How Do You Start a Steam Engine? - A Rough Guide

This week we look at how you take a locomotive from cold to 'ready for service' and as a bonus we take a look at some of the gala highlights taken from both the lineside and the sky!
Keep an eye out for our gala specials coming soon where we showcase our footage from the weekend looking at each of the locomotives that were out over the event. No music, no commentary, just pure steam sounds!
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[@TheSorub]

These behind the scenes vids are great the more the public can see the working parts that make up the railway the more likelythat both visitor numbers and volunteers numbers will increase

[@eggballo4490]

You do the thing, you do it right, you don't fuck it up, and it works, it just works.

[@nataliegardner3122]

Nice to see a smooth operation. I often light a cold loco 12 hours before its due to move, fire log or firelighters for the easy life, and always with the same heat to the touch at the smokebox as the backplate. However, I witnessed, while working on a diesel, two cold engines being lit and brought to full pressure in two and a half hours. Big engines.....it was only a few steamings later my forecast came true....leaking tubes which had to be replaced. Tales from Connolly shed.

[@theromanorder]

Starting the engine
Check engine for damage,
Clean the greats in the fire box of ash and clinka (basically the bad bi product of coal) to keep it clean so your fire csn start and hear can be transferred more, (open greats and or use a rake)
Start a small warming fire at the front of the engine to prep the boiler for a full fire (start a full one suddenly causes damage and takes very long)
You csn use wood,
In a few hours after usring the blower to increase fire temp and keeping water levels high your engine will have some steam generated as it sits,
Re check your water injectors, air ejectors, (things for your air brrajs) and prep lubrecater, soon you will be ready to proceed

[@eddiegibbs1]

How about a video looking at some of the wagons, vans, brake vans, their restoration, etc.?

[@keepcalmmakestuff732]

Well done guys, these Vids are great, keep em coming, I know it may be a bit complex but how about steam entering and leaving cylinders, I.e. valve timing and notching up etc,

[@miloa5833]

I’m from the states all the way in America! I love live steam and I’d love to work with full size locomotives such as these but I don’t know where to look and what to do to go about setting myself towards that path for the future.

[@zacm.2342]

Find your nearest heritage railway (or railroad, I suppose) and see about volunteering if it's near enough for you to regularly go over

[@jamesascough8950]

fantastic video

[@agentorange153]

9:10 Hey, it's Thomas!

[@stefanharrison5337]

We add visiting engines from railways

[@iamatrainfan]

The blue train is thomas right

[@mikebledig7208]

The video would be nicer without that music. The sounds of the steam engine is the best music as you steam engine hear the wake up

[@eliotreader8220]

what about cleaning the boiler tubes

[@jeffcampsall5435]

Every video I’ve seen about model steam engines requires that the flywheel be turned manually to get this working.
What is it about the design of the locomotive that this isn’t required and is there a position in which the wheels could be to not allow initial motion?

[@thewatercressline]

Hi there, with locomotives you don't need a flywheel as you have multiple cylinders, at least 2 but more powerful locomotives can have 3 or 4. With a 2-cylinder loco the wheels are offset by 90 degrees so when one piston is at the end of it's travel, the other is in the middle of theirs so can get the locomotive moving.
It is however possible to centre the locomotive and have all the inlet ports closed meaning you have to roll back and start again. Un-rebuilt Bulleid light pacifics e.g. Wadebridge, Manston etc are prone to this partly due to the chain drive valve gear being so finely balanced, which is one of the reasons why the class were rebuilt.

[@ashleyjiscool]

How do you make 1 loco do 2 days of service

[@MrNoUsername]

7:47 No.45596 in the background looks quite a big engine! What class is it?

[@sovietskye7473]

I believe 45596 is a Lms black 5

[@rockacraig5653]

@@sovietskye7473 I'm afraid not. She's a Jubilee. A sort of hybrid of the Black 5 and the Patriot class. Here's a simple-ish way to tell: the splashers on the running board. Black 5s odn't have them while Jubilees do. Sounds nerdy but once you see it you can't unsee it.

[@sovietskye7473]

@@rockacraig5653 thanks for letting me know

[@rockacraig5653]

@@sovietskye7473 No problem.

[@standard_gauge]

When the engine sets off why are there great clouds of steam blown forward

[@WillStratford]

Hi David, so the steam pistons are reliant on steam being compressible. When everything is nice and warm, not a problem you can crack on as normal. However, first thing in the morning everything is cold, so when the steam enters the steam chest and cylinders, the steam will cool creating water, which can't be compressed and has the potential to cause a lot of damage. The solution is to open drains at the bottom of the cylinder which will allow the driver to force any water out of the cylinders. Once the locomotive has moved for a little bit and the steam has been emitted into the cylinders long enough to warm up the surfaces, the driver can close the drains and it's back to business as normal. You may also find that the drains will be open when moving off after a locomotive has been at a stand for a while.

[@agentorange153]

@@WillStratford So, about how long do the cylinder drains have to be left open until the cylinders warm up?

[@Adam-wu8nh]

perofin wouldn't diesel be better because of the price of perofin
different way to put a warmingfire to what i have seen wouldn't putting it in the midle of the fire box instead of the back be better???

[@alistairwhite2906]

It's already used for cleaning etc around the loco, so being ready to hand it's easier to use. And you wouldn't even use 1L to soak the rags so it's not that expensive.....

[@maghost_rider5698]

You want the fire under the brick arch at the front of the box as this has the benifit of reducing smoke back onto the footplate when you have no blower to create a draft and it also allows most of the heat to go into the boiler. If you had the fire in the middle of the box a lot of that heat would be wasted. Also on locomotives the back of the fire box is the bit closest to the firehole door and the front it the bit closest to the front of the locomotive :D

[@thomasm1964]

I'd love to know how those pipes down by the front of the leading wheels are used and what they are called. I see steam coming out of them when I watch videos but I have no idea why or when.

[@invisibleman4827]

Cylinder drain cocks, they let out excess water and steam from the cylinders.

[@thomasm1964]

@@invisibleman4827 Cheers!

[@williamtacey1783]

MHR home Fleet
41312 LMS Ivatt 2MT 2-6-2T
30925 SR Schools Class Cheltenham 4-4-0
76017 BR Standard 4 Mogul 2-6-0
Thomas Hunslet 0-6-0ST
30506 SR S15
Loco visited Fleet
53808 SDJR 7F 2-8-0 from WSR
45596 LMS Bahamas Jubilee 6P 4-6-0

[@D8059PRODUCTIONS]

1 thing wrong about what you said Thomas was, whilst the gala was on, Thomas was called Dave!

[@Bittern19]

Hello

[@tvpedroafilhadadaredeglobo2085]

9:09 esse aí é o thomas

[@D8059PRODUCTIONS]

Dave*

[@legyemsastro3109]

did i saw just thomas the tank engine but with no face

[@minusbandu6568]

Yes yes you did

[@D8059PRODUCTIONS]

Called Dave during that gala weekend!