Re: Once a poor steamer, always a poor steamer?

What makes an engine a poor steamer? Lots of things can, from the design, right down to the operator's themselves.
Inadequate transition/ steam space, or a throttle mounted too low in the dome, and you'll get very wet steam, and use too much water. too little heating surface for the cylinders, or inefficient water circulaton in the boiler (from design or repairs), obstructions/restrictions in the steam or exhaust lines, will all cause poor operation. Removal of the superheater, or adding an improperly sized one, can adversely affect steaming dramatically too.
Bad fuel, bad water, poor maintenance, inadequate cleaning, dirty tubes, firing practices not matched to fuel consumption, a hogger who doesn't use his steam wisely, all can unfairly give an engine a reputation as a poor steamer as well. A lot of this is rather subjective. Just like guys who will forgive, and work around the shortcomings of a Furd or a Chebbie, a Toyoder or a Dawg, but label all the others as junk, it often depended on what the crews were used to, and whether they LIKED the engine.
Minor flaws in design are fairly easy to fix or overcome, major ones harder, attitudes and bad habits often toughest of all.
sorry so long