City - Old Town Sacramento State - CALIFORNIA Country - United States
About
This is a view of one of the two steam cylinders on an engine. There are steam ports at both ends of the cylinder. Steam passes through one port pressurizing the cilinder. That steam pressed on the piston and pushes it toward the other end of the cylinder. When the cylinder approaches the end of the stroke, a switching valve closes the port just used and opens a port that pressurizes the other side of the piston which forces the piston back to the starting position. This forward and back motion is transmitted from the piston by a driving rod that is attached to one of the drive wheels causing it to turn.