Ed's Law Strikes Again!

[davefoxx]

So, while Ed K. is moving today and otherwise indisposed, we can have some fun with Ed's Law.  This afternoon, I came across a photo that provided evidence of something that I had wondered for a long time.  But first, a little history to bring you up to speed.

The Seaboard Coast Line was formed in 1967 as a merger of the Atlantic Coast Line and Seaboard Air Line railroads.  The SCL essentially adopted the ACL's black and yellow scheme as the SCL's scheme.  However, as we all know, railroads don't repaint everything immediately.  Known as the "split image scheme," locomotives in the former SAL paint scheme were relettered to the SCL until they eventually made it through the paint shop for a full respray or were retired.

I wanted to have a locomotive in the split image scheme in my Seaboard System fleet, which is set in 1983-86, after the merger of the Family Lines roads, including the SCL.  I didn't think that any split image schemes survived much past 1976 . . . until now:

This is Gainesville Midland No. 10:



And now, Ed's Law proudly presents former GM No. 10 as SBD No. 0010:



SBD No. 0010 eventually became and was repainted as SBD No. 8300 then CSXT No. 8300 and then CSXT No. 4600.  The beauty of this photo is that even if the date was somehow inaccurate or missing (it's reported on rrpicturearchives.net as May 12, 1984), the SBD cab lettering confirms that it was taken during the Seaboard System years, as this is what the SBD did to locomotives before repainting.

Thank you Ed's Law for a future project! 

DFF

[pjm20]

Not to further rain on Ed's parade, but I visited the Georgia Museum of Agriculture this weekend and filmed some of the 3' narrow gauge they had on site. In terms of Ed's Law, look at that coupler spacing...

[Point353]

I wanted to have a locomotive in the split image scheme in my Seaboard System fleet, which is set in 1983-86, after the merger of the Family Lines roads, including the SCL.  I didn't think that any split image schemes survived much past 1976 . . . until now:

This is Gainesville Midland No. 10:

SBD No. 0010 eventually became and was repainted as SBD No. 8300 then CSXT No. 8300 and then CSXT No. 4600.  The beauty of this photo is that even if the date was somehow inaccurate or missing (it's reported on rrpicturearchives.net as May 12, 1984), the SBD cab lettering confirms that it was taken during the Seaboard System years, as this is what the SBD did to locomotives before repainting.

Another photo of SBD/GM 10 taken on 8/3/83: https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5166/5376095417_d3efe9ded8_b.jpg
https://www.flickr.com/photos/hunter1828/5376095417

[davefoxx]

Another photo of SBD/GM 10 taken on 8/3/83: https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5166/5376095417_d3efe9ded8_b.jpg
https://www.flickr.com/photos/hunter1828/5376095417

Ooh, 1983 and unpatched. Excellent!

Thanks,
DFF

[davefoxx]

Not to further rain on Ed's parade, but I visited the Georgia Museum of Agriculture this weekend and filmed some of the 3' narrow gauge they had on site. In terms of Ed's Law, look at that coupler spacing...

Wow, there's enough room in there for a pair of Bachmann boxing glove couplers.   

DFF

[GonzoCRFan]

Oh, another Ed's Law discussion?

I'll just leave this right here...

http://www.douglas-self.com/MUSEUM/LOCOLOCO/swisselec/swisselc.htm

[eric220]

Oh, another Ed's Law discussion?

I'll just leave this right here...

http://www.douglas-self.com/MUSEUM/LOCOLOCO/swisselec/swisselc.htm

I’ve always thought those were interesting little locomotives. Definitely in the category of “que fuq?” but also a good example of making do with what you’ve got.

[pjm20]

I actually been doing some offhand research to see if I could replicate something like that in the other scale I model in, 16mm out in the garden. Hard to find something that can boil water with low voltage.

[C855B]

I actually been doing some offhand research to see if I could replicate something like that in the other scale I model in, 16mm out in the garden. Hard to find something that can boil water with low voltage.

Check truck stops. Seriously. There are immersion heating coils you set in a coffee mug to boil water, and they are 12V for plugging into a cigar lighter socket. Primary caution is high current, the ones that actually work are north of 10 amps.

Or search on Amazon for "12V Coffee Heater". They're cheap.

[pjm20]

Check truck stops. Seriously. There are immersion heating coils you set in a coffee mug to boil water, and they are 12V for plugging into a cigar lighter socket. Primary caution is high current, the ones that actually work are north of 10 amps.

Or search on Amazon for "12V Coffee Heater". They're cheap.

[thread drift]

The ones I have looked at (admittedly quickly) specify that can reach around 65C, enough to heat your coffee, but not boiling any water. I understand the fact that low voltage means more amperage, which is why I haven't found anything yet, since if you want a lot of power (power=>ability to add energy to raise water temperature and overcome phase change) most people would plug into the wall since high voltage leads to small amount of amps (the goal of any electrical engineer designing consumer goods). These water heater/livestock water tank heaters seem like my best bet https://www.amazon.com/Watt-Submersible-Water-Heater-Element/dp/B00KO32AB0 , but the specs list 600W at 24V while claiming to be low amps. Doing the math gives me 25A, which to my non-electrical mind (I'm a mechanical from college) is a lot of amps. So I don't really know if I can trust the specs, making the search that much harder

[/thread drift]

Back to the thread, another application of Ed's Law is the fact that the narrow gauge steam locomotive I filmed has a tender, the saddle tank steam locomotive.

[C855B]

The temperature limit of 65°C is attributable to a limit thermostat courtesy of the CPSC. Bypass it and you get boiling. The 150W mug heaters (when bypassed) will probably be sufficient for your idea, 12.5A @ 12V.

[pjm20]

The temperature limit of 65°C is attributable to a limit thermostat courtesy of the CPSC. Bypass it and you get boiling. The 150W mug heaters (when bypassed) will probably be sufficient for your idea, 12.5A @ 12V.

I didn't know that, thanks a lot!

[narrowminded]

Look at cartridge heaters.  Used in dies and such, they can be as small as 1/8" diameter and submersible.  Can also be configured with an internal thermocouple for automatic temp control.  Although I never left it in, I ran a 1/4" die heater cartridge in a small boiler inserted through and held by a standard compression fitting.  There was a pressure relief valve for ultimate safety on the boiler but the cartridge on/ off was controlled by a small pressure switch.  Saturated steam table tells us pressure = temp, temp = pressure.

This is the engine as it was configured running alcohol.  It's 1/2" bore x 1" stroke for lots of good demo action.

[Iain]

Look at cartridge heaters.  Used in dies and such, they can be as small as 1/8" diameter and submersible.  Can also be configured with an internal thermocouple for automatic temp control.  Although I never left it in, I ran a 1/4" die heater cartridge in a small boiler inserted through and held by a standard compression fitting.  There was a pressure relief valve for ultimate safety on the boiler but the cartridge on/ off was controlled by a small pressure switch.  Saturated steam table tells us pressure = temp, temp = pressure.

This is the engine as it was configured running alcohol.  It's 1/2" bore x 1" stroke for lots of good demo action.

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You build that engine?  There are nuts on the steam engine I work on bigger than that thing.

[chicken45]

You build that engine?  There are nuts on the steam engine I work on bigger than that thing.

It's not the size that counts!