Does anyone know about the equipment used for sanding a steam locomotive using bags of dry sand instead of the usual sand drying house. No speculation please. Thanks.
Throughout the history of use of steam locos by various RRs, there were some differences. So, a road name and time period would help to be precise.
The UP has used the diesel sanders of today to do their heritage steamers.
Richard
If dry sand were available in bags (I doubt that it would have been in the steam era) I can see no need for any special equipment other than someone capable of lugging the bags up to where they could be emptied into the sandbox.
A small, manually-operated jib crane like the one offered by TICHY (Part #8007) would be useful.
Sorry if that sounds like speculation, but I couldn’t find much info on moisture-proof packaging that would be applicable to a commodity like sand in that time frame.
Wayne
Manual sanding was pretty much limited to short lines from my recollection. Hauling a bag on sand to the top of an engine would be difficult at best. I have never seen a picture of that but I have seen people using a bucket to load sand which seems more logical to me. Climb on the engine. Have someone fill the bucket, haul it up by rope. Return the bucket for more if needed. Much safer and easier IMHO.
Small short lines and industries that had small 0-4-0T and 0-6-0s would used bagged sand.It was cheaper then building a full blown engine service area.
At the Hannkison, ND (Soo Line) roundhouse they used an old wringer type washing machine hoisted up over the locomotives by a block and tackle rig. They would load the machine with about two or three bags of sand, hoist it up, run engine under it, lower the ex water discharge hose in the sandbox filler hatch and fill.
No, I don’t have a picture.
Dick Haave