Franco-Crosti boiler

  The Franco-Crosti boiler is a type of boiler used for steam locomotives. It was designed in the 1930s by Attilio Franco and Dr Piero Crosti, two engineers working for the Ferrovie dello Stato (FS), the Italian state railway.

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Purpose

The Franco-Crosti boiler is a modification of the conventional fire tube boiler design used on most steam locomotives. Unlike conventional boilers the heat remaining in the exhaust gases is used to preheat the water supply for the main boiler using a secondary heat exchange mechanism. This mechanism, known as the feedwater heater is essentially a secondary boiler. The preheated feedwater is fed at full boiler pressure into the main boiler via clack valves.

The feedwater heater is not designed to produce steam, instead raising the temperature of the feedwater. This allows the heater to utilize the remaining energy in the exhaust gases effectively.

Design

The typical configuration of a Franco-Crosti boiler had a relatively conventional main boiler with one or two secondary feedwater heaters running parallel to the boiler barrel. Where the loading gauge did not allow the feedwater heater to be placed beside the boiler it was mounted beneath.

When the locomotive is started, cold water is fed directly into the main boiler which operates normally with the exhaust gases flowing out of the main chimney via the smokebox. Once the boiler is producing steam, the exit from the smokebox into the main chimney is closed and the exhaust gases instead flow through the feedwater heater and exit via the secondary chimney located towards the rear of the locomotive. Water fed into the boiler is now pre-heated in the feedwater heater and enters the boiler at higher than normal temperature and pressure.

History

Belgium

The first Franco-Crosti boilered locomotive was built for the Belgian State Railways as No. 2096 in 1932. This massive 0-6-2 + 2-4-2-4-2 + 2-6-0 locomotive weighed 248 tons and developed around 3,000 horsepower. It was essentially two Franco-Crosti boilered locomotives joined back-to-back and was one of the most powerful articulated locomotives ever built.

During the German occupation of Belgium in the Second World War the locomotive was separated into two 0-6-2+2-6-2T locomotives. These locomotives were captured by invading Russian troops in 1945 and at least one of them was still in service in Poland in 1955.

Italy

The first Italian Franco-Crosti boilered locomotive was a modified Gr 671 class locomotive built for the Ferrovie dello Stato in 1939. This became the only member of the cab forward FS class Gr 672.

Following the experimental conversion of Gr 672:001 a new class of Franco-Crosti boilered locomotives were built in 1940 and 1941. These were the Gr 683 class, of which five were built as conversions of Type 685 locomotives. These were the first Franco-Crosti locomotives to also use Caprotti valve gear. These locomotives survived the war and continued in use until the last was withdrawn in 1962.

In 1940 the first of the Gr 743 class were built. These were entirely new locomotives with two feedwater heaters, one on each side of the boiler. In all 94 of this class were built for FS.

In 1952 and 1953, 35 of the Gr 625 class locomotives were converted to use Franco-Crosti boilers with side feedwater heaters. These locomotives became the Gr 623 class. Several survived into the 1970s.

Finally in 1954 the last Italian Franco-Crosti locomotives were built, the Gr 741 class. Unlike the other Italian classes, these had a single feedwater heater mounted directly below the main boiler. In total 81 of these locomotives were built, again surviving into the 1970s.

West Germany

In 1951 the Deutsche Bundesbahn (DB) built two Franco-Crosti boilered locomotives with two feedwater heaters located below the main boiler. These were variants of the standard DB class 52 design but were registered as class 42.90 due to the higher axle load.

These locomotives were followed in 1954-1958 by the conversion of 31 class 50 locomotives in a 2-10-0 tender configuration with single feedwater heater located under the boiler. These thirty locos formed the new class 50.40 and proved quite successful economically but had problems with corrosion. All locomotives were withdrawn until 1967.

Great Britain

Ten of the BR standard class 9F locomotives, Nos. 92020-92029, were built with Franco-Crosti boilers in 1954. Like the German 50.40 these were 2-10-0 tender locomotives with a single feedwater heater under the main boiler.

Ireland

In 1951 Oliver Bulleid was the chief mechanical engineer of the Córas Iompair Éireann and was experimenting with new forms of steam locomotive. He converted a 1907 Coey locomotive to use a Franco-Crosti boiler similar to the original Italian designs and to burn peat. The locomotive was a poor steamer and eventually was fitted with a forced-draught fan powered by a diesel engine carried on a wagon behind the tender.

References

• Steam tech article on Franco-Crosti boilers.