[modeleng] Re: Meths was Cornpone

My "O" gauge Garrett is coal fired. It's a bugger to fire on the run
though..... once you open the door, the pressure starts
dropping......quickly. Mybe if I got off the riding car, it would be easier
on the drafting........


Phill.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Harry Wade" <hww@xxxxxxxx>
To: <modeleng@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, June 27, 2005 10:21 PM
Subject: [modeleng] Meths was Cornpone


> At 07:01 AM 6/27/05 -0500, you wrote:
> >Yes a lot of the small copper boilered steamers are/were spirit fired as
> >were the little Weeden=AE toy stationary engines.  These days the fuel
is=
>  in
> >sugar cube size pieces
>
>       This is not the case any more, except for those who have bought
> toyshop steam engines (Mamod & Wilesco) and who must use the fuel pellets
> (Esbit, etc.)  There are currently three fuels of choice in small scale
(up
> to 2.5"ga) live steam, "meths" (methylated spirits, denatured alcohol),
> butane, or a butane propane mix, and coal.
>       Of the three, meths is the garden railway "purists" fuel of choice
> and is probably the most popular internationally, with butane second,
> especially in the US where there are much larger numbers of newcomers who
> purceive butane to be more convenient and reliable.  Of the three however
> coal is the fastest growing, even in locos as small as Ga 0.  The last two
> boilers I built for Ga1 locos have been to convert vertical boilered,
> formerly gas-fired, Shays to coal firing and reports from test runs are
> that they are a complete success.  One fellow in the UK, John Shawe, makes
> a living doing nothing but converting formery meths or gas fired small
> scale locos to coal firing.  This trend will continue to grow for a while
> as people see that it can be successful in "their" loco.
>       Almost everyone in small scale aspires to, or at least doesn't
> dislike, coal firing however beyond that there is very definitely a
"meths"
> camp and a "gas" camp and rarely will the twain shall agree.  In either
> case though, like technology anywhere else, both fuels have been developed
> to very high levels of usefulness and efficiency, although it must be said
> that creative boiler design has played an integral part in the increased
> efficiency and in the ability of some very small boilers to create a
> relatively large amount of steam.
>
>
> Regards,
> Harry Wade
> Nashville  Tennessee
>
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