# Accucraft Coal Fired K-28 Engineering and Evaluation



## fkrutzke (Jan 24, 2008)

For a good number of months now, I have been working with Accucraft on their K-28 coal fired locomotive that will be shipping to customers the week of 11-14-11.

 
 Earlier this year I was shipped the factory sample for evaluation and engineering input.  At that time there were several issues that I commented upon. The need to provide a removable smoke box front, the layout of the grates, the design of the stack, exhaust nozzle and blower, as well as several other items. This work included, most importantly, re-design of the boiler firebox inner wrapper, number of boiler tubes and placement of the water gauge.  Several of these design elements I reworked in my shop on the sample that was in my possession.

After several weeks, the sample was returned to Cliff in California, who shipped it to China so that those changes that could be accommodated in the production version would be made.
 
 I was also asked to write the manual for the locomotive; this of course, I can not do until I have a production version available.  The initial manual will be a cut and paste by Accucraft of my Pikes Peak Locomotive Works K-27 manual with the appropriate changes to reflect the K-28 that is being shipped.
 
 I will in the next day or so receive a production version that I will evaluate fully, and I will be preparing a K-28 specific manual for the great folks at Accucraft to ship out as a revised and supplemental manual. After running that locomotive, I will also comment on my experiences and evaluation.
 
I would like to point out that it has been great working with Cliff on this project, and my fervent hope is that the K-28 will be the first in a line of great coal fired products put out by Accusraft.
   
Torry 
 
Torry Krutzke
Pikes Peak Locomotive Works
Pueblo, Colorado


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## Jim Overland (Jan 3, 2008)

Hi Tore, 

I will be one of the persons receiving a K28 this week. 

Keep me informed of your progress and thoughts 

[email protected]


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## fkrutzke (Jan 24, 2008)

About 10 minutes ago UPS delivered the production version of the Coal Fired K-28 to my door. I have to leave for a meeting, but when I return I'll get it opened up, some photos taken and posted before I head to bed.

Hopefully Accucraft attended to all of the items I re-engineered for them. If they did, it should be a great loco. The grate area is fairly large, and if it drafts well it should run like a CHAMP.

I will try to get to up to Denver and the CRR Museum track tomorrow or Friday, hopefully the weather will cooperate, warm up a bit and be sunny. and run it in comparison to my Coal Fired K-27.

Torry


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## fkrutzke (Jan 24, 2008)

Great News

It would appear that all of the suggestions that I made were followed. The grates and ash pan are a single unit, and the rear truck is articulated in a fashion that allows the grates/ash pan to be removed in a fairly convenient fashion. The smokebox front is removable with a single screw and they followed my exhaust nozzle desigh to a "T."

I will have to spend some more time going over things and, of course, fire it to give a full "thumbs up." As of now:


My HAT IS OFF to Accucraft, more especially Bing and Cliff. What I have seen so far extremely well done. A few minor items, the firebox door has a tab that is to be used to open it, and this needs to be curled, not left flat. Also the pin that holds the ash pan could be a little longer and if it were it would not need the safety clip on the right side that is a little overkill and not needed.

see pictures attached. These are of engineering items only, I'll post more detailed photos tomorrow.


Bing and Cliff, you did a great job making the changes necessary.









Torry


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## Charles (Jan 2, 2008)

Torry
Congratulations to all involved with this fine production. Glad to hear and see that you are again active with gauge one. Hopefully there will be many other offerings for coal firing....


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## seadawg (Jan 2, 2008)

Torry, I'm trying to figure out what's going on it the smokebox. Is the blower combined with the blast pipe? (maybe surrounding the blower i.e. blower ring?)


