Re: Rayonier #2's feedwater pump
Author: Tom Moungovan
Date: 07-19-2009 - 16:05
There's updates posted about the rebuild of this noteworthy locomotive on T.O. One thing that has been recently mentioned is the bracket that held the feedwater pump.
As built for J. Neils as their number 6, the Willamette left the factory in Portland, OR with a small Worthington BL feedwater heater (open type combination heater and pump). Given the
small size of the boiler and steam generation capacity, I'd bet that it was a Size 1 with a rated capacity of 40 gallons/min or 2,400 gallons/hr.
The only other locomotive operating in this country that I can think of that still has one of these devices is former SP 4-6-2 2472.
Grand Canyon 18 had one and I used to get a little use out of it sometimes in the Williams Yard. It was recently removed by SLRG in CO.
If the No. 2's pump gave Rayonier employees troubles with foaming as reported, I'd suspect that the oil separator was not working right, allowing oil to carry over into the feedwater & then into the boiler. The device was removed while at Rayonier (Clallam County Operation).
In any event, it'll still be nice to see the remnant of the heater on the fireman's side of the boiler when she's finished. Old technology that served well for years.