Low water mark

[Pontiacguy1]

If you can't get that atomizer to quit getting water sloshed into it, you might want to just run the thing on compressed air all the time. Charlie Pipes has a really nice boxcar that he made to go behind his LE 4-4-0, and it also contains the brakes. A small compressor and tank and a battery in that car, would be able to provide you enough air to run the atomizer, and hopefully provide you with some brakes as well. It is definitely not the ideal setup, but I'd sure do that before I tried to modify or replace a boiler!

As others have said: Oil fired does give you the advantage of being able to shut down the fire immediately if you get into trouble with your water level. You have a lot of control over your fire, which is good.

[dnevil]

Jeffrey Hook of the Deerfield and Roundabout RR put together a wonderful spreadsheet that helps you calculate the water level.

http://ibls.org/mediawiki/index.php?tit ... uge_Height

Regards,
Daris

[Vance Nickerson]

Get some clear tubing from the hardware store and fill it with water. Holding it to the bottom of the crown sheet and up the backhead mark the level and add one inch assuming the sheet is half in thick. If you're oil firing look into a better dry pipe fed from the steam dome. If the boiler is built with to high a crown sheet fix it. Tough news for you but fix it correctly and it will serve you well for decades. I have had to fix three with this exact problem and the result was worth it.

Vance Nickerson

[KarlKobel]

On the same page Jeff also has an writeup: FUNDAMENTALS OF STEAM LOCOMOTIVE BOILER WATER LEVEL MANAGEMENT which demonstrates that although the crown sheet may be level relative to the locomotive, it may not be level relative to the track(earth).

Karl

[Bill Shields]

let us not forget about steep grades...especially LONG DOWN GRADEs

[John.can]

NP317 how did you or where did you get your gauge glass from? I'm trying to find or learn how to build one for 2.5" scale. Planning for my eventual build of my engine. Good to also know where to set my gauge glasses now.

[Bill Shields]

McMaster Carr has quite a few of different sizes in their catalog.

[NP317]

John.can:
I purchased the gauge glass for my 2-8-2 from a friend. It was new-old-stock. I don't know who originally made those, but someone here will know.
I recently came across a new version of that glass, but can't remember where. So I know they exist.
Locoparts has complete gauge glass assemblies with the correct 3 valves, but not the same style as that on my Mikado. Several options available.
Little Engines and other suppliers should also have similar units for sale.

On my Steam Launch project I just replaced the old gauge glass with new ones I cut from a stock tube. (pic attached of old tube.)
McMaster-Carr as noted above has quite a selection of borosilicate tubing, some "red-line" too.
The unusual 3/8" diameter tubing I needed was available from McMaster. No red-line available in that size, unfortunately.
RussN

[Santafescotty60]

Somebody said ,to mount my sight glass on my 10 wheeler 3/4 " above the top of the crown sheet and a couple guys I know raised their sight glasses so the bottom of the glass was 3/4" above the crown to keep it simple

[NP317]

That is how the gauge glass is mounted on my Allen Ten Wheeler.
RussN