The sander on the 10 wheeler keeps plugging with sand. The air nozzles are aimed up at about a 45 degree angle, sand makes it's way down into the nozzle the grains pack together plugging the nozzle. The air nozzle inside diameter is 1/8". One thing we have considered is larger particle size we are currently using a product called "Play Sand" which is quite fine. To not plug the nozzle the sand would have to be rather coarse almost like fine gravel.
Has anyone else had this problem with the Leach sander? What have you tried?
Is there a specification for traction sand? Is there a nozzle design that would block sand from plugging up the nozzle?
Input would be appreciated.[color=#400000][/color]

Not trying to sound snarky but do you have very dry sand? I have heard horror stories of moisture causing major problems. Always wondered why being on top of boilers moisture would not evaporate quickly. I have had problems with wet sand or water getting into sand blasters and having plugging problems. Can be very aggravating and time consuming. Good luck. John.

Yes there is a specification for locomotive sand. I would have a sand plant make truck load batches 4or 5 times a year, always nice and dry. Keeping your sand dry can't be over emphasized. When I worked out of Green River Wy. I ended up using play ground sand. The stuff I would get from concrete places was too wet. Ended up getting a 20' container just to keep the sand in. Loco sand is fairly course. And supposedly dust free. The dust in sand is silica and is terrible for your lungs. Hope you have fun out on the railroad!

Have used all kinds of sand over many areas in my specialty masonry construction business. Sand marketed as "Play Sand" in hardware and big box stores varies throughout the country and often has high moisture content as well as varying in size. The specs are designed for children's sandboxes. Unless you have some way to dry it out, that could be the problem. To find out purchase some silica sand (used by the sandblasters who have to have it very uniform and dry) and try that. It comes in various sizes (run through good screens to ensure uniformity as sandblasters hate clogs); 100 mesh is very fine, 30 mesh is relatively coarse. Likely comes in 100 lb. bags though can be had in quantity. Not cheap. Moisture is less of a problem for clogs with larger particle size but you will need driest you can achieve.

If size is the issue with the silica sand you could also check for that by trying different meshes. If you can find a local sandblaster, ask their advice as they run into the same issues and will know what is available locally. If the issue is size and not moisture, often mason's sand used to make brick mortar can be had at a very uniform consistency in quantity. It will not usually come very dry. Avoid "concrete" or "construction" sand as it usually has large particles mixed in which would clog a 1/8" orifice. I have found that in some localities the "Play Sand" has such.

Loudly second dieselloco's warning on the dust protection for silica dust.

Timothy

heatermason wrote "Avoid "concrete" or "construction" sand as it usually has large particles mixed in which would clog a 1/8" orifice."
The problem I am having is that the fine sand particles are making their way into the air nozzles and plugging them. The air nozzles in the Leach sander are submerged in sand. So apparently what is needed is coarser sand which will not find it's way into the air nozzles.

John:

From Wiki:
"Locomotive sand, often referred to as traction sand, typically consists of high-purity silica sand with angular particles that enhance grip and traction on wet or slippery tracks. It usually meets specific standards, such as AAR M-916, and is characterized by low moisture content, high silica content (over 90%), and a controlled grain size to ensure effective performance in braking and acceleration."

Sand is manufactured according to different specifications depending on who is using it and for what. When it is used in industrial machinery like your sander the machinery is made to use the particular sand of its design. There are sands and there are sands...

One issue is particle size and uniformity; sand is manufactured (usually along with gravels) by running the parent material over screens with holes of different sizes, larger first, then smaller, knowing that what doesn't pass through the screen is larger than that screen but smaller than the previous. Construction and concrete sands are usually deliberately run with a lot of different sized particles (gradation) because that makes for stronger end use products. Think about a bucket of marbles you shake and strike against the floor to see how much you can get them to settle (compact). No matter what you do you would still be able to upend the bucket and have the marbles roll out; they don't pack much. Adding smaller marbles to fit into the spaces between them affects things, changing the shape affects things. Fine particles like silt and clay which cling to the larger particles affect things. Where the parent material came from (ancient flood deposit with rounded particles, crushed rock) affects things. Adding water affects things. If you're building roads where you want to compact the material, you use materials with deliberate size differences and spray water while compacting.

The difficulty in heritage railroading is that all the raw materials must be sourced where some are no longer available or affordable. Dieselloco's recollection of ordering a quantity of sand run to spec is almost certainly not available for you; but locomotive sand is still obtainable as I am presuming the modern machinery is still using sand run to specs similar to what your machinery is made to use. One source with an online presence is offering 20/40 locomotive sand which I would guess means the particle size is between 20 and 40 mesh.

So can you substitute sands run for other uses? Maybe. The old photo of Heisler geared locomotives running on what is now my county road and driveway shows the gravity sanders at the rear; I would bet they were using sand from local creeks but their machinery was crude.

The sand sold as "play sand" I have found uniformly has been well washed but never dried (I have seen whole pallets out in the winter rain and snow and talked to the guys at the plant filling bags). Particle size varies both in the bag and from locality to locality. "Concrete/Construction" sands have deliberate size variations, washing varies, usually drier. I have used them by screening them myself in a pinch depending on how the mix was made; drying is problematic.

"Mason's" sand for mixing brick mortar has more care to removal of large particles but tends to run finer, they will be washed but that can vary from place to place, bagged (usually paper) they will be dry. Masons like sand "sharper", that is with more angular particles as it makes better mortar. Depending on locality particle size can get larger depending on how the mortar turns out; I ran into some (yellow) in California which had noticeably larger particle size but the dynamics of the resulting mortar were acceptable. Mason's sand delivered in quantity will usually be wetter, it often makes it easier to load and stage and the masons will add water anyway. Most masons now are using premixed mortars so loose sand is less easy to find.

There is also the sand sold in winter areas for vehicle traction; depending on who is running it, it can be most anything but won't be superfine because traction is the goal, and usually is kept drier because of the need to spread it.

Which is why I suggested trying bagged silica sand to see what your equipment needs if you can't get locomotive sand. 20 mesh silica sand will come in 50 or more commonly 100 lb. bags, it will be very well washed, very uniform and very dry if the wholesaler is taking appropriate care. In some areas it is harder to source; 30 mesh and 70 mesh are those most commonly available. The advantage of the material coming in different established particle sizes, clean and dry gives you a chance to diagnose your equipment, too.

Interestingly, I have seen the sand sold paper bagged at the big boxes just as "sand" that would probably work for you, but that varies so much from place to place that I could not advise you. And one locality switched suppliers (or the plant retooled) and the sand went from usable to not usable for me so buyer beware....

Good luck in the search! I would be interested in what you come up with.

Timothy

I might be mis-remembering but I believe you want 20/40 (roughly 0.015" to 0.017") mesh and clean (no dust, clay, etc.) 100% silica. It has to be more than bone dry - like 1% moisture or less. I'm not sure if that's the same as AAR M-916 but at it might be close.

Just guessing here but with an 1/8" orifice and clean and dry sand, any particles falling back into the nozzle should blow back out with the application of air. Your two biggest enemies are moisture and maybe a to lesser extent dust - especially clay.

Maybe also check your air pressure at the sander nozzle orifice. If your clean, dry sand is dribbling on the rail instead of blowing towards the rail/wheel interface, your pressure may be low.

That's all I can think of off the top of my head. I could be full of hooey, though.