Mysterious copper tubes on a G5s!

[n2qhvRMLI]

Gentle Forum Members,

LIRR G5s Steam Locomotive #39 is undergoing restoration of her firebox at the Strasburg Railroad Company. A discovery has been made of two, 3/8” copper tubes, that pass through two staybolts, above and just left and right of the firebox door opening. These tubes run from outside the backhead, through the backsheet and terminate in the firebox.



Upon investigation, LIRR G5s #35 has the identical tubes as does PRR G5s #5741 at the Pennsylvania Railroad Museum.



The #5741 was investigated by personnel from the Strasburg Railroad Company. The copper tubes are visible from and terminate inside the firebox. The copper tubes are NOT visible outside the lagging and cover sheets on the backhead. This leads us to believe the tubes make right angle turns as they exit the backhead and go somewhere! Short of disassembling #5741’s backhead, (NOT GOING TO HAPPEN), we have no idea what the copper tubes are for or where they go.

Many conversations have been held on Long Island with old heads who had experience with the G5s. No one can remember the use or necessity of these mysterious tubes. Looking at copies of original Altoona engineering drawings, there are references to “tubes” on the drawings, but nothing more to indicate what they were for or where they ran.

Does anyone have any ideas or knowledge of these copper tubes on the G5s? If you do, please respond in this thread and share your knowledge or contact me at [email protected] Your assistance and interest in this mystery is appreciated.





Thank you,
Don Fisher, President
Railroad Museum of Long Island
PRRT&HS Member #6837

[n2qhvRMLI]

Gentle Forum Members,

I wish to thank Mr. Steve Zarick of Pennsylvania for discovering what appears to be an answer to our mysterious staybolt tubes on the G5s locomotives. Steve provided a jpg drawing of two tubes extending downward from a valve apparatus leading into the backhead in the correct locations of our two mysterious tubes.

His reference is a 1949 Pennsylvania Railroad Fireman’s Examination booklet.

It appears that the two tubes are connected to a "blower" and are used for forcing air into the firebox. Reference is made on page 58 - 59 to use the “blower” while the engine is idle or the throttle is closed. From the examination booklet:

. . . . . . Smoke Prevention:–Black smoke consists of small
particles of unburned carbon suspended in the gases
and contains a large percentage of the heat value of
the coal.

Excess smoke can be avoided if the fire is in good
condition, if coal is supplied to the fire box in the
proper amount, and if the coal is evenly distributed
over the fire bed.

Black smoke is an indication of a waste of coal and
is the result of over-crowding the fire, or in other
words, feeding coal to the fire box in such a quantity
that a sufficient supply of air cannot be obtained to
burn the fuel.

The proper use of the blower when engine is idle
and at other times when the throttle is closed, will
assist in eliminating smoke. The smoke abatement
device (Fig. 38A, page 59) should, be used when coal
is being added, to the fire when the locomotive is idle
and at other times when the throttle is closed.

Excess smoke will be produced when the rate of
firing exceeds the rate of burning. Don’t overload
the fire box.. . . . .

In Richard J. Harrison's book, "Long Island Rail Road Memories - The Making of a Steam Locomotive Engineer" ( Quadrant Press Inc. 1981 ISBN-0-915276-36-4) there are many references to the engineer telling Richie, (the fireman), to put on his "blower" as they slowed into a station. This must be it!

Following is a link to the 1949 Examination Booklet referenced:
http://prr.railfan.net/documents/Machin ... n-1949.pdf

Thank you all for your interest,
de Don n2qhvRMLI

[fire5506]

Actually the blower is at the exhaust nozzle in the smoke box under the stack, it is there to keep the draft going when the throttle is closed and no steam is going up the stack to create the draft. The pipes you are talking about are on the back head and are the Smoke abatement device described in the fireman's exam. I used to fire and run the FEC 113 and 153 at the Gold Coast Railroad Museum in Florida. Our engines didn't have the smoke abatement device like in the G5s. I never saw or heard of one until your question came up, but the blower is used on all steam loco's that I know of.

Richard looking at MP 242 while working for the FEC Rwy.