Roundhouse Engineering "Bundaberg".

Looks great - just like a hard working industrial engine.I am not always sure about the look of spark-arresters but this one suits it.
 
Henri said:
Nice! But why is the chimney stack so outagerous big?
Click to expand...

A spark arrester, to prevent starting lineside fires..... same reason that similar ones (some smaller, some even bigger) are fitted on many locos, European and American.

Jon.
 
Henri said:
Nice! But why is the chimney stack so outagerous big?
Click to expand...
It's a spark arresting stack, to try and prevent sparks / embers from the fire escaping and igniting the lineside grass etc. in hot / dry climates. The Bundaberg loco worked on a sugar cane line in Queensland Australia. I've seen similar sugar cane lines when I was in Fiji in 1974, though it was diesel operated by then and I only saw static steam locos.

I've experienced a grass fire caused by a steam loco on the Romney Hythe and Dymchurch Railway when I was manning one of the small stations as a summer job back in the 80s. Not fun, fortunately the fire engine was able to get along a farm track next to the line.
 
Last edited:
It's nice to see a 6-coupled loco back on the Roundhouse roster - I like lots of wheels >:)>:)>:)>:)>:)
 
ntpntpntp said:
It's a spark arresting stack, to try and prevent sparks / embers from the fire escaping and igniting the lineside grass etc. in hot / dry climates. The Bundaberg loco worked on a sugar cane line in Queensland Australia. I've seen similar sugar cane lines when I was in Fiji in 1974, though it was diesel operated by then and I only saw static steam locos.

I've experienced a grass fire caused by a steam loco on the Romney Hythe and Dymchurch Railway when I was manning one of the small stations as a summer job back in the 80s. Not fun, fortunately the fire engine was able to get along a farm track next to the line.
Click to expand...

....which is why some rail systems like the Harz have special firefighting trains, and/or a firefighting water tanker coupled to the back of some regular trains during very dry periods.

Jon.
 
stockers said:
Haqrz water tanker.
Click to expand...

Not this one then????

zenner-schnapps-wagon-glass-tank-one_360_71de754dcfa3e6a5fb17f2ce3b151a9d.jpg


On second thoughts it would probably fuel the fire rather than put it out!
 
Bundaberg - that's a good, solid, woody name for a loco, isn't it?
 
ntpntpntp said:
It's a spark arresting stack, to try and prevent sparks / embers from the fire escaping and igniting the lineside grass etc. in hot / dry climates. The Bundaberg loco worked on a sugar cane line in Queensland Australia. I've seen similar sugar cane lines when I was in Fiji in 1974, though it was diesel operated by then and I only saw static steam locos.

I've experienced a grass fire caused by a steam loco on the Romney Hythe and Dymchurch Railway when I was manning one of the small stations as a summer job back in the 80s. Not fun, fortunately the fire engine was able to get along a farm track next to the line.
Click to expand...

These locos ran literally right through the cane, if a spark started a cane fire it would be catastrophic because the fire would just race away, when a cane paddock goes up it is virtually unstoppable but very spectacular the only way to stop them is push a break through unburnt cane and back burn.

If the cane is burnt the sugar content (CCS) starts to drop and the farmer loses money. Also the mills can only accept a certain amount of cane per day which is why the different farms are allocated a number of bins/day a quota system.

These days the cane is cut unburnt but the quota system still operates to spread the income for the farmers over the crushing season.
 
What, your living in a loco?:D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom