Due to the fatal explosion in Ohio, the rules regarding tractor and locomotive boilers have been put back into the National Board Inspection Code as appendix 3 which covers “steam locomotive firetube boilers inspection and repair” and appendix C which covers “Historical steam boilers of riveted construction, preserved, restored or maintained for hobby or demonstration use.” These covers repairs to riveted areas, siphons, joint efficiencies, mud rings, approved types of steel to be used for repairs and so forth. There are a lot of steam tractors over in Britain and most I’ve seen have all-welded boilers with rivets attached for cosmetic reasons. In Britain, the tractor must have its boiler inspection disc as well as its road insurance disc, same as any other user of the road.
I was at a steam show in Milton, Ontario where there were about 12 steam tractors there. I told the first guy I saw that I was a boiler inspector and by the time I got to tractor number 4, word had gotten out about me. I had no jurisdiction as my company didn’t insure or inspect them but they were a bit nervous anyway.
I was involved in a small rail operation in the early 1970s that did not connect with the national system, and so was only under the state boiler inspector. While we did have a state inspection each year prior to first fire-up, we usually blew a tube or two and I’m not sure how accurate the hydros were. And there was no requirement to inspect thickness of boiler, pull and/or replace tubes on a regular schedule or do 30-day inspections which involved removing washout plugs, cleaning scale from valves, etc. Many years later, I became involved with the MidContinent Railway Museum in North Freedom and their excellent training program still sends shudders down my spine knowing how we neglected very sound inspection and maintenance requirements way back when. Good intentions and shiny paint jobs do not equate to safe operations; only sound inspection, maintenance and training can do that. Steam under pressure is dangerous, whether in a locomotive, tractor or model stationary boiler.
A “connenction” with a regulated railroad isn’t enough to bring it under Federal regulation. A public road crossing is. The Knotts Berry Farm amusement park railroad would be considered an “insular” operation under the FRA steam rules (due to lack of public crossings or any other features which woudl destroy its “insularity”). As such, the steam locos used on this operation would be governed by state law, the same as other amusement park railroads.
For further information on FRA regulation of tourist roads, see the materials posted on the Associiation of Railway Museums and Tourist Railway Association websites