Keith, Richard et al, These smaller coal fired locos running on 45mm track must be tricky to clean. In my case, with only (whoops) 3/4' scale coal fired it's a little easier--or should be, but it never seems easy.. Like Richard, I find that a shop-vac does a good job of getting the initial ashes and cinders out. It's also the most efficient way to completely clog your shopvac filter!!
I bought a gun plastic cleaning brush and rod as Walt suggested, however the rod is not flexible enough to get around the piping and into all the tubes. I have thought of a flexible plumbing tool with a brush mounted on the end. Perhaps there are more flexible gun cleaning rods, but I haven't found them! Incidentally, O.S Engines provide a flexible brass wire brush and they should know; it works well on their loco but is the wrong size for the other make I steam. Geoff. Richard, >I can't say from experience with 1 gauge models, but after 30+ years of >steaming with coal fired 3/4" and 1/2" scale locos, I have never had the >least bit of trouble with brushing my flues! I can't say if there is any >difference between what you call a bottle brush and what I use, but it is a >brush designed for cleaning coffee percolators! The handle is about 4" long, >and there is a twisted wire shank about 10" long with white plastic >bristles, that are way softer than the copper of the tubes! yet you do want >enough of a scrubbing action to get off any coating of carbon that remains >in the tube, it will accumulate and eventually insulate the tube making it >less capable of transmitting it's heat. I'd be careful about using solvents >in an atmosphere that will be touching flames. Should any remain after >you're done cleaning, you may make you engine a potential flame thrower! I >can also remember a fellow who used to clean down his locomotive, while >still hot, with Carbon Tet! And an air compressor, as I recall one of the >members at the club took him aside and told him that this particular >combination was likely to form some sort of poison gas! (phosgene gas if I >remember correctly?) >We asked that he stop doing this! >But back to brushing, I think you will find that a gentle brushing with some >sort of bristle or plastic brush will do no harm at all! >Keith Taylor >----- Original Message ----- >From: Richard Finlayson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >To: Multiple recipients of sslivesteam <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Sent: Friday, February 01, 2002 11:36 PM >Subject: Other boiler related topic > > >> ... on cleaning flues in coal fired loco... >> >> I think I read on this list that someone recommended against bottle >> brushes for cleaning flues due to abrasive action of brush and coal >> grit. I know first hand that the coal ash/grit is massively >> abrasive... ruined a steam engine I once built. I have been pondering >> this... wonder if a cotton cloth on the end of a rod soaked in ? >> might be a good way to clean. What is the non-ash residue of burning >> coal? Would WD40 or kerosene remove it? Also, I've taken a shop vac >> to the smokebox on my C62... did a great job of sucking all that gunk >> and nonsense out of there. I had a small tool... but then thought it >> might snag the lagging. So I just pressed the hose up against the >> opening of the smokebox door, closed the firebox door, held a thumb >> on the stack... and sucked it clean. >> >> Any ideas on the flue cleaning? >> >> Thanks, >> >> -Richard >> -- >> ================================================== >> Richard Finlayson >> [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >
