I have just had an accident, and some help / advise would be much appreciated please!! Having not run trains for ages due to work, children and rain conspiring against me, I finally had a chance to steam up. I was filling the boiler on my Silver Lady using a syringe with a length of silicone tubing on the end. That piece of silicone tubing is now in the boiler, and I can't even see it, despite tipping it upside down (its a cold day to get soaked!!). Any ideas about the possibility of either getting it out or running with it in there? It was a bad day all round as my mend on a pair of points finally gave up, causing a derailment, and there is no way to mend them further!! Hope others have had a more successful day steaming!!
Oh Help!!!
- Thread starter cheshire
- Start date
I find the best bet is to use a length of brass or copper tube on the end, one that is too long to get lost!! I appreciate that this does not help the specific problem that you currently have, but if you empty the boiler and shake it about you may well be able to get at it with some tweezers. Otherwise I would not worry too much about it. Cannot do much harm.
bobg
Registered
I agree with TAG, it certainly wont melt, unless the boiler runs dry, it wont disolve, and it is very unlikely to get anywhere that it will cause a problem.
If you can manage to see an end, try feeding a length of stiffish wire (copper?) into it, and try to work it down the wire till you can grip it.
If you can manage to see an end, try feeding a length of stiffish wire (copper?) into it, and try to work it down the wire till you can grip it.
Ferrysteam
Registered
The moral is,use a long length of tubing in future....Don't worry,it can't hurt anything.
New Haven Neil 2
Registered
There's been one in my Fowler boiler for 4 years!! 
They need to supply a longer bit.... :impatient:
They need to supply a longer bit.... :impatient:
stevedenver
Registered
what pain
i dont know if it would melt, and i dont know that if it did, it would be an issue, -other than you might not ever get at it if it was welded somewhere inside the boiler
but i understand the angst
perhaps
you can empty the boiler
turn it over, and shake it until its over the hole -this might take a lot of patience and a very good upward light
i know the water fill hole is really small
and try to grab it with some tweezers-or even a tiny screw grabber (like a mini claw on the end of a shaft)
or perhaps you can take a stiff piece of wire, fold the end into a tight "V" so you can slip it over the tubing and wedge it in the "V" and pull it out (presuming its fairly flexible)-or even sharpen the end of the "V" and poke it through and hook it
(make this hook good and long with an end bend to prevent it from also ending up in the boiler
i think with perseverance and the right tool you can get it-it may take some time indeed
good luck
i will probably lengthen all my filler syringe tubes to avoid this happening to me
i dont know if it would melt, and i dont know that if it did, it would be an issue, -other than you might not ever get at it if it was welded somewhere inside the boiler
but i understand the angst
perhaps
you can empty the boiler
turn it over, and shake it until its over the hole -this might take a lot of patience and a very good upward light
i know the water fill hole is really small
and try to grab it with some tweezers-or even a tiny screw grabber (like a mini claw on the end of a shaft)
or perhaps you can take a stiff piece of wire, fold the end into a tight "V" so you can slip it over the tubing and wedge it in the "V" and pull it out (presuming its fairly flexible)-or even sharpen the end of the "V" and poke it through and hook it
(make this hook good and long with an end bend to prevent it from also ending up in the boiler
i think with perseverance and the right tool you can get it-it may take some time indeed
good luck
i will probably lengthen all my filler syringe tubes to avoid this happening to me