3" fowler

Hi Guys I looking for some advice. I have a 1991 engine with a steel boiler that has been well made but am I to believe that as the paper work cant be found to give any history i have to just throw £2000 worth of boiler in the bin? or is there a way around it?

this might not be the case at all. join a me club and speak to their boiler inspector, all depends on when it was made really

Hi Malc,

Don't throw anything in the bin! I'm assuming you have an MJ Engineering design 3" Fowler? Certainly join a local model engineering group or sign up to Traction Talk, plenty of specific advice from boiler inspectors there.

If the engine was built in 1991 and has no evidence of a boiler cert then I would be tempted to borrow a hydraulic test kit and have a go yourself at pressurising the boiler yourself, just to see what happens. If it stays dry then there's no reason no to steam test it. Remember, a hydraulic test is at twice working pressure which must hold for a minimum of 10 minutes without a significant drop in pressure or and buckling or structural failing of the boiler.

The boiler inspector will require a boiler serial number, usually stamped at the bottom of the back head or on a plate stuck on top of the fire box on the outer wrapper. If there's no serial/ID number then I believe you're able to put your own stamp on it but I can't be sure? One of the boiler geniuses will be able to tell you on here.

With regards to a steam test, the safety valves also need to lift or feather just before the pressure reaches working pressure. The pressure must hold at not more than +10% of the working pressure otherwise the safeties will have to be adjusted (which is a nice job to do whilst in steam with a fowler!).

Finally, modern regulations state you need at least 2 methods of getting water into the boiler. Be it by mechanical pump and injector, twin injectors, mech pump and hand pump or injector and hand pump or a combination of all 3! So make sure you've got them and make sure they work!

Hope some of this helps!?

Regards,

Dan