A good read if you have the time..from an original report. Never underestimate the power of a boiler.

DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN RAILROAD

December 2, 1952

Accident (boiler explosion) at Louviers, Colo., on October 19, 1952, caused by overheated crown sheet due to low water.

REPORT OF THE COMMISSION 1

PATTERSON, Commissioner:

On October 19, 1952, about 11:10 a.m., at Louviers, Colo., the boiler of Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad locomotive 3703 exploded while the locomotive was hauling a freight train at an estimated speed of 15 miles per hour. The engineer, fireman, brakeman, and a trespasser were killed.

DESCRIPTION OF ACCIDENT

Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad locomotive 3703, hauling southbound freight train No. 67-S, departed from Burnham yards in Denver, Colo., at l0:25 a.m., October 19, 1952, and proceeded without any known unusual incident to a point approaching Louviers, Colo., a distance of l9.5 miles, where, at about 11:10 a.m., the boiler of the locomotive exploded while the train was moving at an estimated speed of 15 miles per hour.

The train consisted of 31 loaded and 64 empty cars and a caboose, 4241 adjusted tons. The tonnage rating of the locomotive in this district was 5300 tons. The engineer, fireman, and brakeman were on duty in the cab of the locomotive at the time and a fourth unauthorized occupant of the cab, designated as a trespasser. The accident occurred on practically level tangent track.

The force of the explosion tore the boiler from the running gear and hurled it and the attached cab forward and slightly to the right. The boiler half turned in the air and alighted on its top nearly parallel with the track and just outside the right rail and plowed forward 35 feet, splintering or breaking off the ends of 10 ties. The boiler came to rest approximately 260 feet from the point of explosion, buried 3 to 4 feet in cinders and dirt; it was headed in reverse direction to the train movement, with firebox 9 feet and smokebox 14 feet from west rail, and leaning 35 degrees from the track axis,

Parts of the locomotive were scattered in various directions. Pieces of grates were blown over 75 feet from point of explosion; 200-pound sections of center and side bars over 100 feet; ashpan supports as far as 350 feet; hot pieces of arch brick were thrown as far as 450 feet to the sides and rear and started fires in adjoining stubble fields, which burned over several acres The front and door and both halves of fire door were blown off. Air and water pipes, pieces of jacket and ashpan, sand boxes, part of headlight case, pieces of reverse gear and arch support, and other wreckage were scattered from scene of explosion to the resting place of boiler. Both right-of-way fences were blown down, and some telephone wires were broken. The cab was crushed against the boiler back head. One air pump and the feed water heater bundle were torn from the front end ring, and safety valves, saturated steam turret, and overhead boiler checks were torn from the boiler.

The force of the explosion broke the heavy hinged casting forming the articulated connection between the front and rear engines of the locomotive and broke both rear sections of main frames over the trailing axle. The front engine and engine truck became separated from the rear engine and continued forward for nearly 1800 feet on a .79 percent ascending grade before coming to a atop. The front two-thirds of the train remained attached to the tender, trailing truck, and rear engine and moved forward to a point more than 200 feet beyond the boiler before coming to rest. All locomotive and car wheels remained on the rails. Where the front end of the tender stood on a track fill, small gullies were washed into each side of the embankment by streams of water from the broken connections in inspirator piping and at front end of left tank hose.

The rear steam pipes were pulled out of expansion joints at rear valve chambers. The rear exhaust pipes were broken, the left pipe remaining on running gear and the right on the boiler. All front live and exhaust steam pipes remained on boiler. When blown from its frame fastenings the boiler sheared 6 1-1/16 inch bolts at each rear expansion pad; 3 1-1/4 inch bolts at each front expansion pad; 26 1-1/4 inch bolts at saddle over rear cylinders and broke 3 1-1/2 inch bolts at left end of strap securing boiler to oscillating taole on front frame between No. 1 and 2 driving wheels.

There were slight depressions in both rails snowing exact location of rear driving and trailing truck wheels at instant of explosion; three bent lengths of rail were subsequently renewed.

The four occupants of the locomotive cab were killed.

I think the last sentence speaks volumes

Continued...

