Steam generator for tank engines....


O

OldGuyHO

Member
No, not Thomas.

I've read that Porter tank engines used an external source of steam which was stored in the tank above a base of water. I can't find any pictures/references to these steam generating facilities. Anything will help. I can, of course, assume it's "off layout", but if I can find some photos, I could include it.

Thanks in advance.
 
They were known as fireless cookers, thermos bottles etc. They were generally assigned to a steam generating electric plant. There were numerous outlets around the plant the loco could pull up to and recharge. The tank was well insulated so the superheated steam condense in the tank, but when released to the cylinders, would turn back to steam, providing power. As I recall there weren't any special facilities needed. A steam pipe with a shutoff valve and an insulated hose that would connect to the engine, was about all that was needed.

Here one on display at Spencer, NC

DSCF0017_zps0a6f8ccc.png
 
No, sorry I don't. Would like to have seen them. I tried to get into the Berry Steam Plant, just north of Mobile, where I lived at the time, and although I got the tour, the fireless cooker that worked the plant had been retired for about 6 months. This was in 1975. I could have walked by one of those "terminals" and never noticed it.
 
If it was like a lot of steam hoses/pipes used back then, it was probably wrapped with that lovely asbestos, held in place with a wire rope or mesh.
 
I know there's a blue one at Strasburg. That pic of the one in Spencer makes it look cartoonish!

I wonder if there could potentially be modern applications. There was talk a while back about the possibility of steam making a comeback in the name of getting away from fossil fuels.
 
Railrunner130 said:
I wonder if there could potentially be modern applications. There was talk a while back about the possibility of steam making a comeback in the name of getting away from fossil fuels.
Click to expand...

Seeing we're still only using nuclear fuel to boil water to make steam to turn generators to produce electricity to boil water, can't see any real change away from fossil fuels happening.
 
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