Kozo A# Switcher BTU

[Chief0763]

Does anyone know the BTU rating for the Kozo A3 Switcher, in both 3/4" and 1.5" scales? I've contacted the State of Tennessee regarding license and inspection requirements and was advised that it depends upon the BTU rating

[FKreider]

Please join a local club and seek their guidance and advise for your boilers. Fellow club members will be able to point you in the right direction with your projects and they can tell you if any local state inspections are needed. Many States have exemptions for "model" boilers under a certain HP.

All of that being said.... your Kozo A3 boiler has less HP than a typical tea kettle so I really wouldn't worry about any inspection other than what your local club would require.

This is a great resource for finding a local club:
https://discoverlivesteam.com/A-clubs.htm

[Bill Shields]

Depending on the State regulations...it matters not how big the boiler is relative to a tea kettle.

Some states are very picky...others less so.

Technically...in MD the Gauge 1 live steamers are all illegal because they do not have 2 ASME safety valves.

An inspector that I know intentionally stays away from the gauge 1 tracks that setup periodically in the area. I am not going to say who or where...

Just ask the guys down in Baltimore about the inspection requirements and the need to be tied in with the State inspection process.

[Bill Shields]

If you want to work backwards

Decide the cylinder pressure needed to move the desired load along the track.

Then work backwards using PLAN

Pressure
Length of stroke
Area
Number of strokes

This will give you horsepower

Convert horsepower to BTU -> and forget that a loco boiler is maybe 10% efficient at converting heat to steam.

Or if you know the grate area and the about of coal that you can fit into it...you can get btus from #'s of coal.

Generally the question is "grate area" and "operating pressure"

Ask Fender here.. he lives in TN.

[Pontiacguy1]

Tennessee does not require state inspections of our hobby boilers, and we want to keep it that way. Georgia does require annual state boiler inspections for live-steam sized boilers that will be operated around the general public. I'm not sure of the requirements exactly. You still need to get with a local club and/or figure out where you intend to run this locomotive. They can help you to make sure that it will be safe and that you will be allowed to run it after you are done building it. You will have to do a hydro test, both initially and every year, for most clubs to allow you to run. It says you are in Chattanooga, so the Chattanooga Society of Model Engineers is in your area. North Georgia Live Steamers in Atlanta is another club nearby, as is the Mid-South Live Steamers in Columbia, TN.

[Fender]

I agree with Pontiacguy about TN regulations. What scale loco and type of boiler, copper or steel? We have several members of the Chattanooga Society of Model Engineers in the Chattanooga area, and would be happy to assist.