Forney Live Steam Instructions
6
Firing up
The Forney’s burner resides at the back of the fl ue inside the boiler. Open the
hinged smokebox door at the front of the engine and you’ll be able to see the
fl ue. To light up, strike a match and hold it at the open smokebox door while
simultaneously opening the gas valve in the cab very slowly until the gas
ignites. You should hear the gas coming into the burner. Opening the valve
too wide or too fast may blow out the fl ame or cause the fi re to burn in the
smokebox.
The fi re should fl ash back into the back of the fl ue with a quiet “pop.” If it
wants to burn in the smokebox or in the forward part of the fl ue, slowly close
the gas valve until it fl ashes back to the burner. Don’t let the fi re burn in the
smokebox your engine will not run as it should and maybe damaged. The
fl ame should be bright blue and should burn steadily. The object is to run the
burner at the lowest setting possible to operate the engine, thereby increasing
the effi ciency of the engine and the duration of the run. You’ll get the hang of
this with practice
When the safety valve blows, you’ll know that pressure is up to working level.
This should take 5-8 minutes or so. The air temperature will have an effect on
this. It will take longer on cold days and less on hot days. Butane gas turns to
non-pressurized liquid at 32°F, so the engine may have diffi culty on very cold
days, unless it is fi red up indoors.
bleeding out of the valve. When the tank is full, the gas will begin to splutter
and much more gas will escape the valve. When the gas tank is full and the
cab has been replaced, you are ready to fi re up the engine.
