steam plumbing

[UnkaJesse]

Love that Reflex gauge glass. Gotta make me one of those, just gotta. You must have a BIG whistle hid down under the running boards from the way that steam line runs.. I can't do that with my RRSC American 'cause there weren't no air tanks on them! Boo Hoo. I started to make an electronic whistle by using a memory chip from Radio Shack, but like a lot of things, I never got "aroundtuit". Maybe one of these days.

Unka Jesse

[UnkaJesse]

Willy, it looks like you have the throttle in the smoke box? That looks like the throttle rod runs through one of the stay tubes? If so, what kind of throttle valve do you have that stands the heat in the smokebox? Tobin Bronze?

Unka Jesse

[willy]

Throttle valve? Huh? Yes there is a hunk of brass in there. But you see, I bought that loco off a gentleman from Canada for $5000 (rough shape and high miles). Heck the loco when I first bought it was so badly timed that I had a 90 degree advance on one side and a 115 degree lead on the other! Silly thing had a terrible time moving with anything less than 85 psi. Now I just need to pull the rods and slit the ends so I have a way of tightening the slop they developed with the teflon rod bushings.
As to the whistle? Look just under the running board in front of the cab, and you will see the 12" 4 chime. I have been to many clubs and heard many remark how beautiful she sounds.
[image]http://www.sunriseline.com/wcrr/2001meet/slide14.htm[/image]
-willy-

[UnkaJesse]

Willy, I enjoyed the pictures of the Washington County RR. I checked them all out after I looked at the weasel under the running board of your pretty little lokie. What is the extension on the smoke stack for. Afraid of getting your hair do messed up with cinders? Lookin' good!

Unka Jesse

[FredR]

yep, same gauge I have. I love it except sometimes hard to see the water level, specially at night.

Fred

[willy]

One of the other problems encountered with the loco was the improper design in the smokebox. The gentleman who built the loco did just that, build the loco. Alas in the prints he did not bother to realize that a good draft can be had when you adjust the exhaust nozzle to the clearance of the petticoat. When I first bought that locomotive, she was very quiet and the smoke would always get in your eyes. Last winter I took her apart and ran her on air. With the smokebox out in the open, I was able to use a piece of pipe and find where was the maximum distance from the nozzle to get the desired sound. Yes I realize there is a formulae that will do this. Yet for me it was easier to doit this way and I took a measurement and made the adjustment of 1-5/8" petticoat removal. The result is increased draft and the smoke is now up over my head with out the extension. Plus now she speaks nicely anytime, instead of when a dragged the brake. Let me know and I will try to dub a tape of her before and after.

-willy-

[Bill_Gardei]

Jesse:

Neither you nor I need to worry about getting our hair dirty
from the smoke. Heck, all we need is a towel to occasionally
polish off the ol' dome.

If I'm reading the photo correctly, it looks like the sight glass
does not tap off the manifold (that square brass bar), but
ties in somewhere ahead of the manifold. Here's Willy's photo
again with a slight focus adjustment. -- Bill

[willy]

Yes Bill, you are correct. If the glass was connected to the manifold and you tooted the whistle, you would see the water rise in the glass.
Also, you might note that the center valve (blower valve) has a angled tee in it. That is for the valve next to the water level for artificial draft. The top 2 valves on that manifold do nothing for the running of the locomotive.
-willy-

[UnkaJesse]

Willy, some full size locos had an arrangement whereby the fireman could adjust the height of the petticoat pipe while running. Petticoat height has an effect on whether the draft pulls more at the rear of the firebox or at the front. Idea was to get the thing adjusted so the fire burned evenly all over the grate. Some of the adjustable petticoats were in three sections. I never thought about the height of the pipe causing more or less "stack talk" though.

Unka Jesse

[FredR]

My understanding, and the way my gauge is fitted, is that it is suppose to come off the tope of the boiler, not the manifold. This would be why the water sputters in the glass why the whistle is blown.

Fred

[willy]

That is correct Fred, this is how the loco is plumbed.

I was remarking to Jesse that "if" the glass was comming off of the manifold that there would be a false reading.

-willy-

[willy]

The stack talk did not exist really before the petticoat was adjusted. The adjusting of the stack made the extension no longer necessary, and now i run the loco with out it.

-willy-