Re: Lubricator
At 04:12 PM 2/13/05 -0500, Henner Meinhold wrote: And one more question: Empty butane cans (the Korean grocery store variety) begin to pile up in my garage. Is there a political correct way to get rid of them ? When they are EMPTY (a very important consideration), use a screw driver to puncture the can. It can then be safely put in with the rest of the garbage. regards, pf
Re: Beck 'Anna' operation
At 10:06 PM 1/19/05 -0600, Arthur S.Cohen wrote: Who needs an instruction booklet when a friend like you is around. Many thanks for all the information. You are most welcome! The gas filling valve leaks heavily so it has to be changed. I seem to recall having to replace the o-ring on the valve body for the same reason. Then the gas outlet valve that controls the flow of gas to the burner is frozen closed. I was able to free mine with patience and penetrating oil, then cleaned all and replaced the o-rings. Do you know of any place that both replacement gas valves can be obtained? I may - I have been in contact with a chap in England who may have a source - one o those 'friend of a friend of a friend' kind of things. I'll e-mail and ask him about it. Remember, though, that any replacement will be of the same vintage. You may want to consider simply replacing the existing tank with one from Roundhouse or Cheddar. There was an Anna at DH last year that the owner had upgraded to a Roundhouse tank and burner after a cab fire due to deterioration of the old rubber tube. This would take care of all the issues in one go (the burner can also be a bit of a howler when the gas is turned up). Where do you live? Do you ever get to the DH convention? How did you come by your Anna? Tell me about yourself and about your track setup. I'm in Hamilton, Ontario. I think I may have spoken to you about the Anna at the fleamarket this year. My Anna is my travelling engine when I go to garden meets where the railway is 45mm gauge - I run gauge 'O' at home. I bought it on eBay 6 or 7 years ago. It is well used and could benefit from a cosmetic overhaul, but is still a sweet runner. be well, pf
Re: Beck 'Anna' operation
At 03:36 PM 1/19/05 -0600, you wrote: I purchased a Beck Kessel Anna locomotive while attending the DH convention and no instructions were with it. The engine was made in Germany and it looks too be in excellent condition. Can anyone out there tell something about this engine or can supply me with a copy of its instruction booklet? Sorry, Arthur, no instruction booklet, but: - to fill the boiler, remove the safety valve - fill to the top of the glass visible in the backhead (looks like an aquarium viewport) - the lubricator is in the dome with the knob on the side (this is the regulator). Un-screw the cap and put steam oil (only a small amount) in the dome, leaving room for the threaded stud on the dome cap. Pistons are made from opposed teflon cups on the end of the piston rod - the saturated steam is adequate lubrication for them. The steam oil is really to lubricate the piston valves. - butane is the recommended fuel - fill through the filler in the side tank. The knob on the front of the tank is the gas control - give all valve gear rubbing/rotation points a generous squirt of light lubricating oil before every run - the valve gear components are chrome plated brass and will give years of good service if kept lubricated, but forget a few times and the holes will soon be oval and the loco will not run well at all in this condition. - light at the stack and adjust control till it pops back - blow-off for the safety is 2 atmospheres (28psi), my Anna runs well on 1At. As I recall the stock couplers are compatible with LGB. - valve gear is outside slip eccentric - push loco forward or backward to get that direction - thread on both the regulator and gas control is fairly coarse, but can be adjusted easily with a bit of practice - should the gas jet get plugged: remove the cab (2 screws in the rear buffer beam, 1 screw under the side tank on each side), lift the cab/side tanks clear and slide the butane supply line off the burner lead. Remove the hex head screw holding the burner in the flue, un-screw the jet from the burner and blow clear, re-assemble in reverse order. - the rubber tube connecting the gas tank to the burner is a weak point, and should be replaced with a stronger material if there is any sign of cracking or splitting in the rubber. - the exhaust steam is delivered to the bottom of the smoke box by the exhaust pipe from the cylinders - it's normal to get this condensing in the smoke box and running out onto the deck. The pipe does not line up with the stack - I haven't done it yet, but one of my intended improvements is to extend the line up the stack. - another improvement is to insulate the exterior steam lines to reduce condensing in the line - one method is to wrap the lines with wet butchers twine, then rub with a plaster mix with carpenters glue mixed in. Paint black when the material drys. That's all I can think of, off the top of my head. Ask if there's anything I haven't covered. enjoy! pf
Re: posts and frost heave
At 10:39 PM 1/4/05 -0800, you wrote: Now that we settled depth is at minimum 3' let's discuss digging holes. big snip I'd check with the guys who install fence posts for you - I got 4x4 pressure treated pine posts, 8' total length, set 42 into the ground in 6 diameter concrete footings. These cost me $10 per post - I couldn't buy the materials and rent the digger for that price! I wouldn't want to trust fencing to such a light weight system but for our use it is more than adequate. It was also a lot easier on my back! pf
depth of post footings and frost, was Re: sslivesteam-Digest - Number 1318
At 10:48 AM 1/5/05 -0600, Rich wrote: OK, now here is my take on this frost heave item. To have any 'heaving there has to be either differential expansion or contraction. This will not happen across a free floating post that is in the ground almost any distance at all. I have to disagree, Rich. To be sure that a post (a fence post being the one we are all most familiar with, I think) will remain rigid (not wiggle when you push on the top) and remain at the elevation it was installed at, the post and/or post plus footing has to extend past the maximum depth of frost penetration. All the concrete does is provide an un-compressible collar around the post to stop it moving side to side and better frictional resistance than the post alone. If you look along a long fence run (particularly one with a continuous top rail), you invariable notice the post that has moved - look at the base and you will see the concrete footing popping up out of the ground. The amount a post with an inadequate depth footing will move due to frost is a product of how much water the soil around it holds - topsoil is the worst for this because of the high organic content. Silt is second worst and sand the best. Clay may be good or bad, depending on the depth of the natural water table and the degree of surface slope - flat areas on clay soil where water ponds and stays after a rain are bad for frost movement, sloped area where the water runs off easily have few problems with frost heave. The differential expansion reasoning that you quote refers to the movement of two dissimilar materials that will be caused by a change in temperature. The most common example people would be familiar with is a fracture of a reinforced concrete slab due to differential expansion between the steel reinforcing and the concrete. This is really due to inadequate cover of concrete over the reinforcing or inadequate slab thickness to resist the forces of differential expansion. This term doesn't really apply to the issue of frost movement of a post. The second thing that stops a post from moving from frost action is the friction between the footing and the ground around it. This is why a concrete footing will perform better in this regard than a post with native or granular backfill around it - the frictional resistance to movement between the concrete and the ground is higher than between the post and the backfill, because the post has a smooth, relatively impervious surface and concrete is rough. For people who have had good results with what, on the surface, appears to be an inadequate 'design', it is more a matter of good luck with your soil conditions than anything else. Unless the person you are advising has very similar conditions to you, it is unreasonable to assume that they will have a similar performance, which leads me back to my original suggestion - do it 'right' the first time and you won't have to do it over again. The idea of a completely floating installation (deck blocks on the ground), is quite workable and will perform acceptably provided the soil conditions (type of soil and depth) and surface slopes are relatively uniform across the site. Where they aren't it will be necessary to do minor adjustment to the level of the track every year or two or three. If this level of maintenance is acceptable to you, and it's the best priced alternative, it's the one to choose. I'm with Dave on this one - I over engineered my own because I'd rather play with my trains than work on my railroad. Chacun a son gout! (sorry, no accents available in my mail program) regards, pf
