https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVh0lpmgJ3Q
Doh!
Though I understand and do not fault the D&SNGR's decision to use oil-burners, I got a chuckle out of the comment, "God himself is punishing them for converting coal to oil."
Original Post
Replies sorted oldest to newest
There's a big discussion over on RyPN about this incident, and the underlying cause.
There will be a little learning curve for the firemen. There is a difference between firing coal and oil. I suspect that some of the firemen will embrace oil, once they see how much easier it is on them.
smd4 posted:There's a big discussion over on RyPN about this incident, and the underlying cause.
There will be a little learning curve for the firemen. There is a difference between firing coal and oil. I suspect that some of the firemen will embrace oil, once they see how much easier it is on them.
Matt_GNo27 posted:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVh0lpmgJ3Q
Doh!
Though I understand and do not fault the D&SNGR's decision to use oil-burners, I got a chuckle out of the comment, "God himself is punishing them for converting coal to oil."
Whatever the cause, it's not because of oil firing. 
Rusty
SP #18 was always an oil burner. It's others that are being converted to prevent having to follow by a fire crew to put out fires.
Oil or coal making the is not the issue with the steam cylinder head busting out. Probably a piston failure after watching the whole video.
Charlie
Look how that piston is crumbled. Zinc pest again??
Is that just gonna leave the Cumbres and Toltec behind coal? Or are they breaking with tradition?
RickO posted:Look how that piston is crumbled. Zinc pest again??
LOL. I thought the same thing when I saw the inside of the cylinder.
RickO posted:Look how that piston is crumbled. Zinc pest again??
A little J-B Weld, and that piston will be good as new again. 
smd4 posted:There's a big discussion over on RyPN about this incident, and the underlying cause.
There will be a little learning curve for the firemen. There is a difference between firing coal and oil. I suspect that some of the firemen will embrace oil, once they see how much easier it is on them.
When burning oil, you need to have the carburetor air mixture screw set a little bit on the rich side. Too lean, and you risk burning valves and pistons. 
Rusty Traque posted:Whatever the cause, it's not because of oil firing.
No one ever suggested that.
I appears the piston and cover could be machined relatively easily. Not sure about the piston rings. How would they go about sourcing these?
Pete
Norton posted:I appears the piston and cover could be machined relatively easily. Not sure about the piston rings. How would they go about sourcing these?
Virtually every component on a steam locomotive can be re-manufactured, given enough money. We had new combining tubes CNC machined for our Sellers Injectors, but it cost a pretty penny.
Concerning piston rings in general, they are still made:
I would like to learn something from this. It appears to me the piston is turned down from some sort of cast alloy??...if it’s straight up steel....would a chunk of billet steel be an option? Or too cost prohibitive? ....In my world of automotive performance work, we’ll substitute a billet component vs a cast component in a heart beat....way less chance of component failure. Maybe Jack (Hotwater) might lend his expertise on this??....again, I’m on a quest to learn....the only dumb question is the one you don’t ask.........Pat
Kelly Anderson posted:Pistons of this era are hollow and made of cast iron. Iron is a better bearing to the cylinder, and if the piston were made of stronger material, then something else would have to break at that moment of "immovable object vs. irresistible force", and many of those other parts are way more expensive than a piston.
Thank you Kelly for the education. I did not know, and what you said makes perfect sense...so if I’ve learned my lesson, y’all rather the piston be the sacrificial lamb than the cylinder or rod, or something really costly...makes economic sense......Pat
Kelly Anderson posted:Pistons of this era are hollow and made of cast iron. Iron is a better bearing to the cylinder, and if the piston were made of stronger material, then something else would have to break at that moment of "immovable object vs. irresistible force", and many of those other parts are way more expensive than a piston.
And if I'm not mistaken that immovable object is typically water (condensate or water entrained in the steam from the boiler)?
Lew
geysergazer posted:Kelly Anderson posted:Pistons of this era are hollow and made of cast iron. Iron is a better bearing to the cylinder, and if the piston were made of stronger material, then something else would have to break at that moment of "immovable object vs. irresistible force", and many of those other parts are way more expensive than a piston.
And if I'm not mistaken that immovable object is typically water (condensate or water entrained in the steam from the boiler)?
Lew
Yup. Water is not compressible. If the engine in your car ingests water it's going to bend a piston rod or worse. Same applies to any kind of compression engine.
Don't know what kind of rules the D&S runs under, but under GCOR the whistle use at 52:28 would not hold up in court if a serious crossing incident had occurred. The D&S would be forking over lots of money. Prosecuting Attorney's are getting more educated by the day concerning RR operating rules and using them against the RR and affected RR employee(s) in a court case.
In today's RR-ing, invasive tech (event recorders, forward cams, cab cams/etc) is seen in a negative light by most RR'ers. I viewed it a bit different: It was my insurance that I would keep my career and financial integrity if something bad (fatality) happened at a crossing or via a trespasser. All I needed to do was comply with the rules and I was covered. Thankfully, I was spared a fatality crossing/trespassing incident in all my years of RR-ing. I did end up in court once, but all was well (see above).
Andre
laming posted:Don't know what kind of rules the D&S runs under, but under GCOR the whistle use at 52:28 would not hold up in court if a serious crossing incident had occurred.
Someone's horn timing is WAY off!
So I watched the video showing the piston failure and the immediate aftermath--should the passengers have been allowed to disembark and congregate around the engine? Up to and including putting a camera basically inside the damaged cylinder? Seems a bit unsafe, considering what happened.
I agree with Steve!
The Durango and Silverton is not listed as one of the "signed on" railroads in the most recent GCOR.
I have been unable to find any public reference to their Operating Rules.
BTW, at which time stamp did the piston blow? I did not have time to watch the full video! THANKS!
smd4 posted:So I watched the video showing the piston failure and the immediate aftermath--should the passengers have been allowed to disembark and congregate around the engine? Up to and including putting a camera basically inside the damaged cylinder? Seems a bit unsafe, considering what happened.
I'd be pretty sure they had the throttle blue-flagged so no chance of live steam entering (and exiting) the cylinder. That would be the only safety issue I could visualize.
Lew
Tinplate Art posted:BTW, at which time stamp did the piston blow? I did not have time to watch the full video! THANKS!
Around 35:10.
THANKS!
I think this might take a while to fix.Thats a very important part on the locomotive.Unless they have the parts or can make the parts.Or have some else make them.That was a sad sight to see.
