It looks as if the investigation into the steam tractor accident now points to low water and the failure of the fusable plug to do its job.

Not as extensive as yesterday, but still worthwhile reading for those of us who regularly park our posteriors atop 186 lbs. of canned but VERY live steam. Jim

http://www.cleveland.com/medina/plainde ... 958851.xml

http://nctrans.org
Wrinnbo@aol.com

Old fusable plugs may likely fail to operate as the "lead" crystalizes over a period of time.

The tractor was purchased from Canada and was an oil burner. The owners had recently got into the hobby in a big way.

Everything that I have read inthe Cleveland Paindealers has stated that the engine was coal fired, not oil, and that the engine came from the midwest. Alot ofthe CASE 110 engines you see are assembled from parts from various other 110's. Many of them went into saw mill duty sans machinery when their plowing days were done.

BTW, Despite the fact that the investigation has all but proved operator error, and the machine was in good mechanical condition, there has been a political call in Ohio to re-regulate(good if done reasonably), or ban steam tractors entirely.

> It looks as if the investigation into the
> steam tractor accident now points to low
> water and the failure of the fusable plug to
> do its job.

> Not as extensive as yesterday, but still
> worthwhile reading for those of us who
> regularly park our posteriors atop 186 lbs.
> of canned but VERY live steam. Jim

>
> http://www.cleveland.com/medina/plainde ... 958851.xml
Anyone one read today's story in the Cleveland Plain Dealer concerning the inspection of boilers in the state of Ohio? Does anything strike you in particular concerning inspections and who might stand to benefit from those inspections, other than the general public? Maybe, it is just my paranoia..... "It's just my imagination, running away with me....."

old_fxrs@msn.com

I became interested in steam locomotives (and railroading in general) via an earlier interest in steam traction engines and stationary steam engines. So please allow me to through "my two cents into the pot" on this unfortunate and sad event.

I agree with Jim Wrinn that the Cleveland Plains Dealer (www.cleveland.com) has, by far, the most fair and accurate reporting I've seen concerning the explosion and the investigation. Since Monday I must have read every news report, discussion forum posting, etc that I could find. I must say the amount of mis-information was staggering! I'm no expert, but from what I do know, some things mentioned were a little off the wall.

Victims burned by "flying hot oil"? Some how this got out into the media and was widly reported (even now). Only after downloading some of the video/audio news clips, you'll hear one newscast recounting the "hot oil story" and making the correction that is was in reality a mixture of soot and hot water that burned the people.

Oil burner? Some how this came out of the "flying hot oil story" as an explanation. News reports and a number of people who are familar with this engine clearly mention it as being coal fired. Most traction engines were set up to burn either coal or wood. Some were set up to burn straw (yes straw!). I believe very few were set up to burn oil. I know Reeves offered an oil firing option, but I have never heard of an oil-fired Case. Any oil fired traction engines were probably West Coast logging machines (like the big Best 3-wheel vertical boiler tractors). BTW: there is a Aultman-Taylor steam traction engine in CA that has been converted to LPG firing (for pollution regs reasons), but that is a latter day conversion.

This 110's past history? A steam tractor person who is clearly familar with this machine (he mentions the past owners names) reports that the present (deceased) owner acquired it--in pieces--from another collector in Ohio. That person bought it in 1993 from a collector in MN, who had exhibited it at the WMSTA show at Rollag during the annual Case Expo in 1992.

What happened(IMO)? I hate to add to the speculation, but IMO the owner/operator may have been rushing to get the machine off the road and into the fairgrounds after having his wife (who following behind in a van) pulled over by the police due to the cleat marks his machine was leaving behind in week-old asphalt. His 1.3 mile "road trip" must have consumed a fair amount of water and if he was concerned with the police encounter he may have simply--and tragically--forgot about the water. On most traction engines, including the 110 Case, the water column with the try cocks and glass is on the side of the boiler and not "in your face" like in the cab of locomotive. Of course any part of the water column/glass could have been plugged and showing water when there wasn't. I'm sure we'll hear soon from the investigation whether or not that was the situation. I did read one report that said he discovered the low water and [someone] was to trying to start the injector while he was in the process of parking the tractor. I kind of doubt it. If he was a "steam man", he wouldn't have (or SHOULDN'T have!) continued moving knowing he didn't have water. Eyewitnesses are saying he had pulled in place to back up to park, the machine lurched and then exploded. Single cylinder traction engines don't always start smoothly from a stop, so a sudden lurch into motion was sure to surge water across an exposed and overheated crown sheet.

Drop plug? Cases had them and this one's didn't function. Latest reports have the investigators cutting a cross section of the plug to try to find out why not. A least it wasn't a plain [pipe] plug threaded in the opening. I've heard that before--scary!

Fall out? I'd be surprised if Ohio doesn't return to mandatory inspections. Perhaps they will require operators operating in a public venue carry some type of boiler operating license. Maybe some states without inspection and/or operator license requirements will look into those matters. I guess a lot of it depends on the amount of time this story stays in the news and what happens in terms of lawsuits, etc. IMHO the biggest fall out may come from higher insurance costs (once all the lawsuits start rolling in) for events with steam engines present. This might be the end of steam engines showing up at county fairs like this one ("Steam tractor? No thank you."). Possible insurance hikes may make smaller antique machinery shows "steam-less", but I believe larger shows such as Mount Pleasant, Rollag, and Kinzers will continue without too many changes.

