These above 4 photos taken 2/19/08 = very slow progress = disappointing .. now back to the last stuff posted 10/28/07
10/28/07 Update ... Melvin lost one full year trying to develop 1st a liquid propane burner and then a kerosene burner ... He finally did just what we had talked about in the beginning like Little Bubba has with a tried and true vapor propane system. Melvin had also started a steam car for himself and used my engine to test his theories on as he can't run vapor propane in a car. But that's just Melvin ... the crazy genius ... can't push these guys.
The fantastic news is that it works way better than any of us had ever dreamed possible ... It will start in the middle of a 6 % grade .. steams up in 1 hr and 15 minutes. And the 2 burners he had already built from scratch work absolutely perfectly with huge BTU's in the larger tubes. I had found a 35gallon propane tank and it is not freezing up as the 2 burners only have to run on low ... even with just the pilots on the pressure only drops about 40% in 4 hrs. of just sitting there.
So ... Now Melvin has to finish up the mechanical feed pump and a few other things so when I get delivery we can finish the cab, put in the Penberthy lifting steam injector, electrical, paint, etc. etc. ... was supposed to be my last summers project ... oh well ... will have next spring and summer ... I usually move very fast weather permitting. I also have to route the exhaust up and build the stack. It does sound very very good as it is. Melvin is afraid to change the draft as it is so perfect now ... but should not be a problem as I can build adjustable vents in the bottom of the stack. I have to have the stack talk too! .... Oh .. and this engine has huge hydrolic disk brakes off a truck! .... one finger pressure to stop it ... Plus .. We also have brakes on the caboose too
Most of the above photos are older ones when we started this project .... The following ones are the newer ones since we finally got back on track with this project. Below are photos of the nearly finished boiler. The outer shell is a full 1/2 inch thick. To show the size of this one I had Dave Moeller stand behind it.
