While most of the world is out shopping for a deal the VCCC hosts a small run of fifty cars so around the iconic point of Stanley Park in downtown Vancouver. I usually attend in a more modern vehicle circa 1935 but I decided to haul the Stanley out this time for one last puff before the year is out.
She ran very well in the two degree weather although getting her flashed up in the morning took a touch more time. The new pilot door assembly worked excellent and we didn't have one tube fire. I have come to the conclusion that the pilot is flickering out every now and again when I sit in traffic, than the vaporized hexane is lighting off on a hot spot somewhere in the burner assembly causing a miniature explosion. Not the best experience. I think installing a re-ingniter (piece of metal that hangs directly above the pilot and gets heated red hot) will solve this issue. It should provide a quick source of reignition if the pilot flickers before it charges the boiler with raw vapor. To be honest, the old burner assembly had this component in it but it had deteriorated beyond its useable life and I never got around to making a replacement. As with all of these cars the more you drive the more you learn and the longer the To Do List becomes.
Great to see all the cars on the road. I'll post some pictures as they roll in. Top of the season to all of you readers!
Firing up the Stanley in the morning. You can see the plume of steam coming out of the boiler. It is caused by condensation that forms on the tubes as the boiler heats up.
After the tour we stopped by to see my grandfather and I got this great picture of three generations of antique car enthusiasts.
You can find many additional pictures at: