Fuelling a steam locomotive sitting idle?

[truckman060473]

This is something I just pondered over while looking at the steam train due at Carmarthen on Bank holiday Monday. the train arrives at 13.11 and departs 16.47. Now, during this time, obviously it will use some of the downtime collecting further reserves of fuel and water but what else occurs during this time? does the firebox receive no coal letting the loco cool down a bit or do the staff feed coal regularly to keep the loco as hot as it would need to be to resume running again at quick notice?

 

[NSEFAN]

You have to keep it hot, otherwise you'd lose steam and wouldn't be going anywhere very quickly.

IIRC, most kettles were designed to be 'switched off' every few months, and being kept warm the rest of the time. Constant expansion/contraction from cooling would wear the loco out much faster. Not quite the same concept as a diesel

 

[sprinterguy]

Even some modern diesel engines don't appreciate being switched off for periods of less than 12 hours.

As NSEFAN says, a steam loco requires light firing during layover periods, as well as periodically refilling the boiler wth water. The fuel and water consumption of a steam loco is much lower when stationary compared to when it's moving, but the fire still needs maintaining to ensure it continues to burn correctly, and the water level must not drop below a certain level as this risks damaging the loco. The loco can't just be left to sizzle for a couple of hours on it's own.

 

[fsmr]

Even some modern diesel engines don't appreciate being switched off for periods of less than 12 hours.

As NSEFAN says, a steam loco requires light firing during layover periods, as well as periodically refilling the boiler wth water. The fuel and water consumption of a steam loco is much lower when stationary compared to when it's moving, but the fire still needs maintaining to ensure it continues to burn correctly, and the water level must not drop below a certain level as this risks damaging the loco. The loco can't just be left to sizzle for a couple of hours on it's own.

our 1/5th locos hate standing and need constant attention to the fire to avoid emabarasment
The trick is to keep the fire active without blowing the safety valves off thus wasting energy and also not good practice in the station. so constant juggling with the blower, firebox door and injectors to keep the fire ready and boiler close to full withthe safetys on the edge.
The fun comes when you dont know if it is 20 minutes or 2 minutes before you depart. Its is poosibble to have maximum working pressure on the boiler but no fire, so on departure, boiler pressure deacys raplidly without the fire bursting into life
All the fun of firing and driving on your own (not like the big boys who can blame each other LOL)

But any steam engine is potentially a controlled bomb and should never be unattended for more than a minute or so. For example a gauge glass could fail requiring immediate isolation to avoid critical loss of water, True componenets fail on diesels but much more rarely and automation usualy takes control before any damage
Nige
http://www.fsmr.org.uk

 

[John Webb]

Other work undertaken by the driver and fireman, besides keeping the fire and water topped up, includes checking and topping up the oiling points, looking for overheating in bearings and clearing out the ashpan. They will probably top up the tender with water (or have someone do it for them) and if they have to turn the loco round for the return journey either find a turntable or a triangular junction to run round. And they'll want their own 'natural breaks' and meals as well.....

 

[E&W Lucas]

Other work undertaken by the driver and fireman, besides keeping the fire and water topped up, includes checking and topping up the oiling points, looking for overheating in bearings and clearing out the ashpan. They will probably top up the tender with water (or have someone do it for them) and if they have to turn the loco round for the return journey either find a turntable or a triangular junction to run round. And they'll want their own 'natural breaks' and meals as well.....

Closer to the truth than most of what's above.

Firing a loco requires an awful lot of forward planning. A break like this would give the opportunity to "clean" the fire (provided you'd planned ahead, and run it down), removing any build up of ash or clinker. Both of these impede the air flow through a fire, so can give you steaming problems. After doing that, you then need to build the fire up again. Firing is all about preparation.

Locos require to be stopped for boiler wash out periodically. Typically after every 14 - 28 days in traffic, depending on water quality, treatment regimes and workload obviously.

 

[Wyvern]

Constant expansion/contraction from cooling would wear the loco out much faster.

I believe I read somewhere recently that this is proving a problem with heritage locos (Tornado?) because they are not in service day in and day oiut.

 

[Greenback]

Is the engine staying at Carmarthen during the layover? When Tornado went to Swansea in March, she went to Margam and came back later!

 

[truckman060473]

I'm not sure, but i think at Swansea which is a terminus without run round points type facility, it is dragged backwards by a 66 to Margam for water and coal. A loco at Carmarthen can get itself off the train, run round the coaches and stable at the old sidings behind Comet, where a water lorry and coal truck fill her up, before it runs via the triangle to get itself the right way round for the return leg.

 

[4SRKT]

When I was a boy and my father worked on the railway, he had a much older colleague who had been a fireman out of Halifax in his youth. He told me tales that in the days when traffic over the Calder Valley line was so frequent that sometimes low priority freight trains (like the endless stream of coal trains) would be be held in passing loops for hours, and that some turns consisted simply of being taken to a train in a loop, keeping the fire going for the whole shift, then being brought back again.

 

[Greenback]

I'm not sure, but i think at Swansea which is a terminus without run round points type facility, it is dragged backwards by a 66 to Margam for water and coal. A loco at Carmarthen can get itself off the train, run round the coaches and stable at the old sidings behind Comet, where a water lorry and coal truck fill her up, before it runs via the triangle to get itself the right way round for the return leg.

Yes, they could do that. It would be nice if she stayed in Carmarthen for extra photo opportunities!