Re: twin fire tube boilers
At 06:02 PM 1/5/05 +0100, Bert Edmunda wrote: Has anyone an Accucraft C-21 or a K-27 and if so have you had problems with the left fire going out? This is the tube with the superheater running through it. Theoretical this tube should re-ignite due to the Stainless superheater glowing. It does not. a number of experiments are in progress eg. regulating the air flow on the right tube, which it seems never goes out! a Stainless steel fine mesh gauze has reduced the problem, etc. I would be pleased for any thoughts on the problem. While it mat not be the most practical suggestion, Bert, I'd say the first thing to do would be to return it to the dealer for repair/correction of the problem. You paid for a working engine. The dealer should be fixing it as it obviously was sent out without being adjusted properly. regards, pf
Re: Maxwell Hemmons Porter O-ring Replacements
At 06:29 AM 1/5/05 -0800, mike gray wrote: My Porter has so many miles on her that that she looks like a steamer with the cylinder cocks always wide open. The dilemma is how to remove the connector pieces from the cylinder shafts to remove and replace the O-rings. Appears to be a press fit but with the loco long out of production I don't want to apply too much force and forever sideline her because of a broken rod connector. Has anyone else had to replace the cylinder shaft O-rings ? If so, how did you go about doing it ? A round about suggestion (I don't own a Porter), but the Ogwen formerly made by Maxwell Hemmons is now being made by John Burrel and being sold through PPS Steam Services at: http://www.pps-steam-models.co.uk/index.htm or you can e-mail them at [EMAIL PROTECTED] They may be willing to put you in touch with John Burre, and if he has one of the old Hemmens locos, maybe he has the Porter too. The other possible source is Yesteryear Toys in Alexandria bay NY, who also advertize the Burrel Ogwen - they may be the North American distributor for Burrel. their website is at: http://www.yesteryeartoys.com/ and e-mail is [EMAIL PROTECTED] aor phone 1-800-481-1353. good luck with it, pf
Re: posts and frost heave
At 07:58 PM 1/4/05 -0500, Joe Betsko wrote: I am located in the Harrisburg, PA, area and frost heave evidences itself from time to time. I plan on digging post holes about a foot and a half deep, filling the bottom with about two inches of gravel, installing the post in the hole and then backfilling with dirt while maintaining plumb. Based on this methodology, will the posts be susceptible to the effects of frost heave? Absolute minimum for southern Pa would be 3', more if the digging is not too hard. A little extra sweat will mean it's done right the first time. Having to mess about trying to level a layout when the posts have moved due to frost action, or worse, ripping it out and doing it again.best do it right the first time! regards, pf
Re: Sectional Track - Part 2
At 07:54 PM 10/4/04 -0700, Steve Shyvers wrote: Does anyone have any additional info about Koppel? If it was a German company could Jubilee track been a patriotically-named euphemism for the same product for use on the Western front? Prefab sectional narrow gauge track was originally developed by Paul Decauville, who installed it on his farm in 1875. He 'sold' the idea of it (along with Prosper Pechot) to the French artillery. Decauville went into mass production of the track in the early 1880s. The idea was adopted by other industrial railway mail order firms - principally OK in Germany and Hudson in the UK, but there were many, many more. The term 'Jubillee' track is one taken from the Hudson catalogue and adopted by the Brit War Department in WWI when referring to prefab track. Each manufacturer had it's own patented component to make it different from its competitors, like means of securing rails to ties or join track panel to track panel (rail joiners). If you are interested in further info I can scan and send you material from the Hudson catalogue. regards, pf
Re: Ringburner++
Hi Henner, Neat design! However, I couldn't get the dxf file to open (in AutoCAD). I got an error message: Improper color number 0 for Layer on line 140. Invalid or incomplete DXF input -- drawing discarded. Does your CAD program give you the option of saving as a dwg file, or in a different dxf version? thanks, pf At 09:30 PM 8/7/04 -0700, Henner Meinhold wrote: Sorry again for the late reply, as I can post to this group only on weekends (Is there a way to post from a different E-mail address ?). Anyway, some of you asked for information about my alcohol ring burner. Instead of mailing the information, I asked my friend David to post it on his WEB site. He kindly agreed. Here is the link:
Re: Cheddar Fule tanks and Valves
At 09:16 AM 7/11/04 -0700, Paul Gamlin wrote: Does any one have experience with Cheddar Fuel ( Butane and butane/ propane ) Tanks . It looks like they have a large tank with a diaphragm type regulator valve as opposed to a needle valve I am trying to make a Long Runing engine and am wondering if this might be a possability for the fule tank . It has been reported by reliable sources that their current offerings, using that tank, will run well over an hour on a fill. pf
Re: Deionized water (was RH SRRL #24)
At 04:11 PM 6/25/04 -0400, you wrote: How about the $1.29 gallon jugs from my local supermarket (Key Food) marked Steam Distilled Water? They're from a company called Wissahickon in Kutztown PA. I found this water website http://www.wspringwater.com/pdfs.htm and downloaded the analysis of Wissahickon's distilled water and apparently there is absolutely nothing in it! Yes. Steam distilled is what you want. pf
Re: 7/8n2 Forney [was RH #24]
At 10:52 AM 6/16/04 -0400, jim.stapleton wrote: There is a commercial version of one of the WWF Forneys being offered by Rishon [Australian, I think] in 7/8n2. I can't say that they don't do a 7/8 scale Forney, but they definitely do a SRRL #6 (later KC #4, later still WWF #9) in 16mm scale (gauge O track). I heard rumors about a possible 7/8 scale version, but had not heard anything further. regards, pf
Re: RH SRRL #24
At 09:13 AM 6/15/04 -0400, you wrote: RH SRRL #24 is ostensibly 1:20.3. I aways thought it was 1:19th Actually, in checking the model against known prototype dimension, it is closest to 1:24 or 1/21' scale. The original was a real monster on 2' gauge track. pf
Re: Wicks: Stainless Steel or Glass or ?
At 12:28 PM 4/4/04 -0700, Gary wrote: I have installed stainless steel radiant burner type mesh in my Aster Alisan shay burners. I did this with my Roundhouse 'Pooter'. The first bench test was rather exciting after about 3 minutes, when the meths started to boil in the wick tubes, and ejected flaming gobs of burning meths up the central 'chimney' in the rolled stainless mesh. These little flamers would shoot up 3' from the burner! I cured it by ramming pieces of soft iron stove wire down the centre hole until it was well packed. This took care of the eruption problems. The burner still flares some in windy conditions - a product, I think, of the lower vapour pressure of the pure methylated spirits over traditional meths (denatured methyl alcohol). I think I'll try an inverted, linear 'U' shaped piece of mesh suspended over the burner as a radiant element. I'm hoping this will reduce the amount of un-burnt meths vapour than can escape the burner chamber in a wind. I'll report back on this once its tried (and the weather has warmed enough not to need gloves to go out and run!!!). pf
RE: Butane/Propane Fuel tank Pressure?
