Re: BAGRS Project Loco
I used ball bearing pressed into the wood sideframes. I wanted as little rolling resistance as possible, as I was informed that the Midwest kit had very little power, and you needed to minimize friction at all costs. The ball bearings work fantastically. Take the cylinder off the crank, and the thing rolls without any provocation. They do the trick. Reports that the single cylinder is underpowered, however, are a touch exagerated. Our midwest loco is geared 7:16--no reduction gear, just a 7 tooth sproket on the crank, and a 16 tooth one on the axle. IT FLIES!!! I found I had to choke the exhaust tube to slow it down. It's got PLENTY of power. The ball bearings certainly don't hurt... Photos and video clips are available here: http://www.mylargescale.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=27875 I may, in the future, switch from a chain drive to a gear drive in the front, so I can reduce the speed. Future plans call for an animated train to run behind, and that will require a bit of power to make happen. (If you were at DH, you'll doubtless recall the myriad suggestions for a proper consist.) Later, K
Re: Kevins tea pot steamer
Allison is writing an article for Steam in the Garden. It's her loco, after all. ;) It's got a 3-wick alcohol burner of a rather generic design. It *does* fly, though. It tipped off the track at one point, which is what prompted me to choke the exhaust to slow it down a bit. Later, K
BAGRS Burners...
While waiting for Santa to show up (so I could steal all the live steam locos from his bag), I finished building the frame for my BAGRS-ish creation. The good news is that it runs like a son-of-a-gun on air, and pulls its own weight (considerable weight at that) with great aplomb. At least it does on air. Now, I need to actually figure out how to light a fire under it. I'm going to build an alcohol burner for it, so I'm looking for ideas from those who may have done one for their Midwest vertical boiler. How many wicks? Diameter? Distance from the bottom of the boiler? Any pitfalls I should watch out for? Alas, Santa aluded me, and I couldn't grab any steam locos. I *did* get a lump of coal, though. grin Later, K
Re: painting brass
The only thing you have to worry about when heating the brass is to make sure you heat it evenly. An oven or regular steaming of the loco will do this. Heating the brass sheet with a torch will not, and the metal will warp. I routinely use .005 brass sheet on my locos, and have never had an ounce of trouble with them warping. I use them for boiler jacket material, and as a wrapper around the smokebox. You'll be fine. One word of caution: I recently tried Krylon's bar-b-que paint, which they advertise doesn't need primer. Don't believe it for a minute. The paint flaked away with only the slightest provocation. I took all of that off, and repainted with regular primer, then a coat of regular black paint, as I've done on my other locos without problem. That worked far, far better. Lesson: Stick with what works. Later, K
Re: cast iron wheels
Kevin Strong was working on a master of a 48 wheel in 1:20.3, but I've no idea how he's getting on. Stalled at the moment. CAD drawings are done and in the possession of Crofut and Iron Creek who's doing the master work for me, but I've been too busy with other things to move that project along. Later, K
Re: die size for 1/16 rod
For 1/16 rod, you'll want to get a 1-72 die. I mistakenly bought a 0-80 die for the same purpose, and quickly learned the error of my ways. It was only after I was ejumaketd in this regard that I received an e-mail from a friend informing me that he used a 1-72 die for his threaded 1/16 rod. (All was not lost--I found some .057 steel tie-wire that works beautifully with the 0-80 die, so I was back in business. This wire, incedentally, is the stuff that construction workers use to tie rebar togther for concrete work.) You can find the dies at www.microfasteners.com . You can also get your nuts, bolts, washers, taps, and many other necessary items from them. Later, K
Re: Aristocraft Live Steamer?
Took a look in person, though I was not present for it's operational demonstration on the steam-up track at the convention. Interesting bird, that one. It is, as advertised, a live steam version of Aristo's USRA mikado. The plastic looks well insulated from the boiler, though I'm not 100% certain about the smokebox. Likely it is as well. As Alice once said, Curiouser and curiouser... Later, K
Re: Pickling solution
OSH sulfuric acid drain cleaner for pickling bass I suppose if you must pickle your bass, any vinegar would work. I much prefer a garlic olive oil marinade myself. It does a much better job of bringing out the flavor. Also, I'm not sure what Vance's beverage of choice is, but I'm sure with enough, we could get him rather pickled, too. Going back under my rock now... Later, K
Re: RH SRRL #24
Roger Loxley told me it was to 9/16 scale as he felt it would me too big in 1:19. Interesting, considering the size of the 1:20 offerings available now. Makes you appreciate how small those 2' locos really were! Later, K
Re: wire for threading 0-80
1/16 brass rod may work quite well for someone who's used to threading rod, but it's just a bit wider in diameter than what I'd prefer. (too much of a shoulder between the threaded part and the rod itself. My attempts at running it through the die--which is adjustable, meaning I can increase the diameter for an initial cut, then reduce it for the final cut--has been less than ideal. With some practice, I'm sure it will become old hat, but I was hoping I could find some wire that wouldn't require the extra step. I did find some .055 steel rod at the store today, but haven't gotten had a chance to play with it yet. I'll give that a try tomorrow and see how that goes. It's pretty hard stuff, but shouldn't be harder than the die. Would annealing soften it up? I know steel anneals different from brass. Is it quenching it quickly that makes it hard, or does that make it soft? Later, K
Re: wire for threading 0-80
Right now, I'm threading the ends of reinforcement rods for a wood hopper car. If that is successful, then the next application will be on a scratchbuilt archbar truck to go under my next Ruby kitbash. There's not one that matches the profile I'd like, and they look to be very easy to build. Thanks to all for the tips so far. Arthur, I'm unfamiliar with 1/2-13 thread you describe. To me, that's a 1/2 shaft with 13 threads per inch. Was this a joke that went over my head? Later, K
Re: wire for threading 0-80
Alas, the delightful stuff I bought was music wire. I knew it was hard, I didn't think it was *that* hard. After 5 minutes just trying to get the #%*[EMAIL PROTECTED] stuff to even think about taking a thread, I decided that it's destined for other uses. Which brings me back to the question of the availability of proper wire. Anyone know of a source of 15 gauge wire? I looked at McMaster Carr, and came up empty. Also, searches for 1.5 mm wire came up similarly empty. I may have to cut my losses and go with a 1-72 die, which I know works with 1/16 brass rod. I was hoping to be able use what I had in house, though. growl, snarl Later, K
Re: wire for threading 0-80
So, the $64,000 question--where can one find 1.5mm brass wire? I'm afraid the aspens in my front yard would suffer a rather similar fate to Arthur's trees if I tried to employ the stretch method... (That, and my 1/16 rod comes in 3' lengths. A bit too short to tie around anything.) Does anyone know off hand the diameter of 16 gauge wire? Later, K
wire for threading 0-80
Does anyone know what size brass rod/wire one would use for threading to 0-80? My initial thought of 1/16, being right smack dab in between the clearance and tap drill sizes turned out to be wrong--too big. 3/64 is too small--the nuts slide right over. My next guess would be something in the .055 - .060 range, but I'm somewhat at a loss for a source for wire in such partiuclar sizes. Later, K
Re: Computers AOL 9.0
One thing, AOL steam engines would only give you plumes of advertisements!! But on the flip side, you'd have nice, slow speed operation! Later, K
Re: Articles when I have something
If you're referring to submitting an article to SitG, Ron recently told me he prefers good quality prints (glossy, 4 x 6 or larger) and digital pix, at least 3 megapixel (at maximum resolution--roughly 1500 x 1200). His slide scanner went the way of the dodo, so he's not too hip on slides at the moment. I'm personally ecstatic to see the vastly improved quality of SitG since Ron has now switched to a new printer. I hope that will encourage more people to submit articles on the myriad of things they're doing in this hobby, especially the things that have been discussed recently on this board. As the editor of a magazine myself, I know how hard it is to put something together every few months without contributions from the readers. You don't have to be an expert the subject to write an article on it--just write about your experiences. And don't forget to write about the goofs, too. They're just as important as the successes. Later, K
Roundhouse Bash Plans (was: Inquiry)
I don't know of any plans off the top of my head. I know Paul Kenney at one time was selling kits to turn the RH boiler/chassis kit into a 2-6-2. Don't know if that had plans, drawings, or anything like that which may help out or not. Truth be told, though, you don't really need plans for a project like that. Once the boiler and chassis is assembled, the hard part's over. The rest is just a matter of adding bits here and pieces there until you get something you don't mind looking at. (And changing it if bothers you.) When I did my RH chassis kit, I didn't have any plans for any specific locomotive that I went off of. I dug through back issues of the Narrow Gague Gazette for some ideas to go from, but outside frame 2-6-0s weren't exactly mainstream locos. A photo of my locomotive: http://mywebpages.comcast.net/kcstrong/models/wideshot.jpg That is actually its third incarnation. When I originally built the loco, it had smaller round domes and a steel cab. The proportions never looked right to me, so a few years later, I rebuilt a new wood cab and put larger fluted domes on the boiler. That worked well, but there was still something not quite right to my eyes. A description of it's third rebuilding can be found here: http://www.mylargescale.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=19428 I think I'm finally satisfied with the looks of this locomotive. (only took 7 years?) I never had one specific plan that I used, but drew inspiration from a few different locos. Since there is no specific prototype for the RH outside framed loco, any one particular plan would have to be adapted to fit the dimensions of the boiler and chassis anyway. I just adapted features of a number of different locos until I found a combination that looked right for what I was after. Later, K
