Prepping a Cold Live Steamer for Operation (video)

Well done and informative!

Nice Tudor... Thanks.  How long will it run?

2 tenders would be nice. 1 for fuel. I for water. Lot more run time..

Or a tender as long as the engine.

One would still have to stop to pump the water from the aux tender and also refill the displacement lubricator. Miniature live steam is all about the balance of water, fuel and steam oil. Some engines are designed to run out of fuel BEFORE the boiler is empty, so a stop would be necessary for topping up fuel and water plus steam oil. Twenty minutes or so is considered reasonable run time for many gauge one engines. Larger engines have axle pumps for boiler filling from larger capacity tenders and will also have larger capacity lubricators for longer running times.

Thanks art.

I would need more run time. But I can see the lubrication . those little bearings etc. Are working overtime. Meaning not enough mass to dissipate heat.

Steam oil is high temperature lubricating oil for pistons and valves on steam engines of ALL sizes including the real thing. Viscosities vary even for the gauge one models, but all varieties can withstand the temperature of the steam in the valve and piston cylinders. Displacement type lubricators found in the smaller steam locos usually need frequent draining due to the steam condensing into water after displacing the oil to the cylinders. This is one of the sound reasons for frequent service stops.

Tinplate Art posted:

Twenty minutes or so is considered reasonable run time for many gauge one engines. Larger engines have axle pumps for boiler filling from larger capacity tenders and will also have larger capacity lubricators for longer running times.

 

My live steam Daylight GS4 easily runs 50 minutes to an hour:

Regards

Fred

The Aster GS4 does have an axle pump if I recall? A friend of mine used to doublehead two of his Aster GS4's at the famous Diamondhead, MS steam meet at high speed!

Coal-fired Asters with axle pumps running at Diamondhead had plenty of fuel and water plus adequate cylinder lubrication, and they could easily run for 45 minutes to an hour.

I personally never liked alcohol firing. Preferred gas, but also liked the smell of the coal burners at the Diamondhead meets (1996 & 1997).

Gas firing, unlike alcohol, is MORE dependent on ambient temperature and wind conditions. Low temperature climates are NOT favorable for butane and isobutane fuels. A propane/butane mix is indicated for colder temperature gas firing. Such mixtures are available for certain types of camp stoves.

An adaptor nozzle for such a mixture container would likely be needed to fill the tanks on most engines.

I once met a very creative fellow at the Diamondhead steamups who scratch built a heavy duty loco with a boiler that was fired with 100% propane, a much more expansive gas than butane! 

Firing an ordinary-constructed gauge one live steamer on 100% propane is strongly NOT recommended! As propane is a MUCH more expansive gas with greater BTU capacity than butane, one would have to have a specially constructed firebox and boiler to handle the increased thermal expansion and pressures!

The custom built propane-fired unit I observed at Diamondhead was a very robust one indeed and included special riveted construction!

The propane/butane mixture used for some camping stoves in colder climates can be safely used in most gauge one steamers.

The ratio of this mixture is 30% propane and 70% butane. Readily available in the UK for camp stoves.

FRED: Thought you might like to comment on alternative gas fuels for gauge one steamers.  ☺

I should mention that there was only ONE fellow out of the hundred or so attending the Diamondhead Steamup that had the 100% propane loco of his own design and construction. NOT fot the faint of heart!

How many of our live steam chaps here use the 30/70% propane/butane fuel?