Garden Railway Forum

Hello,

I’ve just picked up a Accucraft Edrig today, owner said it’s not been run in a couple years, I’m just wondering what checks I should do before giving it a steam up?

Have you run one of these before?

If you go on youtube find the videos by "summerland steam" on steaming the Accucraft Ragleth, it's much the same as an Edrig.
I watched these films by Mr Bird before running my first live steam locos and found it helpful.

P.S. this maybe stateing the obvious but these things get hot! May want to wear some gloves but not so thick they interfere with your dexterity.

Probably should of said, be operated my grandad gauge 3 coal steam locomotives since I was 7, gas is just new to me. As there is no water gauge how do I know when to cut the gas off so I don’t run out of water?

Jamin wrote: Thu May 20, 2021 4:26 pm Probably should of said, be operated my grandad gauge 3 coal steam locomotives since I was 7, gas is just new to me. As there is no water gauge how do I know when to cut the gas off so I don’t run out of water?

The gas supply should run out before the boiler empties. You can download the instruction manual here http://www.accucraft.uk.com/content/upl ... -EDRIG.pdf

Though not good practice, if the water runs out first, and you turn the burner off almost immediately it is unlikely that the short burst of heat on the empty boiler will damage it. However if this does occur, let it cool naturally DO NOT FILL WITH WATER whilst hot, the thermal shock will cause damage, and of course give it an inspection, and caution when next run, i.e. heat gently to pressure, check for leaks and check the safety valve works.

I knew a guy whose Accucraft Countess would routinely run out of water before fuel. Nothing bad ever seemed to happen to it honestly, it would run out of puff and he'd walk over and turn off the gas. Just like Jimmy B said above, the only thing you can really do to wreck one of these modern copper single-flue boilers is to put water in it if it's been allowed to get red-hot inside by being run with no water.

I saw an article once in which one of these boilers was tested to destruction to simulate such a condition. The fire tube collapsed and the boiler shell bulged so that it resembled an American football; still it did not explode. You'd probably be badly scalded by steam flashing out the filler-hole though.

Honestly if there was anything to worry about safety-wise, they would provide the locomotives with a water-gauge.

As said above, it would run out of puff.
If there's no water, there's no steam.
No steam, no pressure!
Only heat damage to the metal.

Am I being too simple?

MRail wrote: Sun May 23, 2021 7:31 am As said above, it would run out of puff.
If there's no water, there's no steam.
No steam, no pressure!
Only heat damage to the metal.

Am I being too simple?

I don't think you are, running out of water with prolonged can only damage the metal, so handle with care.

Ah okay, seems like I have nothing to worry about then, thank you all!