Re: Scratch-building Gondolas - Activities during Spring Break
I'm not sure I'd go much longer than 4 between axles. LGB cheats, and pivots their axles on their stuff to fit around their tightest curves. Unless you want to go that route, you'd do yourself right to stay as short as possible. Even with such a short wheelbase, you can go with longer rolling stock, though. Mine carts had to negotiate notoriously tight curves, but the cars themselves often overhung the wheels by at least the distance between them. Now in the scale of the Lady Anne, a mine car's wheel spacing would likely be on the order of 2, giving a total length of 6, but the theory still holds true. As for plans, I'd dig through back issues of Garden Railways magazine if you have them available. I know they've had plans and construction articles on 4-wheel equipment like you are after. You can go to their web site and search their index also. www.gardenrailways.com . If you don't have the issue needed, check back with the list. I'm sure there's someone on the list with that issue who can help you out. There's another possibility you can look into--Hartland Locomotive Works makes a line of really short 4-wheel rolling stock that is ripe for kitbashing. They're around $10 each, which really can't be beat. I've seen them at Caboose Hobbies a lot, and I'm sure other mail order houses have them as well. Later, K
Re: RUBY TUNEUP QUESTION
This is a fairly common problem for the Ruby, and is relatively easy to fix. The problem stems from the fact that the Ruby reverses by changing the valves from outside admission to inside admission. As the locomotive comes from the factory, the piston valve is in outside admission when in forward. This means that to close the piston, you are pressing the entire assembly against the pressure of the incoming steam which wants to not only push the main piston out (as it should), but the piston valve as well. The fix to this is to rotate the eccentric cranks 180 degrees, so that forward and reverse basically swap positions. This is a very easy change to make, and is illustrated very nicely on the Mylargescale.com website by Dave Hottman: http://www.mylargescale.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=20026 (look on page two--he's got a cutaway of a cylinder to help illustrate.) The downside is that on the Johnson bar in the cab, you push forward to go backwards, and vice versa. This isn't an issue at all if you're going to add R/C to your ruby--you just reverse the servo via the switch on the transmitter. Otherwise, you can change the pivot point on the Johnson bar so forward is again forward. Hope this helps. Later, K
Re: Distressing wood
The vinegar/steel wool method is a recent favorite of mine--use just as Trot described. The simulated rust effect on painted surfaces is absolutely magnificent--especially since it isn't really simulated at all. It *is* rust. Word of caution with the vinegar/steel wool solution. It reacts to different woods differently. Basswood turns a reddish grey, while balsa turns brown. Cedar turns anywhere from grey to black. This may have something to do with the strength of the solution as well as the type of wood, so test a small piece of the wood first to see how the solution will react. Note also that the reaction isn't an instantaneous thing. When treating wood, it will take a few minutes to change color. When using it on painted surfaces for a rust treatment, it will often take a few days to achieve the full results. This is largely dependent on the amount of moisture present in the air. I would imagine you'll get quicker results across the pond than what I get here in the arid Colorado climate. Before weathering the wood, I usually run over it with a bit of 60 grit sandpaper to give it a bit of a texture. Some people use razor saws or broken hack-saw blades to do the same thing. I think the grain looks entirely too parallel then, so I just use the sandpaper. If I want to simulate a small split or something like that, I'll break out the X-acto knife and carve one in. For the ends of the beam, I do use a razor saw. I spin it around to cut in the rings. Again, the depth and amount is up to you. An X-acto knife can then be used to carve in the cracks on the end. Art, If you saw my mogul (Phillips) at DH, then you saw examples of using the steel wool/vinegar solution for weathering both wood and painted surfaces. Other examples exist on my web site: http://mywebpages.comcast.net/kcstrong/trr/TRRHomepage.html Click on rolling stock to look at a flat car whose deck was done with the vinegar solution. Under motive power, look at TRR#3 to see examples of using the solution for weathering. Later, K
Re: Diamondhead Fever!
I'm just putting the finishing touches on one of my locos before heading down on Wednesday. Looking forward to breathing alcohol, butane and coal fumes for 5 days! See y'all then! Later, K
Roundhouse questions
Okay, so I'm overhauling one of my locos in preparation for heading down to DH, and have a few questions... First, has anyone converted the poker burner in a RH loco to a radiant burner? Easy? Difficult? Any specifics I should know about? Second, does anyone have a source for the counterweighted flycranks? I don't need the whole assembly (wheels, axles, cranks), just the counterweighted cranks themselves. If it's grotesquely expensive, I'll just live with the uncounterweighted ones I have now, but I figured I'd throw it out there and see what happens. That's about it for now. Later, K
Re: dead leg piping
Actually, mounting air pumps on the front of locos was surprisingly standard practice for a number of railroads. Many standard gauge locos had them mounted on the front pilot, right in front of the smokebox. Some hid them with sheilds, some left them right out in the open. On the narrow gauge side of things, the DRG K-28 locos had the airpumps mounted on the front of the smokebox. It was one of the characteristic features of those locos. I wouldn't say it was very common, but it did happen in more instances to make it a normal practice, rather than an anomoly. Later, K
Re: Can anyone identify this Accucraft engine?
Is that Vance Bass saying mess with it only if you must? You're not turning into a collector, are you??? (Must be the heat...) Certainly, there is an implied appreciation of history, but if it's not what you want, change it. I've got two locomotives that if left untouched would have collector value, but they weren't what I wanted. Now, they are. Will they make me rich when I go to sell them? No. However, since I put the time to make them what I want, I have no incentive to sell them. They're worth far more to me now than they ever would be as a collector's piece. The live steam hobby is perhaps at its most creative point ever on this side of the pond. No more are people just running what is commercially available. Modifications run the gamut from a simple coat of paint all the way to tearing everything apart and rebuilding it in a different form, if not completely scratchbuilding it. What's more, the price of the locomotive is having less and less of an effect on the amount of modifications. Granted, no one's tearing apart an Aster Big Boy...yet... but we are seeing some of the cheaper $3,000 asters being modified and kitbashed. Moral of this missive, don't be afraid to take what you have and make it what you want. There's enough experience on this list to get you over any hump you may encounter along the way. Later, K
Live Steam 4-4-0 for sale - complete with track and accessories
Bored with your Accucraft shay? Tired of chasing Asters around small ovals all day long? Want to get more realism out of your live steam experience? Then you need to click here!!! http://www.wisconsinrailroading.com/forsale.htm Yes, that's right - for a mere quarter million dollars, you can buy a 4 bedroom 2.5 bath house in beautiful...oops, wrong list... You can buy a beautiful 1965 vintage 4-4-0 live steam locomotive, complete with nearly 4000 feet of track, two passenger cars, and a caboose. This oil/propane fired beauty is sure to please even the most discerning live steam enthusiast. Easy to reach controls make running this locomotive a dream. No more flipping up the cab roof to reach the throttle. Want to install radio control? No problem! There's plenty of room! Don't miss this once in a lifetime opportunity to own the ultimate in live steam! (And if you figure out a way to bring it to Diamondhead this winter...grin) Disclaimer - I have nothing to do with this, I just saw this on another list, and thought I'd pass it along. Later, K
Re: Sandy River #24 Modifications/blind drivers
In any case, my center drivers are a few thou off the rail so there was never a problem. I guess this makes the engine a 2-2-2-2-2 :) Well, it *is* a 2-2 train... Later, K
Re: The Queen Mary Steamup
Great photos, and lots to drool over. FYI, mylargescale.com works well with Netscape 7.0, but not anything earlier. (hence why I upgraded... I don't do Microsquish if I can avoid it. Don't do Starbucks, either.) Back to trains... Any word on when the Ruby kit will be available? I just stumbled on another cool project that needs to be undertaken, and $300 sounds like a reasonable price to undertake it. And I'm still looking for an EBT loco that resembles that mogul. (Although a C-16 is still on my wish list as well.) Later, K
Re: Out of Bars
Worked for mom, and that's all that was important, right? Later, K
Re: Strange Mogul
It would be interesting to see a photo side by side of the two. I agree, it looks similar, but the $700 price difference makes me think otherwise. Can anyone take the specs and compare them to those of the 2- 8-0? Later, K - Original Message - From: Jeffrey Williams [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Wednesday, June 4, 2003 8:09 pm Subject: Strange Mogul Accucraft is showing a very strange looking live steam 2-6-0 on its website under news. It looks like they took a C-16 and removed the 3rd axle and drivers.
