| January 03, 2020 10:34PM |
The recent post regarding smoke box cleanout plugs raises the totally opposite philosophy between North American versus European treatment of cinders from coal burning steam engines. In the early years American steam engines retained the bulk of cinders coming thru the flues in the smoke box. Engines were equipped with cinder cleanout plugs and cinder discharge ports to allow removal of the accumulated cinders without having to open the smoke box door. An example of this practice is shown in the below photo of Sandy River engine 24.
Retaining the cinders in the smoke box had the obvious advantage that the country side was spared a shower of cinders with every passing train, not to mention protecting passengers riding in cars with open windows or the greatly reduced risk of setting the country side ablaze. This scheme led to installing smoke box doors that were awkward to open, since this had to be done rarely.
Here is C18 424 (later renumbered to 420) with the smoke box cleanout port.
With the invention of the Master Mechanic front end the management of cinders changed. Cinders were broken up and blown out by the exhaust, and the cleanout ports were removed and the openings welded shut. C18 315 was one of many engines that received a Master Mechanic front end. Unfortunately this system has been ineffective in 315's case, and the smoke box must now be shoveled out after each run.
In Europe the ejection of vast amounts of cinders was not allowed. Engines received large easy-to-open smoke box doors, often with a simple central closure, and the retained cinders were shoveled our after each run, as shown below
I remember that in Germany in the open-window days one could lean out of a fast moving train and risk catching an occasional cinder. When I rode the open dutch door at speed behind 611, one didn't just need eye protection, but a bandanna to protect any exposed skin from the fierce blast of cinders, unless one was interested in a free dermabrasion treatment
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/04/2020 07:38AM by Olaf Rasmussen.
Retaining the cinders in the smoke box had the obvious advantage that the country side was spared a shower of cinders with every passing train, not to mention protecting passengers riding in cars with open windows or the greatly reduced risk of setting the country side ablaze. This scheme led to installing smoke box doors that were awkward to open, since this had to be done rarely.
Here is C18 424 (later renumbered to 420) with the smoke box cleanout port.
With the invention of the Master Mechanic front end the management of cinders changed. Cinders were broken up and blown out by the exhaust, and the cleanout ports were removed and the openings welded shut. C18 315 was one of many engines that received a Master Mechanic front end. Unfortunately this system has been ineffective in 315's case, and the smoke box must now be shoveled out after each run.
In Europe the ejection of vast amounts of cinders was not allowed. Engines received large easy-to-open smoke box doors, often with a simple central closure, and the retained cinders were shoveled our after each run, as shown below
I remember that in Germany in the open-window days one could lean out of a fast moving train and risk catching an occasional cinder. When I rode the open dutch door at speed behind 611, one didn't just need eye protection, but a bandanna to protect any exposed skin from the fierce blast of cinders, unless one was interested in a free dermabrasion treatment
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/04/2020 07:38AM by Olaf Rasmussen.
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488 stops for water at Los Pinos tank on closing day Oct. 1979. Photo courtesy Don Richter
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