Friends,
The March/April 2000 issue of Live Steam magazine has an article about the
new law in Michigan (Rule 408.4512, to have gone into effect 1 Feb 2000)
requiring state boiler inspection of all miniature live steam locomotives.
The article states that this law applies only to steam locomotives (not
stationary engines, traction engines, or marine engines) and applies to all
live steam locomotives running on track of less than 24" gauge, even O gauge
live steam locomotives operating in someone's own basement!
According to the article, the law states that the owner of the locomotive
must provide the chief boiler inspector with design specifications and
calculations for review and acceptance. The law states that there must be
two ways to put water in the boiler, one of which must be able to operate
when the locomotive is stationary.
I used to live in Michigan but I'm in Maryland these days, so I'm not (yet)
directly effected by this law. Let me ask y'all who live in Michigan or who
travel there to operate small scale locomotives, how would you be expected
to provide design specifications and calculations for your Aster locomotive,
your Ruby, your freelance locomotive built around a Roundhouse boiler, etc.?
Would the water filler port and the safety valve port on a Ruby boiler
constitute two ways to put water in the boiler?
Does anybody know how someone who buys a ready to run 1-3/4" gauge live
steam engine would be expected to comply with the law?
Casey Sterbenz
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