On 6/10/03 6:57 pm, "Harry Wade" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> At 09:21 PM 10/5/03 -0700, you wrote: >> I'm thinking that maybe our engines are to small too really have a > catastrophic explosion. >> Chad > > I think smallness per se doesn't have so much to do with it as does > the relative amount of energy available in the system but then I don't > think I would agree unreservedly that a explosion wasn't possible. Over > the years I've read of many instances where old style water boilers, heavy > riveted steel, which operated at 4-5psi, did explode in the fullest sense > of the word, some with loss of life, so I couldn't ever say it couldn't > happen. I keep mentioning a "system" and by that I mean the matter capable > of absorbing, storing, and giving off energy, the metal, steam, water, > fuel, etc. and the influences that act upon those things. > Not from this one neccessarily, but I get the uneasy feeling there > is sometimes the underlying implication that since we've had no boiler > failures or accidents so far that indicates that current pratices are too > stringent and unnecessary and if we backed off that there would be no loss > of safety and also would make things easier for a lot of people. I hope > that's not the case. The reason for the record we enjoy is because we do > things the way we do. There has been lots of energy expended in writing about this subject on my side of the pond lately due to the different interpretations of the latest EEC Pressure Vessel Regulation. Certainly I have never seen a boiler explosion in our sizes, but I have seen a couple of failures. I don't think a copper vessel of this size could 'explode' in the accepted sense of the word and the only failures I have seen have been elderly brass boilers. Even with these, the first symptom of failure was a lack of performance rather than anything else. The likely point of failure on internally gas fired locomotives would be the weakest point at the smokebox end where the heat is greatest and where the firetube is closest to the outside of the boiler. I don't think this is an issue with the vastly overengineered commercial boilers in 16mm and G scales, and of more concern is the common habit of using mixed butane/propane gas in pressure vessels designed for butane only. This will happen more and more as neat butane gets harder to source. My Cheddar locomotives have tanks designed for the easily available mixed gas and I think this is the way to go for all manufacturers -- Yours Aye Tag Gorton Longlands & Western Railway Trematon Office Saltash Cornwall Directors: T. Gorton, Madame E. Lash
