Inspired by the N&W 611 (photos and video)

Greg: I'll take a stab at your question about black/white stack smoke.

I surmise the black smoke is produced as coal is being augered into the firebox to feed the fire under the boiler. As the fire "settles' itself after being churned by the coal feed, the fire starts burning cleaner as more oxygen helps the combustion process leading to more complete combustion and less un-burned coal. This leads to "less-black" stack gas, or what we perceive as "white' smoke ( or sometimes near-clear...).

"Sanding the flues" would also result in darker stack smoke as well. 

Great video thanks for posting it so we all can enjoy!

Wow 611 - Very cool, classic steam power.

Gary

• Cheers from Michigan

There is as much whistle blowing in that video as there is when my grandchildren have the CAB-2 in their hands. 

Rich, that was outstanding. Made me want to grab my railing 611 and run her round the STSLCCRR (Short Time Short Line Carpet Central Railroad).

Thank you for sharing.

Paul

Nicely done video Rich.  Liked it very much!

Thanks.

GREAT work Rich......I have not been able to get down and see her yet.....so I thank you for such a well done video. 

She looks good with just a tiny bit of 'work dirt' on her......shows it's a working loco and not just a display thing. 

The "white" or "clear" is steam; white when condensing; clear before - you can't see steam.

"Smoke" (unburned hydrocarbons) is never "clear"; a steam locomotive (coal or oil)  produces various forms of black, near-black or even dark gray smoke, or, when the fuel and firing come together, effectively almost no smoke at all. 

A "clear stack" is a combination of non-condensed steam and good combustion. But white is condensing steam, typically on a colder day, when steam transitions from a HP vapor to

LP (atmospheric) vapor.

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Great videos (both), but the model J has a rogue traction tire on the side rod.