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Re: Will the Silverton line have to convert to oil burning?
Author: Hot Water
Date: 06-19-2018 - 05:21
Big Boy Wrote:
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> I would like to see a total number of right of way
> fires caused by
> oil-fired locomotives, then compare that to a list
> of right of way
> fires caused by coal burners.
>
> I personally have never heard of a fire started by
> an oil-fired engine,
> although I have no doubt there have been a handful
> over the ages.
You are absolutely correct. I have over 40 years firing experience on SP 4449, UP 844, and UP 3985, and have NEVER seen "sparks", etc. come out of the stack, even when sanding the flues. There seems to be one or two individuals that continue to post about oil burning steam locomotives starting fires, yet do not explain how they came to that knowledge. Besides, wouldn't you think that what with all the thousands of oil burning steam locomotives on the Southern Pacific, and the Missouri Pacific, and the Union Pacific, and the Great Northern, that most of the vegetation near their tracks would have been constantly on fire (especially with the Bunker fuels they all used), back in the old days?
> Coal and wood burners, on the other
> hand.................
-------------------------------------------------------
> I would like to see a total number of right of way
> fires caused by
> oil-fired locomotives, then compare that to a list
> of right of way
> fires caused by coal burners.
>
> I personally have never heard of a fire started by
> an oil-fired engine,
> although I have no doubt there have been a handful
> over the ages.
You are absolutely correct. I have over 40 years firing experience on SP 4449, UP 844, and UP 3985, and have NEVER seen "sparks", etc. come out of the stack, even when sanding the flues. There seems to be one or two individuals that continue to post about oil burning steam locomotives starting fires, yet do not explain how they came to that knowledge. Besides, wouldn't you think that what with all the thousands of oil burning steam locomotives on the Southern Pacific, and the Missouri Pacific, and the Union Pacific, and the Great Northern, that most of the vegetation near their tracks would have been constantly on fire (especially with the Bunker fuels they all used), back in the old days?
> Coal and wood burners, on the other
> hand.................
