So how were through mounting rods attached to the stove. Did they have a head on top and threads on the bottom that you tighten under the caboose or did they threat onto the bolts that went through the stove? you can see from this image that two threaded bolts hang out the side.
https://flic.kr/p/Yi1ckB Here you can see a rod going down from the top through the baseplate

On the caboose stoves I have seen, and the ones I have installed, the square head goes on top and the rod goes through the floor and the nut and lock nut are applied under the floor. The idea is so when the caboose is rolled over in an accident the hot stove stays in place.

So the rods are just really long square head bolts?

Yes.

Was there just a piece of metal nailed to the floor and wall for protection from the heat on wood sided cabooses?

On the floor there was usually a pan with a rolled edge to prevent anything on the pan from easily sliding off. I have used the sheet metal pans intended for garage floors to keep oil from dripping on floor. There is usually more protection on the wall with the sheet metal stood off from the wall to provide an air gap. Usually there was also asbestos involved. Today a sheet of transite on the wall and a sheet of steel with a 1 or 2 inch gap would probably look good and be effective.

Transite is asbestos bound with cement.

Transite (TM Johns Mansville) is no longer available commercially (AFAIK).

There are other materials that should fit the bill (one example only, there are others);

https://www.mcmaster.com/insulation/ins ... on-sheets/

(I do not work for or have any interest in McMaster Carr, they just offer a bunch of useful stuff)

Cheers, Kevin

That concrete backer board that is used in flooring applications will work as a heat shield.

I do not know what, if any, applicable code provisions would be for railroad equipment. But fire is fire and I deal with these issues pretty much constantly in my work.

Caution 1: Given that gypsum based products are not suitable because of the paper backing, there are two types of rigid backer boards available commonly; portland cement based products (Wonder Board, Duroc, etc. which I think is what you mean) and the cellulose fiber/mineral binder products (Hardie Backer, etc.).
-Both break down in high heat applications.
-Both are dense enough to conduct heat so if applied directly to the combustible surface they do not shield heat so well.
-Either can be used provided they never get really hot (above a few hundred degrees) and do not go through a lot of heating/cooling cycling. So they are very good for floor and wall spark protection, not so good right behind the stove if the stove is very close to the wall.

Caution 2: Some of the portland cement based products have been made light weight by using styrofoam beads as part of the aggregate. If these products get heated you will get toxic styrofoam fumes. In some areas it is difficult to source anything but the light weight products.

Caution 3: The worry in this is not getting the wall combustible materials to ignition (450 degrees F or so) but creating the process of pyrolosis, which here is the gradual breakdown in the combustible materials as they go through heat cycling. When this takes place the ignition temperature gradually decreases over time, and can get down as low as 120 degrees F.

Recommendation 1: If possible use non combustible materials in the wall near the stove.

Recommendation 2: If heat shielding is necessary use metal sheeting spaced an inch apart open at the top and bottom (creates a natural chimney circulation cooling effect). Multiple thicknesses can be used to reduce temperatures at the wall even further (1" from wall, another 2" from wall, etc.). Stopping the shield 2" from the floor gives enough room at the bottom. Do not reduce the spacing from 1" as the friction will limit air flow. Instead of the metal the backer board products can be used (and I have) but the shield takes less space with the sheet metal. The metal needs to be thick enough not to warp in the heat, or extra spacers can be used to prevent warping.

Recommendation 3: Take the time to mock up your application and test it with your stove. Harbor Freight and others have the point and shoot infrared thermometers really inexpensively priced and the expense and time to really know what you have is worth spending (having one along to watch existing applications might be instructive also!).

Timothy

Transite was a cement product reinforced with asbestos fibers. It was once used to make building sidings and also to make domestic water distribution pipes. The use of it for domestic water pipes ended about 35+ yeas ago and at that time probably for building sidings.

I was a water utility designer when the manufacture and use of Transit pipe was discontinued. Existing pipes could remain in use, but any section that was cut out and removed had to be specially handled due to its asbestos.