Alternative Fuels

[Fender]

Because you can feed it with a stoker?

Well, Bill, I am the stoker!

[Bill Shields]

[wbarbe]

Seems like I remember an article in Live Steam many years ago about a guy who uses pellets in a stoker on his 1 1/2 scale engine. Might have been a 4-6-0 or a pacific. Can’t remember

[James Powell]

Dan, you're not a stoker !
I'm a Stoker. 00122, Mar Eng Art

Alternative fuels:

Coal
Steam coal
Coal Briquettes
(and dam'n all patent fuels !)
wood
Charcoal
Charcoal Briquettes
Oil
Propane
Grain Alcohol
Wood Alcohol
Corn Husks
Corn kernals
Wood Pellets
Pet. Coke

I think that's about all that I've fired. Never tried cherry pits.

Wood Pellets- the question is "how small are your tubes?". Why? Well, if say, you have 7/8" tubes as the big ones (no superheater), the pellets will fly through them. On fire. And rain out. About 6' from the stack. Or say, about where my back used to be...



Yes they provided enough heat for the 4" traction engine. No, they were the worst choice ever for fuel. An experiment that I did once. I suspect corn kernals would do the same thing in the traction engine.

Best by far that I have had was some of the patent fuel from Nanaimo. It was beautiful. Too bad it was last made in about 1952. Perfect, even sized lumps to hurl through the door on the road with the 4".

Coals are widely variable. I have about 100 lb of Pocahantas, which is being kept for Caribou. Caribou is a bit fussy with regards to coal, not really liking my lifetime supply of Quinsam (BC). The big traction, and the small one, both seem fine with Quinsam, and since I have about 4 tons of it, that's what they get. (as would Robin Hood, when I get 'im back).

Dad swears that the last "good" steam coal he saw was in 1962, presumably with Little Hercules, the steam tractor. All I know is that _really good_ steam coal is about 10% better than "not so good", and that Quinsam has way more Sulphur in it than I really love.

James

[Wayne Davis]

There was an article in Modeltec years ago about a guy that burned corn cobs. He came to the Iowa Model Steam Engines meets from Missouri. I didn’t remember his name, but his nickname was Corn Cob

[Fender]

This is why the steam locomotive is termed an “external combustion” engine!
https://youtu.be/oaIhtUVI60Aj

But sometimes a diesel can be, as well.

[Pontiacguy1]

There was an article in Modeltec years ago about a guy that burned corn cobs.

He was from the St. Louis area and his name was Wilbur Kloppenburg (may not have spelled it correctly). He built a very large and powerful Pennsy 0-8-0 with absolutely mammoth thick frames, which he later converted into a 2-8-0. Built it using no castings... everything was built up, welded assemblies, or cut from the solid. He used to fire it with corn cobs that he could get for free from somewhere. NKP765 owns this locomotive and run it frequently. It used to be solid fueled, but now it runs off of diesel fuel. The tender says 'Route of the Corn Cob' in honor of Wilbur.

I believe they called him Corn Cob Bill.

[Bill Shields]

Imaging having to look for corn cobs in Iowa.

Ever followed a combine at work?

Need a FLAK jacket.grind them up and pour them in!

[Steamin]

I believe Wilbur worked for the Missouri Meerschaum Company in Hermann, Missouri, a 150 year old corn cob pipe factory. https://corncobpipe.com/ The dried scrap cobs were inexpensive fuel!

[steamingdon]

Wood pellets HATE moisture, so if it starts raining or snowing or just a damp day. You will have such a mess you will think you were firing with shredded wheat. Been there done that. Lets not forget the BTU`S you will lose.
Stick with what we all know works !

[Bill Shields]

So you are saying that is you are a steam model engineer in the UK....stay away from wood pellets?

[steamingdon]

Yep! Unless you want a big mess on your hands.