Office of Steam Forum for Model & Toy Steam Gas & Hot Air Engines

I will leave it alone and find another burner.  I like gas fired burners. The pellets are sterno is too dirty and stinky and gums it all up. Yuck!

Yes, you are correct that bottled gas is the cleanest burning fuel for firing our engines. Alcohol is nearly as clean so long as you don't let the wick smolder after the alcohol starts running out.

The further info I was planning to add to my prior post in this thread has to do with the banjo burner for this engine. With some slight modifications (totally non-permanent and reversible) to the banjo burner, I have been able to use mine without any serious problems, but as originally made, they can be a PITA at best and an actual hazard at worst! It is quite common to see these old style #75s with scorched bases out in front of the firebox, or even over a significantly wider area as alcohol likes to spread wide and typically has an invisible flame doing it!!!

It is the banjo burner that was the weak link in the design which brought about abandonment of this product line, for as you have already noted, the engine itself is really very good in all aspects, except for the "FIRE" part of the deal. Well, in truth, the #75 does spit and fling a bit of condensate too, but that doesn't really pose a hazard like the burner does.

I can walk you through the modifications I did to my banjo burner that helped tame the wild beast if you wish, but there really is quite a lot to it, so it will have to be addressed in another thread or three if you are interested.