Re: blower fans
Isn't the Philly butane fired? Wouldn't think you'd need a fan for that. Later, K - Original Message - From: Royce Woodbury [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Sunday, June 1, 2003 6:03 pm Subject: blower fans Hi folks. Am going to need a blower fan for my Philly soon. Any suggestions ? Don't want to spend aLOT of time making one, but would consider it if it was easy (read that quick). Other end of the scale is, I guess, the Aster for $70 or so. What say ye ? royce in SB
Re: Roadshow
Gary wrote: So far all but two others in our club just shake their heads over grown men fiddling with tiny engines and chasing them around to fiddle some more. The same can be said for the logic behind hitting a little white ball for the sole purpose of walking up to it and hitting it again! (Not something I do myself, I'd rather fiddle with tiny engines.) Along the lines of public displays of live steam, everywhere I used to show live steam back in NY, it was always received with wonderment and disbelief by the public (and a bit of disgruntlement by the rest of the club whose track I was getting dirty.) To that end, Tom Bowdler designed and built a portable track to take to open houses and other displays for the purpose of demonstrating our little fire-breathing dragons. Alas, I moved west before I had a chance to operate on that track, but since he and I started doing our live steam displays, we've gained one or two converts to the cause. It doesn't take much to set up a display - we started with a circle of track on some mulch, graduated the following year to track on portable tables, and now to the official portable track. There's almost always a good crowd of curious onlookers, even a few closet steamers. What may help convert some folks would be an absolutely bullet-proof steamer that curious individuals can try their hand at running. (Roundhouse comes to mind, or something along the lines of the Denver project loco.) I remember myself always being fascinated by live steam locos, having watched some run in the early days of my dad's Woodland Ry. (I've got photos of one of Marc's little tram engines trundling along in the early 80s, as well as other steamers.) Yet, it remained more of a curiosity than an interest until we went to England in 1985, and had the pleasure of attending a steam-up at the late Jack Wheldon's railway. He gave me a bullet-proof steamer to run, and the bug bit. Once people get their hands on the throttle and actually have the chance to run one, it's easier for them to identify with the concept of actually running a locomotive. I'm not entirely sure I'd post a sign-up sheet at the next public display, rather just leave it to ones discretion as to how interested a potential operator may be to fire a loco. Certainly at back-yard steam-ups and open houses, it's a bit easier to train new engineers. Later, K
We're moving!
That's right - we finally got tired of being cramped up in an apartment, so we're moving a few miles east into our new (to us) house. Actually, it's only 10 years old, so there's not any fixer-upping that needs to be done. So, grab a pen and paper, PDA, or click on your address book to take down our new info, 'cuz we're only going to send this once. NEW: Allison and Kevin Strong 5379 S. Jebel St. Centennial, CO 80015 303-694-4209 (That actually stayed the same.) Unfortunately, we'll be off-line for a week or so while we wait for our new internet connection to be installed. We'll send the new e-mail address once we get it. In the mean time, you can reach us via [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Don't forget the c between the k and the strong.) Hey! I said write it down! Don't just flag this message for future reference. You'll forget about it, and then you won't be able to find us. Unless you're the IRS, we don't want that to happen. We'd do the same for you, honest. We'll let you know when we're back on line. 'til then, if your in the area, we'll have boxes that need unpacking! Later, K A
Re: treasure trove of dh pictures
Clark Lord wrote: Now if we can get Dave Cole straightened out on how to slash. I hear OJ's giving lessons. Sorry, that was sick and wrong. Okay, I'm not _that_ sorry... Seriously, I loved the pics. Almost as good as being there. I did have the sleep-deprived nights, but that was because I was up packing boxes for our impending move. Next year I'll be back! Later, K
Re: treasure trove of dh pictures
Fortunately, this one isn't a long distance move - rather just 5 miles down the road out of the apartment into a house. Finally, I can start laying tracks again! Later, K
Re: Fn3
It's a forlorn bleat I am sure, but can't we give up these crazy US Brit nomenclatures? For any miniature all you need to know is the scale ratio from the prototype (correct or incorrect as the manufacturer prefers) the track gauge in mm, e.g. 20.3/45 A system similar to that was proposed a few years ago here in the states as a way to make things a bit clearer. LS## where the ## would be the scale; 1:20.3 would be LS20, 1:32 would be LS32, and so on. I don't know where it originated, but for a while Aristocraft was marking their boxes like that. For some reason, the other manufacturers didn't hope on the bandwagon, and the system seems to have died a premature and unfortunate death. Pity, as it's the only system I've seen that actually makes any amount of sense. With more and more players entering the live steam arena, this scale debacle is quickly going to pollute our otherwise distilled waters. There are a good number of days I want to gather each manufacturer in a room and beat them over the head for not getting together and standardizing on at least a clear, easy to understand identification system. While live steam is still primarily a craftsman's hobby, the recent rash of low-cost easy to run locos has the potential of changing that. (Much for the better, though it may make getting a room at DH all the more difficult.) Up to now, we as a niche market have been able to keep close tabs on our manufacturers, and make sure they adhere to clearly noting the scale, or at least getting the information out as to what scale/gauge it is. If Aristo's proposed live steam loco comes in a box marked LS29, I will be both amazed and highly pleased. Not because it's a much needed low-cost standard gauge steamer, but because it shows that they're demonstrating some commitment to segregating and clarifying their large scale offerings which by then will be available in _three_ scales - 1:29, 1:24, and 1:20.3. One can only hope others would follow suit. I think, however, it will take significant pressure from hobbyists, publications, and clubs and organizations to get everyone on one page. That, or a really big sledge hammer. Later, K
Re: sparkie width
The Bachmann (sparkie) mogul is 4.5 at the cylinders. Can't give you a vertical clearance, as mine's been significantly modified. The B'mann 2-8-0 is 5.5 at the cylinders. Later, K
Re: HOAX, was Re: ?virus
You mean there is a debate? Everyone knows it's Baldwin! Later, K
Re: Pc vs Mac / RH Vs Accucraft
Keith Taylor wrote: - Original Message - From: Anthony Dixon [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Multiple recipients of sslivesteam [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, November 11, 2002 8:22 PM Anyone tried dried Haggis as an alternative fuel source for McRubies?. Tony D. Gee what's all this talk about alternative fuelsfor Peat's sake! Keith Boy is this list going to get bogged down! Later, K
Re: Accucraft vs Roundhouse
The Accucraft v. Roundhouse debate can't be answered right now. That can only be answered in a few years, after the earliest Accucrafts (of which I have one) have been run into the ground the same way Roundhouse locos have been over the years. It's a lot like those initial satisfaction statements car manufacturers make. I personally don't care if everyone who's bought a Chevy in the past three years has liked it 6 months after they drive it off the lot. Give it 6 years, then ask them how they like it... I've got two Roundhouse locos, one considerably ancient and on its second set of valve gear. Runs beautifully. The other about 7 years old, and still runs like a top. My Ruby ran beautifully the day I got her, and still performs quite admirably after a bit over 3 years. She's not quite as controlable at slow speeds as the Roundhouse, but her cylinders are quite a bit smaller, also. (My older RH has smaller cylinders than the other, and is likewise a touch finickier at slow speeds, albeit better than the Ruby.) What I don't know is how long the valve gear on the Ruby will hold up before it needs replacing, how easy that would be to do, or even if one can easily get the parts. (Accucraft lists them on the website, but I've no firsthand experience of ordering, nor have I seen them at dealers' tables at steam-ups as one can find RH parts.) I will say this - Accucraft seems to be holding its own right now, and I can only hope that when I run the wheels off of my Ruby, I can fix it as easily as I can the RH locos. They're coming out with products that people want, at a very reasonable price. Certainly they're in a good position to garner short term support and loyalty. Here's hoping they can keep it. (and come out with a live steam East Broad Top mikado!!!) Later, K
Re: Stop me before I make (another) mistake. now frogs...
These switches aren't limited to mainline high speed use, either. The narrow gauge East Broad Top had two such sprung frogs on a siding. Curiously, these two switches seem to be the only two on the railroad, at least that the adventurous explorers have found under the leaves and underbrush. Why they were on this one particular siding, and not anywhere else is somewhat of a mystery. They only sprung closed on the mainline side of things, not on both. This siding was a very commonly used siding as well. One theory goes that the frog was sprung because both ends of the siding were on an uphill grade, and the locomotives working hard uphill had a tendency to hunt the rails. Seems the most plausible explanation, but then the EBT had lots of sidings on grades. Still, the point is that they show up in the most curious of places. Now, all I have to do is figure out how to build one in 1:20.3. Later, K
Re: boiler insulation
Rebushing the valve gear is possible, but if the holes in the linkages are worn away, there's no real way to be certain that they are worn equally in all directions, so drilling out the holes for the bushings may in fact exacerbate the problem by moving the centers ever so slightly farther apart (or closer together). I'm sure there's a way around this through careful clamping and measuring, but if you're going to go through all that trouble, it may be just as simple to build new gear that allows for bushings, or make multiple sets of gear. It may be, too, that there's just not enough material to support bushing the joint. I have an old Roundhouse Dylan that suffered from ancient and worn out valve gear. I gave thought to rebushing the entire loco, but decided to just replace everything with new. Fortunately, you can do that with Roundhouse locos. They haven't changed the basic measurements of their valve gear since day 1. The axle diameters did change, so I had to enlarge the holes in the frame for the axle bushings. They were already bushed to begin with, so there was no wear to worry about. The locomotive still runs flawlessly after 18 years. Later, K
Re: boiler insulation
Tony, 'twas not me in Sacramento. Never been there. And I have yet to burn any cork. I've cut cork, drilled cork, popped a few corks, but I have yet to burn any. Burnt my share of other materials, though... Just not in Sacramento. Later, K
Re: boiler insulation
I've used cork without any ill effects. Later, K
Re: New Member
Just wait until the railroad builds its extension to the local pig farm. In truth, the pig farm had been lobbying the railroad to build there first, using the argument that you're not supposed to cast your pearls before swine. Sorry. K
Re: Goodal Valve for RH Lady Anne and insulated wheels
If you've got a plug on the backhead, such as many of the early RH boilers had, you can get a Goodall valve from Brandbright. I don't know if the new boilers have this plug or not, but check to see. I don't recall exactly what the price was, but it wasn't anywhere near bank breaking. I used to have a waterpump and clack valve arrangement, with the pump in the tender. The Goodall valve is a much cleaner, nicer arrangement. No worries about the valve leaking, or blowing a water line as a result. Later, K
Re: roundhouse argyle conversion
Dave (and others), Don't worry about the Argyle being obscure and no one treading that water before. Clearly, I'm not a big fan of leaving any steamer well enough alone. (Vance - it was a Dylan.) Imagining something as something else takes x-ray vision. The key to any locomotive kitbash is to take away everything that doesn't look like what you want. Sounds reasonable, but many folks get hung up in the extremes this sometimes takes them to. Quite often, you'll end up stripping the locomotive completely down to just a boiler and chassis. While it may seem like somewhat of a waste of money to buy a locomotive and discard everything but the essentials, you actually gain much more in the process. You end up with exactly the locomotive you want, built on a proven (in Roundhouse's case) boiler and chassis that will give you years of enjoyment. To me, that's worth much more than what you originally spent on the locomotive in the first place. Many times, though, people stop half way through the process of tearing down, and say that's far enough. I can go from here. The results are often something that looks slightly different from the original, but no where near what the builder really had in mind. In most cases, simply raising a headlight or adding an airtank here and there is sufficient. To me, that's a failure to realize the potential a particular locomotive offers. The best locomotive rebuilds are the ones where someone asks did you scratchbuild that? As the other Kevin said, Alan Olson is perhaps one of the most renowned gurus in that department, and a source of inspiration for a good number of my models. The other half of this equation is to not be afraid to re-build a locomotive once you've already kitbashed it once. My Lady Anne conversion underwent a facelift before last DH, giving her new domes and a new cab. These were things I wasn't 100% satisfied with the first time around, so they got redone the second time, correctly. My Dylan kitbash is likely going to undergo a similar rebuild sometime in the future. I want to backdate her with a new headlight, domes, and cab. Quite simply, I'm not 100% happy, and all it takes is a little time on the workbench to make me 100% happy. I'm not aware of too many 0-6-2 locos in the American narrow gauge scene. The only one I can think of is the Uintah's #20 and #21. They were inside frames, where the Argyle is outside, but I can't imagine that being a show stopper. It did have very neat, rounded side-tanks. (A pattern I duplicated on my Dylan bash) Actually, the lines of the Argyle are very similar - right down to the capped stack. Plans for this loco can be found in Mallory Hope Ferrel's The Gilsonite Route. The key is to find something you want to build, find a locomotive that comes close enough in all the key dimensions - wheel arrangement, driver size, boiler size - and go from there. And when your spare parts box gets full, take it to the next steam-up. There will be plenty of folks who will help thin your spare collection. If you get stuck along the way, don't hesitate to ask... While many of us have likely not embarked on your particular project, we've probably done very similar things in ours. We'll be more than happy to help you over the hump. Later, K
Re: Tender Hand Pump
I'm actually not a huge fan of tender pumps. I built two tenders with them, mounted crosswise, and while the pumps worked quite well, the check valves did not. No amount of fiddling, tapping, sanding, or anything could get the rat fink balls to sit down properly. The result was in one instance a jammed pump, and in the other, a blown water line. The other problem I encountered was with the stress the act of pumping placed on the tender trucks. When you hold the tender steady to pump the handle, the pressure goes straight to the tender trucks. If you're not careful, they'll break - quite quickly and easily, I might add. Metal trucks may be a bit more robust than the plastic ones I used, but just keep that in mind. If I had to include a pump, I'd make sure it ran parallel to the rails. The side to side motion of pumping seems to be worse on equipment than front to back, where you have the weight of the locomotive and train to dampen the movement. Either way, you're going to get water sloshing around, there's not a whole lot you can do about that. Remember that if you're going to put electronics for R/C or anything else in the tender, make sure they're sealed in a plastic bag so _when_ the train derails and spills water all over the place, you don't fry your electronics. (Ask me how I know this one.grin) Personally, I'm a big fan of Goodall valves. I replaced the check valves on my two Roundhouse bashes with Goodall valves from Brandbright, and they're worth their weight in gold. (They're relatively simple backhead fittings, so if you're scratchbuilding, all you need is the correct bushing, and you're all set.) Yes, you have to have a squirt bottle lying around to fill the boiler, but it's always a good idea to have one of those anyway for fire prevention. Of course, you could combine the two - use the Goodall valve as the inlet for the pump, instead of a traditional check valve. Hmm - didn't think of that until just now. Next loco, now that I've got two surplus pumps. Later, K
Re: SRRL #24 problems
If you've got a boiler full of steam, and no power, then there are a few areas you may want to look. First will be the wheels themselves. Make sure they're clean and free of caked on oil. Second, make sure the exhaust lines are clean. Even if everything's in good order, if there's a clog in the exhaust line, you ain't goin' no place. (Think of it as a banana in the tailpipe.) When the ID of Roundhouse steam lines is between 1/16 and 3/32 inch, it doesn't take much to stop things up. A little oil and some dust or other debris, and you're as good as stuck. Steam may be leaking out of the ends of the cylinders, or the top of the steam chest. Look for water bubbling along the edges. (You can use the old soapy water trick if you want to.) If something's leaking, tighten the screws around it. If that doesn't solve the problem, then you'll need to repack the gasket material. Also, check the gland nut where the piston rod comes out. You don't want to tighten it too tightly, but tight enough to where the steam doesn't come out. (There's an O-ring in there which the nut compresses.) Then, you can check your cylinders. As you stated, you can see if there's steam blowing by the cylinders by looking at the exhaust. If you've got a full plume of steam out of the stack, but the locomotive's just sitting there, then there's a very good chance the steam is blowing right past the cylinders. The trick is to figure out which one. Generally, it's the one that's in mid-travel, as the valve ports are closed at the very ends of the stroke. Steam passes by the cylinder for one or two reasons - the piston head is worn down and/or the cylinder is enlarged. If you find your cylinders are in need of repair, there are a few options. First, you can buy replacement cylinders from Roundhouse. (You can buy replacement anything from them. It's a good thing.) I don't remember what the cost is, but compared to the price of the loco, it's not too bad. However, the repair may be quite a bit simpler. You can repack the cylinders themselves. RH cylinders are grooved for either an O-ring or graphite yarn. Graphite yarn gives you a bit more flexibility in the adjustment, allowing you to fine tune the cylinders for maximum power and minimum drag. This takes a bit of fiddling, but the end result is worth it. You can also use replacement O-rings from Roundhouse. The graphite yarn may be a better alternative if the cylinders have been enlarged, but a little teflon tape under the O-ring may work as well. I'm assuming you've checked all the steamline fittings to make sure there's no leaks along that path, but that's another place to check. There may also be a leak somewhere in the line. I'd especially check right at the T leading into the cylinders. Of course, there's one wildcard that there's very little you can do about. That's the material the wheels and the rails are made of. I've got two RH locos. One has the early narrow steel wheels, one has the more modern plated wheels. Both locos weigh the same, and while one is an 0-6-0, only the end wheels actually contact the rail. The center blind driver sits about 1/64 above, adding nothing to tractive effort. It is in essence an 0-4-0 like my early one. Yet, the newer one pulls much better. There's something about the different wheels that allows it to get a better grip on the track than the narrower steel wheels on the older one. Above and beyond that, I don't know what to tell you. Steam locos are very individual, and perhaps this one is just persnickety. The good news is that you can replace enough parts on it to give it a new personality. Later, K
Re: Pop Valves