At 09:08 AM 1/21/04 -0800, Steve Ciambrone wrote: I do not think I can test to the 350 Psi Mike recommended. 160 PSI might be a good compromise it is three times working pressure of butane at 120F and twice the working pressure of an 80/20 mix at 90F. I was planning on building my tanks out of 1 1/2 copper pipe with end plates the same as a boiler. You would be surprised what you can get out of a hand pump squirty bottle! We've had one run up over 300 psi somewhat by accident - it was taken out to the local model engineering society to show how simply small boilers could be tested. It was left out after demonstrating a 150psi test. they kept squeezing the trigger and took it over 300. No damage to anything, either. give it a try. regards, pf
Re: Intro and question
At 10:18 AM 1/5/04 -0800, Shekhar Patkar wrote: Could people give me suggestions asto what spare parts I should be keeping on hand for my Frank S? Then I'll order all of them in one go. An even better solution! Come to Diamondhead next week, and chat with all sorts of people about it, and the suppliers are right there too. enjoy pf
Re: ANOTHER 1/4 SCALE LOCOMOTIVE
At 08:02 AM 12/5/03 -0500, Casey Sterbenz wrote: Here is another link to a 1/4 scale live steamer. This one is an 0-4-0 geared engine with a vertical oscillating cylinder and a horizontal gas fired boiler. As shown on the drawings the platework is similar to British contractor engines. That could easily be modified to resemble American practice. The web page that introduces the drawings shows a print of the prototype that was available from an Ohio factory in 1898. Actually Casey, it's a 'Cricket' clone (and developed by Ernst Glaser after the Cricket was out of production. It is more or less 16mm scale (1:19) to run on gauge 'O'. The prototype was an American engine made by Byers as shown on the geared engines site at: http://www.trainweb.org/gearedsteam/ regards, pf
Re: Tenmille eBay item
At 08:35 PM 11/24/03 -0600, Harry Wade wrote: I knew it was one of two, but rather than go back in and check it again I decided to guess and guessed wrong. Zee short term memory she ain't what she used to be. Not your error Harry, nothing wrong with either your short or long term memory (at least none that I ever noticed). The seller listed it incorrectly, despite the fact he had the kit box at hand when writing the listing. pf
Re: Tenmille eBay item
At 07:05 PM 11/24/03 -0600, Harry Wade wrote: For anyone interested in LB equipment there's a Tenmille GO14 kit on eBay with no bids on it last time I checked. Which is actually a Talyllyn kit, not LB. pf
Re: Coal fired loco design details
At 07:31 PM 11/19/03 -0800, Jeffrey Williams wrote: 1. Do Ga1 coal fireboxes typically have water legs on the sides and back of the firebox? Apparently this is not a necessary feature any longer - somewhat thicker plate for the firebox takes care of heat transfer to the water in the boiler. 2. If not, is burn-through ever an issue? Apparently not. 3. Should I expect a limited lifetime for the boiler, considering the significantly higher combustion temperatures of coal and corrosiveness of combustion products, compared to my butane experience? Not from the coal firing directly. In speaking to John Shawe he said that most of the wear seems to come from over-enthusiastic cleaning of the flues after a run (using brushes with bristles that are too stiff or hard, that abrade to soft flue material) 4. I imagine that the smokebox of coal fired locos is also very hot. I witnessed blistered paint on Tony Dixon's Duchess as proof! Does this cause other grief with high temperatures near the cylinders, pilot trucks, frame, etc? Can't say, myself, although I wouldn't think so. 5. The kits come unpainted. What are your experiences with paint types for hot-hot-hot surfaces? I'm hoping for more variety than BBQ black! Several builders in my acquaintance have noted problems with some of these paints becoming tacky when the loco is fired (not restricted to coal firing). Generally, they weren't too pleased with the results. 6. Is there any issue with cinders getting back into the cylinders through the exhaust and scoring the cylinders? None that I've heard mentioned. 7. Has anyone done any scientific tests of various coals to prove lower clinker-formation, higher BTU/lb, etc? It seems to me that low residue is perhaps the most important feature of coal for Ga1 locos. Nothing scientific that I've ever heard of, but lots of empiric 'I tried that kind and it worked well' advice. regards, pf
Re: Outdoor Railroader
At 10:21 PM 11/1/03 -0500, you wrote: Is someone out there who owns the following magazine and would be willing to lend it to me for a couple of days?: Outdoor Railroader October/November 1994 I am interested in the following two articles 15 Ton Class-A Climax (1897) 12 Ton Class-A Climax (1890) Any expenses would of course be covered by me. I have this one - do you want .pdf scans of the article? pf
Re: R/C alcohol loco?
At 08:03 PM 27/07/03 -0700, Gary from Terror Trestle country wrote: I have been told it is and is not possible to R/C my Aster Alisan shay. I attended Portland's mini layout tour (9 layouts in one day, found 8 within the time constraints). A SRRL #24 had very small servos activating throttle and reversing lever. While fitting a receiver and battery pack may pose more problems, the servos will fit easily. I have a small hope that the servo's could be disguised by installing leather flaps as some did for cold weather operations to hide the electronics. Of course I value function before form, so I am only interested in practical functional installation of R/C at this time. I would have to say this one would be fairly easy. My buddy Bill Shipp has put a 2-channel FM radio into his scratch built 16mm finescale, gauge 'O' DeWinton - it's all of 7 long and a little over 2 wide and 4 high to the top of the vertical boiler. There is no covering superstructure, yet the radio installation is all but invisible. This took a micro receiver, 2 micro servos and a 4x400 MAH NIMH N-cells hard wired under the chassis. I can send a photo if you're interested in just how small you can go. I don't think the point is whether or not RC can be installed, but how you want it to look after you're done. Just about any 2-channel received and 2 servos can be shoehorned in, but they are pretty visible, and for some that's a real detraction. For others it's the control that's important - tour choice. A trip to your local hobby shop that services the RC electric airplane crowd will let you see up close just how small some of the available components are - most are available in ground frequencies on a special order basis unless he's really carrying a large inventory. This stuff is not cheap, either. FM transmitter and micro receiver, and 2 micro servos will run in the $200+ range, easily more with special sub-size batteries, switches, recharging socket, etc.. regards, pf
Re: G1 Loco Drawings
At 06:32 PM 25/07/03 +0100, Art Walker wrote: The LBSC of our times in my opinion. The clarity of the drawings instructions is just great. I don't know about that, Sir Arthur! I have the drawings and words for building his coal fired 'O' scale Schools-look-alike, 'Bat'. I've found half a dozen conflicting dimensions between the written portion and the drawings in looking them over. One fellow who had tried to build one got the chassis finished and simply could not get it to run. He sent it to Ted McJannett of Model Power Products, a fairly talented local model engineer, who got it to work after a great deal of work. According to Ted, if you built it to LBSC's instructions, it couldn't run! My big complaint about his stuff is that there was never an update or post construction supplement straightening out all these 'misunderstandings'. regards, pf
Re: Water Volumes
At 07:33 PM 06/07/03 -0400, Chuck Walters wrote: I have never had a boiler run dry when using hot water compared to warm or cold water. As stated in my article in issue 69 of SitG, the difference in volume between water at or near freezing and water at or near boiling is not significant enough to report. On a 100mL sample the volume difference is less than 5mL. Also, if you start with 200mL of water at 90 degrees Celsius or 200mL of water at 20 degrees Celsius, you still are staring with 200mL. I am being told by a reader that he is sure using hot water will cause the boiler to run out of water faster. I have NEVER had that happen and for all intents and purposes have NEVER noticed a bit of difference. Have any of you? I think we may be talking of two different things here. What is being suggested, I think is, that if you start with hot water it will boil and turn to steam much faster than if you start with cold water. It is then possible to use up all your water before the fuel runs out - we're talking about a loco here that doesn't have a fill valve on it. regards, pf
Re: Aster Climax - How to light fire?
At 04:55 PM 29/06/03 -0500, you wrote: How do you light the fire on a gas Aster Climax??? The front doesn't open, the burner doesn't pull out. There is a big hole in the side of the burner, but so far this doesn't seem to do it. Lighting there seems to pull the fire out of the butane lighter, but no reassuring pop in the burner. I can cook a hot dog on the flame at the top of the stack. You light it at the top of the stack, after opening the gas valve until you can hear the hiss of gas. Once lit, turn the gas down until the flame 'pops' back to the burner. Failure of the flame to pop back suggests a partially blocked gas jet is the problem. As I don't have an Aster Climax I can't give you specifics of the steps to dismantle it sufficiently to access the jet, however, in general terms: remove sufficient bodywork to access the burner assembly, disconnect the gas supply line from the burner, if you get lucky here the jet assembly is a simple push fit in the burner, if not dis-assemble to the point you have the jet assembly in your hands (generally this is a jet holder that the gas supply line connects to, with the jet screwed into the other end). Hold the jet by the body with soft-grip needle-nose pliers (not by the threads). Hold the jet outlet end down on the nozzle of a can of gas (butane, iso or butane/propane mix) and push down on the gas can nozzle with the jet - liquid gas will squirt through the jet and clear any grunge from it. You can tell it is clear when a solid stream of liquid gas comes out of the jet. When you re-assemble everything, seal the jet in the holder with ptfe tape on the threads, same on the jet holder to burner body threads if it is not a push fit. You want to ensure there is no source of extraneous air to mess up the combustion process. Once it's all back together, try lighting again. With the age of the loco it is likely that it has a fairly coarse thread on the gas control valve. This may make it difficult to adjust the burner to to get good operation, but practise is required to recognize what is a 'good' setting. good luck with ti, pf
Re: Minimum Firebox size
At 07:32 AM 15/06/03 -0700, Jeffrey Williams wrote: What are your experiences with minimum practical sizes of fireboxes for coal fired Ga1 steamers? More specifically, how narrow can they get and still work well? LBSC designed a couple of 'O' gauge, 'O' scale coal fired locos. Plans for one of them, 'Bat' are still available (I got mine from Sulphur Springs). The outside width of the fire box is 13/16, formed from 2 layers of copper each side - 20 gauge for the boiler and 16 gauge for the firebox shell. Inside width is slightly more than 1/2. Only the throat plate and crownsheet are wet. The depth of the firebox is 7/8, there are 3 - 5/16 and 1 - 1/2 tubes. regards, pf
RE: Where to find plans
At 10:45 AM 27/05/03 -0400, Terry Griner wrote: Also there are the plans to build a Kerr-Stewart in 'O' gauge listed off Vance's page, you might be able to 'upsize' the plans. Actually the 'Brazil' on Vance's site is built to 16mm scale (1:19.05) - 2' gauge on 'O' gauge track. For a 3' version o run on gauge 1 track the plans would be reduced by 6.25% to bring them to 15mm scale (1:20.3). regards, pf
Re: Re: Surveys Fuel
At 07:40 AM 16/03/03, Bruce Gathman wrote: Accucraft asked the market at the Diamondhead 2003 convention. Hmm..I was there, but don't recall this at all. If my faulty memory has it correct, Accucraft wasn't even officially 'there' this year. Are you sure you're not confusing this with another event, Bruce? regards, pf
Re: Re: Re: Surveys Fuel
At 10:41 AM 16/03/03, Bruce Gathman wrote: It was on the table directly across from the registration table or towards to front door from the drawbar pulling table. Which proves I need to pay more attention to what's going on around me! Fog, you say!!! pf
Re: alcohol vs butane vs white gas
At 10:46 AM 16/03/03, Gary in Eugene wrote: Have white gas burners like those used in light weight back packing stoves been used for locos? The heat output seems much higher than butane, and the flame is hot at high altitudes and cold weather (after the burner throat heats up). What you are describing is, in effect, a vaporizing burner. The fuel used doesn't matter much - just about any flammable liquid could be used. The problem with vaporizing burners seems to be how to make them dependably stable and resistant to flashing up, over, around, among, etc. etc. regards, pf
Re: Back to O rings
At 11:08 AM 11/03/03, royce in SB wrote: I would, however, like a comment on the issue of the bore being .442 vs Oring .438. I did an experiment by packing the O ring groove with a strip of brass to bring the OD up to .444 or so. Interestingly, the exhaust beat increased from 1 per revolution to 3 per revolution (it's hard to tell) while the friction increased (higher PSI req'd to start, run). This seemed to indicate that without the packing, alot of blowby was occuring in at least one of the cylinders. But if this were the case, why was I able to get it to run at all below say 7 PSI ? I concluded that I was going to have to make new cylinders with an ID of .438 to get a 4 beat per revolution exhaust beat (important to me, for some reason). Before making new cylinders, why not make new pistons? That, to me, would be a considerably easier exercise, would it not? regards, pf
Re: O rings-Check
At 09:21 PM 06/03/03, Earle wrote: If you suspect worn o-rings in the cylinders there is a simple check you can do. Royce Braderman (Quisenberry Station Roundhouse Dealer) suggested I try loosening the gland nut on the cylinders a bit allowing the packing there to leak steam. After raising steam and slowly opening the steam regulator you should see steam coming out the packing thru only half of the revolution of the drivers. If steam leaks out thru the entire revolution then either the valves or the o-ring on the piston is leaking. If only thru half of the cycle then your piston and valves are sealing okay. An alternate test - open the regulator wide with the loco held in place. If you get a spout of steam coming from the stack your rings are worn, and the steam is blowing by the rings, out the exhaust ports and up the stack. regards, pf
Re: Alisan plume?
At 08:38 PM 25/02/03, Curious in Oregon wrote: OK, another naieve question. The Steamlines Shay, Ted's Roundhouse 7/8th scale Porter, and the Frank S all have obvious plumes from the smokestack during cold weather. This Alisan Shay runs almost plume free. The pop offs offer evidence that steam is powering the critter, but only episodic plumes occur from the smoke stack and those usually when the engine starts from a stop. Any hypothesis occur to any of you, let me know. Is it a real efficient engine? Does the exhaust cool too much to cause a plume or could the exhaust be too hot and the steam dry? Steam plumes happen when exhaust steam encounters (relatively) cool ambient temperature air, causing the steam to condense and become visible. This effect is much less common (but not unknown) in locos with a locomotive type boiler where the fire is being drawn through the tubes, producing a much hotter exhaust than a centre flue boiler, common to the locos you list above. Boilers on these locos are not dependent on exhaust draft to keep the fire going, so the exhaust going up the stack is considerably cooler, allowing the exhaust steam a chance to condense and become visible. rta, pf
Re: Aster Alisan wick problem
Hi guys, What hasn't been mentioned, but perhaps should be, is the issue of the quality of the meths. My only experience with US-made denatured alcohol is the stuff in use at Diamondhead. It was terrible - high water content and all sorts of other chemicals dissolved in it. Here, north of the 48th we've been using methyl alcohol sold as gas line anti-freeze. This stuff has almost no water in it (under 1% in the sealed can) and no impurities. It burns hot and clean and costs about $10Can for a gallon can. I'd check your source to see if they can tell you what percentage of water is in what they sell. With the fan or blower on, the flames should be pure blue with only a haze of orange or yellow at the tips. Lots of yellow, to me, means lots of impurities, with water being the chief culprit. rta, pf
Re: DEE Locomotive
Hi guys, At 08:22 AM 23/01/03, Harry Wade wrote: There were two sets of DEE wheel castings (from Walsall) for sale at Diamondhead. One belonged to Mike Albert but he decided to keep them and I don't recall who the other set belonged to. They belonged to Mike McCormack, from the Boston area. They wheels and frame set did not sell. You can reach Mike at [EMAIL PROTECTED] if you want further info on what he has/prices. rta, pf
Fwd: Project Excelsior Latest
Hi folks, I posted a note to the list just before Christmas about a guy in the U.K. developing some replacement cylinders for the Accucraft loco 'Excellsior' which would also fit the Ruby. That has now been done and the forwarded e-mail below gives additional details. The original message contained a pic which has been removed from this post, but is on the website. To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Tue, 14 Jan 2003 12:34:15 + Subject: [16mmngm] Project Excelsior Latest Hi All, Thanks to Sam Evans of this list (for planting the original seed of an idea), i have updated the Project Excelsior web site to include Project Ruby the fitting of 9/16 bore cylinders to an Accucraft Ruby locomotive. Picture attached shows Ruby on her first steam test with the new cylinders. http://www.sm32.co.uk enjoy, pf
possible replacement cylinders for Ruby, Ida and Mimi
Hi guys, There's a new product in development in the UK. You can see it at http://www.sm32.co.uk/ - follow the 'Project Excellsior' link. 'Excellsior' (a Kerr Stuart loco running on the Sittingbourne and Kelmsley Rwy) is the loco developed by Accucraft for the UK market using 'Ruby' cylinders as the starting point. There has been fairly general dissatisfaction with them because of a lack pulling power due to the small cylinder size. The page shows the new, larger cylinders being developed as bolt on replacements for the originals. Since they're 'Ruby' cylinders, these should be a bolt on addition to Ruby and her sisters, as well. regards, pf
Re: Cabeese and other questions.
