Form FRA Form No. 4 FRA Form No. 4 Boiler Specification Card

FRA Form 4

OMB No. 2130-0505

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BOILER SPECIFICATION CARD
Locomotive No.
Boiler built by:
Owned by:
Operated by:
Type of boiler:

;Boiler No.

;Date built

;Dome, where located:
BOILER SURVEY DATA

Where condition is called for, use: New - New material at the time of the boiler survey; Good - Little or no wear and/or corrosion;
Fair - Obvious wear and/or corrosion.

Material:

Boiler Shell Sheets
Type of Material
Carbon Content

Condition

(wrought iron, carbon steel, or alloy steel)

1st course (front)
2nd course
3rd course
Rivets

n/a

n/a

Documentation of how material was determined shall be attached to this form.

Measurements:
Front flue sheet,
1st course,
2nd course,
3rd course,

thickness
thickness
thickness
thickness

At Seam
n/a

Thinnest
,ID
,ID
,ID

,ID
,ID
,ID

When courses are not cylindrical give ID at each end

Is boiler shell circular at all points?__________
If shell is flattened, state location and mount________________________________________________
Are all flattened areas of shell stayed adequately for the pressure allowed by this form?______________
,Front
,Back
Water Space at Mud Ring: Sides
Width of water space at sides of fire box measured at center line of boiler:

Firebox sheets:
Rear flue sheet
Crown
Sides
Door
Combustion chamber
Inside throat

FRA Form No. 4 (01/09)

Thickness

Firebox and Wrapper Sheets
Material

Expires 

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Front

,Back
Condition

Wrapper sheets:
Throat
Back head
Roof
Sides

Steam Dome
Dome is made of ____________pieces (not including seam welts, if any), Top opening diameter__________
Middle cylindrical portion - ID__________ , Opening in boiler shell, longitudinally - ____________________
Thickness
Dome sheets:
Base
Middle cylindrical portion
Top
Lid
Boiler shell liner for
steam dome opening:
Is liner part of longitudinal seam?

Material

Condition

Arch Tubes, Flues, Circulators, Thermic Siphons, Water Bar Tubes, Superheaters, and Dry Pipe
Arch tubes:
Flues:
OD
OD
OD

OD

,wall thickness

,wall thickness
,wall thickness
,wall thickness

Circulators: OD
Thermic siphons:

;number

,length
,length
,length

;number
;number
;number

,wall thickness
number
Neck OD

Water bar tubes: OD

;conditions

;number

;conditions

;Plate thickness
,neck thickness

;condition
;condition

,wall thickness

Superheater units directly connected to boiler with no intervening valve:
Type
,Tube OD
,wall thickness
;number
Dry pipe subject to pressure:
OD

,wall thickness

FRA Form No. 4 (01/09)

;condition
;condition
;condition

,material

;condition

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;condition

Stay Bolts, Crown Bar Rivets, and Braces
Stay bolts:
Smallest crown stay
diameter
Smallest stay bolt diameter
Smallest combustion
chamber stay bolt diameter

,avg. spacing
,avg. spacing

X
X

;condition
;condition

,avg. spacing

X

;condition

Measurement at smallest diameter

Crown bar bolts & rivets:
Roof sheet rivets, smallest dia.
Roof sheet bolts, smallest dia.
Crown sheet rivets, smallest dia.
Crown sheet bolts, smallest dia.

,avg. spacing
,avg. spacing
,avg. spacing
,avg. spacing

X
X
X
X

Total Cross Sectional Area of Braces

Braces:
Backhead
Throat sheet
Front tube sheet

;condition
;condition
;condition
;condition

Number

Total Area Stayed

Actual

Equivalent Direct Stay

Safety Valves, Heating Surface, and Grate Area
Safety valves: Total number of safety valves on locomotive____________
Valve Size
Manufacturer
No. valves of this size and manufacture

Heating Surface:

Heating surface, as part of a circulating system in contact on one side with water or wet steam being heated and on the
other side with gas or refractory being cooled, shall be measured on the side receiving heat.

Firebox and Combustion Chamber
Flue Sheets (less flue ID areas)
Flues
Circulators
Arch Tubes
Thermic Siphons
Water Bar Tubes
Superheaters (front end throttle only)
Other
Total Heating Surface
Grate area:

FRA Form No. 4 (01/09)

square feet
square feet
square feet
square feet
square feet
square feet
square feet
square feet
square feet
square feet

square feet

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Water Level Indicators, Fusible Plugs, and Low Water Alarms
Height of lowest reading of gauge glasses above crown sheet:
Height of lowest reading of gauge cocks above crown sheet:
Is boiler equipped with fusible plug(s)?

,

number

Is boiler equipped with low water alarm(s)?

,

number

Calculations
Staybolt stresses:
Stay bolt under greatest load, maximum stress
_________________psi
Location____________________________________________
Crown stay, crown bar rivet, or crown bar bolt under greatest load, max. stress _____________psi
Location____________________________________________
Combustion chamber stay bolt under greatest load, maximum stress
_________________psi
Location____________________________________________
Braces:
Round or rectangular brace under greatest load, maximum stress
Location____________________________________________
Gusset brace under greatest load, maximum stress
Location____________________________________________

__________________psi
__________________psi

Shearing stress on rivets:
Greatest shear stress on rivets in longitudinal seam
________________psi
Location (course #)_________________ ; Seam Efficiency___________
Boiler shell plate tension:
Greatest tension on net section of plate in longitudinal seam
________________psi
Location (course #)_________________ ; Seam Efficiency___________
Boiler plate and components, minimum thickness required @ tensile strength:
Front tube sheet
@
Rear flue sheet
1st course at seam
@
1st course not at seam
2nd course at seam
@
2nd course not at seam
3rd course at seam
@
3rd course not at seam
Roof sheet
@
Crown sheet
Side wrapper sheets
@
Firebox side sheets
Back head
@
Door sheet
Throat sheet
@
Inside throat sheet
Combustion chamber
@
Dome, top
Dome, middle
@
Dome, base
Arch tubes
@
Dome, lid
Water bar tubes
@
Thermic siphons

FRA Form No. 4 (01/09)

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@
@
@
@
@
@
@
@
@
@
@
@

Dry pipe

@

Circulators

@

Notes. 1. If tensile strength used is greater than 50,000 psi for steel or greater than 45,000 psi for wrought iron, supporting documentation
must
be furnished.
2.
Any shell dimension less than 1/4" in thickness may not be adequate for support of or by other structures, particularly where threads
or staybolts are concerned. Applicable codes should be consulted.

pounds per hour

Boiler Steam Generating Capacity:
The following may be used as a guide for estimating steaming capacity:

Pounds of Steam Per Hour Per Square Foot of Heating Surface:
Hand fired
8 lbs. per hr.
Stoker fired
10 lbs. per hr.
Oil, gas or pulverized fuel fired
14 lbs. per hr.

Record of Alterations
Description of Alteration

Date of Alteration

Record of Waivers
Waiver No.

Section No.
Affected

FRA Form No. 4 (01/09)

Scope and Content of Waiver

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Calculations done by:__________________________;

Verified by:_____________________________

Data used to verify the foregoing specifications is current and accurate. Based upon the information contained
in this document and all necessary calculations, this boiler of Locomotive (Initial & number)____________ is
safe for a working pressure of _________psi.
__________________________ Date__________;

__________________________ Date__________

Locomotive Owner

Locomotive Operator

Make working sketch here or attach drawing of longitudinal and circumferential seams used in shell of boiler,
indicating on which courses used and give calculated efficiency of weakest longitudinal seam.

FRA Form No. 4 (01/09)

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