LNWR Glossary

Glossary Results for prefix "cr"

Crampton, Thomas Russell (1816—1888)	Civil and locomotive engineer working in Britain for the GWR (early 1840s) with Gooch, and later the LNWR. His design trait was a large, single driving wheel behind the firebox, allowing for a low-slung boiler. After the LNWR, his designs were bought by French, German and Belgian Railways.
Crane Tank 0-4-2CT Locomotive Class	The last three of the 1892 batch of ‘4ft shunters’ were turned out a 0-4-2 crane tank, and except for the modifications required by the cranes, they were identical to the 0-4-0 saddle tanks. With the short jib they could lift four tons, while the longer jib could only lift three tons. Both size of jib continued in use into LMS days.
Crank Axle	The strongest axle is a straight rod. With Inside Cylinder engines, the power from the pistons is transferred to the wheels via cranks in the axle. This considerably weakens the axle.
Crank Pin	The pin fitted to the front of the driving wheels of all engines, except inside cylinder single wheelers, which was offset from the centre of the wheel and acted as a pivot for the coupling and connecting rods. This provided the means by which the outside cylinders drove the wheels and by which non-driven wheels were coupled to driven ones.
Cranks	A ‘U’ shaped bend in an axle to change reciprocating movement (i.e. of piston) into rotational movement (i.e. of wheels).
‘Crested Goods’ Locomotive Class	Nickname for 18in Goods (aka Cauliflower).
Crewe 2-4-0 Goods Locomotive Class	A 2-4-0 version of the Crewe Type intended for goods work.
Crewe Type 2-2-2 Locomotive Class	The essential feature of the ‘Crewe Type’ engine was the combination of outside cylinders and double frames to overcome the problem of snapped crank-axles with inside cylinders. Built as 2-2-2 for passenger and 2-4-0 for goods purposes
Crewe Works	Started in 1840 under Joseph Locke. At its peak employed 7,000 to 8,000 men and boys. The Works in its time made and repaired not only locomotives, carriages and wagons, but also rails, chairs, keys, points and crossings, signalling equipment, plate layers huts etc etc.
Cromford & High Peak Railway (CHPR)	Incorporated 1825. Opened 1831. Leased to the LNWR by Act of 1862 and vested in it 1887.
Cross Head	The cross head guides the piston rod in and out of the cylinder by sliding between the slide bars and is fixed to the small end of the connecting rod — part of the mechanism that converts reciprocal movement (i.e. of piston) into rotational movement (i.e. of wheels)
Crossing Keeper	Some level crossings to which the public had access were not block posts, and hence were not under the control of a signalman. Crossing keepers were employed at these places to work the gates as directed by the signalmen on either side by means of indicating instruments. Home and distant signals were usually provided to give added protection. Crossing keepers were often disabled or superannuated staff, or their widows, and they were usually allowed to live rent free in an adjacent cottage in exchange for operating the gates. Many manned crossings were replaced by automatic barriers from the 1950s onwards.
Crossing Keeper’s Cottage	A small cottage, usually a bungalow, provided adjacent to a manned level crossing for the use of the resident crossing keeper. These cottages were sometimes known as “lodges”.
Crossover	A pair of rails leading from one line to another to allow movements between the up and down lines or, on 4-track layout, between slow and fast lines.
Crown Street, Liverpool	At its opening the Liverpool and Manchester Railway ran from Crown Street, Liverpool to Liverpool Road, Manchester. Carriages were worked between Crown Street and Edge Hill by stationary engines; the station was relegated to a repair shop and mineral depot when Lime Street (also worked by stationary engines) was brought into use in 1836.
Curzon Street	The original Birmingham terminus of the Grand Junction Railway, from the opening of the line on 4^th July 1837; also the Birmingham terminus of the London and Birmingham Railway from the opening of the final section of the line on 17^th September 1838. The station was the terminus for both lines and was replaced by New Street on 1^st June 1854 which, as a through station, allowed trains from London to the north (and vice versa) to proceed without reversing.
Cut-Off (1)	Usually quoted as a percentage, this is the point in a piston stroke at which the supply of steam to the cylinder is cut off by the closing of the valves. Maximum cut-off (typically 75%) is used for starting a train and is reduced as the train accelerates and less effort is required. The amount of cut-off used is controlled by the driver via the screw reverser or the reversing lever in later designs. This process is also referred to as ‘notching up’.
Cut-Off (2)	A railway line built to shorten an important route or to avoid particularly busy lines or junctions. LNWR examples were: the Trent Valley line, from Rugby to Stafford, avoiding Birmingham; the Winwick cut-off (1861), which allowed trains between Warrington and the north to avoid the L&M line and Earlestown and Parkside junctions; and the Runcorn line (1869), from Weaver Junction (near Hartford) to Ditton Junction (Widnes), more direct from Crewe to Liverpool than the route via Earlestown.
Cylinder	A hollow cylindrical-shaped device in which the power of a reciprocating engine is developed. In the case of a steam engine, it is here that the power of the steam is converted to mechanical motion.
Cylinder Cock	See Drain Cock
Cylinder Block	The piston and valve cylinders on one side of a locomotive are often cast in one piece, incorporating necessary steam ways. The Cylinder bores are then reamed out to the required size.