Westinghouse Pump Lubrication

[ebtfan]

Hello all. I recently mounted a Moe's operational Westinghouse Cross Compound pump to my PRR K-4. Between the Westinghouse and the electric pump in my tender I am running a straight air system on the loco and tender. I am asking for ideas or suggestions on the best way to lubricate this pump. A friend reported to me that he is going to run a manual pump in the cab to supply oil. If anyone has found a good hydrostatic oiler
they are running for their air pump I would like to know about it.

s

[Steam Engine Dan]

Hello all. I recently mounted a Moe's operational Westinghouse Cross Compound pump to my PRR K-4. Between the Westinghouse and the electric pump in my tender I am running a straight air system on the loco and tender. I am asking for ideas or suggestions on the best way to lubricate this pump. A friend reported to me that he is going to run a manual pump in the cab to supply oil. If anyone has found a good hydrostatic oiler
they are running for their air pump I would like to know about it.
IMG_2113.jpgs

from what ive seen. most air pumps had a nathan style lubricator hooked up next to them via on top of the running board or on a plate hanging off the running borad and with every pump stroke from the air pump would pump positive fluid from the lubricator into the air pump. even on chinese engines like the SY's and JS's it's the same way. strasburg 90 in PA has one, bel del 142 in NJ, Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad 8419 in iowa, Essex Valley 3025 in CT. i know ive seen more engines with the same system. so your best bet would just mount a nathan lubricator next to your moe pump and do it like that. just like the full size. older or primative locomotives before 1930 did rely on hydrostatic lubricators for air pump lubrication and then once you moved past 1930. modern locomotives would have anywhere from 2 maybe even 3 nathan type lubricators handling everything. depending on the engine, you might seem them say valve oil or engine oil on the lubricator box and im 99 percent certain the valve oil was used for the compressors. anyone that works or volunteers on full size engines can correct me if they want.

[Dick_Morris]

Nathan made a Type LB lubricator which used the pulsations from the output of the low pressure cylinder for power. It included two pumps, one for steam cylinder oil to the steam cylinders and one to lubricate the air cylinders. For Alaska Railroad #557 we acquired a Chinese knock off-of a DV-2 for the cross-compound compressor. I haven't seen a photo of how it will be actuated.

If one wanted to model either of these lubricators, Steamtown has an extensive collection of Nathan drawings and probably has drawings for the assembly and internal parts for the lubricators. I think someone has offered a DV-2 in model form in the past.

[Dan_M]

I made two Westinghouse Cross compound air pumps. The steam side is not compounded but the air side is. I use hydrostatic lubricators for the steam side using steam oil. I squirt some pneumatic oil in the air filter to lubricate the air side of the pump before each run. Both pumps have been working fine so I would have to say that what I am doing is working great for my application.

http://www.danslocoworks.com/Air_Compre ... ressor.htm

Dan

[Chris Hollands]

I have done the same thing as Dan .
This is a little difficult but it is a option and more suits compressors towards the front of an engine - Tom Miller had the common mechanical ratchet type pumps for lubrication but with a twist , he made little air operated cylinders to drive the pumps .
When the Westinghouse pump stroked the air pulse from the high pressure side of the pump operated the cylinder and drove the lever and ratchet to pump oil into the pump its self - positive oil feed every time and not that hard to do if you have a space .