fuel oils

Trains Magazine General Discussion
1

Hi

I’ve been wondering about all them different fuels, some of them were used with locomotives of all kinds, so could someone in short tell me what kinds of fuel oils existed and which kind of locomotives used them?

I’ve heard about oil number 6, which was used in some steam locomotives and in turbines, and I’ve also heard about number 5, but I don’t know any details about which specific locomotives used these oils (exept for the UP turbines)

So, how many kinds of oil fuel existed, how were they different (how heavy were they, was the color and viscosity of all of them same etc etc.)
and which specific locomotives burned each of them?

I’d also like to use this oportunity and ask what is mazut, how is it different from fuel oils and was it ever used in locomotives? I’ve searched on google, but there is a mess out there, and mazut is rarely mentioned.

thanks in advance

2

Heating Oils run in grades from #1 to #6, but numbers 3 and 4 are rarely used and would have to be special ordered. As the number goes up so does the heating value. There is a negative problem with the higher numbered heating oils in that they will Gel or Wax in colder temperatures. #2 heating oil is commonly used to heat houses in moderate climates while #1 is used in Northern Climates in winter, sometimes the two are blended earlier in the season. #5 and #6 are used for industrial heating such as factories and also for use in ships that have oil fired steam boilers. #5 and #6 are also known as residual oil. Diesel oils flow the same, and heating oil can be used in diesels with some conditions. If the fuel is for use in a truck you must pay the road taxes, also while the basic properties are the same for #2 heating fuel and #2 diesel, the specifications for things like sulfur content, lubricity, cetane rating, particulates, and pour point may and probably are different.

3

Thanks…

So, all those railroads that used oil in steam locomotives, were they using #6 or #5 oil?

And as for Mazut, well I know it’s some kind of an oil, but that’s all I know.
Here is a site where it is mentioned. It’s an american site, so I think this is not a language issue, US english also calls it “mazut”

http://www.osti.gov/energycitations/product.biblio.jsp?osti_id=6251103

4

Where did you get the word “muzat”? I said “mazut”

And I’m sorry, I don’t speak russian, and don’t know anyone that does, but it’s the wrong word anyway, cause it’s “mazut” and not “muzat”

but still, it could be a russian word, it sure sounds like russian

5

From reading the web page in the link above, I think it’s actually a name for some fuel oil as SDR suggested. It’s a common word used here, must be taken from russian.
Seeing it on an english web site, I thought It was an international word.

6

Muzat is semi refined heavy fuel oil. It is even heavier than #6 oil. It was primarily used in the Soviet Union to power electric genarators and not for much else. Muzat is and was is basically asphalt that is burned to produce steam.

7

wait a second, are you saying the right word is “muzat”?

the word here is mazut, and I’ve found it on a whole bunch of internet pages too, so is this a simple deviation from the original russian word, or are “mazut” and “muzat” two different things?

8

I was wondering, could someone tell me a few words about how was oil transported into the firebox…

here is a few questions about that:

  1. what kind of a tender was used (a regular tank car or, a special tender?) on oil fired locomotives such as UP challenger

  2. How big were the pipes and where did they go (under the cab, through the cab?)

  3. where was the pump, what was its power source, and how was it operated by the fireman?

9

The tender was a standard tender with a sealed oil tank where the coal bunker would have been. 2 the pipes were probably around 1 inch or so in size and the ran under the cab. 3 the oil was pumped via air or steam pressure and was control with a simple valve that the fireman just opened or closed as needed. The oil was heated with live steam to make sure it flowed proprely the bunker c oil that was used basically only flowed when heated.