Roundhouse valves are pop valves, although they don't pop nearly to the level that Aster pop valves do. In that light, they could be considered weepers as well, but they do actually pop. You may want to check the setting on your safety, though. Steam it up and let it build up to around 40 - 45 pounds. If the safety hasn't popped yet, take a small pair of pliers, tweezers, or some tool you can use to turn the little cap of the safety. Loosen it until it does pop off. Sometimes, those things get screwed in a bit tight, and don't release when they should. (Conversely, they also loosen over time, and pop off earlier and earlier. That's why they're fairly easy to adjust.) I secretly wish Aster would make replacement pop valves for Roundhouse and Accucraft, and anybody else. They seem to have that nice POP down, which no one else has managed to do. There's just something magic about that. Later, K
Re: kit bashing
I'm rather fond of thin cork sheeting for boiler lagging. I used 1/8 on the Roundhouse loco, and this brought the jacket just over the smokebox casting, which is the effect I was after. On the Ruby rebuild, I used 1/16 cork, as it was a smaller locomotive, and that's what the hobby shop had in stock. Used it for boiler lagging as well as lagging around the cylinders. Much easier to bend than plywood. I had enough trouble bending the brass sheet for the jacket. (Me without my handy slip-roll.) Later, K
Re: kit bashing
I actually use two layers for my jackets - three if you count the lagging. I first bend a sheet of .020 or .030 brass, depending on what I have in my bin at the time. The key is to make sure it's substantial enough to secure all your details to it. I'll mark all the holes for bells, whistles, handrail stanchions, water injectors, cleanout plugs, etc., and so forth on this. I'll even mount domes onto this, if the domes are non-functional. I also mount my running board braces onto this, which are usually just bent pieces of brass. I usually bend the piece before I do any drilling or marking. This avoids the problem Harry mentioned about getting an oblong shape. It also makes it easier to bend in that you don't have to be 100% exact with the bend. Wiggle room is a good thing, and can be cleaned up with tin-snips or a nibbler. (Radio Shack tool for cutting PC boards - $14, I think. Best tool investment I've made in a good long while, with the possible exception of a power miter saw, but that doesn't do too much good on a steam loco.) Once I get all the details mounted onto that, with screws in place, I place the wrapper around the lagging and press. This makes small indentations in the cork where the screw heads are. Some quick work with an X-acto knife removes all of that, and I test fit to make sure everything fits well onto the boiler. You have to make sure your lagging is thicker than your thickest screw or nut. With the 1/16 stuff, you can always double up. Then, I remove all the fittings, and place a thin sheet of .005 brass around the outside of the sub-jacket. With this in place, I take a center punch or a permanent marker and poke into all the holes I had drilled in the .030 brass. Once the holes are drilled in the thin sheet, it's time to clean it and dirty it up again. This is where I, too, borrow a page from Soni, and walk all over the .005 brass. My old basement floor was usually good enough for that, but it was a bit rough in spots. A driveway, either concrete or asphalt would also be fine. I tried gravel, but it got too damaged. I want it to look used, not destroyed. After that, I run over it once or twice with a rolling pin or piece of PVC pipe to flatten it out, but not smooth it out. The idea is to get rid of all the peaks and valleys, not give it a Botox treatment. Then, it's treated with chemical blackener, then reattached to the sub-jacket. I leave a little bit of overhang (1/8 or so) around the edges, so I can fold it over once and secure it to the sub-jacket. I don't fold the front edge over, though, until after it's on the boiler and the lagging. I just bend that down 90 degrees to cover the edges. Now, you can reapply all your details, which you've painted by this time. Masking them later's a bitch and a half, so don't even think about it. The boiler bands are then used to hold everything onto the boiler. (I love functionality.) In the case of the Roundhouse loco, the jacket actually extends over the lagging in front a bit, so to help hold the boiler onto the smokebox. (On that one, I just used the .030 brass, with no thin sheet. - That was before I saw Soni's K-27.) What you use as your .005 jacket material is up to you. Brass is fairly conventional and won't rust. I'm toying with the idea of using shim steel for my next one, and treating it with a gun-bluing agent. (Probably overspray with a clear coat to protect against rusting, we'll see.) Tin would work also, if you can find something that will darken it. (Any products that would do that, let me know, please.) I've used brass for my boiler bands in the past, either leaving them polished, or treating them very lightly with the blackener. Annealing the bands first changes their color to a slightly more red - even after it cools - and that affects the resulting color once treated with the blackener. Again, you can use copper or other materials here as well, treating them as you want. As a side note, I've used this thin wrapper technique for wrapping smokeboxes as well. It's easy to emboss rivet detail into the thin sheet, then wrap it around. Fireboxes are also a snap using this technique. I could probably emboss rivets in thicker stock, but it would require a lot more hammering than I feel like doing. One caveat - don't try to solder to the thin stuff though, not without a resistance soldering unit. (Which I have yet to acquire.) I'll refer you back to previous posts about trying to heat thin brass evenly. It's right on the mark, trust me. That's about it for boiler lagging from this end. Later, K
Re: kit bashing
Wasn't there a plan (or a kit) put out by Bayou Ltd. a while back for a 2-6-2? Aside from that, I don't think there were ever any commercial kits for building something from the Roundhouse boiler and chassis. There are the usual suppliers of brass detail parts, (Trackside Details, Accucraft, Precision Scale). Unfortunately, only Accucraft has a website that I know of. They should be able to supply any brass detail fittings that you would want. I don't know if this helps at all, but perhaps it will jar someone else's memory. Later, K
Re: Lots of strange non-steam emails
Yahoo recently added certain features to their e-mail and list programs to allow spam and other special offers to flow through to their users. End result - more junk in both your e-mailbox and snail mailbox. There is a fix - go to subscribe.yahoo.com/showaccount Enter your username and password, and you can change your settings so that you don't receive any kind of advertisements. (Naturally, they default your settings to yes, so you'll have to change them all back to no.) I think this is a limited time feature, so if you have a yahoo account, go there and change everything soon. Gotta love technology. Makes me appreciate my steamers even more. Later, K
Re: Thin Steel Sheet
Thanks, Arthur. Much appreciated. I would think four or five feet would hold me over for a while. Whatever's easy to mail. I'm not planning any production runs for locomotives any time soon, but I've got two or three projects that could benefit from some experimentation in this area. (Some electric, some steam.) It will be interesting to see how it holds up over time. Anyway, send it to: Kevin Strong 8899 E. Prentice Ave. #9204 Greenwood Village, CO 80111 Again, thanks much. See you in DH, and have a safe trip. Later, K
Thin Steel Sheet
Does anyone know of a source for .005 steel sheet? The hobby shops tend to have brass, copper, and aluminum, but not steel. I've been using blackened brass sheet for boiler jackets with very nice results, but it dawned on me that most folks describe boiler jackets as resembling a blackened gunmetal. Seems logical to me, then, that all one would have to do would be to get some thin sheet steel, and some gun blackening agent, and viola!! All we have to do is find steel that thin. No, I don't want a list of Yugo dealers. Later, K
Re: Fw: Whats on the bench
Boxes, but I'm working on that. Actually my next few projects are going to be geared towards building some rolling stock to run behind my locos. I've got a half-finished caboose to do, then a string of hoppers, a flat or three, and then Marc had to go and publish plans for 1:20 passenger cars in the most recent GR! 29 more years until retirement Later, K
Re: List Down?
Well, we're alive and well out here in Denver, after pulling up stakes from the frozen confines of Rochester. No steaming yet, but I have to unpack my steam-up supplies first, anyway. Later, K
Out of the loop for a while
I'm going to be out of the loop for a while so I can move everything I own 1800 miles to the west. I got a new job in Denver, so I'll soon be joining those folks to boil water on a regular basis. Unfortunately, I'll be leaving the good folks here in the frozen north, but they've told me they will make the trek to DH to visit. Sounds like a fair compromise. Boiling water without freezing your butt. What a concept! Later, K
Moving, etc.
For those of you who haven't heard yet, we're getting the heck out of Rochester. I'm taking a new job as an editor at KCNC-TV in Denver, and am hitting the road in a week or so. Information on new addresses and phone numbers will be forthcoming, as soon as I know where we will be living. (Details, details...) In the mean time, I've created a new e-mail address for myself which you can use if you need to get hold of me. (Time Warner won't let me take my free cable and internet with me.) [EMAIL PROTECTED] The current address will work through the end of this week, but then they want their modem back, the rat finks! That's about it for now. Later, K
Re: doorknobs and cabbage stacks
'twas not my locomotive, alas. My involvement was limited only to suggesting the idea. Unfortunately, I haven't come across any more such knobs since then, so I haven't been able to do anything with that, either. Ah well... Later, K
Re: spark arrestor screen
Exhaust that smells like coffee can be a good thing. I'm thinking late night at DH, when we need that little something to keep our eyes open just a bit longer... Anyway, I'm looking forward to getting there. I'm currently in the process of overhauling my Roundhouse 0-6-0 based loco with new domes and a new cab. The original fittings were getting a bit beat up, and I figured I'd give it a somewhat fresher look - to go with the new Bachmann outside frame 2-8-0 due in my possession sometime in the near future. (It's a sparker, so don't get too excited.) I'm also planning on bringing a few 1:20 boxcars along to tow, provided I can get them to fit in the suitcase. Then again, the Ramada has a laundry machine, right? Who needs extra clothes! See y'all there. (y'all - pronoun - meaning a collective group. From you all. I know Trent understood...) Later, K
Re: Roundhouse Locos
In essence, they are the same, except that one has three axles, and one has two. It's really a matter of aesthetics. The center driver on the Lady Anne kit is a) blind, and b) sits slightly above the railhead. So, you only have the front and rear axles in contact with the rail anyway. Pulling power should be about the same for either locomotive, as each has identical cylinders, boiler, etc. My personal preference goes to the Lady Anne kit, because with drivers that small, the more you have, the better it looks in my opinion. I've got an old Roundhouse Dylan 0-4-0, and even with the Sandy River counterweights on the axles, there's just something missing there. You didn't say whether you intended to do any kitbashing of the locomotive, in which case it's a matter of finding one that best matches what you envision the locomotive looking like when it's done. Later, K
Re: GR steam article
