[modeleng] Fuel

The discussion on char has been interesting.

There are often good reasons for wanting to change the source of fuel.  I've 
just spent a few days in the workshops on the Ffestiniog Railway - North 
Wales and narrow gauge (1.11.5") - which was great fun.  The railway 
survives mainly on volunteers, although there are some fantastic local 
employees.

All of the locos owned by the Ffestiniog are oil fired.  Double headed 
Fairlies predominate.  With two side on boilers they are impossible to fire 
without pulling the shovel and your arm outside the loco.  With very narrow 
gaps much of the way this can be particularly hazardous - so oil made 
sense - and change most and the rest follow, even Prince, the oldest steam 
loco in the world still operational.  It certainly makes for an easier life 
for drivers and firemen.

One thing leads to another.  Oil fired boilers need lots of compressed air 
to light them.  We spent half of the week installiong 3" pipes round the 
works and eventually to the loco shed.  They will provide compressed air to 
the whole works and allow easy lighting up of the locos.  The length of the 
pipes (heavy sob's when you are fitting them over your head on brackets) 
creates a very large extended compression chamber but as it is only 3" and 
not 4" it is not caught by regulations on compressors!

All good fun

Peter Cathcart

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