At 08:05 AM 14/12/02, Sam Evans wrote: What scale of 2 footer? Northeast Narrowgauge do kits of WWF coach combine and SRRL freight stock inc caboose in 1:20.3 scale. It's been said before, and it can't hurt to repeat it! I've found NENG kits to be a terribly frustrating experience - wood parts not square, and warped as well. Scratch building would have been less aggravation. rta, pf
Re: Fn3
At 08:48 PM 10/12/02, Phil Paxos wrote: Thanks . I missed this one. What is a Roundhouse SR#24? Remember the original was a narrow 2 foot Gauge. The Roundhouse #24 is more or less 1/2=1' scale. It was simply too big if built to 16mm scale for gauge 'O', which would have been correct scale and gauge. rta, pf
Re: Pop Valves
At 08:57 AM 31/05/02, CWolcott wrote: (Do you know if RoundHouse safeties are weepers or pop? I just steamed my Lady Anne kit for the first time and it's safety never went off, but did not weep anything like my Ruby's used to.) They are weepers. Early Roundhouse locos had pop type safeties, but they changed years ago to the weeper style. Something about safety, they say, but I could never see the problem, myself. regards, pf
looking for Pete Olsen
Pete Olsen, if you're out there, please contact me off list. pf
Re: Old guy with a question
At 03:14 PM 03/04/02 -0600, Mike Eorgoff wrote: So what scale is 2-1/2 gauge this week? This is gauge 3, one of the traditional, original model rail gauges. The finescale guys do it at 17/32=1', the 'close enuff is good enuff' guys do it as 1/2=1'
Re: Butane tank thread
At 12:45 PM 26/02/02 -0500, Keith Manison wrote: Doe anyone know what thread is used on butane tanks? I've been able to succesfully make fittings for them using a 7/16 x 28 thread. However, that does not seem to be a standard thread, so I'm wondering if it's metric and I just got lucky. The Ronson valve thread is 4.5mm x 0.5mm. pf
Re: New Accucraft Locos
At 04:10 PM 16/02/02 -0800, Jeffrey Williams wrote: The Accucraft website was just updated and shows the following live steam locos under development Superior 2-6-0 Live Steam (Classic Series, 1:20.3) This is actually an 0-6-2T, a fairly large English industrial tank engine - very powerful, nice slow speed operation. All in all, a very nice loco. pf
Re: Cheddar Iver
At 11:52 AM 21/01/02 -0500, Chuck Walter wrote: I noticed in one of the pics from DH that someone ran a Cheddar Iver there. For those who went to DH, how did it run? What impressions did it give you? Much the same as it did last year - big, heavy loco, really twitchy regulator. It was difficult to set the regulator to get dependable/consistent slow speed running. Note that this one was literally right out of the box. I think it might perform better after 10-15 hours of running. pf
Re: Engine Clean uo
At 08:25 PM 12/11/01 -0600, Trent wrote: How about building a work car with a stationary boiler and using it to clean our locomotives with a steam lance. Or how about simply attaching your steam lance to the blow-down valve on your loco - use the last of the steam to clean off the gunge! pf
Re: 4-wheelers was Dee locomotive
At 11:46 PM 22/10/01 -0500, Trent Dowler wrote: The BAGRS project got a lot of people excited about building their first locomotive. True, it was simple, required no machining, and was a 4 wheeler grin, but it was fun. We as a hobby need the next step up from that original design. Mark Horovitz has shown an 'overtype' kind of tram engine that is supposed to be the next generation in the BAGRS progression. You can see it at: http://www.sidestreetbannerworks.com/Steamup21/Project.html I understand that it will be 'sponsored' by the Denver GRS. rta, pf
Re: elevated plywood
At 06:15 PM 10/09/01 -0400, Jim Crabb wrote: The best I've seen to date for plywood -- a covering sprayed on that is the same material used for spraying liners into pickup trucks. Expensive, looks great and only time will tell how it holds up. Why not go to good one side, exterior grade, pressure treated plywood? That should avoid the problems that can arise if the roofing is wrapped too tightly and the moisture is trapped. Are we talking glue failure and delamination problems here, or failure of the applied coating? I've noticed a tendency for the plywood to sag between posts on the elevated 'running track' kind of layout, without a considerable amount of stiffening - almost to the point of becoming a post and beam set-up. As a generalization, I've noticed better success with roadbed formed from 2 layers of 1x6 p.t. pine fence boards, set so that the natural cupping action sheds water and with staggered joints between the layers. Curves are made from a series of tangent sections screwed together - ends up being sort of a 2x6. I've heard various arguements for and against using construction adhesive in combination with non-rusting wood screws for the assembly. I'd be interested in hearing about anyone's experience with either method. regards, pf
Re: Sammie Bantam (was Re: Hello???)
At 08:36 PM 29/08/01 -0400, Jess wrote: Does anybody know where I can find a picture of Bantum? Carl Malone told me, but I forgot. You'll find it at: http://www.argyleloco.com.au/bantam.html regards, pf
Re: Iver
At 11:39 AM 16/08/01 -0500, Trent Dowler wrote: The detail is just not there, period. The wheels are plain with no spokes, the oscillating cylinders, no visible valve gear whatsoever, the smokebox front is VERY plain and has what appears to be a valve handle on it Sorry Trent, but what you are describing here is standard UK narrow gauge loco appearance (aside from the Ossys). On the ad on the back of SitG, they claim that it was the winner of the 2001 Diamondhead weight lifting trophy. Is this correct? Yes..but the more correct question would be, how many pther entries were ther? pf
Re: Iver
At 12:48 PM 16/08/01 -0400, Walt wrote: Does anyone know who entered it in the weight lifting contest? I do not remember it and it should certainly have jogged my memory, unless it was when Trent and those Clydesdale ladies were cavorting about and I was distracted The fellow from Bruce Engineering who was about with Bob and Carol Paule. pf
Re: Iver
At 10:42 AM 15/08/01 -0700, Dave Cole wrote: let's get back on track (pun intended): the latest steam-in-the-garden arrived the other day with a second ad from yesteryear toys for the cheddar iver -- 0-4-0, gas fired, pressure gauge, goodall valve, $700, complete with r/c. has anyone purchased a production model? if so, what's it like? i know the preproduction model ran well at diamondhead, but we saw enough inconsistencies in early rubies to know that first production runs don't necessarily provide the same quality engine as the preproduction model. There's been a longish discussion on the 16mm list about 'Ivor' and his performance - consensus is that they run well when broken in, but they are oil pigs. pf
Re: RCS in my Ruby - It's ALIVE!
