The LNER Encyclopedia

Good morning, I've a question for you knowledgable chaps. I'm building a C12 model and it's taken a while to get the injectors and their associated plumbing as right as I can. While doing this work it struck me that the boiler seems to need steam to fill it with water. Is that the case and, if so, how would the boiler be filled after it's been emptied for maintenance?

Any information gratefully received.

Regards,

Vernon

Cold, with a hosepipe, through one of the washout plugs most likely.

jwealleans wrote:Cold, with a hosepipe, through one of the washout plugs most likely.

Exactly, and the washout plugs are already out so as to do the maintenance/washout in the first place. Just remember to use the topmost plug hole, and replace the other plugs (and mud-hole doors) first !

and replace the other plugs first !

Is that the voice of experience?

jwealleans wrote:

and replace the other plugs first !

Is that the voice of experience?

LOL Leaving one of the lower plugs out and getting a rookie to "fill" the boiler was a common enough jape - how long it took for the penny to drop was a good indication of how long it would take to train the rookie.

jwealleans wrote:

and replace the other plugs first !

Is that the voice of experience?

At Newport shed the shed pilot (cat) 65860 had an armoured hosepipe connected to the drivers injector and if a boiler needed topping up then the injector would be set working and HOT water would be piped into the empty or low water boiler via a washout plug opening..(1950 time).
J Brodie.

Other methods can be used to top up a boiler on minimal or nil pressure - via an hose adaptor on the injector overflow or via top nut on the gauge glass( I wont go into the full details). Neither requires the removal of a washout plug and its replacement by a nominated person. From time to have had to use both methods,after off loading a loco with an empty boiler off the lorry, or on a 6 AM light up, no water level visible in the glass and the nominated persons are 20 miles away.

'Mornin Chaps,

Thanks for your interesting and informative replies. I thought that the washout plugs might be involved but it seemed a bit daft to mess around with pressure holding components when servicing was complete. Ten ten has given a bit more on that score!

regards

Vernon

Vagabond wrote:replace the other plugs (and mud-hole doors) first !

And if it's a hand-hole door make quite sure you've got the strongback nutted on before you let go - otherwise you're 'going fishing'!

Hi all
I used to steam raise at Pelton level shed, we had J94 saddle tank.if the boiler was low we would shove a bung in the injector waste pipe,then open the water valve, as the water tank was higher,you would here it gurgling in. You had to release the pressure by blowing the whistle. Sometimes you had to hit the clack valve to get it to start. It saved a lot of time.

52H

Just a thought. When you give it a number, remember my old C12 in Tanky Link Botanic.
7397 or 67397 as it became under BR

bricam5 wrote:Just a thought. When you give it a number, remember my old C12 in Tanky Link Botanic.
7397 or 67397 as it became under BR

Hi Bricam,

Sorry, but it's going to be 4525 from Louth shed - I've already organised the builders plate!

Regards,

Vernon

A lot of old practices seem to have become misinterpreted, rushed and/or misused as there are idiots who try to remove a washout plug from the boiler when there is still pressure in it. I've not seen (and fortunately not heard) it happen, but I've seen the resulting smashed washout plugs

The plugs themselves don't smash from the release of pressure itself though, they smash from being shot up, round, across and out the shed!

It's even more annoying when someone putting them back in has forced the wrong plug back into another's socket and you find the damn thing is leaking as it's too loose or has become cross threaded. This too can be a cause for the above.

If your washout plugs are in right Vernon, you'll likely need half the cab stripped out and three guys putting their full weight on a wrench attached to the plug to get the ones on the backhead out (which was a fun day)

In my experience, heritage loco departments,including 5OH and 83B ( MD and BL) are very strict on plug replacement being carried out by authorized persons only.One does not take risks with pressure vessels- a steam loco is effectively a bomb on wheels.I had forgotten the saddletank syphon trick- last used it thirty years ago. brings back memories !