From: grr@cbmvax.commodore.com (George Robbins)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Re: 0-6-0 T Help.
Date: 23 Jul 92 04:34:00 GMT
Reply-To: grr@cbmvax.commodore.com (George Robbins)
Organization: Commodore, West Chester, PA
to: Jerry@NCC.UKY.EDU

Well, since another posting indicated that you were desparate for answers...

In article <1992Jul17.170430.9820@ms.uky.edu> jerry@ncc.uky.edu (Jerry Nokes Jr.) writes:
> 
>      Could use a little help here.  The steam crew at the Bluegrass Railroad
> Museum, are trying to repair an old Porter 0-6-0 T, oil fired steamer.
>   We need to find out some answeres to some problems.  
> 
>     1)  We can't get the throttle assembly to seat on the brass bushing.
>     2)  Where can we get some cheap throttle piston rings?

This are confusing.  What type of throttle and what part of it are your
referring to?  The traditional throttle has a poppet valve in the steam
dome that sits on the end of the dry pipe to the cylinders.  An operating
lever runs through the boiler from a lifting arm back to a packing gland
in the backhead.

Where is your assembly that won't seat on the bushing?  If it the poppet
valve, it might have to be ground to fit on the seat.  If is the packing
gland on the backhead, you should probably be using a copper gasket that
will deform to fit.

As far as the piston rings, I'm not sure where there is a piston in the
throttle assembly.  Sure you're not talking about the some power reverse
gear or other accessories?

Piston rings are generally machined from stock, brass or cast iron pipe
if the convenient size is available or a rough sand-casting if not.  Brass
or bronze rings pose no problems, finding an iron foundry and getting the
right hardness of cast iron might be more difficult.

>     3)  Was the firebrick in the box corbuled above the burner?

Perhaps.  I think the idea was refelect as much heat back at the ignition
point as possible and also shield the firebox from direct radition from
this point.  Best thing is to look at similar oil-burning locomotives and
copy.

>     4)  What is the reccommended weight of the oils used in these guy's
>         approximately in the 50's.

Railroads traditionally used Bunker C or heavy industrial fuel oil, but lighter
fuel oil may be easier to procure and avoids problems with having to pre-heat
the oil.  I know one local tourist line used regular home heating oil, the
truck would simply pull up to the engine and make a ~200 gallon delivery.
Assuming occasional operation, convenience should probably rule...

Depending on what the burner was set up for, you might have to obtain/
fabricate a new nozzle with appropriatly sized aperatures.  There is also
an issue of whether to use steam or air atomization.  I'd suggest finding
a local industrial boiler/burner service for help.

It sounds like what you really need is to get in touch with someone that
is responsible for maintaining similar equipment.  There are a goodly number
of oil-fired engines in tourist line service, either from out west or logging
roads.  If you don't get any better responses, consult one of the tourist
line directories and start making a bunch of phone calls.  Don't neglect the
pro/tourist-trap lines like Tweetsie or Stone Mountain, while you might have
to visit them, they have to keep there stuff running more than occasional
weekend during the summer and can also help identify sources for cylinder
oil, rod grease and so on...

References...  Unfortunatly the tourist line I worked at was all coal fired,
though another local line had oil-fired 0-6-0T and and 0-8-0T's.  Ugly, but...

-- 
George Robbins - now working for,     uucp:   {uunet|pyramid|rutgers}!cbmvax!grr
but no way officially representing:   domain: grr@cbmvax.commodore.com
Commodore, Engineering Department     phone:  215-431-9349 (only by moonlite)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad