Steam Maintenance

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Mike Walsh
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Location: St. Louis, MO

Steam Maintenance

Post by Mike Walsh »

After being around live steam for more than half of my life, I'm on the cusp of having a fully functional live steam locomotive. As the boiler repairs on my boiler finally progress, I'm starting to look forward to steam locomotive maintenance "at the track".

All of my experiences have been with grand scales steam, with all of the maintenance apparatus being part of the roundhouse tool line-up.

Right now, I'm thinking about the task of cleaning smokebox, ash pan, firebox, etc. I understand I'll need a flue brush, but a post on Facebook inspired me to start thinking about perhaps a vacuum.

Now, I use DeWalt 20v tools. I took a quick gander at their vacuum lineup, and I'm pretty confident that the average handheld vac will suffice for coal burners. Now, that being said, I know that most, if not all, tool manufacturers nowadays have some sort of vacuum that's about the size of a milk crate (for lack of a better reference in size). A little bigger than I'd like, but if it fits in a 1" gondola or boxcar, I'm not sure I'll give it the cold shoulder. Right now, it's a lukewarm feeling. https://www.grainger.com/product/34D626 ... lsrc=aw.ds <--This is an example of what I'm speaking of.

My goal is to be self sufficient. Not having to worry about sourcing an outlet, air supply (I've heard of air powered vacuums being mentioned on here), or wind power is a goal of mine.

Does anyone have any suggestions? There is also the alternative that I can just go with basic brush, dust pan, etc., and do the heavy cleaning at my shop at home. My life has been busy enough lately that I don't see myself being the type of guy being able to go on long weekend outings to the track, firing up and running for 5-6 hours at a time. So maybe no need.

But at least I thought I'd stir the pot and see if anyone has any innovative ideas.

Looking forward to hearing ideas!
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SPSteam2491
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Re: Steam Maintenance

Post by SPSteam2491 »

My wife has been using our M18 Milwaukee Vacuum (P/N 0880-20) to clean out the cinders after scrubbing the flues. Works extremely well and is a lot cleaner than blowing the chunks out with air. It is best to wait until the cinders are cooled off otherwise you risk damaging the filter and sucking coal dust and cinders right into the vacuum. We may look at upgrading to the PACKOUT vacuum (0970-20) so that it will clip to the rest of our PACKOUT stack for train tools and spare parts.

I complete agree with not relaying on a dedicated air or a plug source to do this kind of task. Being self sufficient with a battery means you can do the clean-up when ever and where ever you need to as sometimes you need to be in odd spots out at a track (or sometimes in the back of a truck). Plus you will find having a battery vacuum around the shop is super handy.

I would recommend keeping a spare filter on hand as well as an extra battery.
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Bill Shields
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Re: Steam Maintenance

Post by Bill Shields »

Even with a brush and vacuum there are going to be places where an air nozzle / lance is the best (or only) way to get things clean, particularly if they are oil or water soaked as things in the smoke box have a habit of becoming.

While you are at it...make yourself a big pencil shaped stick that you can use to plug the blast pipe while cleaning to help keep contamination out of the passages -> if you roll the loco back and forth, stuff can get sucked INTO the exhaust passage and potentially into the valves.

Keep your options open.
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pat1027
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Location: Michigan

Re: Steam Maintenance

Post by pat1027 »

I brush the flues with a 12ga shot gun brush. The brush has loops of wire not bristles. One pass in and out. The smoke box gets vacuumed with an small shop vacuum. The portable unit you are looking at ought to work. The fire box gets cleaned by hand once the boiler cools down. The ash pan is scrapped as clean as it can get using the fire poker. I don't vacuum the ash pan unless I'm taking it out. Then the grates get removed and it access the ash pan through the fire door.
James Powell
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Re: Steam Maintenance

Post by James Powell »

I had been using a 1 gal sized shop vac. It's a rough life for them...don't expect a long service life ( a couple years?) if you are emptying the fire via the shop vac.

Note: Let the fire cool completely before using shop vac. Corrugated plastic tube melts when cinders that are on fire sit on them. Experience !

You are going to also want some sorts of other cleaning aids, but as to exactly what, well...it in part depends on how clean is clean enough. Since I favor functional over ornamental, the more detailed cleaning doesn't happen often, even at the expense of cinders being in places that they probably shouldn't have been. As long as the engine is stored hot & dry, I have not found too much of a problem of corrosion from ash/cinders, but if there is any chance of the engine getting wet, make sure to clean up everything you can.

(well, apart from the flywheel on the Fowler, which rusted if you slowed below about 33 1/3rd rpm...solved by painting the crown, which might not help if I ever go to drive something with a belt)
apm
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Re: Steam Maintenance

Post by apm »

Here's a handy device https://www.harborfreight.com/air-blow- ... 68257.html, cur the bent portion of the tube off and then you have a wonderful long reaching lance. Push it down long tubes etc to get them clean.
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Bill Shields
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Re: Steam Maintenance

Post by Bill Shields »

True

On smaller locos, to get around superheaters tubes, something similar with a 1/8 OD tube is also handy.

Darn coal dust gets in everywhere
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