First off, a disclaimer - I write a regular column for Garden Railways aimed at beginning garden railroaders. However, my comments are based on my experience as the editor of the Friends of the East Broad Top [Railroad] magazine, the Timber Transfer. Simply stated, a magazine is only as good as the articles submitted to it. If you would like to see more steam coverage in the pages of GR, then I suggest you sit down and start writing articles. Editors pull enough material out of thin air as it is. There's a lot of time and energy put towards coming up with an idea for an article, then soliciting a qualified author to write it. Even then, we're only guessing at what our readership would like to see in the pages. I know there are a lot of topics my readers would like to see covered, but until someone steps up to the plate, they'll have to wait. I keep as good a balance as I can given what I have to work with. Why were there two pages devoted to cutting apart a plastic ore car? Because someone took the time to write about it, that's why. It's a topic that was interesting enough to one person to sit down and put fingers to keyboard and submit a few words about what small project they did in the workshop. The truth is, steam has been covered in GR for quite some time, and fairly well. The previous issue had two pages devoted to the St. Louis steam-up, and Marc's been pretty good about devoting a page or two to DH, as well. Jeff's column is, I believe, the first time there's been a regular feature targeted towards live steam in the 17 years the magazine's been around. I don't see this as a bad thing, rather I'm surprised it wasn't done much earlier. If you're looking for in-depth coverage of live steam, you're looking in the wrong direction. We have two magazines devoted to that specific pursuit, which is extraordinary in itself when you consider the small number of folks in the hobby. Feedback is always good, even moreso when it's constructive feedback. If you feel there could have been more info given in the column, then I encourage you to write or e-mail Marc and let him know what you would have like to have seen added. It's not enough to say I didn't like it, you didn't devote enough space. We (magazine editors in general) would love to devote more space to informative articles. We do need to hear from our readers as to what kind of information they desire. *OFF SOAPBOX* (and off to bed) Later, K
Budget live steam
Harry mentioned that affordable is a relative term. There's a lot of truth to that statement, and I'm looking forward to the day when an Aster Big Boy is affordable. That's going to be a while. I've got a wife, mortgage, and while kids are not in the picture currently, they will be in due course. However, that doesn't mean I don't enjoy the hobby. It takes time, patience, and yes, a little work. But that's where the fun comes in. I started in this hobby 12+ years ago with a cheap Mamod, which cost me (er, my parents) $200. That proved to be a relatively poor decision on my part, but it taught me a few things - such as how chicken feed alcohol burners are _supposed_ to work, how to put out a rather large alcohol fire when the chicken feed burner you just built _doesn't_ work, and other simple metal working skills employed while trying to improve the performance out of a rather sad sack. If I had a little more time or desire, I could have purchased (at minimal cost, mind you) replacement parts and tried new things, building that little loco into something that would run quite nicely. However, I got lucky, and stumbled onto yet another bargain - an old, well loved, well run Roundhouse Dylan (potboilered 0-4-0T) for $500. Now, I enjoy the looks of British locos, and have ridden behind a few myself. However, I model eastern US narrow gauge. Herein started a philosophy of life... I don't buy locomotives for what they are. I'm not a machinist by any stretch of the imagination. However, I do enjoy building and modifying locomotives and rolling stock. The good news here is that this is perhaps one of the cheapest ways to enjoy the hobby. You can scour the train shows and swap lists for everyone's scratch and dent items. So long as they run, who cares what they look like? There are bargains to be had. This philosophy applies very nicely to live steam, with a few differences. First, as long as they run is of paramount importance unless you can get replacement parts. Don't buy something if it won't make it around the track once. In some cases, replacement parts are easy to come by if need be. (Roundhouse sells every little bit and piece you would need to build a new loco individually.) Along those lines, look for bolt together kits, also. Roundhouse offers a boiler and chassis kit, which can generally be had for around $900. What you get is an excellent running basic mechanical steam loco onto which you can add whatever you want. There are other low cost entries into the hobby as well - Roundhouse's Sammie, Argyle's Bantam and Philadelphia (which was at one point available as a bolt-together kit, as well as a cheaper, don't attempt to build this unless you really know what you're doing - which I didn't when I bought it, machinist's kit) That is the key to this whole budget process. Look at every locomotive on the market not as a CS Mogul or a 0-4-0 saddle tank but instead as a working boiler and cylinders that drive X number of wheels of Y diameter. From this, look through books and let your imagination run free. Find a design that works for you, and start adding bits and pieces of metal and wood until it looks like what you want it to. Today, the Accucraft Ruby has replaced the old Mamod as the bargain basement entrance to Live Steam. The advantage the Ruby has is that it actually runs right out of the box. If you haven't checked out Vance Bass' web site on things to do with Ruby, you're cheating yourself. These have been turned into any number of locos, and a closet industry has sprung up selling parts to enhance the looks of it, similar to that which sprang up around the Mamod - only those were designed to get the thing to run. I currently have 4 live steamers in my stable, the most expensive one started as the $900 boiler and chassis kit. Including detail parts and materials, I don't think I have more than $3000 invested in the whole lot. Yet, these locos are scale models that I would put up next to an Aster any day. Not only that, they are individual pieces that nobody else has, and each reflects a part of you. Just do little bits over time, and you'll be surprised how cheap this hobby really can be. Later, K
Re: Meths vs Gas
Sure, open that can of worms, why don't you? How's about throwing scale vs. gauge in the mix, too? Seriously, I'm going to take the other side, and ally myself with gas firing. It's clean, simple, and you have to work really hard to light the track on fire. I have two meths burners, one of which actually runs. (The other, alas, has been reduced to a mantelpiece.) I like it, and it serves me well. I don't run it when there's anything that resembles a breeze. Even with the flame shield, the wind gets in there plays around too much for my taste. (Wood cab - I don't want to have to build a third.) It's a simple tank burner, so there's no way to control the flow of alcohol to the wicks. What you see is what you get. I don't particularly like that aspect of it, and my experience with chicken feed burners leaves much to be desired. (Like a good fire extinguisher) The gas fired ones are fairly quiet (I've got to tweak the Ruby's burner a bit) and efficient. I get steam raised in no time, and have no trouble controlling the level of the flame to keep the safety from popping off. Gas works well for me in any temperature. I usually burn a 70/30 butane/propane mix, since that's what the sporting goods store sells up here. It works well in 90 degree heat as well as 20 degree cold. Since we have a lot more of the latter here, that's an important consideration. Would I pass on an alcohol-fired loco in the future? Perhaps not, if I see potential in it. (I'm still keeping an eye out for an Aster JNR Mogul) Then again, I may look for a way to convert it to a ceramic burner, along the lines of Art Walker's mogul. But that's just my opinion, I could be wrong. Later, K
Re: Oil Bottle
I use an old Elmer's Glue bottle for my steam oil. Cap screws on tight, and allows for easy filling of the lubricator. Certainly much neater than the old film canisters I had been using. Later, K
Re: Epiphany!
The article doesn't go too deeply into what actually happens to aluminum, and how it deteriorates (or doesn't) rather just highlights what the author does to keep electrons flowing through the rails. (Although I can't for the life of me figure out why you would want to do that.) The text of the article can be found at: http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Bluffs/3020/ From my own experience, I have not seen any deterioration with aluminum rail. My dad's had it down in the back yard since 1980, and after 21 years it shows no sign of wear or tear. The only trouble we ran into was where we used copper railjoiners to hold it together. We had electrolysis problems, and the copper deteriorated badly. These joints were replaced with stainless steel ones, and there have been no troubles since. It is interesting to note that these rails haven't had electrons run through them since 1984, with no cleaning or anything. He had to power the rails for a promotional video for one of the train manufacturers, and after years of no maintenance, electrons flowed quite freely. So, if you're running your trains as they are supposed to run, you will definitely have no trouble, except for cleaning the oil off the tops. (A little denatured alcohol goes a long way.) Even if you insist on running electrons through, Aluminum rail will do you years of good service. Later, K
Epiphany!
I was glancing through the COGRA newsletter tonight, and stumbled across listmember Ross Webster's article about aluminum rail, and how it oxidizes and weathers over time. (Thanks, Ross, for continuing to send it to me. I'll forward it to our current editor after I copy the information from it for future reference for my GR columns - look for mention of the surveying trick in a future one...) Anyway, something struck a chord. I've got about 600' of track in the back yard, all of it aluminum. The first 300' was painted with Floquil rail brown when I put it down. It has since weathered a bit, and the UV rays have turned it more to an olive drab. I'm not complaining, and certainly not about to sit down and repaint it. The rest of the rail, however, was never painted, since I decided that the Folquil was just going to turn colors, and I didn't want to have to deal with that. I had some latex paint which I figured I'd paint on, but in the interest of time, and getting the return loop finished before the open house, I just laid the track without doing anything to the rails. As a result, I've got half of my railroad sticking out like a sore thumb with shiny aluminum rails. Not exactly what one would like to see. Here's where the serendipity and epiphany come in... At one point in time, I bought a bottle of what I thought was brass blackener from Sulphur Springs Steam Models. When I got home, I realized I had goofed, and grabbed a bottle of Aluminum black instead. Fortunately, this also worked on brass, so I kept it and thought nothing of it. However, it clicked tonight. Let's try this aluminum black on the rails, and see what happens! Let me tell you, it works like a champ! The rail turns almost black, really close to a charcoal grey. It doesn't take much to do it, either. One Q-tip full did about 2' of rail. No, it's not rust colored, but it's a lot better than olive drab, let me tell you. Anyway, the stuff is made by Birchwood Casey, which has a website - www.birchwoodcasey.com . They have a full line of metal blackening and antiquing products, and tips on how to use them. For my money, I've found the answer to having to paint the remaining rail. If you've got bright, shiny aluminum rail lining your back yard, I would suggest trying this one out. That's it for now. Later, K
Re: Etch first, then prime
I've had great results using Krylon paints. Their clearcoats come in three varieties, flat, satin, and gloss. So far, they have stood up well to repeated heatings, even on my pot boiler. Of interest there, however, is that the Floquil paint I used as a base changes color depending on temperature. The green turns slightly brown when the side tanks get hot, but changes back to green once they cool back down. Don't quite know why, but it does. One quick question to Mr. O'connor - why do you heat the cans of paint? Does the temperature of the paint have any effect on its adhesion? Later, K
Re: Etch Primer Source?
