Steam Engine Blow Down

After a Live Steam engine is run, it must be cleaned up and lubricated. The boiler is blown down after the fire is out and the pressure has dropped below 40 psi. Most of the hot water (under pressure) turns to steam when it hits the atmosphere as seen in this video.

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• Live
• steam
• locomotive
• FLLS
• Marengo
• model
• train

[DaveWVideo]

@bw4t I was a fireman and engineer on steam locos for 17 years, and if the injectors failed we dropped the fire, towed the engine in and let it to cool down completely with the water in it, before making repairs and adding water. No blowdowns under those conditions! I was taught that draining the boiler when the injectors fail may run the risk of explosion (unless the fire is out), and/or the firetubes may warp when the heated water runs out, causing a rapid temperature change in the boiler.

[bg193]

Purty neat........My father, Grandfather, and Great Grandfather were all locomotive engineers for the C&IM

[xnevetsx]

looks like a great ,outdoor milk frother!, cappucino anyone?

[SynisterPRC]

Those are the cleanest rocks in the world

[floatncoffee]

wow thats a lot of steam!!!

[bw4t]

That's a tremendous amount of steam for such a small boiler! I used to operate a full-size Pacific, and once had to completely drain the boiler w/both blow downs in an emergency situation (low water w/injector failure x2). Taking proportions into account, I think this live steamer held more steam in this video.

[TCOPatrick]

I actually used to get to do this on real locos where I last worked. :)

[FlyinRaptorJesus]

huston, we haz lift off.

[GoldenCreekValleyRR]

EPIC!!!! i iove the blow down!

[webb99lynx]

what is the procedure to blow-down a steam locomotive