Mutual Improvement Classes are in order to pass on and preserve the skills of the parent topic. In true MIC tradition, these pages are designed to make this knowledge and information available to all. Wed, 22 Jul 2026 20:55:44 +0000 Wed, 22 Jul 2026 20:55:44 +0000 National Preservation https://www.national-preservation.com/forums/locomotive-m-i-c.42/ Wed, 07 Aug 2024 07:33:50 +0000 https://www.national-preservation.com/threads/starting-away-with-steam-loco.1423215/ https://www.national-preservation.com/threads/starting-away-with-steam-loco.1423215/ invalid@example.com (Gwd1g14) Gwd1g14
What is the general process when starting away with a steam loco? Full forward 75% cutoff and then feather the regulator for the first few valve cycles then shut drain cocks and alter reverser down to around 50%?

Obviously this will depend on light engine, gradient, class of loco, etc. but any general explanation much appreciated.

Cheers]]> 13 Thu, 01 Aug 2024 22:20:27 +0000 https://www.national-preservation.com/threads/double-heading-gwr-with-none-gwr-and-brakes.10615/ https://www.national-preservation.com/threads/double-heading-gwr-with-none-gwr-and-brakes.10615/ invalid@example.com (odc) odc
In FR practice at least the leading engine manages the brakes of a double header and the train engine dosen't run its ejector. If, when running like this, 2968 is controlling...

Double heading GWR with none GWR and brakes]]> 68 Thu, 18 Apr 2024 18:47:21 +0000 https://www.national-preservation.com/threads/air-brake-distributor-valves.1423746/ https://www.national-preservation.com/threads/air-brake-distributor-valves.1423746/ invalid@example.com (eldomtom2) eldomtom2 8 Fri, 28 Oct 2022 19:07:12 +0000 https://www.national-preservation.com/threads/tyre-turning.15874/ https://www.national-preservation.com/threads/tyre-turning.15874/ invalid@example.com (ADB968008) ADB968008 20 Tue, 04 Jan 2022 09:08:13 +0000 https://www.national-preservation.com/threads/competency-ex-cholsey-and-wallingford.1420553/ https://www.national-preservation.com/threads/competency-ex-cholsey-and-wallingford.1420553/ invalid@example.com (ruddingtonrsh56) ruddingtonrsh56 55 Sun, 17 Jan 2021 10:19:45 +0000 https://www.national-preservation.com/threads/the-supervision-and-administration-of-locomotive-repair-contracts.1419122/ https://www.national-preservation.com/threads/the-supervision-and-administration-of-locomotive-repair-contracts.1419122/ invalid@example.com (sleepermonster) sleepermonster
The Supervision and Administration of Locomotive Repair Contracts]]> Mon, 28 Dec 2020 11:07:02 +0000 https://www.national-preservation.com/threads/firing-technique-resources.1419051/ https://www.national-preservation.com/threads/firing-technique-resources.1419051/ invalid@example.com (Bill Drewett) Bill Drewett
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Craft-Fireman-Trevor-Matthews/dp/1857945670

Has anyone read it? Is it worth getting?

More broadly, are there any resources on firing (of coal-fired boilers, not the Alan Sugar kind) that you'd recommend?]]> Sun, 28 Jun 2020 20:39:21 +0000 https://www.national-preservation.com/threads/smokebox-door-replacement.1418261/ https://www.national-preservation.com/threads/smokebox-door-replacement.1418261/ invalid@example.com (brennan) brennan 2 Sun, 14 Jun 2020 13:44:20 +0000 https://www.national-preservation.com/threads/balancing-of-inside-cylinder-locomotives.1417801/ https://www.national-preservation.com/threads/balancing-of-inside-cylinder-locomotives.1417801/ invalid@example.com (Graham Phillips) Graham Phillips With an outside cylinder locomotive, the connecting rod big end is always concentric with the coupling rod bearing, so the balance weight is opposite.
I understand that with inside cylinders, there is no such restriction and the designer can put the big ends anywhere on the crankshaft/axle in relation to the coupling rods,...

Balancing of inside cylinder locomotives]]> 6 Sat, 25 Apr 2020 08:13:10 +0000 https://www.national-preservation.com/threads/warship-boiler-development.1417987/ https://www.national-preservation.com/threads/warship-boiler-development.1417987/ invalid@example.com (MG 7305) MG 7305


Best regards

Julian]]> 1