http://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/293/454

http://bulk.resource.org/courts.gov/c/US/293/293.US.454.221.html

A steam locomotive’s reversing gear, or ‘reverse gear’ as it was usually called, was the mechanism which controlled the position and movement of the locomotive valve gear and valves which admit steam in the cylinders, and was the method used to control the direction of movement of the locomotive. Two general classes of reverse gears were in use. First were manually operated reverse gears which depended upon the use of muscular force of the engineer and the force exerted by the counter-balancing weights and springs, for their operation. The second class were power reverse gears which with an auxiliary mechanism brought the force of compressed air into play, so that less muscular effort was normally required by the engineer to reverse the locomotive. The engineer operated either class of reversing gear by means of either a lever or hand wheel (used with screw type of gear) located near his seat-box in the locomotive cab.

With its ruling in 1933, the ICC determined that a reversing gear was a safety device, and therefore subject to the Boiler Inspection Act. The ruling was the result of a complaint by the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen, and alleged that, while power reverse gear is a suitable, safe, and practical device, manually operated reverse gear is inherently unsafe and unsuitable in principle and design, that it subjected employees and the traveling public to unnecessary peril, and that the use of locomotives equipped with hand reverse gears violated the Boiler Inspection Act.

The rule of the Boiler Inspection Act, known as Rule 157, defined reversing gear as follows: ‘Reversing gear, reverse levers, and quadrants shall be maintained in a safe and suitable condition for service. Reverse lever latch shall be so arranged that it can be easily disengaged, and provided with a spring which will keep it firmly seated in quadrant. Proper counter balance shall be provided for the valve gear.’

On January 7, 1935, the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed the order of the lower court. The lower court’s decision amended the rule of the Boiler Inspection Act to require the railroads to equip all steam locomotives built on or after April 1, 1933 ‘with a suitable type of power operated reverse gear.’ Similarly, the railroads were to equip, ‘the first time they are given repairs defined by the United States Railroad Administration as Class 3, or heavier,’ all steam locomotives then in road service ‘which weigh on driving wheels 150,000 pounds or more,’ and all then used in switching service ‘which weigh on driving wheels 130,000 pounds or more.’ The order required that all such steam locomotives be so equipped before January 1, 1937. The order also mandated that air operated reverse gear (including power gear already installed) would have a suitable steam connection, so that in case of air failure steam could be quickly used to operate the reverse gear.

This subject came up because a recently uncovered photograph of UP Shay no. 61 showing an unusual mechanical device on the fireman side of the locomotive. The result of the discussion was that this was a power reverse gear mounted on the fireman’s side running board ahead of the cab. It was operated by the engineer by levers and rods across the backhead, through the fireman’s cab wall, to the reverse gear. The reverse gear then actuated the cylinders on the opposite side of the locomotive by a combination of levers and rods that were installed under the cab floor. Yet to be answered is why UP no. 61 had the device, at 200,1000 pounds weight on drivers, but UP Shay no. 59 did not, with its 146,800 pounds weight on drivers. There are photos of both sides of no. 59 on its way to be scrapped in late 1948, and there is no similar mechanism visible. A simple explanation might be that no. 59 never received Class 3 repairs after the power reverse rule was mandated.

I have added a separate note for the subject.