At 01:02 PM 13/08/01 -0500, Chris Wolcott wrote: As far as batteries go, while at Radio-Shack I saw some small package size 2.4V 300mah rechargeable batteries for cordless phones. Each was much smaller than two AA batteries. If a way could be found to recharge them, and they were hooked in series (parallel?) would they serve to provide the 4.8V 600mah wanted by the electronics? They will work just fine - the only effect is shorted use time/re-charge more often. The battery rating in mah is an expression of how long they will last. While not an exactly straight line relationship, it's close enough to say that a 600mah pack will last twice as long as a 300mah pack, all other things being equal. regards, pf
Re: Accucraft Excelsior
At 03:01 PM 26/06/01 -0700, Steve Ciambrone wrote: Has anyone run the Accucraft Excelsior yet. Comments? Similar to the Ruby/Ida? Lots of comments on the 16mm list, it's been out for several months in the UK. Main complaints concern a loud burner, and somewhat anemic steaming performance until broken in. Ian pearse, the designer, has been providing free replacement burners to those who got locos from the first lot imported. Later engines are reputed to have the howling burner syndrome fixed. People who have run-in the loco for a decent period of time (8-10 hours), report themselves pleased with it. regards, pf
Re: ???????????????????????????????
At 04:50 PM 26/06/01 -0700, Geoff Spenceley wrote: I have just purchased an OLD kit of a Bing or Bassett-Lowke 4-4-0 inside cyl, D valves Brit loco--2-1/2gauge-it is partially all there--a few parts missing. I haven't received it yet. My accomplished machinist/silver solderer friend with me fiddling and nagging, will attempt to make a running loco out of it. you might want to get in touch with the Gauge 3 Society in the UK (2 1/2 gauge, garden railroad stuff - this is not ride-behind) - a very helpful group, not a few of whom have built/finished just such a project. You can contact the membership secretary at:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Membership is 16UKP (call it $22.70US) for 4 newsletters a year, plus a group of people who are really interested in helping you finish this project. I can't recommend them too highly! regards, pf ps. they even have a 'project loco' in development!
Re: Cheddar Loco
At 08:53 AM 07/03/01 -0800, Steve Ciabrone wrote: I was reading a boating magazine Marine Modelling International and they had an article on the UK company Cheddar models. They have a picture which shows a newly designed G gauge Loco it is a 0-4-0 configuration with oscillating cylinders and a diamond stack. The article said it was now coming into production. Bruce Davey was running one at Diamondhead on the small 'O' gauge loop (it's re-gaugable). It's quite heavy for the size and may just have been suffering from 'brand new engine' syndrome, but the contol-ability was not too good. The running characteristics reminded me of a mamod - full on or full off with little range of control in between. Size and outline were also a little more realistic than Mamod. regards, pf
RE: Speaking of Steam
At 08:22 PM 28/02/01 -0700, Vance Bass wrote: There's also another live steam loco named "Excelsior" on the UK market right now. Poor timing, it seems. If I remember correctly, it's a Finescale SM32 loco, but I'll have to check again if anyone wants particulars. Another Accucraft effort, this time designed by Ian Pierce. Aside from a rather noisy burner, there've been good reports of it on the 16mm list. rta, pf
Re: Propane powered Ruby
Hi guys, At 02:09 PM 24/02/01 -0500, Roger WPW wrote: In some of the photos from Diamond Head there was a photo of a Ruby that had been converted to propane with the propane cylinder in a gondola . Has anyone else thought about trying that, and what problems might there be with that kind of conversion? As long as the propane tank is designed to hold propane, and there is a decent pressure regulating valve, again designed to work with propane, there isn't any problem. The differences in the heat output between butane and propane are compensated for by turning up the burner. That said, there remains a potential problem when a propane user wants to do things his own way and recycle/re-use a propane bottle that is clearly labelled not to be re-filled. The temptation to buy your propane by the 20 lb. barbecue tank full and decant it to your own loco gas tank is great. I know of at least one live steamer doing this, and after hearing his description of how he goes about re-filling his bottles, I hope I never happen to be near him when he does it. He's an accident waiting to happen. off my soap box, pf
Re: Russia Iron (was Forced repaint)
At 09:22 AM 23/02/01 -0800, Paul Gieske wrote: I believe that the instruction booklet that came with my Bachmann Mogul (or maybe I heard it somewhere else) had a Russian Iron boiler. It is definitely baby blue. What needs to be remembered with any manufactured product is that what's presented for sale is not necessarily a correct interpretation of reality: it may be dead on, it may be sort of close or it may be a complete work of fiction. With the whole 'Russia Iron' colour question, since there isn't any about with which to compare our models, we have to be careful of definitive statements. Bearing in mind the truth of the comments about the characteristics of the film in use at that time, I'm highly suspicious of the 'baby blue' interpretation offered by Bachmann. rta, pf
Re: sslivesteam-Digest - Number 359
At 02:21 PM 05/02/01 -0500, Salty wrote: In a message dated 01-02-05 10:05:01 EST, you write: While at DH01, which many of you attended, there was supplied steam oil. I noticed that there were a number of bottles of the dark very thick stuff as well as some that was lighter in color (light yellow and clear) on the tables also labled steam oil. I never did figure out what the difference was other than the lighter/ thinner stuff looked and felt more like heavy machine oil. I did not use any as I was a little reluctant to use the light weight stuff. Any one have any idea what that light stuff or was it a mislabled bottle of machine oil? Steam oil comes in a variety of weights, just like motor oil. The lighter stuff is best in small, light weight engines. pf
RE: Characters??
At 10:46 AM 27/01/01 -0500, Don Plasterer wrote: I use MSN Hotmail and for some reason the list server started bouncing back my postings to the list. I changed to Rich Text Format (whatever that is) and the messages get through but now have the strange characters. Generally it means you are sending your mail in the dreaded HTML, soon to incorporate all kinds of dancing bears and ads, as the 'free' services find ways to finance their activities. pf
Re: Dead leg lubricator?
At 02:31 PM 27/01/01 -0600, Trent Dowler wrote: On the plans and original notes it mentions a dead leg lubricator and my friend asked what that was since there is no diagram of it anywhere snip Correct, or do I once again have a lesson to learn? Correct If my friend were to use the dead leg type lubricator, shouldn't the lubricator be placed as close as possible to the cylinders? Mike Chaney has put dead leg lubricators on his engines for years. In an e-discussion with him he offered the opinion that they were as good or better than the pass-through type. As you suggest, they do need to be close to the cylinders, which has the added benefit of being downstream from the superheater, meaning that you don't end up with oil gunk baked onto the inside of the pipe. The DL type also seems to deliver less oil (empirical observation on my part), which I think is a good thing. With the low temperature/low pressure of our steam, the little beasts don't need anywhere near the dose of steam oil that most pass-through lubricators deliver. rta, pf
Re: Dead leg lubricator?
At 07:50 PM 27/01/01 -0600, Trent Dowler wrote: Does the suppy line need to be routed from the bottom or near the top of the lubricator? The end of the line coming into the lubricator from the bottom should be at the top of the lubricator. It works by the same displacement method as the pas-through type of lubricator - steam in, condenses and displaces an equal volume of oil into the dead leg line. How the two (oil and steam) co-exist in the line, let alone pass each other on this one lane road is something I'll leave to fluid mechanics expert. All I know is, it works! If it's the vacuum that draws the oil from the lubricator I would assume that the line should come from the bottom. No vacuum involved Any other input or thoughts on the dead leg? Sometimes "hands on" knowledge is better than pictures and/or specs. A little hole in the end of the pipe is better than a big one - Again quoting Mike Chaney (this is a foggy memory hear, wish he were here to make sure I get it right) a No.50 drill is about perfect. rta, pf
Re: Ceramic burner for Creekside [was: Dead leg lubricator?]