Radio Shack. Ask for printed circuit board etchant. Later, K
Re: 1/32 scale caboose
Speaking of 1/32... While sniffing around Caboose Hobbies the other week, I was looking at figures. I saw Life Like's offerings, which they claim to be G scale. Well, unless my ruler was affected by the higher altitude, these figures work out to be 1:32, not G. They are all roughly 55 60 mm tall. I don't remember exactly what they had, I was surprised enough to see small figures that would work with #1 scale equipment. Thought I'd pass it along. Later, K
Re: eBay [was: Turn On the Lights]
Trent, It may surprise you to learn that some Pez collectors do boil water as a hobby. Allison has somewhere around 300 Pez dispensers. One has to admit, they're a helluvalot cheaper than steam locos. Later, K
Re: Turn On the Lights
In Miami, isn't that a requirement? Later, K
Re: Turn On the Lights
Trent's idea is exactly what I've done in all of my steamers with operating headlights. I use 1/16 dia brass tube for the handrails, and run teflon wire through it up to the headlight. The return is grounded to the locomotive. Word of warning here - if you are using RCS to control your train, and have the antenna attached to the frame of the loco, don't ground the bulb to the frame. Run two separate wires to the headlight. Also, anytime the teflon wire may be exposed to flame, make sure it is still within the brass tube. That way it won't burn. (Teflon wire is _very_ flammable. (This is especially important when running wire around a pot-boiler or something like that.) There is an advantage to using the R/C batteries to power the headlights. You know when the radio's on. Also, you can gauge the strength of the batteries by looking at the headlight. I'm experimenting with using LEDs in a self contained headlight, after my thoughts of building a real flame headlight met with reality. (At least in this scale.) I got a miniature Coleman lantern keychain the other day for a buck from the hardware store. They used to have a yellow LED in them, as a friend of mine mounted them on posts and used them as street lights. Cool, I thought. A watch battery wouldn't take up much if any space, and in a large box headlight, it would work very well. Unfortunately, the lanterns I got came with a _red_ led, not yellow. (It's a clear high-intensity bulb, so there was no way to tell what color it was from the package.) So, lest I want folks to think the front of the train is actually the rear, I've put that project on hold. I may pick up with it again when I get back from Colorado, but we'll see. I've got too many other projects popping up on the burners, although the Allison looks pretty naked without a working headlight. But, if you've got R/C, then you have a power source already. Otherwise, you will have to be a bit creative. A AAA would likely fit very well under the roof of the locomotive, and would probably not be visible. Otherwise, you can disguise it as a very straight standing locomotive engineer. (He may be a bit portly, too, depending on what scale the locomotive is.) Later, K
Re: Turn On the Lights
No, and I don't think I will. The wedding's in two weeks, and I don't want to do anything to jeopardize that. We are taking a train ride on the honeymoon - Denver to Glenwood Springs. Not steam, but we may find time to get to Georgetown... No luck convincing her that Chama was the latest craze in honeymoon destinations. sigh I got to thinking about headlights again. What do you use for reflectors? I've heard of some success using the reflectors from Mag-Lites, but then you're limited to the AAA size, which is relatively small, or the AA size, which is a bit large. I've been using a two-part epoxy paste I get from the hardware store in the plumbing department. I fill the cavity of the headlight, and make a bowl for the reflector with my pinky while it's drying. It's not perfect, and I'd like to figure out a way to get a good mirrored finish that won't melt under the heat of the smokebox. Any ideas? Later, K
Steam Railcar
Okay, who saw the picture on page 104 of the May/June Narrow Gauge Gazette? For those who haven't, it's a steam powered inspection car. (It's a preview for the next issue...) Anyway, the car has a small vertical boiler, about 12 in diameter, and roughly 3-4' tall. It looks to have a single vertical cylinder. So, who's going to be the first to build one? (Don't look at me - I've still got three Philly kits that are collecting dust in the basement.) Later, K
Re: Should I add weight to Billy loco?
It depends. Steam it without the weight, and see how she pulls, and if she slips. I've got two roundhouse locos - an old Dylan, which no longer reflects its roots, save the nameplate, and a mogul which I built from the 0-6-0 boiler/chassis kit. Both have different running and pulling characteristics. The Dylan rebuild could benefit from some additional weight, which I also added in some side-tanks which I built. The mogul, however, pulls very nicely without any additional weight. It outpulls the 0-4-0 hands down. The difference in this case, I think, is in the wheels. The 0-6-0, despite what it looks like, is really an 0-4-0 with an idler driver in the center, since it doesn't actually touch the rails. (It sits roughly 1/64 higher than the other two.) The Dylan, is an outright 0-4-0, but with the old-style Roundhouse wheels, which were much narrower, had smaller flanges, and were made from steel, not nickel. (or whatever they are.) If I were to replace the wheels with the newer roundhouse wheels, I think the tractive effort would improve. So, steam it without the weight, and see what happens. If you're happy, then don't worry about it. If it doesn't run right, just sit the weight on top of the locomotive, and see if that makes a difference. If it runs better, then add the weight to the tanks. Personally, the only Roundhouse loco I've ever seen with a pulling problem is my 0-4-0, so I don't think you need to worry about it. Later, K
Re: Finishing Touch
I generally use Krylon clear finish. They make three types - matte, satin, and gloss. I generally use the satin. I haven't had any trouble with crazing from alcohol or heat or oil. Don't know how well it holds up under intense heat like that from a pot boiler, but I've used it with great results on my locos. For sealing wood, I use Minwax. Again, I've had no troubles. Later, K
[OT] Kenversions
Sorry for the non-steam related post, but I was hoping to cast a net across the big puddle to some of our British counterparts... I'm wondering if anyone has any information on a product made by a company called Kenversions in the mid 80s. It was a shell for an East Broad Top doodlebug called the M-1. It was designed to fit over an LGB chassis of some sort, but that's about all I know about it. I'm writing an article on modeling the EBT in large scale, and that was the only commercially available kit for that particular piece of equipment. I'd love to get any information I can, particularly dimensions, and composition of the kit. Come to think of it, that would make a GREAT project for a live diesel... I'll add it to the list. Later, K
Re: Hand laid track suplyes
I'll echo Gary's post - and go the step further that Gary didn't... The California and Oregon Coast is home to a wealth of Llagas Creek track supplies, among other products. Depending on what you're looking for, there's a good chance that you will find it there. Llagas Creek makes plastic tie strips for scales ranging from 1:32 - 1:20.3, and rail in varying sizes from code 215 (.215" tall) to code 332 (.332" tall - the same size as LGB or Aristo track). They also have switch kits in code 250, and code 215 (I think) which are great. I have around 600' of the code 250 aluminum rail on their 1:20.3 ties in my back yard, and they hold up great, except where very large falling tree branches are concerned. (but that's really to be expected.) I buy the nickel silver cast points for my switches, and build the rest from scratch. (There was an article in Garden Railways around a year ago which explained a technique very similar to mine.) I've been very pleased with these products, and they have survived 4 Rochester, NY winters so far with no problems. NOTE*** There are some tricks one needs to be aware of before heading out into the garden with these products, which will help tracklaying go that much easier. But, they are another sermon for another time. Later, K
Re: Hand laid track suplyes
Okay, okay... Geez, It's 50 degrees outside, and I'm in here on the computer! What a world!!! (For all you Californians, we here in the Northeast consider 50 degrees springtime.) Anyway... Since my outdoor activities involve replacing about 4' of track where the aforementioned tree branch fell over the winter, I guess I should get my mind in gear. So, you have a box of Llagas Creek tiestrips (the 1:20.3 variety, from my experience) and some rail. (I use code 250) There's a small problem with this combination; the base of the rails are a very snug fit in the tiestrips. This is because the tiestrips were originally designed for the code 215 rail, and Gary had to have a new profile code 250 rolled, so it too could fit. (We folks who lay our track on the ground are a peculiar lot - seems we want to be able to walk on our track, or at least have it survive the occasional misplaced foot.) So, given this rather unique scenario, there are some steps you should take to make this task as painless as possible. 1) Do not paint your rail beforehand. You will enevitably scratch all the paint off of the base of the rail while laying it, making you have to go back and repaint anyway. May as well do it once it's down. (Pain, yes, but doable.) - Also - don't use Floquil paints outdoors. They are NOT UV stabilized, and the rail brown turns to moss green in short order. 2) Cut the tiestrips into two-tie segments. Because the clearance between the spikes and the base of the rail is so tight, the strips bind really easily when being pushed down the rail. You can control two ties with your fingers very easily, and eliminate any binding that may occur. 3) Keep a spray bottle of soap/water handy to help the tie strips slide easily. (You can keep a bottle of something else handy, also. That will keep you well oiled.) Now, for the actual laying of the track... I stagger my railjoints, so all my track is laid on the ground where it is going to be. The first thing I do is to file the edges off the end of the base of the track. A mild taper will do, just enough so it guides itself into the tiestrips. (A small jeweler's file will do fine.) Always string the tiestrips onto the rail, as opposed to trying to thread the rail through the tiestrips. (You'll get what I mean.) I start by stringing tiestrips halfway down the length of the rail. I then take the slide the strips down the rest of the length of the rail, threading them on the second rail, which is already down. (Bad ASCII art time) I I I I I I I I I I II I I I I I I I I I I I I I I --- I I I I I I I I I I I I II I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I II I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I II I I I I I I I I I I I I Tie strips on one rail Slide them down Finished track I forget offhand how many ties there are per foot, but that shouldn't be too hard to figure out. This isn't absolutely necessary, but it will give you a ballpark figure so you know when to stop adding tiestrips. Now, if you're fastening your track to a base, you can do so once you have the strips on both rails. If you're in colder climates, and prefer to float your track, then you will want to sandbag your track as you work on it to keep it from moving as you're adding ties to the rail. Aluminum rail, especially, is light, and likes to bend. The less of that you can have, the happier you will be. One last tip - the two tie sections will have a web connecting the ties together. String this side onto the first rail. It will make your life a lot easier. This process isn't exactly a model of speed or efficiency. It takes me about 15 minutes to put down 6' of track. It is, however, the easiest way I've found to put the track down in the garden. If you're building track on a raised steam-up track, then you may find it easier to work with the strips. A wood table against which to work the tie strips may be a lot easier to deal with. Experiment, play, and if you get frustrated, pull out a steamer, and run it on what you have down already. It will get your sap rising to finish the job in short order. Later, K
Re: O.T. Garden Railway on TV
"Tracks Ahead" is a PBS series produced by Milwaukee Public Television. Their programs are syndicated on PBS stations around the country, so getting a common airtime for those can be a bit more difficult than with a show on a national channel like HGTV. Yes, Trent, Jim is my father, and he has been known to steam the occasional loco. (Although I was the one who got him involved in live steam - he was otherwise happy with his sparkers.) He doesn't run steam on his line because of the grades and clearance and access problems. Ask Gordon Watson about his Forney sometime. (HINT - when building a tunnel, make sure you can reach the middle with your arms.) If I hear anything about the Tracks Ahead show, I'll pass it along. "Til then, set your VCRs to record at 5 EDT. Later, K
Re: O.T. Garden Railway on TV
The show is called "Whistle Stop Gardens" or something to that ilk. It features somewhere around 8 garden railroads throughout the country, including those belonging to Jack Verducci in San Francisco, and Jim Strong in Maryland. Above and beyond that, I don't know too much. As a side note, "Tracks Ahead" was also working on a program about garden railroads, but I don't know where they are in production right now. They too shot last summer. Later, K
Re: Ruby - How about a sight glass?
