Re: Hogwart's Express
Susan and others of the list, Although I did enjoy the movie, let's hope that there are a few more loco/train shots in HP II. For, as many of us know, a steam locomotive with a few coaches can weave a spell of their own. GaryB - Original Message - From: Susan JL Parker <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: Multiple recipients of sslivesteam <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Monday, December 03, 2001 3:59 AM Subject: RE: Hogwart's Express > Hi All, > > HP II film production has started, so perhaps they won't be repainting the loco so soon? > > BW, > Susan. > > > >
Re: K4 firing
I love it. What a clever idea. I wonder if it is repeatable by me. I'll get out my old model airplane fueling bulb. (If it isn't dried out and no good) Clark Michael Martin wrote: > Sealing the orifice end of the bulb against the > smokestack, he gave a quick squeeze. With a "whoosh", the > fire jumped back and settled on the burner with that > satisfying sound.
Re: K4 firing
Bill Baxley uses an inline diaphragm type gas regulator hidden in the tender. The regulator appears to give him a couple of turns between "high" and "low". I'm not sure where he found it. One word of caution though, he tells me it releases excess gas to the atmosphere when being adjusted to a lower pressure. Perhaps he can supply details. Michael Martin [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: K4 firing
All, Bill Baxley had his K4 at Dan Liebowitz' a couple of Saturday's ago. I was watching him light the burner and was very impressed by what I saw. He opened the smokebox door and lit the gas. Then, without hesitation, closed the door. That part peaked my attention as I know they aren't that easy to light. Out of nowhere he produced a rubber bulb. Sealing the orifice end of the bulb against the smokestack, he gave a quick squeeze. With a "whoosh", the fire jumped back and settled on the burner with that satisfying sound. Clever guy... (I hope that wasn't a patented maneuver Bill!) The rubber bulb is a Radio Shack "Solder Sucker", normally used for removing excess solder from circuit boards. Any similar implement should work as well. Michael Martin [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: K4 firing
Hi, My first Ga.1 steamer was a K4 I bought locally back in '89, 0r was it 90?, maybe '91. Sounds like the typical K-4 arrangement. There are two K-4's here now and I have had two others. I consider myself a novice compared to the Quirks and their experience with K-4's. Very definitely use the tank valve for regulation and leave the burner valve set at a comfortable level. Warm water around the tank is a great help. Personally, I use an old Crock Pot - you can pick them up for two or three bucks at garage sales. I have a timer on one so it comes on early enough so I have warm water when the sunrise steaming begins. The pump spray bottle for the Goodall valve means I fire up much quicker. Water from the crock pot (not distilled) is used to warm the spray bottle water. If you are fully conscious, putting the gas can in the water for one or two seconds gives the tank a quicker charge in cold weather. Even though I wear two hearing aids, I can still hear the change in the pitch of the burner, and add WARM water accordingly to the tender. I made a 1" diameter knob with a stem having a hole and slot to fit over the gas control valve. I have a mark on the top so I can register the amount I'm turning the valve. It's still the same old rotten valve, but I get greater control of it. NO, Messieurs Quirk, I DO NOT leave the big knob on the valve when the engine is running, and I do NOT leave the pump handle in the tender sticking up like a #$&c# in the air. How many of you remember the plants that vined down over the wall at DH? Remember at DH2 how my K-4 gas hose sprung a leak and created a flame thrower that burned them off in an even line for many feet? That taught me that when you buy a used locomotive you ALWAYS replace the hoses, especially if it has not been used for a time. Ah yes, I remember it well Keep your steam up! Mr. Lunkenheimer's associate
JMP re. Dee Books arrives in South Carolina
Jim Curry and fellow G1MRA members, I am happy to report that my "Dee Book" arrived on Mon., Dec. 3, 2001. UK postmark was Nov. 28. arriving at my home 5 days later. Thanks to Jim Curry for serving as our G1MRA liaison in the United States. Jim Pitts Southern Steam Trains www.SouthernSteamTrains.com
Re: K4 firing
Hi Richard, Your setup sounds normal...sorry...Since I'm sure your model has all the old recommended improvements, I won't go there. Unfortunately, as you discovered (me too BTW)those improvements do not mean trouble-free firing or running...for that,even more unfortunately, you may have to do the Kevin O'Connor mods (done... and it is spectacular:)). However, since Kevin is done doing those, adjusting the "in close" valve out and back to create a "blow back" effect has worked for someothers have used a fan in the stack...others have pulled the burner out and burned their hair/hands in their attempts...and others have sold their K4s for Mikes...(hopefully, one of those others works..:)) Also, you might try to email Jim Overland..he has trained his K4 very well and seems to have few problems lighting or running... How's the house, family? Regards, Sam chard Finlayson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Greetings, > > I'm seeking pointers for firing my K4 equipped with > standard burner. > The tank regulator is intact, as is the regulator > just upstream of > the burner assembly. The burner fits loosely in the > backhead, but > stays in the boiler and aligned due to a bit of > pressure from the > flexible hoses once the tender is coupled. Is this > normal? > > I have had several very nice runs with this > locomotive, but have > never really been able to balance out the burner to > my satisfaction. > I feel I've either got it up too high, or that it > flashes out when I > reduce it based on past experience with the way > burners sound. Kevin, > where would I be without the burner roar to help me > with the fuel > setting? (GRINS!). > > Any tips appreciated. Mike Martin gave me some tips > that I... uh... > forgot. I think we were regulating with the valve > closest the burner > which is also what I've been trying lately. > > Thanks! > > -Richard > -- > == > Richard Finlayson > [EMAIL PROTECTED] __ Do You Yahoo!? Buy the perfect holiday gifts at Yahoo! Shopping. http://shopping.yahoo.com
