FIRE-TUBE BOILER

Maintenance[edit]
An intensive schedule of maintenance is needed to keep a high pressure railway steam boiler in safe
condition.

Daily inspection[edit]
The tube plates, the fusible plug and the heads of the firebox stays should be checked for leaks. The
correct operation of the boiler fittings, especially the water gauges and water feed mechanisms,
should be confirmed. Steam pressure should be raised to the level at which the safety valves lift and
compared with the indication of the pressure gauge.

Washout[edit]

Cutaway of locomotive boiler. Note the narrow water spaces around the firebox and the "mudhole" for access
to the crown sheet: these areas require special attention during washout

The working life of a locomotive boiler is considerably extended if it is spared from a constant cycle
of cooling and heating. Historically, a locomotive would be kept “in steam” continuously for a period
of about eight to ten days, and then allowed to cool sufficiently for a hot-water boiler washout. The
schedule for express engines was based on mileage. [10] Today's preserved locomotives are not
usually kept continuously in steam and the recommended washout interval is now fifteen to thirty
days, but anything up to 180 days is possible. [11]
The process starts with a “blowdown” while some pressure remains in the boiler, then the draining
away of all the boiler water through the “mudholes” at the base of the firebox and the removal of all
the “washout plugs”. Scale is then jetted or scraped from the interior surfaces using a high-pressure
water jet and rods of soft metal, such as copper. Areas particularly susceptible to scale buildup, such
as the firebox crown and narrow water spaces around the firebox, are given special attention. The
inside of the boiler is inspected by sighting through the plug holes, with a particular check paid to the
integrity of the firetubes, firebox crown and stays and absence of pitting or cracking of the boiler
plates. The gauge glass cocks and tubes and fusible plug should be cleared of scale; if the core of
the fusible plug shows signs of calcination the item should be replaced. [12]
On reassembly care should be taken that the threaded plugs are replaced in their original holes: the
tapers can vary as a result of rethreading. The mudhole door gaskets, if of asbestos, should be
renewed but those made of lead may be reused; special instructions are in force for the disposal of
these harmful materials.[11] Many boilers today make use of high temperature synthetics for the
gaskets for both working environments and in preservation service as these materials are safer than
the historic options. At large maintenance facilities the boiler would have been both washed and
refilled with very hot water from an external supply to bring the locomotive back to service more
quickly.

Periodic examination[edit]
Typically an annual inspection, this would require the removal and check of external fittings, such as
the injectors, safety valves and pressure gauge. High-pressure copper pipework can suffer
from work hardening in use and become dangerously brittle: it may be necessary to treat these
by annealing before refitting. A hydraulic pressure test on the boiler and pipework may also be called
for.

General overhaul[edit]
In the UK the specified maximum interval between full overhauls is ten years. To enable a full
inspection the boiler is lifted from the locomotive frame and the lagging removed. All firetubes are
removed for checking or replacement. All fittings are removed for overhaul. Before returning to use a
qualified examiner will check the boiler's fitness for service and issue a safety certificate valid for ten
years.