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What is the dome for on a steam locomotive?
Most of you will be aware of the basic principles behind the workings of a steam locomotive, fire heats water, water turns to steam, steam moves pistons. But if any water was to find its way through to the pistons, significant damage could be encountered, and that's where the dome comes in.
The presence of water in the piston chambers of a steam locomotive is not desirable at all. Not only can it cause essential lubricants to be washed away, but also, water can't be compressed and will result in immense pressure build-up that can potentially fracture valves and pistons.
The solution to the problem is to locate the steam collector pipe (the primary pipe that takes steam from the boiler) as high up as possible in the boiler. This location will stop excess water (resulting from overfilling) and froth (caused by water impurities) from entering the system and finding their way to the pistons. The mouth of the steam collection pipe (and a regulator to control the flow of steam) is what is housed in the dome on top of a steam locomotive.
Not all locomotives have or require a dome. Locomotives with squarer Belpaire fireboxes, such as the Castle Class, use the same principles for steam separation, but the taller structure allows for this to happen internally, voiding the locomotives of any visible components. In contrast, some locomotives such as the C2X exhibited two domes, one regular dome and one used as a top-feed.
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