This a RR forum, how will this affect my favorite chooch? Non-insular and under FRA?...not at all. Insular and under state jurisdication?...if you don't get visits from your friendly boiler inspector you may very well be getting them in the future. You may also be faced with operator licensing requirements.

My thoughts and prayers go out to the deceased, the injuried people, and their families. Hopefully we will never have anything like this happen again. If it means a few more rules to follow or worst case having to put a particular engine (including a locomotive) "out to pasture", then so be it.

Regards,
Jim Robinson

> BTW, Despite the fact that the investigation
> has all but proved operator error, and the
> machine was in good mechanical condition,
> there has been a political call in Ohio to
> re-regulate(good if done reasonably), or ban
> steam tractors entirely.

Ban steam tractors entirely! Oh yeah thats a good solution! (NOT!!!) Well now that us steam enthusiasts have shown that we cannot police ourselves, it is time for the unknowing and easily swayed politicians to step in and make things really interesting.

My bet is that unless we do something that steam tractors will dissappear from fairs, followed by hobby boilers, live steam trains. We already have a shortage of new people entering the hobby, and this may be the thing that kills steam off for good. Might take a while, but steam will be dead soon.

This is a high profile accident caused by an activity that only has a small following with no political clout. Since politics rules the world, we will be regulated out of existence soon, if not killed by astronomical insurance rates first.



Tod Engine Foundation
rick@todengine.org

> My bet is that unless we do something that
> steam tractors will dissappear from fairs,
> followed by hobby boilers, live steam
> trains.

What do you propose that we do?

Is there an industry group that could speak with a single voice for hobby and recreational steam operators? If there is that organization should prepare a statement and have it sent to State and Federal level representatives and congressmen that sheds some light on what we are and what we do, our safety record and the importance of steam equipment to our nation's heritage. Maybe bring your traction engine to the representative's office and show him firsthand what they are, how this accident occurred and that it is not in anyone's best interests to overreact by enacting stifling overregulation.

It is time we start being proactive. Do it now, while minds are still being made up how to respond to the Medina incident.

Just my opinion.

P.S. Diesels don't have boiler explosions! :-)

Tod Engine Foundation
rick@todengine.org

> P.S. Diesels don't have boiler explosions!
> :-)
Ya wanna bet! Have you ever seen what happens when an Alco's crankcase exhauster stops working?I have and it launched an air box cover off of the engine and right through the carbody of the locomotive. The RR's prefer to call these incidents a "crankcase disturbance." This is so because if you say the word "Explosion," over the radio, it becomes a FRA reportable accident. If you have ever seen a turbo-charger "failure," you'll be thinking the word, "explosion," too.
I expect a steam generator can cause some trouble too when the oil burners blow back. ther are all sorts of ways to get hurt or killed around todays RR too!
Keith Taylor


keith.h.taylor@att.net

Still not a boiler explosion!!! I have never seen a crankase explosion rip the prime mover off the frame and toss it upside down into a cornfield 300' away as boiler explosions do with boilers.

When I wrote that I was wondering how long it would take someone to reply as you did. Didn't take long at all! :-)



Tod Engine Foundation
rick@todengine.org

I think what Rick is saying is that there needs to be a formal public statement from " The National Steam Tractor Association of America" or "The National Steam Engine Society of America" if there is such an animal stating that it can and does have guidelines of its own, bla bla bla.

Just like the Antique Automobile Club of America.
Alan

adofmsu@aol.com

> Still not a boiler explosion!!!

> When I wrote that I was wondering how long
> it would take someone to reply as you did.
> Didn't take long at all! :-)

As someone who is living on a disability pension from Conrail, and spending my time in a wheelchair. I have a special feeling for being careful around rail equipment. And no, I haven't seen a whole prime mover 200 ft away, but yes, I have seen a turbo charger thrown that far! When working around heavy railroad equipment, you must always look out for what you are doing, and more importantly, what those around you are doing! I am where I am because of someone else's carelessness and laziness.


keith.h.taylor@att.net

> As someone who is living on a disability
> pension from Conrail, and spending my time
> in a wheelchair.

Would you be so kind as to tell us what were the circumstances of your injury? I too work around rail equipment everyday and perhaps your story could enable me to be more careful while at work.

Tod Engine Foundation
rick@todengine.org

Would what you propose fall under TRAIN's jurisdiction? TRAIN does not have anything to do with representing Steam Tractor operators. But I think it would have something to say with anyithing that affects boiler regulation on local, state and federal levels.

The "gods of steam", who made up the new locomotive inspection law, did so in cooperation with the FRA, Hartford Steam Boiler Insurance Co., and National Board (the people who set the standards for boiler repair in the U. S.), among others. In speaking with one of the "gods" a couple of years ago, he said that National Board had approached their group to see if they could come up with some standards for traction engines, along the lines of the new steam rule, since traction engines are about the only other employment for locomotive boilers these days. I think that it has been a very back burner idea, at least until last week.

This issue has been in the minds of some very competent people already, and may well be dealt with in a rational manner, at least from that direction.