Fireless Cookers

Seeing an ebay listing for an HO European-produced model of a "Fireless Cooker" locomotive (was too expensive for my means, but I didn't know any commercial models had been produced at all), I've become fascinated by them, and having seen 2 at the Johannesburg Railway Museum in South Africa, I'm wondering if a more budget-minded model might be available. Also, how long a time and mileage could be gotten on one loading of the steam tank of them. It would be also interesting to see what kind of facilities to boil the steam might be needed in modelling terms in freight yards with prevalent volatile-sensitive freight traffic movements that I would envisage to use this type of locomotive. Anyone have info or ideas on this?

Vytautas B. Radzivanas
Perth, Western Australia

One very common use of Fireless steam locomotives in the Eastern US was at power plants. They were used as switchers for unloading the coal hoppers. Obviously the power plant would have plenty of steam available. From what I have been told by people who worked in the Shamokin Dam power plant in Pennsylvania it took 4 to 6 hours to charge the locomotive with steam and water, and then you had about 8 hours of use. That particular power plant had two fireless 0-6-0s so they could switch continuously. One was being charged while the other was in operation.

We had a short discussion of fireless locomotives in this thread in the "Steam Locomotives" forum:

http://www.railroad.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=10030

I've often thought that a fireless locomotive shell kit to fit on one of the many 0-4-0T or 0-6-0T mechanisms, offered by numerous manufacturers may be well received.

Thanks for the insights, guys.
Vytautas B. Radzivanas
Perth, Western Australia