Whats the chances of a boiler exploding on a steam train and what would be the cause?

Run_to_da_hills

Whats the chances of a boiler exploding on a steam train and what would be the main cause?

I was using the Microsoft Train Simulator the other night and could travel no more than 40 miles before this would happen!! :eek:

I believe they can be very nasty and have caused fatalities in the past. It must be a concern and an insurance issue with some of the preservation societies giving the age of some of these.

Victor

The explosion is the uncontrolled release of steam following the failure of one of the parts of the boiler after an excessive build up of pressure. This is what safety valves (pressure valves) are for. Fitted to common or garden pressure cookers in a kitchen near you. Such explosions, while spectacular, tend to only be of danger to those within burn range of the steam / boiling water, unless of course there are secondary effects, e.g. fire, especially if the boiler is using fuel oil instead of a solid fuel.

While the Americans delighted in the spectacular explosion when shooting up German steam trains during WWI, the reality was that it merely took a few hours or days to patch up the boiler.

Nowadays, I suspect the risks are quite modest.

Should I move this to the Games Category?

Aquavid

There have been a number of serious boiler explosions on ships, with very nasty consequences.

http://www.ntsb.gov/publictn/2007/MAB0703.htm

Above is an NTSB report into one such case - 8 dead and several badly injured.

Caused by poor maintainence, heating and cooling too quickly and improper
water chemistry.

Aquavid

Run_to_da_hills

Victor wrote: »

Nowadays, I suspect the risks are quite modest.
Should I move this to the Games Category?

They do happen in reality and these simulators are quite close to operating the real thing, (These games can be remarkably accurate as one can remember with the Microsoft flight simulator being used to train pilots for 9/11)

They do occur in reality and steam trains still operate in this country, though not often !! (There is a vintage steam run next Sunday on the Dublin to Wexford line.) I think the last catastrophic occurrence of a boiler explosion was in East Germany in 1977 when 9 people were killed and 40 injured.

Steve

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

They do occur in reality and steam trains still operate in this country, though not often !! (There is a vintage steam run next Sunday on the Dublin to Wexford line.)

I would assume that, unlike someone using MSTS, the drivers actually know what they are doing though.

Run_to_da_hills

SteveC wrote: »

I would assume that, unlike someone using MSTS, the drivers actually know what they are doing though.

I certainly hadn't a clue what I was doing

Ham'nd'egger

The insurance companies usually insist on a "boiler certificate" on steam engines in preservation groups that work today, at least in Ireland and the UK. There is a few groups that can inspect and service them to working condition; RPSI would be one in Ireland.

corktina

assming the boiler is in good order...the main danger is lack of water.....there is a fusible plug in the firebox which will melt if water gets too low and release the remaining steam and water into the firebox thus extinguishing the fire and probably the crew too....this isnt really an explosion however....

explosions are usally due to sudden collapse of the firebox or boiler barrel due to corrosion eating away the plates to the point where they are too thin to support the pressure...(maybe as much as 275 lb / sq in depending on type). Corrosion of the stays that hold togetehr the inner and out firreboxes could be another cause. Failure of a firetube within the boiler would nt usually cause an explosion...the result being akin to the effect of the fusible plug going....

explosions are VERY rare and VERY catastrophic....

corktina

Hamndegger wrote: »

The insurance companies usually insist on a "boiler certificate" on steam engines in preservation groups that work today, at least in Ireland and the UK. There is a few groups that can inspect and service them to working condition; RPSI would be one in Ireland.

always not usually...this lasts for 10 years normally when a full strip down and rebuild would be necessary...this could cost a quater of a Million easily on largwer types.

Run_to_da_hills

corktina wrote: »

always not usually...this lasts for 10 years normally when a full strip down and rebuild would be necessary...this could cost a quater of a Million easily on largwer types.

So all of the active steam trains owned by the RPSI would have had their boilers replaced quite recently, Seems expensive.

corktina

not replaced but extensivley rebuilt... probably cheaper to fit a diesel engine in the tender and have done with it...:D


(:cool:suicide note)

Ham'nd'egger

corktina wrote: »

not replaced but extensivley rebuilt... probably cheaper to fit a diesel engine in the tender and have done with it...:D


(:cool:suicide note)

It has been done on some lines, shhhhh!

Back in the late 1940s, CIE converted many steam engines to run on oil due to a long term coal shortage though they ran as steam engines, just fueled with oil.

I'm curious about those steam loco's that sit stationary (Such as in Straffan Museum) or power threshing machines for agricultural use and their certification; are they under the same certs obligation if you know anything about same, CT?

corktina

not unless they want to steam them...ALL boilers whatever their use are subject to the same regulations...