Seeking Information on Andy Clerici’s Allegheny

[Berkman]

Interesting, James is your superheater arrangement a radiant type?

Do you think running a radiant superheater would contribute more wear to cylinders/valves etc?
Why would the water level make a difference? Seems you'd not want to cause the engine to prime.

[James Powell]

It is a radiant, and extends down 3 tubes to near the firebox. I am not too worried about wear- the reality is that the amount of wear on a 3 1/2" engine is probably more due to "excessive loads" I tended to throw up to 1200 lb behind it. (it's about 110 lb, 0-8-0) than anything else that I do. If I wanted a long happy life for it...well, I wouldn't be building a 2% grade railway around the house !

I have to assume that the water level being quite high, means that the superheater is drying rather than superheating to the same effect. It wouldn't take much water being carried over to cool the superheater.

The Doble patents for Attemporators used water injected post superheater to control temperature- the same as the ones on our evaporators on the ship. On the ship, we used control desuperheaters- where we could bypass up to 25% of the steam flow from the 2nd pass of the superheater, and add it into the 3rd pass. (nominally, 865f final, with 514f saturated temperature). The Y-100 plant style used bypass dampers in the boiler to direct exhaust flow past the superheater instead. (I think this is what was used on the 25NC's in South Africa, and a couple of North American Superpower classes)

So, several ways to skin the cat, but most not applicable for a 3.5" gauge loco.

[Berkman]

I saved these pics from a user " R Dean" a long time ago. Always thought it was an ideal superheater arrangement. As fairly simple smokebox plumbing plus it is full radiant over fire bed.