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fire door openning( right /left)

Posted: Mon Sep 17, 2018 5:35 pm
by squandt
Hello all, which way should the fire door swing? I see most hinged from the right,coal burnners seem to be the one's I see that way, I am going to use LP. does it matter? Being right handed,seem's that the door would get in the way of the stuff on that side.

Re: fire door openning( right /left)

Posted: Mon Sep 17, 2018 5:42 pm
by Trainman4602
It does not matter for oil or propane firing. It does matter for coal and it should be a butter, clam shell or swing down. The Reason. while entering a curve and firing the boiler on the curve the door will swing closed while shoveling coal. I hate when that happens. Now if door swings to the left and you are going left that is OK the door will stay open but if the door swings right and you are curving left the door will close and the coal will go all over the deck.

Re: fire door openning( right /left)

Posted: Mon Sep 17, 2018 9:06 pm
by uncle jerd
Swing down for me every time. Burning coal and wood.

Re: fire door openning( right /left)

Posted: Mon Sep 17, 2018 9:30 pm
by Trainman4602
That is a good way to do it. This is an interesting subject something you would never think would be that important. Years ago I made butterfly doors and sold them thru Mercer Hundreds of sets. There is one on discover Live Steam at the moment.

I didn't use them on the 1361. Pennsy locomotives have a small cab and with all the piping in there, there was no room for doors swinging up so I made side sliding doors from stainless steel. This was my son Dan's first machining project No mistakes and they work great.

Re: fire door openning( right /left)

Posted: Tue Sep 18, 2018 1:49 am
by NP317
Prototypical oil-fired locomotive doors swing open toward the engineer. N. American engineers are on the right side of the cab.
This allows the door to help shield the engineer's eyes from the bright fire, especially important when running at night.
Fortunately, oil firing seldom requires the fire door to be opened.
I copied that for my models.
~RN
Fire door hinged on the Engineer's side.
Fire door hinged on the Engineer's side.

Re: fire door openning( right /left)

Posted: Tue Sep 18, 2018 10:31 am
by SteveM
I have always seen doors with the hinge on the right.

As NP317 said, it would protect the engineer from the light and the heat, but also, if you think about it, it gives the fireman a place to stand and shovel coal in without either getting in the engineer's way or hitting him with a shovel full of coal by accident.

Steve

Re: fire door openning( right /left)

Posted: Tue Sep 18, 2018 5:21 pm
by Fender
On a live steam loco that burns coal (and assuming the operator is right-handed) it would be logical for the door to swing to the left. This way, you can get a scoop of coal with your right hand, open the door with your left, throw in the coal, and quickly close the door. The less time the door is open, the better.

Re: fire door openning( right /left)

Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2018 9:58 am
by NP317
For a hand fired coal burner, I think the horizontal sliding opening door would be the best,
as noted by Trainman.
~RN

Re: fire door openning( right /left)

Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2018 10:16 am
by cbrew
I do not burn rocks in my equipment, but i have seen on other locomotives, the lower track tends to load up with coal "dust" on locomotives i have seen with that double sliding doors. the butterfly doors would be the best from what i have seen.

Re: fire door openning( right /left)

Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2018 10:26 am
by NP317
cbrew wrote: Wed Sep 19, 2018 10:16 am I do not burn rocks in my equipment, but i have seen on other locomotives, the lower track tends to load up with coal "dust" on locomotives i have seen with that double sliding doors. the butterfly doors would be the best from what i have seen.
Yea, that sounds better.
~RN

Re: fire door openning( right /left)

Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2018 3:48 pm
by Trainman4602
There is an. Opening at the center coal dust is not a problem when the door closes it clears the track ten year no issues

Re: fire door openning( right /left)

Posted: Thu Sep 20, 2018 9:06 am
by pat1027
Mine opens to the right. No issues with it swings closed as long as I open it all the way. For the model it really depends on how the cab and back head are laid out.