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42 replies

What The Heck is a "Flexible" Staybolt?

HW Hot WaterOGR Forum Member
Originally Posted by Gary P. Bensman:

Well Hot Water, it took me a couple of readings to try to understand but I think I see where smd4 gets his perspective. His loco only has telltales on the outer ends of it's staybolts - so he thinks the rule that says telltales must be kept clear at all times pertains to ALL telltales. It only applies to the outer ends of bolts with telltales.

Of course we ALL maintain our boilers with the outer ends of all telltales kept clear at all times.  smd4 didn't understand my post about clearing the telltale for an annual hydro because I was referring to ALL the TELLTALES on the inner end of the bolts.

EXACTLY!!!

 

Specifically the flexible staybolts. 

GP Gary P. BensmanOGR Forum Member

The inner telltales are required to be " known to be clear their entire length" before performing a hydrostatic test annually. The bolts are requried to have a telltale 3/16" to 7/32" and we have found that a 3/16" bit clears these holes nicely. The next thing to understand is the inner ends of telltales must be plugged "with a porous, fireproof material " to keep out soot, and be able to indicate a leak when a bolt breaks. This fireclay is what I referred to as needing to be cleared. If you have telltales, but do not plug their inner ends with the fireclay, I say you have an FRA defect. ( Now watch someone tell us that the F.R.A. Rules only require the plug in the telltale of flexible bolts!!!!) 

EM Eddie MarraOGR Forum Member

Funny, because I was just watching a DVD I recently got at a train meet about the last restoration of the Flying Scotsman, and it went into the detail of the boiler, spending a little time on this very subject!  

 

When you first hear the term, you think of it as being something like a staybolt that is rubbery, but it's more to "flex" with the temperature.

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