# Small model boiler explosion video



## ChooChooMike (Jul 31, 2009)

Dunno if this has been posted here before, but warrants viewing. Couple of folks heating a small model boiler (soft-soldered ??) with a blowtorch (th_wtf1 WTF were they thinking ??) , messing with the safety valve (or lack thereof) and disastrous results. Don't think anybody was hurt, but it's a reminder that even small model boilers pack an explosive punch. Go to YouTube (click the video image) and read the comments too.

[youtube=425,350]0R348vGkjyw[/youtube]


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## rake60 (Jul 31, 2009)

Thanks for posting it Mike.

If safety isn't built into the boiler there
is no time to react if it fails.

Rick


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## CrewCab (Jul 31, 2009)

What's the old addige 

"A little knowledge is a dangerous thing"  

I learnt in school, as we were building boilers in Engineering Class, about the catastrophic possibilities if they went wrong, blimey they think health and safety is a new thing ........... believe me our old engineering teacher could have written all the H&S Manuals, but he just incorporated it all into each lesson and it just became second nature, and that's more than 40 years ago. 


Then again there was the woodwork teacher .............. his response to anything he felt was "not correct" was to launch a chisel at you .............. well close anyway  .......... I feel he never quite embraced the whole H&S etiquette ......... then again he was Welsh  : :big:







 ................. sorry Mike, I got carried away ....... ??? ............  thanks for your post, excellent video to remind us all we need to be especially careful should we embark upon boiler production, glad it appears no one was hurt mind.

CC


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## rake60 (Jul 31, 2009)

As model engineers we are trying to duplicate the big engines.
We certainly do not want a scaled down version of something
like this:






Rick


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## vlmarshall (Jul 31, 2009)

Yeah, I saw that video a few weeks ago. Listen to the commentary, they'd just done something to the "Safety Valve of Death", as they called it.

The last bit; "I need to open the tap fairly soon, because the pressure's now-" Bang.


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## ChooChooMike (Jul 31, 2009)

Here's some more commentary on that video from the Chaski live steam site ;

http://www.chaski.org/homemachinist/viewtopic.php?t=82267



			
				Vernon  said:
			
		

> Yeah, I saw that video a few weeks ago. Listen to the commentary, they'd just done something to the "Safety Valve of Doom" and "- of Death", as they called it.
> 
> The last bit; "I need to open the tap fairly soon, because the pressure's now-" Bang.



Reminds me of those famous last words, something to the effect of : "Hey, hold my beer while I'll try this ....."

Ya can't fix stupid, so *Here's your sign....*

Mike


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## deere_x475guy (Jul 31, 2009)

Very eye opening and thanks for posting that.


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## lathe nut (Jul 31, 2009)

I was raised around a steam engine in the Rice country, S. Louisiana, we would run it for several months without a shut down, it was fun to play in as a kid but when I was 13 ran the 11 to 7 shift, the old timer that taught me said the same thing if you should let it run low on water let it die, he brought some old pictures of what looked like, when things went wrong, ours had brick around the boiler, that would have been something, it was installed in 1895, we stopped using it in 1972 and was working fine till the day we let it cool down, I can still hear the hissing and the smell of steam and the oil drips in my mind, I will post some pics of what still remains, it has been several years since I have been back, it was driven with one endless rope and DC power plant, life was simple, thanks for sharing bring back your information brings back good times, Lathe Nut


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## ChooChooMike (Aug 1, 2009)

WOW !! That's an old Corliss engine. I sure hope somebody preserves that piece of industrial history !! woohoo1


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## hammers-n-nails (Aug 1, 2009)

i agree with mike, id hate to see something like that turn into a pile of rust.


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## bearcar1 (Aug 1, 2009)

Great piece of the past sitting there, silent and noble. Unfortunately, as with most all things of such heritage, no-one in todays world will spend the time or let me rephrase that, the money, to disassemble and move the piece and restore it back to its fitting and former glory. It is sad, the public will rush to the theme parks and such and throw their cash around to have their kids ride on old trains etc. (most of them aren't old enough to remember or really care in the first place) but those same people could care less about something like this engine and wouldn't spend a dime for its preservation. To them they do not see any benefit in doing so, go figure. Our society has way too many misplaced priorities.


BC1
Jim


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## Foozer (Aug 1, 2009)

Should be a Newbie sticky under Safety-Darwin Awards

But then the occasional, "who put the spray can into the burn pile" has had me ducking for cover.

Robert


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## ChooChooMike (Aug 1, 2009)

Those idjits trying to burn up the boiler should have this done to them :big: :


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## ChooChooMike (Aug 1, 2009)

bearcar1  said:
			
		

> Great piece of the past sitting there, silent and noble. Unfortunately, as with most all things of such heritage, no-one in todays world will spend the time or let me rephrase that, the money, to disassemble and move the piece and restore it back to its fitting and former glory. It is sad, the public will rush to the theme parks and such and throw their cash around to have their kids ride on old trains etc. (most of them aren't old enough to remember or really care in the first place) but those same people could care less about something like this engine and wouldn't spend a dime for its preservation. To them they do not see any benefit in doing so, go figure. Our society has way too many misplaced priorities.



That engine can be preserved, but it'll take a dedicated individual or group of like-minded folks. It'll definitely be an uphill climb.

Here's an organization that helps to preserve these engines :

International Stationary Steam Engine Society

http://www.isses.org/

Another more active site :

http://www.steam.dial.pipex.com/internat.htm

I'll contact one of the guys involved in these groups and see what they think 

I think I'll make this into a separate thread, since it's OT from this thread.

Mike


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## lathe nut (Aug 2, 2009)

Fellows the sad part about that old engine is that the family that owned it wanted fifty thousand for it, would not donate it to anyone, being I was raised there all my life and I tried to get it also but guess when you have all the money you need and something like that does not mean anything but money not pleasure to see it again in running condition, people have stole everything that could be hauled off, I look back now and wish that I would at least took the steam whistle, when I was real young the older men would let me shut it down, well I had a hard time getting that big valve to close on top of the cylinder and it would stop of TDC, the would laugh and say see you in the morning, had to climb in the hole and put a chain fall on one of the spokes and pull it into starting position, then they make me change the catch blocks while it was running, I was scared and would talk me thought it, I loved working with the old men, the were proud of there engine and the loved there job, this kind of stuff is lacking into today's work force or at least where I work, but the memories will live on, Lathe Nut


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## bearcar1 (Aug 2, 2009)

Great story LN, too bad about the folks that owned that engine. They sound just like an old dog that has too much food to eat. After gorging himself, takes a dump on the rest of it so it can't be eaten by another dog. (If I can't have it, then nobody else will have it either) Selfish really, to think that their seeming attachment to the engine would not allow them to part with it so that it could continue to be enjoyed by others. Rather, they choose to let it continue to deteriorate to the point of no return, only memories in an old mans mind as a young lad being around such majesty remain. Truly sad it is.


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## Cliff (Aug 2, 2009)

You guys might get a hold of Jay Leno if you look at his website he has several old steam engine's in his collection ( he shows video's of the ones that he has restored ) and he has the money and clout to buy something like that. Cliff


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## lathe nut (Aug 3, 2009)

Bearcar 1, you hit it Right on the head, third generation on owners, it was all money, people and machines were only seen as what can they do for me and when done with good service let then be forgotten, Cliff, that might be an idea, people have stolen everything but the engine and the flywheel which is 40 in Dia. to think that in 1895 that was put there with teams of mules, wagons, and wooden hoist, that when there were real men, will try to get in touch with some of the people to see if they will let off of letting it rot, Lathe Nut


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