Well, guys, yesterday was the first warm day we’ve had this year so far, with temperatures well up into the 30’s and only 15-20mph east wind, so I decided to lug a loco out and fire it up.
Since the Garratt was holding up my feet at that precise moment it got chosed, as Ken would say.
Jeepers, what a farce. 
In spite of using the warm water bath, the gas seemed to flow like lava, an dto say that the burners were slow doesn’t begin to describe it. Even at maximum setting there was barely a flame, and it took almost a tank of gas to heat up the admittedly large boiler, and THAT was after pre-heating the water for thre/four minutes in the microwave.
As steam eventually came up, the gas died, so after topping it up we started over. The usual forty-minute summer run was cut down to a not-very-impressive and decidedly sluggish twenty…with just enough power to turn the wheels, let alone haul the usual 60 axles or so.
Right now it’s hovering around 34F, and just too cold to bother to run…
Soop calls.
tac