Re: K4 firing
My experience with my K4 is mixed. At times it will fire just fine and can be balance just fine. At other times its a bitch to even get it lighted. The engine wants to make like a flame thrower out the smoke box. I have always used the tank valve on the tender for a firing valve. I leave the burner valve open by several turns. Yes the tank valve is sensitive to slight movements but I have acquired the demon tweak for the correct amount. Yes I use the burner sounds for clues as to what's going on inside the flue. When you hear spit, pith kinda sounds that means liquid fuel is coming out the jet. This condition occurs most often just after the tank is filled. Kevin O'Connor tells me that the outlet from the fuel tank is half way up the side of tank therefore it is liquid leaving the tank and vaporizes to gas while in the rubber tube going to the burner. Eventually (as the level of the fuel in the tank falls) it will only vapor going to the burner. I observed a (near - none were hurt) disaster with a K4 while attending the 17th National GRS convention in Seattle this year. While at Pete Comley's open house a K4 was being fired and the valve nearest the burner was the controlling valve. Several attempts had failed to get a proper light. After a proper light had been achieved the operator filled the tender water reservoir with warm water to keep the pressure up. Well this caused a sudden increase in pressure and the rubber gas hose burst allowing liquid butane to flow without control out the end of the ruptured hose. Never before have I seen such a model engine fire. The flames were radiating in a 180 degree pattern from horizon to horizon about the cab. They were shooting up 18 - 24 inches with great fury. The operator was able to reach in and close the tank valve and the fire was extinguished. All of this lasted about 5 - 8 seconds. My point in telling the story is that if the controlling valve was the tank valve this wouldn't have happened. And the addition of hot/warm water in the tender should be done before you crack the firing valve so you can control the additional pressure. And of course we always check the condition of our rubber hoses before firing don't we. (Yea right!) Now I'm not a tank engineer so I don't know at what pressure these things will fail. (No doubt someone on this list will regale us with the official temperature vs gas pressure table.) I must say that I regularly use hot/warm water in the winter time to improve gas firing. This past weekend we had the coffee percolator filled with distilled water and I measured the temp. It was 185 degrees at the spout. Pretty warm. Kevin O'Connor has lectured (during this summer's 49er steamup) on radiant poker burners. He basically puts a 50 mesh stainless steel screen over the slots of the stock burner and covers this 50 mesh screen with a brass tube that has lengthwise slots cut in it. This then is covered with a humped up piece of 20 mesh stainless steel screen which is attached with wire ties. When the burner is lit at a low gas level the bottom tube lights and when the humped up part gets hot enough it begins to glow. It is now incandescing and an even radiant heat is produced. The modified burner is placed in the flue upside down from normal. That means the original slits are pointed down. You can go from a red orange glow to orange to white depending on how much gas you send to the burner. It runs silent. So you must adjust the burner by sight not sound. Read Kevin's article and see some photos at: http://southernsteamtrains.com/notes/radiantpokerburners.htm As of today you have to make your own burner. I don't know of anyone selling them. No doubt someone will offer them for a fee but you can make one yourself. It isn't that hard. The answer for me is to make a radiant burner for my K4. Along with the new burner is the issue of fine gas control. The stock valve on the tank gives only coarse control. (small movement, lots of gas) The fix for this requires a lathe to reshape the end of the valve into a bottle nose dolphin shape. With this shape the bottle nose part sticks into the valve seat causing a restriction to the gas flow as it is opened. Fine gas adjustment is possible with this shape. This has been a long winded answer to your question Richard but the short answer is trial and error teaches what is the best setting for your engine. Clark Richard Finlayson wrote: > > Greetings, > > I'm seeking pointers for firing my K4 equipped with standard burner. > The tank regulator is intact, as is the regulator just upstream of > the burner assembly. The burner fits loosely in the backhead, but > stays in the boiler and aligned due to a bit of pressure from the > flexible hoses once the tender is coupled. Is this normal? > > I have had several very nice runs with this locomotive, but have > never really been able to balance out the burner to my satisfaction. > I feel I've either got i
K4 firing
Greetings, I'm seeking pointers for firing my K4 equipped with standard burner. The tank regulator is intact, as is the regulator just upstream of the burner assembly. The burner fits loosely in the backhead, but stays in the boiler and aligned due to a bit of pressure from the flexible hoses once the tender is coupled. Is this normal? I have had several very nice runs with this locomotive, but have never really been able to balance out the burner to my satisfaction. I feel I've either got it up too high, or that it flashes out when I reduce it based on past experience with the way burners sound. Kevin, where would I be without the burner roar to help me with the fuel setting? (GRINS!). Any tips appreciated. Mike Martin gave me some tips that I... uh... forgot. I think we were regulating with the valve closest the burner which is also what I've been trying lately. Thanks! -Richard -- == Richard Finlayson [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: Hogwart's Express
Hi All, HP II film production has started, so perhaps they won't be repainting the loco so soon? BW, Susan.
