Old Steam Boiler

Ken D.

I just left and old 10 story building in the older part of Center City Philadelphia near Independance Hall. The building is probably about 100 years old. They had reconditioned the entire building and put in individual heat pumps (ugh) on each floor. When I went into the basement, I discovered the old original coal fired steam boiler is still there, although now abandoned. The cool thing about it is that the boiler is actually a steam locomotive boiler. The smoke box door had "Baldwin Locomotive Works" on it. I could see where the railroad cars dumped the coal through manholes into the bin from a now long gone siding. I could almost see those guys shovelling coal and caring for the boiler. Thats when men were men. If I ever get back there, I will get a photo to post.

Steamhead

Can't wait

to see the pics! Are there any other pieces of the system left?

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Al Corelli - Agix Associates

Yes, please get photos of that great beast.

Ken D.

Steamhead

The only things besides the boiler are a couple of steam chests(above the boiler level) with gauges still installed and a lot of abandoned iron piping. There were no other controls evident (although they could have all been removed), outside of gauges and valves and what appeared to be a pressure device with the name Collins on it. The floors I was on had no radiators save for two Nesbitt fan coil units in an old basement office.The coal crib is used for storage, but one area still has some pieces of coal in it and you can still see the covers in the ceiling where the coal was poured from the old railroad siding at street level.The boiler apparently was hand fired and manually controlled. There was no evidence of another boiler or heat source anywhere except the newer heat pumps. The Dead Men ruled!

Christian Egli

Does it have a whistle? Just for fun?

Thats when men were men. Nice way to put it. Me too, I'd love to see the pictures.

I guess using a locomotive boiler follows the same tought where today we use jet engines in gas turbine peak power plants. Just another era.

Thanks for the post.

Boiler Guy

Had an

old steam bath/roomimg house close to the central rail yards here where they used an old loco boiler to heat the building and service the baths. What a monster!!