How NOT To Get Fatal Blow back on your Steam Engine

[*****ers79]

When your steam train goes into a tunnel for me, it fail's! Any ideas

[Mountainman]

Just shut the fire door before entering a tunnel.

[*****ers79]

Thanks

[kevin1957]

always happens to me,lol.i m so involved with what im doing and forget to close the fire door.

[Chicken Balti]

Hello, always make sure the Blower is on and turned up full, plus as others say, close the firebox doors.
The Blower in TS is not correctly explained within manuals and most incorrectly assume it can be turned off once your engine is moving. As a steam driver/instructor IRL, always keep your Blower on, it is the only control that keeps your fire in the firebox and not in the cab too, 'regardless' of other control settings like the Regulator.
Keeping the fire in the firebox is the Blowers 'main reason' for being there, an aid to raise firebox temp, a second 'advantage' when required.
Best.

[GegeTS]

Originally posted by Chicken Balti:

Hello, always make sure the Blower is on and turned up full, plus as others say, close the firebox doors.
The Blower in TS is not correctly explained within manuals and most incorrectly assume it can be turned off once your engine is moving. As a steam driver/instructor IRL, always keep your Blower on, it is the only control that keeps your fire in the firebox and not in the cab too, 'regardless' of other control settings like the Regulator.
Keeping the fire in the firebox is the Blowers 'main reason' for being there, an aid to raise firebox temp, a second 'advantage' when required.
Best.

Many thanks for the accuracies about to open (may be not full open all the time) the blowers to keep the fire into the fire box. As I rod on some Steam locos manuals we could close fully the blowers when the loco is running. Your advice as IRL instructor is very welcome and much appreciated.
Have a nice hot and sunny day like here.

Greatings from France
Gérard

[Chicken Balti]

Originally posted by Gege21:

Originally posted by Chicken Balti:

Hello, always make sure the Blower is on and turned up full, plus as others say, close the firebox doors.
The Blower in TS is not correctly explained within manuals and most incorrectly assume it can be turned off once your engine is moving. As a steam driver/instructor IRL, always keep your Blower on, it is the only control that keeps your fire in the firebox and not in the cab too, 'regardless' of other control settings like the Regulator.
Keeping the fire in the firebox is the Blowers 'main reason' for being there, an aid to raise firebox temp, a second 'advantage' when required.
Best.

Many thanks for the accuracies about to open (may be not full open all the time) the blowers to keep the fire into the fire box. As I rod on some Steam locos manuals we could close fully the blowers when the loco is running. Your advice as IRL instructor is very welcome and much appreciated.
Have a nice hot and sunny day like here.

Greatings from France
Gérard

Correct Blower use and what it is for, is one of the most misunderstood controls on a steam locomotive. It is a common myth that the Blower can be turned off when the Regulator is open enough to provide 'blast' from the 'Blast-Pipe' in the Smokebox, creating a Vacuum, drawing firebox heat and gasses through the tubes.
Yes it can, however, it can be 'forgotten' the Blower is off, or 'not turned up enough', when the Regulator is closed for any reason, including emergency's. Many crews with bad training have found this out the hard way over the years, with crews badly burned and some deaths from Blow-backs.
I myself have been on the footplate of an ex-GWR Hall class at 60MPH entering a tunnel with a driver training at the controls. He had turned down the Blower when told to keep it open at all times. We entered the tunnel as he closed the Regulator by about half, the fireman had closed the Firebox doors.
6 feet long flames, heat, thick smoke and gasses from the Firebox passed up the sides and rear of the closed Firebox doors into the cab, licking around us and the cab roof. Several hands at once, including mine, reached for the Blower to turn it up. We were lucky, no bad burns, just hair loss from head and eyebrows plus singed skin and bib/braces.
The driver who was training learnt his lesson the hard way. Never ever turn off the Blower at any time the engine is in steam, it is the 'only' control that keeps the fire in the firebox 'at all times', regardless of other control settings.
Best.

[*****ers79]

Thank you all

[GegeTS]

Mr Chicken Balti you were lucky to don't be burned and for the training Driver he probably remind learning this lesson. Self experience only save for the future ;-) Thank you for this live story.
Cheers

[Broomwagon]

CB without doubt will be correct about real world running., though TS is a little different - some locos with the blower on full end up with the main safety valve blowing off all the time - they just steam too well. Also some locos (e.g Riviera 57xx) don't steam as well with the blower on full which becomes a problem with heavy trains on gradients. As a compromise (because of what CB has said before it doesn't seem authentic to run without the blower), I tend to have blower part on but turn it to full through tunnels or if I need it to generate a bit more steam.

[Smokebox]

With CPRR No. 60 Jupiter and UP No. 119, you can actually see the flames from the firebox belching into the cab if there isn't enough draft, e.g. if you close the throttle with the blower not opened enough. Hence, I always run them with the blower on enough to keep the fire where it belongs - in the firebox.

[Chicken Balti]

Originally posted by broomwagon:

CB without doubt will be correct about real world running., though TS is a little different - some locos with the blower on full end up with the main safety valve blowing off all the time - they just steam too well. Also some locos (e.g Riviera 57xx) don't steam as well with the blower on full which becomes a problem with heavy trains on gradients. As a compromise (because of what CB has said before it doesn't seem authentic to run without the blower), I tend to have blower part on but turn it to full through tunnels or if I need it to generate a bit more steam.

Hello broomwagon, the blower in TS is not simulated well, on some engines it appears to have been given magical engine steaming properties, on others, fast draining the boiler of live steam, something not at all possible in real life if the fireman was still firing the engine.
Smokebox above has the correct simulation approach, as you also touched on. Blower open enough to stop the fire searching for air in the cab with the Regulator 'open or shut' and turned up when approaching tunnels, or in fact any situation that may cause a pressure change at the chimney.
It may interest you to know, the Blower in UK steam days and still now, has a nick-name, 'The Firemans Friend'. This was refering to it's 'secondary use', as a means of inducing more draught through the fire to raise firebox temperatures if the fire is not burning to well (for many possible reasons) a 'green fire' as we say on the footplate.
Best.

[Phase3]

CB
I thought you turned the blower off whilst stopped at a platform in a station. To avoid blowing ash over the paying public?????

[Chicken Balti]

Originally posted by Phase3:

CB
I thought you turned the blower off whilst stopped at a platform in a station. To avoid blowing ash over the paying public?????

Hello Phase3, if you turned off the Blower when stopped at a station or anywhere, the fire would leap out of the firebox along with thick smoke, burning 1500f-2800f heat and 'killer' gasses, swamping the footplate crew and anybody close by.
Turning off the Blower is only done at the end of an engines days work, once the fire is dropped or cleaned, the Smokebox cleared of char and ash, the engines boiler filled, firebox doors and dampers closed and engine secured per rule book.
Even then, as last thing to do, you quickly turn off the Blower and get off the footplate fast, the fumes are choking and soon rob the cab of air, preventing you taking a breath.
Best.

[Phase3]

CB
Thanks as ever!