Q. How should you prepare your engine and boiler for laying up through
the winter, to protect them from frost and injury?
A. While steam is on, clean your boiler and engine thoroughly outside,
scrape off all oil, grease and scale; after which apply a good coat of
asphaltum paint to the boiler and smoke stack. If no paint can be had,
lamp black and linseed oil will answer. If this cannot be had, take
rags, saturate them with grease or oil, and go over them with that.
Now open the blow-off valve, and blow the water off with a low pressure
of steam, after which take out all the hand-hole plates and wash the
boiler out thoroughly, removing all the mud and scale; then replace the
hand-hole plates, close the blow-off valve and fill the boiler nearly
full of water, after which pour in a gallon of black oil upon the water.
After this is done, open the blow-off valve again and allow the water
to run out. The oil will follow the water down and cover the whole
inside of boiler with a coating of oil, making as good a protection
against rust as can be found.
Next, remove all the brass fittings, such as lubricator, steam gauge,
safety valve, injector, check valves, pump valves, gauge cocks, water
gauge, etc., etc.
Disconnect all pipes where water may lodge, in order to prevent
freezing. Every pipe and valve allowed to freeze will surely burst.
Unscrew all stuffing boxes and remove the packing; for unless this is
done, another season you will find parts badly rusted where the packing
was allowed to remain.
Take off all cylinder cocks, pet cocks, etc., from the heater and pump.
All fittings should be carefully packed and laid away. Clean the flues
and fire box, also the ash pan, and do not neglect to paint the ash pan
both inside and outside.
Remove the back cylinder head, roll the engine forward and smear the
inside of cylinder with tallow, or oil if no tallow can be had. Place
the head back again and smear all the bright work, such as piston rod,
connecting rod, etc., with grease. Do not forget to cover top of smoke
stack, to keep out water and snow.
If the foregoing directions are followed carefully you will find
another season that your engine will be clean, free from rust and ready
to serve you faithfully without any trouble or delay in starting,
either in time or expense.