boiler. Too much water and the fuel to steam conversion rate becomes suboptimal. However this pales in comparison to not enough water which is when steam engines tend to fail catastrophically. It wasn’t just the higher efficiency of DE-Engines that put the steam engine on the shelf, the higher safety Standard also contributed massively.

[@zachboyd4749]

Let that whistle go loud and long! Let the world know that steamers are here to stay!

[@MBkufel]

I need a source on that oil thingy. Always thought that most were coal fired

[@sickofit1574]

Yeah I have to say I've never even heard of an oil powered stream locomotive. All footage of steam trains I have seen online and even ones I have seen irl have all been coal powered, with one of the engineers needing to shovel coal into the furnace constantly.

[@qwertycoupe]

Theres info on google, i too have just learned something new today mind blown. I thought they all used coal too

[@emanuelbalbin1539]

Some Engines, Actually Use Oil or Even in the Southwest USA they use literal logs or firewood

[@davidaugustofc2574]

You're right most used coal since it was much better than firewood and largely available in Europe, but then Oil came and for a brief moment of time it was cheaper to convert and still use them.

[@jacobwoods8738]

Most were wood prior to 1880, a few logging lines in the Pacific Northwest and in the Deep South remained with wood into the 1930s. Coal came about in the 1880s (some roads adopted it even earlier, such as Union Pacific). Oil appeared on SOME roads as early as the 1900s, mainly western roads such as the Southern Pacific, ATSF (post 1920s), Northern Pacific, etc. Some eastern roads burnt oil (most were coal) to comply with various ordinances or other reasons (such as the Florida East Coast Line post-1910). By that same manner, some Western roads burnt coal (such as the Denver & Rio Grande, later D&RGW post 1921).

[@markst.germain9286]

I loved Your Thomas intro.

[@shivaprasad6311]

Steam locomotives are always lovable 👌🏾❤

[@deansawich6250]

Thanks great video ❤❤❤

[@lawrieyoutube4375]

You missed a visual description of the blast pipe operating. Which makes the classic chuff chuff. The sudden release of used, but still under pressure steam, surging from the driving cylinder to the blast pipe where it mixes with the smoke and explodes up the smoke stack. To me, this surge of waste steam from the blast pipe up the smoke stack in synchrony with the drive rods is the very essence of a railway steam locomotive. The sound changes intimately with how hard the engine is working. Seeing this animated would have been awesome. This vented steam is used to create draft. It is also why steam locomotives use so much water as the used steam is lost and not re-condensed. Water replenishment stops are more frequent than coaling stops. Otherwise it is a great video. 🙂

[@matejbartacek6097]

How is the oil pumped into the firebox? Incredible video!

[@geoffreywilliams9324]

Steam locos are educational, magnificent and nostalgic . .

[@RickrollFoot]

your gonna blow up soon. i know.

[@AverageSealEnjoyer69]

I sure hope he does

[@therandomytchannel4318]

Our local steam train is a 2-8-0 ex Canadian Pacific locomotive it originally burned coal, but was switched to oil and runs tourist trains in our area with classic ex cpr coaches from the 1920s to the late 1940s, the diesel fuel backup locomotive is a Sw 1200

[@chahaktabachpan]

a very nice animation video

[@JaysonBicBoi]

So cool, never knew they used sand for better traction

[@markus4580]

In Vienna Museum of Science and Technology you can see such a cut in real, very impressive, everything in motion and explained several times a day

[@tawanpethnamon4831]

Easy to understand.

[@user-mj4yy3ze4h]

Amazing chanel, keep it up

[@CodeHK]

The opening eye catcher at 0:10 shows the flowers getting pushed in the wrong direction... It's like they get sucked into the oncoming train instead of getting dragged into the train's headwind.

[@Greatdome99]

One omission is the ejector connected to the bottom of the 'smoke stack.' As steam leaves the pistons it vents upward in the smokebox thru the stack. The ejector creates a suction in the smokebox that draws the firebox smoke thru the boiler. Without an ejector, there would be no flow thru the boiler.

[@valvegearstudios]

I thought I will make fun of this for not having the right terminology but I was sterilized to see this is 100% accurate

[@mohammadalauddin6411]

❤❤❤ So nice video. I love this video.

[@trainliker100]

When he mentions "The temperature and pressure inside the boiler is monitored at all times" the video is showing a sort of cylindrical device attached to the side of the boiler with a pipe going to it. It might be confused that this is a temperature or pressure sensor and it is not. It is a boiler check valve. This is where water is added to the boiler under pressure and this check valve allows water to flow in if the water pressure is high enough, but not let boiler water ever flow out the opposite direction..

[@johannjohann6523]

Steam is a rather unique and interesting thing, as we have used it for many different operations. Even today to generate electricity steam is used by either coal, natural gas or nuclear "pellets" to create the heat to create steam and use it to spin generators for making electricity. Even the ancient Greeks had steam engines.

[@darthjoshua6663]

I would argue that it actually isn’t outdated. For passenger transport it is. But so is diesel for that purpose. Steam trains are actually more powerful than diesel trains and are actually generally simpler in design and function. However, the problem is energy waste. Diesel engines are more fuel efficient. But steam engines also use cheaper fuel. You can go back and forth though.

[@denniswinkler3241]

Thank you 😊

[@121murcury5]

I like your 50's piano bar music. Pass me a 7 and 7!

[@Maks-vo3uo]

Please make a visualization of the Open-hearth furnace. I would love to see.

[@staywskz7831]

i knew this fact but its nice to give facts to people😊

[@johnaskwith5225]

An excellent explanation video of the workings of a steam locomotive, though spoilt by the piano music backing track.