Re: Firing up a Rotary
Author: Steve
Date: 12-29-2021 - 14:49
Hot Water Wrote:
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> Dr Zarkoff Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > > No they don't, i.e. have "a cold, drained
> > boiler", as the Southern Pacific up-graded all
> > their rotary plows to full electric drive, with
> > the driving traction motors receiving the
> electric
> > power from the up-graded B Unit, coupled behind
> > the plow. That was done many decades ago.
> >
> > Last I heard about 10 years ago, they kept the
> > Vapor-Clarkson water tube boilers to heat the
> > blades, although they had almost run out of
> people
> > who knew how the things worked.
>
> Yes, the rotarys still have those "Flash Boilers"
> in order to supply steam for the blades, as well
> as for the whistle. Even if "drained for the
> winter/storage" it only takes about 15 minutes to
> fill the coils with water and fire them up (that
> is why they are called 'Flash Boilers').
How is Bear Mohan these days? He was great at clearing the mountain back in the days of employment with both SP and UP