REPARING THE TEST BOILER

[Trainman4602]

Hi All
last fall while testing and setting a run of safety valves my test boiler sprung a leak in two flues. I completed the job using the K4 to set them I went thru 6 bags of coal and it wasn't easy to control the steam pressure.

After consulting with several friends that had some experience with plugging tubes I decided to make some aluminum plugs. I turned them with a 1 degree taper and pounded them in the tube. Well it seems to be working.

I will have to eventually re tube the boiler but for now I have it working again. I can now complete the current run of safety valves.

Here is a video on how I did it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EkCu7sO8Oo

[Bill Shields]

I guess you didn't stick them in with HIGH TEMPERATURE Loctite???

That way you could forget them forever (giggle);

More than one full-size loco boiler has been 'fixed' that way so you are in very good company.

[Trainman4602]

Hi Bill
I figure that another tube will go so when that happens I'll just re tube it all. The tubes are 1.1875 OD. there are 19 of them. it should make for an interesting video. See ya tomorrow at PLS.