Clark, I leave the doors closed. Do you wire your doors open? My doors always fall shut anytime I release them, so I wonder how you keep them open. I have restricted the air under the loco with a brass shield to help prevent too much cooling air. Wouldn't leaving the doors open bring in more cold air? Since the flame is blue, it seems to have enough air at present, and the boiler seems to heat up faster and hotter with the shield air restrictor in place.
I have stainless steel mesh wick only for the front, because I ran out of mesh. Why asbestos wicks in the center? I have observed the SS wicks are wet a lot faster than the asbestos wick after opening the fuel valve. Obvious question? For me, a neophyte, about the only obvious questions would include, "Filled with fuel?", "Adequate water?", and "Light the burners?". Gary - Running trains over Terror Trestle in Eugene, Oregon http://www.angelfire.com/or/trainguy http://community.webshots.com/user/raltzenthor Let me ask a obvious question. Are you leaving the lighting doors on the fireman's side open or closed during operation? I leave my doors open all the time. I use 100 mesh stainless steel wicks in the front and rear burner cans and asbestos wicks in the center can. Clark
