Steam connection ?

[David Boeschen]

See the attached photo (from eBay), taken at an engine facility, presumably on the Gulf Coast.

This engine is on a ready track, evidently being made ready to go out shortly. Beside the tender are the oil column and the water column. Beside the smokebox is a portable electric-powered blower, to help get up steam more quickly. It’s mounted on a jib, so as to be swung over the stack and used to pull a draft through the tubes.

Now, what’s that line connected to the top of the steam dome? It’s evidently 3/4″ or 1″ pipe, and there are two ball joints in the flexible portion extending from the column, which is also carrying a couple of conduit drops for local electrical power plus supporting a floodlight. Is it to vent the steam while the water is heating, since the cab is unoccupied and there’s nobody watching the level glass?

The pigeon probably is not involved in this operation.

RG7

[attachment=0:399l0c3q]MP 1054.jpg[/attachment:399l0c3q]

[anonymous]

The pipe into the steam dome may be from a stationary boiler to charge up cold engines enough to run the engine’s blower.

[Author]

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