At 02:32 AM 3/17/03 EST, you wrote:
>"Its pungent odor will be objectionable if operated in an
>unventilated room. but NO Live Steam equipment should be fired in a closed
>area without adequate ventilation first provided. Editor"
>Bob
List,
This disclaimer was probably added because the elder Mr. Shattock (Vic)
had his well-known (at one time) 1/2" scale live steam layout in his
basement. The younger Mr Shattock (Ken) has appeared on the Net in the last
few months hawking this burner plan (see below).
This is a posting that appeared on the Steam in the Garden discussion board:
>>From Dick Moger: "You still haven't answered my question though Ken....
How stable is the flame? is it subject to blowing out? This has been the
downfall of most of the designs that use vaporisation. Wicks are
definitely back-level technology and we've been promised their demise for
quite some time now!"
>>Response from Ken Shattock: Mr.Moger, Sir: My grandfather's
vaporizing-type denatured alcohol burner is essentially a very shallow
rectangular pan that lies flat within the entire firebox area and is air
tight. The alcohol is fed by gravity from the locomotive tender to the
firebox by means of a flexible rubber hose.. During the firing up process,
a "torch" made by taking a stiff piece of wire and wrapping it around a
piece of asbestos wool is made. The torch is dipped in alcohol and then
lit. It is inserted thru the firebox door and laid inside on top of the
burner plate to pre-heat it. During this time, artificial blower draft of
somekind is provided for at the stack. When you think it is pre-heated
sufficiently-- you open a needle valve a little and watch inside the
firebox and notice if blue flame starts to appear around the size # 60 "jet
holes" that are spaced over the burner surface. As the burner appears to be
lighting ok, you can turn on more fuel and the entire firebox will be
filled with very hot flame. By adjusting your loco's blower valve and with
proper setting of the needle valve, you will have more fire than you need..
Once operating the engine, you may re-adjust the fire for optimum
performance. To directly answer your very "worrisome" question:-- the
burner will NOT blow out on you no matter what, when properly constructed.
This burner is the result of much trial and error and many discarded
pieces. The final form was designed by my grandfather, Victor Shattock, who
was born in Culmstock, Devonshire, England. The final design has been in
use over 80+ years and "seems to do the business". You MUST use a GOOD
GRADE of alcohol however--a poor grade will raise a terrible stink. My
grandfather was also noted (worldwide) for having a complete railroad
empire in the basement of his Oakland, California home for some thirty one
years. All the locomotives and rolling stock were 2 1/2" gauge (Gauge-3)
and burned alcohol. We never had any problems using these burners inside
the basement when operating the trains for visitors and the general public.
I lived in that house for fourteen years and can attest to that!! Being
in the UK-I'm sure you are a dyed-in-the-wool (wick-type burner operator)--
take a moment in time and try something more reliable--you can't go wrong!
Contact me direct at my E-Mail shown (any of you guys) and I'll send you
info on how to order the drawings. Very inexpensive!"<<