DESCRIPTION OF LOCOMOTIVE

Locomotive 3703 was a simple articulated 4-6-6-4 type, company's classification L-105, with tractive effort of 105,000 pounds. It was built by Baldwin Locomotive Works in April, 1938. All cylinders were 23 inches in diameter with 32-inch stroke; driving wheels 70 inches in diameter with full tires; total weight on driving wheels in working order 437,939 pounds, and weight of locomotive 641,900 pounds. The rectangular tender with east steel water bottom frame and a capacity of 20,000 gallons of water and 26 tons of coal and weighed 394,000 pounds when loaded. The locomotive was equipped with Baldwin power reverse gear, American multiple front end throttle, Standard modified Type B stoker, Economy vertical firedoor, vestibule cab, Walschaert valve gear, Elesco tangential steam drier, Franklin Type E-2 radial buffer, locomotive valve pilot, and Elesco feed water pump and heater.

The boiler was a straight-top four-course type with wide radial-stayed firebox, builder's No. 62142. The inside diameter of first course was 92-3/4 inches, and fourth course 100-1/8 inches. The barrel sheets were of silicon manganese steel, 7/8 inch thick in first two courses, 29/32 inch in third, and 15/16 inch in fourth. The boiler carried 255 pounds working pressure, and had 61 2-1/4 inch and 238 3-1/2 inch flues with beads fusion welded to pack flue sheet. A new first course had been applied on February 20, 1946. It was stoker fired and equipped with Type E superheater; Hulson grates; three Nicholson thermic syphons; a brick arch supported by the two rear syphons and a Gaines wall.

The firebox was 108-1/4 inches wide, 224 inches long at inside of mud ring and the combustion chamber was 96 inches long. The firebox was of five-piece construction, with the side sheets welded to the crown sheet and inside throat sheet. The door sheet flange was riveted to crown and side sheets. Door, side and throat sheets were riveted to the mud ring, The one-piece combustion chamber was welded to flanges of combustion chamber syphon, back flue sheet and other firebox sheets. All firebox sheets were 3/8 inch thick except flue sheet and throat sheet which were 1/2 inch thick.

All firebox sheets were original. Numerous patches with fusion welded butt joints had been applied. Crown sheet had a patch in right front corner just outside of syphon, 8 stay rows wide and 12 long; one in left front corner outside of syphon, 8 rows wide and 18 long; and another outside of left syphon,

4 rows wide and 17 long; also a small patch back of each firebox syphon. Each side sheet had two diamond-shaped patches; those in left side were adjacent end to end, one 7 stay rows high oy 15 long, the other 5 rows by 5 rows. Those in right sheet were similar, one 8 rows high and 16 long, while the smaller one included only 4 staybolts. The inside throat sheet had four patches; a large one across center, 8 stay rows high and 14 long, including diaphragm for both firebox syphons, braced by 44 staybolts. The upper part of left throat sheet knuckle had a patch 4 rows wide by 7 high; the upper right knuckle had one 5 rows wide by 9 high, and above that another patch 1 row wide by 7 long. There was a patch in roof of combustion chamber back of its syphon 5 rows wire by 5 long. All original firebox welds were fusion butt welds reinforced on water side; those made later were welded from fire side only

There were two Nicholson thermic syphons in the firebox and one syphon in combustion chamber. Syphon water space was 3 inches, necks were 6-1/4 inches inside diameter, and sheets 3/8 inch, thick. All seams between syphons and crown sheet were welded and rainforced. There were numerous patches in the syphons; the front syphon had a patch in upper part of barrel, 6 stay rows long and included 1 row of staybolts on right side and 2 rows on left. The neck had been renewed from within 2 inches of diaphragm to the stayed portion, including 3 stays on right side and 7 on left.

The right firebox syphon had a two-piece barrel patch, the lower one 11 rows long and the upper one 5 long, each including one row of staybolts on inner face and two rows, at outer. There were also two patches in front flange above neck, the lower one being 4 rows long, the next adjacent above it 3 rows long, and each had one row of staybolts at inside and two at outside. The neck had been renewed from 8 inches above diaphragm to include 5 staybolts on outer and 8 at inner wall.

The left firebox syphon had a patch in front half of top inside flange 2 rows wide by 26 long. A patch in lower part of barrel was 10 rows long and had 2 rows of stays on inner and 1 row at outer wall. The neck had been renewed from 12 inches above diaphragm and included 6 stays at inner and 10 in outer wall.

