Hello John, thankyou for your question.


There could be up to four lights put on the front of an engine which were arranged in a pattern which told a signalman what the train was carrying.  Things like bananas and vegetables would go bad if held up so they were called express goods.  The royal train had all four lights on.


From Abbie

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I found this picture of an engine with two lights on the front.

I wonder what it's carrying?

Question-02-june Qustion 4 abbie archivist

Answer researched by Abbie, Junior Curator

Here are some of the patterns I found that are used

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Hi Anna

I did the same project at school too.  I made a scene with Tom and Jerry hitting each other with a hotdog, all working on rods and cams.


Your teacher is right.  Steam engines use all different types of motion.  I have found an animation on the web which shows one working.  When I looked closely I could see how to make one type of motion into another.

I came to Barrow Hill with my technology teacher and we were shown this on a real steam engine.


Hope this helps


railway wheels

This lever is swinging like a pendulum and it is occilating motion

The wheels are moving in a circular motion

The backwards and forwards movement of the piston is called reciprocating motion

The only motion I can't show you is linear motion because the picture would drive off the page

Answer researched by Joe, Junior Curator

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