Re: Question for Earl

Robin,

The 844 uses shop heat in Cheyenne.

We used to hook the steam up through the blowoff cock and let it simmer all night. We also found it a handy way to heat the water in the boiler very slowly so that the boiler could expand at a slow and controlled rate, lessening the wear and tear on it. Using this process from dead cold usually took about two days.

The pressure was not high, relatively speaking. I say relatively speaking because the pressure in the morning was about 120 psi. This was enough to move the 844 from the shop to the ready track where she could be lit off. At 120 lbs, all of the appliance would be working as well, so the blower and atomizer were functional. The operating pressure for 844 is 300 psi. The operating pressure for 3985 is 280.

This pre-heating of the boiler is an old UP Standard Practice and was common practice during the days when steam dominated. UP came up with this practice to eliminate Roundhouse fires, as the locomotives, especially the coal fired ones, could be lit off a sufficient distance from the roundhouse to prevent the possibility of catching the house on fire.

Just a bit of trivia.

Rick