Steam & Excursion > UP 4014 rolling through Ennis,Tx

9/19/24
Just south of Dallas, 4014 is southbound entering the yards in Ennis on the ex-SP Dallas-Houston line.
This day the train will go to a yard near Hearne for a two week break and repair period.
It will then head to Houston.
Gary 

 

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Beautiful!
Bob

Can some of the knowledgeable steam people on this forum explain to me what is venting/exhausting/leaking steam in the vicinity of the rear cylinder on the fireman's side?  I can't think of what all might be in that area that would be doing this.  Maybe a partially stuck open cylinder cock?  I say partially stuck open because the steam appears to be venting as opposed to having any pressure behind it as would be the case if the cylinder cock was open any more.  Maybe hot water draining from something creating a little flash steam?  But what?  Maybe loose packing around the piston rod?
I know on the engineer's side just below and behind the cab is the continuous blowdown but what I'm seeing on the fireman's side I don't believe has anything to do with any kind of blowdown.  
Thanks in advance. 

sierrawestern Wrote:
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> Can some of the knowledgeable steam people on this
> forum explain to me what is
> venting/exhausting/leaking steam in the vicinity
> of the rear cylinder on the fireman's side?  I
> can't think of what all might be in that area that
> would be doing this.  Maybe a partially stuck
> open cylinder cock?  I say partially stuck open
> because the steam appears to be venting as opposed
> to having any pressure behind it as would be the
> case if the cylinder cock was open any more. 
> Maybe hot water draining from something creating a
> little flash steam?  But what?  Maybe loose
> packing around the piston rod?
> I know on the engineer's side just below and
> behind the cab is the continuous blowdown but what
> I'm seeing on the fireman's side I don't believe
> has anything to do with any kind of blowdown.  
> Thanks in advance. 

NOT a "stuck cylinder cock". That is the water/steam overflow from the Elesco Exhaust Steam Injector system. When the Exhaust Steam Injector is on, and supplying feedwater to the boiler, there will always be some steam discharge from that overflow. Challenger 3985 has the same Elesco Feedwater system.

Fine, sharp images. Thanks , Gary.