·  LMS  ·  GWR  ·  LNER  ·  Misc  ·  Stations  ·  What's New  ·  Video  ·  Guestbook  ·  About

LMS Route: Rugby to Wolverhampton
LMS Route: Rugby to Leamington
LMS Route: Rugby to Tamworth
LMS Route: Rugby to Leicester
LMS Route: Rugby to Market Harborough

Rugby Station: lnwrrm2529a

Close up showing the driver of No 45670 operating Rugby's vacuum powered 55 foot turntable

Close up of image 'lnwrrm2529' showing the driver of No 45670 operating Rugby's vacuum powered 55 foot turntable which has been built during the 1934 modernisation of the yard. The winding arm on the right could turn the table manually in case the vacuum operated equipment did not work. Because of their configuration of boiler to the front with cab and tender or bunker behind, steam locomotives needed a way to be turned so that the locomotive faced the direction of travel. Whilst it was possible for locomotives to run tender or bunker first, the locomotive was often limited as to the speed that they could attain. In addition, the wind created running backwards could make it very unpleasant for the crews with coal dust and rain being blown into their faces. Most turntables consisted of a circular pit in which the 'bridge' on which the locomotive stood rotated. The outer ends of the bridge were typically supported by a rail running around the floor of the pit, supplementing the central pivot. Because steam locomotives generally had vacuum operated brakes, it was quite common for turntables to be operated by vacuum motors worked from the locomotive's vacuum ejector or pump via a flexible hose or pipe although a few manually and electrically operated examples exist.

back