Southern valve gear [SEP] named after
Southern valve gear
Southern valve gear was briefly popular on steam locomotives in the United States. It combines elements of the Walschaerts and Baker patterns.
History.
Southern valve gear was devised by locomotive designers on the Southern Railway (US) and used on many locomotives on that line. The first patent was issued to Wm. Sherman Brown in 1906. He continued work and another patent was issued July 23, 1912. The gear was first tested on Mikado 586 in February, 1913 at Southern Knoxville Shops. It
became known as the "Four-coupled Joys", from the Joy valve gear that they were equipped with. One of the locomotives is known to have been named "Sir Hercules", after Hercules Robinson, 1st Baron Rosmead, who had succeeded Sir Henry Bartle Frere as High Commissioner for Southern Africa in 1880 and after whom two towns in South Africa were named. The named engine was no. 83, which was either the Midland System's no. M83 or the Western System's no. W83. All these