Boiler Water Gauge Replumbing

[NP317]

When I built my Allen Ten Wheeler 16+ years ago, I purchased a complete water gauge glass assembly from LocoParts.
As made, the lower boiler connection valve did not provide proper isolation, or allow correct Blow Down testing of the gauge glass.
It worked fine all those years, but always bugged me that it was not prototypically correct.

After Jeff Dute took over LocoParts he produced a correct lower "isolation valve" and makes the assemblies correctly now.
Part of my Pandemic Isolation Shop Time has included several rebuilds to my Ten Wheeler, including correcting the water gauge glass plumbing.

(Sorry about the sideways photos. At least they are all the same...)
Below shows the original gauge glass installation.

Next photo shows the new lower valve with a bronze spacer made to keep the assembly the correct length, matching the original.

Last photo shows the final installation.

I have two reasons for correcting this plumbing:
1) The lower isolation valve is now available.
2) Kitsap Live Steamers is changing their annual boiler certification testing protocols, and including performing a correct water gauge glass blow down procedure, witnessed by the club inspector.

I agree with this new annual test which should be done every operating session,
and whenever the engine operator changes,
or any time one is suspicious of a plugged water gauge!
Have at it.
RussN

[pat1027]

...or any time one is suspicious of a plugged water gauge!
Have at it.
RussN

That's a nice clean looking cap.

I blow the glass down every time I steam up. Rolling along one day I had a sense where the water should be but it wasn't. Watching the glass for a moment the level was rock steady and it shouldn't have been. I blew the glass down and then had a different reading. It only happened once but once was enough.

[cbrew]

Looks Good Russ,
I had the same glass design flaw, but as you can see, i was able to address the issue a different way. you can make it out here.

[jkimberln]

My solution for the Locoparts problem at the time it was a problem is at https://www.goldengatels.org/library/te ... icles.html Go to the last article for the drawing.

[NP317]

Excellent resource! Had I known about it I would have made that valve.
Happily Jeff Dute (LocoParts) provides a good solution now, too.
And he is wonderful to work with.
RussN

[kcameron]

Looking at the drawing, I want to make sure of the two positions of the valve in use. It looks like in the all in position, the water flow is blocked (right end plugged) but the top to bottom still has flow (like for blow down of steam only). The all out position has the water in open (right side) and is also open to the top and bottom (normal position and for blow down of water).

Am I correct in how this works?

[NP317]

Yes, that is how a correct lower isolation valve works for water gauge glass use.
RussN