Firebox glow?

[arkady]

As I was perusing the very interesting Prewar American Flyer thread, I came across a couple of tinplate locomotives with the "firebox glow" feature. It was pretty impressive.

It occurred to me that his would be a nice, easy and non-destructive feature to add to almost any toy or model steam locomotive. Trouble is, I have no idea what a real prototype firebox glow looks like.

I'm old enough to remember steam in actual service, and I've seen more than a few restored steam locomotives since, but I don't recall what they looked like at night. What direction would the light be falling from? And exactly what would be illuminated?

Can anyone who's seen a real firebox glow describe it? Or possibly even point to a photograph of one?

[SantaFe158]

Check out this video, at 1:33 you can see a good picture of the firebox glow: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zIw2n7y6wc

[overall]

I saw the 4501 come through Dalton Ga in 1980 (?) heading back to Atlanta from Chattanooga at dusk one night. The 4501 is a hand fired engine. Every time the fireman would open the firebox to thow in a shovelful of coal, the cab would light up. It was an awesome sight easily visiible in the gathering darkness.

George

[arkady]

SantaFe158

Check out this video, at 1:33 you can see a good picture of the firebox glow: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zIw2n7y6wc

Wow, thanks! That's exactly what I was looking for. I had no idea the firebox cast that much light down onto the track.

[arkady]

overall

I saw the 4501 come through Dalton Ga in 1980 (?) heading back to Atlanta from Chattanooga at dusk one night. The 4501 is a hand fired engine. Every time the fireman would open the firebox to thow in a shovelful of coal, the cab would light up. It was an awesome sight easily visiible in the gathering darkness.

George

We can only imagine how it must have been on the PRR, before the mainline steamers had automatic stokers.

[RockIsland52]

Interesting, and how tough would it be to add this feature of the firebox glow in the cab?  Probably easy enough.  Some of the guys on this forum have created flickering campfires and hobo fires to their layouts. 

As the youtube poster of the video said, the audio is awesome.  More than worth a look for both the video and the audio.  Thanks for the link arkady!

I'm old enough to say that steamers were still in service when I was a "yute" but not old enough to remember seeing one in person that I can remember.  Deprived childhood. 

Jack.

[Anonymous]

Almost all of my newer steamers have firebox glow. MTH & Lionel have been doing it for years.

[SantaFe158]

arkady

SantaFe158

Check out this video, at 1:33 you can see a good picture of the firebox glow: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zIw2n7y6wc

Wow, thanks! That's exactly what I was looking for. I had no idea the firebox cast that much light down onto the track.

Just keep in mind, I just looked around a little more, and I believe that locomotive is an oil burner, which is why the flames shoot out so far, there is no ash pan. But that's a good example of what it would look like. On larger steam locomotives, the ashes fall to a bin just below the cab, there are troughs directly below the cab floor which glow when running and can be seen from the outside. On smaller steam locomotives, unless the ash pan doors are open, I don't think you can see a whole lot. But the glow would come from the ash pan underneath the locomotive firebox, and would be somewhere around the rear set of drivers and if applicable, in front of the trailing truck.

[creepycrank]

I remember 60 years ago a spectacular display by a LIRR G5 locomotive as it was leaving the station. When the firebox door was open for only a few seconds to shovel in the coal, the light illuminated the smoke cloud and the surrounding area. With the door closed there may only be a faint glow from the ash pan. The color of all this is orange to yellow, not the red color I've seen on toy trains.