Coffee Pot boiler

[Eric CoxParticipant @ericcox50497]

I'm thinking of building a simple coffee pot loco for my grand kids to run on old O gauge track. It will be meths fired (Mamod style). Should I fit a sight glass for the water level or design the burner to run out of meths before the water does.

[Eric CoxParticipant @ericcox50497]

[John RuddParticipant @johnrudd16576]

My 2c,

 

if a sight glass is fitted it requires the water level watching periodically……depending on the type of sight glass, you have a potential leak path too….

 

if the burner is designed to expire before the water runs out, it's fail safe no need to watch anything then…?

Edited By John Rudd on 05/06/2015 10:54:18

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

> design the burner to run out of meths before the water does.

That's the usual way, and certainly best for kids. Using solid fuel tablets (camping stove fuel) is cheap, clean its easier to make a tray than a burner and less risk of accidents.

Somewhere I saw a simple meths:water ratio, but I can't remember.where.

Neil

[Steven GreenhoughParticipant @stevengreenhough56335]

Sorry to hijack but in a similar vein…

At some point I will have to build a gas tank and burner for my own little O gauge loco.

I know from a few write-ups that as designed, the gas outlasts the water. Being as I may have kids present when running I would like to ensue a dry boiler is avoided. Is there a more scientific way than just halving the gas tank volume?

There is no water level sight glass on the model in question…

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