Boiler lifespan

[Michael FosterParticipant @michaelfoster47072]

I am contemplating buying a nice 5″ loco but the boiler is 42 years old. It has a hydraulic and recent steam test but I’m  concerned  about the age of the boiler. Should I walk away?

 

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

Bump in hope a boiler expert will comment.

My feeling, not worth much, is the chronological age is almost irrelevant – it’s run-time that wears machines and boilers out.   A carefully stored unused 42 year old boiler will still be ‘as new’, whereas one that’s been steamed enthusiastically every weekend and badly maintained is likely to be in a poor state.   Any history or signs of heavy usage?

That it’s passed hydraulic and steam tests recently is probably more important than any sight unseen comments we might make here.  Unless someone knows of an ageing mechanism that allows a boiler to pass tests even though it is   toast.

Dave

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

At that age and scale it is likely to be of copper so unless something really weird has happened to the boiler (or it’s been abused) it should be fine while it still passes the standard hydraulic and steam tests.

It would be worth knowing if it lived mainly on soft or hard water. The latter may have deposited a lot of lime-scale that would need careful removal with a mild descaler such as citric acid or kettle de-furrer.

[Simon CollierParticipant @simoncollier74340]

I don’t think age is a consideration on its own. I know several locos that have been running around for this long and longer. We do have soft water.

[noel shelleyParticipant @noelshelley55608]

Like mike I have a 5″ loco of unknown age, The design came out in the 50s and I have paperwork from 1986. It has a copper boiler but it’s usage is unknown. It runs well and has been tested, and I want to put a bore scope down inside the water legs of the fire box to see how much scale is there. Close inspection of the fire box and tubes for erosion is the best clue as to usage. I run my boilers on rain water, No more scale and any carbonic acid can eat what may be there. If the model is well made and the boiler has a current test and ALL the paperwork is there, then the only real question is price. A new boiler is not the end of the world but will be time consuming or expensive, hopefully not both, and you can given the gear may be able to make it yourself. Do you know the seller, do you trust them ? Good luck. Noel.

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