[Steam-engine] Question please

[James Mackessy]

>From your description, you don't have a water column. It's just a cast iron
cylinder
piped into the boiler, below the water line at the bottom and above it at
the top.
As others have mentioned, it permits relocating the water gauge (or glass)
away from
the boiler. They are a common accessory in stationary practice, probably not
so common
on traction engines, although I believe some had them. They really don't add
any extra
features, just relocate them, with the exception of some used in stationary
practice that
have low water alarms built into them. Those on package boilers often have a
mounting
for a float switch on the back. Some of the early ones were pretty ornate,
but you don't see
very many around. -JM----- Original Message ----- 
From: "David Myers" <walking_tractor at yahoo.com>
To: "Steam-engine mailing list" <steam-engine at lists.stationary-engine.com>
Sent: Sunday, April 02, 2006 9:32 PM
Subject: Re: [Steam-engine] Question please


> James and all,
>
> >From your answers am I correct to assume that by our
> Nichols & Shepard having the trycocks mounted right on
> the rear shell and the sight gage on an angle on the
> side that we don't have a water gage?  Haven't ever
> looked for (and therefore haven't noticed) any
> traction engines with this feature.  Was it common or
> mostly used on stationary boilers?
>
> Dave Myers
> Paw Paw, Michigan
>
> --- James Hansen <jhsg at sasktel.net> wrote:
>
> > It also accommodates mounting the gauge glass
> > vertically in a safe spot,
> > out of harm's way.  The only place to mount a glass
> > so it is situated
> > vertically on a traction engine is at the back,
> > where all the wood
> > chucking is going on.  Since this is where the
> > people are, breaking the
> > gauge glass really sucks.  It's easier to read
> > vertical glass than one
> > that is sloped.
> > Having a water column on the side of the boiler and
> > more forward gives
> > the operator a better view of the water depth over
> > the crown sheet at
> > the front of the sheet, which if the engine front is
> > high, sees less
> > water than at the back.  On a long heavy engine,
> > it's easy to have the
> > front wheels higher. (rears sink more, etc)
> > -James
> >
> >
> > James Mackessy wrote:
> > > The water column provides a degree of isolation
> > from turbulence inside the
> > > boiler
> > > and provides a place to mount trycocks, gage glass
> > and low water alarms
> > > without
> > > having to bore all these holes in the boiler shell
> > itself.  This also allows
> > > the boiler shell
> > > to be covered inside the brickwork mounting and
> > smokebox in the case of
> > > horizontal
> > > return tube boilers, still providing a way to
> > check water levels.
> > > Best Regards;
> > > Jim Mackessy
> > > ----- Original Message ----- 
> > > From: "Richard Strobel" <Richard_Strobel7 at msn.com>
> > > To: "Steam-engine mailing list"
> > <steam-engine at lists.stationary-engine.com>
> > > Sent: Sunday, April 02, 2006 2:06 PM
> > > Subject: [Steam-engine] Question please
> > >
> > >
> > >> Howdy all;
> > >>   Occastionally I run across a "Water Column."
> > Other than being a mount
> > > for
> > >> the Glass gauge, what is it's other purpose in
> > life?
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>    TIA
> > >>  RickinMt.
> > >>
> > >> _______________________________________________
> > >> Steam-engine mailing list
> > >>
> >
> http://www.stationary-engine.com/mailman/listinfo/steam-engine
> > >>
> > >
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > Steam-engine mailing list
> > >
> >
> http://www.stationary-engine.com/mailman/listinfo/steam-engine
> > >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Steam-engine mailing list
> >
> http://www.stationary-engine.com/mailman/listinfo/steam-engine
> >
>
>
> __________________________________________________
> Do You Yahoo!?
> Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
> http://mail.yahoo.com
>
> _______________________________________________
> Steam-engine mailing list
> http://www.stationary-engine.com/mailman/listinfo/steam-engine
>