[modeleng] Re: Water gauge security
- From: "Clif Walker" <clif.gwr@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <modeleng@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 6 Aug 2006 09:54:21 +0100
HI All,
I learnt at a very early stage, never to tighten gauge glass fittings when
steam is present.
The manner of learning was that as I was getting steam up on my first engine
at it's Boiler test, the gauge glass started leaking,
As soon as I got a Spanner out the Boiler Inspector beat a very hasty
retreat to what he reckoned was a safe distance. Having never seen him move
so fast before I asked him why and he told me in no uncertain terms.
Usually as things warm up they usually seal themselves up anyway.
Regards
Clif
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ron Head" <ron.head@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <modeleng@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Saturday, August 05, 2006 9:44 PM
Subject: [modeleng] Water gauge security
> Hi all
>
> A incident occurred at my club's track today, the outcome of which could
> have been very nasty. A new locomotive that had just been hydraulically
> tested was raising steam for the steam test. As full pressure was
> approached, the gauge glass started to weep and the owner decided to nip
> up
> the nuts with a spanner. Nothing wrong in that, but what happened next
> was
> most alarming.
>
> The water gauge on this particular loco follows a fairly conventional
> design, with top and bottom fittings screwed into threaded bushes in the
> boiler. The problem with this design, is to get both fittings pointing in
> the right direction so that the glass passes through without binding. The
> builder had achieved this by experimenting with copper washers of various
> thicknesses, until he was happy that the fittings were tightened up in the
> correct orientation.
>
> Now we all know that what is tight in a cold boiler, isn't necessarily
> tight
> in a hot boiler. When the owner tried to tighten the bottom nut, he
> succeeded in freeing off the bottom fitting so that it rotated and
> shattered
> the glass. The resulting spray of steam and hot water travelled backwards
> out of the cab for a distance of about six feet, and the owner was lucky
> to
> get his hand and face out of the way without being severely scalded.
>
> It occurs to me that no matter whether the top or bottom nut is tightened,
> the torque of the spanner will always try to unscrew the fitting. Has
> anyone else on this list had a similar problem and if so, what did you do
> to
> overcome it?
>
> Regards
> Ron Head
> City of Oxford SME
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