Hello, I have an Accucraft Ida that I want to make some modifications to. But before I get started, I want to make sure that I have at least a basic understanding of what is going on regarding lubricatiors and steam. So, can someone please educate me?
1. Steam travels past my lubricator, where water has already settled, so some oil rises up and moves into the steam pipe. I take it most of this oil is still liquid? So, if it moves through the steam pipe as liquid, then I had better make sure that the steam pipe is always at least slightly angled down toward the cylinders, yes? I realize that the speed & pressure of the steam will also help keep it flowing. Now, if the steam pipe happens to be routed through the flu or firebox (ala superheaters), it still moves, and does not burn (leaving deposites), because it can't vaporize in a pipe full of saturated steam, yes? 2. So, now I'm going to run the loco with air during tests. This is probably a bad idea isn't it? The lubricator has no water to displace the steam oil, and there's no heat to help the oil flow, so aren't my cylinders now running without the benefit of lubrication? 3. In the SiTG article about upgrading the Ruby, the author re-routes the steam pipe through the flu. He recommends silver soldering a sleeve over the cylinder inlet steam pipe and the pipe exiting the flue. He recommends a mechanical connector where the pipe through the flu attaches to the pipe leaving the lubricator, then also silver soldering this joint. Is the silver solder necessary if I already have a mechanical joint? Where can I learn more about Ga1 sized steam pipe fittings? If I get a Sulphur Springs catalog, will all the fittings be listed? Is this enough for me to understand how, where and when to use mechanical connections, and when to just solder a sleeve over the two ends? -thanks-
