Peter Odell wrote:A number of people have asked for feedback on boiler handling noted on the Iowa Interstate QJ,s So I thought I may as well share with the S A preservation community. Excuse delay.
Steam services of America, handling the QJ,s, put emphasis on boiler care by keeping a constant boiler temperature & pressure as far as possible, rather wasting feedwater than breaking stays. Not so easy to do in S African conditions where most operators have to be carefull not to waste water and the poor coal we get would soon clinker if fired a few shovells at a time every few mins while standing.
Light up - See pics 011 & 012 Industrial hot air blowers are placed at the firebox door for 12+ hours before light up. The boiler is thus slightly warmed when fire lit. Steam raising was monitored by taking temperature readings with the laser off washout plugs.[Note all washout plugs nicely numbered]
Steaming - use of the feedwater pump makes maintaining a constant pressure much easier than the "cold water" injectors we are used to.
Standing- The practise was to add 4-5 shovells every few minutes and to constantly put the injectors on rarely for longer than 30 seconds,keeping sufficient water and a constant boiler pressure. The small size, excellent non clinkering coal made this possible. Completely different from the S A practise of banking the fire,filling boiler & pressure dropping up to 30lbs.
Feedwater treatment- Water consumption was monitored using the "dipstick" marked off in 1,000 gallon increments. Anti priming and corrosion treatment was added using a predetermined formula/ratio at each top up.
Disposal - 1]Stable locomotive 2] Fill boiler 3] LEAVE fire 4]Cap chimney 5] Rake out dead fire/ash 2-3 days later. 6]Drain water from boiler and dry out using, I think, compressed air.
[Certainly no horror stories like I recently witnessed of throw out fire/fill boiler/move loco/wash firebars with spraypipe!]
regards Peter J Odell Kimberley
016.jpg Water treatment mixtures & dipstick
003.jpg Hand held laser temperature gauge
007.jpg taking temperature reading off washout plug
011.jpg Hot air blowers
012.jpg Hot air blowers
