Problem firing up

[Michael CallaghanParticipant @michaelcallaghan68621]

Hi, I am trying to fire up a Columbia locomotive. Now this as a large boiler and a large grate area. I have tried starting off with a mix of white spirit wood and charcoal. This starts to get some heat into the boiler but just not enough to get the smokeless anthracite firing. I live in England so can’t purchase house coal anymore.

how are people firing up their boilers and is there something available and better then anthracite I can use between the charcoal and wood. Thanks

[Nigel BennettParticipant @nigelbennett69913]

A guy I know was using white spirit and discovered it was a non-flammable variety! I always use paraffin and charcoal to start; I get it really well going, with steam beginning to come up before firing with anthracite. If you try meths on the charcoal instead, be very aware that moving your shovel back to the fuel supply for another round can sometimes begin an unintentional second fire, because the flames from the meths on the shovel aren’t always very visible in bright light…

[Michael CallaghanParticipant @michaelcallaghan68621]

Thanks Nigel. I will have a try with paraffin if I can get any. I remember years ago making the mistake of of putting a shovel which was on fire back into my plastic tub coal and then running around like mad trying to put it all out. Fun hobby this.

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

Ordinary house coal, no it is not readily available any more, but have you tried the processed “smokeless” coal intended for domestic fires?

Anthracite is not the easiest stuff to ignite, and may need at least “priming” with a softer coal.

[Stuart Smith 5Participant @stuartsmith5]

At my club everyone uses charcoal soaked in paraffin. I haven’t heard of any problems. Using a 12v fan on the chimney initially to create a draught.

Then anthracite.

[noel shelleyParticipant @noelshelley55608]

You are using a blower to get things going well ? I use white spirit charcoal and sticks and buy the coal from signal fuels. The charcoal lives in a glass jar and will have been soaking for weeks in white spirit. Paraffin or diesel will work. Noel.

[Paul LousickParticipant @paullousick59116]

Are you using a blower or chimney extension to increase the draft of air when starting your fire ?

[Michael CallaghanParticipant @michaelcallaghan68621]

Hi, yes I am using a fan.after reading further information it looks like the beans I am trying to use only fire at a higher temperature then I can get at using white spirit. Dam this coal ban. So I am off to get some paraffin and try other type of fuel. Will get back with results.

[Clive Brown 1Participant @clivebrown1]

Welsh steam coal in small quantities / sizes for models is listed on Ebay. It’s a bit pricy for what it is but it might help you get a good fire going. Could be mixed with anthracite beans for running perhaps.

[Chris GunnParticipant @chrisgunn36534]

Michael, you can still get house/steam coal, the steam rally organisers can get it, as can the steam railways, but domestic users cannot. Consider asking your U3A if any members want their old coal bunkers emptying, or go on the scrounge to your nearest steam railway, you will not need a lot. I would forget about the smokeless briquettes, I did not get on very well with them.

Chris Gunn

[Michael CallaghanParticipant @michaelcallaghan68621]

Hi Chris, I tried all that, the little coal stock held is now looked on like gold. I have been able to order a few bags of polish steam coal which should be delivered next week. It is said to be good in model locomotives. Time will tell

[Chris GunnParticipant @chrisgunn36534]

Michael, Good luck with the Polish coal, as said the rally guys get it, and I just got rid of 20 bags, mostly ex rallies, as I am stopping rallying. All the heritage railways I have been to recently have mountains of it.

Chris

 

[Alan Wood 4Participant @alanwood4]

At the local club we have had success with HomeFire EcoCoal.  You need to break it down into bite size chunks.  It burns very hot and leaves a fine brown dust in the smoke box.  B&Q stock 20k bags.

[Paul KempParticipant @paulkemp46892]

I don’t know the answer where coal is concerned!  I have always chucked in some sticks (dry) a firelighter and as soon as the sticks are burning well, start adding small lumps of coal (that’s on a 6” TE, on the 5” gauge stuff I take the same approach but charcoal with white spirit).

First time I steamed the 6” I used home fire brazier (I think) ovoids.  Mucked around for a couple of hours and couldn’t get above 50lb whatever I did, nicked some proper coal from my mates full size engine bunker and was up to 120 in less than 10m.  The ovoids appeared to be burning well but clearly not enough heat to get up to pressure.

Since then I have used various “ovoids” supplied by rallies and all sorts of dirty coal that produces horrible choking smoke however you fire it and generally through the day claggs up the tubes nicely….

Of the ovoids I have been given most made steam, wildfire I think was the best, not too much ash in the pan or the smokebox but you fair have to chuck the stuff in to get anywhere!  Never used it on the road but I doubt it would be great, on proper coal I can go between half and three quarters of a mile between firings, I don’t think the ovoids would do that, at a rally trying to run a fairly thin fire I almost ended up with a bare grate in a very short time so you have to adjust your firing technique to suit it.  Another type (can’t remember the flavour) I used a full bag in half a day at a rally where there was very little opportunity for movement, about twice as much as proper coal that I switched to as luckily I had taken some of my own.

Last point to the last post is burning really hot may not be a good measure of ideal performance, I know of one full size boiler that used ovoids that burnt away the tube ends in the fire box and others have reported abrasive scouring in the tubes from whatever the ash is (I think some use cement as a binder).  Some full size TE’s don’t like anthracite for the same issue with tube ends.  In a small copper boiler burning really hot may not be good for the firebox plates although anthracite seems ok and copper tubes would surely suffer from highly abrasive ash?

Irony here is welsh coal burns well and relatively clean, certainly a lot cleaner than some of the imported stuff and there is plenty left to keep the heritage movement going for years but it can’t be dug and instead we have to put up with stuff that generates a lot of smoke and soot and has to be shipped over.  The green alternative might produce less gco2 per kg but then you have to burn twice as much of it to go the same distance.

Thankfully for little locos I have enough bags of dry Welsh beans in stock to see me out.  For the traction engines if I can’t get proper coal then I’ll probably pack up unless a decent alternative becomes available.

Paul.

[Chris GunnParticipant @chrisgunn36534]

As said before, the rally organisers and heritage railways can get real coal, is there any reason a ME club could not buy some for club running days? Has any club tried?

It is the public that cannot buy it for a domestic fire.

There are lots of stories about companies with stockpiles of coal, not sure if they are true, but i have heard it so often there must be some truth in it.

Chris Gunn

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