Steam & Excursion > Tell-Tell evidence of an oil-fired steam locomotive!

Many years after the diesels arrived, you could still go down to the tracks, especially on  the Espee and see evidence of steam power.
It's all gone now but for decades the evidence was still there.
Mostly on  the ends of sidings and on some yard tracks also near some passenger stations.
Residual Fuel Oil! It would drip out of the firebox and coat the ties. Over the years it would build up into a semi-hard mass of tar!
Maybe somewhere there still might be some.
The evidence on main line ties was first to go as they are frequently replaced. But the sidings and secondary tracks, the old oil could be seen
for many years, maybe the 1980's(?). You could step back into the past!
I'm sure on the coal fired RR's, some cinders could be found too.
I'm not talking about journal box drippings either.

Did you know about the astronomical amout of fuel oil consumed by the Liner "The SS Untited states". I saw the figure once; it was unbelievable.
Seven tons an hour? Or a day? I got to ride on it once courtesy the US Army!  In Cabin Class. Bremerhaven to NYC.
But going over was on the " General Patch" We averaged 16.1 knots of speed.  There are veterans on this site that rode on those ships!

At her cruising speed the Big U consumed roughly 860 tons of fuel a day. Of course that cruising speed was about 35 knots!

Posted from Android

Along almost all coal burning RRs there is a distinctive layer of coal cinders.  I have seen them along the Colrado narrow gauge lines that have not seen a train since the 1950s.
Of course out west in the dry climage plant growth doesn't churn up the soil very much.

ApproachCircuit Wrote:
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> But going over was on the " General Patch" We
> averaged 16.1 knots of speed.  There are veterans
> on this site that rode on those ships!

Yes, I sailed from Brooklyn to Bremerhaven on the USNS General Alexander M. Patch in May 1966.  Upon arrival there were three or four troop trains waiting on the quay to take people to different areas.

Gordon

ApproachCircuit Wrote:
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> Many years after the diesels arrived, you could
> still go down to the tracks, especially on  the
> Espee and see evidence of steam power.
> It's all gone now but for decades the evidence was
> still there.
> Mostly on  the ends of sidings and on some yard
> tracks also near some passenger stations.
> Residual Fuel Oil! It would drip out of the
> firebox and coat the ties. Over the years it would
> build up into a semi-hard mass of tar!
> Maybe somewhere there still might be some.
> The evidence on main line ties was first to go as
> they are frequently replaced. But the sidings and
> secondary tracks, the old oil could be seen
> for many years, maybe the 1980's(?). You could
> step back into the past!
> I'm sure on the coal fired RR's, some cinders
> could be found too.
> I'm not talking about journal box drippings
> either.
>
> Did you know about the astronomical amout of fuel
> oil consumed by the Liner "The SS Untited states".
> I saw the figure once; it was unbelievable.
> Seven tons an hour? Or a day? I got to ride on it
> once courtesy the US Army!  In Cabin Class.
> Bremerhaven to NYC.
> But going over was on the " General Patch" We
> averaged 16.1 knots of speed.  There are veterans
> on this site that rode on those ships!

NYC to Bremerhaven in 1963   Bremerhaven to NYC in 1965 courtesy of US Army, troop ships both ways.  Little paced below deck but not a bad experience.  3 days in a storm coming to NYC.  Hard to stay away from people puking.  Didn't bother me, I was always munching on crackers or bologna sandwiches.

I can walk in many places in the yard where I work, especially around the house and turntable or where the coal tower was and see cinders and clinkers everywhere . In fact I found a clinker between the size of a football and basketball that went home with me to the flower garden.

Once in a great while I find a clinker along the ROW. 95% of the new kids have no idea what they are.

Regards

Posted from iPhone

OHRY Wrote:
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> At her cruising speed the Big U consumed roughly
> 860 tons of fuel a day. Of course that cruising
> speed was about 35 knots!
>
> Posted from Android

SS France burned a similar amount at 28 knots.

Would the ships have been burning the same grade of fuel as the locomotives?

L&N was a coal fired road. Remember into the 70's before the Pensacola Division was rebuilt, about 40 feet from the clearance point in the sidings, the crossties between the rails would be burned from the ashpan being over them while the train was making a meet.. Going up one of the long grades where the engines worked hard, you could still see cinders along the row into the 2000's.
Guess this would be true for most coal roads.

Steve
 

march_hare Wrote:
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> Would the ships have been burning the same grade
> of fuel as the locomotives?

Yes.

After chopping many a western weed I disagree with the comment about plant growth out here...

Bill Deaver
Tehachapi, CA