At 07:55 PM 27/01/01 -0600, Trent Dowler wrote: I have a Jane that I'd like to build a ceramic burner for someday. Since the Jane, Creekside, and Mamod all share a very similar (perhaps exact?) frame I would think that it should work in the Jane as well. There's a company in the UK called 'Paper'n Steam Galore that kepps putting up ceramic burner kits on e-bay. Their web site at: http://www.papernsteam.co.uk/main.shtml list various products, including the burner kits, but gives no details. Anyone have any direct experience with them? pf
Re: Ruby Tender
At 06:03 PM 26/01/01 +0100, Z.R. Struzik wrote: Roundhouse in UK sells separately the tender from their William loco. I hope it is not too wide for Ruby. William is 125mm wide so I suppose so is the tender Actually they have two tenders - a bogie version (2 trucks), 8"lx4"wx3.5"h, as used with the Sandy River and other larger locos; and a 4-wheel model, 7"lx4.5"wx4.75"h. Thay are both the same price and available as a kit at 100 UKP or ready to run at 135 UKP, plus shipping. They are available in all the standard RH colours. Talk to the folks at Brandbright if you are interested. rta, pf
Re: Gas - the other kind/coal types
At 10:35 PM 22/01/01 -0800, Antony Dixon wrote: I read an article about John Shawe,s conversion of another Roundhouse engine, and recall he used Welsh coal. I assume you have asked him the source and type of coal he uses?. I talked to John at Diamondhead. He said that his current choice in steam coal is from Poland. rta, pf
RE: Northeast Steam-up
Hi guys, At 06:08 AM 20/01/01 -0500, Chuck Walters wrote: While I agree, Steamtown will be fun (I will be there), it hardly compares to DH or the National in the summer. A scheduled (sometime, same location), large attended event is what I had in mind when I started this thread. Someone on the list suggested PLS. :) With an extra portable track or two, that would be very ideal. A three day event in PA would be very successful I believe. Perhaps early to mid May (away from the club open house). Let's not mess up the guys who already have something scheduled for early May in St. Louis! Just a convention for small scalers. A hotel near by with a "convention goer" rate. Hats, apron, etc. The PLS club sponsoring hot dogs and such (great profit making ability). Why not bring it up to the PLS officers? The club could make some serious profits from the attendance also. Over time, it could be very big! Just my thoughts! I agree heartily that something closer than DH and/or Sacramento would be desirable, but let's not think too big, too fast. Starting out with something smaller so you can learn as you go would seem to me to be a better way of ensuring long term success. rta, pf
Re: Kaye Loco
At 11:11 AM 19/01/01 -0600, Trent Dowler wrote: Have any of the rest of you found the Coleman Butane canisters like the one in photo #6 on Flemmings page? Here in the states I haven't run across any of them. The 'Taymar' canisters are only available in the EU, as far as I know. I have never seen one in North America. regards, pf
Re: Displacement lubricator size increase?
Hi group, At 10:49 AM 17/01/01 -0500, Don Plasterer wrote: Does anyone have any knowledge of a small steamer seizing up or wearing out a set of piston rings? I've never heard of a case. Wouldn't that be the result of to little or no steam oil? Yes, I bought one second hand from a guy who said it ran fine, but was a little anemic on the load pulling end - a major understatement! He must have run it without lubrication for a while, because the piston 'O' rings were so worn that you could open the regulator, hold the loco in place and still have a huge plume of steam come out of the stack. My comment about the effect of the size of the hole in the steam line in the lubricator came came direct from Mike Chaney when I asked him this question. He did indicate that worn piston rings would mean more steam being used, and more oil being displaced. In thinking about it, there's always steam pressure in the line at the lubricator, so the amount that can enter the lubricator and displace steam oil has to be related to the size of the oil. Who knows.experimentation is a cheap alternative, in this case. The worst it can cost is a bit of WD40 to clean up the steam oil residue! rta, pf
Re: half-round brass
At 10:55 PM 16/01/01 -0700, Vance Bass wrote: and it appears that Reeves will be resuscitated, so the situation may be pretty good. Do tell, any details yet? pf
Re: more pix
At 10:55 PM 16/01/01 -0700, Vance Bass wrote: More comments on more pix: Montgomery's tiny engine is HO. I don't remember the details of it either, but the HO track was basically laid so he could run, and he has four or five different HO steamers. Forgot to add this one to my note to you, David, - engine is a Crampton 4-2-0 passenger engine. Stock behind it came in a set with a HO scale/gauge Stephenson 'Rocket', which Jim also ran. The Crampton ran in a ball of meths fire - no way you could ever paint it! pf
'semi-walsherts', was Re: Bassett Lowke mogul
At 09:55 PM 30/12/00 -0600, Trent Dowler wrote: I e-mailed Trevor at The Signal Box asking for more information. With the exception of telling me that it had a single piston valve between the frame, he had no information available other than what's already been discussed here. He did mention it having "semi-Walsherts" valve gear. Not meaning to open a can of worms here, but what is "semi-Walsherts" when compared to Walsherts? Have a look at any Roundhouse loco (non-slip eccentric kind) and you see semi- walsherts (sp?). They simplify it by leaving out some parts. regards, pf
Re: Accucraft Excelsior
At 05:31 PM 30/12/00 -0500, Chuck Walters wrote: I have been reading notices from the 16mmngm list. They have been talking as of late about the Accucraft Excelsior. This appears to be an English model. I have not heard a word from anyone about it here in the states. Accucraft doesn't have any info posted on their website. Is Accucraft catering to one side of the pond and not the other? Both - 'Ruby', et al over here, 'Excelsior' over there. pf
BAGRS as class 'A' Climax
Gentlemen, I've been exploring some of the possibilities with the Midwest boiler and the BAGRS loco design. I'm thinking of moving it one step up, and trying for an early class 'A' 7 ton Climax design (4 wheel type), with 4:1 gear reduction off the engine shaft to a central layshaft below the floor, and 2:1 cross boxes to the two axles. The only cross box I know of is the Grandt one, which I've only seen in catalogue cuts. Anyone have any thoughts on its use in this instance? Anybody know of a more robust make? The BAGRS design has the steam engine geared down 11.4:1. Those of you who have one - do you see any problem with the lower reduction ratio? All thoughts, comments, ideas or suggestions welcome. regards, pf
Re: BAGRS loco questions
Hi guys, At 08:51 AM 12/9/00 -0500, Doug (reefman) wrote: I'd like to see it too. I'd also like to know where you bour\ght the Midwest Kit. I found the best price at Hobby People ($54.99, plus shipping). See: http://www.hobbypeople.net/gallery/572719.htm enjoy, pf
Re: BAGRS loco questions
Hi Michael, At 07:04 AM 12/8/00 -0800, you wrote: 1. The Roundhouse lubricator was specified in the original instructions and works quite well. However, if you wish to build your own I'd be happy to send you a drawing. Yes, please, I'd like to see it. 2. Due to the reduction gearing the loco is rather docile and is not very sensitive to the throttle setting. An aircraft engine needle valve would probably be overkill. Good point. Besides, if I manage to build a rocket, I can always retrofit something. 3. Yes, they are combustible! Ah yes, meths fires.I understand. 4. While alcohol burners are OK, the boiler materials and construction are not up to gas firing. I figured on having a friend silver solder the boiler anyway (he was kind enough to offer), so it should be fine with either method of firing, and gas has the advantage of not causing conflagration on roll-over (as in #3, above). At less than 40 psi pressure and fitted with a safety valve, I thought the boiler material should be sturdy enough. 5. You could add a reversing valve in the steam/exhaust lines (like Mamod) but I wouldn't recommend it. The more plumbing you have between the boiler and the engine, the greater the heat loss. There isn't a lot of heat to spare in the basic configuration. Yes, I see your point. 6. Contact Harry Wade of The Willow Works. He specializes in Boilermaking and carries a small line of beautiful fittings. Thanks for the tip - I've always admired his stuff in the magazines. Most of all, have fun with the project! The most important thing! Thanks for taking the time to give me your thoughts. regards, pf
Re: ssBoilers
At 06:17 AM 12/7/00 -0600, Charles Brumbelow wrote: If my mental arithmetic and memory are both right, Gauge 3 IS 1:20.3 standard gauge. Nope, Gauge 3 is 1:22.6 scale and track gauge is 2.5" or 63.5mm. pf
BAGRS loco questions
Hi guys, I picked up a Midwest Products Model VI steam engine and boiler kit, recently. I've been looking at the instruction pages on the Potomac site and have the SitG issues with the improvements, but have still managed to come up with a few questions, which I hope you will have some thoughts on: 1. The assembly instructions call for an in-line displacement lubricator, but nothing is mentioned in the materials/parts list. What have folks been using? The only commercially available one that I know of is the Roundhouse one. Any others? 2. I'm thinking of adding a model aircraft needle valve assembly as a steam regulator, in place of the aquarium fitting used in the SitG article. Any thoughts? 3. Anyone tried using the Delrin chain and sprocket sets from Serv-o-link for the reduction dive? Thoughts? 4. Anyone tried re-doing the boiler with gas firing? Results? 5. I recall seeing somewhere that the loco can't run backwards. It never occurred to me to ask before, but, why not? 6. I've got some gauge glass material, and wouldn't mind fitting a water level glass, if I could find some small boiler fittings. Can anyone suggest a source? Anticipating a flood of great advice! regards, pf 6.
