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Post by DAN on Dec 30, 2004 16:49:17 GMT -5
I have a 2-6-0, LE switcher with added front trucks. Its only been fired about 10 times and I baught it new. My major problem is its ability to make steam or keep the PSI up. I have heard several things from the "experts" at the live steam meets I have been at. The problem can be isolated to non moving issues. The engine has been fired on propane and coal. Assuming all is correct with Ideal burner size and flame or ideal coal fire, the problem remains the same regardless of type of fire. Cant keep the water level and steam PSI up. No Obivious leaks exist, the flues are clean, peti-coat pipe has been adjusted and it seem to have a good blower out of the stack. It appears to get worse in time after the engine has fired or heats up. Anyone for troubleshooting??
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Post by Bill Holland on Dec 30, 2004 17:32:16 GMT -5
I do not know of what advice you have been told. Im no expert, but looking at things from an elementry point of view, are there any air leaks in the smoke box? Are you running a blower? THe steam nozzle for the blower and exhaust designed right? Are you running the fire hot enough? Perhaps your cylinders pistons are too big? You pulling back on the johnson bar to save steam? The boiler is just too small for the locomotive?
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Post by Dan on Dec 30, 2004 20:19:23 GMT -5
TKS for your reply. I would like to assume that this design has been in use for several years. The blower is in use and appears to work well. No major leaks in the smoke box and fire is pleanty hot enough and the cylinder size and boiler design has been in use for years
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Post by BruceMowbray on Dec 30, 2004 21:16:45 GMT -5
Dan,
Is the coal quality good (too much non volitals)? Grate spacing big enough (5/16"+)? Air through bottom of grates sufficient (free air inot ashpan)? All of these things can add up to poor steaming.
Also,if your water level seems to drop quickly, you might check the boiler feed checks and water pump checks for proper operation.
Bruce
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Post by pennsy on Dec 30, 2004 21:30:22 GMT -5
Dan it looks like to me that I would be doing an inspection job on the flues. How is the boiler constructed ? What are the flues made of ? A collapsed tube,pin hole in tube ? What does the exhust out the flue look like ? Hot Fire and not being able to maintain water looks very much like you have a flue problum. You said outside inspection looks ok BUT the inside you would not see unless you could see a seepage around the edges of the tubes. Fill the boiler with water and add air pressure to the boiler and check each flue seperately,NO FIRE.
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Post by JonHarman on Jan 2, 2005 18:53:45 GMT -5
Dan,
When we are searching for difficult weeps in large heat exchangers, we add a small quantity of anti-freeze to the water that we use for hydro pressure testing. It breaks the surface tension of pure water and makes if flow easier through fractures or small tube expander upsets. It is easily washed out afterwards and the small quantity will not hurt a septic or municipal waste plant, just do not leave it around for animals to drink as they love the sweet taste, but it will make them weak by lukemia or kill them.
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Post by patyoung on Jan 3, 2005 18:34:24 GMT -5
Hello Dan,
I'm a newbie at this, so bear with me on this, but
I wanted to put my 2 cents worth and see how the
rest of the forum reacted.
I would fill up the boiler with a measureable amount
of water to a safe level. I would then bring it up to
steaming pressure until the safety value popped. I
would then see how long it took to boil down the water
to a certain (safe) level. I would then compare this
time with a known engine of comparable size and
see if it is reasonable. If not, I'm guessing it's leaking
water somewhere. If it is comparable, I would guess
the boiler capacity is too small.
Forum members, any comments to the above
proposal?
Pat Y.
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Post by pennsy on Jan 3, 2005 21:05:39 GMT -5
Dan,
Do a hydro on the boiler just as JonHarman had said in his reply to you. Dan you will need to have a 5 gal. bucket of water and a hand pump hooked up between the bucket and the boiler pumping the water into the boiler where you normally add your water to the boiler. Plug all the outlets on the boiler and be sure to remove you regular pressure gauge and mount a higer pressure gauge in its place then fill the boiler by hand with cold water. Upon having the boiler filled almost to the top seal and then be sure to prime the pump and then add more water to the boiler and then you will start to see the pressure gauge increase in pressure and take the pressure up to 3 times your operating pressure. Upon reaching the 3 x pressure you can stop pumping and see if the pressure on the gauge will maintain a steady reading for 15 minutes or longer and at the same time do a close inspection of the flues and both front and rear flue sheets to see that evrything is tight and not leaking. You are doing a process of elimation so if the boiler it tight and not leaking then you can move on to the pipeing and accessorys and check them out thoughly by doing one area at a time and moving on to another area. I have built several steel boilers and I personally believe that the boiler is the most important piece on the locomotive. Believe me you want that part to be right. I learned with building my first boiler and making a few mistakes had a failure like you have described and I found out that the boiler was leaking and I could have had a fire hot enough to melt the steel but if you can't maintain the water in the boiler and keep a certain pressure your boiler is no good. My problum was the stays in the firebox on the inside in the combustion chamber had broken and there was no way of getting to them from the inside. I then had to build a complete new boiler and scrap the old one. We all learn by doing and making mistakes thats what makes this hobby so great. Lots of luck Dan and I'am hoping you can get it fixed.
Jack
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