Heating Boilers

Roger · **Posted:** Mon Feb 24, 2003 4:12 pm

I read a post a while back on the methods of heating the water in boilers for an Annual Inspection. What are some of the ways y'all heat the water without putting a fire in the box?

Kelly · **Posted:** Mon Feb 24, 2003 5:19 pm

We don't have a way of heating a boiler without having fire in the firebox. We have used both a salamander heater, and a household oil furnace burner adapted to mount in the fire door opening with success. A meat type thermometer stuck in a telltale hole near the mudring will tell when you have 70 degrees.

There is no issue about using a service day, since by pulling the burner out for access to the firebox before the hydro starts, you wonÂ’t have fire in the boiler at the same time as pressure.

Strasburg Rail Road
kelly@strasburgrailroad.com

dave · **Posted:** Mon Feb 24, 2003 7:00 pm

Ditto and I use oyster cooker burners on LP gas. Very clean.

Dave

John E. Rimmasch · **Posted:** Tue Feb 25, 2003 12:00 am

>Heber Valley Railroad does the same. One additional note, we take up to two days with gas type heaters and we actually like the water temp closer to 85-90 degrees prior to test. We also cap the stack while the heaters are in, it seems to trap more of the hot are in the boiler where you need it the most. The smoke box door is also closed but is only held closed with a few nuts/bolts thus making it very easy to open for inspection.

John E. Rimmasch
HVRR

Ditto and I use oyster cooker burners on LP
> gas. Very clean.

> Dave

jrimmasch@yahoo.com

Roger · **Posted:** Tue Feb 25, 2003 1:04 pm

Thank you gentlemen, basically we do the same. Propane hooked to a "beltch fire tip" I've invested in a laser thermometer reader which works well for side sheet temps, it also comes in handy when taking the temps of axles. On a daily basis we take wheel and axle temps to catch problems before they start. I recall someone claiming to use a heat pump circulator of some fashion for heating the boiler. Just wondered if somebody was spending more time at the drawing board them me.

dave · **Posted:** Tue Feb 25, 2003 5:47 pm

Golden Spike NHS had a stationary boiler system which was supposed to warn up cold boilers but it did a better job of emptying them instead. The new generation of Swiss steam has a circulating heater arrangement. Check out the paper on the link from Hugh's recent post.

Laser thermometers? Did the back of your hand stop working?

dave