Does anyone have calculations for sizing a damper and the hole around the burner for a oil burning locomotive. I guess the other question would be suggestions on location in the firepan (ie. how close to the flashwall). We are working on a 65 ton engine which we acquired without a firepan to use as a pattern. I believe there might be a calculation based on tube area. I am also sure someone out there might have some experience based tips they might be able to share with us. Thanks for your help.

Alan Siegwarth
Pacific Locomotive Association/Niles Canyon Railway
www.ncry.org

If you would be so kind as to e-mail me with your e-mail address I would be more than happy to send you prints for a couple different arrangements.

Take a look at this link of sectional view of a Baldwin firebox set up. No numbers are given. I have worked on a Baldwin (when time has allowed) where the nozzle enters the fire box between the tubes and mud ring through a 4" boiler tube opening. The air enters the firebox through a one foot square hole in the flooe of the box which is controled by two damper doors in the pan.

I believe the link below shows a much better arranement. This is likely form a std. gauge boiler.

http://narrowmind.railfan.net/BLW/BLW27-oildiagram.jpg

I have the formulae somewhere - will search the piles of paper in the next day or two. It uses the tube cross sectional area to determine the size of the draft openings both at the burner and in the firepan. If memory serves, about 15% of the total draft area was around the burner.

Generally, mounting the burner (and I like the Van Boden Ingles style - simple and effective for a variety of fuels) under the mud ring is standard, the throat in the US and the door in Canada. Canadians use a brick arch, we don't down south. Front end architecture is much simplified too, a simple arrangement of petticoat and lift pipes works well.

Draft openings can come from the front of the firepan, but most I have seen come up from below about halfway to two thirds the way back. There is usually a provision for secondary draft through the firedoor as well as the sanding hole.

Georgia Power did the through the throat trick with their lokies. Why deny yourself the benefit of the heating area under the location of the burner? Would be like a coal burner with the firegrates hung a foot up the side sheets rather than at the mud ring. I wonder how this practice got started?

dave

Well, an hour and a half wasted looking for the old oil conversion book. Must have loaned it out a few years back. I did find the Baldwin spec, however. If you can tell me a ballpark heating area I can pass along the figures from there.

dave