Steam chest material

[BlackStack]

This may be a dumb question, but why do kits include a casting for steam chests? It seems that's a simple part which could be made more cheaply with bar stock. Does it need to be made of cast iron or bronze for wear purposes or something along those lines?

[Builder01]

A block of cast iron or bronze is sometimes a pain to come up with. Then, of course, the inside has to be cut out. Sometimes a casting is also made with bosses for the packing glands, this makes the casting even more attractive. A casting for this part is just to make life easier for the builder. You can usually opt out if you feel you don't want this part as a casting. Sometimes even the steam chest cover and cylinder covers are included as castings. If you are so inclined, these can all be made from solid.

David

[BClemens]

Steel will rust to the point of scaling to a much greater degree and quicker than cast iron. That rust scale will break loose and cause scoring of valve surfaces. The decay from basic rust will probably be three or four times greater with steel meaning the steam chest will need to be replaced in the foreseeable future. Iron is much better but bronze is much, much, much better.

BClemens

[BlackStack]

Makes good sense and I figured there must be a reason in the material choice.

Thank you

[Bill Shields]

I have been using steel for valve (steam) chests for 30 years and never had any problem with rust or scale...of course I also oil my engines down (internally) when I am finished with them at the end of the day because several have steel liners with cast iron rings.

Historically, the Brits don't have access to large chunks of bar stock, or often milling machines, so cast valve chest as part of the 'kit' is a very logical way to go....falls right in with cast eccentrics, pistons, cylinder covers etc:...all of which CAN be made from bar.

[BClemens]

Steel rusts around here where I live. Must be the salt air near the Chesapeake Bay....and we also don't defy nature or oxidation.

[Bill Shields]

bet you don't live any closer to the Chesapeake bay than I do.....giggle...but then I try to keep the locos away from salt air....

[BlackStack]

Salt air is rather unlikely to be a problem here in the desert where I live.

What do you use to oil down your loco at the end of the day, Bill? Undiluted soluble oil? Or steam oil?

[BClemens]

bet you don't live any closer to the Chesapeake bay than I do.....giggle...but then I try to keep the locos away from salt air....

I try to keep my machinery ways and iron table saw away from Chesapeake Bay salt air but that's a losing proposition - constant 'caring' for iron - steel is hopeless.

We are about 200 Yds from the actual Bay but closer to a 'creek' than that. Going away from the area for a while then returning - it mildly smells of microwave reheated seafood. That's salt air!

The OP wants to know what your oil concoction is that you do such wonders with - and so do I. But then he is in the desert - PCF dry.

Clemens

[Bill Shields]

I dump things full of steam cylinder oil then roll it out to the truck with the cylinder cocks closed...

I have a removal cap on the steam chest and I put in 4 or 5 big squirts of oil from my big can.

Yes...it makes a real mess when I start the next time, but I know everything is rust free.

Did this in the desert (when I lived there) also...just a habit I got into.

OK...200 yards is a bit closer than I...but then the Sassafras river starts about 150 ft outside my front door.

Of course this far north, it isn't salty at all...except during hurricanes when everything backs up.