gas fired engine

Hi.

Can anyone tell me if it's ok to use a ceramic burner on a 1.5inch traction engine instead of coal? If so what could I use and where the flame should be directed.

Forgive the silly question.

Thanks

You do loose a bit of the radiant heat that you get from a coal fire as you are mostly relying on the hot gasses in the tubes to provide heat.

Cut the ceramic block to fill most of the firebox area and have the flame going upwards, Ideally the boiler would be designed from the outset for gas firing if you wanted the most efficient firing.

J

I believe a lot of Modellers in California use gas owing to the fire risks of coal. Could be the same in Australia so perhaps the world wide membership will advise.

Sorry Bazyle...

Fire risks of coal?

Do they want stuff that doesn't burn?

And gas is safer is it?

Andy

There are a couple of guys in the Black Country Live Steamers who have gas fired engines that perform well the engines in question are 2" Fowler BB1 PE and a 2" Kitson PE the other is a 1.5" Burrell Showmans.

Coal fires tend to drop embers through the grate and sparks up the chimney.

Gas doesn't have those problems so yes, in effect, safer.

Lofty

When I visisted LALS (LosAngeles Live Steamers on the other side of the hill from the famous Hollywood sign if you are ever in the area) they were all using LPG.

Coal = possibility of sparks. Our club, despite the English weather, always has fire buckets around the track. Don't you?

Edited By Bazyle on 04/10/2014 22:47:38

Thanks guys for your info, miles away from that stage yet but good to know I have an alternative.

Should I have the flame facing upwards then Jasonb? I thought it maybe easier to control the heat than coal as I'm new to traction engine's, I haven't even got half way yet but I'd like to know how I'm going to fix the burner in before I reach the end of the build.

As I said in an ideal situation teh boiler would be desined for gas firing, probably one big firetube down the middle with a spiral of cross tubes that would come into contact with teh hot gasses as they travel along the boiler.

If you angle the flame sideways in a boiler designed for solid fuel then its just going to hit the smokebox tubeplate and risk overheating it, with teh flame going up it has a bit more room before it hits the crown and you can always add a couple of baffles.

The smaller engines are never easy to fire needing constant attension, you may find it easier on charcoal rather than steamcoal

What's all this about a fire risk from traction engines