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Feedwater Heaters

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Feedwater Heaters
Posted by Miningman on Sunday, September 17, 2017 3:05 PM

From NDG over at the Trains "String Lining" thread.

This one has the Bundle under the smokebox abaft the Pilot Beam.
 
 
So the bundle is the feedwater heater in this case or something else?
 
Usually see it on top of the smokebox in front of the stack, but not always, and different types as well. 
 
Some railroads famous for "the look"....Texas and Pacific, Indiana Harbor Belt and so forth.
 
Elesco made a killing in Canada, CNR, CPR, stuck it on darn near everything. 
 
So is there a specific reason why the Sante Fe had it down below like that ( if thats what it is)
 
Abaft....great word. 
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Posted by Firelock76 on Sunday, September 17, 2017 5:32 PM

That could be an Elesco feedwater heater, but if it is it's in an unusual location.  Typically they were mounted high on the smokebox front.

The other common feedwater heaters were the Worthington, usually mounted on the "port side" of the locomotive, (just keeping up with the nautical terminology here, 'abaft" is a cool word, as is 'athwart') in the neighborhood of the cross-compound air pumps, or inside the smokebox, and the wierd Coffin feedwater heater, mounted on the front of the smokebox and draping around it like a shroud. 

Whatever it is, it may not be a feedwater heater at all, some 'roads didn't bother with them, not believing they were worth the extra maintanance work, and some who had them removed them later for the same reason.

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Posted by Penny Trains on Sunday, September 17, 2017 7:36 PM

I don't know anything about feedwater heaters but here's the loco in question:

 

Trains, trains, wonderful trains.  The more you get, the more you toot!  Big Smile

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Posted by BigJim on Monday, September 18, 2017 7:39 AM

This isn't the first time that I have seen the mounting of an Elesco FWH down on the pilot deck. This same subject came up somewhere else in the past year or so. As for Santa Fe's reason, I am not read enough in Santa Fe practices to know for sure. However, being on the pilot deck does make it closer to the source of exhaust steam. I would like to see more pictures of this loco as I am not seeing a mounting of the normal cold water pump associated with Elesco.

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Posted by ndbprr on Monday, September 18, 2017 7:44 AM

I believe this is an ex PRR L2s USRA design 2-8-2.  PRR had 5 to go with their L1s 2-8-2 of which there were hundreds.  All had their air tank on the pilot.  I suspect that when the USRA forced these on the PRR they were outfitted like the L1s engies.  The L2s engines were dumped at the first opportuity and IIRC ATSF bought them. PRR M1 and M1A 4-8-2 engines also had pilot mounted air tanks,

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Posted by Miningman on Monday, September 18, 2017 8:47 AM

So is this an air tank or a feedwater heater? 

What exactly is a "bundle"?

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Posted by timz on Monday, September 18, 2017 12:08 PM

Worley says all SFe 3800-class 2-10-2s had Elescos.

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Posted by BigJim on Monday, September 18, 2017 2:56 PM

Miningman

So is this an air tank or a feedwater heater? 

What exactly is a "bundle"?

 

By the pipe coming out of the side, running up beside the steps, down the side to the "Boiler Check Valve", it is the feedwater heater. The "bundle" would be the array of pipes inside the casing. Exhaust steam surrounds these pipes transferring heat to the feedwater.

Learn more about Feedwater Heaters here: http://www.icsarchive.org/icsarchive-org/bb/ics_bb_508d_section_2517_locomotive_feedwater_heating_equipments.pdf

ndbprr:
I believe this is an ex PRR L2s USRA design 2-8-2.


Look again, it is a 2-10-2.

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Posted by Miningman on Monday, September 18, 2017 8:05 PM

Allrighty that settles it. It's an Elesco Feedwater Heater. Yes, now I remember what the bundle is, one of those things I had forgotten...thanks Big Jim!

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Posted by wanswheel on Tuesday, September 19, 2017 10:50 AM

timz

Worley says all SFe 3800-class 2-10-2s had Elescos.

Perhaps 20 of them didn't, if not in the blueprint?http://www.kansasmemory.org/item/221763/page/264

http://www.kansasmemory.org/item/221763/page/262

http://www.kansasmemory.org/item/221763/page/263

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Posted by BigJim on Tuesday, September 19, 2017 7:21 PM

wanswheel
Perhaps 20 of them didn't, if not in the blueprint?


I don't know, however, many many locomotives on many many different railroads  went through evolutionary changes over the course of their useful lives. So, even if they originally weren't so equipped, perhaps later they were...especially if it was a heavily used road locomotive!

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