At first glance, a steam locomotive breaks the usual system: unlike car drivers, aircraft pilots, the driver does not have the widest possible view of the path, because his booth is not in front of the train, but only after boiler! Why? Let's figure it out.
A few years ago, a steam locomotive was just a museum exhibit, a monument near the old depot, which children perceived as an attraction. But today this newsreel hero has become an object of study not only for small passengers, but also for their parents.
The layout of locomotives, with rare exceptions, regardless of the country of origin, was similar. There was a steam boiler in front, then a driver's booth, and a tender was already attached to it (a special wagon with fuel, lubricants, a place to store inventory).
Such an arrangement of parts of the locomotive has nothing to do with the safety of passengers, and even more so of the crew.
It's all about the convenience of the workflow! The stoker or driver's assistant collected coal from the tender and sent it to the firebox, which is located in the locomotive booth. And then the scheme: coal burns - water boils - steam is released, which presses on the piston in the cylinder, which drives the wheels.>>>>Ideas for life | NOVATE.RU<<<<
The main disadvantage of this layout is the insufficient visibility of the path for the driver due to the long boiler. The driver had to lean out of the booth window to see anything.
The American brigades faced another problem: in long tunnels, they could suffocate due to the smoke that entered the cabin from the chimney. The solution was the construction of steam locomotives with booths in front (“cab forward”). Technique has upgraded its class, because. I was already running on liquid fuel. Such front cab locomotives could be found not only in America, but also in Italy.
As often happens in life, convenience is a matter of habit. And what at first glance seems irrational, has a very logical reason. And do not forget that man is an inventive creature.
Check out Novate. Ru with material on a similar topic: How trains turn: there are three ways.
Source: https://novate.ru/blogs/110322/62376/