Template talk:Infobox Locomotive

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Trains Portal

This article is within the scope of WikiProject Trains, an attempt to build a comprehensive and detailed guide to rail transport on Wikipedia. If you would like to participate, you can visit the project page, where you can join the project and/or contribute to the discussion.

[edit] Usage

**EMD GP30**
Power type	Diesel
WC 715 at the National Railroad Museum in Green Bay, WI
Builder	General Motors Electro-Motive Division (EMD)
Model	GP30
Build date	July 1961 – November 1963
Total production	948
AAR wheel arr.	B-B
Gauge	4 ft 8½ in (1435 mm)
Length	56 ft 2 in (17.12 m)
Total weight	253,000 lb (115,000 kg)
Prime mover	EMD 567D3
Engine type	2-stroke diesel
Aspiration	Mechanically-assisted turbocharger
Displacement	9,072 in³ (148.7 L)
Cylinders	V16
Cylinder size	8.5 in × 10 in (215.5 mm × 254 mm)
Transmission	DC generator, DC traction motors
Top speed	78 mph (126 km/h)
Power output	2,250 hp (1,680 kW)
Tractive effort	63,375 lbf (282 kN)
Locomotive brakes	Straight air, Dynamic
Train brakes	26-L air
Locale	North America

**John Bull**
Power type	Steam
The John Bull, c. 1893.
Builder	Robert Stephenson and Company
Build date	1831
Configuration	4-2-0 (although built by Stephenson as an 0-4-0)
UIC classification	1'1A (built as B)
Gauge	4 ft 8½ in (1435 mm)
Driver size	4 ft 6 in (1.37 m) diameter
Wheelbase	4 ft 11 in (1.4 m) between driving axles
Frame size	14 ft 9 in (4.5 m) length x 6 ft 3 in (1.9 m) width
Boiler	2 ft 6 in (0.76 m) diameter x 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) length
Cylinder size	9 in (22.86 cm) diameter x 20 in (50.8 cm) stroke
Career	Camden and Amboy Railroad, Pennsylvania Railroad (initial preservation)
Number	1
Official name	Stevens (after C&A president Robert L. Stevens)
Delivered	September 4, 1831
First run	September 15, 1831
Retired	1866
Restored	September 15, 1981
Current owner	Smithsonian Institution
Disposition	Static display in Washington, D.C.

This template has a large number of parameters, but only two are required:

name - The name that will appear above the top line of the infobox
powertype - The type of power that the locomotive employs (e.g. "steam", "diesel", "electric", etc.)

The remaining parameters are as follows (in the order that they will appear in the template output):

image - The filename for the infobox image
imagesize - The size of the image in pixels (as in imagesize=200), default value is 300; to use the image's actual size, specify imagesize as a blank value (as in imagesize=|).
caption - The image caption that will be displayed
designer - The name of the locomotive's designer
builder - The locomotive builder
serialnumber - The locomotive's serial number
buildmodel - The builder's model number
builddate - The date(s) that the locomotive (or locomotive model) was built
totalproduction - The total number of locomotives of the given class that were built
whytetype - The wheel arrangement in Whyte notation
aarwheels - The AAR wheel arrangement
uicclass - The UIC classification
gauge - The rail gauges on which the locomotive operated
trucks - The type of trucks
bogies - The type of bogies
leadingsize - The size of the locomotive's leading wheels
driversize - The size of the locomotive's driving wheels
wheeldiameter - The diameter of the locomotive's wheels
trailingsize - The size of the locomotive's trailing wheels
wheelbase - The locomotive's wheelbase
length - The locomotive's total length
width - The locomotive's total width
height - The locomotive's total height
framesize - The size of the locomotive frame
axleload - max. axle load
weightondrivers - The weight on the driven wheels only
weight - The locomotive's total weight
locotenderweight - The combined locomotive and tender total weight
fueltype - The type of fuel that the locomotive consumes
fuelcap - The locomotive's full fuel capacity
watercap - The tender's full water capacity
tendercap - The tender's full fuel and water capacity
consumption - The locomotive's average fuel consumption rate
watercons - The locomotive's average water consumption rate
electricsystem - The electric system(s) under which the locomotive operates
collectionmethod - The locomotive's (electrical) current collection method (i.e. pantograph, third rail, etc.)
primemover - The locomotive's prime mover model
enginetype - The specific engine type
aspiration - The method that the engine uses to mix fuel and air
displacement - The engine displacement
alternator - The locomotive's alternator type/model
generator - The locomotive's generator type/model
tractionmotors - The type/model of traction motors
boiler - The locomotive's boiler size
boilerpressure - The total boiler pressure rating
feedwaterheater - Type of feedwater heater installed
firearea - The area of the locomotive's fire grate
tubearea - Heating surface - tubes
fluearea - Heating surface - flues
tubesandflues - Heating surface - tubes and flues (if not broken out in published specs)
fireboxarea - Heating surface - firebox
totalsurface - Heating surface - total
superheatertype - Superheater type
superheaterarea - Superheater area
cylindercount - The number of cylinders
cylindersize - The size of the engine's cylinders
frontcylindersize - Size of the front cylinders in an articulated locomotive, if they differ
rearcylindersize - Size of the rear cylinders
hpcylindersize - Size of the high-pressure cylinders in a compound (explain arrangement in cylindercount)
lpcylindersize - Size of the low-pressure cylinders in a compound
valvegear - Type of valve-gear used on a steam locomotive
transmission - The type of transmission used
topspeed - The locomotive's top speed
poweroutput - The locomotive's total power output
tractiveeffort - The locomotive's total tractive effort
factorofadhesion - Factor of adhesion (weight on drivers divided by tractive effort)
locobrakes - The type of locomotive brakes installed
trainbrakes - The type of train brake system installed
safety - The safety systems installed (auto train stop, cab signalling, etc)
railroad - The railroad(s) where the locomotive operated (for articles about individual locomotives and not generic locomotive models); creates a colored heading line like the powertype parameter
railroadclass - The class designation assigned by the operating railroad
numinclass - The number of locomotives in the same railroad class
roadnumber - The operating number(s) assigned by the railroad
officialname - The official name(s) assigned by the railroad, and who or what the locomotive is named after
nicknames - Nicknames given to the locomotive
locale - The locale where the locomotive was operated
deliverydate - The date that the locomotive was delivered
firstrundate - The date of the locomotive's first run
lastrundate - The date of the locomotive's last regular operation
retiredate - The date the locomotive was retired from regular service
restoredate - The date the locomotive was restored to operating condition
scrapdate - The date the locomotive was scrapped
currentowner - The locomotive's current owner
disposition - The locomotive's current disposition

