G’day, Y’all,
Why did the tenders behind steam locomotives have chains which were linked to the trucks underneath the car?
Also, what colors did railroads paint the interior of cabooses?
Truck chains – so when the tender derails the trucks and the body might not part ways too far and tear out brake rigging, stoker or booster piping (if so equipped), etc. Diesel-electric locomotives are so equipped for the same reason (and to avoid, one hopes, ripping out the traction motor leads and tearing up the traction-motor blower ducts). Of course in a violent wreck the truck chains part like so much taffy, but at least in a small derailment they have a good chance of functioning as intended.
Caboose interiors. Railroads varied in their preferred color, and changed from one color to another at different times. Typical color choices were bathroom green, battleship gray, and institutional tan – the same colors used in diesel-electric locomotive cabs. Not very appealing.
S. Hadid
On diesels these are referred to as anti slewing devices. They can be chains or some sort of hook device to try to keep roughly the same direction as the carbody which keeps the locomotive or tender closer to the rails when a derailment happens. This simplifies rerailing if you can use rerail frogs or blocking after a low speed derailment. During a high speed derailment or an overturned locomotive all bets are off the the anti slewing devices are of little value.
Many steamers also had chains on the pilot trucks for the same reasons as 1435mm mentioned.
dd
ps - they work!