Clark is correct about the flue gas and heat exiting the burner tube into the smokebox and out various holes in the smokebox, instead of out the smokestack. There was a oil tank next to the smokebox that drew oil directly into the exhaust/smokestack about half way up the stack. Not sure what this oil was supposed to do. Oil the steam just before it left the stack?
The 80 wt. oil smoker tube (looks like a superheater) ran over the butane fire and burned through, because it was not stainless steel. Consultation with Sulphur Springs years ago led me to not order a stainless steel superheater pipe to replace the brass pipe that burned through, because they claimed even stainless steel would eventually burn through. Clark used 30 wt. oil instead of the recommended 80 wt. oil in the rear smoke unit's storage tank. The 80 wt. oil did not seem to work well for the model here. I have seen some sparkies mix lamp oil with light machine oil to improve smoke visibility. :) Brilliant wacky idea just occurred to me... If one placed coal tar in the smoke oil tank, wouldn't we get a nice coal smell? :) Kidding, just kidding! Coal oil could be burned for coal odor . . . oh wait, that is kerosene, not a good idea. Getting back to the smoker system - Of course, before the machinist cut all the steam lines and burnt the cab off, the motor was too stiff and leaked huge amounts of steam and the steam that reached the pistons was too low pressure to move the motor. I might get to tinering again, and see if I can reattach the smoke unit system. The radiant burner churns out enough heat to provide plenty of steam. The stainless steel superheater pipe could now serve as an oil burner, since the radiant heater has less butane torch flame to cut metal. Just thinking out loud. Does anyone else agree that the radiant burner might allow a superheater pipe used as an oil burner to operate without getting cut? Is there any reason exhaust and flue gases couldn't be vented out the smokestack? If the current exhaust stack is cut off and an upside down small funnel soldered to the bottom of the stack, couldn't flue gas be helped to exhaust by a smoke unit/superheated exhaust blower pipe? I just thought of a problem with my idea. If the smokebox is sealed to encourage exhausting out the stack, it will be possibly harder to light the burner and keep the flame hot due to lowered air feed. Steaming & Sparking over Terror Trestle in Eugene, Oregon ~ Gary http://www.angelfire.com/or/trainguy http://community.webshots.com/user/raltzenthor Clark Lord wrote: "Vance and all: I built my Steamlines Shay from a kit that I bought from Al Cramer during the 1991 Queen Mary Show in Long Beach CA. I had seen a Steamlines Shay John Wieland was running out front and he pointed me toward Al Cramer's San Val Trains booth. The smoke generation system consists of a oil tank (located in the bunker) with two needle valves, two brass mixing pots (really 1/2 diam. brass tubes 1 inch tall) which served to mix the oil with exhaust steam, a stainless steel tube (1/8") passing through the length of the center line flue area which terminated at the base of the base of the model smoke stack and the silicon rubber connecting tubing. Operation was pretty easy once you figured out how much to open the needle valves. First you sucked out condensed water from the oil tank and filled it with oil. I used 30w motor oil. You serviced the engine by oiling moving parts, filling with water and butane gas. You then lit the burner by applying the flame to the bottom of the smoke box. What most people don't realize is that the flue gases vented out the bottom of the smoke box or from behind a false smoke box door. They did not exit the smoke stack. The smoke stack was sealed at the bottom. Only the engine exhaust steam and oil/steam mix went up the stack. Steam to the osmotor engine came off the backhead, through the steam oil displacement lubricator, and on to the throttle which is located at the osmotor engine. After raising steam and running a few laps you could then slowly open the needle valve which admitted live steam to the bottom of the oil tank. I found that about 1/8 turn was enough. Then you would open the oil needle valve which was connected to the top of the oil tank and the smoke plume was generated. The stainless steel line going down the center flue and the bottom 2 inches of the smoke stack was heated to cherry red in the flue gases. This stainless steel line is not a super heater. It only serves to vaporize the exhaust steam/oil mixture. As the engine trundles around the track huge volumes of white oil fumes are emitted from the stack. Once I was demonstrating the smoke system while at Diamondhead and it filled the steamup room with smoke in just one lap around the track. I quickly shut it off. It could run you out of the backyard if left on. Eventually I found that about 1/8 turn on both valves was about right. I never liked the odor of the 30w motor oil and I tended to not use the smoke system except as a one or two lap demonstration. I sold the engine to Dr. Carol Hormuth several years ago. He had one without the smoke system and bought mine so he could have one with a smoke system. I no longer have any plans as I gave them to Dr. Hormuth when I sold the engine. The main thing to remember is that the smoke stack is sealed from the flue gases and only the engine exhaust (and steam/oily mixture) goes up the stack. Cheers Clark ============================================ Clark B Lord - Las Vegas, Nevada USA Las Vegas Live Steamers - Gauge 1 live steam"
