Wood or Charcoal

[ManofkentParticipant @manofkent]

I am just preparing my loco for what I hope will be a spring day run tomorrow at the Tiverton model engineers site on Exmoor.

I was wondering if anyone has a strong view as to what fire lighting medium produces the least ash.

I have used charcoal up until now, but my loco ashpan is prone to clog up after about 90 minutes.

So would wood, or firelighters produce less ash?

What does the forum think?

Thanks

John

[ManofkentParticipant @manofkent]

[IanTParticipant @iant]

I've always used small charcoal lumps pre-soaked (and then well drained) in paraffin to get going – and where I've had problems with ashpan clinkering I have generally assumed it's more down to the coal used than the starting material – but since I haven't experimented in this area, I can't claim any a particular expertise I'm afraid John.

Regards,

IanT

[Raymond Wood 2Participant @raymondwood2]

Traditionally before the country started bar-b-que every weekend, small chopped wood sticks marinated in paraffin did the job, I use both

Lumpwood is good stuff, you may have trouble getting Bricqettes in the fire hole

Regards Ray

Edited By Raymond Wood 2 on 06/03/2020 13:44:45

[duncan webster 1Participant @duncanwebster1]

Some people use chopped up firelighters mixed in with the coal.

[nigel jones 5Participant @nigeljones5]

On my 7 1/4 I have always used one fire lighter and soaked charcoal mixed with anthracite. No issue with ash and it gets going very quickly.

[Brian Baker 2Participant @brianbaker2]

Greetings, problem with using wood that it produces tarry deposits, which can condense on the boiler tubes, and reduce heat transfer as well as reducing the diameter of the tube. Heat from the fire tends to bake them and they become very hard.

I think charcoal, soaked in white spirit a good lighting method.

regards

Brian

[ManofkentParticipant @manofkent]

Thank you all.

I think I shall stick with the charcoal then, and have some fire lighters as backup.

John

[Perko7Participant @perko7]

The steam loco owners at our club generally use timber pieces doused in Kerosene (Parrafin) for starting their fires. Never have any problem with tarry deposits as it is usually well-dried hardwood from the local sawmill. In fact there is one driver who fires his 7-1/4" gauge loco using nothing but wood. He uses offcuts of recycled hardwood from making timber sleepers for his home track. After a couple of hours hauling passengers on a public running day he would be lucky to fill a teacup with ash from the smokebox and there was very little in the firebox either.

Other threads on this forum have discussed the best timber for use in fireplaces and wood-burning stoves to reduce ash and avoid tar buildup in flues, seems to me the same principles would apply to firing model boilers.

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