Yes, I noticed that a couple of the brick or stone boiler room annexes had wood roofs, probably to let the force of the explosion, if there was one, go upward more than sideways. Research like this is one of the reasons model railroading interests me: we look into such diverse subjects, striving for accuracy.
Deano
A plant I used to work at did have a boiler room attached to the main canning area, but it wasn't orignally attached. Tim and plant expansion saw to it's later attachment. The doors that lead to it where a simple security door that could be enclosed on both sides by heavy steal doors. The boiler room was also built like a fireworks factory. Heavy sides, and a light room.
Thanks for your input, guys. After all these weeks of poring over Google's "images of railroad engine houses," I re-examined them again today--and realized some evidence had been there all the time. There are a couple of different photos of an HO kit for Paul Larson's single stall O scale engine house, built from prototype drawings given to him by Eric Stevens, no less. His article is one of the ones I pored over when I decided to finally build this monster (it's 11-1/2x27-1/2" or 46'0"x110'0" in O, if built straight from the kit!). Larson's house was a frame structure with a lean-to wing running along the right side, the wing holding office, crew quarters (it was a layover point)--and a boiler.
I would've thought they'd at least build a brick addition, but no--and it seems to be not uncommon. Then I realized the sprawling frame structure on the C&O, at Thurmond, WV, had a locomotive boiler in the back corner of the shop! Wow. Since my shop wing is approximately 25'x81' in area, it will have the foreman's office, a tool/parts room, and washroom, as well as the shop area, I decided early on to house a shop boiler in the lean-to addition from the kit. But this discussion has decided me to have only a heavy man door between it and the shop interior and there would be a step or two down, as the boiler room floor will be lower than the shop floor.
All along, I'd had in mind a steam engine (not visible) to run belt-driven shop machinery, but then I remember reading that the Mineral Point engine facility on the Milwaukee Road's branch, had its own power generator before MP got its own public electric plant in 1891. The Janesville (WI) engine house of my "prototype freelancing" was supposedly built in 1904 (anyone know where I can get an O scale dated cornerstone?), so the road would probably generate its own power--and run belt-driven machines from a big motor.
I think I should take a day off and contemplate something besides TOC engineering and construction and maybe the fever will abate!
oldline1I think your addition would be better served as the shop foreman's office or parts/materials storage.
Excellent suggestion..I would opt for a locker/lunch room.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
I agree with the other posters in that usually a boiler room would be in a separate building because of the fire danger and servicing of fuel and ash.
I think your addition would be better served as the shop foreman's office or parts/materials storage. In that case I would install a soild wall with a peronnel door or a larger sliding door. Metal or wood would be determined by the era I think.
It's a neat building and I have often thought of doing a "malley house" by joiniing a couple kits end to end like monileman did.
Send us some pictures of your progress, please!
Roger Huber
Deer Creek Locomotive Works
Boilers are typically separated from "work activities". Their areas are hot, dangerous, and no place for folks to be wandering around. The ones I have seen were in separate buildings or in smaller cases, in basements.
To answer the OPs question, at the very least there should be a door shutting off the room from the rest of the building.
BTW, many years ago I took two of those kits and made a "double long" one - which is still in service on the layout.
ENJOY !
Mobilman44
Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central
Boiler room probably in a seperate building not connected to engine house. That is what a couple site plans I found showed. Steam pipes woudl take steam to where needed.
Several site plans here
https://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/topic/structures-for-steam-era-railroad-yards
I tried to sell my two cents worth, but no one would give me a plug nickel for it.
I don't have a leg to stand on.
Guys, I'm finally building the IHC "BIG 2 STALL ENGINE HOUSE (O scale)," I bought 20 years ago. I'm shortening it by a pair of window panels, which I'm turning 90 degrees and reconfiguring it for a shop/office wing alongside the stalls. The lean-to anex will be rebuilt into a boiler room at the right rear. It's a complex project, but I'm enjoyng the engineering after all these years of armchairing it.
Thing is, all these years I've pictured a big, heavy sliding fire door, one of those that slides automatically down its slanted trrack in case of fire, between the boiler room and the shop. However, I'm rethinking the arrangement because it now looks like the concrete floors might worm better at different levels--and besides, was there ever such a setup, or did rthey want a solid wall isolating the two? None of my several books show the relationship. (Frankly, a solid wall appeals to me, since it's already a very ambitious project!)
Thanks. BTW, I'm really having fun again!