The crown sheet, including the top of combustion chamber, was supported by 28 longitudinal and 79 transverse rows of driven-head stays. The first 8 longitudinal rows at each side of center were rigid, except the front 4 transverse rows of expansion stays, and were originally 1-inch body, 1-1/8 inch straight thread in wrapper sheet, and 1-3/16 inch tapered thread in crown sheet. The 9th longitudinal row on each side consisted of expansion stays with tapered threads in crown sheet. The outer 5 longitudinal rows on each side of crown sheet were flexible stays with 1-inch straight threads. Stays in syphon flanges were 1/16 inch larger than adjacent ones. Due to several renewals since the firebox was built, many stays were 1/16 to 1/8 inch larger than original application. Side sheets were supported by rigid. staybolts, except in breaking zones at front and back ends, where flexible stays were used. All stays in the firebox sheets were spaced approximately 4 by 4 inches.

Company drawings showed the top of combustion chamber to have been level, while the firebox crown sheet sloped downward 6-1/14 inches from the crown sheet-combustion chamber seam to the door sheet.

EXAMINATION OF BOILER AFTER EXPLOSION

Approximately 90 square feet of the crown sheet had been overheated. The line of demarcation was clearly defined. It extended back from the flue sheet between 11th and 12th longitudinal rows of stays on each side of center line to 37th transverse row of stays, thence inward toward front end of firebox syphons, curving around them in about 34th row and then curving back between the syphons to 40th transverse row. The sheets above this line were a distinct blue color. No. overheating was observed on flange of syphons. The upper part of rear flue sheet showed distinct signs of overheating to approximately 1 inch below top of second full row of superheater flues, or about 8 inches below the top of combustion-chamber crown sheet.

The initial failure of the crown sheet occurred in the 34th transverse row of stays back of flue sheet, or just ahead of firebox syphons. In that area the sheet pulled from the stays, sagged downward and thinned to 3/32 inch in several places while tearing transversely along that row from center of sheet to beyond each syphon. Then the tear followed the 35th transverse row on each side and outward to the 10th row from center. From this point the right tear followed an irregular diagonal path downward and forward through right side sheet, throat sheet knuckle, and into right side of combustion chamber below center line, ending near the 21st stay back of flue sheet and 16th stay to right of center. The left end of tear also progressed downward and forward in a similar fashion, ending near the 21st stay back of flue sheet and 20th stay to left of center.

The portion of crown sheet between the front ends of firebox syphons tore back from the initial rupture in 34th transverse row through the inner flange of each syphon to the 43rd transverse row, then folded downward and bent back sharply. A large area of crown sheet, partly from firebox and partly from combustion chamber and just ahead of the initial rupture, pulled from its stays and folded downward against the combustion chamber syphon, the folds running from the ends of the tears in sides of combustion chamber upward and inward to the top flanges of combustion chamber syphon in 18th row of stays back of flue sheet, or approximately at longitudinal center of the syphon. This large sheet also tore across back end and forward along both sides of top syphon flanges, with an irregular tear extending outward 20 inches from back end of syphon toward the left and nearly closed off the entire cross-sectional area of combustion chamber. There were two small tears in this sheet near fold on right side, and an 18-inch tear extending forward from its edge in the 12th longitudinal row of stays to left of center. At the right and left sides the tears and pulled sheet extended well down below the overheated area.

The crown sheet pulled from a total of 580 stays. Three crown stays on right side in the overheated area were fractured and broke when the sheet dropped. The inside walls at top front corners of both firebox syphons and both walls of combustion chamber syphon at top back corners were pulled from a total of 59 staybolts when the crown sheet folded down. There was one broken and one fractured staybolt in the right syphon. The mud ring was bulged outward at center approximately 4 inches on each side.

The greatest heating and stretching of crown sheet appeared to have been in the area about 7 rows in width between back end of combustion chamber syphon and front ends of firebox syphons. Here several stay holes were engaged to 1 inch greater diameter than the corresponding stays, without tearing the sheet. Ends of stays in the overheated area were blue in color and approximately 15 percent were cupped to a maximum depth of 1/4 inch, but heads were sheared from most of these stays. In the over-heated area the threads on stays and in sheets appeared to have been in good condition before the explosion. Heads of undamaged stays in the firebox were well driven, of proper thickness, and in good condition. Staybolt heads in severe cutting areas, as on sides of rear syphons, were protected by a semi-circular bend of weld.

