Fuel for thought?
Mee-N Mac must be an engineer.
As stated the fact that the boiler has stoker grates and an ash removal system leaves out the possibility of fuel oil of any kind. Without any forced combustion air (there are no fans in these, very complete plans) fuel oil could not burn. Whats more when this engine was built fuel oil was unavailable. That leaves us with wood or coal.
Coal sounds like a good choice. Remember, the Mount was owned by a rail road company. They would have easy access to coal and rail transportation would have been cheap and easy. My problem with coal is where did they store the it?
When the Mount was built, help me with this one RIG, I don't think that the RR went to Wiers. That would only leave Alton for coal bunkers. I can not remember ever seeing pictures of coal bunkers either at Alton or Wiers.
Wood was available, cheap and could be picked up at various locations around the Lake. They could have picked it up in small lots during stops eliminating the need for large bunkers on board.
I once read that one of the main commodities shipped by the horseboats was wood fuel for the steamers. This wood came from islands like Stonedam.
At a guess I would say that wood is the best choice for fuels.
As for the tank on the pier. What ever the contents, if it was flamable it would have burned. It is probably quality water for for boiler feed. They may have used lake water for boiler make up in the early days but no engineer would allow unfiltered, untested feed water to enter his boiler in the 1930s.
Yup. I go for wood furnace and water for the tank.
By the way. Rig you are too much! I loved the drawing of the walking beam engine!
Misty.
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