Any ideas on this thing?

[tel]

As posted elsewhere, I spent the weekend running my engines at BATHEX - the three yearly exhibition of the Bathurst Collector's club. During the course of the weekend a bloke turned up with this engine, wanting do info/advice. Now on the face of it, it is an ordinary oscillator built onto the side of a vertical boiler, albeit somewhat larger than run-of-the-mill engines of this type, standing, in toto, at around 18 to 20 inches high.



Pretty ordinary, as I said, but let's take a closer look ....





Now I've been around model engines for a long time, but never have I come across something like this hanging off one, so the question is, does anyone know what it is/does? Got me stumped.

 

[skeeter]

Hi, Tel. Could that be a diverter baffel covering a saftey relief valve? for lack of a better term. Skeeter ;D

 

[Maryak]

Bi-metallic Governor/safety valve. ??? ??? ???

Best Regards
Bob

 

[tel]

Thanks blokes, what passes for my mind is running along the same lines, but the /what/how/who still eludes me.

 

[Kermit]

Those look like some small, custom made, 'valve handle lockout casings'. At least they appear that way. Theyseem to be loose. Floating about around whatever they are covering. Valve handles?

(The overall contraption--It sure looks like it is a steam powered boiler injector)

 

[Blogwitch]

Tel,

I would agree with Bob on that one.

It looks to be some sort of pilot light governed attenuator valve, as the pressure to the engine dropped, the gas (maybe acetylene from a small water drip generator) was turned up to give a bit of a boost to the burner, and vice versa if the pressure got a little too high.

Without actually being able to trace the pipes going into and out of the boiler, and what is happening inside, and in the burner area, I don't think that you will ever come up with a reasonable explanation, unless you can track down the valve itself on the web. Attenuator valve could be a good start point for your search.


Bogs

 

[tel]

That makes sense Bogster, looks like a little more research is needed.

Thanks all, for the input.

 

[Jasonb]

Could it be some form of superheater, looks like it could heat the saturated steam on its way to the cylinder.

Jason