Oil separator

[zoegraf]

Can some one tell me what an oil separator is in regards to it being on a Vanderbilt coal tender?

[CNR Glen]

I believe an oil seperator was to skim oils and impuities off the water in the tender to combat the 'foaming' problems that some steam engines had when the water boiled. At least that is what I've heard.

[zoegraf]

Originally Posted by CNR Glen

I believe an oil seperator was to skim oils and impuities off the water in the tender to combat the 'foaming' problems that some steam engines had when the water boiled. At least that is what I've heard.

Thanks. So I'm guessing it would have been on the more modern Vanderbilts; not the original ones?

[CNR Glen]

That I wouldn't know. I have the book Canadian national in the west Volume 3 that shows a Mikado that's stained almost completly white from the foaming problem. The text states that engines were equiped with a 'skimmer device' inside their boiler to extract the foam and ejected it from a pipe just ahead of the cab.
I might be speculating but your oil skimmer might be to combat this problem before the water gets to the boiler. Most of the foaming problems seemed to happen on the prairie provinces where the water was of questionable quality. And people wonder why the railways were so eager to dieselize!

[zoegraf]

Originally Posted by CNR Glen

That I wouldn't know. I have the book Canadian national in the west Volume 3 that shows a Mikado that's stained almost completly white from the foaming problem. The text states that engines were equiped with a 'skimmer device' inside their boiler to extract the foam and ejected it from a pipe just ahead of the cab.
I might be speculating but your oil skimmer might be to combat this problem before the water gets to the boiler. Most of the foaming problems seemed to happen on the prairie provinces where the water was of questionable quality. And people wonder why the railways were so eager to dieselize!

Makes sense to me.

I was looking at some Vanderbilt tenders that come with and without oil separators so there must be something on them, which can be seen to distinguish them apart, but I can't seem to find images of it.

I'm still searching the net.