The loud, rhythmic chuffing noise produced when exhaust steam is forced up through the blastpipe and out the smokestack of a steam locomotive. The sharpness and tempo of the sound tell an experienced engineer exactly how hard the locomotive is working and whether the valves are properly timed.
Heard on the job
You could hear the heavy stack talk echoing off the canyon walls long before the train came into view.
Also heard as
- exhaust beat
Related terms
Steam locomotive
A railway locomotive powered by the expansion of steam in cylinders.
Blastpipe
An exhaust nozzle inside a steam locomotive smokebox that directs spent steam up the stack to draw air through the fire.
Thrash
The intense, deafening mechanical noise and heavy exhaust produced by a locomotive working at full power.