Hello Friends,

Is anyone using a mobile boiler, perhaps mounted in a baggage car or boxcar, to provide steam heat for cold-weather trains? I'm mostly interested in learning about the application of a modern commercially available boiler for this service.

Thanks,

I'll start you with a quickly googled steam generator source

http://www.sioux.com/steam-generators.html

I think the Mid Continent RR Museum has a commercial steam generator in their ex-GN Heater car.

-Hudson

Vapor Corporation still manufactures and sells a vastly improved and updated version of the steam generator used in locomotives in past decades.

The folks at WK&S have used a commercial heating boiler mounted in a boxcar to heat their Santa trains for several years, ever since they retired their steam locomotives. They have a gasoline generator to provide the electric power to fire the boiler and use flexible hose to move the steam from the boiler to the steam heat connection on the first car.

Yes, Mid-Continent Rwy (North Freedom, WI) currently uses a 25 bhp culvert steamer manufactured by Milwaukee/Reliance. The unit was a self-contained rig using a Briggs & Stratton gas engine to power the burner and had an integral axle to form a trailer. It was donated by the City of Platteville, WI after we determined the 2 ancient Vapor steam generators in the GN heater car did not have enough good parts left to make one good generator. We pulled out the Vapors and wedged the boiler into the car body.

It is oil fired and after we realized we would not have a short path back to having a locomotive to supply the steam the Briggs was pulled out and we retrofitted an electric powered burner with ignition.

The fuel tank in the car was still sound and one of the water tanks will still hold water so all we had to do was tie into those supplies to feed the boiler. We then were able to pipe the steam output line into the existing steam lines in the car to feed the train line.

I hope this the type of info you are looking for....mld

Just make sure you get the correct "Vapor Corporation", as the company split about the time Wabtec acquired part of it.

The steam generator business is "Vapor Power International" http://www.vaporpower.com/

The electric relays and transit door systems are now "Vapor Bus International" https://www.wabtec.com/business-units/v ... ernational

Jeff

Hello Tom, the steam generator from PRR RS3 #8479 in Philly is still up for grabs if you'd like to contact the ARHS. It's an OK-4630 model and is very much intact for future use. The Vapor Clarkson company does still sell 4625 models on their webpage along with a few other similar products. In correspondence with one of their representatives they can and will service existing boilers with original parts regardless of age. From what I gather a dedicated car (preferably a baggage car) with enough room to fit a water/oil tank and a generator should do the job. Good luck on your search,

Cameron

http://vaporpower.com/wp-content/upload ... ochure.pdf

Remember that a steam generator is subject to FRA rules including a form 4...

Randy

No Randy, they are not. FRA regs apply only to locomotive boilers on steam locomotives. Steam generators to heat cars, crane boilers, rotary snowplow boilers do not. They may, however, fall under your jurisdiction's state boiler regulations.

As a Museum Director you should know better.

Mr. Wilkins, I wonder if Randy may be confusing a FRA 6180.49a for a "form 4" (which, as you note, is only for steam locomotives, on which I think it is highly unlikely you'd find a separate monotube steam generator!) But even there, the form should only apply to a locomotive with its steam generator installed and not to something like an OK-4630 mounted in a separate car.

Perhaps there is some perceived advantage in using the special Part 230 provisions for museum equipment, and so they choose (with their FRA 'representatives', to handle the devices as though historical 'locomotive' size boilers?

I certainly think some state code might apply, although it's an interesting question whether the National Board considers them 'power boilers' when their purpose is only heating, albeit capable of high pressure at considerable mass flow. I'd like to know the precise regulatory framework about what laws are applicable and who does what inspections on them.

That is not a choice the owner or the FRA can make. The same applies to boilers in derricks and cranes. Part 230 is very clear in what it applies to, and steam generators and derrick/crane/pile driver boilers are not even mentioned, much less covered, as there was no intent to cover those.

I suppose one could try to meet Part 230 with such a boiler, but to do so would be meaningless and would impress no one.

That leaves it up to the local jurisdiction (e.g. the state, insurance provider, etc.) where it operates.

Look in 49 cfr part 229.103 to 229.114 for steam generator inspection per FRA.
Robby Peartree