Coal Fired Edrig

thumper said:
Greetings Andy:
If you want to improve the breathing of your Annabel, you can do what I did to improve my ability to maintain a fire in my Annette. Simply cut the cross members off the grate. Leave those at the very end where the grate is bent towards the ash pan. Although round rods would be still better, the grate without the cross members is almost self cleaning. The fire burns stronger, is easy to resurect if you run too long before adding coal and the loco doesn't have to be run as fast to maintain a strong fire. I applied suggestions of Tag Gorton and Steve Jackson and wish I had done it when they were first made. It is a far more docile locomotive with the cross members deleted. I used a Dremel Motor Tool with cut-off wheels.

Happy steaming,

Will
Click to expand...

Just as Will says :thumbup:. I hope to find a source for replacement grates for these locos ? if I do I will post here
 
Given that Sabre have accepted the issue with the grate and are modifying it for new production (see elsewhere in this forum) perhaps they could also sell the new design individually for owners of earlier engines to retro fit?

I would make some comment being up bright and early but I suspect Tag's probably been up a couple of hours...
 
A sign that this thread is getting too long Will. Andy cut the bars on his grate back in post #22.
Incidentally Andy mentioned a figure of 40psi. At what pressure does your safety valve lift Andy? It should be around 60psi. The safety valve on my Annette was set too low initially.
As far as the ash/lumps goes, it may be you have access to a different kind of anthracite down under but it sounds like the fire isn't getting hot enough. Maybe the more experienced folk (Tag and Tony) can advise.
Steve
 
brianthesnail96 said:
Given that Sabre have accepted the issue with the grate and are modifying it for new production (see elsewhere in this forum) perhaps they could also sell the new design individually for owners of earlier engines to retro fit?
Click to expand...
Sell? When a design problem is found other manufacturers supply replacement parts free-of-charge to existing owners. For example: http://www.accucraft.com/manuals/Accucraft Fuel Tank Recall.pdf
 
Well, yes, in an ideal world.

Not quite the same thing though, they do still work with the standard grate, just not perhaps as well as they might. More akin to the cylinders on an Accy Ruby/ Excelsior than the Garratt gas tank, which was a recall on safety grounds.

I do agree with you though Tony.
 
I purchased an early version of Annette, certainly with in the first ten made. At first I was pleased with it and made a couple of posts giving my early experiences which at the time were promising .
However,from that point the running of the loco did not improve despite my best efforts and for the last 6 months or more the loco has just stayed in the engine shed being that expensive white elephant.
I cut the fire grate yesterday and can now confirm the improvement in running is amazing. Annette is now again on the rosta for further trials.
Thank you all for the info.
 
Hi All,

My responses in no particular order;
- anthracite was imported from the UK, Welsh stuff apparently
- safety is set around 55psi
- I'd made the modifications to the grate some months ago (big improvement) following this thread, again thank you (to those responsible) for the suggestion.

I still haven't resolved the question of my 2-3mm lumps though. My current thinking is that given the depth of the firebox the base of the fire is cooling, rather than roasting and hence these larger lumps of unburnt fuel remain. Incidently, it's these lumps that clog the grate and choke the fire, causing problems. Now with the modification made, the fire isn't as tempramental as before but I reckon if I can sort this last issue out, it'll make for longer, cleaning free running.

Another thought I have is perhaps the real problem lies in there only being 5 'bars' that make up the grate. This allows quite a lot of air through, if the grate were say 7 round bars, a tighter arrangement, would this maintain a higher temperature at the bottom of the fire to burn up those lumps.

Perhaps Tag with his broad experience would have some ideas, given this is my first coal loco.

Thank you all in advance.
 
You should talk to Sabre yourself as well Every coal-fired supplier that I have dealt with has provided the necessary friendly and helpful backup ? but I have not dealt with Sabre Steam. Give this a go and report back to us.
 
First post (hi!).

I built a coal fired vertical boilered thing (Tag encountered it at the March Merstham steam up). This engines boiler was built by the chap who builds Sabre's boilers, and was fitted with a grate similar to a Sabre engine's. Does a Sabre grate look like this? I'm wondering if I modify the grate as previously mentioned if it will improve the steaming. At the moment its acceptable if not exactly brilliant.

100_1770.jpg
 
Bars is better than a grid certainly. Bits of coal will burn the the size of the holes and reduce air to the fire. Narrow bars mean both that the airway cannot be blocked and the coal burns to ash before dropping...
 
tagorton said:
Bars is better than a grid certainly. Bits of coal will burn the the size of the holes and reduce air to the fire. Narrow bars mean both that the airway cannot be blocked and the coal burns to ash before dropping...
Click to expand...

right, I'll start chopping the bars tomorrow! When it was run at Merstham was the best its ever run, but I'm sure it has more to give.
 
Good evening,
I don't have a coal fired engine but for many years I had a coal fired stove.I used to control the airflow by using a damper in the chimney,could this not be applied to a loco? it's basically the same principal.
 
Not really. One did not have a blast pipe in the chimney on a coal stove :). In any case the problem here is increasing and not reducing airflow. I have a sort of damper on my Edrig ? a little brass window in the firebox door. This reduces airflow through the fire and increases the airflow over, thereby blackening the top of the fire and reducing blowing off ? but then Edrig has a proper grate with bars ? as did your stove at home.

I would suggest that the grate needs replacing entirely for best results. Don't know why Sabre and the maker of this grate have re-invented the wheel here.
 
Going off-topic slightly... Many years ago at Bridgnorth on the Severn Valley Railway the mess room at the loco shed featured a traditional coal fire in a hearth built in to the wall, much like you would find in any pre-central heating era living room. On a cold winter's morning the first job was to light the fire so that the room would have some warmth to it before the mid-morning tea break. This was a hit and miss affair, until somebody came up with the idea of copying some steam loco technology.

A blower ring was made and fitted in the chimney, and connected to the shed's compressed air supply. An operating valve was provided on the wall next to the fire. Now, when the fire was lit, the blower would also be turned on and the draw on the fire was fantastic. Within no time at all the fire would be burning brightly, and raising the standard of the squalid surroundings we had at that time.

All of this was swept away when the Boiler Shop was built, and new facilities were provided.
 
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