The Adams axle is a form of radial axle for rail

locomotive A locomotive or engine is a rail transport vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. If a locomotive is capable of carrying a payload, it is usually rather referred to as a multiple unit, motor coach, railcar or power car; the ...

s that enable them to negotiate curves more easily. It was invented by

William Bridges Adams William Bridges Adams (1797 – 23 July 1872) was an English author, inventor and locomotive engineer. He is best known for his patented Adams axle – a successful radial axle design in use on railways in Britain until the end of steam trac ...

and patented in 1865. The invention uses axle boxes that slide on an arc in shaped horn blocks, so allowing the axle to slide out to either side. This is similar to the movement of a

Bissell truck A Bissell or Bissel truck (also Bissel bogie or Pony truck) is a single-axle bogie which pivots towards the centre of a steam locomotive to enable it to negotiate curves more easily. Invented in 1857 by and usually then known as a ''pony truck' ...

, but with the notional centre point of the curve being where the pivot of the truck would be. This design, using slide bearings, is more expensive than one employing a shaft, but takes up less space.

Trials

In 1865 the

Society of Engineers The Society of Engineers was a British learned society established in 1854. It was the first society to issue the professional title of Incorporated Engineer. It merged with the Institution of Incorporated Engineers (IIE) in 2005, and in 2006 the me ...

, London, made direct comparison between the radial axle, invented by William Bridges Adams, and a

bogie A bogie ( ) (in some senses called a truck in North American English) is a chassis or framework that carries a wheelset, attached to a vehicle—a modular subassembly of wheels and axles. Bogies take various forms in various modes of transp ...

design with an india-rubber central bearing invented by William Adams: during trials on the

North London Railway The North London Railway (NLR) company had lines connecting the northern suburbs of London with the East and West India Docks further east. The main east to west route is now part of London Overground's North London Line. Other NLR lines fe ...

the laterally sprung bogie was thought superior to the radial axle, but when William Adams moved from the NLR to the

London and South Western Railway The London and South Western Railway (LSWR, sometimes written L&SWR) was a railway company in England from 1838 to 1922. Originating as the London and Southampton Railway, its network extended to Dorchester and Weymouth, to Salisbury, Exeter ...

he adopted the design of his rival William Bridges Adams; the locomotives now known as Adams Radials are named after the LSWR Locomotive Superintendent, but are famous for the axle invented by William Bridges Adams. Notwithstanding the 1865 comparative trials of the two inventors' products, there is some confusion over the inventor of the axle. ''Lexicon der Eisenbahn'' cites William Adams (1823-1904) as the inventor.

References

Sources

* Theodor Düring: ''Schnellzug-Dampflokomotiven der deutschen Länderbahnen 1907-1922'' Frankh, Stuttgart 1972,

External links

Adams Axle
{{Locomotive running gear Steam locomotive technologies Train axles

Trials

See also

References

Sources

External links