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Steam & Excursion > FireBrick and the Santa Fe HudsonDate: 05/23/23 19:37 FireBrick and the Santa Fe Hudson Author: ApproachCircuit Well one fine morning many years ago, the Santa Fe decided to run the Fast Mail and Express from Chicago to Los Angeles with their newly acquired 84 inch 3460 class Hudson,
with NO engine change. Thats right, 2200 + miles behind the same steamer! I think that class of engine was good for 4500 HP; ( 3 covered wagons) The train made it without any hic-cups. But once the engine got to the RH, it was discovered that the pounding that Hudson took for all that miles caused a lot of the fire brick to become dislodged!! Did they use mortar back then? Don't forget to order your PBR (two case minimum) for the holidays. Date: 05/24/23 02:16 Re: FireBrick and the Santa Fe Hudson Author: wcamp1472 I have no official knowledge of mortar being used
to secure locomotive uses of firebrick. It was common for oil-fueled loco fireboxes to have the fire-pan lined with several layers of neatly applied firebricks. The lower 10% of the 4 walls of the firebox and down to the bricks of the firepan would be lined with stacked, fitted brickwork. The burner flame path was from the oil burner mounted low-down front of the firepan aiming it's burner's steam flame-support pattern rearward, towards the firedoor. When underway, the combustion air is admitted with damper-equipped air inlets into the fire space. The intense flame temps can melt and erode-away the firebricks used to confine the flame path. Under normal drafting conditions while hauling a decent-weight train, the flame path is upward, and diverted forward, towards the fireboxe's front tube-sheet. That path directs the hottest part of the oil flames right at the crown sheet ( flat, 'roof' of the firebox) --- the area where the most active steam is produced. With very intense flames, the firebricks in the path of the burner flames get melted, broken and misshapen when is service. It was common for firebrick crews in the roundhouse to replace the outer, affected layers of refractory bricks. Obviously that job was completed with a cold engine. Typically the damaged and deformed bricks would be renewed as one of the last steps following the monthly 'boiler-wash' and other light loco repairs and maintenance, as well as the boiler firebox water-space surfaces flushed clean of accumulated, hardened boiler mud. Mortar would not be used to cement the refractory bricks becsuse it would make replacement much more difficult, and waste too much time ---- compared the task of breaking-up and removing the disfigured brickwork. Only as many bricks as were necessary were replaced to restore the even walls of the firepan.and the lower firebox sheets. The areas of the firebox sheets would have firebricks removed to gain access to all the firebox staybolts that are covered by the protective layers of refractory bricks. Loosened, broken firebricks can have pieces land on the firepan, creating a hazard to the flame path from the burner. If too much broken, burnt firebricks accumulate on the firepan floor, it can csuse flame path obstruction and result in slowed air-flow, flame drag, smokey burning and related firing problems. So, in this case, such a long trip meant no time for removing the damaged fire bricks and using mortar to secure the bricks woul mske brick replacement difficult and time consuming. The firebrick crews were skillfull at removal and rebuilding the interior surfaces of the firebrick 'tub' and surrounding walls. The entire Installlation of the bricks in the firepan was accomplished at the major 'shoppings', like annual boiler inspections, etc. Again, using mortar would have made renewals much more complicated. That's my best guess. W. Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/24/23 07:55 by wcamp1472. Date: 05/24/23 10:14 Re: FireBrick and the Santa Fe Hudson Author: PHall Santa Fe ran the modernized 3751 and 2900 class Northerns without change between LA and KC.
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