Perhaps it would be possible to run two tubes, one longer than the other. That may give you the two "take off" points you need for a glass. Personally, I think it may be easier to just put in a "monocock" arrangement, where you have a valve on a line that begins just above the flue. If you open this valve and get steam, you need to put water in. Otherwise, you're good. Most steam locomotives had this kind of arrangement, except they had three different valves set at varying heights. (a tri-cock) This was a backup to the water glass. I've thought about doing something like that for my Ruby bash, but haven't gotten around to it. (as with a lot of things.) Later, K
Re: Hi temp spray paint
I've found that if you use graphite powder, then it helps to leave the paint on. The powder adheres better to the painted surface. I haven't tried the spray graphite that Vance talks about. Later, K
Re: Brass Coloring
I've really had no trouble with the brass blackeners wearing off. With constant handling, they may, but that's true of anything. Just clean again and re-apply with a Q-tip, and you're all set. Later, K
Re: Hi temp spray paint
Use the real thing. I've been using graphite powder for covering smokeboxes for a few years now. It's cheap, and if it rubs off, replaceable. You can also use graphite chalk or soft artists' pencils and accomplish the same thing. Looks great, and is prototypic. The real ones used to rub the smokeboxes with a graphite/oil mixture to protect the smokebox. Later, K
Re: Ruby boiler reinstall
Try making a 3mm "box end wrench" to hold the nuts in place. I made mine by taking a cut-off wheel to the end of a piece of 1/16" x1/4" brass strip. Worked great. The other thing - start all of them loose until you get all the screws and bolts threaded through the holes. Then go back and tighten each one. It's still tedious, but... Later, K
Re: Preparing a RUBY for SUPER-HEAT
You shouldn't have to touch the valve gear at all to remove the boiler. The rear screw, the four saddle screws, and the steam line. You're all set. Don't go messin' with the eccentrics and rocker arms unless you're ready to take a lot of care marking EXACTLY where they were beforehand. There's really no reason to do that anyway. As far as your other questions, I don't know. I opted not to put a superheater on my Ruby. Later, K
Philly kits
Hey, I've got a wedding to pay for. Make me an offer. In fact, I'll give all three to the person who foots the entire bill! Later, K
Re: Ruby Mods
I was hoping to be able to compare superheated/non-superheated Rubys at DH, but most there were unsuperheated, and seemed to run quite nicely. I do get a great deal of condensate out of the stack, but I don't know if superheating would have much effect on that. It's only slightly less messy than my Roundhouse locos, both of which are superheated. I've pretty much decided that it's not really worth the effort. Cleaning the loco isn't that difficult, after all. (The oil gives the boiler jacket a nice sheen, anyway.) I did "stretch the spring" on the safety valve, which improved performance. I thought about replacing it with a 40psi valve, but since I added Norm Saley's retaining nut to hold the dome down, I didn't want to replace the valve and have an extra part which would then not work with the new valve. The quick fix is just as effective, really. I also changed the jet to a #3. I really don't know if that made a noticable difference in performance. I don't have any trouble maintianing steam. Later, K
Ruby Bash pages updated
I finally had time to sit down and redo my web site for my Ruby bash. It now boasts of photographs of the finished product and a few drawings showing tools and tips. You can find it at: http://home.rochester.rr.com/kevstrains/Allisonprototype.html Enjoy. Later, K
Re: Steamup.com
No problem as of Friday AM. I guess I'm still in Richard's good graces. Later, K
Re: Ruby mod I'd like to see...
I think that the notion of "...it's still a Ruby" has proven to be something akin to "it's a Baldwin." Anyone who has looked at Vance's Ruby bash page can see that folks are indeed flexing there creative muscles with this little gem. At DH, the only Rubys that looked anything like each other were the ones which were fresh from the box. That, I think, is reflective of exactly what Accucraft was trying to do with this project. While, you can put all the gift wrapping on the locomotive you want, it still has the same performance. The good news is, the performance has thus-far proven to be quite solid. And if Accucraft is as good about standing behind its products as Roundhouse and other quality builders, I don't think we're going to have to worry about hanging our heads when we say "it's still a Ruby." Later, K
Blackening Ruby Cylinders
It's highly likely that the cylinders on the Ruby are not actually brass, rather bronze. I don't know, but that would be my first suspicion. (I know Argyle uses bronze for their cylinders.) I've had similar difficulties with Roundhouse cylinders, so they may be made of the same stuff. Perhaps someone who is a bit more in the know could enlighten us. Anyway, back to the topic at hand - getting some kind of a finish on the Ruby cylinders. If you've cleaned them and the chemicals aren't making a dent, then I don't think heat will make any difference. Neither will lighting candles, ancient chants, or human sacrifices. (Although I know of a few folks I wouldn't mind volunteering in the name of science.) So, your next option is paint. Any high temperature paint will work fine. Again, just make sure the surface is clean. Make sure the wheels and any other surface are well masked. ***Tip*** If you want to keep paint from sticking to a surface near which you are painting, but can't effectively mask, try painting the surface with a bit of steam oil. It's thick enough to not run off, but does a great job of keeping the paint from sticking to the surface. This works GREAT!!! on wheel treads. (A fact I remembered _after_ I painted the pilot and trailing trucks, mind you...) If you want to go one further, you could make some kind of lagging for your cylinders. These add just a bit of heft to them, and in my opinion, bring them to life. I made mine from .015" brass sheet bent around the outside of the cylinders and a layer of 1/16" cork. On top of that, I layered .005 shim brass, which I folded over the edges to hide the cork. I've got pictures of this at: http://home.rochester.rr.com/kevstrains/Rubypage.html If you use brass sheet on this, you can blacken it to match the boiler lagging, or you could paint it as I did. I left the cylinder ends brass (steam oil trick) for looks. Later, K
Re: SoCal Snow
Boy, you guys _are_ having trouble heating your state! Later, K
Re: Wheels and track cleaning
Dew? What's that? Does it come in white flakes? We've got lots of those! Funny, I've never seen the oil float on top of it before. Must be a "Florida" thing. (sigh... How many more days until June?) Later, K
Cleaning track (was Re: Wheels)
I've found that running a rag soaked with alcohol over the rails does a good job of cleaning the oil and gunk off the tops of the rails, restoring traction - much better than the chalk most folks employ. Since most steam-ups have a relatively ample supply of alcohol (FOR THE TRAINS!) It should be relatively simple to keep a rag around to periodically wipe the tops down. Aside from this and operating sanders, what else can you do to maintain traction? Later, K
Re: Russia Iron [was: Forced repaint, was: Cleaning Engines]
I swear by the brass black that Sulphur Springs sells. (It's made by Birchwood Casey.) For my money, I'll never paint a boiler jacket again. It's really that simple. I like the effect so much. It's not quite as "mirroresque" as what a "Russian Iron" finish is reputed to be, but it's pretty darned close. With enough polishing, you could probably get quite a nice shine out of it. The brass does have to be clean for best results. Generally, I just rub a Q-tip over the sheet until I get an even coloration across the sheet. I've also tried putting a paper towel over the sheet and dripping the brass black over the paper towel until it's saturated. I'm also a big fan of the powdered graphite on the smokebox trick. I've been using that with great success for about 5 years, and have only had to re-apply it once to retouch a few areas after a "thourough" degreasing with 409. (Yes, I'm a fan of that, too.) The key is to find something that will stick to the brass, or whatever material you're using for your smokebox. The frone edge of my Ruby bash is chipping a bit where I have worn off the graphite from opening the smokebox door. I'll have to try the pencil trick. BTW, Vance has good pics of the front of the loco at http://www.nmia.com/~vrbass/steam/ruby/DH01/Allison_pilot.jpg (Don't ask me why I don't have them up yet on my own site...) Later, K
Re: Awesome Morning
But did you get a picture??? Later, K
