Inside the Smokebox

摘要

I have recently heard several people asking questions about the front end of a locomotive. The front end or smokebox of the engine is an important part of how well that engine will perform, and with the following explanations I hope to provide a basic understanding and concept of the design criteria for the size of the blast nozzle and the choke point. There are several details that need to be understood before the blast nozzle and choke can be looked at. Over the years there have been several articles written about this subject, each highlighting the formulas needed to calculate the size and positions of said blast nozzle and choke point.