Re: Ladder Chain Sprokets
Hi guys, At 09:20 PM 00-07-06 -0400, Bruce Gathman wrote: Does anyone know of a good source to purchase ladde chain and sprockets? In Delrin, look at: http://servolink.com/ You can buy direct, but in larger quantities than you may wish. These have been used on some home built 'tramway' locos, similar to the BAGRS project loco. rta, pf
Cricket, was Re: Osmotor
At 12:06 PM 00-03-01 -0500, SaltyChief wrote: I really get a kick out of mine, but I wish it had a little longer run time. At best I have coaxed 15 minutes out of it. I noted that the type A shown in the picture has a different exhaust than the one I have. Even found a prototype for it! Look at: http://members.xoom.com/gearedsteam/home.htm under John F. Myers Machine Co. regards, pf
Re: New roster, apology ...
Hi Dave, I checked the bio page - Terry Griner's appears under my name. From the archives, my bio is at: http://www.mail-archive.com/sslivesteam@colegroup.com/msg01102.html Thanks, Peter Foley Hamilton, Ontario.
Re: Potomac Industries
At 06:03 PM 00-02-29 -0500, SaltyChief wrote: To get the BAGRS complete Kit from Potomac, How do I contact them? My E-mail came back undeliverable.Is this really a good beginners project? You didn't mention what address you used - I have [EMAIL PROTECTED] in my address book (used it about 2 months ago), but haven't used it lately. You don't really say what would make it good, or not, for you. The kit is described on their web page at: http://users.erols.com/diesel/project/index.html My opinion - an easy build, but not really a model of anything. It's more a caricature, but can be built into a credible kind of tramroad engine (as in homebuilt). I like them - but then I've always been a sucker for little vertical boiler lokies. rta, Peter Foley Hamilton, Ontario.
Re: Nightmare Units
At 03:01 PM 00-02-15 -0500, Bill Keuhsel wrote: Sorry again, but you are wrong. I will quote to you from "Fundamentals of Physics" by Halliday Resnick, third edition, John Wiley publisher, page 86. This is a text used in engineering schools, and Resnick was/is a professor at Please don't. If you really feel the need to straighten him out, please take it off list. rta, Peter Foley Hamilton, Ontario.
this 'n that from the archives
Evening steamites, I spent an enjoyable evening last night meandering through the archives. I then wrote a scintillating post, full of wit and sage thinking, on a variety of topics I found there, only to have my computer freeze as I got to the end of it. That oughta' learn me! So, herewith, a much shortened post on one of the subjects - where do you build your track; way down there or up about here? As I noted in my intro, my new line is scheduled for this spring, after the new fence goes in. I'll be building it up about here. Yes, I know all the best looking photos are all taken on ground level lines, but me and my brand new knees won't be doing any more yard-crawling, I think. Max. height will be about 38" at the end of the lot, about 30" at the tail of the yard. Up towards the house it will be elevated about a foot. I have the option in the future of doing just like the prototype, and filling around all those post and beam trestle sections, and extending the landscaped part of the garden to surround the railway. I figure that if I wait 'till I get all the walls built first, I could be dead before I ever get to run a train. Better this way I think, railway first, fancy landscaping, retaining walls, et al, later. The line will also be level, although I've designed in the possibility of a branch line at about 3% steady grade, should I get bored with the 'easy' driving on the flat. I'm putting the fence in with alternate 4x4 and 2x4 posts, 4' on center, so the fence supported parts will have solid supports a maximum of 4' apart. For the rest of it, I'm tempted to use deck blocks and 4x4s, and just adjust things every spring. The problem with this is that one of the things that I'd like to avoid is all the spring track levelling that seems to be a big part of opening the line in the spring. While I have to admit that I do like the look of a train on a ground level line (irrespective of all the arguments about point of view and perspective), on balance, I think things come out in favour of elevated. I run regularly at two ground level lines, one of which is built to what I consider to be the ultimate bullet proof method. The track base is 1x1/8" mild steel bar, bent to radius and profile and joined with lap joints. The hand laid track panels (code 148 rail) are screwed down to the steel base. It's the only one I've seen in the great white north, that doesn't need a whole lot of work, come spring. in fact, other than dressing the ballast, I don't think he's had to do anything to it in 3 years. The other is built on a spline roadbed made of the lath strips that they use to separate timbers when they're stacked for pressure treatment. The lath ends up pressure treated too, and is a throw away at the local garden supply place. It's considerably more flexible, and moves a lot more with winter frost action. Can't wait for spring, Peter Foley Hamilton, Ontario.
bio
gentle beings, Following the protocol of the list, I offer the following by way of introducing myself: the boring stuff first, Peter Foley, Hamilton Ontario, 52, married, 2 kids in university, landscape architect who hopes to retire sooner rather than later. the more interesting stuff, I've been a fan of railroads since being introduced to them at the age of 6 by my grandfather - we went and rode the switcher at the THB Aberdeen yard. I've 'played' in most scales and gauges from 'N' to my current choice, 16mm scale/32mm gauge. I've been a garden guy since 1984 when I found the 16mm Society in the UK. I've a number of steamers that get regular exercise on various garden lines in the area - a geriatric, slip eccentric, meths fired Roundhouse 'Dylan' of early '80s vintage with RC on the regulator; a meths fired, manual control, Chaney 'Hero' that I hope to re-body and add RC in the future (I'm getting to old for sprinting across the garden to burn my fingers, fumbling for the regulator!) and a gas fired, RC, War Department Baldwin 4-6-0T from Malcolm Wright, which still needs sorting out (the RC and the pony truck). I'll be starting a new garden line in the spring, starting with the installation of a new boundary fence. The line will be elevated and run more or less around the yard perimeter, with an inside the loop yard/steaming bay 'Y'd off the main. I've assembled about half the necessary quantity of track and half a dozen turnouts in Peco; but also have all the necessary track, but no switches to do it a la Grover, in re-worked Gargraves. Time will tell which one ends being the final choice. Finally, hello to all the familiar names from assorted other lists. enjoy, Peter Foley Hamilton, Ontario.
