Dirty coloured water

[jotom]

Hi I am new here and to live steam locos . I am using filtered rain water in my roundhouse Millie. When I fill the boiler up the water is clean, when I take 35mlts out with the syringe to give space in the boiler, the water in the syringe is a dirty brown colour. Any ideas of what could be wrong if anything?

[Big Jim]

Sludge in the boiler, possibly the same type of gunge you find in copper heating pipes, I think it may be a copper oxide, caused by the reaction of the copper with impurities in the water.
Might be worth giving the boiler a good flush with clean water until it runs clear.

[jotom]

Thanks Big Jim, I will give it a good flush and see if it cures the problem.

[jotom]

Flushed boiler and rainwater filter system. Everything seems fine now, thanks once again for the help.

[mikewakefielduk@btinterne]

If it was a new loco sounds like the boiler needed flushing out from manufacture. If it was second-hand then either it was copper oxide as has been suggested or sometimes you get steam oil sucked back into the boiler when the regulator wasn't closed and/or the drain opened after a run.

[jotom]

I've had the loco from new, it's about 12 months old Mike. Your second point about the regulator and drain is useful, something I had not thought about.

[Big Jim]

glad you have the problem under control, when you find large lumps of white stuff coming out of the boiler then you have issues.

Welcome to the enjoyable and sometimes infuriating world of live steam.

Are you going to post an introduction to yourself and your railway?

[jotom]

Thanks Big Jim. I will post an introduction as soon as I have thought of something interesting to say. Is there a particular topic area for doing that?

[Big Jim]

Introductions section near the top of the forum menu.