The Steamboating Forum

Hello, another question;

I have found the pictured throttle valve, originally from a 1924 Brooks steam car.
The teardrop shaped opening is 5/32 X 1/2" The Brooks boiler ran at 400 psi.
The fitting toward the engine, while 1/2" npt, has a 3/16 bore.

I am running a small 2 cylinder engine that now is fed by a 3/8" pipe through a 3/8" globe valve. The boiler runs at 120 psig.

To me the Brooks valve would be too small even though the Brooks engine is much larger than my boat engine. I am sure there is a pressure - volume relationship here that I do not understand.

Would this valve work in my application? If so would it be a great advantage over a ball valve?

The early steam car throttles would not seat completely, and why most of them had a separate globe valve in-line to shut the steam off 100% at rest. Without these, the cars after some time standing would tend to creep forward. The ball valve provides infinite adjustment (throttling) and 100% seating. Not the prettiest valve, but they work.

-Ron

For the price you may be able to get for an original steam car throttle valve, you may be able to get well over a dozen steam rated ball valves.

Jack,

There's a fellow in New Hampshire that made patterns for a half size Navy K throttle. For US$250 and 50 some hours in the machine shop. . . Let me know if you want to pursue this.

As well, you might be interested in membership in the North American Steamboat Ass'n. Let me know. I'm the Editor of our journal, Smokestack.

Tim Lynch
Smokestack
SL Flying Cloud
Oxford, CT