There was other distortion of firebox sheets, probably caused by impact when the boiler struck the ground. The combustion chamber-crown sheet was pushed downward considerably in the area to the right of top center line, the greatest deflection being about 4 inches located 6 rows to right of center. In that vicinity the top flue-sheet flange was bent downward, and flues in right top corner were distorted elliptical shape. The third large flue to right of center in top row pulled entirely out of the sheet, and others in that area were loosened and pulled to a varying degree. In the entire back flue sheet a total of 124 large and 17 small flues were loosened at welds around the beads, the majority being on the right side. At the front flue sheet 13 flues in two lower rows showed signs of loosening. There was a longitudinal crack in combustion-chamber crown sheet extending forward from syphon approximately 20 inches, nearly to flue sheet. The wrapper sheet appeared to be flattened on right side above combustion chamber. On October 23 when the boiler was leveled at the steam dome to check the location of water glasses and gage cocks, it was found that the left back corner of mud ring was 14 inches lower than right back corner, and that the slope of right side of mud ring was 5-3/14 inches, left side 14-7/8 inches. Prints showed 6-inch slope upward toward the rear. There was a light, irregular deposit of scale on parts of sheets and stays which reached 1/32 inch in thickness.

The boiler was not equipped with fusible plugs or a low water alarm.

Including the aftermath of the explosion.

http://photoswest.org:8080/cgi-bin/cw_cgi?resultsScreen+14676+1+10+0
ryarger@rypn.org

Interesting. Is there any more?

Matthew Mummert

mlmummert@suscom.net

If the link doesn't work, try the one below. Click on search and type in Rio Grande 3703. The Denver Public Library site has some great stuff, but doesn't always work well.



http://www.photoswest.org/
ryarger@rypn.org

> If the link doesn't work, try the one below.
> Click on search and type in Rio Grande 3703.
> The Denver Public Library site has some
> great stuff, but doesn't always work well.
Bob I can't get this lonk to work either Wooly

wooly421@charter.net

Is there more?

Yes there is more on this accident and others including broken frames, rods breaking at speed, crankcase explosions on diesels etc. Read it alll at http://dotlibrary2.specialcollection.ne ... _railroads

Click on "locomotive inspections" at the bottom of the page. Some very eye opening reading!

Railroad accident investigations

I'm going out on a limb here, but I'm gonna guess this loco wasn't rebuilt!

glueck@maine.edu

http://photoswest.org/cgi-bin/imager?00011103+

worked well

bnsfbarker@aol.com

> Interesting. Is there any more?

> Matthew Mummert

I remember hearing third hand from someone who used to be quite active in Colorado railroad presevation that the "trespasser" was actually a railroad enthusiast who got the cab ride, and was to be picked up up the line by his wife. The story was that the front engine truck came to where she was to pick him up, but of course the rest of the train did not make it.

Don't mean to be insensitive to the widdow, but does anyone else here remember the rest of this story?

Steve


szuidervee@aol.com

A more recent crownsheet failure, fortunately without fatality. It's a Acrobat PDF and is interesting reading, how not to run a boiler.

Ed

STEAM LOCOMOTIVE FIREBOX
ff1044@aol.com

In the interest of warning those on a dial-up connection.

> A more recent crownsheet failure,
> fortunately without fatality. It's a Acrobat
> PDF and is interesting reading, how not to
> run a boiler.

> Ed


ff1044@aol.com

The bit about the trespasser being a railfan seems quite believable. The part about his wife sounds like an urban legend. If it's true, that would have been quite traumatic for her as she would have been close enough to see the disaster.

The other people that would have suffered from this would have been the crew in the caboose. Can you imagine hearing a big boom right before the train goes into emergency and then walking up to find the devastation? The pictures are fascinating but probably still don't do justice.

As for the guys in the cab, I hope it happened fast because that's a horrible way to go.

Matthew Mummert

> I remember hearing third hand from someone
> who used to be quite active in Colorado
> railroad presevation that the
> "trespasser" was actually a
> railroad enthusiast who got the cab ride,
> and was to be picked up up the line by his
> wife. The story was that the front engine
> truck came to where she was to pick him up,
> but of course the rest of the train did not
> make it.

> Don't mean to be insensitive to the widdow,
> but does anyone else here remember the rest
> of this story?

> Steve


mlmummert@suscom.net

for all those running, maintaining and thinking of doing either of the above. A total horror story about how not to do it and the consequences of getting it wrong.

G

gavin@hamilton.powernet.co.uk

> for all those running, maintaining and
> thinking of doing either of the above. A
> total horror story about how not to do it
> and the consequences of getting it wrong.

> G

As someone I highly respect in steam operation has said more than once:

"Steam locomotives have great potential: a great potential to draw in tourists and make money; and a a great potential TO KILL YOU if you don't respect them."

TJG


Port Huron Museum
tjgaffney@phmuseum.org