Feedwater heaters on the WDWRR locomotives

[JoeCamel]

They had the pumps available regardless of whether they were using feedwater preheaters. The pumps are much easier to use - just open a valve if the train is in motion. When the trains are in service the pumps provide plenty of water.
They often have to use the injectors first thing in the morning to add water while getting ready and doing the safety check of the pop off (over pressure valve) and boiler blowdown. (Another bit of trivia - the boilers are rated at 300 psi and the safety valves are set at just over 150 psi.)
The steam injector has to be "tuned" by adjusting the feed valve with the water coming from the tender and another valve regulating the steam coming from the boiler. There is a "sweet spot" where both valves are set just right to achieve water injection into the boiler. And the warmer the water coming from the tender the more cantankerous it is to get it running.
When they hit the sweet spot no steam or water is lost. The steam condenses in the injector and that condensed steam goes back into the boiler along with the water drawn from the tender.
For those of you who may be as much of an engineering nerd as I am here is a link to a video on how steam injectors work.
For those of you who have already heard much more of this than you ever wanted to know, sorry....
I don't know if they still do this, but during the night time fireworks show the train would park in the woods on northwest side of the MK on fire watch and they would have to use the injectors to add water.
Finally, if I lived close enough to WDW to be a cast member my dream job would be on a locomotive!

No one credits Henri? Poor forgotten fella

 

[DisAl]

Henri Giffard

The injector was invented by Henri Giffard in early 1850s and patented in France in 1858, for use on steam locomotives. It was patented in the United Kingdom by Sharp, Stewart and Company of Glasgow.

Sorry Henri...

 

[disneytrain2001]

They were removed around 2015ish. The dynamo had an issue that maintenance deemed beyond repairable, so they went ahead and replaced it with batteries. You could see the weld marks on the box where they had to make makeshift housing within the box.

Wait a minute, I thought Roy's dynamo got replaced in 2018, because I can tell that Roy's steam generator housing was still emitting steam during 2017:

 

[Captain Barbossa]

Wait a minute, I thought Roy's dynamo got replaced in 2018, because I can tell that Roy's steam generator housing was still emitting steam during 2017:

Maybe so. I’m going off of information I was told on two different occasions from WDWRR crew and from videos I’ve seen of Roy during the timeline I mentioned. Maybe they kept the dynamo in Roy’s box, eventually fixed it and it broke again? Possibly, but it seems likely not. Who knows.

 

[disneytrain2001]

Maybe so. I’m going off of information I was told on two different occasions from WDWRR crew and from videos I’ve seen of Roy during the timeline I mentioned. Maybe they kept the dynamo in Roy’s box, eventually fixed it and it broke again? Possibly, but it seems likely not. Who knows.

Not to mention Roy's steam generator is still activating during 2016:

 

[Phonedave]

Turbines spin? Sir, this is steam train, not a generator

You mean they are not using atomic batteries either?

 

[DisAl]

For those of you who are interested here is a picture of Roger's generator made on 3/10/2019. Sorry it's not a better angle, but they wouldn't let me climb over the fence. (This was when Roger was on static display at Main Street Station while the track was being rebuilt.)

 

[Captain Barbossa]

For those of you who are interested here is a picture of Roger's generator made on 3/10/2019. Sorry it's not a better angle, but they wouldn't let me climb over the fence. (This was when Roger was on static display at Main Street Station while the track was being rebuilt.)View attachment 766092

I always remember those dynamos being relatively quiet compared to the ones that are mounted onto boilers. They didn’t have that loud, distinctive sound that most do.

 

[DisAl]

Wasn't very bright and shiny "under the hood" was it...

 

[disneytrain2001]

Also, sad news from 2 years ago, former WDWRR foreman George Britton, who was responsible for creating the feedwater heaters, has passed away : https://www.osceolamemgds.com/obituaries/George-Britton-4/#!/TributeWall

 

[disneytrain2001]

I thought feedwater heaters were in the smokebox in front of the boiler.

Nonsense, not all feedwater heaters are always mounted on top of the locomotives' smokebox. FYI, the first Southern Ps-4s built in 1923-1924 had the Worthington 3-B type feedwater heater mounted on the running board of the fireman's side.

 

[BuzzLIghtYear2010]

I love to read discussions of WDW steam locos. The depth of knowledge contributed by so many of you is a pleasure to read.

 

[Eric Graham]

How wonderful! Thank you for posting.