Rob – looking through older posts from 2013; you should be able to find Eric Motton at your club north of Toronto. David Powell might also be able to help, as I'm sure others will, too. I use Welsh Steam coal, which our club (Ottawa) purchased about a decade ago now.

My Tich just flies along, until the bottom row of tubes get blocked by ash in the smokebox, then it's a bit slower to steam. Tich will not stay in steam for a long time, which is fine, as you can then put it on a siding and then socialize!

JohnS.

The reason for using kerosene instead fo lighter fluid is that it is easier to see the flame.

You might find the power of the blower blows out the flame initially so may need to fit a sort of variable choke to it to control it for the first minute or two. It doesn't hurt a fan of this kind to be totally blocked as its air is not cooling the motor. On the other hand if you find in the first minute with the kerosene soaked fuel you are getting white smoke this means the draught is too low and the kerosene is just being evaporated and not burning.

It is easier to start with wood. Cut a lump of softwood to 1/4 in shorter than the length of the firebox and then split into pencil sized bits. This is much easier to load into the firebox. Stick it in a plastic food box with the kerosene overnight to soak it up. Don't use a glass jar as you will knock it over five minutes after you tell someone that you won't.

Just because the loco is small doesn't mean it runs on coal dust. Use a 1/4 inch garden sieve to remove the dust. Lumps up to almond in shell size are fine.

Around instruction 12 above when you see about 20lbs on the pressure gauge you can open the blower and remove the fan as near simultaneously as possible. If children are present control your swearing as you realise how hot the fan is.

At the end of the session while there is still pressure open the blowdown valve to let out about 10% of the water and take any crap from the bottom of the boiler. Then drop the fire grate out and open the blower a little to let off the remaining pressure. Make sure you leave the blower open to allow air back into the bolier when it cools.

Hi Robert

Thre is a very comprehensive article on exactly this scrolling at the top of the home page just now. Steam Locomotive Management by Steve Addy.

Diane

**LINK**

Hi Julian; my only concern is that (at least over here) BBQ lighter fluid comes in a can with a handy squeeze type spout, and every summer, somebody squeezes some on to a not-quite-lighting-fast-enough BBQ, and , FOOM! they've aged 30 years in a fraction of a second, as all their hair is now gone!

I know that the Brits would not be as foolish to do that, but people here seem to do this.

(smile)

There is also a solid BBQ starter, which I've used once or twice, but prefer the liquid stuff.

Now to get to the repairs caused by some family's Kodak moment, when they were filming a "look at little bobby push that big locomotive" event as I was walking the track looking for debris and whatnot; fortunately they only managed to derail it and knock cylinder drains off, they could have easily put it on the cement …

Regards – JohnS.

hi rob,

you should always drain down a copper miniature loco boiler after a steam up – blowing down via the blowdown valve when pressure drops to 15psi. you should also always drop the grate and remove all old fire residue, and sweep the tubes.

the brake you refer to is a complete red herring. i would expect to get a TICH to working pressure in 5 minutes from lighting the charcoal. either your forced draught/blower isnt strong enough or there is something else seriously wrong with the loco.

cheers,

julian

Although charcoal burns sausages ok it is very weak a a loco fuel. You must get some coal going to get any decent steam and initially the blower can use up all the available steam while not providing enough draught to get the fire going properly. So you need > 15lbs before using the blower and enought draught to make the whole top of the fire not dull cherry red but a bright light red.

'draining the boiler' does not mean empty, just get some of it out withthe crud.

I will just repeat that the reason for using kerosene is that it burns dirty so you can see the flame. With BBQ fluid you can set the house on fire before you can see the flame even in overcast conditions let alone sunshine.

By the way on the subject of fans there are some small very neat ex military ones around that a reputable supplier was selling a few years back. They are small neat grey & black castings so look just the job. However they are 24v and everyone assumes that 12v would be enough for a little loco. However it isn't. These particular ones need 18v to do an adequate job which makes the battery pack a bit awkward.

The fans sold as ex military for forced cooling of valve radios by steamfittings and others are described as 6v to 24v. I use one on 12v for MarieE with no problems, apart from forgetting the rag when taking it off