steam engine

jourdan123 | 19:03 Fri 25th May 2007 | How it Works

14 Answers

how do you tart a steam engine up in the morning

sky

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mrknowall

Are u serious ?

dzug

You don't. You start the previous evening. It takes quite a time.

mrknowall

If you are being serious see the link that goes into full detail for you.....

http://www.sowrey.org/2001/08/14/steam-frain-c n-6060-stettler-big-valley/

Clanad

A lot of the procedure depends on how well the engine was shut down previously. Let's assume that was done properly...
After checking water glass levels, and assuming an oil fired engine (rather than coal) a large wad of waste (looks like a mass of used threads) is soaked in fuel oil and placed just inside the firebox door on a ledge of fire brick. The oily waste is then ignited, usually by a fusee (looks like a large Roman Candle)... then adjusting the master fuel valve and assuming air pressure in a tank left over from the previous shut down, the fuel/air mixture is adjusted to produce a very fine mist which comes out in the firebox , hopefully hitting the flaming waste. A very noticeable, but muted explosion is produced as the waste ignite the fuel/air mixture. Now one simply waits... depending on the size of the engine and firebox, several hundred or even thousands of gallons of water must come to a boil.
The fireman (assuming you're the engineer) will have finished his rounds of the engine lubricating all the required points with a huge oil can.

Contd

Clanad

Contd

About 30 minutes to an hour have now passed and bubbles of steam are beginning and the main fuel lines can now be heated to better liquify the cold fuel oil. The engine takes on a life of its own and begins to creak as the heated water begins to produce more steam (and this is before the main burner is lit). Keeping an eye on the main steam guage and stop valve, about 25 pounds of pressure is needed before lighting off the main burner. Keep in mind this is at least a 2 inch diameter line coming from the main fuel tank to deep into the firebox... it's turned on and a stronger explosion is heard and felt as the main burner lights off.
A chemical is mixed with the water to help retard scaling in the boiler and this water line is turned on after pressurizing. Now it's a matter of achieving about 140 pounds of steam pressure on the main big brass gauge... The steam cylinders are warmed with an injection of steam with the brakes set, the cylinders are exercised in forward and reverse... and your about ready to go. (My Uncle was an engineer on the biggest steam locomotive engine in the world, the 4-8-8-4 Big Boys, 132 feet long and weighed 1.2 million pounds operated by the Union Pacific Railroad here in the western U.S.) I still have a set of operating manuals...

B00

I immediately thought of.....

"a bit of lipstick, and a squirt of perfume"

then I decided to not be so infantile and I concur with Clanad's reply.

-- answer removed --

Clanad

I don't know Boo... maybe the question really is how to tart a steam engine, in which case yours is as good as any... (Unless of course the questioner is Tweety Bird)...

MustafaTickl

Here is Clanad's uncle and Big Boy.

Clanad

And here...
http://www.northeast.railfan.net/images/tr_up4 019.jpg

Thanks, Mustafa...