So for one of my sidings, I planned on having some items that would mimic a "service area" for my sons steam train. I purchased a water tower and a water column, and I have my eye on a sanding tower. Aside from a coaling station, what else would stand by the tracks for a steam engine? And for a diesel?
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Deuce posted:So for one of my sidings, I planned on having some items that would mimic a "service area" for my sons steam train. I purchased a water tower and a water column, and I have my eye on a sanding tower. Aside from a coaling station, what else would stand by the tracks for a steam engine?
Most importantly would be wood or concrete platforms on each side of the track, at rail head height. Thus, the workers have something to stand on while they are "servicing" the various lubrication points.
And for a diesel?
Same as above (work platforms), but a diesel fuel filling hydrant/stand pipe, different sanding tower (the sand domes are on the top of the boiler on steam locomotives), and various tools and spare brake shoes laying around. Also, don't forget trash cans (usually open-top 55 gallon drums, on a pallet.
You'll need an ash pit.
Don't forget spare knuckles and air hoses.
Deuce, not trying to hijack your thread, but I have a question that sort of pertains to the subject, but for oil fired steamers.
One thing that I'd like to know is how did they handle the oil? Bunker oil, if what I've been reading is correct. With a single tender holding several thousand gallons did they have tank farms near by? Also, would a coaling station be present if the railroad is running oil burners? Now, I know that you don't need an ash pit for oil burners but weren't pits still needed for inspection, and service? If so how often did they have to crawl under and inspect and service?
Thanks for all the suggestions folks. I'm going to need more space.
Big Ken posted:
This is a picture
that I ran across which someone did a great job of setting up his layout and weathering. You can see the ash pit and the platforms.
That is the steam locomotive servicing facility on our layout (not one of my locomotives, however). Note the oil fuel stand-pipe right behind the larger diameter water stand-pipe, both to the left of the locomotive.
Additional photos with a story can be seen in the OGR "Run 244" issue from August/September 2010.
RadCam posted:Deuce, not trying to hijack your thread, but I have a question that sort of pertains to the subject, but for oil fired steamers.
One thing that I'd like to know is how did they handle the oil? Bunker oil, if what I've been reading is correct.
Yes, the railroads generally used Bunker C, in the oil burning locomotives. Since Bunker C is almost asphalt, it must be heated to at least 150 degrees F, in order to move/pump it.
With a single tender holding several thousand gallons did they have tank farms near by?
As an example, the Southern Pacific GS-4 class 4-8-4 locomotive tenders held 6200 gallons of fuel oil, and 23,500 gallons of water.
Also, would a coaling station be present if the railroad is running oil burners?
Yes, if that railroad also had coal burning steam locomotives assigned to the same territory, such as the Union Pacific, and Southern Pacific.
Now, I know that you don't need an ash pit for oil burners but weren't pits still needed for inspection, and service?
Yes, but such "inspection pits" were usually inside the roundhouse.
If so how often did they have to crawl under and inspect and service?
Pretty much at the end of every trip, especially on those locomotives NOT equipped with roller bearings on all axles.
Hot Water posted:RadCam posted:One thing that I'd like to know is how did they handle the oil? Bunker oil, if what I've been reading is correct.
Yes, the railroads generally used Bunker C, in the oil burning locomotives. Since Bunker C is almost asphalt, it must be heated to at least 150 degrees F, in order to move/pump it.
How did they keep the oil in the tender hot enough to pump?
SouthernMike posted:Hot Water posted:RadCam posted:One thing that I'd like to know is how did they handle the oil? Bunker oil, if what I've been reading is correct.
Yes, the railroads generally used Bunker C, in the oil burning locomotives. Since Bunker C is almost asphalt, it must be heated to at least 150 degrees F, in order to move/pump it.
How did they keep the oil in the tender hot enough to pump?
There were/are steam coils throughout the bottom of the oil bunker in the tender. The Fireman could thus control the oil temp. Plus, there was/is a steam coil wrapped around the entire fuel oil pipe from under the cab, all the way to the burner at the front of the firebox.
The oil is gravity feed from the tender to the Fireman's oil control valve to the burner. Only the SP cab forwards had a low air pressure applied to the tender oil bunker, due to the long distance from the tender to the cab to the firebox.
Big Ken posted:
This is a picture
Very good job of a Steam Engine servicing siding.........This reminded me of the Roundhouse Whisker Tracks at the IC and Pennsylvania Round houses in old Louisville West End....
I just don't remember seeing any barrels, but I don't remember seeing any trash , cans, or bottles laying around those areas either......
I do remember, if you weren't a Veteran, you didn't get a job on the Railroad, at least in my Home Town. Probably the reason, I never ever saw trash laying around the work area, or even inside the lunchroom at the Roundhouses......!
Got my Coal Tower, Sand Tower, and water columns up. Will take a picture tonight. Can I say it's almost impossible to find oil columns, fuel pumps in O scale?
Very few leads on these items.
Deuce posted:Got my Coal Tower, Sand Tower, and water columns up. Will take a picture tonight. Can I say it's almost impossible to find oil columns, fuel pumps in O scale?
Very few leads on these items.
The old Max Gray/Kemtron/PSC oil columns and water columns show up pretty often on eBay. They generally are NOT "cheap", but if you refine your search to O Scale Brass, you might be successful.
I found some promising stuff over in the UK. Shipping seems reasonable too.
Deuce posted:I found some promising stuff over in the UK. Shipping seems reasonable too.
Yes, their items look quite nice, except, those "water cranes and water tanks" are NOT the type used on the U.S.A. railroads.
Contact Dave at Crescent Locomotive Works. He makes oil columns and a lot of nice products, not all of which are on his website.
Great guy to work with.
Shot of my unfinished Service Yard's various towers and engine house. ( Fuel tower behind built by Model Structures). Overall Yard needs a lot of scenicking:
Below: a raw model of an 1890s ash pit in my layout service yard. Photo of the prototype and picture of the template for its replacement built by Crescent Locomotive Works---a lift and dump tower for ashes and cinder :
Below: Atlantic & Yadkin Consolidation #481 positioning its firebox over the ash Pit.
1894 Ash Pit in old A&Y Yard at Greensboro
Bill Webb posted:Contact Dave at Crescent Locomotive Works. He makes oil columns and a lot of nice products, not all of which are on his website.
Great guy to work with.
Thanks. I sent them an email. The MTH sand tower is huge and wide. It's a tight fit on my layout right now. Coal Tower and water column are good though. And looking into a steam sand tower as well (Lionel). Trying to fit both diesel and steam service in the same area. Not prototypical at all I imagine.
Might need to shuffle things around a bit, like moving the water column to the other side of the coaling tower.
Narrow Gauge Modeling Co. sells oil columns too.
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