In the steam era what was involved with a boiler wash/30 day inspection ?Under the new rules with a steam locomotive running only summer weekends roughly 30 miles a day how often would a boiler wash be required ? thanks in advance

lastrailfan@aol.com

> In the steam era what was involved with a
> boiler wash/30 day inspection ?Under the new
> rules with a steam locomotive running only
> summer weekends roughly 30 miles a day how
> often would a boiler wash be required ?
> thanks in advance

Depends on too many factors but the basic is water quality wahich can vary the washout period immensely - I think ours do about 20-25 steamings per washout in a hard water area.

G

gavin@hamilton.powernet.co.uk

Boiler washes are required minimally every 30 operating days - I wouldn't hesitate to do them more frequently if required. For example, before Bob Woodring and I installed the water softener and instituted testing procedures at Georgetown Loop several years ago, biweekly washes resulting in 5 or 6 - 5 gallon buckets of scale and mud were common. Afterward, having reduced chemical treatments drastically based on test results using softened water, we were able to go for 30 days with a half bucket of nasty. Starting a testing and treatment program based on the results of your own in-house testing might be worthwhile if you run frequently. Beware of the potential conflict of interest of having testing done by people who will also sell you chemistry - it is in their best interest to make you buy more than you need.

Do open everything that opens on your boiler for maximum cleaning. Start in the smokebox and wash back towards the mud ring, at the crown sheet and wash down. Remove all water columns, glasses, associated piping, shut off valves, gage cocks, etc and clean and reinstall at every wash. I got caught once with a plugged steam gage syphon so i like to occasionally remove it and blow it out as well.

I have found it easier to wash while the boiler is still warm and the solids haven't had a chance to bake onto the metal after blowdown. I have also found that very lightly chasing the threads on the plugs and holes before reinstallation makes for less leakage and a good tight fit. While you are dry and cold is a convenient time to deal with all the valve seat lapping, valve stem packing, check valve seating, constant steam maintenence chores that you have been putting off.

Figure on average a couple guys in a decent shop can do it in a couple days from fire drop through filled and reheating.

dave



irondave@bellsouth.net

With the water softening issue, don't forget the old solution, which really works, and will only cost you a few bucks per treatment.

Throw 1-2 50 pound bags of potatoes into the tender and let them soak in the water. I am not kidding about this, this is a real treatment that , I have been told works very good for hard water situations in steam generators, by an old steam operator, whose father and grandfather ran mainline steam in the northeast. IIRC it is the starch content that precipitates the minerals out of the water.

Take care,

Rich

Take care.

Rich

rcizik5519@earthlink.net

title 49 of the code of federal regulations sets forth the minimum maintenance standards for steam locomotives.

here is the answer to your question:

Sec. 230.60 Time of washing.

(a) Frequency of washing. All boilers shall thoroughly be washed as
often as the water conditions require, but not less frequently than at
each 31 service day inspection. The date of the boiler wash shall be
noted on the FRA Form No. 1 or FRA Form No. 3. (See appendix B of this
part.)

(b) Plug removal. All washout plugs, arch tube plugs, thermic siphon
plugs, circulator plugs and water bar plugs must be removed whenever
locomotive boilers are washed.

(c) Plug maintenance. All washout plugs, washout plug sleeves and
threaded openings shall be maintained in a safe and suitable condition
for service and shall be examined for defects each time the plugs are
removed.

(d) Fusible plugs cleaned. Fusible plugs shall be cleaned in
accordance with Sec. 230.59.


http://brwrr.com
rcw7585@njit.edu

> (a) Frequency of washing. All boilers shall
> thoroughly be washed as
> often as the water conditions require, but
> not less frequently than at
> each 31 service day inspection. All washout plugs, arch
> tube plugs, thermic siphon
> plugs, circulator plugs and water bar plugs
> must be removed whenever
> locomotive boilers are washed.

The second sentence above says it all. Nowhere does it say you MUST wait 31 service days before washing the boiler. You can wash it every day if your conditions are so bad as to make that the prudent thing to do (Heaven forbid!).

Obviously, there will be a few operators that will not do anything until 31 service days have run out, no matter how bad the water is. And some who will simply drain the boiler, re-fill it, and call that a boiler wash. Those are the ones that will end up getting caught and shut down and/or fined, and will wail and whine when it happens.

> Obviously, there will be a few operators
> that will not do anything until 31 service
> days have run out, no matter how bad the
> water is. And some who will simply drain the
> boiler, re-fill it, and call that a boiler
> wash. Those are the ones that will end up
> getting caught and shut down and/or fined,
> and will wail and whine when it happens.

there happen to be many, many things that are part of a 31 day inspection, and such things as merely draining the boiler and refilling it are pretty much already prevented by law.

i invite you to read over parts 229 and 230 and realize what a heavily regulated industry we are in here... and those 2 sections are ONLY locomotive safety standards. for more, try part 232 (airbrakes) or part 240 (engineman training requirements).

there is an entire education to be had in the there, and it is absolutely incredible that railroads can remain in business while complying with the letter of the law... but we do it, we must because it is the RIGHT thing to do.

rod

http://brwrr.com
rcw7585@njit.edu

> there happen to be many, many things that
> are part of a 31 day inspection, and such
> things as merely draining the boiler and
> refilling it are pretty much already
> prevented by law.

> i invite you to read over parts 229 and 230
> and realize what a heavily regulated
> industry we are in here... and those 2
> sections are ONLY locomotive safety
> standards. for more, try part 232
> (airbrakes) or part 240 (engineman training
> requirements).

> there is an entire education to be had in
> the there, and it is absolutely incredible
> that railroads can remain in business while
> complying with the letter of the law... but
> we do it, we must because it is the RIGHT
> thing to do.

> rod

I'm well aware of that, Rod. The original question was about boiler washes and nothing else.
The regs were updated only a little in this area from the old regs, since those had stood the test of time.

As a slight aside, in St. Albans we always called the periodic diesel inspection the "washout", a carryover from steam days. These were done every 30 days until the late-1970s, when the time period was increased to 92 days.

ryarger@rypn.org

>
> Obviously, there will be a few operators
> that will not do anything until 31 service
> days have run out, no matter how bad the
> water is. And some who will simply drain the
> boiler, re-fill it, and call that a boiler
> wash. Those are the ones that will end up
> getting caught and shut down and/or fined,
> and will wail and whine when it happens.

This my friends is what is called Gettysburg.
If you are doing only what the FRA recommendes then you are not doing enough. Kid yourself NOT you are playing with a loaded gun. There is a big responsibity to the steam locomotive other than taking pictures and trespassing