Personal Experience with a Failed Blowdown

Dave · **Posted:** Mon Feb 11, 2013 6:23 pm

hamster wrote:

[That was "back in the day". Doesn't Part 230 now require an emergency oil shut off somewhere on the tener?

For insular operators, today is "back in the day." Good ideas don't stop working when regulations change.

dave

Ed Kelley · **Posted:** Tue Feb 12, 2013 1:21 pm

On the last run or so one afternoon while working on a certain tourist hauler, we had a failed blowdown incident when the valve decided to seize up in the open position while working steam in the worst possible place on the railroad. The fire was dropped immediately and the emptied kettle was inspected, which didn't reveal anything awry. IIRC, the valve was switched out and later rebuilt, the linkage reworked and for good measure and the engine was fitted with a secondary (ball valve) for emergencies. Most fun of all was getting the solid coating of mud off the hoss back at the house that evening, because the piece de resistance to the whole thing was that the responsible party had initiated the blowdown about 50' shy of a cut, which in the heat of the moment was powerwashed all over the locomotive.

Bobharbison · **Joined:** Fri Dec 03, 2004 9:42 pm **Posts:** 3010

Ed Kelley wrote:

On the last run or so one afternoon while working on a certain tourist hauler, we had a failed blowdown incident.

That brings up another question.

Does your railroad have regulations regarding where and when blowdowns are peformed?

Obviously, if you have excess water, you may not have a choice. But for the regular blowdowns designed to keep the boiler free of mud, are they done in a specific location and at a specific time? For example, at the end of the day after the runs have been completed?

Such a policy could lessen this impact of a valve that sticks open, or refuses to seat completely. That would be a lot easier to deal with in the yard than someplace out on the road with a full train.

Alexander D. Mitchell IV · **Posted:** Tue Feb 12, 2013 2:37 pm

There's been at least one steam railway that performed them at a bridge during the regular passenger run, the better to give the passengers a nice rainbow to look at.

Your mileage, and sun angles, may vary.

survivingworldsteam · **Posted:** Tue Feb 12, 2013 3:42 pm

Alexander D. Mitchell IV wrote:

There's been at least one steam railway that performed them at a bridge during the regular passenger run, the better to give the passengers a nice rainbow to look at.

Your mileage, and sun angles, may vary.

I can think of two or three others in my area that did it every trip at a particular trestle or location.

PaulWWoodring · **Posted:** Tue Feb 12, 2013 5:12 pm

Bobharbison wrote:

Does your railroad have regulations regarding where and when blowdowns are peformed?

In running a Polish OL-49 2-6-2 with the Wolsztyn Experience, the practice of the Polish crews on the regular Wolsztyn-Poznan run was to blow down both sides of the boiler after just about every station stop (17 stops in 52 miles). Seemed a bit excessive, but without knowing the quality of the water they are using...