BASIC OPERATING PROCEDURE FOR ROAD STEAM ENGINES General Notes and Observations November 2014 Compiled by David Toyne Candidate’s name: BASIC OPERATING PROCEDURE FOR ROAD STEAM ENGINES Page 1 BASIC OPERATING PROCEDURE FOR ROAD STEAM ENGINES Table of Contents BASIC OPERATING PROCEDURE FOR ROAD STEAM ENGINES ................................................................ 4 1. Foreword ........................................................................................................................................ 4 2. Crew ................................................................................................................................................ 5 3. Notes on Boiler Type ...................................................................................................................... 5 4. Equipment Needed......................................................................................................................... 6 5. Assemble (Box Up) Boiler Ready For Filling .................................................................................. 6 6. Filling the Boiler .............................................................................................................................. 7 7. Preparation ..................................................................................................................................... 8 8. Lighting Up ...................................................................................................................................... 8 9. Engine Controls ............................................................................................................................... 9 10. Oiling ‘round ............................................................................................................................. 10 11. Boiler Management .................................................................................................................. 11 12. Static Operation of the Engine ................................................................................................. 13 13. Moving the Engine .................................................................................................................... 14 a. Steering ..................................................................................................................................... 15 b. Roading ..................................................................................................................................... 15 c. Braking ...................................................................................................................................... 16 d. Shunting .................................................................................................................................... 17 14. Putting the Engine to Bed ........................................................................................................ 19 a. Common principles ................................................................................................................... 19 b. Steaming the next day .............................................................................................................. 19 c. Parking up for some time .......................................................................................................... 19 15. Stop, Look and Listen ............................................................................................................... 20 Appendix 1 ............................................................................................................................................ 21 Emergencies – (Adapted from NTET CoC) ........................................................................................ 21 Appendix 2 ............................................................................................................................................ 24 Water Gauge Glasses – (Adapted from NTET CoC) ........................................................................... 24 Appendix 3 ............................................................................................................................................ 25 Lubrication of Steam Engines – Valve and Cylinder Lubrication ....................................................... 25 Wet Steam .................................................................................................................................... 25 Superheated Steam....................................................................................................................... 25 Appendix 4 ............................................................................................................................................ 29 Selection of Oil for Steam Engines .................................................................................................... 29 Appendix 5 ............................................................................................................................................ 32 BASIC OPERATING PROCEDURE FOR ROAD STEAM ENGINES Page 2 Occasional Running Troubles with Steam Engines ........................................................................... 32 Groaning ........................................................................................................................................ 32 Hot bearings .................................................................................................................................. 32 Pounding and knocking ................................................................................................................. 34 Water in the cylinders ................................................................................................................... 35 Appendix 6 ............................................................................................................................................ 36 The Injector – Black art of the steam world! .................................................................................... 36 Appendix 7 ............................................................................................................................................ 39 Corrosion and causes of corrosion in boilers – (Adapted from NTET CoC) ...................................... 39 Appendix 8 ............................................................................................................................................ 41 Boiler treatment and blowing down – (Adapted from NTET CoC) ................................................... 41 Appendix 9 ............................................................................................................................................ 43 Competency assessment record ....................................................................................................... 43 BASIC OPERATING PROCEDURE FOR ROAD STEAM ENGINES Page 3 BASIC OPERATING PROCEDURE FOR ROAD STEAM ENGINES 1. Foreword These pages contain notes and observations on the safe operation of Road Steam Engines (RSE), in particular traction engines, steam rollers and their various variants. There is quite often a significant difference between the operational characteristics of the various makes of RSE and even the various types within a specific make or type. These notes therefore should be seen as a guide only and not be construed as an operations manual for any specific engine. The general principles, however, apply to all RSE. The information herein has been drawn from numerous sources including, inter alia, personal experience and observation, interviews, non copy write historical notes, modern technical accounts etc. The work is divided in to a main body and eight information appendices and one appendix dealing with the assessment of competency. WARNING!! RSEs are potentially dangerous pieces of machinery, there are hot metal parts, scalding water and steam, and unguarded moving parts, extreme caution is needed at all times. BASIC OPERATING PROCEDURE FOR ROAD STEAM ENGINES Page 4 BASIC OPERATING PROCEDURE FOR ROAD STEAM ENGINES 2. Crew Most RSE will have a crew of two at any given time, nominally the driver and steersman. • This may vary given circumstances, e.g. when on static display • Note that the “driver” is the person controlling the engine, not steering it 3. Notes on Boiler Type RSE the subject of these notes, generally employ a “Locomotive Boiler”. That is a boiler which: • Is designed to be movable • has a single pass of gas from firebox to chimney • Uses many small tubes to allow the gas flow from firebox to smokebox • Has exhaust steam from the engine directed up the chimney to create a draft for the fire As far as boilers go, it is highly efficient and one of the only designs that automatically increases steam generation proportional with steam use due to the engine exhaust being used to create draught for the fire. The harder the engine works, the greater the draft, and providing the fire is in good order and well managed, the greater the steam production. • Key o A = Tubes o B = Fire box tube plate o C = Front tube plate o D = Stay bar o E = Fire box stay o F = Fire bar o G = Fire box girder stay o H = Girder stay bolt o I = Fire hole door o J = Throat plate o K = Front Plate (back head) o L = Outer fire box (wagon top) o M = Mud door (wash out door, hand hole door) o N= Smokebox door o O = Damper o P= Foundation ring (“Z” ring in