>
> Now, I remember these as a youth, and can remember reading about them
> in an ancient VR Newsletter, but can no longer remember what purpose
> they served. Can someone tell me why oil burners, and only the
> oilies, had these "lids".
>
IIRC, it had to do with minimising heat loss when 'banked'. A coal fired
locos fire can be banked (reduced & adjusted to burn slowly) to keep it
hot overnight & ensure in the morning there was a little steam left & a
fire already in the 'box to start the day. An oil burner cannot be
banked, so they shut the lid to reduce heat loss.
I guess normal convection would pull air thru the firebox, tubes & out
the funnel due to hot air rising & escaping, so by shutting the lid, this
path is blocked & heat is retained. There may well have been more to this
procedure, but this is the only bit I know.
-- Stuart Thyer Suzuki Gs1000s Photographer University of Melbourne DoD No-1724 One time winner of the 'imaginary chocolate frog of discretion' _____________