[k5pat]

I steamed my brand new Royal Hudson today and ran into a problem with the burners. Both burners light easily and stay lit while running on rollers, but when I put it on my track, it barely makes one trip around before one of the burners goes out. Sometimes both burners go out. I took the jets out and blew them out (TWICE) and still have the problem. They look clear with a magnifying glass. You can tell right away that one burner is out. Steam pressure goes down quickly when pulling a load. I even used a different can of Butane (Isobutane) with the same results. I made sure to keep the water bath in the tender around the butane tank so it didn't get too cold.
I tried different settings on the gas valve using a low flame and a high flame with the same results. I guess my next step is to order new jets from Accucraft and flush out the gas tank.
Anybody seen this problem?

 

[Charles]

"I took the jets out and blew them out (TWICE) and still have the problem. "

Pat
Sometimes the debris can be a mass of material (tape, solder) in the main housing of the jet body requiring it to be disassembled to get rid of the continuous problem of clogging. As you indicate as a followup we also clean the fuel tank and check the inside of the jet housing along with blowing gas through lines to ensure nothing is hidden that will result in problems.

 

[k5pat]

Thanks Charles, I'll make sure to check and blow out all associated lines and tubing.

 

[k5pat]

Here's a video of the runs that I did get in spite of the burner problems.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rg_IMlUW_R0

 

[Dan Pantages]

After taking out the jets turn on the gas and blow out the pesky little bits of junk that may be in there. Is it always the same jet that goes out, if it is then it could be junk in that side of the jet holder.

 

[Rob Meadows]

Dan, please don't use the word JUNK when discussing an Accucraft engine! You'll start a riot!

 

[Dan Pantages]

Sorry Rob, just a typo I ment gunk.

 

[Mark Scrivener]

Very nice engine and great video. This locomotive is certainly growing on me - though my preference would be for the alcohol version.

Keeping both flues lit was a constant challenge for Joel and myself with our K's this holiday run season. We back flushed the jets numerous times with butane but never tried cleaning out the lines and tank. I think we will take Charles' advice and carefully clean the entire system.

Also - I would carefully inspect where the poker burners mount to the boiler. I have seen some Accucraft poker burners where the burner did not mate properly with the boiler due to a blob of solder or other mechanical issue. This allowed more air into the system and or did not position the burner properly within the flue.

Cheers,
Mark

 

[tacfoley]

I'm sorry to hear about your problems with the burners of this otherwise great-looking loco, but happy that you got a few runs where it seemed to function as advertised. I'm very envious of your beautiful track under the trees, but noted that you seemed to run the loco with the cylinder drain cocks permanently open? Great stack talk, though!!

Me and ig are VERY keen to learn where you got ahold of the GN caboose, please.

Best wishes

tac
http://www.ovgrs.org/

PS - our RH iis alcohol-fired, but of course, we doesn't actually have in in our paws yet....

 

[k5pat]

(quote)but noted that you seemed to run the loco with the cylinder drain cocks permanently open?

Great stack talk, though!!

Me and ig are VERY keen to learn where you got ahold of the GN caboose, please.(quote)


Dear Mr. Tacfoley,
Although I took some pictures showing the drain cocks open when first starting up, I was running with them closed. There is some steam escaping from beneath the smokebox probably from the piston glands and some slight leakage from the drain cocks. The humidity was rather high also, so the steam showed up nicely.
The GN Caboose is sold by Sunset Valley RR , Pete Comely in Seattle.

 

[tacfoley]

Posted By k5pat on 01/25/2009 8:14 AM

(quote)but noted that you seemed to run the loco with the cylinder drain cocks permanently open?

Great stack talk, though!!

Me and ig are VERY keen to learn where you got ahold of the GN caboose, please.(quote)


Dear Mr. Tacfoley,
Although I took some pictures showing the drain cocks open when first starting up, I was running with them closed. There is some steam escaping from beneath the smokebox probably from the piston glands and some slight leakage from the drain cocks. The humidity was rather high also, so the steam showed up nicely.
The GN Caboose is sold by Sunset Valley RR , Pete Comely in Seattle.





Thank you, Sir, for the information about the caboose, and for correcting my erroneous impression about the drain cocks - I guess the wisps you mentioned gave me the impression that they were opened.

And just in case we ever communicate again, please call me tac, it's the nearest 99% of the population can get to my name, and after hearing it being 'murdered' over many years I simplified it just so's folks had something to call me apart from 'hey, you!'.

tac
http://www.ovgrs.org/

 

[k5pat]

Success with the burners!

I talked to Cliff at Accucraft and he said that sometimes the Butane "Y" junction gets a glob of solder inside and you can't get to it. He sent me another "Y" junction and jets and they seemed to cure the problem. I ran for 30 minutes with 12 reefers and a caboose with no problems.
I noticed that the right hand burner has the superheater steam line running right underneath it and it causes the flame to burn unsymmetrical compared to the nice crescent flame on the left burner. The right burner also tends to gurgle and pop while the other burner does not. It is hard to get the right burner out due to interference with a bracket screwed to the footplate. I would have to remove lots of piping and the cab to get to the screws holding the bracket. Since it's working now, I'll delay that project and enjoy running this great engine.

 

[Taperpin]

Pat,
Glad your happy with this lovely loco..when you do get the burners out at some stage. it is worthwhile rerouting the superheater pipe clear of the burner slots, you can bend it in a sort of Z shape so it lies alongside the burner rather than directly under the slots..
As you noticed the factory position prevents the flame propagating smoothly and this is why the right side burner is touchy in the twin flue models.

Gordon.