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## David Leech (Dec 9, 2008)

Torry, 
So is that the steam line going just under the crown sheet and down a flue, acting as a superheater? 
Is it just copper? 
Could that not be overheated with coal firing? 
Why not a proper superheater coming in from the front? 
Also, is that a combined blower and exhaust blast pipe? 
I can't tell from the last photo, or if one is just in front of the other. 
I guess that the proof will be in how well they run. 
All the best, 
David Leech, Delta, Canada


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## seadawg (Jan 2, 2008)

David, that's pretty funny, looks like we were wondering the same thing (about the blast pipe) at the same time a continent apart!


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## Phippsburg Eric (Jan 10, 2008)

Clever buisiness with the ash pan and the trailing truck...should make all the work easier and still run well!


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## David Leech (Dec 9, 2008)

Posted By Phippsburg Eric on 18 Nov 2011 11:40 AM 
Clever buisiness with the ash pan and the trailing truck...should make all the work easier and still run well! 
I will prefix this with - I do not run coal firing, so I may be wrong here.
It would appear to me that the trailing truck cannot be moved out of the way due to the pin in the middle of the ash pan.
The weight of the loco ON the trailing truck is being transferred through the pin holding the ash pan/grate in place. 
Is that good practice? 
So, after a run it will not be possible to drop the fire completely without detaching the tender, and either have the back end of the loco hang out over the edge of a table to move the truck out of the way to remove the ash pan/grate to dump the fire.
Or as in the photos, lie the loco on it's side which really is also not a very good practice.
Could it not be done so that the trailing truck can be supported on the frame, and then be disconnected from the front so that it could slide back, and then have the ash pan slide out sideways, or something that will make it more convenient? 
Anyway, what do I know as I don't coal fire, but it seems awkward to me, especially if there is an emergency that requires the fire to be dumped quickly!
All the best,
David Leech, Delta, Canada


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## Phippsburg Eric (Jan 10, 2008)

I guess on prototype engines the ash pan is accessed from the side obvioulsy without tipping the engine over or removing the rear truck. It seems to me that this is not so easily accomplished in our little engines. perhaps the ash pan could slide sideways, but i suspect there is not enough clearance for it--let alone a pile of (hot?) ashes. As it is I expect the fireman will want to let the ashes cool before removing the ash pan as shown above. 

Again this is speculation from a guy who hasn't used coal for any kind of fire ever!


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## fkrutzke (Jan 24, 2008)

David and all: 

I ran the loco today for about an hour. Very stiff, the clearances are much tighter than previous Accucraft locos. This is good, but means it will need a good break in. 

The ash pan and blower nozzle follow almost exactly the pattern I used for my K-27 conversions. They run like a champ. The blower nozzle has the exhaust pass straight through with the blower exiting in 3 small holes spaced evenly around the nozzle. 

The firebox is very large and fires easily. The grates and ashpan are 1 unit and fit fairly tight , but can still be removed with the rear truck hanging over a table, etc. All of the weight of the loco, and it is substantial, is supported by the drivers. The leading truck has a very, very slight downforce from a weak spring. I tracks very well. The rear truck is not weight supporting, the pin only provides radial limits to its articulation. To have the ashpan/grates removable, it is a trade off. 

I have to go out for a while, but when I return later this evening I wil post some photos as well as some coments. 

When fully broken in I feel that the Coal Fired K-28 will run very well. Remember, this is a first for Accucraft. The engineering sample I worked with months ago had some severe deficiencies. These have all been taken care of. 

I'll post more later. 

Torry


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## zubi (May 14, 2009)

Torry, great job on the improvements. Thank you for the report. Best wishes from Tokyo, Zubi 
PS The K-28 is not the first coal fired but the first for 45mm gauge, Hunslet Alice was their first: 
http://www.accucraft.com/index.php?show_aux_page=145


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## jmkling (Jan 2, 2008)

Torry, 

My engine is in route and arrives on Tuesday at my local dealer. I expected a great engine since it was based on your K-27 which you allowed me to run several years ago while I was visiting Colorado. I am glad to hear they listened to your input and this should help them follow up with other coal fired engines as part of their production cycle. Thanks for all the expertise you gave them.


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