When it comes to Mamod-style live steam locomotives you are spoiled for choice with aftermarket parts. The sky is the limit for customization but you are often better off starting down low. The burner is one of the defining characteristics of your locomotive. Some fuels are harder than others to find. Some fuels are safer than others. But which one is best for you?

As standard, these locos come with a solid fuel tray that takes hexamine tablets. These are infamously terrible in pretty much every way. They have to be cut in half prior to use, they don’t burn consistently, and they smell bad. People have had problems with this fuel since this design was first released over 40 years ago. On top of the poor performance the solid fuel tablets are expensive. Plus they are harder to find in this country. Changing out from the stock burner is pretty much mandatory if you want to make the most of your locomotive.

The next option would be a methylated spirits burner. In the United States methylated spirits is actually very easy to come by, its just under a different name. Denatured alcohol is the same as methylated spirits except for the name. Denatured alcohol is very easy to get, reasonably cheap, and burns very consistently. Alcohol burners are built to run out of fuel just before the boiler runs out of water, which means that you do not have to worry about accidentally damaging your boiler. But denatured alcohol has its downsides.

Denatured alcohol is the least safe of the possible fuel options. The flames are difficult to see in sunlight, making it hard to tell whether the fire is lit. The burner has to remain upright or fuel will spill from the wicks and tank vent.  Denatured alcohol is also prone to flash fires, meaning you have to be exceptionally careful with it and watch for spills.

Image from dreamsteam.co.uk

The final main option is a ceramic burner. These run on either butane or a 70/30 butane-propane mix. This fuel is fairly easy to get and is about as common as denatured alcohol. The main downside is that this burner is more expensive than the previous option.  Ceramic burners are also much more fragile, so you need to be very careful with them. The final major issue with these burners is that they usually need to be paired with a silver-soldered boiler. It is very easy for these burners to melt the soft solder on a standard boiler. Ceramic burners have their downsides, but they have some good points too.

Ceramic burners generally have much cheaper fuel overall. They also have a much more controlled burn compared to other burners since you can directly control the gas. This allows for much better control over how fast steam builds and a higher potential steam pressure. With the correct upgrades a Mamod or MSS loco can run at 40 psi, as opposed to the standard 10 psi. Finally, ceramic gas burners are much safer than the previous options. If the locomotive is tipped over while running there is no possibility for a fuel spill.

I would be remiss if I did not mention a few of the other possibilities for burners. For starters you can use other fuel in the stock burner tray. Some people have supposedly had good results from using Sterno gel fuel as a substitute. It burns clean and is easier to find than hexamine, but leaves a film in the burner tray. Some people have also made solid fuel out of a combination of dryer lint, candle wax, and some other odds and ends. It works in a pinch but is not clean burning. Your loco will need cleaning after every use.

Finally, there is the possibility of a coal burning engine. This is not available as a kit and much be custom fabricated. This involves building an entirely different type of boiler and quite a lot of custom work. If you really want a coal fired Mamod or MSS, it is possible. If you want to know more about coal fired Mamods, you can read more here.

Overall there are plenty of options for firing a Mamod or MSS locomotive. Personally I use an alcohol burner since fuel and wicks are easily available, but there are options for everyone. A new burner is a great starting point for customizing your engine, but what comes next is a blog for another time.

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