The two infoboxes shown to the right are examples of using this template for a generic locomotive model (the EMD GP30 example) and for a specific locomotive (the John Bull example).

[edit] hiddenStructure vs. qif

This template currently uses the hiddenStructure technique of hiding rows for data that has not been declared in the template usage call. However, using hiddenStructure does not hide the rows when pages using the template are viewed in text mode with lynx or with a screen reader for the blind. I've seen comments elsewhere that {{qif}} (which was itself survived a deletion vote in January) does not have this problem, but it runs afoul of users who wave the WP:AUM banner. Personally, I have no strong preference for either as the arguments are quite convincing on both sides. This template was written with hiddenStructure because it's easier to read and code. Until we have a formal policy in favor of one method over the other, it seems easiest and best for the moment to keep using hiddenStructure here. Slambo (Speak) 19:09, 14 March 2006 (UTC)

While I would like to eliminate hiddenStructure entirely, due to its many flaws (it also causes templates to fail when ported to other language Wikipedias), I've been hoping that built-in conditionals will be introduced in a timely fashion and all other methods ('qif', 'hiddenStructure', 'weeble', et cetera) can then be moved to that. In the mean-time, please consider using QIF for new templates because spreading 'hiddenStructure' really does dis-enfranchise the users for whom it doesn't work. You can actually structure QIF to work with virtually identical layout as hiddenStructure;

|- {{qif|test={{{param|}}}|then=
! Header
| {{{param}}} }}

Thus there is really little difference between the two methods except that qif works for more people.--CBDunkerson 19:48, 14 March 2006 (UTC)

Thanks for the simpler explanation than I've seen elsewhere. I was thinking a migration to qif would be beneficial, you've just made it a lot easier. B-) With this syntax, is there anyone who would object to the switch? I don't think I'll be able to perform the transition for another day or two, but maybe someone else would like to have a go at it? Slambo (Speak) 20:16, 14 March 2006 (UTC)

I tried making the conversion, but must have missed something. Probably forgot a }} somewhere... More investigation and I'll get it working (hopefully) tonight. Slambo (Speak) 00:58, 23 March 2006 (UTC)

Looks like I wasn't missing anything, but qif itself is getting confused with all of the | characters for rows in wiki markup and misinterpreting them as the end of parameter markers for itself. Hmmm... Slambo (Speak) 01:56, 23 March 2006 (UTC)

After a little more experimentation, I have a working test template that matches this template's functionality but using m:ParserFunctions instead of hiddenStructure or {{qif}} (which is now the subject of an MFD in order to deprecate it). When I tried looking at my template usage test page in lynx, it still showed the parameters that were unused. Slambo (Speak) 20:17, 18 April 2006 (UTC)

Doh! Pasting my test code into the template produced a page of blank space above the infobox. Back to testing... Slambo (Speak) 18:09, 19 April 2006 (UTC)

The problem is that the #if: was around the text of each line, but not the line breaks themselves... you had each #if: on a separate line and all of those line breaks appear in the finished product whether the stuff 'inside' the #if: does or not. There are a few ways around that:

Put all the #if: in a long stream with no line breaks. In most cases this is messy and confusing and thus not used.
Put comment markers (i.e. ) around the line breaks to suppress them. Thus you'd see  at the start of each... causing the line break in between to be commented out.
Put the closing brackets of one #if: on the same line as the opening brackets of the next like, }}{{#if:. This puts the line breaks inside the #if: code... where standard wiki-markup ignores line breaks if there is just one.
Build the #if: around wiki table markup by replacing any '|' characters inside the #if: text with {{!}}. That evaluates to a '|', but does not interfere with the #if: '|' characters... then the wiki table markup takes care of line spacing.

--CBDunkerson 18:40, 19 April 2006 (UTC)

Way cool. Thanks! Slambo (Speak) 10:55, 20 April 2006 (UTC)