TOUR AMERICA, 2019: TUCSON, ARIZONA – THE GRAND CANYON STATE

Places We Have Called Home In 2019

Home Is Where We Park It:   Tucson Metropolitan Ministries Family Services

Oct 29, 2019

Temperature 78 degrees

Fifth Project – Studio Apartment, Finished

Southern Arizona Transportation Museum

We did it!  We cleaned the yard of one house and painted a total of five apartments.  We also completed numerous other repairs to each apartment.  In addition we replaced one backboard on the basketball court and did other odds and ends around the TMM campus.  To say the least, it has been an exhausting week.  Yet, in the end it has also been a very fulfilling and rewarding week.  I would like to think that we, indeed, have made a difference in the lives of numerous individuals.

Barbara and I were also able to do some sightseeing during our time here in Tucson.  Tonight I want to share with your our trip to the Southern Arizona Transportation Museum.

Follow me now to the Earp and Holiday Statue.   For some reason I always believed that the shootout occurred in Tombstone.  Truth be known it actually took place here in Tucson.

Moving on we come to

As to how it was moved to this location, take a look

 

Here are the various parts of the locomotive.

See how many of the above you can find.  Do you see the pilot?  It’s also known as a cowcatcher, cattle catcher or cow plow and is the device mounted at the front to deflect objects on the track that might derail the train.

Now about that thing called a cylinder.  The cylinder is the power-producing element of the locomotive.  The cylinder is made pressure-tight with end covers and pistons; a valve distributes the steam to the ends of the cylinder which in turn powers the pistons which in turn drives the wheels.  Now how about that!

Do you see the smoke box?  It’s below the white stack below.  It’s where the steam from the cylinders and the smoke from the firebox come together to escape from the locomotive. through the smoke stack (which is in white in the picture below).

By the way you might be wondering what is a sand dome?  Steam engines used high-grade silica sand for traction on the rails. Sand was stored in a dome (front black dome in the picture below) on top of the engine and, as the train traveled the tracks, the sand would be sprinkled down pipes to land on the tracks in front of the wheels. This would aid the wheels in gripping the tracks, especially when the rails were wet.  Look close and you can see the pipe leading from the sand dome down along the engine to the driving wheels.

As for the steam dome. It is a vessel fitted to the top of the boiler of a steam locomotive. It contains the opening to the main steam pipe and its purpose is to allow this opening to be kept well above the water level in the boiler.  This arrangement acts as a simple steam separator (collector) and minimizes the risk that water will be carried over to the where it might cause a hydraulic lock.

Here is a diagram of how a steam locomotive actually works.

The engineer’s office.

Ever wonder what the engineer would see when either looking out the window in front of him, or when leaning out and looking forward?  Sort of like this

Here is the tender that holds the oil and water for the locomotive.

So that is Steam Locomotive 1673.  We have yet to visit the museum, but that’s for tomorrow.  Before we go, however, take a look at the miniature village displayed along the tracks beneath the locomotive.

Our day on The Road of Retirement has come to an end.  We have some chilly nights ahead, down in the 40 degree range.  Nothing we can’t handle.  Just a bit unusual inasmuch as we have been used to nights in the 60 degree range.  Looks as if winter is settling in here in the Southwest.  Time to get some sleep, have a good night.

Thanks again for keeping up with us.  We appreciate your company and your comments.  Have a good night.

These are the voyages of  Graybeard and it’s two intrepid travelers.  Our continuing mission: to explore as many new states as possible, to seek out new acquaintances and make new friends, to boldly go where we have never been before

See you on down the road!