Forney Live Steam Instructions
Preparing the engine
A steam-locomotive engineer goes through a lighting-up ritual every time the
engine is to be run. It is good to follow the same routine each time so that
nothing is overlooked.
1. Oil all external moving parts of the engine with a high grade, lightweight
machine oil like 3-in-1.
2. Remove the cab. Drain any water from the displacement lubricator in the
cab and fi ll the lubricator to the top with proper steam cylinder oil. This lubrica-
tor makes sure the cylinders and valves are lubricated inside. As the steam
passes through it, a small amount will condense into water. This water will
sink to the bottom of the lubricator, forcing a similar quantity of oil into the
steam line and thus to the cylinders.
3. Fill the boiler (make sure the throttle is closed). A properly fi lled boiler will
have 80ml of water in it. Do not fi ll the boiler full to the top. There must be
room for the steam above the water level. If there is water in the boiler already
and you don’t know how much, fi ll the boiler to the top, then remove 30ml.
Use only distilled water in your engine’s boiler. Tap water contains minerals
that will leach out and ultimately affect the performance of the engine.
4. Finally, add fuel. Butane gas can be purchased at the grocery store or at
a tobacconist’s as cigarette-lighter refi lls. These come with a nipple suitable
for the fi ller valve on the Forney’s gas tank. Butane can also be purchased
in larger containers at camping-supply stores, but these cans will require a
special adapter for fi lling. Simply press the nozzle of the butane canister hard
onto the fi ller valve. You will hear the gas transferring and see a little gas
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