The Steam Locomotive Energy Story

Walter Simpson’s The Steam Locomotive Energy Story is a steam railfan book you wish you had years ago.

Between two glossy hardcover ends are 144 pages of facts, photos, and explanations of how steam locomotives work. With occasional math formulas and helpful details otherwise scattered among engineering reports, physics books, and historic mechanical shop records, the author offers readers the essential, WHY a steam locomotive works the way it does.

Reproduced builders photos and seldom-published views of boilers in construction take on new importance in this light as the author points out details on lagging practices, cylinder size, steam pipe shapes, superheaters, smokeboxes, rivets, brick arches and more.

For sleek lines and glamour images, check out the 21-page photo-only section near the book’s end. Until then the author makes use of railroad photography to suss out the bones, sinews, and muscles of steam locomotives.

This volume is sure to start a conversation wherever it is read.