RE: Steam oil , Long and boring!
Vance, Curious- What is your minimum track radius on your layout. I assume the Ruby has no problem. Do you have long coaches etc. Harley
Re: Steam oil , Long and boring!
Cole's Power Model catalogue has a mechanical lubricator such as Keith talks about. It's driven off the crosshead by a short connecting rod. I've seen them on 2.5" gauge engines and they're not very attractive. On the bigger engines they can by hidden/disguised. Jim
Re: Steam oil , Long and boring!
I have a friend (I do?) locally who scratch builds 1/2" and 3/4" scale locos. On one 1/2" scale loco he designed and built a single cyl ram type lubricator. Steam pressure to the cylinder would move the piston forward forcing the steam oil into the cylinder inlets. It worked very well-too well! There was a shut off valve for steam admission to the lubricating cyl which was a nuisance to turn off every time the engine stopped and he often failed to close it, resulting in an abundance of oil loading up in the power cylinders. Opening the regulator (throttle) and admitting steam to those overloaded cyls gave the neighbors the impression that my friend had struck oil in his back garden. End of story-- Wait!--the engine now has a displacement lubricator. Gentleman Geoff Vance wrote: >A couple of years ago, Albrecht Putschbach brought a scratchbuilt >0-10-0 to the Diamondhead steamup. (Albrecht is the fellow who >brought the LGB K-28 converted to steam to the last steamup.) >The engine is a huge beast, and among its interesting features was >a working single-cylinder air pump on the left running board. At >least, that's what it appeared to be. Actually, it was a steam- >operated mechanical lubricator. Very cool. > >Yes, it can be done. I'm sure you could run one off an axle, as well, >like a water pump. Is it worth the trouble? I doubt it. The deadleg >displacement lubricator works so well on our locos -- with no >moving parts and no drag on the locomotive -- that it's hard to >imagine why one would want to fool with anything else. Well, >MEchismo, perhaps. > >regards, > -vance- > >Vance Bass >Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA >Small-scale live steam resources: http://www.nmia.com/~vrbass
Re: Steam oil , Long and boring!
In a message dated 4/27/2000 7:44:58 PM Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > BUT- I bet you all the tea in China that > Morewoods pistons have graphite packing for rings! > > It sure does!
Re: Steam oil , Long and boring!
Interesting Kt, Thanks. I run 3-1/2 gauge locos as well as the 45mm ones, and I have always used the same steam oil--either O.S Engines or the prototype steam oil I was given (I'll use anything that's given!) The two brands appear to be about the same but an analysis might prove different. This oil appears to work very well on my 1/32 to 3/4 locos I think your comment: " I believe if you find something that works, >stick with it." cuts the mustard. As to your thought on the weight of oil required for displacement lubricators as opposed to pumped lubricators-- who knows?--I don't leave oil in my displacement lubricators 'cos it's easier to drain the blinking lot to insure all the water is out. In the case of mechanical ones I once had the discharge ball my O.S Porter ball stay in an unseated position because the oil had evaporated to that peanut brittle you mention--this is after several months of non- steaming--(SHAME!!) So now the lubricators are emptied too and light oil pumped through to "clear" the pump! Incidentally some gauge 1 locos have mechanical lubricators, so we are on course for this "club" Water can be a lubricant as Mr Morewoods obviously believes--distilled water is best of course;--BUT- I bet you all the tea in China that Morewoods pistons have graphite packing for rings! For Lord Lunks enlightenment, Gentleman Geoff. >Please bear in mind that all of my experience with model live steamers has >been with 3/4" scale and larger along with full size steam locomotives. I can >say from personal experience, that the steam oils I have used all claimed to >be 600W and weren't nearly as viscose as some of the oils I've heard of on >this list! The oils intended for superheated steam, however, approached the >consistency of peanut brittle! I believe if you find something that works, >stick with it. And that which doesn't work, forget! I am curious about the >weight of oil required when using displacement type lubricators as opposed to >pumped lubricant. Until I recently became enamored of Ga. 1 models, all my >equipment had mechanical pumps to supply the oil. Once it came in contact >with live steam it thinned out and was suspended in the vapor which then >thoroughly lubricated both the model and frequently me too! >I also question the absolute need for a lubricator. Bill Morewoods 3/4" >scale Raritan has been running for more than thirty years without a >lubricator. Saturated steam shouldn't need the same sort of lubrication that >truly superheated steam would. At the end of his running session, Mr. >Morewood would put a little oil in the cylinders and push it back and forth >on the tracks so that it wouldn't rust while waiting for it's next run. > >Again, all my experience has been with bigger stuff than Ga. 1 and I'd >appreciate any and all tips about small scale operations.
Re: Steam oil , Long and boring!
> For the sake of playing, could they be adapted to > our small stuff? =) A couple of years ago, Albrecht Putschbach brought a scratchbuilt 0-10-0 to the Diamondhead steamup. (Albrecht is the fellow who brought the LGB K-28 converted to steam to the last steamup.) The engine is a huge beast, and among its interesting features was a working single-cylinder air pump on the left running board. At least, that's what it appeared to be. Actually, it was a steam- operated mechanical lubricator. Very cool. Yes, it can be done. I'm sure you could run one off an axle, as well, like a water pump. Is it worth the trouble? I doubt it. The deadleg displacement lubricator works so well on our locos -- with no moving parts and no drag on the locomotive -- that it's hard to imagine why one would want to fool with anything else. Well, MEchismo, perhaps. regards, -vance- Vance Bass Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA Small-scale live steam resources: http://www.nmia.com/~vrbass
Re: Steam oil , Long and boring!
In a message dated 4/27/2000 7:01:49 PM Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > I am curious as to wheather you could fill me in on > how the lube pumps work. For the sake of playing, could they be adapted to > our small stuff? =) Just an oscillating cylinder within a tank that holds the oil. On test, they can be pumped by hand, using the ratchet drive that connects to the valve gear, to pressures over 1,000 psi. The design is pure LBSC. LBSC was a British author of many authoritative articles on live steam and the designer of an amazingly large number of successful miniature locomotives from "O" gauge through 4-3/4" and 5" gauge. > > Did the larger items use ringed pistons as IC engines do, or were they > rubber/viton sealed also? If the former, this may be why. I'd think that > the harder materials would be better at not wearing out with the water > acting as lube. I don't know about anyone else's equipment, but mine is all cast iron cylinders, pistons and rings. Graphite is present in cast iron, and the porous nature of C.I. allows it to absorb oil and retain it. I believe Bill Van Brocklin uses teflon "O" rings with great success. H.J. Coventry's design for his 2-1/2" gauge pacific uses piston valves with no rings whatsoever! I have a Coventry pacific in 2-1/2" gauge and am familiar with several in this scale, 1/2" to the foot, that do not use any rings. I plan to follow suit and not use them either. If something works, I see no need to fix it! Keith
Re: Steam oil , Long and boring!
Not really boring, but I am curious as to wheather you could fill me in on how the lube pumps work. For the sake of playing, could they be adapted to our small stuff? =) Did the larger items use ringed pistons as IC engines do, or were they rubber/viton sealed also? If the former, this may be why. I'd think that the harder materials would be better at not wearing out with the water acting as lube. Comments? Trot, the fox with no experience here... At 05:38 PM 04/27/2000 EDT, you wrote: <> > >Again, all my experience has been with bigger stuff than Ga. 1 and I'd >appreciate any and all tips about small scale operations. > TrotFox \ Always remember, /\-/\ AKA Landon Solomon \ "There is a ( o o ) [EMAIL PROTECTED] \ third alternative." >\_/<
